A Smart Responsive Fluorescence-MR Nanoprobe for Monitoring Tumor Response to Immunotherapy

Accurately evaluating tumor responses to immunotherapy is clinically relevant. However, non-invasive, real-time visualization techniques to evaluate tumor immunotherapy are still lacking. Herein, a smart responsive fluorescence-MR dual-modal nanoprobe, QM(GP)-MZF(CP), is reported that can be targeted for cleavage by the cytotoxic T cell activation marker granzyme B and the apoptosis-related marker cysteine-aspartic acid-specific protease 3 (Caspase-3). The probe uses quinoline-malononitrile (QM), an aggregation-induced emission luminogen, and Mn-Zn ferrite magnetic nanoparticles (MZF-MNPs), a T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) contrast agent, as imaging molecules that are linked with the substrate peptides specific to granzyme B and Caspase-3. Therefore, both granzyme B and Caspase-3 can target and cleave the substrate peptides in QM(GP)-MZF(CP). Via aggregation-induced fluorescence imaging of QM and the aggregation-induced T2WI-enhanced imaging effect of MZF-MNPs, the status of T cells after tumor immunotherapy and the subsequent triggering of tumor cell apoptosis can be determined to identify tumor responsiveness to immunotherapy and thereby evaluate the effectiveness of this therapy in the early stages of treatment.

Modeling Contact Stiffness of Soft Fingertips for Grasping Applications

Soft fingertips have distinct intrinsic features that allow robotic hands to offer adjustable and manageable stiffness for grasping. The stability of the grasp is determined by the contact stiffness between the soft fingertip and the object. Within this work, we proposed a line vector representation method based on the Winkler Model and investigated the contact stiffness between soft fingertips and objects to achieve control over the gripping force and fingertip displacement of the gripper without the need for sensors integrated in the fingertip. First, we derived the stiffness matrix of the soft fingertip, analyzed the contact stiffness, and constructed the global stiffness matrix; then, we established the grasp stiffness matrix based on the contact stiffness model, allowing for the analysis and evaluation of the soft fingertip's manipulating process. Finally, our experiment demonstrated that the variation in object orientation caused by external forces can indicate the contact force status between the fingertip and the object. This contact force status is determined by the contact stiffness. The position error between the theoretical work and tested data was less than 9%, and the angle error was less than 5.58%. The comparison between the theoretical contact stiffness and the experimental results at the interface indicate that the present model for the contact stiffness is appropriate and the theoretical contact stiffness is consistent with the experiment data.

The clinical efficacy of ozone combined with steroid in the treatment of discogenic low back pain: a randomized, double-blinded clinical study

Objective

This randomized double-blinded clinical study is to investigate the clinical efficacy of per-paravertebral disk ozone injection combined with steroids in the treatment of patients with chronic discogenic low back pain (CDLBP).

Methods

Group A (N = 60) received a per-paravertebral injection of a steroid mixture of 10 mL with pure oxygen 20 mL, while group B (N = 60) received a per-paravertebral injection of a steroid mixture of 10 mL combined with ozone 20 mL (30 μg/mL). Injections were administered once a week for 3 weeks, with a follow-up of 6 months. Clinical outcomes were assessed at week 1, month 3, and month 6 with the help of Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores and Macnab efficacy evaluation.

Results

The VAS score of both group A (1.65 vs. 6.87, p = 0.000) and group B (1.25 vs. 6.85, p = 0.000) at week 1 was significantly reduced compared to baseline. The effect was sustained at the 3- and 6-month follow-up periods (p < 0.05). Group B had significantly lower VAS scores at month 3 (1.53 vs. 3.82, p = 0.000) and month 6 (2.80 vs. 5.05, p = 0.000) compared to group A, respectively. Based on Macnab criteria, 95 and 96.7% of patients in groups A and B had good rates "excellent plus good" at week 1, respectively. Good rates were significantly higher in group B at month 3 (91.7 vs. 78.3%, p = 0.041) and month 6 (85.0 vs. 68.3%, p = 0.031) compared to group A, respectively. No serious adverse events were noted in both groups.

Conclusion

Per-paravertebral injection of steroid and ozone combination resulted in better relief of CDLBP compared to pure oxygen plus steroid.

Clinical Trial Registration

ChiCTR2100044434 https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=121571.

