Gadolinium (III)-Chelated Deformable Mesoporous Organosilica Nanoparticles as Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contrast Agent

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents, such as Magnevist (Gd-DTPA), are routinely used for detecting tumors at an early stage. However, the rapid clearance by the kidney of Gd-DTPA leads to short blood circulation time, which limits further improvement of the contrast between tumorous and normal tissue. Inspired by the deformability of red blood cells, which improves their blood circulation, this work fabricates a novel MRI contrast agent by incorporating Gd-DTPA into deformable mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (D-MON). In vivo distribution shows that the novel contrast agent is able to depress rapid clearance by the liver and spleen, and the mean residence time is 20 h longer than Gd-DTPA. Tumor MRI studies demonstrated that the D-MON-based contrast agent is highly enriched in the tumor tissue and achieves prolonged high-contrast imaging. D-MON significantly improves the performance of clinical contrast agent Gd-DTPA, exhibiting good potential in clinical applications.

[Analysis of typing conversion and perinatal outcomes in twins with selective intrauterine growth restriction of different subtypes]

Objective: To retrospectively analyze the clinical data of different types of selective intrauterine growth restriction (sIUGR) pregnant women under expectant management, including the natural evolution, typing conversion and perinatal outcomes. Methods: The clinical data of 153 pregnant women with sIUGR under expected treatment in Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2014 to December 2018 were collected. Maternal characteristics including maternal age, gravidity, parity, method of conception, pregnancy complication, gestational age at delivery, indication for delivery, birth weight, the rate of intrauterine and neonatal death and neonatal outcomes were recorded. Pregnant women with sIUGR were divided into three types according to end-diastolic umbilical artery flow Doppler ultrasonography, and the differences of typing conversion and perinatal outcomes of sIUGR pregnant women based on the first diagnosis were compared. Results: (1) Clinical characteristics and pregnancy outcomes: among 153 pregnant women with sIUGR, 100 cases (65.3%) were diagnosed with type Ⅰ, 35 cases (22.9%) with type Ⅱ, and 18 cases (11.8%) with type Ⅲ. There were no significant differences in age, conception mode, pregnancy complications, first diagnosis gestational age, characteristics of umbilical cord insertion, delivery indications, fetal intrauterine mortality and neonatal mortality among three types of sIUGR pregnant women (all P>0.05). The average gestational age at delivery of type Ⅰ sIUGR was (33.5±1.9) weeks, which was significantly later than those of type Ⅱ and Ⅲ [(31.3±1.8), (31.2±1.1) weeks, P<0.001]. The percentage disordance in estimated fetal weight (EFW) of type Ⅰ sIUGR was significantly lower than those of type Ⅱ and type Ⅲ (P<0.001). The incidence rate of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, cerebral leukomalacia and respiratory complications of both fetus and necrotizing enterocolitis of large fetus in type Ⅰ were significantly lower than those in type Ⅱ and type Ⅲ (all P<0.05). (2) Typing conversion: in 100 cases of type Ⅰ sIUGR, 18 cases progressed to type Ⅱ and 10 cases progressed to type Ⅲ. Compared with 72 stable type Ⅰ sIUGR, those with progressed type Ⅰ sIUGR had higher incidence of NICU admission and lung disease in both fetuses, and cerebral leukomalacia and necrotizing enterocolitis in large fetus (all P<0.05). The proportion of inconsistent cord insertion was significantly higher in those type Ⅰ progressed to type Ⅲ (6/10) than in those with stable type Ⅰ (19.4%, 14/72) and type Ⅰ progressed to type Ⅱ sIUGR [0 (0/18), P=0.001]. Four cases of type Ⅱ sIUGR reversed to type Ⅰ and 6 cases reversed to type Ⅲ. Compared with type Ⅱ reversed to type Ⅰ sIUGR, those stable type Ⅱ and type Ⅱ reversed to type Ⅲ sIUGR had a higher incidence of NICU admission in large fetus (P<0.05). Two cases of type Ⅲ sIUGR reversed to type Ⅰ and 6 cases progressed to type Ⅱ. There were no significant differences in fetal serious complications in type Ⅲ sIUGR with or without doppler changes (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The different types of sIUGR could convert to each other. The frequency of ultrasound examinations should be increased for patients with the type Ⅰ sIUGR, especially when the percentage discordance in EFW is substantial or with discordant cord insersion.

Single molecule localizations of voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.5 on the surfaces of normal and cancer breast cells

Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are widely expressed in various types of tumor and cancer cells, and Na_V1.5 is overexpressed in highly metastatic breast cancer cells. There may be positive relations between the expression levels of Na_V1.5 and breast cancer recurrence and metastasis. Herein, Na_V1.5 was detected and localized on the surfaces of normal and cancer breast cells by the single molecule recognition imaging (SMRI) mode of atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results reveal that Na_V1.5 was irregularly distributed on the surfaces of normal and cancer breast cells. The Na_V1.5 has an area percentage of 0.6% and 7.2% on normal and cancer breast cells, respectively, which indicates that there is more Na_V1.5 on cancer cells than on normal cells. The specific interaction forces and binding kinetics in the Na_V1.5-antibody complex system were investigated with the single molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) mode of AFM, indicating that the stability of the Na_V1.5-antibody on normal breast cells is higher than that on cancer breast cells. All these results will be useful to study the interactions of other ion channel-antibody systems, and will also be useful to understand the role of sodium channels in tumor metastasis and invasion.

Proteomic and N-glycoproteomic analyses of total subchondral bone protein in patients with primary knee osteoarthritis

N-glycosylation is an important post-translational modification necessary to maintain the structural and functional properties of proteins. Impaired N-glycosylation has been observed in several diseases. It is significantly modified by the state of cells and is used as a diagnostic or prognostic indicator for multiple human diseases, including cancer and osteoarthritis (OA). Aim of the study was to explore the N-glycosylation levels of subchondral bone proteins in patients with primary knee OA (KOA) and screen for potential biological markers for the diagnosis and treatment of primary KOA. A comparative analysis of total protein N-glycosylation under the cartilage was performed in medial subchondral bone (MSB, N = 5) and lateral subchondral bone (LSB, N = 5) specimens from female patients with primary KOA. To analyse the N-glycosylation sites of the proteins, non-labelled quantitative proteomic and N-glycoproteomic analyses were performed based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) data. Parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) validation experiments were carried out on differential N-glycosylation sites of proteins in selected specimens, including MSB (N = 5) and LSB (N = 5), from patients with primary KOA. In total, 1149 proteins with 1369 unique N-chain glycopeptides were detected, and 1215 N-glycosylation sites were found, in which ptmRS scores for 1163 N-glycosylation sites were ≥ 0.9. In addition, N-glycosylation of the total protein in MSB compared to that in LSB was identified, in which 295 N-glycosylation sites were significantly different, including 75 upregulated and 220 downregulated N-glycosylation sites in MSB samples. Importantly, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of proteins with differential N-glycosylation sites showed that they were primarily associated with metabolic pathways including ECM-receptor interactions, focal adhesion, protein digestion and absorption, amoebiasis, and complement and coagulation cascades. Finally, PRM experiments confirmed the N-glycosylation sites of collagen type VI, alpha 3 (COL6A3, VAVVQHAPSESVDN[+3]ASMPPVK), aggrecan core protein (ACAN, FTFQEAAN[+3]EC[+57]R, TVYVHAN[+3]QTGYPDPSSR), laminin subunit gamma-1 (LAMC1, IPAIN[+3]QTITEANEK), matrix-remodelling-associated protein 5 (MXRA5, ITLHEN[+3]R), cDNA, FLJ92775, highly similar to Homo sapiens melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM), mRNA(B2R642, C[+57]VASVPSIPGLN[+3]R), and aminopeptidase fragment (Q59E93, AEFN[+3]ITLIHPK) in the array data of the top 20 N-glycosylation sites. These abnormal N-glycosylation patterns provide reliable insights for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic methods for primary KOA.

