{"title":"Expression of concern: \"Matrine ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by modulating chemokines and their receptors\" [Experimental and Molecular Pathology 99 (2015) 212-219].","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104962","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104962","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12176,"journal":{"name":"Experimental and molecular pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"104962"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144247185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Expression of concern: \"Upregulation of immunomodulatory molecules by matrine treatment in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis\" [Experimental and Molecular Pathology 97 (2014) 470-476].","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104961","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104961","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12176,"journal":{"name":"Experimental and molecular pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"104961"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144247186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rahul Sharma , Vaibhav K. Tamrakar , Rob E. Carpenter , Aditya Sharma , Kamalpreet Suri , Salima Karki , Katelyn Kyser , Randy Sronce , Sadia Almas
{"title":"Evaluation of direct-to-PCR (D2P) method for molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases","authors":"Rahul Sharma , Vaibhav K. Tamrakar , Rob E. Carpenter , Aditya Sharma , Kamalpreet Suri , Salima Karki , Katelyn Kyser , Randy Sronce , Sadia Almas","doi":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104972","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104972","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluates the performance of the Direct-to-PCR (D2P) method as a streamlined, extraction-independent alternative to conventional nucleic acid extraction techniques for diagnosing urinary tract infections, sexually transmitted infections, and respiratory tract infections. The D2P approach employs proprietary antimicrobial peptide-based lysis buffers tailored for bacterial, fungal, and viral targets, enabling direct amplification from clinical and contrived specimens without column- or bead-based purification. Comparative analyses were conducted against silica column-based (QIAGEN) and magnetic bead-based (KingFisher) extraction methods using both microbial reference isolates and 116 residual clinical samples. Results demonstrate that the D2P method yields comparable sensitivity and specificity to conventional extraction workflows across a diverse panel of pathogens—including Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, <em>Candida</em> species, ssRNA viruses (e.g., CoV-229E, Parainfluenza Virus 1 and 2), and dsDNA viruses (e.g., HSV, HAdV). Notably, D2P outperformed both QIAGEN and KingFisher in extracting nucleic acids from <em>Candida auris</em>, a multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen. Limit of detection and amplification efficiency remained within acceptable ranges across all platforms, with R<sup>2</sup> values between 0.92 and 0.99, and slopes consistent with MIQE standards. The D2P protocol reduced total sample processing time from ∼120 min to ∼45 min, minimized hands-on steps, and demonstrated effective performance in turbid or hemolyzed samples—making it suitable for high-throughput and resource-limited settings. However, limitations were observed in samples with high PCR-inhibitor content or low target yield, and broader validation across additional matrices is recommended. These findings support D2P as a reliable, efficient, and scalable molecular diagnostic alternative with broad clinical utility. Integration of D2P into diagnostic workflows could enhance access to rapid, cost-effective pathogen detection in both centralized laboratories and decentralized or point-of-care environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12176,"journal":{"name":"Experimental and molecular pathology","volume":"143 ","pages":"Article 104972"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144134740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Amina Belboul , Jason Ashworth , Abdulmannan Fadel , Jessica Mcloughlin , Ayman Mahmoud , Mohamed El Mohtadi
{"title":"Estrogen induces the alternative activation of macrophages through binding to estrogen receptor-alpha","authors":"Amina Belboul , Jason Ashworth , Abdulmannan Fadel , Jessica Mcloughlin , Ayman Mahmoud , Mohamed El Mohtadi","doi":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104971","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104971","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Age-related impaired wounds represent a major health burden resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality in the elderly. When injury occurs, monocytes migrate to the damaged site and undergo differentiation into tissue-resident macrophages, which are crucial for wound repair. For proper resolution of the inflammatory response, macrophages differentiate into two distinct phenotypes classified as classically-activatedpro-inflammatory and alternatively-activatedanti-inflammatory macrophages. Pro-inflammatory macrophages are commonly linked with pro-inflammatory events, while anti-inflammatory macrophages are known to be pro-regenerative. The