KIT masters mast cells in kids, too.

[cutaneous mastocytosis]

Adult mastocytosis is usually persistent and caused by c-KIT codon 816 -activating mutations . Pediatric mastocytosis is often transient , and the molecular mechanism driving mast cell proliferation in pediatric cases remains unclear . In this issue , Bodemer et al . report novel c-KIT mutations in a large percentage of pediatric cases , identifying both similarities and fundamental differences in the mechanisms causing adult and pediatric mastocytosis .