Microfluidic thermotaxic selection of highlymotile sperm and in vitro fertilization

The selection of the most motile and functionally competent sperm is an essential basis for in vitro fertilization(IVF)and normal embryonic development.Widely adopted clinical approaches for sperm sample processing intensely rely on centrifugation and wash steps that may induce mechanical damage and oxidative stress to sperm.Although a few microfluidic sperm sorting devices may avoid these adverse effects by exploiting intrinsic guidance mechanisms of sperm swimming,none of these approaches have been fully validated by clinical-grade assessment criteria.In this study,a microfluidic sperm sorting device that enables the selection of highly motile and functional sperm via their intrinsic thermotaxis is presented.Bioinspired by the temperature microenvironment in the fallopian tube during natural sperm selection,a microfluidic device with controllable temperature gradients along the sperm separation channel was designed and fabricated.This study investigated the optimal temperature conditions for human sperm selection and fully characterized thermotaxis-selected sperm with 45 human sperm samples.Results indicated that a temperature range of 35–36.5℃along the separation channel significantly improves human sperm motility rate((85.25±6.28)%vs.(60.72±1.37)%;P=0.0484),increases normal sperm morphology rate((16.42±1.43)%vs.(12.55±0.88)%;P<0.0001),and reduces DNA fragmentation((7.44±0.79)%vs.(10.36±0.72)%;P=0.0485)compared to the nonthermotaxis group.Sperm thermotaxis is species-specific,and selected mouse sperm displayed the highest motility in response to a temperature range of 36–37.5℃ along the separation channel.Furthermore,IVF experiments indicated that the selected sperm permitted an increased fertilization rate and improved embryonic development from zygote to blastocyst.This microfluidic thermotaxic selection approach will be translated into clinical practice to improve the IVF success rate for patients with oligozoospermia and asthenozoospermia.

Tim4 deficiency reduces CD301b+macrophage and aggravates periodontitis bone loss

Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disease that causes the periodontal bone destruction and may ultimately result in tooth loss.With the progression of periodontitis,the osteoimmunology microenvironment in periodontitis is damaged and leads to the formation of pathological alveolar bone resorption.CD301b^(+)macrophages are specific to the osteoimmunology microenvironment,and are emerging as vital booster for conducting bone regeneration.However,the key upstream targets of CD301b^(+)macrophages and their potential mechanism in periodontitis remain elusive.In this study,we concentrated on the role of Tim4,a latent upstream regulator of CD301b^(+)macrophages.We first demonstrated that the transcription level of Timd4(gene name of Tim4)in CD301b^(+)macrophages was significantly upregulated compared to CD301b^(-) macrophages via high-throughput RNA sequencing.Moreover,several Tim4-related functions such as apoptotic cell clearance,phagocytosis and engulfment were positively regulated by CD301b^(+)macrophages.The single-cell RNA sequencing analysis subsequently discovered that Cd301b and Timd4 were specifically co-expressed in macrophages.The following flow cytometric analysis indicated that Tim4 positive expression rates in total macrophages shared highly synchronized dynamic changes with the proportions of CD301b^(+)macrophages as periodontitis progressed.Furthermore,the deficiency of Tim4 in mice decreased CD301b^(+)macrophages and eventually magnified alveolar bone resorption in periodontitis.Additionally,Tim4 controlled the p38 MAPK signaling pathway to ultimately mediate CD301b^(+)macrophages phenotype.In a word,Tim4 might regulate CD301b^(+)macrophages through p38 MAPK signaling pathway in periodontitis,which provided new insights into periodontitis immunoregulation as well as help to develop innovative therapeutic targets and treatment strategies for periodontitis.

CD301b^(+) macrophage: the new booster for activating bone regeneration in periodontitis treatment

Periodontal bone regeneration is a major challenge in the treatment of periodontitis.Currently the main obstacle is the difficulty of restoring the regenerative vitality of periodontal osteoblast lineages suppressed by inflammation,via conventional treatment.CD301b^(+)macrophages were recently identified as a subpopulation that is characteristic of a regenerative environment,but their role in periodontal bone repair has not been reported.