Abstract 2417: Liver regeneration after radiation therapy: clinical observations and a new rat model

Background and Purpose: Radiation-induced liver damage, a dose-limiting complication of radiotherapy for liver tumors, has been focused mainly on prevention and treatment but has largely ignored the molecular mechanisms underlying the liver’s regenerative capacity after irradiation. Whether liver regeneration compensates for radiation-induced liver damage is of great clinical significance. This study aims to observe clinical liver regeneration and the potential molecular mechanism in rat models after irradiation.

Methods: To stimulate the liver regeneration response, we delineated a liver protection area in the patient’s normal liver to protect it from excessive irradiation, and designed a rat model in which large single fractions of 25 Gy or 15 Gy of radiation were delivered to 1/2 or 2/3 of the total liver volume to investigate liver regeneration after irradiation. We used proteomics analysis and western blotting assays to investigate liver regeneration signaling and molecular mechanisms.

Results: Four patients’ pairs of liver specimens from areas of high irradiation and regeneration (protected liver) were collected. Proteomics analysis showed enrichment in several pathways, with some of the greatest changes observed in PI3K-Akt signaling, further confirmed in liver-irradiated rat models. After irradiation, the liver injury index was significantly elevated on day-1 and gradually recovered to normal levels by day-8 in rat models. The model of a single 25-Gy fraction delivered to half of the liver volume best represented the clinically similar phenomenon of liver regeneration in the protected liver. We tested the effects of an Akt/mTOR activator (carbamazepine), which enhanced regeneration, and an Akt/mTOR inhibitor (temsirolimus), which inhibited regeneration. Finally, liver regeneration was enhanced in rats treated with temsirolimus followed by carbamazepine.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that protecting the normal liver outside the irradiated area enhances the probability of successful regeneration to compensate for radiation-induced liver injury. PI3K/AKT/mTOR is essential in liver regeneration after irradiation, and carbamazepine may enhance liver regeneration after irradiation in rats.

Citation Format: Tingshi Su, Weidong Zhao, qing Li, Qiaoyuan Wu. Liver regeneration after radiation therapy: clinical observations and a new rat model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 2417.

It is not the time to abandon intraoperative frozen section in endometrioid adenocarcinoma: A large-scale, multi-center, and retrospective study

INTRODUCTION

Stage IB (deep myometrial invasion) high-grade endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EA), regardless of LVSI status, is classified into high-intermediate risk groups, requiring surgical lymph node staging. Intraoperative frozen section (IFS) is commonly used, but its adequacy and reliability vary between reports. Hence, we determined the utility of IFS in identification of high-risk factors, including deep myometrial invasion and high-grade.

METHOD

We retrospectively analyzed 9,985 cases operated with hysterectomy and diagnosed with FIGO stage I/II EA in postoperative paraffin section (PS) results at 30 Chinese hospitals from 2000 to 2019. We determined diagnostic performance of IFS and investigated whether the addition of IFS to preoperative biopsy and imaging could improve identification of high-risk factors.

RESULTS

IFS and postoperative PS presented the highest concordance in assessing deep myometrial invasion (Kappa: 0.834), followed by intraoperative gross examination (IGE Kappa: 0.643), MRI (Kappa: 0.395), and CT (Kappa: 0.207). IFS and postoperative PS presented the highest concordance for high-grade EA (Kappa: 0.585) compared to diagnostic curettage (D&C 0.226) and hysteroscope (Hys 0.180). Sensitivity and specificity for detecting deep myometrial invasion were 86.21 and 97.20% for IFS versus 51.72 and 88.81% for MRI, 68.97 and 94.41% for IGE. These figures for detecting high-grade EA were 58.21 and 96.50% for IFS versus 16.42 and 98.83% for D&C, 13.43 and 98.64% for Hys. Parallel strategies, including MRI-IFS (Kappa: 0.626), D&C-IFS (Kappa: 0.595), and Hys-IFS (Kappa: 0.578) improved the diagnostic efficiencies of individual preoperative examinations. Based on the high sensitivity of IFS, parallel strategies improved the sensitivities of preoperative examinations to 89.66% (MRI), 64.18% (D&C), 62.69% (Hys), respectively, and these differences were statistically significant (p = 0.000).

CONCLUSION

IFS presented reasonable agreement rates predicting postoperative PS results, including deep myometrial invasion and high-grade. IFS helps identify high-intermediate risk patients in preoperative biopsy and MRI and guides intraoperative lymphadenectomy decisions in EA.

EVALUATION OF PRE-ABLATION NLR AND LMR AS PREDICTORS OF DISTANT METASTASES IN PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CANCER

Objective

This research aim was to evaluates the role of the pre-ablation neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) as predictors of distant metastases in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).

Methods

A retrospective analysis was given to 140 patients with DTC who received 131I remnant ablation after surgery. The patients were divided into two groups based on the existence of distant metastasis.

Results

The two groups showed no significant difference in age, gender, WBCs, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, basophils and whether the tumor was multifocal. In the univariate analysis, significant differences were found in tumor size (p=0.021), lymphocyte (p=0.012), NLR (p=0.027), and LMR (p=0.007). According to the ROC curves, NLR had an AUC of 0.612 ± 0.097 with a cut-off value of 1.845, sensitivity of 60.0%, and specificity of 66.2% (p=0.027). LMR had an AUC of 0.638 ± 0.095 with a cut-off value of 4.630, sensitivity of 84.6%, and specificity of 35.4% (p=0.007). In the multivariate analysis, larger tumor size (OR=5.246, 95% CI 1.269-10.907, p=0.009) and higher NLR (OR=2.087, 95% CI 0.977-4.459, p=0.034) were statistically significant for distant metastases.

Conclusion

This research reveals that pre-ablation NLR and tumor size are significantly statistically correlated with distant metastases in patients with DTC.

[Morphology of the esophagus of ferrets and expression profile of molecular markers]

OBJECTIVE

To examine the morphological characteristics and the expression profile of molecular markers of ferret esophagus and assess the feasibility of using ferrets as animal models for studying human esophageal diseases.

METHODS

Frozen sections and paraffin- embedded specimens of the esophageal tissues were obtained from adult ferrets (aged 6 to 8 months) and ferrets aged 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, 1 week and 2 weeks. HE staining and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining were used for morphological analysis of the esophageal submucosal glands (SMGs) of adult ferrets, and the expressions of MUC5B and MUC5AC were tested using Mucin staining; The expressions of cytokeratins (CK4, CK5, CK7, CK8, CK14, CK17, CK18, CK19, and CK20) in adult ferret esophagus were examined using HE staining and immunofluorescence assay. The expressions of LEF1 in the esophageal epithelium and SMGs were detected with immunofluorescence assay.

