Comparison of long-term quality of life and their predictors in survivors between paediatric and adult nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the intensity-modulated radiotherapy era.

BACKGROUND: To compare the differences in long-term quality of life (QoL) between survivors of paediatric and adult patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and assess the clinical factors that predict long-term QoL. METHODS: We enrolled 420 long-term NPC survivors who were alive for at least 8 years after treatment, including 195 paediatric and 225 adult patients diagnosed and treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Centre (SYSUCC) between 2011 and 2015. Data on clinical factors and EORTC QLQ-C30 were collected from all participants. The QoL of paediatric and adult NPC survivors was compared. RESULTS: The paediatric group had significantly better outcomes in global health status (paediatric: 80.2 ± 12.7; adult: 77.2 ± 11.5; P = 0.027), physical function (paediatric: 98.5 ± 4.6; adult: 95.1 ± 7.0; P < 0.001), role function (paediatric: 97.0 ± 9.2; adult: 90.5 ± 15.2; P < 0.001), social function (paediatric: 96.0 ± 8.9; adult: 93.5 ± 11.8; P = 0.038), insomnia (paediatric: 1.9 ± 7.8; adult: 13.1 ± 22.3; P < 0.001), constipation (paediatric: 1.3 ± 7.5; adult: 8.0 ± 17.4; P < 0.001), diarrhea (paediatric: 0.7 ± 4.6; adult: 2.8 ± 9.3; P = 0.010), and financial difficulties (paediatric: 1.9 ± 7.8; adult: 11.0 ± 19.8; P < 0.001), but poorer cognitive function (paediatric: 88.3 ± 9.9; adult: 93.8 ± 12.6; P < 0.001) than the adult group. Pretreatment clinical factors, including T stage, N stage, and pre-treatment EBV (Epstein-Barr Virus) DNA, showed a strong association with QoL. However, the factors that affected the QoL outcomes differed between the two groups. In survivors of paediatric cancer, global health status/QoL was strongly correlated with T stage (P < 0.001) and clinical stage (P = 0.018), whereas it was strongly correlated with pre-treatment EBV DNA (P = 0.008) in adults. CONCLUSION: Paediatric survivors of NPC have a significantly better QoL than adult NPC survivors. Moreover, pre-treatment T stage, N stage, and EBV DNA significantly influenced the overall health status of the survivors. These results highlight the need to tailor care to both age groups to promote better long-term health outcomes.

Genome-wide identification of the histone modification gene family in Aquilaria sinensis and functional analysis of several HMs in response to MeJA and NaCl stress.

Histone modifications (HMs) play various roles in growth, development, and resistance to abiotic stress. However, HMs have been systematically identified in a few plants, and identification of HMs in medicinal plants is very rare. Aquilaria sinensis is a typical stress-induced medicinal plant, in which HMs remain unexplored. We conducted a comprehensive study to identify HMs and obtained 123 HMs. To conduct evolutionary analysis, we constructed phylogenetic trees and analyzed gene structures. To conduct functional analysis, we performed promoter, GO, and KEGG analyses and ortholog analyses against AtHMs. Based on the expression profiles of different tissues and different layers of Agar-Wit, some HMs of A. sinensis (AsHMs) were predicted to be involved in the formation of agarwood, and their response to MeJA and NaCl stress was tested by qRT-PCR analysis. By analyzing the enrichment of H3K4me3, H3K27me3, and H4K5ac in the promoter regions of two key sesquiterpene synthase genes, AsTPS13/18, we hypothesized that AsHMs play important roles in the synthesis of agarwood sesquiterpenes. We confirmed this hypothesis by conducting RNAi transgenic interference experiments. This study provided valuable information and important biological theories for studying epigenetic regulation in the formation of agarwood. It also provided a framework for conducting further studies on the biological functions of HMs.

A genome-wide association study of occupational creativity and its relations with well-being and career success.

