COMPARISON OF DYNESYS AND HYBRID SYSTEM FOR MULTI-SEGMENTAL LDD.

Objective: To compare effectiveness of Dynesys and hybrid system in treating patients with multi-segmental lumbar degenerative disease (LDD). Methods: Patients involved in this retrospective study were divided into Dynesys (n = 22) and Hybrid (n = 13) groups. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Radiologic evaluations included X-ray, MRI, and CT. Furthermore, different complications were analyzed. Results: At the last follow-up, ODI and VAS of each group were improved (p < 0.05), and the range of motion (ROM) of operating segments decreased. However, Dynesys group preserved a larger extent of ROM at the final follow-up (p < 0.05). ROM of the upper adjacent segment was increased in both groups (p < 0.05), while the disc heights were decreased at the final follow-up (p < 0.05). Besides, Dynesys group had a more obvious decrease in the disc height of dynamic segments (p < 0.05). No significant difference existed in complications between both groups (p > 0. 05). Conclusion: In our study, similar satisfactory results were obtained in both groups. Both surgical procedures can be employed as effective treatments for middle-aged and physically active patients with multi-segmental LDD. Level of Evidence III; Retrospective Comparative Study.

Objetivo: Comparar a eficácia do Dynesys e do sistema híbrido no tratamento de pacientes com doença degenerativa lombar multissegmentar (DLD). Métodos: Os pacientes envolvidos neste estudo retrospectivo foram divididos em grupos Dynesys (n = 22) e Híbrido (n = 13). Os desfechos clínicos foram avaliados por meio do Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) e da Escala Visual Analógica (EVA). As avaliações radiológicas incluíram radiografia, ressonância nuclear magnética (RNM) e tomografia computadorizada. Ademais, diferentes complicações foram analisadas. Resultados: No acompanhamento final, o ODI e a EVA de todos os grupos melhoraram (p < 0,05), e houve diminuição da amplitude de movimento (ADM) dos segmentos operacionais. No entanto, o grupo Dynesys preservou uma maior extensão da ADM no acompanhamento final (p < 0,05). A ADM do segmento superior adjacente foi ampliada em ambos os grupos (p < 0,05), enquanto as alturas dos discos foram reduzidas no acompanhamento final (p < 0,05). No entanto, o grupo Dynesys apresentou uma redução mais evidente na altura do disco dos segmentos dinâmicos (p < 0,05). Não houve diferença significativa nas complicações entre esses dois grupos (p > 0,05). Conclusão: Neste estudo, resultados satisfatórios semelhantes foram obtidos em ambos os grupos. Ambos os procedimentos cirúrgicos podem ser empregados como tratamentos eficazes para pacientes de meia-idade e fisicamente ativos com LDD multissegmentar. Nível de Evidência III; Estudo Retrospectivo Comparativo.

Clinical use of quantitative computed tomography to evaluate the effect of less paraspinal muscle damage on bone mineral density changes after lumbar interbody fusion.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the reliability of quantitative computed tomography (QCT) in measuring bone mineral density (BMD) of instrumented vertebrae and investigate the effect of less paraspinal muscle damage on BMD changes after lumbar interbody fusion. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Patients always experience a decrease in vertebral BMD after lumbar interbody fusion. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has analyzed the effect of paraspinal muscles on BMD changes. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included a total of 155 patients who underwent single-level lumbar fusion, with 81 patients in the traditional group and 74 patients in the Wiltse group (less paraspinal muscle damage). QCT was used to measure the volumetric BMD (vBMD), Hounsfield unit value, and cross-sectional area of the paraspinal muscles at the upper instrumented vertebrae (UIV), vertebrae one segment above the UIV (UIV+1), and the vertebrae one segment above the UIV+1 (UIV+2). Statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS: No significant differences in general data were observed between the two groups (p>0.05). Strong correlations were noted between the preoperative and 1-week postoperative vBMD of each segment (p<0.01), with no significant difference between the two time points in both groups (p>0.05). Vertebral BMD loss was significantly higher in UIV+1 and UIV+2 in the traditional group than in the Wiltse group (-13.6%±19.1% vs. -4.2%±16.5%, -10.8%±20.3% vs. -0.9%±37.0%; p<0.05). However, no statistically significant difference was observed in the percent vBMD changes in the UIV segment between the two groups (37.7%±70.1% vs. 36.1%±78.7%, p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: QCT can reliably determine BMD in the instrumented spine after lumbar interbody fusion. With QCT, we found that reducing paraspinal muscle destruction through the Wiltse approach during surgery can help preserve the adjacent vertebral BMD; however, it does not help increase the BMD in the instrumented vertebrae.

