Hydrophilic 1T-WS2 Nanosheet Arrays toward Conductive Textiles for High-Efficient and Continuous Hydroelectric Generation and Storage.

Flexible hydroelectric generators (HEGs) are promising self-powered devices that spontaneously derive electrical power from moisture. However, achieving the desired compatibility between a continuous operating voltage and superior current density remains a significant challenge. Herein, a textile-based van der Waals heterostructure is rationally designed between conductive 1T phase tungsten disulfide@carbonized silk (1T-WS2@CSilk) and carbon black@cotton (CB@Cotton) fabrics with an asymmetric distribution of oxygen-containing functional groups, which enhances the proton concentration gradients toward high-performance wearable HEGs. The vertically staggered 1T-WS2 nanosheet arrays on the CSilk fabric provide abundant hydrophilic nanochannels for rapid carrier transport. Furthermore, the moisture-induced primary battery formed between the active aluminum (Al) electrode and the conductive textiles introduces the desired electric field to facilitate charge separation and compensate for the decreased streaming potential. These devices exhibit a power density of 21.6 µW cm-2, an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.65 V sustained for over 10 000 s, and a current density of 0.17 mA cm-2. This performance makes them capable of supplying power to commercial electronics and human respiratory monitoring. This study presents a promising strategy for the refined design of wearable electronics.

Viral and Host Transcriptomes in SARS-CoV-2-Infected Human Lung Cells.

Coronaviruses are commonly characterized by a unique discontinuous RNA transcriptional synthesis strategy guided by transcription-regulating sequences (TRSs). However, the details of RNA synthesis in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have not been fully elucidated. Here, we present a time-scaled, gene-comparable transcriptome of SARS-CoV-2, demonstrating that ACGAAC functions as a core TRS guiding the discontinuous RNA synthesis of SARS-CoV-2 from a holistic perspective. During infection, viral transcription, rather than genome replication, dominates all viral RNA synthesis activities. The most highly expressed viral gene is the nucleocapsid gene, followed by ORF7 and ORF3 genes, while the envelope gene shows the lowest expression. Host transcription dysregulation keeps exacerbating after viral RNA synthesis reaches a maximum. The most enriched host pathways are metabolism related. Two of them (cholesterol and valine metabolism) affect viral replication in reverse. Furthermore, the activation of numerous cytokines emerges before large-scale viral RNA synthesis. IMPORTANCE SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the current severe global health emergency that began at the end of 2019. Although the universal transcriptional strategies of coronaviruses are preliminarily understood, the details of RNA synthesis, especially the time-matched transcription level of each SARS-CoV-2 gene and the principles of subgenomic mRNA synthesis, are not clear. The coterminal subgenomic mRNAs of SARS-CoV-2 present obstacles in identifying the expression of most genes by PCR-based methods, which are exacerbated by the lack of related antibodies. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2-related metabolic imbalance and cytokine storm are receiving increasing attention from both clinical and mechanistic perspectives. Our transcriptomic research provides information on both viral RNA synthesis and host responses, in which the transcription-regulating sequences and transcription levels of viral genes are demonstrated, and the metabolic dysregulation and cytokine levels identified at the host cellular level support the development of novel medical treatment strategies.

Ethylene-induced stomatal closure is mediated via MKK1/3-MPK3/6 cascade to EIN2 and EIN3.

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MPKs) play essential roles in guard cell signaling, but whether MPK cascades participate in guard cell ethylene signaling and interact with hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), nitric oxide (NO), and ethylene-signaling components remain unclear. Here, we report that ethylene activated MPK3 and MPK6 in the leaves of wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana as well as ethylene insensitive2 (ein2), ein3, nitrate reductase1 (nia1), and nia2 mutants, but this effect was impaired in ethylene response1 (etr1), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase AtrbohF, mpk kinase1 (mkk1), and mkk3 mutants. By contrast, the constitutive triple response1 (ctr1) mutant had constitutively active MPK3 and MPK6. Yeast two-hybrid, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and pull-down assays indicated that MPK3 and MPK6 physically interacted with MKK1, MKK3, and the C-terminal region of EIN2 (EIN2 CEND). mkk1, mkk3, mpk3, and mpk6 mutants had typical levels of ethylene-induced H2 O2 generation but impaired ethylene-induced EIN2 CEND cleavage and nuclear translocation, EIN3 protein accumulation, NO production in guard cells, and stomatal closure. These results show that the MKK1/3-MPK3/6 cascade mediates ethylene-induced stomatal closure by functioning downstream of ETR1, CTR1, and H2 O2 to interact with EIN2, thereby promoting EIN3 accumulation and EIN3-dependent NO production in guard cells.

