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Biallelic antigen escape is a mechanism of resistance to anti-CD38 antibodies in multiple myeloma.

Monoclonal antibodies targeting CD38 are a therapeutic mainstay in multiple myeloma (MM). Although they have contributed to improved outcomes, most patients still experience disease relapse, and little is known about tumor-intrinsic mechanisms of resistance to these drugs. Antigen escape has been implicated as a mechanism of tumor-cell evasion in immunotherapy. Yet, it is unknown whether MM cells can develop permanent resistance to anti-CD38 antibodies by acquiring genomic events leading to biallelic disruption of the CD38 gene locus. Here, we analyzed whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing data from patients 701 newly diagnosed MM, 67 patients at relapse with naivety to anti-CD38 antibodies, and 50 patients collected at relapse after anti-CD38 antibodies. We report a loss of CD38 in 10 of 50 patients (20%) after CD38 therapy, 3 of whom exhibited a loss of both copies. Two of these cases showed convergent evolution in which distinct subclones independently acquired similar advantageous variants. Functional studies on missense mutations involved in biallelic CD38 events revealed that 2 variants, L153H and C275Y, decreased binding affinity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of the commercial antibodies daratumumab and isatuximab. However, a third mutation, R140G, conferred selective resistance to daratumumab, while retaining sensitivity to isatuximab. Clinically, patients with MM are often rechallenged with CD38 antibodies after disease progression and these data suggest that next-generation sequencing may play a role in subsequent treatment selection for a subset of patients.

Humans↗

Epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures: A scoping review of clinical features, diagnostic testing including genetics, long-term outcomes, mortality, and current and emerging therapeutic strategies.

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures (EIMFS) is among the most severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), marked by intractable multifocal seizures migrating across both hemispheres, profound developmental arrest, and high early mortality. Advances in next-generation sequencing have revealed a heterogeneous genetic architecture dominated by KCNT1 gain-of-function variants across more than 30 implicated genes, creating opportunities for precision therapeutics. OBJECTIVE: To systematically map published evidence on the clinical, electrophysiological, neuroimaging, genetic, and therapeutic landscape of EIMFS, and to delineate critical knowledge gaps and future research priorities. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O'Malley framework, searching PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library/CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov. RESULTS: Of 643 articles screened, 89 met inclusion criteria. Beyond confirmation of the canonical electroclinical phenotype, several gaps emerged: neonatal versus post-neonatal onset stratification by genetic etiology remains largely uncharacterized; genotype-specific EEG biomarkers are lacking except for a single small KCNT1 study; and the clinical significance of atypical EEG features-including burst suppression and hypsarrhythmia-is undefined. Neuroimaging literature documents progressive cerebral atrophy and myelination abnormalities without quantitative volumetry, diffusion tractography markers, or attribution to seizure burden, medication effects, or underlying etiology. Genetic diagnostic yield was 70-80%, with KCNT1 accounting for 30-50% of solved cases; however, genotype-outcome stratification is limited. Seizures were broadly refractory; potassium bromide, ketogenic diet, cannabidiol, and quinidine (in KCNT1-confirmed cases) showed partial efficacy. Emerging precision approaches include sodium channel blockers for SCN2A gain-of-function variants, novel small molecules, fluoxetine, antisense oligonucleotides, and divalent siRNA targeting KCNT1. Systemic-to-pulmonary collateral circulation causing severe cardiopulmonary complications was reported across multiple cases, yet no consensus screening protocol exists. CONCLUSIONS: EIMFS remains one of the most refractory epilepsy syndromes of infancy. Precision genetic diagnosis is essential to guide targeted therapy. International collaborative registries, standardized outcome measures, genotype-stratified biomarker studies, and rapid point-of-care genomic testing are urgently needed to advance evidence-based care for this highly vulnerable population.

Humans↗

Molecular basis for antibody recognition of multiple drug-peptide/MHC complexes.

