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Targeting sialic acid metabolism: a therapeutic strategy against gastric cancer driven by WZ35

Cell Oncol (Dordr). 2026 Mar 23;49(2):60. doi: 10.1007/s13402-026-01194-6.

ABSTRACT

Glycolytic reprogramming is closely associated with the occurrence and progression of gastric cancer. Specifically, the energy derived from glucose metabolism and the cellular proteins by its intermediate products influence gastric cancer development. However, as an important branch of glucose metabolism, sialic acid metabolism and its mediated sialylation modifications remain insufficiently studied in gastric cancer, and their specific relationship with malignant tumor progression requires further exploration. This study employed a multi‑omics approach, integrating metabolomics, single‑cell RNA sequencing, and bulk RNA sequencing analyses, to investigate the metabolic landscape of gastric cancer and its associated alterations. The results indicated that sialic acid is a characteristic metabolite in malignant gastric cancer tissues. It modulates biological functions such as immune response, proliferative activity, and metabolic remodeling within gastric cancer tissues by influencing sialylation modifications. Furthermore, we identified the drug WZ35, which can inhibit the malignant proliferation of gastric cancer by targeting both sialic acid metabolism and sialylated protein modifications. We put forward a conjecture that the metabolism and modification of sialic acid promote the malignant development of gastric cancer, and we discovered that the drug WZ35 has an inhibitory effect on the sialic acid metabolism of gastric cancer.

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PMID:41870836 | PMC:PMC13009457 | DOI:10.1007/s13402-026-01194-6

Unraveling the Link Between Azathioprine and Acute Pancreatitis: Integrating Network Toxicology, Machine Learning, and Mendelian Randomization

CPT Pharmacometrics Syst Pharmacol. 2026 Mar;15(3):e70178. doi: 10.1002/psp4.70178.

ABSTRACT

Azathioprine (AZA), a widely used immunosuppressant, can induce acute pancreatitis (AP), yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study employed an integrative multiomics strategy-combining network toxicology, machine learning, Mendelian randomization (MR), and molecular docking-to elucidate the biological basis of AZA-induced AP. AZA-associated genes were first identified through bioinformatics databases and analyzed using protein-protein interaction networks and GO/KEGG functional enrichment. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) were applied to prioritize key differentially expressed genes for diagnostic modeling. MR was then used to examine potential causal links between gene expression and AP risk, followed by molecular docking to assess AZA-protein interactions. Sixty-eight candidate genes related to AZA-induced AP were identified. Enrichment analyses indicated involvement in lipid metabolic regulation, inflammatory pathways, and energy homeostasis. Machine learning highlighted seven key genes-CES1, CTSK, JAK1, NR3C2, PLIN5, WEE1, and RORA-as central to AP development. MR analysis further demonstrated that decreased expression of CES1 and CTSK may mediate AZA-related AP susceptibility. Docking simulations revealed strong, specific binding between AZA and both CES1 and CTSK. Overall, this study identifies CES1 and CTSK as genetically protective factors and mechanistic mediators in AZA-triggered AP. These findings offer new molecular insights into the genomic and biochemical pathways underlying this adverse drug reaction.

PMID:41832938 | DOI:10.1002/psp4.70178

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