Jag1/2 maintain esophageal homeostasis and suppress foregut tumorigenesis by restricting the basal progenitor cell pool.

Basal progenitor cells are crucial for maintaining foregut (the esophagus and forestomach) homeostasis. When their function is dysregulated, it can promote inflammation and tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms underlying these processes remain largely unclear. Here, we employ genetic mouse models to reveal that Jag1/2 regulate esophageal homeostasis and foregut tumorigenesis by modulating the function of basal progenitor cells. Deletion of Jag1/2 in mice disrupts esophageal and forestomach epithelial homeostasis. Mechanistically, Jag1/2 deficiency impairs activation of Notch signaling, leading to reduced squamous epithelial differentiation and expansion of basal progenitor cells. Moreover, Jag1/2 deficiency exacerbates the deoxycholic acid (DCA)-induced squamous epithelial injury and accelerates the initiation of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the forestomach. Importantly, expression levels of JAG1/2 are lower in the early stages of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) carcinogenesis. Collectively, our study demonstrates that Jag1/2 are important for maintaining esophageal and forestomach homeostasis and the onset of foregut SCC.

Novel poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoliposome-encapsulated diclofenac sodium and celecoxib enable long-lasting synergistic treatment of osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Diclofenac sodium (DS) and celecoxib (CEL) are primary anti-inflammatory agents used in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). Formulating these drugs into extended-release versions can effectively address the issue of multiple daily doses. In this study, we designed and synthesized a novel poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoliposome as a dual-drug delivery sustained-release formulation (PPLs-DS-CEL) to achieve long-lasting synergistic treatment of OA with both DS and CEL. METHODS: PPLs-DS-CEL was synthesized by the reverse evaporation method and evaluated for its physicochemical properties, encapsulation efficiency, drug release kinetics and biological properties. A rat OA model was established to assess the therapeutic efficacy and biosafety of PPLs-DS-CEL. RESULTS: The particle size of PPLs-DS-CEL was 218.36 ± 6.27 nm, with a potential of 32.56 ± 3.28 mv, indicating a homogeneous vesicle size. The encapsulation of DS and CEL by PPLs-DS-CEL was 95.18 ± 4.43% and 93.63 ± 5.11%, with drug loading of 9.56 ± 0.32% and 9.68 ± 0.34%, respectively. PPLs-DS-CEL exhibited low cytotoxicity and hemolysis, and was able to achieve long-lasting synergistic analgesic and anti-inflammatory therapeutic effects in OA through slow release of DS and CEL, demonstrating good biosafety properties. CONCLUSION: This study developed a novel sustained-release nanoliposomes formulation capable of co-loading two drugs for the long-acting synergistic treatment of OA. It offers a new and effective therapeutic strategy for OA treatment in the clinic settings and presents a promising approach for drug delivery systems.

Phosphine-Capped Effects Enable Full-Color Clusteroluminescence in Nonconjugated Polyesters.

Full-color luminophores have advanced applications in materials and engineering, but constructing color-tunable clusteroluminescence (CL) from nonconjugated polymers based on through-space interactions remains a huge challenge. Herein, we develop phosphine-capped nonconjugated polyesters exhibiting blue-to-red CL (400-700 nm) based on phosphine-initiated copolymerization of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides, especially P1-0.5TPP, which exhibits red CL (610 nm) with a high quantum yield of 32%. Experiments and theoretical calculations disclose that the phosphine-capped effect in polyesters brings about conformational changes and induces phosphine-ester clusters by through-space (n,π*) interactions. Moreover, CL colors and efficiencies can be easily tailored by types of phosphines, compositions and structures of polyesters, and concentration. Significantly, the role of polymer motions (group, segmental, and chain motions) on CL originating from microregions inside polyesters is revealed. Further, phosphine-capped nonconjugated polyesters are demonstrated to be nonconjugated dyes and fluorescent fibers and are also used for multicolor light-emitting diodes including white light. This work not only provides an engineering strategy based on the end-group effect to prepare full-color clusteroluminogens but also broadens the prospects for material applications.

Exosome, a Rising Biomarkers in Liquid Biopsy: Advances of Label-Free and Label Strategy for Diagnosis of Cancer.

