EBV strain interacts with host HLA to drive nasopharyngeal carcinoma risk

Nature · 2026-04-15 · 2 citations

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infects more than 95% of adults worldwide but is associated with endemic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) specifically in southern China1–4. Here, through a stepwise host–EBV genome interaction analysis, we identify a genetic interaction between HLA-A*11:01 and the high-risk EBV variant 85841G as a key determinant of NPC risk. Individuals carrying a susceptible HLA-A background (HLA-A*11:01− or HLA-A*02:07+) and infected with the high-risk 85841G EBV form a dual-risk subgroup with substantially elevated, interaction-driven NPC risk, far exceeding the effects of host or virus alone. This dual-risk subgroup comprises 20.5% of the population and accounts for approximately 47% of NPC cases. We show that EBV 85841G encodes an EBNA3B peptide that binds to HLA-A*11:01 and elicits specific T cell responses capable of lysing EBV+ B cells transformed by 85841G-carrying strains, and is associated with reduced salivary viral load and lower NPC risk among A*11:01 carriers. Evolutionary analysis reveals that 85841G arose via ancient recombination events between northern and southern EBV and subsequently underwent clonal expansion in southern China, leading to co-enrichment of interacting host and viral risk factors that, in turn, contribute to NPC endemicity. These findings reveal a markedly stratified, interaction-driven risk architecture in NPC and highlight opportunities for precision prevention. A genome-to-genome association study identifies host and viral risk factors that interact to drive nasopharyngeal carcinoma endemicity in southern China.

Experimental Study on Spanwise Aerodynamic Control Measures for Vortex-Induced Vibrations of a Narrow Π-Shaped Girder of a Large Span Railway Cable-Stayed Bridge

Applied Sciences · 2026-04-01

Large-span bridges with bluff body girders are susceptible to vortex-induced vibration (VIV) due to their low frequency, light mass, and relatively low damping ratio, affecting fatigue life and serviceability. While research progress has been made on VIV mechanisms and control measures, systematic investigations on the application of vortex generators (VGs) to narrow Π-shaped railway girders remain scarce, and the potential synergistic effect of combining VGs with conventional aerodynamic measures has not been explored. To address this gap, wind tunnel tests were conducted on a 1:50 scale sectional model of a narrow Π-shaped steel girder for a railway cable-stayed bridge. The experimental program systematically investigated the VIV response of the original girder and evaluated the suppression effectiveness of conventional aerodynamic measures (vertical stabilizers, deflectors, modified fairings) and spanwise control using VGs. Parametric optimization of VG height (0.1 H–0.2 H, where H is the girder height), spacing (2/3 L0 and L0, where L0 = 12.5 m is the standard segment length), and installation position (upper fairing, lower fairing, girder bottom) was performed. Results show that under wind angles of attack from −5° to +5° and a damping ratio of 0.36%, the original girder exhibits pronounced vertical VIV with a maximum RMS amplitude of 0.025 m, approximately 3.15 times the code limit. Conventional measures alone fail to adequately suppress VIV. However, the optimal combination of VGs (height 0.2 H, spacing L0, installed on the lower fairing) with a 0.5 m wide, 15° inclined deflector effectively suppresses VIV under wind AOAs of 0°, ±3°, and –5°, achieving suppression below the measurable threshold. This study contributes the first comprehensive parametric investigation of VGs for narrow Π-shaped railway girders, reveals a synergistic effect when combining VGs with deflectors, and incorporates practical engineering constraints (such as aesthetic requirements) into the optimization process.

Abstract 5363: Validation of microenvironment gene signatures from FFPE to predict nasopharyngeal cancer prognosis.

Cancer Research · 2026-04-03

Abstract Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is endemic to Southern China and Southeast Asia. Gene expression profiling and biomarker identification in NPC with conventional bulk RNAseq has been challenging due to substantial heterogeneity in cellular composition and limited tissue availability. While we have previously described the microdissected gene expression landscape of NPC and its tumor microenvironment (TME) subtypes, prognostic gene signatures for treatment response remain poorly defined. Methods: We obtained formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsies from 64 NPC patients matched for stage but with different clinical outcomes, i.e., the treatment failure group (recurrent/metastatic disease) and the survivor group (remained disease-free). Laser-capture microdissection was performed to isolate the tumor epithelial (TUM) and TME regions based on H&E staining and pathologist annotation. Gene expression libraries were prepared using a specialized RNAseq protocol optimized for FFPE tissues. Following next generation sequencing, bioinformatic analyses were performed to develop gene signatures predictive of clinical outcomes. Results: After quality control, 277 gene expression libraries were analyzed, consisting of 154 TUM and 123 TME libraries. Unsupervised consensus clustering of TME libraries identified three conserved clusters (average Silhouette width = 0.89). These TME clusters were characterized as immune (C1), epithelial-infiltrative (C2), and stromal (C3) gene signatures based on gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and in-silico deconvolution. Notably, 63.2% and 72.7% of TME libraries in C1 and C3 were from survivors, while 61.5% in C2 were from treatment failures (chi-square test, p = 0.0397). Gene signatures for TME clusters were derived from upregulated genes in each cluster, and single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA) was used to calculate signature scores in two independent NPC cohorts (PMID:28851814 and PMID:40412382). Consistently, Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that patients with high C1 or low C2 scores had better progression-free survival (log-rank p-values 0.005 to 0.031). Interestingly, these TME cluster gene signatures outperformed the gene signature derived directly from the treatment failure versus survivor comparison in TME, suggesting that biologically meaningful TME-based gene signatures capture prognostic signal more robustly and generalize better across cohorts. Conclusions: In this study, we identified three distinct TME clusters in NPC and derived gene signatures that consistently predict progression-free survival across cohorts. These results highlight the value of TME-based biomarkers for risk stratification and precision medicine. Importantly, our FFPE LCM RNAseq workflow enabled high-quality, cell type-specific profiling from archival biopsies, supporting its utility for uncovering clinically relevant biomarkers. Citation Format: Yi Ren, Wei Keat Teo, Bingcheng Wu, Joseph W. Foley, Chee Yit Lim, Serene Chor Hiang Siow, Han Lee Goh, Eugenia Li Ling Yeo, Enya Hui Wen Ong, Melvin Lee Kiang Chua, Jianjun Liu, Kwok Seng Loh, Raymond Tsang, Joshua K. Tay. Validation of microenvironment gene signatures from FFPE to predict nasopharyngeal cancer prognosis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 5363.

A comparison of Epstein-Barr virus digital PCR and quantitative PCR for identifying nasopharyngeal cancer

Annals of the Academy of Medicine Singapore · 2026-03-19

Myopia control efficacy of annular microstructure defocus spectacle lenses: a 1-year multicenter study

BMC Ophthalmology · 2026-04-25

To evaluate the efficacy of annular microstructure defocus (AMD) spectacle lenses in controlling myopia progression in children and adolescents. This 1-year prospective, multicenter, non-randomized, controlled, single-blind (blind evaluator) trial was carried out in Chinese children and adolescents aged 6 ~ 18 years, with myopia between − 0.50D and − 10.00D and astigmatism ≤ 4.00D. Subjects were assigned in a 2:1 ratio to wear AMD spectacle lenses (n = 1,952) or wear single-vision (SV) spectacle lenses (n = 1,109) based on the choices of the subjects/parents. One-year changes in cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (SER) by autorefraction and axial length (AL) were used to evaluate the myopia control efficacy of AMD spectacle lenses. A total of 1,367 subjects (875 in the AMD group and 492 in the SV group) completed cycloplegic SER measurement at the 12-month follow-up visit. 1,791 subjects (1,194 in the AMD group and 597 in the SV group) completed AL measurement at the 12-month follow-up visit. After propensity score matching (PSM), the average change in cycloplegic SER for the subjects in the AMD group was significantly less than that in the SV group (-0.30 ± 0.24D vs. -0.79 ± 0.34D, P<0.001), and the average change in AL for the subjects in the AMD group was significantly slower than that in the SV group (0.18 ± 0.12 mm vs. 0.39 ± 0.17 mm, P<0.001), too. The efficacy of AMD spectacle lenses in controlling myopia progression and slowing axial elongation was 62.0% and 53.8%, respectively. Significant interaction effects were observed between age and treatment group (ΔSER: β = -0.037, ΔAL: β = 0.010, both P < 0.05),and between baseline SER and treatment group (ΔSER: β = 0.063, ΔAL: β = -0.020, both P < 0.05).These results indicated that the efficacy of AMD spectacle lenses in slowing myopia progression and axial elongation diminished with increasing age and baseline SER. The study confirmed the myopia control efficacy of AMD spectacle lenses based on changes in cycloplegic SER or AL over 1 year. Younger subjects with lower levels of myopia benefited more from wearing AMD spectacle lenses. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2200066085. Registered 23 November 2022, http://www.chictr.org.cn/.

