Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Shohei Yoshimoto, Hiromitsu Morita, Miho Matsuda, Yoshinori Katakura, Masato Hirata, Shuichi Hashimoto
Summary: This study reveals the molecular mechanism of hyperosmolarity's effect on the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma, with NFAT5 transcription factor and DPAGT1 enzyme playing crucial roles in oral cancer cell proliferation.
LABORATORY INVESTIGATION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xianqiu Wu, Bin Wang, Yaorong Su, Dongtian He, Haixin Mo, Mingzhu Zheng, Zijie Meng, Liangliang Ren, Xin Zhang, Dong Ren, Chao Li
Summary: The study revealed that the ALG8 gene is upregulated in colon cancer tissues and associated with poor patient survival. Inhibition of ALG8 gene can reduce tumor cell stemness and extend survival in mice.
DNA AND CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Shiyang Chen, Yajuan Zheng, Xiaojuan Ran, Hui Du, Hua Feng, Lei Yang, Yating Wen, Changdong Lin, Shihui Wang, Mengwen Huang, Zhanjun Yan, Dianqing Wu, Hongyan Wang, Gaoxiang Ge, An Zeng, Yi Arial Zeng, Jianfeng Chen
Summary: T cell contact with intestinal stem cells and transient amplifying cells plays a crucial role in regulating ISC differentiation by influencing the Wnt and Notch signaling pathways through cell-cell signaling. This interaction is essential in maintaining intestinal homeostasis and highlighting the importance of immune cells in intestinal function.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Muwen Yang, Yue Li, Lingzhi Kong, Shumei Huang, Lixin He, Pian Liu, Shuang Mo, Xiuqing Lu, Xi Lin, Yunyun Xiao, Dongni Shi, Xinjian Huang, Boyu Chen, Xiangfu Chen, Ying Ouyang, Jun Li, Chuyong Lin, Libing Song
Summary: HER2-targeted therapy is the main treatment for HER2+ breast cancer, but HER2 shedding reduces the effectiveness of anti-HER2 therapy. This study found that upregulation of DPAGT1 sustains HER2 shedding and confers trastuzumab resistance. Inhibition of DPAGT1 in combination with trastuzumab treatment can block HER2 signaling and reverse resistance.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Lukasz Lewczuk, Anna Pryczynicz, Katarzyna Guzinska-Ustymowicz
Summary: The study aimed to examine the protein expression levels of E-, N- and P-cadherin in cancer tissue from patients with endometrial cancer and their effects on clinicopathological parameters. Immunohistochemistry revealed uneven distribution of these cadherins in endometrial cancer tissue, with higher expression levels at the tumor front. Additionally, lower membrane expression levels of the 3 cadherin proteins were observed in metastatic cancer cells compared to primary tumor cells.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Junchang Zhang, Han Wang, Jing Wu, Cheng Yuan, Songyao Chen, Shuhao Liu, Mingyu Huo, Changhua Zhang, Yulong He
Summary: This study found that GALNT1 overexpression in gastric cancer promotes the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway via abnormal O-glycosylation of CD44, enhancing malignancy. This provides a new strategy for gastric cancer treatment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Ruiyao Xu, Xianxian Wang, Sadia Safi, Nico Braunegger, Agnes Hipgrave Ederveen, Michelle Rottmann, Joachim Wittbrodt, Manfred Wuhrer, Janine Wesslowski, Gary Davidson
Summary: Reception of Wnt signals is mediated by Frizzled receptors and a co-receptor LRP6 or LRP5. Precise control of receptor activation is crucial to regulate Wnt/beta-catenin signaling for proper cellular function. A glycosyltransferase B3GnT2-like has been identified to modify LRP6 and enhance Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. This study highlights the importance of LRP6 as a regulatory hub in Wnt signaling and provides insight into the selective targeting of a signaling pathway component by a specific glycosyltransferase.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Di Zhang, Xiaofeng Liu, Yun Li, Li Sun, Shu-Shu Liu, Yue Ma, Huan Zhang, Xin Wang, Yue Yu
Summary: The study revealed that miR-586 functions as an oncogene promoting breast cancer proliferation and metastasis, while LINC01189 acts as a tumor suppressor inhibiting cancer progression. The interaction and feedback loop between the two are involved in the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and breast cancer development.
MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shao-Yung Chen, Tung-Shing Mamie Lih, Qing Kay Li, Hui Zhang
Summary: In this study, the researchers enriched glycopeptides from urine samples and evaluated their contribution to cancer specificity. They identified specific glycopeptides associated with prostate cancer by analyzing urine samples from different urogenital cancer types. These findings deepen our understanding of urinary glycoproteins in urogenital cancer.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lin Zhu, Yang Chen, Hang Du, Ying Cong, Weixin Yan, Keli Ma, Xiaohua Huang
Summary: This study identifies N-glycosylation of CD82 at the Asn157 site as an important regulator of colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis and adhesion. The glycosylation at Asn157 inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by down-regulating the Wnt/b-catenin pathway. Moreover, single-site glycosylation of CD82 at Asn157 reduces lung metastases in vivo. Thus, N-glycosylation of CD82 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for CRC.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Yun Li, Chenying Liu, Xin Zhang, Xiaodi Huang, Shujun Liang, Feiyue Xing, Han Tian
Summary: CCT5 is upregulated in gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis and is associated with poor prognosis. CCT5 promotes cell proliferation, invasion, and lymphatic tube formation in gastric cancer. It also enhances tumor growth and lymph node metastasis in vivo. By disrupting the interaction between E-cadherin and beta-catenin, CCT5 enhances Wnt/beta-catenin signaling activity and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. These findings suggest that CCT5 may serve as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Qianwen Wang, Chenxiang Qi, Pengxiang Min, Yueyuan Wang, Fengwen Ye, Tianxiang Xia, Yujie Zhang, Jun Du
Summary: By regulating MICAL2, the migratory ability of gastric cancer cells can be influenced, and it involves changes in the E-cadherin/beta-catenin signaling pathway.
CELL COMMUNICATION AND SIGNALING
(2022)
Article
Biology
Meilin Chan, Licun Wu, Zhihong Yun, Trevor D. McKee, Michael Cabanero, Yidan Zhao, Mikihiro Kohno, Junichi Murakami, Marc de Perrot
Summary: The study shows that the GITR-GITRL pathway plays a crucial role in autocrine proliferation in sarcomatoid mesothelioma, potentially explaining their resistance to therapy. Blocking this pathway could be a new therapeutic target for non-epithelioid mesothelioma.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Yang Zhou, Jiang Xu, Haichang Luo, Xiangjing Meng, Ming Chen, Di Zhu
Summary: Abnormal activation of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway is closely related to tumorigenesis and immune surveillance, leading to increased resistance to immunotherapy.
Article
Neurosciences
Jissele A. Verdinez, Julien A. Sebag
Summary: This study identified two N-linked glycosylation sites within the N-terminal region of PKR2 and demonstrated that glycosylation at position 27 is crucial for its plasma membrane localization and signaling. Additionally, glycosylation at position 7 was found to decrease PKR2 signaling through G alpha(s) without affecting G alpha(q/)(11) signaling.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Correction
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ryan M. Hekman, Adam J. Hume, Raghuveera Kumar Goel, Kristine M. Abo, Jessie Huang, Benjamin C. Blum, Rhiannon B. Werder, Ellen L. Suder, Indranil Paul, Sadhna Phanse, Ahmed Youssef, Konstantinos D. Alysandratos, Dzmitry Padhorny, Sandeep Ojha, Alexandra Mora-Martin, Dmitry Kretov, Peter E. A. Ash, Mamta Verma, Jian Zhao, J. J. Patten, Carlos Villacorta-Martin, Dante Bolzan, Carlos Perea-Resa, Esther Bullitt, Anne Hinds, Andrew Tilston-Lunel, Xaralabos Varelas, Shaghayegh Farhangmehr, Ulrich Braunschweig, Julian H. Kwan, Mark McComb, Avik Basu, Mohsan Saeed, Valentina Perissi, Eric J. Burks, Matthew D. Layne, John H. Connor, Robert Davey, Ji-Xin Cheng, Benjamin L. Wolozin, Benjamin J. Blencowe, Stefan Wuchty, Shawn M. Lyons, Dima Kozakov, Daniel Cifuentes, Michael Blower, Darrell N. Kotton, Andrew A. Wilson, Elke Muhlberger, Andrew Emili
