Generation Sequencing Technologies Research Articles

Urine microbiota and bladder cancer

Urine analysis data obtained using modern microbiological methods and 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology indicate that the urinary system has its own microbial ecosystem. Individual microbiota members can play a key role in the development of cancer. Certain bacterial taxa have been revealed in bladder urothelial carcinoma cells that can affect carcinogenesis, treatment response, and the development of relapses through various mechanisms. The studies are conducted to use not only vaccine strains, but also probiotic strains and oncolytic bacteria for the treatment and prevention of relapses.

Testing the informativeness of Y-STR and mitochondrial DNA control region markers in an attempt to predict ancestry of World War II victims from Slovenian mass grave.

Identification of human remains is a challenge in forensic genetics without relatives or personal items available. In Slovenia, a Konfin II mass grave from the Second World War (WWII) was found, containing skeletal remains of 65 victims. The archival documents detailing victims' information describe 45 persons of which 33 could be considered Germanic and 12 Slavic. This study aims to check for concordance between the victim list and actual victims found by using uniparental markers to differentiate between Slavic and non-Slavic origin by attempting to infer ancestry by analyzing the control region (CR) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosomal STRs. Diaphyses of femurs were used as a DNA source. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology was used for mtDNA- namely HID Ion Chef™ Instrument, Precision ID mtDNA Control Region Panel, and Ion GeneStudio™ S5 System. For the Y-chromosome, PowerPlex® Y23 System (Promega) kit and SeqStudio™ for human identification (HID) were used. European DNA Profiling mtDNA Population Database (EMPOP) and Y-Chromosome STR Haplotype Reference Database (YHRD) were searched for haplotype matches. Closest haplogroups were predicted using EMPOP, Y-DNA Haplogroup Predictor- NevGen, and Whit Athey's Haplogroup Predictor. Despite mitotypes being more diverse than Y-haplotypes, the Y-haplotypes had more database matches and more unequivocal differentiation between populations. 16 victims could be considered Slavic, 15 non-Slavic, and the remaining 34 had a rather scarce informativeness- either unclear or not providing any match. To address ancestry inference more comprehensively, analysis of autosomal ancestry informative markers as well as expansion on haploid markers will be conducted in future research.

Unveiling bat-borne viruses: a comprehensive classification and analysis of virome evolution.

Bats (Order Chiroptera) are an important reservoir of emerging zoonotic microbes, including viruses of public health concern such as henipaviruses, lyssaviruses, and SARS-related coronaviruses. Despite the continued discovery of new viruses in bat populations, a significant proportion of these viral agents remain uncharacterized, highlighting the imperative for additional research aimed at elucidating their evolutionary relationship and taxonomic classification. In order to delve deeper into the viral reservoir hosted by bats, the present study employed Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology to analyze 13,105 swab samples obtained from various locations in China. Analysis of 378 sample pools revealed the presence of 846 vertebrate-associated viruses. Subsequent thorough examination, adhering to the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) criteria for virus classification, identified a total of 120 putative viral species with the potential to emerge as novel viruses, comprising a total of 294 viral strains. Phylogenetic analysis of conserved genomic regions indicated the novel virus exhibited a diverse array of viral lineages and branches, some of which displayed close genetic relationships to known human and livestock pathogens, such as poxviruses and pestiviruses. This study investigates the breadth of DNA and RNA viruses harbored by bats, delineating several novel evolutionary lineages and offering significant contributions to virus taxonomy. Furthermore, the identification of hitherto unknown viruses with relevance to human and livestock health underscores the importance of this study in encouraging infectious disease monitoring and management efforts in both public health and veterinary contexts. Video Abstract.

