Mar 2024, Volume 5 Issue 3
    

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  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Yunfang Yu, Haizhu Chen, Wenhao Ouyang, Jin Zeng, Hong Huang, Luhui Mao, Xueyuan Jia, Taihua Guan, Zehua Wang, Ruichong Lin, Zhenjun Huang, Hanqi Yin, Herui Yao, Kang Zhang
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    The exact function of M1 macrophages and CXCL9 in forecasting the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is still not thoroughly investigated. We investigated the potential of M1 macrophage and C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 9 (CXCL9) as predictive markers for ICI efficacy, employing a comprehensive approach integrating multicohort analysis and single-cell RNA sequencing. A significant correlation between high M1 macrophage and improved overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR) was found. M1 macrophage expression was most pronounced in the immune-inflamed phenotype, aligning with increased expression of immune checkpoints. Furthermore, CXCL9 was identified as a key marker gene that positively correlated with M1 macrophage and response to ICIs, while also exhibiting associations with immune-related pathways and immune cell infiltration. Additionally, through exploring RNA epigenetic modifications, we identified Apolipoprotein B MRNA Editing Enzyme Catalytic Subunit 3G (APOBEC3G) as linked to ICI response, with high expression correlating with improved OS and immune-related pathways. Moreover, a novel model based on M1 macrophage, CXCL9, and APOBEC3G-related genes was developed using multi-level attention graph neural network, which showed promising predictive ability for ORR. This study illuminates the pivotal contributions of M1 macrophages and CXCL9 in shaping an immune-active microenvironment, correlating with enhanced ICI efficacy. The combination of M1 macrophage, CXCL9, and APOBEC3G provides a novel model for predicting clinical outcomes of ICI therapy, facilitating personalized immunotherapy.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Jian Zhang, Hui Gong, Tingting Zhao, Weitong Xu, Honghan Chen, Tiepeng Li, Yu Yang, Ming Yang, Ning Huang, Chuhui Gong, Fangfang Wang, Cuiying Zhang, Jin Liu, Hengyi Xiao
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    Senescence-associated microRNAs (SA-miRNAs) are important molecules for aging regulation. While many aging-promoting SA-miRNAs have been identified, confirmed aging-suppressive SA-miRNAs are rare, that impeded our full understanding on aging regulation. In this study, we verified that miR-708 expression is decreased in senescent cells and aged tissues and revealed that miR-708 overexpression can alleviate cellular senescence and aging performance. About the molecular cascade carrying the aging suppressive action of miR-708, we unraveled that miR-708 directly targets the 3′UTR of the disabled 2 (Dab2) gene and inhibits the expression of DAB2. Interestingly, miR-708-caused DAB2 downregulation blocks the aberrant mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activation, a driving metabolic event for senescence progression, and restores the impaired autophagy, a downstream event of aberrant mTORC1 activation. We also found that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation can upregulate miR-708 via the elevation of DICER expression, and miR-708 inhibitor is able to blunt the antiaging effect of AMPK. In summary, this study characterized miR-708 as an aging-suppressive SA-miRNA for the first time and uncovered a new signaling cascade, in which miR-708 links the DAB2/mTOR axis and AMPK/DICER axis together. These findings not only demonstrate the potential role of miR-708 in aging regulation, but also expand the signaling network connecting AMPK and mTORC1.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Shijian Feng, Xiaofang Huang, Dan Tang, Xiaoyu Liu, Liang Ouyang, Dehua Yang, Kunjie Wang, Banghua Liao, Shiqian Qi
