Editorial Material
Microbiology
Vikas Yadav, Joseph Heitman
Summary: The emergence of Candida auris has raised concerns about antifungal drug resistance. This strain exhibits resistance to all antifungal drugs at a very high rate. The study suggests that the presence of C. auris on apples treated with antifungals may contribute to the evolution of drug-resistant isolates.
Review
Microbiology
Simona Fioriti, Lucia Brescini, Francesco Pallotta, Benedetta Canovari, Gianluca Morroni, Francesco Barchiesi
Summary: Candida spp. is a major pathogen causing fungal infections in hospitalized patients and nosocomial bloodstream infections. Combination therapy has gained significant interest in the treatment of Candida infections. Various combinations of antifungal agents have shown synergistic effects against difficult-to-treat Candida species and improved outcomes compared to monotherapy. However, further in vitro and clinical studies are needed to establish the effectiveness of combination therapy as a reliable treatment option.
Review
Microbiology
Lucia Brescini, Simona Fioriti, Gianluca Morroni, Francesco Barchiesi
Summary: Dermatophytes are a common cause of fungal infections, and the combinatorial approach with antifungal agents has gained scientific interest in recent years. Studies have shown that combination therapy is effective in treating infections and may accelerate healing processes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kyle J. Card, Misty D. Thomas, Joseph L. Graves, Jeffrey E. Barrick, Richard E. Lenski
Summary: Antibiotic resistance is a growing health concern, with epistatic interactions between mutations complicating the ability to predict evolution. Differences in genetic backgrounds can lead to idiosyncratic responses in the evolvability of resistance, with lineages founded by different genotypes taking parallel or divergent mutational paths. Historical contingency can alter both genotypic and phenotypic pathways to antibiotic resistance, as evidenced by differences in mutation patterns among different genetic starting points.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Rebecca S. Shapiro, Aleeza C. Gerstein
Summary: Fungal pathogens pose a significant infectious disease challenge, and combination therapy using adjuvants shows potential in enhancing the efficacy of antifungal drugs. Recent research has identified 1,4-benzodiazepines as promising molecules to enhance the activity of azole drugs against Candida spp. These molecules exhibited potentiation of fluconazole, increased fungicidal activity, inhibited filamentation, and improved host survival. This study contributes to the important goal of reducing mortality due to antimicrobial resistance.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Qingjie Min, Yan Wang, Qingnan Wu, Xianfeng Li, Huajing Teng, Jiawen Fan, Yiren Cao, Pingsheng Fan, Qimin Zhan
Summary: Treatment-resistant patients with ESCC undergoing combined TVCC therapy exhibit significant genetic and epigenetic temporal heterogeneity. Subclonal expansions driven by beneficial new mutations are observed during combined therapies, leading to the emergence of multidrug resistance. The study also identifies SLC7A8 as a potentially novel multidrug resistance gene, with functional assays demonstrating that mutant SLC7A8 promotes resistance phenotypes in ESCC cell lines.
Article
Plant Sciences
Mark J. Miller, Qijian Song, Benjamin Fallen, Zenglu Li
Summary: Improving yield is crucial in soybean breeding for profitability. Cross prediction allows breeders to identify the best parental combinations, enhancing genetic gain and efficiency. This study developed optimal cross selection methods for soybean breeding and validated them using historical data, marker evaluations, and genomic selection models.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katherine Cuenca-Leon, Edisson-Mauricio Pacheco-Quito, Yanela Granda-Granda, Eleonor Velez-Leon, Aranzazu Zarzuelo-Castaneda
Summary: The pathologies caused by fungi in the oral cavity have become a health problem in recent decades, mainly due to the imbalance of local microbiota. Conventional antifungal treatments have led to antifungal resistance instead of being beneficial. This study aims to explore and describe phytotherapy as a potential solution to oral antifungal resistance.
Review
Parasitology
John Okombo, Mariko Kanai, Ioanna Deni, David A. Fidock
Summary: Recent progress in genomics and molecular genetics has enabled novel approaches to study gene functions in disease-causing pathogens. In the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, genome-based analyses, site-directed genome editing, and genetic systems have been invaluable in defining antimalarial resistance and accelerating drug discovery efforts. These approaches have contributed to advancing our understanding of Plasmodium biology and characterizing genomic loci associated with antimalarial drug responses.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lufeng Dan, Yuze Li, Shuhua Chen, Jingbo Liu, Yu Wang, Fangting Li, Xiangwei He, Lucas B. Carey
Summary: Most genetic changes have low reversion rates, but a study identified a rapid and reversible genetic variation mechanism that benefits adaptation to environmental fluctuations and evolutionary divergence.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julia M. Kreiner, Patrick J. Tranel, Detlef Weigel, John R. Stinchcombe, Stephen I. Wright
Summary: This study used genome-wide association and population genomic approaches to identify 250 genes associated with non-target-site resistance. These genes, found across different chromosomes, suggest a diverse and population-specific genetic architecture of herbicide resistance.