The effect of CXCL12 on survival outcomes of patients with viral hepatitis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy.

Background: The CXCL12-CXCR4/CXCR7 axis is garnering growing attention. But the comprehension of its function in the progression of HCC remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of CXCL12 and its receptor on the prognosis of patients with viral hepatitis-associated HCC after hepatectomy. Methods: A total of 86 patients had been enrolled who had undergone hepatectomy for HCC and followed up to July 31, 2019, and their clinicopathological and follow-up data were recorded. Tumor and peritumoral tissues were obtained to detect the expression of CXCL12, CXCR4, and CXCR7 using immunohistochemistry. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was utilized to detect hepatitis B or C virus loads, while survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Furthermore, the Cox proportional hazards regression model was employed to analyze the factors affecting the prognosis. Results: The results revealed that the CXCL12, CXCR4, and CXCR7 expression in tumor tissues was lower than in the corresponding non-tumor tissues in 20.93 %, 22.09 %, and 23.26 % of the patients, respectively, and that only CXCL12 was found to be related to the extrahepatic invasion of HCC. The survival analysis and Cox regression showed that only CXCL12 was associated with the postoperative survival of patients with HCC, and that it was an independent prognostic risk factor in the CXCL12-CXCR4/CXCR7 axis. The CXCL12low group represented shorter progression-free survival and lower overall survival rates. However, the subgroup analysis displayed that the survival difference associated with CXCL12 was only manifested in patients with higher expression of CXCR4 or CXCR7 in HCC, as compared to the surrounding tissues. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that, when assessing the prognostic significance of CXCL12 in HCC, it is essential to consider the expression level of its receptor. Nevertheless, CXCL12 can potentially serve as a promising prognostic marker for HCC.

Identification of the transcriptome signatures and immune-inflammatory responses in postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is the most common type of osteoporosis in women. To date, little is known about their transcriptome signatures, although biomarkers from peripheral blood mononuclear cells are attractive for postmenopausal osteoporosis diagnoses. Here, we performed bulk RNA sequencing of 206 samples (124 postmenopausal osteoporosis and 82 normal samples) and described the clinical phenotypic characteristics of postmenopausal women. We then highlighted the gene set enrichment analyses between the extreme T-score group and the heathy control group, revealing that some immune-inflammatory responses were enhanced in postmenopausal osteoporosis, with representative pathways including the mitogen-activated protein kinase (NES = 1.6, FDR <0.11) pathway and B_CELL_RECEPTOR (NES = 1.69, FDR <0.15) pathway. Finally, we developed a combined risk prediction model based on lasso-logistic regression to predict postmenopausal osteoporosis, which combined eleven genes (PTGS2, CXCL16, NECAP1, RPS23, SSR3, CD74, IL4R, BTBD2, PIGS, LILRA2, MAP3K11) and three pieces of clinical information (age, procollagen I N-terminal propeptide, ß isomer of C-terminal telopeptide of type I) and provided the best prediction ability (AUC = 0.97). Taken together, this study filled a gap in the large-scale transcriptome signature profiles and revealed the close relationship between immune-inflammatory responses and postmenopausal osteoporosis, providing a unique perspective for understanding the occurrence and development of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Circular RNA circ-3626 promotes bone formation by modulating the miR-338-3p/Runx2 axis.

