Publications by authors named "J-B Wu"

Human tumors are diverse in their natural history and response to treatment, which in part results from genetic and transcriptomic heterogeneity. In clinical practice, single-site needle biopsies are used to sample this diversity, but cancer biomarkers may be confounded by spatiogenomic heterogeneity within individual tumors. Here we investigate clonally expressed genes as a solution to the sampling bias problem by analyzing multiregion whole-exome and RNA sequencing data for 450 tumor regions from 184 patients with lung adenocarcinoma in the TRACERx study.

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The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer integrates histology and biomarker status with anatomic extent in breast cancer (BC) pathologic prognostic staging (PPS). However, PPS IB includes anatomic locally advanced hormone-receptor-positive/HER2-negative (LA-HR+/HER2-) and early-stage triple-negative BC (ES-TNBC). Previous research shows that increased nodal involvement is a critical predictor of worse prognosis, raising questions about whether biological subtype or anatomic stage has a greater influence on outcomes in these discordant cases.

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Solar UVB light causes damage to the outermost layer of skin. This insult induces rapid local responses, such as dermal inflammation, keratinocyte cell death, and epidermal thickening, all of which have traditionally been associated with DNA damage response signaling. Another stress response that is activated by UVB light is the ribotoxic stress response (RSR), which depends on the ribosome-associated mitogen-activated protein 3 kinases (MAP3K) ZAKα and culminates in p38 and JNK activation.

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Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common complication of prematurity. Oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation are the major contributors to BPD. Despite aggressive treatments, BPD prevalence remains unchanged, which underscores the urgent need to explore more potential therapies.

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  • Immune checkpoint inhibitors, a type of cancer treatment, can cause serious side effects, including immune-related myocarditis (irMyocarditis), which can be fatal.
  • Researchers studied immune responses in the heart, tumor, and blood of 28 patients with irMyocarditis using advanced techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing and T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing.
  • Their findings showed an increase in certain immune cells in the heart tissue of irMyocarditis patients and identified specific TCR clones associated with severe cases, shedding light on the disease's biology and potential biomarkers.
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Purpose To combine deep learning and biology-based modeling to predict the response of locally advanced, triple-negative breast cancer before initiating neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, a biology-based mathematical model of tumor response to NAC was constructed and calibrated on a patient-specific basis using imaging data from patients enrolled in the MD Anderson A Robust TNBC Evaluation FraMework to Improve Survival trial (ARTEMIS; ClinicalTrials.gov registration no.

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Background: Given the growing acknowledgment of the detrimental effects of excessive myocardial fibrosis on pathological remodeling after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R), targeting the modulation of myocardial fibrosis may offer protective and therapeutic advantages. However, effective clinical interventions and therapies that target myocardial fibrosis remain limited. As a promising chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) cell therapy, whether CAR macrophages (CAR-Ms) can be used to treat I/R remains unclear.

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Vestibular hair cells are mechanoreceptors critical for detecting head position and motion. In mammals, hair cell loss causes vestibular dysfunction as spontaneous regeneration is nearly absent. Constitutive expression of exogenous ATOH1, a hair cell transcription factor, increases hair cell regeneration, however, these cells fail to fully mature.

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Immunotherapies, including checkpoint inhibitor antibodies, have precipitated significant improvements in clinical outcomes for melanoma. However, approximately half of patients do not benefit from approved treatments. Additionally, apart from Tebentafusp, which is approved for the treatment of uveal melanoma, there is a lack of immunotherapies directly focused on melanoma cells.

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  • Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a hereditary cardiac disorder linked to sudden death in young adults, particularly prevalent in Southeast Asia, with certain genetic variants associated with the condition.
  • Researchers conducted genome sequencing on individuals with BrS and matched controls in Thailand to find rare noncoding variants that are more common in BrS patients.
  • A specific rare variant was identified that disrupts a transcription factor binding site, causing reduced gene expression and reduced sodium current in heart cells, contributing to the high prevalence of BrS in the region and identifying at-risk individuals.
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  • Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have the potential to target and silence difficult disease-related genes, providing new ways to treat diseases.* -
  • While delivering siRNAs to the liver via N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) has proven effective, delivering siRNAs to other cell types remains a challenge.* -
  • Research shows that certain cellular mechanisms, including retrograde transport and lipid droplets, can enhance the effectiveness of siRNA delivery and gene silencing in both liver and non-liver cell types.*
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Background: Latency remains a major obstacle to finding a cure for HIV despite the availability of antiretroviral therapy. Due to virus dormancy, limited biomarkers are available to identify latent HIV-infected cells. Profiling of individual HIV-infected cells is needed to explore potential latency biomarkers and to study the mechanisms of persistence that maintain the HIV reservoir.

