(Press-News.org) Reactive oxygen species (ROS) from mitochondria are key drivers of genetic chaos in cancer by causing the collapse of micronuclear envelopes, a process that fuels the chromosomal instability (CIN) often observed in aggressive tumor behavior. These are the findings of two new studies. The findings identify key proteins in this destructive process – p62 and CHMP7 – revealing potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for high-CIN tumors. Errors in chromosome segregation during cell division can lead to chromosomal instability, a key feature of cancer. These errors result in the formation of micronuclei, which are small structures separate from the main nucleus that often contain lagging chromosomes or fragments. Unlike the main nucleus, micronuclei frequently rupture, releasing their DNA into the cytoplasm of the cell. This release causes DNA damage and genomic instability. It activates an immune response that can drive tumor-related inflammation and metastasis that can promote cancer progression. However, the mechanisms and molecular underpinnings governing micronuclear collapse are poorly understood.
Across two studies, researchers reveal the mechanisms that compromise micronuclear envelope integrity and disrupt the normal activity of the cellular machinery responsible for nuclear membrane repair (i.e., ESCRT-III complex). They show how both mechanisms are triggered by ROS and contribute to micronuclear collapse. Using proteomic analysis and genetic manipulations, Melody Di Bona and colleagues discovered that high levels of ROS disrupt the normal functioning of micronuclei by causing a build-up of a protein called CHMP7 inside the nuclear membrane. This accumulation, along with ROS-induced changes to changes to CHMP7, leads the protein to clump together and bind abnormally with the nuclear membrane protein, LEMD2, ultimately causing the micronuclear membrane to deform and break apart. In another study, Sara Martin and colleagues compared the proteins found in micronuclei to those found in the primary nuclei of cells to identify those involved in the rupture and repair of micronuclear envelopes. According to the findings, the p62 protein, which plays a crucial role in the cell’s autophagy process, is abundant in micronuclei and affects their stability. Similar to the companion study, Martin et al. found that ROS from nearby mitochondria causes p62 to aggregate, making the repair function of the ESCRT-III complex less effective. “Further research into the interplay between micronuclei and mitochondria could reveal additional insights into cellular stress responses and cancer pathogenesis,” write Marianna Maddaluno and Carmine Settembre in a related Perspective. “By exploring these mechanisms, the cellular processes that contribute to aggressive cancer behaviors can be better understood, potentially leading to new avenues for treatment and prevention.
END
Oxidative damage riggers micronuclear collapse mechanisms in cancer, two studies report
Summary author: Walter Beckwith
2024-08-29
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Messinian salinity crisis nearly reset Mediterranean biodiversity
2024-08-29
A meta-analysis of Mediterranean Sea marine species reveals the profound impact of the Messinian Salinity Crisis – a drastic environmental event that resulted in the almost complete evaporation of the Mediterranean Sea roughly 5.5 million years ago. According to the new study’s findings, the event nearly reset the region’s biodiversity. The findings offer novel insights linking tectonic and palaeoceanographic changes to marine biodiversity, highlighting the significant role of salt giants in shaping biogeographic patterns, including those that still influence ecosystems today. The Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC), ...
Uncovering the secret communication of monkeys: They have names!
2024-08-29
New study from Hebrew University reveals that marmoset monkeys use specific calls, known as "phee-calls," to name each other, a behavior previously known to exist only in humans, dolphins, and elephants. This discovery highlights the complexity of social communication in marmosets and suggests that their ability to vocally label each other may provide valuable insights into the evolution of human language.
LINK to pictures https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VjzO-70hk27UVX_IuQ6FTsHgmCgk9PCH?usp=drive_link
Credit for pictures and sound: David Omer Lab
In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers from Hebrew ...
Smart mask monitors breath for signs of health
2024-08-29
Personalized wearable devices that monitor people's health are on the rise. From watches to patches and other types of sensors, these smart devices can monitor heart activity, inflammation levels, and more to help patients better manage their health from their own homes. Now, a new type of wearable device can be added to the list: a high-tech paper mask that monitors one's breath.
Caltech's Wei Gao, professor of medical engineering, and his colleagues have developed a ...
Mechanisms of how morphine relieves pain mapped out
2024-08-29
In a study published in Science, researchers at Karolinska Institutet describe the neural processes behind how morphine relieves pain. This is valuable knowledge because the drug has such serious side effects.
Morphine is a powerful painkiller that belongs to the group of opioids. It blocks signals in the pain pathways and also increases feelings of pleasure.
Morphine acts on several central and peripheral pain pathways in the body, but the neural processes behind the pain relief have not previously been fully understood.
Researchers have now investigated how morphine relieves pain using ...
PFAS-free synthesis of fluorinated pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds
2024-08-29
Chemists at the University of Amsterdam have developed a method to furnish a range of molecules with a trifluoromethyl group attached to a sulphur, nitrogen or oxygen atom. Their procedure, which has just been published in Science, avoids the use of PFAS reagents. It thus provides an environmentally friendly synthesis route for pharmaceutical and agrochemical compounds that rely on the presence of the trifluoromethyl group.
