Tumor initiating cells escape tumor immunity via CCL8 from tumor-associated macrophages in mice.

Tumor-initiating cells (TICs) play a key role in cancer progression and immune escape. However, how TICs evade immune elimination remains poorly characterized. Combining single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), dual-recombinase-based lineage tracing, and other approaches, we identified a WNT-activated subpopulation of malignant cells that act as TICs in vivo.

Calcium channels as therapeutic targets in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: current evidence and clinical trials.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) originates from the mucosal epithelium of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx, and is marked by high rates of recurrence and metastasis. Calcium signaling is associated with the progression of HNSCC and the development of drug resistance. Changes in calcium ion flow can trigger severe pathophysiological processes, including malignant transformation, tumor proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and apoptosis evasion.

Characterization and structural analysis of a versatile aromatic prenyltransferase for imidazole-containing diketopiperazines.

Prenylation modifications of natural products play essential roles in chemical diversity and bioactivities, but imidazole modification prenyltransferases are not well investigated. Here, we discover a dimethylallyl tryptophan synthase family prenyltransferase, AuraA, that catalyzes the rare dimethylallylation on the imidazole moiety in the biosynthesis of aurantiamine. Biochemical assays validate that AuraA could accept both cyclo-(L-Val-L-His) and cyclo-(L-Val-DH-His) as substrates, while the prenylation modes are completely different, yielding C2-regular and C5-reverse products, respectively.

Aggregation-Induced Emission Luminogens Realizing High-Contrast Bioimaging.

A revolutionary transformation in biomedical imaging is unfolding with the advent of aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens). These cutting-edge molecules not only overcome the limitations of traditional fluorescent probes but also improve the boundaries of high-contrast imaging. Unlike conventional fluorophores suffering from aggregation-caused quenching, AIEgens exhibit enhanced luminescence when aggregated, enabling superior imaging performance.

Application of Large Language Models in Medical Training Evaluation-Using ChatGPT as a Standardized Patient: Multimetric Assessment.

Background: With the increasing interest in the application of large language models (LLMs) in the medical field, the feasibility of its potential use as a standardized patient in medical assessment is rarely evaluated. Specifically, we delved into the potential of using ChatGPT, a representative LLM, in transforming medical education by serving as a cost-effective alternative to standardized patients, specifically for history-taking tasks.

Objective: The study aims to explore ChatGPT's viability and performance as a standardized patient, using prompt engineering to refine its accuracy and use in medical assessments.

Corrigendum: (Pro)renin receptor aggravates myocardial pyroptosis in diabetic cardiomyopathy through AMPK-NLRP3 pathway.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.

Transcriptome sequencing and anthocyanin metabolite analysis involved in leaf red color formation of Cinnamomum camphora.

Cinnamomum camphora, a key multifunctional tree species, primarily serves in landscaping. Leaf color is crucial for its ornamental appeal, undergoing a transformation to red that enhances the ornamental value of C. camphora.

Identification of the Mitf gene mutation causing congenital deafness and pigmentation disorders in porcupines using BSA-Seq.

Worldwide, congenital deafness and pigmentation disorders impact millions with their diverse manifestations, and among these genetic conditions, mutations in the Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF: OMIM#156845) gene are notable for their profound effects on melanocyte development and auditory functions. This study reports a novel porcupine model exhibiting spontaneous deafness and pigmentation abnormalities reminiscent of human Waardenburg Syndrome Type 2 (WS2: OMIM#193510). Through phenotypic characterization, including coat color, skin, eye morphology, and auditory brainstem response (ABR) assessments, we identified hypopigmentation and complete deafness in mutant porcupines.

Gender Differences in Dendritic Damage, Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis, and Cognitive Impairment During Aging Processes.

Background: Cognitive impairment is a common and feared characteristic of aging processes, and one key mechanism of cognition is hippocampal synaptic structure. Previous studies have reported that gut microbiota dysbiosis occurred in neurodegenerative diseases and other brain disorders with cognitive impairment. However, it is not clear how gender differences affect cognitive impairment in aging processes and whether they affect synaptic structure and gut microbiota.

Integrating machine learning, bioinformatics and experimental verification to identify a novel prognostic marker associated with tumor immune microenvironment in head and neck squamous carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSC), characterized by a high degree of malignancy, develops in close association with the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Therefore, identifying effective targets related to HNSC and TIME is of paramount importance. Here, we employed the ESTIMATE algorithm to compute immune and stromal cell scores for HNSC samples from the TCGA database and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) based on these scores.

Prospects for potential therapy targeting immune‑associated factors in endometriosis (Review).

Endometriosis (EM) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is one of the most common causes of gynecological systemic lesions in women before menopause. The most representative histological feature of EM is that the endometrium appears outside of the uterine cavity, often in the ovary. Although it is generally accepted that the epithelial and stromal cells of the ectopic endometrium are not malignant, they still have numerous similarities to malignant tumors, including considerable changes to the immune microenvironment (immune monitoring disorder), the creation of a specific hormone environment, high levels of oxidative stress, chronic inflammation and abnormal immune cell regulation.

Mechanisms of microbiota-gut-brain axis communication in anxiety disorders.

