技术资料

Growing evidence shows that the reprogramming of fatty acid (FA) metabolism plays a key role in HER2-positive (HER2 +) breast cancer (BC) aggressiveness,therapy resistance and cancer stemness. In particular,HER2 + BC has been defined as a "lipogenic disease" due to the functional and bi-directional crosstalk occurring between HER2-mediated oncogenic signaling and FA biosynthesis via FA synthase activity. In this context,the functional role exerted by the reprogramming of CD36-mediated FA uptake in HER2 + BC poor prognosis and therapy resistance remains unclear. In this study,we aimed to elucidate whether enhanced CD36 in mesenchymal HER2 + cancer stem cells (CSCs) is directly involved in anti-HER2 treatment refractoriness in HER2 + BC and to design future metabolism-based approaches targeting both FA reprogramming and the “root” of cancer. Molecular,biological and functional characterization of CD36-mediated FA uptake was investigated in HER2 + BC patients,cell lines,epithelial and mesenchymal CSCs. Cell proliferation was analyzed by SRB assay upon treatment with lapatinib,CD36 inhibitor,or Wnt antagonist/agonist. Engineered cell models were generated via lentivirus infection and transient silencing. CSC-like properties and tumorigenesis of HER2 + BC cells with or without CD36 depletion were examined by mammosphere forming efficiency assay,flow cytometry,cell sorting,ALDH activity assay and xenograft mouse model. FA uptake was examined by flow cytometry with FA BODIPY FL C16. Intratumor expression of CSC subsets was evaluated via multiplex immunostaining and immunolocalization analysis. Molecular data demonstrated that CD36 is significantly upmodulated on treatment in therapy resistant HER2 + BC patients and its expression levels in BC cells is correlated with FA uptake. We provided evidence of a consistent enrichment of CD36 in HER2 + epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like CSCs from all tested resistant cell models that mechanistically occurs via Wnt signaling pathway activation. Consistently,both in vitro and in vivo dual blockade of CD36 and HER2 increased the anti-CSC efficacy of anti-HER2 drugs favoring the transition of the therapy resistant mesenchymal CSCs into therapy-sensitive mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET)-like epithelial state. In addition,expression of CD36 in intratumor HER2 + mesenchymal CSCs is significantly associated with resistance to trastuzumab in HER2 + BC patients. These results support the metabolo-oncogenic nature of CD36-mediated FA uptake in HER2 + therapy-refractory BC. Our study provides evidence that targeting CD36 might be an effective metabolic therapeutic strategy in the treatment of this malignancy. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-025-03276-z. View Publication

Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) can regulate tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Nevertheless,whether the regulation of LDHA is involved in the development of gemcitabine resistance in PDAC has not yet been fully elucidated. Increasing studies have shown that cancer acquired drug resistance led to treatment failure is highly attributed to the cancer stem cell (CSC) properties. Therefore,we aim to demonstrate the functions and regulatory mechanisms of LDHA on cancer stem cell (CSC) properties and gemcitabine resistance in PDAC. We investigate the metabolite profiles by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry between gemcitabine–resistant PDAC and parental PDAC cells. Additionally,gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments were conducted to examine the roles of LDHA on CSC properties and gemcitabine resistance in the gemcitabine–resistant PDAC and parental PDAC cells. To investigate regulators involved in LDHA-mediated gemcitabine resistance and CSC of pancreatic cancer cells,we further used a combination of the miRNA microarray results and software predictions and confirmed that miR-4259 is a direct target of LDHA by luciferase assay. Furthermore,we constructed serial miR-4259 promoter reporters and searched for response elements using the TESS 2.0/TFSEARCH software to find the transcription factor binding site in the promoter region of miR-4259. We observed that elevated LDHA expression significantly correlates with recurrent pancreatic cancer patients following gemcitabine treatment and with CSC properties. We further identify that FOXO3a-induced miR-4259 directly targets the 3’untranslated region of LDHA and reduced LDHA expression,leading to decreased gemcitabine resistance and a reduction in the CSC phenotypes of pancreatic cancer. Our results demonstrated that LDHA plays a critical role in cancer stemness and gemcitabine resistance of pancreatic cancer,and indicate that targeting the FOXO3a/miR-4259/LDHA pathway might serve as a new treatment for pancreatic cancer patients with a poor response to gemcitabine chemotherapy. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40170-025-00377-3. View Publication

