Aberrant Splicing in Huntington’s Disease Accompanies Disrupted TDP-43 Activity and Altered m6A RNA Modification

Aberrant Splicing in Huntington’s Disease Accompanies Disrupted TDP-43 Activity and Altered m6A RNA Modification Academic Background Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. The disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene, leading to ab...

A Distinct Hypothalamus–Habenula Circuit Governs Risk Preference

Study on the Hypothalamus-Habenula Circuit Regulating Risk Preference Academic Background In complex and uncertain environments, animals need to assess risks to make survival-favorable decisions. When faced with safe and risky options, animals usually exhibit a strong preference for one option, which remains consistent over time. However, how this ...

Establishing Functionally Segregated Dopaminergic Circuits

Functional Segregation of Dopaminergic Neural Circuits and Their Developmental Mechanisms Academic Background Dopamine is a crucial neurotransmitter in the brain, regulating various physiological functions, including motor control, emotional regulation, motivation, learning, and memory. Dopaminergic neurons are primarily located in the midbrain, an...

Antisense Oligonucleotide–Mediated MSH3 Suppression Reduces Somatic CAG Repeat Expansion in Huntington’s Disease iPSC–Derived Striatal Neurons

Therapeutic Potential of ASO-Mediated MSH3 Suppression in Huntington’s Disease Academic Background Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by abnormal expansion of the CAG repeat sequence in the huntingtin gene (HTT). This expanded CAG repeat continues to expand somatically over time, driving the onset and progression of th...

Prior Vaccination Prevents Overactivation of Innate Immune Responses During COVID-19 Breakthrough Infection

How COVID-19 Vaccines Affect Immune Responses During Breakthrough Infections Background Introduction As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, an increasing number of infections are “breakthrough infections,” occurring in individuals who have been vaccinated or previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. Although vaccination has significantly reduced the risk o...

Intestinal Epithelium–Derived IL-34 Reprograms Macrophages to Mitigate Gastrointestinal Tract Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Academic Report on the Role of Intestinal Epithelium-Derived IL-34 in Alleviating Graft-versus-Host Disease 1. Academic Background Graft-versus-Host Disease (GVHD) is a severe complication following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), and gastrointestinal (GI) GVHD is the primary determinant of morbidity and mortality du...

Tumor Extracellular Vesicle–Derived PD-L1 Promotes T Cell Senescence Through Lipid Metabolism Reprogramming

PD-L1 in Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Promotes T Cell Senescence through Lipid Metabolism Reprogramming Academic Background In recent years, immunotherapy has shown great promise in cancer treatment, particularly in checkpoint blockade therapies targeting PD-1/PD-L1 (programmed cell death protein 1 and its ligand) and CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-ly...

Triple Knockdown of CD11a, CD49d, and PSGL1 in T Cells Reduces CAR-T Cell Toxicity but Preserves Activity Against Solid Tumors in Mice

Study on Reducing Toxicity of CAR-T Cell Therapy for Solid Tumors Academic Background Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has made significant progress in treating hematologic malignancies, but its application in solid tumors faces major challenges. Solid tumors often lack tumor-specific antigens (TSAs), and CAR-T cells may attack norm...

Ciliopathies: Undocking of an Extensive Ciliary Network Induces Proteostasis and Cell Fate Switching Resulting in Severe Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia

Research on Ciliary Diseases: The Role of CCDC39/CCDC40 Heterodimer in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Academic Background Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare monogenic disorder characterized by chronic respiratory infections, infertility, and organ laterality defects. Although more than 50 genes associated with PCD have been identified, mutation...

Selective Abrogation of S6K2 Identifies Lipid Homeostasis as a Survival Vulnerability in MAPK Inhibitor–Resistant NRAS-Mutant Melanoma

Academic Background NRAS-mutant (NRASmut) melanoma is a highly aggressive tumor type, accounting for nearly 30% of all melanoma cases. NRAS is an oncogene that persistently activates the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, which plays a critical role in melanoma development. However, despite extensive research on MAPK pathway...