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    Ferroptosis is a recently discovered form of regulated cell death characterized by its distinct dependence on iron and the peroxidation of lipids within cellular membranes. Ferroptosis plays a crucial role in physiological and pathological situations and has attracted the attention of numerous scientists. Ferroptosis suppressive protein 1 (FSP1) is one of the main regulators that negatively regulates ferroptosis through the GPX4-independent FSP1–CoQ10–NAD(P)H axis and is a potential therapeutic target for ferroptosis-related diseases. However, the crystal structure of FSP1 has not been resolved, which hinders the development of therapeutic strategies targeting FSP1. To unravel this puzzle, we purified the human FSP1 (hFSP1) protein using the baculovirus eukaryotic cell expression system and solved its crystal structure at a resolution of 1.75 Å. Furthermore, we evaluated the oxidoreductase activity of hFSP1 with NADH as the substrate and identified E156 as the key amino acid in maintaining hFSP1 activity. Interestingly, our results indicated that hFSP1 exists and functions in a monomeric state. Mutagenesis analysis revealed the critical role of the C-terminal domain in the binding of substrate. These findings significantly enhance our understanding of the functional mechanism of FSP1 and provide a precise model for further drug development.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Yufeng Li, Lingyun Zhu, Jiaqi Mao, Hongrui Zheng, Ziyi Hu, Suisui Yang, Tianyu Mao, Tingting Zhou, Pingping Cao, Hongshuai Wu, Xuerong Wang, Jing Wang, Fan Lin, Hua Shen
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    Epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted (EGFR-targeted) therapies show promise for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but they are ineffective in a third of patients who lack EGFR mutations. This underlines the need for personalized treatments for patients with EGFR wild-type NSCLC. A genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screen has identified the enzyme phosphoribosylaminoimidazole carboxylase/phosphoribosylaminoimidazole succinocarboxamide synthetase (PAICS), which is vital in de novo purine biosynthesis and tumor development, as a potential drug target for EGFR wild-type NSCLC. We have further confirmed that PAICS expression is significantly increased in NSCLC tissues and correlates with poor patient prognosis. Knockdown of PAICS resulted in a marked reduction in both in vitro and in vivo proliferation of EGFR wild-type NSCLC cells. Additionally, PAICS silencing led to cell-cycle arrest in these cells, with genes involved in the cell cycle pathway being differentially expressed. Consistently, an increase in cell proliferation ability and colony number was observed in cells with upregulated PAICS in EGFR wild-type NSCLC. PAICS silencing also caused DNA damage and cell-cycle arrest by interacting with DNA repair genes. Moreover, decreased IMPDH2 activity and activated PI3K–AKT signaling were observed in NSCLC cells with EGFR mutations, which may compromise the effectiveness of PAICS knockdown. Therefore, PAICS plays an oncogenic role in EGFR wild-type NSCLC and represents a potential therapeutic target for this disease.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Xiaoqing Zhao, Yao Chen, Zhongxiao Lin, Xinyang Jin, Bolun Su, Xiaotong Liu, Mao Yang, Keyuan Chen, Menglin Zhu, Lei Wang, Yi Zhun Zhu
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    Hydrogen sulfide for wound healing has drawn a lot of attention recently. In this research, the S-propargyl-cysteine (SPRC), an endogenous H2S donor, was loaded on carbomer hydrogel, and a copper sheet rat burn model was developed. Pathological changes in rat skin tissue were examined using hematoxylin–eosin (HE) and Masson staining. The immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was performed to detect the expression of Collagen I (Col I) and Collagen III (Col III). The mRNA levels of interleukin (IL)-6, Col Iα2, Col IIIα1, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 were examined by quantitative real-time chain polymerase reaction. The findings demonstrated that the collagen layer was thicker in the SPRC group during the proliferative phase, SPRC hydrogel promoted VEGF expression. In the late stage of wound healing, the expression of IL-6, TIMP-1, MMP-9, and TGF-β1 was inhibited, and the Col I content was closer to that of normal tissue. These results surface that SPRC hydrogel can promote wound healing and play a positive role in reducing scar formation. Our results imply that SPRC can facilitate wound healing and play a positive role in reducing scar formation.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Shufan Liang, Xiuyuan Xu, Zhe Yang, Qiuyu Du, Lingyu Zhou, Jun Shao, Jixiang Guo, Binwu Ying, Weimin Li, Chengdi Wang
