Publications by authors named "Zhen OuYang"
Aortic dissection (AD) is one of the most dangerous diseases of the cardiovascular system, which is characterized by acute onset and poor prognosis, while the pathogenesis of AD is still unclear and may affect or even delay the diagnosis of AD. Anchorage-dependent cell death (Anoikis) is a special mode of cell death, which is programmed cell death caused by normal cells after detachment from extracellular matrix (ECM) and has been widely studied in the field of oncology in recent years. In this study, we applied bioinformatics analysis, according to the results of research analysis and Gene Ontology (GO), as well as Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), finally found 3 anoikis-related genes (ARGs) based on machine learning.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMultifunctional "Add-On" Module Enabled NIR-II Imaging-Guided Synergistic Photothermal and Chemotherapy of Drug-Resistant Lung Cancer.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces
December 2024
Imaging-guided chemo-photothermal combination therapy (chemo-PTT) is recognized for its synergistic therapeutic effects, reduced side effects, and minimal drug resistance, while the development of such theranostics has been hampered by poor imaging and therapy performance and tedious formulation. Herein, we introduce an all-in-one "add-on" module () for the convenient construction of doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded nanoparticles (DOX@BBT) and efficient second near-infrared (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging (FLI)-guided synergistic chemo-PTT of drug-resistant lung cancer. The delicate Janus amphiphilic structure of enables multifunctionality, including NIR-II FLI, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics, moderate photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE), excellent photostability, and polyethylene glycolation (PEGylation), which could improve the NIR-II FLI and PTT performance, relieve the complexity in theranostics, and enable high reproducibility of the multifunctional theranostics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF, a valuable traditional edible and medicinal resource, is recognized for its potential in slowing aging but has not been effectively exploited. This study aimed to explore antiaging activity and mechanisms of extracts (CCe). We used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify 23 CCe compounds and focused on quantifying six nucleoside components as quality markers.
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- 1-Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), an important compound found in mulberry leaves, has received attention for its unique structure and pharmacological benefits, with prior research detailing its biosynthesis from lysine to 2-methylpiperidine.
- 2- In this study, five genes related to CYP450 hydroxylases were identified as linked to DNJ levels in mulberry leaves, with MaCYP71BG22 being cloned and confirmed to specifically hydroxylate (R)-2-methylpiperidine at the C4-position, leading to increased DNJ production in mulberry hairy roots.
- 3- The research highlights that the G460 residue in MaCYP71BG22
Article Synopsis
- Fluid intelligence, which helps individuals handle complex situations, decreases with age and is linked to the structural connections between various brain regions.
- A study using MRI data from 454 healthy participants found that age-related changes in brain connectivity impact fluid intelligence, particularly in specific areas like the cingulate cortex and the orbito-frontal cortex.
- The research indicates that maintaining the structural stability of the multiple-demand network in the brain could help preserve fluid intelligence as people age.
Article Synopsis
- Normal aging leads to brain structure and function changes that are linked to cognitive decline, with key regions being the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and subcortical areas.
- A study involving 422 healthy individuals used advanced imaging techniques to explore the relationship between brain structure and function, revealing that aging affects the synchronization (structure-function coupling) of various brain regions.
- Findings suggest that increased synchronization in the PFC and thalamus is related to declines in cognitive abilities, particularly executive function and fluid intelligence, highlighting the importance of these brain areas in understanding aging and cognition.
The prevalence of excessive drinking-related alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is rising, yet therapeutic options remain limited. High alcohol consumption and consequent oxidative metabolism by cytochrome P450 (CYP) can lead to extremely high levels of reactive oxygen species, which overwhelm cellular defenses and harm hepatocytes. Our previous investigations showed that inhibiting using RNA interference reduced the incidence of ALD.
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- Traditional natural products, specifically the white mulberry, are studied for their medicinal benefits due to their rich content of bioactive compounds like flavonoids and terpenoids.