The Utility of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing (mNGS) in the Management of Patients With Bronchiectasis: A Single-Center Retrospective Study of 93 Cases

Background

Bronchiectasis is a chronic inflammatory respiratory disease mainly caused by pathogenic infections. However, standard methods of pathogen detection show prolonged cycle durations and unsatisfactory sensitivity and detection rates. Macrogenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) emerges as a promising technique for swift, effective, and unbiased pathogen detection and subsequent data interpretation.

Methods

Here, a retrospective analysis of 93 patients with suspected bronchiectasis was performed to assess the clinical applicability of mNGS. Bronchoalveolar alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples were collected from these subjects, followed by standard assays and mNGS separately. The turnaround time, detection rate, and pathogen identification using mNGS were compared with those of standard methods.

Results

mNGS identified a greater number of bacteria (72 vs 16), fungi (26 vs 19), and viruses (14 vs 0) than standard methods. Specifically, the commonly identified bacteria were Haemophilus, Mycobacterium intracellulare, Pseudomonas, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, while the most detected fungi were Aspergillus and the most prevalent viruses were human herpesviruses. Of note, 29 out of 30 patients (96.67%) who received optimized treatment strategies based on mNGS results experienced recovery.

Conclusions

Collectively, these findings suggest that mNGS has the potential to improve the diagnosis and treatment of bronchiectasis patients by enabling rapid and precise pathogen detection, which can lead to timely and effective treatment strategies.

An estimate of absolute shear-wave speed in the Earth's inner core

Observations of seismic body waves that traverse the Earth's inner core (IC) as shear (J) waves are critical for understanding the IC shear properties, advancing our knowledge of the Earth's internal structure and evolution. Here, we present several seismological observations of J phases detected in the earthquake late-coda correlation wavefield at periods of 15-50 s, notably via the correlation feature I-J, found to be independent of the Earth reference velocity model. Because I-J is unaffected by compressional wave speeds of the Earth's inner core, outer core, and mantle, it represents an autonomous class of seismological measurements to benchmark the inner core properties. We estimate the absolute shear-wave speed in the IC to be 3.39 ± 0.02 km/s near the top and 3.54 ± 0.02 km/s in the center, lower than recently reported values. This is a 3.4 ± 0.5% reduction from the Preliminary Reference Earth Model (PREM), suggesting a less rigid IC than previously estimated from the normal mode data. Such a low shear-wave speed requires re-evaluating IC composition, including the abundance of light elements, the atomic properties and stable crystallographic phase of iron, and the IC solidification process.

Effect of flexible sigmoidoscopy-based screening on colorectal cancer incidence and mortality: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to estimate the effect of flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS)-based screening on colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality by conducting an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library searched for RCTs from database inception to December 2022. The methodological quality of the RCTs was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool. RevMan 5.4 was used for this meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Four RCTs involving 457, 871 patients were included. This meta-analysis revealed that FS-based screening was associated with a 20% relative risk reduction in CRC incidence [RR = 0.80; 95% CI (0.75, 0.86); P < 0.00001], and a 24% reduction in CRC mortality [RR = 0.76; 95% CI (0.70, 0.82); P < 0.00001]. In addition, this meta-analysis revealed that FS-based screening reduced the incidence[RR = 0.68; 95% CI (0.60, 0.77); P < 0.00001] and mortality[RR = 0.64; 95% CI (0.49, 0.83); P = 0.0007] of distal CRC, but had no significant effect on proximal colon cancer.

CONCLUSION

FS-based screening appeared to be effective in reducing distal CRC incidence and mortality in patients at average risk compared to no intervention, but had no significant effect on proximal colon cancer.

[Research advances on conductive hydrogels and their applications in the repair of diabetic wounds]

As a new type of functional wound dressing, conductive hydrogel, shows broad prospects of application in the field of wound repair due to its suitable electrical conductivity, good moisture retention, excellent biocompatibility, and biological effects such as mediating cell migration and proliferation, and promoting angiogenesis and collagen deposition. Combined with the clinical electrical stimulation therapy, the conductive hydrogel primarily showed curative effects of promoting granulation tissue formation, re-epithelialization, and wound healing, providing a new treatment idea for the repair of diabetic wounds. This review summarized the research advances of electronic conductive hydrogels and ionic conductive hydrogels in recent years based on different conductive mechanisms. Meanwhile, the applications of conductive hydrogel in the diabetic wound repair were specifically introduced, and the future development of conductive hydrogel wound dressing was prospected.

