Publications by authors named "Qing Yu Weng"
Purpose: This study aimed to explore the effect of Rapamycin (Rapa) in () pneumonia and clarify its possible mechanism.
Methods: We investigated the effects of Rapa on pneumonia in mouse models and in macrophages cultured in vitro. Two possible mechanisms were investigated: the mTOR-RPS6 pathway phosphorylation and phagocytosis.
Ultraviolet (UV) light and incompletely understood genetic and epigenetic variations determine skin color. Here we describe an UV- and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF)-independent mechanism of skin pigmentation. Targeting the mitochondrial redox-regulating enzyme nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (NNT) resulted in cellular redox changes that affect tyrosinase degradation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1), can deliver durable antitumor effects, most patients with cancer fail to respond. Recent studies suggest that ICI efficacy correlates with a higher load of tumor-specific neoantigens and development of vitiligo in patients with melanoma. Here, we report that patients with low melanoma neoantigen burdens who responded to ICI had tumors with higher expression of pigmentation-related genes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a fatal but undertreated condition with severe neutrophilic inflammation, although little is known about the functions of eosinophils in the pathogenesis of ALI. Our objectives were to investigate the roles and molecular mechanisms of eosinophils in ALI.
Methods: Pulmonary eosinophils were identified by flow cytometry.
Article Synopsis
- Cytotoxic T cells are essential for the adaptive immune response, specifically in eliminating infected or cancerous cells.
- The study highlights that HDAC3, a histone deacetylase, limits the effectiveness and longevity of CD8 T cells during and after activation, impacting their ability to function.
- HDAC3 suppresses the activation of genes crucial for CD8 T cell cytotoxicity and differentiation, indicating its role as an important epigenetic regulator in this immune process.
Article Synopsis
- * The WNT/β-catenin pathway is significantly affected by G9a abnormalities, as G9a suppresses the WNT antagonist DKK1, contributing to tumor development.
- * Targeting mutated or amplified G9a could be an effective therapeutic strategy, as studies show it can promote a more immune-responsive "hot" tumor environment in melanoma and other cancers.
Skin pigmentation is a result of melanin produced by melanocytes in the epidermis. Melanocyte activity, along with the type and distribution of melanins, is the main driver for diversity of skin pigmentation. Dark melanin acts to protect against the deleterious effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, including photo-aging and skin cancer formation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe presence of dark melanin (eumelanin) within human epidermis represents one of the strongest predictors of low skin cancer risk. Topical rescue of eumelanin synthesis, previously achieved in "redhaired" Mc1r-deficient mice, demonstrated significant protection against UV damage. However, application of a topical strategy for human skin pigmentation has not been achieved, largely due to the greater barrier function of human epidermis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cellulitis has many clinical mimickers (pseudocellulitis), which leads to frequent misdiagnosis.
Objective: To create a model for predicting the likelihood of lower extremity cellulitis.
Methods: A cross-sectional review was performed of all patients admitted with a diagnosis of lower extremity cellulitis through the emergency department at a large hospital between 2010 and 2012.
Importance: Inflammatory dermatoses of the lower extremity are often misdiagnosed as cellulitis (aka "pseudocellulitis") and treated with antibiotics and/or hospitalization. There is limited data on the cost and complications from misdiagnosed cellulitis.
Objective: To characterize the national health care burden of misdiagnosed cellulitis in patients admitted for treatment of lower extremity cellulitis.
Article Synopsis
- Spironolactone is an effective treatment for hormonally mediated acne, but it can lead to hyperkalemia, which is an elevated level of potassium in the blood.
- A study was conducted to determine the incidence of hyperkalemia in healthy young women taking spironolactone for acne, examining data from 2000 to 2014.
- Results showed that the hyperkalemia rate in these women (0.72%) was similar to the baseline rate (0.76%), indicating that the medication does not significantly increase the risk of hyperkalemia in this population.