Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hiroshi Oyama, Akihiro Nukuda, Seiichiro Ishihara, Hisashi Haga
Summary: This study found that culturing embryonic neural stem cells on soft surfaces can increase astrocytic differentiation and decrease the level of di-phosphorylated myosin regulatory light chain, while a ROCK inhibitor can also induce astrocytic differentiation of embryonic NSCs.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Anna D. Y. Rhodes, Jose Antonio Duran-Mota, Nuria Oliva
Summary: Recent advances in genomics have accelerated the discovery of therapeutic targets for diseases such as cancer and wound healing. The study of how bio- and nanomaterials can alter gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms is equally fascinating, as it may lead to positive therapeutic responses without the need for additional biomolecule delivery.
BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bibiana Correia, Maria Ines Sousa, Ana Filipa Branco, Ana Sofia Rodrigues, Joao Ramalho-Santos
Summary: This study found that the absence of Leucine and Arginine does not affect the pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells, but reduces cell proliferation through cell-cycle arrest. Additionally, the lack of these amino acids also results in decreased metabolism and protein translation in mouse embryonic stem cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Yanfang Chen, Severine Roselli, Nikita Panicker, Joshua S. Brzozowski, David A. Skerrett-Byrne, Heather C. Murray, Nicole M. Verrills
Summary: This article provides a comprehensive characterization of the proteome and phosphoproteome of wild-type primary MEFs from C57BL/6 mice. The study identifies abundant EIF2/4 and MTOR signaling pathways, as well as extracellular matrix and cytoskeleton associated pathways. Kinase enrichment analysis reveals the activation of P38A, P90RSK, P70S6K, and MTOR. This dataset serves as a valuable resource for future research in the field.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Clara Lopes Novo, Emily Wong, Colin Hockings, Chetan Poudel, Eleanor Sheekey, Meike Wiese, Hanneke Okkenhaug, Simon J. Boulton, Srinjan Basu, Simon Walker, Gabriele S. Kaminski Schierle, Geeta J. Narlikar, Peter J. Rugg-Gunn
Summary: The authors demonstrate that satellite transcripts in mouse embryonic stem cells play a role in driving the formation of HP1α droplets and modulating the organization of heterochromatin. Depleting these transcripts leads to a less dynamic and more static state of heterochromatin and results in chromosome instability. This study highlights the importance of satellite transcripts in maintaining genome stability.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Leonardo Gatticchi, Maya Petricciuolo, Paolo Scarpelli, Lara Macchioni, Lanfranco Corazzi, Rita Roberti
Summary: Adipogenesis is regulated by a transcriptional cascade involving CEBP and PPAR family members and hormonally induced pathways. Tm7sf2 gene is involved in cholesterol biosynthesis and modulates the expression of the master gene of adipogenesis PPAR gamma, affecting adipose tissue homeostasis. Loss of Tm7sf2 impairs adipocyte differentiation by affecting adipogenic regulators and insulin signaling, indicating its importance in maintaining metabolic health.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Amro A. A. Hussien, Barbara Niederoest, Maja Bollhalder, Nils Goedecke, Jess G. G. Snedeker
Summary: Extracellular matrix stiffness plays a crucial role in regulating cellular states. By developing a biomaterial composed of mechanovariant silicone substrates, this study investigates the mechanosensing responses of human tendon-derived stromal cells. The results show that matrix elasticity affects transcriptional programs related to chromatin remodeling, Hippo signaling, cell stemness, synapse assembly, and angiogenesis. The findings highlight the importance of matrix biophysical cues in determining the transcriptional identity of tendon cells and regulating mechanosensitive processes.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Oliver Brookes, Stephen D. Thorpe, Olga Rigby Evans, Michael C. Keeling, David A. Lee
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between biomechanical properties and pluripotency gene expression in murine embryonic stem cells, revealing considerable variation among cells, with high pluripotency gene expression correlating to lower cell stiffness.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gintautas Vainorius, Maria Novatchkova, Georg Michlits, Juliane Christina Baar, Cecilia Raupach, Joonsun Lee, Ramesh Yelagandula, Marius Wernig, Ulrich Elling
Summary: In this study, the authors show that cells can take two mechanistically distinct paths in the same transition paradigm when driven by the similar proneural factors Ascl1 and Ngn2. Ascl1 dismantles the pluripotency network and installs neuronal and trophoblast cell fates, while Ngn2 generates a neural stem cell-like intermediate supported by incomplete shutdown of the pluripotency network.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Iyori Nojima, Ryusuke Hosoda, Yuki Toda, Yoshiki Saito, Naohiro Ueda, Kouhei Horimoto, Naotoshi Iwahara, Yoshiyuki Horio, Atsushi Kuno
Summary: Downregulation of IGFBP5 through activation of the ERK2 pathway is involved in replicative senescence in embryonic mouse fibroblasts.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Lakshmi Kavitha Sthanam, Tanusri Roy, Sejal Patwardhan, Avi Shukla, Shipra Sharma, Pradip Shinde, Hanuman Tulasiram Kale, P. Chandra Shekar, Kiran Kondabagil, Shamik Sen
Summary: Stem cell differentiation is influenced by the interaction between cells and their extracellular matrix, with matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) playing a role in this process. Differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) on varying matrices led to changes in MMP expression and activity, affecting integrin expression, mechanotransduction pathways, and germ layer-specific markers. Inhibition of MMP activity altered the germ layer commitment of differentiating mESCs, demonstrating the importance of MMPs in regulating stem cell differentiation.
Article
Dermatology
Zhenjun Deng, Manon Subilia, Ian L. Chin, Nicole Hortin, Andrew W. Stevenson, Fiona M. Wood, Cecilia M. Prele, Yu Suk Choi, Mark W. Fear
Summary: Keloid fibroblasts (KFs) are stiffer than normal fibroblasts (NFs) with higher levels of nuclear YAP and alpha-SMA expression. In NFs, YAP nuclear translocation is influenced by matrix stiffness and TGF-beta stimulation, while KFs exhibit baseline elevated nuclear YAP levels that are unresponsive to matrix stiffness or TGF-beta stimulation.
JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ryogo Katada, Junichi Tanaka, Koki Takamatsu, Kenji Hata, Rika Yasuhara, Shintaro Ohnuma, Ikuko Takakura, Riko Nishimura, Tatsuo Shirota, Kenji Mishima
Summary: Salivary gland hypofunction caused by radiation therapy or Sjogren syndrome can lead to various oral diseases and decrease in quality of life. Inducing salivary gland-like cells from transdifferentiated epithelial tissues provides a promising cell therapy strategy for treating dry mouth.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Benedetta Ferrara, Cataldo Pignatelli, Melissande Cossutta, Antonio Citro, Jose Courty, Lorenzo Piemonti
Summary: This review focuses on the role of stroma, the dense extracellular matrix (ECM) hindering drug penetration, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) reducing efficacy, and therapeutic strategies targeting the stroma to improve drug delivery in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ming Jia, Dan Zhang, Chunxiang Zhang, Chunhong Li
Summary: Modulating the microenvironment of pancreatic cancer is considered a promising therapeutic approach, and nano-delivery systems have been developed to alter the TME. These systems change the microenvironment in various ways, including depleting ECM, inhibiting CAFs, reversing immunosuppression, promoting angiogenesis, and improving the hypoxic environment.
JOURNAL OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)