Oridonin attenuates liver ischemia-reperfusion injury by suppressing PKM2/NLRP3-mediated macrophage pyroptosis

BACKGROUND

The NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) mediated pyroptosis of macrophages is closely associated with liver ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). As a covalent inhibitor of NLRP3, Oridonin (Ori), has strong anti-inflammasome effect, but its effect and mechanisms for liver IRI are still unknown.

METHODS

Mice and liver macrophages were treated with Ori, respectively. Co-IP and LC-MS/MS analysis of the interaction between PKM2 and NLRP3 in macrophages. Liver damage was detected using H&E staining. Pyroptosis was detected by WB, TEM, and ELISA.

RESULTS

Ori ameliorated liver macrophage pyroptosis and liver IRI. Mechanistically, Ori inhibited the interaction between pyruvate kinase M2 isoform (PKM2) and NLRP3 in hypoxia/reoxygenation（H/R）-induced macrophages, while the inhibition of PKM2/NLRP3 reduced liver macrophage pyroptosis and liver IRI.

CONCLUSION

Ori exerted protective effects on liver IRI via suppressing PKM2/NLRP3-mediated liver macrophage pyroptosis, which might become a potential therapeutic target in the clinic.

Ablation for malignant liver tumor using high-intensity focused ultrasound and radio-frequency: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Primary liver cancer is a major health issue, so finding the most effective treatment is vital.

OBJECTIVE

The present meta-analysis compares high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to radiofrequency (RF) ablation for primary liver cancer treatment.

METHODS

PubMed, MEDLINE, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang were used to search for English and Chinese papers. After carefully confirming data completeness and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, RevMan 5.3 was used to evaluate the included literature. Data analysis utilized a fixed-effects model for heterogeneity between 0.1 and 0.5.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis included 304 patients: 119 had HIFU and 185 RF ablation. For primary liver cancer, HIFU and RF ablation were equally efficacious (odds ratio 1.02, 95% confidence interval [0.54, 1.92]). Overall survival, disease-free survival, and complications at 1, 2, and 3 years were not significantly different (odds ratio 0.72, 95% confidence range [0.04, 12.79], P= 0.82).

CONCLUSION

The meta-analysis shows no significant difference in efficacy, long-term survival rates, or complication rates between HIFU and RF ablation for primary liver cancer, but more large-scale, high-quality randomized clinical trials are needed to prove their equivalence. Both therapy strategies seem promising, but additional information is needed to determine their respective merits.

Nanotargeted Cationic Lipid Microbubbles Carrying HSV-TK Gene Inhibit the Development of Subcutaneous Liver Tumor Model After HIFU Ablation

OBJECTIVES

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been widely used in clinical settings and has achieved suitable results in the treatment of many cancerous or noncancerous diseases. However, in the treatment of liver cancer, because the tumor is located deep within the liver tissue, when ultrasound penetrates the tissue, it will inevitably produce sound energy attenuation. This attenuation limits the reliability of HIFU treatment, reduce the efficacy of HIFU, and increase the risk of tumor recurrence.

METHODS

Cationic microbubbles (CMB) were successfully linked with GPC3 and HSV-TK plasmids, and targeted gene-carrying CMB were successfully constructed. Moreover, the gene-targeted cation microbubbles had suitable targeting and can specifically bind with liver cancer cells.

RESULTS

The HSV-TK transfection efficiency was high and had a significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation and invasion of liver cancer cells. After the gene-carrying cation microbubbles entered the animal body, they had a great targeting effect in vivo. They transfected the target genes into liver cancer cells, and the HSV-TK/GCV system initiated cell death, demonstrating that these targeted microbubbles, enhanced HIFU treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, CMB combined with a GPC3 antibody and HSV-TK plasmid can target residual subcutaneous liver tumor cells under the guidance of GPC3 antibody, and kill residual subcutaneous liver tumor cells under the action of ultrasound, thus enhancing the therapeutic effect of HIFU on liver cancer.

