Integrative human and murine multi-omics: Highlighting shared biomarkers in the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) is a group of neurodegenerative disorders whose molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Omics approaches are among the methods that generate new information on modifying factors and molecular signatures. Moreover, omics data integration can address the need to progressively expand knowledge around the disease and pinpoint specific proteins to promote as candidate biomarkers. In this work, we integrated a total of 62 proteomic and transcriptomic datasets originating from humans and mice, employing a new approach able to define dysregulated processes across species, stages and NCL forms. Moreover, we selected a pool of differentially expressed proteins and genes as species- and form-related biomarkers of disease status/progression and evaluated local and spatial differences in most affected brain regions. Our results offer promising targets for potential new therapeutic strategies and reinforce the hypothesis of a connection between NCLs and other forms of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease.

A common plasma lipidomics signature of cardiometabolic and coronary risk in statin users

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): European Commission in the H2020 program: Project SMARTool, “Simulation

Modeling of coronary ARTery disease: a tool for clinical decision support—SMARTool”

Background and aims

The coexistence of elevated plasma triglycerides (TG) and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) may contribute to the residual cardiometabolic risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) independently of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) absolute plasma levels [1]. Aim of this study is to assess whether a high TG/HDL-C ratio is characterized by a specific lipidomics signature in statin users and its relationship with the coronary risk score defined by coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA).

Methods

TG/HDL-C ratio was calculated in 132 patients (68.8±7.7 years, 85 males) with suspected or known CAD referred to coronary CTA and receiving statins treatment in the last 6.3 ± 1.4 years before enrolment. Patients were grouped according to TG/HDL-C ratio quartiles: IQ (≤1.694), IIQ (1.695-2.399), IIIQ (2.400-3.281), and IVQ (>3.282). Coronary CTA exams were analysed according to the modified 17-segment American Heart Association classification [2] and interpretable segments were visually assessed for degree of stenosis and plaque composition. A comprehensive coronary risk score (CTA score) [3], previously validated as predictor of adverse outcome, was calculated in each patient. Except for subjects with normal arteries (CTA score = 0), all patients were classified into 3 groups of CTA score severity:  low (score < 5), intermediate (score 5-20) and high (score > 20) risk [4]. Patient-specific plasma targeted lipidomics was performed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This approach allowed to quantify 69 circulating lipids encompassing six lipid classes (triacylglycerol [TG], phosphatidylcholine [PC], phosphatidylethanolamine [PE], ceramide [Cer], sphingomyelin [SM], cholesterol ester [CE]). Differential analysis was performed using TG/HDL-C and CTA score annotation.

Results

18 altered lipid species in the group with higher TG/HDL-C ratio were also altered in the group with higher CTA risk score. This common set of lipids is composed of CE(16:0), CE(18:0), PC(38:2), 8 SM [SM(34:2), SM(38:2), SM(41:2), SM(41:1), SM(42:4), SM(42:3), SM(42:1), SM(43:3)], TG(52:1) and 6 PE [PE(34:0), PE(34:1), PE(34:2), PE(36:1), PE(36:2), PE(36:3)], and represents the lipidomics signature associating elevated plasma TG/HDL-C ratio with high CTA risk score in statin users.

Conclusion

In patients with stable CAD under statin treatment, a specific pattern of altered lipids, characterized by reduced plasma levels of cholesterol esters and sphingomyelins and increased levels of triacylglicerols and phosphatidylethanolamines, is associated with high TG/HDL-C ratio and high CTA score. This specific lipidomic signature identifies patients with higher residual cardiometabolic and coronary risk, not tackled by current lipid lowering therapy, unveiling possible new molecular targets of treatment.

PtI2(DACH), the iodido analogue of oxaliplatin as a candidate for colorectal cancer treatment: chemical and biological features

PtI₂(DACH) has been prepared and tested. PtI₂(DACH) shows different chemical and biological features than oxaliplatin, manifesting cellular effects nearly comparable to those of parent drug in three cellular lines of CRC.

Candidate biomarkers for mosquito age-grading identified by label-free quantitative analysis of protein expression in Aedes albopictus females

We applied a "shotgun" approach based on nanoliquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry associated to label free quantification (LFQ) to identify proteins varying with age, independently from the physiological state, in Aedes albopictus, a mosquito species which in the last decades invaded temperate regions in North America and Europe, creating concerns for associated high nuisance and risk of arbovirus transmission. The combined "shotgun" and LFQ approach was shown to be highly suitable to simultaneously compare several biological samples, as needed in a study aimed to analyze different age-groups and physiological states of adult mosquito females. The results obtained represent the first wide-scale analysis of protein expression in Ae. albopictus females: >1000 and 665 proteins were identified from few micrograms of crude protein extracts of mosquito heads and thoraxes, respectively. Six of these proteins were shown to significantly vary from 2- to 16-day-old females, independently from their physiological state (i.e. virgin, mated, host-seeking, blood-fed, and gravid).

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue and other arboviroses, are a persistent cause of global mortality and morbidity, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Billions of people living in tropical areas are at risk of being bitten every day by an infective mosquito female and the spread of tropical species such as Aedes albopictus to temperate areas is creating alarm in the northern hemisphere. Mosquito longevity is a critical factor affecting mosquito-borne pathogen transmission cycles and the mosquito capacity to transmit pathogens. However, large scale analyses of the age structure of mosquito field populations is hampered by the lack of optimal age-grading approaches. Our findings open new perspectives for the development of reliable, simple and cheap protein-based assays to age-grade Ae. albopictus females and, most likely, other mosquito species of higher medical relevance, such as the main dengue vector, Aedes aegypti, and the major Afrotropical malaria vectors. These assays would greatly contribute to epidemiological studies aimed at defining the actual vectorial capacity of a given mosquito species. Moreover, they would be very valuable in assessing the effectiveness of mosquito control interventions based on the relative ratio between young and old individuals before and after the intervention.

Interactions of selected gold(iii) complexes with DNA G quadruplexes

The interactions of three Au(iii) complexes with human telomeric DNA sequences: Auoxo6 turned out to be very effective in inducing and binding the G-quadruplex DNA conformation.