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        <title>Frontiers in Genetics | New and Recent Articles</title>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics</link>
        <description>RSS Feed for Frontiers in Genetics | New and Recent Articles</description>
        <language>en-us</language>
        <generator>Frontiers Feed Generator,version:1</generator>
        <pubDate>2026-09-28T14:51:21.245+00:00</pubDate>
        <ttl>60</ttl>
        <item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1951476</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1951476</link>
        <title><![CDATA[The mutational and clinical spectrum of EYS-associated retinitis pigmentosa in an Eastern European and Northern Asian cohort: two recurrent founder alleles]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-28T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Marianna Weener</author><author>Igor Hatsenko</author><author>Inna Zolnikova</author><author>Natella Chincharauli</author><author>Maria Shilova</author><author>Anna Venger</author><author>Olga Luneva</author><author>Larisa Balashova</author><author>Jean Salmasi</author><author>Gennadiy Poryadin</author>
        <description><![CDATA[PurposeBiallelic EYS variants are one of the frequent causes of autosomal recessive inherited retinal disease worldwide, yet the EYS mutational landscape of Eastern European and Northern Asian populations has not been systematically described. We characterized the molecular and clinical spectrum of EYS-associated retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in this population.MethodsThirty-nine patients with confirmed biallelic EYS variants were selected from 500 patients enrolled in the prospective inherited retinal disease genotyping clinical trial (NCT03901391). All patients underwent whole exome sequencing with copy number/structural variant analysis and standardized ophthalmic phenotyping, including best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit lamp biomicroscopy, refractometry, perimetry, optical coherent tomography (OCT), fundus autofluorescence (FAF), ophthalmoscopy and electroretinogram (ERG).ResultsWe identified 34 distinct EYS variants: 22 pathogenic, 8 likely pathogenic, and 4 variants of uncertain significance by American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) criteria. Fifteen variants were novel, including eight structural deletions. Two recurrent alleles c.1155T>A (p.Cys385*) in 16 (20.3%) alleles, and c.8648_8655del (p.Thr2883Lysfs*4) in 15 (19.0%) alleles were the most frequent; together they accounted for 39.2% of alleles, with relatedness analysis supporting a shared founder origin. Median age of disease manifestation was 18 years and median BCVA 0.16 logMAR; worse acuity correlated with older age (rank correlation coefficient = 0.34, p = 0.035).ConclusionThis first description of the EYS spectrum in an Eastern European and Northern Asian cohort expands the allelic diversity of the gene, provides a genotype-phenotype description and defines two population-specific founder alleles amenable to targeted screening and future treatment.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1908680</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1908680</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Copy number variants in fetuses with non-structural ultrasound abnormalities among pregnant women without adverse pregnancy history]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-28T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Jianwen Lian</author><author>Liubing Lan</author><author>Wenjuan Luo</author><author>Lingna She</author><author>Bosen Zhang</author><author>Huaxian Wang</author><author>Hua Zhong</author><author>Zhiyuan Zheng</author><author>Heming Wu</author><author>Lifang Lin</author>
        <description><![CDATA[ObjectiveTo analyze fetal copy number variants (CNVs) in pregnant women without adverse pregnancy history whose fetuses presented non-structural ultrasound abnormalities, and explore the correlations between CNVs status, ultrasonic phenotypes and maternal age.MethodsA total of 426 pregnant women without adverse pregnancy history were consecutively recruited prospectively, followed by retrospective data analysis. Participants were divided into <35 years (n = 368) and ≥35 years (n = 58) groups. All fetuses were classified by types of non-structural ultrasound abnormalities. Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) was used to detect pathogenic/likely pathogenic CNVs (P/LP CNVs) and variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Subgroup comparisons of CNV detection rates were performed.ResultsAbnormal ultrasound soft markers were the most common manifestation (83.1%), followed by fetal growth restriction (12.2%) and abnormal amniotic fluid volume (4.2%). The overall detection rates of P/LP CNVs and VUS were 4.5% and 9.2%, respectively. The detection rates of P/LP CNVs and VUS in fetuses with abnormal ultrasound soft-markers were 3.4% and 9.6%, respectively. Both the detection rates of P/LP CNVs and VUS reached 9.6% in fetal growth restriction fetuses. The detection rate of P/LP CNVs was 5.6% in fetuses with abnormal amniotic fluid volume, whereas no VUS was detected. CNVs detection rates varied greatly among different soft markers: the detection rate was highest in fetuses with renal pelvic dilatation (33.3%, 5/15), followed by short long bones (17.9%, 5/28) and increased NT thickness (14.3%, 17/119). There were no significant differences in P/LP CNVs (p = 0.090) and VUS (p = 0.631) rates between pregnant women aged <35 years and ≥35 years.ConclusionFetal CNVs vary substantially across different non-structural ultrasound abnormalities in low-risk pregnancies. Fetal growth restriction and several ultrasound soft markers are associated with elevated CNVs risks. Maternal age has no significant impact on fetal CNVs detection. Stratified risk assessment and individualized management are recommended for this population.