Articles

The potential role of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in reducing acute respiratory inflammation in community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) reduces both invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and other pneumococcal infections worldwide. We investigated the impact of stepwise implementation of childhood PCV program...

Authors: Ching-Fen Shen, Shih-Min Wang, Hsin Chi, Yi-Chuan Huang, Li-Min Huang, Yhu-Chering Huang, Hsiao-Chuan Lin, Yu-Huai Ho, Chao A. Hsiung and Ching-Chuan Liu

Amino acid-dependent control of mTORC1 signaling: a variety of regulatory modes

The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is an essential regulator of cell growth and metabolism through the modulation of protein and lipid synthesis, lysosome biogenesis, and autophagy. The act...

Authors: Terunao Takahara, Yuna Amemiya, Risa Sugiyama, Masatoshi Maki and Hideki Shibata

cjrABC-senB hinders survival of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli in the bloodstream through triggering complement-mediated killing

Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) is a common gram-negative organism causing various infections, including urinary tract infections (UTIs), bacteremia, and neonatal meningitis. The cjrABC-senB gene clust...

Authors: Wen-Chun Huang, Yi-Jyun Liao, Masayuki Hashimoto, Kuan-Fu Chen, Chishih Chu, Po-Chuen Hsu, Shuying Wang and Ching-Hao Teng

A synthetic peptide sensitizes multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa to antibiotics for more than two hours and permeabilizes its envelope for twenty hours

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative pathogen that frequently causes life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients. We previously showed that subinhibitory concentrations of short synthetic pepti...

Authors: Iosu Rázquin-Olazarán, Hawraa Shahrour and Guillermo Martínez-de-Tejada

Rat models of human diseases and related phenotypes: a systematic inventory of the causative genes

The laboratory rat has been used for a long time as the model of choice in several biomedical disciplines. Numerous inbred strains have been isolated, displaying a wide range of phenotypes and providing many m...

Authors: Claude Szpirer

An obituary of Dr. Ding-Shinn Chen

Authors:

Precision radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer

Precision medicine is becoming the standard of care in anti-cancer treatment. The personalized precision management of cancer patients highly relies on the improvement of new technology in next generation sequ...

Authors: Wen-Chi Yang, Feng-Ming Hsu and Pan-Chyr Yang

Genomic landscape in acute myeloid leukemia and its implications in risk classification and targeted therapies

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematologic malignancy in terms of clinical features, underlying pathogenesis and treatment outcomes. Recent advances in genomic techniques have unraveled the mo...

Authors: Hsin-An Hou and Hwei-Fang Tien

Machine learning-based segmentation of ischemic penumbra by using diffusion tensor metrics in a rat model

Recent trials have shown promise in intra-arterial thrombectomy after the first 6–24 h of stroke onset. Quick and precise identification of the salvageable tissue is essential for successful stroke management....

Authors: Duen-Pang Kuo, Po-Chih Kuo, Yung-Chieh Chen, Yu-Chieh Jill Kao, Ching-Yen Lee, Hsiao-Wen Chung and Cheng-Yu Chen

5-methoxytryptophan: an arsenal against vascular injury and inflammation

5-methoxytryptophan (5-MTP) is an endothelial factor with anti-inflammatory properties. It is synthesized from L-tryptophan via two enzymatic steps: tryptophan hydroxylase-1 (TPH-1) and hydroxyindole O-methylt...

Authors: Kenneth K. Wu, Cheng-Chin Kuo, Shaw-Fang Yet, Chii-Ming Lee and Jun-Yang Liou

Hepatitis C virus vaccine design: focus on the humoral immune response

Despite the recent development of safe and highly effective direct-acting antivirals, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a significant health problem. In 2016, the World Health Organization set out to r...

Authors: Daniel Sepulveda-Crespo, Salvador Resino and Isidoro Martinez

The impact of PD-L1 N-linked glycosylation on cancer therapy and clinical diagnosis

N-linked glycosylation is one of the most abundant posttranslational modifications of membrane-bound proteins in eukaryotes and affects a number of biological activities, including protein biosynthesis, protein.....

