Background and Aims Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most fatal malignancies. Epigenetic mechanisms have revealed that noncoding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), are involved in HCC progression. This study aimed to construct a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network in HCC and validate one axis within the network. Methods HCC-related transcriptome data were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus, and HCC-related genes were sourced from GeneCards to identify differentially expressed circRNAs and miRNAs. ...

“Our finding that enhanced melting of Arctic sea-ice likely resulted in significant cooling in northern Europe in the earth’s past is alarming,” says Mohamed Ezat from the iC3 Polar Research Hub, lead author of the new study. “This reminds us that the planet’s climate is a delicate balance, easily disrupted by changes in temperature and ice cover.”  Ice-free summer conditions are expected to occur in the Arctic Ocean from the year 2050 onwards.  Earlier this ...

San Diego, CA (October 26, 2024) — For kidney transplant recipients experiencing antibody-mediated rejection, the current standard of care involves removing donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) through plasmapheresis (PLEX)—a procedure that removes antibodies from the plasma portion of the blood. Results from a recent clinical trial reveal that an investigational drug called imlifidase, which cleaves and inactivates the type of antibodies that include DSAs, is more effective than PLEX. The research will be presented at ASN Kidney ...

San Diego, CA (October 26, 2024) — IgA nephropathy is an autoimmune kidney disease, and complement, a component of the innate immune system, plays a role in the condition’s pathogenesis. Investigators have developed and tested a novel gene therapy that enters kidney cells and enables them to block complement activation. The research will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2024 October 23– 27. The gene therapy, called PS-002, uses a modified virus to treat kidney cells called podocytes. Administration of PS-002 in a mouse model of IgA nephropathy reduced signs of kidney dysfunction, lowered complement ...

San Diego, CA (October 26, 2024) — Chronic active antibody-mediated rejection (caAMR) is a common cause of allograft loss after transplantation, with no approved therapies. Clazakizumab, a monoclonal antibody that targets the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), stabilized kidney transplant recipients’ kidney function in a phase 2 trial. Investigators now have data from a phase 3 trial with clazakizumab. The findings from the Phase 3 IMAGINE trial, the largest placebo-controlled study in kidney transplant recipients with caAMR, will be ...

The results of numerous high-impact phase 3 clinical trials that could affect kidney-related medical care will be presented in-person at ASN Kidney Week 2024 October 23–27. Hyponatremia, or a chronically low blood salt level, is the most common electrolyte disorder in hospitalized patients, and is associated with higher risks of death and re-hospitalization. In a recent trial, 2,173 hospitalized patients with hyponatremia from 9 centers across Europe were assigned to undergo either targeted correction of blood salt levels according to guidelines or to receive routine care for hyponatremia. The primary outcome was the combined ...

Background and objectives Mesothelioma is an aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis. Histological diagnosis of mesothelioma using limited tissue samples can be challenging. Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is a transmembrane protein that is overexpressed in a variety of solid tumors. This study aimed to investigate the clinical utility of CAIX expression in the differential diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma from non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Methods Unstained tissue microarray slides composed of 56 cases of pleural mesothelioma and 82 cases of NSCLC were subjected to immunohistochemical staining using a mouse anti-human antibody against CAIX. Results Of the 38 epithelioid mesothelioma ...

Background and objectives Chlorella vulgaris is a green, photosynthetic microalga in the phylum Chlorophyta. The goal of our study was to perform a bioinformatics analysis of Photosystem I P700 chlorophyll a apoprotein A2, one of its photosynthesis-related proteins, and to hunt for potent bioactive peptides. Methods To generate peptides and estimate the safety and efficacy of each bioactive peptide, we employed the tools BIOPEP-UWM™, PeptideRanker, DBAASP, and ToxinPred. PepDraw was used to understand the physicochemical properties ...

Background and objectives Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection can cause multiple secondary digestive disorders. Some studies have found that polymorphisms in Toll-like receptor (TLR) genes, including TLR10 rs10004195, may be associated with increased susceptibility to H. pylori infection. Despite conflicting reports, we conducted a meta-analysis to clarify the relationship between these factors. Methods We conducted an exhaustive review, encompassing all relevant literature up to February 2024, using databases ...

Background and objectives Nail psoriasis is common in patients with plaque psoriasis and is associated with morbidity, including onychomycosis, which can complicate psoriasis treatments and be difficult to differentiate. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry is a fast and simple technique for identifying microorganisms through protein analysis. This study aimed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of MALDI-TOF for diagnosing onychomycosis in patients with nail psoriasis, by using conventional mycological and histological methods as the reference standard. Methods A prospective study was conducted on 88 patients with ...

Background and Aims Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a genetic disorder characterized by the misfolding and accumulation of the mutant variant of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) within hepatocytes, which limits its access to the circulation and exposes the lungs to protease-mediated tissue damage. This results in progressive liver disease secondary to AAT polymerization and accumulation, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to deficient levels of AAT within the lungs. Our goal was to characterize the unique effects of COPD secondary to AATD on liver disease and gene expression. Methods A ...

Background and Aims The effect of tenofovir amibufenamide (TMF) on blood lipid profiles in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore whether TMF affects blood lipids during 48 weeks in patients with CHB. Methods A total of 91 patients with CHB undergoing TMF treatment for 48 weeks were divided into two groups: Lipid Normal (n = 42) and Lipid Abnormal (n = 49), based on baseline blood lipid levels. Lipid indices, virological responses, and biochemical indicators were compared between the two groups. Clinical observations were ...

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have uncovered new insights into how the proteins GRB2 and SOS1 in cells pass signals from membrane receptors to nuclei. They used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to study how and which specific regions of GRB2 and SOS1 bind to each other, especially how they trigger liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Issues with signal transduction are a major cause of cancers: understanding how it works may lead to radical new treatments.   Biological ...