Creativity is one defining characteristic of human species. There have been mixed findings on how creativity relates to well-being, and little is known about its relationship with career success. We conduct a large-scale genome-wide association study to examine the genetic architecture of occupational creativity, and its genetic correlations with well-being and career success. The SNP-h2 estimates range from 0.08 (for managerial creativity) to 0.22 (for artistic creativity). We record positive genetic correlations between occupational creativity with autism, and positive traits and well-being variables (e.g., physical height, and low levels of neuroticism, BMI, and non-cancer illness). While creativity share positive genetic overlaps with indicators of high career success (i.e., income, occupational status, and job satisfaction), it also has a positive genetic correlation with age at first birth and a negative genetic correlation with number of children, indicating creativity-related genes may reduce reproductive success.

Autoimmune astrocytopathy double negative for AQP4-IgG and GFAP-IgG: Retrospective research of clinical practice, biomarkers, and pathology.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate the presence of astrocyte antibodies in patients, excluding aquaporin-4 or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) antibodies, while evaluating associated biomarkers and pathologies. METHODS: Patient serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were tested for antibodies using tissue- and cell-based assays. Neurofilament light chain (NFL) and GFAP in the CSF were detected using single-molecule array (SIMOA). RESULTS: 116 patients accepted SIMOA. Fifteen functional neurological disorders patients without antibodies were designated as controls. Thirty-five patients were positive for astrocyte antibodies (Anti-GFAP: 7; Anti-AQP4: 7; unknown antibodies: 21, designed as the double-negative group, DNAP). The most frequent phenotype of DNAP was encephalitis (42.9%), followed by myelitis (23.8%), movement disorders (19.0%), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like (ALS-like) disease (14.2%). The levels of CSF GFAP and NFL in DNAP were higher than in the control (GFAP: 1967.29 [776.60-13214.47] vs 475.38 [16.80-943.60] pg/mL, p < 0.001; NFL: 549.11 [162.08-2462.61] vs 214.18 [81.60-349.60] pg/mL, p = 0.002). GFAP levels decreased in DNAP (n = 5) after immunotherapy (2446.75 [1583.45-6277.33] vs 1380.46 [272.16-2005.80] pg/mL, p = 0.043), while there was no difference in NFL levels (2273.78 [162.08-2462.61] vs 890.42 [645.06-3168.06] pg/mL, p = 0.893). Two brain biopsy patterns were observed: one exhibited prominent tissue proliferation and hypertrophic astrocytes, with local loss of astrocytes, while the other showed severe astrocyte depletion with loss of neurofilaments around the vessels. Eighteen patients received immunotherapy, and improved except one with ALS-like symptoms. We identified anti-vimentin in this patient. DISCUSSION: There are unidentified astrocyte antibodies. The manifestations of double-negativity are heterogeneous; nevertheless, the pathology and biomarkers remain consistent with astrocytopathy. Immunotherapy is effective.

Global research on emerging trends of obstetrics during the COVID-19 pandemic: A bibliometric analysis.

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has caused continuous effects on the global public, especially for susceptible and vulnerable populations like pregnant women. COVID-19-related studies and publications have shown blowout development, making it challenging to identify development trends and hot areas by using traditional review methods for such massive data. Aimed to perform a bibliometric analysis to explore the status and hotspots of COVID-19 in obstetrics. An online search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database from January 01, 2020 to November 31, 2022, using the following search expression: (((TS= ("COVID 19" OR "coronavirus 2019" OR "coronavirus disease 2019" OR "SARS-CoV-2" OR "2019-nCoV" OR "2019 novel coronavirus" OR "SARS coronavirus 2" OR "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2" OR "SARS-COV2")) AND TS= ("obstetric*" OR "pregnancy*" OR "pregnant" OR "parturition*" OR "puerperium"))). VOSviewer version 1.6.18, CiteSpace version 6.1.R6, R version 4.2.0, and Rstudio were used for the bibliometric and visualization analyses. 4144 articles were included in further analysis, including authors, titles, number of citations, countries, and author affiliations. The United States has contributed the most significant publications with the leading position. "Sahin, Dilek" has the largest output, and "Khalil, Asma" was the most influential author with the highest citations. Keywords of "Cov," "Experience," and "Neonate" with the highest frequency, and "Systematic Review" might be the new research hotspots and frontiers. The top 3 concerned genes included ACE2, CRP, and IL6. The new research hotspot is gradually shifting from the COVID-19 mechanism and its related clinical research to reviewing treatment options for pregnant women. This research uniquely delves into specific genes related to COVID-19's effects on obstetrics, a focus that has not been previously explored in other reviews. Our research enables clinicians and researchers to summarize the overall point of view of the existing literature and obtain more accurate conclusions.