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1890236</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1890236</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis based on gene selection and cross-tissue validation]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-28T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Xiaolan Zhang</author><author>Xiaotong Tang</author><author>Qian Bo</author><author>Yu Ma</author><author>Fang Shi</author><author>Hongpeng Hou</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundEarly and accurate diagnosis is critical for intervening in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, traditional clinical diagnostic techniques, such as invasive cerebrospinal fluid punctures and expensive neuroimaging, struggle to meet the demands of large-scale early screening.MethodsThis study proposes a novel transcriptomic-based diagnostic framework named DeepFS, which features an automated gene selection module to filter out redundant noise and identify high-value core gene targets for diagnosis.ResultsDeepFS achieved high-precision identification of AD, yielding an ac-curacy of 89.45% and an AUC value of 0.9647 on brain tissue transcriptomic data. To further explore the methodological generalizability of the framework across different tissue types, we extended DeepFS to a peripheral blood transcriptomic dataset, where it consistently achieved reliable diagnostic classification performance. Furthermore, regarding the brain tissue transcriptomic data, the high-weight genes driven by the gene selection module were integrated with AD brain single-nucleus RNA sequencing data for quantitative analysis at single-cell resolution, further validating the biological efficacy of the module.ConclusionDeepFS not only exhibits competitive performance in AD diagnostic classification, but can also serve as a valuable prior reference for future AD biomarker research.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1975296</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1975296</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Chromatin remodeling in bone organoids: from epigenetic regulation to disease modeling and therapeutic translation]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-28T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Yuxin Zheng</author><author>Desheng Liu</author><author>Jun Hou</author><author>Hong Ding</author><author>Yingying He</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Chromatin remodeling contributes to skeletal development, tissue homeostasis, and disease by regulating nucleosome positioning, chromatin accessibility, and histone modifications. Bone organoids can partially reproduce the three-dimensional human bone microenvironment and provide new in vitro models for studying skeletal pathophysiology. This review summarizes recent progress in chromatin remodeling and bone organoid research, with a focus on the roles of switch/sucrose non-fermenting (SWI/SNF), imitation switch (ISWI), and chromodomain helicase deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-binding (CHD) complexes in bone organoid regulation. We also discuss the relationships between bone organoids and enhancer remodeling, DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin organization, and cellular metabolism. In addition, we summarize the applications of emerging technologies, including multiomics, spatial epigenomics, and live cell imaging, in bone organoid studies. The current limitations of these models are also considered. Finally, we discuss potential directions for the further development and refinement of bone organoids. We highlight their potential applications in bone disease research, drug screening, and future clinical translation within the context of chromatin remodeling.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1928986</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1928986</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Integrative bioinformatics screening of a M2 macrophage-associated gene signature for osimertinib resistance]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-28T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Yajie Huang</author><author>Yaozhong Zhang</author><author>Jian Shi</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionAlthough the third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) Osimertinib is widely used in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), acquired resistance to this agent remains a major clinical challenge perplexing the academic community. While the genomic drivers of osimertinib resistance (OR) have been relatively well characterized, the non-genetic contributions of the tumor microenvironment (TME), especially the role of macrophage-mediated remodeling remains incompletely understood.MethodsTo address this gap, a total of 6 lung cancer tissue samples were collected from a cohort of 6 NSCLC patients and subjected to single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed on Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data to screen out OR-associated gene modules. The intersection of scRNA-seq-derived differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and module genes was used to identify M2 macrophage- and OR-related DEGs (MORGs). An ensemble machine learning framework encompassing 112 algorithm combinations was applied to construct a gene signature. Survival analysis was conducted in the EGFR-mutant TCGA cohort. In vitro cell experiments were further performed for functional validation.ResultsSingle-cell RNA sequencing firstly revealed an increased proportion of M2 macrophages in the OR group, and M2 macrophage-specific DEGs were identified between OR and non-OR groups. A total of seven MORGs were obtained by intersecting DEGs and OR-related module genes. A 7-gene signature was successfully established via machine learning. Survival analysis demonstrated that RRBP1 showed the strongest association with overall survival and was selected for further investigation. In vitro experiments confirmed that RRBP1 was significantly upregulated in the H1975OR cells. Knockdown of RRBP1 reduced cell viability and migration, lowered the IC50 of osimertinib, and increased the expression of ER stress markers such as GRP78 and CHOP.ConclusionIn summary, our study identified a 7-MORGs signature for OR, among which RRBP1 may be a candidate regulator for OR.