age-related delay in wound repair is often attributed to the age-related decrease in local and systemic estrogen levels in both genders. However, despite its well-documented anti-inflammatory effect in wound healing, the role of estrogen and involvement of Estrogen Receptors (ERs) in macrophage polarization has gained little attention to date. To investigate the impact of estrogen and ERs on the polarization of macrophages, monocyte-derived macrophages were pre-treated with estrogen, ER-alpha agonist/antagonist or ER-beta agonist/antagonist prior to stimulation with LPS/IFN-γ or IL-4/IL-13 to produce pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory macrophages. Our findings confirm that estrogen promotes the alternative activation of macrophages <em>via</em> possible ER-α signalling. Selective targeting of ER-α with agents like PPT could potentially lead to the development of novel therapies to treat excessive inflammation in impaired wounds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12176,"journal":{"name":"Experimental and molecular pathology","volume":"143 ","pages":"Article 104971"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144098790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Diletta Rosati , Bianca Giulia Maurizi , Viola Bianca Serio , Debora Maffeo , Angela Rina , Francesca Mari , Maria Palmieri , Antonio Giordano , Elisa Frullanti
{"title":"From asbestos exposure to carcinogenesis: Transcriptomic signatures in malignant pleural mesothelioma","authors":"Diletta Rosati , Bianca Giulia Maurizi , Viola Bianca Serio , Debora Maffeo , Angela Rina , Francesca Mari , Maria Palmieri , Antonio Giordano , Elisa Frullanti","doi":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104973","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104973","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has surged due to widespread asbestos exposure, particularly since the mid-20th century. Despite significant advancements in cancer treatment, an effective cure for MPM remains elusive, largely due to a limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying asbestos-related carcinogenesis. This exploratory study aims to uncover gene expression patterns uniquely altered in mesothelioma patients with documented asbestos exposure, providing a solid foundation for future research focused on identifying novel prognostic and predictive biomarkers.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Publicly available RNA sequencing data were analyzed through a bioinformatics pipeline to perform differential gene expression analysis. Additionally, functional enrichment analysis was applied to highlight significantly enriched Gene Ontology (GO) terms related to biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular components, offering insights into the molecular pathways involved in MPM development.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The analysis uncovered a set of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in MPM patients with documented asbestos exposure, as well as key GO terms. These enriched biological terms reflect processes such as ion homeostasis and oxidative stress response, providing crucial information on the cellular alterations driven by asbestos exposure.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study's findings deepen our understanding of the molecular landscape underlying asbestos-induced carcinogenesis in MPM. The identification of specific DEGs and enriched GO terms lays the foundation for future investigations, including the development of biomarkers, with potential implications for the diagnostic and prognostic assessment of MPM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12176,"journal":{"name":"Experimental and molecular pathology","volume":"143 ","pages":"Article 104973"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144098789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yanli Luo , Wanjun Luo , Yanan Cao , Zhanpeng Wang
{"title":"m6A demethylase FTO/ALKBH5 promotes diabetes-induced endothelial cell dysfunction by negatively regulating lncRNA H19","authors":"Yanli Luo , Wanjun Luo , Yanan Cao , Zhanpeng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104970","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104970","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Endothelial cell dysfunction induced by glucose is the most important cause of diabetic vascular complications, which are the leading causes of blindness, disability, renal failure, heart failure, stroke, and even death in diabetic patients. RNA m6A modification is involved in the pathogenesis of human disease. However, the role and underlying mechanism of RNA m6A modification in high glucose-induced endothelial cell dysfunction is not well understood. Herein, this study first demonstrated that m6A levels were decreased and that the demethylases FTO and ALKBH5 were upregulated in diabetic patients and an STZ-induced diabetic mouse model. This study revealed that high glucose induced decreased m6A levels and increased expression of FTO and ALKBH5, and silencing of FTO and ALKBH5 restored high glucose-induced decreases in m6A levels and dysfunction of HUVECs. Next, this study systematically screened differentially expressed lncRNAs, including H19, in HUVECs under high glucose conditions. This study revealed that FTO-ALKBH5 inhibited H19 expression by decreasing m6A