PFKP deubiquitination and stabilization by USP5 activate aerobic glycolysis to promote triple-negative breast cancer progression.

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains the most challenging subtype of breast cancer and lacks definite treatment targets. Aerobic glycolysis is a hallmark of metabolic reprogramming that contributes to cancer progression. PFKP is a rate-limiting enzyme involved in aerobic glycolysis, which is overexpressed in various types of cancers. However, the underlying mechanisms and roles of the posttranslational modification of PFKP in TNBC remain unknown. METHODS: To explore whether PFKP protein has a potential role in the progression of TNBC, protein levels of PFKP in TNBC and normal breast tissues were examined by CPTAC database analysis, immunohistochemistry staining (IHC), and western blotting assay. Further CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, EDU incorporation assay, and tumor xenograft experiments were used to detect the effect of PFKP on TNBC progression. To clarify the role of the USP5-PFKP pathway in TNBC progression, ubiquitin assay, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), mass spectrometry-based protein identification, western blotting assay, immunofluorescence microscopy, in vitro binding assay, and glycolysis assay were conducted. RESULTS: Herein, we showed that PFKP protein was highly expressed in TNBC, which was associated with TNBC progression and poor prognosis of patients. In addition, we demonstrated that PFKP depletion significantly inhibited the TNBC progression in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, we identified that PFKP was a bona fide target of deubiquitinase USP5, and the USP5-mediated deubiquitination and stabilization of PFKP were essential for cancer cell aerobic glycolysis and TNBC progression. Moreover, we found a strong positive correlation between the expression of USP5 and PFKP in TNBC samples. Notably, the high expression of USP5 and PFKP was significantly correlated with poor clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our study established the USP5-PFKP axis as an important regulatory mechanism of TNBC progression and provided a rationale for future therapeutic interventions in the treatment of TNBC.

Identification of an HLA-A*11:01-restricted neoepitope of mutant PIK3CA and its specific T cell receptors for cancer immunotherapy targeting hotspot driver mutations.

Hotspot driver mutations presented by human leukocyte antigens might be recognized by anti-tumor T cells. Based on their advantages of tumor-specificity and immunogenicity, neoantigens derived from hotspot mutations, such as PIK3CAH1047L, may serve as emerging targets for cancer immunotherapies. NetMHCpan V4.1 was utilized for predicting neoepitopes of PIK3CA hotspot mutation. Using in vitro stimulation, antigen-specific T cells targeting the HLA-A*11:01-restricted PIK3CA mutation were isolated from healthy donor-derived peripheral blood mononuclear cells. T cell receptors (TCRs) were cloned using single-cell PCR and sequencing. Their functionality was assessed through T cell activation markers, cytokine production and cytotoxic response to cancer cell lines pulsed with peptides or transduced genes of mutant PIK3CA. Immunogenic mutant antigens from PIK3CA and their corresponding CD8+ T cells were identified. These PIK3CA mutation-specific CD8+ T cells were subsequently enriched, and their TCRs were isolated. The TCR clones exhibited mutation-specific and HLA-restricted reactivity, demonstrating varying degrees of functional avidity. Identified TCR genes were transferred into CD8+ Jurkat cells and primary T cells deficient of endogenous TCRs. TCR-expressing cells demonstrated specific recognition and reactivity against the PIK3CAH1047L peptide presented by HLA-A*11:01-expressing K562 cells. Furthermore, mutation-specific TCR-T cells demonstrated an elevation in cytokine production and profound cytotoxic effects against HLA-A*11:01+ malignant cell lines harboring PIK3CAH1047L. Our data demonstrate the immunogenicity of an HLA-A*11:01-restricted PIK3CA hotspot mutation and its targeting therapeutic potential, together with promising candidates of TCR-T cell therapy.

Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells-derived conditioned medium and exosomes alleviate oxidative stress-induced retinal degeneration by activating PI3K/Akt/FoxO3 pathway.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss among the elderly, which is primarily attributed to oxidative stress-induced damage to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSC) were considered to be one of the most promising stem cells for clinical application due to their low immunogenicity, tissue repair ability, pluripotent potential and potent paracrine effects. The conditional medium (hAMSC-CM) and exosomes (hAMSC-exo) derived from hAMSC, as mediators of intercellular communication, play an important role in the treatment of retinal diseases, but their effect and mechanism on oxidative stress-induced retinal degeneration are not explored. Here, we reported that hAMSC-CM alleviated H2O2-induced ARPE-19 cell death through inhibiting mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathway in vitro. The overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), alteration in mitochondrial morphology, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and elevation of Bax/Bcl2 ratio in ARPE-19 cells under oxidative stress were efficiently reversed by hAMSC-CM. Moreover, it was found that hAMSC-CM protected cells against oxidative injury via PI3K/Akt/FoxO3 signaling. Intriguingly, exosome inhibitor GW4869 alleviated the inhibitory effect of hAMSC-CM on H2O2-induced decrease in cell viability of ARPE-19 cells. We further demonstrated that hAMSC-exo exerted the similar protective effect on ARPE-19 cells against oxidative damage as hAMSC-CM. Additionally, both hAMSC-CM and hAMSC-exo ameliorated sodium iodate-induced deterioration of RPE and retinal damage in vivo. These results first indicate that hAMSC-CM and hAMSC-exo protect RPE cells from oxidative damage by regulating PI3K/Akt/FoxO3 pathway, suggesting hAMSC-CM and hAMSC-exo will be a promising cell-free therapy for the treatment of AMD in the future.

Association of blood urea nitrogen with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in hyperlipidemia: NHANES 1999-2018.

OBJECTIVE: Although blood urea nitrogen (BUN) has a crucial impact on many diseases, its effect on outcomes in patients with hyperlipidemia remains unknown. The study aimed to investigate the relationships between BUN levels and all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in individuals with hyperlipidemia. METHODS: This analysis comprised 28,122 subjects with hyperlipidemia from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 1999 to 2018. The risk of BUN on mortality was evaluated using weighted Cox regression models. Additionally, to illustrate the dose-response association, the restricted cubic spline (RCS) was used. RESULTS: During the observation period, 4276 participant deaths were recorded, of which 1206 were due to CVD. Compared to patients with hyperlipidemia in the third BUN quintile, the hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality were 1.26 (95% CIs: 1.09, 1.45) and 1.22 (95% CIs: 1.09, 1.37) for patients in the first and fifth quintiles of BUN, respectively. The HRs for CVD mortality among patients in the fifth quintile of BUN were 1.48 (95% CIs: 1.14, 1.93). BUN levels were found to have a U-shaped association with all-cause mortality and a linear association with CVD mortality using restricted triple spline analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that both low and high BUN levels in patients with hyperlipidemia are associated with heightened all-cause mortality. Furthermore, elevated BUN levels are also associated with increased CVD mortality. The findings indicate that patients with hyperlipidemia may face an elevated risk of death if they have abnormal BUN levels.

p32/OPA1 axis-mediated mitochondrial dynamics contributes to cisplatin resistance in non-small cell lung cancer.

Cisplatin resistance is a major obstacle in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). p32 and OPA1 are the key regulators of mitochondrial morphology and function. This study aims to investigate the role of the p32/OPA1 axis in cisplatin resistance in NSCLC and its underlying mechanism. The levels of p32 protein and mitochondrial fusion protein OPA1 are higher in cisplatin-resistant A549/DDP cells than in cisplatin-sensitive A549 cells, which facilitates mitochondrial fusion in A549/DDP cells. In addition, the expression of p32 and OPA1 protein is also upregulated in A549 cells during the development of cisplatin resistance. Moreover, p32 knockdown effectively downregulates the expression of OPA1, stimulates mitochondrial fission, decreases ATP generation and sensitizes A549/DDP cells to cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, metformin significantly downregulates the expressions of p32 and OPA1 and induces mitochondrial fission and a decrease in ATP level in A549/DDP cells. The co-administration of metformin and cisplatin shows a significantly greater decrease in A549/DDP cell viability than cisplatin treatment alone. Moreover, D-erythro-Sphingosine, a potent p32 kinase activator, counteracts the metformin-induced downregulation of OPA1 and mitochondrial fission in A549/DDP cells. Taken together, these findings indicate that p32/OPA1 axis-mediated mitochondrial dynamics contributes to the acquired cisplatin resistance in NSCLC and that metformin resensitizes NSCLC to cisplatin, suggesting that targeting p32 and mitochondrial dynamics is an effective strategy for the prevention of cisplatin resistance.

