LKB1 Regulates Inflammation of Fibroblast-like Synoviocytes from Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis via AMPK-Dependent SLC7A11-NOX4-ROS Signaling

Ferroptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress in rheumatoid arthritis

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent mode of cell death distinct from apoptosis and necrosis. Its mechanisms mainly involve disordered iron metabolism, lipid peroxide deposition, and an imbalance of the antioxidant system. The endoplasmic reticulum is an organelle responsible for protein folding, lipid metabolism, and Ca2+ regulation in cells. It can be induced to undergo endoplasmic reticulum stress in response to inflammation, oxidative stress, and hypoxia, thereby regulating intracellular environmental homeostasis through unfolded protein responses. It has been reported that ferroptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) have an interaction pathway and jointly regulate cell survival and death. Both have also been reported separately in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) mechanism studies. However, studies on the correlation between ferroptosis and ERS in RA have not been reported so far. Therefore, this paper reviews the current status of studies and the potential correlation between ferroptosis and ERS in RA, aiming to provide a research reference for developing treatments for RA.

Study on Potential Differentially Expressed Genes in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis by Bioinformatics and Next-Generation Sequencing Data Analysis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive lung disease with reduced quality of life and earlier mortality, but its pathogenesis and key genes are still unclear. In this investigation, bioinformatics was used to deeply analyze the pathogenesis of IPF and related key genes, so as to investigate the potential molecular pathogenesis of IPF and provide guidance for clinical treatment. Next-generation sequencing dataset GSE213001 was obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between IPF and normal control group. The DEGs between IPF and normal control group were screened with the DESeq2 package of R language. The Gene Ontology (GO) and REACTOME pathway enrichment analyses of the DEGs were performed. Using the g:Profiler, the function and pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs were performed. Then, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed via the Integrated Interactions Database (IID) database. Cytoscape with Network Analyzer was used to identify the hub genes. miRNet and NetworkAnalyst databaseswereused to construct the targeted microRNAs (miRNAs), transcription factors (TFs), and small drug molecules. Finally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to validate the hub genes. A total of 958 DEGs were screened out in this study, including 479 up regulated genes and 479 down regulated genes. Most of the DEGs were significantly enriched in response to stimulus, GPCR ligand binding, microtubule-based process, and defective GALNT3 causes HFTC. In combination with the results of the PPI network, miRNA-hub gene regulatory network and TF-hub gene regulatory network, hub genes including LRRK2, BMI1, EBP, MNDA, KBTBD7, KRT15, OTX1, TEKT4, SPAG8, and EFHC2 were selected. Cyclothiazide and rotigotinethe are predicted small drug molecules for IPF treatment. Our findings will contribute to identification of potential biomarkers and novel strategies for the treatment of IPF, and provide a novel strategy for clinical therapy.