RESULTS

In adult ferrets, the esophageal SMGs were connective tissues below the muscularis mucosa of the esophagus with secretory functions. Cytokeratins were expressed differentially in different esophageal cells: CK4, CK8 and CK20 were expressed mainly in the mucous cells, ductal cells and epithelial cells, respectively, while the mucous cells expressed the largest variety of cytokeratins. Mucin staining showed positive MUC5B and MUC5AC expression in the cytoplasm and lumen of adult ferret esophageal glands. Lectin from DBA, ECL, GSLI, GSL Ⅱ, SBA, Tacalin bioylated, ULEX, WGA, GSL Ⅰ and GSL Ⅱ were expressed on ductal cell membrane, and ECL, PNA and WGA were detected on epithelial cell membrane. Lectin with ConA, PHA-E and PHA-L were expressed on serous cell membrane. Immunofluorescence assay showed that LEF1 in the developing glands were visible from 3 days to 1 week of age and then disappeared as the glands matured. The intensity of LEF1 expression in the esophageal glands differed significantly between ferrets aged 1 to 7 days and those aged two weeks.

CONCLUSION

Ferrets and human share similar esophageal tissue structures and some common molecular markers, suggesting the possibility of using ferrets as animal models of human esophageal diseases.

All-fiber-device-coupled compact, transportable ultra-stable laser

In response to the demand for operation in non-laboratory environments, there has been a trend toward the development of compact, transportable ultra-stable lasers. This paper reports on this sort of laser system assembled in a cabinet. The whole optical part utilizes fiber-coupled devices to simplify the integration. In addition, spatial beam collimation and alignment into the high-finesse cavity are realized by a five-axis positioner and a focus-adjustable fiber collimator, which significantly relax the alignment and adjustment. A theoretical analysis is performed on how the collimator adjusts the beam profile and coupling efficiency. The support structure of the system is specially designed as well so that it features robustness and transportation without performance degradation. The observed linewidth is 1.4 Hz within a duration of 1 s. After subtracting the linear drift of 70 mHz/s, the fractional frequency instability is better than 4 × 10^-15, for the averaging time ranging from 1 to 100 s, which is close to the thermal noise limit of the high-finesse cavity.

OCP002, a Mixed Agonist of Opioid and Cannabinoid Receptors, Produces Potent Antinociception With Minimized Side Effects

BACKGROUND

Increasing attention has been attracted to the development of bifunctional compounds to minimize the side effects of opioid analgesics. Pharmacological studies have verified the functional interaction between opioid and cannabinoid systems in pain management, suggesting that coactivation of the opioid and cannabinoid receptors may provide synergistic analgesia with fewer adverse reactions. Herein, we developed and characterized a novel bifunctional compound containing the pharmacophores of the mu-opioid receptor agonist DALDA and the cannabinoid peptide VD-Hpα-NH2, named OCP002.

METHODS

The opioid and cannabinoid agonistic activities of OCP002 were investigated in calcium mobilization and western blotting assays, respectively. Moreover, the central and peripheral antinociceptive effects of OCP002 were evaluated in mouse preclinical models of tail-flick test, carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain, and acetic acid-induced visceral pain, respectively. Furthermore, the potential opioid and cannabinoid side effects of OCP002 were systematically investigated in mice after intracerebroventricular (ICV) and subcutaneous (SC) administrations.

RESULTS

OCP002 functioned as a mixed agonist toward mu-opioid, kappa-opioid, and cannabinoid CB1 receptors in vitro. ICV and SC injections of OCP002 produced dose-dependent antinociception in mouse models of nociceptive (the median effective dose [ED50] values with 95% confidence interval [CI] are 0.14 [0.12-0.15] nmol and 0.32 [0.29-0.35] μmol/kg for ICV and SC injections, respectively), inflammatory (mechanical stimulation: ED50 values [95% CI] are 0.76 [0.64-0.90] nmol and 1.23 [1.10-1.38] μmol/kg for ICV and SC injections, respectively; thermal stimulation: ED50 values [95% CI] are 0.13 [0.10-0.17] nmol and 0.23 [0.08-0.40] μmol/kg for ICV and SC injections, respectively), and visceral pain (ED50 values [95% CI] are 0.0069 [0.0050-0.0092] nmol and 1.47 [1.13-1.86] μmol/kg for ICV and SC injections, respectively) via opioid and cannabinoid receptors. Encouragingly, OCP002 cannot cross the blood-brain barrier and exerted nontolerance-forming analgesia over 6-day treatment at both supraspinal and peripheral levels. Consistent with these behavioral results, repeated OCP002 administration did not elicit microglial hypertrophy and proliferation, the typical features of opioid-induced tolerance, in the spinal cord. Furthermore, at the effective analgesic doses, SC OCP002 exhibited minimized opioid and cannabinoid side effects on motor performance, body temperature, gastric motility, physical and psychological dependence, as well as sedation in mice.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that OCP002 produces potent and nontolerance-forming antinociception in mice with reduced opioid- and cannabinoid-related side effects, which strengthen the candidacy of bifunctional drugs targeting opioid/cannabinoid receptors for translational-medical development to replace or assist the traditional opioid analgesics.

The role of interferon-stimulated gene 15 in the occurence and progression of cervical squamous cell carcinoma

To identify molecular markers for early diagnosis and new targets for treatment of cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Our study involved 52 carcinoma tissues that were confirmed pathologically as cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University in 2021. We obtained 36 control specimens from patients who had undergone hysterectomy for benign uterine diseases in 2021, with no cervical lesions as confirmed by pathology. Total RNA was extracted from all the samples. Reverse transcription and quantitative real-time PCR were performed. Immunohistochemical staining for interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) protein was performed. Descriptive analyses including mean and standard deviation were used to compare different groups. For data that do not conform to normal distribution, we use Wilcox rank sum test to make statistics to compare different groups with the median and interquartile. Mann Whitney U test was used to compare non-parametric continuous data, and categorical variables were analyzed using chi-square test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the possibility of using ISG15 as a new biomarker for cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Compared with normal cervical tissues, mRNA expression of ISG15 in cervical cancer tissues was significantly lower (P<0.01); mRNA expression was significantly lower in patients with nerve invasion (P<0.05). Difference in ISG15 protein expression was statistically significant (no expression/low expression) in the cancer samples compared to normal tissues (P<0.01). The area under ROC curve was 0.810 (P<0.001) and the sensitivity and specificity were 75% and 54%, respectively. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that ISG15 mRNA was positively correlated with protein expression (r=0.358, P=0.001). Deficiency of ISG15 may be associated with the occurrence and progression of CSCC. It could be used as a potential tumor marker in research and treatment of CSCC.

Process Accumulated 8% Efficient Cu2 ZnSnS4 -BiVO4 Tandem Cell for Solar Hydrogen Evolution with the Dynamic Balance of Solar Energy Storage and Conversion

A process accumulated record solar to hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency of 8% is achieved on the Cu₂ ZnSnS₄ -BiVO₄ tandem cell by the synergistic coupling effect of solar thermal and photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting with the dynamic balance of solar energy storage and conversion of the greenhouse system. This is the first report of a Cu₂ ZnSnS₄ -BiVO₄ tandem cell with a high unbiased STH efficiency of over 8% for solar water splitting due to the greenhouse device system. The greenhouse acts as a solar thermal energy storage cell, which absorbs infrared solar light and storage as thermal energy with the solar light illumination time, while thermoelectric device (TD) converts thermal energy into electric power, electric power is also recycled and added onto Cu₂ ZnSnS₄ -BiVO₄ tandem cell for enhanced overall water splitting. Finally, the solar water splitting properties of the TD-Cu₂ ZnSnS₄ -BiVO₄ integrated tandem cell in pure natural seawater are demonstrated, and a champion STH efficiency of 2.46% is presented, while a large area (25 cm² ) TD-Cu₂ ZnSnS₄ -BiVO₄ integrated tandem device with superior long-term stability is investigated for 1 week, which provides new insight into photoelectrochemical solar water splitting devices.

