Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiang-Yun Peng, Dian-Kui Cai, Ren-Li Zeng, Chao-Yang Zhang, Guan-Cheng Li, Si-Fan Chen, Xiao-Qing Yuan, Li Peng
Summary: This study identifies a novel lncRNA, FASRL, whose expression is driven by USF1 through its superenhancer. FASRL promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation by binding to ACACA and increasing fatty acid synthesis and lipid accumulation. High expression of FASRL, USF1, and ACACA is associated with a worse prognosis in HCC patients.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Liangfang Yao, Yang Xuan, Haiyang Zhang, Bo Yang, Xinglong Ma, Tianzhen Wang, Tianyuan Meng, Wenshe Sun, Haibin Wei, Xueqing Ma, Robb Moses, Jianru Xiao, Pei Zhang, Chao Ge, Jinjun Li, Lei Li, Xiaotao Li, Jinbao Li, Bianhong Zhang
Summary: The study has identified the REG gamma-PP2Ac-PRAS40 axis as a new layer in regulating mTORC1 activity and downstream glycolytic alterations during HCC development, highlighting the REG gamma-proteasome as a potential target for personalized HCC therapy.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Caterina Bartolacci, Cristina Andreani, Goncalo Vale, Stefano Berto, Margherita Melegari, Anna Colleen Crouch, Dodge L. Baluya, George Kemble, Kurt Hodges, Jacqueline Starrett, Katerina Politi, Sandra L. Starnes, Daniele Lorenzini, Maria Gabriela Raso, Luisa M. Solis Soto, Carmen Behrens, Humam Kadara, Boning Gao, Ignacio I. Wistuba, John D. Minna, Jeffrey G. McDonald, Pier Paolo Scaglioni
Summary: Mutant KRAS is associated with poor prognosis in lung cancer and promotes lipid metabolism. This study reveals that fatty acid synthesis is crucial for the viability of mutant KRAS lung cancer cells. Blocking fatty acid synthesis or the Lands cycle promotes ferroptosis, a type of cell death characterized by the accumulation of oxidation-prone phospholipids. Mutant KRAS makes lung cancer cells more reliant on newly synthesized fatty acids.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Andries Heida, Nanda Gruben, Leen Catrysse, Martijn Koehorst, Mirjam Koster, Niels J. Kloosterhuis, Albert Gerding, Rick Havinga, Vincent W. Bloks, Laura Bongiovanni, Justina C. Wolters, Theo van Dijk, Geert van Loo, Alain de Bruin, Folkert Kuipers, Debby P. Y. Koonen, Bart van de Sluis
Summary: This study investigated the role of the hepatocytic NF-kB signaling pathway as a metabolic regulator in promoting the development of hepatic steatosis. The activation of hepatic NF-kB led to hepatic steatosis without inflammation, while the ablation of A20 in hepatocytes exacerbated hepatic steatosis and increased plasma cholesterol levels. These findings suggest that chronic NF-kB activation may contribute to the initiation of hepatic steatosis and cardiovascular disease risk in MAFLD patients.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Jun Zhang, Jia Nie, Haoran Sun, Jie Li, John-Paul Andersen, Yuguang Shi
Summary: This study reports a novel lipid labeling method for individual lipid species with precise acyl compositions in live cells. The method provides a powerful tool for functional analysis and uncovers unexpected features of remodeled lipids and their transporters.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Rui Shen, Lixin Ke, Qiao Li, Xi Dang, Shunli Shen, Jianming Shen, Shaoqiang Li, Lijian Liang, Baogang Peng, Ming Kuang, Yi Ma, Zhonghan Yang, Yunpeng Hua
Summary: This study found that the significant decrease of serum conjugated DCA may be closely associated with HCC, which may be induced by reducing gut BSH-rich bacteria. The study also found that a conjugated DCA called GDCA can significantly inhibit the growth of HCC. These findings suggest that the gut microbiota and BAs play important roles in the development of HCC.
HEPATOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anastassia A. Vorobieva, Paul White, Binyong Liang, Jim E. Horne, Asim K. Bera, Cameron M. Chow, Stacey Gerben, Sinduja Marx, Alex Kang, Alyssa Q. Stiving, Sophie R. Harvey, Dagan C. Marx, G. Nasir Khan, Karen G. Fleming, Vicki H. Wysocki, David J. Brockwell, Lukas K. Tamm, Sheena E. Radford, David Baker
Summary: Through computational design, researchers successfully developed novel TMBs with no homology to known TMBs, which can reversibly insert and fold into synthetic lipid membranes, and exhibit experimental structures highly similar to computational models. This advancement is expected to facilitate the custom design of pores for various applications.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Fei Teng, Jingjing Jiang, Jinhua Zhang, Youwen Yuan, Kangli Li, Bing Zhou, Xuan Zhou, Wenhui Liu, Peizhen Zhang, Deying Liu, Minghua Zheng, Yan Lu, Huijie Zhang
Summary: The study demonstrated that S100A11 is upregulated in NAFLD patients and overexpression of S100A11 significantly increases liver steatosis, body weight, and AST levels. Mechanistically, S100A11 acts as a positive regulator of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to induce lipid synthesis and aggravate lipid deposition. Targeting S100A11 may be a potential therapeutic approach for NAFLD.
