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Biomedical subjects

Jingjing Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Jingjing Wang.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Aggregicoccus is a myxobacterial genus inherently deficient in fruiting genes.

Myxobacteria are fascinating and important prokaryotes with remarkable multicellular behaviors, which make them a model system for studying prokaryotic development and cooperation. Although there have been sporadic discoveries of myxobacterial species unable to fruit, it is unclear whether the non-fruiting characteristic is due to taxon-specific genetic deficiency or suboptimal cultivation conditions. Aggregicoccus is a non-fruiting myxobacterial genus typified by a single validly published species, Ag. edonensis. In this study, we report five novel Aggregicoccus strains, which are classified into three novel type species, Ag. lacus, Ag. agri, and Ag. guangxiensis, based on polyphasic taxonomic analysis. All the Aggregicoccus strains are unable to produce fruiting bodies, but can still sporulate. We compared the genome differences between Aggregicoccus and Myxococcus; both genera belong to the Myxococcaceae family, and all the genomes are of similar sizes. The results showed that the Aggregicoccus strains are inherently deficient in the fruiting body-associated genomic information (FAGI). We propose an assessment of FAGI for the classification of non-fruiting myxobacterial species.IMPORTANCEFruiting body formation is traditionally regarded as a defining trait of myxobacteria. Here, we report that Aggregicoccus spp., including six strains of four species, can sporulate but are deficient in the fruiting body-associated genomic information (FAGI). This demonstrates that the non-fruiting characteristic in Aggregicoccus stems from inherent genetic deficiencies rather than suboptimal cultivation. Our findings highlight the need to assess FAGI presence in classifying non-fruiting lineages, innovate the isolation method, and refine our understanding of the diversity and evolution of the myxobacteria.

Aggregicoccus

Genomic Profiling, Risk Stratification, and Post-Transformation Treatment Outcomes in Patients with Transformed Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Multicenter Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Transformed small-cell lung cancer (T-SCLC) is an increasingly recognized resistance mechanism in EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma. This study aimed to identify early predictors of histologic transformation and evaluate post-transformation treatment outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively collected 163 T-SCLC patients from five Chinese centers. Next-generation sequencing was performed on 60 EGFR-mutant patients, including 47 paired primary-transformed samples. Integrated genomic and clinical analyses were conducted to delineate molecular features and survival outcomes. RESULTS: Among 150 EGFR-mutant patients, the median time to SCLC transformation was 25.8 months and median post-transformation overall survival (OS) was 14.2 months. Clinical and survival data for the 13 EGFR wild-type patients are reported descriptively given the limited sample size. Among 108 treatment-evaluable patients, first-line EGFR-TKI plus chemotherapy, chemotherapy alone, and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus chemotherapy yielded median progression-free survival (PFS) of 6.2, 5.30, and 4.07 months (P = 0.041) and median OS of 21.2, 27.6, and 13.6 months (P = 0.193). In later-line therapy, taxane-based regimens achieved a median PFS of 6.93 months, outperforming camptothecin-based (1.13 months) and other regimens (1.90 months; P = 0.049). High evolutionary diversity was associated with shorter post-transformation OS (6.77 vs. 11.10 months), with restricted cubic spline analysis showing a nonsignificant trend toward a nonlinear association (P = 0.055).Age, RB1/NTRK1 mutation, and secondary T790M mutation were identified as independent risk factors and integrated into a predictive model with high accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: This study establishes a clinically applicable model for early prediction and risk stratification of SCLC transformation. Taxane-based regimens emerge as a promising later-line therapeutic option for T-SCLC.

Humans

Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of oral JMKX003002 in Chinese healthy participants: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single- and multiple-ascending dose, and food-effect phase I clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharma-codynamics (PD) of the sodium-hydrogen exchanger 3 (NHE3) inhibitor JMKX003002 in Chinese healthy participants. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This phase I, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included a single-ascending dose (SAD) study with seven cohorts (1 mg [n = 4] and 5, 20, 50, 75, 100, or 125 mg [n = 8]), a food-effect (FE) study with six sequence groups (25 mg twice daily, n = 4), and a multiple-ascending dose (MAD) study with two cohorts (10 mg or 20 mg twice daily, n = 10). RESULTS: JMKX003002 was well-tolerated, with mostly mild treatment-related adverse events. One Grade 3 diarrhoea occurred in each of the 50 mg and 125 mg groups. No serious adverse events were reported, and no participants discontinued or withdrew due to treatment-emergent adverse events. Most plasma samples were below the limit of quantification (0.2 ng/mL), with only transient detection of low concentrations, indicating low systemic exposure. JMKX003002 was primarily excreted in stool (79.9% recovered) and was undetectable in urine. The PD results consistently showed decreased urinary sodium and phosphorus, along with increased stool sodium and phosphorus, compared to baseline across all three studies. One day after discontinuation, stool sodium and phosphorus remained elevated relative to baseline in the MAD study. Mixed-effects model analysis in the FE study demonstrated significant food effect on stool sodium and phosphorus excretion. CONCLUSION: JMKX003002 exhibited favorable safety and tolerability with minimal systemic exposure. It effectively increased sodium and phosphorus excretion in stool. These promising findings warrant further investigation of JMKX003002 to evaluate its clinical benefits. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2300070473). Registered on April 13, 2023; prospectively registered.