The HapImmuneTM platform exploits covalent inhibitors as haptens for creating major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-presented tumor-specific neoantigens by design, combining targeted therapies with immunotherapy for the treatment of drug-resistant cancers. A HapImmune antibody, R023, recognizes multiple sotorasib-conjugated KRAS(G12C) peptides presented by different human leukocyte antigens (HLAs). This high specificity to sotorasib, coupled with broad HLA-binding capability, enables such antibodies, when reformatted as T cell engagers, to potently and selectively kill sotorasib-resistant KRAS(G12C) cancer cells expressing different HLAs upon sotorasib treatment. The loosening of HLA restriction could increase the patient population that can benefit from this therapeutic approach. To understand the molecular basis for its unconventional binding capability, we used single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy to determine the structures of R023 bound to multiple sotorasib-peptide conjugates presented by different HLAs. R023 forms a pocket for sotorasib between the VH and VL domains, binds HLAs in an unconventional, angled way, with VL making most contacts with them, and makes few contacts with the peptide moieties. This binding mode enables the antibody to accommodate different hapten-peptide conjugates and to adjust its conformation to different HLAs presenting hapten-peptides. Deep mutational scanning validated the structures and revealed distinct levels of mutation tolerance by sotorasib- and HLA-binding residues. Together, our structural information and sequence landscape analysis reveal key features for achieving MHC-restricted recognition of multiple hapten-peptide antigens, which will inform the development of next-generation therapeutic antibodies.

Humans↗

The diagnostic potential of combined quantitative polymerase chain reaction and next-generation sequencing using the same primers for periprosthetic joint infection.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) enables the detection of specific pathogens unidentifiable by conventional cultures, but its application in orthopedics remains inconsistent due to background contamination and irreproducible findings. This study evaluated the diagnostic performance of a novel workflow combining broad-range 16S rRNA gene quantitative PCR (qPCR) screening with downstream NGS, focusing on bacterial biomass thresholds. The qPCR assay demonstrated excellent intrarater reliability, with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.961 (95% confidence interval, 0.881 to 0.997). Based on serially diluted positive controls, a quantitative threshold of 10⁵ CFU/mL was established as the minimum concentration required for the consistent detection of fastidious taxa, such as Escherichia coli. When evaluated against conventional cultures using 95 sonicate fluid and 276 pre/intraoperative tissue samples, the qPCR assay achieved a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 72%. Subsequent NGS sequencing of 26 clinical samples and 9 controls showed concordance in 4 of 6 culture-positive infected cases with NGS taxonomy, whereas the remaining discrepancies were likely attributable to culture-based phenotypic misidentification. Notably, among the qPCR-positive cases, three were culture-negative, including two hip prosthesis loosening cases exhibiting polymicrobial profiles, and one post-traumatic osteoarthritis case harboring low-level Staphylococcus. Crucially, this post-traumatic patient developed delayed periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) 2 years post-surgery, with cultures identifying Staphylococcus previously detected by the initial NGS analysis. Integrating qPCR screening with targeted NGS effectively refines pathogen identification, filters environmental artifacts, and overcomes the diagnostic limitations of culture-negative infections in orthopedic practice.IMPORTANCENext-generation sequencing (NGS) enables the detection of specific pathogens in clinical samples that are not identifiable by conventional methods. However, NGS applications in orthopedics have not been quantitatively evaluated, and findings have been inconsistent owing to contaminants and the presence of non-credible causative organisms. These factors primarily stem from the failure to evaluate low-biomass samples and the absence of proper controls, such as negative controls or mock community DNA samples. This study demonstrates that interpreting results from low-biomass samples requires careful consideration because NGS relies on relative bacterial abundances; distinguishing likely pathogens from contaminants is particularly challenging when bacterial loads are low. We demonstrated that combining NGS with quantitative PCR (qPCR) and applying a Cq cutoff can reduce false positives.

