Involvement of DJ-1 in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration via hexokinase 2-mediated mitophagy
Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 27 March 2024; doi:10.1038/s12276-024-01196-0Low back pain, often due to intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD - a condition where the disks in the spine break down), is a common global health problem. Current treatments mainly aim at pain relief and surgery, but effective methods to slow or reverse the degeneration are lacking. This research, led by Jialiang Lin and team, investigates the role of a protein, DJ-1, in protecting nucleus pulposus cells. They conducted experiments with NPCs and discovered that DJ-1 can shield these cells from damage caused by oxidative ...
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 27, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Jialiang Lin Longjie Wang Yuhao Wu Qian Xiang Yongzhao Zhao Xuanqi Zheng Shuai Jiang Zhuoran Sun Dongwei Fan Weishi Li Source Type: research

Extracellular vesicle-mediated transfer of miRNA-1 from primary tumors represses the growth of distant metastases
This study offers new understanding into how cancer spreads and suggests new possibilities for cancer treatment. This summary was initially drafted using artificial intelligence, then revised and fact-checked by the author. (Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine)
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 27, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Chae-Yi Kim Kang-Hoon Lee Keun Hong Son Tae-Jin Shin Je-Yoel Cho Source Type: research

Acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 contributes to a better prognosis for liver cancer by switching acetate-glucose metabolism
Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 25 March 2024; doi:10.1038/s12276-024-01185-3Liver cancer patients with high amounts of Acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2), an enzyme that helps break down acetate, tend to have a better outlook than those with low amounts, according to a study by Kyung Hee Jung and team. The researchers discovered that high ACSS2 levels are linked with anabolic characteristics, reduced glycolysis, and lower hypoxia, which all point to less severe cancer. The study involved lab experiments, animal testing, and analysis of human patient data. The team also found a group of patients with ...
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 25, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Kyung Hee Jung Sujin Lee Han Sun Kim Jin-Mo Kim Yun Ji Lee Min Seok Park Myeong-Seong Seo Misu Lee Mijin Yun Sunghyouk Park Soon-Sun Hong Source Type: research

Prmt7 regulates the JAK/STAT/Socs3 signaling pathway in postmenopausal cardiomyopathy
Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 14 March 2024; doi:10.1038/s12276-024-01193-3Heart disease, a major cause of death globally, affects men more than women. However, women after menopause are at greater risk than those before menopause. Scientists have discovered that the sex hormone E2 (a type of estrogen) helps protect against heart disease. In a recent study, a protein named Prmt7 was found to protect heart cells from heart failure. The study, which involved tests on mice and cell cultures (cells grown in a lab), showed that female mice without Prmt7 developed heart issues as they aged. The study a...
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 14, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Byeong-Yun Ahn Yan Zhang Shibo Wei Yideul Jeong Dong-Hyun Park Sang-Jin Lee Young-Eun Leem Jong-Sun Kang Source Type: research

Cancer-derived exosomal Alu RNA promotes colorectal cancer progression
Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 14 March 2024; doi:10.1038/s12276-024-01166-6Alu elements, parts of our DNA once considered useless, have been found to contribute to various diseases, including cancer. Researchers have been studying how these elements, especially free Alu RNAs, contribute to diseases like cancer. A recent study led by Dr. Valeria Tarallo focused on the impact of Alu RNAs on colorectal cancer. The research involved experiments on cancer cell lines (cells grown in a lab for study) and analysis of human tissue samples. The study aimed to explore how Alu RNAs cause changes in cells tha...
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 14, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Sara Magliacane Trotta Antonio Adinolfi Luca D ’Orsi Sonia Panico Grazia Mercadante Patrick Mehlen Jayakrishna Ambati Sandro De Falco Valeria Tarallo Source Type: research

