Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Masaki Kinoshita, Meng Amy Li, Michael Barber, William Mansfield, Sabine Dietmann, Austin Smith
Summary: Genome remethylation is crucial for mammalian development, with a study showing that deficiencies in Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b lead to ES cells developing into trophoblast cells due to failed suppression of Ascl2. Regulating the expression of Ascl2 can impact the transdifferentiation and contribution of ES cells.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Hanyi Zeng, Fanke Peng, Jiachen Wang, Ru Meng, Jun Zhang
Summary: The study showed that Fruquintinib can promote the maintenance of naive pluripotency and inhibit early differentiation programs in mESCs. Cells treated with Fruquintinib expressed higher levels of pluripotent markers under LIF condition, demonstrating its effect on mESC pluripotency.
CELLULAR REPROGRAMMING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yingjie Hang, Xiaoliang Ma, Chunxiao Liu, Siyuan Li, Sixuan Zhang, Ruyan Feng, Qianwen Shang, Qi Liu, Zhaozhao Ding, Xiaoyi Zhang, Liyin Yu, Qiang Lu, Changshun Shao, Hong Chen, Yufang Shi, Jiuyang He, David L. Kaplan
Summary: The development of anisotropic silk protein nanofiber-based hydrogels enables mouse embryonic stem cells to maintain stemness in vitro without the need for leukemia inhibitory factor and mouse embryonic fibroblasts, resulting in superior pluripotency and genetic stability. The hydrogels establish an improved dynamic niche that stimulates autocrine factor secretion and maintains pluripotency and propagation of ESCs, offering a simple and cost-effective option for expansion and utility of ESCs in research and therapy, while providing insights into early mammalian embryogenesis.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yahong Wu, Weiwei Zhang
Summary: Pluripotent stem cells, including ESCs and iPSCs, are crucial for studying early development and treating diseases, with ubiquitination playing a key role in pluripotency regulation, particularly through the actions of E3 ligases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Anderson Tan, Renuka Prasad, Eek-hoon Jho
Summary: TFEB plays a crucial role in mESCs by regulating PTN to maintain pluripotency, with interactions involving Nanog and Sox2. While high levels of TFEB are expected to enhance autophagy-lysosomal activity, undifferentiated mESCs surprisingly display low basal levels.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daniel Olivieri, Eleonora Castelli, Yumiko K. Kawamura, Panagiotis Papasaikas, Ilya Lukonin, Melanie Rittirsch, Daniel Hess, Sebastien A. Smallwood, Michael B. Stadler, Antoine H. F. M. Peters, Joerg Betschinger
Summary: Mouse embryonic stem cells are biased towards producing embryonic endoderm rather than extraembryonic endoderm, which is regulated by transcriptional repressors Hdac3 and Dax1. Pluripotency factors Nr5a2 and Esrrb promote cell type conversion, and perturbation of the barrier extends mESC potency. This study shows that transcriptional repressors stabilize pluripotency by biasing the equilibrium between embryonic and extraembryonic lineages in mESCs.
Article
Cell Biology
Shahnaz Babaei-Abraki, Fereshteh Karamali, Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani
Summary: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have the potential to differentiate into different types of cells, making them a valuable source for therapeutic applications. However, hESCs are prone to cell death after dissociation, which hinders their use. Recent research has found that hESCs can undergo a form of programmed cell death called ferroptosis, which is different from previously observed cell death processes. Ferroptosis is triggered by an increase in intracellular iron, and it is distinct from other forms of cell death in terms of its biochemical, morphological, and genetic characteristics.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joaquin Montilla-Rojo, Monika Bialecka, Kimberley E. E. Wever, Christine L. L. Mummery, Leendert H. J. Looijenga, Bernard A. J. Roelen, Daniela C. F. Salvatori
Summary: Pluripotency is crucial for assessing stem cells, but there is a lack of standardization in the teratoma assay and ethical concerns about animal use. In vitro alternatives have been developed, but their use and malignancy testing remain limited. The teratoma assay is still preferred for safety assessment, highlighting the need for an in vitro assay for testing stem cell malignancy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Rodrigo Ramos-Acevedo, Carmen Alejandra Morato-Torres, Francisco J. Padilla-Godinez, Luis Daniel Bernal-Conde, Marcela Palomero-Rivero, Faria Zafar, Omar Collazo-Navarrete, Luis O. Soto-Rojas, Birgitt Schule, Magdalena Guerra-Crespo