Prenatal Diagnosis of Esophageal Atresia - Performance and Consequences

BACKGROUND

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital malformations is considered favorable. Esophageal atresia (EA) is prenatally detected in 10-40% of patients. The aims of our study were to assess factors influencing the prenatal detection rate and to study the outcome in EA patients with and without prenatal diagnosis.

METHOD

We included 136 patients in two time periods, group 1 (1996-2002, n = 68) and group 2 (2014-2020, n = 68). We registered clinical variables; prenatal signs, perinatal and postnatal outcome from the electronic patient record.

RESULTS

Twenty-five patients (18%) had a prenatal diagnosis of EA, significantly more during 2014-2020 (28%), than during 1996-2002 (9%). Patients with EA type A or B and with associated anomalies had increased likelihood of prenatal diagnosis, odds ratio (OR) 9.00 (1.99-40.69) and 3.53 (1.24-10.06), respectively. Among the 25 patients with prenatal diagnosis all had polyhydramnios and 16 had small/absent stomach. Prenatally diagnosed patients arrived significantly earlier at the surgical unit (median 2 h (2 h-1 days) vs 21 h (2 h-1275 days)), had more delayed primary anastomosis (OR 8.80 (2.68-28.92)) and anastomotic stricture (OR 3.11 (1.20-8.04)), longer length of stay (median 62 days (11-212 days) vs 20 days (2-270 days)) and longer time on ventilator (median 5 days (1-25 days) vs 1.5 days (0.5-33 days)) compared to patients without prenatal diagnosis. In multivariate analysis prenatal diagnosis predicts length of stay.

CONCLUSION

Prenatally diagnosed EA patients have more; type A and B malformations, associated anomalies and neonatal morbidity. Consequences of the assumed benefits of prenatal diagnosis; opportunity of early arrival to surgical care and prenatal counselling, must be further studied.

Tumor Metabolism-Rewriting Nanomedicines for Cancer Immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy has become an established therapeutic paradigm in oncologic therapy, but its therapeutic efficacy remains unsatisfactory in the majority of cancer patients. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that the metabolically hostile tumor microenvironment (TME), characterized by acidity, deprivation of oxygen and nutrients, and accumulation of immunosuppressive metabolites, promotes the dysfunction of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) and thereby compromises the effectiveness of immunotherapy. This indicates the potential role of tumor metabolic intervention in the reinvigoration of antitumor immunity. With the merits of multiple drug codelivery, cell and organelle-specific targeting, controlled drug release, and multimodal therapy, tumor metabolism-rewriting nanomedicines have recently emerged as an attractive strategy to strengthen antitumor immune responses. This review summarizes the current progress in the development of multifunctional tumor metabolism-rewriting nanomedicines for evoking antitumor immunity. A special focus is placed on how these nanomedicines reinvigorate innate or adaptive antitumor immunity by regulating glucose metabolism, amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and nucleotide metabolism at the tumor site. Finally, the prospects and challenges in this emerging field are discussed.

The association between mammographic density and breast cancer molecular subtypes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the whether high mammographic density (MD) is differentially associated with all subtypes of breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched systematically in October 2022 to include all studies that investigated the association between MD and breast cancer subtype. Aggregate data of 17,193 breast cancer cases from 23 studies were selected, including five cohort/case-control and 18 case-only studies. The relative risk (RR) of MD were combined using random/fixed effects models for case-control studies, and for case-only studies, relative risk ratios (RRRs) were a combination of luminal A, luminal B, and HER2-positive versus triple-negative tumours.