The LOB domain protein, a novel transcription factor with multiple functions: A review.

The LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES DOMAIN (LBD) protein, named for its LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES (LOB) domain, is a member of a class of specific transcription factors commonly found in plants and is absent from all other groups of organisms. LBD TFs have been systematically identified in about 35 plant species and are involved in regulating various aspects of plant growth and development. However, research on the signaling network and regulatory functions of LBD TFs is insufficient, and only a few members have been studied. Moreover, a comprehensive review of these existing studies is lacking. In this review, the structure, regulatory mechanism and function of LBD TFs in recent years were reviewed in order to better understand the role of LBD TFs in plant growth and development, and to provide a new perspective for the follow-up study of LBD TFs.

Analysis of the roles of MAD proteins in the wing dimorphism of Nilaparvata lugens.

Wing dimorphism in Nilaparvata lugens is controlled by the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling - Forkhead transcription factors (IIS-FoxO) pathway. However, the role of this signal in the wing development program remains largely unclear. Here, we identified 2 R-SMAD proteins, NlMAD1 and NlMAD2, in the brown planthopper (BPH) transcriptome, derived from the intrinsic transforming growth factor-ß pathway of insect wing development. Both proteins share high sequence similarity and conserved domains. Phylogenetic analysis placed them in the R-SMAD group and revealed related insect orthologs. The expression of Nlmad1 was elevated in the late instar stages of the macropterous BPH strain. Nlmad1 knockdown in nymphs results in malformed wings and reduced wing size in adults, which affects the forewing membrane. By contrast, Nlmad2 expression was relatively consistent across BPH strains and different developmental stages. Nlmad2 knockdown had a milder effect on wing morphology and mainly affected forewing veins and cuticle thickness in the brachypterous strain. NlMAD1 functions downstream of the IIS-FoxO pathway by mediating the FoxO-regulated vestigial transcription and wing morph switching. Inhibiting Nlmad1 partially reversed the long-winged phenotype caused by NlFoxO knockdown. These findings indicate that NlMAD1 and NlMAD2 play distinct roles in regulating wing development and morph differentiation in BPH. Generally, NlMAD1 is a key mediator of the IIS-FoxO pathway in wing morph switching.

Immune response regulation by transduced mesenchymal stem cells with decorin gene on bleomycin-induced lung injury, fibrosis, and inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary fibrosis is a pathological hallmark of lung injury. It is an aggressive disease that replaces normal lung parenchyma by fibrotic tissue. The transforming growth factor-beta-mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3 (TGF-ß1-Smad3) signaling pathway plays a key role in regulating lung fibrosis. Decorin (DCN), a small leucine-rich proteoglycan, has a modulatory effect on the immune system by reversibly binding with TGF-ß and reducing its bioavailability. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy is a new strategy that has an immune-modulatory capacity. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to introduce a new therapeutic approach to harness remodeling in injured lung. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Bone marrow MSCs were isolated and transduced by decorin gene. Lung injury was induced by bleomycin and mice were treated with MSCs, MSCs-decorin, and decorin. Then, oxidative stress biomarkers, remodeling biomarkers, bronchoalveolar lavage cells, and histopathology study were conducted. RESULTS: Reduced catalase and superoxide dismutase increased due to treatments. Elevated malondialdehyde, hydroxyproline, TGF-ß levels, and polymorphonuclear cells count decreased in the treated groups. Additionally, the histopathology of lung tissues showed controlled inflammation and fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Transfected decorin gene to MSCs and used cell therapy could control remodeling and bleomycin-induced lung injury.

