Yangtze University

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and severe infectious disease caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). The disease significantly threatens the sustainable development of the global pig industry. Unfortunately, to date, no safe and efficacious vaccines are commercially available except in Vietnam. Antioxidative stress is a critical factor in antiviral strategies. In this study, we show that ASFV infection elevates the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and suppresses the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, overexpressing Nrf2 can significantly inhibit ASFV replication. Through high-throughput screening of natural small molecules against ASFV, we identify resveratrol (RES), an Nrf2 activator, as a compound capable of inducing the cellular antiviral responses and effectively inhibiting ASFV replication in primary porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs). Notably, untargeted metabolomics profiling reveals that glutathione emerges as a primary differential metabolite related to the antiviral activities of RES against ASFV. Mechanistically, RES exerts its antiviral effects and attenuates the elevated level of ROS caused by ASFV infection by inducing the production of reduced glutathione (GSH) via the activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, RES exhibits broad efficacy as a potentially effective compound for inhibiting ASFV infection and alleviating the oxidative stress induced by ASFV infection via the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

High-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are highly heterogeneous. This study aimed to developa nomogram for predicting recurrence in patients with high-risk GISTand to provide guidance for adjuvant therapy.

Data were retrospectively collected from 971 patients with high-risk GIST who underwent genetic testingat 13 centers in China. A nomogram was constructed in the training cohort and validated in the validation cohort.

The training and validation cohorts included 696 and 275 patients, respectively. The nomogram incorporated blood plateletlevels, total protein, tumor location, tumor size, mitotic count, tumor rupture, Ki-67 index, and gene mutations. The C-index and AUC were 0.758 and 0.781 in the training cohort and 0.841 and 0.755, respectively, in the validation cohort. Calibration and DCA curves confirmed favorable discrimination, calibration accuracy, and clinical benefits. Using the nomogram, patients were categorized into a general high-risk groupand a very high-risk group. Among the general high-risk group, no significant difference in RFS was observed between patients who received adjuvant imatinib for 2.5 years or longer. Conversely, in the very high-risk group, patients receiving adjuvant imatinib for five or more years had markedly improved RFS.

Based on the largest nomogram-related multicenter study in high-risk GIST, the nomogram accurately predicted RFS in patients with high-risk GIST and provided guidance on adjuvant therapy for the first time. For general high-risk patients, 3 years of adjuvant imatinib is adequate, whereas very high-risk patients benefit significantly from more than 5 years of adjuvant imatinib.

The barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) uses its genomic RNA components (alpha, beta, and gamma) as an efficient method for studying gene functions. It is a newly developed method that utilizes gene transcript suppression to determine the role of plant genes. BSMV derived from virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) is capable of infecting various key farming crops like barley, wheat, rice, corn, and oats. Nevertheless, the growing acceptance and enhancement of BSMV-VIGS will benefit all kinds of plants. Abiotic stresses such as drought and salt are highly affecting plant growth, development, and production. BSMV-induced temporal gene knockdown is performed during particular stressful situations to determine their specific function. The quick physiological and biochemical changes aid in confirming the role of the target genes. VIGS has a significant role to improve crop genetics and breeding, despite having certain restrictions. Thus, exploring the possible solution and addressing these difficulties will enhance the technology in the continuous advancement of plant manufacturing. BSMV-mediated VIGS has become popular in functional genomics; gene function can be determined without permanent transformation. In general, BSMV-mediated VIGS will be very helpful in the ongoing effort to develop resilient crops.