Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Neurochem 2021 Apr 21. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Medical Experimental Center, Jiangxi Mental Hospital/Affiliated Mental Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330029, P.R. China.

Cognitive deficits are the core feature of schizophrenia and effective treatment strategies are still missing. Previous studies have reported that fisetin promotes long-term potentiation (LTP) and cognitive function in normal rodents and other model animals of neurological diseases. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of fisetin on synaptic plasticity and cognitive deficits caused by a brief disruption of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) with dizocilpine (MK-801) during early development in rats. Read More

Shock 2021 Apr 20. Epub 2021 Apr 20.

Universidad de Buenos Aires, Consejo Nacional de lnvestigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos (CEFYBO). Facultad de Medicina. Buenos Aires, Argentina Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Agrarias, BIOMED UCA-CONICET, Argentina Instituto de Trasplante y Alta Complejidad (ITAC), Nefrología de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina Fundación GADOR, Argentina Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Microbiología, Parasitología e Inmunología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Abstract: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by rapid loss of excretory function and is the clinical manifestation of several disorders affecting the kidney. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanism of action of Secretory Leukocyte Proteinase Inhibitor (SLPI) that protects the kidneys form AKI. In vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to assess the effect of SLPI on kidney injury. Read More

J Vasc Res 2021 Apr 21:1-10. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.

Background: Pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases begins with endothelial dysfunction. Our previous study has shown that advanced glycation end products (AGE) could inhibit the expression of homeobox A9 (Hoxa9), thereby inducing endothelial dysfunction. Leucine-rich repeat flightless-interacting protein 1 (LRRFIP1) has been found to participate in a variety of pathological processes, but reports of its role in endothelial dysfunction are rare. Read More

Cytogenet Genome Res 2021 Apr 21:1-11. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Wuhan No.1 Hospital, Wuhan, China.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a serious condition comprising atherosclerosis-mediated ischaemic and hypoxic myocardial injury. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of the miR-210/Casp8ap2 signalling pathway in hypoxic myocardial cells. mRNA and protein expression levels were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting, respectively. Read More

Med Princ Pract 2021 Apr 21. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a pandemic infection with profound effects on human society, has been emerged recently and rigorously challenged our ability to control viral infections. Although at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, the epidemic seems controllable in Southern Iran, the disease presents a critical pattern as of May 2020. After a few months of COVID-19 emergence, in a twisted turn of events, the severity and mortality of COVID-19 increased dramatically. Read More

Pathobiology 2021 Apr 21:1-12. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Department of Physiology & Pathophysiology, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an, China.

Background: The dysregulation of proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is one of the major causes of atherosclerosis (AS). Accumulating studies confirm that Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) can regulate the proliferation and differentiation of VSMCs through multiple signaling pathways. However, the mechanism of KLF4 dysregulation remains unknown. Read More

Eur Surg Res 2021 Apr 21:1-8. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City, Japan.

Background: Asporin (ASPN), a member of the proteoglycan family, has been shown to have a close correlation with cancer progression. It is not known whether ASPN is an oncogenic driver or a tumor suppressor in human gastric cancer. We sought herein to determine the relationship between ASPN expression and clinicopathological features of gastric cancer. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2021 Apr 21;13. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, P. R. China.

Unmasking the complex regulatory pathways that mediate the malignant phenotypes of cancer cells can provide novel targets for therapies that could limit the recurrence and metastasis of gastric cancer (GC). Herein, we intended to clarify the role of embryonic ectoderm development protein (EED), microRNA-228-5p (miR-338-5p), methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3) and CUB domain containing protein 1 (CDCP1) in GC. Differentially expressed miRNAs and their target genes were extracted by analysis. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2021 Apr 21;13. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

School of Life Science and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China.

Piccolo is a presynaptic protein with high conservation among different species, and the expression of Piccolo is extensive in vertebrates. Recently, a small fragment of Piccolo (Piccolino), arising due to the incomplete splicing of intron 5/6, was found to be present in the synapses of retinas and cochleae. However, the comprehensive function of Piccolo in the retina and cochlea remains unclear. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2021 Apr 21;13. Epub 2021 Apr 21.

Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine of Jiangsu Province, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China.

Exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSC-ex) are nano-sized membrane-bound vesicles that have been reported to facilitate skin regeneration and repair. However, the roles played by hucMSC-ex in ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced skin photodamage and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. To investigate the functions of hucMSC-ex in a rat model of acute skin photodamage, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical staining, quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot, and gene silencing assays were performed. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2021 Mar 19;13. Epub 2021 Mar 19.

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou 350001, Fujian Province, China.

Chemo-resistance and refractoriness remain challenges for Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and the underlying molecular mechanisms haven't been fully explained. In this study, we investigated the influence of circUBAP2 on the NSCLC tumor cells. This study might provide novel therapeutic targets for NSCLC treatment. Read More

Int Immunopharmacol 2021 Apr 18;96:107611. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Cardiovascular Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450014, Henan, China.

