The number of genetically modified mouse models that mimic human disease is growing rapidly,but only a tiny fraction has been commonly used.According to The Knockout Mouse Program(Lloyd,2011),a public resource of mous...The number of genetically modified mouse models that mimic human disease is growing rapidly,but only a tiny fraction has been commonly used.According to The Knockout Mouse Program(Lloyd,2011),a public resource of mouse embryonic stem cells containing a null mutation in every gene in the mouse genome,8,916 mutant mice lines were phenotyped up to 19 July 2022.Due to the poor correlation between the genomic responses in the mouse models and those responses in human disease,and since humans differ significantly in their genetic vulnerability to common diseases,we still need better mouse models,especially for common and chronic human diseases,including cancer,pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases,obesity and diabetes,behavioral disorders,and neurodegenerative diseases.These new models will be placed into a public repository,The China National Human Disease Animal Model Resource Center(NAMR).This project is funded by Ministry of Science and Technology of China and specializes in the creation,introduction,collection,preservation,and supply of animal model resources forhuman diseases.展开更多
Object:Early-life neglect has irreversible emotional effects on the central nervous system.In this work,we aimed to elucidate distinct functional neural changes in me-dial prefrontal cortex(mPFC)of model rats.Methods:...Object:Early-life neglect has irreversible emotional effects on the central nervous system.In this work,we aimed to elucidate distinct functional neural changes in me-dial prefrontal cortex(mPFC)of model rats.Methods:Maternal separation with early weaning was used as a rat model of early-life neglect.The excitation of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in rat mPFC was recorded and analyzed by whole-cell patch clamp.Results:Glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons of mPFC were distinguished by typi-cal electrophysiological properties.The excitation of mPFC glutamatergic neurons was significantly increased in male groups,while the excitation of mPFC GABAergic neurons was significant in both female and male groups,but mainly in terms of rest membrane potential and amplitude,respectively.Conclusions:Glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in medial prefrontal cortex showed different excitability changes in a rat model of early-life neglect,which can contribute to distinct mechanisms for emotional and cognitive manifestations.展开更多
The premetastatic niches(PMN)formed by primary tumor-derived molecules regulate distant organs and tissues to further favor tumor colonization.Targeted PMN therapy may prevent tumor metastasis in the early stages,whic...The premetastatic niches(PMN)formed by primary tumor-derived molecules regulate distant organs and tissues to further favor tumor colonization.Targeted PMN therapy may prevent tumor metastasis in the early stages,which is becoming increasingly important.At present,there is a lack of in-depth understanding of the cellular and molecular characteristics of the PMN.Here,we summarize current research advances on the cellular and molecular characteristics of the PMN.We emphasize that PMN intervention is a potential therapeutic strategy for early prevention of tumor metastasis,which provides a promising basis for future research and clinical application.展开更多
Background:Pathological angiogenesis and blood–brain barrier damage may play an important role in Alzheimer's disease(AD).ACE2 is mainly expressed on the surface of endothelial cells in brain.Recent studies have ...Background:Pathological angiogenesis and blood–brain barrier damage may play an important role in Alzheimer's disease(AD).ACE2 is mainly expressed on the surface of endothelial cells in brain.Recent studies have shown that the expression of ACE2 in AD is reduced,but its role in AD is still unclear.Method:We induced AD damage in endothelial cells using Aβ25-35 and overexpressed ACE2 in bEend.3 cells through lentiviral transfection.We detected the effect of Aβ25-35 on cell viability using the CCK-8 assay and examined the effect of overexpressing ACE2 on angiogenesis using an angiogenesis assay.We used western blot and cell immunofluorescence to detect changes in the expression of the VEGF/VEGFR2 pathway,tight junction protein,and NF-κB pathway.Results:Aβ25-35 treatment significantly decreased the expression of ACE2 and reduced cell viability.ACE2 overexpression(1)reduced the number of branches and junctions in tube formation,(2)inhibited the activation of the VEGF/VEGFR2 pathway induced by Aβ25-35,(3)increased the expression of TJPs,including ZO-1 and claudin-5,and(4)restored Aβ25-35-induced activation of the NF-κB pathway.Conclusion:Overexpression of ACE2 can improve pathological angiogenesis and blood–brain barrier damage in AD models in vitro by inhibiting NF-κB/VEGF/VEGFR2 pathway activity.ACE2 may therefore represent a therapeutic target for endothelial cell dysfunction in AD.展开更多
