T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a highly aggressive hematologic malignancy with a poor prognosis, despite advancements in treatment. Many patients struggle with relapse or refractory disease. Investigating the role of the super-enhancer (SE) regulated gene ubiquitin-specific protease 20 (USP20) in T-ALL could enhance targeted therapies and improve clinical outcomes. Analysis of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data from six T-ALL cell lines and seven pediatric samples identified USP20 as an SE-regulated driver gene. Utilizing the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and BloodSpot databases, it was found that USP20 is specifically highly expressed in T-ALL. Knocking down USP20 with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) increased apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in T-ALL cells. In vivo studies showed that USP20 knockdown reduced tumor growth and improved survival. The USP20 inhibitor GSK2643943A demonstrated similar anti-tumor effects. Mass spectrometry, RNA-Seq, and immunoprecipitation revealed that USP20 interacted with hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A) and stabilized it by deubiquitination. Cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) results indicated that USP20 co-localized with HIF1A, jointly modulating target genes in T-ALL. This study identifies USP20 as a therapeutic target in T-ALL and suggests GSK2643943A as a potential treatment strategy.

Pristimerin, which is one of the compounds present in Celastraceae and Hippocrateaceae, has antitumor effects. However, its mechanism of action in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and mechanism of pristimerin on ESCC in vitro and in vivo. The inhibitory effect of pristimerin on cell growth was assessed using trypan blue exclusion and colony formation assays. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. Gene and protein expressions were analyzed through quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was employed to identify significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Cell transfection and RNA interference assays were utilized to examine the role of key proteins in pristimerin?s effect. Xenograft models were established to evaluate the antitumor efficiency of pristimerin in vivo. Pristimerin inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in ESCC cells. Upregulation of Noxa was crucial for pristimerin-induced apoptosis. Pristimerin activated the Forkhead box O3a (FoxO3a) signaling pathway and triggered FoxO3a recruitment to the Noxa promoter, leading to Noxa transcription. Blocking FoxO3a reversed pristimerin-induced Noxa upregulation and cell apoptosis. Pristimerin treatment suppressed xenograft tumors in nude mice, but these effects were largely negated in Noxa-KO tumors. Furthermore, the chemosensitization effects of pristimerin in vitro and in vivo were mediated by Noxa. This study demonstrates that pristimerin exerts an antitumor effect on ESCC by inducing AKT/FoxO3a-mediated Noxa upregulation. These findings suggest that pristimerin may serve as a potent anticancer agent for ESCC treatment.
Forkhead Box Protein O3/genetics* ; Humans ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma/physiopathology* ; Esophageal Neoplasms/physiopathology* ; Pentacyclic Triterpenes ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics* ; Mice ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Mice, Nude ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Male ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects*

Breast cancer remains a leading cause of mortality in women worldwide.Triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC)is a particularly aggressive subtype characterized by rapid progression,poor prognosis,and lack of clear therapeutic targets.In the clinic,delineation of tumor heterogeneity and development of effective drugs continue to pose considerable challenges.Within the scope of our study,high hetero-geneity inherent to breast cancer was uncovered based on the landscape constructed from both tumor and healthy breast tissue samples.Notably,TNBC exhibited significant specificity regarding cell prolif-eration,differentiation,and disease progression.Significant associations between tumor grade,prog-nosis,and TNBC oncogenes