Bioengineering

Cap-independent co-expression of dsRNA-sensing and NF-κB pathway inhibitors enables tunable self-amplifying RNA expression with reduced immunotoxicity

1. Tony KY Lim
2. Anne Ritoux
3. Luke W Paine
4. Larissa Ferguson
5. Tawab Abdul
6. Laura J Grundy
7. Ewan St. John Smith

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  In this manuscript, Lim and collaborators present an important system for developing self-amplifying RNA with convincing evidence that it does not provoke a strong host inflammatory response in cultured cells. This approach could be further strengthened going forward by testing these self-amplying RNAs in an in vivo system.

Reviewed by eLife

The flexible stalk domain of sTREM2 modulates its interactions with brain-based phospholipids

1. David Saeb
2. Emma E Lietzke
3. Daisy I Fuchs
4. Emma C Aldrich
5. Kimberley D Bruce
6. Kayla G Sprenger

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This useful manuscript addresses some key molecular mechanisms on the neuroprotective roles of soluble TREM2 in neurodegenerative diseases. The study will advance our understanding of TREM2 mutations, particularly on the damaging effect of known TREM2 mutations, and also provides solid evidence why soluble TREM2 can antagonize Aβ aggregation.

Reviewed by eLife

An automated microfluidic platform for toxicity testing based on Caenorhabditis elegans

1. Jiaying Wu
2. Jing Xi
3. Zhouhai Zhu
4. Wei Zhao
5. Qiyuan Peng
6. Chunbo Liu
7. Ziqian Wan
8. Yiyi Cao
9. Xiang Chen
10. Yang Luan

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

Modular DNA Barcoding of Nanobodies Enables Multiplexed in situ Protein Imaging and High-throughput Biomolecule Detection

1. Shilin Zhong
2. Ruiyu Wang
3. Xinwei Gao
4. Qingchun Guo
5. Rui Lin
6. Minmin Luo

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This fundamental manuscript presents a practical modification of the orthogonal hybridization chain reaction (HCR) technique, a promising yet underutilized method with broad potential for future applications across various fields. The authors advance this technique by integrating peptide ligation technology and nanobody-based antibody mimetics-cost-effective and scalable alternatives to conventional antibodies-into a DNA-immunoassay framework that merges oligonucleotide-based detection with immunoassay methodologies. Notably, they demonstrate with compelling evidence that this approach facilitates a modified ELISA platform capable of simultaneously quantifying multiple target protein expression levels within a single protein mixture sample.

Reviewed by eLife

Rapid Cell-Free Combinatorial Mutagenesis Workflow Using Small Oligos Suitable for High-Iteration, Active Learning-Guided Protein Engineering

1. Ryan Godin
2. Sepehr Hejazi
3. Bret Lange
4. Basmala Aldamak
5. Nigel F. Reuel

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

Glycogen Engineering Improves the Starvation Resistance of Mesenchymal stem cells and their Therapeutic Efficacy in Pulmonary Fibrosis

1. Yongyue Xu
2. Mamatali Rahman
3. Zhaoyan Wang
4. Bo Zhang
5. Hanqi Xie
6. Lei Wang
7. Haowei Xu
8. Xiaodan Sun
9. Shan Cheng
10. Qiong Wu

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable study presents a novel approach to enhance the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) by genetically modifying their glycogen synthesis pathway, resulting in increased glycogen accumulation and improved cell survival under starvation conditions, particularly in the context of experimental pulmonary fibrosis. The methods and findings are generally solid and could be strengthened by investigating the kinetics of persistence, the immunomodulatory effects, and the underlying improved mechanism of action of MSCs in this pulmonary fibrosis model. If confirmed, this approach could suggest potential methods to improve the therapeutic functionality of MSCs in cell therapy strategies.

Reviewed by eLife

Open-source cell culture automation system with integrated cell counting for passaging microplate cultures

1. Greg Courville
2. Shivanshi Vaid
3. Alexis Toruño
4. Paul Lebel
5. Joana P. Cabrera
6. Preethi Raghavan
7. Axel Jacobsen
8. George Bell
9. Manuel D. Leonetti
10. Rafael Gómez-Sjöberg

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

De novo design of miniprotein agonists and antagonists targeting G protein-coupled receptors

1. Edin Muratspahić
2. David Feldman
3. David E. Kim
4. Xiangli Qu
5. Ana-Maria Bratovianu
6. Paula Rivera-Sánchez
7. Federica Dimitri
8. Jason Cao
9. Brian P. Cary
10. Matthew J. Belousoff
11. Peter Keov
12. Qingchao Chen
13. Yue Ren
14. Justyn Fine
15. Isaac Sappington
16. Thomas Schlichthaerle
17. Jason Z. Zhang
18. Arvind Pillai
19. Ljubica Mihaljević
20. Magnus Bauer
21. Susana Vázquez Torres
22. Amir Motmaen
23. Gyu Rie Lee
24. Long Tran
25. Xinru Wang
26. Inna Goreshnik
27. Dionne K. Vafeados
28. Justin E. Svendsen
29. Parisa Hosseinzadeh
30. Nicolai Lindegaard
31. Matthäus Brandt
32. Yann Waltenspühl
33. Kristine Deibler
34. Luke Oostdyk
35. William Cao
36. Lakshmi Anantharaman
37. Lance Stewart
38. Lauren Halloran
39. Jamie B. Spangler
40. Patrick M. Sexton
41. Bryan L. Roth
42. Brian E. Krumm
43. Denise Wootten
44. Christopher G. Tate
45. Christoffer Norn
46. David Baker

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

CRISPR-edited DPSCs constitutively expressing BDNF enhance dentin regeneration in injured teeth

1. Ji Hyun Kim
2. Muhammad Irfan
3. Sreelekshmi Sreekumar
4. Atsawasuwan Phimon
5. Stephanie Kim
6. Seung Chung

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study on the effect of the trophic factor BDNF upon dental cells is an understudied subject that is relevant to dental regeneration and repair. Given that the topic is new and has not been covered previously, the report is a useful foray into a new area of investigation, although several experimental results could be strengthened. The connection of BDNF and dental health is a solid attempt in potentially translating trophic factor signaling clinically, which has been stymied in past efforts.

Reviewed by eLife

Calibration and validation strategy for electromechanical cardiac digital twins

1. Zhinuo Jenny Wang
2. Maxx Holmes
3. Ruben Doste
4. Julia Camps
5. Francesca Margara
6. Mariano Vazquez
7. Blanca Rodriguez

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This is a potentially important study that explores the relevant range of parameter values for calibration and validation of cardiac electromechanics in ventricular models. Although much of the work presented is solid, the evidence provided to support the authors' key scientific claims is incomplete, especially as it relates to the emphasis on standardized validation and verification approaches. Notably, the level of model personalization presented in this work falls short of the threshold for what could reasonably be called a "digital twin", even by the relatively relaxed standards that have emerged in computational physiology and related fields in recent years.

Reviewed by eLife