Review
Developmental Biology
Natalie J. Milmoe, Abigail S. Tucker
Summary: During head development, tissues undergo cell fate transitions to form structures, where neural crest cells play a crucial role in shaping skeletal tissues. These cells exhibit flexibility in transitioning back and forth between epithelial and mesenchymal states in the eye and ear. Understanding the factors triggering these transitions and the consequences of aberrant transitions is important for studying craniofacial development.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Ines De Hoon, Alexandre Barras, Tomasz Swebocki, Bernd Vanmeerhaeghe, Bram Bogaert, Cristina Muntean, Amar Abderrahmani, Rabah Boukherroub, Stefaan De Smedt, Felix Sauvage, Sabine Szunerits
Summary: Topical administration of drugs to the corneal endothelium is challenging in ophthalmology, and diseases at this site can cause corneal blindness. Carbon quantum dots have shown potential for ocular nanomedicine. This study investigated the corneal penetration abilities of differently charged carbon quantum dots and their use as permeation enhancers for drugs.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Liangfeng Han, Preethi Korangath, Nguyen K. Nguyen, Adam Diehl, Soonweng Cho, Wei Wen Teo, Leslie Cope, Manfred Gessler, Lewis Romer, Saraswati Sukumar
Summary: Blocking the angiogenesis-promoting function of HEYL in both tumor cells and tumor-associated endothelium can slow down tumor growth and enhance efficacy of therapy targeting the tumor vasculature in breast cancer.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Amin Orash Mahmoud Salehi, Saeed Heidari-Keshel, Seyed Ali Poursamar, Ali Zarrabi, Farshid Sefat, Narsimha Mamidi, Mahmoud Jabbarvand Behrouz, Mohammad Rafienia
Summary: Corneal transplantation is a convenient strategy for treating corneal diseases, but issues such as donor scarcity and rejection risks exist. Corneal tissue engineering, especially the use of bioprinted scaffolds, has gained attention for simulating corneal structure.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Rajalakshmy Ayilam Ramachandran, Jose Marcos Sanches, Danielle M. Robertson
Summary: The cornea is responsible for light refraction and eye protection. Cellular homeostasis in the cornea relies on processes like autophagy and mitophagy, which clear damaged proteins and organelles. Dysfunction in these processes can contribute to corneal diseases and degenerations. This review summarizes the current understanding of autophagy and mitophagy in the cornea and highlights the gaps in knowledge, with potential implications for new therapeutic approaches.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Clare Mills, Sandra A. Hemkemeyer, Zerin Alimajstorovic, Chantelle Bowers, Malihe Eskandarpour, John Greenwood, Virginia Calder, A. W. Edith Chan, Paul J. Gane, David L. Selwood, Karl Matter, Maria S. Balda
Summary: An antagonist that blocks GEF-H1 signaling effectively inhibits disease features in inflammation and fibrosis-related disease models, demonstrating that GEF-H1 is an effective therapeutic target, and establishes a new therapeutic approach.
Review
Physiology
Franziska Vielmuth, Mariya Y. Radeva, Sunil Yeruva, Anna M. Sigmund, Jens Waschke
Summary: Regulation of cadherin-mediated cell adhesion is crucial for maintaining tissue integrity and barrier function, as well as electromechanical coupling within the myocardium. The loss of cadherin-mediated adhesion can lead to various disorders, and the mechanisms involved in regulating cadherin-mediated binding have been identified as potential therapeutic targets. Cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) has emerged as a master regulator of cell adhesion in endothelium, epithelium, and cardiomyocytes. The molecular mechanisms involve the regulation of Rho family GTPase and phosphorylation of the adaptor protein plakoglobin.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Radoslaw Kaczmarek, Katarzyna Zimmer, Pawel Gajdzis, Malgorzata Gajdzis
Summary: The cornea, though simple in appearance, is a highly complex structure that requires perfect organization of cells for maintaining its biomechanical and optical properties. Eph receptors and ephrins play a crucial role in tissue organization, cell migration, and communication, particularly in the regeneration process following injuries and diseases. This review examines the current understanding of Eph and ephrins in corneal physiology and diseases, with a focus on the epithelium and endothelium, as well as their influence on corneal neovascularization.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rebeca Torregrosa-Carrion, Rebeca Pineiro-Sabaris, Marcos Siguero-Alvarez, Joaquim Grego-Bessa, Luis Luna-Zurita, Vitor Samuel Fernandes, Donal MacGrogan, Didier Y. R. Stainier, Jose Luis de la Pompa
Summary: Mutations in the GPR126/ADGRG6 gene lead to human diseases, particularly affecting peripheral nervous system myelination. Research on mice and zebrafish models demonstrates the impact of Gpr126 deficiency on development, with a proposed placenta-heart axis contributing to heart abnormalities in Gpr126 mutants.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zicheng Deng, Gregory T. Kalin, Donglu Shi, Vladimir V. Kalinichenko
