Volume 2 Issue 7
Cover interpretation
Ge Ruowen
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an irreversible and devastating lung disease with unknown causes and a median survival of only 3-4 years post-diagnosis. Current IPF drugs are unable to provide disease resolution. Thus, further understanding of the molecular mechanisms of IPF is critical for developing effective therapeutics. ISM1 is highly expressed in the mouse lung with anti-inflammatory function. However, its role in pulmonary fibrosis remains unclear. Using a bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model in mice, this study reveals that ISM1 deficiency results in heightened pulmonary fibrosis along with increased cellular senescence in type II alveolar epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts. Ism1-/- lung also showed delayed resolution of pulmonary fibrosis with reduced lipofibroblasts and downregulation of lipid synthesis-related genes. As the Ism1 gene is similarly dysregulated in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice and human IPF patients, this work reveals that further investigation of ISM1 for IPF is warranted.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The climate-health crisis: Innovation for adaptation
Corresponding author: Wang Likui
Cite:
Wang L, Thow KG. The climate-health crisis: Innovation for adaptation. hLife 2024; 2:321–324.
2. Single-cell omics in tracing cellular heterogeneity of drug-induced liver injury: Technological landscape and prospective application
hLife Review | Exploring Drug-Induced Liver Injury: A New Perspective on Single-Cell Omics
Corresponding Author: ZHANG Yanqiong
This article systematically describes that single-cell omics technology is a powerful tool to explore the heterogeneity of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) cells and its related molecular mechanisms.
Cite:
Mao X, Xu M, YanX, et al. Single-cell omics in tracing cellular heterogeneity of drug-induced liver injury: Technological landscape and prospective application. hLife 2024; 2:325–341.
3. Ism1 deficiency in mice exacerbates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis with enhanced cellular senescence and delayed fibrosis resolution
hLife Article | The research team of Ge Ruowen of the National University of Singapore discovered the role and mechanism of the secretory protein ISM1 in lung tissue in inhibiting pulmonary fibrosis
Corresponding Author: Ge Ruowen
This article revealed the role of the natural secreted protein ISM1 in lung tissue in limiting the severity of pulmonary fibrosis and related mechanisms.
Cite:
Shanmugasundaram M, Xu S, Yang Y, et al. Ism1 deficiency in mice exacerbates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis with enhanced cellular senescence and delayed fibrosis resolution. hLife 2024; 2:342–359.
4. A cholangiocyte organoid system for Cryptosporidium parvum cultivation and transcriptomic studies of biliary cryptosporidiosis
hLife Article | The research team of Xiao Lihua and Feng Yaoyu at South China Agricultural University created an organoid model for the study of biliary cryptosporidiosis
Corresponding authors: Xiao Lihua, Feng Yaoyu
In this study, gallbladder organoids were used to construct a culture model to support the life history of Cryptosporidium in vitro, which solved the long-term problem of lack of research models for Cryptosporidium-biliary tract infection, and laid a foundation for subsequent disease mechanism research and treatment development.
Cite:
Deng M, Tian Q, Mao X, etal. A cholangiocyte organoid system for Cryptosporidium parvum cultivation and transcriptomic studies of biliary cryptosporidiosis. hLife 2024; 2:360–370.
5. TLR5 expression marks brain boarder associated macrophages and protects neonatal mice from bacterial meningitis
hLife Letter | 脑膜巨噬细胞TLR5表达帮助新生儿抵抗细菌性脑膜炎感染
Corresponding authors: Yan Li, Yayi Hou, Wei Zhang
In perinatal and neonatal mice, meningeal macrophages but not parenchymal neuromicroglia overexpress the bacterial flagellin-specific receptor TLR5. The study also explored the effects of TLR5 activation against bacterial meningitis infection in neonatal mice. Neurological system-associated macrophages express functional proteins in specific regions and may be an adaptive mechanism of the nervous system when performing immune defenses and avoiding central overactivation damage. This study sheds light on the functional partitioning of macrophages in the nervous system.
Cite:
Ren D, Zhang Z, Zheng X, et al. TLR5 expression marks brain boarder associated macrophages and protects neonatal mice from bacterial meningitis. hLife 2024; 2:371–376.