Background:Busulfan(BU)is an alkylating agent used as a conditioning agent prior to hematopoietic stem cell(HSC)transplantation as it is known to be cytotoxic to host hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.The suscep...Background:Busulfan(BU)is an alkylating agent used as a conditioning agent prior to hematopoietic stem cell(HSC)transplantation as it is known to be cytotoxic to host hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.The susceptibility of HSCs to BU injury plays an important role in the myeloablative efficacy of BU.Different susceptibilities were demonstrated in genetically diverse(GD)mice in our preliminary research.Methods:Three strains of GD mice with different susceptibilities to BU-i nduced HSC injury were used for screening biological markers of HSC injury susceptibility in urine.The urine proteins were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to screen for differentially expressed proteins.Screening for possible biomarkers based on differences in protein expression abundance was validated using enzyme-l inked immunoassay(ELISA).Results:Functional analysis showed that the differential proteins were all involved in a series of biological pathways related to cellular senescence,apoptosis,and angiogenesis;whereas the differential proteins of the high-susceptible strain were enriched for the regulation of bone marrow microenvironment pathways,those of low-susceptible strain were enriched for the proapoptotic effect of GTPase pathways.Based on protein abundance differences,several urinary proteins that may be indicative of susceptibility were screened,and ELISA validation results showed that angiotensin-converting enzyme may be a potential biomarker predicting HSC susceptibility for BU conditioning.Conclusions:This study indicates that urinary protein levels can reflect differences in susceptibility to BU-i nduced HSC injury.Using GD mice to construct genetic difference models will provide preclinical data for screening BU-related biological markers.展开更多
The risk of internal and external exposure to ionizing radiation(IR)has increased alongside the development and implementation of nuclear technology.Therefore,serious security issues have emerged globally,and there ha...The risk of internal and external exposure to ionizing radiation(IR)has increased alongside the development and implementation of nuclear technology.Therefore,serious security issues have emerged globally,and there has been an increase in the number of studies focusing on radiological prevention and medical countermeasures.Radioprotective drugs are particularly important components of emergency medical preparedness strategies for the clinical management of IR-induced injuries.However,a few drugs have been approved to date to treat such injuries,and the related mechanisms are not entirely understood.Thus,the aim of the present review was to provide a brief overview of the World Health Organization's updated list of essential medicines for 2023 for the proper management of national stockpiles and the treatment of radiological emergencies.This review also discusses the types of radiation-induced health injuries and the related mechanisms,as well as the development of various radioprotective agents,including Chinese herbal medicines,for which significant survival benefits have been demonstrated in animal models of acute radiation syndrome.展开更多