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  • Accurate, non-invasive, and cost-effective methods are essential for improving the diagnosis and management of pulmonary nodules discovered through low-dose computed tomography (LDCT).
  • Researchers conducted genome-wide methylation sequencing of lung tissues to create a panel of 263 DNA methylation regions and applied this to blood cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis across two patient cohorts.
  • They developed a machine learning model that integrates 40 cfDNA methylation biomarkers, age, and CT imaging features, which successfully reduces unnecessary surgeries for benign nodules while promoting timely treatment for lung cancer patients.
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Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common lung complication of prematurity. Despite extensive research, our understanding of its pathophysiology remains limited, as reflected by the stable prevalence of BPD. Prematurity is the primary risk factor for BPD, with oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation playing significant roles and being closely linked to premature birth.

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The World Health Organization has identified antibiotic resistance as one of the three greatest threats to human health. The need for antibiotics is a pressing matter that requires immediate attention. Here, computer-aided drug design is used to develop a structurally unique antibiotic family targeting holo-acyl carrier protein synthase (AcpS).

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Prenatal administration of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is a strategy that could be exploited to prevent viral infections during pregnancy and early life. To reach protective levels in fetuses, mAbs must be transported across the placenta, a selective barrier that actively and specifically promotes the transfer of antibodies (Abs) into the fetus through the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). Because FcRn also regulates Ab half-life, Fc mutations like the M428L/N434S, commonly known as LS mutations, and others have been developed to enhance binding affinity to FcRn and improve drug pharmacokinetics.

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  • Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major health concern, and understanding how genetic and environmental factors interact can help identify at-risk groups.
  • This study analyzed data from over 45,000 CRC cases to assess both multiplicative and additive interactions between genetic risk scores and various environmental factors, finding no multiplicative interactions but significant additive ones for high genetic susceptibility individuals.
  • Results suggest that individuals with high genetic risk could benefit more from lifestyle interventions like reducing alcohol intake or increasing fruit and fiber consumption, emphasizing the need for targeted prevention strategies in CRC care.
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Bacteria can be dead, alive, or exhibit slowed or suspended life forms, making bacterial death difficult to establish. Here, agar-plating, microscopic-counting, SYTO9/propidium-iodide staining, MTT-conversion, and bioluminescence-imaging were used to determine bacterial death upon exposure to different conditions. Rank correlations between pairs of assay outcomes were low, indicating different assays measure different aspects of bacterial death.

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Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a lung complication of premature births. The leading causes of BPD are oxidative stress (OS) from oxygen treatment, infection or inflammation, and mechanical ventilation. OS activates alveolar myeloid cells with subsequent myeloperoxidase (MPO)-mediated OS.

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The purpose of the experimental interventional study was to examine the influence of intraocularly applied amphiregulin, a member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family, on axial length in young non-human primates. It included three non-human primates (Macaca mulatta), aged 4-6 years. The left eyes received three intravitreal injections of amphiregulin (400ng/50 μl) in intervals of 4 weeks, while the right eyes received three intravitreal injections of phosphate buffered solution (50 μl) at the same time points.

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  • The study aimed to evaluate a new MRI technique to assess lung aeration in children, especially focusing on those with thoracic insufficiency syndrome (TIS).
  • Researchers used standardized signal intensity (sSI) measurements from MRI scans of both healthy children and TIS patients to determine lung function pre- and post-surgery.
  • Results indicated that the MRI method can detect lung aeration changes, showing a general decrease in lung sSI after surgery, although the changes were not statistically significant.
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  • The evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants highlights the need for multivalent vaccines, leading to the development of SCTV01E, a tetravalent COVID-19 vaccine targeting variants Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron BA.1.
  • A double-blind placebo-controlled trial showed SCTV01E had a vaccine efficacy of 69.4% against COVID-19 seven days post-vaccination, with higher efficacy rates in preventing symptomatic and all infections at 14 days.
  • The vaccine demonstrated a significant neutralizing antibody response against Omicron BA.5 and had mild reactogenicity, indicating its potential effectiveness against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Background: Many older adults with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) have a relapse despite having a measurable residual disease (MRD)-negative complete remission with combination chemotherapy. The addition of blinatumomab, a bispecific T-cell engager molecule that is approved for the treatment of relapsed, refractory, and MRD-positive BCP-ALL, may have efficacy in patients with MRD-negative remission.

Methods: In a phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned patients 30 to 70 years of age with -negative BCP-ALL (with :: indicating fusion) who had MRD-negative remission (defined as <0.

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Purpose: To longitudinally investigate the changes in intraretinal microvascular abnormalities (IRMAs) over time, employing swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography in eyes with diabetic retinopathy.

Methods: In this retrospective, longitudinal study, we evaluated 12 × 12-mm swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography centered on the macula at baseline and last available follow-up visit for (1) IRMA changes during follow-up, defined as (a) stable, (b) regressed, (c) obliterated, and (d) progressed; and the (2) development of new neovascularization (NV) and their origins. Competing-risk survival analysis was used to assess the factors associated with these changes.

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Developments in direct electron detector technology have played a pivotal role in enabling high-resolution structural studies by cryo-EM at 200 and 300 keV. Yet, theory and recent experiments indicate advantages to imaging at 100 keV, energies for which the current detectors have not been optimized. In this study, we evaluated the Gatan Alpine detector, designed for operation at 100 and 200 keV.

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