Importance of genetic evaluation and testing in pediatric cardiomyopathy

Pediatric cardiomyopathies are clinically heterogeneous heart muscle disorders that are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Phenotypes include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy, left ventricular noncompaction and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. There is substantial evidence for a genetic contribution to pediatric cardiomyopathy. To date, more than 100 genes have been implicated in cardiomyopathy, but comprehensive genetic diagnosis has been problematic because of the large number of genes, the private nature of mutations, and difficulties in interpreting novel rare variants. This review will focus on current knowledge on the genetic etiologies of pediatric cardiomyopathy and their diagnostic relevance in clinical settings. Recent developments in sequencing technologies are greatly impacting the pace of gene discovery and clinical diagnosis. Understanding the genetic basis for pediatric cardiomyopathy and establishing genotypephenotype correlations may help delineate the molecular and cellular events necessary to identify potential novel therapeutic targets for heart muscle dysfunction in children.

How old is too old? In vivo engraftment of human peripheral blood stem cells cryopreserved for up to 18 years-implications for clinical transplantation and stability programs

BACKGROUND Peripheral blood stem cells(PBSC)are commonly cryopreserved awaiting clinical use for hematopoietic stem cell transplant.Long term cryopreservation is commonly defined as five years or longer,and limited data exists regarding how long PBSC can be cryopreserved and retain the ability to successfully engraft.Clinical programs,stem cell banks,and regulatory and accrediting agencies interested in product stability would benefit from such data.Thus,we assessed recovery and colony forming ability of PBSC following long-term cryopreservation as well as their ability to engraft in NOD/SCID/IL-2 Rγnull(NSG)mice.AIM To investigate the in vivo engraftment potential of long-term cryopreserved PBSC units.METHODS PBSC units which were collected and frozen using validated clinical protocols were obtained for research use from the Cellular Therapy Laboratory at Indiana University Health.These units were thawed in the Cellular Therapy Laboratory using clinical standards of practice,and the pre-freeze and post-thaw characteristics of the units were compared.Progenitor function was assessed using standard colony-forming assays.CD34-selected cells were transplanted into immunodeficient mice to assess stem cell function.RESULTS Ten PBSC units with mean of 17 years in cryopreservation(range 13.6-18.3 years)demonstrated a mean total cell recovery of 88%±12%(range 68%-110%)and post-thaw viability of 69%±17%(range 34%-86%).BFU-E growth was shown in 9 of 10 units and CFU-GM growth in 7 of 10 units post-thaw.Immunodeficient mice were transplanted with CD34-selected cells from four randomly chosen PBSC units.All mice demonstrated long-term engraftment at 12 wk with mean34%±24%human CD45+cells,and differentiation with presence of human CD19+,CD3+and CD33+cells.Harvested bone marrow from all mice demonstrated growth of erythroid and myeloid colonies.CONCLUSION We demonstrated engraftment of clinically-collected and thawed PBSC following cryopreservation up to 18 years in NSG mice,signifying likely successful clinical transplantation of PBSC following long-term cryopreservation.

Research progress in the cell origin of basal cell carcinoma

Identification of the cell origin of human neoplasms remains a challenging but important task in cancer research.The outcomes in this area of study may allow us to design novel strategies for early cancer detection and targeted cancer therapeutics.Skin is a great organ to study cancer stem cells because stem cells in skin have been well investigated and approaches of genetic manipulation in specific cell compartments are available to mimic clinical skin cancer in a mouse model.Recently,by using different genetic engineered mouse models,several groups have tried to discover which cell type in skin was responsible for the initiation of basal cell carcinoma,the most common type of skin cancer.These studies raised more questions but also showed more ways for future investigation.

Essential vitamins for an effective T cell response

Effective adaptive immune responses rely upon appropriate activation of T cells by antigenic peptidemajor histocompatibility complex on the surface of antigen presenting cells(APCs).Activation relies on additional signals including co-stimulatory molecules on the surface of the APCs that promote T cell expansion.The immune response is further sculpted by the cytokine environment.However,T cells also respond to other environmental signals including hormones,neurotransmitters,and vitamins.In this review,we summarize the mechanisms through which vitamins A and D impact immune responses,particularly in the context of T cell responses.

Challenges and opportunities identifying therapeutic targets for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy resulting from oxidative DNA damage

Background on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy（CIPN）Incidence,prevalence,and consequences：Up to 90%of cancer patients experience CIPN at some point during or after anticancer treatment（Seretny et al.,2014）.