modification in H19 transcripts. In addition, this study demonstrated the role of the FTO/ALKBH5/H19 pathway in high glucose-induced cellular dysfunction of HUVECs. Ultimately, this study uncovered that silencing of H19 promoted the expression of cell cycle-related genes, including PTEN, p21 and p27 via interacting with EZH2 and affecting the H3K27me3 histone modification. Overall, this study is the first to dissect the regulation of lncRNA by m6A modification in hyperglycaemia, identifying a new regulatory pathway in high glucose-induced cellular dysfunction and providing biomarkers with the potential to serve as therapeutic targets for high glucose-induced cellular dysfunction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12176,"journal":{"name":"Experimental and molecular pathology","volume":"143 ","pages":"Article 104970"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Racha Kerek, Joe Sawma Awad , Mariam Bassam , Carla Hajjar , Fouad Ghantous, Karelle Rizk, Mohamad Rima
{"title":"The multifunctional protein CCN1/CYR61: Bridging physiology and disease","authors":"Racha Kerek, Joe Sawma Awad , Mariam Bassam , Carla Hajjar , Fouad Ghantous, Karelle Rizk, Mohamad Rima","doi":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104969","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104969","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The matricellular protein CYR61/CCN1 is a member of the CCN protein family that plays significant roles in a broad range of physiological processes, including development, tissue repair, and inflammation, among others. CCN1 is also implicated in pathological conditions such as cancer and fibrosis. The diverse functions of CCN1 arise from its ability to bind different receptors located on many cell types, thereby activating diverse signaling pathways. The diverse, yet contradictory, functions mediated by CCN1 makes it a compelling target for investigation, as it offers the prospect of understanding fundamental cellular topics and their possible implications in various diseases. Recently, new cellular functions were attributed to CCN1, including senescence, pro-/anti- fibrosis, and rejuvenation. In this review, we discuss all these new findings along with the basic knowledge about CCN1 to provide an overall understanding of its conflicting roles and their potential corresponding mechanisms of action.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12176,"journal":{"name":"Experimental and molecular pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 104969"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143868283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Darab Ghadimi , Regina Fölster-Holst , Sophia Blömer , Michael Ebsen , Christoph Röcken , Jumpei Uchiyama , Shigenobu Matsuzaki , Wilhelm Bockelmann
{"title":"Cross-feeding between beneficial and pathogenic bacteria to utilize eukaryotic host cell-derived sialic acids and bacteriophages shape the pathogen-host interface milieu","authors":"Darab Ghadimi , Regina Fölster-Holst , Sophia Blömer , Michael Ebsen , Christoph Röcken , Jumpei Uchiyama , Shigenobu Matsuzaki , Wilhelm Bockelmann","doi":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104967","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104967","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Under an inflamed-intestinal milieu, increased free sialic acids are associated with the overgrowth of some pathogenic bacterial strains. Recently, the protective immunomodulatory activity of gut bacteriophages (phages) has also been highlighted. However, the role of phages in triple reciprocal interactions between pathogenic bacteria, beneficial bacteria, and their host cell sialic acids has not been studied so far. We established a sialidase-explicit model in which beneficial and pathogenic bacteria interact through cross-feeding and competition for free sialic acid using a human triple co-culture cell model incorporating colonocytes (T84 cells), monocytes (THP-1 cells), and hepatocytes (Huh7 cells). Triple co-cultured cells were challenged with Gram-positive <em>Bifidobacterium bifidum</em> (<em>B. bifidum</em>) and Gram-negative <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> PAO1 (P. a PAO1) in the absence or presence of its KPP22 phage in two different cell culture mediums: 1) standard Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) and 2) DMEM with 2,3-dehydro-2-deoxy-<em>N</em>-acetylneuraminic acid (DANA). Changes in physiological, functional, and structural health markers of stimulated cocultured cells were evaluated. The concentrations of sialic acid and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the cell culture supernatants were quantified. P. a PAO1 triggered the release of interleukin 6 and 8 (IL-6 and IL-8), accompanied by increased levels of free sialic acid, reduced viability of co-cultured cells, and disrupted the integrity of the cellular monolayer. These disruptive effects were markedly attenuated by KPP22 phage and <em>B. bifidum</em><strong>.</strong> In addition to well-documented differences in the structure and composition of the bacterial cell walls of Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria and bifidobacteria, two distinct factors seem to be pivotal in modulating the pathogen-host interface milieu: (i) the presence of phages and (ii) the utilization of free sialic acids secreted from host cells by bifidobacteria.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12176,"journal":{"name":"Experimental and molecular pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 104967"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143868282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wiesława Kranc , Mariusz Kaczmarek , Katarzyna Kowalska , Wojciech Pieńkowski , Sylwia Ciesiółka , Aneta Konwerska , Paul Mozdziak , Maciej Brązert , Michal Jeseta , Robert Z. Spaczyński , Leszek Pawelczyk , Bartosz Kempisty