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    Deep learning, transforming input data into target prediction through intricate network structures, has inspired novel exploration in automated diagnosis based on medical images. The distinct morphological characteristics of chest abnormalities between drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) and drug-sensitive tuberculosis (DS-TB) on chest computed tomography (CT) are of potential value in differential diagnosis, which is challenging in the clinic. Hence, based on 1176 chest CT volumes from the equal number of patients with tuberculosis (TB), we presented a Deep learning-based system for TB drug resistance identification and subtype classification (DeepTB), which could automatically diagnose DR-TB and classify crucial subtypes, including rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis. Moreover, chest lesions were manually annotated to endow the model with robust power to assist radiologists in image interpretation and the Circos revealed the relationship between chest abnormalities and specific types of DR-TB. Finally, DeepTB achieved an area under the curve (AUC) up to 0.930 for thoracic abnormality detection and 0.943 for DR-TB diagnosis. Notably, the system demonstrated instructive value in DR-TB subtype classification with AUCs ranging from 0.880 to 0.928. Meanwhile, class activation maps were generated to express a human-understandable visual concept. Together, showing a prominent performance, DeepTB would be impactful in clinical decision-making for DR-TB.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Jun Liu, Yuhua Tan, Fan Zhang, Yan Wang, Shu Chen, Na Zhang, Wenjie Dai, Liqing Zhou, Ji-Cheng Li
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    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents a significant risk to human well-being and has emerged as a worldwide public health concern. Twenty-eight children with ASD and 33 healthy children (HC) were selected for the quantitative determination of their plasma metabolites using an ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) platform. A total of 1997 metabolites were detected in the study cohort, from which 116 metabolites were found to be differentially expressed between the ASD and HC groups. Through analytical algorithms such as least absolute shrinkage selection operator (LASSO), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF), three potential metabolic markers were identified as FAHFA (18:1(9Z)/9-O-18:0), DL-2-hydroxystearic acid, and 7(S),17(S)-dihydroxy-8(E),10(Z),13(Z),15(E),19(Z)-docosapentaenoic acid. These metabolites demonstrated superior performance in distinguishing the ASD group from the HC group, as indicated by the area under curves (AUCs) of 0.935, 0.897, and 0.963 for the three candidate biomarkers, respectively. The samples were divided into training and validation sets according to 7:3. Diagnostic models were constructed using logistic regression (LR), SVM, and RF. The constructed three-biomarker diagnostic model also exhibited strong discriminatory efficacy. These findings contribute to advancing our understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in the occurrence of ASD and provide a valuable reference for clinical diagnosis.

  • REVIEW
    Siyu Wang, Hua Wang, Chenbei Li, Binfeng Liu, Shasha He, Chao Tu
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    Cancer is a major cause of death globally, and traditional treatments often have limited efficacy and adverse effects. Immunotherapy has shown promise in various malignancies but is less effective in tumors with low immunogenicity or immunosuppressive microenvironment, especially sarcomas. Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) have been associated with a favorable response to immunotherapy and improved survival in cancer patients. However, the immunological mechanisms and clinical significance of TLS in malignant tumors are not fully understood. In this review, we elucidate the composition, neogenesis, and immune characteristics of TLS in tumors, as well as the inflammatory response in cancer development. An in-depth discussion of the unique immune characteristics of TLSs in lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma, and soft tissue sarcomas will be presented. Additionally, the therapeutic implications of TLS, including its role as a marker of therapeutic response and prognosis, and strategies to promote TLS formation and maturation will be explored. Overall, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of TLS in the tumor immune microenvironment and suggest potential interventions for cancer treatment.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Jiawei Chen, Liao Peng, Guo Chen, Yuanzhuo Chen, Xiao Zeng, Jie Zhang, Chi Zhang, Hong Shen, Banghua Liao, Deyi Luo
