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Pseudogenes were initially thought to have no function and were called by aliases, such as "junk genes." With the emergence of large-scale genomics projects and more and more experimental studies, pseudogenes have been shown to play an important role in the occurrence and development of solid tumors, especially playing an important regulatory role in the occurrence and develepment of liver cancer, such as regulating the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, and immunity of liver cancer cells. Recent studies showed that pseudogenes can act as regulators of oncogenes and tumor suppressors in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and can thus serve as prognostic markers and even therapeutic targets for this cancer type. In this review, we systematically summarize the mechanisms and functions of different pseudogenes in HCC and present their future prospects as therapeutic targets.
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OBJECTIVE Epileptic networks are char-acterized as two states,seizures or more prolonged inter-ictal periods.However,cellular mechanisms underlying the contribution of interictal periods to ictal events remain unclear.METHODS Here,we present the procedure for labeling seizure-activated and interictal-activated neuro-nal ensembles in mouse hippocampal kindling model using an enhanced-synaptic-activity-responsive element.This technique is combined with genetically encoded effectors to characterize and manipulate neuronal ensembles recruited by focal seizures(FS-Ens)and interictal periods(IP-Ens)in piriform cortex,a region that plays a key role in seizure generation.RESULTS Ca2+ activities and histo-logical evidence reveal a disjointed correlation between the two ensembles during FS dynamics.Optogenetic acti-vation of FS-Ens promotes further seizure development,while IP-Ens protects against it.Interestingly,both ensem-bles are functionally involved in generalized seizures(GS)due to circuit rearrangement.IP-Ens bidirectionally modulates FS but not GS by controlling coherence with hippocampus.CONCLUSION This study indicates that the interictal state may represent a seizure-preventing environment,and the interictal-activated ensemble may serve as a potential therapeutic target for epilepsy.
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Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide and is characterized by frequent genetic mutations. Current chemotherapy, radiation, and surgical treatment options face challenges such as cancer recurrence and drug resistance. Treatment of colorectal cancer is often achieved by promoting various forms of programmed cell death. Iron death has been found to be an iron-dependent and lipid peroxide-driven form of programmed cell death. Studies suggest that iron death is an effective therapeutic strategy for colorectal cancer. However, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of iron death onset, propagation, and drug resistance in colorectal cancer is needed. In this review paper, the mechanisms of iron death and its drug resistance pathways in colorectal cancer formation, metabolism, and treatment were reviewed, and future research directions were prospected to improve the treatment options for colorectal cancer.
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Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a hot topic in the field of researching tumor pathogenesis, and the importance in hematologic malignancies has been gradually being elucidated. LncRNA not only regulates hematological tumorigenesis and progression through affecting various biological processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, pluripotency and apoptosis; moreover, abnormal expression and mutation of lncRNA are closely related to drug resistance and prognosis. Thus lncRNA can be used as novel biomarker and potential therapeutic target for hematological tumors. In this review, we will focus on the latest progress of lncRNA in hematological tumors to provide new ideas for the clinical diagnosis, prognostic evaluation together with research and development of target drugs for hematologic malignancies.
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Humans , RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism , Hematologic Neoplasms/genetics , Neoplasms , Carcinogenesis/pathology , Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticABSTRACT
【Objective】 To investigate the expression of Kinesin family member 14 (KIF14), and its correlation with clinical prognosis and immune cell infiltration of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). 【Methods】 The correlation between KIF14 expression in ccRCC and different clinicopathological features were analyzed with TCGA, GEO and Ualcan databases. The correlation between KIF14 expression and prognosis was analzyed with Kaplan-Meier method. The correlation between KIF14 expression and immune cell infiltration was analzyed with TIMER. The protein-protein interaction network of KIF14 was conducted with Genemania. The co-expression genes of KIF14 in TCGA-KIRC were picked out in Linkedomics database and were used to perform GO annotations and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis with R software. The biological functions of KIF14 were verified with in vitro functional assay. 【Results】 KIF14 was highly expressed in ccRCC tissue and was positively correlated with clinical stage, pathological grade, and lymphatic metastasis, but negatively correlated with clinical prognosis. KIF14 expression was an independent risk factor for overall survival of ccRCC patients. GO annotations showed that KIF14 was involved in DNA replication, nuclear division, organelle fission, and cell adhesion. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that KIF14 participated in cell cycle and p53 signaling pathway. Genemania analysis indicated KIF14 interacted with CENPE, CIT, KIF23, and other proteins. Timer showed that KIF14 was positively correlated with immune cell infiltration. Knockdown of KIF14 expression suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of ccRCC. 【Conclusions】 KIF14 may serve as a novel prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
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The relationship between chronic psychological stress and tumorigenesis has been well defined in epidemiological studies; however, the underlying mechanism remains underexplored. In this study, we discovered that impaired macrophage phagocytosis contributed to the psychological stress-evoked tumor susceptibility, and the stress hormone glucocorticoid (GC) was identified as a principal detrimental factor. Mechanistically, GC disturbed the balance of the "eat me" signal receptor (low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1, LRP1) and the "don't eat me" signal receptor (signal regulatory protein alpha, SIRPα). Further analysis revealed that GC led to a direct, glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-dependent trans-repression of LRP1 expression, and the repressed LRP1, in turn, resulted in the elevated gene level of SIRPα by down-regulating miRNA-4695-3p. These data collectively demonstrate that stress induces the imbalance of the LRP1/SIRPα axis and entails the disturbance of tumor cell clearance by macrophages. Our findings provide the mechanistic insight into psychological stress-evoked tumor susceptibility and indicate that the balance of LRP1/SIRPα axis may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for tumor treatment.
