Review
Exogenous nitric oxide as an anti-infective agent
The author reviews the efficacy of topical NO-releasing materials, drugs that generate NO-related moieties, and inhalation of NO gas against viral, bacterial, fungal, and protozoal pathogens and discusses the potential prospects for inhaled NO as an adjunctive treatment for tuberculosis.
Article
Alzheimer’s genetic risk factor CASS4 controls microglial focal adhesion biology and amyloidosis
CASS4 is a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease but remains understudied in the brain. This study identifies CASS4 as a critical regulator of amyloid β plaque compaction, microglial mobilization to damage, and focal adhesion signaling.
Cbfβ regulates DNA looping at the Il4-Il13 loci to control their differential expression in Th2 cells
This study identifies key transcriptional regulators of Th2 cytokines through a CRISPR-based screen. It further demonstrates that Cbfβ/Runx complex is a direct driver for preferential IL-13 expression by binding the Il13 promoter and promoting chromatin accessibility and enhancer-promoter interactions without affecting GATA3 expression.
A genetically regulated SKAP2 switch modulates human T lymphocyte adhesion and migration
Spinella et al. linked a Crohn’s disease risk allele regulating SKAP2 expression to T lymphocyte function. SKAP2 enhances cell adhesion while suppressing migration. Sustained TCR signaling triggers its proteolytic cleavage to enable migration. Overall, genetic alteration of SKAP2 levels drives T cell dysfunction and promotes autoimmune disease.
