Publications by authors named "Pauline Xu"

Article Synopsis
  • Granulosa cell tumors are rare, making research difficult due to limited cases; they exhibit metabolic reprogramming with lipid accumulation and increased PPARγ expression.
  • A study created a mouse model with a specific Pik3ca mutation to investigate tumor development and discovered significant metabolic changes linked to lipid metabolism during tumor growth.
  • Findings indicate that PPARγ plays a major role in promoting granulosa cell tumor growth, with the inhibition of PPARγ reducing tumor cell proliferation and impacting key signaling pathways.
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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients display distinct phenotypes of cachexia development, with either adipose tissue loss preceding skeletal muscle wasting or loss of only adipose tissue. Activin A levels were measured in serum and analyzed in tumor specimens of both a cohort of Stage IV PDAC patients and the genetically engineered KPC mouse model. Our data revealed that serum activin A levels were significantly elevated in Stage IV PDAC patients in comparison to age-matched non-cancer patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cancer-associated cachexia (CAC) is a serious condition in cancer patients characterized by significant muscle and fat loss, and understanding its mechanisms is challenging due to lack of effective experimental models.
  • Researchers studied transgenic female mice with ovarian tumors to simulate CAC, measuring biomarkers and analyzing muscle and fat tissue changes as the condition progressed.
  • The findings showed that these mice exhibited symptoms similar to those in human CAC, including severe weight loss and increased levels of specific biomarkers like activin A and GDF15, alongside mechanisms of muscle and fat degradation linked to metabolic pathways.
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  • Immunotherapy, specifically the checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA), is gaining traction as a cancer treatment, recently approved for pediatric patients with certain types of lymphoma.
  • Research using prepubertal female mice showed that pembrolizumab significantly decreased primordial follicle counts in immunocompetent mice, but not in immunodeficient mice, highlighting a potential impact on ovarian reserve.
  • Despite the observed changes in follicle numbers, fertility-related tests indicated that short-term fertility remained unaffected, suggesting inflammation from T-cell infiltration may play a role in the ovarian response to PD-1 blockade.
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Article Synopsis
  • The transcription factor p63 is crucial for regulating maternal reproduction, genomic integrity, and skin development, and it has several isoforms including TAp63 and ΔNp63.
  • TAp63 is specifically activated in female primordial germ cells and remains active in immature oocytes, where it helps protect the genome and influences the fate of damaged oocytes.
  • Recent studies suggest that mutations in p63 are linked to female infertility issues, particularly premature ovarian insufficiency, highlighting its importance in reproductive health.
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Purpose: A fundamental clinical skill is the recognition of artefacts within the outputs of advanced imaging modalities. However, current teaching programmes of healthcare practitioners are becoming increasingly challenged to provide practical exposure within an already crowded curriculum. This study evaluates the impact of a novel work-integrated teaching model on the confidence and competence of clinicians in the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and the recognition of its artefacts.

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Chemotherapy directly or indirectly affects organs in a short-term or continuous manner. Endocrine organs are especially sensitive to cancer treatment, leading to concerns among patients regarding their quality of life afterward. Side effects to the ovary include damage to the ovarian reserve, resulting in follicle loss, endocrine hormone deficiency, and infertility.

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Purpose: We aimed to determine myopia control efficacy with novel contact lenses (CL) that (1) reduced both central and peripheral defocus, and (2) provided extended depth of focus with better global retinal image quality for points on, and anterior to, the retina and degraded for points posterior to the retina.

Methods: Children (n = 508, 8-13 years) with cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) -0.75 to -3.

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Disruption of protein geranylgeranylation via inhibition of geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGDPS) represents a novel therapeutic strategy for a variety of malignancies, especially those characterized by excessive protein secretion such as multiple myeloma. Our work has demonstrated that some isoprenoid triazole bisphosphonates are potent and selective inhibitors of GGDPS. Here we present the synthesis and biological evaluation of a new series of isoprenoid triazoles modified by incorporation of a methyl group at the α-carbon.

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Here we investigated in primary human erythroid tissues a downstream element of the heterochronic miRNA pathway, the insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1), for its potential to affect the hemoglobin profiles in human erythroblasts. Comparison of adult bone marrow to fetal liver lysates demonstrated developmental silencing in IGF2BP1. Erythroid-specific overexpression of IGF2BP1 caused a nearly complete and pancellular reversal of the adult pattern of hemoglobin expression toward a more fetal-like phenotype.

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Aims: Heme derived from hemolysis is pro-oxidative and proinflammatory and promotes vaso-occlusion in murine models of sickle cell disease (SCD), suggesting that enhanced detoxification of heme may be beneficial. Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) transcription pathway is the principal cellular defense system responding to pro-oxidative and proinflammatory stress. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF), a drug approved for treatment of multiple sclerosis, provides neuroprotection by activating Nrf2-responsive genes.

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Purpose: To report the performance of various contact lenses and lens care solution combinations based on the combined response of subjective comfort and adverse events (AEs).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 28 lens/solution combinations each tested on approximately 40 participants who wore their assigned combination on a daily wear basis and were followed for a 3-month period, with visits at baseline, 2 weeks, and 1 and 3 months. Lenses included frequent replacement and daily disposables.

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Purpose: To investigate the mechanism underlying hyperopic orthokeratology (OK) by comparing the short-term clinical effect of lenses before and after central lens fenestration.

Methods: Twelve subjects (age 21 to 24 years) were fitted with rigid hyperopic OK lenses (BE Enterprises/Capricornia) in one eye only. The fellow eye acted as a non-lens wearing control.

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