Humans↗

Engineering extracellular vesicles for targeted siRNA delivery: Advances, therapeutic applications, and clinical translation.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics have emerged as a transformative approach for sequence-specific gene silencing, offering the potential to treat a broad spectrum of diseases by selectively suppressing disease-associated genes. However, the clinical translation of siRNA remains limited by rapid enzymatic degradation, poor cellular uptake, inadequate endosomal escape, and off-target effects, necessitating the development of efficient delivery systems. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have gained considerable attention as natural nanocarriers owing to their excellent biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, intrinsic targeting capability, and ability to protect therapeutic cargo while traversing complex biological barriers. This review comprehensively discusses the biological characteristics of EVs, the molecular basis of RNA interference, and the major challenges associated with siRNA delivery [Fig. 1]. Recent advances in EV engineering, including cargo-loading strategies such as electroporation, sonication, extrusion, parent-cell engineering, and microfluidic approaches, together with surface functionalization using peptides, antibodies, aptamers, and hybrid nanoplatforms, are critically evaluated for improving targeting specificity and intracellular delivery. Furthermore, the therapeutic applications of engineered EV-mediated siRNA delivery in cancer, neurological disorders, liver diseases, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory disorders, and infectious diseases are systematically summarized, highlighting their potential to enhance gene silencing while minimizing systemic toxicity. Current challenges related to large-scale manufacturing, cargo-loading efficiency, standardization, quality control, regulatory approval, and clinical translation are also discussed, together with emerging technologies involving synthetic biology, genome engineering, artificial intelligence, and multifunctional hybrid vesicles. Overall, engineered extracellular vesicles represent a highly versatile and biologically inspired platform for targeted siRNA delivery, providing a promising foundation for the development of next-generation precision RNA therapeutics and accelerating the clinical translation of gene-silencing strategies.

Extracellular vesicle engineering↗

Clinical utility of comprehensive genomic profiling test for colorectal cancer: a single institution prospective observational study.

PURPOSE: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized cancer treatment by enabling comprehensive cancer genomic profiling (CGP) to guide genotype-directed therapies. While several prospective trials have demonstrated varying outcomes with CGP in patients with advanced solid tumors, its clinical utility in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains to be evaluated. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study of CGP in our hospital between September 2019 and March 2024. Overall survival (OS) of the patients who received CGP-based therapy and those did not was compared, and genomic variables associated with OS were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients with CRC underwent CGP using four platforms. The median patient age was 67 years, and most had a good performance status. The most frequent genomic alterations were TP53 (82%), APC (82%), and KRAS (55%). Actionable mutations such as ERBB2 amplification and BRAF V600E were identified in some patients, and 9% received CGP-based therapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors for tumor mutational burden-high or microsatellite instability-high tumors. Patients receiving CGP-based therapy had longer OS from expert panel discussion (16.0 vs. 10.8 months) compared to those who did not. Alterations in TP53, SMAD4, and NF1 were associated with worse OS. Interestingly, PTEN mutations were linked to improved survival. TP53 alterations were more common in left-sided CRC. CONCLUSION: Although some patients with CRC received CGP-guided therapy, a statistically significant survival benefit was not observed. However, TP53 and SMAD4 mutations were identified as negative prognostic markers, indicating their potential as targets for future drug development.

Humans↗

Recurrent and niche-specific functional bacteriome of maize hybrid revealed by integrated metabarcoding and culturomics.