The role of interferon-stimulated gene 15 in the occurence and progression of cervical squamous cell carcinoma

To identify molecular markers for early diagnosis and new targets for treatment of cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Our study involved 52 carcinoma tissues that were confirmed pathologically as cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University in 2021. We obtained 36 control specimens from patients who had undergone hysterectomy for benign uterine diseases in 2021, with no cervical lesions as confirmed by pathology. Total RNA was extracted from all the samples. Reverse transcription and quantitative real-time PCR were performed. Immunohistochemical staining for interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) protein was performed. Descriptive analyses including mean and standard deviation were used to compare different groups. For data that do not conform to normal distribution, we use Wilcox rank sum test to make statistics to compare different groups with the median and interquartile. Mann Whitney U test was used to compare non-parametric continuous data, and categorical variables were analyzed using chi-square test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the possibility of using ISG15 as a new biomarker for cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Compared with normal cervical tissues, mRNA expression of ISG15 in cervical cancer tissues was significantly lower (P<0.01); mRNA expression was significantly lower in patients with nerve invasion (P<0.05). Difference in ISG15 protein expression was statistically significant (no expression/low expression) in the cancer samples compared to normal tissues (P<0.01). The area under ROC curve was 0.810 (P<0.001) and the sensitivity and specificity were 75% and 54%, respectively. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that ISG15 mRNA was positively correlated with protein expression (r=0.358, P=0.001). Deficiency of ISG15 may be associated with the occurrence and progression of CSCC. It could be used as a potential tumor marker in research and treatment of CSCC.

Preoperative and intraoperative assessment of myometrial invasion in patients with FIGO stage I non-endometrioid endometrial carcinoma-a large-scale, multi-center, and retrospective study

INTRODUCTION

Myometrial invasion is a prognostic factor for lymph node metastases and decreased survival in non-endometrioid endometrial carcinoma patients. Herein, we explored the mode of myometrial invasion diagnosis in FIGO stage I non-endometrioid carcinoma and evaluated the differences in diagnostic efficiency among intraoperative frozen section (IFS), intraoperative gross examination (IGE), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) in clinical practice. Finally, we suggested which test should be routinely performed.

METHOD

This was a historical cohort study nationwide with 30 centers in China between January 2000 and December 2019. Clinical data, including age, histology, method of myometrial invasion evaluation (MRI, CT, IGE, and IFS), and final diagnosis of postoperative paraffin sections, were collected from 490 non-endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (serous, clear cell, undifferentiated, mixed carcinoma, and carcinosarcoma) women in FIGO stage I.

RESULTS

Among the 490 patients, 89.59% presented myometrial invasion. The methods reported for myometrial invasion assessment were IFS in 23.47%, IGE in 69.59%, MRI in 37.96%, and CT in 10.20% of cases. The highest concordance was detected between IFS and postoperative paraffin sections (Kappa = 0.631, accuracy = 93.04%), followed by IGE (Kappa = 0.303, accuracy = 82.40%), MRI (Kappa = 0.131, accuracy = 69.35%), and CT (Kappa = 0.118, accuracy = 50.00%). A stable diagnostic agreement between IFS and the final results was also found through the years (2000-2012: Kappa = 0.776; 2013-2014: Kappa = 0.625; 2015-2016: Kappa = 0.545; 2017-2019: Kappa = 0.652).

CONCLUSION

In China, the assessment of myometrial invasion in non-endometrioid endometrial carcinoma is often performed via IGE, but the reliability is relatively low in contrast to IFS. In clinical practice, IFS is a reliable method that can help accurately assess myometrial invasion and intraoperative decision-making (lymph node dissection or not). Hence, it should be routinely performed in non-endometrioid endometrial carcinoma patients.

Porphyromonas gingivalis bacteremia increases the permeability of the blood-brain barrier via the Mfsd2a/Caveolin-1 mediated transcytosis pathway

Bacteremia induced by periodontal infection is an important factor for periodontitis to threaten general health. P. gingivalis DNA/virulence factors have been found in the brain tissues from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is essential for keeping toxic substances from entering brain tissues. However, the effect of P. gingivalis bacteremia on BBB permeability and its underlying mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, rats were injected by tail vein with P. gingivalis three times a week for eight weeks to induce bacteremia. An in vitro BBB model infected with P. gingivalis was also established. We found that the infiltration of Evans blue dye and Albumin protein deposition in the rat brain tissues were increased in the rat brain tissues with P. gingivalis bacteremia and P. gingivalis could pass through the in vitro BBB model. Caveolae were detected after P. gingivalis infection in BMECs both in vivo and in vitro. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) expression was enhanced after P. gingivalis infection. Downregulation of Cav-1 rescued P. gingivalis-enhanced BMECs permeability. We further found P. gingivalis-gingipain could be colocalized with Cav-1 and the strong hydrogen bonding between Cav-1 and arg-specific-gingipain (RgpA) were detected. Moreover, P. gingivalis significantly inhibited the major facilitator superfamily domain containing 2a (Mfsd2a) expression. Mfsd2a overexpression reversed P. gingivalis-increased BMECs permeability and Cav-1 expression. These results revealed that Mfsd2a/Cav-1 mediated transcytosis is a key pathway governing BBB BMECs permeability induced by P. gingivalis, which may contribute to P. gingivalis/virulence factors entrance and the subsequent neurological impairments.

Hot Deformation Behavior of TA1 Prepared by Electron Beam Cold Hearth Melting with a Single Pass

The Gleeble-3800 thermal simulator was used for hot compression simulation to understand the hot deformation performance of TA1 prepared by the single-pass electron beam cold hearth (EB) process. The deformation degree is 50% on a thermal simulator when the temperature range is 700-900 °C, with a strain rate of 0.01-10^-1 s. According to the thermal deformation data, the true stress-strain curve of TA1 was studied. Meanwhile, the constitutive model and processing map were established through the experimental data. These results indicate that the deformation temperature negatively affects strain rate and flow stress. The heat deformation activation energy of EB produced TA1 sample was lower than that of VAR produced TA1 sample in the studied range. The best processing areas of EB-produced TA1 were strain rates of 0.05-0.01 s^-1, within 700-770 °C; or strain rates of 0.01-0.15 s^-1; 840-900 °C. The results of this paper enrich the fundamental knowledge of the thermal deformation behavior of TA1 prepared by EB furnaces.

