Sleeve gastrectomy links the attenuation of diabetic kidney disease to the inhibition of renal tubular ferroptosis through down-regulating TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway

PURPOSE

To investigate how sleeve gastrectomy (SG), a typical operation of bariatric surgery, attenuated symptom, and progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD).

METHODS

DKD model was induced by high-fat diet (HFD) combined with streptozocin in Wistar rats. SG was performed, and the group subjected to sham surgery served as control. The animals were euthanized 12 weeks after surgery, followed by sample collection for the subsequent experiment. The HK-2, a renal proximal tubular epithelial cell line derived from human, was utilized to investigate the potential mechanisms.

RESULTS

SG improved metabolic parameters and glucose homeostasis, and could alleviate DKD in terms of renal function indices as well as histological and morphological structures in DM rats, accompanied with a significant reduction in renal tubular injury. Compared with sham group, SG reduced the renal tubular ferroptosis. To further clarify the mechanism involved, in vitro experiments were performed. In the presence of high glucose, renal tubular TGF-β1 secretion was significantly increased in HK-2 cell line, which led to activation of ferroptosis through TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway. Inhibition of TGF-β1 receptor and phosphorylation of Smad3 significantly ameliorated TGF-β1-mediated ferroptosis. In vivo experiments also found that SG improved the hyperglycemic environment, reduced renal TGF-β1 concentrations, and down-regulated the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

With the capacity to lower the glucose, SG could attenuate the ferroptosis by inhibiting TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway in DKD rats, and eventually attenuated DKD.

AAV9-based PMM2 gene replacement augments PMM2 expression and improves glycosylation in primary fibroblasts of patients with phosphomannomutase 2 deficiency (PMM2-CDG)

Inherited deficiency of phosphomannomutase 2 (PMM2) (aka PMM2-CDG) is the most common congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) and has no cure. With debilitating morbidity and significant mortality, it is imperative to explore novel, safe, and effective therapies for the disease. Our Proof-of-Concept study showed that AAV9-PMM2 infection of patient fibroblasts augmented PMM2 expression and improved glycosylation. Thus, AAV9-PMM2 gene replacement is a promising therapeutic strategy for PMM2-CDG patients.

CASP1 is a target for combination therapy in pancreatic cancer

Gemcitabine (GEM) is commonly used as the first-line chemotherapeutic agent for treating pancreatic cancer (PC) patients. However, drug resistance is a major hurdle in GEM-based chemotherapy for PC. Recent studies have shown that pyroptosis, a type of programmed death, plays a significant regulatory role in cancer development and therapy. In this study, we observed an increase in the expression of Caspase-1(CASP1)/Gasdermin-D (GSDMD) in PC and found that high expression of CASP1 and GSDMD was associated with poor overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of PC patients. Knockdown of either CASP1 or GSDMD resulted in the inhibition of cell viability and migration in PC cells. More importantly, the knockdown of CASP1 or GSDMD enhanced GEM-induced cell death in PC cells. Interestingly, subsequent investigations demonstrated that enzymatically active CASP1 promoted GEM-induced cell death in PC cells. The activation of CASP1 by the DPP8/DPP9 inhibitor (Val-boroPro, VbP) increased GEM-induced cell death by inducing pyroptosis. These findings suggest that inhibiting CASP1 to suppress its oncogenic effects or activating it to promote cell pyroptosis both enhance the sensitivity of PC cells to GEM therapy.

Noninvasive Radiation Markers Based on Lung Cancer CT Images and Dosimetry Features to Predict the Immune Response to Radiotherapy in Tumor Microenvironment

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

For lung cancer patients with complex conditions, doctors need to determine treatment plan in combination with changes of immune response during radiotherapy. It was urgent to find a strategy to predict immune response to intervene the treatment at an early stage.

MATERIALS/METHODS

The radiotherapy process and tumor microenvironment status of 105 lung cancer patients were tracked and recorded in our hospital from 2019 to 2022, public database TCGA-LUAD/LUSC queue of TCIA image data was downloaded as external verification set. Data was analyzed according to the following methods: First, the 3D slicer software was used to process the CT imageomics data, and the doseomics information was calculated by DVHmetrics package from R software. Then Python was brought in to develop a non-invasive radiation scoring system through machine learning methods (T-test, LASSO, random forest and Xgboost). Finally, combined with the clinical information related to the patient's immune response, a nomogram was made to study the correlation between the score markers and the ratio of CD4 cells/CD8 cells in the tumor microenvironment, the prognosis of lung cancer, as well as the incidence of radiation pneumonia.

