Medical Research
- Inhibition of protein arginine deiminase 4 prevents inflammation-mediated heart failure in arthritis
Inhibition of protein arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4), with an orally available inhibitor (JBI-589), prevents the development of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and diastolic heart failure in murine inflammatory arthritis with reduced neutrophil infiltration, NET deposition, and biomarkers of thromboinflammation in the myocardium.
- Reciprocal regulation between the molecular clock and kidney injury
The work describes the crosstalk between the circadian rhythm and kidney damage in several mouse genetic models defining that the molecular clock component Cry is important to regulate inflammation, metabolism, and fibrosis.
- B-cell targeting with anti-CD38 daratumumab: implications for differentiation and memory responses
Daratumumab is an anti-CD38–targeting antibody that depletes plasma cells. This study shows that daratumumab also disturbs humoral immune responses beyond depletion only and may be used as therapeutic in B cell–mediated autoimmune diseases.
- Differential roles of FOXC2 in the trabecular meshwork and Schlemm’s canal in glaucomatous pathology
FOXC2 is required in the Schlemm’s canal endothelium and neural crest-derived trabecular meshwork cells for the morphogenesis and maintenance of Schlemm’s canal.
- Inhibition of microRNA-33b in humanized mice ameliorates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
Experiments using humanized mice created by knocking in microRNA (miR)-33b into an intron of Srebf1 show that suppression of miR-33b by nucleic acid drugs is useful for the treatment of NASH.
- Intranasal soluble ACE2 improves survival and prevents brain SARS-CoV-2 infection
A soluble ACE2 protein bioengineered to have extended duration of action and enhanced affinity for SARS-CoV-2 provides markedly improved survival and organ protection when administered intranasally. Reducing brain SARS-CoV-2 titers is an important determinant of therapeutic efficacy.
- Cell death and barrier disruption by clinically used iodine concentrations
Clinically used concentrations of povidone-iodine (PVP-I) are toxic to eukaryotic cells by attacking the lipid bilayer and tight junctions with fast kinetics and urge the reappraisal of PVP-I use.
- A protocol for single nucleus RNA-seq from frozen skeletal muscle
The authors detail a method to isolate nuclei for single nucleus RNA sequencing from frozen, biobanked human skeletal muscle samples.
- Plasma proteome dynamics of COVID-19 severity learnt by a graph convolutional network of multi-scale topology
We used a graph convolutional network to model the plasma proteome of 384 COVID-19 patients. The model incorporates clinical data and is able to predict severity. We identified the proteins that shifted most in expression depending on severity.
- Lung macrophages utilize unique cathepsin K–dependent phagosomal machinery to degrade intracellular collagen
This study provides a comprehensive map of how peritoneal, lung, and brain tissue environment shapes phagosomal composition, revealing cathepsin K as the main peptidase in the intracellular destruction of collagen, which is mainly active in lung macrophages.