This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Excessive fat accumulation in pigs reduces economic returns in the pig industry. In humans and mice, the gut microbiome plays a role in host metabolism and fat accumulation, but the effects of a modern high-energy, high-protein diet on the gut microbiome and fat accumulation in pigs is not yet known. A recent study investigated the correlation between gut microbiome changes and fat accumulation in duroc pigs. They found that Prevotella copri abundance in the gut was positively associated with fat accumulation as well as increased obesity-related serum metabolite, increased host intestinal barrier permeability, and chronic inflammation. To examine causality, researchers isolated P. copri from pigs and administered it to germ-free mice. Treated mice showed similar phenotypes to pigs with high levels of P. copri, which included increased fat accumulation and altered serum metabolites..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Numerous food products on the market today advertise the presence of probiotics, living microorganisms with potential health benefits, and many people take dietary supplements containing probiotics in the hopes of improving their gut health. Scientists often compare peroral probiotic treatments to a 'drop in the ocean', referring to the vast microbiota that already exist in the gut. So how can it impact the entire microbiota and gut health? To answer this question, researchers recently evaluated how a particular probiotic bacterium affects immune cells found in masses of tissue in the small intestine called Peyer’s patches. They found an increase in both the number and immune function of certain white blood cells known as B lymphocytes in the Peyer’s patches of mice that ingested the probiotic. This change led to increased production of the antibody IgA and altered the intestinal microbial community, ultimately resulting in improved protection against inflammation, such as colitis..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The activation of toll-like receptors (TLRs) is critical to detecting potentially harmful microbes, but overactivation can be life-threatening, leading to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. While much research has been dedicated to positive regulators of TLR signaling, such as protein serine/threonine kinases, much less has focused on phosphatases, which counterbalance and limit TLR signaling. Fortunately, a growing number of studies are exploring the roles of these enzymes and how they might be harnessed to prevent excessive immune activation. Two important families of protein phosphatases are phospho-protein phosphatases (PPPs) and metal-dependent protein phosphatases (PPMs). PPPs contain a highly conserved catalytic core domain, which can combine with regulatory subunits to home in on specific enzymatic targets. PPMs, on the other hand, rely on magnesium or manganese ions and do not form multi-subunit complexes..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) is a deadly illness characterized by persistent lung inflammation. This inflammation is commonly triggered by the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS activates the synthesis and release of inflammatory cytokines by binding TLR4 (toll-like receptor 4), which activates NF-κB (nuclear factor-κB). To understand the exact signaling mechanisms, researchers focused on two potentially involved proteins, ezrin and ROCK (Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase). Ezrin is a cross-linking protein that has been previously implicated in the activation of TLR4 signaling during LPS challenge, and ROCK is a kinase that may regulate the activity of ezrin-related proteins via phosphorylation. In cultured pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells, LPS induced ezrin phosphorylation, but this could be inhibited by blocking RhoA/ROCK..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Stem cells are a promising source for regenerating damaged tissue and treating disease, but finding a safe, reliable, effective source of stem cells is a major challenge. Stem cells derived from discarded placenta present fewer ethical, legal, and technical challenges than embryonic and mesenchymal stem cells, making them of particular interest in the development of stem cell-based treatments. A recent study examined the development of human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs), a placental stem cell type that is able to differentiate into cells from all germ layers. Researchers analyzed the ability of a natural compound - 3,4,5-Tri-O-Caffeoylquinic Acid (TCQA) – to induce hAEC differentiation in vitro. They found that TCQA treatment enriched pigment and neural cell gene expression along with genes linked to neurogenesis, oxidation-reduction, epidermal development, and metabolism..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Dysregulation of the IL-6-induced JAK/STAT cascade is associated with severe inflammatory and proliferative diseases. The cascade is normally tightly controlled by proteins such as the feedback inhibitor SOCS3 and the tyrosine phosphatase SHP2. SOCS3 increases the stability of late IL-6-induced STAT3 activation across cells with different STAT3 levels and reduces the signal magnitude. but whether SHP2 similarly affects robustness and information transfer remains unclear. Researchers recently used multiplexed single-cell analyses and information theory approaches to clarify SHP2’s roles. They found that SHP2 improved the robustness of STAT3 activation under basal conditions (in the absence of the cytokine IL-6) and during early IL-6 signalling levelling the degree of activation across cells with heterogeneous expression levels of STAT3. However, it did not affect the robustness of late IL-6-induced STAT3 activation..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The scavenger receptors (SRs) are a group of surveillance proteins that play important roles in immune defense. These proteins are divided into 12 classes (A–L) on the basis of their diverse structures and functions. Their differences enable SRs to interact with a vast array of pathogenic factors, such as bacteria, to induce appropriate responses. Multiple SR types can bind to the same pathogenic signals, and an individual SR can bind multiple signal types. Furthermore, SRs can reversibly interact with co-receptor proteins to launch various responses, highlighting the complex and dynamic nature of SR-related defense. In general, SRs control the recruitment and activation of immune cells that eat harmful substances, and they can either induce or suppress inflammation depending on the conditions. Many SRs have both membrane-bound and soluble forms that accomplish their scavenging functions, while one potential SR, ACE-2, appears to scavenge only in its soluble form..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"New research finds that female mice are most vulnerable to air pollution early in their reproductive cycle That finding calls for a closer look at menstrual cycle phase when studying air pollution effects in women Researchers gathered mice at two different stages of their reproductive cycle marked by clear differences in circulating sex hormones They then exposed each group to ozone, a reactive air pollutant known to worsen symptoms of lung disease Those in the earlier phase showed higher activation of the immune system, suggesting higher sensitivity to air pollution at that time The carryover to women hasn’t yet been explored But the overall message is clear Women’s hormonal status should always be recorded in studies on air pollution and lung inflammation Fuentes et al. "Modulation of the lung inflammatory response to ozone by the estrous cycle..."