Genetically modified T lymphocytes expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are becoming increasingly important in the treatment of hematologic malignancies and are also intensively being investigated for other diseases such as autoimmune disorders and HIV. Current CAR T cell therapies predominantly use viral transduction methods which,despite their efficacy,raise safety concerns related to genomic integration and potentially associated malignancies as well as labor- and cost-intensive manufacturing. Therefore,non-viral gene transfer methods,especially mRNA-based approaches,have attracted research interest due to their transient modification and enhanced safety profile. In this study,the optimization of CAR-mRNA for T cell applications is investigated,focusing on the impact of mRNA modifications,in vitro transcription protocols,and purification techniques on the translation efficiency and immunogenicity of mRNA. Furthermore,the refined CAR-mRNA was used to generate transient CAR T cells from acute myeloid leukemia patient samples,demonstrating efficacy in vitro and proof-of-concept for clinically relevant settings. These results highlight the potential of optimized mRNA to produce transient and safe CAR T cells. View Publication

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is linked to atherosclerosis plaque formation. In pro-inflammatory conditions,human Natural Killer (NK) cell frequencies in blood or plaque decrease; however,NK cells are underexplored in CAD pathogenesis,inflammatory mechanisms,and CAD comorbidities,such as human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection and diabetes. Analysis of PBMC CITE-seq data from sixty-one CAD patients revealed higher blood NK cell SPON2 expression in CAD patients with higher stenosis severity. Conversely,NK cell SPON2 expression was lower in pro-inflammatory atherosclerosis plaque tissue with an enriched adaptive NK cell gene signature. In CAD patients with higher stenosis severity,peripheral blood NK cell SPON2 expression was lower in patients with high HCMV-induced adaptive NK cell frequencies and corresponded to lower PBMC TGFβ transcript expression with dependency on diabetes status. These results suggest that high NK cell SPON2 expression is linked to atherosclerosis pro-homeostatic status and may have diagnostic and prognostic implications in cardiovascular disease. View Publication

Respiratory viruses pose an ongoing threat to human health with excessive cytokine secretion contributing to severe illness and mortality. However,the relationship between cytokine secretion and viral infection remains poorly understood. Here we elucidate the role of CXCL8 as an early response gene to EV-D68 infection. Silencing CXCL8 or its receptors,CXCR1/2,impedes EV-D68 replication in vitro. Upon recognition of CXCL8 by CXCR1/2,the MAPK pathway is activated,facilitating the translocation of nuclear hnRNP-K to the cytoplasm. This translocation increases the recognition of viral RNA by hnRNP-K in the cytoplasm,promoting the function of the 5′ untranslated region in the viral genome. Moreover,our investigations also reveal the importance of the CXCL8 signaling pathway in the replication of both influenza virus and rhinovirus. In summary,our findings hint that these viruses exploit the CXCL8/MAPK/hnRNP-K axis to enhance viral replication in respiratory cells in vitro. Subject terms: Virus-host interactions,Chemokines,Antimicrobial responses,Viral host response View Publication

