Natalie Morellini, Peijun Gong, Suzanne Rea, Helen Douglas, Phuoc Hao Ho, Barry Cense, Brendan F. Kennedy, Wolfgang Jarolimek, Brett Charlton, Alison Findlay, Joanna Leadbetter, Fiona M. Wood, Mark W. Fear
{"title":"A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1 trial of the topical pan–lysyl oxidase inhibitor PXS-6302 in mature scars","authors":"Natalie Morellini, Peijun Gong, Suzanne Rea, Helen Douglas, Phuoc Hao Ho, Barry Cense, Brendan F. Kennedy, Wolfgang Jarolimek, Brett Charlton, Alison Findlay, Joanna Leadbetter, Fiona M. Wood, Mark W. Fear","doi":"10.1126/scitranslmed.adv2471","DOIUrl":"10.1126/scitranslmed.adv2471","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Skin scars remain a substantial clinical challenge because of their impact on appearance and psychological well-being. Lysyl oxidases catalyze collagen cross-linking, a key factor in scar development. Here, we report a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1 study to assess the safety and tolerability of PXS-6302, a topical pan–lysyl oxidase inhibitor, in treating mature scars (ACTRN12621001545853). Fifty participants were enrolled across two cohorts: Cohort 1 (open label, <i>n</i> = 8) applied PXS-6302 (2%) daily, and cohort 2 (<i>n</i> = 42) was randomized 1:1 to apply PXS-6302 (2%) or placebo three times per week to a 10-square-centimeter area of scar for 3 months. No severe adverse events (AEs) were reported. Mild to moderate localized skin reactions were the only treatment-related AEs, leading to discontinuation by six participants. Treatment with PXS-6302 three times per week reduced lysyl oxidase activity by 66% and decreased hydroxyproline (a marker for collagen) and total protein concentrations in scar biopsies compared with placebo. Optical coherence tomography showed increased microvessel density and tissue attenuation [a marker of extracellular matrix (ECM) composition] at 3 months compared with the baseline, suggesting ECM remodeling toward unscarred skin architecture. No significant differences in Patient Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) scores were observed between groups after 90 days of treatment once baseline imbalances were accounted for. Together, these data showed that topical pan–lysyl oxidase inhibition was generally well tolerated and altered some measures of the ECM in mature scars, supporting the advancement of this treatment into phase 2 trials.</div>","PeriodicalId":21580,"journal":{"name":"Science Translational Medicine","volume":"17 815","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145028493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
David A. Haggerty, James R. Cazzoli, Marvin A. Wayne, Christopher J. Winckler, David A. Wampler, Jeffrey L. Jarvis, Lichy Han, Linus Rydell, Aman Mahajan, Jose P. Zevallos, David R. Drover, Elliot W. Hawkes
{"title":"A soft robotic device for rapid and self-guided intubation","authors":"David A. Haggerty, James R. Cazzoli, Marvin A. Wayne, Christopher J. Winckler, David A. Wampler, Jeffrey L. Jarvis, Lichy Han, Linus Rydell, Aman Mahajan, Jose P. Zevallos, David R. Drover, Elliot W. Hawkes","doi":"10.1126/scitranslmed.ads7681","DOIUrl":"10.1126/scitranslmed.ads7681","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Endotracheal intubation is a critical medical procedure for protecting a patient’s airway. Current intubation technology requires extensive anatomical knowledge, training, technical skill, and a clear view of the glottic opening. However, all of these may be limited during emergency care for trauma and cardiac arrest outside the hospital, where first-pass failure is nearly 35%. To address this challenge, we designed a soft robotic device to autonomously guide a breathing tube into the trachea with the goal of allowing rapid, repeatable, and safe intubation without the need for extensive training, skill, anatomical knowledge, or a glottic view. During initial device testing with highly trained users in a mannequin and a cadaver, we found a 100% success rate and an average intubation duration of under 8 s. We then conducted a preliminary study comparing the device with video laryngoscopy, in which prehospital medical providers with 5 min of device training intubated cadavers. When using the device, users achieved an 87% first-pass success rate and a 96% overall success rate, requiring an average of 1.1 attempts and 21 s for successful intubation, significantly (<i>P</i> = 0.008) faster than with video laryngoscopy. When using video laryngoscopy, the users achieved a 63% first-pass success rate and a 92% overall success rate, requiring an average of 1.6 attempts and 44 s for successful intubation. This preliminary study offers directions for future clinical studies, the next step in testing a device that could address the critical needs of emergency airway management and help democratize intubation.