The influence of host genotype and gut microbial interactions on feed efficiency traits in pigs

Feed efficiency and growth performance are economically important traits in pigs. Precious studies have been revealed that both genetics and gut microbes could influence host phenotypes, however, the mechanisms by which they affect pig growth and feed efficiency remain poorly understood. In this study, 361 crossbred Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) commercial pigs were genotyped using GeneSeek Porcine SNP50K BeadChip, and the microbiotas from fecal samples were acquired using microbial 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology to investigate the impact of host genetics and gut microorganisms on growth and feed efficiency. The results showed that the heritability and enterobacterial force ranged from 0.27 to 0.46 and 0 to 0.03, respectively. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified seven significant SNPs to be associated with growth and feed efficiency, and several genes, including AIF1L, ASS1, and QRFP were highlighted as candidates for the analyzed traits. Additionally, microbiome-genome-wide association studies GWAS revealed potential links between CCAR2, EGR3, GSTM3, and GPR61 genes and the abundance of microorganisms, such as Trueperella, Victivallis, and Erysipelatoclostridium. In addition, six microbial genera linked to growth and feed efficiency were identified as follows Lachnospiraceae_UCG-005, Prevotellaceae_UCG-003, Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group, Prevotella_1, Prevotella_9, and Veillonella. Our findings provide novel insights into the factors influencing host phenotypic complexity and identify potential microbial targets for enhancing pig feed efficiency through selective breeding. This could aid in the development of strategies to manipulate the gut microbiota to optimize growth rates and feed efficiency in pig breeding.

Abstract 4137339: Application of PLGA-PEG-PLGA Thermosensitive Hydrogel Loaded with Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes and Ginsenoside Rb3 in the Treatment of Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: Ginsenoside Rb3 (GSRb3) is a traditional Chinese medicine monomer. We aim to investigate the effects of GSRb3 on the proliferation of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) and the reparative effects of PLGA-PEG-PLGA thermosensitive hydrogel loaded with hiPSC-CMs and GSRb3 (NP GSRb3 @Gel+iCM) on myocardial infarction (MI). Methods: 1. Western Blot, RT-qPCR, cell immunofluorescence staining, and CCK-8 assays were employed to assess the proliferative effects of different concentrations of GSRb3 on neonatal mouse primary cardiomyocytes (NCMs) and hiPSC-CMs. 2. Transcriptomic gene sequencing technology was utilized to investigate the mRNA expression changes of hiPSC-CMs induced by GSRb3; The NP GSRb3 @Gel+iCM was injected into the left ventricular myocardium of the MI mice; the same volume injections of hiPSC-CMs (iCM group) and PLGA-PEG-PLGA thermosensitive hydrogel loaded with GSRb3 (NP GSRb3 @Gel group) served as control; Additionally, MI model group without additional treatment and sham group were established. 3. At 4 weeks post-MI, echocardiography, Sirius Red/Fast Green staining and immunofluorescence staining were utilized to evaluate the heart function, infarction size and survival rate of transplanted hiPSC-CMs. Results: GSRb3 inhibit the apoptosis of NCMs while promote proliferation of NCMs and hiPSC-CMs significantly. After 4 weeks of treatment, the engraftment rate of hiPSC-CMs in NP GSRb3 @Gel+iCM group (36.7%) was 4.8 times that of iCM group (7.7%); Compared to the MI group, NP GSRb3 @Gel group and iCM group, NP GSRb3 @Gel+iCM group showed significant improvement in cardiac function; The myocardial repair effect in NP GSRb3 @Gel+iCM group was significantly superior to NP GSRb3 @Gel group and iCM group, with a 47% reduction in infarct size compared to MI group, and further reduction in left ventricular anterior wall thickness compared to NP GSRb3 @Gel group and iCM group. Conclusion: GSRb3 promotes the proliferation of hiPSC-CMs both in vitro and in vivo. NP GSRb3 @Gel+iCM significantly increase the engraftment of hiPSC-CMs, promote angiogenesis, reduce infarction size, inhibit left ventricular remodeling and improve cardiac function.

Exploring the value of hybrid capture-based next-generation sequencing technology in the suspected diagnosis of bloodstream infections.