Article
Plant Sciences
Biyue Tan, Par K. Ingvarsson
Summary: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) is a powerful method for deciphering the genetic control of complex traits. This study focuses on dissecting quantitative traits in forest trees using GWAS and population consisting of 1,123 samples. The study identifies markers associated with growth and wood property traits in eucalypt hybrids, and also explores the predictive abilities in a genomic selection framework.
Review
Plant Sciences
Ning Yang, Jianbing Yan
Summary: Maize is one of the most widely grown crops globally, with genomics approaches considered the best solution for accelerating yield improvement. Current research focuses on exploring genetic variation, genomes, DNA modifications, and transcription levels in different maize varieties, while also discussing the application of genetic engineering for yield improvement and future directions for maize genomics studies.
CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Anna Selmecki
Summary: This study systematically analyzed copy number variations (CNVs) in 170 diverse clinical and environmental isolates of Candida parapsilosis, revealing two CNVs that are closely associated with drug resistance. The study highlights the need for further research into the mechanisms and impact of CNVs on virulence and drug resistance in diverse fungal pathogens.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Yan-Fei Sui, Mohammad Fawad Ansari, Bo Fang, Shao-Lin Zhang, Cheng-He Zhou
Summary: Novel purinylthiazolylethanone derivative 8c shows significant inhibitory action against C. albicans, with no detectable resistance and low toxicity. The compound kills fungi by damaging cell wall and membrane disruption, hinder the growth of fungal biofilm. Imbalance of redox equilibrium leads to oxidative damage to fungal cells and fungicidal effect.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Adrina Zhong, Benedict Darren, Bethina Loiseau, Li Qun Betty He, Trillium Chang, Jessica Hill, Helen Dimaras
Summary: The systematic review highlighted complex ethical, cultural, and social issues associated with genetic services in low- and middle-income countries, with implications for the further development of such services in these regions.
GENETICS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hailey Findlay Black, Scott Mastromatteo, Sunita Sinha, Rachel L. Ehrlich, Corey Nislow, Joshua Chang Mell, Rosemary J. Redfield
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Nicolas P. J. Coutin, Guri Giaever, Corey Nislow
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2020)
Article
Oncology
Kohei Fukuoka, Yasin Mamatjan, Ruth Tatevossian, Michal Zapotocky, Scott Ryall, Ana Guerreiro Stucklin, Julie Bennett, Liana Figueiredo Nobre, Anthony Arnoldo, Betty Luu, Ji Wen, Kaicen Zhu, Alberto Leon, Dax Torti, Trevor J. Pugh, Lili-Naz Hazrati, Normand Laperriere, James Drake, James T. Rutka, Peter Dirks, Abhaya Kulkarni, Michael D. Taylor, Ute Bartels, Annie Huang, Gelareh Zadeh, Kenneth Aldape, Vijay Ramaswamy, Eric Bouffet, Matija Snuderl, David Ellison, Cynthia Hawkins, Uri Tabori
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Samantha Breaux, Francis Arthur Derek Desrosiers, Mauricio Neira, Sunita Sinha, Corey Nislow
Summary: This study demonstrated that pharmacists are competent providers of pharmacogenomic services, with changes in drug therapy based on PGx tests resulting in inconsequential changes in annual drug therapy cost. The potential reduction in adverse drug responses and optimization of drug selection and dosing comes at a minimal cost to the health care system.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Dermatology
Thiago P. Muniz, Hadas Sorotsky, Yada Kanjanapan, April A. N. Rose, Daniel Araujo, Alexander Fortuna, Danny Ghazarian, Zaid Saeed Kamil, Trevor Pugh, Michelle Mah, Madhuran Thiagarajah, Dax Torti, Anna Spreafico, David Hogg
Summary: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST)-like melanoma shares genomic features with cutaneous melanoma and MPNST, but stands out for its frequent loss of function of ZNF331 and SERPINB4.
JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Johanne Weberpals, Trevor J. Pugh, Paola Marco-Casanova, Glenwood D. Goss, Natalie Andrews Wright, Prisni Rath, Jonathon Torchia, Alexander Fortuna, Gemma N. Jones, Martine P. Roudier, Laurence Bernard, Bryan Lo, Dax Torti, Alberto Leon, Kayla Marsh, Darren Hodgson, Marc Duciaume, William J. Howat, Natalia Lukashchuk, Stanley E. Lazic, Doreen Whelan, Harmanjatinder S. Sekhon
Summary: This study molecularly characterized HGSOC patients with good and poor responses to platinum-based chemotherapy, identifying distinct molecular features such as BRCA2 mutations, PARP4, and PD-L1 expression. These findings provide valuable insights for guiding treatment strategies targeting different responses to chemotherapy.
