Placenta-tropic VEGF mRNA lipid nanoparticles ameliorate murine pre-eclampsia | Nature Pre-eclampsia is a placental disorder that affects 3–5% of all pregnancies and is a leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity worldwide1,2. With no drug available to slow disease progression, engineering ionizable lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for extrahepatic messenger RNA (mRNA) delivery to the placenta is an attractive therapeutic option for pre-eclampsia. Here we use high-throughput screening to evaluate a library of 98 LNP formulations in vivo and identify a placenta-tropic LNP (LNP 55) that mediates more than 100-fold greater mRNA delivery to the placenta in pregnant mice than a formulation based on the Food and Drug Administration-approved Onpattro LNP (DLin-MC3-DMA)3. We propose an endogenous targeting mechanism based on β2-glycoprotein I adsorption that enables LNP delivery to the placenta. In both inflammation- and hypoxia-induced models of pre-eclampsia, a single administration of LNP 55 encapsulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA resolves maternal hyp

Placenta-tropic VEGF mRNA LNPs reduce pre-eclampsia in mice! Screens 98 formulations for 3-5% of pregnancies at risk. #InnovationInMedicine PMID:39663452, Nature 2025, @Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08291-2 #Medsky #Pharmsky #RNA #ASHG #ESHG 🧪

📣 #OncogenicCompetence what are the factors regulating it? Have a look at our work led by our 🌟 postdoc @lisapavinato.bsky.social 🌟 now online doi.org/10.1016/j.tr...

Decorin suppresses tumor lymphangiogenesis: A mechanism to curtail cancer progression https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08.28.555187v1 The complex interplay between malignant cells and the cellular and molecular components of the tumor

Decorin suppresses tumor lymphangiogenesis: A mechanism to curtail cancer progression www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.08....

Unveiling the secrets of bone strength: the role of biglycan and decorin A recent study has uncovered the essential roles of two proteoglycans, biglycan and decorin, in maintaining bone mass, water retention, and bulk/in situ mechanical competence.

Principal Investigator Jean X. Jiang and researchers at @uthealthsa.bsky.social provide significant insights into the critical roles of biglycan and decorin in bone health.
buff.ly/3PVvrLq

Decorin Expressed From Herpes Simplex Virus Vector Improves Oncolytic Efficacy in Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells Decorin (DCN) is a small extracellular proteoglycan with significant oncosuppressive activity. Lung adenocarcinoma is commonly devoid of DCN expression and is a leading cause of cancer mortality glob...

We have developed an HSV vector expressing human decorin gene. Our first results of its efficacy in lung adenocarcinoma cells have been published: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Prognostic Implications of Decorin, E‐Cadherin and EGFR Expression in Inflammatory and Non‐Inflammatory Canine Mammary Carcinomas Inflammatory mammary carcinoma (IMC) is the most aggressive variant of invasive mammary tumours in dogs and in women. Decorin is an extracellular matrix molecule whose expression can be reduced or ab...

Prognostic Implications of Decorin, E-Cadherin and EGFR Expression in Inflammatory and Non-Inflammatory Canine Mammary Carcinomas onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Endothelial decorin is increased by ageing and, induces inflammation and diastolic dysfunction in the heart www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02....

Decorin promotes cardiac organoid maturation by activating AMPK-PGC1A pathway to enhance cardiac metabolism and mitophagy https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.20.599970v1 Rationale: Cardiac organoids (COs) are advanced models for investigating heart development and disea

Decorin promotes cardiac organoid maturation by activating AMPK-PGC1A pathway to enhance cardiac metabolism and mitophagy www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06....

Prognostic Implications of Decorin, E-Cadherin and EGFR Expression in Inflammatory and Non-Inflammatory Canine Mammary Carcinomas. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Novel Strategy to Enhance Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Immunosuppression: Harnessing Interferon-Gamma Presentation in Metal–Organic Frameworks Embedded on Heparin/Collagen Multilayers http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c02355

Heparan sulfate regulates amphiregulin programming of tissue reparative lung mesenchymal cells during influenza A virus infection in mice
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
@naturecomms.bsky.social

Synthetic heparan sulfate mimics based on chitosan derivatives show broad-spectrum antiviral activity - Communications Biology Identification of safe and effective broad-spectrum antivirals based on modified chitosan sulfate derivatives.

Scientists in Spain developed chitosan-based heparan sulfate mimics that block SARS-CoV-2 and RSV entry.

The lead compound was non-toxic in vivo and showed strong post-infection antiviral activity, making it a promising broad-spectrum treatment.

www.nature.com/articles/s42...

The mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 initiate coagulation cascades. SARS-CoV-2 can induce a cytokine storm, among them, IL-6 with the IL-6 receptor complexes, and IL-1ß can bind to platelets and over-activate platelets. SARS-CoV-2 can increase heparanase activity. Also, heparanase can cleave the heparan sulfate proteoglycan, thus releasing the coagulation factor. Heparanase induces the expression of tissue factors which initiates blood coagulation.

Brain gut axis

Infection leading to cerebral endothelial dysfunction and damage

Mitochondrial in nerve cells Anaerobic metabolism

Recap
Impact of #SARSCoV2 on the nervous system

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

journals.viamedica.pl/neurologia_n...

journals.asm.org/doi/full/10....

Heparanase 2 regulates endothelial permeability and prevents from proteinuria via VEGFA and FGF signaling https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.14.608012v1 Heparan sulfates (HS) attached to the apical surface of vascular endothelial cells (ECs) play an imp

Heparanase 2 regulates endothelial permeability and prevents from proteinuria via VEGFA and FGF signaling www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08....

A Fluorogenic Green Merocyanine-Based Probe to Detect Heparanase-1 Activity https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.25.581963v1 Heparanase-1 (HPSE-1), an endo-{beta}-D-glucuronidase, is an extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling e

A Fluorogenic Green Merocyanine-Based Probe to Detect Heparanase-1 Activity www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02....

The transmembrane protein Syndecan regulates stem cell nuclear properties and cell maintenance. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.15.580237v1 Tissue maintenance is underpinned by resident stem cells, whose activity is modulated by microenviro

The transmembrane protein Syndecan regulates stem cell nuclear properties and cell maintenance. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02....

📃Scientific paper: Contribution of syndecan-4 genetic variants to hypertension, the TAMRISK study

➡️ Continued on ES/IODE

📃Scientific paper: Overexpression in metastatic breast cancer supports Syndecan-1 as a marker of invasiveness and poor ...

➡️ Continued on ES/IODE

As a first Bluesky post, I’m happy to share our latest publication @emboreports.org:
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Led by Craig McKenzie, we used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to investigate how Syndecan-1 (CD138) and -4 (SDC4) influence B-cell development and activation.
#ImmunoSky #MonashUni

CHICAGO…

Former President Obama brings his calm and steady leadership style to us once again to remind us of our power:

“It is up to all of us to fix this. It's not going to be because somebody comes and saves you. The most important office in this democracy is the citizen—who says, no, that's not right.”

Congratulations to this year’s winner of the Young Investigator Award: Kristina Bubb from Cologne! @nystromlab.bsky.social

Congratulations to our poster prize winners, Xinyi Bao (Freiburg) and Fady Marcous (Cologne) and to Stefanie Schmid-Herbstritt (Freiburg) who won the prize by the AJP cell physiology! @nystromlab.bsky.social

A big THANK YOU to the local team who have worked very hard for this conference to run smoothly, you did a FANTASTIC job. @nystromlab.bsky.social

And of course, a massive “Thank you!” and “Well done!!” to the local organising committee, who have worked with the societies & friends from the nordic countries and belgium to make this a brilliant meeting! 🇧🇪🇫🇮🇸🇪🇩🇰@ccstorytime.bsky.social @valerioizzi.bsky.social @nystromlab.bsky.social

March newsletter is coming soon. Until then...Reminder that we're always on the lookout for people to join our team & of course we're here to help spread good news, publications, positions or just help you answer questions. It's free! Just DM or email us at themeshwork2020@gmail.com

Please repost ☺️🙏

📣Join us at the 13th International Proteoglycan & #MBSANZ Scientific Meeting

🗓️ Dates: 27 - 31 October 2025
📍 Where: Mantra Lorne, Victoria, Australia

Don't miss out on this opportunity to engage with cutting-edge developments in #proteoglycan & #ECM research

👉 mbsanz2025.smalltalkevents.com.au

Let's bring the #CellDeath community together here on 🦋

Just get in touch to join this Starter Pack

go.bsky.app/R6mGrKU

Musashi inhibitor Ro 08-2750 attenuates triple-negative breast cancer cell proliferation and migration and acts as a novel chemo- and radiosensitizer - PubMed Our results indicate that Musashi protein inhibition may attenuate tumor progression and sensitize cells to conventional breast cancer therapy, underlining the therapeutic potential of this approach.

New collaboration paper of my group at @uni-muenster.de and the Department of Radiotherapy on Musashi inhibitors as a chemo- and radiosensitizer in breast cancer.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40120555/