Authors: Ying-Nai Wang, Heng-Huan Lee, Jennifer L. Hsu, Dihua Yu and Mien-Chie Hung

Ab locks for improving the selectivity and safety of antibody drugs

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are a major targeted therapy for malignancies, infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection and chronic inflammatory diseases due to their antigen specificity and...

Authors: Wen-Wei Lin, Yun-Chi Lu, Chih-Hung Chuang and Tian-Lu Cheng

ZNF322A-mediated protein phosphorylation induces autophagosome formation through modulation of IRS1-AKT glucose uptake and HSP-elicited UPR in lung cancer

ZNF322A is an oncogenic transcription factor that belongs to the Cys2His2-type zinc-finger protein family. Accumulating evidence suggests that ZNF322A may contribute to the tumorigenesis of lung cancer, howeve...

Authors: Chantal Hoi Yin Cheung, Chia-Lang Hsu, Tsai-Yu Lin, Wei-Ting Chen, Yi-Ching Wang, Hsuan-Cheng Huang and Hsueh-Fen Juan

Of tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections – a comparative analysis of epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment

Pulmonary diseases due to mycobacteria cause significant morbidity and mortality to human health. In addition to tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), recent epidemiological studies have ...

Authors: Radha Gopalaswamy, Sivakumar Shanmugam, Rajesh Mondal and Selvakumar Subbian

The origin and underlying driving forces of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak

SARS-CoV-2 began spreading in December 2019 and has since become a pandemic that has impacted many aspects of human society. Several issues concerning the origin, time of introduction to humans, evolutionary p...

Authors: Shu-Miaw Chaw, Jui-Hung Tai, Shi-Lun Chen, Chia-Hung Hsieh, Sui-Yuan Chang, Shiou-Hwei Yeh, Wei-Shiung Yang, Pei-Jer Chen and Hurng-Yi Wang

Immunologic aspects of characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the worldwide spread of the infectious disease COVID-19, caused by a new strain of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, as a pandemic. Like in all other infectious...

Authors: Feng-Yee Chang, Hsiang-Cheng Chen, Pei-Jer Chen, Mei-Shang Ho, Shie-Liang Hsieh, Jung-Chung Lin, Fu-Tong Liu and Huey-Kang Sytwu

Correction to: Activation of TGR5 protects blood brain barrier via the BRCA1/Sirt1 pathway after middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Authors: Hui Liang, Nathanael Matei, Devin W. McBride, Yang Xu, Jiping Tang, Benyan Luo and John H. Zhang

HBV X protein-based therapeutic vaccine accelerates viral antigen clearance by mobilizing monocyte infiltration into the liver in HBV carrier mice

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) persistently infected about 250 million people worldwide, and a curative treatment remains an unmet medical need. Among many approaches to treat chronic hepatitis B (CHB), therapeutic v...

Authors: Jau-Hau Horng, Wei-Hsiang Lin, Chang-Ru Wu, You-Yu Lin, Li-Ling Wu, Ding-Shinn Chen and Pei-Jer Chen

Validation of genome-wide association study-identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in a case-control study of pancreatic cancer from Taiwan

Due to differences in genetic background, it is unclear whether the genetic loci identified by the previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of pancreatic cancer also play significant roles in the develo...

Authors: Yan-Shen Shan, Li-Tzong Chen, Jin-Shang Wu, Yin-Fan Chang, Chih-Ting Lee, Chih-Hsing Wu, Nai-Jung Chiang, Hsin-En Huang, Chia-Jui Yen, Ying-Jui Chao, Hui-Jen Tsai, Chiung-Yu Chen, Jui-Wen Kang, Chin-Fu Kuo, Chia-Rung Tsai, Ya-Ling Weng…

Anomalous AMPK-regulated angiotensin AT₁R expression and SIRT1-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis at RVLM in hypertension programming of offspring to maternal high fructose exposure

Tissue oxidative stress, sympathetic activation and nutrient sensing signals are closely related to adult hypertension of fetal origin, although their interactions in hypertension programming remain unclear. B...

Authors: Yung-Mei Chao, Kay L. H. Wu, Pei-Chia Tsai, You-Lin Tain, Steve Leu, Wei-Chia Lee and Julie Y. H. Chan

The endothelium, a key actor in organ development and hPSC-derived organoid vascularization

Over the last 4 decades, cell culture techniques have evolved towards the creation of in vitro multicellular entities that incorporate the three-dimensional complexity of in vivo tissues and organs. As a resul...