Dysregulated CREB3 cleavage at the nuclear membrane induces karyoptosis-mediated cell death
Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 13 March 2024; doi:10.1038/s12276-024-01195-1This research investigates the function of a protein, CREB3, in regulated cell death (RCD—a process vital for cell health and disease prevention). The scientists discovered that CREB3 is found in the cell’s nuclear membrane (a barrier protecting the cell’s nucleus) and interacts with DNA. When this protein is split, it can cause the nuclear membrane to break, leading to a type of cell death known as karyoptosis. This process is different from other cell death types like apoptosis and autophagy. The research also foun...
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 13, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Ga-Eun Lee Geul Bang Jiin Byun Cheol-Jung Lee Weidong Chen Dohyun Jeung Hyun-Jung An Han Chang Kang Joo Young Lee Hye Suk Lee Young-Soo Hong Dae Joon Kim Megan Keniry Jin Young Kim Jin-Sung Choi Manolis Fanto Sung-Jun Cho Kwang-Dong Kim Yong-Yeon Cho Source Type: research

Immunopathology of and potential therapeutics for secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis/macrophage activation syndrome: a translational perspective
Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 06 March 2024; doi:10.1038/s12276-024-01182-6In the intricate realm of health issues, there’s a serious inflammation-related disorder known as secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, which can escalate to a potentially fatal situation called a cytokine storm. This condition involves the excessive activation of immune cells named macrophages and can lead to signs like constant fever, irregularities in blood cells, and organ enlargement. While sHLH can emerge from various infections and diseases, its precise causes and processes are not completely known, creati...
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 6, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Tram T. T. Nguyen Yoon Tae Kim Geunyeol Jeong Mirim Jin Source Type: research

Advances in single-cell omics and multiomics for high-resolution molecular profiling
Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 05 March 2024; doi:10.1038/s12276-024-01186-2Each cell is a bustling city of genetic material and proteins, but traditional methods often blur the individuality of each cell by averaging the data. Single-cell omics techniques, however, allow us to focus on individual cells, revealing the rich variety of cell types, states, and rare populations that make up our tissues and organs. In this review, researchers delve into the details of single-cell omics and multi-modal omics. They explore on how to isolate cells, add unique barcodes to keep track of them, and then analy...
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 5, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Jongsu Lim Chanho Park Minjae Kim Hyukhee Kim Junil Kim Dong-Sung Lee Source Type: research

Extramedullary hematopoiesis in cancer
Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 05 March 2024; doi:10.1038/s12276-024-01192-4Changes to hematopoiesis, or the creation of blood and immune cells, in cancers are the focus of this review by Barisas et al. They discuss conditions that promote extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH), which produces blood cells outside the bone marrow. They also discuss the impact of tumor-derived factors, including interleukin-1α and leukemia inhibitory factor, on EMH. The team recently discovered that these specific factors stimulate the development of myeloid cells known for suppressing the immune system and aiding tumo...
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 5, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Derek A. G. Barisas Kyunghee Choi Source Type: research

SIRT1 ISGylation accelerates tumor progression by unleashing SIRT1 from the inactive state to promote its deacetylase activity
Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 05 March 2024; doi:10.1038/s12276-024-01194-2Interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) is known to influence tumor growth and severity. Young Joo Jeon at Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Daejon, South Korea, and co-workers found that ISG15 can conjugate to another protein, SIRT1, which also affects tumor growth and response to treatment. The research, conducted on human cells, mice, and human lung cancer tissues, revealed that when ISG15 conjugates to SIRT1, it boosts SIRT1’s activity, encouraging tumor growth and reducing the effectiveness of a chemot...
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 5, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Ji An Kang Yoon Jung Kim Kyu Yun Jang Hye Won Moon Haeseung Lee Seonjeong Lee Hyun Kyu Song Sang Woo Cho Yoon Sun Yoo Hye Gyeong Han Min-Ju Kim Myoung Ja Chung Cheol Yong Choi Cheolju Lee Chaeuk Chung Gang Min Hur You-Sun Kim Young Joo Jeon Source Type: research

