Synergistic Anticancer Effects of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor and Cannabidiol in Colorectal Cancer.

Background/objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health concern, with limited treatment options for metastatic stage 4 CRC. Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) is a promising therapeutic target in CRC, while cannabidiol (CBD) has shown potential for inducing cell death and overcoming drug resistance. This study evaluates the efficacy of FGFR inhibitors and explores the synergistic effects of combining FGFR inhibitors with CBD in inducing apoptosis in CRC cells.

MUTE-Seq: An Ultrasensitive Method for Detecting Low-Frequency Mutations in cfDNA With Engineered Advanced-Fidelity FnCas9.

In this study, we present the development of the Mutation tagging by CRISPR-based Ultra-precise Targeted Elimination in Sequencing (MUTE-Seq) method. We engineered a highly precise advanced-fidelity FnCas9 variant, named FnCas9-AF2, to effectively discriminate single-base mismatches at all positions of the single guide RNA (sgRNA) target sequences. FnCas9-AF2 exhibited significantly lower off-target effects compared to existing high-fidelity CRISPR-Cas9 variants.

Effects of cPIP2 peptide and rosuvastatin on TLR4 signaling and cardiac remodeling in an acute myocardial infarction model.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) triggers adverse cardiac remodeling through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated inflammatory pathways. This study aimed to evaluate a dual-inhibition strategy targeting both extracellular and intracellular TLR4 signaling using a combination of cyclic phage display-derived inhibitory peptide 2 (cPIP2) and rosuvastatin (RSV), a clinically approved anti-inflammatory agent. In a rat AMI model, cPIP2 and RSV were administered alone or a combination of both.

Longitudinal Analysis of Cytokine Profiles and Their Impact on Tic Disorder Severity Over One Year.

Objective: This study aims to explore the relationship between symptom severity and cytokine levels in patients with tic disorders by evaluating these parameters at baseline and after a one-year follow-up.

Methods: A total of 44 tic disorder patients were recruited, 35 completed baseline assessments, and 20 completed endpoint assessments after one year. Based on changes in Yale Global Tic Severity Scale scores, patients were categorized into 'improved' and 'persistent' groups.

Changes in Heart Rate Variability in Adolescent Patients With Tic Disorders: A 1-Year Prospective Study.

Objective: This longitudinal study examined the impact of tic disorders on autonomic nervous system function using heart rate variability (HRV) as a biomarker and assessed its association with quality of life over a 1-year period.

Methods: The patient group comprised 39 individuals, of whom 19 were followed up after 1 year, whereas the control group included 30 individuals. Tic severity and quality of life were assessed using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale and KIDSCREEN-27 questionnaire, respectively.

Spatial Transcriptomics Shows a Distinctive Tumour Microenvironment in the Invasive Versus Premalignant Portion of Early Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is known for its stepwise progression from healthy skin to premalignant actinic keratosis (AK), followed by a malignant transformation to SCC. Unfortunately, less attention has been paid to changes in gene expression in the tumour microenvironment during this process. We retrospectively selected early-stage cutaneous SCC tissue samples containing both invasive and premalignant portions and conducted a spatial transcriptomic experiment using a NanoString GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler (DSP).

Integrative analysis of DNA methylation, RNA sequencing, and genomic variants in the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) to predict endometrial cancer recurrence.

Introduction: The prognosis within each subtype varies due to histological and molecular factors. This study leverages omics datasets and machine learning to identify biomarkers associated with EC recurrence in different molecular subtypes.

Methods: Utilizing DNA methylation, RNA-sequencing, and common variant data from 116 EC samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified using t-tests between recurrence and non-recurrence groups.

The usefulness of heart rate variability in adolescents with tic disorder: Focused on interplay with quality of life.

Background: Tic disorders, characterized by involuntary movements or vocalizations, are influenced by neurological and psychological factors. Although an imbalance in neurotransmitter systems, genetic factors, and environmental influences play a significant role in the expression of tic disorders, the precise mechanisms through which autonomic changes influence tic production are not fully understood yet. This study investigates the relationship between tic disorders and heart rate variability (HRV), a physiological marker of autonomic nervous system function.

Network hub changes in the pars opercularis indicate impaired inhibition in tic disorder patients.

Objective: This study aimed to utilise graph theory to explore the functional brain networks in individuals with tic disorders and to investigate resting-state functional connectivity changes in critical brain regions associated with tic disorders.

Methods: Participants comprised individuals with tic disorders and age-matched healthy controls, ranging from 6 to 18 years old, all recruited from Korea University Guro Hospital. We ensured a medication-naïve cohort by excluding participants exposed to psychotropic medications for at least three weeks prior to the study.

Investigating miR-6880-5p in extracellular vesicle from plasma as a prognostic biomarker in endocrine therapy-treated castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background: Advancements in the diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) have progressed considerably, but a new biomarker that combines existing clinical and pathological data could be useful for a more precise diagnosis and prognosis. Some investigations have found that extracellular vesicle (EV)-derived miRNAs play crucial roles in various types of malignant tumors. The objective of this study was to explore EV miRNA and identify its biologic function as a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of CRPC.

Survival Rate and Chronic Diseases of TCGA Cancer and KoGES Normal Samples by Clustering for DNA Methylation.