FDX1 as a novel biomarker and treatment target for stomach adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) is one of the main reasons for cancer-related deaths worldwide. This investigation aimed to define the connection between STAD and Cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs). Cuproptosis is a newly identified form of mitochondrial cell death triggered by copper. AIM: To explore the identification of potential biomarkers for STAD disease based on cuproptosis. METHODS: A predictive model using Gene Ontology (GO), Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis analyzed gene interconnections, focusing on 3 copper-related genes and their expression in The Cancer Genome Atlas-STAD. Networks for mRNA-miRNA and mRNA-transcription factor interactions were constructed. The prognostic significance of CRG scores was evaluated using time-receiver operating characteristic, Kaplan-Meier curves, and COX regression analysis. Validation was conducted with datasets GSE26942, GSE54129, and GSE66229. Expression of copper-related differentially expressed genes was also analyzed in various human tissues and gastric cancer subpopulations using the human protein atlas. RESULTS: Three significant genes (FDX1, LIAS, MTF1) were identified and selected via LASSO analysis to predict and classify individuals with STAD into high and low CRG score subgroups. These genes were down-regulated in both risk categories. GO and KEGG analyses highlighted their involvement mainly in the electron transport chain. After validating their differential expression, FDX1 emerged as the most accurate diagnostic marker for gastric cancer. Additionally, the RCircos package localized FDX1 on chromosome 11. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that FDX1 could be a potential biomarker and treatment target for gastric malignancy, providing new ideas for further scientific research.

The role of m6A in angiogenesis and vascular diseases.

Angiogenesis, whether physiological or pathological, plays a pivotal role in various physiological and disease conditions. This intricate process relies on a complex and meticulously orchestrated signal transduction network that connects endothelial cells, their associated parietal cells (VSMCs and pericytes), and various other cell types, including immune cells. Given the significance of m6A and its connection to angiogenesis and vascular disease, researchers must adopt a comprehensive and ongoing approach to their investigations. This study aims to ascertain whether a common key mechanism of m6A exists in angiogenesis and vascular diseases and to elucidate the potential application of m6A in treating vascular diseases.

Cellular Aging and Senescence in Cancer: A Holistic Review of Cellular Fate Determinants.

This comprehensive review navigates the complex relationship between cellular aging, senescence, and cancer, unraveling the determinants of cellular fate. Beginning with an overview of cellular aging's significance in cancer, the review explores processes, changes, and molecular pathways influencing senescence. The review explores senescence as a dual mechanism in cancer, acting as a suppressor and contributor, focusing on its impact on therapy response. This review highlights opportunities for cancer therapies that target cellular senescence. The review further examines the senescence-associated secretory phenotype and strategies to modulate cellular aging to influence tumor behavior. Additionally, the review highlights the mechanisms of senescence escape in aging and cancer cells, emphasizing their impact on cancer prognosis and resistance to therapy. The article addresses current advances, unexplored aspects, and future perspectives in understanding cellular aging and senescence in cancer.

Multi-omics insights into the function and evolution of sodium benzoate biodegradation pathway in Benzoatithermus flavus gen. nov., sp. nov. from hot spring.

Biodegradation stands as an eco-friendly and effective approach for organic contaminant remediation. However, research on microorganisms degrading sodium benzoate contaminants in extreme environments remains limited. In this study, we report to display the isolation of a novel hot spring enriched cultures with sodium benzoate (400 mg/L) as the sole carbon source. The results revealed that the phylum Pseudomonadota was the potential sodium benzoate degrader and a novel genus within the family Geminicoccaceae of this phylum. The isolated strain was named Benzoatithermus flavus SYSU G07066T and was isolated from HNT-2 hot spring samples. Genomic analysis revealed that SYSU G07066T carried benABC genes and physiological experiments indicated the ability to utilize sodium benzoate as a sole carbon source for growth, which was further confirmed by transcriptomic data with expression of benABC. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) plays a significant role in acquiring sodium benzoate degradation capability among prokaryotes, and SYSU G07066T might have acquired benABC genes through HGT from the family Acetobacteraceae. The discovery of the first microorganism with sodium benzoate degradation function from a hot spring enhances our understanding of the diverse functions within the family Geminicoccaceae. This study unearths the first novel genus capable of efficiently degrading sodium benzoate and its evolution history at high temperatures, holding promising industrial applications, and provides a new perspective for further exploring the application potential of hot spring "microbial dark matter".

