技术资料

Autoantibodies against envelope (Env) protein encoded by human endogenous retrovirus group K (HERV-K) are prevalent in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE),but it remains unclear which proviruses are responsible for this autoantigen. It also remains poorly understood how the transcription of HERV-K loci is regulated in cells that can produce Env.ResultsWe aligned our neutrophil RNA sequencing data to the new telomere-to-telomere reference genome and found uniquely mapping transcripts from HERV-K101,K102,K104,K108,K109,K117 and ERVK5,of which only K102,K108,and K109 encode an intact Env. Expression of K102 and K108 were higher in SLE than in healthy donors or RA (padj < 0.05). Transcripts from these proviruses increased in response to interferon-α in monocytes and neutrophils from RA patients and healthy donors,but not in SLE,presumably because they have chronically elevated type I interferons in vivo. Indeed,HERV-K expression was significantly higher in SLE patients with high type I interferon gene signature. Tumor necrosis factor-α and other cytokines and TLR ligands also induced HERV-K102 and K108 transcripts. Interferon-α also increased detectable Env protein in monocytes,macrophages,and neutrophils from RA patients. Among the genes for epigenetic silencers of HERV-K,only TRIM28 was significantly decreased in SLE patients with high interferons (padj = 0.00024).ConclusionsOur data establish a role for interferons in maintaining increased HERV-K expression in SLE and suggest that interferons or other cytokines can upregulate HERV-K to similar levels in RA. A transient increase may also accompany normal immune responses,suggesting that endogenous retroviruses may have been co-opted for efficient immune responses.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13100-025-00371-y. View Publication

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder,with no effective treatment currently available. Recently,non-pharmacological therapy,especially gamma frequency stimulation has shown promising therapeutic effects in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mouse models. Electric field (EF) is a non-invasive biophysical approach for neuronal protection. However,whether EF is beneficial in AD neuropathology remains unknown. In this study,we exposed the P301S tauopathy mouse model to EF at gamma frequency on the head. We demonstrated that EF treatment significantly improved the cognitive impairments in the P301S mice. This was accompanied by reduced tau pathologies,suppressed microglial activation,neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in the tauopathy mouse brain. Moreover,EF treatment induced cell-specific responses in neural cells,with neurons being more susceptible,followed by microglia and oligodendrocytes. EF also had favorable effects on synaptic protein in neurons,inflammatory response and complement signaling in microglia,and myelination in oligodendrocytes. This study provides strong evidence that EF at gamma frequency may have great potential to be a novel therapeutic intervention for P301S by attenuating neuropathology and offering neuroprotection.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13195-025-01859-8. View Publication

Reactivation of the latent viral reservoirs is crucial for a cure of HIV/AIDS. However,current latency reversing agents are inefficient,and the endogenous factors that have the potential to reactivate HIV in vivo remain poorly understood. To identify natural activators of latent HIV-1,we screened a comprehensive peptide/protein library derived from human hemofiltrate,representing the entire blood peptidome,using J-Lat cell lines harboring transcriptionally silent HIV-1 GFP reporter viruses. Fractions potently reactivating HIV-1 from latency contained human Retinol Binding Protein 4 (RBP4),the carrier of retinol (Vitamin A). We found that retinol-bound holo-RBP4 but not retinol-free apo-RBP4 strongly reactivates HIV-1 in a variety of latently infected T cell lines. Functional analyses indicate that this reactivation involves activation of the canonical NF-κB pathway and is strengthened by JAK/STAT5 and JNK signalling but does not require retinoic acid production. High levels of RBP4 were detected in plasma from both healthy individuals and people living with HIV-1. Physiological concentrations of RBP4 induced significant viral reactivation in latently infected cells from individuals on long-term antiretroviral therapy with undetectable viral loads. As a potent natural HIV-1 latency-reversing agent,RBP4 offers a novel approach to activating the latent reservoirs and bringing us closer to a cure. Subject terms: Preclinical research,Infectious diseases View Publication

