Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Yun-Hui Liu, Lin Zhu, Zhong-Wei Zhang, Ting-Ting Liu, Qiu-Yu Cheng, Meng Zhang, Yu-Xin Niu, Lin Ding, Wei-Ming Yan, Xiao-Ping Luo, Qin Ning, Tao Chen
Summary: The CCR5-MIP-1β/RANTES axis plays a critical role in the recruitment of cNK cells to the liver during virus-induced acute liver injury. Targeted inhibition of CCR5 provides a therapeutic approach to ameliorate liver damage.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fangzhu Zhao, Celina Keating, Gabriel Ozorowski, Namir Shaabani, Irene M. Francino-Urdaniz, Shawn Barman, Oliver Limbo, Alison Burns, Panpan Zhou, Michael J. Ricciardi, Jordan Woehl, Quoc Tran, Hannah L. Turner, Linghang Peng, Deli Huang, David Nemazee, Raiees Andrabi, Devin Sok, John R. Teijaro, Timothy A. Whitehead, Andrew B. Ward, Dennis R. Burton, Joseph G. Jardine
Summary: This study engineered three neutralizing antibodies with enhanced binding to the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 variants. The antibodies showed increased potency and breadth of neutralization against viral variants. Higher binding affinity was found to reduce the number of viral escape mutations. Studies in the Syrian hamster model demonstrated that affinity-matured antibodies provided superior protection compared to parental antibodies.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Na Xiao, Tengfei Zhang, Mingli Han, Dan Tian, Jiawei Liu, Shan Li, Lele Yang, Guojun Pan
Summary: Chlorogenic acid (CGA) has been found to regulate glucose and lipid metabolism. In this study, the protective effects of CGA on glucagon-induced hepatic glucose production were investigated. CGA treatment lowered the levels of glucose production in mice and also prevented glucose and ceramide accumulation in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. CGA inhibited the inflammation response and prevented hepatic gluconeogenesis by inhibiting ceramide accumulation and p38 MAPK expression.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zihao Yuan, Xuejun Fan, Jay-Jiguang Zhu, Tong-Ming Fu, Jiaqian Wu, Hua Xu, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An, W. Jim Zheng
Summary: This study reveals the extensive presence of murine viral sequences in patient-derived xenografts and significant expression changes of crucial genes in samples with high virus load. It emphasizes the need to carefully evaluate the impact of viral infection on patient-derived xenografts for drug development and highlights the importance of quality control in experiments involving patient-derived xenografts.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xuewen Deng, Hiroshi Terunuma, Mie Nieda
Summary: NK cells are cytotoxic immune cells that play a critical role in eliminating cancer cells and virus-infected cells. Lifestyle choices and aging can impact the function of NK cells, with healthy habits being beneficial for immune surveillance with NK cells.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Song Feng, Emily Heath, Brett Jefferson, Cliff Joslyn, Henry Kvinge, Hugh D. Mitchell, Brenda Praggastis, Amie J. Eisfeld, Amy C. Sims, Larissa B. Thackray, Shufang Fan, Kevin B. Walters, Peter J. Halfmann, Danielle Westhoff-Smith, Qing Tan, Vineet D. Menachery, Timothy P. Sheahan, Adam S. Cockrell, Jacob F. Kocher, Kelly G. Stratton, Natalie C. Heller, Lisa M. Bramer, Michael S. Diamond, Ralph S. Baric, Katrina M. Waters, Yoshihiro Kawaoka, Jason E. McDermott, Emilie Purvine
Summary: This study uses hypergraphs to model gene relationships and finds that hypergraph betweenness centrality is superior to graph centrality in identifying important genes for viral response.
BMC BIOINFORMATICS
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Kaitao Zhao, Fangteng Guo, Jingjing Wang, Youquan Zhong, Junzhu Yi, Yan Teng, Zaichao Xu, Li Zhao, Aixin Li, Zichen Wang, Xinwen Chen, Xiaoming Cheng, Yuchen Xia
Summary: We investigated the process of HBV infection in murine hepatic cells and found that HBV cannot infect murine hepatic cells expressing hNTCP effectively. Moreover, we discovered that the disassembly of cytoplasmic HBV nucleocapsids is restricted in murine hepatic cells. Overcoming this limitation may help to establish an HBV infection mouse model.
