In the human genome, the fraction of protein-coding genes that are stably transcribed is only up to 2%, with the remaining numerous RNAs having no protein-coding function. These non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have received considerable attention in cancer research in recent years. Breakthroughs have been made in understanding microRNAs and small interfering RNAs, but larger RNAs such as long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) remain an enigma. One lncRNA, HOX antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR), has been shown to be dysregulated in many types of cancer, including breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and hepatoma. HOTAIR functions as a regulatory molecule in a wide variety of biological processes. However, its mechanism of action has not been clearly elucidated. It is widely believed that HOTAIR mediates chromosomal remodeling and coordinates with polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) to regulate gene expression. Further study of HOTAIR-related pathways and the role of HOTAIR in tumorigenesis and tumor progression may identify new treatment targets. In this review, we will focus on the characteristics of HOTAIR, as well as data pertaining to its mechanism and its association with cancers.

Previously, we developed a novel microRNA (miRNA) delivery system based on bacteriophage MS2 virus-like particles (MS2 VLPs). In this current study, we used this system to transport miR-146a into human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and demonstrated the inhibition of osteoclastogenesis in precursors. Two cytokines, receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL), and macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) were used to induce osteoclastogenesis. MS2 VLPs were transfected into PBMCs. qRT-PCR was applied to measure expression levels of miR-146a and osteoclast (OC)-specific genes. Western blot (WB) was conducted to evaluate miR-146a downstream target proteins: epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6). The formation and activity of OCs were assessed by cytochemical staining and bone resorption assay, respectively. In PBMCs treated with MS2-miR146a VLPs, qRT-PCR assays showed increased expression of miR-146a (p < 0.01) and decreased expression of all four OC-specific genes (p < 0.05). WB results indicated decreased expression of EGFR (p < 0.01) and TRAF6 (p < 0.05). The number of OCs decreased markedly and bone resorption assay demonstrated inhibited activity. This miR-146a delivery system could be applied to induce overexpression of miR-146a and to inhibit the differentiation and function of OCs.

This study compared the immunogenicity of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines between people living with HIV (PLWH) and HIV-negative individuals. We recruited 120 PLWH and 53 HIV-negative individuals aged 18–59 years who had received an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in two Chinese cities between April and June 2021. Blood samples were tested for immunogenicity of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The prevalence and severity of adverse events associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were similar between PLWH and HIV-negative individuals. The seropositivity of neutralizing activity against authentic SARS-CoV-2, of the total amount of antibody (total antibody) and of S-IgG were 71.3%, 81.9%, and 92.6%, respectively, among fully vaccinated PLWH. Among all participants, PLWH had lower neutralizing activity, total antibody, S-IgG, and T-cell-specific immune response levels, compared to HIV-negative individuals, after controlling for types of vaccine, time interval between first and second dose, time after receiving the second dose, and sociodemographic factors. PLWH with a longer interval since HIV diagnosis, who received their second dose 15–28 days prior to study commencement, and who had an interval of ≥21 days between first and second dose had higher neutralizing activity levels. The immunogenicity of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines was lower among PLWH as compared to HIV-negative individuals. Vaccination guideline specific for PLWH should be developed.

What is already known about this topic? The transmission of emerging and re-emerging arboviruses represent a critical challenge to blood transfusion safety worldwide. What is added by this report? This study established a comprehensive quality assurance system for Dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV), and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) nucleic acid testing (NAT) blood screening. The system included external quality assessment (EQA) implementation across all participating central blood stations and performance evaluation of six domestic blood screening reagents. Surveillance conducted in Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region revealed no positive cases among 45,383 blood samples screened in 2022. In 2023, screening of 44,972 blood donors identified 9 NAT-reactive samples at the Xishuangbanna central blood station, with 6 confirmed as DENV-1 positive. What are the implications for public health practice? Blood stations in border regions must implement comprehensive surveillance systems with enhanced detection sensitivity and robust early warning mechanisms to effectively address emerging disease threats and ensure transfusion safety.

Although the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing has led to the identification of a large number of truncated or mutated steroid hormone receptor (SHR) variants, their clinical relevance remains to be defined. A platform for functional analysis of these SHR variants in cells would be instrumental for better assessing their impact on normal physiology and SHR-associated diseases. Here we have developed a new reporter system that allows rapid and accurate assessment of the transcriptional activity of SHR variants in cells. The reporter is a single construct containing a firefly luciferase reporter gene, whose expression is under the control of a promoter with multiple steroid hormone responsive elements, and a Renilla luciferase reporter gene, that is constitutively expressed under the control of an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) and is not regulated by steroid hormones. The corresponding SHR (wildtype or mutant/variant) is also expressed from the same construct. Using this improved reporter system, we revealed a large spectrum of transactivation activities within a set of previously identified mutations and variations of the androgen receptor (AR), the estrogen receptor α (ERα) and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). This novel reporter system enables functional analysis of SHR mutants and variants in physiological and pathological settings, offering valuable preclinical, or diagnostic information for the understanding and treatment of associated diseases.