Research progress on immunotherapy targeting the tumor immune microenvironment for cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma(CCA)is the second most common hepatobiliary cancer,and its incidence has increased significantly in recent years.CCA has poor prognosis owing to the limited diagnosis and treatment options.The tumor immune microenvironment(TIME),which comprises immune cells,cytokines,and chemokines,plays a significant role in cancer progression,the evasion of immune surveillance,and therapeutic responses.Immunotherapeutic strategies targeting the TIME offer the potential for the recognition and eradication of CCA.This review discusses the cellular and molecular components of the TIME in CCA and immunotherapeutic strategies targeting it.

m^(1)A inhibition fuels oncolytic virus-elicited antitumor immunity via downregulating MYC/PD-L1 signaling

N^(1)-methyladenosine(m^(1)A)RNA methylation is critical for regulating mRNA translation;however,its role in the development,progression,and immunotherapy response of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC)remains largely unknown.Using Tgfbr1 and Pten conditional knockout(2cKO)mice,we found the neoplastic transformation of oral mucosa was accompanied by increased m^(1)A modification levels.Analysis of m^(1)A-associated genes identified TRMT61A as a key m^(1)A writer linked to cancer progression and poor prognosis.Mechanistically,TRMT61A-mediated tRNA-m^(1)A modification promotes MYC protein synthesis,upregulating programmed death-ligand 1(PD-L1)expression.Moreover,m^(1)A modification levels were also elevated in tumors treated with oncolytic herpes simplex virus(oHSV),contributing to reactive PD-L1 upregulation.Therapeutic m^(1)A inhibition sustained oHSV-induced antitumor immunity and reduced tumor growth,representing a promising strategy to alleviate resistance.These findings indicate that m^(1)A inhibition can prevent immune escape after oHSV therapy by reducing PD-L1 expression,providing a mutually reinforcing combination immunotherapy approach.

α-Synuclein pathology from the body to the brain:so many seeds so close to the central soil

α-Synuclein is a protein that mainly exists in the presynaptic terminals.Abnormal folding and accumulation of α-synuclein are found in several neurodegenerative diseases,including Parkinson’s disease.Aggregated and highly phospho rylated a-synuclein constitutes the main component of Lewy bodies in the brain,the pathological hallmark of Parkinson s disease.For decades,much attention has been focused on the accumulation of α-synuclein in the brain parenchyma rather than considering Parkinson s disease as a systemic disease.Recent evidence demonstrates that,at least in some patients,the initial α-synuclein pathology originates in the peripheral organs and spreads to the brain.Injection of α-synuclein preformed fibrils into the gastrointestinal tra ct trigge rs the gutto-brain propagation of α-synuclein pathology.However,whether α-synuclein pathology can occur spontaneously in peripheral organs independent of exogenous α-synuclein preformed fibrils or pathological α-synuclein leakage from the central nervous system remains under investigation.In this review,we aimed to summarize the role of peripheral α-synuclein pathology in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease.We also discuss the pathways by which α-synuclein pathology spreads from the body to the brain.

Unlocking T cell exhaustion:Insights and implications for CAR-T cell therapy

Chimeric antigen receptor T(CAR-T)cell therapy as a form of adoptive cell therapy(ACT)has shown significant promise in cancer treatment,demonstrated by the FDA-approved CAR-T cell therapies targeting CD19 or B cell maturation antigen(BCMA)for hematological malignancies,albeit with moderate outcomes in solid tumors.However,despite these advancements,the efficacy of CAR-T therapy is often compromised by T cell exhaustion,a phenomenon that impedes the persistence and effector function of CAR-T cells,leading to a relapse rate of up to 75%in patients treated with CD19 or CD22 CAR-T cells for hematological malignancies.Strategies to overcome CAR-T exhaustion employ state-of-the-art genomic engineering tools and single-cell sequencing technologies.In this review,we provide a comprehensive understanding of the latest mechanistic insights into T cell exhaustion and their implications for the current efforts to optimize CAR-T cell therapy.These insights,combined with lessons learned from benchmarking CAR-T based products in recent clinical trials,aim to address the challenges posed by T cell exhaustion,potentially setting the stage for the development of tailored next-generation approaches to cancer treatment.