The plant microbiome plays a pivotal role in plant survival in natural habitats by facilitating nutrient acquisition, stress adaptation, and disease suppression, while also offering opportunities to enhance crop productivity and climate resilience. However, the distribution of persistent and culturable bacteriome across maize-associated niches and their functional potential remain poorly resolved. This study integrated metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS-based metabarcoding) and culturomics to characterise the maize-associated bacteriome of bulk soil, rhizoplane, phylloplane, and cob of the maize hybrid PHM-1 under contrasting cropping and tillage systems, and to identify recurrent and agriculturally promising bacteriome components. The bacteriome exhibited pronounced niche-specific structuring, whereas overall bacterial community composition did not differ significantly across cropping and tillage treatments (ANOSIM, R = 0.038, p = 0.306). Proteobacteria predominated in the culturable bacteriome (69-84%; mean, 76.2%) but accounted for only 1% of the total bacteriome, whereas Patescibacteria and Firmicutes were relatively enriched. Niche-specific dominance was evident, with Pantoea accounting for 40.79% of the total and 56.27% of the culturable phylloplane bacteriome under cereal monocropping, while Serratia represented 31.59% and 59.40% of the total and culturable cob bacteriomes, respectively. Across niches, mNGS captured substantially greater bacteriome diversity, particularly uncultured and unidentified taxa in soil-associated compartments, whereas culturomics recovered a narrower but functionally accessible fraction. Culturomics yielded 99 isolates representing 32 species across 12 genera, including six genera shared with the mNGS-derived recurrent bacteriome: Bacillus, Enterobacter, Pantoea, Pseudomonas, Serratia, and Stenotrophomonas. Functional screening identified strong biocontrol and plant-beneficial traits among core-associated isolates. Pseudomonas oryzihabitans ZM-DL-PA10 inhibited Rhizoctonia solani, Macrophomina phaseolina, and Bipolaris maydis by up to 40.6%, 43.9%, and 45.2%, respectively, through secreted and volatile metabolites; exhibited P, K, and Zn solubilisation; and produced IAA and siderophores. It also recorded the lowest B. maydis disease index (ADI) of 1.00. Pantoea ananatis ZM-BH-EA4 showed 52.4% and 68.5% inhibition of R. solani and B. maydis, respectively, through volatile metabolites. Collectively, the integration of mNGS and culturomics revealed a strongly compartmentalised maize bacteriome and identified recurrent, culturable, and functionally promising bacterial taxa, providing a targeted resource for microbiome-based crop protection and climate-resilient maize production.

Zea mays↗

Structural and functional characterization of human microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 by computational modeling and site-directed mutagenesis.

Microsomal prostaglandin (PG) E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) has recently been recognized as a novel, promising drug target for inflammation-related diseases. Functional and pathological studies on this enzyme further stimulate to understand its structure and the structure-function relationships. Using an approach of the combined structure prediction, molecular docking, site-directed mutagenesis, and enzymatic activity assay, we have developed the first three-dimensional (3D) model of the substrate-binding domain (SBD) of mPGES-1 and its binding with substrates prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) and glutathione (GSH). In light of the 3D model, key amino acid residues have been identified for the substrate binding and the obtained experimental activity data have confirmed the computationally determined substrate-enzyme binding mode. Both the computational and experimental results show that Y130 plays a vital role in the binding with PGH2 and, probably, in the catalytic reaction process. R110 and T114 interact intensively with the carboxyl tail of PGH2, whereas Q36 and Q134 only enhance the PGH2-binding affinity. The modeled binding structure indicates that substrate PGH2 interacts with GSH through hydrogen binding between the peroxy group of PGH2 and the -SH group of GSH. The -SH group of GSH is expected to attack the peroxy group of PGH2, initializing the catalytic reaction transforming PGH2 to prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). The overall agreement between the calculated and experimental results demonstrates that the predicted 3D model could be valuable in future rational design of potent inhibitors of mPGES-1 as the next-generation inflammation-related therapeutic.

