Review
Cell Biology
Delfien Syx, Sarah Delbaere, Catherine Bui, Adelbert De Clercq, Goran Larson, Shuji Mizumoto, Tomoki Kosho, Sylvie Fournel-Gigleux, Fransiska Malfait
Summary: Proteoglycans, consisting of a core protein and glycosaminoglycan chains, play versatile functions in physiological and pathological processes. The biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycan chains is a complex process involving various enzymes. Deficiencies in these biosynthetic enzymes can lead to severe disorders, such as the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. This review summarizes the consequences of glycosaminoglycan deficiency in specific types of Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and provides insights into the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Lisa J. Hill, Hannah F. Botfield, Ghazala Begum, Omar Qureshi, Vasanthy Vigneswara, Imran Masood, Nicholas M. Barnes, Lars Bruce, Ann Logan
Summary: Fibrotic diseases pose a significant therapeutic challenge, but a newly formulated low molecular weight dextran sulfate (ILB(R)) shows potential in alleviating inflammation and promoting matrix remodelling, offering a promising approach to treating fibrotic diseases.
NPJ REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emmanuel Ledoult, Manel Jendoubi, Aurore Collet, Thomas Guerrier, Alexis Largy, Silvia Speca, Solange Vivier, Fabrice Bray, Martin Figeac, Eric Hachulla, Myriam Labalette, Frederic Lepretre, Sheherazade Sebda, Sebastien Sanges, Christian Rolando, Vincent Sobanski, Sylvain Dubucquoi, David Launay
Summary: We provide a novel approach to identify a gene signature for assessing murine fibroblast polarization. Transcriptomic and proteomic profiles were obtained from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) subjected to different polarizations. We found a significant number of differentially expressed genes and proteins under different polarization states. By analyzing the differentially expressed genes, we created a gene signature to evaluate fibroblast polarization. This gene signature accurately reflected the polarization states of fibroblasts in an experimental murine model.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mara Rubia Marques, Pedro Henrique Graciano de Assis, Patricia Santos Azeredo, Jaqueline Aguiar Fleury, Janaina Ribeiro Costa, Liana Silva Gomes, Danilo Silva Lima, Naiara Cristina de Souza Ribeiro, Manoel Francisco Biancardi, Fernanda Cristina Alcantara dos Santos
Summary: The results of this study indicate that aluminum intake during the neonatal phase can impair endochondral ossification by affecting epiphyseal cartilage and bone architecture.
JOURNAL OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Ross P. Wohlgemuth, Sarah E. Brashear, Lucas R. Smith
Summary: The structure of the muscle extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a crucial role in muscle regeneration, mechanical properties, and force transmission. Factors such as collagen alignment and packing density affect these functions. Maintaining a balance between strengthening the ECM and allowing for turnover is important. Understanding the architectural features of the muscle ECM can provide insights into its biomechanical function during exercise and in conditions like fibrosis.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wan-Jing Chen, I-Hsuan Lin, Chien-Wei Lee, Yi-Fan Chen
Summary: Aging leads to decline in skeletal muscle function, with reduced regenerative capacity and changes in extracellular matrix structure. This can result in increased collagen deposition and decreased ECM degradation in aged skeletal muscle.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Guan-Xuan Wu, Chun-Yu Chen, Chun-Shien Wu, Lain-Chyr Hwang, Shan-Wei Yang, Shyh-Ming Kuo
Summary: The study examined the effects of farnesol on phenotype restoration in chondrocytes, showing that farnesol promotes collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis, leading to the restoration of chondrocyte functions.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carolyn G. Chen, Renato Iozzo
Summary: The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a critical role in maintaining tissue homeostasis and has a significant impact on cancer initiation and progression. The emerging field of matrix biology focuses on the role of proteoglycans in regulating autophagy, a cellular process that has complex and context-dependent functions in cancer.
Article
Orthopedics
A. G. Gouldin, N. K. Patel, G. J. Golladay, J. L. Puetzer
Summary: There is a clear link between increasing age and meniscus degeneration, which leads to increased injury, osteoarthritis progression, and often total knee replacement. Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) play a central role in age-related tissue degradation, but their role in meniscus degeneration is not well understood. This study characterized changes in aged osteoarthritic menisci, focusing on zonal AGE accumulation, to gain a better understanding of age-related meniscal degeneration.