[Investigation for pathological interpretation criteria and its prognostic value for P53 expression in Chinese diffuse large B-cell lymphoma]

Objective: To explore the feasibility of predicting TP53 mutation risk by immunohistochemical staining (IHC) pattern of P53 in Chinese diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and its correlation with a prognostic difference. Methods: Between January 2021 and December 2021, 51 DLBCL cases at Beijing Boren Hospital were gathered. These cases had both IHC and next-generation sequencing (NGS) results. IHC classified the P53 protein expression pattern into a loss (<1% ) , diffuse (>80% ) , and heterogeneous (1% -80% ) . The sensitivity and specificity of the predicting TP53 mutation by IHC were assessed by comparing the results of the NGS, and the TP53 high mutation risk group included both loss and diffuse expression of P53. From June 2016 to September 2019, Peking University Cancer Hospital collected 131 DLBCL cases with thorough clinicopathological and follow-up data. From their tumor blocks, tissue microarray blocks were made for IHC evaluation of P53 expression pattern, and prognosis effect of P53 studies. Results: Among 51 cases with both IHC and NGS results, 23 cases were classified as TP53 high mutation risk (7 cases loss and 16 cases diffuse) , 22/23 cases were proved with mutated TP53 by NGS. Only 1 of the 28 cases classified as TP53 low mutation risk was proved with mutated TP53 by NGS. IHC had a sensitivity and specificity of 95.7% and 96.4% for predicting TP53 mutation. NGS identified a total of 26 TP53 mutations with a mutation frequency of 61.57% (13.41% -86.25% ) . In the diffuse group, 16 missense mutations and 2 splice mutations were detected; 6 truncating mutations and 1 splice mutation were detected in the loss group; 1 truncating mutation was detected in the heterogeneous group. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that TP53 cases with high mutation risk have impartial adverse significance for the 131 patients included in survival analysis (HR=2.612, 95% CI 1.145-5.956, P=0.022) . Conclusion: IHC of P53 exhibiting loss (<1% ) or diffuse (>80% ) pattern indicated TP53 high mutation risk, IHC can predict TP53 mutation with high specificity and sensitivity. TP53 high mutation risk is an independent predictor for adverse survival.

[Evaluation and clinical practice of vestibular function tests in acoustic neuroma]

Objective:This study was conducted to evaluate the applications of vestibular function tests in diagnosis, identifying tumor origins and prognosis of vestibular rehabilitation of patients with acoustic neuroma. Methods:This research is a single-center cross-sectional clinical study, which retrospectively analyzed the data of 335 patients with acoustic neuroma from March 2013 to March 2020 in the Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University. The study included caloric test, cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials（cVEMP, oVEMP）, video head impulse test（vHIT） and sensory organization test（SOT）. Firstly, the sensitivity, specificity, and Yoden index of each test were calculated. Secondly, the internal relevance of these tests was studied for application in judging the origins of the tumor. Results:The abnormal rates of caloric test, cVEMP, oVEMP, vHIT and SOT was 85.3%, 86.1%, 85.5%, 55.6% and 67.7% in these participants. Among all the vestibular function tests included, the caloric test showed the best sensitivity（0.855）, specificity（0.981）, and Yoden index（0.836）. The study found that the higher the Koos grades, the higher the abnormal rates of the caloric test, vHIT, and oVEMP（Cochran-Armitage test, P<0.05）. There was no significant relationship between the combination of abnormal vestibular function tests and tumor origin nerves（P>0.05）. Conclusion:Majorlty of the participants in this study with acoustic neuroma showed abnormal results in SOT related to poor balance control. More than half of the patients had at least two abnormal result of the battery of vestibular function tests, among which the caloric test was proved to have better sensitivity and specificity. The higher the Koos grades of the tumor, the higher the abnormal rates of the caloric test, vHIT, and oVEMP.

[Clinical application of laparoscopic sentinel lymph node mapping in early staged cervical cancer]

Objective: To investigate the application of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in early-staged cervical cancer by laparoscopy. Methods: It was a prospective, single-arm, single-center clinical study. Seventy-eight cases of cervical cancer patients were collected from July 2015 to December 2018 at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University. All the patients were injected with tracer into the disease-free block of cervical tissue after anesthesia by the same surgeon who learned sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping technique in Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and underwent SLN mapping followed by complete pelvic lymphadenectomy. Moreover, all the dissected lymph nodes were stained with hematoxylin eosin staining (HE) pathological examination. Besides, the negative SLN on hematoxylin-eosin staining were detected by immunohistochemistry cytokeratin staining micro-metastasis. To analyze the distribution, detection rate, false negative rate the sensitivity and negative predictive value of the SLN in early-staged cervical cancer by laparoscopy, and explore the value of SLN mapping in predicting the lymph nodes metastasis in early-staged cervical cancer. Results: The overall detection rate of SLN in cervical cancer was 99% (77/78), bilateral detection rate was 87% (68/78). The average of 12.4 lymph node (LN) and 3.6 SLN were dissected for each patients each side. SLN of cervical cancer were mainly distributed in the obturator space (61.5%, 343/558), followed by external iliac (23.5%, 131/558), common iliac (7.3%, 41/558), para-uterine (3.8%, 21/558), internal iliac (2.2%, 12/558), para abdominal aorta (1.1%, 6/558), and anterior sacral lymphatic drainage area (0.7%, 4/558). Fourteen cases of LN metastasis were found among all 78 cases. There were a total of 38 positive LN, including 26 SLN metastasis and 12 none sentinel LN metastasis. Through immunohistochemical staining and pathological ultra-staging, 1 SLN was found to be isolated tumor cells (ITC), and 5 SLNs were found to be micro-metastases (MIC), accounting for 23% (6/26) of positive SLN. SLN mapping with pathological ultra-staging improved the prediction of LN metastasis in cervical cancer (2/14). Metastatic SLN mainly distributed in the obturator space (65%, 17/26), peri-uterine region (12%, 3/26), common iliac region (15%, 4/26), and external iliac region (8%, 2/26). The consistency of the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis by SLN biopsy and postoperative retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis showed that the Kappa value was 1.000 (P<0.001), indicated that the metastasis status of SLN and retroperitoneal lymph node were completely consistent. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, false-negative rate, and negative predictive value of SLN biopsy in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis were 100%, 100%, 100%, 0, and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: SLN in early-staged cervical cancer patients were mainly distributed in the obturator and external iliac space, pathalogical ultra-staging of SLN could improve the prediction of LN metastasis. Intraoperative SLN mapping is safe, feasible and could predict the state of retroperitoneal LN metastasis in early-staged cervical cancer. SLNB may replace systemic pelvic lymphadenectomy.

Knockdown of LINC01279 Suppresses Gastric Cancer Proliferation and Migration by Inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway

OBJECTIVE

To explore the functional and molecular mechanism of long noncoding RNA LINC01279 in gastric cancer (GC).

METHODS

The LINC01279 expression in GC and tissues of para-carcinoma was detected by qPCR (real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR), and the association between the LINC01279 expression and clinicopathological features of patients with GC was investigated. The colony formation, CCK-8, transwell assays, and cell cycle detection kit were used for detection of the effect of LINC01279 on GC cell proliferation, cell cycle, colony formation, and invasion. The effect of LINC01279 on PI3K/AKT/mTOR in the GC signaling pathway was identified by the Western blotting technique. The effect of LINC01279 on GC cell proliferation in vivo was evaluated by subcutaneous xenograft tumors in the nude mice.

RESULTS

The results of qPCR displayed the expression of LINC01279 was higher in tissues of GC patients. Furthermore, the tumor size, TNM stage, and metastasis of lymph nodes were also closely related to LINC01279 expression. The experiments on cell function showed that the LINC01279 knockdown significantly inhibited the colony formation, invasion, and proliferation of GC cells and induced the cell cycle arrest in G0 and G1 phases. The Western blotting technique also showed that LINC01279 knockdown significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR in GC cells. Furthermore, in vivo experiments displayed that the LINC01279 knockdown significantly inhibited the GC growth.

