Inhibition of viral suppressor of RNAi proteins by designer peptides protects from enteroviral infection in vivo.

RNA interference (RNAi) is the major antiviral mechanism in plants and invertebrates, but the absence of detectable viral (v)siRNAs in mammalian cells upon viral infection has questioned the functional relevance of this pathway in mammalian immunity. We designed a series of peptides specifically targeting enterovirus A71 (EV-A71)-encoded protein 3A, a viral suppressor of RNAi (VSR). These peptides abrogated the VSR function of EV-A71 in infected cells and resulted in the accumulation of vsiRNAs and reduced viral replication. These vsiRNAs were functional, as evidenced by RISC-loading and silencing of target RNAs. The effects of VSR-targeting peptides (VTPs) on infection with EV-A71 as well as another enterovirus, Coxsackievirus-A16, were ablated upon deletion of Dicer1 or AGO2, core components of the RNAi pathway. In vivo, VTP treatment protected mice against lethal EV-A71 challenge, with detectable vsiRNAs. Our findings provide evidence for the functional relevance of RNAi in mammalian immunity and present a therapeutic strategy for infectious disease.

Plasma Proteomics Identify Biomarkers and Pathogenesis of COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a global public health crisis. However, little is known about the pathogenesis and biomarkers of COVID-19. Here, we profiled host responses to COVID-19 by performing plasma proteomics of a cohort of COVID-19 patients, including non-survivors and survivors recovered from mild or severe symptoms, and uncovered numerous COVID-19-associated alterations of plasma proteins. We developed a machine-learning-based pipeline to identify 11 proteins as biomarkers and a set of biomarker combinations, which were validated by an independent cohort and accurately distinguished and predicted COVID-19 outcomes. Some of the biomarkers were further validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a larger cohort. These markedly altered proteins, including the biomarkers, mediate pathophysiological pathways, such as immune or inflammatory responses, platelet degranulation and coagulation, and metabolism, that likely contribute to the pathogenesis. Our findings provide valuable knowledge about COVID-19 biomarkers and shed light on the pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets of COVID-19.

Human Virus-Derived Small RNAs Can Confer Antiviral Immunity in Mammals.

RNA interference (RNAi) functions as a potent antiviral immunity in plants and invertebrates; however, whether RNAi plays antiviral roles in mammals remains unclear. Here, using human enterovirus 71 (HEV71) as a model, we showed HEV71 3A protein as an authentic viral suppressor of RNAi during viral infection. When the 3A-mediated RNAi suppression was impaired, the mutant HEV71 readily triggered the production of abundant HEV71-derived small RNAs with canonical siRNA properties in cells and mice. These virus-derived siRNAs were produced from viral dsRNA replicative intermediates in a Dicer-dependent manner and loaded into AGO, and they were fully active in degrading cognate viral RNAs. Recombinant HEV71 deficient in 3A-mediated RNAi suppression was significantly restricted in human somatic cells and mice, whereas Dicer deficiency rescued HEV71 infection independently of type I interferon response. Thus, RNAi can function as an antiviral immunity, which is induced and suppressed by a human virus, in mammals.

Proteomics identifies new therapeutic targets of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the third leading cause of deaths from cancer worldwide. Infection with the hepatitis B virus is one of the leading risk factors for developing hepatocellular carcinoma, particularly in East Asia1. Although surgical treatment may be effective in the early stages, the five-year overall rate of survival after developing this cancer is only 50-70%2. Here, using proteomic and phospho-proteomic profiling, we characterize 110 paired tumour and non-tumour tissues of clinical early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma related to hepatitis B virus infection. Our quantitative proteomic data highlight heterogeneity in early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: we used this to stratify the cohort into the subtypes S-I, S-II and S-III, each of which has a different clinical outcome. S-III, which is characterized by disrupted cholesterol homeostasis, is associated with the lowest overall rate of survival and the greatest risk of a poor prognosis after first-line surgery. The knockdown of sterol O-acyltransferase 1 (SOAT1)-high expression of which is a signature specific to the S-III subtype-alters the distribution of cellular cholesterol, and effectively suppresses the proliferation and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma. Finally, on the basis of a patient-derived tumour xenograft mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma, we found that treatment with avasimibe, an inhibitor of SOAT1, markedly reduced the size of tumours that had high levels of SOAT1 expression. The proteomic stratification of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma presented in this study provides insight into the tumour biology of this cancer, and suggests opportunities for personalized therapies that target it.

