{"title":"A researcher's guide to studying sex differences in immune aging.","authors":"Clayton Baker, Minhoo Kim, Bérénice A Benayoun","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.01.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.01.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sex differences in immune system aging significantly impact disease susceptibility and vaccine responses among older adults, but with notable disparities between men and women. This area has gained importance because vaccines can exhibit differential efficacy by sex in aging populations, underscoring the need for sex-specific strategies. As the global population ages, understanding these sex-based immune differences is crucial for developing targeted interventions for age-related diseases. Addressing these disparities requires robust preclinical models that mimic human immune aging to uncover mechanisms and inform personalized approaches. In this review we assess the translational potential of preclinical mouse models in studying sex differences in immune aging, and emphasize the urgency of sex-specific interventions to improve health outcomes in older adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":"702-717"},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12304246/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143068079","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}
Priscila R Nunes, Ana C T Palei, Valeria C Sandrim
{"title":"Understanding preeclampsia: from phenotypes to treatment.","authors":"Priscila R Nunes, Ana C T Palei, Valeria C Sandrim","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.05.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.05.008","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":"770-771"},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144333932","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}
{"title":"Fibroblasts in AKI: small army, big help.","authors":"Saiya Zhu, Yuan Gui, Jia-Jun Liu, Silvia Liu, Dong Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.05.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.05.012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acute kidney injury (AKI), with high morbidity and mortality, stems from tubular injury, vascular damage, and inflammation. Although often overlooked, early fibroblast activation is critical for kidney repair, challenging traditional associations of fibroblasts with fibrosis. Here, we summarize fibroblast origins, heterogeneity, functions, and therapeutics in preventing or mitigating AKI.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":"688-691"},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144276005","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}
{"title":"Fighting aging-associated clonal hematopoiesis with microbial metabolite.","authors":"Shuqin Zeng, Dezhi Mu, Shaopu Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.06.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Age-related clonal hematopoiesis in the elderly is mediated by expansion of mutant pre-leukemic hematopoietic cells, but the mechanism remains unclear. Recently, Agarwal et al. found elderly individuals exhibit the gut microbial dysbiosis with enriched Gram-negative bacteria that release ADP-heptose into systemic circulation, which promotes pre-leukemic cell expansion through ALPK1-dependent signaling.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":"685-687"},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144326907","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}
{"title":"Probiotics in inflammatory bowel disease: microbial modulation and therapeutic prospects.","authors":"Omar P Vallejos, Susan M Bueno, Alexis M Kalergis","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2024.12.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molmed.2024.12.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that represents a significant public health challenge worldwide. This multifactorial condition results from complex interactions among genetic, environmental, immune, and microbial factors. Some beneficial microbes, known as probiotics, have been identified as promising therapeutic agents for inflammatory conditions, such as IBD. In this review, we explore the potential of probiotics as a therapeutic strategy for managing IBD. Probiotics have shown promise due to their ability to modulate the gut microbiota, regulate histamine levels, and enhance vitamin D metabolism, thereby promoting a tolerant immune profile and reducing inflammation. While the exact mechanisms underlying these benefits remain incompletely understood, probiotics represent a novel and emerging approach for alleviating the exacerbated inflammation characteristic of this disorder.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":"731-742"},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143012270","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}
{"title":"Dysregulation of deubiquitinylases: a linchpin of gastrointestinal diseases.","authors":"Lorena Ferino, Michael Naumann","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.01.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.01.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ubiquitinylation of proteins regulates manifold processes and is reversed by deubiquitinylating enzymes (DUBs), which are therefore implicated in a plethora of cellular processes. DUBs are frequently upregulated in many diseases, while in a few cases downregulation of DUBs is associated with disease progression. This review focuses on the involvement of DUBs in the development and progression of gastrointestinal diseases with a particular emphasis on hepatic steatosis and hepatocellular, cholangio-, esophageal, gastric, colorectal, and pancreatic ductal carcinomas. In addition, pathogens that trigger the activity of several DUBs and thus suppress the immune response and cell survival are discussed. Finally, we highlight recent approaches made towards the therapeutic treatment of gastrointestinal diseases using DUB inhibitors.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":"743-754"},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143060675","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}
{"title":"The emerging regulatory interface between DNA repair and steroid hormone receptors in cancer.","authors":"Bim de Klein, Nils Eickhoff, Wilbert Zwart","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.01.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.01.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Human cells potentiate highly diverse functions through tight transcriptional regulation and maintenance of genome integrity. While the DNA damage response (DDR) safeguards the genome, ligand-activated transcription factors, such as steroid hormone receptors (SHRs), provide complex transcriptional outputs. Interestingly, an increasing body of evidence reveals a direct biological and functional interplay between DDR factors and SHR cascades in cancer. SHRs can directly affect DDR gene expression, but DDR factors in turn act as transcriptional coregulators, enabling oncogenic SHR-mediated signaling, which has the potential for novel therapeutic interventions. With a focus on breast and prostate cancer, we describe in this review recent developments in, and insights into, the complex interplay between SHR signaling and the DDR, highlighting opportunities for future clinical interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":"718-730"},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143400182","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}
Adham Farah, Omar Daifallah, Evanka Singh, John M Dawes
{"title":"Autoantibodies as drivers of neuropathic pain.","authors":"Adham Farah, Omar Daifallah, Evanka Singh, John M Dawes","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.07.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2025.07.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Emerging evidence, supported by clinical responses to immunotherapy and the recapitulation of sensory symptoms in passive transfer models, shows that autoantibodies (AAbs) may drive neuropathic pain. These findings highlight the importance of immune profiling to enhance diagnosis and treatment, and provide molecular insights into broader pain mechanisms in clinical contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144761439","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}
{"title":"Prostate cancer germline variants with therapeutic implications.","authors":"Masoud Bitaraf, Elena Castro, Nima Sharifi","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.07.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Prostate cancer, the most prevalent noncutaneous cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among men, is highly heritable. Germline alterations in genes involved in DNA damage repair and the androgen synthesis pathway are associated with worse outcomes. Pathogenic variants in BRCA1, BRCA2, and HSD3B1 are the most prevalent alterations in men with advanced prostate cancer and are associated with increased risk of disease development and progression. These variants are pharmacologically actionable. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have shown survival benefits in carriers of BRCA1/2 mutations, while HSD3B1 adrenal-permissive carriers might benefit from early intensified androgen blockade treatment. This review explores the impact of pathogenic germline alterations associated with prostate cancer, with a focus on common, clinically actionable variants.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12321213/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144761440","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}
Ânia Correia-Rodrigues, Teresa Ribeiro-Rodrigues, Lino Gonçalves, José Paulo Almeida, Maria João Ferreira, Henrique Girao
{"title":"From pathophysiology to treatment in transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.","authors":"Ânia Correia-Rodrigues, Teresa Ribeiro-Rodrigues, Lino Gonçalves, José Paulo Almeida, Maria João Ferreira, Henrique Girao","doi":"10.1016/j.molmed.2025.07.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2025.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Amyloid transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis is a progressive and multifaceted disorder characterized by extracellular deposition of misfolded transthyretin (TTR) in tissues, leading to irreversible damage. The rising prevalence of this disease underscores the urgent need for a deeper understanding of its complex pathology to improve diagnosis and treatment strategies. This Review explores the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying ATTR cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA), delving into the processes driving disease progression, exploring the recent progress in the experimental models used to study ATTR-CA, and highlights advances in diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies. By integrating the latest insights, this Review aims to provide a holistic and comprehensive understanding of ATTR-CA, offering an integrated perspective on research progresses and improvements in patient outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":23263,"journal":{"name":"Trends in molecular medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144745158","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}