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Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) develop in a subset of HIV-1 infected individuals over 2-3 years of infection. Infected infants develop plasma bnAbs frequently and as early as 1-year post-infection suggesting factors governing bnAb induction in infants are distinct from adults. Understanding viral characteristics in infected infants with early bnAb responses will provide key information about antigenic triggers driving B cell maturation pathways towards induction of bnAbs. Herein, we evaluate the presence of plasma bnAbs in a cohort of 51 HIV-1 clade-C infected infants and identify viral factors associated with early bnAb responses. Plasma bnAbs targeting V2-apex on the env are predominant in infant elite and broad neutralizers. Circulating viral variants in infant elite neutralizers are susceptible to V2-apex bnAbs. In infant elite neutralizers, multivariant infection is associated with plasma bnAbs targeting diverse autologous viruses. Our data provides information supportive of polyvalent vaccination approaches capable of inducing V2-apex bnAbs against HIV-1.An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.Androgen receptor (AR) signaling is a major driver of prostate cancer (CaP). Although most therapies targeting AR are initially effective in CaP patients, drug resistance is inevitable, mainly because of the inappropriate re-activation of AR pathway. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we found that phospholipase C epsilon (PLCɛ) was highly expressed in CaP samples, and was closely associated with AR signaling activities. PLCɛ depletion triggered enhanced autophagic activities via AMPK/ULK1 pathway, causing autophagy-mediated AR degradation and inhibition of AR nuclear translocation. This subsequently reduced AR signals in CaP and inhibited AR-driven cell migration/invasion. Furthermore, a positive correlation between PLCɛ and AR signaling activity was also observed in bicalutamide-resistant CaP samples and in AR-antagonist-resistant CaP cell models. learn more PLCɛ depletion resulted in the failure to establish AR-antagonist-resistant CaP cell lines, and hindered the metastatic prowess of already established ones. These findings suggest that PLCɛ-mediated autophagic activity alteration is indispensible for the functionality of AR signaling and for CaP development.The RIG-I-like receptor (RLR) melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) plays a key role in triggering innate antiviral response during infection by RNA viruses. MDA5 activation leads to transcription induction of type-I interferon (IFN) and proinflammatory cytokines. MDA5 has also been associated with autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases by dysfunctional activation of innate immune response in the absence of infection. Here, we show how foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) counteracts the specific antiviral effect exerted by MDA5 targeting the protein for cleavage by the viral Leader protease (Lpro). MDA5 overexpression had an inhibitory effect on FMDV infection in IFN-competent cells. Remarkably, immunostimulatory viral RNA co-immunoprecipitated with MDA5 in infected cells. Moreover, specific cleavage of MDA5 by Lpro was detected in co-transfected cells, as well as during the course of FMDV infection. A significant reduction in IFN induction associated with MDA5 cleavage was detected by comparison with a non-cleavable MDA5 mutant protein with preserved antiviral activity. The Lpro cleavage site in MDA5 was identified as the RGRAR sequence in the conserved helicase motif VI, coinciding with that recently reported for Lpro in LGP2, another member of the RLRs family involved in antiviral defenses. Interestingly, specific mutations within the MDA5 Lpro target sequence have been associated with immune disease in mice and humans. Our results reveal a pleiotropic strategy for immune evasion based on a viral protease targeting phylogenetically conserved domains of immune sensors. Identification of viral strategies aimed to disrupt MDA5 functionality may also contribute to develop new treatment tools for MDA5-related disorders.Growing evidences suggest that the fibroblast growth factor/FGF receptor (FGF/FGFR) signaling has crucial roles in a multitude of processes during embryonic development and adult homeostasis by regulating cellular lineage commitment, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis of various types of cells. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of FGF signaling and its roles in organ development, injury repair, and the pathophysiology of spectrum of diseases, which is a consequence of FGF signaling dysregulation, including cancers and chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this context, the agonists and antagonists for FGF-FGFRs might have therapeutic benefits in multiple systems.BACKGROUND lncRNA MALAT1 is one of the most widely studied lncRNAs associated with various human cancers. The present study explored the functions and potential regulatory mechanisms of MALAT1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). MATERIAL AND METHODS We assessed levels of MALAT1, miR-143-3p, and MAGEA9 expression in OSCC tissues and cell lines by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot assay. Proliferation and migration of CAL-27 cells were detected via CCK-8 and transwell assays, respectively. To study the relationships among MALAT1, miR-143-3p, and MAGEA9, we performed dual-luciferase assay and assessed the results using Spearman correlation analysis. RESULTS QRT-PCR results showed that MALAT1 and MAGEA9 were expressed at higher levels and miR-143-3p was expressed at lower levels in OSCC tissues. Dramatic suppression of cell proliferation and migration abilities were caused by MALAT1 knockdown or miR-143-3p overexpression in CAL-27 cells. MALAT1 directly interacted with and negatively regulated miR-143-3p. Moreover, MAGEA9 was validated as a miR-143-3p target gene and was found to be negatively regulated by it. MALAT1 knockdown suppressed MAGEA9 protein expression and had the same effect as MAGEA9 knockdown. Additionally, MAGEA9 knockdown inhibited CAL-27 cell proliferation and migration abilities. Finally, in OSCC tissues, MALAT1 and miR-143-3p expression were negatively correlated and MALAT1 was positively correlated with MAGEA9 expression, while an inverse correlation between MAGEA9 and miR-143-3p expression was observed. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our results suggest that MALAT1 functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) in promoting OSCC cell proliferation and migration abilities through the miR-143-3p/MAGEA9 axis, thus providing new therapeutic targets for treatment of OSCC.