Article
Cell Biology
William C. Hines Jr, William C. Hines III
Summary: This article discusses the important considerations in the application of retroviral vectors in the laboratory, which are often overlooked but can be easily solved. It explores the relationship between transduction efficiency and per-cell viral insertions in a cell population and highlights how different cell types can affect the results. The article also presents an alternative approach to titering and using viral vectors in biomedical research, instead of the commonly used multiplicity of infection (MOI) method.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Colton Martens, Lisa A. Dorn, Adam Kenney, Shyam A. Bansal, Jacob Yount, Federica A. Accornero
Summary: This study identifies BEX1 as a novel antiviral protein that plays a cardioprotective role in the heart during viral infection. It regulates cardiac immune responses to limit viral replication and its absence accelerates virus-induced heart failure and pathological remodeling, while its overexpression confers protection.
Article
Biology
Hung-Yu Sun, Tzu-Ying Chen, Yu-Ching Tan, Chun-Hsiang Wang, Kung-Chia Young
Summary: In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), hepatic ApoJ may activate sterol O-acyltransferase 2 to supply cholesteryl-ester for lipid loads, presenting a promising target for treating stress-induced steatosis. This study indicates an interplay between hepatic ApoJ, cholesterol esterification, and lipid deposition in response to NAFLD inducers. Serum ApoJ levels correlate positively with cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels in normal glycaemic HCV patients, NAFLD patients, and mice with steatosis.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Byung S. Kim
Summary: Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) establishes persistent viral infections in the central nervous system and induces chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease in susceptible mice. The activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the host is crucial for the initial viral replication and persistence, leading to the pathogenicity of TMEV-induced demyelinating disease. TMEV infection triggers the production of various cytokines through TLRs and MDA-5 signals, which further amplify TMEV replication and the persistence of virus-infected cells. Excessive cytokine levels, particularly IL-6 and IL-1 beta, promote the development of pathogenic Th17 immune responses, leading to TMEV-induced demyelinating disease. This cytokine production, together with TLR2, may also contribute to the generation of functionally deficient CD25-FoxP3+ CD4(+) T cells, which can be converted to Th17 cells. The cytokines IL-6 and IL-17 inhibit cell apoptosis and cytolytic function, prolonging the survival of virus-infected cells. The persistent activation of NF-kappa B and TLRs, triggered by inhibiting apoptosis, creates an environment of excessive cytokines and promotes autoimmune responses. Similar continuous TLR activation and cytokine production may occur with persistent or repeated infections of other viruses, such as COVID-19, leading to autoimmune diseases.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yun Lan, Sophie Wilhelmina van Leur, Julia Ayano Fernando, Ho Him Wong, Martin Kampmann, Lewis Siu, Jingshu Zhang, Mingyuan Li, John M. Nicholls, Sumana Sanyal
Summary: This study further characterizes the interplay between Aup1 and the ubiquitin conjugating enzyme E2 and how they function in modulating selective autophagy and viral replication. The deficiency of Ube2g2 results in a dramatic reduction in virus production, primarily due to its dual activity in triggering lipophagy and degrading ER chaperones.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Ya-Lang Huang, Ming-Ting Huang, Pei-Shan Sung, Teh-Ying Chou, Ruey-Bing Yang, An-Suei Yang, Chung-Ming Yu, Yu-Wen Hsu, Wei-Chiao Chang, Shie-Liang Hsieh
Summary: Ya-Lang Huang et al. report a mechanism for TLR3-mediated signaling after immune simulation and influenza virus infection by way of the co-receptor CLEC18A. This study found that a single amino acid change in CLEC18A(S339R) can enhance the production of type I and type III interferons to suppress viral replication, and increase mice survival rate after flu infection infection.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Claudia De Pasquale, Stefania Campana, Chiara Barberi, Giacomo Sidoti Migliore, Daniela Oliveri, Marika Lanza, Cristina Musolino, Giovanni Raimondo, Soldano Ferrone, Teresa Pollicino, Guido Ferlazzo
Summary: The study revealed that HBV infection can affect the ability of DCs to support NK cell functions, leading to disrupted NK-DC interplay and significantly impairing the antiviral immune response in patients with CHB.
Review
Allergy
Meghan E. Rebuli, Stephanie A. Brocke, Ilona Jaspers
Summary: Air pollutants pose a major risk to global health by increasing the likelihood of disease, hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality. There is limited understanding of the causal linkages and mechanisms by which pollutant exposure may alter human respiratory responses to viral infection, despite various associative studies linking adverse outcomes to co- or subsequent exposures to inhaled pollutants and viruses. More research is needed to fully comprehend the impact of pollutant exposure on antiviral host defense responses.
JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)