Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mikhail Menshikov, Ekaterina Zubkova, Iuri Stafeev, Yelena Parfyonova
Summary: Mesenchymal stem cells are multipotent cells capable of differentiating into various cell types, and autophagy plays a crucial role in cell differentiation by maintaining cell homeostasis and facilitating phenotype changes.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Xueyue Wang, Yan Ruan, Junlei Zhang, Yanping Tian, Lianlian Liu, JiaLi Wang, Gaoke Liu, Yuda Cheng, Yixiao Xu, Yi Yang, Meng Yu, Binyu Zhao, Yue Zhang, Jiaqi Wang, Jiangjun Wang, Wei Wu, Ping He, Lan Xiao, Jiaxiang Xiong, Rui Jian
Summary: The study identifies two Yap splicing isoforms in ESCs with different distributions and effects on self-renewal and differentiation potential, with Yap472 playing a more essential role in neuroectoderm differentiation.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Li Xu, Caixia Ji, Tingting Yu, Jinyong Luo
Summary: Diseases such as bone nonunion and osteoporosis seriously impact people's quality of life, and bone tissue engineering using mesenchymal stem cells is an effective solution. Previous studies have shown the efficacy of BMP9 in promoting osteogenic differentiation of MSCs, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the role of Gli1 and Gli2 in BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. The results demonstrated that inhibition of Gli1 and Gli2 weakened BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation and reduced the expression of key osteogenic markers, as well as the activation of p-Smad1/5/8 and p-p38 induced by BMP9. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of Gli1 and Gli2 in BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation.
Article
Biology
Ting Gong, Xuedi Zhang, Zhiyong Peng, Yinfeng Ye, Ruimeng Liu, Yinggui Yang, Zhugui Chen, Zhihao Zhang, Hongfei Hu, Shuang Yin, Yi Xu, Jing Tang, Youtan Liu
Summary: The levels of exosomal APN/CD13 in circulating plasma were found to be higher in patients and mice with sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Increased levels of exosomal APN/CD13 were associated with the severity of ALI and fatality in sepsis patients. Macrophage-secreted exosomal APN/CD13 regulated necroptosis of lung epithelial cells by binding to the cell surface receptor TLR4 to induce ROS generation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and NF-kappa B activation.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Francesca Sozio, Tiziana Schioppa, Mattia Laffranchi, Valentina Salvi, Nicola Tamassia, Francisco M. Bianchetto-Aguilera, Laura Tiberio, Raffaella Bonecchi, Daniela Bosisio, Marc Parmentier, Barbara Bottazzi, Roberto Leone, Eleonora Russo, Giovanni Bernardini, Stefano Garofalo, Cristina Limatola, Angela Gismondi, Giuseppe Sciume, Alberto Mantovani, Annalisa Del Prete, Silvano Sozzani
Summary: Patterns of receptors play a crucial role in regulating the homing of leukocytes. A study reveals that the CCRL2/chemerin/CMKLR1 axis acts as a selective pathway for the homing of NK cells to the lung. Inactivation of CCRL2 or its ligand chemerin promotes lung tumor growth by affecting the recruitment of NK cells, while other receptors identified in lung-infiltrating NK cells are dispensable for this process.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
George Kyriakopoulos, Vicky Katopodi, Ilias Skeparnias, Eleni G. Kaliatsi, Katerina Grafanaki, Constantinos Stathopoulos
Summary: The study reveals that the KRAS(G12C) signaling pathway has differential effects on the translational machinery in CL1-5 cells and A549 cells, leading to changes in translation rates and cap-dependent translation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Shun-Qing Liang, Christopher J. Walkey, Alexa E. Martinez, Qin Su, Mary E. Dickinson, Dan Wang, William R. Lagor, Jason D. Heaney, Guangping Gao, Wen Xue
Summary: Genome editing in the lung has the potential to effectively treat lung genetic diseases. Although the delivery of CRISPR to the lung is challenging, the development of a dual AAV CRISPR platform has shown successful editing of genes in the mouse lung airway. This platform provides a valuable tool for studying therapeutic genome editing in the lung and other tissues.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Terry W. Moody, Irene Ramos-Alvarez, Robert T. Jensen
Summary: Neurotensin receptor 1 plays a role in the regulation of growth in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells by controlling transactivation of HER3.