OBJECTIVE: Disorders of bone homeostasis are the key factors leading to metabolic bone disease, such as senile osteoporosis, which is characterized by age-related bone loss. Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) possess high osteogenic capacity which has been regarded as a practical approach to preventing bone loss. Previous studies have shown that the osteogenic differentiation ability of BMSCs is significantly decreased in senile osteoporosis. Recently, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been regarded as critical regulators in controlling the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs by sponging microRNAs (miRNAs). Our study aimed to discover new and critical osteogenesis-related circRNAs that can promote bone formation in senile osteoporosis. METHODS: We detected the dysregulated circRNAs of BMSCs upon osteogenic differentiation induction and identified the critical osteogenic circRNA (circ-3626). The relationship between circ-3626 and osteoporosis was further verified in clinical bone samples and aged mice by qPCR. Moreover, circ-3626 AAV was constructed to examine the osteogenic effect of circ-3626 on bone formation via using Micro-CT, double calcein labeling, and the three-point bending tests. Bioinformatics analysis, Luciferase report gene assays, FISH, RNA pull-down, qPCR, Western Blots, and alizarin red staining assay explore the effects and mechanisms of circ-3626 on osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. RESULTS: Circ-3626 was identified as a pivotal osteogenesis-related circRNA via RNA sequencing. The results of alizarin red staining, Western blots, and qPCR assays suggest that overexpressing circ-3626 dramatically accelerates the osteogenic capability of BMSCs. Furthermore, the bone repair capability of aging mice could be significantly improved by circ-3626 AAV treatment. Micro RNA miR-338-3p was identified as the downstream target of circ-3626. Overexpression of circ-3626 increases the expression of Runx2 by sponging miR-338-3p, thereby promoting the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs by upregulating the expression of osteogenic genes. In addition, Western blots, and qPCR assays suggest circ-3626 AAV treatment promote the expression of Runx2 and osteogenic marker genes. CONCLUSION: Thus, we demonstrate that circ-3626 plays a pivotal role in promoting bone formation through the miR-338-3p/Runx2 axis and may provide new strategies for preventing and treating the bone loss of senile osteoporosis.

CMTM6 as a potential therapy target is associated with immunological tumor microenvironment and can promote migration and invasion in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

CMTM6 has been connected to the development of several malignancies. However, it is still unknown what function CMTM6 serves in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). We obtained RNA sequencing information of PAAD from public datasets and predicted statistical significance of CMTM6 survival in accordance with Kaplan-Meier curves. Gene set enrichment assessment (GSEA) was employed to analyze changes in pathways. Then, we systematically investigated the association involving CMTM6 and the immunological traits within the tumor microenvironment (TME) of PAAD, including immune pathways, immunomodulators, immune infiltrating cells, inflammatory activities, and immunotherapy response prediction. To demonstrate the biologically malignant properties of CMTM6 expression, the Cell Counting Kit-8, transwell experiments, colony formation, and wound healing were utilized. Upregulated CMTM6 expression was revealed within PAAD tissues, which was associated with more frequent somatic mutations and worse survival outcomes. Specifically, CMTM6 expression represented stronger immune infiltration, inflammatory activity, and better immunotherapeutic response in TME. Functional studies revealed that CMTM6 promoted the ability to proliferate, migrate, and invade. Additionally, CMTM6 and PD-L1 had a positive relationship, and CMTM6 can co-immunocoprecipitate with PD-L1 protein in pancreatic cell lines. CMTM6 overexpression shapes the inflammatory TME with a strong immune response. These findings support that CMTM6 is an immunotherapeutic target with promising effect to treat PAAD.

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate Promotes Bone Formation Via CaMKII Signaling.