Anisotropic Free-Standing Aerogels Based on Graphene/Silk for Pressure Sensing and Efficient Adsorption

Compressible, conductive, ultralight, and superhydrophobic graphene aerogels (GAs) are promising for wearable electronics and adsorption applications. However, the unsatisfactory sensing performances and lack of multiscale structural regulation still impede the development of multifunctional GAs. Herein, a multifunctional aerogel based on graphene/silk is reported─a highly ordered three-dimensional (3D) reduced graphene oxide (rGO) conductive network is established by an alkali-induced hydrothermal self-assembly strategy, while silk fibroin (SF) bound to graphene oxide (GO) by electrostatic interactions is uniformly distributed throughout the network. The ultralight rGO/SF aerogel (GSA) has the property that its resistance varies with compression, so it can be used for flexible pressure sensors. A GSA-based sensor can detect compressive stresses down to 0.35 kPa and has a response time of 0.55 s and a recovery time of 0.58 s. It has a good linear response from 0.5 to 30 kPa with sensitivities of 0.54 kPa^-1 (0.5-4 kPa) and 0.21 kPa^-1 (4-30 kPa), respectively. The GSA-based sensor also has excellent durability, remaining stable after 12,000 cycles. As proof of concept, its applications for health monitoring, speech recognition, and motion capture are shown. Furthermore, the carbonized rGO/SF aerogels (C-GSAs) with superhydrophobicity can adsorb various organic substances (146.7-278.8 g/g) and achieve oil-water separation.

[The clinical value of serum GPC3 level in predicting recurrence of patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of serum glypican-3 (GPC3) detection in predicting recurrence of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, the patients pathologically diagnosed with HCC in our hospital from March 2019 to January 2021 were enrolled as the experimental group (n=113), and patients with follow-up time longer than 6 months were included in the prognosis group(n=64). At the same time,20 healthy individuals and 20 individuals with benign liver disease from the physical examination center were enrolled by simple random sampling as control group (n=40). The serum GPC3 and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were respectively detected by ELISA and chemiluminescence. Then, the study explored the influential factors of the recurrence in HCC patients and constructed the HCC-GPC3 recurrence predicting model by logistic regression. Results: In the research, the sensitivity of GPC3 for the diagnosis of HCC was 61.95% (70/113) and AFP was 52.21% (59/113), meanwhile, the specificity of GPC3 could reach 87.50% (35/40) and AFP was 90.00% (36/40),respectively; The serum GPC3 levels of HCC patients with progressive stage, tumor size≥3 cm, vascular cancer thrombosis and portal venous thromboembolism were significantly higher than that of HCC patients with early stage, tumor size<3 cm, vascular cancer thrombosis and portal venous thromboembolism (Z=2.677, 2.848, 2.995, 2.252, P<0.05), independent of different ages, presence or absence of ascites, peritoneal metastasis, cirrhosis, intrahepatic metastasis (Z=-1.535, 1.011, 0.963, 0.394, 1.510, P>0.05), respectively. Univariate analysis showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the recurrence group and the non-recurrence group in terms of different age, tumor size, presence or absence of vascular cancer thrombosis, ascites, peritoneal metastasis, cirrhosis and AFP levels (χ²=2.012, 0.119, 2.363, 1.041, 0.318, 0.360, Z=0.748, P>0.05); The ratio of those with the progressive stage, portal venous thromboembolism and intrahepatic metastasis and GPC3 levels were all higher in the recurrence group than in the non-recurrence group (χ²=4.338, 11.90, 4.338, Z=2.805, P<0.05).Including the above risk factors in the logistic regression model, the logistic regression analysis showed that the stage, the presence of portal venous thromboembolism,intrahepatic metastasis and GPC3 levels were correlated with the prognosis recurrence of HCC patients (Wald χ²=4.421, 5.681, 4.995, 4.319, P<0.05), and the HCC-GPC3 recurrence model was obtained as: OcScore=-2.858+1.563×[stage]+1.664×[intrahepatic metastasis]+2.942×[ portal venous thromboembolism]+0.776×[GPC3]. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC), the area under the curve(AUC)of the HCC-GPC3 prognostic model was 0.862, which was better than that of GPC3 alone (AUC=0.704). The cut-off value of model SCORE was 0.699 (the cut-off value of GPC3 was 0.257 mg/L), furthermore, the total sensitivity and specificity of model were 83.3% and 82.4%, which were better than those of GPC3(60.0% and 79.4%).Kaplan-Meier showed that the median PFS was significantly shorter in HCC patients with high GPC3 levels (≥0.257 mg/L) and high values of the model SCORE (≥0.700) (χ²=12.73, 28.16, P<0.05). Conclusion: Besides diagnosing of HCC, GPC3 can may be an independent risk indicator for the recurrence of HCC and can more efficiently predicting the recurrence of HCC patients when combined with the stage, the presence or absence of intrahepatic metastasis and portal venous thromboembolism.