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1916220</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1916220</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Multipath interaction network of annexin A2: multifaceted regulation and translational perspectives in neurological diseases]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-28T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Yong Guan</author><author>Ping Gu</author><author>Dachuang Guo</author><author>Liqiang Huang</author><author>Dongye Lian</author><author>Caicai Zhang</author><author>Jigao Feng</author><author>Hao Peng</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Annexin A2 (Anxa2) is a Ca2+-dependent phospholipid-binding protein whose functions are shaped by dynamic membrane association, post-translational regulation, and interactions with diverse molecular partners. Rather than acting as a conventional pathway-specific regulator, Anxa2 appears to operate within a multipath interaction network that links membrane organization, cytoskeletal remodeling, vesicular trafficking, extracellular proteolysis, and cellular stress responses. This Review examines how these interconnected functions contribute to neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and glioma. We critically evaluate evidence connecting Anxa2 with Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Protein Kinase B (PI3K/AKT), mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK), Nuclear Factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), and Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-β) related signaling and distinguish direct molecular interactions from pathway-dependent or secondary signaling changes. Current evidence suggests that many Anxa2-associated signaling outputs may arise from changes in membrane trafficking, receptor organization, protein handling, and cellular state rather than from direct control of individual signaling cascades. This network-based view also provides a framework for interpreting apparently divergent effects of Anxa2 across neuronal, glial, endothelial, immune, and tumor contexts. From a translational perspective, Anxa2 is therefore a promising but challenging target: its broad physiological functions argue against indiscriminate inhibition and instead favor disease-, cell-, and interaction-specific modulation. Defining the molecular architecture and context-specific operation of Anxa2-centered networks will be essential for determining its value as a biomarker and therapeutic target in neurological disease.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1856671</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1856671</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Quantitative analysis of proteostasis disruption following siRNA-mediated HSP70 depletion in HeLa cells]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-28T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Hatice Esenkaya</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionHeat shock protein 70 (HSP70) is a central molecular chaperone that maintains proteostasis by supporting protein folding, preventing protein aggregation, and coordinating cellular stress responses. Dysregulation of HSP70 has been associated with cancer progression, neurodegenerative disorders, and aging-related proteotoxicity. However, many experimental approaches rely on chemical inhibition or stress-inducing conditions that may introduce additional confounding effects. This study aimed to investigate the proteostatic consequences of HSP70 depletion in the absence of stress-inducing chemical inhibitors.MethodsA rapid, quantitative workflow was developed to assess chaperone function and proteostasis in cultured cells. HSP70 was depleted in HeLa cells using siRNA-mediated gene silencing. Knockdown efficiency was evaluated at the transcript and protein levels using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blotting, respectively. Flow cytometry was used to quantify ProteoStat-detected misfolded/aggregated protein burden and total cellular fluorescence from a G3BP1-GFP reporter.ResultssiRNA-mediated HSP70 depletion resulted in a greater than 90% reduction in HSP70 transcript and protein levels. HSP70-depleted cells exhibited a 1.8-fold increase in ProteoStat fluorescence, indicating an increased burden of misfolded/aggregated proteins, and a 2.9-fold increase in total cellular G3BP1-GFP fluorescence. Because flow cytometry does not resolve intracellular localization or puncta formation, the increased G3BP1-GFP fluorescence should be interpreted as a surrogate reporter response and does not constitute direct evidence of stress granule biogenesis.DiscussionThese findings are consistent with impaired proteostasis following acute HSP70 depletion and demonstrate the potential utility of an inhibitor-independent workflow for evaluating cellular responses associated with targeted chaperone depletion. Orthogonal spatial validation using immunofluorescence or confocal microscopy is required to determine G3BP1 localization and confirm stress granule formation. In addition, experiments using multiple independent siRNA duplexes will be necessary to establish target specificity and strengthen the mechanistic interpretation of the observed proteostatic response.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1855858</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1855858</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Case Report: Co-occurrence of Wilson disease and tuberous sclerosis complex in a Chinese patient]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-25T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Case Report</category>
