Publications by authors named "M Dwinell"
The Rat Genome Database (RGD) is a multispecies knowledgebase which integrates genetic, multiomic, phenotypic, and disease data across 10 mammalian species. To support cross-species, multiomics studies and to enhance and expand on data manually extracted from the biomedical literature by the RGD team of expert curators, RGD imports and integrates data from multiple sources. These include major databases and a substantial number of domain-specific resources, as well as direct submissions by individual researchers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) presents significant treatment challenges, particularly in cases unrelated to human papillomavirus (HPV). The chemokine receptor CXCR4, interacting with its ligand CXCL12, plays a crucial role in tumor proliferation, metastasis, and treatment resistance. This study explores the therapeutic potential of engineered monomeric and dimerized CXCL12 variants (CXCL12 and CXCL12, respectively) in HNSCC and evaluates potential additive effects when combined with radiation therapy.
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- A new reference genome assembly for the laboratory rat, named GRCr8, has been developed and is recognized by the Genome Reference Consortium.
- The assembly utilized advanced sequencing techniques (40× PacBio HiFi sequencing) and includes chromosome-level data, with 98.7% of sequences assigned to chromosomes, showing overall increases in chromosome sizes and notable expansions on Chromosomes 3, 11, 12, and Chr Y.
- The new assembly enhances genome quality by incorporating over 1100 new protein-coding genes and includes previously unannotated genes and centromeric sequences, supported by concurrent PacBio Iso-Seq data from multiple rat tissues.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignancy of immature myeloid blast cells with stem-like and chemoresistant cells being retained in the bone marrow through CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling. Current CXCR4 inhibitors mobilize AML cells into the bloodstream where they become more chemosensitive have failed to improve patient survival, likely reflecting persistent receptor localization on target cells. Here we characterize the signaling properties of CXCL12-locked dimer (CXCL12-LD), a bioengineered variant of the dimeric CXCL12 structure.
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- Progressive functional decline in cancer-associated cachexia is challenging to study due to the lack of appropriate cancer models and reliance on nonspecific measures like grip strength, prompting this study to extend survival in a cancer model for better analysis.
- Researchers managed to prolong the lifespan of the cancer model to 8-9 weeks using a low dose of cancer cells, enabling the investigation of muscle wasting and other cachexia symptoms in detail.
- The study found that gait speed is a more accurate indicator of cachexia-related physical function than grip strength, revealing changes in gait speed occurred earlier than grip strength in the model.