Identification of Hub Genes of Mesio Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and Prognostic Biomarkers of Brain Low-grade Gliomas Based on Bioinformatics Analysis

Genomic evidence for the suitability of Göttingen Minipigs with a rare seizure phenotype as a model for human epilepsy

Epilepsy is a complex genetic disorder that affects about 2% of the global population. Although the frequency and severity of epileptic seizures can be reduced by a range of pharmacological interventions, there are no disease-modifying treatments for epilepsy. The development of new and more effective drugs is hindered by a lack of suitable animal models. Available rodent models may not recapitulate all key aspects of the disease. Spontaneous epileptic convulsions were observed in few Göttingen Minipigs (GMPs), which may provide a valuable alternative animal model for the characterisation of epilepsy-type diseases and for testing new treatments. We have characterised affected GMPs at the genome level and have taken advantage of primary fibroblast cultures to validate the functional impact of fixed genetic variants on the transcriptome level. We found numerous genes connected to calcium metabolism that have not been associated with epilepsy before, such as ADORA2B, CAMK1D, ITPKB, MCOLN2, MYLK, NFATC3, PDGFD, and PHKB. Our results have identified two transcription factor genes, EGR3 and HOXB6, as potential key regulators of CACNA1H, which was previously linked to epilepsy-type disorders in humans. Our findings provide the first set of conclusive results to support the use of affected subsets of GMPs as an alternative and more reliable model system to study human epilepsy. Further neurological and pharmacological validation of the suitability of GMPs as an epilepsy model is therefore warranted.

Inflammation-related genes and immune infiltration landscape identified in kainite-induced temporal lobe epilepsy based on integrated bioinformatics analysis

BACKGROUND

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a common brain disease. However, the pathogenesis of TLE and its relationship with immune infiltration remains unclear. We attempted to identify inflammation-related genes (IRGs) and the immune cell infiltration pattern involved in the pathological process of TLE via bioinformatics analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The GSE88992 dataset was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to perform differentially expressed genes screening and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Subsequently, the functional enrichment analysis was performed to explore the biological function of the differentially expressed IRGs (DEIRGs). The hub genes were further identified by the CytoHubba algorithm and validated by an external dataset (GSE60772). Furthermore, the CIBERSORT algorithm was applied to assess the differential immune cell infiltration between control and TLE groups. Finally, we used the DGIbd database to screen the candidate drugs for TLE.

RESULTS

34 DEIRGs (33 up-regulated and 1 down-regulated gene) were identified, and they were significantly enriched in inflammation- and immune-related pathways. Subsequently, 4 hub DEIRGs (Ptgs2, Jun, Icam1, Il6) were further identified. Immune cell infiltration analysis revealed that T cells CD4 memory resting, NK cells activated, Monocytes and Dendritic cells activated were involved in the TLE development. Besides, there was a significant correlation between hub DEIRGs and some of the specific immune cells.

CONCLUSION

4 hub DEIRGs (Ptgs2, Jun, Icam1, Il6) were associated with the pathogenesis of TLE via regulation of immune cell functions, which provided a novel perspective for the understanding of TLE.

The emerging roles and potential applications of circular RNAs in ovarian cancer: a comprehensive review

Ovarian cancer (OC) is among the most common human malignancies and the first cause of deaths among gynecologic cancers. Early diagnosis can help improving prognosis in those patients, and accordingly exploring novel molecular mechanisms may lead to find therapeutic targets. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) comprise a group of non-coding RNAs in multicellular organisms, which are identified with characteristic circular structure. CircRNAs have been found with substantial functions in regulating gene expression through interacting with RNA-binding proteins, targeting microRNAs, and transcriptional regulation. They have been found to be involved in regulating several critical processes such as cell growth, and death, organ development, signal transduction, and tumorigenesis. Accordingly, circRNAs have been implicated in a number of human diseases including malignancies. They are particularly reported to contribute to several hallmarks of cancer leading to cancer development and progression, although a number also are described with tumor-suppressor function. In OC, circRNAs are linked to regulation of cell growth, invasiveness, metastasis, angiogenesis, and chemoresistance. Notably, clinical studies also have shown potentials in diagnosis, prediction of prognosis, and therapeutic targets for OC. In this review, I have an overview to the putative mechanisms, and functions of circRNAs in regulating OC pathogenesis in addition to their clinical potentials.

MicroRNA-221-3p Suppresses the Microglia Activation and Seizures by Inhibiting of HIF-1α in Valproic Acid-Resistant Epilepsy

One-third of patients with epilepsy suffer from drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Valproic acid (VPA) is a classic anticonvulsant drug, and its resistance is a crucial predictor of DRE, but the pathogenesis remain unknown. Most patients with VPA-resistant epilepsy appear distinct inflammatory response and local hypoxia. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α is an essential effector molecule of hypoxia and inflammation, and may exert therefore a significant effect on the development of VPA-resistant epilepsy. We systematically assess the significance of HIF-1α on children and mice with VPA-resistant epilepsy, and investigated the micro (mi) RNAs that regulate HIF-1α expression. We established models of VPA-sensitive epilepsy and VPA-resistant epilepsy in mice, and confirmed that they had significant differences in epileptic behavior and electroencephalography data. Through proteomics analysis, we identified that HIF-1α was overexpressed in mice with VPA-resistant epilepsy, and regulated the expression of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α. Increased expression of HIF-1α led to the increase of microglia and induced their polarization from the M2 phenotype to M1 phenotype, which triggered the release of proinflammatory mediators. Bioinformatics analysis of public databases demonstrated that miR-221-3p was reduced in VPA-resistant epilepsy, and negatively regulated HIF-1α expression. Intervention using miR-221-3p mimics reduced HIF-1α expression markedly and suppressed the activation of microglia and the release of inflammatory mediators, which relieved epileptic seizures of VPA-resistant epilepsy. These observations reveal miR-221-3p/HIF-1α as essential component in pathogenesis of VPA-resistant epilepsy which represent therapeutic antiseizure targets.