Publications by authors named "ZhaoYang Zeng"

The appetite of honeybees for food is crucial to their survival and reproduction, as they sustain their entire colony by collecting pollen and nectar for nutrients. Dopamine, an important neurotransmitter, regulates appetite and satiety. However, how dopamine regulates honeybee foraging behavior remains unexplored.

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Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play pivotal roles in the development and progression of various diseases, including malignant tumors. However, the biological functions and the underlying mechanisms of many circRNAs remain elusive. In this study, we identified a novel circRNA, circTP63-N, generated through the splicing of exons 2-4 of the TP63 gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

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RNA modifications are widespread throughout the mammalian transcriptome and play pivotal roles in regulating various cellular processes. These modifications are strongly linked to the development of many cancers. One of the most prevalent forms of RNA modifications in humans is adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) editing, catalyzed by the enzyme adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR) in double-stranded RNA (dsRNA).

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  • Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common type of head and neck cancer found mainly in southern China and Southeast Asia, characterized by persistent activation of interferon signaling and weakened T cell immunity.
  • The study used RNA sequencing to show that FOXA1, a pioneer factor, suppresses the interferon signaling pathway and PD-L1 expression in NPC cells, impacting T cell responses and apoptosis.
  • Loss of FOXA1 in NPC cells leads to increased IFN signaling activation and T cell dysfunction, indicating that FOXA1 plays a crucial role in regulating immune responses against NPC.
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Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common malignant tumor of the head and neck, prevalent in regions such as Southern China and Southeast Asia. Radiotherapy serves as the primary clinical treatment for this carcinoma. However, resistance to radiotherapy is a fundamental cause of treatment failure and patient mortality, with the underlying mechanisms yet to be fully elucidated.

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Drug resistance in tumors constitutes a significant obstacle to tumor therapy. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) presents a major challenge due to its deep anatomical location, limited space, and complex structure. These factors complicate surgical procedures and hinder the effectiveness of chemoradiotherapy, leading to poor prognosis and reduced quality of life.

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  • - Mitochondria are essential for producing energy in cells and regulating metabolism, significantly affecting the immune responses in tumors.
  • - The review details how mitochondria impact both innate and adaptive immune responses in the tumor environment, influencing whether immune cells help fight or promote tumor growth.
  • - It discusses new drug therapies targeting mitochondria, including novel small molecules, which could enhance cancer treatment effectiveness and patient outcomes.
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  • Immune evasion is a key factor in cancer development and is the basis for tumor immunotherapy, particularly in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) linked to Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
  • The study identifies that HPV-encoded circular RNA, circE7, negatively impacts CD8 T cell infiltration by inhibiting LGALS9 transcription, which is important for T cell function.
  • The mechanism involves circE7 binding to ACC1, leading to changes in gene expression that promote T cell suppression, suggesting a potential immunotherapy approach using anti-PD-1 and anti-TIM-3 inhibitors to counteract this immune evasion.
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Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are ectopic lymphoid aggregates formed by the structured accumulation of immune cells such as B cells and T cells in non-lymphoid tissues induced by infection, inflammation, and tumors. They play a crucial role in the immune response, particularly in association with tumor development, where they primarily exert anti-tumor immune functions during tumorigenesis. Current research suggests that TLSs inhibit tumor growth by facilitating immune cell infiltration and are correlated with favorable prognosis in various solid tumors, serving as an indicator of immunotherapy effectiveness to some extent.

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Recently, it has been discovered surprisingly that tRNA can be cleaved into specific small fragments under certain conditions. Most importantly, these tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) participate in the regulation of gene expression, playing pivotal roles in various physiological and pathological processes and thus attracting widespread attention. Detecting tRF expression in tissues and cells often involves using tRF-specific stem-loop primers for reverse transcription.

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Background: N-methyladenosine (mA) modification is essential for modulating RNA processing as well as expression, particularly in the context of malignant tumour progression. However, the exploration of mA modification in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains very limited.

Methods: RNA mA levels were analysed in NPC using mA dot blot assay.

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Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor that occurs in the nasopharynx. Palate, lung, and nasal epithelium clone (PLUNC) has been identified as an early secreted protein that is specifically expressed in the nasopharynx. The aim of this study was to determine the role and mechanism of PLUNC in NPC.

