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RNA 2022 May 26. Epub 2022 May 26.

University of Georgia;

CRISPR-Cas systems are functionally diverse prokaryotic anti-viral defense systems, which encompass six distinct types (I-VI) that each encode different effector Cas nucleases with distinct nucleic acid cleavage specificities. By harnessing the unique attributes of the various CRISPR-Cas systems, a range of innovative CRISPR-based DNA and RNA targeting tools and technologies have been developed. Here, we exploit the ability of type III-A CRISPR-Cas systems to carry out RNA-guided and sequence-specific target RNA cleavage for establishment of research tools for post-transcriptional control of gene expression. Read More

Semin Nephrol 2022 Jan;42(1):76-85

Center for Transplantation Sciences, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Electronic address:

Solid organ transplantation has experienced incredible success over the past half century in rescuing patients with end-stage organ failure and bestowing them with a high quality of life. This success in large part is the result of advances in immunosuppression, however, these regimens come with significant costs including opportunistic infections, and in some cases, direct toxicity to the newly transplanted organs. Further advances are needed. Read More

Fertil Steril 2022 Jun;117(6):1107-1120

Robinson Research Institute and Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Immune cells are essential for endometrial receptivity to embryo implantation and early placental development. They exert tissue-remodeling and immune regulatory roles-acting to promote epithelial attachment competence, regulate the differentiation of decidual cells, remodel the uterine vasculature, control and resolve inflammatory activation, and suppress destructive immunity to paternally inherited alloantigens. From a biological perspective, the endometrial immune response exerts a form of "quality control"-it promotes implantation success when conditions are favorable but constrains receptivity when physiological circumstances are not ideal. Read More

J Vet Sci 2022 May;23(3):e50

College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China.

Background: There is an urgent need to find reliable and rapid bovine tuberculosis (bTB) diagnostics in response to the rising prevalence of bTB worldwide. Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) recognizes components of bTB and initiates antigen-presenting cells to mediate humoral immunity. Evaluating the affinity of antigens with TLR2 can form the basis of a new method for the diagnosis of bTB based on humoral immunity. Read More

Genes Dev 2022 May 26. Epub 2022 May 26.

Division of Diabetes Endocrinology and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701, USA.

Accumulation of fat above the waist is an important risk factor in developing obesity-related comorbidities independently of BMI or total fat mass. Deciphering the gene regulatory programs of the adipose tissue precursor cells within upper body or abdominal (ABD) and lower body or gluteofemoral (GF) depots is important to understand their differential capacity for lipid accumulation, maturation, and disease risk. Previous studies identified the HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) as a GF-specific lncRNA; however, its role in adipose tissue biology is still unclear. Read More