KBa3M2F14Cl (M = Zr, Hf): novel short-wavelength mixed metal halides with the largest second-harmonic generation responses contributed by mixed functional moieties.

The development of short-wavelength nonlinear optical (NLO) materials is indispensable and urgently required for further applications. Halides have been disregarded as potential NLO materials with deep-ultraviolet (DUV) cutoff edges due to their weak second-harmonic generation (SHG) response and poor birefringence. Here, two novel and isostructural halides, KBa3M2F14Cl (M = Zr (KBZFC), Hf (KBHFC)), possess structures that are formed by isolated MF7 monocapped triangular prisms and dissociative K+, Ba2+, and Cl- ions. Compared with reported metal halides that are transparent to the DUV region, KBZFC and KBHFC possess the strongest SHG responses (approximately 1, 0.9 × KH2PO4), which are contributed by the synergistic effect of MF7 (M = Zr, Hf) groups, Ba2+ cations, and Cl- ions. The zero-dimensional structures favour sufficient birefringences (0.12, 0.10 @ 1064 nm) for phase-matchable (PM) behaviours. The discovery of KBZFC and KBHFC showcases the potential of NLO mixed metal halides transparent to the DUV region.

Noninvasive prediction of lymph node metastasis in pancreatic cancer using an ultrasound-based clinicoradiomics machine learning model.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to explore and validate the value of different machine learning models based on ultrasound image-omics features in the preoperative diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in pancreatic cancer (PC). METHODS: This research involved 189 individuals diagnosed with PC confirmed by surgical pathology (training cohort: n = 151; test cohort: n = 38), including 50 cases of lymph node metastasis. Image-omics features were extracted from ultrasound images. After dimensionality reduction and screening, eight machine learning algorithms, including logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), K-nearest neighbors (KNN), random forest (RF), extra trees (ET), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), and multilayer perceptron (MLP), were used to establish image-omics models to predict lymph node metastasis in PC. The best omics prediction model was selected through ROC curve analysis. Machine learning models were used to analyze clinical features and determine variables to establish a clinical model. A combined model was constructed by combining ultrasound image-omics and clinical features. Decision curve analysis (DCA) and a nomogram were used to evaluate the clinical application value of the model. RESULTS: A total of 1561 image-omics features were extracted from ultrasound images. 15 valuable image-omics features were determined by regularization, dimension reduction, and algorithm selection. In the image-omics model, the LR model showed higher prediction efficiency and robustness, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.773 in the training set and an AUC of 0.850 in the test set. The clinical model constructed by the boundary of lesions in ultrasound images and the clinical feature CA199 (AUC = 0.875). The combined model had the best prediction performance, with an AUC of 0.872 in the training set and 0.918 in the test set. The combined model showed better clinical benefit according to DCA, and the nomogram score provided clinical prediction solutions. CONCLUSION: The combined model established with clinical features has good diagnostic ability and can be used to predict lymph node metastasis in patients with PC. It is expected to provide an effective noninvasive method for clinical decision-making, thereby improving the diagnosis and treatment of PC.

Hallmarks of cancer resistance.

This review explores the hallmarks of cancer resistance, including drug efflux mediated by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, metabolic reprogramming characterized by the Warburg effect, and the dynamic interplay between cancer cells and mitochondria. The role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in treatment resistance and the regulatory influence of non-coding RNAs, such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), are studied. The chapter emphasizes future directions, encompassing advancements in immunotherapy, strategies to counter adaptive resistance, integration of artificial intelligence for predictive modeling, and the identification of biomarkers for personalized treatment. The comprehensive exploration of these hallmarks provides a foundation for innovative therapeutic approaches, aiming to navigate the complex landscape of cancer resistance and enhance patient outcomes.