Adult

The molecular similarity landscape of preclinical cancer models to patient tumors.

Selecting appropriate preclinical models is fundamental for translational oncology, yet a large-scale, multi-omic quantitative comparison of their similarity to primary human tumors is lacking. To address this, we integrated transcriptomic, proteomic, and genomic profiles from over 10,000 primary tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC), alongside 4,000 preclinical models. Using a robust computational framework, we revealed a clear hierarchy of transcriptomic and proteomic similarity to patient tumors: with patient-dervied xenografts (PDXs) having greater transcriptomic and proteomic similarity to patient tumors (>) compared with patient-derived organoids (PDOs), which are equal in hierarchy to that of PDX-dervied organoids (PDXOs) > cell lines. We also quantified high molecular conservation (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.96) across paired in vitro to in vivo platform (organoids to PDX) transitions. Furthermore, genomic analysis demonstrated that whole-exome sequencing (WES) outperforms RNA-seq in detecting DNA variants, and it identified a clonal complexity hierarchy (cell lines > PDXOs > PDXs > PDOs) reflecting the effect of passaging history on intratumor heterogeneity. Ultimately, this study delivers a comprehensive quantitative benchmark, establishing a population-level hierarchy of molecular similarity between preclinical models and primary tumors and providing a data-driven reference for model selection. These findings offer a data-driven framework for selecting models that balance biological representativeness with experimental practicality.

Humans

Arginine-substituted Mastoparan-C derivatives combat dual bacterial pathogens: in vitro mechanistic insights and in vivo efficacy in polymicrobial wounds.

UNLABELLED: The synergistic interactions in multi-pathogen infections compromise wound healing and limit therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we designed and synthesized arginine-substituted derivatives of the antimicrobial peptide Mastoparan-C (MP-C). Among them, Arg²MP-C and Arg4.11.12MP-C exhibited potent, broad-spectrum activity against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Their enhanced antibacterial activity is associated with increased positive charge and optimized hydrophobicity. Mechanistically, both peptides employ a dual-target strategy, disrupting bacterial membranes and binding genomic DNA; Arg²MP-C acted most rapidly against the E. coli envelope, while Arg4.11.12MP-C caused the strongest membrane damage to S. aureus. In a murine polymicrobial wound model, Arg²MP-C treatment nearly achieved complete wound closure by day 10, significantly reduced bacterial loads, and promoted tissue regeneration. This study demonstrates that arginine engineering can yield peptides with potent, multi-mechanistic action, identifying Arg²MP-C as a promising candidate for combating polymicrobial wound infections. IMPORTANCE: Wounds infected with multiple bacterial species are notoriously difficult to treat, often leading to poor healing and limited effectiveness of existing therapies. In this study, we developed new antimicrobial peptides by introducing arginine substitutions into a natural peptide called Mastoparan-C. Two of our engineered peptides, Arg²MP-C and Arg4.11.12MP-C, showed potent activity against two common wound pathogens, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. These peptides work through a dual mechanism: disrupting bacterial membranes and binding to bacterial DNA. In a mouse model of mixed-infection wounds, treatment with Arg²MP-C led to nearly complete wound closure by day 10, drastically reduced bacterial counts, and promoted tissue repair. Our findings highlight arginine engineering as a promising strategy to create next‑generation antimicrobial agents that can effectively combat complex polymicrobial wound infections, addressing a critical unmet need in clinical wound care.

Animals

Hepatocyte-specific CLSTN3B ablation impairs lipid droplet maturation and alleviates diet-induced steatohepatitis in mice.

Excessive lipid accumulation in hepatocytes, a hallmark of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), can lead to progressive liver damage. Understanding the molecular mechanisms governing lipid storage in hepatocytes is essential for identifying therapeutic targets to halt MASLD progression. Here, we show a pivotal role for the protein calsyntenin 3β (CLSTN3B) in promoting lipid droplet (LD) maturation and lipid storage in hepatocytes. Previously characterized as an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-LD contact protein that facilitates LD maturation in adipocytes, we now show that CLSTN3B expression is strongly induced in mouse hepatocytes by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) in response to dietary caloric excess. Hepatocyte-specific deletion of CLSTN3B in mice significantly increases energy expenditure, reduces metabolic efficiency, and protects against diet-induced hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. Mechanistically, CLSTN3B deficiency causes reduced LD phospholipid coverage and increased lipase recruitment. This results in enhanced fatty acid oxidation driven by a futile cycle of lipolysis and re-esterification. Notably, human clinical data reveal a positive correlation between hepatic CLSTN3B expression and MASLD severity and progression, emphasizing its relevance to human disease. Together, our findings establish CLSTN3B as a key regulator of hepatocyte lipid storage and metabolic efficiency and highlight its potential as a therapeutic target in MASLD.

Journal Article