Dysregulation of bone homeostasis is closely related to the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Suppressing bone resorption by osteoclasts to attenuate bone loss has been widely investigated, but far less effort has been poured toward promoting bone formation by osteoblasts. Here, we aimed to explore magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP), a hydrophilic and stable ascorbic acid derivative, as a potential treatment option for bone loss disorder by boosting osteoblastogenesis and bone formation. We found that MAP could promote the proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation of human skeletal stem and progenitor cells (SSPCs) in vitro. Moreover, MAP supplementation by gavage could alleviate bone loss and accelerate bone defect healing through promoting bone formation. Mechanistically, we identified calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine kinase IIα (CaMKIIα) as the target of MAP, which was found to be directly bound and activated by MAP, then with a concomitant activation in the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 (extracellular regulated kinase 1/2) and CREB (cAMP-response element binding protein) as well as an elevation of C-FOS expression. Further, blocking CaMKII signaling notably abolished these effects of MAP on SSPCs and bone remodeling. Taken together, our data indicated that MAP played an important role in enhancing bone formation through the activation of CaMKII/ERK1/2/CREB/C-FOS signaling pathway and may be used as a novel therapeutic option for bone loss disorders such as osteoporosis. © 2023 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

Recent advances of three-dimensional bioprinting technology in hepato-pancreato-biliary cancer models.

Hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) cancer is a serious category of cancer including tumors originating in the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and biliary ducts. It is limited by two-dimensional (2D) cell culture models for studying its complicated tumor microenvironment including diverse contents and dynamic nature. Recently developed three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is a state-of-the-art technology for fabrication of biological constructs through layer-by-layer deposition of bioinks in a spatially defined manner, which is computer-aided and designed to generate viable 3D constructs. 3D bioprinting has the potential to more closely recapitulate the tumor microenvironment, dynamic and complex cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions compared to the current methods, which benefits from its precise definition of positioning of various cell types and perfusing network in a high-throughput manner. In this review, we introduce and compare multiple types of 3D bioprinting methodologies for HPB cancer and other digestive tumors. We discuss the progress and application of 3D bioprinting in HPB and gastrointestinal cancers, focusing on tumor model manufacturing. We also highlight the current challenges regarding clinical translation of 3D bioprinting and bioinks in the field of digestive tumor research. Finally, we suggest valuable perspectives for this advanced technology, including combination of 3D bioprinting with microfluidics and application of 3D bioprinting in the field of tumor immunology.

Biomechanics evaluation of sacroiliac joint pain after lumbosacral fusion: A finite element analysis.

The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) constitutes the predominant pain source following lumbar or lumbosacral fusion. Although studies have investigated the biomechanical patterns of SIJ behaviors after lumbosacral fusion, the relationship between ligament strain and SIJ pain following lumbosacral fusion remains unclear. The present study developed a three-dimensional finite element model including L4, L5, sacrum, ilium, SIJ, and seven mainly ligaments. After successful validation, the model was used to investigate the biomechanics of SIJ and ligaments in simulating lumbosacral fusion process. Our results showed that small motion in a stable SIJ may significantly increases the contact pressure and stress of the SIJ, which increase the maximum contact pressure by 171%, 676%, 199%, and 203% and stress by 130%, 424%, 168%, and 241% for flexion, extension, bending, and axial rotation, respectively. An increase in contact pressure and stress in SIJ possibly causes pain at the SIJ, especially in extension and axial rotation. A comparison between the lumbosacral and intact models exhibited the maximum strain increase in the iliosacral ligament (ISL) and the ileal ligament (IL) under all loading conditions. The present study suggests that after lumbosacral fusion process, the ligament sudden increase or decrease is likely to lead sprain or strain ligament, especially ISL and IL thereby causing SIJ pain. This study may contribute to understand the relationship between SIJ ligaments and SIJ pain.

MiR-138-5p Targets MACF1 to Aggravate Aging-related Bone Loss.

