Publications by authors named "Yang-Yi Fang"

Antizyme (AZ) is a regulatory protein that plays a crucial role in modulating the activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), which is the initial and rate-limiting enzyme in the complex pathway of polyamine biosynthesis. AZ facilitates the swift degradation of ODC, thereby modulating the levels of cellular polyamines. This study unveils a new ubiquitin-independent mechanism for AZ degradation, emphasizing the essential role of N-terminal degrons.

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  • - Lung cancer is a major global health issue with low survival rates, and conditions like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) elevate the risk of developing it due to lung fibrosis.
  • - The study investigates the role of prostaglandin E synthase (PTGES) in lung fibroblasts, showing that it is upregulated when exposed to certain cytokines, which enhances cell migration and the expression of the myofibroblast marker α-SMA.
  • - Findings suggest that PTGES activates the HIF-1α-glycolysis pathway, contributing to myofibroblast differentiation; targeting this pathway with inhibitors reduces α-SMA expression, providing potential therapeutic
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Bladder cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer in Taiwan, and therefore, enhancing the diagnostic sensitivity of biomarkers for early-stage tumors and identifying therapeutic targets to improve patient survival rates are essential. Although Sushi Domain Containing 2 (SUSD2) dysfunction has been identified in several types of human cancer, its biological role in bladder cancer remains unclear. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas revealed significantly higher expression of SUSD2 mRNA in bladder cancer tissues than in adjacent normal tissues.

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Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with tumorigenesis and drug resistance. The Rab superfamily of small G-proteins plays a role in regulating cell cytoskeleton and vesicle transport. However, it is not yet clear how the Rab family contributes to cancer progression by participating in EMT.

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Background/aim: To investigate the treatment outcomes and determinants of prognosis in patients experiencing visual acuity (VA) deterioration due to inflammatory isolated sphenoid sinus disease (ISSD) who underwent endonasal endoscopic surgery (EES).

Patients And Methods: Thirteen patients with 14 lesions treated with EES between March 2010 and April 2022 were included. Evaluation included improvements in VA using the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) scale, resolution rates of associated symptoms, and identification of factors predicting VA recovery.

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Malic enzyme (ME) genes are key functional metabolic enzymes playing a crucial role in carcinogenesis. However, the detailed effects of ME gene expression on breast cancer progression remain unclear. Here, our results revealed ME1 expression was significantly upregulated in breast cancer, especially in patients with oestrogen receptor/progesterone receptor-negative and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer.

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  • The study investigates peripheral biomarkers associated with bipolar II disorder (BD-II), focusing on specific circulating miRNAs and proteins that could signify the disorder.
  • Researchers analyzed data from BD-II patients and a control group to identify correlations between the specified miRNAs and proteins.
  • Findings revealed significant correlations between specific miRNAs (miR-221-5p and miR-370-3p) and proteins (CA-1, FARSB, MMP-9, and PCSK9), suggesting these interactions may play a crucial role in the biological mechanisms underlying BD-II.
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Background/purpose: The serpin peptidase inhibitor, clade E, member 2 (SERPINE2), is upregulated in breast cancer, prostate cancer, and urothelial carcinoma; however, limited information exists regarding its expression in oral cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the association between SERPINE2 expression and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) outcomes.

Materials And Methods: mRNA and protein expression in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and OSCC were investigated using online databases and tissue-array analysis.

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  • The study aimed to analyze sperm retrieval rates (SRR) in azoospermia factor c (AZFc) microdeletion patients using microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE) and to compare preoperative factors across studies with different SRRs.
  • A total of 11 studies with 441 patients were included, showing an overall SRR of 62.4%, but individual study rates varied significantly from 25% to 85.7%, with higher rates often linked to older patient ages and higher hormone levels.
  • The study concluded that while the overall SRR is 62.4%, more research is needed to understand how patient factors influence these outcomes and to gather more data on pregnancy and live-birth rates
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Genes of the homeobox (HOX) family encode transcription factors, which play a role in cancer progression. However, their role in gastric cancer has not been adequately evaluated. Herein, we evaluated the genetic changes and mRNA of target genes of the HOX family in gastric cancer patients using publicly available online datasets.

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Previous investigations have demonstrated the role of () levels in the cancer initiation and progression, prognosis, and treatment response in kinds of malignancies. However, its significance in the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) by different human papillomavirus (HPV) statuses remains unclear. We conducted an in-depth analysis of in HNSC using various bioinformatics tools, investigating its expression, alteration, differential levels, prognostic significance, molecular interactions, immune characteristics, and conducting experimental validation through immunohistochemistry (IHC) arrays and Western blot to compare expression levels between tumor and normal tissues, analyze the associations with clinicopathological features, and investigate its responses to chemotherapies.