Plasma metabolome and cytokine profile reveal glycylproline modulating antibody fading in convalescent COVID-19 patients.

The COVID-19 pandemic has incurred tremendous costs worldwide and is still threatening public health in the "new normal." The association between neutralizing antibody levels and metabolic alterations in convalescent patients with COVID-19 is still poorly understood. In the present work, we conducted absolutely quantitative profiling to compare the plasma cytokines and metabolome of ordinary convalescent patients with antibodies (CA), convalescents with rapidly faded antibodies (CO), and healthy subjects. As a result, we identified that cytokines such as M-CSF and IL-12p40 and plasma metabolites such as glycylproline (gly-pro) and long-chain acylcarnitines could be associated with antibody fading in COVID-19 convalescent patients. Following feature selection, we built machine-learning-based classification models using 17 features (six cytokines and 11 metabolites). Overall accuracies of more than 90% were attained in at least six machine-learning models. Of note, the dipeptide gly-pro, a product of enzymatic peptide cleavage catalyzed by dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4), strongly accumulated in CO individuals compared with the CA group. Furthermore, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination experiments in healthy mice demonstrated that supplementation of gly-pro down-regulates SARS-CoV-2-specific receptor-binding domain antibody levels and suppresses immune responses, whereas the DPP4 inhibitor sitagliptin can counteract the inhibitory effects of gly-pro upon SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Our findings not only reveal the important role of gly-pro in the immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection but also indicate a possible mechanism underlying the beneficial outcomes of treatment with DPP4 inhibitors in convalescent COVID-19 patients, shedding light on therapeutic and vaccination strategies against COVID-19.

Olink Profiling of Aqueous Humor Identifies Novel Biomarkers for Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Metabolic dysfunction is recognized as a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD). However, the specific metabolism-related proteins implicated in wAMD remain elusive. In this study, we assessed the expression profiles of 92 metabolism-related proteins in aqueous humor (AH) samples obtained from 44 wAMD patients and 44 cataract control patients. Our findings revealed significant alterations in the expression of 60 metabolism-related proteins between the two groups. Notably, ANGPTL7 and METRNL displayed promising diagnostic potential for wAMD, as evidenced by area under the curve values of 0.88 and 0.85, respectively. Subsequent validation studies confirmed the upregulation of ANGPTL7 and METRNL in the AH of wAMD patients and in choroidal neovascularization (CNV) models. Functional assays revealed that increased ANGPTL7 and METRNL played a pro-angiogenic role in endothelial biology by promoting endothelial cell proliferation, migration, tube formation, and spouting in vitro. Moreover, in vivo studies revealed the pro-angiogenic effects of ANGPTL7 and METRNL in CNV formation. In conclusion, our findings highlight the association between elevated ANGPTL7 and METRNL levels and wAMD, suggesting their potential as novel predictive and diagnostic biomarkers for this condition. These results underscore the significance of ANGPTL7 and METRNL in the context of wAMD pathogenesis and offer new avenues for future research and therapeutic interventions.

Targeted Proteomics Profiling for Biomarker Discovery in Glaucoma Using the Olink Proteomics Platform.