        <author>Kun Xia</author><author>Shijing Wang</author><author>Tong Wu</author><author>Dandan Sun</author><author>Wei Wang</author><author>Xun Wang</author><author>Yongsheng Han</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundWilson disease (WD) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are rare genetic disorders with distinct pathophysiologies. Their co-occurrence has not been previously reported. When atypical clinical features emerge in a patient with an established genetic diagnosis, comprehensive reassessment, including thorough physical examination and expanded genetic testing, becomes critical.Case PresentationWe describe a 28-year-old Chinese woman with a confirmed diagnosis of WD who developed focal seizures after substantial clinical improvement during copper chelation therapy. Her seizures were controlled with carbamazepine (600 mg/day), but repeated attempts to withdraw carbamazepine led to seizure recurrence, prompting diagnostic reassessment. Physical examination revealed characteristic TSC stigmata, including facial angiofibromas, periungual fibromas, a shagreen patch, and hypomelanotic macules. Laboratory evaluation demonstrated markedly low serum copper (1.38 μmol/L) and ceruloplasmin (65.0 mg/L), along with elevated 24-h urinary copper excretion (218.20 μg/24 h), measured during penicillamine treatment. Imaging showed nodular liver changes, a left renal hamartomatous lesion, bilateral basal ganglia abnormalities, a probable cortical tuber, and subependymal nodules. In January 2025, whole-exome sequencing identified a homozygous pathogenic ATP7B variant (NM_000053.4: c.2333G>T; p.Arg778Leu), confirming WD, and an apparently de novo heterozygous pathogenic TSC2 frameshift variant (NM_000548.5: c.2816dup; p.Ser939ArgfsTer21). The TSC2 variant was absent in both tested parents, but biological parentage was not independently confirmed.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this is the first reported case of concomitant WD and TSC. Given their distinct genetic etiologies, including a de novo TSC2 variant in this patient, the co-occurrence is most appropriately interpreted as an exceptionally rare independent dual diagnosis rather than evidence of a biological link. The case highlights diagnostic overshadowing and the importance of renewed physical examination and expanded genetic testing when the clinical course becomes atypical for an established disorder.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1904744</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1904744</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Epigenetic, chromatin-associated, and epitranscriptomic regulation in chronic pain: mechanisms and translational prospects]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-25T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Jianan You</author><author>Lei Li</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Chronic pain is sustained by durable yet dynamic changes in gene regulation across sensory neurons, spinal circuits, glial and immune cells, and higher brain regions. This review critically evaluates three related but conceptually distinct regulatory layers: chromatin-associated epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation, histone modifications, and chromatin accessibility; non-coding RNAs that directly interface with chromatin-regulatory machinery; and RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A), an epitranscriptomic mechanism that acts primarily at the RNA level. Across pain models, the most reproducible mechanistic theme is not a uniform increase or decrease in one epigenetic mark, but locus-, cell-, and stage-specific reprogramming that can silence anti-nociceptive genes while activating pro-nociceptive or inflammatory programs. Evidence is strongest where locus-specific perturbation connects a regulatory change to transcription, cellular excitability, synaptic function, and pain behavior; bulk-tissue associations remain mainly hypothesis-generating. Human blood and tissue studies have identified candidate methylation signatures, but none is sufficiently validated for routine diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment selection. Likewise, broad DNMT, HDAC, or histone-modifying interventions show analgesic activity mainly in animals, whereas the negative phase two trial of the HDAC6 inhibitor ricolinostat illustrates the translational gap. We therefore argue that future progress will depend on cell-resolved longitudinal multi-omics, causal epigenome editing, human tissue validation, and biomarker studies designed around prespecified clinical utility rather than statistical association alone.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1760184</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1760184</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Bridging bone and muscle: ontology-driven prioritization of candidate genes at the osteoporosis–sarcopenia interface by gene ontology reverse lookup]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-25T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Simon Žetko</author><author>Lan Vukolić</author><author>Aljoša Škorjanc</author><author>Vladimir Smrkolj</author><author>Nejc Umek</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionOsteosarcopenia reflects the co-occurrence of osteoporosis and sarcopenia, but the molecular processes shared between impaired bone and muscle homeostasis remain incompletely characterized. This study applied a transparent, hypothesis-generating annotation-based framework to prioritize candidate genes at the osteoporosis–sarcopenia interface.MethodsGOReverseLookup was applied to manually curated Gene Ontology term sets representing biological mechanisms relevant to osteoporosis and sarcopenia. A curated set of 367 GO terms representing key disease mechanisms served as input. Using Fisher’s exact testing with Benjamini–Hochberg correction and predefined ortholog-propagation settings incorporating H. sapiens, M. musculus, R. norvegicus, D. rerio, and X. tropicalis annotations, the pipeline prioritized genes meeting the significance criterion for both curated states of interest. Prioritized candidates were subsequently contextualized using targeted literature