Background: New therapeutic targets are needed to improve the outcomes for gastric cancer(GC) patients with advanced disease. Evasion of programmed cell death(apoptosis) is a hallmark of cancer cells and direct induct...Background: New therapeutic targets are needed to improve the outcomes for gastric cancer(GC) patients with advanced disease. Evasion of programmed cell death(apoptosis) is a hallmark of cancer cells and direct induction of apoptosis by targeting the pro-survival BCL2 family proteins represents a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning cancer cell survival could provide a molecular basis for potential therapeutic interventions. Method: Here we explored the role of BCL2L1 and the encoded anti-apoptotic BCL-XL in GC. Using Droplet Digital PCR(ddPCR) technology to investigate the DNA amplification of BCL2L1 in GC samples and GC cell lines, the sensitivity of GC cell lines to selective BCL-XL inhibitors A1155463 and A1331852, pan-inhibitor ABT-263, and VHL-based PROTAC-BCL-XL was analyzed using(CellTiter-Glo) CTG assay in vitro. Western Blot(WB) was used to detect the protein expression of BCL2 family members in GC cell lines and the manner in which PROTAC-BCL-XL kills GC cells. Coimmunoprecipitation(Co-IP) was used to investigate the mechanism of A1331852 and ABT-263 kills GC cell lines. DDPCR, WB, and real-time PCR(RTPCR) were used to investigate the correlation between DNA, RNA, protein levels, and drug activity. Results: The functional assay showed that a subset of GC cell lines relies on BCL-XL for survival. In gastric cancer cell lines, BCL-XL inhibitors A1155463 and A1331852 are more sensitive than the pan BCL2 family inhibitor ABT-263, indicating that ABT-263 is not an optimal inhibitor of BCL-XL. VHL-based PROTAC-BCL-XL DT2216 appears to be active in GC cells. DT2216 induces apoptosis of gastric cancer cells in a time-and dose-dependent manner through the proteasome pathway. Statistical analysis showed that the BCL-XL protein level predicts the response of GC cells to BCL-XL targeting therapy and BCL2L1 gene CNVs do not reliably predict BCL-XL expression.Conclusion: We identified BCL-XL as a promising therapeutic target in a subset of GC cases with high levels of BCL-XL protein expression. Functionally, we demonstrated that both selective BCL-XL inhibitors and VHL-based PROTAC BCL-XL can potently kill GC cells that are reliant on BCL-XL for survival. However, we found that BCL2L1 copy number variations(CNVs) cannot reliably predict BCL-XL expression, but the BCL-XL protein level serves as a useful biomarker for predicting the sensitivity of GC cells to BCL-XL-targeting compounds. Taken together, our study pinpointed BCL-XL as potential druggable target for specific subsets of GC.展开更多
Background:Inflammation is a complex physiological and pathological process.Although many types of inflammation are well characterized,their physiological func-tions are largely unknown.tRNA aspartic acid methyltransf...Background:Inflammation is a complex physiological and pathological process.Although many types of inflammation are well characterized,their physiological func-tions are largely unknown.tRNA aspartic acid methyltransferase 1(TRDMT1)has been implicated as a stress-related protein,but its intrinsic biological role is unclear.Methods:We constructed a Trdmt1 knockout rat and adopted the LPS-induced sepsis model.Survival curve,histopathological examination,expression of inflammatory fac-tors,and protein level of TLR4 pathway were analyzed.Results:Trdmt1 deletion had no obvious impact on development and growth.Trdmt1 de-letion slightly increased the mortality during aging.Our data showed that Trdmt1 strongly responded in LPS-treated rats,and Trdmt1 knockout rats were vulnerable to LPS treat-ment with declined survival rate.We also observed more aggravated tissue damage and more cumulative functional cell degeneration in LPS-treated knockout rats compared with control rats.Further studies showed upregulated TNF-αlevel in liver,spleen,lung,and serum tissues,which may be explained by enhanced p65 and p38 phosphorylation.Conclusions:Our data demonstrated that Trdmt1 plays a protective role in inflamma-tion by regulating the TLR4-NF-κB/MAPK-TNF-αpathway.This work provides useful information to understand the TRDMT1 function in inflammation.展开更多
Background:Gastrointestinal(GI)injury is one of the most common side effects of radiotherapy.However,there is no ideal therapy method except for symptomatic treatment in the clinic.Xuebijing(XBJ)is a traditional Chine...Background:Gastrointestinal(GI)injury is one of the most common side effects of radiotherapy.However,there is no ideal therapy method except for symptomatic treatment in the clinic.Xuebijing(XBJ)is a traditional Chinese medicine,used to treat sepsis by injection.In this study,the protective effects of XBJ on radiation-i nduced intestinal injury(RⅢ)and its mechanism were explored.Methods:The effect of XBJ on survival of irradiated C57BL/6 mice was monitored.Histological changes including the number of crypts and the length of villi were evaluated by H&E.The expression of Lgr5^(+)intestinal stem cells(ISCs),Ki67^(+)cells,villin and