Solid tumor malignancy (STM) patients experience increased risk of breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection owing to reduced COVID-19 vaccine immunogenicity. However,the underlying immunological causes of impaired neutralization remain poorly characterized. Furthermore,non-neutralizing antibody functions can contribute to reduced disease severity but remain understudied within high-risk populations. We dissected polyfunctional antibody responses in STM patients and age-matched controls who received adenoviral vector- or mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine regimens. Elevated inflammatory biomarkers,including agalactosylated IgG,interleukin (IL)-6,IL-18,and an expanded population of CD11c−CD21− double negative 3 (DN3) B cells were observed in STM patients and were associated with impaired neutralization. In contrast,mRNA vaccination induced Fc effector functions that were comparable in patients and controls and were cross-reactive against SARS-CoV-2 variants. These data highlight the resilience of Fc functional antibodies and identify systemic inflammatory biomarkers that may underpin impaired neutralizing antibody responses,suggesting potential avenues for immunomodulation via rational vaccine design. View Publication

Emerging evidence suggests brain-resident myeloid cells,including perivascular macrophages and microglia,provide a reservoir for HIV infection in the central nervous system (CNS),and their inflammatory activation is a proposed pathogenic mechanism in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). We investigated whether cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2),an immunomodulatory receptor expressed in myeloid cells,regulates viral replication and inflammation in HIV-infected macrophages and microglia. Using the synthetic CB2-specific agonist JWH-133,we found that CB2 activation reduced HIV replication in primary human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia (iMg) at differing doses,corresponding to the basal expression of CNR2,which encodes CB2,and related endocannabinoid transcripts in each cell type. JWH-133 broadly reduced release of cytokines from HIV-infected MDMs but not iMg. RNA-seq revealed that CB2 agonism primarily altered interferon and integrated stress response pathways in MDMs while altering homeostatic pathways,including synapse maintenance and phagocytosis,in iMg. Further analyses in iMg revealed that NLRP3 inflammasome activation,but not priming,was reduced by CB2 activation,which did not inhibit HIV-induced nuclear factor kB activation. This study identifies key differences in CB2 response between myeloid lineage cell types and implicates CB2-specific agonists as promising candidates for the regulation of HIV-associated neuroinflammation. View Publication

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a genetically heterogeneous disorder characterized by impaired mucociliary clearance due to defects in motile cilia. This study investigates the impact of loss-of-function mutations in the CFAP300 gene on the ciliary structure and function in three PCD patients. Using a multimodal approach,we integrated molecular genetic testing,transmission electron microscopy,the high-speed video microscopy assay and immunofluorescence staining to analyze ciliary motility and protein expression in both ex vivo and in vitro-obtained ciliary cells. Our results revealed that the pathogenic variant c.198_200delinsCC (p.Phe67ProfsTer10) in CFAP300 led to the absence of the functional CFAP300 protein,the complete loss of outer and inner dynein arms and immotile cilia. Air–liquid interface (ALI)-cultured cells from patients exhibited no ciliary beating,contrasting with healthy controls. Immunostaining confirmed the absence of CFAP300 in patient-derived cilia,underscoring its critical role in dynein arm assembly. These findings highlight the diagnostic utility of ALI cultures combined with functional and protein analyses for PCD,offering a clinically actionable framework that can be readily incorporated into standard diagnostic workflows. View Publication

The generation of the post-cranial embryonic body relies on the coordinated production of spinal cord neurectoderm and presomitic mesoderm cells from neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs). This process is orchestrated by pro-neural and pro-mesodermal transcription factors that are co-expressed in NMPs together with Hox genes,which are essential for axial allocation of NMP derivatives. NMPs reside in a posterior growth region,which is marked by the expression of Wnt,FGF and Notch signalling components. Although the importance of Wnt and FGF in influencing the induction and differentiation of NMPs is well established,the precise role of Notch remains unclear. Here,we show that the Wnt/FGF-driven induction of NMPs from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) relies on Notch signalling. Using hESC-derived NMPs and chick embryo grafting,we demonstrate that Notch directs a pro-mesodermal character at the expense of neural fate. We show that Notch also contributes to activation of HOX gene expression in human NMPs,partly in a non-cell-autonomous manner. Finally,we provide evidence that Notch exerts its effects via the establishment of a negative-feedback loop with FGF signalling. View Publication