Summary: Nanoparticle delivery systems have been developed to address critical issues in the treatment of respiratory disorders, offering unique drug release capabilities and cell-targeting specificity. Low toxicity and high degradability are key requirements in nanoparticle design.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Samantha Sasseville, Samira Karami, Ange Tchatchouang, Pascale Charpentier, Princia Anney, Delphine Gobert, Stephanie Proulx
Summary: Cell monolayers play a crucial role in maintaining tissue functionality. Transplanting a healthy monolayer of corneal endothelial cells or retinal pigment epithelium could be a potential treatment alternative for corneal and retinal diseases.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Virology
Stefan Hagele, Christian Nusshag, Alexander Muller, Alexandra Baumann, Martin Zeier, Ellen Krautkramer
Summary: The human respiratory epithelium is one of the initial targets of orthohantaviral infection, contributing to virus replication, dissemination, and pathogenesis of HFRS-causing orthohantaviruses. Donor-specific factors may lead to differences in the severity and symptoms of orthohantavirus disease, indicating an alternative mode of orthohantaviral entry independent of integrin beta(3).
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xinyue Lei, Xiaoling Tian, Hao Wang, Xinran Xu, Guoli Li, Wenxu Liu, Dan Wang, Zengtuan Xiao, Mengzhe Zhang, Mulin Jun Li, Zhenfa Zhang, Zhenyi Ma, Zhe Liu
Summary: A noncoding SNP rs1663689 was found to be associated with lung cancer susceptibility in the Chinese population, but the underlying mechanism was unknown. This study revealed that the rs1663689 C/C variant represses the expression of ADGRG6 through interchromosomal interaction, leading to reduced cAMP-PKA signaling and tumor growth. The research also showed that lung tumors with rs1663689 T/T genotype are sensitive to PKA inhibitor H89, suggesting potential therapeutic strategies.
Article
Cell Biology
Salvador Cazorla-Vazquez, Peter Koesters, Simone Bertz, Frederick Pfister, Christoph Daniel, Mark Dedden, Sebastian Zundler, Tilman Jobst-Schwan, Kerstin Amann, Felix B. Engel
Summary: In this study, the expression of Gpr126 in zebrafish, mice, and humans during kidney development and adulthood was characterized using RNAscope technology. The results showed that Gpr126 was enriched in the epithelial lineage during nephrogenesis and persisted in various cell types in the adult kidney. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed that Gpr126 expression was detected in a distinct ionocyte sub-population in zebrafish, which is involved in acid secretion, pH buffering, and calcium regulation. The expression patterns of Gpr126 and related genes in mouse kidneys were highly similar. These findings provide insights into the spatio-temporal expression and potential physiological role of Gpr126 in the kidney.
Review
Immunology
Helen J. J. von Richthofen, Linde Meyaard
Summary: Similar to immune cells, non-hematopoietic cells possess mechanisms to sense environmental context and regulate their responses to microbial and endogenous threats. Inhibitory receptors on these cells can sense a wide range of signals and regulate various functions, including immune activation, proliferation, and migration. Investigating the functions of inhibitory receptors on non-hematopoietic cells systematically is important for understanding their role in immune response.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pathology
Friederike Kullmann, Pamela L. Strissel, Reiner Strick, Robert Stoehr, Markus Eckstein, Simone Bertz, Bernd Wullich, Danijel Sikic, Sven Wach, Helge Taubert, Peter Olbert, Hendrik Heers, Maria Fernanda Lara, Maria Luisa Macias, Elisa Matas-Rico, Maria Jose Lozano, Daniel Prieto, Isabel Hierro, Thomas van Doeveren, Ivan Bieche, Julien Masliah-Planchon, Romane Beaurepere, Joost L. Boormans, Yves Allory, Bernardo Herrera-Imbroda, Arndt Hartmann, Veronika Weyerer
Summary: This study investigated the incidence rate of MSI in UTUC and compared the results between standard methodology and Idylla MSI Assay. The results showed a low incidence rate of MSI tumors in UTUC and highlighted the potential of Idylla MSI Assay as an alternative method for MSI analysis in UTUC.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Francesco Vitali, Nadine Morgenstern, Markus Eckstein, Raja Atreya, Maximilian Waldner, Arndt Hartmann, Markus F. Neurath, Timo Rath
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the use of endocytoscopy (EC) to accurately assess histologic inflammation and predict disease progression in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. The results showed that EC assessment of inflammatory activity in UC was strongly correlated with histopathologic scoring and superior to white-light endoscopy. Therefore, EC can provide real-time histology in UC patients and better predict clinical outcomes.