Cancer is commonly considered as one of the most severe diseases, posing a significant threat to human health and society due to various serious challenges. These challenges include difficulties in accurate diagnosis and a high propensity to form metastasis. Tissue biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosing and subtyping cancer. However, concerns arise from its invasive nature and the potential risk of metastasis during these complex diagnostic procedures. Meanwhile, liquid biopsy has recently witnessed the rapid advancements with the emergence of three prominent detection biomarkers: circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), and exosomes. Whereas, the very low abundance of CTCs combined with the instability of ctDNA intensify the challenges and decrease the accuracy of these two biomarkers for cancer diagnosis. While exosomes have gained widespread recognition as a promising biomarker in liquid biopsy due to their relatively low-invasive detection method, excellent biostability, rich resources, high abundance, and ability to provide valuable information about cancer. Therefore, it is crucial to systematically summarize recent advancements mainly in exosome-based detection methods for early cancer diagnosis. Specifically, this review will primarily focus on label-based and label-free strategies for detecting cancer using exosomes. We anticipate that this comprehensive analysis will enhance readers' understanding of the significance and value of exosomes in the fields of cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Near-Infrared Emission Beyond 900†nm from Stable Radicals in Nonconjugated Poly(diphenylmethane).

Organic radicals with narrow energy gaps are highly sought-after for the production of near-infrared (NIR) fluorophores. However, the current repertoire of developed organic radicals is notably limited, facing challenges related to stability and low fluorescence efficiency. This study addresses these limitations by achieving stable radicals in nonconjugated poly(diphenylmethane) (PDPM). Notably, PDPM exhibits a well-balanced structural flexibility and rigidity, resulting in a robust intra-/inter-chain through-space conjugation (TSC). The stable radicals within PDPM, coupled with strong TSC, yield a remarkable full-spectrum emission spanning from blue to NIR beyond 900 nm. This extensive tunability is achieved through careful adjustments of concentration and excitation wavelength. The findings highlight the efficacy of polymerization in stabilizing radicals and introduce a novel approach for developing nonconjugated NIR emitters based on triphenylmethane subunits.

Electroacoustic Responsive Cochlea-on-a-Chip.

Organ-on-chips can highly simulate the complex physiological functions of organs, exhibiting broad application prospects in developmental research, disease simulation, as well as new drug research and development. However, there is still less concern about effectively constructing cochlea-on-chips. Here, a novel cochlear organoids-integrated conductive hydrogel biohybrid system with cochlear implant electroacoustic stimulation (EAS) for cochlea-on-a-chip construction and high-throughput drug screening, is presented. Benefiting from the superior biocompatibility and electrical property of conductive hydrogel, together with cochlear implant EAS, the inner ear progenitor cells can proliferate and spontaneously shape into spheres, finally forming cochlear organoids with good cell viability and structurally mature hair cells. By incorporating these progenitor cells-encapsulated hydrogels into a microfluidic-based cochlea-on-a-chip with culture chambers and a concentration gradient generator, a dynamic and high-throughput evaluation of inner ear disease-related drugs is demonstrated. These results indicate that the proposed cochlea-on-a-chip platform has great application potential in organoid cultivation and deafness drug evaluation.

Inhibition of Gpx4-mediated ferroptosis alleviates cisplatin-induced hearing loss in C57BL/6 mice.

Cisplatin-induced hearing loss is a common side effect of cancer chemotherapy in clinics; however, the mechanism of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity is still not completely clarified. Cisplatin-induced ototoxicity is mainly associated with the production of reactive oxygen species, activation of apoptosis, and accumulation of intracellular lipid peroxidation, which also is involved in ferroptosis induction. In this study, the expression of TfR1, a ferroptosis biomarker, was upregulated in the outer hair cells of cisplatin-treated mice. Moreover, several key ferroptosis regulator genes were altered in cisplatin-damaged cochlear explants based on RNA sequencing, implying the induction of ferroptosis. Ferroptosis-related Gpx4 and Fsp1 knockout mice were established to investigate the specific mechanisms associated with ferroptosis in cochleae. Severe outer hair cell loss and progressive damage of synapses in inner hair cells were observed in Atoh1-Gpx4-/- mice. However, Fsp1-/- mice showed no significant hearing phenotype, demonstrating that Gpx4, but not Fsp1, may play an important role in the functional maintenance of HCs. Moreover, findings showed that FDA-approved luteolin could specifically inhibit ferroptosis and alleviate cisplatin-induced ototoxicity through decreased expression of transferrin and intracellular concentration of ferrous ions. This study indicated that ferroptosis inhibition through the reduction of intracellular ferrous ions might be a potential strategy to prevent cisplatin-induced hearing loss.