assessment, DisGeNET disease-association scores, Expression Atlas tissue-expression data and KEGG pathway analysis.ResultsThe primary analysis identified 37 candidate genes meeting the predefined significance criterion for both osteoporosis- and sarcopenia-related states of interest. The analysis highlighted a subset of less-characterized candidates, including RBCK1, LGALS9, ZBTB7A and RPS3, with detectable expression in the selected bone- and muscle-related tissue datasets. Recovery of previously described mediators of bone and muscle biology, including TNFSF11 and STAT3, supported the biological plausibility of the prioritization framework. Pathway characterization predominantly indicated inflammatory and innate immune signalling, regulated cell death and osteoclast-related processes.ConclusionGOReverseLookup generated a transparent, annotation-based candidate list for investigating shared osteoporosis- and sarcopenia-related mechanisms. These findings should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating prioritization results requiring independent experimental and clinical validation.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1924019</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1924019</link>
        <title><![CDATA[A novel frameshift RPL15 gene variant associated with hydrops fetalis and perinatal death]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-25T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Xiaoling Chen</author><author>Ke Wu</author><author>Bo Zhu</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundThe heterozygous RPL15 gene (OMIM*604174) variants are associated with autosomal dominant Diamond-Blackfan anemia 12 (DBA12, OMIM#615550). Fewer than ten RPL15 variants have been reported to date, and they are commonly associated with hydrops fetalis, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and neonatal anemia. Fetal demise attributable to the RPL15 variant identified in our patient was the first documented case of perinatal death associated with RPL15-related DBA.MethodsTrio-based whole-exome sequencing (trio-WES) was performed on genomic DNA (gDNA) of fetal muscular tissues and parental peripheral blood samples. Mutant RPL15 expression vectors pcDNA3.1 (+)-FLAG-RPL15-mut and control pcDNA3.1 (+)-FLAG-RPL15-wt mammalian expression vectors were constructed. Both vectors were subsequently transformed into HEK293 T cells. Assays measuring the relative expression of RPL15 gene mRNA and RPL15 protein were performed. Actinomycin D was used to detect the degradation of RPL15 mRNA. Meanwhile, we reviewed previously reported RPL15-related cases with available clinical data, including relevant genetic testing results and prenatal/postnatal manifestations.ResultsTrio-WES identified a novel heterozygous frameshift RPL15 gene variant (NM_002948.5) c.227del (p.Pro76Leufs*17) in this fetus. The relative expression of RPL15 gene mRNA analysis showed that the mRNA expression of mutant RPL15 cell lines was significantly decreased, and the relative expression level of RPL15 protein in the RPL15-mut cell lines was significantly lower than that in the RPL15-wt cell lines (P < 0.0001). After actinomycin D treatment, mRNA transcription was inhibited in both the RPL15-wt and RPL15-mut cell lines; the RPL15-mut cell lines exhibited a significantly accelerated mRNA decay rate and lower mRNA expression relative to the RPL15-wt cell lines. All these results revealed that this variant resulted in a dramatic reduction in the formation of RPL15 protein due to the decay of mutant RPL15 mRNA. After reviewing the current literature, we found that fetuses with RPL15 gene variants commonly presented with hydrops fetalis, intrauterine growth restriction, and heart defect. The penetrance of loss-of-function variants in the RPL15 gene was high, but appears to be incomplete.ConclusionFetuses with RPL15 gene variants can present with hydrops fetalis, IUGR, heart defects, decreased fetal movements, and extremity abnormalities. Our functional studies have provided preliminary evidence confirming the haploinsufficiency of the RPL15 gene as the underlying pathogenic mechanism of DBA12. This study also expands the mutational spectrum of the RPL15 gene and broadens the associated clinical spectrum of DBA12.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1952333</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1952333</link>
        <title><![CDATA[singIST: an R/bioconductor library and quarto dashboard for automated single-cell comparative transcriptomics analysis of disease models and humans]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-25T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Technology and Code</category>
        <author>Aitor Moruno-Cuenca</author><author>Sergio Picart-Armada</author><author>Alexandre Perera-Lluna</author><author>Francesc Fernández-Albert</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundPreclinical disease models frequently fail to recapitulate human pathophysiology at single-cell resolution, complicating model selection and limiting translational relevance. While single-cell RNA sequencing enables detailed characterization of disease mechanisms, systematic and interpretable frameworks to compare disease models against human references across cell types and pathways remain limited. There is a need for standardized, reproducible tools that support quantitative cross-species comparison while remaining accessible to applied researchers.ResultsWe present singIST, an R/Bioconductor package for quantitative and interpretable comparison of disease model single-cell transcriptomic data against human reference datasets. singIST integrates pathway-level modeling with cell-type resolution and one-to-one orthology mapping to quantify the direction and magnitude of recapitulation across pathways, cell types, and genes. To facilitate interpretation and reporting, we additionally provide singIST Visualizer, a companion Quarto-based Shiny application enabling interactive exploration of results and automated generation of publication-ready figures and tables without custom code. We demonstrate the workflow using a mouse oxazolone model compared against a human atopic dermatitis reference, assessing biological alignment at multiple levels of resolution.ConclusionsingIST provides a standardized and reproducible framework for comparative single-cell transcriptomic analysis between disease models and humans, with an emphasis on interpretability and practical usability. By combining quantitative recapitulation metrics with an interactive visualization interface, singIST supports informed model evaluation, hypothesis generation, and translational decision-making in preclinical research. The software is freely available via Bioconductor under an open-source license. The singIST visualizer is freely available in Shiny with 8 GB memory https://amoruno.shinyapps.io/singIST_visualizer/.