Isozymes that are overexpressed in cancer and key in some metabolic processes are potential therapeutic targets. Previous studies found that phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 2 (PCK2) is required by cancer cells for maintaining high metabolic activity and proliferation in some cancer types, but no small-molecule PCK2 inhibitors currently exist.
Researchers from Medical University of South Carolina aimed to evaluate the potential of secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2) as a promising novel target for breast cancer using a newly developed humanized monoclonal antibody to SFRP2 (hSFRP2 MAb) in models of this disease.
Previous research has demonstrated that systemic administration of a P2X7 agonist improved motor performance in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through enhancing satellite cells and the muscle pro-regenerative activity of infiltrating macrophages.
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.