Baicalein sensitizes triple negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells to doxorubicin via autophagy-mediated down-regulation of CDK1.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a kind of refractory cancer with poor response to conventional chemotherapy. Recently, the combination of baicalein and doxorubicin was reported to exert a synergistic antitumor effect on breast cancer. However, the underlying mechanism how baicalein sensitizes breast cancer cells to doxorubicin remains to be elucidated. Here, it was found that 20 µM baicalein increased the autophagy markers including the ratio of LC3B II/I, GFP-LC3 punctate aggregates and down-regulation of p62 expression, and up-regulated mitophagy marker PINK1 and Parkin in TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells as well. In contrast, doxorubicin decreased the levels of autophagy markers, and significantly up-regulated CDK1 in MDA-MB-231 cells. Pretreatment with baicalein markedly inhibited the doxorubicin-induced decrease in autophagy markers and up-regulation of CDK1, which was reversed by the autophagy inhibitor 3-Methyladenine. Moreover, baicalein alleviated the doxorubicin-induced expression and phosphorylation (at Ser616) of mitochondrial fission protein Drp1. Intriguingly, the autophagy inhibitor 3-Methyladenine also significantly weakened the effect of baicalein on doxorubicin-induced viability decrease and apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells. Taken together, our data indicate that baicalein improves the chemosensitivity of TNBC cells to doxorubicin through promoting the autophagy-mediated down-regulation of CDK1, also suggest a novel strategy for prevention of TNBC in the future.

A novel polymer enabled by polymerized small molecule strategy for tumor photothermal and photodynamic therapy.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) are effective method for tumor treatment. However, the limited variety and quantity of photothermal agents (PTAs) and photosensitizer (PSs) are still major challenges. Moreover, the cell apoptosis mechanism induced by PDT and PTT is still elusive. A fused-ring small molecule acceptor-donor acceptor' donor-acceptor (A-DA'D-A) type of Y5 (Scheme 1) has a narrow band-gap and strong light absorption. Herein, we used Y5 to polymerize with thiophene unit to obtain polymer PYT based on polymerized small molecule strategy, and PYT nanoparticles (PYT NPs) was prepared via one-step nanoprecipitation strategy with DSPE-PEG2000. PYT NPs had excellent biocompatibility, good photostability, high photothermal conversion efficiency (67%) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production capacity under 808 nm laser irradiation (PYT NPs + NIR). In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that PYT NPs + NIR had the ability to completely ablate tumor cells. It was demonstrated that cell apoptosis induced by PYT NPs + NIR was closely related to mitochondrial damage. This study provides valuable guidance for constructing high-performance organic PTAs and PSs for tumor treatment. Scheme 1 PYT enabled by polymerized small molecule strategy for tumor photothermal and photodynamic therapy.

Curcumin protects retinal neuronal cells against oxidative stress-induced damage by regulating mitochondrial dynamics.

Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the damage of retinal neuronal cells. Curcumin, the phytocompound, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties. It was shown that curcumin exerted a beneficial effect on retinal neuronal cell survival. However, the role of mitochondrial dynamics in curcumin-mediated protective effect on retinal neuronal cells remains to be elucidated. Here, H2O2 was used to mimic the oxidative stress in retinal neuronal R28 cells. Drp1 and Mfn2 are key regulators of mitochondrial fission and fusion. 100 µM of H2O2 significantly increased the cleavage of caspase-3 and Drp1 expression, but downregulated the expression of Mfn2. Pretreatment with 5 µM curcumin effectively alleviated H2O2-induced alterations in the expression of Drp1 and Mfn2 and mitochondrial fission in R28 cells. In addition, curcumin and Drp1 knockdown prevented H2O2-induced intracellular ROS increment and mitochondrial membrane potential disruption. On the contrary, knockdown of Mfn2 diminished curcumin-mediated protection against ROS increment and mitochondrial membrane potential disruption after H2O2. Moreover, curcumin protected R28 cells against H2O2-induced PINK1 expression, mitophagy, caspase-3 cleavage and apoptosis. Knockdown of Mfn2 significantly alleviated the protective effect of curcumin on R28 cells after H2O2. Taken together, our data indicate that curcumin protects against oxidative stress-induced injury in retinal neuronal cells by promoting mitochondrial fusion.