Identification of differentially expressed miRNA 48 h after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice by the technique of miRNA microarray.

The objective was to identify the differential expressed miRNA during cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) process, thereby assisting in elucidating the mechanism of CIRI development and providing a potential target for CIRI prevention and treatment. Six mice were randomly assigned to two groups: control group and CIRI model group. A global cerebral IR model by four-vessel occlusion was prepared among the CIRI model group. Brain tissues were collected 48 h after reperfusion. Total RNA was extracted for each sample. miRNA microarrays were employed to detect the differentially expressed miRNA between the CIRI group and the control group. One differentially expressed miRNA was selected for verification by PCR. Compared with the control group, 69 miRNAs were significantly differential expressed in samples of the CIRI group, among which 50 miRNAs were upregulated and 19 miRNAs were downregulated. The real-time qPCR results indicated that the results of the miRNA microarray were reliable. A number of miRNAs were significantly regulated in the CIRI model, which suggested that miRNA was closely associated with the pathological alterations after ischemia. These identified miRNAs may provide directions and targets for the future pathological research of CIRI.

Post hoc analysis of a randomised, placebo-controlled, active-reference 6-week study of brexpiprazole in acute schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: We provide a closer look at the result of a randomised, placebo-controlled, active-reference (quetiapine XR), flexible-dose, 6-week study of brexpiprazole in schizophrenia, which did not meet its primary endpoint - change from baseline in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score. We also investigate potential expectancy bias from the well-known side-effect profile of the active reference that could have affected the study outcome. METHODS: Pre-specified sensitivity analyses of the primary end point were performed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) last observation carried forward (LOCF) and observed cases (OC). Post hoc analyses of change from baseline in PANSS total score were performed using the mixed model for repeated measures approach with treatment groups split by having typical adverse events with potential for functional unblinding, for example, somnolence, increase in weight, dizziness, dry mouth and sedation. RESULTS: Pre-specified sensitivity analyses showed separation from placebo for brexpiprazole at week 6: LOCF, ANCOVA: -4.3 [95% CI (-8.0, -0.5), p = 0.0254]. OC, ANCOVA: -3.9 [95% CI (-7.3, -0.5), p = 0.0260]. Patients treated with brexpiprazole experiencing typical adverse events with potential for functional unblinding before or at Week 2 had a least square (LS) mean PANSS change of -29.5 (improvement), with a difference in change from baseline to Week 6 in PANSS total score between brexpiprazole and placebo of -13.5 [95% CI (-23.1, -4.0), p = 0.0057], and those who did not had an LS mean change of -18.9 and a difference between brexpiprazole and placebo of -2.9 [95% CI (-7.2, 1.4), p = 0.1809]. CONCLUSION: Pre-specified sensitivity analyses showed separation from placebo for brexpiprazole at Week 6. A post hoc analysis suggested a potential confounding of efficacy rating towards symptom improvement in patients who experience known side effects of quetiapine XR.

Searching for the optimal precondition procedure for mesenchymal stem/stromal cell treatment: Facts and perspectives.

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells are potential optimal cell sources for stem cell therapies, and pretreatment has proven to enhance cell vitality and function. In a recent publication, Li et al explored a new combination of pretreatment conditions. Here, we present an editorial to comment on their work and provide our view on mesenchymal stem/stromal cell precondition.

Fueling recovery: The importance of energy coupling between angiogenesis and osteogenesis during fracture healing.