Gut microbial metabolite facilitates colorectal cancer development via ferroptosis inhibition.

The gut microbiota play a pivotal role in human health. Emerging evidence indicates that gut microbes participate in the progression of tumorigenesis through the generation of carcinogenic metabolites. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is largely unknown. In the present study we show that a tryptophan metabolite derived from Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, trans-3-indoleacrylic acid (IDA), facilitates colorectal carcinogenesis. Mechanistically, IDA acts as an endogenous ligand of an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) to transcriptionally upregulate the expression of ALDH1A3 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A3), which utilizes retinal as a substrate to generate NADH, essential for ferroptosis-suppressor protein 1(FSP1)-mediated synthesis of reduced coenzyme Q10. Loss of AHR or ALDH1A3 largely abrogates IDA-promoted tumour development both in vitro and in vivo. It is interesting that P. anaerobius is significantly enriched in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). IDA treatment or implantation of P. anaerobius promotes CRC progression in both xenograft model and ApcMin/+ mice. Together, our findings demonstrate that targeting the IDA-AHR-ALDH1A3 axis should be promising for ferroptosis-related CRC treatment.

Enabling nonconjugated polyesters emit full-spectrum fluorescence from blue to near-infrared.

Near-infrared luminophores have many advantages in advanced applications, especially for structures without π-conjugation aromatic rings. However, the fabrication of red clusteroluminogens from nonconjugated polymers is still a big challenge, let alone the near-infrared clusteroluminogens. Here, we develop nonconjugated luminophores with full-spectrum from blue to near-infrared light (470 ~ 780 nm), based on color phenomenon of nonconjugated polyesters synthesized from the amine-initiated copolymerization of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides. We reveal that amines act as initiators attached to polymer chain ends. The formation of various amine-ester complexes in polyesters induces red to near-infrared light, conceptually, amine-ester complexed clusteroluminescence via intra/inter-chain charge transfer. Significantly, emission colors can be easily tuned by the contents and types of amines, microstructures of polyesters, and their concentration. This work provides a low-cost, scalable platform and strategy for the production of high-efficiency, multicolor luminescent materials.

Heteroatom-facilitated blue to near-infrared emission of nonconjugated polyesters.

Making nonconjugated polymers to emit visible light remains a formidable challenge, let alone near-infrared (NIR) light, although NIR luminophores have many advanced applications. Herein, we propose an electron-bridging strategy of using heteroatoms (O, N, and S) to achieve tunable emission from blue to NIR regions (440-800 nm) in nonconjugated polyesters. Especially, sulfur-containing polyester P4 exhibits NIR clusteroluminescence (CL) on changing either the concentration or excitation wavelength. Experimental characterization and theoretical calculation demonstrate that the introduction of heteroatoms significantly enhances the through-space interactions (TSIs) via the electron-bridging effect between heteroatoms and carbonyls. The strength of the electron-bridging effect follows the order of S > N > O, based on two synergistic effects: electronic structure and van der Waals radius of heteroatoms. This work provides a low-cost, scalable platform to produce new-generation nonconjugated luminophores with deeper insight into the photophysical mechanism.

Excessive Lipid Peroxidation in Uterine Epithelium Causes Implantation Failure and Pregnancy Loss.

The uterine epithelium undergoes a dramatic spatiotemporal transformation to enter a receptive state, involving a complex interaction between ovarian hormones and signals from stromal and epithelial cells. Redox homeostasis is critical for cellular physiological steady state; emerging evidence reveals that excessive lipid peroxides derail redox homeostasis, causing various diseases. However, the role of redox homeostasis in early pregnancy remains largely unknown. It is found that uterine deletion of Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), a key factor in repairing oxidative damage to lipids, confers defective implantation, leading to infertility. To further pinpoint Gpx4's role in different cell types, uterine epithelial-specific Gpx4 is deleted by a lactotransferrin (Ltf)-Cre driver; the resultant females are infertile, suggesting increased lipid peroxidation levels in uterine epithelium compromises receptivity and implantation. Lipid peroxidation inhibitor administration failed to rescue implantation due to carbonylation of major receptive-related proteins underlying high lipid reactive oxygen species. Intriguingly, superimposition of Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4), an enzyme that promotes biosynthesis of phospholipid hydroperoxides, along with uterine epithelial GPX4 deletion, preserves reproductive capacity. This study reveals the pernicious impact of unbalanced redox signaling on embryo implantation and suggests the obliteration of lipid peroxides as a possible therapeutic approach to prevent implantation defects.