Emerging targets for glioblastoma stem cell therapy

Glioblastoma multiforme（GBM）,designated as World Health Organization（WHO）grade IV astrocytoma,is a lethal and therapy-resistant brain cancer comprised of several tumor cell subpopulations,including GBM stem cells（GSCs）which are believed to contribute to tumor recurrence following initial response to therapies.Emerging evidence demonstrates that GBM tumors are initiated from GSCs.The development and use of novel therapies including small molecule inhibitors of specific proteins in signaling pathways that regulate sternness,proliferation and migration of GSCs,immunotherapy,and non-coding microRNAs may provide better means of treating GBM.Identification and characterization of GSC-specific signaling pathways would be necessary to identify specific therapeutic targets which may lead to the development of more efficient therapies selectively targeting GSCs.Several signaling pathways including mTOR,AKT,maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase（MELK）,NOTCH1 and Wnt/β-catenin as well as expression of cancer stem cell markers CD133,CD44,Oct4,Sox2,Nanog,and ALDHlA1 maintain GSC properties.Moreover,the data published in the Cancer Genome Atlas（TCGA）specifically demonstrated the activated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in GBM tumorigenesis.Studying such pathways may help to understand GSC biology and lead to the development of potential therapeutic interventions to render them more sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation therapy.Furthemore,recent demonstration of dedifferentiation of GBM cell lines into CSC-like cells prove that any successful therapeutic agent or combination of drugs for GBM therapy must eliminate not only GSCs,but the differentiated GBM cells and the entire bulk of tumor cells.

Corrigendum to“Nitrosamines crisis in pharmaceuticals-Insights on toxicological implications,root causes and risk assessment:A systematic review”[J.Pharm.Anal.14(2024)100919]

Original statement in the Section 2:2.Literature search Our primary screening of 180 articles yielded the relevant data for this study.2.1.Study selection A total of 180 articles spanning from 1960 to the present day,including original research,reviews,case reports and studies reporting nitrosamine impurities above the no-observed-adverse-effect levels(NOAEL)established by regulatory agencies,were initially screened.During the primary screening,we considered factors such as relevance,publication date,access to the full article text,and content.

Nitrosamines crisis in pharmaceuticals-Insights on toxicological implications,root causes and risk assessment:A systematic review

The presence of N-nitroso compounds,particularly N-nitrosamines,in pharmaceutical products has raised global safety concerns due to their significant genotoxic and mutagenic effects.This systematic review investigates their toxicity in active pharmaceutical ingredients(APIs),drug products,and pharmaceutical excipients,along with novel analytical strategies for detection,root cause analysis,reformulation strategies,and regulatory guidelines for nitrosamines.This review emphasizes the molecular toxicity of N-nitroso compounds,focusing on genotoxic,mutagenic,carcinogenic,and other physiological effects.Additionally,it addresses the ongoing nitrosamine crisis,the development of nitrosamine-free products,and the importance of sensitive detection methods and precise risk evaluation.This comprehensive overview will aid molecular biologists,analytical scientists,formulation scientists in research and development sector,and researchers involved in management of nitrosamine-induced toxicity and promoting safer pharmaceutical products.

Clinical implications of hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitors

Hedgehog was first described in Drosophila melanogaster by the Nobel laureates Eric Wieschaus and Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard. The hedgehog (Hh) pathway is a major regulator of cell differentiation, proliferation, tissue polarity, stem cell maintenance, and carcinogenesis. The first link of Hh signaling to cancer was established through studies of a rare familial disease, Gorlin syndrome, in 1996. Follow-up studies revealed activation of this pathway in basal cell carcinoma, medulloblastoma and, leukemia as well as in gastrointestinal, lung, ovarian, breast, and prostate cancer. Targeted inhibition of Hh signaling is now believed to be effective in the treatment and prevention of human cancer. The discovery and synthesis of specific inhibitors for this pathway are even more exciting. In this review, we summarize major advances in the understanding of Hh signaling pathway activation in human cancer, mouse models for studying Hh- mediated carcinogenesis, the roles of Hh signaling in tumor development and metastasis, antagonists for Hh signaling and their clinical implications.