RESULTS

Women in the highest density category in case-control/cohort studies had a 2.24-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.53, 3.28), 1.81-fold (95% CI 1.15, 2.85), 1.44-fold (95% CI 1.14, 1.81), and 1.59-fold (95% CI 0.89, 2.85) higher risk of triple-negative, HER-2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) positive, luminal A, and luminal B breast cancer compared to women in the lowest density category. RRRs for breast tumours being luminal A, luminal B, and HER-2 positive versus triple-negative in case-only studies were 1.62 (95% CI 1.14, 2.31), 1.81 (95% CI 1.22, 2.71) and 2.58 (95% CI 1.63, 4.08), respectively, for BIRADS 4 versus BIRADS 1.

CONCLUSION

The evidence indicates MD is a potent risk factor for the majority of breast cancer subtypes to different degrees. Increased MD is more strongly linked to HER-2-positive cancers compared to other breast cancer subtypes. The application of MD as a subtype-specific risk marker may facilitate the creation of personalised risk prediction models and screening procedures.

Jujuboside B suppresses angiogenesis and tumor growth via blocking VEGFR2 signaling pathway

Jujuboside B (JuB), one of the main active triterpenoid saponins from the traditional Chinese medicine Ziziphus jujuba, possesses a wide range of pharmacological activities. However, it is unknown whether JuB can inhibit tumor angiogenesis, a crucial step in solid tumor growth. In this study, we found that JuB significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. JuB also suppressed angiogenesis in chick embryo chorioallantoic membranes and Matrigel plugs. Moreover, through angiogenesis inhibition, JuB delayed the growth of human HCT-15 colorectal cancer xenograft in mice. Western blot assay demonstrated that JuB inhibited the phosphorylation of VEGFR2 and its key downstream protein kinases, such as Akt, FAK, Src, and PLCγ1. In conclusion, the antiangiogenic potency and molecular mechanism of JuB are revealed for the first time, indicating that this triterpene saponin may be further explored as a potential drug candidate or lead compound for antiangiogenic cancer therapy.

INKA2-AS1 Is a Potential Promising Prognostic-Related Biomarker and Correlated with Immune Infiltrates in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with one of the worst prognoses. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) may be important in cancer development and may serve as new biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of various tumors, according to mounting research. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of INKA2-AS1 and clinical importance in HCC patients. The TCGA database was used to obtain the human tumor samples, while the TCGA and GTEx databases were used to gather the human normal samples. We screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HCC and nontumor tissues. Investigations were made into the statistical significance and clinical significance of INKA2-AS1 expression. A single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was used to examine potential relationships between immune cell infiltration and INKA2-AS1 expression. In this investigation, we found that HCC specimens had considerably greater levels of INKA2-AS1 expression than nontumor specimens. When utilizing the TCGA datasets and the GTEx database, high INKA2-AS1 expression showed an AUC value for HCC of 0.817 (95% confidence interval: 0.779 to 0.855). Pan-cancer assays revealed that numerous tumor types had dysregulated levels of INKA2-AS1. Gender, histologic grade, and pathologic stage were all substantially correlated with high INKA2-AS1 expression. A survival study indicated that HCC patients with high INKA2-AS1 expression have shorter OS, DSS, and PFI than those with low INKA2-AS1 expression. Multivariate analysis indicated that INKA2-AS1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for OS of patients with HCC. According to immune analysis, the expression of INKA2-AS1 was favorably correlated with T helper cells, Th2 cells, macrophages, TFH, and NK CD56bright cells and negatively correlated with Th17 cells, pDC, cytotoxic cells, DC, Treg, Tgd, and Tcm. The results of this study collectively suggest that INKA2-AS1 has the potential to be a novel biomarker for predicting the prognosis of HCC patients as well as a significant immune response regulator in HCC.

Improvement in Neisseria gonorrhoeae culture rates by bedside inoculation and incubation at a clinic for sexually transmitted infections

BACKGROUND

Culture of Neisseria gonorrhoeae is essential for surveillance of complete antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. In 2014, the culture success rate of N. gonorrhoeae from samples taken at the clinic for sexually transmitted infections (STI clinic), Oslo University Hospital, Norway, was only 20%. The present study aimed to improve gonococcal culture rates using bedside inoculation of patient samples on gonococcal agar plates and incubation at the STI clinic.