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The glucose transporter family (GLUT) consists of fourteen members. It is responsible for glucose homeostasis and glucose transport from the extracellular space to the cell cytoplasm to further cascade catalysis. GLUT proteins are encoded by the solute carrier family 2 (SLC2) genes and are members of the major facilitator superfamily of membrane transporters.

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Article Synopsis
  • - A systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated microsurgical vasoepididymostomy (MVE) as a treatment for epididymal obstructive azoospermia (EOA), analyzing 273 articles and including 25 observational studies with 1,400 patients.
  • - The overall mean patency rate for MVE was found to be 69.3%, indicating a substantial chance for successful outcomes following the procedure.
  • - Key factors contributing to higher patency rates included the presence of motile sperm in epididymal fluid, performing the anastomosis bilaterally, and doing it distally on the epididymis.
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Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide. As it is often first diagnosed only when cancer metastasis has already occurred, the development of effective biomarkers for the risk prediction of cancer metastasis, followed by stringent monitoring and the early treatment of high-risk patients, is essential for improving patient survival. Cancer cells exhibit alterations in metabolic pathways that enable them to maintain rapid growth and proliferation, which are quite different from the metabolic pathways of normal cells.

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Cellular metabolism governs the signaling that supports physiological mechanisms and homeostasis in an individual, including neuronal transmission, wound healing, and circadian clock manipulation. Various factors have been linked to abnormal metabolic reprogramming, including gene mutations, epigenetic modifications, altered protein epitopes, and their involvement in the development of disease, including cancer. The presence of multiple distinct hallmarks and the resulting cellular reprogramming process have gradually revealed that these metabolism-related molecules may be able to be used to track or prevent the progression of cancer.

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Context: Yi-Qi Cong-Ming (YQCM) decoction has been widely used to prevent age-related hearing loss (ARHL), the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease in the elderly.

Objective: To explore the mechanism of YQCM decoction in the treatment of ARHL.

Materials And Methods: The chemical constituents of YQCM were screened from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database.

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  • A study was conducted to evaluate how factors like body mass index (BMI) and age affected surgical outcomes for patients with epididymal obstruction undergoing vasoepididymostomy (VE).
  • Involving 181 patients with obstructive azoospermia, the research analyzed various factors related to surgical success rates through statistical methods.
  • Results showed that younger patients (≤28 years) and those with a lower BMI (<26.0 kg/m²) had significantly better patency rates, highlighting the importance of these factors in treatment planning.
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() Previous studies have pointed out the significance of IgG Fc binding protein (FCGBP) in carcinogenesis, cancer progression, and tumor immunity in certain malignancies. However, its prognostic values, molecular interaction, and immune characteristics in the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) remained unclear. () To evaluate the potential role of the gene, we used GEPIA2 and UALCAN platforms to explore the differential levels, survivals, and genetic alteration through cBioPortal (based on The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset).

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Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common malignancy in Taiwan. Therefore, refining the diagnostic sensitivity of biomarkers for early-stage tumours and identifying therapeutic targets are critical for improving the survival rate of HNSCC patients. Metabolic reprogramming contributes to cancer development and progression.

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Peptididylarginine deiminase type 2 (PADI2) catalyzes the conversion of arginine residues to citrulline residues on proteins. We demonstrate that PADI2 induces T cell activation and investigate how PADI2 promotes activated T cell autonomous death (ACAD). In activated Jurkat T cells, overexpression of PADI2 significantly increases citrullinated proteins and induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling, ultimately resulting in the expression of autophagy-related proteins and autophagy.

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  • * The study analyzed genetic changes and expression of TJP proteins in bladder cancer tissues, finding that TJP1 was amplified and its expression was significantly linked to patient age, grade, and stage of the disease.
  • * TJP1 levels were positively correlated with other mutation genes and its expression is suggested as a potential predictive biomarker for the clinical outcome in bladder cancer patients.
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Ion channels and pumps not only regulate membrane potential, ion homeostasis, and electric signaling in excitable cells but also contribute to cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and differentiation. Channel proteins and ion pumps can form macromolecular complexes with signaling molecules, including growth factors and cell adhesion molecules. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)) promotes the proliferation of various cancer cell types mediated through the activation of the 5-HT receptor (HTR).

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Recent studies have reported that contributes to the development of various cancers. However, its association with urothelial carcinoma (UC) remains unclear. In this study, data on urinary bladder UC (UBUC) cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were used to investigate the prognostic value of SERPINE2 mRNA expression.

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