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This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"A healthy heart is one that stays in shape—literally. Remodeling of the heart’s structure is both a cause and an effect of heart disease. One molecule that could help fortify the heart against harmful reshaping is STING. STING is a signaling molecule that triggers a fleet of protective chemicals during infection, but recent studies suggest STING could also play a role in heart injury. To explore this role, researchers monitored STING in mouse models of heart remodeling. Mice experiencing heart remodeling showed elevated levels of STING. To isolate the effects of STING, certain mice were genetically altered to overexpress the molecule. Compared with unmodified mice, these high-STING mice showed smaller changes in heart size and better overall heart function. Cell experiments revealed that STING could provide these protective effects by combating autophagy. Autophagy is the process of degrading and recycling parts of the cell and is the driver of heart remodeling..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common cancer affecting approximately 4% of people. CRC arises through multiple genetic events and can affect intestinal homeostasis. Healthy intestinal epithelium acts as a physical barrier separating the intestinal microbiota from the host. The barrier is formed by tightly linked intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), which constantly self-renew, shed, and actively communicate with the microbiota. Signaling pathways affecting intestinal cell fate and homeostasis may therefore alter functions related to intestinal barrier homeostasis and even cause cancer. One critical signaling pathway involved in CRC development is KRAS. KRAS family proteins are involved in IEC proliferation, self-renewal, differentiation, adhesion, and apoptosis, and KRAS mutations occur in 45% of CRC patients, with most mutations locking the protein in an active conformation..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Meniscal tears are one of the most frequent knee injuries and the most common pathology leading to arthroscopic surgery in the United States. It’s no surprise, then, that there’s been a lot of research into how repairing these injuries affects joint kinematics and biomechanics. But meniscal injury also causes changes on the microscopic scale, in the joint microenvironment. Tracking these changes could provide important clues into the cellular processes that promote the development of conditions like post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Researchers from the NYU Langone Orthopedic Center are using synovial fluid biomarkers to take a closer look at this link. The team evaluated 41 patients undergoing arthroscopic surgery to treat a symptomatic, unilateral meniscal injury. Synovial fluid samples were collected at the time of surgery from both the operative and contralateral knee. The concentrations of 10 synovial fluid biomarkers were then compared between knees..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Skin wound healing is a complex process involving three phases: inflammation, cell proliferation, and tissue remodeling. The healing process is regulated by various cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. Recently, a new polyamine has gained attention for its effects on wound healing. Spermidine is a naturally occurring compound that is present in cheese, corn, mushrooms, legumes, soya products, and whole grains. Following up on a previous study that reported that SPD may promote wound healing, researchers investigated its effects on skin wound repair. Using a mouse model, they found that both oral and topical administration of SPD significantly accelerated skin wound healing. SPD boosted signaling through the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) signaling pathway and enhanced the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α in wound sites. In vitro scratch and cell proliferation assays also indicated that SPD administration accelerated wound closure and cell proliferation..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Ulcerative colitis is a painful inflammatory disease that is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, but the mechanisms linking these diseases are not well understood. There is mounting evidence that the receptor TLR4 (Toll like receptor 4) is a key bridge molecule linking the two. TLR4 is the receptor for endotoxins from gram-negative bacteria, including colitis-associated pathogens. This receptor is overexpressed in both colitis and colitis-associated cancer and may promote tumorigenesis by facilitating cell proliferation and protecting malignant cells against apoptosis. It may also accelerate invasion and metastasis while helping create a tumor-favoring microenvironment. More recently, research has suggested that the microRNA miR-155 may also play a role. The expression changes and cancer promoting properties of miR-155 in colitis-associated cancer development mirror those of TLR4..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Sepsis is one of the main causes of death in the intensive care unit. When an infection becomes severe, the immune system misfires, triggering a cascade of inflammatory responses. Pro-inflammatory factors secreted by immune cells called macrophages enhance the damage, worsening the clinical picture, and while interventions for sepsis are available, mortality remains high. Now, researchers have identified a new target in the battle against sepsis. Using cells isolated from mice, they measured gene and protein expression during E. coli challenge. They found that cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1), an enzyme that regulates metabolism, also regulates inflammatory responses during sepsis. CYP1A1 directed macrophages to initiate a microbe-internalizing process, phagocytosis, during infection. Inhibiting CYP1A1 blocked phagocytosis of bacteria in macrophages, preventing the cells from secreting more inflammatory molecules. This strategy was also effective in a mouse model of sepsis..