TNF-α Triggers RIP1/FADD/Caspase-8-Mediated Apoptosis of Astrocytes and RIP3/MLKL-Mediated Necroptosis of Neurons Induced by Angiostrongylus cantonensis Infection.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis (AC) can cause severe eosinophilic meningitis or encephalitis in non-permissive hosts accompanied by apoptosis and necroptosis of brain cells. However, the explicit underlying molecular basis of apoptosis and necroptosis upon AC infection has not yet been elucidated. To determine the specific pathways of apoptosis and necroptosis upon AC infection, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis for gene expression microarray (accession number: GSE159486) of mouse brain infected by AC revealed that TNF-α likely played a central role in the apoptosis and necroptosis in the context of AC infection, which was further confirmed via an in vivo rescue assay after treating with TNF-α inhibitor.

Rational Design of a Pan-Coronavirus Vaccine Based on Conserved CTL Epitopes.

With the rapid global spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a safe and effective vaccine against human coronaviruses (HCoVs) is believed to be a top priority in the field of public health. Due to the frequent outbreaks of different HCoVs, the development of a pan-HCoVs vaccine is of great value to biomedical science. The antigen design is a key prerequisite for vaccine efficacy, and we therefore developed a novel antigen with broad coverage based on the genetic algorithm of mosaic strategy.

Pentacyclic triterpene compounds from loquat leaves reduce skin inflammation and epidermal hyperplasia in psoriasis via inhibiting the Th17 cells.

Psoriasis is a refractory inflammatory skin disease affecting 2 %-3 % of the world population, characterized by the infiltration and hyper-proliferation of inflammatory cells and aberrant differentiation of keratinocytes. Targeting the IL-23/ Th17 axis has been well recognized as a promising therapeutic strategy, as the IL-23/ Th17 signal plays a vital role in the pathology of psoriasis. Three pentacyclic triterpene compounds isolated from loquat leaves have been reported with significant inhibitory effects on RORγt transcription activity and Th17 cell differentiation, and excellent performance in preventing lupus nephritis pathogenesis.

An online survey of the attitude and willingness of Chinese adults to receive COVID-19 vaccination.

: A safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 has become a public health priority. However, little is known about the public willingness to accept a future COVID-19 vaccine in China. This study aimed to understand the willingness and determinants for the acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine among Chinese adults.

CD27 enhances the killing effect of CAR T cells targeting trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 in the treatment of solid tumors.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, a type of adoptive cell therapy, has been successfully used when treating lymphoma malignancies, but not nearly as successful in treating solid tumors. Trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (Trop2) is expressed in various solid tumors and plays a role in tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. In this study, a CAR targeting Trop2 (T2-CAR) was developed with different co-stimulatory intercellular domains.

ncRNAVar: A Manually Curated Database for Identification of Noncoding RNA Variants Associated with Human Diseases.

While variants of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been experimentally validated as a new class of biomarkers and drug targets, the discovery and interpretation of relationships between ncRNA variants and human diseases become important and challenging. Here we present ncRNAVar (http://www.liwzlab.

BRLF1 suppresses RNA Pol III-mediated RIG-I inflammasome activation in the early EBV lytic lifecycle.

Latent infection with herpesviruses constitutively activates inflammasomes, while lytic replication suppresses their activation through distinct mechanisms. However, how Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) lytic replication inhibits the activation of inflammasomes remains unknown. Here, we reveal that the EBV immediate-early protein BRLF1 inhibits inflammasome activation, and BRLF1 deficiency significantly increases the activation of inflammasomes and pyroptosis during early lytic lifecycle.

Dynamic of Composition and Diversity of Gut Microbiota in in Different Developmental Stages and Environmental Conditions.

(), one kind of triatomine insects, is the vector of (), which lead to American trypanosomiasis. Although the gut microbiome may play an essential role in the development and susceptibility of triatomine, there is limited research on the gut microbiota of . To elucidate the effect of the vector's developmental stages and environmental conditions on the gut microbiome, we employed rRNA gene sequencing to profile the gut bacterial community diversity and composition of .

Mental health of college students during the COVID-19 epidemic in China.

Objectives: To assess the psychological status of college students in China during the COVID-19 outbreak, and offer some theoretical evidence for psychological intervention of college students.

Methods: An online survey was conducted from May 10, 2020 to June 10, 2020. Anxiety symptoms were measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale (GAD-7).

Alterations of Gut Microbiome and Metabolite Profiling in Mice Infected by .

() is one of the etiological agents of schistosomiasis, a widespread zoonotic parasitic disease. However, the mechanism of the balanced co-existence between the host immune system and as well as their complex interaction remains unclear. In this study, rRNA gene sequencing, combined with metagenomic sequencing approach as well as ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolic profiling, was applied to demonstrate changes in the gut microbiome community structure during schistosomiasis progression, the functional interactions between the gut bacteria and infection in BALB/c mice, and the dynamic metabolite changes of the host.

Compare the epidemiological and clinical features of imported and local COVID-19 cases in Hainan, China.

Background: Effective management of imported cases is an important part of epidemic prevention and control. Hainan Province, China reported 168 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including 112 imported cases on February 19, 2020, but successfully contained the epidemic within 1 month. We described the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in Hainan and compared these features between imported and local cases to provide information for other international epidemic areas.

A Marine Alkaloid, Ascomylactam A, Suppresses Lung Tumorigenesis via Inducing Cell Cycle G1/S Arrest through ROS/Akt/Rb Pathway.

Ascomylactam A was reported for the first time as a new 13-membered-ring macrocyclic alkaloid in 2019 from the mangrove endophytic fungus sp. CYSK-4 from the South China Sea. The aim of our study was to delineate the effects of ascomylactam A (AsA) on lung cancer cells and explore the antitumor molecular mechanisms underlying of AsA.