Approximately half of bone fractures that do not heal properly (non-union) can be accounted to insufficient angiogenesis. The processes of angiogenesis and osteogenesis are spatiotemporally regulated in the complex process of fracture healing that requires a substantial amount of energy. It is thought that a metabolic coupling between angiogenesis and osteogenesis is essential for successful healing. However, how this coupling is achieved remains to be largely elucidated. Here, we will discuss the most recent evidence from literature pointing towards a metabolic coupling between angiogenesis and osteogenesis. We will describe the metabolic profiles of the cell types involved during fracture healing as well as secreted products in the bone microenvironment (such as lactate and nitric oxide) as possible key players in this metabolic crosstalk.

Macroscopic inhibition of DNA damage repair pathways by targeting AP-2α with LEI110 eradicates hepatocellular carcinoma.

DNA damage repair (DDR) genes are known to be closely associated with the progression of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here we report a unique cluster of "deletion-up" genes in HCC, which are accordantly overexpressed in HCC patients and predict the unfavorable prognosis. Binding motif analysis and further validation with ChIP-qPCR unveil that the AP-2α directly modulate the transcription of critical DNA repair genes including TOP2A, NUDT1, POLD1, and PARP1, which facilitates the sanitation of oxidized DNA lesions. Structural analysis and the following validation identify LEI110 as a potent AP-2α inhibitor. Together, we demonstrate that LEI110 stabilizes AP-2α and sensitizes HCC cells toward DNA-damaging reagents. Altogether, we identify AP-2α as a crucial transcription modulator in HCC and propose small-molecule inhibitors targeting AP-2α are a promising novel class of anticancer agents. Our study provides insights into the concept of macroscopic inhibition of DNA damage repair-related genes in cancer treatment.

Myeloid-Mas Signaling Modulates Pathogenic Crosstalk among MYC+CD63+ Endothelial Cells, MMP12+ Macrophages, and Monocytes in Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury.

Acetaminophen overdose is a leading cause of acute liver failure (ALF). Despite the pivotal role of the inflammatory microenvironment in the progression of advanced acetaminophen-induced liver injury (AILI), a comprehensive understanding of the underlying cellular interactions and molecular mechanisms remains elusive. Mas is a G protein-coupled receptor highly expressed by myeloid cells; however, its role in the AILI microenvironment remains to be elucidated. A multidimensional approach, including single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and hour-long intravital imaging, is employed to characterize the microenvironment in Mas1 deficient mice at the systemic and cell-specific levels. The characteristic landscape of mouse AILI models involves reciprocal cellular communication among MYC+CD63+ endothelial cells, MMP12+ macrophages, and monocytes, which is maintained by enhanced glycolysis and the NF-κB/TNF-α signaling pathway due to myeloid-Mas deficiency. Importantly, the pathogenic microenvironment is delineated in samples obtained from patients with ALF, demonstrating its clinical relevance. In summary, these findings greatly enhance the understanding of the microenvironment in advanced AILI and offer potential avenues for patient stratification and identification of novel therapeutic targets.

Chinese medicine NeuroAiD efficacy stroke recovery-extension study (CHIMES-E study): an observational multicenter study to investigate the longer-term efficacy of NeuroAiD in stroke recovery.