METHODS

This prospective quality improvement study was conducted by the STI clinic and the Department of Microbiology at Oslo University Hospital from May 2016 - October 2017. When culture of N. gonorrhoeae was clinically indicated, we introduced a parallel 'bedside culture' at the STI clinic and compared results with the standard culture at the microbiology department. Samples were taken from urethra, anorectum, pharynx and cervix. Culture rates were compared across symptomatic and asymptomatic anatomical sites.

RESULTS

From 596 gonococcal-positive PCR samples, bedside culture had a significantly higher success rate of 57% compared to 41% with standard culture (p < 0.05). Overall, culture rate from symptomatic sites was 91% v. 45% from asymptomatic sites. The culture rates from different anatomical sites were as follows: urethra 93%, anorectum 64%, pharynx 28% and cervix 70%. Bedside culture significantly (p < 0.05) improved the culture rates for symptomatic urethral and asymptomatic pharyngeal samples.

CONCLUSIONS

Where feasible, bedside inoculation on gonococcal agar plates and incubation of samples from patients with gonorrhoea is recommended. This will improve the culture diagnostics and provide additional gonococcal isolates for antimicrobial resistance surveillance.

Advances in physiological mechanisms of selenium to improve heavy metal stress tolerance in plants

Selenium (Se) is a metalloid mineral nutrient for human and animal health. Plants are the main foodstuff source of the Se intake of humans. For plants, the addition of an appropriate amount of Se could promotes growth and development, and improves the tolerance to environmental stress, especially stress from some of heavy metals (HM) stress, such as cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg). This paper mainly reviews and summarizes the physiological mechanism of Se in enhancing HM stress tolerance in plants. The antagonistic effect of Se on HM is a comprehensive effect that includes many physiological mechanisms. Se can promote the removal of excessive reactive oxygen species and reduce the oxidative damage of plant cells under HM elements stress. Se participates in the regulation of the transportation and distribution of HM ions in plants, and alleviates the damage caused by of HM stress. Moreover, Se combine with HM elements to form Se-HM complexes and promote the production of phytochelatins (PCs), thereby reducing the accumulation of HM ions in plants. Overall, Se plays an important role in plant response to HM stress, but current studies mainly focus on physiological mechanism, and further in-depth study on the molecular mechanism is essential to confirm the participation of Se in plant response to environmental stress. This review helps to comprehensively understand the physiological mechanism of Se in plant tolerance against to HM stress of plants, and provides important theoretical support for the practical application of Se in environmental remediation and agricultural development.

[Mapping Regulatory Elements within 5' and 3' UTRs of SIGLEC15 with a Use of Reporter System]

Siglec-15 is an immune suppressor with broad upregulation on various cancer types and has emerged as a potential target for cancer immunotherapy. However, it remains unclear how SIGLEC15 expression is controlled in normal or cancer cells. In this work, we utilized reporter assays to evaluate the impact of the 5' UTR and the 3' UTR of SIGLEC15 mRNA on gene expression. We found that the 3' UTR dramatically reduced reporter protein production, whereas the 5' UTR showed modest inhibitory effect. Quantification of steady-state mRNA revealed the good coupling of protein amount and mRNA abundance that was associated with the 3' UTR. In contrast, the 5' UTR had little effect on mRNA abundance compared with the empty control. By measuring mRNA half-life, we showed that the 3' UTR markedly promoted mRNA degradation. Testing shortened 3' UTR fragments demonstrated five out of the six having notable inhibitory effect, with the one spanning 993-1317 had the most robust activity. More interestingly, the 993-1317 region contains a predicted 43-nt stem-loop structure that showed apparent inhibitory activity in four cell lines tested. These results suggested that the 3' UTR inhibited reporter gene expression by accelerating mRNA decay possibly via multiple cis-regulatory elements, but the 5' UTR repressed gene expression by inhibiting translation. Thus, our findings provided a clue to the molecular mechanism underlying the regulation of SIGLEC15 expression.