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    Detrusor underactivity (DUA) is a common and thorny problem in urology, which severely impairs patients’ bladder function and quality of life. However, its underlying pathophysiological mechanism remains unclear. Hence, we sequenced 69,973 cells from five controls and nine patients with bladder dysfunction using single-cell RNA sequencing. Twelve distinct cell types were identified and they showed high cellular and functional heterogeneity among each group. Among them, fibroblasts, macrophages, and epithelial cells had the most intercellular communications. Their aberrant gene expressions and altered intercellular interactions were mainly involved in extracellular matrix organization, inflammation/immune regulation, and cellular injury. Further re-cluster analysis revealed an accumulation of the RBFOX1+ fibroblasts and RIPOR2+ macrophages in dysfunctional bladder wall, which mediated bladder remodeling through dysfunctional extracellular matrix organization and inflammation/immune reaction. Besides, the subtype of the epithelial cells was significantly altered. They underwent an intricate process including inflammation, damage, and repair during bladder remodeling. Overall, this work constructed the first single-cell atlas for obstruction-induced DUA, which could provide a valuable resource for deciphering the cellular heterogeneity and function changes in DUA, as well as potential strategies for bladder function improvement.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Zheng Yin, Jishou Zhang, Mengmeng Zhao, Shanshan Peng, Jing Ye, Jianfang Liu, Yao Xu, Shuwan Xu, Wei Pan, Cheng Wei, Juan-Juan Qin, Jun Wan, Menglong Wang
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    Hypertensive vascular remodeling is defined as the changes in vascular function and structure induced by persistent hypertension. Maresin-1 (MaR1), one of metabolites from Omega-3 fatty acids, has been reported to promote inflammation resolution in several inflammatory diseases. This study aims to investigate the effect of MaR1 on hypertensive vascular remodeling. Here, we found serum MaR1 levels were reduced in hypertensive patients and was negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure (SBP). The treatment of MaR1 reduced the elevation of blood pressure and alleviated vascular remodeling in the angiotensin II (AngII)-infused mouse model. In addition, MaR1-treated vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) exhibited reduced excessive proliferation, migration, and phenotype switching, as well as impaired pyroptosis. However, the knockout of the receptor of MaR1, leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 6 (LGR6), was seen to aggravate pathological vascular remodeling, which could not be reversed by additional MaR1 treatment. The mechanisms by which MaR1 regulates vascular remodeling through LGR6 involves the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 signaling pathway. Overall, supplementing MaR1 may be a novel therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of hypertension.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Xinlong Zheng, Tao Lu, Shiwen Wu, Xiaoyan Lin, Jing Bai, Xiaohui Chen, Qian Miao, Jianqun Yan, Kan Jiang, Longfeng Zhang, Xiaobing Zheng, Haibo Wang, Yiquan Xu, Weijin Xiao, Cao Li, Wenying Peng, Jianming Ding, Qiaofeng Zhong, Zihua Zou, Shanshan Yang, Yujing Li, Sihui Chen, Qiuyu Zhang, Jianfeng Yan, Guofeng Tang, Yuandong Cai, Miao kang, Tony S. K. Mok, Gen Lin
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    Treatment response and prognosis estimation in advanced pulmonary adenocarcinoma are challenged by the significant heterogeneity of the disease. The current Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria, despite providing a basis for solid tumor response evaluation, do not fully encompass this heterogeneity. To better represent these nuances, we introduce the intertumoral heterogeneity response score (THRscore), a measure built upon and expanding the RECIST criteria. This retrospective study included patients with 3–10 measurable advanced lung adenocarcinoma lesions who underwent first-line chemotherapy or targeted therapy. The THRscore, derived from the coefficient of variation in size for each measurable tumor before and 4–6 weeks posttreatment, unveiled a correlation with patient outcomes. Specifically, a high THRscore was associated with shorter progression-free survival, lower tumor response rate, and a higher tumor mutation burden. These associations were further validated in an external cohort, confirming THRscore's effectiveness in stratifying patients based on progression risk and treatment response, and enhancing the utility of RECIST in capturing complex tumor behaviors in lung adenocarcinoma. These findings affirm the promise of THRscore as an enhanced tool for tumor response assessment in advanced lung adenocarcinoma, extending the RECIST criteria's utility.

