Translational research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine
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More than 90% of the human genome is actively transcribed, but less than 2% of the total genome encodes protein-coding RNA, and thus, noncoding RNA (ncRNA) is a major component of the human transcriptome. Recently, ncRNA was demonstrated to play important roles in multiple biological processes by directly or indirectly interfering with gene expression, and the dysregulation of ncRNA is associated with a variety of diseases, including cancer. ⋯ We also presented their clinical application in the diagnosis and prognosis of CRC. The summary of the current state of ncRNA in CRC will contribute to our understanding of the complex processes of CRC initiation and development and will help in the discovery of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for CRC diagnosis and treatment.
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Spinal conditions related to intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration cost billions of dollars in the US annually. Despite the prevalence and soaring cost, there is no specific treatment that restores the physiological function of the diseased IVD. Thus, it is vital to develop new treatment strategies to repair the degenerating IVD. ⋯ Clinicians generally agree that short-term back pain should be treated conservatively. When interventions are considered, the ideal therapy should also be minimally invasive and concurrent with other procedures such as discography or discectomy. Restoration of tissue structure and preservation of spinal motion are desirable.
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Osteoporosis is a common, increasingly prevalent, global health burden characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD) and increased risk of fracture. Despite its significant impact on human health, there is currently a lack of highly effective treatments free of side effects for osteoporosis. Therefore, a major goal in the field is to identify new drug targets. ⋯ Over the last decade, GWASs have led to the identification of ∼100 loci associated with BMD and other bone traits related to risk of fracture. However, there have been limited efforts to identify the causal genes underlying the GWAS loci or the mechanisms by which GWAS loci alter bone physiology. In this review, we summarize the current state of the field and discuss strategies for causal gene discovery and the evidence that the novel genes underlying GWAS loci are likely to be a new source of drug targets.
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Recent studies have established that a complex community of microbes colonize the human urinary tract; however, their role in kidney transplant patients treated with prophylactic antibiotics remains poorly investigated. Our aim was to investigate the urinary microbiome of kidney transplant recipients. Urine samples from 21 patients after kidney transplantation and 8 healthy controls were collected. ⋯ This report characterizes the urinary microbiome of kidney transplants using shotgun metagenomics approach. Our results indicate that the urinary microbiota may be modified in the context of prophylactic antibiotics, indicating that a therapeutic intervention may shift the urinary microbiota to select bacterial species with increased resistance to antibiotics. The evaluation and development of optimal prophylactic regimens that do not promote antibiotic resistance is an important future goal.
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Metabolomics, an emerging field of "omics" sciences, has caught wide scientific attention in the area of biomarker research for cancers in which early diagnostic biomarkers have the potential to greatly improve patient outcome, such as renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Metabolomic approaches have been successfully applied to various human RCC model systems, mostly ex vivo neoplastic renal tissues and biofluids (urine and serum) from patients with RCC. ⋯ We then critically analyzed the consistency of evidence in this field and whether metabolites found altered in tumor cell and tissue microenvironment are reflected in biofluids, which constitute the rationale underlying the translation of discovered metabolic biomarkers into noninvasive diagnostic tools. Finally, dominant metabolic pathways and promising metabolites as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of RCC are outlined.