Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Kaiyuan Liu, Tiepei Zhu, Mengqin Gao, Xiaoting Yin, Rong Zheng, Yan Yan, Lei Gao, Zhihua Ding, Juan Ye, Peng Li
Summary: Altered retinal neurovascular coupling may contribute to the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) but is challenging to measure. This study presents a novel modality of functional OCT angiography (fOCTA) for 3D imaging of retinal functional hyperemia with high resolution. The results show that retinal capillary functional hyperemia could serve as sensitive biomarkers for early DR, and the fOCTA technique provides new insights into the pathophysiology, screening, and treatment of early DR.
BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Xiaotong Li, Sushant Kumar, Arif Harmanci, Shantao Li, Robert R. Kitchen, Yan Zhang, Vikram B. Wali, Sangeetha M. Reddy, Wendy A. Woodward, James M. Reuben, Joel Rozowsky, Christos Hatzis, Naoto T. Ueno, Savitri Krishnamurthy, Lajos Pusztai, Mark Gerstein
Summary: Whole-genome sequencing of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) shows similarities in genomic architecture to non-IBC, with no unique genomic alterations shared specifically in IBCs. However, subtle genomic differences were observed, including germline alterations in TGF beta pathway genes and somatic mutations in the MAST2 kinase that could potentially serve as therapeutic targets.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhipeng Li, Yiqiong Chen, Yangyan Li, Ying Zeng, Wanying Li, Xiaona Ma, Lili Huang, Yanting Shen
Summary: This study performed whole-genome resequencing on seven representative patchouli accessions, and identified a large number of genetic variants. Patchouli accessions were mainly classified into the Chinese group and the Southeast Asian group, but the Chinese accession SP formed a distinct subgroup within the Southeast Asian group. Unique molecular markers in SP were screened and validated, providing a more accurate identification method for patchouli used in traditional Chinese medicine.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Estrela Neto, Ana Carolina Monteiro, Catarina Leite Pereira, Miguel Simoes, Joao Pedro Conde, Virginia Chu, Bruno Sarmento, Meriem Lamghari
Summary: Organ-on-a-chip in vitro platforms accurately mimic complex microenvironments and play a crucial role in understanding physiological and pathological mechanisms and developing new therapeutic targets. This study proposes a microfluidic-based neuro-vascularized bone chip to investigate the interactions between innervation and angiogenesis in the inflammatory bone niche, and to explore novel strategies for inflammatory diseases using a nano-based drug delivery system.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Qionghua Wang, Lanyue Zhang, Qiang Shen, Chunqin Zeng, Yanhong Fang, Kepeng Ou
Summary: This study demonstrated that the compound 5-Bromo3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (BDB) derived from marine red algae has a protective effect on diabetic retinopathy (DR). BDB promotes vascular integrity, inhibits the transcription of proinflammatory factors, alleviates hyperglycemia-induced permeability, and protects retinal ganglion cells (RGC) from hyperglycemia-induced apoptosis.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Nissanka P. De Silva, Christopher Lee, Paul Battlay, A. Fournier-Level, Joslin L. Moore, Kathryn A. Hodgins
Summary: This study presents the genome assembly and annotation of Bothriochloa decipiens, an Australian grass species with a complex history of hybridization and polyploidy. Comparative analysis reveals a recent whole-genome duplication event and differences in repeat activity and gene retention between subgenomes. Bothriochloa decipiens has ecological importance and potential for climate change-resilient restoration of Australian grasslands. The reference genome provides a valuable resource for future population genomic research on Australian grasses.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Benedith Oben, Guy Froyen, Kylee H. Maclachlan, Daniel Leongamornlert, Federico Abascal, Binbin Zheng-Lin, Venkata Yellapantula, Andriy Derkach, Ellen Geerdens, Benjamin T. Diamond, Ingrid Arijs, Brigitte Maes, Kimberly Vanhees, Malin Hultcrantz, Elisabet E. Manasanch, Dickran Kazandjian, Alexander Lesokhin, Ahmet Dogan, Yanming Zhang, Aneta Mikulasova, Brian Walker, Gareth Morgan, Peter J. Campbell, Ola Landgren, Jean-Luc Rummens, Niccolo Bolli, Francesco Maura
Summary: The study demonstrates that MGUS and SMM that do not progress to multiple myeloma have a distinct genomic profile and emerge later in the patient's life.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yahui Lei, Ling Yang, Shengchang Duan, Siqi Ning, Dawei Li, Zijun Wang, Guisheng Xiang, Ling Yang, Chunping Wang, Shiyu Zhang, Shuangyan Zhang, Shuang Ye, Ling Kui, Pratiksha Singh, Jun Sheng, Yang Dong
Summary: This study conducted population genomic analysis of tea populations in eight main tea-producing areas in Lincang, Yunnan through whole-genome resequencing, revealing the origin centers of Lincang tea and observing low genetic differentiation between geographical tea populations.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Xiumiao Li, Junya Zhu, Yuling Zhong, Chang Liu, Mudi Yao, Yanan Sun, Wen Yao, Xisen Ni, Fen Zhou, Jin Yao, Qin Jiang
Summary: This study reveals that AQP4-AS1 plays a crucial role in retinal neurovascular dysfunction in diabetic retinopathy. Silencing AQP4-AS1 can alleviate retinal neurodegeneration and vascular dysfunction. AQP4-AS1 regulates retinal neurovascular dysfunction by affecting AQP4 levels.
