Publications by authors named "Zhenlin Yang"

The mammalian Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1) serves as a metabolic hub that integrates external nutrients to promote cell growth and metabolism, with its activation closely associated with accelerated cancer progression. Interleukin enhancer-binding factor 3 (ILF3) has been identified as a negative regulator of mTORC1 by tethering GATOR1/2 to the lysosomal membrane during amino acid sensing. However, the regulatory mechanisms of the ILF3-mediated mTORC1 signaling pathway remain unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comprises chronic autoimmune disorders with significant morbidity, highlighting the need for advanced, noninvasive, targeted therapies. Protein-based nanoparticle drug delivery systems (PNP-DDSs) have emerged as promising platforms to overcome limitations of conventional IBD therapies by improving drug stability and bioavailability while enabling colon-specific delivery. This review systematically classifies PNP-DDSs derived from natural proteins (albumin, gelatin, silk fibroin, and plant-derived proteins) and discusses their design principles along with strategies for intestinal targeting, including particle size and surface charge modulation, stimuli-responsive release (triggered by pH, reactive oxygen species, or enzymes), and active targeting.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The immune-suppressive microenvironment and extensive tumor angiogenesis are key contributors to the high recurrence and mortality rates of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). To address these challenges, a personalized 3D-printed anti-tumor vaccine (3D-Vax-L) is developed that integrates whole tumor antigens from postoperative tissue lysates with the angiogenesis inhibitor, lenvatinib. This vaccine not only possesses inherent adjuvant properties but also mimics the functions of lymph nodes through its porous structure, facilitating the recruitment and maturation of immune cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Natural killer (NK) cells represent a promising effector population for tumor immunotherapy. Conventional NK cell engagers (NKCEs), primarily targeting CD16a, show efficacy but face limitations due to receptor polymorphisms and off-target toxicity. Here, we report the development and characterization of a novel trispecific NK cell engager (TriKE) simultaneously targeting the activating receptor NKp30 and the tumor-associated antigen HER2, integrated with a modified interleukin-15 (IL-15 N72D) fused to the IL-15Rα sushi domain (IL-15RαSu) to enhance NK cell proliferation and persistence.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The gut microbiota (GM) plays a role in epilepsy development via the microbiota-gut-brain axis. However, its relationship with various epilepsy subtypes and its mediating role through immune cells remain unclear. Thus, identifying the GM linked to specific epilepsy subtypes and investigating immune mechanisms to predict epilepsy risk, tailor treatments, and monitor outcomes are crucial.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Addressing mucosal inflammatory disorders in the ocular surface or respiratory system remains a formidable challenge owing to the limited penetration of biological therapeutics across epithelial barriers. In this study, we explored the potential of human single-domain antibodies (UdAbs) as topical therapeutics for the targeted modulation of interleukin-33 (IL-33) in two mucosal-associated inflammatory disorders. The anti-IL-33 UdAb A12 demonstrated potent inhibition of the IL-33-mediated signaling pathway, despite not potently blocking the IL-33 receptor interaction.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by persistent, recurrent, and relapsing inflammation of the mucosal layer. Its pathogenesis is complex and not yet fully understood, with current treatments mainly focused on alleviating symptoms through pharmacological methods. Direct drug administration for UC often leads to poor intestinal bioavailability, suboptimal targeting, and an increased risk of resistance.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The safety, feasibility, and potential benefits of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (U-VATS) pneumonectomy remain to be investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the postoperative outcomes, survival prognosis, and recurrence patterns in patients undergoing U-VATS versus those undergoing open pneumonectomy. The feasibility of U-VATS pneumonectomy in patients receiving neoadjuvant systemic therapy was also assessed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Anti-PD-(L)1 treatment is standard for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but patients show variable responses to the same regimen. The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is associated with immunotherapy response, yet the heterogeneous underlying therapeutic outcomes remain underexplored. We applied single-cell RNA and TCR sequencing (scRNA/TCR-seq) to analyze surgical tumor samples from 234 NSCLC patients post-neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Epilepsy, one of the most prevalent neurological disorders, affects approximately 50 million individuals worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that regulate the expression of target genes at the post-transcriptional level by interacting with specific sequences of the target genes in a complementary manner, thus affecting a variety of biological processes. miR-34a-5p has been shown to be involved in the regulation of cellular ferroptosis, and we aimed to explore its expression in epilepsy and its mechanism of action in epileptic ferroptosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Pulmonary blastoma (PB) is a rare subtype of lung cancer. Currently, the underlying pathogenesis mechanisms of PB have not been fully illustrated, and the therapeutic approach for this entity is limited.