CONCLUSION

Knockdown of LINC01279 plays a significant role in inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway which affects the GC invasion and proliferation. The LINC01279 expression can be utilized as a biomarker for the prediction of the GC prognosis.

The CARD8 T60 variant associates with NLRP1 and negatively regulates its activation

The NLRP1 inflammasome functions as canonical cytosolic sensor in response to intracellular infections and is implicated in auto-inflammatory diseases. But the regulation and signal transduction mechanisms of NLRP1 are incompletely understood. Here, we show that the T60 variant of CARD8, but not the canonical T48 isoform, negatively regulates the NLRP1 inflammasome activation by directly interacting with the receptor molecule NLRP1 and inhibiting inflammasome assembly. Furthermore, our results suggest that different ASC preference in three types of inflammasomes, namely the ASC-indispensable NLRP1 inflammasome, ASC-dispensable mNLRP1b inflammasome and ASC-independent CARD8 inflammasome, is mainly caused by the CARD domain, not the UPA subdomain. Based on the systematic site-directed mutagenesis and structural analysis, we find that signal transduction of the NLRP1 inflammasome relies on multiple interaction surfaces at its CARD domain. Finally, our results partly explain how mutations in NLRP1 lead to its constitutive activation in auto-inflammatory diseases. In conclusion, our study not only reveals how CARD8 downregulates the NLRP1 inflammasome activation, but also provides insights into the assembly mechanisms of CARD-containing inflammasomes.

The first Chinese National Union of Real-world Gynaecological Oncology Research and Patient Management Platform: A retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

To produce high-quality, real-world evidence for oncologists by collating scattered gynaecologic oncology (GO) medical records in China.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

The National Union of Real-world Gynaecological Oncology Research and Patient Management Platform (NUWA platform).

SAMPLE

Patient-centred data pool.

METHODS

The NUWA platform integrated inpatient/outpatient clinical, gene and follow-up data. Data of 11 456 patients with ovarian cancer (OC) were collected and processed using 91 345 electronic medical records. Structured and unstructured data were de-identified and re-collated into a patient-centred data pool using a predefined GO data model by technology-aided abstraction.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Recent treatment pattern shifts towards precision medicine for OC in China.

RESULTS

Thirteen first-tier hospitals across China participated in the NUWA platform up to 7 December 2021. In total, 3504 (30.59%) patients were followed up by a stand-alone patient management centre. The percentage of patients undergoing breast cancer gene (BRCA) mutation tests increased by approximately six-fold between 2017 and 2018. A similar trend was observed in the administration rate of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors as first-line treatment and second-line treatment after September 2018, when olaparib was approved for clinical use in China.

CONCLUSION

The NUWA platform has great potential to facilitate clinical studies and support drug development, regulatory reviews and healthcare decision-making.

TRAUMATIC “ANGIOEDEMA”: EXTENSIVE SUBCUTANEOUS EMPHYSEMA MASQUERADING AS ANGIOEDEMA

Introduction

COVID 19 pandemic related precautions have resulted in suboptimal physical examination of the patients which may have affected the patient care and training of medical professionals. We present a case of a patient whose subcutaneous emphysema was misdiagnosed as angioedema.

Case Description

25 years old female with cerebral palsy and developmental delay presented to hospital in June, 2020 with asymmetric left facial and periorbital swelling which developed an hour after her regular Depo-Provera injection. She had elevated blood pressure readings with tachycardia without hives, respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms. Facial swelling did not improve after IM epinephrine, IV steroids and antihistamines. Flexible laryngoscopy noted mild edema of lingual surface of the epiglottis. Allergy service was consulted to evaluate for drug-induced anaphylaxis. Our physical examination revealed significant asymmetric periorbital edema, neck and chest swelling with distant breath sounds and distinct palpable crepitus. Serum Trytpase and C1-Estrase inhibitor levels were normal at 3.2ug/L and 28 mg/dl, respectively. Emergent imaging was recommended, which demonstrated multiple rib fractures, pneumomediastinum with extensive chest wall subcutaneous emphysema tracking to extra-cranial soft tissue. Patient was intubated and chest tube was placed due to concerns for airway compromise. She stayed in ICU for one week before being discharged to home.

Discussion

Facial edema, concerning for angioedema, is potentially life threatening condition and an allergic reaction should be higher on the differential diagnoses. Our case represents a learning opportunity regarding other potentially life threatening conditions that can mimic angioedema, requiring higher index of clinical suspicion and thorough physical examination.

Research on the Influence of the Interfacial Properties Between a Cu3 BiS3 Film and an Inx Cd1- x S Buffer Layer for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

The ternary compound photovoltaic semiconductor Cu₃ BiS₃ thin film-based photoelectrode demonstrates a quite promising potential for photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution. The presented high onset potential of 0.9 V_RHE attracts much attention and shows that the Cu₃ BiS₃ thin films are quite good as an efficient solar water splitting photoelectrode. However, the CdS buffer does not fit the Cu₃ BiS₃ thin film: the conduction band offset between CdS and Cu₃ BiS₃ reaches 0.7 eV, and such a high conduction band offset (CBO) significantly increases the interfacial recombination ratio and is the main reason for the relatively low photocurrent of the Cu₃ BiS₃ /CdS photoelectrode. In this study, the In_x Cd_{1- x} S buffer layer is found to be significantly lowered the CBO of CBS/buffer and that the In incorporation ratio of the buffer influences the CBO value of the CBS/buffer. The Pt-TiO₂ /In_0.6 Cd_0.4 S/Cu₃ BiS₃ photocathode exhibits an appreciable photocurrent density of ≈12.20 mA cm^-2 at 0 V_RHE with onset potential of more than 0.9 V_RHE , and the ABPE of the Cu₃ BiS₃ -based photocathode reaches the highest value of 3.13%. By application of the In_0.6 Cd_0.4 S buffer, the Cu₃ BiS₃ -BiVO₄ tandem cell presents a stable and excellent unbiased STH of 2.57% for over 100 h.

Serum amyloid A (SAA) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) as the potential biomarkers for gastric cancer

To explore serum amyloid A (SAA) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) as potential diagnostic biomarkers for gastric cancer (GCa) and the application value of the combined diagnosis of SAA, IL6, and Cancer embryonic antigen. Serum samples were collected before the initial surgery from 159 patients comprising samples from 122 patients with GCa and 37 patients with benign gastric disease. All patients were hospitalized at Beijing Aerospace General Hospital in China between 2018 and 2020. The IL-6 and SAA levels were assessed using standard laboratory protocols. The levels of SAA and IL-6 were significantly higher in patients with GCa than in controls. Compared with the healthy group, the concentration of SAA and IL-6 in FIGO III-IV group were significantly higher and the difference were statistically significant. In addition, significant differences were observed between the FIGO III-IV group and FIGO I-II groups. The Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the combined detection of SAA, IL-6, and Cancer embryonic antigen showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.948, sensitivity of 91.0%, and specificity of 89.2%. Spearman's correlation analysis indicated obvious correlations among the levels of serum SAA, IL-6, advanced FIGO stage, lymphatic invasion, and distant metastasis. AA and IL-6 may serve as useful biomarkers for poor prognosis of GCa. Clinical diagnosis combined with SAA and IL-6 may help assess therapeutic outcomes.

