Joint exploration of network pharmacology and metabolomics on the effects of traditional Chinese medicine compounds in weaned yaks.

Introduction: Chinese herbal medicines are relatively inexpensive and have fewer side effects, making them an effective option for improving health and treating diseases. As a result, they have gained more attention in recent years. The weaning period is a critical stage in the life of yaks, often inducing stress in calves.

Engineered biomaterials in stem cell-based regenerative medicine.

Stem cell-based regenerative therapies, which harness the self-renewal and differentiation properties of stem cells, have been in the spotlight due to their widespread applications in treating degenerative, aging, and other, generally intractable diseases. Therapeutically effective hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells have been used in numerous basic and translational studies with exciting results. However, pre-/post-transplantation issues of poor cell survival and retention, uncontrolled differentiation, and insufficient numbers of cells engrafted into host tissues are the major challenges in stem cell-based regenerative therapies.

Colonic stem cell from severe ulcerative colitis maintains environment-independent immune activation by altering chromatin accessibility and global mA loss.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of colon, which is characterized by cryptarchitectural distortion. Alternation of colonic stem cell (CoSC) contributed to the occurrence of UC, yet the regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. To investigate the dysregulation of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, we performed RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and mA meRIP-seq analysis of the cultured CoSCs that were isolated from UC patients.

A CRISPR/Cas9-based kinome screen identifies ErbB signaling as a new regulator of human naïve pluripotency and totipotency.

Regulation of totipotency and naïve pluripotency is crucial for early human embryo development. However, the mechanisms of naïve pluripotency and totipotency regulation in humans, especially the signaling pathways involved in these processes, remain largely unknown. Here, using the conversion of human extended pluripotent stem cells (hEPSCs) to naïve pluripotent stem cells as a model, we performed a CRISPR/Cas9-based kinome knockout screen to analyze the effect of disrupting 763 kinases in regulating human naïve pluripotency.

Top 100 most-cited articles on apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer over the past two decades: a bibliometrics analysis.

Background: Recently there has been an increasing number of studies have explored apoptosis mechanisms in lung cancer (LC). However, no researchers have conducted a bibliometric analysis of the most cited articles in this field.

Objective: To examine the top 100 most influential and cited publications on apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from 2004 to 2023, summarizing research trends and key focus areas.

Leucine deprivation results in antidepressant effects via GCN2 in AgRP neurons.

Essential amino acids (EAAs) are crucial nutrients, whose levels change in rodents and patients with depression. However, how the levels of a single EAA affects depressive behaviors remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that although deprivation of the EAA leucine has no effect in unstressed mice, it remarkably reverses the depression-like behaviors induced by chronic restraint stress (CRS).

Probing and imaging phospholipid dynamics in live cells.

Distinct phospholipid species display specific distribution patterns across cellular membranes, which are important for their structural and signaling roles and for preserving the integrity and functionality of the plasma membrane and organelles. Recent advancements in lipid biosensor technology and imaging modalities now allow for direct observation of phospholipid distribution, trafficking, and dynamics in living cells. These innovations have markedly advanced our understanding of phospholipid function and regulation at both cellular and subcellular levels.

Apolipoprotein A-IV and its derived peptide, T55-121, improve glycemic control and increase energy expenditure.

It is crucial to understand the glucose control within our bodies. Bariatric/metabolic surgeries, including laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), provide an avenue for exploring the potential key factors involved in maintaining glucose homeostasis since these surgeries have shown promising results in improving glycemic control among patients with severe type 2 diabetes (T2D). For the first time, a markedly altered population of serum proteins in patients after LSG was discovered and analyzed through proteomics.

Boosting the oxygen reduction activity on metal surfaces by fine-tuning interfacial water with midinfrared stimulation.

