👤 Hadia Mohsin

For a long time, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) were considered irrelevant fragments of the genome, dismissed as genetic noise. However, recent breakthroughs have unveiled their crucial Role in regulating gene expression, influencing fundamental biological processes such as chromatin remodeling, epigenetic modifications, and cellular communication. Among them, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) have drawn considerable attention due to their strong association with neurodegenerative disorders and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Despite their apparent differences, these conditions share molecular regulatory networks that ncRNAs help orchestrate. LncRNAs, like ANRIL and MEG3, play a Role in vascular integrity and cardiac fibrosis, while MIAT and MALAT1 are implicated in heart failure and ischemic injury. In Alzheimer's disease, BACE1-AS and BC200 contribute to the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles, worsening cognitive decline. The ability of ncRNAs to act as molecular sponges-binding to miRNAs and modulating gene expression-demonstrates their intricate Role in disease progression. With advances in sequencing technologies and computational biology, ncRNAs are emerging as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets. New approaches, including CRISPR-based gene editing and RNA therapeutics, present exciting possibilities for intervention. However, challenges such as stability, precise delivery, and potential side effects must be addressed before these treatments can be translated into clinical practice. This chapter delves into the expanding field of ncRNA research, highlighting its potential to reshape the future of precision medicine and targeted therapies. Show less

Hyperlipidemia and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are well-established risk factors for cardiovascular disease and act synergistically to promote vascular inflammation and disease progression. However, the mechanisms underlying this synergetic effect remain largely unknown. Using a mouse model combining hyperlipidemia (via high-fat diet feeding, HFD) with 5/6 nephrectomy-induced CKD, we made the following significant findings: 1) HFD + CKD upregulated 1179 genes in mouse aortas and induced prominent reactive oxygen species (ROS), far more than either HFD or CKD alone. 2) HFD + CKD upregulated 86 CRISPRi-identified mitochondrial ROS regulators, 36 CRISPRi-identified cellular ROS regulators, and 19 GSEA-collected ROS regulators. These changes were associated with the upregulations of 48 cytokines, 7 highest toxicity uremic toxin receptors-including CD1D, FCGRT, AHR, IL6RA AGER, NR1H3 and NPY5R-in aortas. 3) These uremic toxin receptors emerged as novel promoters of inflammation and trained immunity. Deficiencies in CD1D, AHR, AGER, and the trained immunity promoter SET7 each downregulated up to 5.5 % of the genes upregulated by HFD + CKD. Conversely, activation of NR1H3 using an agonist upregulated up to 12.2 % of these genes. 4) The expression of 46 cytokine genes was strongly associated with NR1H3 upregulation. 5) The NR1H3 agonist also induced the expression of 28 ROS regulators, including YBX2, a novel anti-ROS transcription factor and RNA-binding protein, suggesting a potential negative feedback mechanism. YBX2 deficiency increased the cellular ROS level, while YBX2 overexpression suppressed 27 proinflammatory genes induced by HFD + CKD. Our findings provide novel insights into the role of the NR1H3-YBX2 axis in regulating inflammation accelerated by hyperlipidemia and CKD. Show less

Lymphocyte development consists of sequential and mutually exclusive cell states of proliferative selection and antigen receptor gene recombination. Transitions between each state require large, coordinated changes in epigenetic landscapes and transcriptional programs. How this occurs remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that in small pre-B cells, the lineage and stage-specific epigenetic reader bromodomain and WD repeat-containing protein 1 (BRWD1) reorders three-dimensional chromatin topology to affect the transition between proliferative and gene recombination molecular programs. BRWD1 regulated the switch between poised and active enhancers interacting with promoters, and coordinated this switch with Igk locus contraction. BRWD1 did so by converting chromatin-bound static to dynamic cohesin competent to mediate long-range looping. ATP-depletion revealed cohesin conversion to be the main energetic mechanism dictating dynamic chromatin looping. Our findings provide a new mechanism of cohesin regulation and reveal how cohesin function can be dictated by lineage contextual mechanisms to facilitate specific cell fate transitions. Show less

BACE1 enzyme has been known a potential target involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Present research was focused on the principles of virtually screening, chemical synthesis and protease inhibitory effect of BACE1 enzyme via biaryl guanidine derivatives. In-silico based paradigm (ligand binding interaction within active domain of BACE 1 enzyme i.e., aspartate Asp32 and Asp228) a novel compound was synthesized and subsequently subjected to in-vitro and in-vivo evaluation. 1,3-di(isoquinolin-6-yl) guanidine was synthesized and found potent (IC Show less