</div>","PeriodicalId":21580,"journal":{"name":"Science Translational Medicine","volume":"17 815","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145028460","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maya Sangesland, Ning Li, Yaroslav Tsybovsky, Megan D. Rodgers, Julianna Han, Alesandra J. Rodriguez, James A. Ferguson, Amy R. Henry, Sarah C. Smith, Jesmine Roberts-Torres, Rebecca A. Gillespie, Cuiping Liu, Jonah S. Merriam, Tyler Stephens, Connor Williams, Emma Walker, Martin Corcoran, Michelle Ravichandran, Adrian Creanga, Sarah F. Andrews, Theodore C. Pierson, Gunilla B. Karlsson Hedestam, Chaim A. Schramm, Douglas S. Reed, Daniel C. Douek, Tongqing Zhou, Andrew B. Ward, Masaru Kanekiyo
{"title":"Functional, immunogenetic, and structural convergence in influenza immunity between humans and macaques","authors":"Maya Sangesland, Ning Li, Yaroslav Tsybovsky, Megan D. Rodgers, Julianna Han, Alesandra J. Rodriguez, James A. Ferguson, Amy R. Henry, Sarah C. Smith, Jesmine Roberts-Torres, Rebecca A. Gillespie, Cuiping Liu, Jonah S. Merriam, Tyler Stephens, Connor Williams, Emma Walker, Martin Corcoran, Michelle Ravichandran, Adrian Creanga, Sarah F. Andrews, Theodore C. Pierson, Gunilla B. Karlsson Hedestam, Chaim A. Schramm, Douglas S. Reed, Daniel C. Douek, Tongqing Zhou, Andrew B. Ward, Masaru Kanekiyo","doi":"10.1126/scitranslmed.ady3570","DOIUrl":"10.1126/scitranslmed.ady3570","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Human B cell immunity to the influenza hemagglutinin (HA) stem, a universal vaccine target, is often stereotyped and immunogenetically restricted, posing hurdles to study outside of humans. Here, we show that cynomolgus macaques vaccinated with an HA stem immunogen elicit humanlike public B cell lineages targeting two major conserved sites of vulnerability, the central stem and anchor epitopes. Central stem antibodies were predominantly derived from V<sub>H</sub>1-138, the macaque homolog of human V<sub>H</sub>1-69, a V<sub>H</sub> gene preferentially used in human central stem broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Similarly, macaques produced anchor bnAbs containing the canonical NWP motif. Both bnAb lineages were functionally and structurally analogous to their human counterparts, with recognition mediated largely by germline-encoded structural motifs. These findings indicate that the macaque immunoglobulin repertoire can support humanlike public bnAb responses to influenza HA, highlighting the value of the macaque model for translational vaccinology. Moreover, this underscores the utility of homologous germline-encoded immunity, suggesting that immune repertoires of macaques and humans have been similarly shaped during evolution.</div>","PeriodicalId":21580,"journal":{"name":"Science Translational Medicine","volume":"17 815","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145028484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tong Fu, Xi Jin, Min He, Yi-Yu Chen, Yun-Song Yang, Li Chen, Hu-Yun-Long Zhang, Lei Fan, Jiong Wu, Zhong-Hua Wang, Yi-Wei Chu, Rong-Hua Liu, Yi-Zhou Jiang, Zhi-Ming Shao
{"title":"Interferon-induced senescent CD8+ T cells reduce anti-PD1 immunotherapy efficacy in early triple-negative breast cancer","authors":"Tong Fu, Xi Jin, Min He, Yi-Yu Chen, Yun-Song Yang, Li Chen, Hu-Yun-Long Zhang, Lei Fan, Jiong Wu, Zhong-Hua Wang, Yi-Wei Chu, Rong-Hua Liu, Yi-Zhou Jiang, Zhi-Ming Shao","doi":"10.1126/scitranslmed.adj7808","DOIUrl":"10.1126/scitranslmed.adj7808","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) lack predictive biomarkers to guide immunotherapy, especially during early-stage disease. To address this issue, we used single-cell RNA sequencing, bulk transcriptomics, and pathology assays on samples from 171 patients with early-stage TNBC receiving chemotherapy with or without immunotherapy. Our investigation identified an enriched subset of interferon (IFN)–induced CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells in early TNBC samples, which predict immunotherapy nonresponsiveness. Mechanistically, IFN produced by HLA-DR<sup>+</sup> monocytes triggered cellular senescence in CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells, which was marked by excessive NAD<sup>+</sup> consumption, reduced cytotoxicity, and immunotherapy nonresponsiveness. Nicotinamide mononucleotide treatment restored the function of IFN-induced senescent CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells and enhanced immunotherapy efficacy in patient-derived organoid–T cell coculture and in mouse models. Overall, our study identifies IFN-induced T cell senescence as a driver of immunotherapy nonresponsiveness in early TNBC and provides a strategy to restore CD8<sup>+</sup> T cell function for immunotherapeutic benefit.</div>","PeriodicalId":21580,"journal":{"name":"Science Translational Medicine","volume":"17 815","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145028491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Simona Lange, Martin Ebeling, Athéna Loye, Florian Wanke, Juliane Siebourg-Polster, Tania J. J. Sudharshan, Franziska Völlmy, Jakub Kralik, Bérengère Vidal, Kerstin Hahn, Lynette C. Foo, Jan Hoeber
{"title":"Human myelinated brain organoids with integrated microglia as a model for myelin repair and remyelinating therapies","authors":"Simona Lange, Martin Ebeling, Athéna Loye, Florian Wanke, Juliane Siebourg-Polster, Tania J. J. Sudharshan, Franziska Völlmy, Jakub Kralik, Bérengère Vidal, Kerstin Hahn, Lynette C. Foo, Jan Hoeber","doi":"10.1126/scitranslmed.adp7047","DOIUrl":"10.1126/scitranslmed.adp7047","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Oligodendrocytes, the myelinating cells of the central nervous system (CNS), are essential for the formation of myelin sheaths and pivotal for maintaining axonal integrity and conduction. Disruption of these cells and the myelin sheaths they produce is a hallmark of demyelinating conditions like multiple sclerosis or those resulting from certain drug side effects, leading to profound neurological impairments. In this study, we created a human brain organoid comprising neurons, astrocytes, and myelinating oligodendrocytes. By integrating induced pluripotent stem cell–derived microglia, we endowed these myelinated human brain organoids (MHBOs) with immune characteristics. MHBOs with microglia (MHBOs +MG) enabled the investigation of demyelination and remyelination—a process in which myelin sheaths are regenerated—in a human context. After toxin-induced demyelination, we observed a reduction in myelin followed by subsequent self-driven remyelination. Proteomic and transcriptomic analyses provided a molecular signature of demyelination and myelin recovery indicating a central role for microglia in the remyelination process. Furthermore, the application of the pro-remyelinating compounds clemastine, XAV939, and BQ3020 further enhanced remyelination in MHBOs +MG but was ineffective in the absence of microglia. Cross-validation of our findings in mouse cerebellar slice cultures confirmed that the pro-remyelinating compounds were effective ex vivo, suggesting the translational potential of our MHBOs +MG model.</div>","PeriodicalId":21580,"journal":{"name":"Science Translational Medicine","volume":"17 815","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145028472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Johnna Francis Varghese, Mai Fujiwara, Amrendra K. Ajay, Lucien P. Garo, Alkeiver Cannon, Ryoko Kadowaki-Saga, Galina Gabriely, Fernando Pradella, Breno Ferrari, Rohit Patel, Shivnarayan Dhuppar, Rachael Rossi Cecere, Panagiota Kolypetri, Rajesh Krishnan, Shrishti Saxena, Brian Healy, Gauruv Bose, Howard L. Weiner, Tanuja Chitnis, Gopal Murugaiyan