Metabolic dysfunction plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. In this study, we used Olink proteomics profiling to identify potential biomarkers for glaucoma. Aqueous humor samples were obtained from 44 cataract patients and 44 glaucoma patients. We identified 84 differentially expressed metabolic proteins between the glaucoma and the cataract group. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis highlighted the involvement of these proteins in ER-associated degradation pathway, regulation of interleukin-13 production, and DNA damage response pathway. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis further revealed links to pathways, such as tyrosine and pyrimidine metabolism. Among these, ALDH1A1 emerged as a candidate with a significant diagnostic potential for glaucoma. ALDH1A1 also exhibited a prominent role in the protein-protein interaction network. Elevated levels of ALDH1A1 in the aqueous humor of glaucoma patients were confirmed both in clinical samples and in an ischemia/reperfusion model. Functional assays confirmed that elevated ALDH1A1 induced retinal ganglion cell (RGC) apoptosis in vitro and demonstrated its pro-apoptotic role in RGCs in vivo. Collectively, these findings not only underscore the significance of ALDH1A1 in glaucoma but also provide valuable insights into clinical decision-making and therapeutic strategies.

Deficiency of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 aggravates thioacetamide-induced acute liver failure and hepatic encephalopathy in mice.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is closely associated with inflammatory responses. However, as a crucial regulator of the immune and inflammatory responses, the role of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) in the pathogenesis of HE remains unraveled. Herein, we investigated this issue in thioacetamide (TAA)-induced HE following acute liver failure (ALF). METHODS: TAA-induced HE mouse models of LRRK2 wild type (WT), LRRK2 G2019S mutation (Lrrk2G2019S) and LRRK2 knockout (Lrrk2-/-) were established. A battery of neurobehavioral experiments was conducted. The biochemical indexes and pro-inflammatory cytokines were detected. The prefrontal cortex (PFC), striatum (STR), hippocampus (HIP), and liver were examined by pathology and electron microscopy. The changes of autophagy-lysosomal pathway and activity of critical Rab GTPases were analyzed. RESULTS: The Lrrk2-/--HE model reported a significantly lower survival rate than the other two models (24% vs. 48%, respectively, p < 0.05), with no difference found between the WT-HE and Lrrk2G2019S-HE groups. Compared with the other groups, after the TAA injection, the Lrrk2-/- group displayed a significant increase in ammonium and pro-inflammatory cytokines, aggravated hepatic inflammation/necrosis, decreased autophagy, and abnormal phosphorylation of lysosomal Rab10. All three models reported microglial activation, neuronal loss, disordered vesicle transmission, and damaged myelin structure. The Lrrk2-/--HE mice presented no severer neuronal injury than the other genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: LRRK2 deficiency may exacerbate TAA-induced ALF and HE in mice, in which inflammatory response is evident in the brain and aggravated in the liver. These novel findings indicate a need of sufficient clinical awareness of the adverse effects of LRRK2 inhibitors on the liver.

META-DDIE: predicting drug-drug interaction events with few-shot learning.

Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) are one of the major concerns in pharmaceutical research, and a number of computational methods have been developed to predict whether two drugs interact or not. Recently, more attention has been paid to events caused by the DDIs, which is more useful for investigating the mechanism hidden behind the combined drug usage or adverse reactions. However, some rare events may only have few examples, hindering them from being precisely predicted. To address the above issues, we present a few-shot computational method named META-DDIE, which consists of a representation module and a comparing module, to predict DDI events. We collect drug chemical structures and DDIs from DrugBank, and categorize DDI events into hundreds of types using a standard pipeline. META-DDIE uses the structures of drugs as input and learns the interpretable representations of DDIs through the representation module. Then, the model uses the comparing module to predict whether two representations are similar, and finally predicts DDI events with few labeled examples. In the computational experiments, META-DDIE outperforms several baseline methods and especially enhances the predictive capability for rare events. Moreover, META-DDIE helps to identify the key factors that may cause DDI events and reveal the relationship among different events.

DB-1314, a novel DLL3-targeting ADC with DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor, exhibits promising safety profile and therapeutic efficacy in preclinical small cell lung cancer models.

