Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jinghui Xie, Yuedi Hu, Dengdi Sun, Changan Liu, Zegeng Li, Jie Zhu
Summary: This review focuses on the regulatory role of H19 in various pulmonary diseases and collects potential therapeutic agents and molecular treatments. The aim is to demonstrate its underlying mechanism in pulmonary diseases and guide the translation of basic research targeting H19 into clinical drug development.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Rohitas Deshmukh
Summary: Malaria is a life-threatening parasitic disease with drug resistance being a significant concern. Nanomedicine has shown promise in overcoming these limitations by utilizing nanomaterials to improve the efficacy of antimalarial drugs. This approach provides a more targeted and safer treatment option for malaria, potentially reducing side effects and increasing treatment efficiency.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR GRAPHICS & MODELLING
(2023)
Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Qiang Lu, Ying Tang, Shuang Luo, Qihai Gong, Cailan Li
Summary: This paper provides a detailed summary of the research progress on the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, safety, and formulation of coptisine, a naturally derived alkaloid. Coptisine exhibits various pharmacological actions and potential hepatotoxicity. Novel formulations have been developed to enhance its bioavailability. Coptisine shows promise as a drug candidate for the treatment of tumors and metabolic and inflammatory diseases.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CHINESE MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ivona Maria Tudorancea, Mitica Ciorpac, Gabriela Dumitrita Stanciu, Catalin Caratasu, Alina Sacarescu, Bogdan Ignat, Alexandra Burlui, Elena Rezus, Ioana Creanga, Teodora Alexa-Stratulat, Ionut Tudorancea, Bogdan Ionel Tamba
Summary: The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a significant role in regulating various aspects of mammalian physiology and has potential therapeutic effects in age-related diseases. This comprehensive review explores the complex interaction between the cannabinoid system (CS) and neurodegenerative, oncological, skeletal, and cardiovascular disorders, highlighting the potential of cannabinoids to ameliorate these conditions. The role of the ECS in improving aging-associated immune system dysregulation is also discussed.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Natalie M. Hendrikse, Anna Sandegren, Tommy Andersson, Jenny Blomqvist, Asa Makower, Dominik Possner, Chao Su, Niklas Thalen, Agneta Tjernberg, Ulrica Westermark, Johan Rockberg, Stefan Svensson Gelius, Per-Olof Syren, Erik Nordling
Summary: Ancestral sequence reconstruction can enhance the activity of iduronate-2-sulfatase, potentially improving treatment outcomes for Hunter syndrome. Ancestral variants showed up to 2-fold higher activity than human IDS in vitro and could offer a more effective therapeutic effect, reducing treatment burden.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Peng-yue Zhao, Ren-qi Yao, Zi-cheng Zhang, Sheng-yu Zhu, Yu-xuan Li, Chao Ren, Xiao-hui Du, Yong-ming Yao
Summary: Protein homeostasis is crucial for various life activities, and ribosomes, as the main apparatus of protein translation, play an essential role in maintaining protein homeostasis. However, malfunction of ribosomes can lead to the excessive production and accumulation of aberrant proteins, causing harmful effects on cellular fate and even cell death. Ribosomopathies are a group of diseases characterized by abnormalities in ribosomal compositions and functions, and cells have evolved ribosome quality control mechanisms to regulate the quantity and quality of ribosomes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Md. Rezaul Islam, Shopnil Akash, Maruf Hossain Jony, Md. Noor Alam, Feana Tasmim Nowrin, Md. Mominur Rahman, Abdur Rauf, Muthu Thiruvengadam
Summary: Trace elements are chemical elements with low concentrations, divided into essential and non-essential types. Essential trace elements are crucial for physiological and metabolic processes, and their excess or deficiency can lead to severe bodily malfunction or death. They play essential roles in biological, chemical, and molecular cell activities, and their deficits can result in weakened immunity, developmental delays, and decreased productivity. Trace element enzymes participate in various biological and chemical processes, stabilizing protein and enzyme structures and mediating crucial biological functions. Understanding trace elements is vital for maintaining optimal health and preventing disease.
