Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Altered lipid profiles and lipid processing genes are associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is a reported genetic interaction between the AD risk gene APOE and cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP). Mice lack functional CETP which is critical to the balance of circulating lipoproteins; this imparts cardioprotective effects and may make mice resistant to AD.

Single-cell epigenomic dysregulation of Systemic Sclerosis fibroblasts via CREB1/EGR1 axis in self-assembled human skin equivalents.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by skin fibrosis, internal organ involvement and vascular dropout. We previously developed and phenotypically characterized an 3D skin-like tissue model of SSc, and now analyze the transcriptomic (scRNA-seq) and epigenetic (scATAC-seq) characteristics of this model at single-cell resolution. SSc 3D skin-like tissues were fabricated using autologous fibroblasts, macrophages, and plasma from SSc patients or healthy control (HC) donors.