eLife

Latest preprint reviews

1. Reassessing the link between adiposity and head and neck cancer: a Mendelian randomization study

   This article has 13 authors:

   1. Fernanda Morales Berstein
   2. Jasmine Khouja
   3. Mark Gormley
   4. Elmira Ebrahimi
   5. Shama Virani
   6. James D McKay
   7. Paul Brennan
   8. Tom G Richardson
   9. Caroline L Relton
   10. George Davey Smith
   11. M Carolina Borges
   12. Tom Dudding
   13. Rebecca C Richmond

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study reports that higher genetically predicted BMI is associated with a modestly increased risk of head and neck cancer. The convincing evidence is supported by rigorous Mendelian Randomization approaches, using multiple genetic instruments and models that reduce sensitivity to pleiotropy. However, results from pleiotropy-robust analyses were less consistent, which limits the strength of causal inference. The work will be of interest to researchers studying cancer risk factors and genetic epidemiology.

   Reviewed by eLife

2. Spatial and longitudinal tracking of enhancer-AAV vectors that target transgene expression to injured mouse myocardium

   This article has 12 authors:

   1. David W Wolfson
   2. Joshua A Hull
   3. Yongwu Li
   4. Trevor J Gonzalez
   5. Mourya D Jayaram
   6. Garth W Devlin
   7. Valentina Cigliola
   8. Kelsey A Oonk
   9. Alan Rosales
   10. Nenad Bursac
   11. Aravind Asokan
   12. Kenneth D Poss

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study identifies novel approaches to improving transgene expression in the injured mammalian myocardium through a combination of a tissue regeneration enhancer element and engineered AAVs - specifically, a liver-detargeting capsid, AAV.cc84, and an in vivo library screen-selected AAV-IR41. The evidence is convincing, and the AAV vectors are of fundamental value to the field of cardiac gene therapy. Future research exploring how to combine the features of AAV.cc84 and AAV-IR41 could yield an even more promising vector for therapeutic use.

   Reviewed by eLife

3. Independent validation of transgenerational inheritance of learned pathogen avoidance in Caenorhabditis elegans

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Aalimah Akinosho
   2. Joseph Alexander
   3. Kyle Floyd
   4. Andres Gabriel Vidal-Gadea

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This valuable study concerns a model for transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, the learned avoidance by C. elegans of the PA14 pathogenic strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A recent study questioned whether transgenerational inheritance in this paradigm lacks robustness. The authors of this study have worked independently of the group that reported the original phenomenon and also independently of the group that challenged the original report. With solid data, this study independently validates findings previously reported by the Murphy group, confirming that the paradigm is reproducible elsewhere. The reviewers also appreciated the information on reagent sources used by different groups. The present study is therefore of broad interest to anyone studying genetics, epigenetics, or learned behavior.

   Reviewed by eLife

4. Susceptibility of Kit-mutant mice to sepsis caused by enteral dysbiosis, not mast cell deficiency

   This article has 4 authors:

   1. Thorsten B Feyerabend
   2. Fabienne Schochter
   3. Alpaslan Tasdogan
   4. Hans-Reimer Rodewald

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This study presents a useful finding showing that the high susceptibility to sepsis of Kit-mutant mice is due to dysbiosis. However, the data provided is incomplete and would benefit from more rigorous approaches. With the mechanism part strengthened, this paper would be of interest to researchers on mast cell biology and mucosal immunology.

   Reviewed by eLife

5. Layers of immunity: Deconstructing the Drosophila effector response

   This article has 6 authors:

   1. Faustine Ryckebusch
   2. Yao Tian
   3. Mylene Rapin
   4. Fanny Schüpfer
   5. Mark Austin Hanson
   6. Bruno Lemaitre

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This work provides one of the first important attempts to look at Drosophila immune responses against bacterial, viral, and fungal pathogens in a way that combines the roles of four major arms in immunity (Imd signaling, Toll signaling, phagocytosis, and melanization) rather than studying them separately. The findings are compelling and the tools provided can be used as they are, or built upon, in various contexts.

   Reviewed by eLife

6. A SHERLOCK toolbox for eco-epidemiological surveillance of African trypanosomes in domestic pigs from Western Africa

   This article has 20 authors:

   1. Roger Eloiflin
   2. Elena Pérez-Antón
   3. Aïssata Camara
   4. Annick Dujeancourt-Henry
   5. Salimatou Boiro
   6. Martial N Djetchi
   7. Mélika Barkissa Traoré
   8. Mathurin Koffi
   9. Dramane Kaba
   10. Yann Le Pennec
   11. Bakary Doukouré
   12. Abdoulaye Dansy Camara
   13. Moïse Kagbadouno
   14. Pascal Campagne
   15. Mamadou Camara
   16. Vincent Jamonneau
   17. Sophie Thévenon
   18. Jean-Mathieu Bart
   19. Lucy Glover
   20. Brice Rotureau

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study reports an advancement in the diagnosis of Animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT), which adapts a CRISPR-based diagnostic tool (SHERLOCK4AAT) to detect different trypanosome species responsible for AAT. The evidence supporting the conclusions is convincing and in line with the current state-of-the-art diagnostics. This study will be of interest to the fields of Epidemiology, Public Health, and Veterinary Medicine.