Fe-Ni/MWCNTs Nano-Composites for Hexavalent Chromium Reduction in Aqueous Environment

A novel Cr (VI) removal material was designed and produced comprising multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a support with a high specific surface area and the loaded Fe-Ni bimetallic particles as catalytic reducing agents. Such a design permits the composite particle to perform the adsorption, reduction, and immobilisation of Cr (VI) quickly and efficiently. Due to MWCNTs' physical adsorption, Cr (VI) in solution aggregates in the vicinity of the composite, and Fe rapidly reduces Cr (VI) to Cr (III) catalysed by Ni. The results demonstrated that the Fe-Ni/MWCNTs exhibits an adsorption capacity of 207 mg/g at pH = 6.4 for Cr (VI) and 256 mg/g at pH 4.8, which is about twice those reported for other materials under similar conditions. The formed Cr (III) is solidified to the surface by MWCNTs and remains stable for several months without secondary contamination. The reusability of the composites was proven by retaining at least 90% of the adsorption capacity for five instances of reutilization. Considering the facile synthesis process, low cost of raw material, and reusability of the formed Fe-Ni/MWCNTs, this work shows great potential for industrialisation.

Synthesis, characterization, and cytotoxicity analysis of selenium nanoparticles stabilized by Morchella sextelata polysaccharide

Natural bioactive molecules have been widely used as stabilizers in the functional improvement of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) in recent years. In this study, Morchella sextelata polysaccharide (MSP) was introduced as a novel stabilizer for the synthesis of SeNPs based on the redox system of sodium selenite and ascorbic acid. The size, morphology, stability, and anti-cancer cell activities were respectively analyzed by various methods. The results showed that the synthesized SeNPs with MSP were 72.07 ± 0.53 nm in size, red in color, spherical in shape, and amorphous in nature. MSP-SeNPs showed high scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals. And, these MSP-SeNPs exhibited a significant anti-proliferation effect on human liver (HepG2) and cervical cancer (Hela) cells in vitro, while no significant cytotoxicity against normal human kidney cells (HK-2) was observed. Moreover, the mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathway triggered by MSP-SeNPs in HepG2 cell was identified. The expression levels of p53, Bax, cytochrome c, caspase-3 and caspase-9 were all up-regulated in HepG2 cells after MSP-SeNPs treatment, while Bcl-2 expression was down-regulated. These results suggest that MSP-SeNPs have strong potential as the food supplement for application in cancer chemoprevention.

The tumor characteristics, treatment strategy, and prognosis in colorectal cancer patients with synchronous liver metastasis in China and the USA

PURPOSE

This study performed an analysis of clinicopathological characteristics, surgical treatment strategy, and survival for CRC patients with LM between China and the USA.

METHODS

The CRC patients with simultaneous LM were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry and the Chinese National Cancer Center (CNCC) database from 2010 to 2017. We assessed 3-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) according to surgical treatment strategy and time period.

RESULTS

Differences in patient age, gender, primary tumor location, tumor grade, tumor histology, and tumor stage were observed between the USA and China. Compared to the USA, a larger proportion of patients in China underwent both primary site resection (PSR) and hepatic resection (HR) (35.1% vs 15.6%, P < 0.001), and fewer patients underwent only PSR in China (29.1% vs 45.1%, P < 0.001). From 2010 to 2017, the proportion of patient who underwent both PSR and HR has increased from 13.9% to 17.4% in the USA and from 25.4% to 39.4% in China. The 3-year CSS were increasing over time in both the USA and China. The 3-year CSS of patients receiving HR and PSR were significantly higher than those receiving only PSR and patients treated with no surgery in the USA and China. There were no significant differences of 3-year CSS between the USA and China after adjustment (P = 0.237).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the distinctions of tumor characteristics and surgical strategy in patients with LM between the USA and China, increased adoption of HR has contributed to the profound improvements of survival during recent decade.