METABOLISM-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Liping Sun, Shuguang Liu, Xiaopai Wang, Xuefeng Zheng, Ya Chen, Hong Shen
Summary: The study demonstrated that eIF6 expression was significantly increased in HCC and correlated with its pathological progression. eIF6 served as a new diagnostic biomarker and an independent risk factor for OS in HCC patients. Functional studies showed that deletion of eIF6 exhibited tumor-suppressor activity in HCC cells.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jianhuan Qi, Fan Mo, Ni A. An, Tingwei Mi, Jiaxin Wang, Jun-Tian Qi, Xiangshang Li, Boya Zhang, Longkuo Xia, Yingfei Lu, Gaoying Sun, Xinyue Wang, Chuan-Yun Li, Baoyang Hu
Summary: The study identified a human-specific de novo gene, SP0535, which is preferentially expressed in the ventricular zone of the human fetal brain and plays an important role in cortical development and function. Knockout of SP0535 in human embryonic stem cell-derived cortical organoids compromises their growth and neurogenesis. In SP0535 transgenic mice, expression of SP0535 induces fetal cortex expansion and formation of sulci and gyri-like structures. SP0535 also promotes unique proliferation and differentiation of progenitors and neurons in the mouse cortex. SP0535 TG adult mice exhibit improved cognitive ability and working memory. Mechanistically, SP0535 interacts with the membrane protein Na+/K+ ATPase subunit alpha-1 (ATP1A1) and releases Src from the ATP1A1-Src complex, promoting cell proliferation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lulu Chen, Qi Zhou, Pingfeng Zhang, Wei Tan, Yingge Li, Ziwen Xu, Junfeng Ma, Gary M. Kupfer, Yanxin Pei, Qibin Song, Huadong Pei
Summary: O-linked beta-N-acetyl glucosamine (O-GlcNAc) plays a crucial role in cellular metabolism and its dysregulation leads to various diseases. This study reveals that O-GlcNAc directly controls de novo nucleotide synthesis and NAD production, which are important processes in abnormal metabolic states. The key enzyme PRPS1 in the nucleotide synthesis pathway is O-GlcNAcylated by OGT, a process that boosts PRPS1 activity by relieving feedback inhibition. Elevated PRPS1 O-GlcNAcylation is associated with tumorigenesis and chemoradiotherapy resistance in lung cancer.
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xiang-Peng Tan, Ben-Han Xiong, Yuan-Xu Zhang, Shen-Li Wang, Qian Zuo, Jing Li
Summary: This study discovered the highly expressed FXYD5 in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells and its higher expression level in HCC tissues compared to par-acancerous tissues. The downregulation of FXYD5 reversed the resistance of Huh7/sora cells to sorafenib, while overexpression of FXYD5 reduced the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib. Additionally, abnormal activation of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was found in Huh7/sora cells, and MK2206, an Akt inhibitor, increased the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib. The expression level of p-Akt was positively correlated with the expression of FXYD5 in HCC tissues.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wafaa B. Alsoussi, Sameer Kumar Malladi, Julian Q. Zhou, Zhuoming Liu, Baoling Ying, Wooseob Kim, Aaron J. Schmitz, Tingting Lei, Stephen C. Horvath, Alexandria J. Sturtz, Katherine M. McIntire, Birk Evavold, Fangjie Han, Suzanne M. Scheaffer, Isabella F. Fox, Senaa F. Mirza, Luis Parra-Rodriguez, Raffael Nachbagauer, Biliana Nestorova, Spyros Chalkias, Christopher W. Farnsworth, Michael K. Klebert, Iskra Pusic, Benjamin S. Strnad, William D. Middleton, Sharlene A. Teefey, Sean P. J. Whelan, Michael S. Diamond, Robert Paris, Jane A. O'Halloran, Rachel M. Presti, Jackson S. Turner, Ali H. Ellebedy
Summary: Boosting with COVID-19 vaccines induces robust immune responses and can generate new antibody responses targeting variant-specific epitopes. The B cells involved in the immune response can mature and produce antibodies that recognize the original virus as well as the variants.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Barbara Becattini, Ludovic Breasson, Claudia Sardi, Fabio Zani, Giovanni Solinas
Summary: Loss of PI3K gamma in obesity-promoted hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can reduce tumor growth by improving insulinaemia, steatosis, metabolic inflammation, regulating acute neutrophil infiltration, and compensatory hepatocyte proliferation. PI3K gamma-selective inhibition may offer a novel therapeutic strategy to inhibit HCC initiation and progression.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Peifang Qin, Jianguo Yan, Haitao Huang, Qi Wang, Mao Li, Yuting Zhang, Jiahui Wang, Tingting Jiang, Xiaoling Zhang, Yali Zhou