The straightforward and effective method was developed at the Flow Chemistry group at the Van ‘t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences ...
School of Dentistry researchers develop innovative sleep apnea model to find answers to chronic pain
2024-08-29
Scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) School of Dentistry created a first of its kind sleep apnea model for studying chronic pain. A study published July 30 in Science Signaling, explains the mechanism behind persistent pain related to obstructive sleep apnea.
More than 100 million people worldwide are affected by obstructive sleep apnea. This health condition causes a person to stop breathing numerous times while they are sleeping. Reduced sleep time and sleep quality can lead to numerous health problems including chronic pain, which is diagnosed at a much higher rate ...
Plastic surgery patients who use marijuana also have elevated nicotine levels
2024-08-29
August 29, 2024 — Marijuana use is common among patients considering plastic surgery and is associated with elevated nicotine levels on laboratory tests, reports a paper in the September issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
"We found that patients who report marijuana use also have elevated urine nicotine and cotinine levels ...
Machine learning predicts which patients will continue taking opioids after hand surgery
2024-08-29
August 29, 2024 — A machine learning algorithm performs well in predicting the risk of persistent opioid use after hand surgery, reports a study in the August issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
"We found that a machine learning model performs well in identifying hand surgery patients who are more likely to become persistent opioid users," comments ASPS ...
$15.5 million NIH award funds development of national network to include nursing home residents in clinical trials
2024-08-29
INDIANAPOLIS – A team led by research scientists from the Indiana University School of Medicine and Regenstrief Institute has received funding expected to total $15.5 million from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging to establish a national network structure to include more nursing home residents in clinical trials.
Even though clinical trials are critical to the development and testing of medical therapies and treatments including drugs and care models, individuals living in nursing homes are rarely included in clinical research studies.
The new five-year award will fund ...
What’s in the microbiome of the foods we eat?
2024-08-29
Microbes are part of the food we eat and can influence our own microbiome, but we know very little about the microbes in our foods. Now, researchers have developed a database of the “food microbiome” by sequencing the metagenomes of 2,533 different foods. They identified 10,899 food-associated microbes, half of which were previously unknown species, and showed that food-associated microbes account for around 3% of the adult and 56% of the infant gut microbiome on average. The study published August 29 in the journal ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
First-in-human trial shows promising results for DLL3-targeted antibody-drug conjugate SHR-4849 in relapsed small cell lung cancer
Ifinatamab deruxtecan demonstrates high response rate in previously treated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: Phase 2 IDeate-Lung01 trial
Higher blood pressure in childhood linked to earlier death from heart disease in adulthood
AI helped older adults report accurate blood pressure readings at home
High blood pressure in childhood and premature cardiovascular disease mortality
Zidesamtinib shows durable responses in ROS1 TKI pre-treated NSCLC, including patients with CNS disease and ROS1 G2032R mutations
Crizotinib fails to improve disease-free survival in resected early-stage ALK+ NSCLC
Ivonescimab plus chemotherapy improves progression-free survival in patients with EGFR+ NSCLC following 3rd-generation EGFR-TKI therapy
FLAURA2 trial shows osimertinib plus chemotherapy improves overall survival in eGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC
Aumolertinib plus chemotherapy improves progression-free survival in NSCLC with EGFR and concomitant tumor suppressor genes: ACROSS 2 phase III study
New antibody-drug conjugate shows promising efficacy in EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients
Iza-Bren in combination with osimertinib shows 100% response rate in EGFR-mutated NSCLC, phase II study finds
COMPEL study shows continuing osimertinib treatment through progression with the addition of chemotherapy improves progression-free survival in EGFR-mutated NSCLC
CheckMate 77T: Nivolumab maintains quality of life and reduces symptom deterioration in resectable NSCLC
Study validates AI lung cancer risk model Sybil in predominantly Black population at urban safety-net hospital
New medication lowered hard-to-control high blood pressure in people with chronic kidney disease
Innovative oncolytic virus and immunotherapy combinations pave the way for advanced cancer treatment
New insights into energy metabolism and immune dynamics could transform head and neck cancer treatment
Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Steven Heymsfield named LSU Boyd Professor – LSU’s highest faculty honor
Study prompts new theory of human-machine communication
New method calculates rate of gene expression to understand cell fate
Researchers quantify rate of essential evolutionary process in the ocean
Innovation Crossroads companies join forces, awarded U.S. Air Force contract
Using new blood biomarkers, USC researchers find Alzheimer’s disease trial eligibility differs among various populations
Pioneering advances in in vivo CAR T cell production
Natural medicines target tumor vascular microenvironment to inhibit cancer growth
Coral-inspired pill offers a new window into the hidden world of the gut
nTIDE September2025 Jobs Report: Employment for people with disabilities surpasses prior high
When getting a job makes you go hungry
Good vibrations could revolutionize assisted reproductive technology
[Press-News.org] Oxidative damage riggers micronuclear collapse mechanisms in cancer, two studies reportSummary author: Walter Beckwith