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A recent study shows that skeletal muscle responds to tumor-secreted factors by undergoing a change in fatty acid metabolism, and that blocking this metabolic response in mice inhibits muscle wasting.
A new study of the impact of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) escape mutations suggests that holes in the host immune repertoire contribute to poor disease outcomes, owing to a gradual deterioration of the host anti-HIV-1 immune response. This should be accounted for in HIV-1 vaccine development strategies.
A new study in humans links genetic variants associated with schizophrenia to changes in the expression of two genes, arsenite methyltransferase (AS3MT) and BLOC-1 related complex subunit 7 (BORCS7). Subsequent investigations provide compelling evidence that AS3MT is involved in the etiology of schizophrenia.
A recent study identifies differences in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes from patients with breast cancer who were treated with doxorubicin and either did or did not develop cardiotoxicity. The results open up new avenues for the development of personalized therapy and the prevention of cardiotoxicity.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an extensive stromal component that hinders treatment. A new study shows how the genetic identity of pancreatic tumors might influence the physical properties of the associated stroma to promote tumor progression.
A new study shows in mice that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily member 11 (TNFSF11, also known as RANKL), which stimulates osteoclasts to remove bone, binds to the G-protein-coupled receptor LGR4 to prevent excessive bone removal. In mouse models of osteoporosis, a recombinant LGR4 ectodomain reduces bone loss.
A new study with patient stem cell–based modeling of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) shows that the accumulation of a specific cholesterol precursor dysregulates the Wnt/b-catenin pathway, which in turn leads to precocious neural differentiation.
Ablation of the tumor suppressor phosophatase and tensin homlog (PTEN) unexpectedly suppresses the development of pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
Human T cells that target tumor-specific mutations are attractive for cancer immunotherapy, but obtaining these T cells is challenging. A new study shows that tumor mutation–specific T cells can be isolated from the peripheral blood of patients with melanoma.
Current dogma suggests that high-energy–consuming photoreceptors depend on glucose. A new study reveals that the retina also uses fatty acid b-oxidation for energy, and that dysregulated lipid and glucose photoreceptor energy metabolism may drive neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
In a recent study, beige adipocytes were derived from the capillaries of human subcutaneous adipose tissue. When implanted into mice, these cells enhanced glucose tolerance, thus providing evidence for their potential therapeutic use.
A study has demonstrated that transplanting human embryonic stem cell–derived, insulin-producing cells shielded in capsules made with an optimized biomaterial can achieve long-term cure of diabetes in mice without the need for any immunosuppression.
Two new studies show that mechanisms of acquired resistance to targeted therapy in lung cancer do not necessarily pre-exist in resistant subclones. Instead, some cancers may harbor the potential to acquire a variety of drug-resistance mechanisms after response to targeted therapy.
A new study of the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) highlights the importance of mitochondria and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the generation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) that have the enhanced potential to elicit interferon-induced gene expression.
A new study has located 'hot spots' in the rat spinal cord that are associated with leg flexion and extension in rats. Electrical stimulation applied in an alternating pattern between these hot spots facilitated locomotion after the hindlimbs were paralyzed as a result of spinal cord injury (SCI).
Altered microbial colonization associated with cesarean section (C-section) birth could potentially have adverse effects on host development. The first interventional study of its kind attempts to reconfigure the early microbiota composition in C-section–delivered newborns to resemble that associated with vaginal birth.
A new study in mice suggests that pharmacologically targeting the apoptosis proteins BCL-2 and BCL-xL can clear senescent cells from bone marrow and ameliorate stem cell function during aging, bringing us a step closer to preventing senescence-associated tissue attrition in the clinic.
Sentinel macrophages in the lymph node provide a first line of defense against invading viruses. A new study visualizes inflammasome activation in virally infected nodal macrophages in mice and shows that this activation augments both innate and adaptive immunity.
A new study demonstrates that dysregulation of proteostasis can be a transforming event in hematopoiesis that could prove to be therapeutically actionable for treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasms.
A new study shows that aggregated forms of tau that cause frontotemporal dementia impair proteasome activity. Furthermore, proteasome inhibition can be alleviated by a small molecule that leads to proteasome phosphorylation and activation, thereby reducing tau accumulation.