The corrosion behavior of 304 stainless steel in NaNO3-NaCl-NaF molten salt and vapor

Corrosion behavior of 304 stainless steel in molten NaNO3-NaCl-NaF salt and NaNO3-NaCl-NaF vapor has been studied at 450 °C. The results showed that the samples suffered weight loss, and surface oxides, i.e. Fe2O3 and FeCr2O4 characterized by XRD, were formed after corrosion. The surface oxide layer was about 1.1 μm in thickness after corrosion in molten NaNO3-NaCl-NaF salt, which was relatively homogeneous and dense. Whereas, the distribution of surface oxides was not even, and a shedding phenomenon was observed after corrosion molten NaNO3-NaCl-NaF vapor. This is mainly attributed to the existence of NO2 and NO in the molten NaNO3-NaCl-NaF vapor determined by thermogravimetric infrared spectroscopy, which affected the adherence between oxides and the matrix. Additionally, the corrosion rate of 304 stainless steel in molten NaNO3-NaCl-NaF salt is almost close to that in solar salt, which demonstrates that the synergy influence of Cl- and F- on the rate of 304 stainless steel is not significant. This work not only enriches the database of molten salt corrosion, but provides references for the selection of alloy and molten salt in the CSP.

Light-Triggered Efficient Sequential Drug Delivery of Biomimetic Nanosystem for Multimodal Chemo-, Antiangiogenic, and Anti-MDSC Therapy in Melanoma

In view of the multiple pathological hallmarks of tumors, nanosystems for the sequential delivery of various drugs whose targets are separately located inside and outside tumor cells are desired for improved cancer therapy. However, current sequential delivery is mainly achieved through enzyme- or acid-dependent degradation of the nanocarrier, which would be influenced by the heterogeneous tumor microenvironment, and unloading efficiency of the drug acting on the target outside tumor cells is usually unsatisfactory. Here, a light-triggered sequential delivery strategy based on a liposomal formulation of doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded small-sized polymeric nanoparticles (DOX-NP) and free sunitinib in the aqueous cavity, is developed. The liposomal membrane is doped with photosensitizer porphyrin-phospholipid (PoP) and hybridized with red blood cell membrane to confer biomimetic features. Near-infrared light-induced membrane permeabilization triggers the "ultrafast" and "thorough" release of sunitinib (100% release in 5 min) for antiangiogenic therapy and also myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) inhibition to reverse the immunosuppressive tumor environment. Subsequently, the small-sized DOX-NP liberated from the liposomes is more easily uptaken by tumor cells for improved immunogenic chemotherapy. RNA sequencing and immune-related assay indicates therapeutic immune enhancement. This light-triggered sequential delivery strategy demonstrates the potency in cancer multimodal therapy against multiple targets in different spatial positions in tumor microenvironment.

Metal Phenolic Network-Integrated Multistage Nanosystem for Enhanced Drug Delivery to Solid Tumors

Metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) are an emerging class of supramolecular surface modifiers with potential use in various fields including drug delivery. Here, the development of a unique MPN-integrated core-satellite nanosystem (CS-NS) is reported. The "core" component of CS-NS comprises a liposome loaded with EDTA (a metal ion chelator) in the aqueous core and DiR (a near-infrared photothermal transducer) in the bilayer. The "satellite" component comprises mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) encapsulating doxorubicin and is coated with a Cu²⁺ -tannic acid MPN. Liposomes and MSNs self-assemble into the CS-NS through adhesion mediated by the MPN. When irradiated with an 808 nm laser, CS-NS liberated the entrapped EDTA, leading to Cu²⁺ chelation and subsequent disassembly of the core-satellite nanostructure. Photo-conversion from the large assembly to the small constituent particles proceeded within 5 min. Light-triggered CS-NS disassembly enhanced the carrier and cargo penetration and accumulation in tumor spheroids in vitro and in orthotopic murine mammary tumors in vivo. CS-NS is long circulating in the blood and conferred improved survival outcomes to tumor-bearing mice treated with light, compared to controls. These results demonstrate an MPN-integrated multistage nanosystem for improved solid tumor treatment.

