Chronic PM exposure disrupts intestinal barrier integrity via microbial dysbiosis-triggered TLR2/5-MyD88-NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Background: PM, a known public health risk, is increasingly linked to intestinal disorders, however, the mechanisms of its impact are not fully understood.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the impact of chronic PM exposure on intestinal barrier integrity and to uncover the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Methods: C57BL/6 J mice were exposed to either concentrated ambient PM (CPM) or filtered air (FA) for six months to simulate urban pollution conditions.

The Promotion of Humoral Immune Responses in Humans via SOCS1-Mediated Th2-Bias Following SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination.

The effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines varies among individuals. During the COVID-19 global pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 infection showed significant Th1 characteristics, suggesting that the immune disorder and production of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies may be related to Th1/Th2 bias. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Th1/Th2 bias effects on host immune responses to viruses remain unclear.

Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 at the Huanan Seafood Market.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019, emerged in December 2019. Its origins remain uncertain. It has been reported that a number of the early human cases of coronavirus disease 2019 had a history of contact with the Huanan Seafood Market.

Host protection against Omicron BA.2.2 sublineages by prior vaccination in spring 2022 COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai.

The Omicron family of SARS-CoV-2 variants are currently driving the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we analyzed the clinical laboratory test results of 9911 Omicron BA.2.

The transcription factor regulates pituitary development in zebrafish.

Background: ISL LIM homeobox 2, also known as insulin gene enhancer protein ISL-2 (), is a transcription factor gene that participates in a wide range of developmental events. However, the role of in the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis is largely unknown. In the present study, we characterized the expression patterns of and revealed its regulative role during embryogenesis using zebrafish.

Chromosome-level genome assembly defines female-biased genes associated with sex determination and differentiation in the human blood fluke Schistosoma japonicum.

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease of humans caused by blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma, the only dioecious parasitic flatworm. Although aspects of sex determination, differentiation and reproduction have been studied in some Schistosoma species, almost nothing is known for Schistosoma japonicum, the causative agent of schistosomiasis japonica. This mainly reflects the lack of high-quality genomic and transcriptomic resources for this species.

Opportunities and challenges to the use of neutralizing monoclonal antibody therapies for COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a substantial global public healthcare crisis, leading to the urgent need for effective therapeutic strategies. Neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) are a potential treatment for COVID-19. This article provides a brief overview of the targets and development of nAbs against COVID-19, and it examines the efficacy of nAbs as part of both outpatient and inpatient treatments based on emerging clinical trial data.

Gata2-L359V impairs primitive and definitive hematopoiesis and blocks cell differentiation in murine chronic myelogenous leukemia model.

GATA2, a key transcription factor in hematopoiesis, is frequently mutated in hematopoietic malignancies. How the GATA2 mutants contribute to hematopoiesis and malignant transformation remains largely unexplored. Here, we report that Gata2-L359V mutation impeded hematopoietic differentiation in murine embryonic and adult hematopoiesis and blocked murine chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell differentiation.

Activated factor X targeted stored in platelets as an effective gene therapy strategy for both hemophilia A and B.

Background: Treatment of hemophiliacs with inhibitors remains challenging, and new treatments are in urgent need. Coagulation factor X plays a critical role in the downstream of blood coagulation cascade, which could serve as a bypassing agent for hemophilia therapy. Base on platelet-targeted gene therapy for hemophilia by our and other groups, we hypothesized that activated factor X (FXa) targeted stored in platelets might be effective in treating hemophilia A (HA) and B (HB) with or without inhibitors.

Subchronic exposure to concentrated ambient PM2.5 perturbs gut and lung microbiota as well as metabolic profiles in mice.

Exposure to ambient fine particular matter (PM2.5) are linked to an increased risk of metabolic disorders, leading to enhanced rate of many diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), cardiovascular diseases, and pulmonary diseases; nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, BALB/c mice were exposed to filtered air (FA) or concentrated ambient PM2.

Urinary Iodine and Genetic Predisposition to Hashimoto's Thyroiditis in a Chinese Han Population: A Case-Control Study.