BACKGROUND: Stroke carries a poor long-term prognosis for death and disability. There are few acute treatments that reduce death and disability after stroke. The ongoing international, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind CHIMES trial is currently testing the hypothesis that a 3-month course of the traditional Chinese medicine MLC601 (NeuroAiD) is superior to placebo in reducing neurological deficit and improving functional outcome after acute ischemic stroke in patients receiving standard stroke care. This extension study tests the hypothesis that at 2 years, an initial 3-month administration of NeuroAiD is superior to placebo in reducing neurological deficit and improving functional outcome in patients with cerebral infarction of an intermediate range of severity. METHODS: Study subjects will be those who are already participants in CHIMES - aged above 21 years, had signs and symptoms of acute stroke, 6 ≤ NIHSS ≤ 14, neuroimaging consistent with ischemic stroke, and received study medication within 72 h of stroke onset. A subject will not be eligible for inclusion in CHIMES-E if they have withdrawn consent from all participation and follow-up for CHIMES. Subjects will be contacted at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after CHIMES enrollment. After verbal consent is obtained, subjects will be assessed for functional state by the modified Rankin scale (mRS) and Barthel Index (BI), and a history of recurrent vascular events as well as medical events. The primary outcome measure will be the mRS at month 24. Secondary outcome measures will be mRS and BI at 6, 12 and 18 months, and BI at 24 months. Analysis will be based on the intention-to-treat principle. If the number of patients lost to follow-up is substantial, a sensitivity analysis based on the last observation carried forward method will be carried out, to compare the results with those from the main analysis without imputation. Based on a cumulative odds ratio of 1.5 for the NeuroAiD group, a two-sided test of 5% type I error and an expected 30% dropout rate after 2 years of follow-up for the 1,100 patients recruited into CHIMES, the 770 subjects with mRS data expected to be available at year 2 yields an 89% power to detect a difference in efficacy between NeuroAiD and placebo. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide evidence for the longer-term efficacy of an initial course of a neurorestorative therapy after acute ischemic stroke of intermediate severity.

Intervertebral Disc Progenitors: Lessons Learned from Single-Cell RNA Sequencing and the Role in Intervertebral Disc Regeneration.

The tremendous personal and economic burden worldwide caused by low back pain (LBP) has been surging in recent years. While intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is the leading cause of LBP and vast efforts have been made to develop effective therapies, this problem is far from being resolved, as most treatments, such as painkillers and surgeries, mainly focus on relieving the symptoms rather than reversing the cause of IVDD. However, as stem/progenitor cells possess the potential to regenerate IVD, a deeper understanding of the early development and role of these cells could help to improve the effectiveness of stem/progenitor cell therapy in treating LBP. Single-cell RNA sequencing results provide fresh insights into the heterogeneity and development patterns of IVD progenitors; additionally, we compare mesenchymal stromal cells and IVD progenitors to provide a clearer view of the optimal cell source proposed for IVD regeneration.

Dynamic changes of resting state functional network following acute ischemic stroke.

Stroke, the second common cause of death in the world, is commonly considered to the well-known phenomenon of diaschisis. After stroke, regions far from the lesion can show altered neural activity. However, the comprehensive treatment recovery mechanism of acute ischemic stroke remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the impact of comprehensive treatment on resting state brain functional connectivity to reveal the therapeutic mechanism through a three time points study design. Twenty-one acute ischemic stroke patients and twenty matched healthy controls (HC) were included. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and clinical evaluations were assessed in three stages: baseline (less than 72 h after stroke onset), post-first month and post-third month. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and Independent component analysis (ICA) were conducted. We found: 1) stroke patients had decreased ALFF in the right cuneus (one of the important parts of the visual network). After three months, ALFF increased to the normal level; 2) the decreased functional connectivity in the right cuneus within the visual network and restored three months after onset. However, the decreased functional connectivity in the right precuneus within the default mode network restored one month after onset; 3) a significant association was found between the clinical scale score change over time and improvement in the cuneus and precuneus functional connectivity. Our results demonstrate the importance of the cuneus and precuneus within the visual network and default mode network in stroke recovery. These findings suggest that the different restored patterns of neural functional networks may contribute to the neurological function recovery. It has potential applications from stroke onset through rehabilitation because different rehabilitation phase corresponds to specific strategies.

