Biomedical subjects

Xinyu Chen

Publications and source records attributed to Xinyu Chen.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Conserved assembly architecture of the essential herpesvirus packaging accessory factor.

To create a new wave of infectious virions, all herpesviruses require an accessory factor of unknown function to package their viral genomes into nascent capsids. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of the packaging accessory factor from the α-herpesvirus herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1, UL32) and the β-herpesvirus human cytomegalovirus (HCMV, UL52). Unlike homologs from the γ-herpesviruses, neither UL32 nor UL52 form stable homopentameric rings. UL52 forms incomplete pentameric rings lacking one or two protomers. UL32 does not form stable higher-order species, but stabilization through chemical crosslinking revealed a novel quaternary structure where three pentameric rings assemble into a "tripentamer." Our results reveal that herpesvirus packaging accessory factors adopt distinct oligomeric states but are constrained to pentameric symmetry. Assembly of protomers into a ring creates a positively charged central channel that we show is critical for infectious virus production in HSV-1. Taken together, our study points to a structurally conserved, essential function of packaging accessory factors across the Herpesviridae.

Virus Assembly↗

PubMed2026

Microsatellites Versus Genome-Wide SNPs Data for Pedigree Reconstruction in Twin Simmental Crossbred Cattle.

Accurate pedigree reconstruction is critical for genetic evaluation in admixed cattle populations, yet the relative performance of microsatellite and genome-wide SNP markers in twin-rich herds with incomplete pedigree records remains unclear. We compared 12 ISAG-recommended microsatellite markers with whole-genome SNP data for dam-calf assignment in a Simmental crossbred population (n = 43, 13 dam-calf groups) from southern China. Twin zygosity was determined from SNP identity-by-descent (PI_HAT) values: nine calf pairs were dizygotic, one pair was monozygotic (20A/21A), and one adult pair was composed of dizygotic twin sisters (31A/34A). Admixture analysis at K = 3 revealed ancestry proportions of 50.7% European taurine, 28.9% Chinese indicine and 20.4% East Asian taurine. The SNP-based neighbor-joining tree correctly recovered 12 of 13 groups (92.3%, 95% CI: 64.0-99.8%), whereas the microsatellite-based tree recovered 11 (84.6%, 95% CI: 54.6-98.1%); the difference was not statistically significant (exact McNemar test, p = 1.0). Locus INRA023 was monomorphic (PIC = 0), reducing the effective number of markers to 11. These results indicate that genome-wide SNPs show a favourable trend in accuracy and are less prone to false-positive clustering than a standard microsatellite panel in admixed, twin-rich cattle populations.

SNP↗

PubMed2026

Serial CSF CA19-9 monitoring and CSF genomic profiling in ERBB2-mutant lung adenocarcinoma with leptomeningeal metastasis: a case report.

Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) from ERBB2-mutant lung adenocarcinoma is difficult to treat and monitor because systemic disease and leptomeningeal disease may evolve discordantly. Evidence regarding cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) genomic profiling and serial CSF tumor marker monitoring in ERBB2-mutant non-small cell lung cancer with LM remains limited. We report a 48-year-old woman initially diagnosed with stage IB mucinous lung adenocarcinoma harboring an ERBB2 exon 20 p.G776delinsVC mutation. After surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy, she developed nodal recurrence and later presented with lower back pain and lower-limb numbness. LM was clinically diagnosed based on neurological symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging and CSF cytopathology. She received craniospinal irradiation, systemic therapy and subsequent intrathecal treatment. At month 33, CSF CA19-9 was markedly elevated despite no clear radiographic systemic progression. CSF next-generation sequencing(NGS) detected the same ERBB2 exon 20 p.G776delinsVC mutation as the primary lung tumor, with a higher variant allele fraction in CSF than in lung tissue.The patient subsequently received trastuzumab deruxtecan and sequential intrathecal therapy with pemetrexed, etoposide, cytarabine and pemetrexed rechallenge. Intrathecal treatment was adjusted according to serial CSF CA19-9 levels, neurological status, imaging findings, systemic disease activity and treatment-related toxicities. CSF CA19-9 was not used as a stand-alone criterion for progression or treatment modification.At the latest follow-up, she remained alive more than 36 months after the clinical diagnosis of LM. This case suggests that CSF NGS and serial CSF CA19-9 may provide further insights into disease activity within the integrated assessment of systemic and leptomeningeal disease. Their clinical applicability is still under investigation and necessitates future validation.

CA19-9↗

PubMed2025

Targeting the MYC oncogene with a selective bi-steric mTORC1 inhibitor elicits tumor regression in MYC-driven cancers.

The MYC oncogene is causally involved in the pathogenesis of most human cancers. The mTORC1 complex regulates MYC translation through 4EBP1 and S6K. However, agents that selectively target mTORC1 (without affecting mTORC2) have so far failed to reactivate 4EBP1 and, thus, cannot effectively suppress MYC in vivo. In contrast, nonselective inhibitors that block both mTOR complexes can activate 4EBP1, but often lack tolerability and induce immunosuppression. Here, we introduce bi-steric mTORC1-selective inhibitors, including the clinical candidate RMC-5552, which potently reactivate 4EBP1 and decrease MYC protein expression levels. Consequently, suppression of MYC signaling occurs, resulting in tumor growth inhibition through both direct effects on tumor cells and immune activation. RMC-5552 exhibits anti-tumor activity in human patient-derived xenografts models harboring genomic MYC amplifications and reduces MYC protein levels in vivo. Furthermore, bi-steric mTORC1-selective inhibitors enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade, leading to tumor regression.

Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1↗

PubMed2025

Stage-dependent proteomic alterations in aqueous humor of diabetic retinopathy patients based on data-independent acquisition and parallel reaction monitoring.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic retinopathy (DR), a microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), represents the predominant cause of preventable vision loss in working-age populations globally. While the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying DR progression remain incompletely understood, our study employs comprehensive proteomic profiling of aqueous humor (AH) to identify stage-specific biomarkers and therapeutic targets in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients across DR progression. METHODS: Utilizing data-independent acquisition (DIA) mass spectrometry, we quantified AH proteomes in a discovery cohort comprising 24 subjects: 18 T2DM patients stratified by DR severity [6 non-DR, 6 non-proliferative DR (NPDR), 6 proliferative DR (PDR)] and 6 cataract controls without diabetes (non-DM). Validation cohort analysis (including 10 AH samples in each group) was performed using parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) strategy for verification of target proteins. Comprehensive bioinformatics analyses included gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and ConnectivityMap (Cmap)-based drug prediction. RESULTS: Proteomic profiling identified 739 quantifiable AH proteins (62% extracellular) with clear separation among the four clinical stages in the discovery cohort. GSEA uncovered altered expression of proteins mainly related to complement and coagulation cascades, folate metabolism, and the selenium micronutrient network in patients with DR. WGCNA-derived protein modules yielded 83 PRM-validated targets, including 5 hub proteins differentiating NPDR from non-DR and 33 hub proteins showed significant upregulation in PDR versus NPDR comparison. Clinical correlation analysis identified F2, FGG, FGB, RBP4, AMBP, VTN, C8A, CPB2, and C2 associated with clinical traits. C6, FAM3C, SPP1, and JCHAIN levels were altered post-anti-VEGF treatment. Pharmacological prediction identified potential therapeutic compounds, including perindopril, triciribine, and XAV-939 for NPDR, and topiramate, triciribine, and vecuronium for PDR. CONCLUSION: This study established a comprehensive AH proteomic signature of DR progression, offering insights into the pathogenesis of DR and highlighting potential biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets.

Humans↗