1. Effect of Ghrelin on the Cardiovascular System
Hiroshi Hosoda Biology (Basel). 2022 Aug 8;11(8):1190. doi: 10.3390/biology11081190.
Ghrelin, an n-octanoyl-modified 28-amino-acid-peptide, was first discovered in the human and rat stomach as an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R). Ghrelin-GHS-R1a signaling regulates feeding behavior and energy balance, promotes vascular activity and angiogenesis, improves arrhythmia and heart failure, and also protects against cardiovascular disease by suppressing cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction. Ghrelin's cardiovascular protective effects are mediated by the suppression of sympathetic activity; activation of parasympathetic activity; alleviation of vascular endothelial dysfunction; and regulation of inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy. The physiological functions of ghrelin should be clarified to determine its pharmacological potential as a cardiovascular medication.
3. Successful organoid-mediated generation of iPSC-derived CAR-T cells
Shin Kaneko Cell Stem Cell. 2022 Apr 7;29(4):493-495. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2022.03.005.
Artificial thymic organoids (ATOs) allow the selective differentiation of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-transduced human iPSCs into CAR-T cells. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Wang et al. now use ATOs to produce human CD19+ CAR-T cells that mimic conventional CAR-T cells and effectively control the progression of human CD19+ leukemia in an animal model.