Hole-Transporting Materials with Rational Combination of Pyridine and Dibenzo[a,c]phenazine as Electron Acceptor for Dopant-Free Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells(PSCs)have been proven to be a promising option for photovoltaic conversion.With the aim to achieve efficient and stable PSCs,it is essential to explore dopant-free hole-transporting materials(HTMs)with high hole mobility.Herein,HTMs bearing electron donor(D)-electron acceptor(A)-electron donor(D)structures have been constructed with strong intramolecular charge transfer(ICT)effect,based on rational combination of dibenzo[a,c]phenazine and pyridine as electronic acceptors and anchoring groups to perovskite layer.Accordingly,high hole mobility(7.31×10^(-5) cm^(2)·V^(-1)·s^(-1))and photoelectric conversion efficiency(20.45%)have been achieved by dopant-free DPyP-based PSC.It afforded an efficient way to design HTMs with high hole mobility by adjustment of molecular configurations and electronic property of conjugated systems.

Chromatin conformation of human oral epithelium can identify orofacial cleft missing functional variants

Genome-wide association studies(GWASs) are the most widely used method to identify genetic risk loci associated with orofacial clefts(OFC). However, despite the increasing size of cohort, GWASs are still insufficient to detect all the heritability,suggesting there are more associations under the current stringent statistical threshold. In this study, we obtained an integrated epigenomic dataset based on the chromatin conformation of a human oral epithelial cell line(HIOEC) using RNA-seq, ATAC-seq,H3K27ac Ch IP-seq, and DLO Hi-C. Presumably, this epigenomic dataset could reveal the missing functional variants located in the oral epithelial cell active enhancers/promoters along with their risk target genes, despite relatively less-stringent statistical association with OFC. Taken a non-syndromic cleft palate only(NSCPO) GWAS data of the Chinese Han population as an example, 3664 SNPs that cannot reach the strict significance threshold were subjected to this functional identification pipeline.In total, 254 potential risk SNPs residing in active cis-regulatory elements interacting with 1 718 promoters of oral epitheliumexpressed genes were screened. Gapped k-mer machine learning based on enhancers interacting with epithelium-expressed genes along with in vivo and in vitro reporter assays were employed as functional validation. Among all the potential SNPs, we chose and confirmed that the risk alleles of rs560789 and rs174570 reduced the epithelial-specific enhancer activity by preventing the binding of transcription factors related to epithelial development. In summary, we established chromatin conformation datasets of human oral epithelial cells and provided a framework for testing and understanding how regulatory variants impart risk for clefts.

The progress of fabrication designs of polymeric microneedles and related biomedical applications

Microneedles(MNs)have been broadly used for transdermal delivery of a variety of drugs,ranging from small chemicals to biological macromolecules,due to the properties of increased drug permeability,minimal invasiveness and improved patient compliance.Despite these MNs can be made of different materials,such as metal,silicon,and glass,polymers have attracted the most attention as a microneedle(MN)matrix because of their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability,which eliminates the requirement of MN removal after drug release.To satisfy different needs of transdermal drug delivery,polymeric MNs have been fabricated with several special designs.In this review,we summarize the advancement of the fabrication designs of polymeric MNs,including integrated MNs,two-segment MNs,core-shell or multi-layered MNs,and arrowhead MNs.The related biomedical applications of MNs with these different specific designs are also discussed.Finally,we provide our perspectives on the future development of polymeric MNs.