Determining the source of infection is significant for the treatment of bloodstream infections (BSI). The gold standard of blood infection detection, blood cultures, have low positive rates to meet clinical needs. In this study, we investigated the ability of hybrid capture-based next generation sequencing technology to detect pathogens in peripheral blood samples collected from patients with suspected BSI. Blood cultures and capture sequencing assays were also analyzed against the final clinical diagnoses. In this study, peripheral blood samples were collected from patients with fever, chills, and suspected BSI at Jinshazhou Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from March 2023 to January 2024. All samples were tested by three different technologies: plasma capture sequencing technology, white blood cell capture sequencing technology, and blood culture. Relevant clinical diagnostic information was also collected. The performances of the blood cultures were then compared to those of both plasma capture sequencing technology and white blood cell capture sequencing technology. A total of 98 patients were included in this study. The positive rates of probe capture next generation sequencing (NGS technology) in plasma and white blood cells were 81.63% and 65.31%, respectively, which were both significantly higher than that of the blood culture, which was 21.43% (p <0.001). Taking blood culture as the standard control, the sensitivity and specificity of plasma capture sequencing were 85.71% and 71.43%, respectively, while the sensitivity and specificity of white blood cell sequencing were 76.19% and 81.82%, respectively. Upon final clinical diagnosis, the clinical agreement rates of the blood cultures, plasma capture sequencing, and white blood cell capture sequencing were 39.80%, 83.67%, and 73.47%, respectively. Our study demonstrates the high accuracy of probe capture sequencing technology compared to blood cultures in the identification of pathogenic microorganisms in BSI upon final clinical diagnosis. Among the different sample types, white blood cell samples had a lower clinical compliance rate compared to plasma samples, possibly due to the higher host rate in cell samples, which impairs the sensitivity of pathogen detection.

Culturally responsive strategies and practical considerations for live tissue studies in Māori participant cohorts

IntroductionIndigenous communities globally are inequitably affected by non-communicable diseases such as cancer and coronary artery disease. Increased focus on personalized medicine approaches for the treatment of these diseases offers opportunities to improve the health of Indigenous people. Conversely, poorly implemented approaches pose increased risk of further exacerbating current inequities in health outcomes for Indigenous peoples. The advancement of modern biology techniques, such as three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models and next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, have enhanced our understanding of disease mechanisms and individualized treatment responses. However, current representation of Indigenous peoples in these datasets is lacking. It is crucial that there is appropriate and ethical representation of Indigenous peoples in generated datasets to ensure these technologies can be used to maximize the benefit of personalized medicine for Indigenous peoples.MethodsThis project discusses the use of 3D tumor organoids and single cell/nucleus RNA sequencing to study cancer treatment responses and explore immune cell roles in coronary artery disease. Using key pillars from currently available Indigenous bioethics frameworks, strategies were developed for the use of Māori participant samples for live tissue and sequencing studies. These were based on extensive collaborations with local Māori community, scientific leaders, clinical experts, and international collaborators from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Issues surrounding the use of live tissue, genomic data, sending samples overseas and Indigenous data sovereignty were discussed.ResultsThis paper illustrates a real-world example of how collaboration with community and the incorporation of Indigenous worldviews can be applied to molecular biology studies in a practical and culturally responsive manner, ensuring fair and equitable representation of Indigenous peoples in modern scientific data.

High throughput edit distance computation on FPGA-based accelerators using HLS

Edit distance is a computational grand challenge problem to quantify the minimum number of editing operations required to modify one string of characters to the other, finding many applications of natural language processing. In recent years, relevant and increasing interest has also emerged from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) applications, like Next Generation Sequencing and DNA storage technologies. Both applications share two crucial features: i) the information is coded into the four bases of DNA and ii) the level of operational noise is still high causing errors in the data, requiring inclusion in the workflow of the computation of algorithms such as the edit distance for finding similarities between sequences. To boost this computation many solutions are available in the literature. Among them, the FPGAs are largely used since the data domain of those applications is strings of 4 characters represented as two-bit values, inconveniently fitting the basic data types of ordinary CPUs and GPUs, with additional benefits of providing a high level of parallelism and low processing latency. This contribution presents a computing- and energy-efficient design implementing the edit distance algorithm combining metaprogramming and High-Level Synthesis. We also assess the performance of our design targeting recent FPGA-based accelerators. Our solution uses nearly 90% of FPGA basic-block hardware resources achieving about 90% of computing efficiency delivering a maximum throughput of 16.8 TCUPS and an energy efficiency of 46 Mpair/Joule, enabling the use of FPGAs as a new class of accelerators for High Performance Computing in DNA applications.

