Biweekly Research News Digest
This newsletter is designed to share with you research news in various fields where applications of gene sequencing can be found. It will share research findings from Novogene’s customers. By sharing insights from the most prestigious research teams, it is intended to call your attention to the latest applications of sequencing in life sciences and biomedical research and inspire your research.
It's a pleasure to be back with you all in the Biweekly Research News Digest. This issue features a collection of insightful articles that explore the expression and regulation of cancer-related genes with advanced sequencing techniques like ATAC-Seq and Eukaryote mRNA-Seq. These findings hold the promise of enhancing treatment efficacy and disease management, which are pivotal for the progression of medical science and the enhancement of patient well-being.
Enhancing CAR T Cell Therapies: The Role of FOXO1 in Improving Persistence and Antitumor Activity
CAR T cell therapies struggle with poor CAR T cell persistence in vivo. According to a recent study published in Nature, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University found that the transcription factor FOXO1 is crucial for enhancing memory and preventing exhaustion in human CAR T cells. Inhibiting or editing endogenous FOXO1 decreased memory-associated gene expression, led to an exhaustion-like phenotype, and diminished the antitumor activity of CAR T cells. CAR T cells overexpressing FOXO1 maintained their function, memory potential, and metabolic fitness under chronic stimulation, showing improved persistence and tumor control in vivo. These results highlighted that FOXO1 is clinically relevant in cancer immunotherapy.
Linc01056: A Key lncRNA in Regulating Sorafenib Response in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Sorafenib is frequently used as a nonsurgical treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its effectiveness is often compromised by resistance. A joint research team composed of researchers from The University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Baptist University identified Linc01056 as a key lncRNA influencing sorafenib response in HCC. They discovered that the downregulation of Linc01056 decreased the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib by promoting a metabolic shift towards fatty acid oxidation, a process that can be reversed by inhibiting PPARα. Clinically, higher Linc01056 levels are associated with better survival outcomes and sorafenib response, making Linc01056 a potential therapeutic target.
Exploring the Diverse Functions of UHRF1 in DNA Methylation Regulation
The protein UHRF1 plays a central role in the maintenance of DNA methylation in mammals. While UHRF1 was previously thought to function primarily by acting on DNMT1, a collaborative study involving researchers from France, Japan, and Germany revealed its broader impact. Using degron alleles, they found that compared with DNMT1 depletion, UHRF1 depletion leads to greater DNA methylation loss. UHRF1 not only enhances DNMT3A/B activity, but also suppresses TET2-mediated demethylation. These findings elucidate UHRF1's complex involvement in DNA methylation regulation, with implications for epigenetic modulation in health and disease.
Deciphering the Role of PIK3CA Mutations in Colorectal Cancer Progression
Mutations in the PIK3CA gene play a critical role in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. A collaborative study involving researchers from multiple research institutions in China elucidated that tumor cells carrying PIK3CA mutations communicate oncogenic signals to neighboring intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) via exosomes containing arachidonic acid (AA), inducing H3K4 trimethylation. It reported that mechanistically, PIK3CA mutations stabilize the cPLA2 protein, resulting in elevated AA production, which in turn enhances Menin-MLL1/2 interactions. The research also showed that the combination of VTP50469 with alpelisib inhibited PIK3CA mutant PDX tumors. These findings underscored AA as a potential therapeutic target for CRC with PIK3CA mutations.
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Nutrient Stress-Induced Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancer Stem Cells: A Therapeutic Target
Cancer stem/tumor-initiating cells demonstrate resilience and adaptability to survive in environments with limited nutrients and oxygen. A recent study in Cancer Research by researchers from University of California revealed that nutrient stress boosts integrin αvβ3 levels in non-small cell lung cancer cells, triggering a metabolic reprogramming cascade that helps tumor cells to flourish. The process involves prolonged AMPK/PGC1α signaling, enhancing glutamine metabolism, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. Targeting this pathway prevented lung cancer cells from escaping the impacts of nutrient stress, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic strategy to inhibit cancer progression.
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About Novogene
Novogene specializes in the application of advanced molecular biotechnology and high-performance computing in the research fields of life science and human health. Established in March 2011, Novogene strives to become a global leader in providing genetic science services and technology products. Novogene has set up operations and laboratories in the United States, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, as well as in China, Singapore and Japan.
Novogene has served over 7,300 global customers, covering 90 countries and regions across 6 continents. It has cooperated extensively with many academic institutions and completed several advanced-level, international genomics research projects. By 2023, Novogene has co-published and/or been acknowledged in more than 22,850 articles in Science Citation Index, with an accumulative impact factor of more than 148,250.
Novogene's partners are worldwide and include more than 4,200 scientiï¬c research institutions and universities, more than 680 hospitals and over 2,400 pharmaceutical and agricultural enterprises. Currently, Novogene has obtained 356 software copyrights and 66 patents.
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