Algorithms↗

Comprehensive Somatic Profiling of Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs) is rising, yet their biological heterogeneity and variable response to treatments remain poorly understood. Comprehensive genomic characterization may uncover somatic drivers and inform biomarker-driven therapeutic strategies. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinically ordered next-generation sequencing (NGS) results from tumor samples of 111 patients with confirmed GEP-NENs treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital between 2020 and 2022. Pathogenic and likely pathogenic mutations were identified using OncoKB, CHASMplus, and COSMIC databases. Mutational patterns were correlated with clinical characteristics and overall survival using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: In this retrospective study of 111 patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs), somatic pathogenic or likely pathogenic mutations were identified in 79% of cases. The most frequent alterations involved TP53 (19%), MEN1 (17%), and chromatin remodeling genes such as DAXX (9%) and ATRX (6%). Notably, we also identified a subset of patients (9%) patients with mutations typically associated with hematologic malignancies. Distinct co-mutation and mutual exclusivity patterns were observed between pancreatic and non-pancreatic NENs. Poorly differentiated or high-grade tumors correlated with mutations in TP53, KRAS, and CDKN2A. Mutations in KRAS, DAXX/ATRX, and hematologic malignancy-associated genes were independently associated with worse overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals distinct somatic mutation patterns in GEP-NENs associated with tumor differentiation, grade, primary site, and survival. The identification of hematologic malignancy-associated mutations in a subset of GEP-NENs suggests possible shared molecular phenotypes with poor prognostic implications. The presence of KRAS mutations supports exploring pan-RAS inhibitors as potential therapies in select patients. These findings highlight the clinical utility of genomic profiling in GEP-NENs.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms↗

Genomic profiling as an option for ovarian cancer diagnostics.

INTRODUCTION: Ovarian cancer (OC) is a highly heterogeneous and lethal gynecological malignancy. Precision oncology has shifted the management paradigm to comprehensive molecular profiling. Genomic-based diagnostics are now a clinical necessity for accurate prognostic stratification and the rational selection of targeted therapeutics, such as PARP and immune checkpoint inhibitors. AREAS COVERED: This review evaluates current literature regarding the distinct genomic landscapes defining OC histotypes to underlined the role of molecular profiling in the diagnostic field of OC. We discuss the practical implementation, technical aspect, and clinical validity of the main molecular diagnostic platforms, focusing on tissue-based Comprehensive Genomic Profiling (CGP) and Homologous Recombination Deficiency (HRD). Furthermore, we explore emerging translational data on liquid biopsy (LBx) applications. EXPERT OPINION: While current tissue-based methodologies provide critical baseline data, the OC diagnostic paradigm must pivot from static testing to proactive and longitudinal tracking. Integrating advanced LBx approaches enables a real-time monitoring of dynamic parameters as minimal residual disease (MRD) and acquired resistance. Integrating these dynamic blood-based assays with multi-omic profiling and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tools allows a full understanding of the complex tumor behavior.

Humans↗

Biochemical assays for AID/APOBECs and the identification of AID/APOBEC inhibitors.

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and apolipoprotein B-mRNA editing catalytic polypeptide 3 (APOBEC3 or A3) proteins belong to the AID/APOBEC family of cytidine deaminases. While AID mediates somatic hypermutation and class-switch recombination in adaptive immunity, A3s restrict viruses and retroelements by hypermutation. Mis-regulated expression and off-target activity of AID/A3 can cause genome-wide mutations promoting oncogenesis, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance due to tumor and viral evolution. In these contexts, inhibition of AID/A3 represents a promising therapeutic approach. Competitive inhibition could be achieved with different strategies: one class would be small molecules that bind in the catalytic pocket (active site) and block access for the substrate cytidine. Another type of larger molecule inhibitor would bind the enzymes' surface more broadly and compete with the binding of the polynucleotide substrates prior to deamination catalysis. Several biochemical assays developed to assess AID/A3 activity can be employed to screen for potential inhibitors. These include in cellulo and in vitro activity-based as well as binding-based assays. In this chapter, we discuss the key considerations for designing robust enzyme assays and provide an overview of assays that we and others have established or modified for specific applications in AID/A3 enzymology, including measurement of inhibition. We provide detailed protocols for the two most widely used in vitro enzyme assays that directly measure the activities of purified AID/A3s on DNA and/or RNA substrates, namely, the gel-based alkaline cleavage assay and multiple variations of PCR/sequencing-based assays.