Preliminary study on the potential impact of probiotic combination therapy on Helicobacter pylori infection in children using 16S gene sequencing and untargeted metabolomics approach.

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential mechanism of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) eradication by probiotic therapy through 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology and untargeted metabolomics. Twenty four Hp-infected children were recruited from the Shanxi Bethune Hospital, and 24 healthy children were recruited as a blank control group. Group A: fecal samples from 24 healthy children. Group B: fecal samples of 24 children with Hp infection. Group B1 (n = 15): fecal samples of group B treated with probiotic therapy for 2 weeks. Group B2 (n = 19): fecal samples of group B treated with probiotic therapy for 4 weeks. The above fecal samples were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology and untargeted metabolomics. There was no significant difference in alpha diversity and beta diversity among the four groups, but many bacteria with statistical difference were found in each group at the bacterial genus level and phylum level. LEfSe results showed that in group B, Porphyromonadaceae, Shigella and other microorganisms related to intestinal microecological dysbiosis were enriched. And in group B2, abundant characteristic microorganisms were found, namely Bacillales and Prevotella. KEGG metabolic pathway enrichment analysis showed that groups B1 and B2 were involved in 10 metabolic pathways potentially related to probiotic treatment: purine metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, alanine, aspartic acid and glutamate metabolism, glyoxylic acid and dicarboxylic acid metabolism, unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, fatty acid extension, fatty acid degradation, pyrimidine metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis. Probiotic therapy can inhibit Hp to some extent and can relieve gastrointestinal symptoms, making it a preferred therapy for children with Hp infection and functional abdominal pain. Hp infection can reduce the diversity of intestinal microbes, resulting in the disturbance of intestinal microbiota and changes in the relative abundance of microbiota in children, while probiotic therapy can restore the diversity of intestinal microbes and intestinal microecological balance.

Genome guided, organ-specific transcriptome assembly of the European flounder (P. flesus) from the Baltic Sea

Although the European flounder is frequently used in research and has economic importance, there is still lack of comprehensive transcriptome data for this species. In the present research we show RNA-Seq data from ten selected organs of P. flesus female inhabiting brackish waters of the Gulf of Gdańsk (southern Baltic Sea). High throughput Next Generation Sequencing technology NovaSeq 6000 was used to generate 500 M sequencing reads. These were mapped against European flounder reference genome and reads extracted from the mapping were assembled producing 61k reliable contigs. Gene ontology (GO) terms were assigned to the majority of annotated contigs/unigenes based on the results of PFAM, PANTHER, UniProt and InterPro protein databases searches. BUSCOs statistics for eukaryota, metazoa, vertebrata and actinopterygii databases showed that the reported transcriptome represents a high level of completeness. The data set can be successfully used as a tool in design of experiments from various research fields including biology, aquaculture and toxicology.

Characterization of mitochondrial DNA mutations in colorectal cancer progression by in silico approach and use as potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis

BackgroundMitochondrial DNA variants are significant contributors to cancer progression, as evidenced by numerous findings. This study focuses on characterizing mitochondrial DNA mutations in colorectal cancer progression and their potential as biomarkers.MethodologyNext generation sequencing technology was employed to analyze mitochondrial DNA variants in tumor and adjacent normal tissues from 25 patients with colon/rectal cancer. In silico prediction tools (SIFT, Polyphen2, Mutation Assessor, and SNP&GO) were utilized to assess the pathogenicity of these variants. Additionally, homology modeling of mutated protein structures was conducted, and molecular dynamic simulations were performed to assess the impact of mutation on protein function.ResultsEighteen variants were identified across most tumor tissue samples, located in genes from Complex I, IV, and V. Among the identified variants, the V302M and S461 mutations in the MT-ND5 gene and L137F and L220P mutations in the ATP6 gene were predicted to be deleterious, potentially affecting protein function. 3D structural analysis of both wild-type and mutant proteins of MT-ND5 revealed changes in flexibility for the V302M and S461G mutations. The MT-ATP6 mutations L135F and L220P disrupt the interactions with surrounding residues and affect the overall function of protein. Further changes in protein dynamics of the mutated proteins by molecular dynamic simulations also indicate the effects; the mutations have on protein function.ConclusionMT-ND5 and MT-ATP6 variants could serve as potential biomarkers and drug targets in colorectal cancer. This study underscores the significance of mitochondrial DNA variants in cancer progression.

Identification of Genetic Variants Associated with Hereditary Thoracic Aortic Diseases (HTADs) Using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Technology and Genotype-Phenotype Correlations.

Hereditary thoracic aorta diseases (HTADs) are a heterogeneous group of rare disorders whose major manifestation is represented by aneurysm and/or dissection frequently located at the level of the ascending thoracic aorta. The diseases have an insidious evolution and can be encountered as an isolated manifestation or can also be associated with systemic, extra-aortic manifestations (syndromic HTADs). Along with the development of molecular testing technologies, important progress has been made in deciphering the heterogeneous etiology of HTADs. The aim of this study is to identify the genetic variants associated with a group of patients who presented clinical signs suggestive of a syndromic form of HTAD. Genetic testing based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology was performed using a gene panel (Illumina TruSight Cardio Sequencing Panel) or whole exome sequencing (WES). In the majority of cases (8/10), de novo mutations in the FBN1 gene were detected and correlated with the Marfan syndrome phenotype. In another case, a known mutation in the TGFBR2 gene associated with Loeys-Dietz syndrome was detected. Two other pathogenic heterozygous variants (one de novo and the other a known mutation) in the SLC2A10 gene (compound heterozygous genotype) were identified in a patient diagnosed with arterial tortuosity syndrome (ATORS). We presented the genotype-phenotype correlations, especially related to the clinical evolution, highlighting the particularities of each patient in a family context. We also emphasized the importance of genetic testing and patient monitoring to avoid acute aortic events.

Developmental and validation of a novel small and high-efficient panel of microhaplotypes for forensic genetics by the next generation sequencing

BackgroundIn the domain of forensic science, the application of kinship identification and mixture deconvolution techniques are of critical importance, providing robust scientific evidence for the resolution of complex cases. Microhaplotypes, as the emerging class of genetic markers, have been widely studied in forensics due to their high polymorphisms and excellent stability.Results and discussionIn this research, a novel and high-efficient panel integrating 33 microhaplotype loci along with a sex-determining locus was developed by the next generation sequencing technology. In addition, we also assessed its forensic utility and delved into its capacity for kinship analysis and mixture deconvolution. The average effective number of alleles (Ae) of the 33 microhaplotype loci in the Guizhou Han population was 6.06, and the Ae values of 30 loci were greater than 5. The cumulative power of discrimination and cumulative power of exclusion values of the novel panel in the Guizhou Han population were 1-5.6 × 10− 43 and 1-1.6 × 10− 15, respectively. In the simulated kinship analysis, the panel could effectively distinguish between parent-child, full-sibling, half-sibling, grandfather-grandson, aunt-nephew and unrelated individuals, but uncertainty rates clearly increased when distinguishing between first cousins and unrelated individuals. For the mixtures, the novel panel had demonstrated excellent performance in estimating the number of contributors of mixtures with 1 to 5 contributors in combination with the machine learning methods.ConclusionsIn summary, we have developed a small and high-efficient panel for forensic genetics, which could provide novel insights into forensic complex kinships testing and mixture deconvolution.