CD34+ cell-derived fibroblast-macrophage cross-talk drives limb ischemia recovery through the OSM-ANGPTL signaling axis

CD34⁺ cells improve the perfusion and function of ischemic limbs in humans and mice. However, there is no direct evidence of the differentiation potential and functional role of these cells in the ischemic muscle microenvironment. Here, we combined the single-cell RNA sequencing and genetic lineage tracing technology, then provided exact single-cell atlases of normal and ischemic limb tissues in human and mouse, and consequently found that bone marrow (BM)-derived macrophages with antigen-presenting function migrated to the ischemic site, while resident macrophages underwent apoptosis. The macrophage oncostatin M (OSM) regulatory pathway was specifically turned on by ischemia. Simultaneously, BM CD34⁺-derived proregenerative fibroblasts were recruited to the ischemia niche, where they received macrophage-released OSM and promoted angiopoietin-like protein-associated angiogenesis. These findings provided mechanisms on the cellular events and cell-cell communications during tissue ischemia and regeneration and provided evidence that CD34⁺ cells serve as fibroblast progenitors promoting tissue regeneration.

Metallic foreign bodies ingestion by schizophrenic patient: a case report

The ingestion of foreign objects is a widespread health issue, with a higher occurrence in adults with psychosis.

Case Presentation

The authors present the case of a 39-year-old man who arrived at the hospital with symptoms of abdominal distension and occasional black stools for a week. The patient was known to have schizophrenia but had not received regular hospital follow-up or treatment for the past 5 years. He had a history of exogenous stimulation, which led him to surreptitiously swallow metallic objects. Upon physical examination, he displayed abdominal distension and mild tenderness in the upper abdomen. Radiographs revealed multiple foreign objects in his stomach, leading to the decision for laparotomy, gastric opening, and removal of the foreign objects under general anesthesia.

Clinical Discussion

Mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and multiple substance abuse, are recognized as being significant risk factors for ingesting foreign bodies. In such cases, it is crucial to intervene quickly. For patients presenting with psychiatric symptoms, the involvement of family caregivers is of even greater importance than endoscopic or surgical treatments.

Conclusion

Foreign body ingestion is more prevalent in individuals with psychosis, highlighting the importance of ongoing care and follow-up for patients with mental illness.

CAN: Context-assisted full Attention Network for brain tissue segmentation

Brain tissue segmentation is of great value in diagnosing brain disorders. Three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) segmentation methods for brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) suffer from high time complexity and low segmentation accuracy, respectively. To address these two issues, we propose a Context-assisted full Attention Network (CAN) for brain MRI segmentation by integrating 2D and 3D data of MRI. Different from the fully symmetric structure U-Net, the CAN takes the current 2D slice, its 3D contextual skull slices and 3D contextual brain slices as the input, which are further encoded by the DenseNet and decoded by our constructed full attention network. We have validated the effectiveness of the CAN on our collected dataset PWML and two public datasets dHCP2017 and MALC2012. Our code is available at https://github.com/nwuAI/CAN.

New Process Combining Fe-Based Chemical Looping and Biomass Pyrolysis for Cogeneration of Hydrogen, Biochar, Bio-Oil and Electricity with In-Suit CO2 Separation

Fe-based chemical looping gasification is a clean biomass technology, which has the advantage of reducing CO₂ emissions and the potential of self-sustaining operation without supplemental heating. A novel process combining Fe-based chemical looping and biomass pyrolysis was proposed and simulated using Aspen Plus. The biomass was first subjected to pyrolysis to coproduce biochar, bio-oil and pyrolysis gas; the pyrolysis gas was subjected to an Fe looping process to obtain high-purity hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The influences of the pyrolysis reactor operating temperature and fuel reactor operation temperature, and the steam reactor and air reactor on the process performance are researched. The results showed that, under the operating condition of the established process, 23.07 kg/h of bio-oil, 24.18 kg/h of biochar, 3.35 kg/h of hydrogen and a net electricity of 3 kW can be generated from 100 kg/h of rice straw, and the outlet CO₂ concentration of the fuel reactor was as high as 80%. Moreover, the whole exergy efficiency and total exergy loss of the proposed process was 58.98% and 221 kW, respectively. Additionally, compared to biomass direct chemical looping hydrogen generation technology, the new process in this paper, using biomass pyrolysis gas as a reactant in the chemical looping hydrogen generation process, can enhance the efficiency of hydrogen generation.