Targeted Micellar Phthalocyanine for Lymph Node Metastasis Homing and Photothermal Therapy in an Orthotopic Colorectal Tumor Model

Small-sized trastuzumab-targeted micelles (T-MP) were engineered using a surfactant-stripping approach that yielded concentrated phthalocyanines with strong near infrared absorption. T-MP accumulated more in the lymph node (LN) metastases of orthotopic colorectal cancer compared to the micelles conjugated with control IgG. Following surgical resection of the primary tumor, minimally invasive photothermal treatment of the metastatic LN with T-MP, but not the control micelles, extended mouse survival.

ABSTRACT

Tumor lymph node (LN) metastasis seriously affects the treatment prognosis. Studies have shown that nanoparticles with size of sub-50 nm can directly penetrate into LN metastases after intravenous administration. Here, we speculate through introducing targeting capacity, the nanoparticle accumulation in LN metastases would be further enhanced for improved local treatment such as photothermal therapy. Trastuzumab-targeted micelles (< 50 nm) were formulated using a unique surfactant-stripping approach that yielded concentrated phthalocyanines with strong near-infrared absorption. Targeted micellar phthalocyanine (T-MP) was an effective photothermal transducer and ablated HT-29 cells in vitro. A HER2-expressing colorectal cancer cell line (HT-29) was used to establish an orthotopic mouse model that developed metastatic disease in mesenteric sentinel LN. T-MP accumulated more in the LN metastases compared to the micelles conjugated with control IgG. Following surgical resection of the primary tumor, minimally invasive photothermal treatment of the metastatic LN with T-MP, but not the control micelles, extended mouse survival. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that targeted small-sized nanoparticles have potential to enable superior paradigms for dealing with LN metastases. [Image: see text]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40820-021-00666-8.

The PKM2 activator TEPP-46 attenuates MCD feeding-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by inhibiting the activation of Kupffer cells

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of the PKM2 small molecule agonist TEPP-46 on the development of methionine choline-deficient (MCD) diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, C57BL/6 mice were fed an MCD diet for 15 days to establish a NASH model. The protein expression levels of pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), PKM1, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and NLRP3 in liver Kupffer cells (KCs) were measured by Western blotting. Immunofluorescence analysis was used to analyze the nuclear translocation of PKM2 in KCs, and the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in mouse serum and the cell polarization indexes were determined. The MCD diet-fed mice were injected with 30 mg/kg of TEPP-46 intraperitoneally every 5 days. After 15 days, the liver tissue and peripheral blood were collected for analysis.

RESULTS

We found the NASH model was successfully established after the mice were fed an MCD diet for 15 days. MCD feeding promoted the expression of the PKM2 monomer/dimer and inhibited the expression of the PKM2 tetramer in KCs. Immunofluorescence analysis further confirmed that MCD feeding inhibited the nuclear translocation of PKM2. Besides, MCD feeding promoted the expression of HIF-1α and NLRP3 in KCs, promoted M1 KCs polarization and inhibited M2 KCs polarization. Intraperitoneal injection 30 mg/kg of TEPP-46 significantly inhibited the development of MCD diet-induced NASH, alleviated the pathological changes in the liver, improved liver function, promoted the expression of the PKM2 tetramer in KCs, and inhibited the expression of HIF-1α and NLRP3.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that TEPP-46, a small molecule agonist of PKM2, may inhibit the nuclear translocation of PKM2 and the activation of KCs by promoting the expression of PKM2 tetramers in KCs, thus inhibiting the development of MCD diet-induced NASH in mice.