Cholesterol mediated ferroptosis suppression reveals essential roles of Coenzyme Q and squalene.

Recent findings have shown that fatty acid metabolism is profoundly involved in ferroptosis. However, the role of cholesterol in this process remains incompletely understood. In this work, we show that modulating cholesterol levels changes vulnerability of cells to ferroptosis. Cholesterol alters metabolic flux of the mevalonate pathway by promoting Squalene Epoxidase (SQLE) degradation, a rate limiting step in cholesterol biosynthesis, thereby increasing both CoQ10 and squalene levels. Importantly, whereas inactivation of Farnesyl-Diphosphate Farnesyltransferase 1 (FDFT1), the branch point of cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, exhibits minimal effect on ferroptosis, simultaneous inhibition of both CoQ10 and squalene biosynthesis completely abrogates the effect of cholesterol. Mouse models of ischemia-reperfusion and doxorubicin induced hepatoxicity confirm the protective role of cholesterol in ferroptosis. Our study elucidates a potential role of ferroptosis in diseases related to dysregulation of cholesterol metabolism and suggests a possible therapeutic target that involves ferroptotic cell death.

Structural insights into FSP1 catalysis and ferroptosis inhibition.

Ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1, also known as AIMF2, AMID or PRG3) is a recently identified glutathione-independent ferroptosis suppressor1-3, but its underlying structural mechanism remains unknown. Here we report the crystal structures of Gallus gallus FSP1 in its substrate-free and ubiquinone-bound forms. The structures reveal a FAD-binding domain and a NAD(P)H-binding domain, both of which are shared with AIF and NADH oxidoreductases4-9, and a characteristic carboxy-terminal domain as well. We demonstrate that the carboxy-terminal domain is crucial for the catalytic activity and ferroptosis inhibition of FSP1 by mediating the functional dimerization of FSP1, and the formation of two active sites located on two sides of FAD, which are responsible for ubiquinone reduction and a unique FAD hydroxylation respectively. We also identify that FSP1 can catalyze the production of H2O2 and the conversion of FAD to 6-hydroxy-FAD in the presence of oxygen and NAD(P)H in vitro, and 6-hydroxy-FAD directly inhibits ferroptosis in cells. Together, these findings further our understanding on the catalytic and ferroptosis suppression mechanisms of FSP1 and establish 6-hydroxy-FAD as an active cofactor in FSP1 and a potent radical-trapping antioxidant in ferroptosis inhibition.

Mechanism of cAMP Response Element-binding Protein 1/Death-associated Protein Kinase 1 Axis-mediated Hippocampal Neuron Apoptosis in Rat Brain Injury After Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

Brain injury represents a leading cause of deaths following cardiac arrest (CA) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This study explores the role of CREB1 (cAMP responsive element binding protein 1)/DAPK1 (death associated protein kinase 1) axis in brain injury after CPR. CA was induced by asphyxia in rats, followed by CPR. After CREB1 over-expression, the survival rate and neurological function score of rats were measured. Nissl and TUNEL staining evaluated the pathological condition of hippocampus and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons respectively. H19-7 cells were subjected to OGD/R and infected with oe-CREB1. CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry measured the cell viability and apoptosis. CREB1, DAPK1, and cleaved Caspase-3 expressions were examined using Western blot. The binding between CREB1 and DAPK1 was determined using ChIP and dual-luciferase reporter assays. CREB1 was poorly expressed while DAPK1 was highly expressed in rat hippocampus after CPR. CREB1 overexpression improved rat neurological function, repressed neuron apoptosis, and reduced cleaved Caspase-3 expression. CREB1 was enriched on the DAPK1 promoter and suppressed DAPK1 expression. DAPK1 overexpression reversed the inhibition of OGD/R-insulted apoptosis by CREB1 overexpression. To conclude, CREB1 suppresses hippocampal neuron apoptosis and mitigates brain injury after CPR by inhibiting DAPK1 expression.

Identification and screening of fungicides against Piper nigrum basal Fusarium wilt disease in Hainan, China.