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
M. Charveriat, F. Mouthon, W. Rein, A. Verkhratsky
Summary: Astrocytes play a crucial role in the central nervous system through gap junctions formed by connexins, influencing neurodegenerative diseases and pharmacological profiles of CNS drugs. Modulation of astrocytic connexins represents an innovative approach for CNS disorders and offers new therapeutic perspectives.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR BASIS OF DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Krimo Toutah, Nabanita Nawar, Sanna Timonen, Helena Sorger, Yasir S. Raouf, Shazreh Bukhari, Jana von Jan, Aleksandr Ianevski, Justyna M. Gawel, Olasunkanmi O. Olaoye, Mulu Geletu, Ayah Abdeldayem, Johan Israelian, Tudor B. Radu, Abootaleb Sedighi, Muzaffar N. Bhatti, Muhammad Murtaza Hassan, Pimyupa Manaswiyoungkul, Andrew E. Shouksmith, Heidi A. Neubauer, Elvin D. de Araujo, Tero Aittokallio, Oliver H. Kraemer, Richard Moriggl, Satu Mustjoki, Marco Herling, Patrick T. Gunning
Summary: Epigenetic targeting, especially with HDAC inhibitors like KT-531, has shown promising efficacy in treating hematological cancers. In the case of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL), overexpression of HDAC6 has been identified as a target for therapy, with KT-531 demonstrating strong inhibitory potency and safety in preclinical studies. Combination studies with approved cancer drugs have shown synergistic effects, indicating the potential for durable remission in T-PLL patients.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Stefanie Perrier, Mackenzie A. Michell-Robinson, Genevieve Bernard
Summary: Leukodystrophies are rare inherited CNS disorders that affect brain white matter, with hypomyelinating leukodystrophies characterized by abnormal myelin sheath formation. POLR3-related leukodystrophy is a common type within this category with no current cure. Therapeutic approaches discussed include stem cell transplantation, gene replacement therapy, and gene editing for potential treatment of POLR3-related leukodystrophy.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Di Mao, Yuan Zheng, Fenfen Xu, Xiao Han, Hongyang Zhao
Summary: HMGB1 is a nuclear protein associated with inflammatory changes in various neurological diseases. Although it has not been identified as a biomarker, HMGB1 antagonists show positive significance in treatment. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms and clinical use of HMGB1.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mukul Jain, Nil Patil, Gholamreza Abdi, Maryam Abbasi Tarighat, Arifullah Mohammed, Muhammad Rajaei Ahmad Mohd Zain, Khang Wen Goh
Summary: Polyglutamine diseases are congenital neurodegenerative diseases caused by genomic abnormalities in specific disease-related genes. Protein aggregates play a toxic role in these diseases and lead to neuronal death. Autophagy, the catabolic process responsible for removing damaged organelles and toxic protein aggregates, is affected in these diseases due to changes in gene expression. Increasing autophagy vesicles may be a result of either increased autophagy or decreased autophagy flux. Modulating autophagy has been shown to enhance the dissolution of toxic aggregates and delay disease progression. This review analyzes the interaction between autophagy and polyglutamine diseases and establishes a therapeutic approach using autophagy-inducing drugs.
Review
Oncology
Yujia Peng, Yiran Tao, Ya Zhang, Jiaxing Wang, Jinliang Yang, Yuxi Wang
Summary: CD25 is the alpha-chain of the heterotrimer IL-2 receptor, expressed on the surface of immune and non-immune cells with different frequencies. Its high expression in hematological malignancies and activated immune cells indicates its potential as a target for immunotherapy. The imbalanced ratio of effector T cells and regulatory T cells caused by Tregs infiltration in tumor microenvironment is associated with cancer progression. This paper summarizes the relationship between CD25 and tumors and discusses its important role in tumor therapy, as well as the recent progress of drugs targeting CD25.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Igor Jose dos Santos Nascimento, Misael de Azevedo Teotonio Cavalcanti, Ricardo Olimpio de Moura
Summary: Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of infectious diseases that mainly affect impoverished populations in tropical countries. They cause many deaths worldwide and require substantial investments in public health to treat and control them. Protozoan diseases such as Chagas disease, sleeping sickness, and Leishmaniasis, as well as the big three diseases (AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria), are endemic in tropical countries. However, there is still a gap in treatment, emphasizing the need for new alternatives.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Md. Mominur Rhaman, Md. Rezaul Islam, Shopnil Akash, Mobasharah Mim, Md. Noor Alam, Eugenie Nepovimova, Martin Valis, Kamil Kuca, Rohit Sharma
Summary: In recent years, there has been a strong emphasis on using nanostructured materials technologies to improve medicine delivery to the central nervous system (CNS), particularly for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Nanomaterials can target specific brain regions and enhance therapy success, offering advantages such as low toxicity and high stability. However, safety concerns need to be addressed before widespread clinical application can be realized.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Letter
Infectious Diseases
Yu Guo, Ying Zhang, Yang Hu
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Changlu Qi, Yiting Cai, Kai Qian, Xuefeng Li, Jialiang Ren, Ping Wang, Tongze Fu, Tianyi Zhao, Liang Cheng, Lei Shi, Xue Zhang
Summary: The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining health, and disruptions can lead to disorders. The gutMDisorder database provides a valuable resource for studying dysbiosis, and the latest version offers expanded data and improved features.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Virology
Zijun Zhu, Xinyu Chen, Chao Wang, Sainan Zhang, Rui Yu, Yubin Xie, Shuofeng Yuan, Liang Cheng, Lei Shi, Xue Zhang
Summary: This study conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify host genetic factors associated with COVID-19. The correlation between genetic variations and gene expression was assessed using expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis. The findings revealed 20 genes significantly associated with immunity and neurological disorders. Single-cell datasets were used to validate these findings and to explore the causal relationship between COVID-19 and neurological disorders. Cell experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of COVID-19-related protein-coding genes. This study provides important insights into the genetic architecture underlying the pathophysiology of COVID-19.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Congcong Yan, Xiaojuan Hu, Xiaoyan Liu, Jingting Zhao, Zhenmin Le, Jiayao Feng, Meng Zhou, Xiaoyin Ma, Qingxiang Zheng, Jie Sun
Summary: In this study, the role of solute carriers (SLCs) in uveal melanoma (UVM) was investigated using an integrative multiomics analysis. It was found that high expression of SLC12A3 and SLC12A9 was associated with unfavorable prognosis in UVM patients. The study also identified the HCP5-miR-140-5p axis as a potential noncoding RNA pathway upstream of SLC12A3 and SLC12A9, which may be involved in immunomodulation and serve as a novel predictor for clinical prognosis and immunotherapy responsiveness. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of SLC-targeted therapy and drug discovery for UVM.