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1917203</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1917203</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Modified Bixuesan modulates inflammatory and apoptotic gene expression in post-radiotherapy chronic pharyngitis of laryngeal cancer: an integrative network pharmacology and in vitro validation study]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-24T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Dongqing Lu</author><author>Xuxu Guo</author><author>Jun Gao</author><author>Yanming Cai</author><author>Xiaofei Liu</author><author>Lulu Jiao</author><author>Fei He</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundPost-radiotherapy chronic pharyngitis affects 60%–80% of laryngeal cancer survivors and is characterized by sustained elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and dysregulation of key apoptotic and oncogenic signaling pathways, including NF-κB/PI3K-AKT/EGFR and TP53/CASP3 axes. Modified Bixuesan (MBS), a classical Traditional Chinese Medicine formula with nearly 180 years of clinical use in pharyngolaryngeal disorders, has not been systematically characterized for its molecular mechanism of action in this context.MethodsWe conducted an integrative study combining network pharmacology, multi-omics bioinformatics, and in vitro cell line validation. Active MBS compounds were screened from TCMSP and BATMAN-TCM databases using ADME thresholds. Single-cell transcriptomic data from laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC; GSE127519) and bulk microarray data from radiation-induced pharyngitis (GSE103412) were analyzed to identify hub target genes. Molecular docking was performed using AutoDock Vina against crystal structures from RCSB PDB. In vitro RT-qPCR validation was conducted in Hep-2 and TU212 laryngeal cancer cell lines treated with MBS extract (0.5 mg/mL, 48 h), evaluating mRNA expression of four hub genes: TP53, EGFR, NF-κB1, and CASP3.ResultsNetwork pharmacology identified 47 active MBS compounds and 89 putative therapeutic targets, with TP53, AKT1, EGFR, NF-κB1, CASP3, MMP9, and VEGFA as principal hub genes. Molecular docking revealed strong predicted binding of quercetin to TP53 (−9.4 kcal/mol) and kaempferol to EGFR (−8.7 kcal/mol). In vitro RT-qPCR in MBS-treated Hep-2 cells demonstrated significant upregulation of TP53 (1.72 ± 0.19-fold, p = 0.024) and CASP3 (1.89 ± 0.25-fold, p = 0.011), and significant downregulation of EGFR (0.46 ± 0.08-fold, p = 0.003) and NF-κB1 (0.43 ± 0.11-fold, p = 0.004). In TU212 cells, concordant and more pronounced changes were observed: TP53 (2.51 ± 0.31-fold, p = 0.001), CASP3 (2.24 ± 0.27-fold, p = 0.002), EGFR (0.38 ± 0.07-fold, p < 0.001), and NF-κB1 (0.36 ± 0.09-fold, p = 0.001).ConclusionThis integrative study provides in vitro gene expression evidence suggesting that MBS may modulate inflammatory and apoptotic signaling associated with post-radiotherapy laryngeal mucosal injury, through predicted regulation of NF-κB/PI3K-AKT/EGFR pathway components and upregulation of TP53/CASP3 mRNA expression. These findings are exploratory; network pharmacology and docking analyses are hypothesis-generating only, and in vitro results require prospective mechanistic and clinical validation.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1958764</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1958764</link>
        <title><![CDATA[AI Agents and Agentic AI in plant breeding: new frontiers, opportunities and challenges]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-24T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Perspective</category>
        <author>Paolo Vitale</author><author>Deepak Bhaskar Acharya</author><author>Guillermo Gerard</author><author>Susanne Dreisigacker</author><author>Osval A. Montesinos-López</author><author>Abelardo Montesinos-López</author><author>Rodomiro Ortiz</author><author>José Crossa</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Plant breeding increasingly integrates diverse data sources, including genomic, phenomic, and environmental information, yet current artificial intelligence (AI) applications remain largely isolated analytical tools. Coordinating the entire breeding pipeline, from data collection and quality control to analysis, prediction, and decision-making, remains a challenge. Here we hypothesize that AI Agents and Agentic AI systems, which autonomously execute tasks using reasoning, memory, and tool integration, may orchestrate complex breeding objectives by coordinating specialized agents across multiple data domains. This approach has the potential to enhance breeding efficiency, reduce operational errors, and accelerate genetic gain by connecting previously fragmented processes. Although empirical validations remain forthcoming, the framework presented here provides a conceptual foundation for future implementation and evaluation. While technical, ethical, and institutional challenges exist, implementing such AI frameworks could support breeders in managing the complexity of modern genetic improvement programs, ultimately contributing to enhanced cultivar development and food security.