CannSeek? Yes we Can! Anopen-source single nucleotide polymorphism database and analysis portal for Cannabis sativa.

The CannSeek portal is available at https://icgrc.info/cannseek, https://icgrc.info/genotype_viewer.

Characterization of complete mitochondrial genome of Periclimenes brevicarpalis (Decapoda: Palaemonidae)

Periclimenes brevicarpalis is widely distributed in the Indo West Pacific oceans. The mitochondrial genome of P. brevicarpalis was sequenced and assembled firstly by next generation sequencing technology in our study. The complete mitochondrial genome of P. brevicarpalis was 16,673 bp in size, consisted of 22 transfer RNA genes, 13 protein coding genes and two ribosomal RNA genes. The contents of the four bases were C (25.62%), T (28.73%), A (31.64%), and G (14.01%). The result of phylogenetic analysis showed that P. brevicarpaliswas clustered with Anchistus australis. In conclusion, our research provided valuable data for phylogenetic analysis of the Palaemonidae family as the first report about mitochondrial genomes in Periclimenes.

Comparative Analyses of Lycodon rufozonatus and Lycodon rosozonatus Gut Microbiota in Different Regions.

The interactions between hosts and the gut microbiota are intricate and can significantly affect the ecology and evolution of both parties. Various host traits, including taxonomy, diet, social behaviour, and external factors such as prey availability and the local environment, all play an important role in shaping composition and diversity of the gut microbiogta. In this study, we explored the impact of intestinal microorganisms on the host in adapting to their respective ecological niches in two species of snakes. We collected feces from Lycodon rufozonatus and Lycodon rosozonatus from different geographical locations and used 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology to sequence the v3-v4 region. The results revealed that there was no significant difference in the alpha diversity of intestinal microorganisms between L. rufozonatus and L. rosozonatus. The gut microbiota of all individuals comprised four main phyla: Pseudomonadota, Bacteroidota, Bacillota, and Actinomycetota. At the genus level, the genus Salmonella dominated the enterobacterial microbiota in the samples from Hainan, while there was no obvious dominant genus in the enterobacterial microbiota of the samples from the other four localities. Comparative analysis of enzyme families annotated to the gut microbiota between L. rufozonatus and L. rosozonatus from the four sampling regions by CAZy carbohydrate annotation revealed that nine enzyme families differed significantly in terms of glycoside hydrolases (GHs). In addition, we compared the composition of gut microbial communities between L. rufozonatus and L. rosozonatus and investigated the impact of the differences on their functions. Our results will provide insights into the coevolution of host and gut microbes.

Resistance Induction in Two Alfalfa Varieties to Bean Leafroll Virus and Citrus Excortis Viroid Using Some Botanicals and Amino Acids Preparations

Many researches have been conducted so far in the topic of controlling the Bean leafroll virus and Citrus exocortis viroid. This study was conducted in a private farm at Balad district from September 1, 2023, to January 6, 2024, and aimed to evaluate the efficacy of azolla and clover plant extract, fosetyl aluminum pesticide, and Debal against Bean leafroll virus in the presence of Citrus exocortis viroid in diseased alfalfa. The diagnosis was confirmed for the whole genome of the virus and viroid under study using next generation sequencing technology. The resulting sequences were compared in the International Gene Bank database NCBI. The virus was the 1st record registered in Iraq, which was registered with a accession number PP889325, and the viroid genome was registered for the first time in the NCBI database with an accession number PP869624. Findings of the field experiment showed that the treatments were effective in reducing infection rates and disease severity beside increasing plant defense enzymes (catalase, polyphenol oxidase, and peroxidase) in virus infected alfalfa. Debal treatment, individual or in combination, recorded the highest rate leaf content of catalase (8.00), polyphenol oxidase (3.70), and peroxidase (4.13), with values significantly differed from infected untreated control treatment that recorded 3.33, 0.91, and 0.81, respectively.