BACKGROUND: Delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3) is highly expressed on the cell surface of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), one of the most lethal malignancies, but minimally or not in normal tissues, making it an attractive target for SCLC. However, none of the DLL3-targeting antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have been approved for SCLC therapy yet. We developed DB-1314, the new anti-DLL3 ADC composed of a novel humanized anti-DLL3 monoclonal antibody (DB131401) conjugated with eight molecules of P1021 (topoisomerase I inhibitor), and described its preclinical profiles. METHODS: The binding epitope for DB131401 and Rovalpituzumab was tested by biolayer interferometry. The binding affinity and specificity of DB-1314 to DLL3 and other homologous proteins were respectively measured by surface plasmon resonance and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Internalization, bystander effects, and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) were assessed by respective assay. DLL3 was quantified by antibodies bound per cell assay and immunohistochemistry. In vitro and in vivo growth inhibition studies were evaluated in SCLC cell lines, and cell line/patient-derived xenograft models. The safety profile was measured in cynomolgus monkeys. RESULTS: DB-1314 induces potent, durable, and dose-dependent antitumor effects in cells in vitro and in cell/patient-derived xenograft models in vivo. The killing activity of DB-1314 mechanically arises from P1021-induced DNA damage, whereby P1021 is delivered and released within tumor cells through DLL3-specific binding and efficient internalization. Bystander effects and ADCC also contribute to the antitumor activity of DB-1314. DB-1314 displays favorable pharmacokinetic and toxicokinetic profiles in rats and cynomolgus monkeys; besides, DB-1314 is well-tolerated at a dose of up to 60 mg/kg in monkeys. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that DB-1314 may be a candidate ADC targeting DLL3 for the treatment of DLL3-positive SCLC, supporting further evaluation in the clinical setting.

DB-1310, an ADC comprised of a novel anti-HER3 antibody conjugated to a DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor, is highly effective for the treatment of HER3-positive solid tumors.

BACKGROUND: HER3 (ErbB3), a member of the human epidermal growth factor receptor family, is frequently overexpressed in various cancers. Multiple HER3-targeting antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) were developed for the solid tumor treatment, however none of HER3-targeting agent has been approved for tumor therapy yet. We developed DB-1310, a HER3 ADC composed of a novel humanized anti-HER3 monoclonal antibody covalently linked to a proprietary DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor payload (P1021), and evaluate the efficacy and safety of DB-1310 in preclinical models. METHODS: The binding of DB-1310 to Her3 and other HER families were measured by ELISA and SPR. The competition of binding epitope for DB-1310 and patritumab was tested by FACS. The sensitivity of breast, lung, prostate and colon cancer cell lines to DB-1310 was evaluated by in vitro cell killing assay. In vivo growth inhibition study evaluated the sensitivity of DB-1310 to Her3 + breast, lung, colon and prostate cancer xenograft models. The safety profile was also measured in cynomolgus monkey. RESULTS: DB-1310 binds HER3 via a novel epitope with high affinity and internalization capacity. In vitro, DB-1310 exhibited cytotoxicity in numerous HER3 + breast, lung, prostate and colon cancer cell lines. In vivo studies in HER3 + HCC1569 breast cancer, NCI-H441 lung cancer and Colo205 colon cancer xenograft models showed DB-1310 to have dose-dependent tumoricidal activity. Tumor suppression was also observed in HER3 + non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and prostate cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Moreover, DB-1310 showed stronger tumor growth-inhibitory activity than patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd), which is another HER3 ADC in clinical development at the same dose. The tumor-suppressive activity of DB-1310 synergized with that of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, osimertinib, and exerted efficacy also in osimertinib-resistant PDX model. The preclinical assessment of safety in cynomolgus monkeys further revealed DB-1310 to have a good safety profile with a highest non severely toxic dose (HNSTD) of 45 mg/kg. CONCLUSIONS: These finding demonstrated that DB-1310 exerted potent antitumor activities against HER3 + tumors in in vitro and in vivo models, and showed acceptable safety profiles in nonclinical species. Therefore, DB-1310 may be effective for the clinical treatment of HER3 + solid tumors.