Prioritization of risk genes in colorectal cancer by integrative analysis of multi-omics data and gene networks

Genome-wide association studies(GWASs)have identified over 140 colorectal cancer(CRC)-associated loci;however,target genes at the majority of loci and underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood.Here,we utilized a Bayesian approach,integrative risk gene selector(iRIGS),to prioritize risk genes at CRC GWAS loci by integrating multi-omics data.As a result,a total of 105 high-confidence risk genes(HRGs)were identified,which exhibited strong gene dependencies for CRC and enrichment in the biological processes implicated in CRC.Among the 105 HRGs,CEBPB,located at the 20q13.13 locus,acted as a transcription factor playing critical roles in cancer.Our subsequent assays indicated the tumor promoter function of CEBPB that facilitated CRC cell proliferation by regulating multiple oncogenic pathways such as MAPK,PI3K-Akt,and Ras signaling.Next,by integrating a fine-mapping analysis and three independent case-control studies in Chinese populations consisting of 8,039 cases and 12,775 controls,we elucidated that rs1810503,a putative functional variant regulating CEBPB,was associated with CRC risk(OR=0.90,95%CI=0.86–0.93,P=1.07×10^(−7)).The association between rs1810503 and CRC risk was further validated in three additional multi-ancestry populations consisting of 24,254 cases and 58,741 controls.Mechanistically,the rs1810503 A to T allele change weakened the enhancer activity in an allele-specific manner to decrease CEBPB expression via longrange promoter-enhancer interactions,mediated by the transcription factor,REST,and thus decreased CRC risk.In summary,our study provides a genetic resource and a generalizable strategy for CRC etiology investigation,and highlights the biological implications of CEBPB in CRC tumorigenesis,shedding new light on the etiology of CRC.

Ptip safeguards the epigenetic control of skeletal stem cell quiescence and potency in skeletogenesis

Stem cells remain in a quiescent state for long-term maintenance and preservation of potency;this process requires fine-tuning regulatory mechanisms.In this study,we identified the epigenetic landscape along the developmental trajectory of skeletal stem cells(SSCs)in skeletogenesis governed by a key regulator,Ptip(also known as Paxip1,Pax interaction with transcription-activation domain protein-1).Our results showed that Ptip is required for maintaining the quiescence and potency of SSCs,and loss of Ptip in type II collagen(Col2)^(+)progenitors causes abnormal activation and differentiation of SSCs,impaired growth plate morphogenesis,and long bone dysplasia.We also found that Ptip suppressed the glycolysis of SSCs through downregulation of phosphoglycerate kinase 1(Pgk1)by repressing histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation(H3K27ac)at the promoter region.Notably,inhibition of glycolysis improved the function of SSCs despite Ptip deficiency.To the best of our knowledge,this is the first study to establish an epigenetic framework based on Ptip,which safeguards skeletal stem cell quiescence and potency through metabolic control.This framework is expected to improve SSC-based treatments of bone developmental disorders.

Circulating nucleic acids as liquid biopsies for disease prediction,screening and diagnosis

Liquid biopsy used molecular information in body liquid to perform early diagnosis,screening,monitoring,prognosis,and treatment of various diseases.Circulating free nucleic acids(cfNA)are important diagnostic biomarkers,providing a window to accurately and immediately observe the body's vital activity status.With the development of gene sequencing technology and bioinformatics technology,genetic,epigenetic,and fragtomics alterations that can be detected in cfDNA,as well as the expression level of miRNA and cf-mRNA can be quantified,this can reflect its tissue origin,gene regulation,genome evolution,and disease pathogenesis.This review focuses on the clinical utility of cfNA in different body liquids(blood,urine,bile),and discusses the diagnostic efficacy and accuracy of cfNA as diagnostic biomarkers in a variety of diseases.Blood is widely used to diagnose various tissue lesions for liquid biopsies as a body fluid circulating throughout the body,reflecting the state of the entire body.Bile and urine,as local circulating body fluids,can better reflect the changing state of tissues around the biliary tract and tissues around the bladder,respectively.In addition,normalized sample preservation,cfNA extraction,and detection procedures will help the practical application of cfNA in the clinic.