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Hip osteoarthritis is a degenerative and painful disorder. The disease affects an estimated 21% of the population between the ages of 45 and 54, and twice that fraction among people over 75. Nearly half of cases of hip osteoarthritis can be traced to femoroacetabular impingement—the growth of extra bone over the hip joint. The progression from impingement to osteoarthritis is believed to be mediated by the release of inflammatory molecules across the hip cartilage. But the exact mechanisms are unknown. To address this gap, researchers tracked levels and patterns of inflammatory markers in cartilage from patients with symptoms of impingement. Their findings highlight the role of inflammation in upsetting joint homeostasis. The research team examined full-thickness cartilage samples gathered from the zone of impingement in 45 patients undergoing hip surgery. Reasons for surgery fell into one of three groups: early disease, late disease, or hip dysplasia..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Low-molecular-weight carrageenan (Cg) is a seaweed-derived sulfated polysaccharide that has been widely used to stimulate inflammation in preclinical studies. However, exactly how Cg induces inflammation is still unclear. Using cell culture and mouse model experiments, investigators examined the molecular basis of two inflammatory processes triggered by Cg: macrophage activation and cytokine production. Mouse peritoneal macrophage primary cell cultures were stimulated with a form of Cg, κ-Cg. The researchers found that κ-Cg activates peritoneal macrophages to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF and IL-1β. While κ-Cg-induced TNF production and secretion depend on TLR4/MyD88 signaling, the production of pro-IL-1β relies on the TLR4/TRIF/SYK/ reactive oxygen species signaling pathway..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Lymphotoxin β receptor (LTβR) is a key regulator of the immune response. Its signaling cascades control the development and maintenance of secondary lymphoid organs and immune cell development. Although many aspects of its signaling have been characterized, one important aspect remains unclear. After ligand binding, LTβR is internalized via endocytosis – but the precise mechanisms involved have not yet been characterized. A recent study investigated the contribution of LTβR internalization to its signaling potential. Researchers found LTβR localized to endocytic vesicles and the Golgi apparatus. After ligand binding, LTβR was trafficked via endosomes to lysosomes for degradation, downregulating signaling. Multiple entry pathways – clathrin-mediated, dynamin-dependent, and clathrin-independent – were used for receptor internalization, and without clathrin and dynamin, cells had elevated signaling through the NF-κB pathway..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Aspergillus fumigatus infection is difficult to diagnose and can develop into a dangerous condition called invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. The spores (conidia) from A. fumigatus are common in the air but normally our lung structure and immune system are protective. But events and illnesses that interrupt our immune system or damage our lungs can increase the risk of infection. Radiotherapy is one such event and its widespread application has increased the incidence of A. fumigatus infections. but the exact mechanism is poorly understood. A recent study in mice found that radiation destroyed the pulmonary epithelial barrier and increased the burden of A. fumigatus in the lungs. Further experiments determined that NLRP3 inflammasome signaling was triggering pyroptosis of the lung epithelial cells. Pyroptosis is a highly inflammatory type of programmed cell death where the cell bursts. Knocking out the gene for NLRP3 blocked pyroptosis, reduced the damage to the epithelial barrier, and reduced the A..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Excessive glucose and insulin levels in the blood are known to cause tissue damage and even organ failure, particularly in people with diabetes. In the search for new drugs that can counteract these dangerous effects researchers recently examined the medicinal plant Hyoscyamus albus, or white henbane. Found in the Mediterranean, white henbane is rich in alkaloids such as hyoscyamine and scopolamine. Found in the Mediterranean, white henbane is rich in alkaloids such as hyoscyamine and scopolamine, which possess analgesic, anti-spasm, and sedative properties. The research team focused on a group of recently discovered alkaloids called “calystegines”, which have been shown to counteract excessive glucose and insulin levels. Calystegines improved liver cell viability under hyperglycemic and hyperinsulinemic conditions, as well as glucose uptake in insulin-resistant liver cells, as indicated by the fluorescent glucose analog 2-NBDG..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Age brings with it many chronic conditions related to tissue decline and inflammation. The functions of our intestinal barrier, brain, and eyes can all be affected by changes in our gut microbiota which occur with ageing. However, we don’t yet know if age-related changes to the microbiome cause any of the observed changes in other tissues. To close this gap, researchers used fecal microbiota transfer (FMT) between mice of different ages. They found that transfer of gut microbiota from aged donor mice to young mice induced inflammation in the gut, brain and retina. Intestinal permeability was increased, and the brain showed microglial activation in these aged-to-young FMT recipients. The retinas of recipients also showed altered cytokine signalling and loss of a key protein important for normal vision, thus identifying a role for gut microbiota in regulating eye health..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.