Researchers have discovered that reduced expression of the free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFAR4) is a biomarker of podocyte injury and aging, as well as a therapeutic target. Podocyte injury leads to progression of glomerular disease and aging, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood.
Astrocytes are crucial for brain homeostasis and synaptic activity under healthy conditions, and are activated during neuroinflammation, neural damage and neurodegeneration, such as in Alzheimer's disease (AD).
An international group of scientists has completed the first draft of The Pan-Cancer Proteome Atlas (TPCPA). The project is based on mass spectrometry of 22 cancer types, which has identified more than 9,000 proteins from 1,000 tumors. The results reveal which proteins allow for the classification of different cancer types, biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets, which are now available to the entire scientific community.
The polarization of macrophages is crucial in modulating the tumor microenvironment and impacting cancer development. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as key regulators in this process.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide due to lack of effective diagnosis at early stages and limited comprehension of its pathogenesis, thus limiting the development of effective treatments.
Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare cancer that arises from the intrahepatic biliary epithelium or extrahepatic bile ducts. Apart from genetic mutations, epigenetic changes are also contributing to cancer development, making DNA methylation and histone modification focus for cancer research.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which makes up the majority of head and neck cancers, is an aggressive disease with a poor prognosis despite current multimodal treatments. Its progression is strongly linked to immune evasion and impaired immune signaling, highlighting the urgent need for new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers to improve patient outcomes.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive cancer from the CNS usually characterized by a very bad prognosis. It is known that around 30%-35% of patients with GBM develop epilepsy as a comorbidity of the disease.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) accounts for more than 90% of cases of pancreatic cancer, and prognosis for PDAC remains poor despite treatment advances. One reason is that PDAC downregulates the display of antigens on the surface of tumor cells, helping it evade the patient’s immune system and therapies involving immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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