OSTEOARTHRITIS AND CARTILAGE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yanmiao Fan, Mads Luchow, Adel Badria, Daniel J. Hutchinson, Michael Malkoch
Summary: In this study, placenta powder (PP) made from decellularized human placenta was incorporated into synthetic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based hydrogels. The PP-incorporated PEG hydrogels showed tunable storage moduli and reduced swelling ratios compared to pristine hydrogels. The hydrogels demonstrated good biocompatibility and the ability to support cell adhesion and proliferation.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiangyu Zhao, Jiayin Chen, Hongxiang Sun, Yao Zhang, Duowu Zou
Summary: Fibrosis is a pathological feature of various chronic inflammatory diseases, which can have severe consequences and even be fatal. The imbalance between the production and degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) leads to excessive accumulation of ECM, with impaired degradation also playing a significant role in fibrosis. Understanding the relationship among macrophages, the MMP/TIMP system, and ECM is crucial for the development of potential therapeutic strategies for fibrosis.
CELL AND BIOSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Yingbo Peng, Wanhong He, Shuang Teng, Muneer Ahmed Jamali, Severiano R. Silva, Alfredo Jorge Costa Teixeira
Summary: In this study, we investigated the degradation of intramuscular connective tissue (IMCT) using cathepsin L. Our findings showed that cathepsin L mainly degrades the non-helical peptides of collagen in IMCT, rather than the triple helix region. We also observed that cathepsin L has a more pronounced degradation effect on the structural protein DCN at a pH of 5.0. Additionally, cathepsin L treatment resulted in a more significant decrease in the thermal denaturation temperatures (T-P and T-O) of IMCT, especially at a pH of 5.0.
Article
Cell Biology
Oscar Osorio-Conles, Romina Olbeyra, Josep Vidal, Ainitze Ibarzabal, Jose Maria Balibrea, Ana de Hollanda
Summary: This study evaluated the association between white adipose tissue parameters and post-surgical weight loss, with a focus on extracellular matrix gene expression. The results showed that the expression of COL5A1 and COL6A3 genes in subcutaneous adipose tissue were associated with weight loss after bariatric surgery, even after adjusting for other factors. Furthermore, the expression of these genes was also significantly associated with insufficient weight loss after surgery.
Article
Neurosciences
Sarah E. Brashear, Ross P. Wohlgemuth, Gabriella Gonzalez, Lucas R. Smith
Summary: The amount of fibrotic material in muscle is related to contractile function and passive stiffness, but excessive fibrosis does not directly lead to decreased muscle function. Anti-fibrotic therapies should target collagen architecture, particularly large collagen fibers and their alignment, to enhance muscle function and reduce excessive stiffness.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Xiaoxuan Jin, Yuchen Zhang, Xiangdong Zhang, Yibao Li, Mimi Xu, Kaiyang Liu, Jiangjiang Ru, Chijuan Ma, Yao Yao, Yunfan He, Jianhua Gao
Summary: The study developed a novel method to extract adipokines for combating skin photoaging. Experimental results demonstrated the anti-aging effects of ACF and its released adipokines promoting collagen synthesis and antioxidant abilities.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Fei Su, Xiaoping Wang, Troy Pearson, Jangsoon Lee, Savitri Krishnamurthy, Naoto T. Ueno, Mikhail G. Kolonin
MOLECULAR THERAPY-ONCOLYTICS
(2020)
Article
Oncology
Fei Su, Alexes C. Daquinag, Songyeon Ahn, Achinto Saha, Yulin Dai, Zhongming Zhao, John DiGiovanni, Mikhail G. Kolonin
Summary: Tumor aggressiveness is linked with obesity and recruitment of adipose stromal cells, which promote cancer through CXCL12 expression. Clinical sample analysis shows increased CXCL12 expression in peritumoral adipose stroma, correlating with decreased survival in patients with prostate carcinoma.