Di-and tri-methylation of histone H3K36 play distinct roles in DNA double-strand break repair

Histone H3 Lys36(H3K36)methylation and its associated modifiers are crucial for DNA double-strand break(DSB)repair,but the mechanism governing whether and how different H3K36 methylation forms impact repair pathways is unclear.Here,we unveil the distinct roles of H3K36 dimethylation(H3K36me2)and H3K36 trimethylation(H3K36me3)in DSB repair via non-homologous end joining(NHEJ)or homologous recombination(HR).Yeast cells lacking H3K36me2 or H3K36me3 exhibit reduced NHEJ or HR efficiency.y Ku70 and Rfa1 bind H3K36me2-or H3K36me3-modified peptides and chromatin,respectively.Disrupting these interactions impairs y Ku70 and Rfa1 recruitment to damaged H3K36me2-or H3K36me3-rich loci,increasing DNA damage sensitivity and decreasing repair efficiency.Conversely,H3K36me2-enriched intergenic regions and H3K36me3-enriched gene bodies independently recruit y Ku70 or Rfa1 under DSB stress.Importantly,human KU70 and RPA1,the homologs of y Ku70 and Rfa1,exclusively associate with H3K36me2 and H3K36me3 in a conserved manner.These findings provide valuable insights into how H3K36me2 and H3K36me3 regulate distinct DSB repair pathways,highlighting H3K36 methylation as a critical element in the choice of DSB repair pathway.

PABP-driven secondary condensed phase within RSV inclusion bodies activates viral mRNAs for ribosomal recruitment

Inclusion bodies(IBs)of respiratory syncytial virus(RSV)are formed by liquid-liquid phase separation(LLPS)and contain internal structures termed“IB-associated granules”(IBAGs),where anti-termination factor M2-1 and viral mRNAs are concentrated.However,the mechanism of IBAG formation and the physiological function of IBAGs are unclear.Here,we found that the internal structures of RSV IBs are actual M2-1-free viral messenger ribonucleoprotein(mRNP)condensates formed by secondary LLPS.Mechanistically,the RSV nucleoprotein(N)and M2-1 interact with and recruit PABP to IBs,promoting PABP to bind viral mRNAs transcribed in IBs by RNArecognition motif and drive secondary phase separation.Furthermore,PABP-eIF4G1 interaction regulates viral mRNP condensate composition,thereby recruiting specific translation initiation factors(eIF4G1,eIF4E,eIF4A,eIF4B and eIF4H)into the secondary condensed phase to activate viral mRNAs for ribosomal recruitment.Our study proposes a novel LLPS-regulated translation mechanism during viral infection and a novel antiviral strategy via targeting on secondary condensed phase.

GhATL68b regulates cotton fiber cell development by ubiquitinating the enzyme required forβ-oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids

E3 ligases are key enzymes required for protein degradation.Here,we identified a C3H2C3 RING domaincontaining E3 ubiquitin ligase gene named GhATL68b.It is preferentially and highly expressed in developing cotton fiber cells and shows greater conservation in plants than in animals or archaea.The four orthologous copies of this gene in various diploid cottons and eight in the allotetraploid G.hirsutum were found to have originated from a single common ancestor that can be traced back to Chlamydomonas reinhardtii at about 992 million years ago.Structural variations in the GhATL68b promoter regions of G.hirsutum,G.herbaceum,G.arboreum,and G.raimondii are correlated with significantly different methylation patterns.Homozygous CRISPR-Cas9 knockout cotton lines exhibit significant reductions in fiber quality traits,including upper-half mean length,elongation at break,uniformity,and mature fiber weight.In vitro ubiquitination and cell-free protein degradation assays revealed that GhATL68b modulates the homeostasis of 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase,a rate-limiting enzyme for theβ-oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFAs),via the ubiquitin proteasome pathway.Fiber cells harvested from these knockout mutants contain significantly lower levels of PUFAs important for production of glycerophospholipids and regulation of plasma membrane fluidity.The fiber growth defects of the mutant can be fully rescued by the addition of linolenic acid(C18:3),the most abundant type of PUFA,to the ovule culture medium.This experimentally characterized C3H2C3 type E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in regulating fiber cell elongation may provide us with a new genetic target for improved cotton lint production.