Methods: Whole-exome sequencing (WES), RNA sequencing, and DNA methylation profiling are applied to seven PB patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The potential benefits of pyrotinib for patients with trastuzumab-insensitive, HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer remain unclear. This prospective, multicentre, response-adapted study evaluated the efficacy and safety of adding pyrotinib to the neoadjuvant treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer patients with a poor response to initial docetaxel plus carboplatin and trastuzumab (TCbH). Early response was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after two cycles of treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim And Objective: Magnoliae Flos (Chinese name: Xin-Yi) and Xanthii Fructus (Chinese name: Cang-Er-Zi) are Chinese herbal medicines and have been used to treat allergic rhinitis (AR). However, the therapeutic effect, active ingredients, and probable processes of a compound of Magnoliae Flos and Xanthii Fructus in the form of essential oils (CMFXFEO) in treating AR have not been reported. This study aims to determine the efficacy of the CMFXFEO on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AR in a rat model and to use network pharmacology and molecular docking to reveal the hub genes, biological functions, and signaling pathways of CMFXFEO against AR.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Glyphosate, as one of the most widely used herbicides worldwide, has been reclassified as a potential carcinogen and linked to multiple health problems. Recent data from animal experiments have proved its potential cardiovascular toxicity. However, whether glyphosate exposure influences human cardiovascular health at the population levels remains unknown.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Understanding protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in biomolecular condensates is essential to grasp their functions, but challenges arise due to their transient nature and diverse localizations.
  • The authors introduced a method called DenseMAP, which enhances the ability to study these interactions in specific compartments by using a targeted photocrosslinking approach.
  • DenseMAP successfully mapped protein interactions in stress granules and the nucleolus, revealing important roles of specific proteins and post-translational modifications in cellular processes and viral replication.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Thyroid cancer (TC) represents one of the most prevalent endocrine malignancies, with a rising incidence worldwide. Epigenetic alterations, which modify gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence, have garnered significant attention in recent years. Increasing evidence underscores the pivotal role of epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, RNA methylation, and histone methylation, in the pathogenesis of TC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (nICT) has significantly impacted the treatment of operable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), though the factors affecting tumor response are still being explored.
  • Single-cell RNA and T cell receptor sequencing showed that a specific type of exhausted CD8 T cells (CXCL13CD8 Tex cells) is prevalent in pre-treatment tumors and is linked to better responses to nICT.
  • The study also identifies immune markers associated with treatment resistance, such as certain fibroblasts and macrophages, suggesting a complex tumor environment that may influence how patients respond to nICT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nipah virus infection, one of the top priority diseases recognized by the World Health Organization, underscores the urgent need to develop effective countermeasures against potential epidemics and pandemics. Here, we identify a fully human single-domain antibody that targets a highly conserved cryptic epitope situated at the dimeric interface of the Nipah virus G protein (receptor binding protein, RBP), as elucidated through structures by high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). This unique binding mode disrupts the tetramerization of the G protein, consequently obstructing the activation of the F protein and inhibiting viral membrane fusion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Breast cancer is a common malignant tumor in women. Ferroptosis, a programmed cell death pathway, is closely associated with breast cancer and its resistance. The transferrin receptor (TFRC) is a key factor in ferroptosis, playing a crucial role in intracellular iron accumulation and the occurrence of ferroptosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Innate immune responses to microbial pathogens are regulated by intracellular receptors known as nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) in both the plant and animal kingdoms. Across plant innate immune systems, "helper" NLRs (hNLRs) work in coordination with "sensor" NLRs (sNLRs) to modulate disease resistance signaling pathways. Activation mechanisms of hNLRs based on structures are unknown.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The NuA4/TIP60 complex plays a crucial role in gene regulation and maintaining genome stability by incorporating histone variant H2A.Z and acetylating histones H4, H2A, and H2A.Z.
  • Cryo-electron microscopy studies reveal that the EP400 subunit acts as a scaffold, organizing the complex and ensuring correct positioning of functional modules, including the actin-related protein module.
  • Loss of the TRRAP subunit disrupts the organization of the NuA4/TIP60 complex, leading to mislocalization and altered acetylation of H2A.Z, highlighting the essential functions of this assembly in cellular processes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: TBK1 positively regulates the growth factor-mediated mTOR signaling pathway by phosphorylating mTOR. However, it remains unclear how the TBK1-mTOR signaling pathway is regulated. Considering that STING not only interacts with TBK1 but also with MARCH1, we speculated that MARCH1 might regulate the mTOR signaling pathway by targeting TBK1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: With the increase in the number of low birth weight infants, oxygen therapy is more widely used. However, chronic high-concentration oxygen environments lead to hyperoxic lung injury in children, which in turn leads to bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). PGE1 is widely used in the clinic for its ability to inhibit inflammation and improve circulation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The tumor microenvironment (TME) exerts a significant influence on the development, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance of breast cancer. Therefore, this study sought to investigate potential prognostic factors and markers indicative of TME remodeling in breast cancer, utilizing data from the TCGA database.

Methods: In this study, transcriptome RNA-seq data from 1222 breast cancer samples were processed using CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE algorithms.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: In China, real-world data on surgical challenges and postoperative complications after neoadjuvant immunotherapy of lung cancer are limited.

Methods: Patients were retrospectively enrolled from January 2018 to January 2023, and their clinical and pathological characters were subsequently analyzed. Surgical difficulty was categorized into a binary classification according to surgical duration: challenging or routine.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF