The mechanisms behind diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) have been deeply studied but still not well-established within the scientific community. Mutations in cardiac junction proteins may result in heart failure and arrhythmia. ER degradation enhancing α-mannosidase like protein 2 (EDEM2) is involved in the degradation of misfolded N-glycosylated proteins, but its role in the heart is not clear and was investigated.
Hypoxia is a common event in the microenvironment of solid tumors, triggering some changes in gene expression profiles to adapt to low-oxygen levels. Increasing evidence exists regarding hypoxia and mitochondrial dysfunction to play a role in the progression of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Neurogenic bladder is a disease involving inflammation and fibrosis of the bladder. Fibrosis has been linked to the type of programmed cell death known as pyroptosis, which in turn has been linked to cGAS-STING signaling and subsequent activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University wondered whether the same processes contribute to the fibrosis in neurogenic bladder.
Heat shock protein family H member 1 (HSPH1) plays a key role in cellular stress and protein homeostasis, and it has been implicated in proliferation, invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. A recent study aimed to investigate the link between HSPH1 and the prognosis of HCC.
Osteoarthritis arises from breakdown of cartilage covering bone joints, which leads to chronic inflammation, and current therapies provide only short-term relief with risk of side effects. In an effort to identify next-generation treatments, researchers at Chang Gung University and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital have identified a potential novel therapeutic target, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-like protein (PDGFRL).
Esophageal carcinoma (EC) is a tumor type of the digestive tract that accounts for about 300,000 deaths worldwide annually, with high aggressiveness and poor prognosis. Chinese researchers have investigated the implication of the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase 18 family member A1 (ALDH18A1) in EC.
Lung cancer, which often occurs as lung adenocarcinoma, is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. At least 70% of lung adenocarcinoma patients fail to show long-term benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors, highlighting the need to identify in advance those more likely to benefit.
Homeobox genes, a conserved family of transcription factors, are key regulators of embryogenesis, cell growth and differentiation, and have been linked to bone mass regulation and osteogenesis. However, their specific roles in postmenopausal osteoporosis and osteoclast development are still not well understood, with limited and fragmented knowledge on which genes are central to these processes.
Glioblastoma, one of the most lethal brain cancers, remains a challenge to treat despite advancements in conventional therapies. Oncolytic virus therapy, which can selectively target and kill tumor cells while stimulating the immune system, has shown promise in clinical trials.
