A small molecule could provide a new therapeutic approach against organ fibrosis. Using genome-wide association (GWA) assays, a group of researchers from the Westmead Institute for Medical Research in Sydney identified Mer tyrosine kinase (MERTK) as a candidate to study fibrosis and showed that its inhibition with the experimental compound reduced this condition in mouse models’ liver, kidneys and lungs. “There were some studies on the role of MERTK in liver fibrosis, but its therapeutic potential for various organ fibrosis has not been explored before. This study provides unequivocal evidence that MERTK is a potent nodal regulator of fibrosis supported by detailed mechanistic studies,” the senior author Mohammed Eslam told BioWorld.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, shows different occurrence between sexes, being less prevalent in premenopausal women than in men or postmenopausal women.
Researchers from Catholic University of Korea published data from a study that investigated the effect of miRNA-21a-5p on fibrosis development in systemic sclerosis (SSc). With the aim of assessing the pathological impact of miRNA-21a-5p on skin and lung fibrosis in vivo, a bleomycin-induced SSc murine model was developed, and the mice were hydrodynamically injected with plasmids containing pre-miRNA-21a-5p or anti-miRNA-21a-5p.
Natural killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in cancer immunosurveillance. Circulating NK cells can kill target cells without prior sensitization. There are some receptors known to impact the activity of NK cells, such as the inhibitory NK cell receptor TIM3, among others, which recognizes phosphatidylserine on the surface of cells. More research has been performed using targeted or genome-wide CRISPR screening to identify cancer cell genes that impact NK cell-killing ability.
Recent genome-wide association studies identified an association between low bone mineral density (BMD) and a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the MALAT1 locus, but there is no functional evidence on the role of MALAT1 alterations in BMD or osteoporosis. Hence, scientists at MD Anderson Cancer Center aimed to assess the functional role of MALAT1 alterations in low BMD and osteoporosis.
Recent studies have identified HAVCR2, which encodes immune checkpoint molecule TIM-3 (T-cell immunoglobulin mucin receptor 3), as a risk gene for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
In a new study, researchers from Harvard Medical School and Regulus Therapeutics Inc. further investigated the role of miR-155 in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Asialoglycoprotein receptor 1 (ASGR1) is a transmembrane protein specifically expressed in hepatocytes that plays a key role in maintaining circulating glycoprotein homeostasis.
Researchers from the Center of Biomedical Research (Lucknow) presented data from a study that assessed the functional significance the translocation of the regulator of G protein signaling 6 (RGS6) to the nucleus in response to cytotoxic stress.