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1883811</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1883811</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Cord blood-based neonatal genetic screening for thalassemia in Guiyang, China (2015): a cross-sectional study]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-24T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Xiaoling Liang</author><author>Wen Xia</author><author>Siqi Long</author><author>Lei Hu</author><author>Caili Wang</author><author>Jingrong Zhang</author><author>Lei Zhang</author><author>Shu Mo</author><author>Danna Wei</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundThis study aims to assess the carrier frequency and molecular spectrum of thalassemia in neonates from Guiyang, China, a multi-ethnic region with historically limited population-level screening data.MethodsThis single-center cross-sectional study recruited 1,000 consecutive umbilical cord blood samples from full-term neonates delivered at a tertiary maternal and child health hospital in Guiyang from January 2015 to December 2015. Genetic screening for thalassemia was conducted using commercial gene detection kits. Epidemiological data, including sex, age, ethnicity, place of origin, and routine blood test results, were obtained from the parents of all subjects. High-throughput sequencing was employed to re-examine cord blood samples from neonates whose parents had reduced MCV or a family history of thalassemia.ResultsOf the 1,000 neonates, 74 were identified as thalassemia carriers, yielding an overall carrier rate of 7.4%. Specifically, 55 cases (5.5%) carried α-thalassemia genes, 18 cases (1.8%) carried β-thalassemia genes, and 1 case (0.1%) was a compound αβ-thalassemia carrier. Among α-thalassemia carriers, the three most frequent deletion genotypes were -α3.7 (45.45%), --SEA (27.27%), and -α4.2 (16.36%); non-deletional mutations included α-CS and α-WS. For β-thalassemia carriers, the most common mutations were CD17 (A→T) (44.44%), CD41-42 (-TTCT) (27.78%), and IVS-II-654 (C→T) (16.67%), with one rare domestic mutation (+40–43 [-AAAC]). Of note, 34 carriers were from ethnic minority groups, representing 10 distinct ethnicities. Carrier rates varied significantly by ethnicity: Han 6.28% (43/685), Buyi 17.33% (13/75), Miao 7.79% (6/77), Dong 26.32% (5/19), and Tujia 15.63% (5/32). Intergroup comparisons revealed significantly higher carrier rates among the Buyi, Dong, and Tujia populations compared to the Han population (all P < 0.05, χ2 test).ConclusionThis neonatal cord blood screening study in Guiyang reveals an overall thalassemia carrier rate of 7.4%, with α-thalassemia predominating. The -α3.7 deletion and CD17 (A→T) mutation were identified as the most frequent α- and β-thalassemia alleles, respectively. Carrier rates were higher in the Buyi, Dong, and Tujia populations compared to the Han population. Further epidemiological studies are needed to confirm the high prevalence of thalassemia in these ethnic groups.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1963011</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1963011</link>
        <title><![CDATA[A novel homozygous DLGAP5 splice-site variant in a woman with oocyte maturation arrest and recurrent IVF failure: a case report]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-24T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Case Report</category>
        <author>Prince Jacob</author><author>Deepa Bhat</author><author>Adithya G. Urs</author><author>Uma Maheshwari</author><author>Siddaramappa Jagadish Patil</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Oocyte maturation arrest (OMA) is a rare cause of female infertility characterized by impaired oocyte maturation and recurrent failure of assisted reproductive technologies. Recent studies have identified DLGAP5 as a critical regulator of meiotic spindle assembly, with biallelic variants causing oocyte maturation defects and early embryonic arrest. Till date, 10 females from seven families have been reported. We report a 27-year-old Asian - Indian woman from a consanguineous family with 5 years of primary infertility and two IVF cycles characterized by poor metaphase II (MII) oocyte yield and complete blastocyst arrest. Whole-exome sequencing identified a novel canonical splice-acceptor variant, c.2064-1G>A, in homozygous state in DLGAP5. Segregation analysis confirmed heterozygous carrier status in both parents, whereas the variant was absent from the apparently healthy male sibling. This report expands the mutational spectrum of DLGAP5 and highlights the value of genomic testing in women with recurrent IVF failure and an OMA-like embryology phenotype.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1940629</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1940629</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Artificial intelligence for precision gene therapy: emerging technologies, clinical applications, and future directions]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-24T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Govinder Flora</author><author>Abhinay Thakur</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing gene therapy from an empirical and iterative process to a predictive, data-driven and increasingly intelligent therapeutic development approach. This review covers the application of AI extensively throughout the gene therapy development process, from target therapeutic discovery, identification of disease genes, variant interpretation, integration of multi-omics data, optimization of CRISPR, engineering of the vector, prediction of immunogenicity, manufacturing, and clinical development and post-marketing surveillance. The role of machine learning, deep learning, foundation models, generative AI and digital twins for advancing therapeutic design, boosting vector performance, manufacturing optimization, patient stratification and enabling precision medicine is discussed. Lastly, we provide directions for future research and highlight the need for close multidisciplinary cooperation between computational scientists, biologists, clinicians, industry, and regulatory agencies to facilitate the development of safe, effective and personalized genetic medicines responsibly.