{"title":"Type I interferon limits central nervous system autoimmunity by modulating the microRNA-21–FOXO1 axis in pathogenic T helper 17 cells","authors":"Johnna Francis Varghese, Mai Fujiwara, Amrendra K. Ajay, Lucien P. Garo, Alkeiver Cannon, Ryoko Kadowaki-Saga, Galina Gabriely, Fernando Pradella, Breno Ferrari, Rohit Patel, Shivnarayan Dhuppar, Rachael Rossi Cecere, Panagiota Kolypetri, Rajesh Krishnan, Shrishti Saxena, Brian Healy, Gauruv Bose, Howard L. Weiner, Tanuja Chitnis, Gopal Murugaiyan","doi":"10.1126/scitranslmed.adp5802","DOIUrl":"10.1126/scitranslmed.adp5802","url":null,"abstract":"<div >IFN-β, a type I interferon, has been used as a first-line therapy for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) for more than 30 years; however, the cellular and molecular basis of its therapeutic efficacy remains unclear. Here, we first used experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model for MS, to show that the therapeutic effects of IFN-β were associated with a down-regulation of microRNA-21 (miR-21) and pathogenic T<sub>H</sub>17 (pT<sub>H</sub>17) cells. In vitro experiments demonstrated that genetic knockout of miR-21 directly inhibited pathogenic T<sub>H</sub>17 cell differentiation. Further mechanistic investigations revealed that miR-21 promoted pathogenic T<sub>H</sub>17 differentiation by inhibiting the transcription factor <i>Forkhead box protein O1</i> (<i>Foxo1</i>). Accordingly, miR-21 loss abrogated pathogenic T<sub>H</sub>17 differentiation and conferred resistance to EAE. Treatment of T cell monocultures with IFN-β showed that IFN-β did not directly limit miR-21 expression. Instead, IFN-β treatment inhibited the secretion of miR-21–inducing cytokines from myeloid cells, reduced miR-21 induction within cocultured T cells, and inhibited pathogenic T<sub>H</sub>17 development. In patient samples, immunophenotypic and targeted transcriptomic analyses revealed that compared with IFN-β treatment responders, nonresponders expressed elevated miR-21–inducing cytokines within myeloid cells, alongside increased miR-21 and pathogenic T<sub>H</sub>17 cytokines within CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells. Direct miR-21 inhibition reduced pathogenic T<sub>H</sub>17 differentiation in nonresponder CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells. These results suggest that type I IFN signaling limits central nervous system autoimmunity by inhibiting miR-21–mediated pathogenic T<sub>H</sub>17 development. miR-21 inhibition may be of potential therapeutic value specifically for the IFN-β nonresponder cohort.</div>","PeriodicalId":21580,"journal":{"name":"Science Translational Medicine","volume":"17 815","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.science.org/doi/reader/10.1126/scitranslmed.adp5802","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145028486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sanjeev Kumar, Shilpi Jain, Bushra Wali, Veronika I. Zarnitsyna, Devyani Joshi, Madison L. Ellis, Lilin Lai, Ansa A. Malik, Tarrant O. McPherson, Sucheta Godbole, Anamika Patel, Susanne Linderman, Daniel Solis, Malaya K. Sahoo, Kareem Bechnak, Isabel Paredes, Ralph Tanios, Bahaa Kazzi, Serena M. Dib, Matthew B. Litvack, Sonia T. Wimalasena, Heather Hicks, Azaibi Tamin, Nicole E. Bowen, Lydia Atherton, Clinton Paden, Jennifer L. Harcourt, David E. Wentworth, Caroline Ciric, Richard H. West, Christina A. Rostad, I-Ting Teng, Danyi Wang, Eric A. Orlund, Vineet D. Menachery, Sri Edupuganti, Peter D. Kwong, Nadine Rouphael, Benjamin A. Pinsky, Daniel C. Douek, Alberto Moreno, Jens Wrammert, Mehul S. Suthar
{"title":"The XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine elicits a durable antibody response to ancestral and XBB.1.5 SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins","authors":"Sanjeev Kumar, Shilpi Jain, Bushra Wali, Veronika I. Zarnitsyna, Devyani Joshi, Madison L. Ellis, Lilin Lai, Ansa A. Malik, Tarrant O. McPherson, Sucheta Godbole, Anamika Patel, Susanne Linderman, Daniel Solis, Malaya K. Sahoo, Kareem Bechnak, Isabel Paredes, Ralph Tanios, Bahaa Kazzi, Serena M. Dib, Matthew B. Litvack, Sonia T. Wimalasena, Heather Hicks, Azaibi Tamin, Nicole E. Bowen, Lydia Atherton, Clinton Paden, Jennifer L. Harcourt, David E. Wentworth, Caroline Ciric, Richard H. West, Christina A. Rostad, I-Ting Teng, Danyi Wang, Eric A. Orlund, Vineet D. Menachery, Sri Edupuganti, Peter D. Kwong, Nadine Rouphael, Benjamin A. Pinsky, Daniel C. Douek, Alberto Moreno, Jens Wrammert, Mehul S. Suthar","doi":"10.1126/scitranslmed.adu8067","DOIUrl":"10.1126/scitranslmed.adu8067","url":null,"abstract":"<div >The rapid emergence of divergent SARS-CoV-2 variants led to a 2023–2024 update of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine to a monovalent version containing the XBB.1.5 SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen. To determine the durability and breadth of the antibody responses after immunization, we analyzed antibodies and memory B cells from 24 individuals before and after a single XBB.1.5 mRNA vaccine dose for up to 6 months. Using a live virus neutralization assay, we found that the XBB.1.5 vaccine improved the magnitude and breadth of antibody neutralizing activity against the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain (WA1), BA.5 strain, and XBB.1.5 Omicron variants. Durable WA1 and XBB.1.5 IgG spike protein binding antibodies were induced with an estimated half-life of 703 and 531 days (at day 120), respectively. There was a greater increase of IgG1 and IgG4 binding antibodies against the XBB.1.5 spike protein compared with the WA1 spike protein postvaccination. A high proportion of antibodies were cross-reactive against both WA1 and XBB.1.5 strains, as determined by serum depletion and memory B cell analysis, and this cross-reactivity was durable. Last, we evaluated the neutralizing activity of these antibodies against more contemporary circulating Omicron strains and observed reduced cross-reactivity to KP.2 and KP.3 compared with XBB.1.5 6 months after vaccination. These data show that the XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine promotes more durable binding and neutralizing antibodies than prior ancestral WA1 or bivalent vaccines. However, divergent Omicron variants with mutations in the spike protein were able to evade these neutralizing antibodies, emphasizing the need for periodic consideration of COVID-19 vaccine reformulation.</div>","PeriodicalId":21580,"journal":{"name":"Science Translational Medicine","volume":"17 814","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.science.org/doi/reader/10.1126/scitranslmed.adu8067","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144935546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chunxiu Du, Hu Xu, Wenqian Zhao, Liping Jiao, Yanghui Chen, Xiaowan Sun, Mingxin Cao, Yufei Zhang, Yanlin Guo, Rongfang Qiao, Fang Ye, Yating Wang, Lan Ye, Lihong Chen, Dao Wen Wang, Youfei Guan, Xiaoyan Zhang
{"title":"Inhibiting SLC38A2 lowers blood pressure in rodent models of hypertension","authors":"Chunxiu Du, Hu Xu, Wenqian Zhao, Liping Jiao, Yanghui Chen, Xiaowan Sun, Mingxin Cao, Yufei Zhang, Yanlin Guo, Rongfang Qiao, Fang Ye, Yating Wang, Lan Ye, Lihong Chen, Dao Wen Wang, Youfei Guan, Xiaoyan Zhang","doi":"10.1126/scitranslmed.adt5947","DOIUrl":"10.1126/scitranslmed.adt5947","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Hypertension remains a major global health burden with limited effective treatment options. In the present study, the sodium-dependent neutral amino acid transporter SLC38A2 was identified as a regulator of blood pressure (BP) through modulating endothelial nitric oxide (NO) signaling. Here, we show that mice with global and endothelial cell (EC)–specific <i>Slc38a2</i> gene knockout (<i>Slc38a2</i><sup>△EC</sup>) exhibited reduced blood pressure compared with wild-type controls. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed enhanced NO biosynthesis in the ECs of the <i>Slc38a2</i><sup>△EC</sup> mice. Blockade of endothelial SLC38A2 by its inhibitor methylaminoisobutyric acid (MeAIB) increased NO production through activating the protein kinase B (AKT)–endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) pathway by inhibiting EC uptake of glutamine. Moreover, MeAIB lowered blood pressure in both high-salt and deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)–induced hypertensive mouse and rat models. Last, in two independent population cohorts including a Chinese cohort established by our group and a European cohort from the UK Biobank, the <i>SLC38A2</i> rs1873793 variant was associated with increased risk of hypertension under a recessive model. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that targeting SLC38A2 may represent a therapeutic target for the treatment of hypertension.</div>","PeriodicalId":21580,"journal":{"name":"Science Translational Medicine","volume":"17 814","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144935544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abraham Gihawi, Henry M. Wood, Jeremy Clark, Justin O’Grady, Rosalind A. Eeles, David C. Wedge, G. Maria Jakobsdottir, Gkikas Magiorkinis, Andrew G. Schache, Liam Masterson, Matt Lechner, Tim R. Fenton, Terry M. Jones, Adrienne M. Flanagan, Solange De Noon, Alex Rubinsteyn, Rachel Hurst, Colin S. Cooper, Daniel S. Brewer
