IGFBP6 regulates extracellular vesicles formation via cholesterol abundance in MDA-MB-231 cells.

Breast cancer recurrence is associated with the growth of disseminated cancer cells that separate from the primary tumor before surgical treatment and hormonal therapy and form a metastatic niche in distant organs. We previously demonstrated that IGFBP6 expression is associated with the risk of early relapse of luminal breast cancer. Knockdown of IGFBP6 in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells increased their invasiveness, proliferation, and metastatic potential.

Immunocompetent Mice As a Model for Preclinical Studies of mRNA Vaccine Immunogenicity.

Conducting preclinical studies of mRNA vaccines is complicated by the lack of relevant animal models of the human immune system. Immunocompetent mice are widely used in biomedical research. However, critical differences in the genetics and immune system of mice and humans prevent the study of unique human immune responses in mice.

The signature of SARS-CoV-2 evolution reflects selective pressures within human guts.

In somatic cells, microRNAs (miRNAs) bind to the genomes of RNA viruses and influence their translation and replication. In London and Berlin samples represented in GISAID database, we traced severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lineages and divided these sequenced in two groups, "Ancestral variants" and "Omicrons," and analyzed them through the prism of the tissue-specific binding between host miRNAs and viral messenger RNAs. We demonstrate a significant number of miRNA-binding sites in the NSP4 region of the SARS-CoV-2 genome, with evidence of evolutionary pressure within this region exerted by human intestinal miRNAs.

Immunomodulatory Effect and Biological Significance of β-Glucans.

β-glucan, one of the homopolysaccharides composed of D-glucose, exists widely in cereals and microorganisms and possesses various biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumor properties. More recently, there has been mounting proof that β-glucan functions as a physiologically active "biological response modulator (BRM)", promoting dendritic cell maturation, cytokine secretion, and regulating adaptive immune responses-all of which are directly connected with β-glucan-regulated glucan receptors. This review focuses on the sources, structures, immune regulation, and receptor recognition mechanisms of β-glucan.