were established via pseudotime trajectory analysis.Consequently,we further performed comprehensive characterization of the TNBC microenvironment.A crucial epithelial subcluster,E8,was identified as highly malignant and strongly associated with tumor cell proliferation in TNBC.Additionally,epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)-associated fibroblast and M2 macrophage subclusters exerted an influence on E8 through cellular interactions,contributing to tumor growth.Characteristic genes in these three cluster cells could therefore serve as potential therapeutic targets for TNBC.The collective findings provided valuable insights that assisted in the screening of a series of therapeutic drugs,such as pelitinib.We further confirmed the anti-cancer effect of pelitinib in an orthotopic 4T1 tumor-bearing mouse model.Overall,our study sheds light on the unique characteristics of TNBC at single-cell resolution and the crucial cell types associated with tumor cell proliferation that may serve as potent tools in the development of effective anti-cancer drugs.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and management status of children with Turner syndrome (TS) in China.Methods:As a cross-sectional study, 1 089 TS patients were included in the database of the National Collaborative Alliance for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Turner Syndrome from August 2019 to November 2023. Clinical characteristics (growth development, sexual development, organ anomalies, etc.), karyotypes, auxiliary examinations, and treatments were collected and analyzed.Results:Among the 1 089 TS cases, 809 were recorded karyotypes. The karyotype distribution was as follows: 45, X in 317 cases (39.2%), X chromosome structural variants (including partial deletions of p or q arm, ring chromosome, and marker chromosome) in 89 cases (11.0%), 45, X/46, XX mosaicism in 158 cases (19.5%), mosaicism with X chromosome structural variants in 209 cases (25.8%), and presence of Y chromosome material in 36 cases (4.4%). Among the 824 TS cases, the age of diagnosis was 9.7(6.4, 12.2) years, with a height standard deviation score (HtSDS) of -3.1±1.2. Five hundred and fifty three cases underwent growth hormone (GH) stimulation test, and 352 cases (63.7%) had GH peak values <10 μg/L and 75.9% (577/760) had low IGF1 levels, with IGF1 SDS ≤-2 accounting for 38.2% (290 cases). Among 471 cases aged ≥8 years, 132 cases (28.0%) showed spontaneous sexual development (mean bone age (11.0±1.7) years), 10 cases had spontaneous menarche (mean bone age (12.0±2.2) years), and 2 cases had regular menstrual cycles. Common physical features included cubitus valgus (311 cases (28.5%)), neck webbing (188 cases (17.2%)), low posterior hairline (185 cases (17.0%)), shield chest (153 cases (14.0%)), high arched palate (127 cases (11.6%)), short fourth metacarpal (43 cases (3.9%)), and spinal abnormalities (38 cases (3.5%)). Congenital cardiovascular and urogenital anomalies occurred in 91 cases (19.4%) and 66 cases (12.0%)respectively. Abdominal ultrasound in 33 cases (7.2%) indicated fatty liver, hepatomegaly, intrahepatic bile duct stones, and splenomegaly. Among 23 cases undergoing oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) test, 2 were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and 4 with impaired glucose tolerance. Following diagnosis, 669 cases (80.7%) received rhGH treatment at a chronological age of (9±4) years and bone age of (8.3±3.2) years. Additionally, 112 cases (19.4%) received sex hormone replacement therapy starting at the age of (14±4) years and bone age of (12.6±1.2) years.Conclusions:The karyotypes of 45, X and mosaicism were most common in Chinese children with TS. The clinical manifestations were mainly short stature and gonadal dysplasia. However, a few TS children could be in the normal range of height, and some cases among those aged of ≥8 years old had spontaneous sexual development. Some exhibited physical features, congenital cardiovascular and urogenital anomalies, and dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-IGF1 axis. Moreover, a few of them developed impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes mellitus. Following diagnosis, most of the patients received rhGH treatment, and a few of them received sex hormone replacement therapy.