- These compounds have various health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties, making white mulberry a potential natural remedy for conditions like diabetes and cancer.
- This review aims to summarize existing research on the phytochemistry and pharmacology of white mulberry, analyze its biosynthetic pathways, and highlight both the advantages and limitations of current studies to promote its therapeutic use.
In vivo evaluation of guide-free Cas9-induced safety risks in a pig model.
Signal Transduct Target Ther
July 2024
Article Synopsis
- The CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system shows promise for treating genetic diseases, but concerns about safety—especially with guide-free Cas9—exist due to potential genomic instability.
- Research using pigs showed that guide-free Cas9 can cause genomic damage and changes in gene expression, with harmful effects correlating to the levels of Cas9 protein.
- Long-term expression of Cas9 in pigs resulted in weight loss and increased mutations, suggesting higher risks for genomic damage and tumor development, highlighting the need for careful safety assessments before clinical use of CRISPR/Cas9.
Article Synopsis
- Tinospora sagittata is a medicinal plant in the Menispermaceae family, known for its tuber's use in traditional Chinese medicine, which is high in valuable compounds like diterpenoids and alkaloids.
- Researchers created a detailed, high-quality genome for T. sagittata using advanced sequencing techniques, producing a genome size of 2.33 Gb with 4483 contigs.
- This genome assembly is significant as it's the first of its kind for the Menispermaceae family, contributing to the understanding of the plant's evolution and the biosynthesis of its medicinal compounds.
Transcription factors MhMYB1 and MhMYB2 correlate with monoterpenoid biosynthesis pathway in l-menthol chemotype of Mentha haplocalyx Briq, which could affect the contents of ( -)-menthol and ( -)-menthone. Mentha haplocalyx Briq., a plant with traditional medicinal and edible uses, is renowned for its rich essential oil content.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Obtaining high-quality chloroplast genome sequences requires chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) samples that meet the sequencing requirements. The quality of extracted cpDNA directly impacts the efficiency and accuracy of sequencing analysis. Currently, there are no reported methods for extracting cpDNA from Erigeron breviscapus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: 1-Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), the main active ingredient in mulberry leaves, with wide applications in the medicine and food industries due to its significant functions in lowering blood sugar, and lipids, and combating viral infections. Cytochrome P450 is a key enzyme for DNJ biosynthesis, its activity depends on the electron supply of NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductases (CPRs). However, the gene for MaCPRs in mulberry leaves remains unknown.
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- - Patients with neurodegenerative diseases, like mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's, show reduced basal forebrain volume compared to healthy individuals, particularly in the Ch4 subregion.
- - Significant differences in BF volume were found between mild cognitive impairment and healthy controls, but these were only observed in females, indicating a potential sex difference in brain changes.
- - Aging appears to have a minimal effect on BF volume in males, suggesting that sex should be an important factor to consider in brain research.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers developed a method to produce D-arabitol, a valuable chemical, from renewable sources using a specially engineered yeast called Zygosaccharomyces rouxii.
- Genetic modifications enhanced the yeast's ability to create D-arabitol, resulting in a 73.61% increase in production compared to the original strain.
- The study also optimized fermentation conditions and successfully purified D-arabitol to a purity of 96.53%, demonstrating a sustainable approach to manufacturing this compound efficiently.
Brain function changes affect cognitive functions in older adults, yet the relationship between cognition and the dynamic changes of brain networks during naturalistic stimulation is not clear. Here, we recruited the young, middle-aged and older groups from the Cambridge Center for Aging and Neuroscience to investigate the relationship between dynamic metrics of brain networks and cognition using functional magnetic resonance imaging data during movie-watching. We found six reliable co-activation pattern (CAP) states of brain networks grouped into three pairs with opposite activation patterns in three age groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvaluation of guide-free Cas9-induced genomic damage and transcriptome changes in pig embryos.
