Aberrant Notch Signaling Pathway as a Potential Mechanism of Central Precocious Puberty

Notch signaling in digestive system cancers: Roles and therapeutic prospects

Digestive system cancers rank among the most prevalent malignant tumors, maintaining persistently high incidence and mortality rates. Notch signaling activity, often aberrant in esophageal, gastric, hepatic, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers, plays a pivotal role in the initiation, progression, and therapy resistance of these malignancies. As a highly conserved pathway, Notch signaling is integral to cell differentiation, survival, proliferation, stem cell renewal, development, and morphogenesis. Its dysregulation has been increasingly linked to various diseases, particularly digestive system cancers. In these malignancies, altered Notch signaling influences multiple biological processes, including cell proliferation, invasion, cell cycle progression, immune evasion, drug resistance, and stemness maintenance. Understanding the mechanisms of Notch signaling in digestive system cancers is essential for the development of novel targeted therapies. Numerous Notch pathway-targeting drugs are currently in preclinical studies, demonstrating promising efficacy both as monotherapies and in combination with conventional anti-cancer treatments. This review summarizes recent high-quality findings on the involvement of Notch signaling in digestive system cancers, focusing on the expression changes and pathological mechanisms of its dysregulated components. Special emphasis is placed on the potential of translating Notch-targeted approaches into therapeutic strategies, which hold promise for overcoming the limitations of existing treatments and improving the poor prognosis associated with these cancers.

Biallelic loss-of-function variants of EZH1 cause a novel developmental disorder with central precocious puberty

Pathogenic variants of polycomb repressive complex-2 (PRC2) subunits are associated with overgrowth syndromes and neurological diseases. EZH2 is a major component of PRC2 and mediates the methylation of H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3). Germline variants of EZH2 have been identified as a cause of Weaver syndrome (WS), an overgrowth/intellectual disability (OGID) syndrome characterized by overgrowth, macrocephaly, accelerated bone age, intellectual disability (ID), and characteristic facial features. Germline variants of SUZ12 and EED, other components of PRC2, have also been reported in the WS or Weaver-like syndrome. EZH1 is a homolog of EZH2 that interchangeably associates with SUZ12 and EED. Recently, pathogenic variants of EZH1 have been reported in individuals with dominant and recessive neurodevelopmental disorders. We herein present sisters with biallelic loss-of-function variants of EZH1. They showed developmental delay, ID, and central precocious puberty, but not the features of WS or other OGID syndromes.

Food-Derived Peptides: Beneficial CNS Effects and Cross-BBB Transmission Strategies

Food-derived peptides, as dietary supplements, have significant effects on promoting brain health and relieving central nervous system (CNS) diseases. However, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) greatly limits their in-brain bioavailability. Thus, overcoming the BBB to target the CNS is a major challenge for bioactive peptides in the prevention and treatment of CNS diseases. This review discusses improvement in the neuroprotective function of food-derived active peptides in CNS diseases, as well as the source of BBB penetrating peptides (BBB-shuttles) and the mechanism of transmembrane transport. Notably, this review also discusses various peptide modification methods to overcome the low permeability and stability of the BBB. Lipification, glycosylation, introduction of disulfide bonds, and cyclization are effective strategies for improving the penetration efficiency of peptides through the BBB. This review provides a new prospective for improving their neuroprotective function and developing treatments to delay or even prevent CNS diseases.

Notch Signaling in Insect Development: A Simple Pathway with Diverse Functions

Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway which functions between adjacent cells to establish their distinct identities. Despite operating in a simple mechanism, Notch signaling plays remarkably diverse roles in development to regulate cell fate determination, organ growth and tissue patterning. While initially discovered and characterized in the model insect Drosophila melanogaster, recent studies across various insect species have revealed the broad involvement of Notch signaling in shaping insect tissues. This review focuses on providing a comprehensive picture regarding the roles of the Notch pathway in insect development. The roles of Notch in the formation and patterning of the insect embryo, wing, leg, ovary and several specific structures, as well as in physiological responses, are summarized. These results are discussed within the developmental context, aiming to deepen our understanding of the diversified functions of the Notch signaling pathway in different insect species.

MFNG is an independent prognostic marker for osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND

Osteosarcoma (OS) has been the most common malignancy of the bone in children and adolescents, and the unsatisfactory prognosis of OS sufferers has long been a hard nut. Here, we delved into the markers with a prognostic value for predicting the prognosis of OS patients.

METHODS

The messenger RNA (mRNA) sequencing data and clinical data of OS were retrieved from a Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset (GSE39058). Next, prognosis-related genes (PRGs) were filtered with the aid of Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curves and Cox regression analysis (CRA). Later, Gene Ontology (GO) biological process analysis was used in verifying the function of different genes. CCK-8 and cell apoptosis assay were performed to evaluate the function of MFNG in U2OS cells.