Authors: Alejandra Vargas-Valderrama, Antonietta Messina, Maria Teresa Mitjavila-Garcia and Hind Guenou

Rotavirus infection in children in Southeast Asia 2008–2018: disease burden, genotype distribution, seasonality, and vaccination

Rotaviruses (RVs) are recognized as a major cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in infants and young children worldwide. Here we summarize the virology, disease burden, prevalence, distribution of genotypes a...

Authors: Fajar Budi Lestari, Sompong Vongpunsawad, Nasamon Wanlapakorn and Yong Poovorawan

Statin inhibits large hepatitis delta antigen-Smad3 -twist-mediated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and hepatitis D virus secretion

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection may induce fulminant hepatitis in chronic hepatitis B patients (CHB) or rapid progression of CHB to cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. There is no effective treatment for ...

Authors: Yuh-Jin Liang, Cheng-Pu Sun, Yu-Chen Hsu, Yi-Wen Chen, I-An Wang, Chien-Wei Su, Mi-Hua Tao and Jaw-Ching Wu

Molecular networking in the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses: insights from mammalian models and the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs), commonly known as Batten disease, belong to a family of neurological disorders that cause blindness, seizures, loss of motor function and cognitive ability, and prema...

Authors: Robert J. Huber

Pathophysiological implications of hypoxia in human diseases

Oxygen is essentially required by most eukaryotic organisms as a scavenger to remove harmful electron and hydrogen ions or as a critical substrate to ensure the proper execution of enzymatic reactions. All nuc...

Authors: Pai-Sheng Chen, Wen-Tai Chiu, Pei-Ling Hsu, Shih-Chieh Lin, I-Chen Peng, Chia-Yih Wang and Shaw-Jenq Tsai

N6-methyladenosine methyltransferase METTL3 affects the phenotype of cerebral arteriovenous malformation via modulating Notch signaling pathway

Cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a serious life-threatening congenital cerebrovascular disease. Specific anatomical features, such as nidus size, location, and venous drainage, have been validated ...

Authors: Lin-jian Wang, Yimeng Xue, Ran Huo, Zihan Yan, Hongyuan Xu, Hao Li, Jia Wang, Qian Zhang, Yong Cao and Ji-zong Zhao

Activation of TGR5 protects blood brain barrier via the BRCA1/Sirt1 pathway after middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats

The disruption of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) plays a critical event in the pathogenesis of ischemia stroke. TGR5 is recognized as a potential target for the treatment for neurologic disorders.

Authors: Hui Liang, Nathanael Matei, Devin W. McBride, Yang Xu, Jiping Tang, Benyan Luo and John H. Zhang

Modulation of human platelet activation and in vivo vascular thrombosis by columbianadin: regulation by integrin α_IIbβ₃ inside-out but not outside-in signals

Columbianadin (CBN) is one of the main coumarin constituents isolated from Angelica pubescens. The pharmacological value of CBN is well demonstrated, especially in the prevention of several cancers and analgesic ...

Authors: Shaw-Min Hou, Chih-Wei Hsia, Cheng-Lin Tsai, Chih-Hsuan Hsia, Thanasekaran Jayakumar, Marappan Velusamy and Joen-Rong Sheu

Signaling in and out: long-noncoding RNAs in tumor hypoxia

Over the past few years, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are recognized as key regulators of gene expression at chromatin, transcriptional and posttranscriptional level with pivotal roles in various biological ...

Authors: Tse-Chun Kuo, Hsing-Jien Kung and Jing-Wen Shih

Fasting to enhance Cancer treatment in models: the next steps

Short-term fasting (STF) is a technique to reduce nutrient intake for a specific period. Since metabolism plays a pivotal role in tumor progression, it can be hypothesized that STF can improve the efficacy of ...

Authors: Jing Zhang, Yanlin Deng and Bee Luan Khoo

O-GlcNAcylation and its role in the immune system

O-linked-N-acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation) is a type of glycosylation that occurs when a monosaccharide, O-GlcNAc, is added onto serine or threonine residues of nuclear or cytoplasmic proteins by O-GlcN...