Senile osteoporosis is one of the major health problems in an aging society. Decreased bone formation due to osteoblast dysfunction may be one of the causes of aging-related bone loss. With increasing evidence suggesting that multiple microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in osteoblast function, the relationship between miRNAs and senile osteoporosis has become a popular research topic. Previously, we confirmed that mechanoresponsive miR-138-5p negatively regulated bone anabolic action. In this study, the miR-138-5p level was found to be negatively correlated with BMD and osteogenic markers in bone specimens of senile osteoporotic patients by bioinformatic analysis and experimental verification. Furthermore, high miR-138-5p levels aggravated the decrease of aged osteoblast differentiation in vitro and led to worse bone loss in aged osteoblastic miR-138-5p transgenic mice in vivo. We also previously identified that the target of miR-138-5p, microtubule actin cross-linking factor 1 (MACF1), could attenuate senile osteoporosis. Here, miR-138-5p was demonstrated to regulate aged osteoblast differentiation by targeting MACF1. Finally, the therapeutic inhibition of miR-138-5p counteracted the decrease in bone formation and aging-related bone loss in aged mice. Overall, our results highlight the crucial roles and the molecular mechanism of miR-138-5p in aging-related bone loss and may provide a powerful therapeutic target for ameliorating senile osteoporosis.

Efficacy of the Dynesys Hybrid Surgery for Patients with Multi-Segmental Lumbar Spinal Stenosis.

Objective: The efficacy of hybrid (Dynesys and fusion) surgery and the traditional transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion surgery was compared in patients with multi-segmental lumbar spinal stenosis. Methods: A total of 68 patients with multi-segmental lumbar spinal stenosis subjected to surgery were recruited between January 2013 and October 2020 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology. The patients were divided into a hybrid group (N = 33) and a TLIF group (N = 35) by surgery. After surgery, follow-up was conducted for 12 months. Between the two groups, the following parameters were compared: general conditions, clinical symptom scores, imaging parameters, and early complications. Results: A statistically significant difference in the duration of surgery was noted between the two groups. After 12 months of follow-up, the range of motion disappeared in the TLIF group, while 63.53% was preserved in the hybrid group with statistically significant differences. A statistically significant difference was identified in the Oswestry Disability Index one week after surgery. Nonetheless, no statistically significant differences were observed at the 12-month post-surgical follow-up. Pfirrmann grade showed a 3.03% upper adjacent segment degeneration rate in the hybrid group (1/33) at 12-month follow-up and 2.86% (1/35) in the TLIF group. Notably, no early complications (screw loosening and wound infection) were identified in the two groups. Conclusion: The Dynesys hybrid surgery combined the advantages of two systems of dynamic stabilization and rigid fusion. Besides, hybrid surgery is potentially a novel approach for the treatment of multi-segmental lumbar spinal stenosis.

Circular RNA circStag1 promotes bone regeneration by interacting with HuR.

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a common bone metabolic disorder characterized by deterioration of the bone microarchitecture, leading to an increased risk of fractures. Recently, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been demonstrated to play pivotal roles in regulating bone metabolism. However, the underlying functions of circRNAs in bone metabolism in postmenopausal osteoporosis remain obscure. Here, we report that circStag1 is a critical osteoporosis-related circRNA that shows significantly downregulated expression in osteoporotic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and clinical bone tissue samples from patients with osteoporosis. Overexpression of circStag1 significantly promoted the osteogenic capability of BMSCs. Mechanistically, we found that circStag1 interacts with human antigen R (HuR), an RNA-binding protein, and promotes the translocation of HuR into the cytoplasm. A high cytoplasmic level of HuR led to the activation of the Wnt signaling pathway by stabilizing and enhancing low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5/6 (Lrp5/6) and ß-catenin expression, thereby stimulating the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Furthermore, overexpression of circStag1 in vivo by circStag1-loaded adeno-associated virus (circStag1-AAV) promoted new bone formation, thereby preventing bone loss in ovariectomized rats. Collectively, we show that circStag1 plays a pivotal role in promoting the regeneration of bone tissue via HuR/Wnt signaling, which may provide new strategies to prevent bone metabolic disorders such as postmenopausal osteoporosis.

m6 A demethylase ALKBH5 drives denervation-induced muscle atrophy by targeting HDAC4 to activate FoxO3 signalling.

BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle atrophy is a common clinical manifestation of various neurotrauma and neurological diseases. In addition to the treatment of primary neuropathies, it is a clinical condition that should be investigated. FoxO3 activation is an indispensable mechanism in denervation-induced muscle atrophy; however, upstream factors that control FoxO3 expression and activity have not been fully elucidated. N6 -methyladenosine (m6 A) methylation is a novel mode of epitranscriptional gene regulation that affects several cellular processes. However, the biological significance of m6 A modification in FoxO3-dependent atrophy is unknown. METHODS: We performed gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments and used denervation-induced muscle atrophy mouse model to evaluate the effects of m6 A modification on muscle mass control and FoxO3 activation. m6 A-sequencing and mass spectrometry analyses were used to establish whether histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) is a mediator of m6 A demethylase ALKBH5 regulation of FoxO3. A series of cellular and molecular biological experiments (western blot, immunoprecipitation, half-life assay, m6 A-MeRIP-qPCR, and luciferase reporter assays among others) were performed to investigate regulatory relationships among ALKBH5, HDAC4, and FoxO3. RESULTS: In skeletal muscles, denervation was associated with a 20.7-31.9% decrease in m6 A levels (P < 0.01) and a 35.6-115.2% increase in demethylase ALKBH5 protein levels (P < 0.05). Overexpressed ALKBH5 reduced m6 A levels, activated FoxO3 signalling, and induced excess loss in muscle wet weight (-10.3% for innervation and -11.4% for denervation, P < 0.05) as well as a decrease in myofibre cross-sectional areas (-35.8% for innervation and -33.3% for denervation, P < 0.05) during innervation and denervation. Specific deletion of Alkbh5 in the skeletal muscles prevented FoxO3 activation and protected mice from denervation-induced muscle atrophy, as evidenced by increased muscle mass (+16.0%, P < 0.05), size (+50.0%, P < 0.05) and MyHC expression (+32.6%, P < 0.05). Mechanistically, HDAC4 was established to be a crucial central mediator for ALKBH5 in enhancing FoxO3 signalling in denervated muscles. ALKBH5 demethylates and stabilizes Hdac4 mRNA. HDAC4 interacts with and deacetylates FoxO3, resulting in a significant increase in FoxO3 expression (+61.3-82.5%, P < 0.01) and activity (+51.6-122.0%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings elucidate on the roles and mechanisms of ALKBH5-mediated m6 A demethylation in the control of muscle mass during denervation and activation of FoxO3 signalling by targeting HDAC4. These results suggest that ALKBH5 is a potential therapeutic target for neurogenic muscle atrophy.

Dynamic Alteration of the Gut Microbiota Associated with Obesity and Intestinal Inflammation in Ovariectomy C57BL/6 Mice.

OBJECTIVE: Estrogen is a critical hormone that is mainly produced by the ovary in females. Estrogen deficiency leads to various syndromes and diseases, partly due to gut microbiota alterations. Previous studies have shown that estrogen deficiency affects the gut microbiota at 6-8 weeks after ovariectomy, but the immediate effect of estrogen deficiency on the gut microbiota remains poorly understood. METHODS: To investigate the short time and dynamic effects of decreased estrogen levels on the gut microbiota and their potential impact on estrogen deficiency-related diseases, we performed metagenomic sequencing of 260 fecal samples from 50 ovariectomy (OVX) and 15 control C57BL/6 female mice at four time points after surgery. RESULTS: We found that seven gut microbiota species, including E. coli, Parabacteroides unclassified, Lachnospiraceae bacterium 8_1_57FAA, Bacteroides uniformis, Veillonella unclassified, Bacteroides xylanisolvens, and Firmicutes bacterium M10_2, were abundant in OVX mice. The abundance of these species increased with time after OVX surgery. The relative abundance of the opportunistic pathogen E. coli and the Crohn's disease-related Veillonella spp. was significantly correlated with mouse weight gain in the OVX group. Butyrate production and the Entner-Doudoroff pathway were significantly enriched in the control mouse group, while the degradation of glutamic acid and aspartic acid was enriched in the OVX mouse group. As the time after OVX surgery increased, the bacterial species and metabolic pathways significantly changed and tended to suggest an inflammatory environment, indicating a subhealthy state of the gut microbiota in the OVX mouse group. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our results show that the dynamic gut microbiota profile alteration caused by estrogen deficiency is related to obesity and inflammation, which may lead to immune and metabolic disorders. This study provides new clues for the treatment of estrogen deficiency-related diseases.

