Publications by authors named "Elias Amro"

Article Synopsis
  • The APOBEC family includes enzymes that help change RNA and DNA, but scientists discovered that one member, APOBEC2, does not work like the others.
  • When studying muscle cells, they found that APOBEC2 doesn’t change RNA or DNA like expected, but instead helps control gene activity by sticking to specific DNA regions.
  • APOBEC2 seems to work with another protein complex to keep certain genes from being active during muscle cell development, which helps the cells stay on track to become muscle.
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Cationic non-viral vectors show great potential to introduce genetic material into cells, due to their ability to transport large amounts of genetic material and their high synthetic versatility. However, designing materials that are effective without showing toxic effects or undergoing non-specific interactions when applied systemically remains a challenge. The introduction of shielding polymers such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) can enhance biocompatibility and circulation time, however, often impairs transfection efficiency.

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Increasing evidence links metabolism, protein synthesis, and growth signaling to impairments in the function of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) during aging. The Lin28b/Hmga2 pathway controls tissue development, and the postnatal downregulation of this pathway limits the self-renewal of adult vs fetal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Igf2bp2 is an RNA binding protein downstream of Lin28b/Hmga2, which regulates messenger RNA stability and translation.

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Planarians are able to stand long periods of starvation by maintaining adult stem cell pools and regenerative capacity. The molecular pathways that are needed for the maintenance of regeneration during starvation are not known. Here, we show that down-regulation of chaperonin TRiC/CCT subunits abrogates the regeneration capacity of planarians during starvation, but TRiC/CCT subunits are dispensable for regeneration in fed planarians.

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Organism aging is characterized by increased inflammation and decreased stem cell function, yet the relationship between these factors remains incompletely understood. This study shows that aged hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) exhibit increased ground-stage NF-κB activity, which enhances their responsiveness to undergo differentiation and loss of self-renewal in response to inflammation. The study identifies /cohesin as a critical mediator of NF-κB signaling, which increases chromatin accessibility in the vicinity of NF-κB target genes in response to inflammation.

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