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Xinhai Lin, Haodong Wang, Tiantian Wu, Yaqin Zhu, Long Jiang
Summary: These findings suggest that exosomal miR-126 derived from SCAPs under hypoxia can enhance HUVEC angiogenesis by suppressing SPRED1 and activating the ERK signaling pathway.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mahamud-ur Rashid, Shahrokh Lorzadeh, Ang Gao, Saeid Ghavami, Kevin M. Coombs
Summary: This study reveals that the loss of PSMA2 gene leads to changes in cellular proteome, affecting cell survival, development, and the occurrence of diseases like cancer.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR BASIS OF DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yingchen Zhuo, Xueqian Li, Weiyi Feng
Summary: The NLRC3 gene is involved in immunity, inflammation, and tumorigenesis. This study found that NLRC3 acts as a tumor suppressor in lung adenocarcinoma and can predict patient responsiveness to immunotherapy. Reduced NLRC3 expression is associated with worse prognosis and it plays a role in regulating immune infiltration and macrophage polarization.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Caitlin Molczyk, Rakesh K. Singh
Summary: Therapy resistance is a concern in treating malignant disease, as evidence suggests that a subset of cancer cells called cancer stem cells (CSCs) promote tumor survival, therapy resistance, and relapse. The inflammatory tumor microenvironment, particularly the CXCR1/2 pathway, plays a crucial role in maintaining the CSC pool. CXCR1 is known for its role as a CSC marker and potential therapeutic target in solid tumors.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jolanta Smok-Kalwat, Paulina Mertowska, Sebastian Mertowski, Konrad Smolak, Aleksandra Kozinska, Filip Koszalka, Wojciech Kwasniewski, Ewelina Grywalska, Stanislaw Gozdz
Summary: Lung cancer is a major threat to modern society, with increasing numbers of new cases and deaths each year. Despite extensive research, the mechanisms of lung cancer development and progression, particularly the role of the immune system, remain unclear. This literature review emphasizes the importance of immune system disorders and cell signaling changes in the pathogenesis of lung cancer. It suggests that future studies should focus on analyzing tumor microenvironmental immune checkpoints and genetic susceptibilities to lung cancer, which may lead to the development of personalized therapies and improved prognoses for patients.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mehran Pashirzad, Thozhukat Sathyapalan, Afsana Sheikh, Prashant Kesharwani, Amirhossein Sahebkar
Summary: This review summarizes the current understanding of CRC-SCs in the progression of CRC and the prognostic importance of these CSCs and their markers in colorectal cancer. Moreover, various therapeutic approaches against markers-expressing CRC SC are also discussed.
PROCESS BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Chi Xu, Wenxiang Fan, Ying Zhang, Horace H. Loh, Ping-Yee Law
Summary: This study reveals that OPRK1 agonists inhibit adult neurogenesis in the mouse hippocampus by upregulating the expression of miR-7a, which in turn downregulates Pax6/Neurog2/NeuroD1 activities and hinders neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells.
Article
Immunology
R. Elaine Cagnina, Kathryn R. Michels, Alexandra M. Bettina, Marie D. Burdick, Yogesh Scindia, Zhimin Zhang, Thomas J. Braciale, Borna Mehrad
Summary: CGD is caused by deficiency of NADPH oxidase and impaired ROS generation, with neutrophil-derived ROS inhibiting the inflammatory response to Aspergillus. In CGD, recruited neutrophils are the dominant source of TNF, promoting a pathologic positive-feedback cycle of further neutrophil recruitment and progressive lung injury.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
J. Masison, J. Beezley, Y. Mei, H. A. L. Ribeiro, A. C. Knapp, L. Sordo Vieira, B. Adhikari, Y. Scindia, M. Grauer, B. Helba, W. Schroeder, B. Mehrad, R. Laubenbacher
Summary: This paper presents a modular software design for the construction of computational modeling technology for precision medicine. Medical digital twins are computational models of disease processes calibrated to individual patients, improving medical diagnosis, prognosis, and personalized treatment.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Ewa Wlazlo, Borna Mehrad, Laurence Morel, Yogesh Scindia
Summary: This review discusses tubulointerstitial injury in lupus nephritis and the regulation of intracellular iron levels by renal tubular cells, emphasizing the role of iron imbalance in proximal tubules as a driver of tubulointerstitial injury. Iron catalyzes reactive oxygen species, leading to accumulation of lipid hydroperoxides in proximal tubular cells, and exacerbates inflammation and immune cell infiltration. This may explain the interplay between glomerular permeability, tubular injury, inflammation, and progression to renal failure in lupus nephritis, suggesting potential for new therapies targeting iron metabolism.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Surgery
Christine M. Lin, Ronald G. Gill, Borna Mehrad
Summary: In a mouse model of heterotopic heart transplantation, activating NK cell receptor NKG2D plays a critical role in the development of chronic cardiac allograft vasculopathy, with strain-dependent expression of NK activating ligands correlating with disease progression.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION
(2021)
Article
Respiratory System
Mwelwa Chizinga, Tiago N. Machuca, Abbas Shahmohammadi, Divya C. Patel, Ayoub Innabi, Bashar Alzghoul, Vanessa Scheuble, Mauricio Pipkin, Borna Mehrad, Andres Pelaez, Christine Lin, Diana Gomez-Manjarres
Summary: This study found that there was no significant difference in 1-year survival between patients undergoing lung transplantation during AE-ILD and those transplanted with stable disease. Patients with AE-ILD who underwent transplantation had higher survival rates compared to those who were medically treated.
