Biomedical subjects

Xiao Hu

Publications and source records attributed to Xiao Hu.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Generation of an NKX2-1-EGFP reporter iPSC line with inducible Cas9 for lung progenitor cell tracing.

NK2 homeobox 1 (NKX2-1), a master regulator robustly expressed in lung, thyroid, and forebrain, is indispensable for specifying lung epithelial fate and serves as a definitive marker of lung progenitors. Here, we generated a human induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) line harboring a doxycycline (dox)-inducible Cas9 and an NKX2-1-EGFP-puro reporter via CRISPR/Cas9-mediated homology-directed repair. This dual-function line combines inducible genome editing with real-time tracing of early lung progenitors, enabling their prospective isolation and screening for stage-specific maturation regulators. Therefore, this engineered iCas9-NKX2-1 EGFP line is a key resource for dissecting human lung development, modeling pulmonary disease, and advancing regenerative therapies.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Proteomics Analysis of Plasma for Risk of Sepsis: Findings from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a life-threatening complication of infection with high mortality. A high-throughput analysis of circulating blood proteins may provide mechanistic insight and potent therapeutic targets for the prevention of sepsis. METHODS: We used multivariable Cox regression analysis to examine the association of 4955 plasma proteins, measured by SomaScan, with the risk of incident sepsis among 11 065 participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study (visit 3 in 1993 to 1995; mean age, 60.1 years, 54.4% female, 21.0% Black). Proteins (false discovery rate [FDR] of P < 0.05) discovered at visit 3 were replicated using data at visit 5 (n = 4869 in 2011 to 2013: mean age, 75.5 years) and in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) (n = 3512 in 1992 to 1993; mean age, 74.5 years). Canonical pathways were identified by enrichment analyses. RESULTS: At ARIC visit three, 669 proteins were associated with the risk of sepsis; 175 were replicated at visit 5. Of these, 90 were validated in the CHS. The top 20 proteins ranked by P value were relevant to acute inflammatory signaling in innate immunity. Pathway analyses implicated activation of pro-inflammatory pathways (e.g., cytokine storm signaling) as well as inhibition of anti-inflammatory pathways (e.g., liver X receptor/retinoid X receptor [LXR/RXR] activation), which also play relevant roles in lipid metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: In this analysis, levels of acute inflammatory proteins measured during routine visits were associated with the subsequent incidence of sepsis. An increased risk of sepsis associated with the inhibition of anti-inflammatory pathways, such as LXR/RXR warrants further mechanistic investigation.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Exploring prognostic genes in the immune microenvironment of acute myeloid leukemia via weighted gene co-expression network analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous blood cancer that arises from transformed myeloid precursor cells in a compromised bone marrow microenvironment. This environment is essential for AML initiation, progression, and relapse. Alongside oncogenic changes in hematopoietic cells, immunological dysregulation also contributes to leukemogenesis. The present study is aimed to identify prognostic genes in stromal and immune cells associated with AML using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). METHODS: Gene expression profiles were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, and immune and stromal cell scores were calculated using the ESTIMATE (Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues using Expression data) method. These scores helped identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which were then used to create gene clusters through WGCNA. To explore the functions of genes linked to AML subtypes, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were performed. A protein-protein interaction network was developed to identify hub genes. The top 18 hub genes were identified using the cytoHubba plug-in in Cytoscape software, and survival analysis was conducted with the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 online tool. RESULTS: A total of 1097 DEGs were identified, with 601 being upregulated and 496 downregulated. WGCNA analysis indicated that the gray module, comprising 165 genes, had the strongest association with AML subtypes (Cor > 0.3; P < .05). Gene Ontology enrichment analysis demonstrated that the 18 identified hub genes were predominantly associated with neutrophil activation, immune response, secretory granule membrane, and pattern recognition receptor activity. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs were mainly involved in pathways related to phagosome, lysosome, tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, and neutrophil extracellular trap formation. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of the top 18 hub genes indicated that ITGAM, IL10, and CD163 were significantly correlated with survival outcomes in AML. CONCLUSION: Key stromal and immune-related genes influencing AML patient outcomes were identified, highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets. These discoveries provide deeper insights into the molecular mechanisms driving AML pathogenesis and subtype differentiation.

Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute↗