{"title":"The landscape of microbial associations in human cancer","authors":"Abraham Gihawi, Henry M. Wood, Jeremy Clark, Justin O’Grady, Rosalind A. Eeles, David C. Wedge, G. Maria Jakobsdottir, Gkikas Magiorkinis, Andrew G. Schache, Liam Masterson, Matt Lechner, Tim R. Fenton, Terry M. Jones, Adrienne M. Flanagan, Solange De Noon, Alex Rubinsteyn, Rachel Hurst, Colin S. Cooper, Daniel S. Brewer","doi":"10.1126/scitranslmed.ads6166","DOIUrl":"10.1126/scitranslmed.ads6166","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Oncomicrobes are estimated to cause 15% of cancers worldwide. When cancer whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data are collected, the microbes present are also sequenced, allowing the investigation of potential etiological and clinical associations. Interrogating the microbial community for 8908 patients encompassing 22 cancer types from the Genomics England WGS dataset revealed that only colorectal tumors exhibited unmistakably distinct microbial communities that can reliably be used to distinguish anatomical site [positive predictive value (PPV) = 0.95]. This pattern was validated in two independent datasets. Potential clinical relevance uncovered by our analyses included accurate detection of alphapapillomaviruses [human papillomavirus (HPV)] in oral cancers, when compared with current clinical standards, and the detection of rare, highly pathogenic viruses such as human T-lymphotropic virus–1. Biomarker investigations demonstrated statistically significant associations (<i>P</i> < 0.05) between a subset of anaerobic bacteria and survival in certain subtypes of sarcoma. Our results contradict previous claims that each cancer type has a distinct microbiological signature but highlight the potential value of microbial analysis for certain cancers as WGS of tumor samples becomes common in the clinic.</div>","PeriodicalId":21580,"journal":{"name":"Science Translational Medicine","volume":"17 814","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144935545","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sidharth Malhotra, Birendra P. Gupta, Surendra Uranw, Chinmay Kumar Mantri, Abhay P.S. Rathore, Ashley L. St. John
{"title":"Dengue disease severity in humans is augmented by waning Japanese encephalitis virus immunity","authors":"Sidharth Malhotra, Birendra P. Gupta, Surendra Uranw, Chinmay Kumar Mantri, Abhay P.S. Rathore, Ashley L. St. John","doi":"10.1126/scitranslmed.ads9572","DOIUrl":"10.1126/scitranslmed.ads9572","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Owing to increased global movement, vector-spread permissive climate change, and increased vaccination coverage against certain flaviviruses, the likelihood of being exposed to multiple flaviviruses in a lifetime has increased. Although many Asian countries have routine vaccination campaigns against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), the effect of JEV immunity on dengue disease severity is largely unknown. Here, we aimed to understand the effect of preexisting immunity against JEV on subsequent dengue disease outcomes in a prospective human cohort in Nepal, which has a high prevalence of JEV immunity and rapidly rising dengue virus (DENV) infections. A cohort consisting of 546 participants was studied over three dengue seasons and 5 years. Chymase, a serum biomarker of severe dengue across multiple patient cohorts, was assessed alongside clinical outcomes to determine whether there were associations between JEV immunity and dengue severity. We observed that midrange neutralizing antibody titers, approximately a 1:160 serum dilution capable of inhibiting JEV, were associated with heightened biomarkers of dengue disease severity and warning signs of severe disease in this cohort of patients who were mostly experiencing primary dengue infections. These results suggest that waning immunity to JEV could enhance the severity of dengue disease. This highlights the potential of maintaining strong immunity to JEV through vaccine boosters, not only to maintain protection against JEV in endemic regions but also to limit the potential of antibody-mediated enhancement of dengue disease.</div>","PeriodicalId":21580,"journal":{"name":"Science Translational Medicine","volume":"17 814","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144935553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}