Cytidine Deaminase↗

Next-Generation Sequencing Completion and Timeliness Using a Reflex Testing Protocol for Patients with Stage II to IV Nonsquamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Next-generation Sequencing (NGS) is critical for providing treatment recommendations across multiple stages of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, a substantial proportion of patients do not undergo testing. This study evaluated the completion rates and timeliness of NGS in patients with stage II to IV NSCLC at a single academic institution with a reflex NGS testing protocol. METHODS: Patients with stage II to IV nonsquamous NSCLC (ns-NSCLC) diagnosed between 2015 and 2022 were identified retrospectively. A reflex, tissue-based testing protocol was initiated in 2015 using in-house NGS. Pyrosequencing was performed if NGS failed. RESULTS: 501 patients were included: 75 (15.0%) with stage II, 82 (16.4%) with stage III, and 344 (68.6%) with stage IV ns-NSCLC. Tissue NGS was completed in 380 (75.8%) patients and 465 (92.8%) completed some tissue-based genomic testing when including pyrosequencing. Median time from biopsy to NGS was 17.0 days (range, 6-61 days). 61.0% of patients had NGS results prior to a first treatment of any type and 88.4% had tissue NGS results prior to systemic therapy. Among stage IV patients with completed NGS, median overall survival was 2.27 years for patients with NGS results prior to first treatment compared to 1.08 years for patients without NGS results prior to treatment initiation (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of an in-house, reflex NGS testing protocol enabled rapid genomic profiling in a high proportion of patients with stage II to IV ns-NSCLC. NGS completion prior to receiving first-line therapy was associated with improved survival compared to completion after first line treatment in stage IV patients.

Humans↗

Molecular features influencing clinical outcome of advanced HER2-positive gastric cancer receiving trastuzumab plus chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Less than half of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive gastric cancer (GC) patients respond to trastuzumab plus chemotherapy, and the outcomes are unsatisfactory. Understanding the underlying mechanisms remains crucial for identifying patients who are more likely to benefit from treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed targeted DNA sequencing on paired pre-treatment and progressive tumour tissues from 22 HER2-positive advanced GC patients undergoing first-line treatment with trastuzumab and chemotherapy. Clinicopathological and genomic characteristics were assessed for the correlation with clinical outcomes. RESULTS: A performance status (PS) of 0-1 was associated with improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) than a PS of 2. Poorly differentiated tumours exhibited shorter PFS than moderate or moderate-poor ones. Pre-treatment amplification of MYC or TOP2A gene was association with increased PFS, and suggested a potential benefit for OS. Patients with higher tumour mutation burden (TMB) experienced significantly worse PFS, while higher chromosome instability (CIN) appeared to be correlated with longer PFS. Compared to non-responders, responders had a higher CIN but similar TMB and intratumoural heterogeneity (ITH). PS and MYC amplification emerged as independent factors related to PFS according to multivariate survival analysis. Additionally, after treatment, TMB significantly increased in non-responders, while CIN significantly decreased in responders. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-treatment MYC amplification and PS were independently associated with clinical outcomes in HER2-positive advanced GC patients treated with first-line trastuzumab plus chemotherapy. Dynamic post-treatment changes in TMB and CIS provide valuable insights into the relationship between therapeutic response and distinct evolutionary trajectories.

Humans↗

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation for Standard, Rare, or Weakly Binding Proteins.

Various proteins interact with specific genome regions, playing crucial roles in gene regulation. Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is the most commonly used method to study protein-DNA interactions in vivo. By combining ChIP with high-throughput sequencing, ChIP-seq allows for studying the genome-wide localization of proteins. Although several ChIP protocols are available for plant tissues, they are primarily designed for histone modifications and abundant proteins with high DNA-binding affinity, which are considered as the "standard targets." Here we describe a ChIP protocol for plant tissues not only optimized for the standard targets but also adapted for proteins with low abundances or weak DNA-binding ability. Successful execution of the protocol enables reliable generation of DNA templates for quantitative PCR or libraries for next-generation sequencing, which makes it an effective tool for analyzing genomic interactions of a wide range of proteins.