  • REVIEW
    Hongbin Zhuang, Zhiyuan Liang, Guanwei Ma, Ayesha Qureshi, Xiaoqian Ran, Chengyun Feng, Xukun Liu, Xi Yan, Liming Shen
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    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has become a common neurodevelopmental disorder. The heterogeneity of ASD poses great challenges for its research and clinical translation. On the basis of reviewing the heterogeneity of ASD, this review systematically summarized the current status and progress of pathogenesis, diagnostic markers, and interventions for ASD. We provided an overview of the ASD molecular mechanisms identified by multi-omics studies and convergent mechanism in different genetic backgrounds. The comorbidities, mechanisms associated with important physiological and metabolic abnormalities (i.e., inflammation, immunity, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction), and gut microbial disorder in ASD were reviewed. The non-targeted omics and targeting studies of diagnostic markers for ASD were also reviewed. Moreover, we summarized the progress and methods of behavioral and educational interventions, intervention methods related to technological devices, and research on medical interventions and potential drug targets. This review highlighted the application of high-throughput omics methods in ASD research and emphasized the importance of seeking homogeneity from heterogeneity and exploring the convergence of disease mechanisms, biomarkers, and intervention approaches, and proposes that taking into account individuality and commonality may be the key to achieve accurate diagnosis and treatment of ASD.

  • HIGHLIGHTS
    Zhijun Yuan, Mengyuan Yang, Xian Zhong
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  • LETTER
    Lunzhi Yuan, Xuan Liu, Yi Guan, Tong Cheng, Ningshao Xia
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  • LETTER
    Lunzhi Yuan, Xuan Liu, Song Li, Wu Zhong, Ningshao Xia
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  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Leilei Wu, Bo Cheng, Xiaojiang Sun, Zhenshan Zhang, Jingjing Kang, Yun Chen, Qinghua Xu, Shuangyan Yang, Yujie Yan, Shengxiang Ren, Caicun Zhou, Yaping Xu
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    This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of induction immunochemotherapy followed by definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for unresectable locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). We identified unresectable stage III NSCLC patients who received induction immunochemotherapy. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were the primary endpoints. From February 2019 to August 2022, 158 patients were enrolled. Following the completion of induction immunochemotherapy, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 52.5% and 83.5%, respectively. The ORR of CRT was 73.5%, representing 68.4% of the total cohort. The median PFS was 17.8 months, and the median OS was 41.9 months, significantly higher than in patients who received CRT alone (p < 0.001). Patients with concurrent CRT demonstrated markedly improved PFS (p = 0.012) and OS (p = 0.017) than those undergoing sequential CRT. Additionally, those with a programmed-death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression of 50% or higher showed significantly elevated ORRs (72.2% vs. 47.2%, p = 0.011) and superior OS (median 44.8 vs. 28.6 months, p = 0.004) compared to patients with PD-L1 expression below 50%. Hematologic toxicities were the primary severe adverse events (grade ≥ 3) encountered, with no unforeseen treatment-related toxicities. Thus, induction immunochemotherapy followed by definitive CRT demonstrated encouraging efficacy and tolerable toxicities for unresectable LA-NSCLC.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Jindong Xie, Xinpei Deng, Yi Xie, Hongbo Zhu, Peng Liu, Wei Deng, Li Ning, Yuhui Tang, Yuying Sun, Hailin Tang, Manbo Cai, Xiaoming Xie, Yutian Zou