Article
Oncology
Jing-dong Zhou, Zi-jun Xu, Ye Jin, Xin-long Zhang, Yu Gu, Ji-chun Ma, Xiang-mei Wen, Jiang Lin, Ting-juan Zhang, Jun Qian
Summary: This study identified novel epigenetic alterations such as DLEU7, FOXR1, LEP, and PANX2 methylations as frequent events in MDS through whole-genome DNA methylation analysis. LEP hypermethylation was associated with longer survival but not as an independent prognostic biomarker in MDS.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yuanhao Li, Bo Jiang, Weijun Dai
Summary: Essential genes are crucial for bacterial viability and new drug discovery, but some false positives generated by Tn-seq may result from gene deletions by bacteria themselves. Deleting genes should be considered when evaluating essentiality, as it has been underestimated in previous studies.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Jose Fernandez-Velasco, Enric Monreal, Jens Kuhle, Virginia Meca-Lallana, Jose Meca-Lallana, Guillermo Izquierdo, Celia Oreja-Guevara, Francisco Gascon-Gimenez, Susana Sainz de la Maza, Paulette E. Walo-Delgado, Paloma Lapuente-Suanzes, Aleksandra Maceski, Eulalia Rodriguez-Martin, Ernesto Roldan, Noelia Villarrubia, Albert Saiz, Yolanda Blanco, Carolina Diaz-Perez, Gabriel Valero-Lopez, Judit Diaz-Diaz, Yolanda Aladro, Luis Brieva, Cristina Iniguez, Ines Gonzalez-Suarez, Luis A. Rodriguez de Antonio, Jose M. Garcia-Dominguez, Julia Sabin, Sara Llufriu, Jaime Masjuan, Lucienne Costa-Frossard, Luisa M. Villar
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the role of inflammation in the response to ocrelizumab in patients with PPMS. The findings showed that over 60% of patients achieved no evidence of disease activity (NEDA) after one year of treatment, regardless of their baseline characteristics. The baseline inflammation influenced the predominant immunological pathways, with inflammatory B cells playing a pivotal role in Gd+ patients and inflammatory T and innate immune cells in Gd- patients.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Eun-Ju Lee, Joohon Sung, Hyung-Lae Kim, Han-Na Kim
Summary: Based on a study of blood microbiota in healthy individuals, this research found that Proteobacteria accounts for more than 95% of the blood microbiota. Different age groups showed significant differences in the types and abundance of bacteria present in the blood, with the elderly group having higher levels of certain bacteria and lower levels of others. These findings provide meaningful evidence for the association between chronic diseases related to aging and metabolic endotoxemia and chronic inflammation.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Xiaodie Jie, Honglin Wu, Miao Yang, Ming He, Guangqing Zhao, Shanshan Ling, Yan Huang, Bisong Yue, Nan Yang, Xiuyue Zhang
Summary: DNA methylation modification plays a role in the adaptive response of giant pandas during wildness training, related to immune activation and environmental adaptation.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aditya Saxena, Nitish Mathur, Pradeep Tiwari, Sandeep Kumar Mathur
Summary: This study revealed that the peripheral subcutaneous adipose tissue among Asian Indians shows pathological characteristics, with a network of regulatory transcription factors, protein kinases, and microRNAs affecting the adipogenesis process, deserving further investigation for potential clinical diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amanda L. Sharpe, Marta Trzeciak, Nicole L. Eliason, Harris E. Blankenship, Bre' Ana M. Byrd, Phillip D. Douglas, Willard M. Freeman, Michael J. Beckstead
Summary: The study reveals that the expression of GLAST and CRF2 in astrocytes in the SN/VTA is significantly affected by psychostimulant drugs, which may influence neurotransmission and related behaviors.
Article
Cell Biology
Bumsoo Ahn, Rojina Ranjit, Parker Kneis, Hongyang Xu, Katarzyna M. Piekarz, Willard M. Freeman, Michael Kinter, Arlan Richardson, Qitao Ran, Susan V. Brooks, Holly Van Remmen
Summary: The study aimed to determine the impact of mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide on muscle aging and contractile dysfunction. Results showed that muscle-specific overexpression of mPRDX3 can reduce mitochondrial H2O2 generation, improve mitochondrial function, and mitigate loss of muscle quantity and quality, despite the persistence of neuromuscular junction impairment.
Article
Neurosciences
Sarah R. Ocanas, Victor A. Ansere, Kyla B. Tooley, Niran Hadad, Ana J. Chucair-Elliott, David R. Stanford, Shannon Rice, Benjamin Wronowski, Kevin D. Pham, Jessica M. Hoffman, Steven N. Austad, Michael B. Stout, Willard M. Freeman
Summary: Common neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and autism, show significant sex differences in prevalence and clinical presentation. However, the role of sex differences in the brain is often overlooked in experimental models. This study used a mouse model to uncover the regulatory effects of sex chromosomes, independent of gonadal sex, on gene expression and DNA modification in the hippocampus.
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Sarah R. Ocanas, Kevin D. Pham, Harris E. Blankenship, Adeline H. Machalinski, Ana J. Chucair-Elliott, Willard M. Freeman
Summary: Modern molecular and biochemical neuroscience studies often require the analysis of specific cellular populations derived from brain tissue samples. This is especially true for minority glial populations such as microglia, which may not be easily detected in whole tissue analyses. Mouse microglia were purified using different methods to compare their performance, with similar outcomes in terms of purity but differences in cell yield and isolation time. It was found that ex vivo activation signatures occurred during tissue dissociation and cell preparation, rather than the cell sorting process. The activation phenotype could be minimized by using inhibitors or conducting non-enzymatic dissociation at low temperatures. These findings suggest that a variety of microglial isolation approaches can be used depending on experimental needs, and inhibitors can effectively reduce cell preparation artifacts.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Samim Ali Mondal, Roshini Sathiaseelan, Shivani N. Mann, Maria Kamal, Wenyi Luo, Tatiana D. Saccon, Jose V. V. Isola, Frederick F. Peelor III, Tiangang Li, Willard M. Freeman, Benjamin F. Miller, Michael B. Stout
Summary: The naturally occurring diastereomer of 17β-estradiol, 17α-estradiol, can reduce liver fibrosis by suppressing hepatic stellate cell activation and enhancing collagen degradation mechanisms.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Ana J. Chucair-Elliott, Sarah R. Ocanas, Kevin Pham, Michael Van der Veldt, Ashley Cheyney, David Stanford, Jami Gurley, Michael H. Elliott, Willard M. Freeman
Summary: Analysis of specific epigenetic and transcriptomic signatures in retina cell types is important for understanding retinal degenerative diseases. This study discovers a method to specifically analyze the epigenomes and translatomes of Muller glia cells. Applying this method to acute injury and chronic stress models reveals different transcriptomic changes in Muller glia cells for each stimulus.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Sarah R. Ocanas, Victor A. Ansere, Collyn M. Kellogg, Jose V. V. Isola, Ana J. Chucair-Elliott, Willard M. Freeman
Summary: Biological sex influences neurodegenerative diseases through genetic and hormonal mechanisms. Microglial reactivity and the pro-inflammatory environment of the aging brain are influenced by sex, age, and disease state. Further research is needed to understand the regulation of microglial sex effects and develop sex-informed prevention and treatment strategies for brain diseases.
BRAIN RESEARCH BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Sabira Mohammed, Nidheesh Thadathil, Phoebe Ohene-Marfo, Albert L. Tran, Michael Van Der Veldt, Constantin Georgescu, Sangphil Oh, Evan H. Nicklas, Dawei Wang, Nair Hariprasad Haritha, Wenyi Luo, Ralf Janknecht, Benjamin F. Miller, Jonathan D. Wren, Willard M. Freeman, Sathyaseelan S. Deepa
Summary: Blocking necroptosis reduces inflammation and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a mouse model of diet-induced HCC, particularly in male mice, suggesting necroptosis as a potential therapeutic target for NAFLD-mediated HCC.