Objective:To investigate the effect of LRRK2G2019S mutation on activation of microglia after iron deprivation and its mechanism.Methods:(1) Microglia were differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSC) with the help of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) and identified by immunofluorescent staining, and α-synuclein (α-syn) A53T mutant protein was obtained by protein purification technology. (2) Microglia were divided into control group, α-syn group, α-syn+ deferoxamine (DFO) group; phosphate buffer solution (PBS), 1 μmol/L purified α-syn A53T mutant protein, 1 μmol/L purified α-syn A53T mutant protein+30 mmol/L DFO were given respectively for 24 h. Fe 2+ concentration was detected by colorimetry, Rab35 protein expression was detected by Western blotting, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was detected by flow cytometry, and interleukin-6 ( IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α ( TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-β ( TGF-β) mRNA expressions were detected by real time-PCR (RT-PCR); microglia culture supernatant (MCS) in the 3 groups were transfered to SH-SY5Y cells, and SH-SY5Y cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. (3) Bidirectional DNA sequencing was used to detect leucine rich repeat kinase 2 ( LRRK2) gene mutations in microglia treated with 1 μmol/L purified α-syn A53T mutant protein. Microglia were divided into control group, α-syn group and α-syn+GSK3357679A group, and treated with corresponding drugs for 24 h, respectively (LRRK2 inhibitor GSK3357679A concentration: 10 nmol/L), and LRRK2 protein expression was detected by Western blotting; microglia were divided into control group, α-syn group, α-syn+GSK3357679A, and α-syn+GSK3357679A+DFO group, and treated with corresponding drugs for 24 h, Rab35 protein expression was detected by Western blotting, intracellular ROS level was detected by flow cytometry, and IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β mRNA expressions were detected by RT-PCR. (4) Microglia were divided into control group, α-syn group, α-syn+rapamycin (RAPA) group, and treated with corresponding drugs for 24 h (concentration of autophagy inducer RAPA: 50 nmol/L); protein expressions of Rab35, P62 and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 II (LC3II) were detected by Western blotting; intracellular ROS level was detected by flow cytometry, and IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β mRNA expressions were detected by RT-PCR. (5) Microglia were divided into control group, α-syn group, and α-syn+Rab35 group, and treated with corresponding drugs for 24 h (concentration of Rab35 overexpressed plasmids: 1 μg/mL); Rab35, P62, and LC3II protein expressions were detected by Western blotting; ROS level was detected by flow cytometry, and IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β mRNA expressions were detected by RT-PCR. Results:(1) Immunofluorescent staining showed negative neuronal nuclei (NeuN) expression and positive ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1) expression in microglia, and high LRRK2 expression; PcDNA3.1-SNCA-A53T expression plasmid was constructed and α-syn A53T mutant protein was purified. (2) The Fe 2+ concentration in α-syn group was significantly higher than that in control group, and the Fe 2+ concentration in α-syn+DFO group was significantly lower than that in α-syn group ( P<0.05); the Rab35 protein and TGF-β mRNA expressions in control group, α-syn group and α-syn+DFO group were decreased successively, while the IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expressions were increased successively, with significant differences ( P<0.05); ROS level and SH-SY5Y cell apoptosis rate in control group, α-syn group, α-syn+DFO group were increased successively. (3) Bidirectional DNA sequencing showed that the LRRK2G2019S mutation in microglia was the most obvious after α-syn A53T mutant protein stimulation; compared with the control group, the α-syn group had significantly increased LRRK2 protein expression, while the α-syn+GSK3357679A group had significantly decreased LRRK2 protein expression compared with α-syn group ( P<0.05); compared with the control group, the α-syn group had significantly decreased Rab35 protein and TGF-β mRNA expressions, and statistically increased IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expressions ( P<0.05); compared with α-syn group, the α-syn+GSK3357679A group had significantly increased Rab35 protein and TGF-β mRNA expressions, and statistically decreased IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expressions ( P<0.05); compared with α-syn+GSK3357679A group, α-syn+GSK3357679A+DFO group had significantly increased IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expressions, and significantly decreased Rab35 protein and TGF-β mRNA expressions ( P<0.05). The α-syn group had higher ROS level than the control group, the α-syn+GSK3357679A group had lower ROS level than the α-syn group, and the α-syn+GSK3357679A+DFO group had higher ROS level than the α-syn+GSK3357679A group. (4) Compared with the control group, the α-syn group had significantly decreased Rab35 and LC3II protein, and TGF-β mRNA expressions, and significantly increased P62 protein, IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expressions ( P<0.05); compared with α-syn group, the α-syn+RAPA group had significantly increased Rab35 and LC3II protein, and TGF-β mRNA expressions, and significantly decreased P62 protein, and IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expressions ( P<0.05); the α-syn group had higher ROS level than the control group and α-syn+RAPA group. (5) Compared with the control group, the α-syn group had significantly decreased Rab35 and LC3II protein, and TGF-β mRNA expressions, and statistically increased P62 protein, and IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expressions ( P<0.05); compared with the α-syn group, the α-syn+Rab35 group had significantly increased Rab35 and LC3II protein, and TGF-β mRNA expressions, and significantly decreased P62 protein, and IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expressions ( P<0.05). The α-syn group had higher ROS level than the control group and α-syn+Rab35 group. Conclusion:LRRK2G2019S can induce neuroinflammation by inhibiting Rab35-related autophagy under iron deprivation, and Rab35 is expected to be a key factor in intervening neuroinflammation.