   Reviewed by eLife

7. Glycogen engineering improves the starvation resistance of mesenchymal stem cells and their therapeutic efficacy in pulmonary fibrosis

   This article has 10 authors:

   1. Yongyue Xu
   2. Mamatali Rahman
   3. Zhaoyan Wang
   4. Bo Zhang
   5. Hanqi Xie
   6. Lei Wang
   7. Haowei Xu
   8. Xiaodan Sun
   9. Shan Cheng
   10. Qiong Wu

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study presents a novel approach to enhance the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) by genetically modifying their glycogen synthesis pathway, resulting in increased glycogen accumulation and improved cell survival under starvation conditions, particularly in the context of experimental pulmonary fibrosis. The methods and findings are generally solid and could be strengthened in the future by investigating the kinetics of persistence, the immunomodulatory effects, and the underlying improved mechanism of action of MSCs in this pulmonary fibrosis model. If confirmed, this approach could suggest potential methods to improve the therapeutic functionality of MSCs in cell therapy strategies.

   Reviewed by eLife

8. Low-Frequency Tibial Neuromodulation Increases Voiding Activity - a Human Pilot Study and Computational Model

   This article has 7 authors:

   1. Aidan McConnell-Trevillion
   2. Milad Jabbari
   3. Wei Ju
   4. Elliot Lister
   5. Abbas Erfanian
   6. Srinjoy Mitra
   7. Kianoush Nazarpour

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     This important study investigates frequency-dependent effects of transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS) on bladder function in healthy humans and, through a computational model, shows that low-frequency stimulation accelerates, and high-frequency delays, the urge to void. The integration of experimental and modeling approaches provides a solid foundation for clinical trials targeting urinary retention. However, concerns were raised about over-interpretation of modest effects and the limited physiological validity of the computational model, especially its mismatch with typical bladder behaviour and lack of quantitative validation.

   Reviewed by eLife

9. The increase in cell volume and nuclear number of the koji-fungus Aspergillus oryzae contributes to its high enzyme productivity

   This article has 15 authors:

   1. Ayaka Itani
   2. Haruto Motomura
   3. Ken Oda
   4. Hideyuki Yamashita
   5. Kanae Sakai
   6. Ken-ichi Kusumoto
   7. Shinsuke Shigeto
   8. Takehiko Ichikawa
   9. Hosain Mohammad Mubarak
   10. Takeshi Fukuma
   11. Takuya Katayama
   12. Jun-ichi Maruyama
   13. Shunsuke Masuo
   14. Naoki Takaya
   15. Norio Takeshita

   This article has been curated by 1 group:

   • Curated by eLife

     eLife Assessment

     The ratio of nuclei to cell volume is a well-controlled parameter in eukaryotic cells. This study now reports important findings that expand our understanding of the regulatory relationship between cell size and number of nuclei. The evidence supporting the conclusions is convincing obtained by applying appropriate and validated methodology in line with current state-of-the-art. The paper will be of broad interest for cell biologists and fungal biotechnologists seeking to understand mechanisms determining cell size and number of nuclei and why this knowledge might also be of importance for the production of enzymes and thus production strains not only of Aspergillus oryzae but also other industrially used fungi.

   Reviewed by eLife

10. BICC1 Interacts with PKD1 and PKD2 to Drive Cystogenesis in ADPKD

    This article has 16 authors:

    1. Uyen Tran
    2. Andrew J Streets
    3. Devon Smith
    4. Eva Decker
    5. Annemarie Kirschfink
    6. Lahoucine Izem
    7. Jessie M Hassey
    8. Briana Rutland
    9. Manoj K Valluru
    10. Jan Hinrich Bräsen
    11. Elisabeth Ott
    12. Daniel Epting
    13. Tobias Eisenberger
    14. Albert CM Ong
    15. Carsten Bergmann
    16. Oliver Wessely

    This article has been curated by 1 group:

    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This study presented valuable findings regarding the basic molecular pathways leading to the cystogenesis of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, suggesting BICC1 functions as both a minor causative gene for PKD and a modifier of PKD severity. Solid data were supplied to demonstrate the functional and structural interactions between BICC-1, PC1 and PC2, respectively. The characterization of such interactions remains to be developed further, which renders the specific relevance of these findings for the etiology of relevant diseases unclear.

    Reviewed by eLife