MOLECULAR CANCER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sarah R. Ocanas, Jose V. V. Isola, Tatiana D. Saccon, Kevin D. Pham, Ana J. Chucair-Elliott, Augusto Schneider, Willard M. Freeman, Michael B. Stout
Summary: Assessing cell-type-specific epigenomic and transcriptomic changes are key to understanding ovarian aging. The optimization of TRAP and INTACT methods were performed using a transgenic NuTRAP mouse model to study the ovarian transcriptome and epigenome in specific cell types.
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Michael B. B. Stout, Kelli L. L. Vaughan, Jose V. V. Isola, Shivani N. N. Mann, Bayli Wellman, Jessica M. M. Hoffman, Hunter L. L. Porter, Willard M. M. Freeman, Julie A. A. Mattison
Summary: Recent studies have shown that 17 alpha-estradiol can extend the healthspan and lifespan of male mice through multiple mechanisms, making it a potential candidate for translation into humans. However, there is currently no established dosing paradigm for the treatment of aging and chronic disease in humans. This study aimed to assess the tolerability of 17 alpha-estradiol treatment and evaluate metabolic and endocrine responses in male rhesus macaque monkeys during a short treatment period. The results showed that the dosing regimens were well-tolerated and had mild benefits on metabolic parameters, but significant feminization effects were observed.
Article
Immunology
Sarah R. Ocanas, Kevin D. Pham, Jillian E. J. Cox, Alex W. Keck, Sunghwan Ko, Felix A. Ampadu, Hunter L. Porter, Victor A. Ansere, Adam Kulpa, Collyn M. Kellogg, Adeline H. Machalinski, Manu A. Thomas, Zsabre Wright, Ana J. Chucair-Elliott, Willard M. Freeman
Summary: This study compared the transcriptome and translatome of hippocampal microglia between young and old mice and found sex differences in microglial gene expression. In old age, these differences were primarily female-biased and enriched in markers of senescence and disease. These findings may explain the differences in susceptibility and disease progression in Alzheimer's disease between males and females. Further studies are needed to explore the role of sex differences in microglial heterogeneity and the involvement of sex-specific regulators in response to Alzheimer's pathology.
JOURNAL OF NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2023)
Review
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Victor A. Ansere, Matthew P. Bubak, Benjamin F. Miller, Willard M. Freeman
Summary: Experimental approaches like Heterochronic Plasma Transfer (HPT) are important tools for studying aging, but they have limitations and design challenges. This review provides insights into the considerations and caveats of HPT as a research tool, including plasma preparation, administration route, dosing regimen, and appropriate controls, to assist investigators in achieving their experimental goals.
REJUVENATION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Collyn M. Kellogg, Kevin Pham, Adeline H. Machalinski, Hunter L. Porter, Harris E. Blankenship, Kyla B. Tooley, Michael B. Stout, Heather C. Rice, Amanda L. Sharpe, Michael J. Beckstead, Ana J. Chucair-Elliott, Sarah R. Ocanas, Willard M. Freeman
Summary: This study reveals that microglia are the primary source of MHC-I in mice and humans, with its expression increasing with aging and in Alzheimer's disease. The expression of Lilrs and Pilrs, MHC-I binding receptor families, also increases with aging and AD. These findings suggest the possibility of cell-autonomous MHC-I signaling in regulating microglial reactivation and neurodegeneration.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Ramasamy Selvarani, Hoang Van Michelle Nguyen, Nidheesh Thadathil, Roman F. Wolf, Willard M. Freeman, Christopher D. Wiley, Sathyaseelan S. Deepa, Arlan Richardson
Summary: This study utilized knockin mouse models to investigate the impact of necroptosis-induced chronic inflammation on aging and age-related diseases. The findings revealed a significant association between increased necroptosis, inflammation, and various age-related pathological changes.
Meeting Abstract
Ophthalmology
Ana J. Chucair-Elliott, Sarah Ocanas, Kevin Pham, Michael Van der Veldt, Ashley Cheyney, David Stanford, Michael H. Elliott, Willard Freeman
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
(2022)