Current developments of gene therapy in human diseases.

Gene therapy has witnessed substantial advancements in recent years, becoming a constructive tactic for treating various human diseases. This review presents a comprehensive overview of these developments, with a focus on their diverse applications in different disease contexts. It explores the evolution of gene delivery systems, encompassing viral (like adeno-associated virus; AAV) and nonviral approaches, and evaluates their inherent strengths and limitations. Moreover, the review delves into the progress made in targeting specific tissues and cell types, spanning the eye, liver, muscles, and central nervous system, among others, using these gene technologies. This targeted approach is crucial in addressing a broad spectrum of genetic disorders, such as inherited lysosomal storage diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. Recent clinical trials and successful outcomes in gene therapy, particularly those involving AAV and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated proteins, are highlighted, illuminating the transformative potentials of this approach in disease treatment. The review summarizes the current status of gene therapy, its prospects, and its capacity to significantly ameliorate patient outcomes and quality of life. By offering comprehensive analysis, this review provides invaluable insights for researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders, enriching the ongoing discourse on the trajectory of disease treatment.

Potential of natural products in inflammation: biological activities, structure-activity relationships, and mechanistic targets.

A balance between the development and suppression of inflammation can always be found in the body. When this balance is disturbed, a strong inflammatory response can damage the body. It sometimes is necessary to use drugs with a significant anti-inflammatory effect, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroid hormones, to control inflammation in the body. However, the existing anti-inflammatory drugs have many adverse effects, which can be deadly in severe cases, making research into new safer and more effective anti-inflammatory drugs necessary. Currently, numerous types of natural products with anti-inflammatory activity and distinct structural features are available, and these natural products have great potential for the development of novel anti-inflammatory drugs. This review summarizes 260 natural products and their derivatives with anti-inflammatory activities in the last two decades, classified by their active ingredients, and focuses on their structure-activity relationships in anti-inflammation to lay the foundation for subsequent new drug development. We also elucidate the mechanisms and pathways of natural products that exert anti-inflammatory effects via network pharmacology predictions, providing direction for identifying subsequent targets of anti-inflammatory natural products.

X-linked FRMD7 gene mutation in idiopathic congenital nystagmus and its role in eye movement: A case report and literature review.

Background: Idiopathic congenital nystagmus (ICN) is an inherited disorder characterized by uncontrollable binocular conjugating oscillation. X-linked idiopathic congenital nystagmus is one of the most prevalent types of ICN. Elucidation of the genetic mechanisms involved in ICN will enhance our understanding of its molecular etiology. Case presentation: We report a girl with uncontrollable binocular oscillation and anomalous head posture, then presented a novel heterozygous missense variant (c.686G>T) within the mutation-rich region of the FERM domain containing 7 (FRMD7) gene in her family member. The girl received occlusion therapy and surgical operation which balanced her binocular vision and corrected the anomalous head posture. Conclusions: This is the first report on a mutation (c.686G>T) caused the substitution of Arg (R) with Leu (L) at position 229 (p.R229L) of the FRMD7 protein in a patient with ICN.

Knockdown of Claudin-19 in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium Is Accompanied by Slowed Phagocytosis and Increased Expression of SQSTM1.

Purpose: Besides regulating paracellular diffusion, claudin-19 modulates the expression of proteins essential for the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). This study asks how RPE responds when the expression of claudin-19 is reduced. Methods: In stem cell-derived RPE, claudin-19 and sequestosome-1/p62 (SQSTM1) were knocked down with siRNAs. Expression was monitored by quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting. Morphology and function were monitored by immunocytochemistry and transepithelial electrical resistance (TER). Phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments (POSs) was followed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and western blotting. Pharmacology was used to assess the effects of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and SQSTM1 on phagocytosis. Enzymatic activity was measured using commercial assay kits. Results: Knockdown of claudin-19 reduced the TER without affecting the integrity of the apical junctional complex, as assessed by the distribution of zonula occludens-1 and filamentous actin. AMPK was activated without apparent effect on autophagy. Activation of AMPK alone had little effect on phagocytosis. Without affecting ingestion, knockdown reduced the rate of POS degradation and increased the steady-state levels of LC3B and SQSTM1. Proteasome inhibitors also retarded degradation, as did knockdown of SQSTM1. The expression of metallothioneins and the activity of superoxide dismutase increased. Conclusions: Knockdown of claudin-19 slowed the degradation of internalized POSs. The study questions the role of activated AMPK in phagocytosis and suggests a role for SQSTM1. Further, knockdown was associated with a partial oxidative stress response. The study opens new avenues of experimentation to explore these essential RPE functions.

Claudins regulate gene and protein expression of the retinal pigment epithelium independent of their association with tight junctions.

Claudin-19 is the major claudin in the tight junctions of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Claudin-3 is also uniformly expressed albeit in lesser amounts. Besides modulating transepithelial diffusion, claudins modulate gene expression. The absence of claudin-19 and claudin-3 in the RPE cell lines, ARPE-19 and hTERT-RPE-1, provide an opportunity to examine whether exogenous claudins regulate gene expression in the absence of tight junctions. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to compare gene expression in ARPE-19 and hTERT-RPE-1 with that of highly differentiated, human fetal RPE. Claudin-19 and claudin-3 were exogenously expressed using an adenoviral vector. The transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) was measured using Endohm electrodes, and the effects of claudin on the actin cytoskeleton were determined by immunocytochemistry. The effect of claudin on gene expression was examined by quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting. Aside from claudin-19 and claudin-3, ARPE-19 and hTERT-RPE-1 expressed most junction-associated mRNAs in amounts comparable to human fetal RPE, but some RPE signature and maturation genes were under-expressed. Unlike ARPE-19, hTERT-RPE-1 failed to form tight junctions or develop a TER. Claudins exogenously expressed in hTERT-RPE-1 failed to crystalize an apical junctional complex. Actin filaments were not redistributed from stress fibers to cortical bands, and a TER was not established. In hTERT-RPE-1, claudins were found only in internal vesicular-like structures. Nonetheless, claudins increased the expression of the mRNAs for a collection of RPE-enriched proteins. Claudin-19 and claudin-3 had different effects on gene and protein expression indicating activation of overlapping, but distinct, signaling pathways. A major difference was the ability of claudin-19 to affect steady-state levels of ADAM9 and tyrosinase in ARPE-19. In conclusion, claudins can increase the barrier function of a pre-existing apical junctional complex, but on its own it cannot recruit tight junction proteins to form a complex de novo. Many effects of claudin on gene expression did not require an association with the apical junctional complex. Although claudin-19 shared many effects with claudin-3, claudin-19 exerted unique effects on the maturation of RPE.

Benzalkonium chloride suppresses rabbit corneal endothelium intercellular gap junction communication.

PURPOSE: Gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) plays a critical role in the maintenance of corneal endothelium homeostasis. We determined if benzalkonium chloride (BAK) alters GJIC activity in the rabbit corneal endothelium since it is commonly used as a drug preservative in ocular eyedrop preparations even though it can have cytotoxic effects. METHODS: Thirty-six adult New Zealand albino rabbits were randomly divided into three groups. BAK at 0.01%, 0.05%, and 0.1% was applied twice daily to one eye of each of the rabbits in one of the three groups for seven days. The contralateral untreated eyes were used as controls. Corneal endothelial morphological features were observed by in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM). Immunofluorescent staining resolved changes in gap junction integrity and localization. Western blot analysis and RT-PCR evaluated changes in levels of connexin43 (Cx43) and tight junction zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) gene and protein expression, respectively. Cx43 and ZO-1 physical interaction was detected by immunoprecipitation (IP). Primary rabbit corneal endothelial cells were cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) containing BAK for 24 hours. The scrape-loading dye transfer technique (SLDT) was used to assess GJIC activity. RESULTS: Topical administration of BAK (0.05%, 0.1%) dose dependently disrupted corneal endothelial cell morphology, altered Cx43 and ZO-1 distribution and reduced Cx43 expression. BAK also markedly induced increases in Cx43 phosphorylation status concomitant with decreases in the Cx43-ZO-1 protein-protein interaction. These changes were associated with marked declines in GJIC activity. CONCLUSIONS: The dose dependent declines in rabbit corneal endothelial GJIC activity induced by BAK are associated with less Cx43-ZO-1 interaction possibly arising from increases in Cx43 phosphorylation and declines in its protein expression. These novel changes provide additional evidence that BAK containing eyedrop preparations should be used with caution to avoid declines in corneal transparency resulting from losses in GJIC activity and endothelial function.