The transplantation of spinal cord progenitor cells (SCPCs) derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has beneficial effects in treating spinal cord injury (SCI). However,the presence of residual undifferentiated iPSCs among their differentiated progeny poses a high risk as these cells can develop teratomas or other types of tumors post-transplantation. Despite the need to remove these residual undifferentiated iPSCs,no specific surface markers can identify them for subsequent removal. By profiling the size of SCPCs after a 10-day differentiation process,we found that the large-sized group contains significantly more cells expressing pluripotent markers. In this study,we used a sized-based,label-free separation using an inertial microfluidic-based device to remove tumor-risk cells. The device can reduce the number of undifferentiated cells from an SCPC population with high throughput (ie,>3 million cells/minute) without affecting cell viability and functions. The sorted cells were verified with immunofluorescence staining,flow cytometry analysis,and colony culture assay. We demonstrated the capabilities of our technology to reduce the percentage of OCT4-positive cells. Our technology has great potential for the “downstream processing” of cell manufacturing workflow,ensuring better quality and safety of transplanted cells. View Publication

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract with a complex and multifactorial etiology,making it challenging to treat. While recent advances in immunomodulatory biologics,such as antitumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) antibodies,have shown moderate success,systemic administration of antibody therapeutics may lead to several adverse effects,including the risk of autoimmune disorders due to systemic cytokine depletion. Transient RNA interference using exogenous short interfering RNA (siRNA) to regulate target gene expression at the transcript level offers an alternative to systemic immunomodulation. However,siRNAs are susceptible to premature degradation and have poor cellular uptake. Graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles have been shown to be effective nanocarriers for biologics due to their reduced cytotoxicity and enhanced bioavailability. In this study,we evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of GO mediated TNF-α_siRNA using in vitro models of chronic inflammation generated by treating murine small intestines (enteroids) and large intestines (colonoids) with inflammatory agents IL-1β,TNF-α,and LPS. The organotypic mouse enteroids and colonoids developed an inflammatory phenotype similar to that of IBD,characterized by impaired epithelial homeostasis and an increased production of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6. We assessed siRNA delivery to these inflamed organoids using three different GO formulations. Out of the three,small-sized GO with polymer and dendrimer modifications (smGO) demonstrated the highest transfection efficiency,which led to the downregulation of inflammatory cytokines,indicating an attenuation of the inflammatory phenotype. Moreover,the transfection efficiency and inflammation-ameliorating effects could be further enhanced by increasing the TNF-α_siRNA/smGO ratio from 1:1 to 3:1. Overall,the results of this study demonstrate that ex vivo organoids with disease-specific phenotypes are invaluable models for assessing the therapeutic potential of nanocarrier-mediated drug and biologic delivery systems. View Publication

Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 1 (NOD1) plays a pivotal role in inducing metabolic inflammation in diabetes. Additionally,the NOD1 ligand disrupts the equilibrium of bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells,a process that has immense significance in the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). We hypothesized that NOD1 depletion impedes the advancement of DR by resolving bone marrow dysfunction. We generated NOD1 −/− -Akita double-mutant mice and chimeric mice with hematopoietic-specific NOD1 depletion to study the role of NOD1 in the bone marrow–retina axis. Elevated circulating NOD1 activators were observed in Akita mice after 6 months of diabetes. NOD1 depletion partially restored diabetes-induced structural changes and retinal electrical responses in NOD1 −/− -Akita mice. Loss of NOD1 significantly ameliorated the progression of diabetic retinal vascular degeneration,as determined by acellular capillary quantification. The preventive effect of NOD1 depletion on DR is linked to bone marrow phenotype alterations,including a restored HSC pool and a shift in hematopoiesis toward myelopoiesis. We also generated chimeric mice with hematopoietic-specific NOD1 ablation,and the results further indicated that NOD1 had a protective effect against DR. Mechanistically,loss of hematopoietic NOD1 resulted in reduced bone marrow-derived macrophage infiltration and decreased CXCL1 and CXCL2 secretion within the retina,subsequently leading to diminished neutrophil chemoattraction and NETosis. The results of our study unveil,for the first time,the critical role of NOD1 as a trigger for a hematopoietic imbalance toward myelopoiesis and local retinal inflammation,culminating in DR progression. Targeting NOD1 in bone marrow may be a potential strategy for the prevention and treatment of DR. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-024-03654-y. View Publication