Psychological stress causes gut microbial dysbiosis and cancer progression,yet how gut microbiota determines psychological stress-induced tumor development remains unclear. Here we showed that psychological stress promotes breast tumor growth and cancer stemness,an outcome that depends on gut microbiota in germ-free and antibiotic-treated mice. Metagenomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that psychological stress markedly alters the composition and abundance of gut microbiota,especially Akkermansia muciniphila ( A. muciniphila ),and decreases short-chain fatty acid butyrate. Supplement of active A. muciniphila,butyrate or a butyrate-producing high fiber diet dramatically reversed the oncogenic property and anxiety-like behavior of psychological stress in a murine spontaneous tumor model or an orthotopic tumor model. Mechanistically,RNA sequencing analysis screened out that butyrate decreases LRP5 expression to block the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway,dampening breast cancer stemness. Moreover,butyrate as a HDAC inhibitor elevated histone H3K9 acetylation level to transcriptionally activate ZFP36,which further accelerates LRP5 mRNA decay by binding adenine uridine-rich (AU-rich) elements of LRP5 transcript. Clinically,fecal A. muciniphila and serum butyrate were inversely correlated with tumoral LRP5/β-catenin expression,poor prognosis and negative mood in breast cancer patients. Altogether,our findings uncover a microbiota-dependent mechanism of psychological stress-triggered cancer stemness,and provide both clinical biomarkers and potential therapeutic avenues for cancer patients undergoing psychological stress. Subject terms: Cancer metabolism,Cancer stem cells View Publication

Global disparities in cancer prevention,detection,and treatment demand a unified international effort to reduce the disease’s burden and improve outcomes. Despite advances in chemotherapy and radiotherapy,many tumors remain resistant to these treatments. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have shown promise as radiosensitizers,enhancing the effectiveness of low-energy X-rays by emitting Auger electrons that cause localized cellular damage. In this study,spherical AuNPs of 5 nm and 10 nm were characterized and tested on various cell lines,including malignant breast cells (MCF-7),non-malignant cells (CHO-K1 and MCF-10A),and human lymphocytes. Cells were treated with AuNPs and irradiated with attenuated 6 megavoltage (MV) X-rays or p(66)/Be neutron radiation to assess DNA double-strand break (DSB) damage,cell viability,and cell cycle progression. The combination of AuNPs and neutron radiation induced higher levels of γ-H2AX foci and micronucleus formation compared to treatments with AuNPs or X-ray radiation alone. AuNPs alone reduced cellular kinetics and increased the accumulation of cells in the G2/M phase,suggesting a block of cell cycle progression. For cell proliferation,significant effects were only observed at the concentration of 50 μg/mL of AuNPs,while lower concentrations had no inhibitory effect. Further research is needed to quantify internalized AuNPs and correlate their concentration with the observed cellular effects to unravel the biological mechanisms of their radioenhancement. View Publication

Red blood cell development from erythroid progenitors requires profound reshaping of metabolism and gene expression. How these transcriptional and metabolic alterations are coupled is unclear. Nprl3 (an inhibitor of mTORC1) has remained in synteny with the α-globin genes for >500 million years,and harbours most of the a-globin enhancers. However,whether Nprl3 serves an erythroid role is unknown. We found that while haematopoietic progenitors require basal Nprl3 expression,erythroid Nprl3 expression is further boosted by the α-globin enhancers. This lineage-specific upregulation is required for sufficient erythropoiesis. Loss of Nprl3 affects erythroblast metabolism via elevating mTORC1 signalling,suppressing autophagy and disrupting glycolysis. Broadly consistent with these murine findings,human NPRL3-knockout erythroid progenitors produce fewer enucleated cells and demonstrate dysregulated mTORC1 signalling in response to nutrient availability and erythropoietin. Therefore,we propose that the anciently conserved linkage of NprI3,α-globin and their associated enhancers has coupled metabolic and developmental control of erythropoiesis. Subject terms: Differentiation,Genomics,Erythropoiesis View Publication

Designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) are established tools for modulating neuronal activity. Calcium-mobilizing DREADD hM3Dq has been widely used to enhance neuronal activity. hM3Dq activates the Gq protein signaling cascade and mimics the action of native Gq protein-coupled receptors such as muscarinic m1 and m3 receptors leading to calcium release from intracellular storages. Depolarization evoked by increased intracellular calcium levels is an important factor for neuronal maturation. Here,we used repetitive activation of biolistically overexpressed hM3Dq to increase the activity of individual neurons differentiating in organotypic slice cultures of rat visual cortex. HM3Dq was activated by 3 μM clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) dissolved in H 2 O. Transfectants expressing hM3Dq mock-stimulated with H 2 O served as batch-internal controls. Pyramidal cells and multipolar interneurons were analyzed after treatment from DIV 5–10,DIV 10–20,and DIV 15–20 to investigate if Gq signaling is involved in dendritic maturation. Results show that hM3Dq activation accelerated the maturation of apical dendrites of L2/3 pyramidal cells in the early,but no longer in the later time windows. In contrast,dendritic dimensions of L5/6 pyramidal cells and interneurons were not altered at DIV 10. These findings suggest a growth-promoting role of activated Gq signaling selectively for early postnatal L2/3 pyramidal cells. Unexpectedly,hM3Dq activation from DIV 10–20 reduced the dendritic complexity of L5/6 pyramidal cells and multipolar interneurons. Together,results suggest a role of Gq signaling for neuronal differentiation and support evidence that it may also limit dendritic growth. View Publication

Predicting the absorption of orally administered drugs is crucial to drug development. Current in vitro models lack physiological relevance,robustness,and reproducibility,thus hindering reliable predictions. In this study,we developed a reproducible and robust culture method to generate a human intestinal organoid-derived monolayer model that can be applied to study drug absorption through a step-by-step approach. Our model showed similarity to primary enterocytes in terms of the drug absorption-related gene expression profile,tight barrier function,tolerability toward artificial bile juice,drug transporter and metabolizing enzyme function,and nuclear receptor activity. This method can be applied to organoids derived from multiple donors. The permeability of launched 19 drugs in our model demonstrated a correlation with human Fa values,with an R 2 value of 0.88. Additionally,by combining the modeling and simulation approaches,the estimated FaFg values for seven out of nine drugs,including CYP3A substrates,fell within 1.5 times the range of the human FaFg values. Applying this method to the drug discovery process might bridge the gap between preclinical and clinical research and increase the success rates of drug development. View Publication

Studying ciliary genes in the context of the human central nervous system is crucial for understanding the underlying causes of neurodevelopmental ciliopathies. Here,we use pluripotent stem cell-derived spinal organoids to reveal distinct functions of the ciliopathy gene RPGRIP1L in humans and mice,and uncover an unexplored role for cilia in human axial patterning. Previous research has emphasized Rpgrip1l critical functions in mouse brain and spinal cord development through the regulation of SHH/GLI pathway. Here,we show that RPGRIP1L is not required for SHH activation or motoneuron lineage commitment in human spinal progenitors and that this feature is shared by another ciliopathy gene,TMEM67 . Furthermore,human RPGRIP1L -mutant motoneurons adopt hindbrain and cervical identities instead of caudal brachial identity. Temporal transcriptome analysis reveals that this antero-posterior patterning defect originates in early axial progenitors and correlates with cilia loss. These findings provide important insights into the role of cilia in human neural development. Subject terms: Ciliogenesis,Pattern formation,Pluripotent stem cells,Neurogenesis View Publication

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a malignant hematologic disorder with limited curative options,primarily reliant on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Anemia,a prevalent symptom of MDS,has few effective treatment strategies. Realgar,though known for its therapeutic effects on MDS,remains poorly understood in terms of its mechanism of action. In this study,both in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted using Realgar and its primary active component,As 2 S 2,to examine their impact on mouse erythroblasts at the single-cell level. Realgar treatment significantly altered the transcriptional profiles and cellular composition of bone marrow in mice,both in vivo and in vitro. Differentially expressed genes in erythroblasts regulated by Realgar were identified,unveiling potential regulatory functions and signaling pathways,such as heme biosynthesis,hemoglobin production,oxygen binding,IL-17 signaling,and MAPK pathways. These findings suggest that Realgar enhances the differentiation of erythroblasts in mouse bone marrow and improves overall blood cell counts. This work offers preliminary insights into Realgar’s mechanisms,expands the understanding of this mineral medicine,and may inform strategies to optimize its therapeutic potential in hematologic diseases. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-025-03768-0. View Publication