lysozymes were examined by immunohistochemistry.The expression of cytokines in the intestinal crypt was detected by RT-PCR.DNA damage and apoptosis rates in the small intestine were also evaluated by immunofluorescence.Results:In the present study,XBJ improved the survival rate of the mice after 8.0and 9.0 Gy total body irradiation(TBI).XBJ attenuated structural damage of the small intestine,maintained regenerative ability and promoted proliferation and differentiation of crypt cells,decreased apoptosis rate and reduced DNA damage in the intestine.Elevation of IL-6 and TNF-α was limited,but IL-1,TNF-β and IL-10 levels were increased in XBJ-treated group after irradiation.The expression of Bax and p53 were decreased after XBJ treatment.Conclusions:Taken together,XBJ provides a protective effect on RⅢby inhibiting inflammation and blocking p53-related apoptosis pathway.展开更多
Glioma is the most prevalent brain tumor,presenting with limited treatment options,while patients with malignant glioma and glioblastoma(GBM)have poor prognoses.The physical obstacle to drug delivery imposed by the bl...Glioma is the most prevalent brain tumor,presenting with limited treatment options,while patients with malignant glioma and glioblastoma(GBM)have poor prognoses.The physical obstacle to drug delivery imposed by the blood‒brain barrier(BBB)and glioma stem cells(GSCs),which are widely recognized as crucial elements contributing to the unsatisfactory clinical outcomes.In this study,we found a small molecule,gambogic amide(GA-amide),exhibited the ability to effectively penetrate the blood-brain barrier(BBB)and displayed a notable enrichment within the tumor region.Moreover,GA-amide exhibited significant efficacy in inhibiting tumor growth across various in vivo glioma models,encompassing transgenic and primary patient-derived xenograft(PDX)models.We further performed a genome-wide clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)knockout screen to determine the druggable target of GA-amide.By the combination of the cellular thermal shift assay(CETSA),the drug affinity responsive target stability(DARTS)approach,molecular docking simulation and surface plasmon resonance(SPR)analysis,WD repeat domain 1(WDR1)was identified as the direct binding target of GA-amide.Through direct interaction with WDR1,GA-amide promoted the formation of a complex involving WDR1,MYH9 and Cofilin,which accelerate the depolymerization of F-actin to inhibit the invasion of patient-derived glioma cells(PDCs)and induce PDC apoptosis via the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.In conclusion,our study not only identified GA-amide as an effective and safe agent for treating glioma but also shed light on the underlying mechanisms of GA-amide from the perspective of cytoskeletal homeostasis.展开更多
Developing agents that can accurately differentiate tumors from normal healthy tissues is of utmost importance for safe cancer therapy.Active targeting has been considered as an effective technique for tumor recogniti...Developing agents that can accurately differentiate tumors from normal healthy tissues is of utmost importance for safe cancer therapy.Active targeting has been considered as an effective technique for tumor recognition.In this work,we demonstrate a folate-functionalized nanoscale covalent organic framework(FATD nCOF)highly specific to cancer cells through active targeting of their enriched folate receptors(FRs).The FATD nCOF prepared by simple post-synthetic modification of the COF surface defeats disperses well in water and exhibits a high loading capacity for various anticancer drugs.The biocompatible FATD nCOF is selectively internalized by FR-harboring cancer cells and consequently augments the efficacy of the loaded drug,Withaferin A(Wi-A),for targeted cancer cell killing.In biomolecular mechanism studies,Wi-A-loaded FATD(FATD@Wi-A)nanocomposites show remarkably a higher rate of apoptosis in FR-enriched cancer cells.Comparative analyses of FR-positive and FR-negative tumor xenografts reveal enhanced selective antitumor activity of FATD@Wi-A nanotherapeutics.Taken together,the study findings suggest that FATD nCOF holds great promise for active targeting of tumors in vivo.Our simple yet effective technology might be valuable for creating new state-of-the-art COFs for chemical and biomedical applications.展开更多
基金supported by grants from CAMS initiative for Innovative Medicine of China(No.2021-I2M-1-034)National Key R&D Program of China(No.2021YFF0703200)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82041008 and 82161138027).
