Transcriptional Regulation of Protein Synthesis by Mediator Kinase Represents a Therapeutic Vulnerability in MYC-driven Medulloblastoma.

MYC-driven medulloblastoma (MB) is a highly aggressive cancer type with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Through CRISPR-Cas9 screening of MB cell lines, we identified the Mediator-associated kinase CDK8 as a critical regulator of MYC-driven MB. Loss of CDK8 substantially reduces MYC expression, induces pronounced transcriptional changes, suppresses monosome assembly, and decreases ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis, consequently inhibiting MB growth.

Biomarkers of Kidney Disease Progression in ADPKD.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common monogenic kidney disorder and the fourth leading cause of kidney failure (KF) in adults. Characterized by a reduction in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and increased kidney size, ADPKD exhibits significant variability in progression, highlighting the urgent need for reliable and predictive biomarkers to optimize management and treatment approaches. This review explores the roles of diverse biomarkers-including clinical, genetic, molecular, and imaging biomarkers-in evaluating disease progression and customizing treatments for ADPKD.

Generation, expansion, gene delivery, and single-cell profiling in rhesus macaque plasma B cells.

A key step in developing engineered B cells for therapeutic purposes is evaluation in immunocompetent, large-animal models. Therefore, we developed methods to purify, expand, and differentiate non-human primate (NHP; rhesus macaque) B cells. After 7 days in culture, B cells expanded 10-fold, differentiated into a plasma cell phenotype (CD38, CD138), and secreted immunoglobulin G.