Exosomes Derived from Glioma Cells under Hypoxia Promote Angiogenesis through Up-regulated Exosomal Connexin 43.

Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is a highly aggressive primary brain tumor. Exosomes derived from glioma cells under a hypoxic microenvironment play an important role in tumor biology including metastasis, angiogenesis and chemoresistance. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of connexin 43 on exosomal uptake and angiogenesis in glioma under hypoxia. U251 cells were exposed to 3% oxygen to achieve hypoxia, and the expression levels of HIF-1α and Cx43, involved in the colony formation and proliferation of cells were assessed. Exosomes were isolated by differential velocity centrifugation from U251 cells under normoxia and hypoxia (Nor-Exos and Hypo-Exos), respectively. Immunofluorescence staining, along with assays for CCK-8, tube formation and wound healing along with a transwell assay were conducted to profile exosomal uptake, proliferation, tube formation, migration and invasion of HUVECs, respectively. Our results revealed that Hypoxia significantly up-regulated the expression of HIF-1α in U251 cells as well as promoting proliferation and colony number. Hypoxia also increased the level of Cx43 in U251 cells and in the exosomes secreted. The uptake of Dio-stained Hypo-Exos by HUVECs was greater than that of Nor-Exos, and inhibition of Cx43 by 37,43gap27 or lenti-Cx43-shRNA efficiently prevented the uptake of Hypo-Exos by recipient endothelial cells. In addition, the proliferation and total loops of HUVECs were remarkably increased at 24 h, 48 h, and 10 h after Hypo-Exos, respectively. Notably, 37,43gap27, a specific Cx-mimetic peptide blocker of Cx37 and Cx43, efficiently alleviated Hypo-Exos-induced proliferation and tube formation by HUVECs. Finally, 37,43gap27 also significantly attenuated Hypo-Exos-induced migration and invasion of HUVECs. These findings demonstrate that exosomal Cx43 contributes to glioma angiogenesis mediated by Hypo-Exos, and suggests that exosomal Cx43 might serve as a potential therapeutic target for glioblastoma.

HIF-1α promotes the proliferation and migration of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells via activation of Cx43.

The proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) is an important cause of pulmonary vascular remodelling in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH). However, its underlying mechanism has not been well elucidated. Connexin 43 (Cx43) plays crucial roles in vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation in various cardiovascular diseases. Here, the male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to hypoxia (10% O2 ) for 21 days to induce rat HPH model. PASMCs were treated with CoCl2 (200 µM) for 24 h to establish the HPH cell model. It was found that hypoxia up-regulated the expression of Cx43 and phosphorylation of Cx43 at Ser 368 in rat pulmonary arteries and PASMCs, and stimulated the proliferation and migration of PASMCs. HIF-1α inhibitor echinomycin attenuated the CoCl2 -induced Cx43 expression and phosphorylation of Cx43 at Ser 368 in PASMCs. The interaction between HIF-1α and Cx43 promotor was also identified using chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Moreover, Cx43 specific blocker (37,43 Gap27) or knockdown of Cx43 efficiently alleviated the proliferation and migration of PASMCs under chemically induced hypoxia. Therefore, the results above suggest that HIF-1α, as an upstream regulator, promotes the expression of Cx43, and the HIF-1α/Cx43 axis regulates the proliferation and migration of PASMCs in HPH.

A non-RBM targeted RBD specific antibody neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 inducing S1 shedding.

Potent neutralizing antibodies (Abs) have been proven with therapeutic efficacy for the intervention against SARS-CoV-2. Majority of these Abs function by directly interfering with the virus entry to host cells. Here, we identified a receptor binding domain (RBD) specific monoclonal Ab (mAb) 82A6 with efficient neutralizing potency against authentic SARS-CoV-2 virus. As most Abs targeting the non-receptor binding motif (RBM) region, 82A6 was incapable to block the RBD-ACE2 interaction. In particular, it actively promoted the S1 subunit shedding from the S protein, which may lead to effective reduction of intact SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Importantly, it could block potential syncytia formation associated with post-infectious cell surface expression of S proteins. Our study evidenced a RBD specific Ab with unique beneficial efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 infection, which might bring informative significance to understand the collective effects of neutralizing Abs elicited in COVID-19 patients.