Targeting Mitochondria-Located circRNA SCAR Alleviates NASH via Reducing mROS Output.

Mitochondria, which play central roles in immunometabolic diseases, have their own genome. However, the functions of mitochondria-located noncoding RNAs are largely unknown due to the absence of a specific delivery system. By circular RNA (circRNA) expression profile analysis of liver fibroblasts from patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), we observe that mitochondrial circRNAs account for a considerable fraction of downregulated circRNAs in NASH fibroblasts.

A Zigzag but Upward Way to Develop an HIV-1 Vaccine.

After decades of its epidemic, the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is still rampant worldwide. An effective vaccine is considered to be the ultimate strategy to control and prevent the spread of HIV-1. To date, hundreds of clinical trials for HIV-1 vaccines have been tested.

Neural progenitor cell pyroptosis contributes to Zika virus-induced brain atrophy and represents a therapeutic target.

Mounting evidence has associated Zika virus (ZIKV) infection with congenital malformations, including microcephaly, which raises global alarm. Nonetheless, mechanisms by which ZIKV disrupts neurogenesis and causes microcephaly are far from being understood. In this study, we discovered direct effects of ZIKV on neural progenitor cell development by inducing caspase-1- and gasdermin D (GSDMD)-mediated pyroptotic cell death, linking ZIKV infection with the development of microcephaly.

Antibiotic fidaxomicin is an RdRp inhibitor as a potential new therapeutic agent against Zika virus.

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is a global health problem, and its complications, including congenital Zika syndrome and Guillain-Barré syndrome, constitute a continued threat to humans. Unfortunately, effective therapeutics against ZIKV infection are not available thus far.

Methods: We screened the compounds collection consisting of 1789 FDA-approved drugs by a computational docking method to obtain anti-ZIKV candidate compounds targeting ZIKV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp).

Signaling Lymphocytic Activation Molecule Family-7 Alleviates Corneal Inflammation by Promoting M2 Polarization.

Background: Signaling lymphocytic activation molecule family-7 (SLAMF7) functions as an immune checkpoint molecule on macrophages in antitumor immunity. However, its role in bacterial infection remains largely unknown.

Methods: Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) isolated from wild-type (WT) or SLAMF7 knockout (KO) mice were infected with bacteria or treated with lipopolysaccharide/interferon-γ to investigate the expression and function of SLAMF7 in macrophage polarization.

Multifaceted Functions of CH25H and 25HC to Modulate the Lipid Metabolism, Immune Responses, and Broadly Antiviral Activities.

With the frequent outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases in recent years, an effective broad-spectrum antiviral drug is becoming an urgent need for global public health. Cholesterol-25-hydroxylase (CH25H) and its enzymatic products 25-hydroxycholesterol (25HC), a well-known oxysterol that regulates lipid metabolism, have been reported to play multiple functions in modulating cholesterol homeostasis, inflammation, and immune responses. CH25H and 25HC were recently identified as exerting broadly antiviral activities, including upon a variety of highly pathogenic viruses such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Ebola virus (EBOV), Nipah virus (NiV), Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), and Zika virus (ZIKV).

Tumour-associated macrophages as a novel target of VEGI-251 in cancer therapy.

Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs), which possess M2-like characters and are derived from immature monocytes in the circulatory system, represent a predominant population of inflammatory cells in solid tumours. TAM infiltration in tumour microenvironment can be used as an important prognostic marker in many cancer types and is a potential target for cancer prevention or treatment. VEGI-251 not only is involved in the inhibition of tumour angiogenesis, but also participates in the regulation of host immunity.

Vacuolar ATPase depletion contributes to dysregulation of endocytosis in bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei.

Background: Vacuolar H-ATPase (V-ATPase) is a highly conserved protein complex which hydrolyzes ATP and pumps protons to acidify vacuolar vesicles. Beyond its role in pH maintenance, the involvement of V-ATPase in endocytosis is well documented in mammals and plants but is less clear in Trypanosoma brucei.

Methods: In this study, the subcellular localization of V-ATPase subunit B (TbVAB) of T.

Impact of population movement on the spread of 2019-nCoV in China.

Since Dec 2019, China has experienced an outbreak caused by a novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV. A travel ban was implemented for Wuhan, Hubei on Jan 23 to slow down the outbreak. We found a significant positive correlation between population influx from Wuhan and confirmed cases in other cities across China (R = 0.

C19orf66 interrupts Zika virus replication by inducing lysosomal degradation of viral NS3.

The rapidly emerging human health crisis associated with the Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic and its link to severe complications highlights the growing need to identify the mechanisms by which ZIKV accesses hosts. Interferon response protects host cells against viral infection, while the cellular factors that mediate this defense are the products of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Although hundreds of ISGs have been identified, only a few have been characterized for their antiviral potential, target specificity and mechanisms of action.

Long-chain fatty acyl-coenzyme A suppresses hepatitis C virus infection by targeting virion-bound lipoproteins.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of chronic hepatitis and end-stage liver diseases. Mature HCV virions are bound by host-derived lipoproteins. Lack of an HCV vaccine warrants a major role of antiviral treatment in the global elimination of hepatitis C.

Stem-like tumor cells involved in heterogeneous vasculogenesis in breast cancer.

Sorafenib, a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor with antiangiogenic activity, has been used in liver cancer and kidney cancer treatments. However, clinical trials with sorafenib for breast cancer were stopped in phase III due to limited efficacy. The existence of heterogeneous vasculatures involving tumor cells, such as vessel-like structures formed by vasculogenic mimicry and mosaic vessels, and their resistance to antiangiogenic therapy are thought to be a possible reason for failure of sorafenib therapy.