Article
Microbiology
Tanya R. McKitrick, Margaret E. Ackerman, Robert M. Anthony, Clay S. Bennett, Michael Demetriou, Gregory A. Hudalla, Katharina Ribbeck, Stefan Ruhl, Christina M. Woo, Loretta Yang, Seth J. Zost, Ronald L. Schnaar, Tamara L. Doering
Summary: Advancements in glycoscience research have revealed the crucial roles of glycan structures in microbial infections and host immune responses, leading to potential improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of infections and immune dysregulation. Ongoing efforts in exploring these roles are expected to enhance fundamental scientific understanding in these fields.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthew E. Griffin, Linda C. Hsieh-Wilson
Summary: This primer discusses key methods and recent breakthrough technologies for identifying, monitoring, and manipulating glycans in mammalian systems.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Yohana Camila Garay, Romina Beatriz Cejas, Virginia Lorenz, Natacha Zlocowski, Pedro Parodi, Franco Alejandro Ferrero, Genaro Angeloni, Valentina Alfonso Garcia, Victor German Sendra, Ricardo Dante Lardone, Fernando Jose Irazoqui
Summary: ppGalNAc-T3 is a key enzyme in human O-GalNAc glycans biosynthesis, regulated by PTMs, lectin domain, and protein-protein interactions. It is located in the human Golgi apparatus and cell nucleus, playing a central role in cell physiology and various pathologies. Biotechnological tools are proposed as new therapeutic options for managing pathologies.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE-JMM
(2022)
Editorial Material
Oncology
Anish Thomas, Parth Desai, Nobuyuki Takahashi
Summary: Animal models are essential in cancer translational research, but a model-centric approach has not led to the expected treatment advances. Shifting the focus to human patients and understanding the variability in tumor responses and outcomes at the individual level is crucial for generating more relevant hypotheses.
Editorial Material
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Leonida A. Gizzi, Maria Grazia Andreassi
Summary: Laser accelerators have not been able to meet the requirements for dose control and stability in biomedical applications, but an experiment has now achieved translational research with proton beams at ultrahigh dose rate.
Review
Immunology
Erica L. Katz, John E. Harris
Summary: Vitiligo is a skin disease characterized by white spots, and significant progress has been made in understanding its pathogenesis over the past 30 years through perseverance, collaboration, and open-minded discussion. Researchers have explored various possible mechanisms through innervation, microvascular anomalies, oxidative stress, defects in melanocyte adhesion, autoimmunity, somatic mosaicism, and genetics, with animal models and improved patient sample collection methods playing important roles in translational studies.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jiaqi Liang, Chaoye Wang, Di Zhang, Yubin Xie, Yanru Zeng, Tianqin Li, Zhixiang Zuo, Jian Ren, Qi Zhao
Summary: This article introduces a method called VSOLassoBag, which integrates an ensemble learning strategy to select efficient and stable variables from high-dimensional biological data for biomarker determination. The application of VSOLassoBag on simulation and real-world datasets shows its effectiveness in identifying markers for binary classification and prognosis prediction, with comparable performance and fewer features compared to other algorithms.
JOURNAL OF GENETICS AND GENOMICS
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Yumeng Yan, Io Hong Cheong, Peizhan Chen, Xiaoguang Li, Xianli Wang, Hui Wang
Summary: This review discusses the various applications of patient-derived colorectal cancer (CRC) organoids in basic cancer biology and clinical translation, including sequencing analysis, drug screening, precision therapy practice, tumor microenvironment studies, and genetic engineering opportunities.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Brooke Allemang, Kathleen Sitter, Gina Dimitropoulos
Summary: The combination of pragmatism as a research paradigm and patient-oriented research (POR) as an engagement strategy is used to strengthen the process and outcomes of healthcare research. As POR gains popularity in the field, there is a need to explore the theoretical and epistemological alignment with pragmatism and its implications for research. This study provides a critical review examining the synergy between POR and pragmatism and argues for pragmatism as a paradigm for conducting POR.
HEALTH EXPECTATIONS
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Alexander Malogolovkin, Alexander D. Egorov, Alexander Karabelsky, Roman A. Ivanov, Vladislav V. Verkhusha
Summary: Optogenetics, a technique that enables precise control of gene and cell activity using light, offers new possibilities for cancer treatment. By activating immune response, inhibiting tumor growth, and modulating cell signaling using specific wavelengths of light, optogenetics has the potential to revolutionize cancer therapy.
BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCES
(2022)
Editorial Material
Mathematics, Applied
Jacques Belair, Fahima Nekka, John G. Milton
Summary: The concept of Dynamical Diseases explores the potential return to normal physiological conditions through adjusting control parameters, having been applied to various physiological systems such as the cardiac, hematological, and neurological. Its analogy with bifurcations in dynamical systems allows for mathematical modeling of clinical conditions and investigation of parameter changes to avoid pathological states. 25 years after the inaugural meeting on dynamical diseases, this Focus Issue offers reflection on the field's evolution in traditional areas and contemporary data-based methods.