We aimed to examine the association of urinary iodine concentration with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) risk, and particularly, to investigate whether the HT-related genetic variations might modify the effects of urinary iodine on HT in the Chinese Han population. We conducted a case-control study with 1723 Chinese (731 cases, 992 controls). The associations between urinary iodine concentration and HT risk were analyzed using logistic regression models.

Viral and host factors related to the clinical outcome of COVID-19.

In December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the new coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified in Wuhan (Hubei province, China); it soon spread across the world. In this ongoing pandemic, public health concerns and the urgent need for effective therapeutic measures require a deep understanding of the epidemiology, transmissibility and pathogenesis of COVID-19. Here we analysed clinical, molecular and immunological data from 326 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in Shanghai.

polymorphisms are associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes in the Chinese population.

Background: The nucleobindin 2 () gene encodes the NUCB2 protein, which plays a critical role in glucose metabolism and diabetes. This study explored the correlation between genetic variants and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The study further examined the different variants that confer risk to T2DM in Chinese Han populations.

Amphiregulin promotes cardiac fibrosis post myocardial infarction by inducing the endothelial-mesenchymal transition via the EGFR pathway in endothelial cells.

The endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) plays a key role in the development of cardiac fibrosis (CF) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The results of our previous study showed that amphiregulin (AR) expression was enhanced after MI. However, the role of AR on EndMT post MI remains unknown.

Variants in oxidative stress-related genes affect the chemosensitivity through Nrf2-mediated signaling pathway in biliary tract cancer.

Background: Oxidative stress and their effectors play critical roles in carcinogenesis and chemoresistance. However, the role of oxidative stress-related genes variants in biliary tract cancer (BTC) chemoresistance remains unknown. In this work, we aim to investigate oxidative stress-dependent molecular mechanisms underlying chemoresistance, and find potential biomarkers to predict chemotherapy response for BTC.

Genome-wide profiling of Epstein-Barr virus integration by targeted sequencing in Epstein-Barr virus associated malignancies.

: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with multiple malignancies with expression of viral oncogenic proteins and chronic inflammation as major mechanisms contributing to tumor development. A less well-studied mechanism is the integration of EBV into the human genome possibly at sites which may disrupt gene expression or genome stability. : We sequenced tumor DNA to profile the EBV sequences by hybridization-based enrichment.

Bisphenol A exposure and risk of thyroid nodules in Chinese women: A case-control study.

Background: Thyroid nodules (TNs) are highly prevalent worldwide and have a pattern of female predominance. Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor that can lead to adverse effects in human health. However, epidemiologic studies revealing the association between BPA exposure and TNs are limited and the results are inconsistent.

Identifying leukemia-associated immunophenotype-based individualized minimal residual disease in acute myeloid leukemia and its prognostic significance.

Based on the leukemia-associated immunophenotypes (LAIPs), minimal residual disease (MRD) related to the outcome can be detected by multiparameter flow cytometry in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Although 0.1% was commonly used as a cutoff value, measurable MRD or MRD level below 0.

A dense mapping study of six European AITD susceptibility regions in a large Chinese Han Cohort of Graves' disease.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the six susceptibility loci of GD identified from European population in Chinese Han population and further to estimate the genetic heterogeneity of them in stratification of our GD patients.

Design: Dense mapping studies based on GWAS.

Patients: A total of 1536 GD patients and 1516 controls in GWAS stage and 1994 GD patients and 2085 controls and 5033 GD patients and 5389 controls in two replication stages.

Mutation profile and associated clinical features in Chinese patients with cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia.

Introduction: Cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML), which accounted for nearly half of total AML patients, is a highly heterogeneous subset of AML. The specific genetic profile and the ethnic features of CN-AML are worth to be studied.

Methods: Using deep sequencing technology, we detected the mutation pattern of 39 genes in 152 Chinese CN-AML patients and analyzed their clinical features.

Inhibition of the nuclear export of p65 and IQCG in leukemogenesis by NUP98-IQCG.

NUP98 fuses with approximately 34 different partner genes via translocation in hematological malignancies. Transgenic or retrovirus-mediated bone marrow transplanted mouse models reveal the leukemogenesis of some NUP98-related fusion genes. We previously reported the fusion protein NUP98-IQ motif containing G (IQCG) in a myeloid/T lymphoid bi-phenoleukemia patient with t(3;11) and confirmed its leukemogenic ability.