Anxiety disorders, prevalent mental health conditions, receive significant attention globally due to their intricate etiology and the suboptimal effectiveness of existing therapies. Research is increasingly recognizing that the genesis of anxiety involves not only neurochemical brain alterations but also changes in gut microbiota. The microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA), serving as a bidirectional communication pathway between the gut microbiota and the central nervous system (CNS), is at the forefront of novel approaches to deciphering the complex pathophysiology of anxiety disorders.

Robust and interpretable deep learning system for prognostic stratification of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

Purpose: Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) is an hematologic malignancy with prognostic heterogeneity. We aimed to develop and validate DeepENKTCL, an interpretable deep learning prediction system for prognosis risk stratification in ENKTCL.

Methods: A total of 562 patients from four centers were divided into the training cohort, validation cohort and test cohort.

Comparison of surgical results and technical performance between robotic and laparoscopic approaches for Kasai portoenterostomy in biliary atresia: a multicenter retrospective study.

Background: Many variables, including age at surgery, disease type, surgical approaches and perioperative management factors have been demonstrated to influence efficacy in BA infants, however, the effect of surgical performance remains unclear. The objective of this retrospective study was to compare the postoperative efficacy and surgical performance of robotic (RKPE) versus laparoscopic Kasai portoenterostomy (LKPE) for BA.

Methods: Between October 2018 and June 2023, 158 type III BA patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery (RKPE = 66, LKPE = 92) were included in this multicenter retrospective study.

Talarergosteroids A-C: Three Unusual Steroid-Polyketone Conjugates with Antifungal Activity from a Derived Fungus sp.

Three previously undescribed steroid-polyketone conjugates, talarergosteroids A-C (-), together with talarergosteroid D (), which was first identified from a natural source, were isolated from a derived fungus sp. SCNU-F0041. Compounds and bear a complicated 6/6/6/5/6/6 hexacyclic ring system characterized by an oxaspiro[5.

Structurally Stable Hollow-Fiber-Based Porous Graphene Oxide Membranes with Improved Rejection Performance by Selective Patching of Framework Defects with Metal-Organic Framework Crystals.

Graphene oxide (GO)-based membranes have demonstrated great potential in water treatment. However, microdefects in the framework of GO membranes induced by the imperfect stacking of GO nanosheets undermine their size-sieving ability and structural stability in aqueous systems. This study proposes a targeted growth approach by growing zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanocrystals precisely to patch microdefects as well as to cross-link the porous graphene oxide (PGO) flakes coated on the outer surface of the hollow fiber (HF) alumina substrate (named the hybrid PGO/ZIF-8 membrane).

Cold-blooded vertebrate utilizes behavioral fever to alleviate T cell apoptosis and optimize antimicrobial immunity.

Fever confers significant survival benefits on endotherms by optimizing both innate and adaptive immunity. Ectotherms achieve thermoregulation using behavioral strategies, but existing evidence supports its enhancement effect on innate immunity only. Therefore, it remains unknown whether the coordination between fever and adaptive immunity was independently acquired by endotherms or instead represents a gradually evolved function common to vertebrates.

Rubisco packaging and stoichiometric composition of the native β-carboxysome in Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942.

Carboxysomes are anabolic bacterial microcompartments that play an essential role in CO2 fixation in cyanobacteria. This self-assembling proteinaceous organelle uses a polyhedral shell constructed by hundreds of shell protein paralogs to encapsulate the key CO2-fixing enzymes Rubisco and carbonic anhydrase. Deciphering the precise arrangement and structural organization of Rubisco enzymes within carboxysomes is crucial for understanding carboxysome formation and overall functionality.

HMGA2 Expression Predicts Subtype, Survival, and Treatment Outcome in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: To establish HMGA2 as a marker of basal-like disease in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and explore its use as a biomarker for prognosis and treatment resistance.

Experimental Design: We identified high expression of HMGA2 in basal PDAC cells in a scRNAseq Atlas of 172 patient samples. We then analyzed HMGA2 expression, along with expression of the classical marker GATA6, in a cohort of 580 PDAC samples with multiplex immunohistochemistry.

Assessing microvascular dysfunction and predicting long-term prognosis in patients with cardiac amyloidosis by CMR quantitative stress perfusion.

Background: Cardiac involvement in light chain (AL) amyloidosis is the main determinant of prognosis. Amyloid can be deposited in the extracellular space and cause an increase in extracellular volume (ECV). At the same time, amyloid can also be deposited in the wall of small vessels and cause microvascular dysfunction.

Prognostic model based on centrosome-related genes constructed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common malignant tumor in the epithelium of the head and neck. The role of the centrosome in malignant tumors is crucial. However, research on the centrosome in HNSCC remains largely unexplored.

Glial scarring limits recovery following decompressive surgery in rats with syringomyelia.

Syringomyelia is a neurological disease that is difficult to cure, and treatments often have limited effectiveness. In this study, a rat model of syringomyelia induced by epidural compression was used to investigate the factors that limit the prognosis of syringomyelia. After we treated syringomyelia rats with surgical decompression alone, MRI revealed that the syringomyelia rats did not show the expected therapeutic effect.