Chromatin Immunoprecipitation↗

Programmable enzymes for targeted gene insertion.

Genome editing technologies have advanced from nuclease-based reagents that generate programmed DNA double-strand breaks, which can cause deleterious effects, to next-generation reagents that perform controlled DNA modification through double-strand break-independent mechanisms, such as base editing and prime editing. Although these approaches enable precise small-scale sequence changes, methods for programmable insertion of large DNA cargos have been limited. The ability to write entire genes or large regions into the genome could transform the treatment of genetically heterogeneous disorders, for which numerous pathogenic variants underlie a common disease and mutation-specific editing strategies are impractical. Recent advances in computational genome mining have accelerated the discovery of naturally occurring enzymes with novel biochemical and functional properties, including recombinases and transposases capable of large-scale modifications. Moreover, directed evolution, rational engineering and expanded homologue discovery are enabling the repurposing and optimization of these systems for genome engineering. Here we review recent technology development efforts that harness diverse enzymes for kilobase-scale genome engineering, with a particular focus on CRISPR-associated transposase systems.

Journal Article↗

Network methods for diagonal integration of unpaired single-cell multiomics data: a review.

MOTIVATION: Advances in single-cell sequencing have enabled multiomics profiling at unprecedented resolution; however, mass spectrometry-based single-cell proteomics (scMS) remains inherently destructive, precluding simultaneous transcriptomic capture. Unlike antibody-based methods such as CITE-seq, which permit paired profiling but are restricted to targeted protein panels, scMS provides unbiased, genome-scale coverage of the intracellular proteome yet necessitates post hoc integration of unpaired datasets. This diagonal integration challenge, where transcriptomes and proteomes are measured in separate cells lacking shared anchors, remains underserved by existing reviews, which focus predominantly on vertical integration strategies enabled by non-destructive assays. RESULTS: We survey the complete computational pipeline for constructing mechanistic proteogenomic networks from unpaired single-cell data, covering: (i) unimodal network inference such as knowledge-based approaches, probabilistic graphical models, temporal directionality inference, and generative and foundation model strategies that establish the transcriptomic scaffold; (ii) cross-modal integration architectures such as network propagation, graph neural networks (scMRDR, scmFormer, scCotag), and consensus frameworks designed explicitly for the unpaired proteomics setting; and (iii) benchmarking paradigms spanning network reconstruction (BEELINE, GRETA, CausalBench) and multi-task integration evaluation (scMultiBench, SCMMIB), with guidance on metric selection under network sparsity and class imbalance. We identify three principal axes of future development: generative proteomic translation from transcriptomic precursors, inductive prior embedding in next-generation architectures, and perturbation-based causal benchmarking. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: This is a review article; no novel software is distributed. A curated benchmark resource table, methods starter guide, and per-method bottleneck annotations are provided in the Supplementary Material.

Multiomics↗

A novel method of screening thrombin-inhibiting DNA aptamers using an evolution-mimicking algorithm.

Thrombin-inhibiting DNA aptamers have already been obtained through the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). However, SELEX is a method that screens DNA aptamers that bind to their target molecules, and it sometimes fails to screen good inhibitors. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a method of screening DNA aptamers based on their inhibitory effects on the target molecules. We developed a novel method of detecting aptamers using an evolution-mimicking algorithm, and we applied it to the search of new aptamers which inhibit thrombin. First, we randomly designed and synthesized ten 15mer oligonucleotides presumed to form G-quartet structures, and then measured their thrombin-inhibiting activities. The aptamers showing high inhibitory activity were selected, and we shuffled and mutated those sequences in silico to generate 10 new sequences of next-generation aptamers. After repeating the cycle five times, we successfully obtained the same aptamers reported previously, and they showed high inhibitory activity. In addition, we added 8mer oligonucleotides to both the 5' and the 3' end of the selected 15mer aptamers, and then repeated the evolution in silico. After two cycles, we were able to obtain aptamers with higher inhibitory activity than that of the 15mer aptamers.

Algorithms↗