Authors: Yi-Hsuan Chang, Chia-Lin Weng and Kuo-I Lin

Long-term expansion of directly reprogrammed keratinocyte-like cells and in vitro reconstitution of human skin

Human keratinocytes and derived products are crucial for skin repair and regeneration. Despite substantial advances in engineered skin equivalents, their poor availability and immunorejection remain major chal...

Authors: Jie Zheng, Wonjin Yun, Junghyun Park, Phil Jun Kang, Gilju Lee, Gwonhwa Song, In Yong Kim and Seungkwon You

Prohibitin 1/2 mediates Dengue-3 entry into human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) and microglia (CHME-3) cells

Very few studies have identified receptor molecules for dengue virus (DENV) on neural cells. This study was designed to identify putative receptor/(s) involved in entry of DENV-3 in human neural cells of vario...

Authors: Amita Sharma, Ravi Vasanthapuram, Manjunatha M Venkataswamy and Anita Desai

Enhanced NETosis generation in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: utility as biomarker for disease activity and anti-TNF-α therapy effectiveness

Radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory form of arthritis in which tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, a potent inducer of inflammatory response and a key regulator of innate immuni...

Authors: Patricia Ruiz-Limon, Maria Lourdes Ladehesa-Pineda, Maria del Carmen Castro-Villegas, Maria del Carmen Abalos-Aguilera, Clementina Lopez-Medina, Chary Lopez-Pedrera, Nuria Barbarroja, Daniel Espejo-Peralbo, Jose Antonio Gonzalez-Reyes, Jose Manuel Villalba, Carlos Perez-Sanchez, Alejandro Escudero-Contreras, Eduardo Collantes-Estevez, Pilar Font-Ugalde and Yolanda Jimenez-Gomez

Cardiopulmonary failure in children infected with Enterovirus A71

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) is one of the causative pathogens of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), which may cause severe neurological and cardiopulmonary complications in children. In this review, we discuss...

Authors: Shao-Hsuan Hsia, Jainn-Jim Lin, Oi-Wa Chan and Tzou-Yien Lin

CPEB2-activated PDGFRα mRNA translation contributes to myofibroblast proliferation and pulmonary alveologenesis

Alveologenesis is the final stage of lung development to form air-exchanging units between alveoli and blood vessels. Genetic susceptibility or hyperoxic stress to perturb this complicated process can cause ab...

Authors: Yen-Ting Lai, Hsu-Wen Chao, Alan Chuan-Ying Lai, Shu-Hui Lin, Ya-Jen Chang and Yi-Shuian Huang

Recombinant lipidated Zika virus envelope protein domain III elicits durable neutralizing antibody responses against Zika virus in mice

The emergence of Zika virus (ZV) in tropical and subtropical areas of the world has created an urgent need for vaccines against ZV. However, approved vaccines that prevent ZV infection are not available. To de...

Authors: Mei-Yu Chen, Kit Man Chai, Chen-Yi Chiang, Chiao-Chieh Wu, Guann-Yi Yu, Shih-Jen Liu and Hsin-Wei Chen

Phenotype and functionality of follicular helper T cells in patients with acute dengue infection

The association of functionality and phenotype of follicular helper T cells (Tfh) with dengue virus (DENV) specific antibody responses and clinical disease severity has not been well studied.

Authors: Ayesha Wijesinghe, Jayani Gamage, Hemantha Goonewardena, Laksiri Gomes, Deshni Jayathilaka, Dulharie T. Wijeratne, Ruklanthi de Alwis, Chandima Jeewandara, Ananda Wijewickrama, Graham S. Ogg and Gathsaurie Neelika Malavige

Functional roles and networks of non-coding RNAs in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases

Recent transcriptome analyses have revealed that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are broadly expressed in mammalian cells and abundant in the CNS, with tissue and cell type-specific expression patterns. Moreover, ncRN...

Authors: Yi-Ying Wu and Hung-Chih Kuo

Expedition to the missing link: Long noncoding RNAs in cardiovascular diseases

With the advances in deep sequencing-based transcriptome profiling technology, it is now known that human genome is transcribed more pervasively than previously thought. Up to 90% of the human DNA is transcrib...