Echovirus 11 infection induces pyroptotic cell death by facilitating NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Echovirus 11 (ECHO 11) is a positive-strand RNA virus belonging to the genus Enterovirus of the family Picornaviridae. ECHO 11 infections can cause severe inflammatory illnesses in neonates, including severe acute hepatitis with coagulopathy. The activation of NLRP3 inflammasome is important for host defense against invading viruses, which also contributes to viral pathogenicity. However, whether and how ECHO 11 induces NLRP3 inflammasome activation remains unclear. In this study, we isolated a clinical strain of ECHO 11 from stools of an ECHO 11-infected newborn patient with necrotizing hepatitis. This virus shared 99.95% sequence identity with the previously published ECHO 11 sequence. The clinically isolated ECHO 11 can efficiently infect liver cells and strongly induces inflammation. Moreover, we showed that ECHO 11 induced IL-1ß secretion and pyroptosis in cells and mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). Furthermore, ECHO 11 infection triggered NLRP3 inflammasome activation, as evidenced by cleavages of GSDMD, pro-IL-1ß and pro-caspase-1, and the release of LDH. ECHO 11 2B protein was required for NLRP3 inflammasome activation via interacting with NLRP3 to facilitate the inflammasome complex assembly. In vivo, expression of ECHO 11 2B also activated NLRP3 inflammasome in the murine liver. Besides, 2Bs of multiple EVs can also interact with NLRP3 and induce NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Together, our findings demonstrate a mechanism by which ECHO 11 induces inflammatory responses by activating NLRP3 inflammasome, providing novel insights into the pathogenesis of ECHO 11 infection.

An immunomodulatory antibody-drug conjugate targeting BDCA2 strongly suppresses plasmacytoid dendritic cell function and glucocorticoid responsive genes.

OBJECTIVES: Blood dendritic cell antigen 2 (BDCA2) is exclusively expressed on plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) whose uncontrolled production of type I IFN (IFN-I) is crucial in pathogenesis of SLE and other autoimmune diseases. Although anti-BDCA2 antibody therapy reduced disease activity in SLE patients, its clinical efficacy needs further improvement. We developed a novel glucocorticoid receptor agonist and used it as a payload to conjugate with an anti-BDCA2 antibody to form an BDCA2 antibody-drug conjugate (BDCA2-ADC). The activation of BDCA2-ADC was evaluated in vitro. METHODS: Inhibitory activity of BDCA2-ADC was evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells or in purified pDCs under ex vivo toll-like receptor agonistic stimulation. The global gene regulation in purified pDCs was analysed by RNA-seq. The antigen-dependent payload delivery was measured by reporter assay. RESULTS: The BDCA2-ADC molecule causes total suppression of IFNα production and broader inhibition of inflammatory cytokine production compared with the parental antibody in human pDCs. Global gene expression analysis confirmed that the payload and antibody acted synergistically to regulate both type I IFN signature genes and glucocorticoid responsive genes in pDCs. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these data suggest dual mechanisms of BDCA2-ADC on pDCs and the potential for BDCA2-ADC to be the first ADC treatment for SLE in the world and a better treatment option than anti-BDCA2 antibody for SLE patients.

Aluminum scandium nitride on 8-inch Si wafers: material characterization and photonic device demonstration.

The anisotropic optical properties of aluminum scandium nitride (Al1-xScxN) thin films for both ordinary and extraordinary light are investigated. A quantitative analysis of the band structures of the wurtzite Al1-xScxN is carried out. In addition, Al1-xScxN photonic waveguides and bends are fabricated on 8-inch Si substrates. With x = 0.087 and 0.181, the light propagation losses are 5.98 ± 0.11 dB/cm and 8.23 ± 0.39 dB/cm, and the 90° bending losses are 0.05 dB/turn and 0.08 dB/turn at 1550 nm wavelength, respectively.