NPJ PRECISION ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Zhanguo Gao, Alexes C. Daquinag, Cale Fussell, Amel Djehal, Laurent Desaubry, Mikhail G. Kolonin
Summary: The study reveals that mice lacking PHB in adipocytes have a defect in fat tissue accumulation despite larger lipid droplets in the cells, due to reduced lipolysis. These mice are insulin resistant and lipid intolerant, with decreased capacity for long-chain fatty acid uptake in adipocytes. Additionally, they show increased expression of glucose transporter GLUT1 and a shift to using glucose as a preferred energy source, along with defective brown adipose tissue and reduced energy expenditure.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Alexes C. Daquinag, Zhanguo Gao, Cale Fussell, Linnet Immaraj, Renata Pasqualini, Wadih Arap, Askar M. Akimzhanov, Maria Febbraio, Mikhail G. Kolonin
Summary: This study elucidates the regulatory role of CD36 in the deposition and release of LCFA from adipose tissue, and its involvement in promoting tumor growth and chemoresistance. The dynamic cysteine S-acylation of CD36 plays a crucial role in intercellular LCFA transport, while induction of lipolysis triggers deacylation and deglycosylation of CD36.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Celine Pompeia, Eduardo Osorio Frare, Steve Peigneur, Jan Tytgat, Alvaro Prieto da Silva, Eduardo Brandt de Oliveira, Alexandre Pereira, Irina Kerkis, Mikhail G. Kolonin
Summary: The study characterized synthetic crotamine as a functional substitute for venom-derived crotamine with myotoxic effects. A combinatorial peptide library was screened for crotamine-binding peptides, with tryptophan-rich peptides shown to bind to crotamine and interfere with its DNA binding. The myofiber distribution of crotamine and its affinity for tryptophan-rich peptides provide insights on its mechanism of action.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE-JMM
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhanguo Gao, Aiping Lu, Alexes C. Daquinag, Yongmei Yu, Matthieu Huard, Chieh Tseng, Xueqin Gao, Johnny Huard, Mikhail G. Kolonin
Summary: DMD, caused by the loss of dystrophin, leads to reduced muscle regeneration and accumulation of fibroadipogenic progenitors (FAPs) causing muscle damage. Targeting MSC-derived FAPs through genetic or pharmacologic methods in mouse models of DMD showed significant improvement in muscle function without affecting fibrosis. This suggests that depleting pathogenic MSCs could be a potential strategy for delaying muscle dysfunction in DMD.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Zhanguo Gao, Alexes C. Daquinag, Yongmei Yu, Mikhail G. Kolonin
Summary: This study reveals the inhibitory role of PHB1 in glucose utilization in endothelial cells and its importance in LCFA deposition in adipocytes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Songyeon Ahn, Achinto Saha, Rachel Clark, Mikhail G. Kolonin, John DiGiovanni
Summary: Obesity is associated with increased prostate cancer progression and mortality, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. The study found that CXCR4 and CXCR7 play important roles in cancer progression, and the CXCL12 signaling pathway could be a potential target for intervening in prostate cancer. Additionally, other factors secreted by adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) may contribute to cancer aggressiveness in obesity.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Alexes C. Daquinag, Zhanguo Gao, Yongmei Yu, Mikhail G. Kolonin
Summary: This study reveals the molecular mechanisms underlying vascular remodeling and sympathetic neuronal guidance in brown and beige adipose tissue. The peptide CPATAERPC is found to mimic nerve growth factor (NGF) and targets the low molecular weight isoform of NGF receptor, TrkA. TrkA signaling in the endothelium is important for neuro-vascular coordination supporting brown adipocyte thermogenesis. A hunter-killer peptide D-BAT induces cell death in adipocytes and endothelial cells, resulting in impaired thermogenesis, obesity, and glucose intolerance in mice. D-BAT also inhibits tumor-associated adipose tissue lipolysis, reducing fatty acid utilization by cancer cells.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2022)
Review
Biology
Michael Fossel, Joe Bean, Nina Khera, Mikhail G. Kolonin
Summary: Cell aging is the central mechanism of age-related cardiovascular disease, which can be reversed through interventions at the cellular, genetic, and epigenetic levels. Therapeutic approaches based on the unified model hold great potential for transformative impact in cardiovascular medicine.
Review
Urology & Nephrology
Achinto Saha, Mikhail G. G. Kolonin, John DiGiovanni
Summary: Obesity plays an important role in driving aggressive prostate cancer and increasing mortality. Mechanisms associated with diet, lifestyle, energy balance, hormonal regulation, and immune system activation have been suggested to explain this relationship. Recent research has focused on peri-prostatic white adipose tissue as a source of factors that stimulate prostate cancer progression. Adipocytes and adipose stromal cells (ASCs) in white adipose tissue have been identified as important drivers of obesity-associated cancer progression. Accumulating evidence suggests that adipocytes provide lipids for prostate cancer cells, while ASCs promote tumor growth through extracellular matrix remodeling, neovascularization, recruitment of immunosuppressive cells, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition via signaling. ASCs are potential targets for therapies to suppress aggression in obese cancer patients.
NATURE REVIEWS UROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Zhanguo Gao, Alexes C. Daquinag, Cale Fussell, Zhongming Zhao, Yulin Dai, Angielyn Rivera, Brad E. Snyder, Kristin L. Eckel-Mahan, Mikhail G. Kolonin