Deciphering the role of hedgehog signaling in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer, mostly pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma （PDAC）, is a leading cause of cancer-related death in the US, with a dismal median survival of 6 months. Thus, there is an urgent unmet need to identify ways to diagnose and to treat this deadly cancer. Although a number of genetic changes have been identified in pancreatic cancer, their mechanisms of action in tumor development, progression and metastasis are not completely understood. Hedgehog signaling, which plays a major role in embryonic development and stem cell regulation, is known to be activated in pancreatic cancer; however, specific inhibitors targeting the smoothened molecule failed to improve the condition of pancreatic cancer patients in clinical trials. Furthermore, results regarding the role of Hh signaling in pancreatic cancer are controversial with some reporting tumor promoting activities whereas others tumor suppressive actions. In this review, we will summarize what we know about hedgehog signaling in pancreatic cancer, and try to explain the contradicting roles of hedgehog signaling as well as the reason（s） behind the failed clinical trials. In addition to the canonical hedgehog signaling, we will also discuss several non-canonical hedgehog signaling mechanisms.

Tumor shrinkage by cyclopamine tartrate through inhibiting hedgehog signaling

The link of hedgehog (Hh) signaling activation to human cancer and synthesis of a variety of Hh signaling inhibitors raise great expectation that inhibiting Hh signaling may be effective in human cancer treatment. Cyclopamine (Cyc), an alkaloid from the Veratrum plant, is a specific natural product inhibitor of the Hh pathway that acts by targeting smoothened (SMO) protein. However, its poor solubility, acid sensitivity, and weak potency relative to other Hh antagonists prevent the clinical development of Cyc as a therapeutic agent. Here, we report properties of cyclopamine tartrate salt (CycT) and its activities in Hh signaling-mediated cancer in vitro and in vivo. Unlike Cyc, CycT is water soluble (5-10 mg/mL). The median lethal dose (LD50) of CycT was 62.5 mg/kg body weight compared to 43.5 mg/kg for Cyc, and the plasma half-life (T1/2) of CycT was not significantly different from that of Cyc. We showed that CycT had a higher inhibitory activity for Hh signaling-dependent motor neuron differentiation than did Cyc (IC50 = 50 nmol/L for CycT vs. 300 nmol/L for Cyc). We also tested the antitumor effectiveness of these Hh inhibitors using two mouse models of basal cell carcinomas (K14cre:Ptch1neo/neo and K14cre:SmoM2YFP). After topical application of CycT or Cyc daily for 21 days, we found that all CycT-treated mice had tumor shrinkage and decreased expression of Hh target genes. Taken together, we found that CycT is an effective inhibitor of Hh signaling-mediated carcinogenesis.

Wdpcp基因调控心脏冠状动脉发育的机制

Wdpcp作为平面细胞极性的效应基因,在胚胎时期主要通过影响细胞运动和初级纤毛生长参与多种器官和组织的发生和发育过程。WDPCP突变与临床上Bardet-Biedl综合征和Meckel-Gruber综合征相关。该文主要揭示了Wdpcp基因调节小鼠冠状动脉发育的新功能和机制,丰富了该基因的致病类型,为临床上诊断冠状动脉疾病的发病原因提供了重要的遗传学依据。

Promising molecular mechanisms responsible for gemcitabine resistance in cancer

Gemcitabine is the first-line treatment for pancreatic ductual adenocarcinoma(PDAC)as well as acts against a wide range of other solid tumors.Patients usually have a good initial response to gemcitabine-based chemotherapy but would eventually develop resistance.To improve survival and prognosis of cancer patients,better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for gemcitabine resistance and discovery of new therapeutic strategies are in great need.Amounting evidence indicate that the developmental pathways,such as Hedgehog(Hh),Wnt and Notch,become reactivated in gemcitabine-resistant cancer cells.Thus,the strategies for targeting these pathways may sensitize cancer cells to gemcitabine treatment.In this review,we will summarize recent development in this area of research and discuss strategies to overcome gemcitabine resistance.Given the cross-talk between these three developmental signaling pathways,designing clinical trials using a cocktail of inhibitory agents targeting all these pathways may be more effective.Ultimately,our hope is that targeting these developmental pathways may be an effective way to improve the gemcitabine treatment outcome in cancer patients.