Heterogeneous catalysis at the metal surface generally involves the transport of molecules through the interfacial water layer to access the surface, which is a rate-determining step at the nanoscale. In this study, taking the oxygen reduction reaction on a metal electrode in aqueous solution as an example, using accurate molecular dynamic simulations, we propose a novel long-range regulation strategy in which midinfrared stimulation (MIRS) with a frequency of approximately 1,000 cm is applied to nonthermally induce the structural transition of interfacial water from an ordered to disordered state, facilitating the access of oxygen molecules to metal surfaces at room temperature and increasing the oxygen reduction activity 50-fold. Impressively, the theoretical prediction is confirmed by the experimental observation of a significant discharge voltage increase in zinc-air batteries under MIRS.

Distinct evolution patterns of influenza viruses and implications for vaccine development.

In conclusion, the distinct evolution patterns of panzootic influenza A(H5Nx) compared to A(H1N1) and A(H3N2) complicate vaccine development. Effective strategies must consider these unique patterns and the impact of pre-existing immunity. Leveraging AI-based methods for optimized antigen design is essential to mitigate the potential impact of emerging antigenically variable strains and will provide valuable insights for developing more effective vaccines to prepare for future pandemics.

Photopyroelectric tweezers for versatile manipulation.

Optical tweezers and related techniques offer extraordinary opportunities for research and applications in physical, biological, and medical fields. However, certain critical requirements, such as high-intensity laser beams, sophisticated electrode designs, additional electric sources, or low-conductive media, significantly impede their flexibility and adaptability, thus hindering their practical applications. Here, we report innovative photopyroelectric tweezers (PPT) that combine the advantages of light and electric field by utilizing a rationally designed photopyroelectric substrate with efficient and durable photo-induced surface charge-generation capability, enabling diverse manipulation in various working scenarios.

The evolution of ovarian somatic cells characterized by transcriptome and chromatin accessibility across rodents, monkeys, and humans.

The ovary plays a crucial role in the reproductive system of female mammals by producing mature oocytes through folliculogenesis. Non-human model organisms are extensively utilized in research on human ovarian biology, thus necessitating the investigation of conservation and divergence in molecular mechanisms across species. In this study, we employed integrative single-cell analysis of transcriptome and chromatin accessibility to identify the evolutionary conservation and divergence patterns of ovaries among humans, monkeys, mice, rats, and rabbits.

When synthetic biology meets medicine.

In recent years, the world has faced significant challenges with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as other infectious diseases such as Zika and Ebola. Furthermore, the rapid rise of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer has placed tremendous strain on healthcare resources and systems. Unfortunately, advancements in drug development, diagnostics, and therapeutics have struggled to keep pace with the emergence and progression of diseases, necessitating the exploration of new technologies for the discovery and development of biomedicines and biotherapies.

Tracing TMEM106B fibril deposition in aging and Parkinson's disease with dementia brains.

Transmembrane protein 106B (TMEM106B), previously identified as a risk factor in frontotemporal lobar degeneration, has recently been detected to form fibrillar aggregates in the brains of patients with various neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) and normal elders. While the specifics of when and where TMEM106B fibrils accumulate in human brains, as well as their connection to aging and disease progression, remain poorly understood. Here, we identified an antibody (NBP1-91311) that directly binds to TMEM106B fibrils extracted from the brain and to Thioflavin S-positive TMEM106B fibrillar aggregates in brain sections.

A biomarker framework for liver aging: the Aging Biomarker Consortium consensus statement.

In human aging, liver aging per se not only increases susceptibility to liver diseases but also increases vulnerability of other organs given its central role in regulating metabolism. Total liver function tends to be well maintained in the healthy elderly, so liver aging is generally difficult to identify early. In response to this critical challenge, the Aging Biomarker Consortium of China has formulated an expert consensus on biomarkers of liver aging by synthesizing the latest scientific literature, comprising insights from both scientists and clinicians.

An atlas of glucose uptake across the entire human body as measured by the total-body PET/CT scanner: a pilot study.

Glucose uptake differs in organs and tissues across the human body. To date, however, there has been no single atlas providing detailed glucose uptake profiles across the entire human body. Therefore, we aimed to generate a detailed profile of glucose uptake across the entire human body using the uEXPLORER positron emission tomography/computed tomography scanner, which offers the opportunity to collect glucose metabolic imaging quickly and simultaneously in all sites of the body.