RESULTS

The radiation markers score formula was obtained with CT imageomics and DVH dosimics features, which achieved an AUC of 0.67-0.75 in predicting CD4/CD8 condition in tumor microenvironment after radiotherapy. It was worth noticing that in predicting the prognosis of lung cancer, it was difficult to distinguish between the radiation score and the patient's survival status (P>0.05). However, we found that the radiation pneumonitis of lung cancer patients in the low score group (42.6%) was significantly higher than that in the high score group (13.4%).

CONCLUSION

Radiation markers score was a non-invasive method to evaluate the immune response of patients with lung cancer, which can be used to predict the incidence of radiation pneumonitis.

First Dark Matter Search with Nuclear Recoils from the XENONnT Experiment

We report on the first search for nuclear recoils from dark matter in the form of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with the XENONnT experiment, which is based on a two-phase time projection chamber with a sensitive liquid xenon mass of 5.9 ton. During the (1.09±0.03)  ton yr exposure used for this search, the intrinsic ^{85}Kr and ^{222}Rn concentrations in the liquid target are reduced to unprecedentedly low levels, giving an electronic recoil background rate of (15.8±1.3)  events/ton yr keV in the region of interest. A blind analysis of nuclear recoil events with energies between 3.3 and 60.5 keV finds no significant excess. This leads to a minimum upper limit on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross section of 2.58×10^{-47}  cm^{2} for a WIMP mass of 28  GeV/c^{2} at 90% confidence level. Limits for spin-dependent interactions are also provided. Both the limit and the sensitivity for the full range of WIMP masses analyzed here improve on previous results obtained with the XENON1T experiment for the same exposure.

"Double-edged sword" effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tumor development and carcinogenesis

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are small reactive molecules produced by cellular metabolism and regulate various physiological and pathological functions. Many studies have shown that ROS plays an essential role in the proliferation and inhibition of tumor cells. Different concentrations of ROS can have a "double-edged sword" effect on the occurrence and development of tumors. A certain concentration of ROS can activate growth-promoting signals, enhance the proliferation and invasion of tumor cells, and cause damage to biomacromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. However, ROS can enhance the body's antitumor signal at higher levels by initiating oxidative stress-induced apoptosis and autophagy in tumor cells. This review analyzes ROS's unique bidirectional regulation mechanism on tumor cells, focusing on the key signaling pathways and regulatory factors that ROS affect the occurrence and development of tumors and providing ideas for an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of ROS action and its clinical application.

Searching for Heavy Dark Matter near the Planck Mass with XENON1T

Multiple viable theoretical models predict heavy dark matter particles with a mass close to the Planck mass, a range relatively unexplored by current experimental measurements. We use 219.4 days of data collected with the XENON1T experiment to conduct a blind search for signals from multiply interacting massive particles (MIMPs). Their unique track signature allows a targeted analysis with only 0.05 expected background events from muons. Following unblinding, we observe no signal candidate events. This Letter places strong constraints on spin-independent interactions of dark matter particles with a mass between 1×10^{12} and 2×10^{17}  GeV/c^{2}. In addition, we present the first exclusion limits on spin-dependent MIMP-neutron and MIMP-proton cross sections for dark matter particles with masses close to the Planck scale.

Targeting NRF2 uncovered an intrinsic susceptibility of acute myeloid leukemia cells to ferroptosis

Drug resistance and poor treatment response are major obstacles to the effective treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A deeper understanding of the mechanisms regulating drug resistance and response genes in AML is therefore urgently needed. Our previous research has highlighted the important role of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2) in AML, where it plays a critical role in detoxifying reactive oxygen species and influencing sensitivity to chemotherapy. In this study, we identify a core set of direct NRF2 targets that are involved in ferroptosis, a novel form of cell death. Of particular interest, we find that glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) is a key ferroptosis gene that is consistently upregulated in AML, and high expression of GPX4 is associated with poor prognosis for AML patients. Importantly, simultaneous inhibition of NRF2 with ML385 and GPX4 with FIN56 or RSL3 synergistically targets AML cells, triggering ferroptosis. Treatment with ML385 + FIN56/RSL3 resulted in a marked reduction in NRF2 and GPX4 expression. Furthermore, NRF2 knockdown enhanced the sensitivity of AML cells to the ferroptosis inducers. Taken together, our results suggest that combination therapy targeting both NRF2 and GPX4 may represent a promising approach for the treatment of AML.

[Efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical decortication for stage Ⅲ tuberculous empyema]

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy, safety and feasibility of "double-portal" video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical(VATS) decortication among patients with stage Ⅲ tuberculous empyema, and then to evaluate the recovery of chest deformity. Method: This study was a single center retrospective study. A total of 49 patients with stage Ⅲ tuberculous empyema who underwent VATS pleural decortication at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu between June 2017 and April 2021 were enrolled, including 38 males, and 11 females, aged 13-60 (27.5±10.4) years. The safety and feasibility of VATS were further evaluated. The inner circumference of the chest on sternal and xiphoid planes on chest CT scans before and 1, 3, 6, 12months after decortication were collected through the measuring software of the CT. The samples in-pair test was used to compare the changes in the chest to reflect the recovery of the chest deformity. Results: In the 49 patients, The surgical time was (186±61) min, and the volume of blood loss was (366±267) ml. There were 8 cases (16.33%) with postoperative complications during the perioperative period. Constant air leak and pneumonia were the main postoperative complications. No relapse of empyema or dissemination of tuberculosis occured during the period of follow-up. Before surgery, the inner thoracic circumference of the thorax at the level of the carina plane was (655±54) mm, and the inner thoracic circumference of the thorax at the level of the xiphoid plane was (720±69) mm. Patients were followed for 12-36 months. The inner thoracic circumference of the thoracic cavity at the level of carina was (666±51), (667±47) and (671±47) mm at the 3rd, 6th and 12th months after operation, which were significantly larger than that at the level of carina before operation (all P<0.05). The inner thoracic circumference diameter of the thoracic cavity measured at the xiphoid level at the 3rd, 6th and 12th months after the operation was (730±65), (733±63) and (735±63) mm respectively(all P<0.05).The inner thoracic circumference of the thoracic cavity increased significantly than that before surgery (P<0.05). At 6 months after operation, there was significant difference in the improvement of the inner thoracic circumference of the carina plane in patients with age less than 20 years and FEV₁% less than 80% (P=0.015, P=0.003). The improvement in the inner thoracic circumference of the carina plane in patients with pleural thickening≥8 mm compared with those with less than 8 mm was not statistically different(P=0.070). Conclusions: For some patients with stage Ⅲ tuberculous empyema, pleural decortication under thoracoscopy is safe and feasible, and can significantly restore the inner thoracic circumference of the patient's chest, improve the collapse of the patient's chest, and have significant clinical effect. The "double-portal VATS" surgical technology has the advantage of less trauma, wide operation field, large operation space and is easy to master, which is worth further exploring for clinical application.

An interpretable machine learning model for real-time sepsis prediction based on basic physiological indicators

OBJECTIVE

In view of the important role of risk prediction models in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of sepsis, and the limitations of existing models in terms of timeliness and interpretability, we intend to develop a real-time prediction model of sepsis with high timeliness and clinical interpretability.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We used eight real-time basic physiological monitoring indicators of patients, including heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, mean arterial pressure, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, temperature and blood glucose, extracted three-hour dynamic feature sequences, and calculated 3 linear parameters (mean, standard deviation, and endpoint value), a 24-dimensional feature vector was constructed, and finally a real-time sepsis prediction model was constructed based on the Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanation (LIME) interpretability method.

RESULTS

The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), Accuracy and F1 scores of Extremely Randomized Trees we built were higher than those of other models, with AUROC above 0.76, showing the best performance. The Imbalance XGBoost has a high specificity (0.86) in predicting sepsis. The LIME local interpretable model we built can display a large amount of valid model prediction details for clinical workers' reference, including the prediction probability and the influence of each feature on the prediction result, thus effectively assisting the work of clinical workers and improving diagnostic efficiency.

CONCLUSIONS

This model can provide real-time dynamic early warning of sepsis for critically ill patients under supervision and provide a reference for clinical decision support. At the same time, interpretive analysis of sepsis prediction models can improve the credibility of the models.

[Uterine POLE mutant endometrioid carcinoma combined with human papilloma virus-associated cervical adenocarcinoma: A case report and literature review]

Independent primary uterine and cervical adenocarcinoma are rare and difficult to identify their origins, which makes treatment decision difficult. A 46-year-old female with endometrioid carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated of the uterine cervix was reported. The patient presented with increased menstrual flow, contact bleeding and watery leucorrhea for more than one year, and the imaging findings showed abnormal uterine morphology, irregular margins, and multiple abnormal signals in uterine cavity and myometrium, which suggested multiple leiomyomas of the uterus. The signal intensity in the right muscle layer was markedly enhanced, suggesting a smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential. A large number of cystic hypointensity was seen in the cervix, and multiple cysts were considered. The initial preoperative diagnosis was multiple leiomyoma of the uterus, and a hysterectomy operation was planned. During the operation, the uterus was sent for frozen sections. There was a mass in the endometrium of the fundus, with a soft grayish-red cut surface and a clear border with the myometrium, and there was a grayish-white nodule in the cervix with a hard grayish-white cut surface. The two masses were well demarcated from each other, and the distance between them was 30 mm. The result of the frozen sections indicated the malignant tumor of the endometrium, and the extended hysterectomy+pelvic lymphadenectomy+partial resection of the greater omentum was performed. After the operation, the paraffin sections were sent to the Department of Pathology of the Peking University Third Hospital for histochemistry, POLE gene sequencing and HPV RNAscope tests, and the final diagnosis was a synchronous endometrioid carcinoma (POLE-mutant according to the WHO classification) and an adenocarcinoma, HPV-associated of the uterine cervix. Now the patient had been treated with 2 cycles of chemotherapy and her condition was fine. Through the analysis of the histological, immunohistochemical and molecular detection results of this case, the importance of applying HPV RNAscope and TCGA molecular typing in the diagnosis of cervical adenocarcinomas and endometrial carcinomas was emphasized. At the same time, gynecologists should not blindly rely on intraoperative frozen sections, and should pay attention to preoperative pathological examination, and make appropriate operation methods according to the results in order to prevent passivity in the surgery.