Biomimetic Liposomal Nanoplatinum for Targeted Cancer Chemophototherapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer is limited by tumor hypoxia. Platinum nanoparticles (nano-Pt) as a catalase-like nanoenzyme can enhance PDT through catalytic oxygen supply. However, the cytotoxic activity of nano-Pt is not comprehensively considered in the existing methods to exert their multifunctional antitumor effects. Here, nano-Pt are loaded into liposomes via reverse phase evaporation. The clinical photosensitizer verteporfin (VP) is loaded in the lipid bilayer to confer PDT activity. Murine macrophage cell membranes are hybridized into the liposomal membrane to confer biomimetic and targeting features. The resulting liposomal system, termed "nano-Pt/VP@MLipo," is investigated for chemophototherapy in vitro and in vivo in mouse tumor models. At the tumor site, oxygen produced by nano-Pt catalyzation improves the VP-mediated PDT, which in turn triggers the release of nano-Pt via membrane permeabilization. The ultrasmall 3-5 nm nano-Pt enables better penetration in tumors, which is also facilitated by the generated oxygen gas, for enhanced chemotherapy. Chemophototherapy with a single injection of nano-Pt/VP@MLipo and light irradiation inhibits the growth of aggressive 4T1 tumors and their lung metastasis, and prolongs animal survival without overt toxicity.

Innate immune cells and their interaction with T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor and is associated with necroinflammation driven by various immune cells, such as dendritic cells, macrophages and natural killer cells. Innate immune cells can directly affect HCC or regulate the T-cell responses that mediate HCC. In addition, innate immune cells and T cells are not isolated, which means the interaction between them is important in the HCC microenvironment. Considering the current unsatisfactory efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with HCC, understanding the relationship between innate immune cells and T cells is necessary. In the present review the roles and clinical value of innate immune cells that have been widely reported to be involved in HCC, including dendritic cells, macrophages (including kupffer cells), neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils and innate lymphoid cells and the crosstalk between the innate and adaptive immune responses in the antitumor process have been discussed. The present review will facilitate researchers in understanding the importance of innate immune cells in HCC and lead to innovative immunotherapy approaches for the treatment of HCC.

Saikosaponin A, a Triterpene Saponin, Suppresses Angiogenesis and Tumor Growth by Blocking VEGFR2-Mediated Signaling Pathway

Saikosaponin A (SSA), a main triterpenoid saponin component from Radix Bupleurum, has been revealed to have a variety of pharmacological activities. However, whether SSA can inhibit angiogenesis, a key step in solid tumor progression, remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that SSA could powerfully suppress the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. SSA also significantly inhibited angiogenesis in the models of the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane and Matrigel plugs. Moreover, SSA was found to inhibit tumor growth in both orthotopic 4T1 breast cancer and subcutaneous HCT-15 colorectal tumor by the inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. Western blot assay indicated the antiangiogenic mechanism of SSA in the suppression of the protein phosphorylation of VEGFR2 and the downstream protein kinase including PLCγ1, FAK, Src, and Akt. In summary, SSA can suppress angiogenesis and tumor growth by blocking the VEGFR2-mediated signaling pathway.

Nanobowl-Supported Liposomes Improve Drug Loading and Delivery

Liposomal drug delivery for cancer therapy can be limited due to drug leakage in circulation. Here, we develop a new method to enhance the stability of actively loaded liposomal doxorubicin (DOX) through embedding a stiff nanobowl in the liposomal water cavity. Nanobowl-supported liposomal DOX (DOX@NbLipo) resists the influence of plasma protein and blood flow shear force to prevent drug leakage. This approach yields improved drug delivery to tumor sites and enhanced antitumor efficacy. Compared to alternative methods of modifying liposome surface and composition for stability, this approach designs a physical support for an all-aqueous nanoliposomal cavity. Nanobowl stabilization of liposomes is a simple and effective method to improve carrier stability and drug delivery.