San Diego, CA (October 25, 2024) — Glucagon-like peptide-1-receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) are medications that are increasingly prescribed for patients with type 2 diabetes and congestive heart failure. Reports of GLP-1RA–associated acute kidney injury (AKI) have emerged, but the risk of GLP-1RA–associated AKI among patients on anti-cancer drugs is unclear. Surprisingly, new research suggests that taking GLP-1RA is not associated with an increased risk of AKI in patients receiving anti-cancer therapies. The findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2024 October 23– 27. For the study, investigators analyzed ...

San Diego, CA (October 25, 2024) — Prior efforts to identify novel kidney biomarkers as risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression have typically evaluated proteins individually, which limits their prognostic power. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases’ (NIDDK’s) CKD Biomarkers Consortium of investigators recently developed and tested novel dimensions of kidney health by combining a set of 17 urine and plasma biomarkers that ...

San Diego, CA (October 25, 2024) — IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is an autoimmune kidney disease driven by immune cells that express a protein called CD38 on their surface. A recent Phase 2 trial revealed that felzartamab, an investigational anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, helps to reduce proteinuria and maintain patients’ kidney function. Investigators evaluated the molecular mechanisms underlying felzartamab’s potential efficacy in IgAN. The findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2024 October 23– 27. It is hypothesized that CD38+ cells ...

San Diego, CA (October 25, 2024) — Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduce the risk of cardiovascular and kidney outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes, but it is unclear whether their effects differ based on patients’ age. A recent analysis of clinical trial data reveals that the SGLT2 inhibitor canagliflozin benefited patients across all age categories. The findings will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2024 October 23 – 27. The analysis pooled individual participant data from the CANVAS Program and CREDENCE trial and assessed efficacy and safety according to baseline age. ...

The Arctic is warming at three to four times the global average. However, new research suggests the slowing of a key ocean current could reduce projected Arctic warming by up to 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. For years, scientists have warned that unchecked Arctic warming could lead to devastating consequences, threatening wildlife and ushering in an era of more frequent and extreme weather events. Amid concerns for these types of outcomes, a study led by UC Riverside offers some limited relief. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined ...

San Diego, CA (October 25, 2024) — A recent analysis reveals that the number of chronic kidney disease (CKD) cases in women around the globe nearly tripled in the past three decades. Also, type 2 diabetes and hypertension were the leading causes of CKD-related deaths in women. The research will be presented at ASN Kidney Week 2024 October 23– 27. The analysis drew from the Global Burden of Disease study 2021, a comprehensive effort to quantify health loss across the world over time. The study includes information from 204 countries and territories. From 1990 to 2021, the average annual percentage ...

Ever had an itchy nose or, worse, an unreachable spot on your back that drives you mad? Now imagine an itch that refuses to go away, no matter how hard or long you scratch. That persistent itch, or pruritus, may actually be one of the skin’s first lines of defense against harmful invaders, according to neuroimmunologist Juan Inclan-Rico of the University of Pennsylvania. “It’s inconvenient, it’s annoying, but sensations like pain and itch are crucial. They’re ever-present, especially when it comes to skin infections,” says Inclan-Rico, a postdoctoral researcher in the Herbert Lab at ...

It feels like narcissism is everywhere these days: politics, movies and TV, sports, social media. You might even see signs of it at work, where it can be particularly detrimental. Is it possible to keep a workplace free of destructive, manipulative egotists?  More and more organizations have come to San Francisco State University’s experts in organizational psychology asking for help doing just that. In response, University researchers developed a tool for job interviews to assess narcissistic grandiosity among potential job candidates. San Francisco State Psychology Professors Kevin Eschleman and Chris ...

You have likely not spent much time thinking about the uterus of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. But then, neither have most scientists, even though Drosophila is one of the most thoroughly studied lab animals. Now a team of biologists at the University of California, Davis, has taken the first deep look at the Drosophila uterus and found some surprises, which could have implications not just for understanding insect reproduction and potentially, pest control, but also for understanding fertility in humans.  The work is published Oct. 25 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  Drosophila have been a favorite subject for ...

A recent commentary published in The Lancet journal highlights the critical importance of skeletal muscle mass in the context of medically induced weight loss, particularly with the widespread use of GLP-1 receptor agonists. These medications, celebrated for their effectiveness in treating obesity, have raised concerns regarding the potential for substantial muscle loss as part of the weight loss process. Dr. Steven Heymsfield, professor of metabolism and body composition, and Dr. M. Cristina Gonzalez, adjunct and visiting professor in metabolism-body composition, both of Pennington Biomedical Research Center, joined colleagues Dr. Carla Prado of the University ...

NYU Tandon School of Engineering's Urban Future Lab named the winners of its 2024 Future Resilience and Future Solutions prizes, at its 8th annual Urban Future Summit on October 24, 2024 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City. Through the generous support of The New York Community Trust, MUFG Bank, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), the Urban Future Lab continues to catalyze groundbreaking solutions for the climate crisis and this year, they’ve expanded their focus to include adaptation as a critical piece of the puzzle. After an afternoon of pitches, the jury, comprised of industry experts and ...

DETROIT – A Wayne State University School of Medicine faculty member has been awarded a total of $2.3 million by the National Institute on Aging of the National institutes of Health for two new, concurrent projects that both address questions related to Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive, age-related degenerative brain disease characterized by memory problems, impaired judgment, cognitive issues and changes in personality. Joongkyu Park, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmacology and of neurology, is the principal investigator on “Local protein synthesis ...