Review
Cell Biology
Xiaomin Ma, Xin Wang, Guangbing Zheng, Guiqin Tan, Fangyu Zhou, Wenwen Wei, Dan Tian, Hongsong Yu
Summary: Behçet's disease is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disease with complex pathogenesis involving genetics, environmental factors, and gut microbiota. Previous studies have indicated that external environmental factors and abnormalities in epigenetic modification may impact the development of BD.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Michael J. Corley, Alina P. S. Pang, Cecilia M. Shikuma, Lishomwa C. Ndhlovu
Summary: Retrospective studies on two clinical trials suggest that the antidiabetic drug metformin may promote healthy aging by modulating the epigenetic clocks in blood cells. However, larger clinical studies are needed to validate these observations.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yerin Kim, Hyung-In Yang, Kyoung-Soo Kim
Summary: This review summarizes and analyzes the etiology and pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). The incidence of RA-ILD increases with age and is higher in men, and is also associated with lifestyle factors such as smoking and exposure to pollutants. The presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, high RA disease activity, and rheumatoid factor positivity increase the risk of RA-ILD.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jacek Rysz, Beata Franczyk, Magdalena Rysz-Gorzynska, Anna Gluba-Brzozka
Summary: The modifications in genomic DNA methylation play a crucial role in regulating normal and pathological cellular processes, and are associated with the development of diseases such as atherogenesis, cancers, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Altered DNA methylation can affect the progression of renal disease by modulating the expression of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic genes, as well as genes essential for kidney development and function. Understanding the genetic-epigenetic profile is important for unraveling the processes underlying CKD development and improving the ability to identify individuals at risk and choose appropriate disease management.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rebecca Shepherd, Bowon Kim, Richard Saffery, Boris Novakovic
Summary: This study investigates the effects of triiodothyronine (T3) on the transcriptome and methylome of human monocytes in vitro. The results indicate that T3 induces limited transcriptional and DNA methylation remodeling in genes enriched in metabolism and immune processes, as well as alters the normal LPS response.
Article
Oncology
Arce Domingo-Relloso, Angela L. Riffo-Campos, Martha Powers, Maria Tellez-Plaza, Karin Haack, Robert H. Brown, Jason G. Umans, M. Daniele Fallin, Shelley A. Cole, Ana Navas-Acien, Tiffany R. Sanchez
Summary: This study investigated the association between lung disease and DNA methylation, finding multiple differentially methylated CpG sites associated with chronic lung disease. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in lung disease and may have diagnostic implications.
CLINICAL EPIGENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Leszek Roszkowski, Bozena Jaszczyk, Magdalena Plebanczyk, Marzena Ciechomska
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the regulation of pro-inflammatory mediators, especially S100 proteins, in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and identify potential biomarkers of high disease activity. Through RNA sequencing analysis, it was found that RA monocytes exhibited significantly increased expression of S100 proteins, TNF, and IL-8 genes. Moreover, S100A8, S100A11, and S100A12 proteins were significantly upregulated in RA patients, especially in early RA, and could serve as better biomarkers of disease activity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Sai Nikhil Uppala, Kamatham Pushpa Tryphena, Padmashri Naren, Saurabh Srivastava, Shashi Bala Singh, Dharmendra Kumar Khatri
Summary: The development of novel therapeutics for Parkinson's disease (PD) is a serious concern as the burden of PD continues to increase. Studies have found that epigenetics plays an important role in PD and several dysregulated epigenetic mechanisms have been identified. These mechanisms are regulated by miRNAs which have the potential to be novel therapeutic targets as well as biomarkers for PD.
MECHANISMS OF AGEING AND DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gillian C. Goobie, Xiaoyun Li, Christopher J. Ryerson, Christopher Carlsten, Kerri A. Johannson, James P. Fabisiak, Kathleen O. Lindell, Xiaoping Chen, Kevin F. Gibson, Daniel J. Kass, S. Mehdi Nouraie, Yingze Zhang
Summary: This study evaluated the association between PM2.5 and its constituents with global DNAm in patients with IPF. The study found that higher PM2.5 exposure was associated with higher global DNAm, and exposure to sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and black carbon constituents was also associated with higher global DNAm. This study discovered that global DNAm is a novel biomarker for increased PM2.5 and anthropogenic constituent exposure in patients with IPF.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Jing Zhang, Long-Min Chen, Yuan Zou, Shu Zhang, Fei Xiong, Cong-Yi Wang
Summary: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease caused by severe destruction of insulin-producing beta cells, with both genetic predisposition and environmental factors playing critical roles in its pathogenesis. Epigenetics serves as a bridge linking T1D risk genes and environmental exposures, modulating gene expression relevant to T1D development beyond DNA sequence changes.