Summary: Transplantation of immature dopaminergic neurons or neural precursors derived from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) is a potential therapeutic approach for Parkinson's disease (PD). Improving the survival and differentiation of transplanted cells in the local microenvironment is crucial. This study shows that overexpressing dopaminergic transcription factors in human ESC-derived cells promotes neural differentiation and the generation of dopaminergic cells in the SNpc.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kazuko Okamoto, Hideaki Fujita, Yasushi Okada, Soya Shinkai, Shuichi Onami, Kuniya Abe, Kenta Fujimoto, Kensuke Sasaki, Go Shioi, Tomonobu M. Watanabe
Summary: Nanog and Oct4 are core transcription factors that regulate pluripotency maintenance in mouse ESCs. The interaction time between Nanog and its target loci increases upon reduced expression or differentiation onset, suggesting a feedback mechanism for pluripotency maintenance. The expression level and interaction frequency of Nanog and Oct4 are correlated with their fluctuation and depend on ESC differentiation status. The DNA viscoelasticity near Oct4 target locus remains flexible during differentiation, supporting its role in chromatin opening or binding to uncondensed regions. These findings propose a new negative feedback mechanism for pluripotency maintenance via the DNA condensation state-dependent interplay of Nanog and Oct4.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kang-Xuan Jin, Rujuan Zuo, Konstantinos Anastassiadis, Arne Klungland, Carsten Marr, Adam Filipczyk
Summary: This study investigates the impact of m(6)A deposition on mRNA on the fate of pluripotent stem cells, revealing that it regulates cell fate through modulation of mRNA stability. The results show that m(6)A depletion activates pErk and pAkt signaling pathways, affecting both the maintenance of pluripotency and lineage commitment decisions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Oliver Brookes, Stephen D. Thorpe, Olga Rigby Evans, Michael C. Keeling, David A. Lee
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between biomechanical properties and pluripotency gene expression in murine embryonic stem cells, revealing considerable variation among cells, with high pluripotency gene expression correlating to lower cell stiffness.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Seong-Min Kim, Eun-Ji Kwon, Yun-Jeong Kim, Young-Hyun Go, Ji-Young Oh, Seokwoo Park, Jeong Tae Do, Keun-Tae Kim, Hyuk-Jin Cha
Summary: This study discovered the differential roles of Shp2 in naive and primed pluripotency and proposed the usage of iShp2 instead of iMek1 for the efficient maintenance and establishment of naive pluripotency.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Veronika V. Ermakova, Nikita P. Fokin, Nikolay D. Aksenov, Evgeny I. Bakhmet, Ekaterina V. Aleksandrova, Andrey A. Kuzmin, Alexey N. Tomilin
Summary: The transcription factor Oct4 plays a critical role in maintaining pluripotency and can reprogram somatic cells into a pluripotent state. Identifying the genetic elements that regulate the Oct4-encoding gene, Pou5f1, is important for understanding pluripotency regulation. This study shows that translocating a fragment of the Pou5f1 gene impairs the self-renewal and differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells, indicating the presence of critical regulatory elements outside the previously determined boundaries of Pou5f1.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Puja Agrawal, Sridhar Rao
Summary: Cell fate decisions rely on gene expression changes mediated by regulatory elements like enhancers and CTCF binding sites. These elements play crucial roles in early mammalian development and impact cell-type specific gene expression.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jeng-Hung Wu, Ching -Chia Wang, Frank Leigh Lu, Shu-Chien Huang, Yueh-Ping Liu, Chun-Yi Lu, Luan-Yin Chang, En-Ting Wu
Summary: During the Level 3 alert period in Taiwan from May to July 2021, there was a significant decrease in admissions to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), but the severity of illness increased, length of stay in the PICU prolonged, and mortality rate higher, reflecting the impact of quarantine and limited medical access.
JOURNAL OF THE FORMOSAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Yu-Chan Chang, Chien-Hsiu Li, Ming-Hsien Chan, Chih-Yeu Fang, Zhi-Xuan Zhang, Chi-Long Chen, Michael Hsiao
Summary: RAB3C plays a key role in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) and its overexpression is associated with drug resistance. RAB3C-induced dystrophin expression promotes vesicle formation and packaging. The RAB3C-dystrophin axis is positively correlated with PIK3CA genetic alterations in CRC patients, providing potential therapeutic options for CRC treatment.
MOLECULAR ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chien-Hsiu Li, Ming-Hsien Chan, Yu-Chan Chang, Michael Hsiao
Summary: Gold nanotechnology has revolutionized molecular biology applications, particularly in diagnosing and treating at the molecular and cellular levels. The combination of plasmonic resonance, biochemistry, and optoelectronic engineering has enhanced molecule detection and increased the possibility of analyzing atoms. Gold nanoparticles offer superior analytical properties that can be utilized for drug screening, gene sequencing, and detecting physiological functions.
Article
Immunology
Song-Ming Huang, Chi-Hsien Wu, Ting-Yu Yen, Ching-Chia Wang, Chun-Yi Lu, Jong-Min Chen, Ping-Ing Lee, Wang-Tso Lee, Luan-Yin Chang, Li-Min Huang
Summary: Taiwan reported a significant increase in COVID-19 cases, particularly due to the spread of the Omicron variant. Children were one of the most vulnerable groups during this epidemic. By analyzing the clinical presentations and associated factors, it was found that children with congenital cardiovascular disease, fever lasting 4 days or more, seizures, desaturation, and/or elevated procalcitonin levels had a higher risk of developing severe complications after COVID-19 infection.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY IMMUNOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Yu-Ching Wen, Van Thi Ngoc Tram, Wei-Hao Chen, Chien-Hsiu Li, Hsiu-Lien Yeh, Phan Vu Thuy Dung, Kuo-Ching Jiang, Han-Ru Li, Jiaoti Huang, Michael Hsiao, Wei-Yu Chen, Yen-Nien Liu
Summary: Current treatment options for prostate cancer focus on targeting androgen receptor (AR) signaling, but inhibiting AR may promote the development of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of AR is crucial for the clinical management of NEPC. This study revealed the tumor-suppressive role of AR and identified its downregulation of CHRM4 expression. CHRM4 overexpression drives neuroendocrine differentiation in prostate cancer cells and is associated with immunosuppressive cytokine responses in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Targeting CHRM4 and evaluating IFNA17 secretion as a prognostic biomarker could be potential therapeutic strategies for NEPC.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Aishwarya Satpathy, Wen-Tse Huang, Ming-Hsien Chan, Ting-Yi Su, Mikolaj Kaminski, Natalia Majewska, Sebastian Mahlik, Grzegorz Leniec, Slawomir M. Kaczmarek, Michael Hsiao, Ru-Shi Liu
Summary: In the biomedical field, fluorescence imaging in the NIR-II region is growing rapidly due to its advantages of reduced autofluorescence and low photon scattering. This work integrates the ZnGa2O4 spinel oxide system into mesoporous silica and utilizes energy transfer from Cr3+ to Ni2+ to achieve high emission intensity in the NIR-II region. By establishing emission in the NIR-II and NIR-I regions, it enables improved clarity and increased penetration depth for bioimaging purposes.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Crystallography
Kayalvizhi Samuvel Muthiah, Senthilkumar Thirumurugan, Yu-Chien Lin, Rajalakshmi Sakthivel, Udesh Dhawan, An-Ni Wang, Michael Hsiao, Ren-Jei Chung
Summary: Ce3NbO7/g-C3N4 nanocomposites exhibit synergistic enhancement of cancer treatment by generating cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inducing photothermal therapy (PTT) in the tumor microenvironment.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wei -Yu Chen, Phan Vu Thuy Dung, Hsiu-Lien Yeh, Wei-Hao Chen, Kuo-Ching Jiang, Han-Ru Li, Zi-Qing Chen, Michael Hsiao, Jiaoti Huang, Yu-Ching Wen, Yen-Nien Liu
Summary: The conventional treatment for prostate cancer is androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT), which inhibits tumor progression driven by androgen receptor (AR) signaling. ADT-induced recurrence of prostate cancer can develop into a neuroendocrine (NE) phenotype with metabolic disturbances and poor prognosis. However, the metabolic pathways that regulate NE differentiation (NED) in prostate cancer are still unclear.
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Kun-Lin Wu, Chien-Lung Chen, Mai-Huong Thi Nguyen, Jen-Chieh Tsai, Sun-Chong Wang, Wen-Fang Chiang, Po-Jen Hsiao, Jenq-Shyong Chan, Ju Jung Hou, Nianhan Ma
Summary: The importance of coronary artery disease in chronic kidney disease. Delayed diagnosis due to lack of specific symptoms and decreased accuracy of noninvasive diagnostic tools increases mortality. MicroRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of CAD and have the potential for clinical application.
CLINICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yu-Chen Chen, Chia-Ying Chen, Tai-Wei Chiang, Ming-Hsien Chan, Michael Hsiao, Huei-Mien Ke, Isheng Jason Tsai, Trees-Juen Chuang
Summary: The study developed a bioinformatics pipeline, NCLscan-hybrid, to detect trans-spliced RNAs (ts-RNAs) and distinguish them from circular RNAs (circRNAs). The pipeline integrates short and long RNA-seq reads, minimizing false positives and proposing out-of-circle and rolling-circle long reads.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jhih-Kai Pan, Wen-Der Lin, Yao-Lung Kuo, Yu-Chia Chen, Zhu-Jun Loh, Forn-Chia Lin, Hui-Chuan Cheng, Michael Hsiao, Pei-Jung Lu
Summary: Through proteomic analysis, high expression of ICAM2 was found in leptomeningeal metastatic TNBC cells, promoting spinal cord colonization and causing poor survival outcomes. Two-way demonstration showed that high levels of ICAM2 promoted BCB adhesion, migration, and stemness abilities, determining the specificity of LM in vivo. The study suggests that targeting ICAM2 is a potential therapeutic strategy for LM in TNBC.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Loan Thi Ngo, Wen-Tse Huang, Ming-Hsien Chan, Ting-Yi Su, Chien-Hsiu Li, Michael Hsiao, Ru-Shi Liu
Summary: This study investigates the neurotoxicity of all-inorganic lead halide perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs) using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism. The results show that PeQDs accumulate mainly in the alimentary system and head region, causing a decrease in locomotor behaviors, pharyngeal pumping, brood decline, short lifespan, and abnormal issues in reproduction. Excessive reactive oxygen species formation is also observed. The neurotoxicity of PeQDs is explained by gene expression. This study provides an insight into the neurotoxicity of PeQDs and inspires the development of nontoxic PeQDs.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chi-Ling Chiang, Yifan Ma, Ya-Chin Hou, Junjie Pan, Sin-Yu Chen, Ming-Hsien Chien, Zhi-Xuan Zhang, Wei-Hsiang Hsu, Xinyu Wang, Jingjing Zhang, Hong Li, Lili Sun, Shannon Fallen, Inyoul Lee, Xing-Yu Chen, Yeh-Shiu Chu, Chi Zhang, Tai-Shan Cheng, Wen Jiang, Betty Y. S. Kim, Eduardo Reategui, Robert Lee, Yuan Yuan, Hsiao-Chun Liu, Kai Wang, Michael Hsiao, Chi-Ying F. Huang, Yan-Shen Shan, Andrew S. Lee, L. James Lee
Summary: This study reports a dual targeted extracellular vesicle (dtEV) that can effectively suppress large PDAC tumors. The dtEV carries high loads of therapeutic RNA and is delivered to target cells through electroporation. When used in combination with the chemotherapy drug Gemcitabine, the dtEVs can inhibit tumor growth and prolong animal survival.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Yi-Chieh Yang, Yung-Wei Lin, Wei-Jiunn Lee, Feng-Ru Lai, Kuo-Hao Ho, Chih-Ying Chu, Kuo-Tai Hua, Ji-Qing Chen, Min-Che Tung, Michael Hsiao, Yu-Ching Wen, Ming-Hsien Chien
Summary: The versatile RNA-binding protein KSRP plays a critical role in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) by promoting malignant progression through the transcriptional inhibition and post-transcriptional destabilization of NEDD4L transcripts. Targeting KSRP and its pathways could provide a new therapeutic intervention for ccRCC.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Deng-Chyang Wu, Chia-Chen Ku, Jia-Bin Pan, Kenly Wuputra, Ya-Han Yang, Chung-Jung Liu, Yi-Chang Liu, Kohsuke Kato, Shigeo Saito, Ying-Chu Lin, Inn-Wen Chong, Michael Hsiao, Huang-Ming Hu, Chao-Hung Kuo, Kung-Kai Kuo, Chang-Shen Lin, Kazunari K. Yokoyama
Summary: In this study, the effects of antioxidant drugs on gastric cancer (GC) were examined using GC organoids. It was found that perillaldehyde (PEA) and cinnamaldehyde (CA) suppressed the proliferation of GC organoids, while sulforaphane (SFN) enhanced it. PEA and CA also repressed caspase 3 activities and tumor formation, while SFN had the opposite effect. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the expression of TP53, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (NRF2), and Jun dimerization protein 2 were downregulated by PEA and CA, but not SFN. NRF2 knockdown reversed the effects of PEA and CA on invasive activities of GC organoids. Additionally, PEA and CA inhibited ROS production. Therefore, NRF2 plays a crucial role in the differential effects of these antioxidant drugs on cancer progression in GC organoids. PEA and CA have the potential to be new therapeutics for GC.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)