Review
Oncology
Lorena Landuzzi, Francesca Ruzzi, Pier-Luigi Lollini, Katia Scotlandi
Summary: Synovial sarcoma is a rare malignant tumor characterized by t(X;18) translocation encoding the SS18-SSX fusion gene, which interacts with BAF enhancer and polycomb repressor complexes to regulate gene transcription. Different experimental in vivo models for synovial sarcoma research include transgenic mouse models, patient-derived xenografts, and cell lines. These models have contributed to identifying vulnerabilities and developing new therapies for synovial sarcoma.
Article
Oncology
Steven D. Forsythe, Hemamylammal Sivakumar, Richard A. Erali, Nadeem Wajih, Wencheng Li, Perry Shen, Edward A. Levine, Katherine E. Miller, Aleksander Skardal, Konstantinos Votanopoulos
Summary: Engineering hydrogel-based sarcoma organoids directly from the patient without xenogeneic extracellular matrices (ECMs) or growth factors is feasible. A large subset of organoids does not respond to chemotherapy or immunotherapy. This provides a feasible platform for personalized translational research.
ANNALS OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
John C. Marshall, Aleksandra Leligdowicz
Summary: Infection leads to sepsis, and the development of clinical disease is triggered by the innate immune response of the host. However, the advancement of understanding in this biological response has not been matched by successful treatment development. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about changes in this aspect, showing potential therapeutic approaches and the possibility of evaluating them. This article reviews the history of mediator-targeted therapy for sepsis and discusses the conceptual, biological, technological, and organizational challenges that need to be addressed to develop effective treatments for a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Elizabeth A. W. Sigston
Summary: The emergence of 3D printing is driving a major shift in translational medical research, introducing bidirectional translation and an entrepreneurial mindset. However, the rapid pace of development brings potential pitfalls and ethical concerns, requiring early recognition and management.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marko Anderluh, Francesco Berti, Anna Bzducha-Wrobel, Fabrizio Chiodo, Cinzia Colombo, Federica Compostella, Katarzyna Durlik, Xhenti Ferhati, Rikard Holmdahl, Dragana Jovanovic, Wieslaw Kaca, Luigi Lay, Milena Marinovic-Cincovic, Marco Marradi, Musa Ozil, Laura Polito, Jose Juan Reina, Celso A. Reis, Robert Sackstein, Alba Silipo, Urban Svajger, Ondrej Vanek, Fumiichiro Yamamoto, Barbara Richichi, Sandra J. van Vliet
Summary: Vaccination is a major achievement in preventing infectious diseases, but challenges remain for pathogens with highly variable antigens and in inducing T-cell immunity in cancer. The recent outbreak also highlights the importance of designing smart therapeutic vaccines.
Article
Cell Biology
Himanshu Arora, Rehana Qureshi, Kajal Khodamoradi, Deepa Seetharam, Madhumita Parmar, Derek J. Van Booven, Isabelle Catherine Issa, Robert Sackstein, Dolores Lamb, Joshua M. Hare, Ranjith Ramasamy
Summary: Research has found that a paracrine factor called leptin, released by cells in the testicular microenvironment, plays a key role in regulating the differentiation of testicular stem cells and the production of testosterone by mature Leydig cells. Leptin promotes stem cell differentiation and testosterone production at low doses, but has negative effects at higher doses.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Bijender Kumar, Vahid Afshar-Kharghan, Mayela Mendt, Robert Sackstein, Mark R. R. Tanner, Uday Popat, Jeremy Ramdial, May Daher, Juan Jimenez, Rafet Basar, Luciana Melo Garcia, Mayra Shanley, Mecit Kaplan, Xinhai Wan, Vandana Nandivada, Francia Reyes Silva, Vernikka Woods, April Gilbert, Ricardo Gonzalez-Delgado, Sunil Acharya, Paul Lin, Hind Rafei, Pinaki Prosad Banerjee, Elizabeth J. Shpall
Summary: The current global platelet supply is insufficient, but we have developed a strategy to efficiently produce functional platelets from cord blood. This strategy involves expanding and differentiating megakaryocytes, enhancing platelet production with pharmacological inhibitors, and using gene knockout to evade immune rejection.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
David Garcia-Bernal, Miguel Blanquer, Carlos M. Martinez, Ana Garcia-Guillen, Ana M. Garcia-Hernandez, M. Carmen Alguero, Rosa Yanez, Maria L. Lamana, Jose M. Moraleda, Robert Sackstein
Summary: Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have immunoregulatory properties and can be used for the treatment of inflammatory conditions and immune diseases. Through a mouse model, it was found that adipose tissue-derived MSCs (HCELL+ MSCs) can effectively recruit to the affected tissue and exert protective effects on immunopathology, reducing leukocyte infiltration and inflammatory cytokine levels, and improving survival.
