Publications by authors named "Manoj Menon"

Article Synopsis
  • The Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network 12 study showed that pembrolizumab is safe and effective for treating advanced Kaposi sarcoma (KS) in people with HIV on antiretroviral therapy.
  • In a phase I trial involving 32 participants, 62.1% had a positive response to pembrolizumab, with even higher rates (87.5%) for those who hadn't received previous KS treatments.
  • The treatment led to significant progression-free survival, with a median of 28.2 months, and immune-mediated adverse events were effectively managed according to established guidelines.
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Rice is one of the major cereal crops in the world, contributing significantly towards the dietary energy and nutrition of more than half of the world's population. However, rice can also be a significant exposure route for inorganic arsenic (iAs). This risk is even greater if rice is cooked with iAs-contaminated water.

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Autophagy plays an important role in recognizing and protecting cells from invading intracellular pathogens such as . In this work, we investigated the role of p38/MK2 in modulating the host cell susceptibility to infection. Inhibition of p38 or MK2 led to a significant increase of bacterial counts in infected mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), as well as in MK2-deficient () cells.

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The yellow early marsh orchid ( ssp. ) is a critically endangered terrestrial orchid in Britain. Previous attempts to translocate symbiotic seedlings to a site near the last remaining wild site demonstrated some success, with a 10% survival rate despite adverse weather conditions over a two-year period.

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Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is one of the most diagnosed hematologic malignancies in the United States. Despite improvements in therapy, health disparities persist among patients with MM. Here, we aim to determine whether there are disparities in time to diagnosis (TTD) among MM patients with regard to income, race/ethnicity, and gender.

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Receptor-interacting protein kinases (RIPK)-1 and -3 play crucial roles in cell fate decisions and are regulated by multiple checkpoint controls. Previous studies have identified IKK1/2- and p38/MK2-dependent checkpoints that phosphorylate RIPK1 at different residues to inhibit its activation. In this study, we investigated TNF-induced death in MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2)-deficient cells and found that MK2 deficiency or inactivation predominantly leads to necroptotic cell death, even without caspase inhibition.

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We identified 11 conserved stretches in over 6.3 million SARS-CoV-2 genomes including all the major variants of concerns. Each conserved stretch is ≥100 nucleotides in length with ≥99.

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Macroautophagy (hereafter referred to as autophagy), a highly conserved metabolic process, regulates cellular homeostasis by degrading dysfunctional cytosolic constituents and invading pathogens the lysosomal system. In addition, autophagy selectively recycles specific organelles such as damaged mitochondria ( mitophagy), and lipid droplets (LDs; lipophagy) or eliminates specialized intracellular pathogenic microorganisms such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) and coronaviruses ( virophagy). Selective autophagy, particularly mitophagy, plays a key role in the preservation of healthy liver physiology, and its dysfunction is connected to the pathogenesis of a wide variety of liver diseases.

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Septins are cytoskeletal GTPases that form nonpolar filaments and higher-ordered structures and they take part in a wide range of cellular processes. Septins are conserved from yeast to mammals but absent from higher plants. The number of septin genes vary between organisms and they usually form complex heteropolymeric networks.

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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a bloodborne pathogen that can cause chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. The loss of CpGs from virus genomes allows escape from restriction by the host zinc-finger antiviral protein (ZAP). The evolution of HCV in the human host has not been explored in the context of CpG depletion.

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The TNF receptor-interacting protein kinases (RIPK)-1 and 3 are regulators of extrinsic cell death response pathways, where RIPK1 makes the cell survival or death decisions by associating with distinct complexes mediating survival signaling, caspase activation or RIPK3-dependent necroptotic cell death in a context-dependent manner. Using a mass spectrometry-based screen to find new components of the ripoptosome/necrosome, we discovered the protein-arginine methyltransferase (PRMT)-5 as a direct interaction partner of RIPK1. Interestingly, RIPK3 but not RIPK1 was then found to be a target of PRMT5-mediated symmetric arginine dimethylation.

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Dengue virus (DENV) exploits various cellular pathways including autophagy to assure enhanced virus propagation. The mechanisms of DENV mediated control of autophagy pathway are largely unknown. Our investigations have revealed a novel role for high-mobility group box1 protein (HMGB1) in regulation of cellular autophagy process in DENV-2 infected A549 cell line.

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Clinical and studies have demonstrated a role for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-encoded HBsAg (hepatitis B surface antigen) in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the role of HBsAg in regulating long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) involved in HCC progression. Our analysis of microarray data sets identified LINC00665 as an HBsAg-regulated lncRNA.

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Depletion of CpG dinucleotides in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomes has been linked to virus evolution, host-switching, virus replication, and innate immune responses. Temporal variations, if any, in the rate of CpG depletion during virus evolution in the host remain poorly understood. Here, we analyzed the CpG content of over 1.

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Most cancer cases occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The sophisticated technical and human infrastructure needed for optimal diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of cancers is difficult enough in affluent countries; it is especially challenging in LMICs. In Western, educated, industrial, rich, democratic countries, there is a growing emphasis on and success with precision medicine, whereby targeted therapy is directed at cancers based on the specific genetic lesions in the cancer.

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By crossing -floxed mice with -Cre mice carrying the Cre recombinase inserted in the Lysozyme-M () gene locus we aimed the specific deletion of septin7 in myeloid cells, such as monocytes, macrophages and granulocytes. :Cre mice show no alterations in the myeloid compartment. -deleted macrophages (BMDMs) were isolated and analyzed.

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Rice is consumed by nearly half of the global population and a significant source of energy and nutrients. However, rice consumption can also be a significant pathway of inorganic arsenic (iAs) exposure, thus requiring a risk-benefit assessment. This study assessed nutrient element (NE) densities in fifty-five rice types (white, brown and wild rice) marketed in the UK.

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Aging of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is caused by the elevated activity of the small RhoGTPase Cdc42 and an apolar distribution of proteins. Mechanisms by which Cdc42 activity controls polarity of HSCs are not known. Binder of RhoGTPases proteins (Borgs) are known effector proteins of Cdc42 that are able to regulate the cytoskeletal Septin network.

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Long noncoding RNAs are defined as transcripts longer than 200 nt with no protein coding potential. Most lncRNAs are expressed in a tissue-specific manner and barring a few, their absolute expression is lower compared to most coding transcripts. Differential expression studies have contributed the most to the functional characterisation of the lncRNAs we know.

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About 90% of species are endemic to the biodiversity hotspot of Madagascar. This terrestrial habitat-specific genus received little study for fungal diversity to support conservation. We evaluated the diversity of culturable fungi of 11 species and soil characteristics from six sites spanning a >40 km radius in and along the region's inselbergs.

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High levels of arsenic in drinking water and food materials continue to pose a global health challenge. Over 127 million people alone in Bangladesh (BD) and West Bengal (WB) state of India are exposed to elevated levels of arsenic in drinking water. Despite decades of research and outreach, arsenic awareness in communities continue to be low.

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Article Synopsis
  • In 2008, guidelines were established for researching autophagy, which has since gained significant interest and new technologies, necessitating regular updates to monitoring methods across various organisms.
  • The new guidelines emphasize selecting appropriate techniques to evaluate autophagy while noting that no single method suits all situations; thus, a combination of methods is encouraged.
  • The document highlights that key proteins involved in autophagy also impact other cellular processes, suggesting genetic studies should focus on multiple autophagy-related genes to fully understand these pathways.
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