mir-22-mediated-regulation-wnt-catenin-signaling-curcumin

miR-22-Mediated Regulation of Wnt/&#946;-Catenin Signaling by Curcumin in Retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma (RB) is a common intraocular malignant tumor affecting infants and children, yet its precise etiology and pathogenesis remain incompletely ...

Nankai University Affiliated Eye Hospital

Tianjin Eye Hospital

Keratoconus is corneal disease in which the progression of conical dilation of cornea leads to reduced visual acuity and even corneal perforation. However, the etiology mechanism of keratoconus is still unclear. This study aims to identify the signature genes related to cell death in keratoconus and examine the function of these genes. A dataset of keratoconus from the GEO database was analysed to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A total of 3558 DEGs were screened from GSE151631. The results of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that they mainly involved in response to hypoxia, cell-cell adhesion, and IL-17 signaling pathway. Then, the cell death-related genes datasets were intersected with the above 3558 DEGs to obtain 70 ferroptosis-related DEGs (FDEGs), 32 autophagy-related DEGs (ADEGs), six pyroptosis-related DEGs (PDEGs), four disulfidptosis-related DEGs (DDEGs), and one cuproptosis-related DEGs (CDEGs). After using Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), Random Forest analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, one ferroptosis-related gene (TNFAIP3) and five autophagy-related genes (CDKN1A, HSPA5, MAPK8IP1, PPP1R15A, and VEGFA) were screened out. The expressions of the above six genes were significantly decreased in keratoconus and the area under the curve (AUC) values of these genes was 0.944, 0.893, 0.797, 0.726, 0.882 and 0.779 respectively. GSEA analysis showed that the above six genes mainly play an important role in allograft rejection, asthma, and circadian rhythm etc. In conclusion, the results of this study suggested that focusing on these genes and autoimmune diseases will be a beneficial perspective for the keratoconus etiology research.

Bioinformatics analysis of signature genes related to cell death in keratoconus.

Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is commonly used as a preservative in ophthalmic medications, despite its potential to induce chemical injury. Extensive research has demonstrated that BAC can lead to adverse effects, including injuries to the ocular surface. Our study aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanism of necroptosis induced by BAC.

Necrostatin-1 protects corneal epithelial cells by inhibiting the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL cascade in a benzalkonium chloride-induced model of necroptosis.

Lycium barbarum glycopeptide (LbGp), derived from the Chinese medicinal plant Lycium barbarum, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties; however, its precise role and mechanism in corneal repair following injury remain elusive. The present research investigated the mechanisms and effects of LbGp on corneal repair following alkali burn injury using in vivo mouse models of corneal alkali burn and in vitro human keratocyte fibrosis models. Corneal inflammation, opacity, and epithelial defects were assessed via a slit lamp microscope. Results showed that LbGp-treated mice exhibited reduced edema, accelerated re-epithelialization, and decreased corneal opacity compared to the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-treated controls. Proteomic analysis revealed altered proteins enriched in the extracellular matrix among the control, injury, and LbGp treatment groups. Moreover, LbGp significantly attenuated TGFβ-1-induced myofibroblasts transdifferentiation from keratocytes. Consistently, LbGp treatment inhibited the upregulation of fibrosis markers (αSMA, fibronectin, and collagen III) at both the protein and mRNA levels after corneal alkali burns. LbGp also effectively suppressed the activation of the NF-κB/NLRP3/IL-1β signaling pathway and neutrophil infiltration following corneal alkali burn injury. Additionally, miR-21 was upregulated in TGFβ-1-stimulated keratocytes and in the alkali-burned mouse cornea. LbGp decreased miR-21 expression, while increasing expression of its target, Smad7, thereby dampening the TGFβ/Smad2/3 signaling pathway. This research demonstrates that LbGp promotes corneal healing by inhibiting inflammation and fibrosis after alkali burns, suggesting its potential as a supplementary therapy for corneal injury repair.

Lycium barbarum glycopeptide reduces inflammation and fibrosis in corneal injury by modulating the NF-κB/NLRP3/IL-1 β signaling pathway and microRNA-21a-5p/SMAD7.

Article	Year
Bioinformatics analysis of signature genes related to cell death in keratoconus. Scientific reports\| PubMed ID: 38830963	2024
Necrostatin-1 protects corneal epithelial cells by inhibiting the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL cascade in a benzalkonium chloride-induced model of necroptosis. Experimental eye research\| PubMed ID: 39127236	2024
Lycium barbarum glycopeptide reduces inflammation and fibrosis in corneal injury by modulating the NF-κB/NLRP3/IL-1 β signaling pathway and microRNA-21a-5p/SMAD7. Experimental eye research\| PubMed ID: 40398709	2025

Xinlin Yan

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