Front Med (Lausanne). 2025 Sep 26;12:1648612. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1648612. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

Small airways-defined as bronchioles <2 mm in internal diameter that lack cartilaginous support-are frequently involved in the earliest stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). While COPD is defined per GOLD by persistent post-bronchodilator airflow limitation, small-airway dysfunction can precede spirometric abnormality, motivating earlier, imaging- and physiology-based detection (Agustí et al., 2023). Pathological progression typically begins with loss and stenosis of terminal bronchioles, followed by mucus retention/plugging, fibrotic remodeling, chronic inflammation, microvascular abnormalities, and cellular senescence, ultimately resulting in irreversible impairment of gas exchange. Early diagnosis remains difficult, but a suite of advanced non-invasive modalities-including impulse oscillometry system/forced oscillation techniques (IOS/FOT), single- and multiple-breath washout tests, high-resolution CT with parametric response mapping (PRM), nuclear medicine approaches (e.g., SPECT), dynamic measurements of lung compliance, and Fluorine-19 (¹⁹F) MRI-combined with artificial intelligence markedly improve the sensitivity and specificity for detecting small-airway disease. Therapeutic strategies that target cellular senescence and fibrotic pathways-such as senolytics and antifibrotic interventions-are showing promise, particularly approaches that clear senescent cells or block pro-fibrotic signaling. The integration of single-cell omics, high-resolution microvascular imaging, and molecularly targeted therapies is expected to accelerate precision diagnostics and enable personalized early interventions. This review summarizes recent insights into small-airway physiology, key pathophysiological and molecular mechanisms, and current pharmacological strategies, and emphasizes the clinical principle of "early detection, early diagnosis, early intervention" for managing COPD-related small-airway disease.

PMID:41080967 | PMC:PMC12510933 | DOI:10.3389/fmed.2025.1648612

Nat Commun. 2025 Oct 7;16(1):8892. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63921-1.

ABSTRACT

Though open chromatin may promote active transcription, gene expression responses may not be directly coordinated with changes in chromatin accessibility. Most existing methods for single-cell multi-omics data focus only on learning stationary, shared information among these modalities, overlooking modality-specific information delineating cellular states and dynamics resulting from causal relations among modalities. To address this, the epigenome-transcriptome relationship can be characterized in relation to time as coupled (changing dependently) or decoupled (changing independently). We propose the framework HALO, adopting a causal approach to model these temporal causal relations on two levels. On the representation level, HALO factorizes these two modalities into both coupled and decoupled latent representations, revealing their dynamic interplay. On the individual gene level, HALO matches gene-peak pairs and characterizes their changes over time. HALO discovers analogous biological functions between modalities, distinguishes epigenetic factors for lineage specification, and identifies temporal cis-regulation interactions relevant to cellular differentiation and human diseases.

PMID:41057364 | PMC:PMC12504611 | DOI:10.1038/s41467-025-63921-1

Pneumologie. 2025 Oct;79(10):701-711. doi: 10.1055/a-2625-4648. Epub 2025 Oct 6.

ABSTRACT

Genetics and pathobiology were addressed at the 7^th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension in Task Forces 2 and 3. The Genetics Task Force also focused on precision medicine approaches, and the Pathobiology working group concentrated heavily on new omics technologies. Therefore, the following not only summarises the current state of knowledge on genetics, genetic testing methods, and molecular pathophysiological changes, but also places it in context and critically discusses it. In addition, the importance of national and international biobanks and cohorts, as well as the active involvement of patients and families, is emphasized.

PMID:41052524 | DOI:10.1055/a-2625-4648

Front Immunol. 2025 Sep 19;16:1631708. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1631708. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the role of ubiquitination-related genes in pancreatic cancer (PC) using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), spatial transcriptomics, and multi-omics approaches. scRNA-seq data (GSE155698) from PC samples identified 12 cell types, with endothelial cells exhibiting high ubiquitination scores (High_ubiquitin-Endo) and enriched interactions with fibroblasts/macrophages via WNT, NOTCH, and integrin pathways. Spatial transcriptomics (GSE235315) validated cell-type localization. Mendelian randomization (SMR) analysis prioritized TRIM9 as a PC-protective gene, downregulated in tumors and correlated with better survival. WGCNA revealed TRIM9-co-expressed modules linked to prognosis. A machine learning-based prognostic model (CoxBoost+RSF) integrating seven genes (TSPAN6, TSC1, RNF167, PBXIP1, LRRC49, KATNAL2, IGF2BP2) stratified patients into high/low-risk groups with distinct survival, mutation burdens, and immune infiltration. TRIM9 overexpression suppressed PC cell proliferation/migration in vitro, while knockdown enhanced malignancy. Mechanistically, TRIM9 promoted K11-linked ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of HNRNPU, dependent on its RING domain. In vivo, TRIM9 overexpression reduced tumor growth, rescued by HNRNPU co-expression. Integrated analyses highlight TRIM9 as a tumor suppressor and prognostic biomarker, mediated via ubiquitination-dependent regulation of HNRNPU stability. This work provides insights into ubiquitination-driven PC pathogenesis and therapeutic targeting.

PMID:41050689 | PMC:PMC12491318 | DOI:10.3389/fimmu.2025.1631708

Comput Biol Med. 2025 Nov;198(Pt A):111120. doi: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2025.111120. Epub 2025 Sep 29.

ABSTRACT

Cancer is a leading, highly complex, and deadly disease that has become a major concern in modern medicine. Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary liver cancer and a leading cause of global cancer mortality. Its development is predominantly associated with chronic liver diseases such as hepatitis B and C infections, cirrhosis, alcohol consumption, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Molecular mechanisms underlying HCC involve genetic mutations, epigenetic changes, and disrupted signalling pathways, including Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/AKT/mTOR. Early diagnosis remains challenging, as most cases are detected at advanced stages, limiting curative treatment options. Diagnostic advancements, including biomarkers like alpha-fetoprotein and cutting-edge imaging techniques such as CT, MRI, and ultrasound-based radiomics, have improved early detection. Treatment strategies depend on the disease stage, ranging from curative options like surgical resection and liver transplantation to palliative therapies, including transarterial chemoembolization, systemic therapies, and immunotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 have shown promise for advanced HCC. In this review we discuss about emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and multi-omics platforms for HCC management by enhancing diagnostic accuracy, identifying novel therapeutic targets, and enabling personalized treatments. Despite these advancements, the prognosis for HCC patients remains poor, underscoring the need for continued research into early detection, innovative therapies, and translational applications to effectively address this global health challenge.

PMID:41027344 | DOI:10.1016/j.compbiomed.2025.111120