Nurturing the marriages of urinary liquid biopsies and nano-diagnostics for precision urinalysis of prostate cancer

Applying Ultrasound to Mechanically and Noninvasively Sensitize Prostate Tumors to TRAIL-Mediated Apoptosis

Non-surgical and safe prostate cancer (PCa) therapies are in demand. Soluble tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), a cancer-specific drug, shows preclinical efficacy but has a short circulation half-life. This research has shown that physiological fluid shear stress activates mechanosensitive ion channels (MSCs), such as Piezo1, enhancing TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells. Herein, noninvasive, focal ultrasound (FUS) is implemented to augment the pro-apoptotic effects of TRAIL. Using thermally safe FUS parameters, it is observed that TRAIL sensitivity increases with higher FUS pressure in PCa cells, mediated by Piezo1. This is confirmed by examining the effects of calcium chelation, MSC inhibitors, and PIEZO knockdown. In vivo, a multi-dose study with 10 min FUS exposure shows that 0 and 4-h intervals between TRAIL and FUS significantly reduce tumor burden, with an increase in apoptosis evident by enhanced cleaved-caspase 3 expression. This mechanotherapy offers a clinically translatable approach by utilizing widely available FUS technology, applicable to treat additional cancer types.

Hedyotis diffusa injection modulates the ferroptosis in bladder cancer via CAV1/JUN/VEGFA

Hedyotis diffusa Willd. (HDW), a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, exhibits a variety of pharmacological effects and has anticancer potential for a wide range of cancer types; Ferroptosis is a non-apoptosis-regulated cell death induced by iron accumulation and subsequent lipid peroxidation; and there is currently an increasing interest in the therapeutic role of ferroptosis in cancer. However, the effects of HDW on bladder cancer and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, a combination of in vivo and in vitro experiments, network pharmacology and data mining methods were used to investigate the effects of HDW on BLCA. The results showed that HDW exerted its anticancer activity by inducing ferroptosis in bladder cancer cells. Subsequently, we demonstrated for the first time that HDW induced ferroptosis in vitro and in vivo. To further explore the possible targets of HDW-induced ferroptosis in bladder cancer, we performed network pharmacological analyses, transcriptomic analyses, and single-cell analyses; through integrative analyses, we identified three key pivotal genes associated with iron death, CAV1, VEGFA, and JUN.Mechanistically, we showed that CAV1, VEGFA and JUN are key determinants of HDW-induced ferroptosis in BLCA. Knockdown of target genes altered the anticancer effects of HDW in 5637 and T24 cells. In conclusion, our data show for the first time that HDW exerts its anticancer effects on BLCA through CAV1, VEGFA and JUN gene-induced ferroptosis. This is expected to provide a promising compound for bladder cancer therapy.

Advancements in Nanomedicine for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones constitute a common condition impacting the urinary system. In clinical diagnosis and management, traditional surgical interventions and pharmacological treatments are primarily utilized; however, these methods possess inherent limitations. Presently, the field of nanomedicine is undergoing significant advancements. The application of nanomaterials in biosensors enables the accurate assessment of urinary ion composition. Furthermore, contrast agents developed from these materials can improve the signal-to-noise ratio and enhance image clarity. By mitigating oxidative stress-induced cellular damage, nanomaterials can inhibit the formation of kidney stones and enhance the efficacy of drug delivery as effective carriers. Additionally, by modifying the physical and chemical properties of bacteria, nanomaterials can effectively eliminate bacterial presence, thereby preventing severe complications. This review explores the advancements in nanomaterials technology related to the early detection of risk factors, clinical diagnosis, and treatment of kidney stones and their associated complications.

Non-enzymatic electrochemical detection of sarcosine in serum of prostate cancer patients by CoNiWBO/rGO nanocomposite

Selective and sensitive sarcosine detection is crucial due to its recent endorsement as a prostate cancer (PCa) biomarker in clinical diagnosis. The reduced graphene oxide-cobalt nickel tungsten boron oxides (CoNiWBO/rGO) nanocomposite is developed as a non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor for sarcosine detection in PCa patients' serum. CoNiWBO/rGO is synthesized by the chemical reduction method via a one-pot reduction method followed by calcination at 500 °C under a nitrogen environment for 2 h and characterized by UV-Vis, XRD, TGA, and SEM. CoNiWBO/rGO is then deposited on a glassy carbon electrode, and sarcosine sensing parameters are optimized, including concentration and pH. This non-enzymatic sensor is employed to directly determine sarcosine in serum samples. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) are employed to monitor the electrochemical behavior where sarcosine binding leads to oxidation. Chronoamperometric studies show the stability of the developed sensor. The results demonstrate a wide linear range from 0.1 to 50 µM and low limits of detection, i.e., 0.04 µM and 0.07 µM using DPV and LSV respectivel. Moreover, the calculated recovery of sarcosine in human serum of prostate cancer patients is 78-96%. The developed electrochemical sensor for sarcosine detection can have potential applications in clinical diagnosis.