Fusarium wilt has occurred in the main Piper nigrum cultivation regions, which seriously affects the yield and quality of P. nigrum. To identify the pathogen of this disease, the diseased roots were collected from a demonstration base in Hainan Province. The pathogen was obtained by tissue isolation method and confirmed by pathogenicity test. Based on the morphological observation, sequence analyses of TEF1-α nuclear gene, Fusarium solani was identified as the pathogen causing P. nigrum Fusarium wilt and induced symptoms on inoculated plants, including chlorosis, necrotic spots, wilt, drying, and root rot. The experiments for the antifungal activity showed that all the 11 fungicides selected in this study showed certain inhibitory effects on the colony growth of F. solani, where 2% kasugamycin AS, 45% prochloraz EW, 25 g·L-1 fludioxonil SC and 430 g·L-1 tebuconazole SC exhibited relative higher inhibitory effects with EC50 as 0.065, 0.205, 0.395, and 0.483 mg·L-1 , respectively, and were selected to perform SEM analysis and test in seeds in vitro. The SEM analysis showed that kasugamycin, prochloraz, fludioxonil, and tebuconazole might have exerted their antifungal effect by damaging F. solani mycelia or microconidia. These preparations were applied as a seed coating of P. nigrum Reyin-1. The kasugamycin treatment was most effective in reducing the harmful impact of F. solani on the seed germination. These results presented herein provide useful guidance for the effective control of P. nigrum Fusarium wilt.

Inhibition of USP7 induces p53-independent tumor growth suppression in triple-negative breast cancers by destabilizing FOXM1.

Although numerous studies indicate that inhibition of USP7 suppresses tumor growth by activating p53, the precise mechanism by which USP7 contributes to tumor growth through the p53-independent manner is not well understood. p53 is frequently mutated in most triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC), characterized as the very aggressive form of breast cancers with limited treatment options and poor patient outcomes. Here, we found that the oncoprotein Forkhead Box M1 (FOXM1) acts as a potential driver for tumor growth in TNBC and, surprisingly, through a proteomic screen, we identified USP7 as a major regulator of FOXM1 in TNBC cells. USP7 interacts with FOXM1 both in vitro and in vivo. USP7 stabilizes FOXM1 through deubiquitination. Conversely, RNAi-mediated USP7 knockdown in TNBC cells, dramatically reduced the levels of FOXM1. Moreover, based upon the proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology, we generated PU7-1 (protein degrader for USP7-1), as a USP7 specific degrader. PU7-1 induces rapid USP7 degradation at low nanomolar concentrations in cells but shows no obvious effect on other USP family proteins. Strikingly, the treatment of TNBC cells with PU7-1 significantly abrogates FOXM1 functions and effectively suppresses cell growth in vitro. By using xenograft mouse models, we found that PU7-1 markedly represses tumor growth in vivo. Notably, ectopic overexpression of FOXM1 can reverse the tumor growth suppressive effects induced by PU7-1, underscored the specific effect on FOXM1 induced by USP7 inactivation. Together, our findings indicate that FOXM1 is a major target of USP7 in modulating tumor growth in a p53-independent manner and reveals the USP7 degrader as a potential therapeutic tool for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancers.

NIR Clusteroluminescence of Non-conjugated Phenolic Resins Enabled by Through-Space Interactions.

Clusteroluminescence (CL) and through-space interactions (TSIs) of non-conjugated molecules have drawn more attention due to their unique photophysical behaviors that are different from largely conjugated luminogens. However, achieving red and even near-infrared (NIR) emission from such systems is still challenging due to the intrinsic drawbacks of non-conjugated molecules and the lack of theories for structure-property relationships. In this work, six phenolic resins are designed and synthesized based on two molecule-engineering strategies: increasing the number of TSIs units and introducing electron-donating/-withdrawing groups. All phenolic resins are verified as luminogens with CL property (CLgens), and the first example of CLgens with NIR emission (maximum emission wavelength ≥680 nm) and high absolute quantum yield (47 %) is reported. Experiments and theoretical analysis reveal that two TSIs types, through-space locally excited state and through-space charge transfer state, play essential roles in achieving CL from these non-conjugated polymers, which could be manipulated via changing structural conformation and electron density or altering electron transition behaviors. This work not only provides an approach to manipulate TSIs and CL of non-conjugated polymers but also endows commercially available phenolic resins with high practical value as luminescence materials.

Large-scale and tunable transparent displays based on silver nanoparticles metasurface.

