Reactive oxygen species induce virus-independent MAVS oligomerization in systemic lupus erythematosus.

The increased expression of genes induced by type I interferon (IFN) is characteristic of viral infections and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We showed that mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS) protein, which normally forms a complex with retinoic acid gene I (RIG-I)-like helicases during viral infection, was activated by oxidative stress independently of RIG-I helicases. We found that chemically generated oxidative stress stimulated the formation of MAVS oligomers, which led to mitochondrial hyperpolarization and decreased adenosine triphosphate production and spare respiratory capacity, responses that were not observed in similarly treated cells lacking MAVS.

CREB-induced inflammation is important for malignant mesothelioma growth.

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive tumor with no treatment regimen. Previously we have demonstrated that cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) is constitutively activated in MM tumor cells and tissues and plays an important role in MM pathogenesis. To understand the role of CREB in MM tumor growth, we generated CREB-inhibited MM cell lines and performed in vitro and in vivo experiments.