Biology subjects

Chao, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Chao, C..

9 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Epigallocatechin gallate and thermal cycling-stimulation synergistically promote apoptosis in A549 cells via endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced calcium ion dysregulation and oxidative stress

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as the predominant subtype of lung cancer, presents a considerable clinical challenge due to its high rates of recurrence and the significant adverse effects associated with conventional therapeutic modalities. In response to these challenges, this study explored the new combined anticancer effects of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) together with thermal cycling-stimulation (TCS). The findings demonstrated that the combination of EGCG and TCS synergistically decreased the viability of A549 and NCI-H460 NSCLC cells, while exhibiting minimal cytotoxic effects on IMR-90 normal lung fibroblasts. Further investigation revealed that EGCG mitigated the TCS-induced upregulation of heat shock proteins HSP70 and HSP105 and concurrently diminished the expression levels of proteasome subunits. This combined effect disrupted proteostasis, resulting in pronounced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Subsequently, a positive feedback mechanism was established between inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R)-mediated ER Ca2+ release and excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, ultimately leading the cells to undergo mitochondrial apoptosis. This combined treatment reduces the necessary dosage of EGCG, thereby overcoming limitations related to its poor bioavailability and systemic toxicity, while also preventing the development of thermotolerance induced by TCS. Consequently, this method offers a new and potentially practical therapeutic strategy for treating NSCLC.

Cancer Biology↗

bioRxiv2026

A CRISPR-Based Humanized Model Reveals Cooperative Role of STAG2 Loss in Familial GATA2-Deficient MDS Progression

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a heterogeneous myeloid malignancy driven by hematopoietic stem cell dysfunction, leading to ineffective hematopoiesis and cytopenias. Familial GATA2 deficiency is the most common cause of Myelodysplastic syndrome in adolescents, with progression often accelerated by co-occurring mutations, notably STAG2 loss-of-function. Using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome engineering in primary human fetal liver-derived hematopoietic stem cells and xenotransplantation in mice, we modeled GATA2-deficient Myelodysplastic syndrome with acquired STAG2 loss to investigate disease initiation and progression. While GATA2 deficiency alone had minimal short-term impact in our model, combined GATA2 and STAG2 loss increased hematopoietic stem cell maintenance and self-renewal, induced a myeloid-lineage bias, and expanded primitive progenitors. Single-cell transcriptional profiling revealed upregulation of stemness genes and inflammatory pathways. This humanized model faithfully recapitulates high-risk GATA2-deficient Myelodysplastic syndrome, providing mechanistic insight into how cooperative mutations drive stem cell expansion, inflammatory signaling, and myeloid skewing. Visual Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=119 SRC="FIGDIR/small/702879v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (20K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1972beforg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1c57886org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@16bd582org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@8e728a_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG Key PointsO_LIHumanized model of familial GATA2-deficiency requires the loss of STAG2 for progression to an MDS disease phenotype C_LIO_LIGATA2-ko+STAG2-ko increase HSC self-renewal, induce a myeloid-lineage bias, and trigger an inflammatory transcriptional program C_LI

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2025

On the ancestry and evolution of the extinct dire wolf

Dire wolves (Aenocyon dirus) are extinct predators of Pleistocene North America. Although phenotypically similar to living wolves (Canis lupus), dire wolves have yet to be placed confidently in the canid family tree. We generated 3.4x and 12.8x paleogenomes from two well-preserved dire wolves dating to > 13,000 and > 72,000 years ago, and estimated consensus species trees for these and 10 canid species. Our results revealed that [~]2/3 of dire wolf ancestry is derived from a lineage sister to the clade comprising the gray wolf, coyote, and dhole, and the remaining [~]1/3 from a lineage near the base of Canini diversity. We identified 80 genes evolving under diversifying selection in dire wolves. Our results underscore the power of paleogenomes to resolve long-standing taxonomic questions and contribute to growing evidence of the role of post-speciation gene flow as an evolutionary force.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Ontogeny Dictates Oncogenic Potential, Lineage Hierarchy, and Therapy Response in Pediatric Leukemia

