A sweetener's not-so-sweet effects: Obesity increases an individual's risk of developing many types of cancer, including colorectal cancer. One of the factors driving the rise in obesity rates is thought to be the use of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a sweetener in soft drinks. Goncalves et al. found that ingestion of HFCS promotes the growth of intestinal cancer even in the absence of obesity in mouse tumor models. An enzyme in tumors (ketohexokinase) converts fructose to fructose-1-phosphate, which alters tumor cell metabolism and leads to enhanced cell growth. Whether a similar process occurs in humans remains to be seen. Science , this issue p. 1345

A primordial odontogenic tumor (POT) is a rare, benign, mixed epithelial and mesenchymal odontogenic tumor that has been included as a new entity in the latest World Health Organization (WHO) classification (2017). POT consists of dental papilla-like myxoid connective tissue covered with a delicate membrane of ameloblastic epithelium. Only 15 cases have been documented worldwide, and here, we report the sixteenth case and the first one of South Korea. An asymptomatic lesion was discovered as an incidental radiographic finding in a 10-year-old boy. The patient had no complaints about the lesion. Cone-beam computerized tomograms revealed a round cavity with a defined cortical border measuring approximately 5 × 5 × 5 mm in size. The lesion was a POT. The patient was treated with enucleation. The tumor showed no recurrence for one year. This is the first report of POT in South Korea using the novel diagnosis of POT after it was recognized and defined in the latest WHO classification. This novel diagnosis will be useful for pathologists and clinicians in diagnosing and differentiating this new and rare disease from other odontogenic tumors.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a complex inflammatory skin disease mediated by immune cells of both adaptive and innate types. Among them, CD4 ⁺ Th cells are one of major players of AD pathogenesis. Although the pathogenic role of Th2 cells has been well characterized, Th17/Th22 cells are also implicated in the pathogenesis of AD. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying pathogenic immune responses in AD remain unclear. We sought to investigate how the defect in the AD susceptibility gene, Ets1 , is involved in AD pathogenesis in human and mice and its clinical relevance in disease severity by identifying Ets1 target genes and binding partners. Consistent with the decrease in ETS1 levels in severe AD patients and the experimental AD-like skin inflammation model, T cell–specific Ets1-deficient mice (Ets1 ^ΔdLck ) developed severe AD-like symptoms with increased pathogenic Th cell responses. A T cell–intrinsic increase of gp130 expression upon Ets1 deficiency promotes the gp130-mediated IL-6 signaling pathway, thereby leading to the development of severe AD-like symptoms. Functional blocking of gp130 by selective inhibitor SC144 ameliorated the disease pathogenesis by reducing pathogenic Th cell responses. Our results reveal a protective role of Ets1 in restricting pathogenic Th cell responses and suggest a potential therapeutic target for AD treatment.

Epidermal inflammation is caused by various bacterial infectious diseases that impair the skin health. Feruloylserotonin (FS) belongs to the hydroxycinnamic acid amides of serotonin, which mainly exists in safflower seeds and has been proven to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Human epidermis mainly comprises keratinocytes whose inflammation causes skin problems. This study investigated the protective effects of FS on the keratinocyte with lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced human HaCaT cells and elucidated its underlying mechanisms of action. The mechanism was investigated by analyzing cell viability, PGE₂ levels, cell apoptosis, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) translocation, and TLR4/NF-κB pathway. The anti-inflammatory effects of FS were assessed by inhibiting the inflammation via down-regulating the TLR4/NF-κB pathway. Additionally, FS promoted Nrf2 translocation to the nucleus, indicating that FS showed anti-oxidative activities. Furthermore, the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of FS were found to benefit each other, but were independent. Thus, FS can be used as a component to manage epidermal inflammation due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties.

Periodontitis is a common inflammatory disease that is strongly influenced by dietary habits. Coffee is one of the most common dietary components; however, current research on the relationship between coffee consumption and periodontitis, as well as its underlying mechanisms, is limited. Based on a previous report, caffeine (CA) and chlorogenic acid (CGA) were formulated into artificial coffee (AC) for this experiment. Cell viability, prostaglandin E₂ release, Western blotting, cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) translocation analyses were performed to explore the effects of AC on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced immortalized human oral keratinocytes (IHOKs) and elucidate their underlying mechanisms. AC pretreatment attenuated LPS-induced inflammatory mediator release, ROS production, and nuclear factor kappa B translocation in IHOKs. CA and CGA promoted AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation and down-regulated the nuclear factor-κB pathways to exert anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, CGA promoted Nrf2 translocation and heme oxygenase-1 expression and showed anti-oxidative effects. Furthermore, AC, CA, and CGA components showed synergistic effects. Thus, we predict that coffee consumption may be beneficial for alleviating periodontitis. Moreover, the main coffee components CA and CGA seem to play a synergistic role in periodontitis.