H. Cai

Spatiotemporal transcriptomic profiling reveals the dynamic immunological landscape of alveolar echinococcosis

This study uses spatiotemporal transcriptomics to analyze immune dynamics in E. multilocularis infected mouse liver, identifying key immune cell roles and shifts in immune strategy during infection.

Aging represses lung tumorigenesis and alters tumor suppression

This study shows aging suppresses lung tumor initiation and growth in mice, with age-dependent effects on tumor suppressor genes like PTEN and persistent age-related transcriptomic changes in tumors.

Extracellular vesicles-based point-of-care testing for the diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer's disease

This paper presents an OECT-based sensor for rapid, sensitive detection of extracellular vesicles in Alzheimer's disease, showing improved sensitivity and reduced detection time.

Preclinical Characterization of the Omicron XBB.1.5-Adapted BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine

The monovalent Omicron XBB.1.5-adapted BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine elicits stronger neutralizing antibody responses against XBB.1.5 and related sublineages than the bivalent Wild Type + Omicron BA.4/5 vaccine.

Pathogenic entero- and salivatypes harbour changes in microbiome virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes with increasing chronic liver disease severity

The paper identifies changes in oral and gut microbiome virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes associated with increasing severity of chronic liver disease.

Structural Visualization of HECT-type E3 ligase Ufd4 Accepting and Transferring Ubiquitin to Form K29/K48-branched Polyubiquitination

This study determines the structural mechanism of HECT-type E3 ligase Ufd4 in catalyzing K29/K48-branched polyubiquitination by capturing structural snapshots of Ub transfer cascades.

A novel virus-induced cyclic dinucleotide, 2'3'-c-di-GMP, mediates STING-dependent antiviral immunity in Drosophila

Amoeboid cells undergo durotaxis with soft end polarized NMIIA

The paper shows amoeboid cells, like T cells and neutrophils, can durotax by polarizing NMIIA towards softer substrates, and this behavior is conserved in Dictyostelium.

A new tractable method for generating Human Alveolar Macrophage Like cells in vitro to study lung inflammatory processes and diseases

This paper develops a method to generate human alveolar macrophage-like cells in vitro using lung lipids and cytokines, enabling study of lung inflammatory diseases and infections.

miRNA binding pressure channels evolution of SARS-CoV-2 genomes

The paper shows miRNA binding sites in SARS-CoV-2 NSP4 are under evolutionary pressure, leading to their loss and shaping the dominance of BA.2 variants.

Integration of Avidity and Differentiation is enabled by CD8+ T-cell sensing of IFN-γ

This study shows that CD8+ T-cells sense IFN-γ to coordinate T-cell affinity and differentiation during infection, enhancing memory response avidity but reducing primary response avidity.

Brain Organoid Computing for Artificial Intelligence

The paper develops Brainoware, a living AI hardware using 3D brain organoids to compute nonlinear equations and demonstrate learning capabilities.

Improved Neutralization of Omicron BA.4/5, BA.4.6, BA.2.75.2, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1 with Bivalent BA.4/5 Vaccine

This study compares the neutralizing antibody responses induced by monovalent and bivalent BA.4/5 vaccines against multiple Omicron sublineages in individuals over 55 years old, finding the bivalent vaccine elicits stronger neutralization.

The GxcM-Fbp17/RacC-WASP signaling cascade regulates polarized cortex assembly in migrating cells

This study identifies a signaling cascade involving GxcM, Fbp17, RacC, and WASP that regulates rear cortical actin assembly in migrating Dictyostelium cells.

Molecular Recognition of Itching Neuropeptides by Bombesin Receptors.

The paper presents cryo-EM structures of bombesin receptors bound to their neuropeptide ligands, revealing the mechanism of ligand selectivity and receptor activation for itch treatment.

Engineering human spinal microphysiological systems to model opioid-induced tolerance

This paper develops human spinal microphysiological systems to model opioid-induced tolerance and hyperalgesia, showing altered neural activity and receptor downregulation with prolonged opioid exposure.

Exposure to BA.4/BA.5 Spike glycoprotein drives pan-Omicron neutralization in vaccine-experienced humans and mice

This study shows that exposure to BA.4/BA.5 spike glycoprotein enhances neutralizing antibody breadth against Omicron variants in vaccinated humans and mice.

Identification of GTF2IRD1 as a novel transcription factor essential for acute myeloid leukemia

This study identifies GTF2IRD1 as a novel transcription factor essential for AML cell survival and disease progression, with potential therapeutic implications.

An interpretable machine learning algorithm to predict disordered protein phase separation based on biophysicalinteractions

The paper introduces LLPhyScore, a machine learning tool that predicts IDR-driven protein phase separation by analyzing biophysical interactions and provides interpretable feature contributions.

On-Demand Fully-Enclosed Superhydrophobic-Optofluidic Device Enabled by High Precision Microstereolithography

This paper introduces a fully-enclosed superhydrophobic optofluidic system with low optical loss, demonstrating its application for CRISPR-labeled quantum dot quantification.

Skin mesenchymal niches maintain and protect AML-initiating stem cells

The paper shows skin mesenchymal niches protect AML-initiating stem cells from chemotherapy and promote chemoresistance in a mouse model.

A multiplexed in vivo approach to identify driver genes in small cell lung cancer

The paper develops a multiplexed in vivo approach to identify driver genes in SCLC using CRISPR/Cas9 and lentiviral barcoding, finding TSC1 as a robust tumor suppressor.

Neutralization of Omicron BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3 SARS-CoV-2 by 3 doses of BNT162b2 vaccine

This study assesses the neutralization of Omicron sublineages BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3 by BNT162b2 vaccine sera, finding reduced neutralization compared to the original SARS-CoV-2 strain.

SOX4 facilitates PGR protein stability and FOXO1 expression conducive for human endometrial decidualization

This study identifies SOX4 as a critical regulator of human endometrial decidualization by modulating PGR stability and FOXO1 expression, linking its dysregulation to infertility and pregnancy complications.

Neutralization of Omicron SARS-CoV-2 by 2 or 3 doses of BNT162b2 vaccine

This study evaluates the neutralization of Omicron SARS-CoV-2 by two or three doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine, showing increased neutralization with three doses but reduced durability over time.

Understanding immune-driven brain aging by human brain organoid microphysiological analysis platform

This study develops a human brain organoid microphysiological platform to model immune-driven brain aging by perfusing aged monocytes and observing their effects on organoid tissues.

Combinatorial tumor suppressor inactivation efficiently initiates lung adenocarcinoma with therapeutic vulnerabilities

This study identifies RAS/PI3K pathway activation as a common driver in oncogene-negative lung adenocarcinomas and shows these tumors are vulnerable to targeted therapy.

BNT162b2-Elicited Neutralization of Delta Plus, Lambda, and Other Variants

The paper assesses the neutralization ability of BNT162b2-elicited sera against SARS-CoV-2 variants, finding that all sera neutralize variants to titers of ≥80, indicating vaccine effectiveness against emerging strains.

Multiplexed identification of RAS paralog imbalance as a driver of lung cancer growth

This study identifies HRAS and NRAS as suppressors of KRASG12D-driven lung cancer using CRISPR screens in mouse models and confirms their role in human cell lines.

Genetic determinants of EGFR-Driven Lung Cancer Growth and Therapeutic Response In Vivo

This study investigates how genetic alterations affect EGFR-driven lung cancer growth and therapy response using a mouse model and CRISPR-Cas9 editing.