WIMOAD: Weighted Integration of Multi-Omics data for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) Diagnosis.

As the most common subtype of dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by a progressive decline in cognitive functions, especially in memory, thinking, and reasoning ability. Early diagnosis and interventions enable the implementation of measures to reduce or slow further regression of the disease, preventing individuals from severe brain function decline. The current framework of AD diagnosis depends on A/T/(N) biomarkers detection from cerebrospinal fluid or brain imaging data, which is invasive and expensive during the data acquisition process. Moreover, the pathophysiological changes of AD accumulate in amino acids, metabolism, neuroinflammation, etc., resulting in heterogeneity in newly registered patients. Recently, next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have found to be a non-invasive, efficient and less-costly alternative on AD screening. However, most of existing studies rely on single omics only. To address these concerns, we introduce WIMOAD, a weighted integration of multi-omics data for AD diagnosis. WIMOAD synergistically leverages specialized classifiers for patients' paired gene expression and methylation data for multi-stage classification. The resulting scores were then stacked with MLP-based meta-models for performance improvement. The prediction results of two distinct meta-models were integrated with optimized weights for the final decision-making of the model, providing higher performance than using single omics only. Remarkably, WIMOAD achieves significantly higher performance than using single omics alone in the classification tasks. The model's overall performance also outperformed most existing approaches, highlighting its ability to effectively discern intricate patterns in multi-omics data and their correlations with clinical diagnosis results. In addition, WIMOAD also stands out as a biologically interpretable model by leveraging the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to elucidate the contributions of each gene from each omics to the model output. We believe WIMOAD is a very promising tool for accurate AD diagnosis and effective biomarker discovery across different progression stages, which eventually will have consequential impacts on early treatment intervention and personalized therapy design on AD.

Assessment of lower respiratory tract microbiota associated with pulmonary tuberculosis in children.

The respiratory microbiota plays a crucial role in the development of tuberculosis (TB). While existing research has underscored imbalances in the respiratory microbiota of adult patients with TB, information regarding the lower respiratory tract (LRT) microbiota in pediatric patients with TB remains scarce. We employed 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology to investigate the LRT microbial communities of 85 children of different ages with active TB of different severities, 33 children with infectious diseases other than TB, and 48 sex- and age-matched healthy children. A marked imbalance in the respiratory microbiota was observed in children with TB, highlighted by reduced alpha diversity and a distinct microbial community structure. Comparative analysis indicated that patients with severe TB exhibited lower Neisseria levels than those with non-severe TB (1.01% vs. 3.93%, respectively; p = .02). Streptococcus and Gemella levels were lower in bacteriologically confirmed TB cases compared with clinically diagnosed cases, and higher in healthy children younger than 10 years old than in the older group. Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated significant associations between the microbiota of the LRT and cytokine concentrations in the sputum of children with TB (e.g., an inverse correlation between Veillonella and interleukin-17A). TB induced significant dysbiosis in the LRT microbiota of children that was associated with disease severity and the immunological response in the respiratory tract. Our findings may offer a deeper understanding of the role of the respiratory microbiome in TB pathogenesis and progression.

Current Treatment Methods for Charcot-Marie-Tooth Diseases.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, the most common inherited neuromuscular disorder, exhibits a wide phenotypic range, genetic heterogeneity, and a variable disease course. The diverse molecular genetic mechanisms of CMT were discovered over the past three decades with the development of molecular biology and gene sequencing technologies. These methods have brought new options for CMT reclassification and led to an exciting era of treatment target discovery for this incurable disease. Currently, there are no approved disease management methods that can fully cure patients with CMT, and rehabilitation, orthotics, and surgery are the only available treatments to ameliorate symptoms. Considerable research attention has been given to disease-modifying therapies, including gene silencing, gene addition, and gene editing, but most treatments that reach clinical trials are drug treatments, while currently, only gene therapies for CMT2S have reached the clinical trial stage. In this review, we highlight the pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic investigations of different subtypes of CMT, and promising therapeutic approaches are also discussed.