Authors: Chih-Fan Yeh, Yu-Chen Eugene Chang, Cheng-Yuan Lu, Chin-Feng Hsuan, Wei-Tien Chang and Kai-Chien Yang

Development of high-growth influenza H7N9 prepandemic candidate vaccine viruses in suspension MDCK cells

Influenza vaccine manufacturers traditionally use egg-derived candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) to produce high-yield influenza viruses for seasonal or pandemic vaccines; however, these egg-derived CVVs need an...

Authors: Tsai-Teng Tzeng, Po-Ling Chen, Tsai-Chuan Weng, Shin-Yi Tsai, Chia-Chun Lai, Hsin-I Chou, Pin-Wen Chen, Chia-Chun Lu, Ming-Tsan Liu, Wang-Chou Sung, Min-Shi Lee and Alan Yung-Chih Hu

MiR-30a and miR-379 modulate retinoic acid pathway by targeting DNA methyltransferase 3B in oral cancer

Epigenetic silencing of retinoic acid (RA) signaling-related genes have been linked with the pathogenesis and clinical outcome in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) carcinogenesis. However, the precise mechan...

Authors: Shine-Gwo Shiah, Jenn-Ren Hsiao, Hsiao-Ju Chang, Yuan-Ming Hsu, Guan-Hsun Wu, Hsuan-Yu Peng, Sung-Tau Chou, Ching-Chuan Kuo and Jang-Yang Chang

Clinical-grade cryopreserved doxorubicin-loaded platelets: role of cancer cells and platelet extracellular vesicles activation loop

Human platelets (PLT) and PLT-extracellular vesicles (PEV) released upon thrombin activation express receptors that interact with tumour cells and, thus, can serve as a delivery platform of anti-cancer agents....

Authors: Yu-Wen Wu, Cheng-Chain Huang, Chun Austin Changou, Long-Sheng Lu, Hadi Goubran and Thierry Burnouf

Functions and properties of nuclear lncRNAs—from systematically mapping the interactomes of lncRNAs

Protein and DNA have been considered as the major components of chromatin. But beyond that, an increasing number of studies show that RNA occupies a large amount of chromatin and acts as a regulator of nuclear...

Authors: Chia-Yu Guh, Yu-Hung Hsieh and Hsueh-Ping Chu

Functional complexity of hair follicle stem cell niche and therapeutic targeting of niche dysfunction for hair regeneration

Stem cell activity is subject to non-cell-autonomous regulation from the local microenvironment, or niche. In adaption to varying physiological conditions and the ever-changing external environment, the stem c...

Authors: Chih-Lung Chen, Wen-Yen Huang, Eddy Hsi Chun Wang, Kang-Yu Tai and Sung-Jan Lin

A novel c-Kit/phospho-prohibitin axis enhances ovarian cancer stemness and chemoresistance via Notch3—PBX1 and β-catenin—ABCG2 signaling

The underlying mechanism involved in ovarian cancer stemness and chemoresistance remains largely unknown. Here, we explored whether the regulation of c-Kit and plasma membrane prohibitin (PHB) affects ovarian ...

Authors: Chia-Hsun Fang, Yi-Te Lin, Chi-Ming Liang and Shu-Mei Liang

PAN RNA: transcriptional exhaust from a viral engine

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), also designated human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), has been linked to Kaposi’s sarcoma, as well as to primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), and a subset of multicentric Cas...

Authors: Mel Campbell and Yoshihiro Izumiya

LncRNA MALAT1 silencing protects against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury through miR-145 to regulate AQP4

The present study aimed to verify whether long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) MALAT1 is involved in brain tissue damage induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury, and to explore the mechanism by which MALAT1 regulates aquap...

Authors: Hongwei Wang, Xiaoxiao Zheng, Jing Jin, Li Zheng, Ting Guan, Yangfan Huo, Shufen Xie, Ying Wu and Wei Chen

Epigenetic regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition: focusing on hypoxia and TGF-β signaling

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important process triggered during cancer metastasis. Regulation of EMT is mostly initiated by outside signalling, including TGF-β, growth factors, Notch ligand, W...

Authors: Yueh-Te Lin and Kou-Juey Wu