Precise genome-editing in human diseases:mechanisms,strategies and applications

Precise genome-editing platforms are versatile tools for generating specific,site-directed DNA insertions,deletions,and substitutions.The continuous enhancement of these tools has led to a revolution in the life sciences,which promises to deliver novel therapies for genetic disease.Precise genome-editing can be traced back to the 1950s with the discovery of DNA’s doublehelix and,after 70 years of development,has evolved from crude in vitro applications to a wide range of sophisticated capabilities,including in vivo applications.Nonetheless,precise genome-editing faces constraints such as modest efficiency,delivery challenges,and off-target effects.In this review,we explore precise genome-editing,with a focus on introduction of the landmark events in its history,various platforms,delivery systems,and applications.First,we discuss the landmark events in the history of precise genome-editing.Second,we describe the current state of precise genome-editing strategies and explain how these techniques offer unprecedented precision and versatility for modifying the human genome.Third,we introduce the current delivery systems used to deploy precise genome-editing components through DNA,RNA,and RNPs.Finally,we summarize the current applications of precise genome-editing in labeling endogenous genes,screening genetic variants,molecular recording,generating disease models,and gene therapy,including ex vivo therapy and in vivo therapy,and discuss potential future advances.

Contribution of Baroreflex Afferent Pathway to NPY-Mediated Regulation of Blood Pressure in Rats

Neuropeptide Y (NPY), a metabolism-related cardiovascular factor, plays a crucial role in blood pressure(BP) regulation via peripheral and central pathways. The expression of NPY receptors (Y1R/Y2R) specific to baroreflex afferents impacts on the sexually dimorphic neural control of circulation. This study was designed to investigate the expression profiles of NPY receptors in the nodose ganglion (NG) and nucleus tractus solitary (NTS) under hypertensive conditions. To this end, rats with hypertension induced by NG-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) or high fructose drinking (HFD), and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were used to explore the effects/mechanisms of NPY on BP using functional, molecular, and electrophysiological approaches. The data showed that BP was elevated along with baroreceptor sensitivity dysfunction in model rats;Y1R was up-or down-regulated in the NG or NTS of male and female HFD/L-NAME groups,while Y2R was only down-regulated in the HFD groups as well as in the NG of the male L-NAME group. In SHRs,Y1R and Y2R were both down-regulated in the NTS, and not in the NG. In addition to NPY-mediated energy homeostasis, leptin-melanocortin activation may be essential for metabolic disturbance-related hypertension. We found that leptin and a-melanocyte stimulating hormone (aMSH) receptors were aberrantly down-regulated in HFD rats. In addition, a-MSH concentrations were reduced and NPY concentrations were elevated in the serum and NTS at 60 and 90 min after acute leptin infusion. Electrophysiological recordings showed that the decay time-constant and area under the curve of excitatory post-synaptic currents were decreased by Y1R activation in A-types, whereas, both were increased by Y2R activation in Ah-or C-types. These results demonstrate that sex-and afferent-specific NPY receptor expression in the baroreflex afferent pathway is likely to be a novel target for the clinical management of metabolism-related and essential hypertension.

Glioblastoma stem cells(GSCs)epigenetic plasticity and interconversion between differentiated non-GSCs and GSCs

Cancer stem cells(CSCs)or cancer initiating cells(CICs)maintain self-renewal and multilineage differentiation properties of various tumors,as well as the cellular heterogeneity consisting of several subpopulations within tumors.CSCs display the malignant phenotype,self-renewal ability,altered genomic stability,specific epigenetic signature,and most of the time can be phenotyped by cell surface markers(e.g.,CD133,CD24,and CD44).Numerous studies support the concept that non-stem cancer cells(non-CSCs)are sensitive to cancer therapy while CSCs are relatively resistant to treatment.In glioblastoma stem cells(GSCs),there is clonal heterogeneity at the genetic level with distinct tumorigenic potential,and defined GSC marker expression resulting from clonal evolution which is likely to influence disease progression and response to treatment.Another level of complexity in glioblastoma multiforme(GBM)tumors is the dynamic equilibrium between GSCs and differentiated non-GSCs,and the potential for non-GSCs to revert(dedifferentiate)to GSCs due to epigenetic alteration which confers phenotypic plasticity to the tumor cell population.Moreover,exposure of the differentiated GBM cells to therapeutic doses of temozolomide(TMZ)or ionizing radiation(IR)increases the GSC pool both in vitro and in vivo.This review describes various subtypes of GBM,discusses the evolution of CSC models and epigenetic plasticity,as well as interconversion between GSCs and differentiated non-GSCs,and offers strategies to potentially eliminate GSCs.