文摘The number of genetically modified mouse models that mimic human disease is growing rapidly,but only a tiny fraction has been commonly used.According to The Knockout Mouse Program(Lloyd,2011),a public resource of mouse embryonic stem cells containing a null mutation in every gene in the mouse genome,8,916 mutant mice lines were phenotyped up to 19 July 2022.Due to the poor correlation between the genomic responses in the mouse models and those responses in human disease,and since humans differ significantly in their genetic vulnerability to common diseases,we still need better mouse models,especially for common and chronic human diseases,including cancer,pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases,obesity and diabetes,behavioral disorders,and neurodegenerative diseases.These new models will be placed into a public repository,The China National Human Disease Animal Model Resource Center(NAMR).This project is funded by Ministry of Science and Technology of China and specializes in the creation,introduction,collection,preservation,and supply of animal model resources forhuman diseases.
基金CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(CIFMS),Grant/Award Number:2021-I2M-1-034National Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant/Award Number:31970510Young Elite Scientist Sponsorship Program by CAST,Grant/Award Number:2019QNRC001。
文摘Object:Early-life neglect has irreversible emotional effects on the central nervous system.In this work,we aimed to elucidate distinct functional neural changes in me-dial prefrontal cortex(mPFC)of model rats.Methods:Maternal separation with early weaning was used as a rat model of early-life neglect.The excitation of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in rat mPFC was recorded and analyzed by whole-cell patch clamp.Results:Glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons of mPFC were distinguished by typi-cal electrophysiological properties.The excitation of mPFC glutamatergic neurons was significantly increased in male groups,while the excitation of mPFC GABAergic neurons was significant in both female and male groups,but mainly in terms of rest membrane potential and amplitude,respectively.Conclusions:Glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in medial prefrontal cortex showed different excitability changes in a rat model of early-life neglect,which can contribute to distinct mechanisms for emotional and cognitive manifestations.
基金Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(2021-I2M-1-013)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFF0702801,2022YFF0710705)+1 种基金the Special Research Fund for Central Universities,Peking Union Medical College(No.3332022182)Seed Fund for Youth Talent Training Program of Beijing Tongren Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University(2020-YJJ-ZZL-034).
文摘The premetastatic niches(PMN)formed by primary tumor-derived molecules regulate distant organs and tissues to further favor tumor colonization.Targeted PMN therapy may prevent tumor metastasis in the early stages,which is becoming increasingly important.At present,there is a lack of in-depth understanding of the cellular and molecular characteristics of the PMN.Here,we summarize current research advances on the cellular and molecular characteristics of the PMN.We emphasize that PMN intervention is a potential therapeutic strategy for early prevention of tumor metastasis,which provides a promising basis for future research and clinical application.
基金Peking Union Medical CollegeCAMS initiative for Innovative Medicine of ChinaGrant/Award Number:2021-I2M-1-034
文摘Background:Pathological angiogenesis and blood–brain barrier damage may play an important role in Alzheimer's disease(AD).ACE2 is mainly expressed on the surface of endothelial cells in brain.Recent studies have shown that the expression of ACE2 in AD is reduced,but its role in AD is still unclear.Method:We induced AD damage in endothelial cells using Aβ25-35 and overexpressed ACE2 in bEend.3 cells through lentiviral transfection.We detected the effect of Aβ25-35 on cell viability using the CCK-8 assay and examined the effect of overexpressing ACE2 on angiogenesis using an angiogenesis assay.We used western blot and cell immunofluorescence to detect changes in the expression of the VEGF/VEGFR2 pathway,tight junction protein,and NF-κB pathway.Results:Aβ25-35 treatment significantly decreased the expression of ACE2 and reduced cell viability.ACE2 overexpression(1)reduced the number of branches and junctions in tube formation,(2)inhibited the activation of the VEGF/VEGFR2 pathway induced by Aβ25-35,(3)increased the expression of TJPs,including ZO-1 and claudin-5,and(4)restored Aβ25-35-induced activation of the NF-κB pathway.Conclusion:Overexpression of ACE2 can improve pathological angiogenesis and blood–brain barrier damage in AD models in vitro by inhibiting NF-κB/VEGF/VEGFR2 pathway activity.ACE2 may therefore represent a therapeutic target for endothelial cell dysfunction in AD.
