Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lucas Dantas Lopes, Peng Wang, Stephanie L. Futrell, Daniel P. Schachtman
Summary: Root exudates, particularly sugars and jasmonic acid (JA), influence the composition of maize rhizobacterial communities, with specific sugars having different effects at various developmental stages.
APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Miklos Bekes, David R. Langley, Craig M. Crews
Summary: Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is a new therapeutic modality that can tackle disease-causing proteins which are difficult to target with conventional small molecules. PROTAC molecules, utilizing the ubiquitin-proteasome system to degrade target proteins, has achieved clinical proof-of-concept and attracted significant industry activity. Future directions include identifying target classes suitable for TPD, expanding the use of ubiquitin ligases for precision medicine, and extending the modality beyond oncology.
NATURE REVIEWS DRUG DISCOVERY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Felix Teufel, Jose Juan Almagro Armenteros, Alexander Rosenberg Johansen, Magnus Halldor Gislason, Silas Irby Pihl, Konstantinos D. Tsirigos, Ole Winther, Soren Brunak, Gunnar von Heijne, Henrik Nielsen
Summary: Signal peptides are short amino acid sequences that regulate protein secretion and translocation. SignalP 6.0, a machine learning model, is introduced to detect all types of signal peptides, including those applicable to metagenomic data.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Zachary E. Stine, Zachary T. Schug, Joseph M. Salvino, Chi Dang
Summary: In the past century, there have been significant advancements in targeting cancer metabolism, but progress in the past decade has been limited. Some metabolism-based drugs for cancer have been successfully developed and are in clinical trials. However, consideration of the metabolism of non-cancer cells is crucial for successful treatment of cancer.
NATURE REVIEWS DRUG DISCOVERY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Timo D. Mueller, Matthias Blueher, Matthias H. Tschoep, Richard D. DiMarchi
Summary: Enormous progress has been made in managing diseases associated with excess body weight, but treatment of obesity itself remains challenging. By summarizing the history and advancements in anti-obesity medications, researchers are now pursuing next-generation AOMs that could safely and effectively achieve weight loss.
NATURE REVIEWS DRUG DISCOVERY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Dylan M. Cable, Evan Murray, Luli S. Zou, Aleksandrina Goeva, Evan Z. Macosko, Fei Chen, Rafael A. Irizarry
Summary: RCTD is a computational method that leverages cell type profiles learned from single-cell RNA-seq to decompose cell type mixtures and correct for differences across sequencing technologies. It successfully detects mixtures, identifies cell types, and reproduces cell type localization patterns in simulated datasets and mouse brain data. By enabling spatial mapping of cell types, RCTD defines the spatial components of cellular identity and uncovers new principles of cellular organization in biological tissues.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
James W. Nelson, Peyton B. Randolph, Simon P. Shen, Kelcee A. Everette, Peter J. Chen, Andrew Anzalone, Meirui An, Gregory A. Newby, Jonathan C. Chen, Alvin Hsu, David R. Liu
Summary: Prime editing technology enhances editing efficiency by optimizing the structure of pegRNAs, preventing degradation of the 3' region from affecting system activity, without increasing the risk of off-target editing.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Alberto Mantovani, Paola Allavena, Federica Marchesi, Cecilia Garlanda
Summary: This review discusses the molecular mechanisms of macrophage reprogramming in the tumor microenvironment and provides an overview of macrophage-targeted therapies for cancer treatment.
NATURE REVIEWS DRUG DISCOVERY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Givanna H. Putri, Simon Anders, Paul Theodor Pyl, John E. Pimanda, Fabio Zanini
Summary: HTSeq 2.0 provides an expanded application programming interface, including a new representation for sparse genomic data, enhancements for htseq-count to accommodate single-cell omics, a new script for data using cell and molecular barcodes, improved documentation, testing and deployment, bug fixes, and Python 3 support.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ann J. Barbier, Allen Yujie Jiang, Peng Zhang, Richard Wooster, Daniel G. Anderson
Summary: The emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of mRNA-based vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 highlight the transformative potential of this nucleic acid technology. Clinical applications of mRNA have mainly focused on vaccines for infectious diseases and cancer, but there are challenges in using mRNA for immunotherapies. The past year has seen significant progress in the clinical development of mRNA therapies for COVID-19, as well as other diseases such as influenza, HIV, and cancer.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Thomas Bieber
Summary: Recent advances in understanding of the complex phenotype and mechanisms underlying atopic dermatitis (AD) have revealed multiple new potential targets for pharmacological intervention. There are now more than 70 new compounds in development, in addition to regulatory approval for several inhibitors in Europe. The potential for a precision medicine approach to enable prevention and more effective long-term control of this complex disease is highlighted.
