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Category: biotech/medical

When mitochondria grow abnormally long, leaked RNA may activate anti-tumor immune responses

Researchers from the University of Osaka have demonstrated that mitochondrial hyperfusion, when induced by low levels of DRP1 or cellular stress, activates an immune response through the RIG-I–MAVS pathway. Dependent on the involvement of the BAX protein, the release of mitochondrial RNA into the cytosol enhanced natural killer cell cytotoxicity and reduced tumor growth in a xenograft model. The findings, published in Cell Reports, provide new possibilities for cancer research and treatment.

Mitochondria are constantly dividing and fusing within our cells, reshaping themselves to keep up with the cell’s changing needs. Sometimes, though, things go awry, and mitochondria can grow abnormally long. Are these long mitochondria harmful, or might they serve a purpose?

Mitochondria also act as signaling centers, helping the cell sense and respond to trouble. When mitochondria are hyperfused, for example in the stressed, abnormally long state described above, they release their genetic material into the cytosol, where the cell treats it as a warning sign in the same way it would treat a virus.

Scientists discover an unexpected way to make pancreatic cancer cells self-destruct

Researchers tested experimental PCAI compounds against pancreatic cancer cells and found they had powerful anticancer effects. One leading compound blocked more than 90% of cancer cell migration, suggesting it could help prevent the spread of tumors. Rather than suppressing cancer signaling, the treatment hyperactivated key pathways until the cells essentially self-destructed.

Mpox (Monkeypox) Virus and Its Co-Infection with HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections, or Bacterial Superinfections: Double Whammy or a New Prime Culprit?

Epidemiologic studies have established that mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) outbreaks worldwide in 2022–2023, due to Clade IIb mpox virus (MPXV), disproportionately affected gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. More than 35% and 40% of the mpox cases suffer from co-infection with HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (e.g., Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Treponema pallidum, and herpes simplex virus), respectively. Bacterial superinfection can also occur. Co-infection of MPXV and other infectious agents may enhance disease severity, deteriorate outcomes, elongate the recovery process, and potentially contribute to the morbidity and mortality of the ensuing diseases. However, the interplays between MPXV and HIV, bacteria, other STI pathogens and host cells are poorly studied.

Cancer cell ‘degraders’ target two proteins at once to defeat treatment resistance

Researchers from two Technion faculties have jointly developed a new compound and demonstrated its effectiveness against aggressive tumor cells.

A study published in Oncogene presents an innovative strategy for the particularly complex medical challenge of destroying aggressive, treatment-resistant tumors.

The research was jointly led by early-career scientists Dr. Avital Oknin Vaisman and Dr. Deepanjan Panda from the laboratories of Prof. Amir Orian, head of the Rappaport Center for Cancer Research at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and a faculty member in the Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, and Prof. Ashraf Brik of the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry.

The interplay between the microbiome and immune cells in metabolic homeostasis and disease

Shapiro et al. review how microbial signals modulate immune responses across tissues to regulate metabolic homeostasis and cardiometabolic diseases. They discuss mechanisms linking the microbiome, immunity, and tissue function and present emerging microbiome-based interventions for disease prevention and treatment.

Genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease could depend on how well you sleep

A compelling longitudinal study of over 350 older adults with early beta-amyloid accumulation reveals that the genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease is not strictly deterministic, but is profoundly modulated by sleep quality through the AQP4 gene—a critical regulator of the brain’s glymphatic waste-clearance system. By cross-referencing specific AQP4 variants with multi-year MRI and PET imaging alongside cognitive assessments, researchers demonstrated that poor sleep parameters, such as shorter duration and delayed onset, significantly accelerate neurodegenerative markers like gray matter loss and ventricle expansion in carriers of specific risk alleles. Paradoxically, however, carriers of certain rare variants exhibited slower cognitive decline even in the presence of sleep disturbances. Ultimately, these findings illuminate a complex gene-environment interplay, proving that identical genetic predispositions can either expedite or buffer against brain atrophy depending on sleep architecture, thereby highlighting the critical necessity of personalized, sleep-targeted lifestyle interventions as a highly actionable strategy for Alzheimer’s prevention.

Scientists have discovered an important link between sleep, genetics, and Alzheimer’s disease. New findings suggest that getting poor sleep can accelerate brain shrinkage and memory loss in older adults carrying specific genetic variants.

Self-Amplifying RNA: Advantages and Challenges of a Versatile Platform for Vaccine Development

Self-amplifying RNA is synthetic nucleic acid engineered to replicate within cells without generating viral particles. Derived from alphavirus genomes, saRNA retains the non-structural elements essential for replication while replacing the structural elements with an antigen of interest. By enabling efficient intracellular amplification, saRNA offers a promising alternative to conventional mRNA vaccines, enhancing antigen expression while requiring lower doses. However, this advantage comes with challenges. In this review, we highlight the key limitations of saRNA technology and explore potential strategies to overcome them. By identifying these challenges, we aim to provide insights that can guide the future design of saRNA-based therapeutics, extending their potential beyond vaccine applications.

Cachexia-induced alterations of miR-27a-3p drive cell-type specific effects in FAPs and tumor cells that coincide with muscle wasting

Self-amplifying RNA is synthetic nucleic acid engineered to replicate within cells without generating viral particles. Derived from alphavirus genomes, saRNA retains the non-structural elements essential for replication while replacing the structural elements with an antigen of interest. By enabling efficient intracellular amplification, saRNA offers a promising alternative to conventional mRNA vaccines, enhancing antigen expression while requiring lower doses. However, this advantage comes with challenges. In this review, we highlight the key limitations of saRNA technology and explore potential strategies to overcome them. By identifying these challenges, we aim to provide insights that can guide the future design of saRNA-based therapeutics, extending their potential beyond vaccine applications.

Urine: A Pitfall for Molecular Detection of Toscana Virus? An Analytical Proof-of-Concept Study

Toscana virus (TOSV), a sandfly-borne virus, is an important etiological agent in human acute meningitis and meningoencephalitis in the Mediterranean area during the summer. However, the actual number of TOSV infections is underestimated. Laboratory confirmation is necessary because TOSV infection has overlapping clinical features with other neuro-invasive viral infections. Nowadays, the reference test for direct diagnosis in the acute phase of TOSV infection is the PCR based method for detecting TOSV in cerebrospinal fluid and/or plasma, serum, or blood. Although poorly employed, urine is another helpful biological matrix for TOSV detection. Urine is a matrix rich in PCR inhibitors that affect PCR efficiency; consequently, false negatives could be generated.

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