NPM promotes hepatotoxin-induced fibrosis by inhibiting ROS-induced apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells and upregulating lncMIAT-induced TGF-ß2.

Liver fibrosis is caused by a variety of chronic liver injuries and has caused significant morbidity and mortality in the world with increasing tendency. Elucidation of the molecular mechanism of liver fibrosis is the basis for intervention of this pathological process and drug development. Nucleophosmin (NPM) is a widely expressed nucleolar phosphorylated protein, which is particularly important for cell proliferation, differentiation and survival. The biological role of NPM in liver fibrosis remains unknown. Here we show that NPM promotes liver fibrosis through multiple pathways. Our study found that NPM was up-regulated in cirrhosis tissues and activated in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). NPM inhibition reduced liver fibrosis markers expression in HSCs and inhibited the HSCs proliferation and migration. In mice model, NPM knockdown in HSCs or application of specific NPM inhibitor can remarkably attenuate hepatic fibrosis. Mechanistic analysis showed that NPM promotes hepatic fibrosis by inhibiting HSCs apoptosis through Akt/ROS pathway and by upregulating TGF-ß2 through Akt-induced lncMIAT. LncMIAT up-regulated TGF-ß2 mRNA by competitively sponging miR-16-5p. In response to liver injury, hepatocytes, Kupffer cells and HSCs up-regulated NPM to increase TGF-ß2 secretion to activate HSCs in a paracrine or autocrine manner, leading to increased liver fibrosis. Our study demonstrated that NPM regulated hepatotoxin-induced fibrosis through Akt/ROS-induced apoptosis of HSCs and via the Akt/lncMIAT-up-regulated TGF-ß2. Inhibition of NPM or application of NPM inhibitor CIGB300 remarkably attenuated liver fibrosis. NPM serves a potential new drug target for liver fibrosis.

Genistein Ameliorates Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Renal Injury in a SIRT1-Dependent Manner.

Renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury continues to be a complicated situation in clinical practice. Genistein, the main isoflavone found in soy products, is known to possess a wide spectrum of biochemical and pharmacological activities. However, the protective effect of genistein on renal I/R injury has not been well investigated. In the current study, we explore whether genistein exhibits its renal-protective effects through SIRT1 (Sirtuin 1) in I/R-induced mice model. We found the treatment of genistein significantly reduced renal I/R-induced cell death, simultaneously stimulating renal cell proliferation. Meanwhile, SIRT1 expression was up-regulated following the administration of genistein in renal region. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition or shRNA-mediated depletion of SIRT1 significantly reversed the protective effect of genistein on renal dysfunction, cellular damage, apoptosis, and proliferation following I/R injury, suggesting an indispensible role of the increased SIRT1 expression and activity in this process. Meanwhile, the reduced p53 and p21 expression and increased PCNA (Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen) expression were blocked after the depletion of SIRT1 compared with the genistein treatment group in the renal I/R process. Hence, our results provided further experimental basis for the potential use of genistein for the treatment of kidney disease with deficiency of SIRT1 activity.

Integrase-deficient lentivirus: opportunities and challenges for human gene therapy.

Lentiviruses are powerful tools for gene delivery and have been widely used for the dissection of gene functions in both replicating and quiescent cells. Recently, lentiviruses have also been used for delivering target sequences in gene therapy. Although the lentiviral system provides sustained exogenous gene expression, serious concerns have been raised due to its unfavorable insertion-mediated mutagenesis effect, thereby resulting in the silencing or activation of some unexpected genes. Thus, an array of modifications of the original vectors may reduce risks. Here, we briefly review the structure of the integrase protein, which is an essential protein for viral insertion and integration; the mechanisms of integrase-mediated integration; and the effects of the modifications of integrase. Moreover, we discuss the advantages resulting from integrase modifications and their future applications. Taken together, the generation of integrase-deficient lentivirus (IDLV) not only provides us with an opportunity to reduce the risk of virus-mediated insertions, which would improve the safety of gene therapy, but also favors gene correction and vaccine development.

Cutl1: a potential target for cancer therapy.

CDP, a key transcription regulator encoded by Cutl1 gene, has been demonstrated to be involved in repressing or promoting expression of target genes through its specific DNA-binding, meanwhile, the activity of CDP was influenced by some types of modifications including transcriptional, posttranscriptional, translational and posttranslational modifications. In this review, we systematically analyzed the role of CDP in normal development and tumor progression, and then emphasized its interactors and downstream molecules. Eventually, we concluded that Cut1 could promote cancer progression and its down-regulating expression will be a promising strategy for cancer therapy.