Mol Ther Nucleic Acids
December 2023
Cas9 protein without sgRNAs can induce genomic damage at the cellular level . However, whether the detrimental effects occur in embryos after Cas9 treatment remains unknown. Here, using pig embryos as subjects, we observed that Cas9 protein transcribed from injected Cas9 mRNA can persist until at least the blastocyst stage.
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- Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is caused by heavy alcohol consumption and currently has ineffective treatment methods that combine alcohol withdrawal and antioxidant drugs.
- Research indicates that CYP2E1 is a key player in the progression of ALD, but existing methods to reduce its activity in humans are impractical.
- The study introduced a new RNAi therapeutic approach using lipid nanoparticles in mice, which effectively reduced liver oxidative stress and improved ALD symptoms by decreasing fat accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis in the liver.
Article Synopsis
- Heterologous organ transplantation is a promising technique to replace organ functions but struggles with a severe shortage of available organs.
- Researchers aimed to enhance human cell integration in pig embryos by improving stem cell culture conditions and overexpressing two pro-survival genes, resulting in increased cell viability.
- This led to the successful development of human-pig chimeric kidney structures, marking a significant step toward creating humanized organs for regenerative medicine and studying kidney development.
Article Synopsis
- Current gene expression regulation methods can't precisely control gene expression both ways, so researchers developed a new strategy that modifies the Kozak sequence to fine-tune translation levels directly.* -
- The study focused on editing three specific nucleotides (KZ3) upstream of the translation initiation codon, finding that different variants affect translation efficiency while transcription levels remain consistent.* -
- This approach allows for adjustable gene translation in a predictable manner, and it can be applied to the entire Kozak sequence across all protein-coding genes in eukaryotes.*
Article Synopsis
- Plastids have become a key platform in plant synthetic biology for producing valuable secondary metabolites and therapeutic proteins, offering advantages over traditional nuclear genetic engineering.
- Constitutive expression of foreign genes in plastids can negatively affect plant growth, highlighting the need for better regulatory mechanisms to control gene expression.
- The review highlights advancements in regulatory elements for plastid genetic engineering, such as operon design, multi-gene coexpression strategies, and new regulatory elements, paving the way for future research.
Article Synopsis
- The study explored the causal link between psoriasis and common psychiatric disorders using a method called bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR), analyzing data from a large number of cases for each condition.
- Results showed a positive association between psoriasis and major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder, suggesting these skin conditions may influence mental health.
- The study found no significant causal relationship with schizophrenia or anxiety disorders and highlighted limitations such as potential biases and a focus on European populations.
Article Synopsis
- - The study introduces a new method for modifying oligoethylene glycol macrocyclic sulfates using a one-pot nucleophilic ring-opening reaction, which bypasses the need for complex activation or protection steps.
- - It replaces hazardous sulfuric acid with a solid acid called Amberlyst-15 to improve the hydrolysis of sulfate salt intermediates, making the process safer and more environmentally friendly.
- - This approach successfully produced 18 valuable derivatives efficiently and demonstrated scalability, creating a significant derivative for applications like F-19 magnetic resonance imaging in biomaterials.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on the monoterpenes in Briq. essential oils, revealing that various chemotypes are linked to different active ingredients, but the mechanisms behind their formation are still unclear.
- Researchers conducted transcriptome sequencing on stable chemotypes, specifically menthol, pulegone, and carvone, to explore links between transcription factors (TFs) and key enzyme expressions.
- Findings identified 14 genes involved in monoterpenoid biosynthesis, with significant upregulation of PR and MD in the menthol chemotype, and L3OH in carvone, indicating that specific TFs play a crucial role in regulating these differences across chemotypes.
Article Synopsis
- * In a study of 3,335 students, 1.95% reported experiencing belching disorders, with significant lifestyle differences observed between those affected and those not.
- * Key findings indicated that regular coffee consumption and high levels of stress were risk factors for belching disorders, while eating whole grains acted as a protective factor, suggesting that dietary changes might help manage these symptoms.