Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in the development of several diseases, which makes them promising for investigation. A recent study conducted by Soochow University investigators focused on a circRNA, circTENM3 (hsa_circ_0071478), which is derived from the TENM3 gene and may aid in the diagnosis of prostate cancer, as well as serve a therapeutic target.
BMPR2 mutations are the most common genetic cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) with reduced BMPR2 expression are linked to a persistent DNA damage after reoxygenation. Forkhead box F1 (FOXF1) is a transcription factor with affinity for endothelial cells in the lung, and its reduced expression has also been associated with DNA damage in those cells and PAH.
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly metastatic and heterogeneous type of tumor, representing 15% of breast cancer cases. To tackle the drug-resistant phenotype of TNBC, effective targeted combinatorial approaches are urgently needed. Writing in EMBO Molecular Medicine journal, researchers from the Centre for Genomic Regulation and collaborators demonstrate that the simultaneous inhibition of lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) and bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) synergistically limits TNBC proliferation in vitro and in vivo.
Dysfunction in the mitochondria contributes to the development of acute liver injury (ALI). There is emerging evidence indicating the mitochondria is key to maintain liver homeostasis and survival; thus, controlling its functioning is important for the treatment of liver diseases. Recent findings have identified transcription factor zinc-finger and homeoboxes 2 (ZHX2) to be a critical modulator of liver postnatal gene expression, cell proliferation and lipid homeostasis in the liver.
REV-ERBα (NR1D1) is a circadian transcriptional repressor that plays a role in the regulation of lipid metabolism and macrophage function, and the global deletion of REV-ERBα has been previously linked to increased microglial activation and mitigation of amyloid plaque formation. In the current study, researchers from Washington University in St Louis and affiliated organizations aimed to explore the cell-autonomous effects of microglial REV-ERBα on tau pathology.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disorder that leads to progressive muscle weakness and loss of muscle control due to affectation of the motor neurons. Increasing evidence points to defects in the nuclear envelope, which leads to disease progression.
A recognized link exists between oxidative stress, obesity and atrial fibrillation (AF). NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) serves as a significant contributor to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the heart, and it is known to be elevated in obese mice.
F-box/WD repeat-containing protein 7 (FBXW7) is known to regulate the protein stability of key metabolic transcription factors, including the major transcriptional regulator of lipid biosynthesis, SREBP1, the overactivation of which has been previously linked to elevated lipogenesis.
Gliomas are the most common brain tumors. Adult gliomas frequently present molecular alterations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its associated signaling pathways. In recent work, researchers from the Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire (France) and collaborators demonstrated the role of the serotonin 5-HT7 receptor (5-HT7R) in a larval Drosophila model of glioma, showing that it may act as a tumor suppressor.
Researchers working at with Seoul National University together with GPCR Therapeutics Inc. have focused on targeting pairs of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) starting with the CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), which is well known to serve hematopoietic and early developmental functions, while also being required for cancer metastasis.