RESULTS

Among the obtained genes, Manic Fringe (MFNG) had the closest relevance to prognosis and clinical traits, thus becoming the research object herein. In light of the expression level of MFNG, patients fell into high- and low-MFNG groups. Patients with elevated MFNG expression had a worse prognosis, according to the survival analysis. It was unveiled by the univariate and multivariate analyses that MFNG expression was an independent adverse prognostic factor for disease-free survival in OS patients (p = 0.006). Meanwhile, MFNG expression was linked to gender and tumor recurrence, and it was higher in patients with OS recurrence. Moreover, overexpression of MFNG promoted the cell proliferation and inhibited the cell apoptosis of U2OS cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression level of MFNG negatively correlated with OS progression, and as an independent adverse prognostic factor for disease-free survival in OS patients. Moreover, MFNG regulated the cell proliferation and apoptosis of OS cells.

Notch signaling pathway: a new target for neuropathic pain therapy

The Notch gene, a highly evolutionarily conserved gene, was discovered approximately 110 years ago and has been found to play a crucial role in the development of multicellular organisms. Notch receptors and their ligands are single-pass transmembrane proteins that typically require cellular interactions and proteolytic processing to facilitate signal transduction. Recently, mounting evidence has shown that aberrant activation of the Notch is correlated with neuropathic pain. The activation of the Notch signaling pathway can cause the activation of neuroglia and the release of pro-inflammatory factors, a key mechanism in the development of neuropathic pain. Moreover, the Notch signaling pathway may contribute to the persistence of neuropathic pain by enhancing synaptic transmission and calcium inward flow. This paper reviews the structure and activation of the Notch signaling pathway, as well as its potential mechanisms of action, to provide novel insights for future treatments of neuropathic pain.

Molecular regulation mechanism of intestinal stem cells in mucosal injury and repair in ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic nonspecific inflammatory disease with complex causes. The main pathological changes were intestinal mucosal injury. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein coupled receptor 5 (LGR5)-labeled small intestine stem cells (ISCs) were located at the bottom of the small intestine recess and inlaid among Paneth cells. LGR5+ small ISCs are active proliferative adult stem cells, and their self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation disorders are closely related to the occurrence of intestinal inflammatory diseases. The Notch signaling pathway and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway are important regulators of LGR5-positive ISCs and together maintain the function of LGR5-positive ISCs. More importantly, the surviving stem cells after intestinal mucosal injury accelerate division, restore the number of stem cells, multiply and differentiate into mature intestinal epithelial cells, and repair the damaged intestinal mucosa. Therefore, in-depth study of multiple pathways and transplantation of LGR5-positive ISCs may become a new target for the treatment of UC.

Assessment of puberty in children with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis

Background

Growth and pubertal retardation are one of the most visible comorbidities in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) under regular hemodialysis. This study evaluated pubertal development in children and adolescents with CKD and ESRD on regular hemodialysis.

Methods

This study was carried out on 40 children with CKD and 20 with ESRD under regular hemodialysis. All patients and controls were subjected to a thorough clinical examination pubertal assessment.

Results

There was a statistically significant difference in the breast or testicular stage of the three groups (P < 0.001). Most cases of ESRD were either stages 1 or 2 (50.0%, 45.0%, respectively). The CKD cases were also stages 1 and 2 (35.7%, 52.4%, respectively). The controls were in stages 3 and 4 (44.3 and 29.5%, respectively), which showed normal development for age. There was a statistically significant difference in the pubic hair stage and axillary hair stage of the three groups (P < 0.001). Most cases of ESRD were either stages 1 or 2 (55.0%, 40.0%, respectively). The CKD cases were also between stages 1 and 2 (38.1%, 52.4%, respectively), with a higher level in stage 2. Of the control group, 39.3% was stage 3, and 36.1% was stage 4, with a higher level in stage 3 proving normal development for age.

Conclusion

Pubertal growth and sexual maturation in children with CKD and ESRD are markedly affected. It is necessary to regularly follow up with children with ESRD for early detection of endocrinal complications.

Gonadotropin Cell Transduction Mechanisms

The intention of this Special Edition was to collect review and original research articles that illustrate and stimulate the growing efforts to highlight the mechanisms of action of gonadotropins, as well as deepen our understanding of their biological roles in health and disease, aiming at revealing novel therapeutic opportunities in reproductive and regenerative medicine [...].

A review of the genetics and epigenetics of central precocious puberty

Gonadotrophin dependent sexual precocity, commonly referred to as central precocious puberty (CPP), results from a premature reactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis before the normal age of pubertal onset. CPP is historically described as girls who enter puberty before the age of eight, and boys before the age of nine. Females are more likely to be diagnosed with idiopathic CPP; males diagnosed with CPP have a greater likelihood of a defined etiology. These etiologies may include underlying CNS congenital defects, tumors, trauma, or infections as well as environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors. Recently, genetic variants and mutations which may cause CPP have been identified at both the level of the hypothalamus and the pituitary. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), monogenetic mutations, and modifications of the epigenome have been evaluated in relationship to the onset of puberty; these variants are thought to affect the development, structure and function of GnRH neurons which may lead to either precocious, delayed, or absent pubertal reactivation. This review will describe recent advances in the field of the genetic basis of puberty and provide a clinically relevant approach to better understand these varying etiologies of CPP.