The role of Cdk5-mediated Drp1 phosphorylation in Aß1-42 induced mitochondrial fission and neuronal apoptosis.

Alzheimer's disease, one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, is pathologically characterized by Amyloid beta containing plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Amyloid beta (Aß) induces neuronal apoptosis through the intracellular Ca2+ increase, subsequent hyperactivation of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) and mitochondrial abnormality. Recently, Cdk5 was identified as an upstream regulator of mitochondrial fission during neuronal apoptosis, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, in vitro phosphorylation assays showed that Cdk5 could phosphorylate the recombinant Drp1 at Serine 579. Aß1-42 stimulation increased the phosphorylation level of Drp1 at Serine 579 in mouse cortical neurons. Cdk5 inhibitor roscovitine and knockdown of Cdk5 by a lentiviral vector expressing shRNA targeting Cdk5 (Lenti-Cdk5-shRNA) efficiently prevented Aß1-42 induced Drp1 phosphorylation in neurons. In addition, Aß1-42 stimulation induced markedly mitochondrial fission in neurons. Roscovitine, Lenti-Cdk5-shRNA and expression of phospho-defect mutatant GFP-Drp1-S579A in neurons attenuated Aß1-42 induced mitochondrial fission, whereas expression of phospho-mimetic mutant GFP-Drp1-S579D alone resulted in mitochondiral fission similar to Aß1-42 stimulation. Moreover, Roscovitine and Lenti-Cdk5-shRNA suppressed the cleavage of caspase-3 and protected neurons against Aß1-42 induced neuronal apoptosis.Thus, our data indicate that Drp1 is a direct target of Cdk5, and Cdk5-mediated phosphorylation of Drp1 at Serine 579 regulates Aß1-42 induced mitochondrial fission and neuronal toxicity.

Fully human monoclonal antibodies to TRAIL-R1 enhance TRAIL-induced apoptosis via activation of caspase-8 pathway.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) or agonistic antibodies targeting TRAIL-receptors (TRAIL-Rs) can selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells. However, they have limited antitumor efficacy in clinical trials. We previously generated ten fully human monoclonal Abs to TRAIL-receptor type 1 (TR1-mAbs) using immunospot array assay on a chip (ISAAC technology). We found that the TR1-mAbs exhibited different effects on TRAIL-induced apoptosis (enhanced or blocked apoptosis). Here, we further demonstrated that some mAbs competed with TRAIL for binding to TRAIL-R1 expressed on tumor cells that blocked TRAIL-induced apoptosis (B-TR1-Ab), whereas others did not compete with TRAIL that enhanced TRAIL-induced apoptosis (E-TR1-Ab). Combination of E-TR1-Ab (TR1-419) with TRAIL leads to enhanced antitumor activity in various tumor cells in vitro. E-TR1-419 and TRAIL could cooperate to upregulate the mRNA expression and protein levels of TRAIL-R1 and to promote caspase-8 cleavage and increased JNK phosphorylation. Our results suggest that combining E-TR1 Ab with TRAIL could provide a new therapeutic strategy for tumor immunotherapies.

The mechanisms of natural products for eye disorders by targeting mitochondrial dysfunction.

The human eye is susceptible to various disorders that affect its structure or function, including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Mitochondrial dysfunction has been identified as a critical factor in the pathogenesis and progression of eye disorders, making it a potential therapeutic target in the clinic. Natural products have been used in traditional medicine for centuries and continue to play a significant role in modern drug development and clinical therapeutics. Recently, there has been a surge in research exploring the efficacy of natural products in treating eye disorders and their underlying physiological mechanisms. This review aims to discuss the involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction in eye disorders and summarize the recent advances in the application of natural products targeting mitochondria. In addition, we describe the future perspective and challenges in the development of mitochondria-targeting natural products.

Natural Products in Liver Fibrosis Management: A Five-year Review.