Objective: Exosomes are known to transfer microRNAs (miRNAs) to affect the progression of human diseases. We aim to explore the role of M1 macrophages-derived exosomes (M1 exosomes) conveying miR-21-5p in ventricular remodeling in mice with myocardial infarction (MI) by regulating tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP3).

Methods: Macrophages were isolated and co-cultured with miR-21-5p antagomir to extract the exosomes. Read More

Stem Cell Res 2021 Apr 9;53:102331. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Pediatric Research Institute, Qilu Children's Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250022, China. Electronic address:

Here we describe the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a patient diagnosed as hereditary tyrosinemia type I (HT1) caused by FAH gene mutation. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were developed using non-integrating episomal vectors containing OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, BCL-XL and MYC. The established iPSC line (SDQLCHi026-A) displayed pluripotent cell morphology, high expression levels of pluripotency markers, differentiation potential in vitro, normal karyotype, and remaining the original FAH gene mutation. Read More

Transl Oncol 2021 Apr 18;14(7):101088. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Department of General Surgery, Suqian First Hospital, Suqian 223800, Jiangsu Province, China. Electronic address:

Background: The lncRNA colorectal neoplasia differentially expressed (lncRNA CRNDE) has been reported to play a pivotal role in various cancers. However, the expression and function of CRNDE in pancreatic cancer remain unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of CRNDE on pancreatic cancer and the underlying mechanisms. Read More

Transl Oncol 2021 Apr 18;14(7):101096. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Department of Oncology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan, China. Electronic address:

Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy and has been considered as a leading cause of cancer death in women. Exploring the mechanism of breast cancer metastasis is extremely important for seeking novel therapeutic strategies and improving prognosis.

Methods: Clinical specimens and pathological characteristics were collected for evaluating the expression of forkhead box class O 3a (FOXO3a) and twist-related protein 1 (TWIST-1) in breast cancer tissues. Read More

Methods 2021 Apr 18. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States; Department of Medicine, San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA, United States. Electronic address:

The replication of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses depends on transcription of negative-sense RNA intermediates that serve as the templates for the synthesis of positive-sense genomic RNA (gRNA) and multiple different subgenomic mRNAs (sgRNAs) encompassing fragments arising from discontinuous transcription. Recent studies have aimed to characterize the expression of subgenomic SARS-CoV-2 transcripts in order to investigate their clinical significance. Here, we describe a novel panel of reverse transcription droplet digital PCR (RT-ddPCR) assays designed to specifically quantify multiple different subgenomic SARS-CoV-2 transcripts and distinguish them from transcripts that do not arise from discontinuous transcription at each locus. Read More

Acta Biomater 2021 Apr 18. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Department of Instructive Biomaterials Engineering, MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. Electronic address:

Affordable and therapeutically effective biomaterials are required for successful treatment of orthopaedic critical-size bone defects. Calcium phosphate (CaP) ceramics are widely used for bone repair and regeneration, however, further optimization of their properties and biological performance is still required. To improve the existing CaP bone graft substitutes, novel synthesis and production approaches are needed that provide a fine control over the chemical and physical properties and versatility in the delivery format. Read More

Free Radic Biol Med 2021 Apr 18. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

National Innovation and Attracting Talents "111" base, Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Bioengineering college, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China. Electronic address:

Senescence is a cellular process that can be initiated by certain stressors such as UVA irradiation. The mechanism by which skin cells protect themselves from the UVA-induced senescence has not been fully investigated. Here, we demonstrate that Bach2 modulates the extent of UVA-induced photoaging through regulation of autophagy in skin fibroblasts. Read More

Gene 2021 Apr 18:145672. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Key Laboratory for Conservation and Use of Important Biological Resources of Anhui Province, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui 241000, People's Republic of China. Electronic address:

The neurohormone gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) plays an essential role in the control of reproductive functions in vertebrates. However, the full-length complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding the GnRHs precursor and it role in the reproductive cycles regulating has not been illustrated in crocodilian species. In the present study, full-length cDNAs encoding GnRH1 forms, its predominant localization within brain and peripheral tissues, and GnRH1 peptide concentrations in the hypothalamus and pituitary in relation to seasonal gonadal development of Chinese alligator were investigated. Read More

Gene 2021 Apr 18:145668. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China; International Research Center for Marine Biosciences at Shanghai Ocean University, Ministry of Science and Technology, China; National Demonstration Center for Experimental Fisheries Science Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China. Electronic address:

Group II C-type lectin domain (CTLD) containing receptors belong to a large family of pattern recognition receptors which mainly act on the innate immunity. They are structurally related and consist of a cytoplasmic immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM) and a single extracellular CTLD. Although they have been described in teleost fish, their involvement in immune responses is not well understood. Read More