Rebuilding the microenvironment of primary tumors in humans: a focus on stroma
This study suggests a new method to recreate the TME in a lab, by breaking down patient tumors and rebuilding them using components from those tumors. This could offer a more precise model for cancer research and personalized treatment development. The study also emphasizes the need for standard methods to extract primary cells from tumor tissues, to maintain their original features.This summary was initially drafted using artificial intelligence, then revised and fact-checked by the author. (Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine)
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 5, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Siwon Mun Hyun Jin Lee Pilnam Kim Source Type: research

The Mst1/2-BNIP3 axis is required for mitophagy induction and neuronal viability under mitochondrial stress
This study found that two proteins, Mst1/2, are important for triggering mitophagy—a process that removes damaged mitochondria, in response to different mitochondrial stresses. The researchers found that Mst1/2 control this process through their kinase activity—a type of protein modification, and the stabilization of another protein, BNIP3. They also discovered that Mst1/2 are key in maintaining mitochondrial health and cell survival under conditions harmful to neurons. This research, led by Dr. Jeanho Yun and team, suggests that targeting the Mst1/2 pathway could improve mitochondrial health and protect against brain ...
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 5, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Dae Jin Jeong Jee-Hyun Um Young Yeon Kim Dong Jin Shin Sangwoo Im Kang-Min Lee Yun-Hee Lee Dae-sik Lim Donghoon Kim Jeanho Yun Source Type: research

Advances in cancer DNA methylation analysis with methPLIER: use of non-negative matrix factorization and knowledge-based constraints to enhance biological interpretability
Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 04 March 2024; doi:10.1038/s12276-024-01173-7DNA methylation is significant in diseases like cancer. However, its full impact on gene activity is not completely understood. This research, led by Ken Takasawa and Ryuji Hamamoto, aimed to create a new method to examine DNA methylation data for better comprehension of its biological relevance. The team utilized a technique named "methPLIER," an analysis type that compares various DNA methylation data sets. They examined data from 9,756 cancer samples, focusing on how DNA methylation near gene beginnings might regulate g...
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 4, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Ken Takasawa Ken Asada Syuzo Kaneko Kouya Shiraishi Hidenori Machino Satoshi Takahashi Norio Shinkai Nobuji Kouno Kazuma Kobayashi Masaaki Komatsu Takaaki Mizuno Yu Okubo Masami Mukai Tatsuya Yoshida Yukihiro Yoshida Hidehito Horinouchi Shun-Ichi Watanabe Source Type: research

Advanced glycation end products promote meniscal calcification by activating the mTOR-ATF4 positive feedback loop
This study, led by researchers including Yang Zhang, sought to comprehend the early stages of this hardening process to find treatments before it inflicts substantial damage. This research was an experiment involving human tissue samples and cell cultures to understand the disease mechanisms at a cellular level. The findings indicated that higher AGEs levels correlated with more severe hardening. Researchers hope that their work will lead to new treatments that can prevent or slow down the progression of this debilitating condition. Future studies could build on these findings to develop therapies that help maintain knee h...
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 1, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Sheng Yang JiaJun Xie ZhiJie Pan HongMei Guan YueSheng Tu YuanJian Ye ShouBin Huang ShiQiang Fu KangXian Li ZhiWei Huang XiaoQi Li ZhanJun Shi Le Li Yang Zhang Source Type: research

Mechanical overload-induced release of extracellular mitochondrial particles from tendon cells leads to inflammation in tendinopathy
Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 01 March 2024; doi:10.1038/s12276-024-01183-5Tendons, essential tissues linking muscles to bones, can deteriorate due to repeated stress, causing tendinopathy—a painful condition affecting many. Despite usual treatments like painkillers and physical therapy, there’s a shortage of therapies addressing the primary causes of tendinopathy. They gathered tendon samples from patients, conducted RNA sequencing, and used a three-dimensional bioreactor to mimic tendon stress. This research, involving Minghao Zheng, aimed to bridge this knowledge gap by studying the cellul...
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - March 1, 2024 Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Ziming Chen Mengyuan Li Peilin Chen Andrew Tai Jiayue Li Euphemie Landao Bassonga Junjie Gao Delin Liu David Wood Brendan F. Kennedy Qiujian Zheng Ming H. Zheng Source Type: research