基金National Natural Scientific Foundation of ChinaGrant/Award Number:81972975+2 种基金National Human Diseases Animal Model Resource CenterNational Science Foundation for Young Scientists of ChinaGrant/Award Number:81703170。
文摘Background:Busulfan(BU)is an alkylating agent used as a conditioning agent prior to hematopoietic stem cell(HSC)transplantation as it is known to be cytotoxic to host hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.The susceptibility of HSCs to BU injury plays an important role in the myeloablative efficacy of BU.Different susceptibilities were demonstrated in genetically diverse(GD)mice in our preliminary research.Methods:Three strains of GD mice with different susceptibilities to BU-i nduced HSC injury were used for screening biological markers of HSC injury susceptibility in urine.The urine proteins were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to screen for differentially expressed proteins.Screening for possible biomarkers based on differences in protein expression abundance was validated using enzyme-l inked immunoassay(ELISA).Results:Functional analysis showed that the differential proteins were all involved in a series of biological pathways related to cellular senescence,apoptosis,and angiogenesis;whereas the differential proteins of the high-susceptible strain were enriched for the regulation of bone marrow microenvironment pathways,those of low-susceptible strain were enriched for the proapoptotic effect of GTPase pathways.Based on protein abundance differences,several urinary proteins that may be indicative of susceptibility were screened,and ELISA validation results showed that angiotensin-converting enzyme may be a potential biomarker predicting HSC susceptibility for BU conditioning.Conclusions:This study indicates that urinary protein levels can reflect differences in susceptibility to BU-i nduced HSC injury.Using GD mice to construct genetic difference models will provide preclinical data for screening BU-related biological markers.
基金National Human Diseases Animal Model Resource CenterNational Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant/Award Number:81972975+1 种基金Applied Basic Research Key Program of Tianjin,Grant/Award Number:22JCZDJC00430CAMS Medicine and Health Technology Innovation Project,Grant/Award Number:2021-I2M-1-060。
文摘The risk of internal and external exposure to ionizing radiation(IR)has increased alongside the development and implementation of nuclear technology.Therefore,serious security issues have emerged globally,and there has been an increase in the number of studies focusing on radiological prevention and medical countermeasures.Radioprotective drugs are particularly important components of emergency medical preparedness strategies for the clinical management of IR-induced injuries.However,a few drugs have been approved to date to treat such injuries,and the related mechanisms are not entirely understood.Thus,the aim of the present review was to provide a brief overview of the World Health Organization's updated list of essential medicines for 2023 for the proper management of national stockpiles and the treatment of radiological emergencies.This review also discusses the types of radiation-induced health injuries and the related mechanisms,as well as the development of various radioprotective agents,including Chinese herbal medicines,for which significant survival benefits have been demonstrated in animal models of acute radiation syndrome.