Article
Immunology
Kathryn Michels, Angelica L. Solomon, Yogesh Scindia, Luis Sordo Vieira, Goddard Yana, Spencer Whitten, Sophie Vaulont, Marie D. Burdick, Carl Atkinson, Reinhard Laubenbacher, Borna Mehrad
Summary: Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis induces local hemolysis and supplies heme iron to the fungus, making the infection more lethal.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Respiratory System
Marcelo Cardoso Barros, Stephan Altmayer, Alysson Roncally Carvalho, Rosana Rodrigues, Matheus Zanon, Tan-Lucien Mohammed, Pratik Patel, Al-Ani Mohammad, Borna Mehrad, Jose Miguel Chatkin, Bruno Hochhegger
Summary: Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) plays an important role in functional assessment of chronic lung disease. It can be used for diagnosis, staging, and prognostic evaluation, and it can detect lung injury before changes in pulmonary function test parameters occur. QCT also facilitates disease phenotype classification, enabling personalized therapy and comparative studies without inter- and intra-observer variation.
Article
Microbiology
Bandita Adhikari, Yogesh Scindia, Luis Sordo Vieira, Henrique de Assis Lopes Ribeiro, Joseph Masison, Ning Yang, Luis L. Fonseca, Matthew Wheeler, Adam C. Knapp, Yu Mei, Brian Helba, Carl Atkinson, Will Schroeder, Borna Mehrad, Reinhard Laubenbacher
Summary: Iron is essential for the virulence of Aspergillus species, and the host restricts iron availability as a critical antimicrobial defense mechanism. This study constructed a computational model based on transcriptomic data and literature to understand how human macrophages handle iron during Aspergillus infection. The model accurately captures the dynamics of iron handling in macrophages and reveals that transferrin receptor-1 upregulation occurs before the induction of inflammatory cytokines.
Article
Immunology
Abdel A. Alli, Dhruv Desai, Ahmed Elshika, Marcus Conrad, Bettina Proneth, William Clapp, Carl Atkinson, Mark Segal, Louis A. Searcy, Nancy D. Denslow, Subhashini Bolisetty, Borna Mehrad, Laurence Morel, Yogesh Scindia
Summary: Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death characterized by lipid peroxidation, has not received much attention in lupus nephritis. Our study found increased lipid peroxidation and elevated expression of pro-ferroptosis enzyme in the kidneys of lupus nephritis patients and mice. We also identified impaired iron sequestration and reduced expression of ferroptosis inhibitors in nephritic mice. Furthermore, we demonstrated that lupus nephritis patient serum can induce ferroptosis in human proximal tubular cells, which was inhibited by Liproxstatin-2. These findings highlight the importance of intra-renal ferroptosis in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis.
CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Henrique A. L. Ribeiro, Yogesh Scindia, Borna Mehrad, Reinhard Laubenbacher
Summary: This article explores the causes of pulmonary aspergillosis in patients affected by severe SARSCoV2. The destruction of lung epithelium and exhaustion of the immune system are identified as contributing factors. A computational model is used to study the virtual patient population and identify the importance of fungal virulence and neutrophil effectiveness.
