Highly sensitive detection of a HER2 12-base pair duplicated insertion mutation in lung cancer using the Eprobe-PCR method

Concomitant knockdown resistance allele, L982W + F1534C, in Aedes aegypti has the potential to impose fitness costs without selection pressure

The Aedes aegypti mosquito, is an arbovirus vector that can spread dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. Pyrethroids are widely used to control mosquitoes. The voltage-gated sodium channel (Vgsc) is the target of pyrethroids, and amino acid substitutions in this channel attenuate the effects of pyrethroids. This is known as knockdown resistance (kdr). Recently, we found that Ae. aegypti with concomitant Vgsc mutations L982W + F1534C exhibit extremely high levels of pyrethroid resistance. L982 is located in a highly conserved region of Vgsc in vertebrates and invertebrates. This study aimed to evaluate the viability of Ae. aegypti, with concomitant L982W + F1534C mutations in Vgsc. We crossed a resistant strain (FTWC) with a susceptible strain (SMK) and reared it up to 15 generations. We developed a rapid and convenient genotyping method using a fluorescent probe (Eprobe) to easily and accurately distinguish between three genotypes: wild-type and mutant homozygotes, and heterozygotes. As generations progressed, the proportion of wild-type homozygotes increased, and only 2.9% of mutant homozygotes were present at the 15th generation; the allele frequencies of L982W + F1534C showed a decreasing trend over generations. These observations show that these concomitant mutations have some fitness costs, suggesting that mosquitoes can potentially recover pyrethroid susceptibility over time without pyrethroid selection pressure in the field.

Smartphone technology facilitates point-of-care nucleic acid diagnosis: a beginner's guide

The reliable detection of nucleic acids at low concentrations in clinical samples like blood, urine and saliva, and in food can be achieved by nucleic acid amplification methods. Several portable and hand-held devices have been developed to translate these laboratory-based methods to point-of-care (POC) settings. POC diagnostic devices could potentially play an important role in environmental monitoring, health, and food safety. Use of a smartphone for nucleic acid testing has shown promising progress in endpoint as well as real-time analysis of various disease conditions. The emergence of smartphone-based POC devices together with paper-based sensors, microfluidic chips and digital droplet assays are used currently in many situations to provide quantitative detection of nucleic acid targets. State-of-the-art portable devices are commercially available and rapidly emerging smartphone-based POC devices that allow the performance of laboratory-quality colorimetric, fluorescent and electrochemical detection are described in this review. We present a comprehensive review of smartphone-based POC sensing applications, specifically on microbial diagnostics, assess their performance and propose recommendations for the future.

CLDN1 Increases Drug Resistance of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Activating Autophagy via Up-Regulation of ULK1 Phosphorylation

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of CLDN1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its mechanism of action in cisplatin resistance. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 55 patients with NSCLC admitted to our hospital between October 2013 and October 2015 were included. NSCLC tissues and tumor-adjacent tissues (≥5 cm from tumor edge) were collected. Among the 55 patients, 37 had adenocarcinoma and 18 had squamous cell carcinoma. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine mRNA expression, and protein expression was examined using Western blotting. CCK-8 assay was used to determine cell proliferation and Transwell assay was used to detect migration and invasion of the cells. Confocal microscopy was used to observe autophagosomes. RESULTS Increased CLDN1 expression promoted the development and metastasis of NSCLC. CLDN1 expression in A549/CDDP cells was up-regulated at both transcriptional and translational levels. Reduced CLDN1 expression decreased the drug resistance, proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of A549/CDDP cells. Decreased CLDN1 expression promoted the apoptosis of A549/CDDP cells. CLDN1 enhanced CDDP drug resistance of A549 cells by activating autophagy. CLDN1 promoted the autophagy of A549 cells by up-regulating the phosphorylation level of ULK1. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrates that expression of CLDN1 in NSCLC is up-regulated and it is correlated with clinicopathological features. CLDN1 activates autophagy through up-regulation of ULK1 phosphorylation and promotes drug resistance of NSCLC cells to CDDP.

Targeted therapy for leptomeningeal metastases in non-small cell lung cancer - Changing treatment paradigms

Leptomeningeal metastasis is an uncommon but serious complication in patients with advanced cancers. Leptomeningeal metastasis is diagnosed in approximately 5% of the patients, most commonly among patients with cancers of breast and lung, melanoma, and gastrointestinal malignancies. Treatment goal is to improve survival and quality of the patients. Use of targeted therapies and immunotherapy has led to improved survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this article, we review emerging data on use of mutation-specific agents and immunotherapy in the treatment of leptomeningeal metastasis among patients with NSCLC.