Small Interfering RNA Targeting TNF-α Gene Significantly Attenuates Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Mice

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha（TNF-α） has been found to be centrally involved in the development of ischemia-reperfusion injury（IRI）-induced inflammation and apoptosis. Knockdown of TNF-α gene using small interfering RNA（si RNA） may protect renal IRI. Renal IRI was induced in mice by clamping the left renal pedicle for 25 or 35 min. TNF-α si RNA was administered intravenously to silence the expression of TNF-α. The therapeutic effects of si RNA were evaluated in terms of renal function, histological examination, and overall survival following lethal IRI. A single systemic injection of TNF-α si RNA resulted in significant knockdown of TNF-α expression in ischemia-reperfusion injured kidney. In comparison with control mice, levels of BUN and serum creatinine were significantly reduced in mice treated with si RNA. Pathological examination demonstrated that tissue damage caused by IRI was markedly reduced as a result of TNF-α si RNA treatment. Furthermore, survival experiments showed that nearly 90% of control mice died from lethal IRI, whereas more than 50% of si RNApretreated mice survived until the end of the eight-day observation period. We have demonstrated for the first time that silencing TNF-α by specific si RNA can significantly reduce renal IRI and protect mice against lethal kidney ischemia, highlighting the potential for si RNA-based clinical therapy.

MicroRNA-regulated viral vectors for gene therapy

Safe and effective gene therapy approaches require targeted tissue-specific transfer of a therapeutic transgene.Besides traditional approaches, such as transcriptional and transductional targeting, micro RNA-dependent posttranscriptional suppression of transgene expression has been emerging as powerful new technology to increase the specificity of vector-mediated transgene expression. Micro RNAs are small non-coding RNAs and often expressed in a tissue-, lineage-, activation- or differentiation-specific pattern. They typically regulate gene expression by binding to imperfectly complementary sequences in the 3' untranslated region(UTR) of the m RNA. To control exogenous transgene expression, tandem repeats of artificial micro RNA target sites are usually incorporated into the 3' UTR of the transgene expression cassette, leading to subsequent degradation of transgene m RNA in cel s expressing the corresponding micro RNA. This targeting strategy, first shown for lentiviral vectors in antigen presenting cells, has now been used for tissue-specific expression of vector-encoded therapeutic transgenes, to reduce immune response against the transgene, to control virus tropism for oncolytic virotherapy, to increase safety of live attenuated virus vaccines and to identify and select cell subsets for pluripotent stem cell therapies, respectively. This review provides an introduction into the technical mechanism underlying micro RNA-regulation, highlights new developments in this field and gives an overview of applications of micro RNA-regulated viral vectors for cardiac, suicide gene cancer and hematopoietic stem cell therapy, as well as for treatment of neurological and eye diseases.

Can we protect the brain via preconditioning?Role of microRNAs in neuroprotection

Preconditioning stimulus：Preconditioning is an adaptive response,whereby a small dose of a harmful substance protects the brain from a subsequent damaging insult（Dirnagl et al.,2009）.The concept of preconditioning was first described in an ischemic heart model,it was observed that brief ischemic episodes protect against a subsequent ischemic insult（Murry et al., 1986）.

Carrimycin inhibits coronavirus replication by decreasing the efficiency of programmed–1 ribosomal frameshifting through directly binding to the RNA pseudoknot of viral frameshift-stimulatory element

The pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 worldwide with successive emerging variants urgently calls for small-molecule oral drugs with broad-spectrum antiviral activity.Here,we show that carrimycin,a new macrolide antibiotic in the clinic and an antiviral candidate for SARS-CoV-2 in phase III trials,decreases the efficiency of programmed–1 ribosomal frameshifting of coronaviruses and thus impedes viral replication in a broad-spectrum fashion.Carrimycin binds directly to the coronaviral frameshift-stimulatory element(FSE)RNA pseudoknot,interrupting the viral protein translation switch from ORF1a to ORF1b and thereby reducing the level of the core components of the viral replication and transcription complexes.Combined carrimycin with known viral replicase inhibitors yielded a synergistic inhibitory effect on coronaviruses.Because the FSE mechanism is essential in all coronaviruses,carrimycin could be a new broad-spectrum antiviral drug for human coronaviruses by directly targeting the conserved coronaviral FSE RNA.This finding may open a new direction in antiviral drug discovery for coronavirus variants.

Degradome sequencing reveals endogenous small RNA targets in rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica)

MicroRNAs(miRNAs)and small interfering RNAs(siRNAs)regulate gene expression in eukaryotes.Plant miRNAs modulate their targets mainly via messenger RNA(mRNA)cleavage.Small RNA(sRNA)targets have been extensively investigated in Arabidopsis using computational prediction,experimental validation,and degradome sequencing.However,small RNA targets are largely unknown in rice(Oryza sativa).Here,we report global identification of small RNA targets using high throughput degradome sequencing in the rice indica cultivar 93-11(Oryza sativa L.ssp.indica).One hundred and seventy-seven transcripts targeted by a total of 87 unique miRNAs were identified.Of targets for the conserved miRNAs between Arabidopsis and rice,transcription factors comprise around 70%(58 in 82),indicating that these miRNAs act as masters of gene regulatory nodes in rice.In contrast,non-conserved miRNAs targeted diverse genes which provide more complex regulatory networks.In addition,5 AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs(ARFs)cleaved by the TAS3 derived ta-siRNAs were also detected.A total of 40 sRNA targets were further validated via RNA ligasemediated 5′rapid amplification of cDNA ends(RLM 5′-RACE).Our degradome results present a detailed sRNAtarget interaction atlas,which provides a guide for the study of the roles of sRNAs and their targets in rice.

Short Tandem Target Mimic:A Long Journey to the Engineered Molecular Landmine for Selective Destruction/Blockage of MicroRNAs in Plants and Animals

MicroRNAs（miRNAs） are a population of highly conserved specific small ribo-regulators that negatively regulate gene expressions in both plants and animals.They play a key role in post-transcriptional gene regulation by destabilizing the target gene transcripts or blocking protein translation from them.Interestingly,these negative regulators are largely compromised by an upstream layer of negative regulators ＂target mimics＂ found in plants or ＂endogenous competing RNAs＂ revealed recently in animals.These endogenous regulatory mechanisms of ＂double negatives making a positive＂ have now been developed into a key strategy in the study of small RNA functions. This review presents some reflections on the long journey to the short tandem target mimic（STTM） for selective destruction/blockage of specific miRNAs in plants and animals,and the potential applications of STTM are discussed.

Antibody-drug conjugates:Recent advances in payloads

Antibody-drug conjugates(ADCs),which combine the advantages of monoclonal antibodies with precise targeting and payloads with efficient killing,show great clinical therapeutic value.The ADCs’payloads play a key role in determining the efficacy of ADC drugs and thus have attracted great attention in the field.An ideal ADC payload should possess sufficient toxicity,low immunogenicity,high stability,and modifiable functional groups.Common ADC payloads include tubulin inhibitors and DNA damaging agents,with tubulin inhibitors accounting for more than half of the ADC drugs in clinical development.However,due to clinical limitations of traditional ADC payloads,such as inadequate efficacy and the development of acquired drug resistance,novel highly efficient payloads with diverse targets and reduced side effects are being developed.This perspective summarizes the recent research advances of traditional and novel ADC payloads with main focuses on the structure-activity relationship studies,co-crystal structures,and designing strategies,and further discusses the future research directions of ADC payloads.This review also aims to provide valuable references and future directions for the development of novel ADC payloads that will have high efficacy,low toxicity,adequate stability,and abilities to overcome drug resistance.