Article
Oncology
Marc Oliva, Douglas Chepeha, Daniel Araujo, J. Javier Diaz-Mejia, Peter Olson, Amy Prawira, Anna Spreafico, Scott Bratman, Tina Shek, John de Almeida, Aaron Hansen, Andrew Hope, David Goldstein, Ilan Weinreb, Stephen Smith, Bayardo Perez-Ordonez, Jonathan Irish, Dax Torti, Jeffrey P. Bruce, Ben X. Wang, Anthony Fortuna, Trevor J. Pugh, Hirak Der-Torossian, Ronald Shazer, Nickolas Attanasio, Qingyan Au, Antony Tin, Jordan Feeney, Himanshu Sethi, Alexey Aleshin, Isan Chen, Lillian Siu
Summary: The SNOW study demonstrates that sitravatinib plus nivolumab is safe and results in deep clinical and pathological responses in oral cavity carcinomas. Multi-omic biomarker analyses dissect the differential molecular effects of sitravatinib versus the sitravatinib-nivolumab and reveal patients with distinct tumor biology behavior.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Illiassou Hamidou Soumana, Min Hyung Ryu, Fernando Studart Leitao Filho, Julia Yang, Juma Orach, Corey Nislow, Janice M. Leung, Christopher Francis Rider, Christopher Carlsten
Summary: Diesel exhaust (DE) exposure induces significant changes in the metabolic functions of the airway microbiome despite the absence of diversity changes.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Stephanie Lheureux, Stephenie D. Prokopec, Leslie E. Oldfield, Eduardo Gonzalez-Ochoa, Jeffrey P. Bruce, Derek Wong, Arnavaz Danesh, Dax Torti, Jonathan Torchia, Alexander Fortuna, Sharanjit Singh, Matthew Irving, Kayla Marsh, Bernard Lam, Vanessa Speers, Aleksandra Yosifova, Ana Oaknin, Ainhoa Madariaga, Neesha C. Dhani, Valerie Bowering, Amit M. Oza, Trevor J. Pugh
Summary: This study evaluated the use of blood cell-free DNA (cfDNA) for identifying resistance mechanisms to PARP inhibitors (PARPi) in HGSOC patients. The results showed that cfDNA could detect known tumor mutations and identify novel mutations. Additionally, cfDNA fragmentation analysis revealed the presence of clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) in some patients.
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Derek Wong, Ping Luo, Nadia Znassi, Diana P. Arteaga, Diana Gray, Arnavaz Danesh, Ming Han, Eric Y. Zhao, Stephanie Pedersen, Stephenie Prokopec, Yogi Sundaravadanam, Dax Torti, Kayla Marsh, Sareh Keshavarzi, Wei Xu, Hatem Krema, Anthony M. Joshua, Marcus O. Butler, Trevor J. Pugh
Summary: Uveal melanomas are rare eye tumors with a high risk of metastasis to the liver. This study used cfDNA sequencing to analyze samples from uveal melanoma patients, and found that integrated analysis using different techniques improved the detection of relapse. The fragmentomic profiles showed the highest predictive power. This work supports the use of multi-modal cfDNA sequencing for sensitive detection of circulating tumor DNA.
CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
S. Y. Cindy Yang, Scott C. Lien, Ben X. Wang, Derek L. Clouthier, Youstina Hanna, Iulia Cirlan, Kelsey Zhu, Jeffrey P. Bruce, Samah El Ghamrasni, Marco A. J. Iafolla, Marc Oliva, Aaron R. Hansen, Anna Spreafico, Philippe L. Bedard, Stephanie Lheureux, Albiruni Razak, Vanessa Speers, Hal K. Berman, Alexey Aleshin, Benjamin Haibe-Kains, David G. Brooks, Tracy L. McGaha, Marcus O. Butler, Scott Bratman, Pamela S. Ohashi, Lillian L. Siu, Trevor J. Pugh
Summary: The study explores the use of circulating tumor DNA to monitor the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade therapy in patients and identifies factors in the patients' genomic and immune environment characteristics associated with treatment sensitivity and resistance.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Julio A. Chirinos, Jordana B. Cohen, Lei Zhao, Thomas Hanff, Nancy Sweitzer, James Fang, Vicente Corrales-Medina, Ron Anmar, Michael Morley, Payman Zamani, Priyanka Bhattacharya, Jeff Brandimarto, Yi Jia, Michael D. Basso, Zhaoqing Wang, Christina Ebert, Francisco Ramirez-Valle, Peter H. Schafer, Dietmar Seiffert, David A. Gordon, Thomas Cappola
Article
Oncology
Scott V. Bratman, S. Y. Cindy Yang, Marco A. J. Iafolla, Zhihui Liu, Aaron R. Hansen, Philippe L. Bedard, Stephanie Lheureux, Anna Spreafico, Albiruni Abdul Razak, Svetlana Shchegrova, Maggie Louie, Paul Billings, Bernhard Zimmermann, Himanshu Sethi, Alexey Aleshin, Dax Torti, Kayla Marsh, Jenna Eagles, Iulia Cirlan, Youstina Hanna, Derek L. Clouthier, Scott C. Lien, Pamela S. Ohashi, Wei Xu, Lillian L. Siu, Trevor J. Pugh
Article
Respiratory System
Pitchumani Sivakumar, John Ryan Thompson, Ron Ammar, Mary Porteous, Carly McCoubrey, Edward Cantu, Kandasamy Ravi, Yan Zhang, Yi Luo, Denis Streltsov, Michael F. Beers, Gabor Jarai, Jason D. Christie