GASTROINTESTINAL ENDOSCOPY
(2023)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Franziska Erlmeier, Niklas Klumper, Laura Landgraf, Pamela L. Strissel, Reiner Strick, Danijel Sikic, Helge Taubert, Sven Wach, Carol I. Geppert, Veronika Bahlinger, Johannes Breyer, Manuel Ritter, Christian Bolenz, Florian Roghmann, Philipp Erben, Kristina Schwamborn, Ralph M. Wirtz, Thomas Horn, Bernd Wullich, Michael Hoelzelg, Arndt Hartmann, Jurgen E. Gschwend, Wilko Weichertd, Markus Eckstein
Summary: This study found that the predictive and prognostic value of PD-L1, spatial immunephenotypes, and MHC-I in metastatic urothelial carcinoma is associated with chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor responses, with PD-L1 showing predictive and prognostic value only at the metastatic site. Therefore, future clinical trials should use pretreatment metastatic biopsies that reflect the current immunological disease state.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sebastian Foersch, Christina Glasner, Ann-Christin Woerl, Markus Eckstein, Daniel-Christoph Wagner, Stefan Schulz, Franziska Kellers, Aurelie Fernandez, Konstantina Tserea, Michael Kloth, Arndt Hartmann, Achim Heintz, Wilko Weichert, Wilfried Roth, Carol Geppert, Jakob Nikolas Kather, Moritz Jesinghaus
Summary: Researchers developed a multistain deep learning model utilizing artificial intelligence to determine the immunoscore and predict response to neoadjuvant therapy in colorectal cancer patients. The model outperformed other clinical, molecular, and immune cell-based parameters and can serve as a valuable decision-making tool for clinicians.
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Miriam Saponaro, Sina Flottmann, Markus Eckstein, Oliver Hommerding, Niklas Kluemper, Dillon Corvino, Sana Hosni, Anja Schmidt, Nicolas Moenig, Doris Schmidt, Joerg Ellinger, Marieta Toma, Glen Kristiansen, Tobias Bald, Andrea Alimonti, Manuel Ritter, Michael Hoelzel, Abdullah Alajati
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Kaveh Roshanbinfar, Maria Kolesnik-Gray, Miriam Angeloni, Stefan Schruefer, Maren Fiedler, Dirk W. Schubert, Fulvia Ferrazzi, Vojislav Krstic, Felix B. Engel
Summary: Cardiac tissue engineering is a promising strategy to prevent heart failure, but several issues remain unsolved. This study develops a biohybrid hydrogel that enhances the beating properties of engineered cardiac tissues and allows for concurrent drug release.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Lars-Philip Paulus, Adrian Buehler, Alexandra L. Wagner, Roman Raming, Joerg Juengert, David Simon, Koray Tascilar, Alexander Schnell, Ulrich Rother, Markus Eckstein, Werner Lang, Andre Hoerning, Georg Schett, Markus F. Neurath, Maximilian J. Waldner, Regina Trollmann, Joachim Woelfle, Sarah E. Bohndiek, Adrian P. Regensburger, Ferdinand Knieling
Summary: The use of multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) with indocyanine green (ICG) as a fluorescent dye allows real-time imaging and functional assessment of the gastrointestinal tract. This approach provides a non-ionizing and translatable method for clinical diagnosis.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Adrian Buehler, Emma Brown, Lars-Philip Paulus, Markus Eckstein, Oana-Maria Thoma, Mariam-Eleni Oraiopoulou, Ulrich Rother, Andre Hoerning, Arndt Hartmann, Markus F. F. Neurath, Joachim Woelfle, Oliver Friedrich, Maximilian J. J. Waldner, Ferdinand Knieling, Sarah E. E. Bohndiek, Adrian P. P. Regensburger
Summary: Optoacoustic imaging enables microscale imaging of endogenous chromophores and has shown potential in identifying superficial microvascular changes associated with human skin pathologies. Raster-scanning optoacoustic mesoscopy has been used to image vascular structures in the gastrointestinal tract in animal models, but accurate localization of intra-abdominal organs is still challenging. This study presents the development of a novel transrectal absorber guide for optoacoustic mesoscopy to enable accurate transabdominal localization and assessment of colonic vascular networks. The potential of this technique is demonstrated through its application in colitis models in mice, highlighting its potential as a monitoring tool for inflammatory bowel diseases.