Accumulating evidence links pediatric cancers to prenatal transformation events, yet the influence of the developmental stage on oncogenesis remains elusive. We investigated how hematopoietic stem cell developmental stages affect leukemic transformation, disease progression, and therapy response using a novel, humanized model of NUP98::NSD1-driven pediatric acute myeloid leukemia, that is particularly aggressive with WT1 co-mutations. Fetal-derived hematopoietic stem cells readily transform into leukemia, and WT1 mutations further enhance stemness and alter lineage hierarchy. In contrast, stem cells from later developmental stages become progressively resistant to transformation. Single-cell analyses revealed that fetal-origin leukemia stem cells exhibit greater quiescence and reliance on oxidative phosphorylation than their postnatal counterparts. These differences drive distinct therapeutic responses, despite identical oncogenic mutations. In patients, onco-fetal transcriptional programs correlate with worse outcomes. By targeting key vulnerabilities of fetal-origin leukemia cells, we identified combination therapies that significantly reduce aggressiveness, highlighting the critical role of ontogeny in pediatric cancer treatment.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Exploring the Antifibrotic Potential of the heparan sulfate mimetic OTR4120: Insights from Preclinical Models

RationaleIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a debilitating lung disease characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM), resulting in lung function impairment. Heparan sulfate mimetics (HSm) have been suggested to have potential antifibrotic effects by regulating ECM. This study aims to investigate the impact of a specific HSm named OTR4120 on fibrotic processes in ex vivo, in vitro and in vivo models. MethodsHuman Precision Cut Lung Slices (hPCLS) treated with a fibrotic cocktail alone or with OTR4120 were evaluated using second-harmonic imaging microscopy (SHIM) to assess collagen deposition. Human embryonic fibroblast WI-38 cell line and primary fibroblasts obtained from human donors were differentiated into myofibroblasts (MYF) using TGF-{beta}1 and treated with OTR4120 or a control vehicle. Gene expression analysis for MYF markers was performed using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Protein expression of MYF markers was evaluated using immunofluorescence techniques. Bulk-RNA sequencing analysis on WI-38 cells cultured under different experimental conditions was conducted. Finally, the therapeutic effects of OTR4120 on a bleomycin-induced fibrosis mouse model were investigated. ResultsSHIM analysis on OTR4120-treated hPCLS showed a decrease in collagen deposition. OTR4120 treatment of primary fibroblasts and WI-38 cells exposed to TGF-{beta}1 significantly reduced the expression of MYF markers. Bulk-RNA sequencing analysis on OTR4120-treated WI-38 cells showed significant impacts on fibrosis-related processes. Therapeutic application of OTR4120 in vivo to bleomycin-induced fibrosis mice resulted in enhanced fibrosis resolution. ConclusionOTR4120 has potential therapeutic benefits as an antifibrotic agent in the context of lung fibrosis. Further investigations are necessary to understand the precise mechanism through which OTR4120 exerts its antifibrotic effects.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Subchronic oral toxicity study of Aldicarb sulfoxide in Sprague-Dawley rats

Aldicarb sulfoxide is the metabolite of the exceedingly deadly carbamate insecticide Aldicarb. Aldicarb sulfoxide is easily soluble in water and has been identified in groundwater. Moreover, Aldicarb sulfoxide is highly hazardous to mammals. However, the toxicity data of Aldicarb sulfoxide is scarce. Here, the effects of relatively low dosages of exposure to Aldicarb sulfoxide on the blood biochemical, hematological, and histopathological parameters were examined in SD rats. The rats were treated with Aldicarb sulfoxide orally at dosages of 0, 6.3, 18.9, and 56.7 g per kg b.w. daily for 12 weeks. The results revealed that Aldicarb sulfoxide induced significant alterations in liver-related biochemical parameters, glucose level, cholesterol level, and uric acid level. Histopathological testing demonstrated cellular alterations in the liver of 18.9 and 56.7 g/kg BW. Together, our data demonstrated that Aldicarb sulfoxide exposure causes liver injury. Furthermore, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) was less than 6.3 g/kg BW, and the lowest benchmark dose (BMD) value was 0.03 g/kg BW. Accordingly, Aldicarb sulfoxides derived no-effect level (DNEL) was calculated as 0.00035 g/kg BW. Thus, this work is an important reference for supervising Aldicarb sulfoxide in the environment and determining safe exposure limits for Aldicarb sulfoxide.