文摘Background: New therapeutic targets are needed to improve the outcomes for gastric cancer(GC) patients with advanced disease. Evasion of programmed cell death(apoptosis) is a hallmark of cancer cells and direct induction of apoptosis by targeting the pro-survival BCL2 family proteins represents a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning cancer cell survival could provide a molecular basis for potential therapeutic interventions. Method: Here we explored the role of BCL2L1 and the encoded anti-apoptotic BCL-XL in GC. Using Droplet Digital PCR(ddPCR) technology to investigate the DNA amplification of BCL2L1 in GC samples and GC cell lines, the sensitivity of GC cell lines to selective BCL-XL inhibitors A1155463 and A1331852, pan-inhibitor ABT-263, and VHL-based PROTAC-BCL-XL was analyzed using(CellTiter-Glo) CTG assay in vitro. Western Blot(WB) was used to detect the protein expression of BCL2 family members in GC cell lines and the manner in which PROTAC-BCL-XL kills GC cells. Coimmunoprecipitation(Co-IP) was used to investigate the mechanism of A1331852 and ABT-263 kills GC cell lines. DDPCR, WB, and real-time PCR(RTPCR) were used to investigate the correlation between DNA, RNA, protein levels, and drug activity. Results: The functional assay showed that a subset of GC cell lines relies on BCL-XL for survival. In gastric cancer cell lines, BCL-XL inhibitors A1155463 and A1331852 are more sensitive than the pan BCL2 family inhibitor ABT-263, indicating that ABT-263 is not an optimal inhibitor of BCL-XL. VHL-based PROTAC-BCL-XL DT2216 appears to be active in GC cells. DT2216 induces apoptosis of gastric cancer cells in a time-and dose-dependent manner through the proteasome pathway. Statistical analysis showed that the BCL-XL protein level predicts the response of GC cells to BCL-XL targeting therapy and BCL2L1 gene CNVs do not reliably predict BCL-XL expression.Conclusion: We identified BCL-XL as a promising therapeutic target in a subset of GC cases with high levels of BCL-XL protein expression. Functionally, we demonstrated that both selective BCL-XL inhibitors and VHL-based PROTAC BCL-XL can potently kill GC cells that are reliant on BCL-XL for survival. However, we found that BCL2L1 copy number variations(CNVs) cannot reliably predict BCL-XL expression, but the BCL-XL protein level serves as a useful biomarker for predicting the sensitivity of GC cells to BCL-XL-targeting compounds. Taken together, our study pinpointed BCL-XL as potential druggable target for specific subsets of GC.
基金CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(CIFMS)(2021-I 2M-1-024 and 2021-I 2M-1-034)and Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation(M21004)+1 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(31970508)111 Project of the Ministry of Education(B20095)。
文摘Background:Inflammation is a complex physiological and pathological process.Although many types of inflammation are well characterized,their physiological func-tions are largely unknown.tRNA aspartic acid methyltransferase 1(TRDMT1)has been implicated as a stress-related protein,but its intrinsic biological role is unclear.Methods:We constructed a Trdmt1 knockout rat and adopted the LPS-induced sepsis model.Survival curve,histopathological examination,expression of inflammatory fac-tors,and protein level of TLR4 pathway were analyzed.Results:Trdmt1 deletion had no obvious impact on development and growth.Trdmt1 de-letion slightly increased the mortality during aging.Our data showed that Trdmt1 strongly responded in LPS-treated rats,and Trdmt1 knockout rats were vulnerable to LPS treat-ment with declined survival rate.We also observed more aggravated tissue damage and more cumulative functional cell degeneration in LPS-treated knockout rats compared with control rats.Further studies showed upregulated TNF-αlevel in liver,spleen,lung,and serum tissues,which may be explained by enhanced p65 and p38 phosphorylation.Conclusions:Our data demonstrated that Trdmt1 plays a protective role in inflamma-tion by regulating the TLR4-NF-κB/MAPK-TNF-αpathway.This work provides useful information to understand the TRDMT1 function in inflammation.
基金CAMS Medicine and Health Technology Innovation ProjectGrant/Award Number:2021-I2M-1-060 and 2021-RC310-010+1 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaGrant/Award Number:81972975。
文摘Background:Gastrointestinal(GI)injury is one of the most common side effects of radiotherapy.However,there is no ideal therapy method except for symptomatic treatment in the clinic.Xuebijing(XBJ)is a traditional Chinese medicine,used to treat sepsis by injection.In this study,the protective effects of XBJ on radiation-i nduced intestinal injury(RⅢ)and its mechanism were explored.Methods:The effect of XBJ on survival of irradiated C57BL/6 mice was monitored.Histological changes including the number of crypts and the length of villi were evaluated by H&E.The expression of Lgr5^(+)intestinal stem cells(ISCs),Ki67^(+)cells,villin and lysozymes were examined by immunohistochemistry.The expression of cytokines in the intestinal crypt was detected by RT-PCR.DNA damage and apoptosis rates in the small intestine were also evaluated by immunofluorescence.Results:In the present study,XBJ improved the survival rate of the mice after 8.0and 9.0 Gy total body irradiation(TBI).XBJ attenuated structural damage of the small intestine,maintained regenerative ability and promoted proliferation and differentiation of crypt cells,decreased apoptosis rate and reduced DNA damage in the intestine.Elevation of IL-6 and TNF-α was limited,but IL-1,TNF-β and IL-10 levels were increased in XBJ-treated group after irradiation.The expression of Bax and p53 were decreased after XBJ treatment.Conclusions:Taken together,XBJ provides a protective effect on RⅢby inhibiting inflammation and blocking p53-related apoptosis pathway.