Liver fibrosis, characterized by the overproduction of extracellular matrix proteins within liver tissue, poses a rising global health concern. However, no approved antifibrotic drugs are currently available, highlighting the critical need for understanding the molecular mechanisms of liver fibrosis. This knowledge could not only aid in developing therapies but also enable early intervention, enhance disease prediction, and improve our understanding of the interaction between various underlying conditions and the liver. Notably, natural products used in traditional medicine systems worldwide and demonstrating diverse biochemical and pharmacological activities are increasingly recognized for their potential in treating liver fibrosis. This review aims to comprehensively understand liver fibrosis, emphasizing the molecular mechanisms and advancements in exploring natural products' antifibrotic potential over the past five years. It also acknowledges the challenges in their development and seeks to underscore their potency in enhancing patient prognosis and reducing the global burden of liver disease.

Targeted inhibition of branched-chain amino acid metabolism drives apoptosis of glioblastoma by facilitating ubiquitin degradation of Mfn2 and oxidative stress.

Glioblastoma is one of the most challenging malignancies with high aggressiveness and invasiveness and its development and progression of glioblastoma highly depends on branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism. The study aimed to investigate effects of inhibition of BCAA metabolism with cytosolic branched-chain amino acid transaminase (BCATc) Inhibitor 2 on glioblastoma, elucidate its underlying mechanisms, and explore therapeutic potential of targeting BCAA metabolism. The expression of BCATc was upregulated in glioblastoma and BCATc Inhibitor 2 precipitated apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro with the activation of Bax/Bcl2/Caspase-3/Caspase-9 axis. In addition, BCATc Inhibitor 2 promoted K63-linkage ubiquitination of mitofusin 2 (Mfn2), which subsequently caused lysosomal degradation of Mfn2, and then oxidative stress, mitochondrial fission and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, BCATc Inhibitor 2 treatment resulted in metabolic reprogramming, and significant inhibition of expression of ATP5A, UQCRC2, SDHB and COX II, indicative of suppressed oxidative phosphorylation. Moreover, Mfn2 overexpression or scavenging mitochondria-originated reactive oxygen species (ROS) with mito-TEMPO ameliorated BCATc Inhibitor 2-induced oxidative stress, mitochondrial membrane potential disruption and mitochondrial fission, and abrogated the inhibitory effect of BCATc Inhibitor 2 on glioblastoma cells through PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling. All of these findings indicate suppression of BCAA metabolism promotes glioblastoma cell apoptosis via disruption of Mfn2-mediated mitochondrial dynamics and inhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, and suggest that BCAA metabolism can be targeted for developing therapeutic agents to treat glioblastoma.

The m6A reader HNRNPC promotes glioma progression by enhancing the stability of IRAK1 mRNA through the MAPK pathway.

Glioma is the most common and aggressive type of primary malignant brain tumor. The N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification widely exists in eukaryotic cells and plays an important role in the occurrence and development of human tumors. However, the function and mechanism of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C (HNRNPC), an RNA-binding protein and m6A reader in gliomas remains to be comprehensively and extensively explored. Herein, we found that HNRNPC mRNA and protein overexpression were associated with a poor prognosis for patients with gliomas, based on the data from TCGA, the CGGA, and the TMAs. Biologically, HNRNPC knockdown markedly repressed malignant phenotypes of glioma in vitro and in vivo, whereas ectopic HNRNPC expression had the opposite effect. Integrative RNA sequencing and MeRIP sequencing analyses identified interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) as a downstream target of HNRNPC. The glioma public datasets and tissue microarrays (TMAs) data indicated that IRAK1 overexpression was associated with poor prognosis, and IRAK1 knockdown significantly repressed malignant biological behavior in vitro. Mechanistically, HNRNPC maintains the mRNA stability of IRAK1 in an m6A-dependent manner, resulting in activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, which was necessary for the malignant behavior of glioma. Our findings demonstrate the HNRNPC-IRAK1-MAPK axis as a crucial carcinogenic factor for glioma and the novel underlying mechanism of IRAK1 upregulation, which provides a rationale for therapeutically targeting epitranscriptomic modulators in glioma.

