Apoptosis resistance worsens treatment response in cancer and is associated with poor prognosis. Inhibition of anti‐apoptotic proteins can restore cell death and improve treatment efficacy. cIAP1, cIAP2 and XIAP belong to the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family and block apoptosis. Targeting IAPs with peptides or peptidomimetics mimicking the IAP‐antagonizing activity of the cell’s endogenous

Syringa pinnatifolia Hemsl. (Oleaceae) is a species of shrub with a limited distribution in China. Several chemical compounds with pharmacological effects have been isolated from S. pinnatifolia, including new lignans and sesquiterpenes. Studies of gene expression in this species require the identification of suitable reference genes that are stably expressed under different conditions and in different

Combinations of human lysozyme (hLYS) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are known to exhibit either additive or synergistic activity, and as a result they have therapeutic potential for persistent and antibiotic‐resistant infections. We examined hLYS activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa when combined with six different AMPs. In contrast to prior reports, we discovered that some therapeutically relevant

Organisms living in temperate regions are sensitive to seasonal variations in the environment; they are known to accumulate energy as fat in their livers during the winter when days are shorter, temperatures are lower, and food is scarce. However, the effect of variations in photoperiod alone on hepatic lipid metabolism has not been well studied. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed lipid metabolism

An anonymous user of PubPeer reported the presence of duplicated and horizontally flipped western blot bands in Figure 5C of the article ‘The activation mechanism of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) by molecular chaperone HSP90’ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fob.2014.09.003. This duplication was subsequently confirmed by our image integrity analyst. The β‐actin bands for the cytosol sample at 120 min

TWIST1 is an important basic helix‐loop‐helix protein linked to multiple physiological and pathological processes. Although TWIST1 is believed to be involved in vascular pathogenesis, its effects on homeostasis of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) remain poorly understood. Here we show that TWIST1 protein levels were significantly elevated during SMC phenotypic switching in vivo and in vitro. TWIST1 overexpression

Pregnancy zone protein (PZP), a member of the proteinase inhibitor I39 (‐2‐ macroglobulin) family of proteins, is involved in the initiation and development of various tumors. The gene encoding PZP is hypermethylated and expressed at low levels in HCC tissue and cells, but the function of PZP in HCC cells remains unclear. Here, we analyzed DNA methylation and mRNA expression of HCC in the TCGA‐LIHC

Microorganisms or LPS (lipopolysaccharide), an outer membrane component of Gram‐negative bacteria, can induce a systemic inflammatory response that leads to sepsis, multiple organ dysfunction, and mortality. Here, we investigated the role of cyclophilin D (CypD)‐dependent mitochondrial permeability transition (mPT) in the immunosuppressive phase of LPS‐induced endotoxic shock. The liver plays an important

In order to reduce nitrate in vivo, the spore‐specific respiratory nitrate reductase, Nar1, of Streptomyces coelicolor relies on an active cytochrome bcc‐aa3 oxidase supercomplex (bcc‐aa3 supercomplex). This suggests that membrane‐associated Nar1, comprising NarG1, NarH1 and NarI1 subunits, might not act as a classical menaquinol oxidase but could either receive electrons from the bcc‐aa3 supercomplex

CYP2A6 is an important metabolic enzyme and is involved in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its specific function and the mechanism of modulation remain to be elucidated. In this study, we found that CYP2A6 is dramatically down‐regulated in HCC. CYP2A6 expression is closely associated with pathological grading, histologic grade, hepatitis, vascular metastasis, liver inflammation

Multiple clinical trials have shown that monoclonal antibodies against Programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐1/PD‐L1) can benefit patients with lung cancer by increasing their progression‐free survival and overall survival. However, a significant proportion of patients do not respond to anti‐PD‐1/PD‐L1 monoclonal antibodies. In the present study, we investigated whether galectin‐3 inhibitors can enhance the