Fibrinogen-like protein 1 promotes liver-resident memory T-cell exhaustion in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background and aims: The key role of tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells in the immune regulation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been investigated and reported, but the regulatory mechanism of tumor microenvironment on TRM cells is still unclear. Lymphocyte activating gene 3 (LAG-3) is a promising next-generation immune checkpoint that is continuously expressed due to persistent antigen exposure in the tumor microenvironment. Fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL1) is a classical ligand of LAG-3 and can promote T cell exhaustion in tumors. Here, we excavated the effect of FGL1-LAG3 regulatory axis on TRM cells in HCC. Methods: The function and phenotype of intrahepatic CD8+ TRM cells in 35 HCC patients were analyzed using multicolor flow cytometry. Using a tissue microarray of 80 HCC patients, we performed the prognosis analysis. Moreover, we investigated the suppressive effect of FGL1 on CD8+ TRM cells both in in vitro induction model and in vivo orthotopic HCC mouse model. Results: There was an increase in LAG3 expression in CD8+ TRM cells in end-stage HCC; moreover, FGL1 levels were negatively correlated with CD103 expression and related to poor outcomes in HCC. Patients with high CD8+ TRM cell proportions have better outcomes, and FGL1-LAG3 binding could lead to the exhaustion of CD8+ TRM cells in tumors, indicating its potential as a target for immune checkpoint therapy of HCC. Increased FGL1 expression in HCC may result in CD8+ TRM cell exhaustion, causing tumor immune escape. Conclusions: We identified CD8+TRM cells as a potential immunotherapeutic target and reported the effect of FGL1-LAG3 binding on CD8+ TRM cell function in HCC.

Organic Bilayer Heterostructures with Built-In Exciton Conversion for 2D Photonic Encryption.

Organic multilayer heterostructures with accurate spatial organization demonstrate strong light-matter interaction from excitonic responses and efficient carrier transfer across heterojunction interfaces, which are considered as promising candidates toward advanced optoelectronics. However, the precise regulation of the heterojunction surface area for finely adjusting exciton conversion and energy transfer is still formidable. Herein, organic bilayer heterostructures (OBHs) with controlled face-to-face heterojunction via a stepwise seeded growth strategy, which is favorable for efficient exciton propagation and conversion of optical interconnects are designed and synthesized. Notably, the relative position and overlap length ratio of component microwires (LDSA /LBPEA = 0.39-1.15) in OBHs are accurately regulated by modulating the crystallization time of seeded crystals, resulting into a tailored heterojunction surface area (R = Loverlap /LBPEA = 37.6%-65.3%). These as-prepared OBHs present the excitation position-dependent waveguide behaviors for optical outcoupling characteristics with tunable emission colors and intensities, which are applied into two-dimensional (2D) photonic barcodes. This strategy opens a versatile avenue to purposely design OBHs with tailored heterojunctions for efficient energy transfer and exciton conversion, facilitating the application possibilities of advanced integrated optoelectronics.

The ORF7a protein of SARS-CoV-2 initiates autophagy and limits autophagosome-lysosome fusion via degradation of SNAP29 to promote virus replication.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is closely related to various cellular aspects associated with autophagy. However, how SARS-CoV-2 mediates the subversion of the macroautophagy/autophagy pathway remains largely unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that overexpression of the SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a protein activates LC3-II and leads to the accumulation of autophagosomes in multiple cell lines, while knockdown of the viral ORF7a gene via shRNAs targeting ORF7a sgRNA during SARS-CoV-2 infection decreased autophagy levels. Mechanistically, the ORF7a protein initiates autophagy via the AKT-MTOR-ULK1-mediated pathway, but ORF7a limits the progression of autophagic flux by activating CASP3 (caspase 3) to cleave the SNAP29 protein at aspartic acid residue 30 (D30), ultimately impairing complete autophagy. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced accumulated autophagosomes promote progeny virus production, whereby ORF7a downregulates SNAP29, ultimately resulting in failure of autophagosome fusion with lysosomes to promote viral replication. Taken together, our study reveals a mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 utilizes the autophagic machinery to facilitate its own propagation via ORF7a.Abbreviations: 3-MA: 3-methyladenine; ACE2: angiotensin converting enzyme 2; ACTB/ß-actin: actin beta; ATG7: autophagy related 7; Baf A1: bafilomycin A1; BECN1: beclin 1; CASP3: caspase 3; COVID-19: coronavirus disease 2019; GFP: green fluorescent protein; hpi: hour post-infection; hpt: hour post-transfection; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MERS: Middle East respiratory syndrome; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; ORF: open reading frame; PARP: poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase; SARS-CoV-2: severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; shRNAs: short hairpin RNAs; siRNA: small interfering RNA; SNAP29: synaptosome associated protein 29; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; STX17: syntaxin 17; TCID50: tissue culture infectious dose; TEM: transmission electron microscopy; TUBB, tubulin, beta; ULK1: unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1.