B cell-derived anti-beta 2 glycoprotein I antibody mediates hyperhomocysteinemia-aggravated hypertensive glomerular lesions by triggering ferroptosis

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is a risk factor for chronic kidney diseases (CKDs) that affects about 85% CKD patients. HHcy stimulates B cells to secrete pathological antibodies, although it is unknown whether this pathway mediates kidney injury. In HHcy-treated 2-kidney, 1-clip (2K1C) hypertensive murine model, HHcy-activated B cells secreted anti-beta 2 glycoprotein I (β₂GPI) antibodies that deposited in glomerular endothelial cells (GECs), exacerbating glomerulosclerosis and reducing renal function. Mechanistically, HHcy 2K1C mice increased phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) (18:0/20:4, 18:0/22:6, 16:0/20:4) in kidney tissue, as determined by lipidomics. GECs oxidative lipidomics validated the increase of oxidized phospholipids upon Hcy-activated B cells culture medium (Hcy-B CM) treatment, including PE (18:0/20:4 + 3[O], PE (18:0a/22:4 + 1[O], PE (18:0/22:4 + 2[O] and PE (18:0/22:4 + 3[O]). PE synthases ethanolamine kinase 2 (etnk2) and ethanolamine-phosphate cytidylyltransferase 2 (pcyt2) were increased in the kidney GECs of HHcy 2K1C mice and facilitated polyunsaturated PE synthesis to act as lipid peroxidation substrates. In HHcy 2K1C mice and Hcy-B CM-treated GECs, the oxidative environment induced by iron accumulation and the insufficient clearance of lipid peroxides caused by transferrin receptor (TFR) elevation and down-regulation of SLC7A11/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) contributed to GECs ferroptosis of the kidneys. In vivo, pharmacological depletion of B cells or inhibition of ferroptosis mitigated the HHcy-aggravated hypertensive renal injury. Consequently, our findings uncovered a novel mechanism by which B cell-derived pathogenic anti-β₂GPI IgG generated by HHcy exacerbated hypertensive kidney damage by inducing GECs ferroptosis. Targeting B cells or ferroptosis may be viable therapeutic strategies for ameliorating lipid peroxidative renal injury in HHcy patients with hypertensive nephropathy.

Kupffer-cell-derived IL-6 is repurposed for hepatocyte dedifferentiation via activating progenitor genes from injury-specific enhancers

Stem cell-independent reprogramming of differentiated cells has recently been identified as an important paradigm for repairing injured tissues. Following periportal injury, mature hepatocytes re-activate reprogramming/progenitor-related genes (RRGs) and dedifferentiate into liver progenitor-like cells (LPLCs) in both mice and humans, which contribute remarkably to regeneration. However, it remains unknown which and how external factors trigger hepatocyte reprogramming. Here, by employing single-cell transcriptional profiling and lineage-specific deletion tools, we uncovered that periportal-specific LPLC formation was initiated by regionally activated Kupffer cells but not peripheral monocyte-derived macrophages. Unexpectedly, using in vivo screening, the proinflammatory factor IL-6 was identified as the niche signal repurposed for RRG induction via STAT3 activation, which drove RRG expression through binding to their pre-accessible enhancers. Notably, RRGs were activated through injury-specific rather than liver embryogenesis-related enhancers. Collectively, these findings depict an injury-specific niche signal and the inflammation-mediated transcription in driving the conversion of hepatocytes into a progenitor phenotype.

[Research progress in pH-responsive antibacterial nanomaterials for inhibiting oral plaque biofilms]

pH-responsive antibacterial nanomaterials are a new type of nanomaterials that can selectively undergo structural changes and trigger drug release according to significant pH differences produced by the body under physiological and pathological conditions. The formation of acidic microenvironment in plaque is the key to the pathogenicity of oral plaque biofilm, which also creates conditions for the oral application of pH-responsive antibacterial nanomaterials. pH-responsive antibacterial nanomaterials can respond to changes in pH of plaque microenvironment and accurately control the release of antibacterial drugs, providing a new direction for improving drug efficacy and targeted antibacterial. The present article reviews the classification, mechanism and application of pH-responsive antibacterial nanomaterials in oral plaque inhibition.