Microfluidic Applications in Prostate Cancer Research

Prostate cancer is a disease in which cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder, grow out of control and, among men, it is the second-most frequently diagnosed cancer (other than skin cancer). In recent years, prostate cancer death rate has stabilized and, currently, it is the second-most frequent cause of cancer death in men (after lung cancer). Most deaths occur due to metastasis, as cancer cells from the original tumor establish secondary tumors in distant organs. For a long time, classical cell cultures and animal models have been utilized in basic and applied scientific research, including clinical applications for many diseases, such as prostate cancer, since no better alternatives were available. Although helpful in dissecting cellular mechanisms, these models are poor predictors of physiological behavior mainly because of the lack of appropriate microenvironments. Microfluidics has emerged in the last two decades as a technology that could lead to a paradigm shift in life sciences and, in particular, controlling cancer. Microfluidic systems, such as organ-on-chips, have been assembled to mimic the critical functions of human organs. These microphysiological systems enable the long-term maintenance of cellular co-cultures in vitro to reconstitute in vivo tissue-level microenvironments, bridging the gap between traditional cell cultures and animal models. Several reviews on microfluidics for prostate cancer studies have been published focusing on technology advancement and disease progression. As metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer remains a clinically challenging late-stage cancer, with no curative treatments, we expanded this review to cover recent microfluidic applications related to prostate cancer research. The review includes discussions of the roles of microfluidics in modeling the human prostate, prostate cancer initiation and development, as well as prostate cancer detection and therapy, highlighting potentially major contributions of microfluidics in the continuous march toward eradicating prostate cancer.

Research trends on nanomaterials in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC): a bibliometric analysis from 2010 to 2024

Breast cancer (BC) is an important cause of cancer-related death in the world. As a subtype of BC with the worst prognosis, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a serious threat to human life and health. In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of research aimed at designing and developing nanomaterials for the diagnosis and treatment of TNBC. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the current status and trend of the application of nanomaterials in TNBC through bibliometric analysis. Studies focusing on nanomaterials and cancer were searched from the Web of Science core collection (WOSCC) database, and relevant literature meeting the inclusion criteria was selected for inclusion in the study. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to perform bibliometric and visual analysis of the included publications. A total of 2338 studies were included. Annual publications have increased from 2010 to 2024. China, the United States and India were the leading countries in the field, accounting for 66.1%, 11.5% and 7.2% of publications, respectively. The Chinese Academy of Sciences and Li Yaping were the most influential institutions and authors, respectively. Journal of Controlled Release was considered the most productive journal. Cancer Research was considered to be the most co-cited journal. Drug delivery and anti-cancer mechanisms related to nanomaterials were considered to be the most widely studied aspects, and green synthesis and anti-cancer mechanisms were also recent research hotspots. In this study, the characteristics of publications were summarized, and the most influential countries, institutions, authors, journals, hot spots and trends in the application of nanomaterials in cancer were identified. These findings provide valuable insights into the current state and future direction of this dynamic field.

Designing a Simple Electrochemical Genosensor for the Detection of Urinary PCA3, a Prostate Cancer Biomarker

This study investigates the feasibility of a simple electrochemical detection of Prostate Cancer Antigen 3 (PCA3) fragments extracted from patients' urine, using a thiolated single-strand DNA probe immobilized on a gold surface without using a redox probe. To enhance the PCA3 recognition process, we conducted a comparative analysis of the hybridization location using two thiolated DNA probes: Probe 1 targets the first 40 bases, while Probe 2 targets the fragment from bases 47 to 86. Hybridization with PCA3 followed, using square wave voltammetry. The limit of detection of the designed genosenors were of the order of (2.2 ng/mL), and (1.6 ng/mL) for Probes 1 and 2, respectively, and the subsequent sensitivities were of the order of (0.09 ± 0.01) µA-1 · µg-1 · mL and (0.10 ± 0.01) µA-1 · µg-1 · mL. Specificity tests were then conducted with the sensor functionalized with Probe 2, as it presents better analytical performances. The electrochemical results indicate that the designed sensor can clearly discriminate a complementary target from a non-complementary one. A further modeling of the calibration curves with the Power Law/Hill model indicates that the dissociation constant increases by one order of magnitude, confirming the ability of the designed sensor to perfectly discriminate complementary targets from non-complementary ones.

Paper-based colorimetric sensors for point-of-care testing

By eliminating the need for sample transportation and centralized laboratory analysis, point-of-care testing (POCT) enables on-the-spot testing, with results available within minutes, leading to improved patient management and overall healthcare efficiency. Motivated by the rapid development of POCT, paper-based colorimetric sensing, a powerful analytical technique that exploits the changes in color or absorbance of a chemical species to detect and quantify analytes of interest, has garnered increasing attention. In this review, we strive to provide a bird's eye view of the development landscape of paper-based colorimetric sensors that harness the unique properties of paper to create low-cost, easy-to-use, and disposable analytical devices, thematically covering both fundamental aspects and categorized applications. In the end, we authors summarized the review with the remaining challenges and emerging opportunities. Hopefully, this review will ignite new research endeavors in the realm of paper-based colorimetric sensors.