NATURE REVIEWS DRUG DISCOVERY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
J. Loske, J. Roehmel, S. Lukassen, S. Stricker, Vg Magalhaes, J. Liebig, Rl Chua, L. Thurmann, M. Messingschlager, A. Seegebarth, B. Timmermann, S. Klages, M. Ralser, B. Sawitzki, Le Sander, Vm Corman, C. Conrad, S. Laudi, M. Binder, S. Trump, R. Eils, M. A. Mall, I Lehmann
Summary: Children exhibit higher basal expression of relevant pattern recognition receptors in airway immune cells, resulting in stronger early innate antiviral responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to adults. Unique immune cell subpopulations, including cytotoxic T cells and memory CD8+ T cells, predominantly occur in children.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Andrew Anzalone, Xin D. Gao, Christopher J. Podracky, Andrew T. Nelson, Luke W. Koblan, Aditya Raguram, Jonathan M. Levy, Jaron A. M. Mercer, David R. Liu
Summary: The twin prime editing (twinPE) method described in this study allows for programmable replacement or excision of DNA sequences at endogenous human genomic sites without the need for double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs). When combined with a site-specific serine recombinase, twinPE enables targeted integration of gene-sized DNA plasmids (>5,000 bp) and targeted sequence inversions of 40 kb in human cells. TwinPE expands the capabilities of precision gene editing and may synergize with other tools for the correction or complementation of large or complex human pathogenic alleles.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Karan Kohli, Venu G. Pillarisetty, Teresa S. Kim
Summary: Immune cell infiltration into solid tumors and their interactions with chemokine receptors play a crucial role in tumor growth and the balance between effector and immunosuppressive cells. This review discusses the implications of dysregulated chemokine signaling in the tumor microenvironment and the potential for targeting chemokine signaling in cancer immunotherapy.
CANCER GENE THERAPY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lesley Cheng, Andrew F. Hill
Summary: The field of extracellular vesicle (EV) research has rapidly developed and is now recognized for its potential in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases. This article provides an overview of the characteristics and physiological functions of EVs, their association with diseases, and the strategies for their therapeutic exploitation.
NATURE REVIEWS DRUG DISCOVERY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Alan J. Korman, Sarah C. Garrett-Thomson, Nils Lonberg
Summary: Cancer immunotherapy has significantly impacted patient survival in multiple high-incidence cancer indications over the past decade, mainly due to the success of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) drugs. These drugs block specific pathways to attenuate T cell activation, prevent, or reverse, acquired peripheral tolerance, leading to their effectiveness.
NATURE REVIEWS DRUG DISCOVERY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Katherine Kricorian, Rachel Civen, Ozlem Equils
Summary: The study found that people who perceived the COVID-19 vaccine as unsafe were less willing to receive it, had less knowledge about the virus, and were more likely to believe in vaccine myths. These individuals typically had lower education levels, income, and were more rural compared to those who believed the vaccine was safe.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
R. J. Slack, S. J. F. Macdonald, J. A. Roper, R. G. Jenkins, R. J. D. Hatley
Summary: Integrins play crucial roles in cell adhesion and signaling, making them potential therapeutic targets. This review discusses the challenges and development of integrin inhibitors, particularly those targeting integrins with an alpha v-subunit. Opportunities exist for learning from previous trials and exploring new modalities in integrin drug design.
NATURE REVIEWS DRUG DISCOVERY
(2022)
Review
Agricultural Engineering
Sook Sin Chan, Kuan Shiong Khoo, Kit Wayne Chew, Tau Chuan Ling, Pau Loke Show
Summary: Efforts have been made by scientists to develop methods for removing POPs from wastewater, focusing on green mechanisms such as biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biodegradation. The use of microalgae-bacteria consortia as a potential wastewater treatment system shows that synergistic interactions can enhance the existing biological wastewater treatment systems effectively.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ari-Pekka Koivisto, Maria G. Belvisi, Rachelle Gaudet, Arpad Szallasi
Summary: Recent findings in TRP channel structural biology have important implications for drug development and clinical indications. TRP channels play diverse roles in cellular physiology and sensory perception, with implications for various diseases. Carefully targeted approaches are needed to minimize potential side-effects due to the multifunctional roles of TRP channels.
NATURE REVIEWS DRUG DISCOVERY
(2022)