DESI Strong Lens Foundry. I. HST Observations and Modeling with <tt>GIGA-Lens</tt>

The Astrophysical Journal · 2026-02-03

Abstract We present the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Strong Lens Foundry. We discovered ∼3500 new strong gravitational lens candidates in the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys using residual neural networks (ResNet). We observed a subset (51) of our candidates using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Except for one ambiguous case, we have confirmed 50 of the 51 candidates to be strong lenses. We also briefly describe spectroscopic follow-up observations by DESI and Keck NIRES programs. From this very rich data set, a number of studies will be carried out, including evaluating the quality of the ResNet search candidates and lens modeling. In this paper, we present our initial effort in these directions. In particular, as a demonstration, we present the lens model for DESI-165.4754−06.0423, with imaging data from HST, and lens and source redshifts from DESI and Keck NIRES, respectively. In this effort, we have applied a fully forward-modeling Bayesian approach ( GIGA-Lens ), using multiple GPUs, to a strong lens with HST data, and achieved statistical convergence.

Coordinated EISCAT and all-sky imager observations of dayside aurora effects on polar cap patch vertical properties

Science China Earth Sciences · 2026-03-04

Microglial Necroptosis Mediated by RIPK3 Leads to Retinal Ganglion Cell Apoptosis Through the Release of FGF2 After Ischemia/Reperfusion

Journal of Molecular Neuroscience · 2025-11-07 · 1 citations

Rhein alleviates acute pancreatitis by inhibiting TMAO-mediated inflammatory signaling pathways and reducing acinar cell injury

Journal of Advanced Research · 2025-11-01 · 2 citations

INTRODUCTION: Acute pancreatitis (AP) represents a significant global health challenge. Despite recent advances in medical treatment, the development of novel therapeutic strategies remains crucial. OBJECTIVES: Rhein, a natural compound of the Chinese herb Rheum, shows promise in the treatment of AP. However, the exact mechanism underlying its therapeutic effect is still not fully understood. METHODS: To investigate the association between the rhein-related gut microbiota and AP, we conducted antibiotic-mediated microbiota depletion experiments, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and in vitro bacterial culture experiments. Concurrently, we performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing, metagenomic sequencing, and liquid chromatography‒mass spectrometry (LC‒MS) analyses on mouse fecal samples to characterize alterations in the microbiota and metabolome. Transcriptomic studies were also performed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying acinar cell inflammation. RESULTS: Rhein alleviated AP by modulating the gut microbiota, as demonstrated by changes in the gut microbiota composition and improvements in AP after FMT in rhein-treated mice compared with those in cerulein-induced AP mice. Specifically, rhein is concentrated mainly in the stomach and intestines, where it exerts anti-inflammatory effects on acinar cells by antagonizing the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway activated by trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). This mechanism is associated with lipid peroxidation and necrosis mediated by oxidative stress. Clinically, disease severity in patients with AP is positively correlated with serum TMAO concentration. CONCLUSION: Rhein alleviates AP by modulating the intestinal microbiota to reduce TMAO production, thereby suppressing TMAO-induced activation of the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway and inhibiting acinar cell inflammation.

Xanthohumol promotes cognitive function-associated neuroprotein changes in two mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease

Research Square · 2025-12-08