Prophylactic efficacy of an intranasal spray with 2 synergetic antibodies neutralizing Omicron.

BACKGROUNDAs Omicron is prompted to replicate in the upper airway, neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) delivered through inhalation might inhibit early-stage infection in the respiratory tract. Thus, elucidating the prophylactic efficacy of NAbs via nasal spray addresses an important clinical need.METHODSThe applicable potential of a nasal spray cocktail containing 2 NAbs was characterized by testing its neutralizing potency, synergetic neutralizing mechanism, emergency protective and therapeutic efficacy in a hamster model, and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) in human nasal cavity.RESULTSThe 2 NAbs displayed broad neutralizing efficacy against Omicron, and they could structurally compensate each other in blocking the Spike-ACE2 interaction. When administrated through the intranasal mucosal route, this cocktail demonstrated profound efficacy in the emergency prevention in hamsters challenged with authentic Omicron BA.1. The investigator-initiated trial in healthy volunteers confirmed the safety and the PK/PD of the NAb cocktail delivered via nasal spray. Nasal samples from the participants receiving 4 administrations over a course of 16 hours demonstrated potent neutralization against Omicron BA.5 in an ex vivo pseudovirus neutralization assay.CONCLUSIONThese results demonstrate that the NAb cocktail nasal spray provides a good basis for clinical prophylactic efficacy against Omicron infections.TRIAL REGISTRATIONwww.chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2200066525.FUNDINGThe National Science and Technology Major Project (2017ZX10202203), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFA0507100), Guangzhou National Laboratory (SRPG22-015), Lingang Laboratory (LG202101-01-07), Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (YDZX20213100001556), and the Emergency Project from the Science & Technology Commission of Chongqing (cstc2021jscx-fyzxX0001).

Digital twin-driven dynamic monitoring system of the upper limb force.

Digital twin represents the core technology to realize the dynamic monitoring of complex industrial systems. However, the human body, as the most complex system in the physical world, digital twin is rarely applied in it. In this study, we successfully demonstrated a digital twin in the human biomedical application by proposing a dynamic monitoring system of the upper limb force. In this system, the real upper limb drives the motion of the virtual one in real-time and dynamically updates the force. Meanwhile, the virtual upper limb feeds back the monitoring-results of the force to the controller of the real upper limb via immersive virtual reality interaction. Experimental results of the typical motions of the upper limb revealed that the proposed system functioned interactively in real-time in a non-invasive manner, while ensuring the accurate solving of the muscle force. In conclusion, our digital twin-driven system is of great importance for rehabilitation medicine, biomechanical scientific research and physical training, promoting the application of the digital twin in the human biomedical field.

Metformin protects against retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury through AMPK-mediated mitochondrial fusion.

Retinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common pathological process responsible for cellular damage in glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and hypertensive retinopathy. Metformin is a biguanide drug that exerts strong effects on multiple diseases. This study aims to evaluate the protective effect of metformin against retinal I/R injury and its underlying mechanism. I/R induced reduction in retina thickness and cell number in ganglion cell layer, and metformin alleviated I/R-induced retinal injury. Both retinal I/R and simulated ischemia/reperfusion (SIR) in R28 cells down-regulated expression of mitochondrial fusion protein Mfn2 and OPA1, which led to mitochondrial fission. Metformin also alleviated damage in R28 cells, and reversed the alteration in Mfn2 and OPA1, mitochondrial fission and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) disruption-induced by I/R or SIR as well. Intriguingly, inhibition of AMPK by compound C or siRNA prevented metformin-mediated up-regulation of Mfn2 and OPA1. Compound C and knockdown of Mfn2 or OPA1 dramatically alleviated the protective effect of metformin against intracellular ROS generation, MMP disruption, mitochondrial fission and loss of RGCs in ganglion cell layer induced by SIR or I/R. Moreover, scavenging mitochondrial ROS (mito-ROS) by mito-TEMPO exerted the similar protection against I/R-induced retinal injury or SIR-induced damage in R28 cells as metformin. Our data show for the first time that metformin protects against retinal I/R injury through AMPK-mediated mitochondrial fusion and the decreased mito-ROS generation. These findings might also repurpose metformin as a therapeutic agent for retinal I/R injury.