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    Disruption of disulfide homeostasis during biological processes can have fatal consequences. Excess disulfides induce cell death in a novel manner, termed as “disulfidptosis.” However, the specific mechanism of disulfidptosis has not yet been elucidated. To determine the cancer types sensitive to disulfidptosis and outline the corresponding treatment strategies, we firstly investigated the crucial functions of disulfidptosis regulators pan-cancer at multi-omics levels. We found that different tumor types expressed dysregulated levels of disulfidptosis regulators, most of which had an impact on tumor prognosis. Moreover, we calculated the disulfidptosis activity score in tumors and validated it using multiple independent datasets. Additionally, we found that disulfidptosis activity was correlated with classic biological processes and pathways in various cancers. Disulfidptosis activity was also associated with tumor immune characteristics and could predict immunotherapy outcomes. Notably, the disulfidptosis regulator, glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1), was identified as a promising target for triple-negative breast cancer and validated via in vitro and in vivo experiments. In conclusion, our study elucidated the complex molecular phenotypes and clinicopathological correlations of disulfidptosis regulators in tumors, laying a solid foundation for the development of disulfidptosis-targeting strategies for cancer treatment.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Bingchao Qi, Tiantian Li, Haixia Luo, Lang Hu, Renqian Feng, Di Wang, Tingwei Peng, Gaotong Ren, Dong Guo, Mingchuan Liu, Qiuhe Wang, Mingming Zhang, Yan Li
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    Multiple molecular mechanisms are involved in the development of heart failure (HF) after myocardial infarction (MI). However, interventions targeting these pathological processes alone remain clinically ineffective. Therefore, it is essential to identify new therapeutic targets for alleviating cardiac dysfunction after MI. Here, gain- and loss-of-function approaches were used to investigate the role of reticulon 3 (RTN3) in HF after MI. We found that RTN3 was elevated in the myocardium of patients with HF and mice with MI. Cardiomyocyte-specific RTN3 overexpression decreased systolic function in mice under physiological conditions and exacerbated the development of HF induced by MI. Conversely, RTN3 knockout alleviated cardiac dysfunction after MI. Mechanistically, RTN3 bound and mediated heat shock protein beta-1 (HSPB1) translocation from the cytosol to the endoplasmic reticulum. The reduction of cytosolic HSPB1 was responsible for the elevation of TLR4, which impaired mitochondrial function and promoted inflammation through toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha(PGC-1α) and TLR4/Nuclear factor-kappa B(NFκB) pathways, respectively. Furthermore, the HSPB1 inhibitor reversed the protective effect of RTN3 knockout on MI. Additionally, elevated plasma RTN3 level is associated with decreased cardiac function in patients with acute MI. This study identified RTN3 as a critical driver of HF after MI and suggests targeting RTN3 as a promising therapeutic strategy for MI and related cardiovascular diseases.

  • REVIEW
    Yanke Lin, Liangliang He, Yuting Cai, Xiaokang Wang, Shuai Wang, Feng Li
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    The circadian clock system orchestrates daily behavioral and physiological rhythms, facilitating adaptation to environmental and internal oscillations. Disruptions in circadian rhythms have been linked to increased susceptibility to various diseases and can exacerbate existing conditions. This review delves into the intricate regulation of diurnal gene expression and cell function by circadian clocks across diverse tissues. . Specifically, we explore the rhythmicity of gene expressions, behaviors, and functions in both immune and non-immune cells, elucidating the regulatory effects and mechanisms imposed by circadian clocks. A detailed discussion is centered on elucidating the complex functions of circadian clocks in regulating key cellular signaling pathways. We further review the circadian regulation in diverse diseases, with a focus on inflammatory diseases, cancers, and systemic diseases. By highlighting the intimate interplay between circadian clocks and diseases, especially through clock-controlled cell function, this review contributes to the development of novel disease intervention strategies. This enhanced understanding holds significant promise for the design of targeted therapies that can exploit the circadian regulation mechanisms for improved treatment efficacy.