Research Spotlight - April 2022

Every month, we feature 10 research studies from scientists whom we have served. In our April edition of Research Spotlight, scientists focus on finding novel delivery systems to improve the poor delivery efficiency of therapeutic biomolecules.

One research paper provided new insights into how renal exosomes are aroused by β-catenin, underscoring an important therapeutic strategy for CKD. Studies highlighting the promising potential of engineered EGCG-containing nanoassemblies, microalgae-based microcarriers, tumor-derived EVs, and LIFU-responsive nanomedicine as competitive strategies with great clinical translation potential are also discussed.

Among the publications, scientists further investigate a series of new targets and novel mechanisms for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, diabetic osteoporosis, cancer, and ADH1. For example, one study confirmed the crucial role of ferroptosis in DOP-induced osteocyte death both in vivo and in vitro.

Scroll down to read more about the different research discoveries.

β-Catenin-Controlled Tubular Cell-Derived Exosomes Play a Key Role in Fibroblast Activation via the OPN-CD44 Axis

Authors: Chen, S., Zhang, M., Li, J., Huang, J., Zhou, S., Hou, X., Ye, H...
Journal: Journal of Extracellular Vesicles

Tubular injury and peripheral fibroblast activation are the hallmarks of chronic kidney disease (CKD), suggesting intimate communication between the two types of cells. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be determined. Exosomes play a role in shuttling proteins and other materials to recipient cells. In our study, we found...

Cited Boster Product(s): SPP1 Human, Osteopontin Human Recombinant Protein, HEK (PROTP10451); Anti-CD44 Antibody Picoband™ (A00052); Anti-TAPA1/CD81 Antibody Picoband™ (A01281-2); Anti-Flag-Tag Mouse Monoclonal Antibody (M30971-1); Anti-CD44 Picoband™ Antibody (Monoclonal, 7H7) (M00052-3)

Engineered EGCG-Containing Biomimetic Nanoassemblies as Effective Delivery Platform for Enhanced Cancer Therapy

Authors: Wu, P., Zhang, H., Yin, Y., Sun, M., Mao, S., Chen, H., Deng, Y...
Journal: Advanced Science

Nano-based immunotherapy of therapeutic biomolecules is attractive but tremendously hampered by the poor delivery efficiency. This study reports a novel delivery system of fluorinated-coordinative-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), referring as FEGCG/Zn, through the integration of fluorination and zinc ions (Zn2+) into EGCG. The robust...

Cited Boster Product(s) : Mouse TNF Alpha/Tumor Necrosis Factor ELISA Kit PicoKine® (EK0527); Mouse IFN Gamma / IFNG / Interferon Gamma ELISA Kit PicoKine® (EK0375)

Microalgae-Based Oral Microcarriers for Gut Microbiota Homeostasis and Intestinal Protection in Cancer Radiotherapy

Authors: Zhang, D., Zhong, D., Ouyang, J., He, J., Qi, Y., Chen, W., Zhang, X...
Journal: Nature Communications

Protecting the whole small intestine from radiation-induced intestinal injury during the radiotherapy of abdominal or pelvic solid tumors remains an unmet clinical need. Amifostine is a promising selective radioprotector for normal tissues. However, its oral application in intestinal radioprotection remains challenging. Herein, we...

Cited Boster Product(s): Mouse IL-1 Beta/IL-1F2/IL1B ELISA Kit PicoKine® (EK0394); Mouse IL-6/Interleukin-6 ELISA Kit PicoKine® (EK0411); Mouse TNF Alpha/Tumor Necrosis Factor ELISA Kit PicoKine® (EK0527)

LIFU-responsive nanomedicine enables acoustic droplet vaporization-induced apoptosis of macrophages for stabilizing vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques

Authors: Hou, J., Zhou, J., Chang, M., Bao, G., Xu, J., Ye, M., Zhong, Y., Liu, S...
Journal: Bioactive Materials

Due to the high risk of tearing and rupture, vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques would induce serious cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Despite the available clinical methods can evaluate the vulnerability of plaques and specifically treat vulnerable plaques before a cardiovascular event, but the efficiency is still low and…

Cited Boster Product(s): Mouse TNF Alpha/Tumor Necrosis Factor ELISA Kit PicoKine® (EK0527); Mouse IFN Gamma / IFNG / Interferon Gamma ELISA Kit PicoKine® (EK0375); Mouse IL-10/Interleukin-10 ELISA Kit PicoKine® (EK0417); Mouse TGF Beta 1 ELISA Kit PicoKine® (EK0515)