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Janice L. Walker, Weihao Wang, Edith Lin, Alison Romisher, Meghan P. Bouchie, Brigid Bleaken, A. Sue Menko, Maria A. Kukuruzinska
Summary: The development of ductal structures during branching morphogenesis relies on cellular asymmetries defined by F-actin and ZO-1, with aPKC zeta and ROCK signaling establishing apical-basal polarity of ductal progenitors. Myosin IIB drives duct maturation by localizing to vertices linking apical domains of multiple ductal epithelial cells.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Stefanie Chan, Emma Smith, Yuan Gao, Julian Kwan, Benjamin C. Blum, Andrew M. Tilston-Lunel, Isabella Turcinovic, Xaralabos Varelas, Maria Dafne Cardamone, Stefano Monti, Andrew Emili, Valentina Perissi
Summary: GPS2 functions as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer, and its loss enhances cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth through uncontrolled activation of AKT signaling. The study suggests that GPS2 could serve as a potential biomarker for a subset of breast cancers responsive to PI3K inhibitors.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ariana Dela Cruz, Vinay Kartha, Andrew Tilston-Lunel, Rongjuan Mi, Taylor L. Reynolds, Michael Mingueneau, Stefano Monti, Janicke L. Jensen, Kathrine Skarstein, Xaralabos Varelas, Maria A. Kukuruzinska
Summary: Sjogren's syndrome is a complex autoimmune disease associated with lymphocytic infiltration and secretory dysfunction of salivary and lacrimal glands. Molecular changes in damaged salivary epithelia of SS patients may offer insights into the signals contributing to SS development and progression.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Elim Na, Eri Allen, Lillia A. Baird, Christine V. Odom, Filiz T. Korkmaz, Anukul T. Shenoy, Adeline M. Matschulat, Matthew R. Jones, Darrell N. Kotton, Joseph P. Mizgerd, Xaralabos Varelas, Katrina E. Traber, Lee J. Quinton
Summary: During bacterial pneumonia, alveolar epithelial cells play a critical role and LIF signaling in epithelial cells regulates the response to bacterial pneumonia. However, LIFR may have more prominent roles in other cell types, which requires further investigation.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LUNG CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Thabet Alhousami, Michael Diny, Faiza Ali, Jennifer Shin, Gaurav Kumar, Vikas Kumar, Joshua D. Campbell, Vikki Noonan, Glenn J. Hanna, Gerald Denis, Stefano Monti, Maria A. Kukuruzinska, Xaralabos Varelas, Manish Bais
Summary: LSD1 inhibition suppresses the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma and shows a synergistic effect when combined with YAP inhibitor. Moreover, LSD1 inhibition upregulates the expression of PD-L1, leading to enhanced responses to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
MOLECULAR CANCER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Takanobu Shirai, Miho Sekai, Kei Kozawa, Nanami Sato, Nobuyuki Tanimura, Shunsuke Kon, Tomohiro Matsumoto, Takeru Murakami, Shoko Ito, Andrew Tilston-Lunel, Xaralabos Varelas, Yasuyuki Fujita
Summary: This study found that basal extrusion of single oncogenic mutant cells can induce a tumor microenvironment and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, generating characteristic precancerous lesions and providing molecular insights into the earlier steps of cancer development.