CHINESE MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Yung-Che Chen, Yu-Ping Chang, Kuo-Tung Huang, Po-Yuan Hsu, Chang-Chun Hsiao, Meng-Chih Lin
Summary: ACO is characterized by persistent airflow limitation and features of both asthma and COPD, associated with higher frequency and severity of exacerbations, faster lung function decline, and higher healthcare cost. Systemic inflammation in COPD and asthma is driven by Th1 and Th2 immune responses, with potential contributions to airway remodeling in ACO.
Review
Oncology
Raluca Munteanu, Ciprian Tomuleasa, Cristina-Adela Iuga, Diana Gulei, Tudor Eliade Ciuleanu, Triantafillos Liloglou
Summary: Understanding and applying epigenetic processes can revolutionize lung cancer care, improving treatment outcomes and quality of life. However, understanding the role of epigenetic drugs in treatment remains a challenge.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Wenhan Cai, Miao Jing, Jiaxin Wen, Hua Guo, Zhiqiang Xue
Summary: This study focused on the epigenetic alterations of DNA methylation and miRNAs in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). The study identified differentially expressed genes associated with these epigenetic changes in LUAD and identified potential small-molecule drugs and therapeutic targets for LUAD treatment.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Wubin Ding, Diljeet Kaur, Steve Horvath, Wanding Zhou
Summary: Researchers have developed informatics infrastructure and methods for DNA methylation analysis in multiple species, including domesticated animals and laboratory mice. They have created a data-driven analysis pipeline for species inference, genome-specific data preprocessing, and regression modeling. Comparative analysis has revealed the dynamics of epigenome evolution in different genomic territories and tissue types, and specific methylation differences related to mouse strain phenotypes have been identified. These methods expand epigenome research to a wide range of species by streamlining DNA methylation array analysis for undesigned genomes.
BRIEFINGS IN BIOINFORMATICS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Syuzo Kaneko, Ken Takasawa, Ken Asada, Norio Shinkai, Amina Bolatkan, Masayoshi Yamada, Satoshi Takahashi, Hidenori Machino, Kazuma Kobayashi, Masaaki Komatsu, Ryuji Hamamoto
Summary: COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, was declared a pandemic in 2020, and while global vaccination efforts are expected to help control the situation, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants poses challenges. Effective treatments for COVID-19 are still scarce, with the pathogenic mechanisms remaining unclear, although epigenetics is suggested to play a significant role.
Article
Rheumatology
David Roofeh, Kevin K. Brown, Ella A. Kazerooni, Donald Tashkin, Shervin Assassi, Fernando Martinez, Athol U. Wells, Ganesh Raghu, Christopher P. Denton, Lorinda Chung, Anna-Maria Hoffmann-Vold, Oliver Distler, Kerri A. Johannson, Yannick Allanore, Eric L. Matteson, Leticia Kawano-Dourado, John D. Pauling, James R. Seibold, Elizabeth R. Volkmann, Simon L. F. Walsh, Chester Oddis, Eric S. White, Shaney L. Barratt, Elana J. Bernstein, Robyn T. Domsic, Paul F. Dellaripa, Richard Conway, Ivan Rosas, Nitin Bhatt, Vivien Hsu, Francesca Ingegnoli, Bashar Kahaleh, Puneet Garcha, Nishant Gupta, Surabhi Khanna, Peter Korsten, Celia Lin, Stephen C. Mathai, Vibeke Strand, Tracy J. Doyle, Virginia Steen, Donald F. Zoz, Juan Ovalles-Bonilla, Ignasi Rodriguez-Pinto, Padmanabha D. Shenoy, Andrew Lewandoski, Elizabeth Belloli, Alain Lescoat, Vivek Nagaraja, Wen Ye, Suiyuan Huang, Toby Maher, Dinesh Khanna
Summary: This study aimed to establish a framework by which experts define disease subsets in systemic sclerosis associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD). The results showed that using the proposed conceptual framework, international experts were able to achieve a consensus on classifying SSc-ILD patients along the dimensions of disease severity, risk of progression and progression over time.