Insights from public DNA methylation data derived from cancer or normal tissues from cancer patients or healthy people can be obtained by machine learning. The goal is to determine methylation patterns that could be useful for predicting the prognosis for cancer patients and correcting lifestyles for healthy people. DNA methylation data were obtained from the DNA of 446 healthy participants from the Korean Genome Epidemiology Study (KoGES) and from the DNA of normal tissues or from cancer tissues of 11 types of carcinomas from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database.

Particulate matter-induced gene expression patterns in human-derived cells based on 11 public gene expression datasets.

Background: Exposure to particulate matter (PM) and house dust mite (HDM) can change the expression patterns of inflammation-, oxidative stress-, and cell death-related genes. We investigated the changes in gene expression patterns owing to PM exposure.

Objective: This study examined the changes in gene expression patterns following PM exposure.

Epigenome-wide Association Study for Tic Disorders in Children: A Preliminary Study in Korean Population.

Objective: : Tic disorders can affect the quality of life in both childhood and adolescence. Many factors are involved in the etiology of tic disorders, and the genetic and epigenetic factors of tic disorders are considered complex and heterogeneous.

Methods: : In this study, the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between normal controls (n = 24; aged 6-15; 7 females) and patients with tic disorders (n = 16; aged 6-15; 5 females) were analyzed.

Factors related to tumor response rate from TCGA three omics data-variants, expression, methylation.

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and its patient-derived multi-omics datasets have been the backbone of cancer research, and with novel approaches, it continues to shed new insight into the disease. In this study, we delved into a method of multi-omics integration of patient datasets and the association of biological pathways related to the disease. First, across thirty-three types of cancer present in TCGA, we merged genomic mutations and drug response datasets and filtered for the viable variant-drug response combinations available in TCGA, containing more than three samples for each drug response label with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and genomic methylation data available for each patient.

Comparing variants related to chronic diseases from genome-wide association study (GWAS) and the cancer genome atlas (TCGA).

Background: Several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been performed to identify variants related to chronic diseases. Somatic variants in cancer tissues are associated with cancer development and prognosis. Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and methylation QTL (mQTL) analyses were performed on chronic disease-related variants in TCGA dataset.

Integrative Approaches of DNA Methylation Patterns According to Age, Sex and Longitudinal Changes.

Background: In humans, age-related DNA methylation has been studied in blood, tissues, buccal swabs, and fibroblasts, and changes in DNA methylation patterns according to age and sex have been detected. To date, approximately 137,000 samples have been analyzed from 14,000 studies, and the information has been uploaded to the NCBI GEO database.

Methods: A correlation between age and methylation level and longitudinal changes in methylation levels was revealed in both sexes.

Cytokine levels reflect tic symptoms more prominently during mild phases.

Tic disorder is a neuropsychiatric condition that affects 3% of all children and can have a significant impact on their quality of life. Cytokines, interferons, interleukins, lymphokines, and tumor necrosis factors are involved in the neuroinflammatory circuitry of tic disorders. This study aimed to identify the cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of tic disorders.

The Activation of the LIMK/Cofilin Signaling Pathway via Extracellular Matrix-Integrin Interactions Is Critical for the Generation of Mature and Vascularized Cardiac Organoids.

The generation of mature and vascularized human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac organoids (hPSC-COs) is necessary to ensure the validity of drug screening and disease modeling. This study investigates the effects of cellular aggregate (CA) stemness and self-organization on the generation of mature and vascularized hPSC-COs and elucidates the mechanisms underlying cardiac organoid (CO) maturation and vascularization. COs derived from 2-day-old CAs with high stemness (H-COs) and COs derived from 5-day-old CAs with low stemness (L-COs) were generated in a self-organized microenvironment via Wnt signaling induction.

Transposable Elements-Derived MicroRNA Expression Patterns in TCGA Dataset for 10 Species.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that act as regulators of disease. An evolutionary approach to the disease could reveal factors such as diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis prediction. The expression patterns of transposable element (TEs)-derived miRNAs could help elucidate diseases, and their evolutionary patterns are also valuable.

The Effect of DNA Methylation in the Development and Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease in the General Population: An Epigenome-Wide Association Study Using the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study Database.

Background: Although knowledge of the genetic factors influencing kidney disease is increasing, epigenetic profiles, which are associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), have not been fully elucidated. We sought to identify the DNA methylation status of CpG sites associated with reduced kidney function and examine whether the identified CpG sites are associated with CKD development.

Method: We analyzed DNA methylation patterns of 440 participants in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) with estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRs) ≥ 60 mL/min/1.

Accelerometer-derived physical activity analysis of elderly osteoarthritis patients.

Background: Because disability in Osteoarthritis (OA) may change physical activity (PA), which might affect the disease progression, it is important to measure a patient's daily PA to study the relationship between a patient's PA and disease progression.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between PA and patients with OA and people without OA using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).

Methods: Demographic study was conducted to obtain data of comorbidities of participants.

Correlation between Harris hip score and gait analysis through artificial intelligence pose estimation in patients after total hip arthroplasty.

Background: Recently, open pose estimation using artificial intelligence (AI) has enabled the analysis of time series of human movements through digital video inputs. Analyzing a person's actual movement as a digitized image would give objectivity in evaluating a person's physical function. In the present study, we investigated the relationship of AI camera-based open pose estimation with Harris Hip Score (HHS) developed for patient-reported outcome (PRO) of hip joint function.