[The value of MR diffusion tensor imaging in assessing white matter changes in short-term methamphetamine withdrawal]

Objective: To explore the value of MRI diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in the white matter changes of short-term methamphetamine (MA) abstinence. Methods: The data of DTI, demographics features, general information of addiction and impulsivity scale eleven (BIS-11) of 55 short-term MA addicts who were from Changsha, Zhuzhou and Yueyang compulsory detoxification centers in Hunan province, including 40 males and 15 females, aged 14-45 (37.24±7.31) years old, and 52 healthy controls, including 40 males and 12 females aged 18-59 (40.3±9.1) years were collected prospectively from August 2017 to December 2018. The differences of DTI indicators between the two groups were compared by tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS), and then the correlation between the different indicators and the age of first MA use, time of MA use, daily dose used, BIS-11 score were performed. Results: There were significant differences in BIS total score(P<0.001), BIS motivational impulsivity(P<0.001) and BIS attentional impulsivity(P=0.003) between MA group and healthy control group in short-term withdrawal. And compared with the healthy control group, the fractional anisotropy (FA) (0.58±0.02 vs 0.56±0.02,0.77±0.02 vs 0.75±0.04,0.79±0.04 vs 0.76±0.06; all P<0.05), axial diffusivity (AD) (0.57±0.01 vs 0.56±0.02,P=0.001) and mean diffusivity (MD) (0.66±0.02 vs 0.65±0.02,0.52±0.07 vs 0.51±0.06; both P<0.05)values in the MA group were all increased (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the radial diffusivity (RD) value (P>0.05). The white matter areas with increased FA value were located in the knee and body of corpus callosum, bilateral anterior corona radiata and left superior corona radiata; the areas with increased AD value were located in the knee, body and pressure of corpus callosum, bilateral anterior limb of internal capsule, posterior limb of internal capsule, anterior, superior and posterior corona radiata, external capsule and superior longitudinal fasciculus; and the areas with increased MD value were mainly located in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus, anterior and posterior limb of internal capsule. The corpus callosum, where there was a difference in FA between the two groups, was positively correlated with the daily dose of MA (r=0.301, P=0.026). Conclusion: MA addicted individuals with short-term withdrawal have white matter edema and damage, and the degree of corpus callosum damage is positively correlated with the daily dose of MA,which is helpful to understand the pathophysiological process of white matter damage in the nervous system and the potential mechanism of neuropsychiatric symptoms in short-term withdrawal MA addicted individuals.

Gold Nanoparticle-Bridge Array to Improve DNA Hybridization Efficiency of SERS Sensors

The interfacial mass transfer rate of a target has a significant impact on the sensing performance. The surface reaction forms a concentration gradient perpendicular to the surface, wherein a slow mass transfer process decreases the interfacial reaction rate. In this work, we self-assembled gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the gap of a SiO₂ opal array to form a AuNP-bridge array. The diffusion paths of vertical permeability and a microvortex effect provided by the AuNP-bridge array synergistically improved the target mass transfer efficiency. As a proof of concept, we used DNA hybridization efficiency as a research model, and the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) signal acted as a readout index. The experimental verification and theoretical simulation show that the AuNP-bridge array exhibited rapid mass transfer and high sensitivity. The DNA hybridization efficiency of the AuNP-bridge array was 15-fold higher than that of the AuNP-planar array. We believe that AuNP-bridge arrays can be potentially applied for screening drug candidates, genetic variations, and disease biomarkers.

A Separation-Sensing Platform Performing Accurate Diagnosis of Jaundice in Complex Biological Tear Fluids

The detection of biomarkers in tears has aroused great interest owing to the advantages of non-invasive and rapid collection. The combination of ultrasensitivity and label-free detection of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensors is expected to achieve real-time diagnosis in home medical care. However, the surface of SERS sensors is susceptible to biofouling and inactivation by biological impurities in tears, resulting in rapid degradation of sensitivity, limiting the commercialization of point-of-care devices. Herein, a binary nanosphere array with dual properties is constructed as a separation-sensing platform for the diagnosis of target molecules in tears. The upper part of the structure is composed of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) and a sputtering Au layer, which can bind the target molecules that interact with Au and provide high-strength and high-density SERS hotspots. The lower half is an inactive SiO₂ nanosphere array with periodic large pores that allows biological impurities to penetrate the lower part and be separated from the target analyte. Furthermore, this substrate was integrated into homemade tear kits, enabling simultaneous tear collection, pre-separation, and detection. Combined with the Raman spectra of tears and LDA analysis, we successfully identified patients with jaundice in clinics. This platform is expected to provide an opportunity for early disease screening based on biological fluids.

Construction of a circular RNA-based competing endogenous RNA network to screen biomarkers related to intervertebral disc degeneration

Background

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a leading cause of disability with limited treatment strategies. A better understanding of the mechanism of IDD might enable less invasive and more targeted treatments. This study aimed to identify the circular RNA (circRNA)–microRNA (miRNA)–messenger RNA (mRNA) competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory mechanisms in IDD.

Methods 

The GSE67567 microarray dataset was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. After data preprocessing, differentially expressed circRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs between IDD and controls were identified. A ceRNA network was constructed on the basis of the interaction between circRNAs and miRNAs, and miRNAs and mRNAs. Pathway enrichment analysis was performed on the mRNAs in the ceRNA network. Then, with ‘intervertebral disc degeneration’ as keywords, IDD-related Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were searched for in the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database.

Results

A total of 105 differentially expressed circRNAs, 84 miRNAs and 967 mRNAs were identified. After analysis, 86 circRNA–miRNA, and 126 miRNA–mRNA regulatory relationship pairs were obtained to construct a ceRNA network. The mRNAs were enriched in six KEGG signalling pathways, and four were associated with IDD: the hsa04350: TGF-beta signalling pathway, hsa04068: FoxO signalling pathway, hsa05142: Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) and hsa04380: Osteoclast differentiation. An IDD-related ceRNA network was constructed involving four circRNAs, three miRNAs and 11 mRNAs. Auxiliary validation showed that the expression levels of miR-185-5p, miR-486-5p, ACVR1B, FOXO1, SMAD2 and TGFB1 were consistent in different databases.

Conclusions

Our study identified some circRNA–miRNA–mRNA interaction axes potentially associated with the progression of IDD, viz.: circRNA_100086–miR-509-3p–MAPK1, circRNA_000200–miR-185-5p–TGFB1, circRNA_104308–miR-185-5p–TGFB1, circRNA_400090–miR-486-5p–FOXO1 and circRNA_400090–miR-486-5p–SMAD2.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12891-022-05579-0.

1. An IDD-related ceRNA network involving four circRNAs, three miRNAs and 11 mRNAs was constructed.

2. The expression levels of miR-185-5p, miR-486-5p, FOXO1, SMAD2 and TGFB1 were consistent in different databases.

3. Our study identified IDD-related circRNA–miRNA–mRNA interaction axes, including circRNA_100086–miR-509-3p–MAPK1.

Inhibition of SIRT2 promotes APP acetylation and ameliorates cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 transgenic mice

Aging is a primary risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). SIRT2, an NAD⁺(nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)-dependent deacetylase, accumulates in the aging brain. Here, we report that, in the amyloid precursor protein (APP)/PS1 transgenic mouse model of AD, genetic deletion of SIRT2 or pharmacological inhibition of SIRT2 ameliorates cognitive impairment. We find that suppression of SIRT2 enhances acetylation of APP, which promotes non-amyloidogenic processing of APP at the cell surface, leading to increased soluble APP-α (sAPPα). We discover that lysines 132 and 134 of the major pathogenic protein β-amyloid (Aβ) precursor are acetylated and that these residues are deacetylated by SIRT2. Strikingly, exogenous expression of wild-type or an acetylation-mimic APP mutant protects cultured primary neurons from Aβ42 challenge. Our study identifies SIRT2-mediated deacetylation of APP on K132 and K134 as a regulated post-translational modification (PTM) and suggests inhibition of SIRT2 as a potential therapeutic strategy for AD.

Progerin modulates the IGF-1R/Akt signaling involved in aging

Progerin, a product of LMNA mutation, leads to multiple nuclear abnormalities in patients with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), a devastating premature aging disorder. Progerin also accumulates during physiological aging. Here, we demonstrate that impaired insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R)/Akt signaling pathway results in severe growth retardation and premature aging in Zmpste24^-/- mice, a mouse model of progeria. Mechanistically, progerin mislocalizes outside of the nucleus, interacts with the IGF-1R, and down-regulates its expression, leading to inhibited mitochondrial respiration, retarded cell growth, and accelerated cellular senescence. Pharmacological treatment with the PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) inhibitor bpV (HOpic) increases Akt activity and improves multiple abnormalities in Zmpste24-deficient mice. These findings provide previously unidentified insights into the role of progerin in regulating the IGF-1R/Akt signaling in HGPS and might be useful for treating LMNA-associated progeroid disorders.

Enabling ultra-low-voltage switching in BaTiO3

Single crystals of BaTiO₃ exhibit small switching fields and energies, but thin-film performance is considerably worse, thus precluding their use in next-generation devices. Here, we demonstrate high-quality BaTiO₃ thin films with nearly bulk-like properties. Thickness scaling provides access to the coercive voltages (<100 mV) and fields (<10 kV cm^-1) required for future applications and results in a switching energy of <2 J cm^-3 (corresponding to <2 aJ per bit in a 10 × 10 × 10 nm³ device). While reduction in film thickness reduces coercive voltage, it does so at the expense of remanent polarization. Depolarization fields impact polar state stability in thicker films but fortunately suppress the coercive field, thus driving a deviation from Janovec-Kay-Dunn scaling and enabling a constant coercive field for films <150 nm in thickness. Switching studies reveal fast speeds (switching times of ~2 ns for 25-nm-thick films with 5-µm-diameter capacitors) and a pathway to subnanosecond switching. Finally, integration of BaTiO₃ thin films onto silicon substrates is shown. We also discuss what remains to be demonstrated to enable the use of these materials for next-generation devices.

Chinese Expert Consensus on the Clinical Applications of Aminolevulinic Acid-Based Photodynamic Therapy in Female Lower Genital Tract Diseases (2022)

INTRODUCTION

With the younger onset age of female lower genital tract diseases, there are increasing demands for protecting organ and tissue structures to preserve fertility and, therefore, effective fertility-sparing treatments that cause minimal normal tissue damage and less adverse reactions are urgently needed.

OBJECTIVE

This study is aimed at reviewing information and achieving consensus on recommendations on the clinical applications of aminolevulinic acid-based photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) in female lower genital tract diseases.

METHODS

Members of the expert panel held online and in-person meetings to discuss and revise drafts created by the steering committee based on the literature review and the clinical experiences of the expert panel. Opinions of the experts were transcribed and discussed in detail to ensure that the consensus statement best reflects the current advances in the field and the experts' view.

RESULTS

After numerous rounds of meetings, experts unanimously agreed on the importance of ALA-PDT in the treatment of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL), vaginal SIL, vulvar SIL, vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS), and condyloma acuminatumon (CA). Experts also reached consensus on the recommended treatment regimen and treatment methods.

CONCLUSION

This consensus aimed to provide practical basis and guidance for the clinical applications of ALA-PDT in female lower genital tract diseases in China. Of note, this is the only expert consensus prepared by board-certified specialists in gynecology and obstetrics in China. More evidence-based clinical studies should be made to update and expand the current recommendations.

Sequential compound fusion and kiss-and-run mediate exo- and endocytosis in excitable cells

Vesicle fusion at preestablished plasma membrane release sites releases transmitters and hormones to mediate fundamental functions like neuronal network activities and fight-or-flight responses. This half-a-century-old concept-fusion at well-established release sites in excitable cells-needs to be modified to include the sequential compound fusion reported here-vesicle fusion at previously fused Ω-shaped vesicular membrane. With superresolution STED microscopy in excitable neuroendocrine chromaffin cells, we real-time visualized sequential compound fusion pore openings and content releases in generating multivesicular and asynchronous release from single release sites, which enhances exocytosis strength and dynamic ranges in excitable cells. We also visualized subsequent compound fusion pore closure, a new mode of endocytosis termed compound kiss-and-run that enhances vesicle recycling capacity. These results suggest modifying current exo-endocytosis concepts by including rapid release-site assembly at fused vesicle membrane, where sequential compound fusion and kiss-and-run take place to enhance exo-endocytosis capacity and dynamic ranges.

[Study on mechanisms of Th17/Treg imbalance in patients with cystic echinococcosis based on miRNA expression profiles]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the serum microRNA (miRNA) expression and examine the impact of miRNA expression profiles on T helper type 17 (Th17)/regulatory T cells (Treg) imbalance among patients with cystic echinococcosis, so as to provide insights into the illustration of the mechanisms underlying chronic Echinococcus granulosus infections, and long-term pathogenesis.

METHODS

Total RNA was extracted from the sera of cystic echinococcosis patients and healthy controls, and subjected to high-throughput sequencing with the Illumina sequencing platform. Known miRNAs were annotated and new miRNAs were predicted using the miRBase database and the miRDeep2 tool, and differentially expressed miRNAs were identified. The target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were predicted using the software miRanda and TargetScan, and the intersection was selected for Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Among the differentially expressed miRNAs with the 20 highest fold changes, miRNAs that targeted genes relating to key transcription factors RORC and FOXP3 that determine the production of Th17 and Treg cells or their important regulatory pathways (PI3K-Akt and mTOR pathways) were matched.

RESULTS

A total of 53 differentially expressed miRNAs were screened in sera of cystic echinococcosis patients and healthy controls, including 47 up-regulated miRNAs and 6 down-regulated miRNAs. GO enrichment analysis showed that these differentially expressed miRNA were involved DNA transcription and translation, cell components, cell morphology, neurodevelopment and metabolic decomposition, and KEGG pathway analysis showed that the differentially expressed miRNA were mainly involved in MAPK, PI3K-Akt and mTOR signaling pathways. Among the differentially expressed miRNAs with the 20 highest fold changes, there were 3 miRNAs that had a potential for target regulation of RORC, and 15 miRNAs that had a potential to target the PI3K-Akt and mTOR signaling pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant changes are found in serum miRNA expression profiles among patients with E. granulosus infections, and differentially expressed miRNAs may lead to Th17/Treg imbalance through targeting the key transcription factors of Th17/Treg or PI3K-Akt and mTOR pathways, which facilitates the long-term parasitism of E. granulosus in hosts and causes a chronic disease.