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Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive fibrotic interstitial pneumonia with unknown causes. The incidence rate increases year by year and the prognosis is poor without cure. Recently, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB/AKT) signaling pathway can be considered as a master regulator for IPF. The contribution of the PI3K/AKT in fibrotic processes is increasingly prominent, with PI3K/AKT inhibitors currently under clinical evaluation in IPF. Therefore, PI3K/AKT represents a critical signaling node during fibrogenesis with potential implications for the development of novel anti-fibrotic strategies. This review epitomizes the progress that is being made in understanding the complex interpretation of the cause of IPF, and demonstrates that PI3K/AKT can directly participate to the greatest extent in the formation of IPF or cooperate with other pathways to promote the development of fibrosis. We further summarize promising PI3K/AKT inhibitors with IPF treatment benefits, including inhibitors in clinical trials and pre-clinical studies and natural products, and discuss how these inhibitors mitigate fibrotic progression to explore possible potential agents, which will help to develop effective treatment strategies for IPF in the near future.
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Type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and other metabolic disorders are often silent and go unnoticed in patients because of the lack of suitable prognostic and diagnostic markers.The current therapeutic regimens available for managing T2DM do not reverse diabetes;instead,they delay the progression of diabetes.Their efficacy(in principle)may be significantly improved if implemented at earlier stages.The misfolding and aggregation of human islet amyloid polypeptide(hIAPP)or amylin has been associated with a gradual decrease in pancreatic β-cell function and mass in patients with T2DM.Hence,hIAPP has been recognized as a therapeutic target for managing T2DM.This review summarizes hIAPP's role in mediating dysfunction and apoptosis in pancreatic β-cells via induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress,oxidative stress,mitochondrial dysfunction,inflammatory cytokine secretion,autophagy blockade,etc.Furthermore,it explores the possibility of using intermediates of the hIAPP aggregation pathway as potential drug targets for T2DM management.Finally,the effects of common antidiabetic molecules and repurposed drugs;other hIAPP mimetics and peptides;small organic molecules and natural compounds;nanoparticles,nanobodies,and quantum dots;metals and metal complexes;and chaperones that have demonstrated potential to inhibit and/or reverse hIAPP aggregation and can,therefore,be further developed for managing T2DM have been discussed.
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Objective:To investigate the expression of silencing kinesin KIF4A in thyroid cancer tissues and its relationship with clinicopathological characteristics of thyroid cancer patients, and to assess the role of KIF4A in the progression of thyroid cancer.Methods:The expression of KIF4A in normal thyroid tissues and the thyroid cancer population and its relationship with disease-free survival of patients were analyzed online by gene expression interaction analysis (GEPIA) database, and the expression of KIF4A in tumor tissues and paraneoplastic tissues of thyroid cancer patients was assessed by immunohistochemical assays. The patients were divided into high- and low-expression groups according to the staining intensity, and the correlation between the expression of KIF4A and clinicopathological features was analyzed. The effect of KIF4A on the proliferation of thyroid cancer cells was explored by a clone formation assay and an MTT assay.Results:According to the analysis of the web-based database, KIF4A showed significantly high expression in human thyroid cancer tissues, and disease-free survival was significantly lower in highly expressed patients. The results of the case analysis showed that the correlation between KIF4A expression intensity and gender, age, and lymph node metastasis in thyroid cancer patients was not statistically significant (all P>0.05), and the correlation with TNM stage and intraglandular dissemination was statistically significant (all P<0.05). The results of the colony formation assay and the MTT assay showed that the expression of KIF4A promoted the proliferation of thyroid cancer cells ( P<0.05). Conclusions:KIF4A can promote the progression of thyroid cancer and has the potential to become a new therapeutic target for thyroid cancer.