pharmacology and toxicology↗

bioRxiv2022

Sex differences in islet stress responses support female beta cell resilience

ObjectivePancreatic {beta} cells play a key role in glucose homeostasis; dysfunction of this critical cell type causes type 2 diabetes (T2D). Emerging evidence points to sex differences in {beta} cells, but few studies have examined male-female differences in {beta} cell stress responses and resilience across multiple contexts, including diabetes. Here, we address the need for high-quality information on sex differences in {beta} cell/islet gene expression and function using both human and rodent samples. MethodsWe compared {beta} cell gene expression and insulin secretion in donors living with T2D to non-diabetic donors in both males and females. In mice, we generated a well-powered islet RNAseq dataset from 20-week-old male and female siblings with equivalent insulin sensitivity. Because on our unbiased analysis of gene expression pointed to sex differences in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, we subjected islets isolated from age-matched male and female mice to thapsigargin treatment and monitored protein synthesis, cell death, and {beta} cell insulin production and secretion. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were used to characterize sex differences in islet responses to ER stress. ResultsOur single-cell analysis of human {beta} cells revealed sex-specific changes to gene expression and function in T2D, correlating with more robust insulin secretion in islets isolated from female donors living with T2D compared to male T2D donors. In mice, RNA sequencing revealed differential enrichment of unfolded protein response pathway-associated genes, where female islets showed higher expression of genes linked with protein synthesis, folding, and processing. This differential expression was biologically significant, as female islets were more resilient to ER stress induction with thapsigargin. Specifically, female islets maintained better insulin secretion and showed a distinct transcriptional response under ER stress compared with males. ConclusionsOur data demonstrate that physiologically significant sex differences in {beta} cell gene expression exist in both humans and mice, and that female {beta} cells maintain better insulin production and secretion across multiple physiological and pathological contexts.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Female-specific upregulation of insulin pathway activity mediates the sex difference in Drosophila body size plasticity

Nutrient-dependent body size plasticity differs between the sexes in most species, including mammals. Previous work in Drosophila showed that body size plasticity was higher in females, yet the mechanisms underlying the sex difference in body size plasticity remain unclear. Here, we discover that a protein-rich diet augments body size in females and not males because of a female-specific increase in activity of the conserved insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway (IIS). This increased IIS activity was triggered by a diet-induced increase in stunted, and required Drosophila insulin-like peptide 2, illuminating new sex-specific roles for these genes. Importantly, we show that sex determination gene transformer regulates the diet-induced increase in stunted and IIS activity, and mediates the sex difference in body size plasticity. This identifies one sex-specific mechanism underlying the nutrient-dependent regulation of IIS activity and body size plasticity, providing vital insight into conserved mechanisms that mediate sex differences in phenotypic plasticity.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2017

The CD11a and EPCR marker combination simplifies and improves the purification of mouse hematopoietic stem cells

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the self-renewing multipotent progenitors to all blood cell types. Identification and isolation of HSCs for study has depended on the expression of combinations of surface markers on HSCs that reliably distinguish it from other cell types. However, the increasing number of markers required to isolate HSCs has made it tedious, expensive, and difficult for newcomers, suggesting the need for a simpler panel of HSC markers. We previously showed that phenotypic HSCs could be separated based on expression of CD11a, and that only the CD11a negative fraction contained true HSCs. Here, we show that CD11a and another HSC marker, EPCR, can be used to effectively identify and purify HSCs. We introduce a new two-color HSC sorting method that can highly enrich for HSCs with efficiencies comparable to the gold standard combination of CD150 and CD48. Our results demonstrate that adding CD11a and EPCR to the HSC biologists toolkit improves the purity of and simplifies isolation of HSCs.\n\nSignificance StatementThe study of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and their purification for transplantation requires a panel of surface markers that can be used to distinguish HSCs from other cell types. The number of markers necessary to identify HSCs continues to grow, making it increasingly difficult to identify HSCs by flow cytometry. In this study, we identified a combination of two surface markers, CD11a and EPCR, to enrich for HSCs in the mouse bone marrow without the need for additional markers. This simplified panel could aid HSC research by reducing the number of markers necessary to identify and isolate HSCs.

immunology↗