LABORATORY INVESTIGATION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Zijian Yang, Yibo Zhang, Ke Xu, Jie Sun, Yue Wu, Meng Zhou
Summary: A deep learning model called DeepDrRVO was developed for early and differential diagnosis of retinal vascular occlusion (RVO). Trained on color fundus photographs, this model achieved high accuracy on different datasets and outperformed conventional classification models. These results highlight the potential benefits of the deep learning model in early RVO detection and differential diagnosis.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Meng Zhou, Siqi Bao, Tongyang Gong, Qiang Wang, Jie Sun, Jiaqi Li, Minyi Lu, Wanyuan Sun, Jianzhong Su, Hongyan Chen, Zhihua Liu
Summary: This study developed a lncRNA signature predictive of ESCC and validated it across multiple external cohorts. It demonstrated the potential of lncRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers for the early detection of ESCC.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Zicheng Zhang, Hongyan Chen, Dongxue Yan, Lu Chen, Jie Sun, Meng Zhou
Summary: This study investigated the dynamic changes in molecular profiles of T-cell exhaustion (TEX) during immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment, and identified an ICB-associated transcriptional signature consisting of 16 TEX-related genes. A machine-learning model called MLTIP incorporating 16 ITGs achieved reliable predictive power for clinical ICB response. The MLTIP consistently demonstrated superior predictive performance compared to other well-established markers and signatures.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ning Zhao, Zicheng Zhang, Qiang Wang, Lin Li, Zichao Wei, Hongyan Chen, Meng Zhou, Zhihua Liu, Jianzhong Su
Summary: This study characterizes DNA damage repair (DDR) subtypes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and investigates their prognostic value. Two distinct DDR subtypes, DDRactive and DDRsilent, are identified, and their independent prognostic values are observed in locoregional ESCC. Additionally, a combination immunotherapy strategy is proposed and validated for high-risk locoregional ESCC tumors.
Article
Biology
Ke Xu, Shenghai Huang, Zijian Yang, Yibo Zhang, Ye Fang, Gongwei Zheng, Bin Lin, Meng Zhou, Jie Sun
Summary: The study presents a deep learning model called DeepDrAMD for the detection and differentiation of AMD subtypes using color fundus photographs (CFPs). The model achieved high performance in AMD detection and classification, surpassing conventional methods and expert-level diagnosis. It offers significant cost savings and efficiency improvements compared to manual reading approaches.
COMPUTERS IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Lu Chen, Rong Ma, Chang Luo, Qin Xie, Xin Ning, Kaidi Sun, Fanling Meng, Meng Zhou, Jie Sun
Summary: This study utilized LC-WGS to analyze genome-wide copy number variations (CNVs) in plasma cfDNA, identifying CNV markers associated with ovarian cancer and developing predictive models for tumor classification. Additionally, certain CNV features associated with survival outcomes and chemotherapy response were discovered.
TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ke Li, Lanfang Sun, Yanan Wang, Yixin Cen, Jingting Zhao, Qianling Liao, Wencan Wu, Jie Sun, Meng Zhou
Summary: A recent study utilized single-cell transcriptome data to explore the cellular heterogeneity of macrophages within the uveal melanoma (UM) tumor microenvironment, revealing four distinct macrophage subsets. One subset, M phi-C4, was found to be associated with aggressive tumor behavior and poor survival outcomes. The study also developed a machine-learning-based subtyping system to classify UM subtypes and predict prognosis based on M phi-C4-specific core metagenes. This research deepens our understanding of cellular heterogeneity in UM and highlights the potential therapeutic benefits of targeting macrophages in UM treatment.
EXPERIMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