[Optimization of soil microbial DNA isolation].

OBJECTIVE: The vast majority of microbial resources has not been exploited and utilized because more than 99% of microorganisms in soil cannot be cultured by conventional means. The quantity and quality of environmental DNA (eDNA) are the most important issues in metagenomic study. Here we set up an optimized method for high quality soil microbial DNA isolation, which can be applied for microbial diversity study and metagenomic library construction containing large eDNA inserts. METHODS: After comprehensive comparison of strengths and weaknesses of the commonly used methods for microbial DNA isolation, we proposed a new method by optimizing several key procedures of isolation, including combination of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and lysozyme to lysis cells, usage of chloroform in stead of phenol to remove protein contamination, filtration with the polyvinylpolipyrrolidone (PVPP) column to purify DNA. Using three different soil samples, we compared the optimized method with three reported methods in the literature by analyzing soil eDNA yield, rate of purity, size and ability of PCR amplification. RESULTS: The quality of soil eDNA isolated by the optimized method was significantly improved. We obtained 95 microg DNA per gram of soil. OD A260/A280 and A260/A230 ratios of DNA were much closer to the ideal level. More desired PCR product was amplified and maximum size of eDNA reached 100 kb. CONCLUSION: High quality and quantity of soil microbial DNA can be isolated by the optimized method we established, which provides a powerful tool for metagenomic research to exploit uncultured microbial resources in soil.

Cross-Tissue Analysis Using Machine Learning to Identify Novel Biomarkers for Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common degenerative joint disease. In this study, we aimed to identify new biomarkers of KOA to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment. Methods: GSE98918 and GSE51588 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database as training sets, with a total of 74 samples. Gene differences were analyzed by Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway, and Disease Ontology enrichment analyses for the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and GSEA enrichment analysis was carried out for the training gene set. Through least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis, the support vector machine recursive feature elimination algorithm, and gene expression screening, the range of DEGs was further reduced. Immune infiltration analysis was carried out, and the prediction results of the combined biomarker logistic regression model were verified with GSE55457. Results: In total, 84 DEGs were identified through differential gene expression analysis. The five biomarkers that were screened further showed significant differences in cartilage, subchondral bone, and synovial tissue. The diagnostic accuracy of the model synthesized using five biomarkers through logistic regression was better than that of a single biomarker and significantly better than that of a single clinical trait. Conclusions: CX3CR1, SLC7A5, ARL4C, TLR7, and MTHFD2 might be used as novel biomarkers to improve the accuracy of KOA disease diagnosis, monitor disease progression, and improve the efficacy of clinical treatment.

Gene Expression Network Analysis Identifies Potential Targets for Prevention of Preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific multisystem disease as well as an important cause of maternal and perinatal death. This study aimed to analyze the placental transcriptional data and clinical information of PE patients available in the published database and predict the target genes for prevention of PE. METHODS: The clinical information and corresponding RNA data of PE patients were downloaded from the GEO database. Cluster analysis was performed to examine the correlation between different genotyping genes and clinical manifestations. Then, bioinformatic approaches including GO, KEGG, WGCNA, and GSEA were employed to functionally characterize candidate target genes involved in pathogenesis of PE. RESULTS: Two PE datasets GSE60438 and GSE75010 were obtained and combined, thereby providing the data of 205 samples in total (100 non-PE and 105 PE samples). After eliminating the batch effect, we grouped and analyzed the integrated data, and further performed GSEA analysis. It was found that the genes in group 1 and group 2 were different from those in normal samples. Moreover, WGCNA analysis revealed that genes in group 1 were up-regulated in turquoise module, including SASH1, PIK3CB and FLT-1, while genes in group 2 were up-regulated in the blue and brown modules. We further conducted GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses and found that the differential genes in turquoise module were mainly involved in biological processes such as small molecular catabolic process, while being highly enriched in pathways, including MAPK signaling pathway and Rap1 signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: FLT-1 was conventionally used to predict PE risk, and sFLT-1 could also be used as an indicator to evaluate PE treatment effect. As a candidate biomarker for predicting PE, SASH1 may participate in proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial mesenchymal transformation of human trophoblast cells by regulating MAPK pathway and Rap1 signaling pathway, thus affecting the progression of PE. The mechanism allowing PIK3CB to regulate PE development was not clear, while the gene could be another candidate biomarker for PE risk prediction. This is an exploratory study and our findings were still required verification in further studies.