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1823486</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1823486</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Identification of ion homeostasis-related genes as diagnostic biomarkers for pulmonary arterial hypertension via WGCNA and machine learning]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-24T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Yang Chen</author><author>Qiu Chen</author><author>Senzhong Zheng</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundPulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe cardiovascular disease, with early diagnosis being difficult. Ion homeostasis imbalance contributes to PAH pathogenesis, but the systemic regulatory network involving ion homeostasis-related genes (IHRGs) and their diagnostic potential remain unclear.MethodsThis study utilized WGCNA and machine learning to identify potential PAH diagnostic biomarkers. WGCNA was applied to GSE117261 to identify IHRGs associated with PAH, followed by functional analysis via GO and KEGG pathways. Three machine learning algorithms—LASSO, SVM-RFE, and Boruta—were used to screen core genes, validated in GSE117261 and GSE113439 datasets. Additionally, bioinformatics analysis explored the genes’ roles in PAH’s immune microenvironment and regulatory mechanisms, complemented by in vitro hypoxia experiments validating the protective effects of S1PR1 and CA2 on endothelial cells.ResultsWGCNA identified 55 IHRGs enriched in ion homeostasis and immune pathways. Machine learning cross-validation narrowed down 9 core genes, with ABCG2, CA2, and S1PR1 showing strong diagnostic performance. In vitro experiments further confirmed that CA2 expression was significantly upregulated under hypoxia, whereas S1PR1 was downregulated. S1PR1 overexpression effectively suppressed endothelial cell apoptosis, mitigated inflammatory responses, and enhanced tight junction protein expression, while CA2 knockdown produced opposing effects.ConclusionThis study identified ABCG2, CA2, and S1PR1 as potential diagnostic biomarkers for PAH, suggesting that IHRGs contribute to disease progression through modulating ion homeostasis and endothelial function. Among these, S1PR1 exhibited a definitive endothelial protective role, whereas CA2 may participate in hypoxia-induced endothelial adaptation, providing novel candidate targets for mechanistic research and early diagnosis of PAH.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1873549</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1873549</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Integrated analysis of autophagy and ferroptosis mediating aristolochic acid A-induced nephrotoxicity via transcriptome and m6A epigenetic transcriptome in HK-2 cells]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-23T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Peichun Ye</author><author>Wenqiang Bao</author><author>Dongcheng Zhang</author><author>Jiaxin Wen</author><author>Wei Zhao</author><author>Shuqi Huang</author><author>Lele Yang</author><author>Hong Hu</author><author>An Zhu</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionAristolochic acid A possesses anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and diuretic pharmacological activities, while exerting strong toxic effects that cause irreversible renal tubular injury, renal fibrosis and malignant tumors such as urothelial carcinoma. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between m6A methylation and AAA-induced nephrotoxicity.MethodsHK-2 cells were treated with AAA. Cell viability was detected to evaluate AAA-induced cytotoxicity. mRNA-seq and MeRIP-seq were performed to screen differentially expressed genes and identify m6A methylation profiles related to renal injury. Combined bioinformatics analysis and cellular validation experiments were used to explore the key regulatory factor and related pathological mechanisms.ResultsAAA significantly reduced the viability of HK-2 cells. mRNA-seq identified differentially expressed genes closely associated with oxidative stress and autophagy under AAA treatment. MeRIP-seq confirmed that m6A methylation alterations were tightly correlated with the expression of oxidative stress, autophagy and ferroptosis-related genes. IGF2BP2 was identified as a key mediator of AAA-induced cytotoxicity. Functional experiments further verified that AAA triggered oxidative stress, autophagy and ferroptosis in HK-2 cells, in which IGF2BP2 exerted a critical regulatory role.DiscussionThese findings demonstrate that AAA-induced renal tubular cell damage is closely related to altered m6A methylation levels and dysregulated expression of m6A regulatory factors in target genes, revealing a novel epigenetic mechanism underlying AAA nephrotoxicity.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1984784</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2026.1984784</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Correction: A workshop considering genetic research and data collection with American Indian and Alaska Native people outside of tribal jurisdiction]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-09-23T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Correction</category>
        <author>Julie A. Beans</author><author>Jessica Blanchard</author><author>Vanessa Hiratsuka</author><author>Taiawagi Helton</author><author>Stephanie Carroll</author><author>Denise Dillard</author><author>Raymond Orr</author><author>Francine C. Gachupin</author><author>Sara Hull</author><author>Rodney C. Haring</author><author>Nanibaa' A. Garrison</author><author>Bobby Saukeah</author><author>Krystal S. Tsosie</author><author>Aaron Goldenberg</author><author>David R. Wison</author><author>Richard R. Sharp</author><author>Joseph Yracheta</author><author>Erika Blacksher</author><author>Richard Brian Woodbury</author><author>Dalaki Livingston</author><author>Paul Spicer</author>
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