Colorectal tumors often create an immunosuppressive microenvironment that prevents them from responding to immunotherapy.Cannabidiol(CBD)is a non-psychoactive natural active ingredient from the cannabis plant that has various pharmacological effects,including neuroprotective,antiemetic,anti-inflammatory,and antineoplastic activities.This study aimed to elucidate the specific anticancer mechanism of CBD by single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)and single-cell ATAC sequencing(scATAC-seq)technologies.Here,we report that CBD inhibits colorectal cancer progression by modulating the suppressive tumor microenvironment(TME).Our single-cell transcriptome and ATAC sequencing results showed that CBD suppressed M2-like macrophages and promoted M1-like macrophages in tumors both in strength and quantity.Furthermore,CBD significantly enhanced the interaction between M1-like macrophages and tumor cells and restored the intrinsic anti-tumor properties of macrophages,thereby preventing tumor progression.Mechanistically,CBD altered the metabolic pattern of macro-phages and related anti-tumor signaling pathways.We found that CBD inhibited the alternative acti-vation of macrophages and shifted the metabolic process from oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid oxidation to glycolysis by inhibiting the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B signaling pathway and related downstream target genes.Furthermore,CBD-mediated macrophage plasticity enhanced the response to anti-programmed cell death protein-1(PD-1)immunotherapy in xenografted mice.Taken together,we provide new insights into the anti-tumor effects of CBD.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of polyethylene glycol-recombinant human growth hormone (PEG-rhGH) in the treatment of preadolescent growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and idiopathic short stature (ISS).Methods:Clinical data of children with preadolescent GHD or ISS diagnosed in Chengdu Women and Children′s Central Hospital from January 2014 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 36 children with GHD received (0.19±0.02) mg·kg -1·week -1 PEG-rhGH for treatment; and 21 children with ISS received (0.20±0.01) mg·kg -1·week -1 PEG-rhGH. The changes of height, weight, bone age, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), thyroid function, fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin were observed in the two groups during treatment. Results:The height of children in GHD group was (107.56±8.38)cm and (111.68±7.94)cm 6 and 12 months after treatment, which was significantly higher than that before treatment ((101.62±8.83) cm, P<0.05). The height of children in ISS group was (108.69±12.59)cm and (114.66±11.47)cm 6 and 12 months after treatment, which was significantly higher than that before treatment ((103.40±12.66) cm, P<0.05). The height of the two groups was increased the most during 0-3 months of treatment ((3.15±0.99) cm and (2.91±0.73) cm, respectively). After 12 months of treatment, body mass index and IGF-1 were significantly higher than those before treatment ( P<0.05), and bone age and maturity were not significantly different ( P>0.05). In the GHD group, growth rate was negatively correlated with actual age, bone age, height, weight, IGF-1 and fasting insulin before treatment. In the ISS group, growth rate was negatively correlated with pre-treatment height standard deviation score (HtSDS). During treatment, hypothyroidism occurred in 2 cases (1 case in GHD group and 1 case in ISS group), and serum IGF-1 level increased in 9 cases (6 cases in GHD group and 3 cases in ISS group), there was no severe adverse reactions. Conclusion:PEG-rhGH treatment has good efficacy in treatment of GHD and ISS, and the children with GHD may have better curative effect than those with ISS. The children in both groups have the fastest growth rate within 3 months after treatment. Short-term use of PEG-rhGH does not increase the body mass index and promote bone maturity, and has no significant effect on the level of thyroid function, blood sugar and insulin, and has no serious adverse reactions.