Editorial Material
Immunology
Paulin Brosinsky, Hanna Leister, Nan Cheng, Xaralabos Varelas, Alexander Visekruna, Maik Luu
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marc A. Vittoria, Nathan Kingston, Kristyna Kotynkova, Eric Xia, Rui Hong, Lee Huang, Shayna McDonald, Andrew Tilston-Lunel, Revati Darp, Joshua D. Campbell, Deborah Lang, Xiaowei Xu, Craig J. Ceol, Xaralabos Varelas, Neil J. Ganem
Summary: Activating mutations of BRAF alone are not enough to drive melanoma formation. Activation of the Hippo signaling pathway by oncogenic BRAF acts as an additional safeguard to limit the growth of BRAF-dependent melanocytes and melanoma formation. The Hippo pathway enforces the stable arrest of nevus melanocytes and serves as a critical barrier to melanoma development.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mohammad H. Rohban, Ashley M. Fuller, Ceryl Tan, Jonathan T. Goldstein, Deepsing Syangtan, Amos Gutnick, Ann DeVine, Madhura P. Nijsure, Megan Rigby, Joshua R. Sacher, Steven M. Corsello, Grace B. Peppler, Marta Bogaczynska, Andrew Boghossian, Gabrielle E. Ciotti, Allison T. Hands, Aroonroj Mekareeya, Minh Doan, Jennifer P. Gale, Rik Derynck, Thomas Turbyville, Joel D. Boerckel, Shantanu Singh, Laura L. Kiessling, Thomas L. Schwarz, Xaralabos Varelas, Florence F. Wagner, Ran Kafri, T. S. Karin Eisinger-Mathason, Anne E. Carpenter
Summary: This study proposes a screening method based on cell image data to identify compounds matching biological pathways. By matching phenotypic information in public image data, this approach efficiently identifies new compounds related to specific genes and validates them. This method can replace customized screening methods and accelerate the discovery of useful compounds.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joseph G. Kern, Andrew M. Tilston-Lunel, Anthony Federico, Boting Ning, Amy Mueller, Grace B. Peppler, Eleni Stampouloglou, Nan Cheng, Randy L. Johnson, Marc E. Lenburg, Jennifer E. Beane, Stefano Monti, Xaralabos Varelas
Summary: Conditional deletion of LATS1/2 kinases in mature mammary epithelial cells leads to the development of basal-like breast cancer. This study highlights the importance of LATS1/2 kinases in maintaining mammary epithelial cell homeostasis and fate control, and implicates signaling networks induced by the loss of LATS1/2 activity in the development of basal-like breast cancer.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Boting Ning, Andrew M. Tilston-Lunel, Justice Simonetti, Julia Hicks-Berthet, Adeline Matschulat, Roxana Pfefferkorn, Avrum Spira, Matthew Edwards, Sarah Mazzilli, Marc E. Lenburg, Jennifer E. Beane, Xaralabos Varelas
Summary: The study reveals the important gene regulatory roles of YAP/TAZ, TEADs, and TP63 in bronchial epithelial cells and premalignant lesions, which are closely associated with the development of lung squamous cell carcinoma. These factors promote basal epithelial cell proliferation and suppress signals related to interferon responses and immune cell communication. The findings provide molecular insights into the gene expression events driving premalignant lesion progression and offer potential therapeutic targets for lung cancer interception.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Anthony Federico, Joseph Kern, Xaralabos Varelas, Stefano Monti
Summary: Network biology is a systems-based approach to better understand complex biological mechanisms. This article presents a novel approach to overcome challenges in reconstructing biological networks, by using biological organizing principles to limit model parameters and encourage shared learning. This method has been evaluated and shown promising results, especially in the analysis of tumor-specific networks and the identification of potential therapeutic targets for breast cancer.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Liang Ma, Bibek R. Thapa, Jake A. Le Suer, Andrew Tilston-Lunel, Michael J. Herriges, Andrew Berical, Mary Lou Beermann, Feiya Wang, Pushpinder S. Bawa, Anat Kohn, Alexandra B. Ysasi, Hirofumi Kiyokawa, Taylor M. Matte, Scott H. Randell, Xaralabos Varelas, Finn J. Hawkins, Darrell N. Kotton
Summary: In this study, the engraftment of airway epithelial stem cell compartment was successfully demonstrated through intra-airway transplantation of mouse or human primary and pluripotent stem cells. The engrafted cells showed stable morphologic, molecular, and functional phenotypes of airway epithelia for at least two years. This may pave the way for future cell-based therapy for diseases resulting from airway epithelial cell damage or dysfunction.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Mohammed Muzamil Khan, Jennifer Frustino, Alessandro Villa, Bach-Cuc Nguyen, Sook-Bin Woo, William Evan Johnson, Xaralabos Varelas, Maria Kukuruzinska, Stefano Monti
Summary: Head and neck cancers, specifically oral cancer (OC), are highly deadly malignancies and early detection is lacking. A study on human oral premalignant lesions (PMLs) revealed gene signatures associated with cellular plasticity and immune response. Additionally, the study found associations between the oral microbiome and PML pathway activity, suggesting the potential contribution of oral microbiome to the progression of PMLs to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). These findings provide insights for early diagnosis and interception of the disease.