Waveguide-integrated van der Waals heterostructure photodetector on a lithium niobate on insulator platform.

Lithium niobate (LN) photonics has gained significant interest for their distinct material properties. However, achieving monolithically integrated photodetectors on lithium niobate on an insulator (LNOI) platform for communication wavelengths remains a challenge due to the large bandgap and extremely low electrical conductivity of LN material. A two-dimensional (2D) material photodetector is an ideal solution for LNOI photonics with a strong light-matter interaction and simple integration technique. In this work, a van der Waals heterostructure photodiode composed of a p-type black phosphorus layer and an n-type MoS2 layer is successfully demonstrated for photodetection at communication wavelengths on a LNOI platform. The LNOI waveguide-integrated BP-MoS2 photodetector exhibits a dark current as low as 0.21 nA and an on/off ratio exceeding 200 under zero voltage bias with an incident power of 13.93 µW. A responsivity as high as 1.46 A/W is achieved at -1 V bias with a reasonable dark current around 2.33 µA. With the advantages of high responsivity, low dark current, and simple fabrication process, it is promising for the monolithically integrated photodetector application for LNOI photonic platforms at communication wavelengths.

Homoharringtonine enhances cytarabine-induced apoptosis in acute myeloid leukaemia by regulating the p38 MAPK/H2AX/Mcl-1 axis.

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a fatal haematopoietic malignancy and is treated with the conventional combination of cytarabine (Ara-C) and daunorubicin (Dau). The survival rate of AML patients is lower due to the cardiotoxicity of daunorubicin. Clinically, homoharringtonine (HHT) plus Ara-C has been reported to be equally effective as Dau plus Ara-C in some types of AML patients with less toxic effects. We utilized the clinical use of homoharringtonine in combination with Ara-C to test its combination mechanism. We found that the insensitivity of AML cells to cytarabine-induced apoptosis is associated with increased Mcl-1 stability and p38 inactivation. HHT downregulates Mcl-1, phosphorylates H2AX and induces apoptosis by activating p38 MAPK. Inactivation of p38 through inhibitors and siRNA blocks apoptosis, H2AX phosphorylation and Mcl-1 reduction. HHT enhances Ara-C activation of the p38 MAPK signalling pathway, overcoming Ara-C tolerance to cell apoptosis by regulating the p38/H2AX/Mcl-1 axis. The optimal ratio of HHT to Ara-C for synergistic lethality in AML cells is 1:4 (M/M). HHT synergistically induces apoptosis in combination with Ara-C in vitro and prolongs the survival of xenografts. We provide a new mechanism for AML treatment by regulating the p38 MAPK/H2AX/Mcl-1 axis to improve cytarabine therapy.

Glycyrrhizic acid improves tacrolimus-induced renal injury by regulating autophagy.

Tacrolimus (TAC)-induced renal injury is detrimental to long-term kidney function, but a treatment medication is not available. Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is an active ingredient in licorice widely used to treat kidney disease. Thus, this study explored the mechanisms of renoprotection by GA on TAC-induced renal injury. C57BL/6 mice were subjected daily to TAC or a combination of TAC and GA for 4 weeks, and then renal function, histopathology, and autophagy were assessed to examine the effect of GA on a renal injury. Next, Human kidney proximal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells were pretreated with GA for 2 h and then treated with TAC for 24 h. The effect of GA on TAC-induced HK-2 cell injury was assessed by measuring cell viability, apoptosis, autophagy, and lysosomes. Mice exposed to TAC and treated with GA had significantly greater improvements in renal function and tubulointerstitial fibrosis in comparison to mice not treated with GA. In addition, fibrosis-related protein expression, including α-smooth muscle actin and fibronectin, decreased after GA treatment. GA treatment also relieved autophagic clearance in TAC-induced renal injury. Several in vitro studies found that TAC inhibited cell viability, autophagy, lysosomal acidification, and promoted apoptosis. However, these results were less pronounced with GA pretreatment. In addition, bafilomycin A1 (which inhibits lysosomal function) reduced the protective effect of GA, indicating that lysosomal function plays an important role in this effect. Our data suggest that GA improves lysosomal function and regulates autophagy to protect against TAC-induced renal injury.