Article
Oncology
Jonas Saal, Tobias Bald, Markus Eckstein, Damian J. Ralser, Manuel Ritter, Peter Brossart, Viktor Gruenwald, Michael Hoelzel, Joerg Ellinger, Niklas Kluemper
Summary: In the era of immuno-oncology, imaging alone is insufficient to capture treatment responses in patients with stable disease treated with immunotherapy. This study aims to examine whether longitudinal changes in the modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) can predict responses and outcomes in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Harsha Renikunta, Katina Lazarow, Yiqi Gong, Praphulla Chandra Shukla, Vanasa Nageswaran, Hector Giral, Adelheid Kratzer, Lennart Opitz, Felix B. Engel, Arash Haghikia, Sarah Costantino, Francesco Paneni, Jens Peter von Kries, Katrin Streckfuss-Bomeke, Ulf Landmesser, Philipp Jakob
Summary: Ischemic cardiomyopathy, driven by loss of cardiomyocytes and inadequate proliferative response, is a major global health problem. Functional high-throughput screening revealed that overexpression of certain miRNAs, especially miR-515-3p and miR-519e-3p from the C19MC-cluster, enhanced proliferative activity in hiPSC-CM and altered signaling pathways relevant for cardiomyocyte proliferation.
Article
Oncology
Jonas Saal, Tobias Bald, Markus Eckstein, Manuel Ritter, Peter Brossart, Joerg Ellinger, Michael Hoelzel, Niklas Kluemper
Summary: This study validated the high predictive value of early C-reactive protein (CRP) kinetics in patients with non-small cell lung cancer undergoing immune checkpoint inhibition treatment. The use of this cost-effective and easy-to-implement on-treatment biomarker was justified to optimize therapy monitoring.
JNCI CANCER SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Tina Daunke, Silje Beckinger, Sascha Rahn, Sandra Kruger, Steffen Heckl, Heiner Schafer, Daniela Wesch, Christian Pilarsky, Markus Eckstein, Arndt Hartmann, Christoph Rocken, Anna Maxi Wandmacher, Susanne Sebens
Summary: In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), tumor-associated macrophages express PD-L1 while PDAC cells do not. PD-L1 expression is high at the tumor invasion front between tumor-associated macrophages and CD8+ T cells. Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) does not enhance the activation and cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Elias A. T. Koch, Anne Petzold, Anja Wessely, Edgar Dippel, Markus Eckstein, Anja Gesierich, Ralf Gutzmer, Jessica C. Hassel, Harald Knorr, Nicole Kreuzberg, Ulrike Leiter, Carmen Loquai, Friedegund Meier, Markus Meissner, Peter Mohr, Claudia Pfoehler, Farnaz Rahimi, Dirk Schadendorf, Max Schlaak, Kai-Martin Thoms, Selma Ugurel, Jochen Utikal, Michael Weichenthal, Beatrice Schuler-Thurner, Carola Berking, Markus V. Heppt
Summary: Metastases of uveal melanoma predominantly spread to the liver. Liver-directed therapies (LDT) are commonly used for tumor control in patients with low response rates to systemic therapies. This study compared the outcomes of patients with metastatic UM treated with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), with and without LDT, and found that the combination of LDT with ICB was associated with longer overall survival, improved progression-free survival, and higher treatment response rates.
FRONTIERS OF MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Salvador Cazorla-Vazquez, Peter Koesters, Simone Bertz, Frederick Pfister, Christoph Daniel, Mark Dedden, Sebastian Zundler, Tilman Jobst-Schwan, Kerstin Amann, Felix B. Engel
Summary: In this study, the expression of Gpr126 in zebrafish, mice, and humans during kidney development and adulthood was characterized using RNAscope technology. The results showed that Gpr126 was enriched in the epithelial lineage during nephrogenesis and persisted in various cell types in the adult kidney. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed that Gpr126 expression was detected in a distinct ionocyte sub-population in zebrafish, which is involved in acid secretion, pH buffering, and calcium regulation. The expression patterns of Gpr126 and related genes in mouse kidneys were highly similar. These findings provide insights into the spatio-temporal expression and potential physiological role of Gpr126 in the kidney.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
M. Sievert, M. Aubreville, M. Eckstein, K. Mantsopoulos, M. Koch, A. O. Gostian, S. K. Mueller, H. Iro, M. Goncalves
Summary: Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is used to examine the architectural differences at the cellular level between mucosa and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Analysis of 60 CLE sequences revealed significant differences in cell size and count between SCC cells and healthy epithelial cells, highlighting the importance of these features in identifying SCC.
EUROPEAN REVIEW FOR MEDICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)