Satellite double-stranded RNA induces mesenchymal transition in pancreatic cancer by regulating alternative splicing.

Human satellite II (HSATII), composed of tandem repeats in pericentromeric regions, is aberrantly transcribed in epithelial cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer. Dysregulation of repetitive elements in cancer tissues can facilitate incidental dsRNA formation; however, it remains controversial whether dsRNAs play tumor-promoting or tumor-suppressing roles during cancer progression. Therefore, we focused on the double-stranded formation of HSATII RNA and explored its molecular function.

Cabozantinib inhibits HBV-RNA transcription by decreasing STAT3 binding to the enhancer region of cccDNA.

Background: Precision medicine and customized therapeutics based on the features of each patient are important for maximizing therapeutic effects. Because most cases of HCC occur in the damaged liver through various etiologies, such as hepatitis virus infection, steatohepatitis, and autoimmune hepatitis, there should be a rationale for the choice of therapeutic options based on these etiologies. Although cabozantinib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, has demonstrated clinical effectiveness in advanced HCC, subgroup analyses showed a lower HR for death in HBV-related HCC.

Hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma with Smc5/6 complex deficiency is susceptible to PARP inhibitors.

DNA repair processes represent attractive synthetic lethal targets because many cancers exhibit impaired DNA repair pathways, which leads to dependence on specific repair proteins. The finding that poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 inhibitors are highly effective against cancers with deficient homologous recombination highlights the potential of this approach. In hepatitis B viral (HBV) infection, degradation of the structural maintenance of the chromosome 5/6 (Smc5/6) complex, which plays a key role in repairing double-stranded DNA breaks by homologous recombination, is induced by HBV regulatory protein X (HBx).

HBx-induced degradation of Smc5/6 complex impairs homologous recombination-mediated repair of damaged DNA.

Background & Aims: HBV causes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While it was recently shown that the ability of HBV X protein (HBx) to impair the Smc5/6 (structural maintenance of chromosome 5/6) complex is important for viral transcription, HBx is also a potent driver of HCC. However, the mechanism by which HBx expression induces hepatocarcinogenesis is unclear.

Humanized virus-suppressing factor inhibits hepatitis B virus infection by targeting viral cell entry.

Although nucleos(t)ide analogs and interferons suppress hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication, they must be taken continuously and have a low response rate. Therefore, therapeutics for HBV with novel modes of action are needed. Humanized virus-suppressing factor (hzVSF) is a monoclonal antibody against vimentin that exhibits broad-spectrum antiviral activity.

Risk factors of poor prognosis and impairment of activities of daily living in patients with hemorrhagic gastroduodenal ulcers.

Background: Impairment of activities of daily living (ADL) due to hemorrhagic gastroduodenal ulcers (HGU) has rarely been evaluated. We analyzed the risk factors of poor prognosis, including mortality and impairment of ADL, in patients with HGU.

Methods: In total, 582 patients diagnosed with HGU were retrospectively analyzed.

The fatty-acid amide hydrolase inhibitor URB597 inhibits MICA/B shedding.

MICA/B proteins are expressed on the surface of various types of stressed cells, including cancer cells. Cytotoxic lymphocytes expressing natural killer group 2D (NKG2D) receptor recognize MICA/B and eliminate the cells. However, cancer cells evade such immune recognition by inducing proteolytic shedding of MICA/B proteins.

Long-term survival after palliative argon plasma coagulation for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the bile duct.

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the bile duct (IPNB) is an epithelial tumor that can cause obstructive jaundice and cholangitis due to mucin production. Although the effectiveness of argon plasma coagulation in IPNB treatment has been demonstrated, the long-term effect of the therapy is largely unknown. Here, we have presented a patient with IPNB who underwent argon plasma coagulation with a follow-up period of more than 2 years.

Impact of the Sensitivity to Empiric Antibiotics on Clinical Outcomes after Biliary Drainage for Acute Cholangitis.

Background/aims: Empiric antibiotics are given in combination with biliary drainage for acute cholangitis but sometimes turn out to be insensitive to microorganisms in blood and bile. Clinical outcomes were compared according to sensitivity to microorganisms detected in blood and bile culture to evaluate the impact of sensitivity to empiric antibiotics in cholangitis.

Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent biliary drainage for acute cholangitis were retrospectively studied.

Expression of circular RNA CDR1‑AS in colon cancer cells increases cell surface PD‑L1 protein levels.

The expression of CDR1‑AS, a representative circular RNA, is closely linked with poor prognosis in gastrointestinal cancers, such as colon, liver, and pancreatic cancers. Although it is well known that CDR1‑AS antagonizes microRNA‑7 function through its sequence similarities in the brain, its biological function and link with the malignant potential of cancer cells remain unclear, partly due to the difficulties of ectopic expression of circular RNAs. In the present study, SW620, a colon cancer cell line that stably expresses CDR1‑AS RNA circularized, was established using the laccase 2 gene cassette, and its biological function associated with malignant behavior was determined.

Pevonedistat, a Neuronal Precursor Cell-Expressed Developmentally Down-Regulated Protein 8-Activating Enzyme Inhibitor, Is a Potent Inhibitor of Hepatitis B Virus.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major health concern worldwide. To prevent HBV-related mortality, elimination of viral proteins is considered the ultimate goal of HBV treatment; however, currently available nucleos(t)ide analogs rarely achieve this goal, as viral transcription from episomal viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is not prevented. HBV regulatory protein X was recently found to target the protein structural maintenance of chromosomes 5/6 (Smc5/6) for ubiquitination and degradation by DDB1-CUL4-ROC1 E3 ligase, resulting in enhanced viral transcription from cccDNA.