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Shiwen Huo, Jinqi Xue, Shuo Wang, Huilian Shan, Guanglei Chen, Nan Niu, Yimin Wang, Fang Qiu, Yi Zhao, Fei Xing, Xinyu Zheng, Wei Tu, Ke Li, Hai Zhao, Meiyue Tang, Qianshi Xu, Chao Liu, Yafei Zhao, Xiaofan Jiang, Zheng Pang, Keliang Zhang, Dianlong Zhang, Zhe-Sheng Chen, Caigang Liu
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    Triple-positive breast cancer (TPBC) poorly responds to current standard neoadjuvant therapy (trastuzumab plus pertuzumab and chemotherapy). Our previous MUKDEN 01 study showed a promising total pathological complete response (tpCR) rate of 30.4% with neoadjuvant pyrotinib (pan-human epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor) plus dalpiciclib (cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor) and letrozole, but the efficacy remains suboptimal. This pilot study (NCT05228951) explored adding trastuzumab to this triplet neoadjuvant regimen in patients with stage II–III TPBC. The primary endpoint was tpCR (ypT0/is, ypN0) rate. Between February 2022 and June 2022, 12 patients were enrolled, and seven (58%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 27.7%–84.8%) patients achieved tpCR. The rate of residual cancer burden (RCB) 0–I was 75% (95% CI, 46.8%–91.1%). The objective response rate (ORR) was 92% (95% CI, 64.6%–98.5%). Mean Ki-67 level was significantly reduced from 45.0% (95% CI, 19.5%–70.5%) at baseline to 17.2% (95% CI, 0.7%–33.7%) after neoadjuvant therapy (p = 0.03). The most common grade 3 adverse events were diarrhea (four [33%]) and decreased neutrophil count (three [25%]). No grade 4 adverse events or treatment-related deaths occurred. This four-drug neoadjuvant regimen shows promising pathological response with an acceptable safety profile in patients with TPBC. A randomized controlled trial (NCT05638594) of this regimen is being conducted.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Minjin Wang, Jierui Wang, Yan Ren, Lu Lu, Weixi Xiong, Lifeng Li, Songtao Xu, Meng Tang, Yushang Yuan, Yi Xie, Weimin Li, Lei Chen, Dong Zhou, Binwu Ying, Jinmei Li
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    Neuro-COVID, a condition marked by persistent symptoms post-COVID-19 infection, notably affects various organs, with a particular focus on the central nervous system (CNS). Despite scant evidence of SARS-CoV-2 invasion in the CNS, the increasing incidence of Neuro-COVID cases indicates the onset of acute neurological symptoms early in infection. The Omicron variant, distinguished by heightened neurotropism, penetrates the CNS via the olfactory bulb. This direct invasion induces inflammation and neuronal damage, emphasizing the need for vigilance regarding potential neurological complications. Our multicenter study represents a groundbreaking revelation, documenting the definite presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a significant proportion of Neuro-COVID patients. Furthermore, notable differences emerged between RNA-CSF-positive and negative patients, encompassing aspects such as blood–brain barrier integrity, extent of neuronal damage, and the activation status of inflammation. Despite inherent limitations, this research provides pivotal insights into the intricate interplay between SARS-CoV-2 and the CNS, underscoring the necessity for ongoing research to fully comprehend the virus's enduring effects on the CNS. The findings underscore the urgency of continuous investigation Neuro-COVID to unravel the complexities of this relationship, and pivotal in addressing the long-term consequences of COVID-19 on neurological health.

  • REVIEW
    Ying Gao, Yunkai Zhang, Xingguang Liu
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    Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the unresolved synovial inflammation for tissues-destructive consequence, which remains one of significant causes of disability and labor loss, affecting about 0.2–1% global population. Although treatments with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are effective to control inflammation and decrease bone destruction, the overall remission rates of RA still stay at a low level. Therefore, uncovering the pathogenesis of RA and expediting clinical transformation are imminently in need. Here, we summarize the immunological basis, inflammatory pathways, genetic and epigenetic alterations, and metabolic disorders in RA, with highlights on the abnormality of immune cells atlas, epigenetics, and immunometabolism. Besides an overview of first-line medications including conventional DMARDs, biologics, and small molecule agents, we discuss in depth promising targeted therapies under clinical or preclinical trials, especially epigenetic and metabolic regulators. Additionally, prospects on precision medicine based on synovial biopsy or RNA-sequencing and cell therapies of mesenchymal stem cells or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell are also looked forward. The advancements of pathogenesis and innovations of therapies in RA accelerates the progress of RA treatments.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Yufu Peng, Jing Yu, Fei Liu, Leyi Tang, Bo Li, Wei Zhang, Kefei Chen, Haili Zhang, Yonggang Wei, Xuelei Ma, Hubing Shi
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    Microvascular invasion (MVI) has been widely valued in the field of liver surgery because MVI positivity indicates poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, the potential molecular mechanism underlying the poor prognosis of MVI-positive HCC patients is unclear. Therefore, this study focused on identifying the key genes leading to poor prognosis in patients with a high degree of malignancy of HCC by examining the molecular signaling pathways in MVI-positive HCC patients. Through RNA sequencing, TOX high mobility group box family member 3 (TOX3) was demonstrated to be significantly highly expressed in MVI-positive HCC tissues, which was associated with poor prognosis. The results of in vivo and in vitro showed that TOX3 can promote the oncogenesis and development of HCC by targeting key molecules of the MAPK and EMT signaling pathways. The IP-MS results indicated that proteasome degradation of TOX3 in HCC cells is potentially mediated by a tripartite motif containing 56 (TRIM56, an E3 ligase) in HCC cells. Inhibiting TRIM56 enhances TOX3 protein levels. Overall, our study identified TOX3 as a key gene in the MAPK and EMT signaling pathways in HCC, and its overexpression confers significant proliferation and invasiveness to tumor cells.

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
    Fang-Zheng Qi, Hui-Shan Su, Bo Wang, Luo-Meng Qian, Yang Wang, Chen-Hui Wang, Ya-Xin Hou, Ping Chen, Qing Zhang, Dong-Mei Li, Hao Tang, Jian-Li Jiang, Hui-Jie Bian, Zhi-Nan Chen, Si-He Zhang
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    Therapeutic antibodies (Abs) improve the clinical outcome of cancer patients. However, on-target off-tumor toxicity limits Ab-based therapeutics. Cluster of differentiation 147 (CD147) is a tumor-associated membrane antigen overexpressed in cancer cells. Ab-based drugs targeting CD147 have achieved inadequate clinical benefits for liver cancer due to side effects. Here, by using glycoengineering and hypoxia-activation strategies, we developed a conditional Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC)-enhanced humanized anti-CD147 Ab, HcHAb18-azo-PEG5000 (HAP18). Afucosylated ADCC-enhanced HcHAb18 Ab was produced by a fed-batch cell culture system. Azobenzene (Azo)-linked PEG5000 conjugation endowed HAP18 Ab with features of hypoxia-responsive delivery and selective targeting. HAP18 Ab potently inhibits the migration, invasion, and matrix metalloproteinase secretion, triggers the cytotoxicity and apoptosis of cancer cells, and induces ADCC, complement-dependent cytotoxicity, and Ab-dependent cellular phagocytosis under hypoxia. In xenograft mouse models, HAP18 Ab selectively targets hypoxic liver cancer tissues but not normal organs or tissues, and has potent tumor-inhibiting effects. HAP18 Ab caused negligible side effects and exhibited superior pharmacokinetics compared to those of parent HcHAb18 Ab. The hypoxia-activated ADCC-enhanced humanized HAP18 Ab safely confers therapeutic efficacy against liver cancer with improved selectivity. This study highlights that hypoxia activation is a promising strategy for improving the tumor targeting potential of anti-CD147 Ab drugs.