Article
Rheumatology
Christopher P. Denton, Nicole S. Goh, Stephen M. Humphries, Toby M. Maher, Robert Spiera, Anand Devaraj, Lawrence Ho, Christian Stock, Elvira Erhardt, Margarida Alves, Athol U. Wells
Summary: Data from the SENSCIS trial suggests that patients with SSc-ILD are at risk of ILD progression and can benefit from nintedanib regardless of the extent of fibrotic ILD at baseline.
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Toby M. Maher, Veronica A. Tudor, Peter Saunders, Michael A. Gibbons, Sophie Fletcher, Christopher P. Denton, Rachel K. Hoyles, Helen Parfrey, Elisabetta A. Renzoni, Maria Kokosi, Athol U. Wells, Deborah Ashby, Matyas Szigeti, Philip L. Molyneaux, RECITAL Investigators
Summary: In a randomized, double-blind clinical trial, it was found that rituximab is not superior to cyclophosphamide in treating connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD). However, both treatment methods improved lung function and quality of life in patients within 24 weeks.
LANCET RESPIRATORY MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Justin M. Oldham, Richard J. Allen, Jose M. Lorenzo-Salazar, Philip L. Molyneaux, Shwu-Fan Ma, Chitra Joseph, John S. Kim, Beatriz Guillen-Guio, Tamara Hernandez-Beeftink, Jonathan A. Kropski, Yong Huang, Cathryn T. Lee, Ayodeji Adegunsoye, Janelle Vu Pugashetti, Angela L. Linderholm, Vivian Vo, Mary E. Strek, Jonathan Jou, Adrian Munoz-Barrera, Luis A. Rubio-Rodriguez, Richard Hubbard, Nik Hirani, Moira K. B. Whyte, Simon Hart, Andrew G. Nicholson, Lisa Lancaster, Helen Parfrey, Doris Rassl, William Wallace, Eleanor Valenzi, Yingze Zhang, Josyf Mychaleckyj, Amy Stockwell, Naftali Kaminski, Paul J. Wolters, Maria Molina-Molina, Nicholas E. Banovich, William A. Fahy, Fernando J. Martinez, Ian P. Hall, Martin D. Tobin, Toby M. Maher, Timothy S. Blackwell, Brian L. Yaspan, R. Gisli Jenkins, Carlos Flores, Louise V. Wain, Imre Noth
Summary: This study conducted a staged genome-wide association study to identify and validate molecular determinants of survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Four novel variants associated with IPF survival were identified, including one within the PCSK6 gene that reached genome-wide significance. Downstream analyses suggested that PCSK6 protein may play an important role in IPF progression.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Benjamin E. E. Garfield, Paolo Bianchi, Deepa J. J. Arachchillage, Francisca Caetano, Sujal Desai, James Doyle, Clara Hernandez Caballero, Anne-Marie Doyle, Sachin Mehta, Alexander Law, Sian Jaggar, Maria Kokosi, Philip L. Molyneaux, Maurizio Passariello, Meena Naja, Carole Ridge, Joana Alcada, Brijesh Patel, Suveer Singh, Stephane Ledot
Summary: This study aimed to compare patients supported on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) between the first and second waves of COVID-19 in terms of mortality, decannulation, ECMO duration, complications, lung function, and quality of life. The results showed that the second wave had lower survival rate and decannulation rate, longer ECMO duration, longer noninvasive ventilation application, and higher frequency of barotrauma. However, lung function and quality of life at follow-up were similar across the waves.
CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Respiratory System
Carl J. Reynolds, Fabiola Del Greco, Richard J. Allen, Carlos Flores, R. Gisli Jenkins, Toby M. Maher, Philip L. Molyneaux, Imre Noth, Justin M. Oldham, Louise Wain, Jiyuan An, Jue-Sheng Ong, Stuart MacGregor, Tom A. Yates, Paul Cullinan, Cosetta Minelli
Summary: Using bidirectional Mendelian randomisation (MR), it was found that gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) increases the risk of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), but there is no evidence that IPF increases the risk of GORD. This suggests that GORD should be considered in future studies of IPF risk and the mechanisms underlying the effect of GORD on IPF should also be investigated.
EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Franz Puttur, Clare M. Lloyd
Summary: In this study, Cao et al. uncover the crucial role of dopamine in inhibiting ILC2 function via metabolic restriction, leading to the improvement of key features in asthma pathogenesis.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Toby M. Maher, Paul Ford, Kevin K. Brown, Ulrich Costabel, Vincent Cottin, Sonye K. Danoff, Irene Groenveld, Eric Helmer, R. Gisli Jenkins, Julie Milner, Geert Molenberghs, Bjorn Penninckx, Matthew J. Randall, Bernt Van den Blink, Ann Fieuw, Charlotte Vandenrijn, Sanda Rocak, Ineke Seghers, Lixin Shao, Amit Taneja, Garrit Jentsch, Timothy R. Watkins, Wim A. Wuyts, Michael Kreuter, Nadia Verbruggen, Niyati Prasad, Marlies S. Wijsenbeek
Summary: This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of the autotaxin inhibitor ziritaxestat in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The study found that ziritaxestat did not improve clinical outcomes compared with placebo in patients with IPF.
JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Review
Immunology
James A. Harker, Clare M. Lloyd
Summary: Harker and Lloyd review the multifaceted roles of Th2 cells in human asthma, emphasizing the influence of tissue location and disease severity. They also discuss the use of biologic therapies targeting Th2 cells and their cytokines. This review highlights the complex functions of Th2 cells in asthma and how they are affected by tissue location, disease stage, and severity, while also exploring the impact of biologics on asthma and the potential for uncovering new roles for Th2 cells in lung inflammation.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Dinesh Khanna, Toby M. Maher, Elizabeth R. Volkmann, Yannick Allanore, Vanessa Smith, Shervin Assassi, Michael Kreuter, Anna-Maria Hoffmann-Vold, Masataka Kuwana, Christian Stock, Margarida Alves, Steven Sambevski, Christopher P. Denton
Summary: This study investigated the rate of decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) in patients with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) and the effect of nintedanib on this decline. The results showed that patients with early SSc, elevated inflammatory markers, or extensive skin fibrosis had a more rapid decline in FVC, but nintedanib could slow down this decline.
Letter
Respiratory System
Justin M. Oldham, Kirk W. Johnson, Gesa J. Albers, Emily Calamita, Jordina Mah, Poonam Ghai, Richard J. Hewitt, Toby M. Maher, Philip L. Molyneaux, Michael Huang, Adam J. Byrne
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Joseph L. Barnett, Toby M. Maher, Jennifer K. Quint, Alex Adamson, Zhe Wu, David J. F. Smith, Bhavin Rawal, Arjun Nair, Simon L. F. Walsh, Sujal R. Desai, Peter M. George, Maria Kokosi, Gisli Jenkins, Vasilis Kouranos, Elisabetta A. Renzoni, Alex Rice, Andrew G. Nicholson, Felix Chua, Athol U. Wells, Philip L. Molyneaux, Anand Devaraj
Summary: This study found that increased BAL lymphocyte proportion is rare in patients with extensive fibrosis or a UIP pattern on CT, and in patients without extensive fibrosis or a non-UIP pattern, an increased BAL lymphocyte proportion is associated with a lower likelihood of disease progression.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Clare M. M. Lloyd, Sejal Saglani
Summary: Lloyd and Saglani provide an overview of the immunology of respiratory infections in early life and how it impacts lifelong lung health. Respiratory infections are common in infants and young children, and their effects during this developmental stage can have long-term consequences. The immune system and microbiome in the respiratory tract develop simultaneously, and any disruption to this development can have implications for lung health throughout one's life. The authors emphasize the importance of understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the interplay between immune and structural cells in the lung and the local microorganisms to mitigate harmful effects and restore lung immune health.
Article
Respiratory System
Luca Richeldi, Arata Azuma, Vincent Cottin, Michael Kreuter, Toby M. Maher, Fernando J. Martinez, Justin M. Oldham, Claudia Valenzuela, Maud Gordat, Yi Liu, Susanne Stowasser, Donald F. Zoz, Marlies S. Wijsenbeek
Summary: This article describes a pivotal phase III study of a novel treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The study examines the efficacy of an oral phosphodiesterase 4B inhibitor, BI 1015550, in preventing a decline in forced vital capacity (FVC) in patients with IPF. The primary endpoint of the trial is the absolute change in FVC at week 52, while the key secondary endpoint is a composite of time to first IPF exacerbation, hospitalization due to respiratory cause or death.
BMJ OPEN RESPIRATORY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Respiratory System
Sabha Asghar, Susan Monkley, David J. F. Smith, Richard J. Hewitt, Ken Grime, Lynne A. Murray, Catherine L. Overed-Sayer, Philip L. Molyneaux
Summary: This study found that small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) released by bronchial epithelial cells in IPF patients can transfer senescence to neighboring healthy cells, promoting the development of IPF. The researchers also identified several differentially expressed miRNAs in the sEVs released by IPF-diseased bronchial epithelial cells. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of IPF.
RESPIRATORY RESEARCH
(2023)
