Academic Background Krabbe disease (also known as globoid cell leukodystrophy, GLD) is a fatal pediatric neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in the galactosylceramidase (GALC) gene. A hallmark pathological feature of this disease is the presence of lipid-laden globoid cells (GCs) in the central nervous system (CNS). Currently, hematopoie...
Academic Background The homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS) relies on two key types of macrophages: microglia and border-associated macrophages (BAMs). Traditionally, microglia are believed to originate from the embryonic yolk sac and possess lifelong self-renewal capabilities, while bone marrow (BM)-derived monocytes in adults cannot r...
1. Research Background The envelope glycoprotein (Env) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is the primary target of neutralizing antibodies, but its high variability poses challenges for vaccine development. Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) are rare in natural infections and typically require years to emerge. Although Env trimer m...
Research Background Vascular system development is a highly precise regulatory process involving two key stages: vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Although the VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and Wnt signaling pathways have been confirmed to regulate vascular development in the peripheral and central nervous systems (CNS), respectively, th...
1. Research Background Aging has long been viewed as a gradual decline in physiological function with age. However, mounting evidence indicates that developmental programs profoundly influence aging outcomes. For instance, developmental time (the time required for an organism to reach maturity) shows a significant positive correlation with adult li...
Research Background The Aedes aegypti mosquito is a primary vector for arboviruses such as dengue and Zika. Current genetic control strategies relying on the release of non-biting males (e.g., Sterile Insect Technique, SIT, or Wolbachia-based Incompatible Insect Technique, IIT) face a critical bottleneck: how to efficiently and cost-effectively iso...
Academic Background DNA damage repair (DDR) is a core mechanism for maintaining genome stability, and its dysfunction is closely associated with cancer development. Valosin-containing protein (VCP/p97), a member of the AAA+ ATPase family, plays a critical role in DDR by recognizing ubiquitinated proteins and recruiting repair factors (e.g., 53BP1, ...
Academic Background Proton transfer plays a central role in biological energy conversion (e.g., ATP synthesis) and signal transduction. Traditional theory posits that protons move via a “hopping mechanism” through water chains or amino acid side chains, while the recently proposed “proton-coupled electron transfer” (PCET) hypothesis suggests that e...
Academic Background Chemotaxis is a critical behavior in which cells or microorganisms move directionally along chemical gradients, playing vital roles in physiological processes such as immune responses, wound healing, and pathogen infections. However, how cells select optimal motility modes (e.g., pseudopod splitting or de novo formation) in comp...
Academic Background RNA, as a carrier of genetic information and functional molecule, has long been considered an “undruggable” target. In recent years, with advances in RNA structural biology, scientists have begun exploring the development of small-molecule drugs targeting RNA. However, this field faces three core challenges: (1) lack of systemat...