Pregnancy‐specific glycoproteins (PSGs) are fetal proteins secreted by the placenta during pregnancy. The PSG level in maternal serum is an indicator of risk for pregnancy complications. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying PSG gene expression. Recently, the importance of epigenetic regulation of placental genes has been emphasized in the study of developmental defects

Sunitinib (Sun), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), is the standard first‐line treatment against advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), but resistance to therapy is inevitable. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is associated with sensitivity to chemotherapy, but the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Here, we investigated

Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) is a critical enzyme in purine metabolism and uric acid production, and its levels are reported to increase during stress, thereby promoting organ damage. Herein, we investigated the activity of XOR in a mouse model of aristolochic acid I (AA)‐induced nephropathy, a type of nephrotoxic chronic kidney disease (CKD). A persistent decrease in renal function was observed in

For marine invertebrates with no adaptive immune system, ferritin is a major intracellular iron‐storage protein with a critical role in innate immunity. Here, we present the crystal structures of two novel ferritins (Fer147 and PeFer) from the marine invertebrate Phascolosoma esculenta, which resides in muddy‐bottom coastal regions. Fer147 and PeFer exhibit the 4‐3‐2 symmetry of cage‐like hollow shells

CD47 is a widely expressed self‐protection transmembrane protein that functions as a critical negative regulator to induce macrophage‐mediated phagocytosis. Overexpression of CD47 enables cancer cells to escape immune surveillance and destruction by phagocytes both in solid tumours and leukaemia. The usefulness of anti‐CD47 antibody has been demonstrated in multiple immunotherapies associated with

RCCs (renal cell carcinomas) account for about 90% of renal tumors, and their major histological subtype is ccRCC (clear cell RCC). Increasing evidence has indicated that the TME (tumor microenvironment) plays a significant role in the occurrence and development of ccRCC. In the present study, we employed ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT computational methods to calculate the proportion of immune and stromal

Iron loading has been reported to be a common stress in the development of cells, and this might be related to bone loss and osteoporosis. Astragaloside IV (ASI‐IV), a pure compound derived from Radix Astragali, has been reported to exhibit cardioprotective, anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, anti‐asthmatic and anticancer effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether ASI‐IV could reverse

Periodontitis is an autoimmune disease of periodontal tissues initiated by plaque. It is known that there is a close connection between periodontitis and CKD with hypertension, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. STAT1 has been reported to play a regulatory role in hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Here, we investigated whether STAT1 regulates periodontitis‐mediated aggravation

Enhancers are well established as critical regulators of gene expression, but the mechanisms underlying the molecular basis of their specificity and activity are only partly understood. One of the most exciting recent observations is the discovery of enhancer‐RNA (eRNA), a class of non‐coding RNAs derived from enhancer regions. Transcription of developmentally‐regulated enhancers has been observed

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant primary tumour in the central nervous system, but the molecular mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis remain unclear. In this study, dataset GSE50161 was used to construct a co‐expression network for weighted gene co‐expression network analysis. Two modules (dubbed brown and turquoise) were found to have the strongest correlation with GBM. Functional

Camellia japonica L. is a flowering tree with several medicinal and cosmetic applications. Here, we investigated the efficacy of C. japonica placenta extract (CJPE) as a potential therapeutic agent for promotion of hair growth and scalp health by using various in vitro and in vivo assays. Moreover, we performed transcriptome analysis to examine the relative expression of human follicle dermal papilla

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are nano‐sized vesicles released by cells as intracellular messengers, have high potential as biomarkers. EVs are usually collected from in vitro sources, such as cell culture media or biofluids, and not from tissues. Techniques enabling direct collection of EVs from tissues will extend the applications of EVs. We compared methods for separating EVs from solid liver

Cover Illustration

Abnormal lipid metabolism is closely related to the malignant biological behavior of tumor cells. Such abnormal lipid metabolism provides energy for rapid proliferation, and certain genes related to lipid metabolism encode important components of tumor signaling pathways. In this study, we analyzed pancreatic cancer datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and searched for prognostic genes related