Genome Sequencing Highlights the Plant Cell Wall Degrading Capacity of Edible Mushroom Stropharia rugosoannulata

The basidiomycetous edible mushroom Stropharia rugosoannulata has excellent nutrition, medicine, bioremediation, and biocontrol properties. S. rugosoannulata has been widely and easily cultivated using agricultural by-products showing strong lignocellulose degradation capacity. However, the unavailable high-quality genome information has hindered the research on gene function and molecular breeding of S. rugosoannulata. This study provided a high-quality genome assembly and annotation from S. rugosoannulata monokaryotic strain QGU27 based on combined Illumina-Nanopore data. The genome size was about 47.97 Mb and consisted of 20 scaffolds, with an N50 of 3.73 Mb and a GC content of 47.9%. The repetitive sequences accounted for 17.41% of the genome, mostly long terminal repeats (LTRs). A total of 15,726 coding gene sequences were putatively identified with the BUSCO score of 98.7%. There are 142 genes encoding plant cell wall degrading enzymes (PCWDEs) in the genome, and 52, 39, 30, 11, 8, and 2 genes related to lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, chitin, and cutin degradation, respectively. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that S. rugosoannulata is superior in utilizing aldehyde-containing lignins and is possible to utilize algae during the cultivation.

Identification and validation of critical genes with prognostic value in gastric cancer

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a digestive system tumor with high morbidity and mortality rates. Molecular targeted therapies, including those targeting human epidermal factor receptor 2 (HER2), have proven to be effective in clinical treatment. However, better identification and description of tumor-promoting genes in GC is still necessary for antitumor therapy. Methods: Gene expression and clinical data of GC patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Last absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression were applied to build a prognostic model, the Prognosis Score. Functional enrichment and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) were used to explore potential mechanisms. Western blotting, RNA interference, cell migration, and wound healing assays were used to detect the expression and function of myosin light chain 9 (MYL9) in GC. Results: A four-gene prognostic model was constructed and GC patients from TCGA and meta-GEO cohorts were stratified into high-prognosis score groups or low-prognosis score groups. GC patients in the high-prognosis score group had significantly poorer overall survival (OS) than those in the low-prognosis score groups. The GC prognostic model was formulated as PrognosisScore = (0.06 × expression of BGN) - (0.008 × expression of ATP4A) + (0.12 × expression of MYL9) - (0.01 × expression of ALDH3A1). The prognosis score was identified as an independent predictor of OS. High expression of MYL9, the highest weighted gene in the prognosis score, was correlated with worse clinical outcomes. Functional analysis revealed that MYL9 is mainly associated with the biological function of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Knockdown of MYL9 expression inhibits migration of GC cells in vitro. Conclusion: We found that PrognosisScore is potential reliable prognostic marker and verified that MYL9 promotes the migration and metastasis of GC cells.

hUCMSCs carrying exenatide prevent T1DM by improving intestinal microflora composition and islet tissue damage repair

BACKGROUND

Exenatide is a stable analogue of glucagon-like peptide 1 that can reduce postprandial hyperglycemia and has been utilized as adjunctive therapy for type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The human umbilical cord is a rich source of MSCs, and human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) also show potential to enhance insulin secretion. Here, we aimed to explore the effects of hUCMSCs carrying exenatide in T1DM and further identify the possible mechanisms involved.

METHODS

hUCMSCs were isolated from human umbilical cord tissues, identified, and transduced with recombinant lentivirus carrying exenatide to obtain exenatide-carrying hUCMSCs (hUCMSCs@Ex-4).

RESULTS

The results showed that hUCMSCs@Ex-4 restored the blood glucose levels and body weight of NOD mice, and repressed immune cell infiltration and islet tissue changes. Additionally, in T1DM mice, treatment with hUCMSCs@Ex-4 reduced the blood glucose levels and promoted repair of islet tissue damage. Moreover, hUCMSCs@Ex-4 attenuated renal tissue lesions in T1DM mice. Applying bioinformatic analysis, the effects of hUCMSCs@Ex-4 were suggested to correlate with decreased abundance of pro-inflammatory intestinal bacteria and increased abundance of anti-inflammatory intestinal bacteria.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the study indicated that hUCMSCs carrying exenatide might improve beneficial intestinal microflora abundance and promote islet tissue damage repair, thereby alleviating T1DM.