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Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, the coronary artery stenosis or occlusion caused by atherosclerosis leads to myocardial ischemia, hypoxia, or necrosis, that is main histopathological features of coronary artery disease. Atherosclerosis relates closely to abnormal lipid regulation, chronic inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. Cardiac enzymes and high, low-density lipoprotein are currently used to diagnose a variety of coronary artery diseases, but the evidence is inadequate. Thus, new cardioprotective therapies are required to explore sensitive molecular markers for the prediction of cardiovascular events. Lipids have an important role in maintaining the myocardial cell structure as well as cardiac function. Lipidomics is a newly emerged discipline that studies lipids on a large scale. Recent advancements in lipidomics on coronary artery disease have shown that certain lipids, such as ceramide, sphingosine, lysophosphatidic acid, oxidized lipids, and so on, are associated with the clinical classification and characteristics of coronary artery disease. In addition, recent studies of lipid profiles of the cardiac, fat, liver, and other tissue samples in animal models also have provided a novel viewpoint. Given the increasing application of lipidomics techniques for coronary artery disease, we provide a review of lipidomics technology, sensitive lipid markers, recent studies of therapeutic targets, and drug discovery for coronary artery disease.
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Objective To explore the potential targets of triclosan in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) and to provide new clues for the future research on the application of triclosan. Methods The targets of triclosan and NAFLD were obtained via network pharmacology.The protein-protein interaction network was constructed with the common targets shared by triclosan and NAFLD.The affinity of triclosan to targets was verified through molecular docking.Gene ontology(GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment were carried out to analyze the key targets and the potential mechanism of action.NAFLD model was established by feeding male C57BL/6J mice with high-fat diet for 12 weeks.The mice were randomly assigned into a model group and a triclosan group [400 mg/(kg·d),gavage once a day for 8 weeks].The hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used for observation of the pathological changes and oil red O staining for observation of fat deposition in mouse liver.Western blotting was employed to detect the protein level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha(PPARα) in the liver tissue. Results Triclosan and NAFLD had 34 common targets,19 of which may be the potential targets for the treatment,including albumin(ALB),PPARα,mitogen-activated protein kinase 8(MAPK8),and fatty acid synthase.Molecular docking predicted that ALB,PPARα,and MAPK8 had good binding ability to triclosan.KEGG pathway enrichment showcased that the targets were mainly enriched in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway,in which ALB and MAPK8 were not involved.Triclosan alleviated the balloon-like change and lipid droplet vacuole,decreased the lipid droplet area,and up-regulated the expression level of PPARα in mouse liver tissue. Conclusion PPARα is a key target of triclosan in the treatment of NAFLD,which may be involved in fatty acid oxidation through the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor signaling pathway.
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Animals , Male , Mice , Liver/pathology , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Molecular Docking Simulation , Network Pharmacology , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/drug therapy , PPAR alpha/therapeutic use , Triclosan/therapeutic useABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To explore the mechanisms of Dangua Recipe (DGR) in improving glycolipid metabolism based on transcriptomics.@*METHODS@#Sprague-Dawley rats with normal glucose level were divided into 3 groups according to a random number table, including a conventional diet group (Group A), a DGR group (Group B, high-calorie diet + 20.5 g DGR), and a high-calorie fodder model group (Group C). After 12 weeks of intervention, the liver tissue of rats was taken. Gene sequence and transcriptional analysis were performed to identify the key genes related to glycolipid metabolism reflecting DGR efficacy, and then gene or protein validation of liver tissue were performed. Nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase (Nampt) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) proteins in liver tissues were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, fatty acid synthase (FASN) protein was detected by Western blot, and fatty acid binding protein 5 (FABP5)-mRNA was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, the functional verification was performed on the diabetic model rats by Nampt blocker (GEN-617) injected in vivo. Hemoglobin A@*RESULTS@#Totally, 257 differential-dominant genes of Group A vs. Group C and 392 differential-dominant genes of Group B vs. Group C were found. Moreover, 11 Gene Ontology molecular function terms and 7 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment pathways owned by both Group A vs. Group C and Group C vs. Group B were confirmed. The liver tissue target validation showed that Nampt, FASN, PEPCK protein and FABP5-mRNA had the same changes consistent with transcriptome. The in vivo functional tests showed that GEN-617 increased body weight, HbA@*CONCLUSION@#Nampt activation was one of the mechanisms about DGR regulating glycolipid metabolism.
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Animals , Rats , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Glycolipids , Liver , Metabolic Diseases , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Transcriptome/geneticsABSTRACT
Viral myocarditis (VMC) is a disease characterized by inflammation of myocardial cells caused by viral infection. Since the pathogenesis mechanism of VMC has not been fully elucidated, the diagnosis and treatment of this disease remains extremely challenging. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a class of RNAs that do not encode proteins. An increasing number of studies have shown that ncRNAs are involved in regulating the occurrence and development of VMC, thus providing potential new targets for the treatment and diagnosis of VMC. This review summarizes the possible roles of ncRNAs in the pathogenesis and diagnosis of VMC revealed recently.