NPJ REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Kevin Brown Chandler, Daniel E. Marrero Roche, Robert Sackstein
Summary: Bottom-up nLC-MS/MS-based glycoprotein mass spectrometry workflows face challenges due to suppression of hydrophilic glycopeptide ions by more abundant non-glycosylated peptides. This study investigates the use of high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) for orthogonal separation of non-glycosylated peptides and glycopeptides, and evaluates its impact on glycopeptide assignment confidence. The optimized FAIMS conditions for human alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) tryptic N-glycopeptide ions transmission and analysis are documented. These optimized methods increase the number of unique glycopeptide identifications and the confidence of glycopeptide assignments.
ANALYTICAL AND BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Hematology
Evan Ales, Robert Sackstein
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryan Philip Jajosky, Shang-Chuen Wu, Leon Zheng, Audrey N. Jajosky, Philip G. Jajosky, Cassandra D. Josephson, Marie A. Hollenhorst, Robert Sackstein, Richard D. Cummings, Connie M. Arthur, Sean R. Stowell
Summary: Enzymes are important in catalyzing biochemical reactions and have significant impacts on human health and disease. Variants and deficiencies in enzymes can lead to changes in the expression of glycans, which can affect physiology, disease susceptibility, and disease development. Enzyme deficiencies related to carbohydrate blood groups have important implications in clinical medicine, such as infection risk, bleeding risk, transfusion medicine, and organ transplantation. This review explores the enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of carbohydrate-based blood group antigens, their expression in the human population, and the evolutionary selective pressures that may contribute to the variation in carbohydrate structures and its implications for human disease.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Kevin Brown Chandler, Carlos Humberto Pavan, Hannah G. Cotto Aparicio, Robert Sackstein
Summary: Mucin-domain glycoproteins expressed on cancer cell surfaces have important functions in cell adhesion, cancer progression, stem cell renewal, and immune evasion. However, our understanding of the composition of these mucin-domain glycoproteins in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is limited. In this study, a workflow involving enzyme capture and characterization techniques was employed to identify and analyze mucin-domain glycoproteins in HNSCC. The results provide insights into the diversity and unique expression patterns of mucin-domain glycoproteins in different HNSCC cell lines, which could contribute to a better understanding of aggressive tumor cell phenotypes. Data associated with this study have been deposited in a public repository for further analysis.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Evan Ales, Robert Sackstein
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Kevin Brown Chandler, Carlos Humberto Pavan, Hannah G. Cotto Aparicio, Robert Sackstein
Summary: Mucin-domain glycoproteins are crucial in the pathobiology of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), yet our understanding of the composition of the mucinome in HNSCC is incomplete. In this study, we used an inactive mutant enzyme (StcEE447D) to capture and characterize mucin-domain glycoproteins in HNSCC cell line lysates. We identified common mucin-domain glycoproteins in multiple HNSCC cell lines and unique mucin-domain glycoproteins in HSC-3 cells, derived from a highly aggressive metastatic tongue squamous cell carcinoma. This study provides a foundation for a more comprehensive characterization of mucinome components in HNSCC.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Kevin Brown Chandler, Brittany Montesino, Nan Hu, Juan M. Lozano, Robert Sackstein
Meeting Abstract
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kevin Brown Chandler, Hani Samarah, Agata Steenackers, Robert Sackstein
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Brittany Montesino, Agata Steenackers, Juan M. Lozano, Geoffrey D. Young, Nan Hu, Robert Sackstein, Kevin Brown Chandler
Summary: Head and neck cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the world. Fucosylated carbohydrate antigens play a prominent role in tumor cell adhesion and metastasis. In this study, researchers investigated the functional role of fucose-modified glycoproteins in head and neck cancer pathobiology. They found that inactivating polymorphisms of the fut2 gene were associated with an increased incidence of head and neck cancer. Moreover, they observed the presence of alpha 1,2-fucosylated Lewis Y epitope in cancer tumors. This knowledge will serve as the foundation for future studies on the role of fucosylated glycoproteins in head and neck cancer.
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
B. Montesino, N. Hu, J. M. Lozano, R. Sackstein, K. B. Chandler
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RADIATION ONCOLOGY BIOLOGY PHYSICS
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Cell & Tissue Engineering
D. G. Bernal, S. Muntion, S. Preciado, J. I. Gil-Chinchilla, R. Sackstein, F. Sanchez-Guijo, J. Moraleda