Distinct transcriptomic landscapes of cutaneous basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas

The majority of non-melanoma skin cancer(NMSC)is cutaneous basal cell carcinoma(BCC)or squamous cell carcinoma(SCC),which are also called keratinocyte carcinomas,as both of them originate from keratinocytes.The incidence of keratinocyte carcinomas is over 5 million per year in the US,three-fold higher than the total incidence of all other types of cancer combined.While there are several reports on gene expression profiling of BCC and SCC,there are significant variations in the reported gene expression changes in different studies.One reason is that tumor-adjacent normal skin specimens were not included in many studies as matched controls.Furthermore,while numerous studies of skin stem cells in mouse models have been reported,their relevance to human skin cancer remains unknown.In this report,we analyzed gene expression profiles of paired specimens of keratinocyte carcinomas with their matched normal skin tissues as the control.Among several novel findings,we discovered a significant number of zinc finger encoding genes up-regulated in human BCC.In BCC,a novel link was found between hedgehog signaling,Wnt signaling,and the cilium.While the SCC cancerstem-cell gene signature is shared between human and mouse SCCs,the hair follicle stem-cell signature of mice was not highly represented in human SCC.Differential gene expression(DEG)in human BCC shares gene signature with both bulge and epidermal stem cells.We have also determined that human BCCs and SCCs have distinct gene expression patterns,and some of them are not fully reflected in current mouse models.

Autophagy modulates CD4^(+) T-cell lineage recommitment upon pathogen infection

The thymus provides specialized signals that support and guide the development of precursor cells into various T-cell lineages,including conventionalαβT cells comprising the CD4^(+) and CD8^(+) T-cell subsets that are key mediators of adaptive immunity.Within the thymus,a complex network of persistent T-cell receptor(TCR)activation,cytokine signals,and transcription factors dictates the development of CD4^(+) and CD8^(+) T cells.1 The fate commitment of CD4^(+) and CD8^(+) T-cell lineages is reciprocally orchestrated by the ThPOK-and Runx3-dependent transcriptome.2,3 In the periphery,mature CD4^(+) or CD8^(+) T cells are activated by specific antigens bound to major histocompatibility complex class II(MHC-II)or I(MHC-I),respectively,which facilitates their clonal expansion and effector function in defense against pathogen infection.While the dichotomy of CD4 and CD8 lineage decisions is considered to be stable in mature T cells,whether and how pathogens reprogram lineage commitment during an immune response remain unclear.In this issue of Cellular and Molecular Immunology,4 Robins et al.demonstrated that Vps34/Atg7-dependent autophagy inhibits the generation of MHC-II-restricted CD4−CD8^(+) T cells by restraining Runx3 expression in effector CD4^(+) T cells upon pathogen infection(Fig.1).

Inhibition of PRMT5 by market drugs as a novel cancer therapeutic avenue

Market drugs,suchas Foodand Drug Administration(FDA)or European Medicines Agency(EMA)-approved drugs for specific indications provide opportunities for repurposing for newer therapeutics.This potentially saves resources invested in clinical trials that verify drug safety and tolerance in humans prior to alternative indication approval.Protein arginine methyltransferase 5(PRMT5)overexpression has been linked to promoting the tumor phenotype in several cancers,including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC),colorectal cancer(CRC),and breast cancer(BC),making PRMT5 an important target for cancer therapy.Previously,we showed that PRMT5-mediated methylation of the nuclear factor(NF)-kB,partially contributes to its constitutive activation observed in cancers.In this study,we utilized an AlphaLiSA-based high-throughput screening method adapted in our lab,and identified one FDA-approved drug,Candesartan cilexetil(Can,used in hypertension treatment)and one EMA-approved drug,Cloperastine hydrochloride(Clo,used in cough treatment)that had significant PRMT5-inhibitory activity,and their anti-tumor properties were validated using cancer phenotypic assays in vitro.Furthermore,PRMT5 selective inhibition of methyltransferase activity was confirmed by reduction of both NF-kB methylation and its subsequent activation upon drug treatment.Using in silico prediction,we identified critical residues on PRMT5 targeted by these drugs that may interfere with its enzymatic activity.Finally,Clo and Can treatment have exhibited marked reduction in tumor growth in vivo.Overall,we provide basis for pursuing repurposing Clo and Can as anti-PRMT5 cancer therapies.Our study offers potential safe and fast repurposing of previously unknown PRMT5 inhibitors into clinical practice.

Aberrant cholesterol metabolism in colorectal cancer represents a targetable vulnerability

Colorectal cancer(CRC)is the second most deadly adult cancer in men and women combined,accountable 9.2%of all cancer deaths.^(1)Drug resistance to chemotherapies,such as 5-FU-related regimens,remains a major cause of cancer recurrence and death in patients with CRC.Aberrant metabolic changes in cancer cells are a significant cancer hallmark.