We report a transparent display based on a metasurface of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), consisting of a transparent substrate and a layer of Ag NPs deposited by a dielectric film. The Ag NPs metasurface is prepared by a simple and direct annealing process. It presents a deep transmission valley at the wavelength ofλ= 468 nm and enables desired transparent display by projecting the monochromatic image onto the metasurface. We also demonstrate that the formed Ag NPs can be approximated as truncated nanospheres, which have obvious directional scattering properties, and can radiate most of the scattered energy into the backward hemisphere with a relatively large angular beamwidth (the full width at half maximum of the scattered intensity) of ∼90°. Therefore, the fabricated displays possess wide viewing angles and high brightness characteristics. Additionally, the transmission modes can be red-shifted to the wavelength ofλ= 527 nm by controlling the thickness of the deposited dielectric film. This approach using traditional thin film deposition and moderate annealing processing techniques enables simple, low-cost, and scalable fabrication in large areas for transparent displays.

Delayed inhibition of collagen deposition by targeting bone morphogenetic protein 1 promotes recovery after spinal cord injury.

Fibrotic scars appear after spinal cord injury (SCI) and are mainly composed of fibroblasts and excess extracellular matrix (ECM), including different types of collagen. The temporal and spatial distribution and role of excess collagens and ECM after SCI are not yet fully understood. Here, we identified that the procollagen type I C-terminal propeptide (PICP), a marker of collagen type I deposition, and bone morphogenetic protein 1 (BMP1), a secreted procollagen c-proteinase (PCP) for type I collagen maturation, were significantly elevatedin cerebrospinal fluid of patients with SCI compared with healthy controls, and were associated with spinal cord compression and neurological symptoms. We revealed the deposition of type I collagen in the area damaged by SCI in mice and confirmed that BMP1 was the only expressed PCP and induced collagen deposition. Furthermore, transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) can activate the expression of BMP1. However, inhibition of BMP1 at the acute phase eliminated fibrotic scars in the damaged area and inhibited activation and enrichment of astrocytes, which made the damage difficult to repair and increased hematoma. Unexpectedly, knockdown of Bmp1 by adeno-associated virus or the inhibition of BMP1 biological function by specific inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies at different time points after injury led to distinct therapeutic effects. Only delayed inhibition of BMP1 improved axonal regeneration and myelin repair at the subacute stage post-injury, and led to the recovery of motor function, suggesting that scarring had a dual effect. Early inhibition of the scarring was not conducive to limiting inflammation, while excessive scar formation inhibited the growth of axons. After SCI, the collagen deposition indicators increased in both human cerebrospinal fluid and mouse spinal cord. Therefore, suppression of BMP1 during the subacute phase improves nerve function after SCI and is a potential target for scar reduction.

ALOX5-mediated ferroptosis acts as a distinct cell death pathway upon oxidative stress in Huntington's disease.

Although it is well established that Huntington's disease (HD) is mainly caused by polyglutamine-expanded mutant huntingtin (mHTT), the molecular mechanism of mHTT-mediated actions is not fully understood. Here, we showed that expression of the N-terminal fragment containing the expanded polyglutamine (HTTQ94) of mHTT is able to promote both the ACSL4-dependent and the ACSL4-independent ferroptosis. Surprisingly, inactivation of the ACSL4-dependent ferroptosis fails to show any effect on the life span of Huntington's disease mice. Moreover, by using RNAi-mediated screening, we identified ALOX5 as a major factor required for the ACSL4-independent ferroptosis induced by HTTQ94. Although ALOX5 is not required for the ferroptotic responses triggered by common ferroptosis inducers such as erastin, loss of ALOX5 expression abolishes HTTQ94-mediated ferroptosis upon reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced stress. Interestingly, ALOX5 is also required for HTTQ94-mediated ferroptosis in neuronal cells upon high levels of glutamate. Mechanistically, HTTQ94 activates ALOX5-mediated ferroptosis by stabilizing FLAP, an essential cofactor of ALOX5-mediated lipoxygenase activity. Notably, inactivation of the Alox5 gene abrogates the ferroptosis activity in the striatal neurons from the HD mice; more importantly, loss of ALOX5 significantly ameliorates the pathological phenotypes and extends the life spans of these HD mice. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ALOX5 is critical for mHTT-mediated ferroptosis and suggest that ALOX5 is a potential new target for Huntington's disease.