The impact of the combat method on radiomics feature compensation and analysis of scanners from different manufacturers.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated whether the Combat compensation method can remove the variability of radiomic features extracted from different scanners, while also examining its impact on the subsequent predictive performance of machine learning models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 135 CT images of Credence Cartridge Radiomic phantoms were collected and screened from three scanners manufactured by Siemens, Philips, and GE. 100 radiomic features were extracted and 20 radiomic features were screened according to the Lasso regression method. The radiomic features extracted from the rubber and resin-filled regions in the cartridges were labeled into different categories for evaluating the performance of the machine learning model. Radiomics features were divided into three groups based on the different scanner manufacturers. The radiomic features were randomly divided into training and test sets with a ratio of 8:2. Five machine learning models (lasso, logistic regression, random forest, support vector machine, neural network) were employed to evaluate the impact of Combat on radiomic features. The variability among radiomic features were assessed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and principal component analysis (PCA). Accuracy, precision, recall, and area under the receiver curve (AUC) were used as evaluation metrics for model classification. RESULTS: The principal component and ANOVA analysis results show that the variability of different scanner manufacturers in radiomic features was removed (P˃0.05). After harmonization with the Combat algorithm, the distributions of radiomic features were aligned in terms of location and scale. The performance of machine learning models for classification improved, with the Random Forest model showing the most significant enhancement. The AUC value increased from 0.88 to 0.92. CONCLUSIONS: The Combat algorithm has reduced variability in radiomic features from different scanners. In the phantom CT dataset, it appears that the machine learning model's classification performance may have improved after Combat harmonization. However, further investigation and validation are required to fully comprehend Combat's impact on radiomic features in medical imaging.

From CaBaM2F12 to K2BaM2F12 (M = Zr, Hf): Heterovalent Cation-Substitution-Induced Symmetry Break and Nonlinear-Optical Activity.

Designing short-wavelength nonlinear-optical (NLO) crystals is of vital importance for laser applications. Here, the combination of alkaline-earth metals, d0 transition metals, and F atom has generated two new and isostructural fluorides, CaBaZr2F12 (CBZF) and CaBaHf2F12 (CBHF), which adopt centrosymmetric space group I4/mmm. Taking CBZF and CBHF as the parents, two new fluorides, K2BaZr2F12 (KBZF) and K2BaHf2F12 (KBHF), with an Imm2 polar structure were obtained via a heterovalent cation substitution strategy. All four compounds feature ZrF8-dodecahedra-built {[Zr2F12]4-}∞ chains and show short ultraviolet cutoff edges (<200 nm). KBZF and KBHF show phase-matchable behavior with moderate second-harmonic-generation responses [0.6 and 0.35 × KH2PO4 (KDP)] under 1064 nm laser radiation. This work enriches fluorides as promising short-wavelength NLO materials.

HgBr2: an easily growing wide-spectrum birefringent crystal.

Birefringent materials are of great significance to the development of modern optical technology; however, research on halide birefringent crystals with a wide transparent range remains limited. In this work, mercuric bromide (HgBr2) has been investigated for the first time as a promising birefringent material with a wide transparent window spanning from ultraviolet (UV) to far-infrared (far-IR) spectral regions (0.34-22.9 µm). HgBr2 has an exceptionally large birefringence (Δn, 0.235 @ 546 nm), which is 19.6 times that of commercial MgF2. The ordered linear motif [Br-Hg-Br] with high polarizability anisotropy within the molecule is the inherent source of excellent birefringence, making it an efficient building block for birefringent materials. In addition, HgBr2 can be easily grown under mild conditions and remain stable in air for prolonged periods. Studying the birefringent properties of HgBr2 crystals would provide new ideas for future exploration of wide-spectrum birefringent materials.

The role of USP7-YY1 interaction in promoting colorectal cancer growth and metastasis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health issue with high incidence and mortality. Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is a powerful transcription factor that acts dual roles in gene activation and repression. High expression level of YY1 has been reported in CRC, indicating the existence of stable factors of YY1 in CRC cells. We aimed to identify the key molecules and underlying mechanisms responsible for stabilizing YY1 expression in CRC. Mass spectrometry analysis was utilized to identify USP7 as a potential molecule that interacted with YY1. Mechanically, USP7 stabilizes YY1 expression at the protein level by interfering its K63 linkage ubiquitination. YY1 exerts its oncogenic function through transcriptionally activating TRIAP1 but suppressing LC3B. In addition, at the pathological level, there is a positive correlation between the expression of YY1 and the budding of CRC. This study has revealed the intricate interplay between YY1 and USP7 in CRC, suggesting that they could serve as novel therapeutic targets or predictive biomarkers for CRC patients.