Summary: Equilibrative nucleoside transporter 3 (ENT3), a member of the solute carrier family 29, plays an important role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is upregulated in HCC and associated with poor prognosis and clinical features. Knockdown of ENT3 inhibits cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promotes apoptosis through inhibition of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Xiao Yi, Feng Chen, Fenghua Liu, Qing Peng, Yang Li, Shao Li, Jiang Du, Yi Gao, Yifeng Wang
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2020)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Tingcai Pan, Jiawang Tao, Yan Chen, Jiaye Zhang, Anteneh Getachew, Yuanqi Zhuang, Ning Wang, Yingying Xu, Shenglin Tan, Ji Fang, Fan Yang, Xianhua Lin, Kai You, Yi Gao, Yin-xiong Li
Summary: This study systematically evaluated chemical compounds for the expansion and maturation of hepatoblasts, establishing an effective and cost-efficient method for generating functional human hepatic cells with potential for cell-based therapy and drug discovery applications.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiao Yi, Fan Liu, Kunjie Gao, Feng Chen, Yifeng Wang, Huayan Li, Xuefeng Wang, Yi Huang, Huijiao Fu, Weijie Zhou, Jun-Bing Fan, Shutao Wang, Yi Gao
Summary: Uterine factor infertility is a growing issue in modern society, but current biomaterial scaffold-mediated systems have limited effectiveness in uterus recovery. This study demonstrates the successful use of reconstructable uterus-derived materials (RUMs), combining uterus-derived extracellular matrix and seeded chorionic villi mesenchymal stem cells, to achieve efficient live births in rats with severe uterine injury. This research provides a potential regenerative medicine therapy for uterine factor infertility.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Yuan Lin, Meng-Qi Dong, Zhi-Min Liu, Meng Xu, Zhi-Hao Huang, Hong-Juan Liu, Yi Gao, Wei-Jie Zhou
Summary: There are currently no effective treatments for liver fibrosis, a disease that involves angiogenesis. The role of different microvessels in the liver during fibrogenesis is unclear, and it is difficult to treat liver fibrosis through vascular targeting. This study proposes a combined regulation of multiple different endothelial cell regulatory signaling pathways as a new strategy for liver fibrosis therapy.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Sze Keong Tey, Samuel Wan Ki Wong, Janice Yuen Tung Chan, Xiaowen Mao, Tung Him Ng, Cherlie Lot Sum Yeung, Zoe Leung, Hui Ling Fung, Alexander Hin Ning Tang, Danny Ka Ho Wong, Lung-Yi Mak, Man-Fung Yuen, Chun-Fung Sin, Irene Oi-Lin Ng, Stephanie Kwai Yee Ma, Terence Kin Wah Lee, Peihua Cao, Kebo Zhong, Yi Gao, Jing Ping Yun, Judy Wai Ping Yam
Summary: This study uncovered the crucial role of EV-pIgR in regulating cancer stemness and aggressiveness, with the blockade of EV-pIgR presenting a potential therapeutic strategy for cancer patients.
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Mingjia Xiao, Xiangjing Liang, Zhengming Yan, Jingyang Chen, Yaru Zhu, Yuan Xie, Yang Li, Xinming Li, Qingxiang Gao, Feiling Feng, Gongbo Fu, Yi Gao
Summary: This study evaluated the role of DNA methylation driven genes in pancreatic cancer and established a four-gene prognostic signature. The signature was found to be associated with tumor histologic grades and survival outcomes, as well as immune dysregulation and tumor mutation burdens. Additionally, the study identified elevated protein expression of these genes in cancerous tissues, which may serve as prognostic markers for pancreatic cancer patients.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Wei-Jian Huang, Xu Zhou, Gong-Bo Fu, Min Ding, Hong-Ping Wu, Min Zeng, Hong-Dan Zhang, Ling-Yan Xu, Yi Gao, Hong-Yang Wang, He-Xin Yan
Summary: This study demonstrated that the administration of soluble molecules can induce endogenous liver progenitor cells, providing an alternative approach for resolving liver fibrosis. Transplanting hepatocyte-derived liver progenitor-like cells alleviated liver fibrosis in mice, while HACY induced the conversion of mature hepatocytes to CD24(+) progenitor cells and inhibited HSC activation, leading to enhanced improvement in liver fibrosis. Comparing to CD24(+) cells induced by CCL4 alone, HACY-induced CD24(+) cells showed enhanced hepatic function and could promote liver function restoration, similar to HepLPCs.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Jun Weng, Xu Han, Fanhong Zeng, Yue Zhang, Lei Feng, Lei Cai, Kangyan Liang, Shusong Liu, Shao Li, Gongbo Fu, Min Zeng, Yi Gao
Summary: The study utilized a fiber scaffold bioreactor for high-density, 3D culture of porcine hepatocytes to construct a bioartificial liver and evaluated its protective effects in an ALF porcine model. The bioartificial liver treatment enhanced liver regeneration, alleviated systemic inflammatory response, and reduced extrahepatic organ injury, leading to prolonged survival in the ALF model.