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Humans , Coxsackievirus Infections , Enterovirus B, Human , Inflammation , Myocarditis/genetics , Virus Diseases/geneticsABSTRACT
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is highly invasive and has poor prognosis. At present, there is no effective adjuvant treatment. With the indepth researches on ICC-related tumor microenvironment, gene, protein, epigenetic modification and signaling pathway, the potential therapeutic targets have been found. This article will review the novel potential therapeutic targets of ICC.
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Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common kidney malignancy characterized by a poor prognosis. Suppressor of variegation 3-9 homolog 1 (
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Objective@#To investigate the effect of silencing the endoplasmic reticulum stress-related protein calnexin on the proliferation, invasion, and migration of tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells. @* Methods @#Calnexin siRNA was transfected into SCC-9 and SCC-25 tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells, and the expression of calnexin was detected by qRT-PCR. The silencing effect of calnexin siRNA was further verified by Western blotting. CCK-8 assay was applied to detect the effect of silencing calnexin on the proliferation of tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells; Transwell assay was used to detect the effect of silencing calnexin on the invasion and migration of tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells.@* Results @#qRT-PCR showed that calnexin siRNA could effectively downregulate the expression of calnexin. Western blot analysis further confirmed the silencing effect of calnexin siRNA on calnexin. The CCK-8 assay showed that silencing calnexin expression on the 4th and 5th days could inhibit the proliferation of tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). The Transwell assay showed that knockdown of calnexin could inhibit the invasion and migration of tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells (P < 0.001).@*Conclusion@#Knockdown of calnexin can inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration of tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells.
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@#Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), characterized by airflow constraint, is a chronic respiratory disease closely related to the chronic inflammatory response of the airways and lungs to harmful gases or toxic particles, which may further develop into pulmonary heart disease and respiratory failure.At present the complex pathogenesis of COPD is considered to be the result of the interaction of a variety of genetic and environmental factors, and there is stiu no safe and effective drug for the treatment. This article reviews the pathogenesis of COPD from such aspects as oxidative stress, protease/antiprotease imbalance, immune mechanism, cell aging and cell repair mechanism, cell necrosis and autophagy,withan introduction to the potential targets and clinical research progress of related drugs, including β2 receptor agonists, muscarinic antagonists, theophylline and its derivatives, drugs targeting inflammatory mediators, protease inhibitors, kinase inhibitors, PED4 inhibitors, glandular glycoside receptor modulators,and antioxidants, which may provide some reference for the development of new drugs for COPD.
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Immune checkpoints are the crucial regulators of immune system and play essential roles in maintaining self-tolerance, preventing autoimmune responses, and minimizing tissue damage by regulating the duration and intensity of the immune response. Furthermore, immune checkpoints are usually overexpressed in cancer cells or noninvasive cells in tumor tissues and are capable of suppressing the antitumor response. Based on substantial physiological analyses as well as preclinical and clinical studies, checkpoint molecules have been evaluated as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of multiple types of cancers. In the last few years, extensive evidence has supported the immunoregulatory effects of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). The main advantage of TCMs and natural medicine is that they usually contain multiple active components, which can act on multiple targets at the same time, resulting in additive or synergistic effects. The strong immune regulation function of traditional Chinese medicine on immune checkpoints has also been of great interest. For example,
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@#Accumulating studies have recently shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the initiation and progression of myocardial fibrosis,a common histological characteristic of heart conditions and prominent global health issues. LncRNAs are prominently served as regulatory molecules via interaction with DNA,RNA and proteins in transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes. They can change morphological structure and biochemical metabolism of cardiac cells and regulate homeostasis of the cardiac extracellular matrix. Therefore,lncRNAs show great potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for anti-fibrotic treatment.
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With the remarkable achievements made in the treatment targeted at tumor immune checkpoints, more and more new immunotherapy drugs have been applied to the malignancies treatment. Camrelizumab (AiRuiKa) is a novel human immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) monoclonal antibody (mAb), which can target the programmed death 1 (PD-1) and block its binding to the programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), so as to restore the body's immune function and achieve anti-tumor effect. The drug was officially approved by National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) on May 29, 2019 for use in patients with recurrent or refractory classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL) who are treated with at least second-line systemic therapy. In addition, the drug showed good anti-tumor activity in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and gastric cancer (GC) and gastroesophageal junction cancer (EGJC). The research progress of camrelizumab on mechanism of action, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, clinical studies, adverse reactions etc. were reviewed in present paper.