The evolution of indium precipitation in gallium focused ion beam prepared samples of InGaAs/InAlAs quantum wells under electron beam irradiation.

Gallium ion (Ga+ ) beam damage induced indium (In) precipitation in indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs)/indium aluminium arsenide (InAlAs) multiple quantum wells and its corresponding evolution under electron beam irradiation was investigated by valence electron energy loss spectroscopy (VEELS) and high-angle annular dark-field imaging (HAADF) in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Compared with argon ion milling for sample preparation, the heavier projectiles of Ga+ ions pose a risk to trigger In formation in the form of tiny metallic In clusters. These are shown to be sensitive to electron irradiation and can increase in number and size under the electron beam, deteriorating the structure. Our finding reveals the potential risk of formation of In clusters during focused ion beam (FIB) preparation of InGaAs/InAlAs quantum well samples and their subsequent growth under STEM-HAADF imaging, where initially invisible In clusters of a few atoms can move and swell during electron beam exposure.

New horizons for the role of RNA N6-methyladenosine modification in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancy, presenting a formidable challenge to the medical community owing to its intricate pathogenic mechanisms. Although current prevention, surveillance, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment have achieved some success in preventing HCC and controlling overall disease mortality, the imperative to explore novel treatment modalities for HCC remains increasingly urgent. Epigenetic modification has emerged as pivotal factors in the etiology of cancer. Among these, RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification stands out as one of the most prevalent, abundant, and evolutionarily conserved post-transcriptional alterations in eukaryotes. The literature underscores that the dynamic and reversible nature of m6A modifications orchestrates the intricate regulation of gene expression, thereby exerting a profound influence on cell destinies. Increasing evidence has substantiated conspicuous fluctuations in m6A modification levels throughout the progression of HCC. The deliberate modulation of m6A modification levels through molecular biology and pharmacological interventions has been demonstrated to exert a discernible impact on the pathogenesis of HCC. In this review, we elucidate the multifaceted biological functions of m6A modifications in HCC, and concurrently advancing novel therapeutic strategies for the management of this malignancy.

Asparagine endopeptidase protects podocytes in adriamycin-induced nephropathy by regulating actin dynamics through cleaving transgelin.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is the most common glomerular disorder causing end-stage renal diseases worldwide. Central to the pathogenesis of FSGS is podocyte dysfunction, which is induced by diverse insults. However, the mechanism governing podocyte injury and repair remains largely unexplored. Asparagine endopeptidase (AEP), a lysosomal protease, regulates substrates by residue-specific cleavage or degradation. We identified the increased AEP expression in the primary proteinuria model which was induced by adriamycin (ADR) to mimic human FSGS. In vivo, global AEP knockout mice manifested increased injury-susceptibility of podocytes in ADR-induced nephropathy (ADRN). Podocyte-specific AEP knockout mice exhibited much more severe glomerular lesions and podocyte injury after ADR injection. In contrast, podocyte-specific augmentation of AEP in mice protected against ADRN. In vitro, knockdown and overexpression of AEP in human podocytes revealed the cytoprotection of AEP as a cytoskeleton regulator. Furthermore, transgelin, an actin-binding protein regulating actin dynamics, was cleaved by AEP, and, as a result, removed its actin-binding regulatory domain. The truncated transgelin regulated podocyte actin dynamics and repressed podocyte hypermotility, compared to the native full-length transgelin. Together, our data reveal a link between lysosomal protease AEP and podocyte cytoskeletal homeostasis, which suggests a potential therapeutic role for AEP in proteinuria disease.