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Amino acids are essential building blocks for proteins, crucial energy sources for cell survival, and key signaling molecules supporting the resistant growth of tumor cells. In tumor cells, amino acid metabolic reprogramming is characterized by the enhanced uptake of amino acids as well as their aberrant synthesis, breakdown, and transport, leading to immune evasion and malignant progression of tumor cells. This article reviews the altered amino acid metabolism in tumor cells and its impact on tumor microenvironment, and also provides an overview of the current clinical applications of amino acid metabolism.

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Background: APLNR is a G protein-coupled receptor and our previous study had revealed that APLNR could inhibit nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) growth and metastasis. However, the role of APLNR in regulating PD-L1 expression and immune escape in NPC is unknown.

Methods: We analyzed the expression and correlation of APLNR and PD-L1 in NPC tissues and cells.

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  • Breast cancer is a serious illness and KCNK1 is a protein that might be important in how it spreads and gets worse.
  • Researchers found that higher levels of KCNK1 in breast cancer patients could mean they have a worse chance for recovery.
  • KCNK1 helps breast cancer cells grow and spread by influencing other chemicals in the body, which could help scientists find new ways to fight the disease.
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  • * This study identifies distinct digestive symptoms in GSD-Ib patients, including deep ulcers and strictures, and reveals that their gut microbiota and immune responses differ from typical IBD cases.
  • * The research highlights a specific pathway (CCL4L2-VSIR axis) that could be targeted for therapy, aiming to improve gut health and manage IBD in GSD-Ib patients.
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  • A hundred years ago, scientists discovered that cancer cells prefer to use a specific energy-making process called glycolysis, even when there’s plenty of oxygen available.
  • New studies show that cancer cells can share their tiny energy factories, called mitochondria, with each other and with other types of cells in their surroundings.
  • The review talks about how this sharing helps cancer grow stronger, resist treatments, and avoid the immune system, and it suggests ways to develop new cancer therapies by interrupting this process.
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Immune evasion contributes to cancer growth and progression. Cancer cells have the ability to activate different immune checkpoint pathways that harbor immunosuppressive functions. The programmed death protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligands (PD-Ls) are considered to be the major immune checkpoint molecules.

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RNA modification has garnered increasing attention in recent years due to its pivotal role in tumorigenesis and immune surveillance. N-methyladenosine (mA) modification is the most prevalent RNA modification, which can affect the expression of RNA by methylating adenylate at the sixth N position to regulate the occurrence and development of tumors. Dysregulation of mA affects the activation of cancer-promoting pathways, destroys immune cell function, maintains immunosuppressive microenvironment, and promotes tumor cell growth.

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  • Radiation therapy is a common treatment for a type of cancer called Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, and scientists are studying why some tumors resist this treatment.
  • Researchers found a molecule called circCDYL2 that is linked to poor responses to radiation therapy and helps the cancer cells avoid damage.
  • This molecule works by connecting with another protein to boost the production of RAD51, which is important for repairing DNA and helps cancer survive despite treatment.
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In South and Southeast Asia, the habit of chewing betel nuts is prevalent, which leads to oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). OSF is a well-established precancerous lesion, and a portion of OSF cases eventually progress to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, the specific molecular mechanisms underlying the malignant transformation of OSCC from OSF are poorly understood.

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Adhesion molecules mediate cell-to-cell and cell-to-extracellular matrix interactions and transmit mechanical and chemical signals among them. Various mechanisms deregulate adhesion molecules in cancer, enabling tumor cells to proliferate without restraint, invade through tissue boundaries, escape from immune surveillance, and survive in the tumor microenvironment. Recent studies have revealed that adhesion molecules also drive angiogenesis, reshape metabolism, and are involved in stem cell self-renewal.

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Cancer vaccines, designed to activate the body's own immune system to fight against tumors, are a current trend in cancer treatment and receiving increasing attention. Cancer vaccines mainly include oncolytic virus vaccine, cell vaccine, peptide vaccine and nucleic acid vaccine. Over the course of decades of research, oncolytic virus vaccine T-VEC, cellular vaccine sipuleucel-T, various peptide vaccines, and DNA vaccine against HPV positive cervical cancer have brought encouraging results for cancer therapy, but are losing momentum in development due to their respective shortcomings.

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Background: Natural killer (NK) cells have gained considerable attention and hold great potential for their application in tumor immunotherapy. This is mainly due to their MHC-unrestricted and pan-specific recognition capabilities, as well as their ability to rapidly respond to and eliminate target cells. To artificially generate therapeutic NK cells, various materials can be utilized, such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), umbilical cord blood (UCB), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and NK cell lines.

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