[Efficacy and influencing factors of surgery combined with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of children with non-orbital head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and influencing factors of surgery combined with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of children with non-orbital head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma (HNRMS). Methods: Information from 45 children diagnosed as non-orbital HNRMS and subjected to surgery combined with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in Beijing Children's Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University from August 2017 to July 2021 was analyzed. The patients included 25 males and 20 females, aged from 1 to 17 years old. The primary tumor site, pathological subtype, clinical stage, risk group, therapeutic regimen, resection range and outcome of all cases were also collected. The survival curves were made using the Kaplan-Meier method and the potential prognostic factors were investigated by Cox regression analysis. Results: Fifteen (33.3%) of 45 children achieved negative surgical margin under complete tumor resection. The postoperative pathological results showed that there were 20 cases of embryonic subtype, 19 cases of alveolar subtype and 6 cases of spindle sclerosis subtype. The postoperative follow-up time ranged from 4 to 71 months, with a median of 26 months. During the follow-up period, 13 children died, among whom brain metastasis was the most common cause of death, accounting for 7/13. The 3-year overall survival rate was 67.6%. Multivariate analysis showed that non-embryonic subtype (HR=6.26, 95%CI: 1.52-25.87, P=0.011) and failure to reach R0 resection (HR=9.37, 95%CI: 1.18-74.34, P=0.034) were independent risk factors affecting overall survival rate. Conclusion: Surgery combined with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy can offer a good efficacy for children with non-orbital HNRMS. Non-embryonic subtype and resection without negative operative microscopic margins are independent risk factors for poor prognosis, and brain metastasis is the main cause of death in these children.

PHB2 Maintains the Contractile Phenotype of VSMCs by Counteracting PKM2 Splicing

BACKGROUND

Phenotypic transition of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) accounts for the pathogenesis of a variety of vascular diseases during the early stage. Recent studies indicate the metabolic reprogramming may be involved in VSMC phenotypic transition. However, the definite molecules that link energy metabolism to distinct VSMC phenotype remain elusive.

METHODS

A carotid artery injury model was used to study postinjury neointima formation as well as VSMC phenotypic transition in vivo. RNA-seq analysis, cell migration assay, collagen gel contraction assay, wire myography assay, immunoblotting, protein interactome analysis, co-immunoprecipitation, and mammalian 2-hybrid assay were performed to clarify the phenotype and elucidate the molecular mechanisms.

RESULTS

We collected cell energy-regulating genes by using Gene Ontology annotation and applied RNA-Seq analysis of transforming growth factor-β or platelet-derived growth factor BB stimulated VSMCs. Six candidate genes were overlapped from energy metabolism-related genes and genes reciprocally upregulated by transforming growth factor-β and downregulated by platelet-derived growth factor BB. Among them, prohibitin 2 has been reported to regulate mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Indeed, prohibitin 2-deficient VSMCs lost the contractile phenotype as evidenced by reduced contractile proteins. Consistently, Phb2^SMCKO mice were more susceptible to postinjury VSMC proliferation and neointima formation compared with Phb2^flox/flox mice. Further protein interactome analysis, co-immunoprecipitation, and mammalian 2-hybrid assay revealed that prohibitin 2, through its C-terminus, directly interacts with hnRNPA1, a key modulator of pyruvate kinase M1/2 (PKM) mRNA splicing that promotes PKM2 expression and glycolysis. Prohibitin 2 deficiency facilitated PKM1/2 mRNA splicing and reversion from PKM1 to PKM2, and enhanced glycolysis in VSMCs. Blocking prohibitin 2-hnRNPA1 interaction resulted in increased PKM2 expression, enhanced glycolysis, repressed contractile marker genes expression in VSMCs, as well as aggravated postinjury neointima formation in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Prohibitin 2 maintains VSMC contractile phenotype by interacting with hnRNPA1 to counteract hnRNPA1-mediated PKM alternative splicing and glucose metabolic reprogramming.