Bridging the Gap Between Imaging and Molecular Characterization: Current Understanding of Radiomics and Radiogenomics in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Imaging plays a crucial role in the screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of HCC; however, the potential mechanism regarding phenotypes or molecular subtyping remains underexplored. Radiomics significantly expands the selection of features available by extracting quantitative features from imaging data.

Tracking the Helicobacter pylori Epidemic in Adults and Children in China.

Background: The Helicobacter pylori epidemic in China accounts for up to a third of gastric cancers worldwide. We aim to monitor the temporal and spatial dynamics of H. pylori infection in both adults and children across China.

Dominant neoantigen verification in hepatocellular carcinoma by a single-plasmid system coexpressing patient HLA and antigen.

Background: Previous studies confirmed that most neoantigens predicted by algorithms do not work in clinical practice, and experimental validations remain indispensable for confirming immunogenic neoantigens. In this study, we identified the potential neoantigens with tetramer staining, and established the Co-HA system, a single-plasmid system coexpressing patient human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and antigen, to detect the immunogenicity of neoantigens and verify new dominant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) neoantigens.

Methods: First, we enrolled 14 patients with HCC for next-generation sequencing for variation calling and predicting potential neoantigens.

A signature based on NKG2D ligands to predict the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after radical resection.

Introduction: Due to the high recurrence, the HCC prognosis remains poor. Yet, the biomarkers for predicting the recurrence of high-risk patients are currently lacking. We aimed to develop a signature to predict the recurrence of HCC based on NKG2D ligands.

Critical roles for CCR2 and the therapeutic potential of cenicriviroc in periodontitis: A pre-clinical study.

Aim: CCR2 plays important roles in many inflammatory and bone metabolic diseases, but its specific role in periodontitis is unknown. In the present study, we aimed to explore the role of CCR2 in the progression of periodontitis and evaluate the effect of cenicriviroc (CVC) on periodontitis.

Materials And Methods: The expression of CCR2 was studied in patients with periodontitis and in ligation-induced murine model of periodontitis.

Functional Roles of Chemokine Receptor CCR2 and Its Ligands in Liver Disease.

Chemokines are a family of cytokines that orchestrate the migration and positioning of immune cells within tissues and are critical for the function of the immune system. CCR2 participates in liver pathology, including acute liver injury, chronic hepatitis, fibrosis/cirrhosis, and tumor progression, by mediating the recruitment of immune cells to inflammation and tumor sites. Although a variety of chemokines have been well studied in various diseases, there is no comprehensive review presenting the roles of all known chemokine ligands of CCR2 (CCL2, CCL7, CCL8, CCL12, CCL13, CCL16, and PSMP) in liver disease, and this review aims to fill this gap.

FAM3D is essential for colon homeostasis and host defense against inflammation associated carcinogenesis.

The physiological homeostasis of gut mucosal barrier is maintained by both genetic and environmental factors and its impairment leads to pathogenesis such as inflammatory bowel disease. A cytokine like molecule, FAM3D (mouse Fam3D), is highly expressed in mouse gastrointestinal tract. Here, we demonstrate that deficiency in Fam3D is associated with impaired integrity of colonic mucosa, increased epithelial hyper-proliferation, reduced anti-microbial peptide production and increased sensitivity to chemically induced colitis associated with high incidence of cancer.

FAM19A5/TAFA5, a novel neurokine, plays a crucial role in depressive-like and spatial memory-related behaviors in mice.

FAM19A5/TAFA5 is a member of the family with sequence similarity 19 with unknown function in emotional and cognitive regulation. Here, we reported that FAM19A5 was highly expressed in the embryonic and postnatal mouse brain, especially in the hippocampus. Behaviorally, genetic deletion of Fam19a5 resulted in increased depressive-like behaviors and impaired hippocampus-dependent spatial memory.

PSMP/MSMP promotes hepatic fibrosis through CCR2 and represents a novel therapeutic target.

Background & Aims: C-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) has been recognized as a promising target for the treatment of liver fibrosis. PC3-secreted microprotein (PSMP)/microseminoprotein (MSMP) is a novel chemotactic cytokine and its receptor is CCR2. In the present study we investigated the expression and role of PSMP in liver fibrosis/cirrhosis.

Elevated Expression Levels of PC3-Secreted Microprotein (PSMP) in Prostate Cancer Associated With Increased Xenograft Growth and Modification of Immune-Related Microenvironment.

Prostate cancer (PCa), especially metastatic PCa, is one of the main cancer types accounting for male mortality worldwide. Over decades, researchers have tried to search for effective curative methods for PCa, but many attempts have failed. The therapeutic failure of PCa is usually due to off-target or side effects; thus, finding a key molecule that could prevent PCa metastatic progression has become the most important goal for curing aggressive PCa.

FAM19A1 is a new ligand for GPR1 that modulates neural stem-cell proliferation and differentiation.

FAM19A1 is a member of the family with sequence similarity 19 with unknown function. FAM19A1 mRNA expression is restricted to the CNS. Here, we report that FAM19A1 is a classic secretory protein, and expression levels correlate with brain development, increasing from embryonic d 12.

The PSMP-CCR2 interactions trigger monocyte/macrophage-dependent colitis.

Monocytes/macrophages have been found to be an important component of colitis. However, the key chemokine that initiates the CCR2 monocytes migration from circulation to colitis tissue remains to be undiscovered. PC3-secreted microprotein (PSMP) is a novel chemokine whose receptor is CCR2.

Identification of FAM3D as a new endogenous chemotaxis agonist for the formyl peptide receptors.

The family with sequence similarity 3 (FAM3) gene family is a cytokine-like gene family with four members FAM3A, FAM3B, FAM3C and FAM3D. In this study, we found that FAM3D strongly chemoattracted human peripheral blood neutrophils and monocytes. To identify the FAM3D receptor, we used chemotaxis, receptor internalization, Ca(2+) flux and radioligand-binding assays in FAM3D-stimulated HEK293 cells that transiently expressed formyl peptide receptor (FPR)1 or FPR2 to show that FAM3D was a high affinity ligand of these receptors, both of which were highly expressed on the surface of neutrophils, and monocytes and macrophages.