BACKGROUND: Significant brain volume deviation is an essential phenotype in children with neurodevelopmental delay (NDD), but its genetic basis has not been fully characterized. This study attempted to analyze the genetic factors associated with significant whole-brain deviation volume (WBDV). METHODS: We established a reference curve based on 4222 subjects ranging in age from the first postnatal day to 18 years. We recruited only NDD patients without acquired etiologies or positive genetic results. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical exome sequencing (2742 genes) data were acquired. A genetic burden test was performed, and the results were compared between patients with and without significant WBDV. Literature review analyses and BrainSpan analysis based on the human brain developmental transcriptome were performed to detect the potential role of genetic risk factors in human brain development. RESULTS: We recruited a total of 253 NDD patients. Among them, 26 had significantly decreased WBDV (<-2 standard deviations [SDs]), and 14 had significantly increased WBDV (>+2 SDs). NDD patients with significant WBDV had higher rates of motor development delay (49.8% [106/213] vs . 75.0% [30/40], P  = 0.003) than patients without significant WBDV. Genetic burden analyses found 30 genes with an increased allele frequency of rare variants in patients with significant WBDV. Analyses of the literature further demonstrated that these genes were not randomly identified: burden genes were more related to the brain development than background genes ( P  = 1.656e -9 ). In seven human brain regions related to motor development, we observed burden genes had higher expression before 37-week gestational age than postnatal stages. Functional analyses found that burden genes were enriched in embryonic brain development, with positive regulation of synaptic growth at the neuromuscular junction, positive regulation of deoxyribonucleic acid templated transcription, and response to hormone, and these genes were shown to be expressed in neural progenitors. Based on single cell sequencing analyses, we found TUBB2B gene had elevated expression levels in neural progenitor cells, interneuron, and excitatory neuron and SOX15 had high expression in interneuron and excitatory neuron. CONCLUSION Idiopathic NDD patients with significant brain volume changes detected by MRI had an increased prevalence of motor development delay, which could be explained by the genetic differences characterized herein.
Child ; Humans ; Neurodevelopmental Disorders/epidemiology* ; Genetic Testing ; Phenotype ; Brain/pathology* ; Genetic Background ; SOX Transcription Factors/genetics*

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interactions and repetitive behaviors. Although hundreds of ASD risk genes, implicated in synaptic formation and transcriptional regulation, have been identified through human genetic studies, the East Asian ASD cohorts are still under-represented in genome-wide genetic studies. Here, we applied whole-exome sequencing to 369 ASD trios including probands and unaffected parents of Chinese origin. Using a joint-calling analytical pipeline based on GATK toolkits, we identified numerous de novo mutations including 55 high-impact variants and 165 moderate-impact variants, as well as de novo copy number variations containing known ASD-related genes. Importantly, combined with single-cell sequencing data from the developing human brain, we found that the expression of genes with de novo mutations was specifically enriched in the pre-, post-central gyrus (PRC, PC) and banks of the superior temporal (BST) regions in the human brain. By further analyzing the brain imaging data with ASD and healthy controls, we found that the gray volume of the right BST in ASD patients was significantly decreased compared to healthy controls, suggesting the potential structural deficits associated with ASD. Finally, we found a decrease in the seed-based functional connectivity between BST/PC/PRC and sensory areas, the insula, as well as the frontal lobes in ASD patients. This work indicated that combinatorial analysis with genome-wide screening, single-cell sequencing, and brain imaging data reveal the brain regions contributing to the etiology of ASD.
Humans ; Autism Spectrum Disorder/metabolism* ; Autistic Disorder ; Exome Sequencing ; DNA Copy Number Variations ; East Asian People ; Brain/metabolism* ; Mutation/genetics* ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease/genetics*

10,11-Dehydrocurvularin (DCV) is a natural-product macrolide that has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory activity. However, the underlying mechanism of its anti-inflammatory activity remains poorly understood. Aberrant activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in diverse inflammation-related diseases, which should be controlled. The results showed that DCV specifically inhibited the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in association with reduced IL-1β secretion and caspase-1 activation, without effect on the NLRC4 and AIM2 inflammasomes. Furthermore, DCV disturbed the interaction between NEK7 and NLRP3, resulting in the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation. The C=C double bond of DCV was required for the NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition induced by DCV. Importantly, DCV ameliorated inflammation in vivo through inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome. Taken together, our study reveals a novel mechanism by which DCV suppresses inflammation, which indicates the potential role of DCV in NLRP3 inflammasome-driven inflammatory disorders.
Animals ; Mice ; Inflammasomes ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology* ; Interleukin-1beta/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL