Review
Neurosciences
Abhishek Roy, Zarna Pathak, Hemant Kumar
Summary: The difficulties in regenerating after CNS injuries, including spinal cord injury, are attributed to factors such as hypertrophic scarring, inhibitory molecules, and the absence of mechanisms responsible for axonal regeneration in the adult CNS. Strategies to improve axon regeneration include neutralizing inhibitors/proteins and stabilizing microtubules. Furthermore, the focus on counteracting inhibitors of axonal growth and their downstream signaling through the RhoA/ROCK pathway is emphasized.
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Yan Chen, Chong Huang, Zhi-Bin Duan, Yan-Xia Chen, Cheng-Yun Xu
Summary: This study reveals that long noncoding RNA NEAT1 plays a crucial role in renal fibrosis. NEAT1 accelerates fibrosis progression by negatively regulating miR-31 and activating the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway, leading to the upregulation of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anmei Shu, Qiu Du, Jing Chen, Yuyan Gao, Yihui Zhu, Gaohong Lv, Jinfu Lu, Yuping Chen, Huiqin Xu
Summary: Catalpol, isolated from Rehmannia glutinosa, shows promising effects in treating diabetic diseases. This study found that catalpol effectively ameliorates endothelial dysfunction and inflammation by suppressing the RAGE/RhoA/ROCK pathway, delaying the progression of DN.
CHEMICO-BIOLOGICAL INTERACTIONS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Pingping Li, Xuefei Ji, Ming Shan, Yi Wang, Xingliang Dai, Mengyuan Yin, Yunlong Liu, Liao Guan, Lei Ye, Hongwei Cheng
Summary: In this study, a model of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) was established in mice using kainic acid (KA), and melatonin (MEL) was used for treatment. The results showed that MEL reduced the frequency and severity of seizures, improved cognition, learning, and memory ability, and significantly reduced neuronal death in the hippocampus. In vitro experiments showed that MEL changed the polarization status of microglia from a proinflammatory M1 phenotype to an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype by regulating the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway.
IMMUNITY INFLAMMATION AND DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Xiao Wei, Hua Lou, Dongchen Zhou, Yijuan Jia, Huayi Li, Quanfu Huang, Jingjing Ma, Zongyuan Yang, Chaoyang Sun, Yunchong Meng, Sen Xu, Xin Yang, Xiaoting Li, Teng Ji, Zhongzhen Guo, Qinglei Gao
Summary: This study confirmed that omental metastases in OC are stiffer and more abundant than primary tumors, and matrix stiffness can regulate OC progression. TAGLN was identified as a potent mechanosensitive gene that mediates stiffness-regulated OC progression through RhoA/ROCK pathway. Targeting ECM stiffness and TAGLN may provide promising therapeutic value for OC therapy.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Haijing Wu, Yaxiong Deng, Di Long, Ming Yang, Qianwen Li, Yu Feng, Yongjian Chen, Hong Qiu, Xin Huang, Zhenghao He, Longyuan Hu, Heng Yin, Guangdi Li, Yunkai Guo, Wenhan Du, Ming Zhao, Liwei Lu, Qianjin Lu
Summary: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the involvement of T follicular helper (T-FH) cells. This study found that AIM2 expression was upregulated in SLE patients, especially in T-FH-like cells. Knocking out AIM2 significantly reduced T-FH cell response and decreased levels of serum autoantibodies and proteinuria in lupus mice.
CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mahmoud Osman Khalifa, Takahito Moriwaki, Shouhua Zhang, Wei Zhou, Kosei Ito, Tao-Sheng Li
Summary: Biomechanical forces have the ability to regulate cell behaviors. This study investigated the role of negative pressure in regulating the dedifferentiation of hepatocytes. It was found that exposure to -50 mmHg pressure quickly induced stress fiber formation and changes in cell morphology. Furthermore, the activation of RhoA/ROCK pathway and the upregulation of stemness markers were observed. Inhibition of ROCK abrogated these changes induced by -50 mmHg pressure.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Masashi Mukohda, Risuke Mizuno, Fumiyo Saito, Toshiyasu Matsui, Hiroshi Ozaki
Summary: Our study showed that lymphatic smooth muscle contractility is hyperreactive in two different hypertensive models. The lymphatic dysfunction could be mediated by dysregulation of the ROCK pathway possibly through RGS16. The present finding supports a new concept showing the functional relationship between lymphatic contractile activity and hypertension.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-HEART AND CIRCULATORY PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Weizhuo Lu, Zhiwu Chen, Jiyue Wen
Summary: Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, and neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the prognosis of stroke. The up-regulation of RhoA/ROCK pathway and the activation of NF-κB contribute to intense neuroinflammation and brain injury. Glial cells, including microglial cells and astrocytes, are deeply involved in the neuroinflammation cascade following ischemic stroke. Understanding the relationship among RhoA/ROCK pathway, NF-κB, and glial cells may offer new strategies for preventing intense neuroinflammation.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Weizhuo Lu, Zhiwu Chen, Jiyue Wen
Summary: Ischemic stroke, a common and undertreated cerebral disease with high mortality and disability rate, involves various intrinsic and extrinsic factors that regulate the progression. Astrocytes, as an integral part of the neuronal glia system, play crucial roles in neuronal survival after ischemic stroke. The RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway and astrocytes have significant impact on neurological function and tissue repair after brain injury caused by ischemic stroke.
METABOLIC BRAIN DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Shan Jiang, Bo Sun, Yan Zhang, Jiayin Han, Yanyan Zhou, Chen Pan, Hongjie Wang, Nan Si, Baolin Bian, Linna Wang, Lifang Wang, Xiaolu Wei, Haiyu Zhao
Summary: In this study, the mechanism of immediate adverse drug reactions induced by ShenMai injection (SMI) was investigated. It was found that the adverse reactions were mediated by thymus-derived T cells and involved imbalanced CD4(+) T cell subsets and increased cytokine levels. Metabolomics analysis highlighted the significant changes in the metabolic profile, particularly the notable increase in lysolecithin level. Furthermore, the activation of the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway was suggested to be associated with the increased lysolecithin levels.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Elyse A. Watkins, Jennifer T. Antane, Jaeda L. Roberts, Kristen M. Lorentz, Sarah Zuerndorfer, Anya C. Dunaif, Lucas J. Bailey, Andrew C. Tremain, Mindy Nguyen, Roberto C. De Loera, Rachel P. Wallace, Rachel K. Weathered, Stephan Kontos, Jeffrey A. Hubbell
Summary: In this study, antigens bound to eryptotic erythrocytes induced sustained T cell dysfunction, leading to self-tolerance and exhaustion. By targeting antigens associated with eryptotic erythrocytes, the researchers were able to prevent pathology in a mouse experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model.
SCIENCE IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Keisuke Nakajima, Saori Oka, Takashi Tanikawa, Yoko Nemoto-Sasaki, Naoki Matsumoto, Hiroki Ishiguro, Yoichiro Arata, Takayuki Sugiura, Atsushi Yamashita
Summary: This study found that LPI induced morphological changes and cytoskeleton rearrangement in GPR55-expressing HEK293 cells, which was mediated through the GPR55-RhoA-ROCK signaling pathway.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Lingli Chen, Penghuan Jia, Yuye Liu, Rui Wang, Zhihong Yin, Dongfang Hu, Hongmei Ning, Yaming Ge
Summary: This study found that fluoride exposure reduces the proliferation and survival rates of HT-22 cells, impairs cellular ultrastructure and synaptic connections, and affects glucose transporters (GLUT1 and GLUT3) and ATP synthesis. Overall, fluoride disrupts actin homeostasis and ultimately affects the structure and function of HT-22 cells.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Chen Qu, Wen Yang, Yating Kan, Hui Zuo, Mengqi Wu, Qing Zhang, Heng Wang, Dou Wang, Jiong Chen
Summary: Proper regulation of mitochondrial dynamics is critical for collective migration of Drosophila border cells during oogenesis. Misregulation of mitochondrial fission or fusion results in reduced ATP levels. RhoA/ROCK signaling may couple actomyosin dynamics with mitochondrial dynamics to achieve optimal actomyosin function during cell migration.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Shanthini Kasturi, Jackie Szymonifka, Jessica R. Berman, Kyriakos A. Kirou, Alana B. Levine, Lisa R. Sammaritano, Lisa A. Mandl
ARTHRITIS CARE & RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Rheumatology
Yemil Atisha-Fregoso, Susan Malkiel, Kristina M. Harris, Margie Byron, Linna Ding, Sai Kanaparthi, William T. Barry, Wendy Gao, Kristin Ryker, Patti Tosta, Anca D. Askanase, Susan A. Boackle, W. Winn Chatham, Diane L. Kamen, David R. Karp, Kyriakos A. Kirou, S. Sam Lim, Bradley Marder, Maureen McMahon, Samir V. Parikh, William F. Pendergraft, Amber S. Podoll, Amit Saxena, David Wofsy, Betty Diamond, Dawn E. Smilek, Cynthia Aranow, Maria Dall'Era
Summary: The addition of belimumab to the treatment regimen did not increase adverse events in patients with refractory LN. However, it showed better effects on total and autoreactive naive B cells.
ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Clio P. Mavragani, Kyriakos A. Kirou, Adrianos Nezos, Surya Seshan, Teresa Wild, Sharon M. Wahl, Haralampos M. Moutsopoulos, Mary K. Crow
Summary: The study revealed an important role of APOBEC family members in the pathogenesis of systemic autoimmunity and SS-related lymphomagenesis. APOBEC3A was positively correlated with L1 expression, and AID and APOBEC3G were found to be overexpressed in samples from SS lymphoma patients.
CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
A. Krez, J. Lane, A. Heilbronner, K. -H. Park-Min, K. Kaneko, T. Pannellini, D. Mintz, D. Hansen, D. J. McMahon, K. A. Kirou, G. Roboz, P. Desai, R. S. Bockman, E. M. Stein
Summary: This study found that the cumulative oral dose of glucocorticoids was the best predictor of multi-joint osteonecrosis. Patients with a second risk factor for osteonecrosis had a 12-fold increased risk of MJON. Further research is needed to develop optimal strategies for preventing and treating MJON.
OSTEOPOROSIS INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Editorial Material
Rheumatology
Mary K. Crow, Kyriakos A. Kirou
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Dora Chen, Michelle Roytman, Kyriakos A. Kirou, Babak B. Navi, Andrew D. Schweitzer
Summary: Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA) is a cerebrovascular disease common in elderly patients, associated with cognitive decline and intracranial hemorrhage. Inflammatory forms of CAA-ri/ABRA cause rapid neurocognitive decline but are highly responsive to corticosteroid treatment.
Article
Allergy
Amy Ludwig, Caryn Elizabeth Brehm, Christopher Fung, Shijing Jia, Jonathan P. Troost, Laura Leuenberger, Rayan Kaakati, Catherine Tarantine, Ella Christoph, Michael W. Sjoding, Njira Lugogo
Summary: This study analyzed the impact of asthma on COVID-19 outcomes in hospitalized patients and found that asthma was associated with severe COVID-19. However, there was no significant association between asthma severity and outcomes.
ANNALS OF ALLERGY ASTHMA & IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Elena Gkrouzman, Mary Peng, Julia Davis-Porada, Kyriakos A. Kirou
Summary: Among patients with SLE and VTE events, African American patients were less likely to have a clinically significant aPL profile compared to White patients, and had different inflammatory markers at the time of a VTE event.
ARTHRITIS CARE & RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Vidyanath Chaudhary, Marie Dominique Ah Kioon, Sung-Min Hwang, Bikash Mishra, Kimberly Lakin, Kyriakos A. Kirou, Jeffrey Zhang-Sun, R. Luke Wiseman, Robert F. Spiera, Mary K. Crow, Jessica K. Gordon, Juan R. Cubillos-Ruiz, Franck J. Barrat
Summary: This article reports that pDCs from autoimmune patients have defects in the regulation of metabolic pathways and that blocking the TCA cycle abrogates chronic IFN-I responses. Modulating the IRE1 alpha-XBP1-PHGDH axis may represent a hitherto unexplored strategy for alleviating chronic pDC activation in autoimmune disorders.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Kyriakos A. Kirou, Maria DallEra, Cynthia Aranow, Hans-Joachim Anders
Summary: The treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) currently involves the use of immunosuppressive drugs, but two target-specific biological drugs, belimumab and anifrolumab, have been introduced. This study evaluates the risk-benefit of these drugs by considering their role in host defense and SLE pathogenesis, as well as safety and efficacy data.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Clio P. Mavragani, Kyriakos A. Kirou, Surya Seshan, Mary K. Crow
Summary: The study found that there is overexpression of IFN-I in the kidney tissue of patients with proliferative LN, which is associated with impaired renal function. The elevated expression of defensin-alpha 3 transcripts may be a driver of local IFN-I expression. These findings are important for understanding the mechanisms of proliferative LN and guiding therapeutic decisions.
Article
Orthopedics
Jeffrey Zhang-Sun, Raphael A. Kirou, Kyriakos A. Kirou
Summary: The study found an association between low B-cell counts (less than 40/μL) and decreased antibody responses to primary COVID-19 vaccination in patients with systemic rheumatic diseases treated with belimumab and/or rituximab. This study further emphasizes the importance of B-cell count in predicting antibody responses to COVID-19 vaccination.
Meeting Abstract
Rheumatology
David Fernandez, Insa Mannstadt, Mark Figgie, Peter Sculco, Jason Blevins, Caroline Siegel, Deanna Jannat-Khah, Carey Ford, Mikhail Olferiev, Dina Greenman, Kyriakos Kirou, Susan Goodman
ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Rheumatology
Diane Zisa, Jeffrey Zhang-Sun, Paul Christos, Kyriakos Kirou
ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Rheumatology
Kyriakos Kirou, Jeffrey Zhang-Sun
ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY
(2021)