基金supported by the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(CIFMS)grant(2021-I2M-1-034)the National Key R&D Program of China(2022YFC3401002)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82173373).
文摘Glioma is the most prevalent brain tumor,presenting with limited treatment options,while patients with malignant glioma and glioblastoma(GBM)have poor prognoses.The physical obstacle to drug delivery imposed by the blood‒brain barrier(BBB)and glioma stem cells(GSCs),which are widely recognized as crucial elements contributing to the unsatisfactory clinical outcomes.In this study,we found a small molecule,gambogic amide(GA-amide),exhibited the ability to effectively penetrate the blood-brain barrier(BBB)and displayed a notable enrichment within the tumor region.Moreover,GA-amide exhibited significant efficacy in inhibiting tumor growth across various in vivo glioma models,encompassing transgenic and primary patient-derived xenograft(PDX)models.We further performed a genome-wide clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)knockout screen to determine the druggable target of GA-amide.By the combination of the cellular thermal shift assay(CETSA),the drug affinity responsive target stability(DARTS)approach,molecular docking simulation and surface plasmon resonance(SPR)analysis,WD repeat domain 1(WDR1)was identified as the direct binding target of GA-amide.Through direct interaction with WDR1,GA-amide promoted the formation of a complex involving WDR1,MYH9 and Cofilin,which accelerate the depolymerization of F-actin to inhibit the invasion of patient-derived glioma cells(PDCs)and induce PDC apoptosis via the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.In conclusion,our study not only identified GA-amide as an effective and safe agent for treating glioma but also shed light on the underlying mechanisms of GA-amide from the perspective of cytoskeletal homeostasis.
基金the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS)KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists(No.21K14508)Takeda Science Foundation+4 种基金Advanced Technology Institute Research Grants 2021Senri Life Science FoundationMurata Science Foundation,JST CREST Grant(No.JPMJCR21B3)grants from AIST(Japan)and the Department of Biotechnology(Govt.of India)under the DAILAB and DAICENTER projectsthe National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2022YFF0710705).
文摘Developing agents that can accurately differentiate tumors from normal healthy tissues is of utmost importance for safe cancer therapy.Active targeting has been considered as an effective technique for tumor recognition.In this work,we demonstrate a folate-functionalized nanoscale covalent organic framework(FATD nCOF)highly specific to cancer cells through active targeting of their enriched folate receptors(FRs).The FATD nCOF prepared by simple post-synthetic modification of the COF surface defeats disperses well in water and exhibits a high loading capacity for various anticancer drugs.The biocompatible FATD nCOF is selectively internalized by FR-harboring cancer cells and consequently augments the efficacy of the loaded drug,Withaferin A(Wi-A),for targeted cancer cell killing.In biomolecular mechanism studies,Wi-A-loaded FATD(FATD@Wi-A)nanocomposites show remarkably a higher rate of apoptosis in FR-enriched cancer cells.Comparative analyses of FR-positive and FR-negative tumor xenografts reveal enhanced selective antitumor activity of FATD@Wi-A nanotherapeutics.Taken together,the study findings suggest that FATD nCOF holds great promise for active targeting of tumors in vivo.Our simple yet effective technology might be valuable for creating new state-of-the-art COFs for chemical and biomedical applications.