PiRNA-63049 inhibits bone formation through Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Bone remodeling is a dynamic process between bone formation mediated by osteoblasts and bone resorption mediated by osteoclasts. Disrupted bone remodeling is a key factor in postmenopausal osteoporosis, a metabolic disorder characterized by deteriorated bone microarchitecture and increased risk of fracture. Recent studies have shown that piwi-binding RNA (piRNA) is involved in the pathogenesis of certain diseases at the post-transcriptional level. Here, we analyzed piRNA-63049 (piR-63049), which may play an essential role in bone remodeling. The expression of piR-63049 significantly increased in both bone tissues and plasma of osteoporotic rats and postmenopausal osteoporotic patients. Overexpressing piR-63049 could inhibit the osteoblastogenesis of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) while knocking down piR-63049 could promote the osteoblastogenesis of BMSCs through the Wnt2b/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Moreover, knocking-down piR-63049 (piR-63049-antagonist) in vivo could attenuate the bone loss in ovariectomized rats by promoting bone formation. Taken together, the current study shows that piR-63049 inhibits bone formation through the Wnt2b/ß-catenin signaling pathway. This novel piRNA may be a potential target to increase bone formation in bone loss disorders such as postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Enhanced bone regeneration via spatiotemporal and controlled delivery of a genetically engineered BMP-2 in a composite Hydrogel.

Scaffolds functionalized with bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) have shown great potential for bone regeneration. However, structural instability and the necessity for supra-physiological dose have thus far limited practical applications for BMP-2. Protein modification and site-specific covalent immobilization of BMP-2 to carrier materials might be optimal strategies to overcome these problems. Here, we report a broadly applicable strategy where the polyhistidine tag-T4 Lysozyme (His6-T4L) was genetically fused at the N-terminus of BMP-2 and used as a protein spacer, which on one hand enhanced protein solubility and stability, and on the other hand mediated site-specific covalent anchoring of BMP-2 upon binding to nickel-chelated nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) microparticles (denoted as MPs-His6-T4L-BMP2) to further maximize its rescued activity. We also constructed a novel gelatin-based hydrogel that was crosslinked by transglutaminase (TG) and tannic acid (TA). This hydrogel, when incorporated with MPs-His6-T4L-BMP2, displayed excellent in-situ injectability, thermosensitivity, adhesiveness and improved mechanical properties. The effective loading mode led to a controlled and long-term sustained release of His6-T4L-BMP2, thereby resulting in enhancement of bone regeneration in a critical-sized bone defect. We believe that the protein modification strategy proposed here opens up new route not only for BMP-2 applications, but can be used to inform novel uses for other macromolecules.

Polymer Network Editing of Elastomers for Robust Underwater Adhesion and Tough Bonding to Diverse Surfaces.

Tough adhesives with robust adhesion are desperately needed for biomedical and technological applications. However, it is extremely challenging to engineer tough and durable adhesives that are simple to make yet also exhibit strong underwater adhesion as well as tough bonding to diverse surfaces. Here, we report bioinspired elastomers based on water-immiscible polydiolcitrates, where their tough mechanical properties, robust underwater adhesion (80 kPa), and tough bonding performance (with an interfacial toughness >1000 J m-2 and a shear and tensile strength >0.5 MPa) to diverse solid materials (glass, ceramics, and steel) are actuated by the incorporation of trace amounts of additives. The additives could edit the polymer networks during the elastomer polymerization by dramatically regulating the cross-linking structures of covalent and reversible bonds, the length of polymer chains, and the hydrophobic and hydrophilic motifs, which markedly tuned the mechanical and adhesive properties of the bioelastomers. We also demonstrate versatile applications of the durable elastomers, as tough flexible joints for solid materials, superglue, tissue sealants, hemostatic dressing, and wound repair.