Asymmetric Two-Component Alkenyl Catellani Reaction for the Construction of C—N Axial Chirality

Herein,we report an asymmetric two-component alkenyl Catellani reaction for the construction of C—N axial chirality through a palladium/chiral norbornene cooperative catalysis and an axial-to-axial chirality transfer process.Various partially aromatic iodinated 2-pyridones,quinolones,coumarin and uracil substrates react with 2,6-disubstituted aryl bromides with a tethered amide group,to afford a wide variety of polycyclic C—N atropisomers(38 examples,up to 97%e.e.).The obtained C—N axial chirality originates from the preformed transient C—C axial chirality with high fidelity.The synthetic utility of this chemistry is demonstrated by facile prepa-ration of complex quinoline and pyridine based C—N atropisomers through a N-deprotection and aromatization sequence.In addi-tion,a remote axial-to-central diastereoinduction process dictated by C—N axial chirality is observed with excellent diastereocontrol.

Disulfiram ameliorates STING/MITA-dependent inflammation and autoimmunity by targeting RNF115

STING(also known as MITA)is an adaptor protein that mediates cytoplasmic DNA-triggered signaling,and aberrant activation of STING/MITA by cytosolic self-DNA or gain-of-function mutations causes severe inflammation.Here,we show that STING-mediated inflammation and autoimmunity are promoted by RNF115 and alleviated by the RNF115 inhibitor disulfiram(DSF).Knockout of RNF115 or treatment with DSF significantly inhibit systemic inflammation and autoimmune lethality and restore immune cell development in Trex1^(–/–)mice and STING^(N153S/WT) bone marrow chimeric mice.In addition,knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of RNF115 substantially downregulate the expression of IFN-α,IFN-γand proinflammatory cytokines in PBMCs from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)who exhibit high concentrations of dsDNA in peripheral blood.Mechanistically,knockout or inhibition of RNF115 impair the oligomerization and Golgi localization of STING in various types of cells transfected with cGAMP and in organs and cells from Trex1^(–/–)mice.Interestingly,knockout of RNF115 inhibits the activation and Golgi localization of STINGN153S as well as the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in myeloid cells but not in endothelial cells or fibroblasts.Taken together,these findings highlight the RNF115-mediated cell type-specific regulation of STING and STINGN153S and provide potential targeted intervention strategies for STING-related autoimmune diseases.

HUNK inhibits cargo uptake and lysosomal traffic in the caveolar pathway via the AGAP3/ARF6

Endocytosis is a crucial cellular process that takes up cargos by enclosing them in membrane-bound vesicles,and transports cargos to different parts of the cell,such as the lysosomes[1].Endocytosis is classified into several mechanistically and morphologically pathways,including clathrin-mediated endocytosis(CME)and caveolae-mediated endocytosis(CavME)[1,2].

Mitochondrial DNA-triggered innate immune response:mechanisms and diseases

Various cellular stress conditions trigger mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA)release from mitochondria into the cytosol.The released mtDNA is sensed by the cGAS-MITA/STING pathway,resulting in the induced expression of type I interferon and other effector genes.These processes contribute to the innate immune response to viral infection and other stress factors.The deregulation of these processes causes autoimmune diseases,inflammatory metabolic disorders and cancer.Therefore,the cGAS-MITA/STING pathway is a potential target for intervention in infectious,inflammatory and autoimmune diseases as well as cancer.In this review,we focus on the mechanisms underlying the mtDNA-triggered activation of the cGAS-MITA/STING pathway,the effects of the pathway under various physiological and pathological conditions,and advances in the development of drugs that target cGAS and MITA/STING.