Targeting Ferroptosis Suppresses Osteocyte Glucolipotoxicity and Alleviates Diabetic Osteoporosis

Authors: Yang, Y., Lin, Y., Wang, M., Yuan, K., Wang, Q., Mu, P., Du, J., Yu, Z…
Journal: Bone Research

Diabetic osteoporosis (DOP) is the leading complication continuously threatening the bone health of patients with diabetes. A key pathogenic factor in DOP is loss of osteocyte viability. However, the mechanism of osteocyte death remains unclear. Here, we identified ferroptosis, which is iron-dependent programmed cell death, as a…

Cited Boster Product(s): Broad Spectrum Phosphatase Inhibitor Cocktail (AR1183)

Ultrasound Imaging Tracking of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Intracellularly Labeled with Biosynthetic Gas Vesicles for Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Authors: Gong, Z., He, Y., Zhou, M., Xin, H., Pan, M., Fiaz, M., Liu, H., Yan, F.
Journal: Theranostics

Rationale: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation and damage to articular tissues that can lead to irreversible joint damage and progressive disability. The multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play an important role in immune disorders and tissue regeneration. However, their…

Cited Boster Product(s): Rat TNF Alpha/Tumor Necrosis Factor ELISA Kit PicoKine® (EK0526)

Epstein-Barr virus BNRF1 Destabilizes SMC5/6 Cohesin Complexes to Evade its Restriction of Replication Compartments

Authors: Yiu, S.P.T., Guo, R., Zerbe, C., Weekes, M.P., Gewurz, B.E.
Journal: Cell Reports

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) persistently infects people worldwide. Delivery of ∼170-kb EBV genomes to nuclei and use of nuclear membrane-less replication compartments (RCs) for their lytic cycle amplification necessitate evasion of intrinsic antiviral responses. Proteomics analysis indicates that, upon B cell infection or lytic reactivation…

Cited Boster Product(s): Anti-SMC6L1 Antibody Picoband™ (A01554-1)

CD16/PD-L1 Bi-Specific Aptamer for Cancer Immunotherapy Through Recruiting NK Cells and Acting as Immunocheckpoint Blockade

Authors: Zheng, A., Du, Y., Wang, Y., Zheng, Y., Ning, Z., Wu, M., Zhang, C…
Journal: Molecular Therapy: Nucleic Acids

It is well established that natural killer (NK) cells can be used as an alternative candidate of T cells for adoptive cell therapy (ACT) due to its high killing capacity, off-the-shelf utility, and low toxicity. Though NK cells provide rapid and potent immune effects, they still suffer from insufficient infiltration and tumor…

Cited Boster Product(s): Human Granzyme B ELISA Kit PicoKine® (EK1114); Human TNF Alpha/Tumor Necrosis Factor ELISA Kit PicoKine® (EK0525); Human IFN Gamma/IFNG/Interferon Gamma ELISA Kit PicoKine® (EK0373)

Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Shuttle c-Myc to Promote Gastric Cancer Growth and Metastasis via the KCNQ1OT1/miR-556-3p/CLIC1 Axis

Authors: Li, B., Chen, Y., Liang, L., Wang, Y., Huang, W., Zhao, K., Liu, S…
Journal: Cell Death & Disease

Gastric cancer (GC) is a heterogeneous disease with poor prognosis. Tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) assume a role in intercellular communication by carrying various molecules, including proteins, RNA, and DNAs, which has been identified to exhibit oncogenic effect in GC. Therefore, this research aimed to figure out whether…

Cited Boster Product(s): RIPA Lysis Buffer (AR0105-100); ISH Detection Kit (POD) (MK1030)

Differential Parathyroid and Kidney Ca2+-Sensing Receptor Activation in Autosomal Dominant Hypocalcemia 1

Authors: van Megen, W.H., Tan, R.S.G., Alexander, T., Dimke, H.
Journal: eBIOMedicine

Background: Parathyroid Ca2+-sensing receptor (CaSR) activation inhibits parathyroid hormone (PTH) release, while activation of renal CaSRs attenuates Ca2+ transport and increases expression of the pore-blocking claudin-14. Patients with autosomal dominant hypocalcemia 1 (ADH1), due to activating CASR mutations, exhibit hypocalcemia…

Cited Boster Product(s): Anti-Calcium Sensing Receptor/CASR Antibody Picoband™ (PB9924)