Cell Rep 2021 Apr;35(3):109009

Departments of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. Electronic address:

Cancer cells function as primary architects of the tumor microenvironment. However, the molecular features of cancer cells that govern stromal cell phenotypes remain unclear. Here, we show that cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) heterogeneity is driven by lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells at either end of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) spectrum. Read More

Cell Rep 2021 Apr;35(3):109019

Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Departments of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address:

Reversible differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) plays a critical role in vascular biology and disease. Changes in VSMC differentiation correlate with stiffness of the arterial extracellular matrix (ECM), but causal relationships remain unclear. We show that VSMC plasticity is mechanosensitive and that both the de-differentiated and differentiated fates are promoted by the same ECM stiffness. Read More

Cell Rep 2021 Apr;35(3):109016

ENT institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China; Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Shanghai 200031, China; The Institutes of Brain Science and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China. Electronic address:

The mammalian cochlea cannot regenerate functional hair cells (HCs) spontaneously. Atoh1 overexpression as well as other strategies are unable to generate functional HCs. Here, we simultaneously upregulated the expression of Gfi1, Pou4f3, and Atoh1 in postnatal cochlear supporting cells (SCs) in vivo, which efficiently converted SCs into HCs. Read More

Cell Rep 2021 Apr;35(3):109010

Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B152TT, UK. Electronic address:

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is caused by recurrent mutations in members of the gene regulatory and signaling machinery that control hematopoietic progenitor cell growth and differentiation. Here, we show that the transcription factor WT1 forms a major node in the rewired mutation-specific gene regulatory networks of multiple AML subtypes. WT1 is frequently either mutated or upregulated in AML, and its expression is predictive for relapse. Read More

Cell Rep 2021 Apr;35(3):109026

Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne-(EPFL-SV), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Organoids allow the recapitulation of intestinal homeostasis and cancerogenesis in vitro; however, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq)-based methods for drug screens are missing. We develop targeted organoid sequencing (TORNADO-seq), a high-throughput, high-content drug discovery platform that uses targeted RNA-seq to monitor the expression of large gene signatures for the detailed evaluation of cellular phenotypes in organoids. TORNADO-seq is a fast, highly reproducible time- and cost-effective ($5 per sample) method that can probe cell mixtures and their differentiation state in the intestinal system. Read More

Cell Rep 2021 Apr;35(3):109012

Department of Immunology, UConn Health School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA. Electronic address:

Caspase-11 sensing of intracellular lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plays critical roles during infections and sepsis. However, the key cell types that sense intracellular LPS and their contributions to the host responses at the organismal level are not completely clear. Here, we show that macrophage/monocyte-specific caspase-11 plays a dominant role in mediating the pathological manifestations of endotoxemia, including gasdermin D (GSDMD) activation, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, and damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) release, tissue damage, and death. Read More

Cell Rep 2021 Apr;35(3):109011

Division of Neonatology and Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Electronic address:

Pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs) have crucial roles in airway physiology and immunity by producing bioactive amines and neuropeptides (NPs). A variety of human diseases exhibit PNEC hyperplasia. Given accumulated evidence that PNECs represent a heterogenous population of cells, we investigate how PNECs differ, whether the heterogeneity is similarly present in mouse and human cells, and whether specific disease involves discrete PNECs. Read More

Cell Rep 2021 Apr;35(3):109015

Laboratory of RNA Biology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland; Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland; Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address:

Osteoblasts orchestrate bone formation through the secretion of type I collagen and other constituents of the matrix on which hydroxyapatite crystals mineralize. Here, we show that TENT5A, whose mutations were found in congenital bone disease osteogenesis imperfecta patients, is a cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase playing a crucial role in regulating bone mineralization. Direct RNA sequencing revealed that TENT5A is induced during osteoblast differentiation and polyadenylates mRNAs encoding Col1α1, Col1α2, and other secreted proteins involved in osteogenesis, increasing their expression. Read More

Cell Stem Cell 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA. Electronic address:

Planarian whole-body regeneration is enabled by stem cells called neoblasts. At least some neoblasts are individually pluripotent. Neoblasts are also heterogeneous, with subpopulations of specialized neoblasts having different specified fates. Read More

Am J Pathol 2021 Apr 18. Epub 2021 Apr 18.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA. Electronic address:

Recent sequencing studies showed that loss-of-function mutations in ARID1A (AT-rich interactive domain 1a) were enriched in gynecologic malignancies, and oncogenic KRAS mutations are a common finding in endometrial cancers. However, neither of these genetic insults alone was sufficient to develop gynecologic cancer. To determine the role of the combined effects of deletion of Arid1a and oncogenic Kras, Arid1a mice were crossed to Kras mice using progesterone receptor Cre (Pgr). Read More