JOURNAL OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Diana C. Gomez-Manjarres, Dierdre B. Axell-House, Divya C. Patel, John Odackal, Victor Yu, Marie D. Burdick, Borna Mehrad
Summary: This study shows that short-term treatment with sirolimus reduces the concentration of circulating fibrocytes in patients with IPF, and the treatment is safe.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kun Qing, Talissa A. Altes, John P. Mugler III, Jaime F. Mata, Nicholas J. Tustison, Kai Ruppert, Juliana Bueno, Lucia Flors, Yun M. Shim, Li Zhao, Joanne Cassani, William G. Teague, John S. Kim, Zhixing Wang, Iulian C. Ruset, F. William Hersman, Borna Mehrad
Summary: The use of hyperpolarized xenon-129 gas as a contrast agent in lung MRI imaging is a promising technique for assessing lung function and detecting impaired lung physiology in UIP patients.
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Steven Guan, Nick Tustison, Kun Qing, Yun Michael Shim, John Mugler, Talissa Altes, Dana Albon, Deborah Froh, Borna Mehrad, James Patrie, Alan Ropp, Braden Miller, Jill Nehrbas, Jaime Mata
Summary: This study examines the effectiveness of 3D-SBCSI in differentiating pulmonary diseases based on physiological characteristics. The results demonstrate that CF and COPD patients have more ventilation defects, higher Tissue/RBC ratios, longer RBC T2* relaxation times, and greater RBC chemical shifts compared to IPF and healthy subjects. These findings suggest that 3D-SBCSI can play a role in detecting and characterizing pulmonary diseases.
Article
Respiratory System
Nazli Khodayari, Regina Oshins, Borna Mehrad, Jorge E. Lascano, Xiao Qiang, Jesse R. West, L. Shannon Holliday, Jungnam Lee, Gayle Wiesemann, Soroush Eydgahi, Mark Brantly
Summary: AATD macrophages exhibit an exaggerated inflammatory response to cigarette smoke exposure, which may contribute to lung inflammation and damage in individuals with AATD.
RESPIRATORY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Henrique Al Ribeiro, Luis Sordo Vieira, Yogesh Scindia, Bandita Adhikari, Matthew Wheeler, Adam Knapp, William Schroeder, Borna Mehrad, Reinhard Laubenbacher
Summary: This study created a multi-scale computational model to investigate the interaction between Aspergillus infection, the innate immune system and iron. The model identified a small set of parameters related to fungal growth, iron acquisition and leucocyte activation as critical determinants of the infection outcome.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kun He, Mengyi Xie, Weifeng Hong, Yonghe Li, Yaolin Yin, Xiaojin Gao, Yi He, Yu Chen, Chuan You, Jingdong Li
Summary: Centromere protein L (CENPL) is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is associated with poor patient prognosis. Upregulation of CENPL promotes tumor proliferation and glycolysis in HCC cells by activating the MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY & CELL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yingzi Wang, Haozhong Huang, Huimin Weng, Chunsen Jia, Bin Liao, Yang Long, Fengxu Yu, Yongmei Nie
Summary: Talin protein plays a crucial role in transmitting mechanical forces by connecting the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton. It converts mechanical signals into biochemical signals and serves as diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic indicators in diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY & CELL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hema Saranya Ilamathi, Marc Germain
Summary: Mitochondria are the central metabolic hubs in cells, relying on proteins encoded by nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) for their function. The maintenance and distribution of mtDNA are crucial for proper mitochondrial function and are associated with mitochondrial diseases. mtDNA is organized into nucleoids that dynamically move and interact with each other. The replication and distribution of mtDNA nucleoids are regulated by the complex interplay of mitochondrial dynamics, ER-mitochondria contact sites, and cytoskeletal networks.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY & CELL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
K. K. Sruthi, Sirisha Natani, Ramesh Ummanni
Summary: The overexpression of TPD52 is associated with the emergence of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC). TPD52 activates the NF-kappa B - STAT3 axis to induce neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) of prostate cancer cells. Therapeutic targeting of TPD52 is important for the treatment of prostate cancer.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY & CELL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cui Li, Feifan Xiang, Yuqi Gong, Yi Fu, Ge Chen, Zhi Wang, Zhong Li, Daiqing Wei
Summary: Our study demonstrates the significant role of tumor-derived microparticles (T-MPs) in osteosarcoma metastasis and immune response. T-MPs promote macrophage polarization and stimulate migration and chemoresistance of osteosarcoma cells, thereby affecting the progression of osteosarcoma.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY & CELL BIOLOGY
(2024)