{"title":"Morphological characteristics, extracellular vesicle structure and stem-like specificity of human follicular fluid cell subpopulation during osteodifferentiation","authors":"Wiesława Kranc , Mariusz Kaczmarek , Katarzyna Kowalska , Wojciech Pieńkowski , Sylwia Ciesiółka , Aneta Konwerska , Paul Mozdziak , Maciej Brązert , Michal Jeseta , Robert Z. Spaczyński , Leszek Pawelczyk , Bartosz Kempisty","doi":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104965","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104965","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Extracellular vesicles can play an important role in the processes occurring after stem cell transplantation, preventing cell apoptosis, stimulating immunological processes, and promoting the synthesis of extracellular matrix. Human follicular fluid (FF) can be a source of a subpopulation of cells with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) properties. Moreover these subpopulations of FF cells can differentiate into osteoblasts. In presented studies flow cytometry of ovarian FF cells confirmed positive expression of MSCs markers such as: CD44, CD90, CD105, CD73 and negative expression of a hematopoietic marker: CD45. The CD90+, CD105+, CD45- cell subpopulation has been obtained during magnetic separation using appropriate antibodies conjugated with microbeads. The extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by the cells during osteodifferentiation process differed from those secreted by cells culture in the basal medium. Based on the previous and current electron microscopy research, changes in size, number, and shape would support the notion that released EVs could be crucial to the ovarian FF cell subpopulation differentiation process. Osteogenic differentiation has been confirmed <em>via</em> Alizarin red staining. Therefore, follicular fluid (FF) can be a new source of a cell subpopulation with MSC properties, with the cells capable of differentiating into the osteogenic lineage. EVs could play a key role as mediators in tissue regeneration, especially bone tissue regeneration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12176,"journal":{"name":"Experimental and molecular pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 104965"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143850570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Garth Wentley , Russel J. Reiter , Yong-Xiao Wang , Gerald Maarman
{"title":"The effects of melatonin on differentiated C2C12 myotubes in the absence of pathology: An oxygen-sparing action and enhancement of pro-survival signalling pathways","authors":"Garth Wentley , Russel J. Reiter , Yong-Xiao Wang , Gerald Maarman","doi":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104966","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.104966","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Previous research has demonstrated that melatonin protects against muscle damage while also improving the performance of injured muscle. However, its impact on healthy skeletal muscle remains largely unexplored. We exposed differentiated C2C12 myotubes to two melatonin concentrations (10 nM or 50 nM). The 10 nM concentration did not affect any of the mitochondrial respiration parameters. Whereas 50 nM concentration reduced mitochondrial complex II-linked oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), electron transfer system (ETS) capacity, the contribution of complex II to ETS, and residual oxygen consumption (ROX). Neither concentration influenced the mitochondrial coupling control ratios, nor the coupling control efficiency ratios. Furthermore, neither concentration affected ATP production but reduced superoxide dismutase activity. The 50 nM increased catalase activity without affecting autophagy or citrate synthase activity. Moreover, 50 nM reduced activated JAK2 and STAT3 protein expression, while 10 nM reduced JAK2 without affecting STAT3. Th 50 nM increased activated AKT and ERK1/2 expression with no effect on p38 or PGC1-α expression. Our data suggests that melatonin (50 nM) triggers an oxygen-sparing effect on mitochondrial respiration, which is mediated via its antioxidant actions and its ability to enhance pro-survival pathways. Therefore, melatonin intake may have ergogenic effects on healthy muscles, in the absence of pathology, e.g., consumption before sporting events or physical exercise may aid in the reduction of oxidative stress often associated with such activities. However, this is an in vitro study, and therefore, the clinical relevance of the data should be considered with caution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12176,"journal":{"name":"Experimental and molecular pathology","volume":"142 ","pages":"Article 104966"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143824350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}