Characterization of intrahepatic B cells in acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Background and objectives: Acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) is characterized by the immunologic dissonance during the prolonged pathogenic development. Both abnormal innate immune response and adaptive T-cell response have been reported in patients with ACLF; however, less is known regarding B cells in ACLF pathogenesis. Previous reports were only based on immunophenotyping of peripheral blood samples. Here, we aim to dissect liver-infiltrating B-cell subpopulation in ACLF. Methods: Paired liver perfusate and peripheral blood were freshly collected from healthy living donors and recipients during liver transplantation. Liver tissues were obtained from patients with ACLF, cirrhosis, and healthy controls. Flow cytometry was used to characterize the phenotypic and functional alterations in intrahepatic and circulating B-cell populations from ACLF, cirrhosis, and healthy controls. The expression of CD19+ and CD138+ on liver tissues was examined by immunohistochemistry staining. Results: In this study, we first deciphered the intrahepatic B cells subsets of patients with ACLF. We found that the ACLF liver harbored reduced fraction of naïve B cells and elevated percentage of CD27+CD21- activated memory B cells (AM), CD27-CD21- atypical memory B cells (atMBC), CD27+IgD-IgM+(IgM+ memory B cells), and CD27+CD38++ plasma cells than cirrhosis and healthy controls. Moreover, these B subpopulations demonstrated enhanced activation and altered effector functions. Specifically, the ACLF liver was abundant in atMBC expressing higher CD11c and lower CD80 molecule, which was significantly correlated to alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase. In addition, we found that intrahepatic CD27+CD38++plasma cells were preferentially accumulated in ACLF, which expressed more CD273 (PD-L2) and secreted higher granzyme B and IL-10. Finally, the enriched hepatic plasma B cells were in positive association with disease severity indices including alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase. Conclusions: In this pilot study, we showed an intrahepatic B-cell landscape shaped by the ACLF liver environment, which was distinct from paired circulating B-cell subsets. The phenotypic and functional perturbation in atMBC and plasma cells highlighted the unique properties of infiltrating B cells during ACLF progression, thereby denoting the potential of B-cell intervention in ACLF therapy.

SARS-CoV-2 ORF10 suppresses the antiviral innate immune response by degrading MAVS through mitophagy.

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused severe morbidity and mortality in humans. It is urgent to understand the function of viral genes. However, the function of open reading frame 10 (ORF10), which is uniquely expressed by SARS-CoV-2, remains unclear. In this study, we showed that overexpression of ORF10 markedly suppressed the expression of type I interferon (IFN-I) genes and IFN-stimulated genes. Then, mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) was identified as the target via which ORF10 suppresses the IFN-I signaling pathway, and MAVS was found to be degraded through the ORF10-induced autophagy pathway. Furthermore, overexpression of ORF10 promoted the accumulation of LC3 in mitochondria and induced mitophagy. Mechanistically, ORF10 was translocated to mitochondria by interacting with the mitophagy receptor Nip3-like protein X (NIX) and induced mitophagy through its interaction with both NIX and LC3B. Moreover, knockdown of NIX expression blocked mitophagy activation, MAVS degradation, and IFN-I signaling pathway inhibition by ORF10. Consistent with our observations, in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection, ORF10 inhibited MAVS expression and facilitated viral replication. In brief, our results reveal a novel mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 inhibits the innate immune response; that is, ORF10 induces mitophagy-mediated MAVS degradation by binding to NIX.