Overexpression of CASP1 triggers acute promyelocytic leukemia cell pyroptosis and differentiation

Caspase-1 (CASP1)-mediated classical pyroptosis plays a key role in cancer development and management, however, the role of CASP1 and its regulation has not yet been documented for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Here, we found that CASP1/GSDMD had lower expression in patients with APL and most other subtypes of primary de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and was increased in all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA)-treated APL cells. We showed that ATRA increases and activates CASP1 to trigger the pyroptosis and differentiation of APL cells. Mechanistically, ATRA could induce CASP1 expression via the IFNγ/STAT1 pathway in APL cells. In conclusion, ATRA-induced activation of CASP1 may serve as a suppressor in APL progression, as it triggers pyroptotic cell death and differentiation.

High expression of LOC541471, GDAP1, SOD1, and STK25 is associated with poor overall survival of patients with acute myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive heterogeneous hematological malignancy with remarkably heterogeneous outcomes. This study aimed to identify potential biomarkers for AML risk stratification via analysis of gene expression profiles.

METHODS

RNA sequencing data from 167 adult AML patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were obtained for overall survival (OS) analysis, and 52 bone marrow (BM) samples from our clinical center were used for validation. Additionally, siRNA was used to investigate the role of prognostic genes in the apoptosis and proliferation of AML cells.

RESULTS

Co-expression of 103 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs in the red module that were positively correlated with European Leukemia Network (ELN) risk stratification and age was identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). After screening by uni- and multivariate Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier survival, and protein-protein interaction analysis, four genes including the lncRNA LOC541471, GDAP1, SOD1, and STK25 were incorporated into calculating a risk score from coefficients of the multivariate Cox regression model. Notably, GDAP1 expression was the greatest contributor to OS among the four genes. Interestingly, the risk score, ELN risk stratification, and age were independent prognostic factors for AML patients, and a nomogram model constructed with these factors could illustrate and personalize the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates of AML patients. The calibration and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs) suggested that the nomogram had a good predictive performance. Furthermore, new risk stratification was developed for AML patients based on the nomogram model. Importantly, knockdown of LOC541471, GDPA1, SOD1, or STK25 promoted apoptosis and inhibited the proliferation of THP-1 cells compared to controls.

CONCLUSIONS

High expression of LOC541471, GDAP1, SOD1, and STK25 may be biomarkers for risk stratification of AML patients, which may provide novel insight into evaluating prognosis, monitoring progression, and designing combinational targeted therapies.

Bond Stress-Slip Model of BFRP Grid to ECC

The bonding performance between a basalt fiber-reinforced composite material (BFRP) grid and an engineering cementitious composite (ECC) is the basis that affects the synergy between the two. However, the research on the bonding behavior between the FRP grid and ECC is limited; in particular, the theoretical study on the bond-slip intrinsic relationship model and a reliable anchorage length calculation equation is lacking. To study the bond-slip relationship between the BFRP grid and ECC material, we considered the parameters of BFRP grid thickness, anchorage length, ECC substrate protective layer thickness, and grid surface treatment, and conducted center pull-out tests on eight sets of specimens. By analyzing the characteristics of the bond-slip curve of the specimen, a bond-slip constitutive model between the BFRP grid and ECC was established. Combining the principle of equivalent strain energy, the calculation formula of the basic anchorage length of the BFRP grid in the ECC matrix was derived. Research shows that the bonding performance between the BFRP grid and ECC improves with the increase in the grid anchoring length, grid thickness, and ECC layer strength. Sand sticking on the surface of the BFRP grid can enhance the bonding force between the two. The established bond-slip constitutive model curve is in good agreement with the test curve. The bond-slip relationship between the BFRP grid and ECC can be described by the first two stages in the BPE model. The derived formula for calculating the basic anchorage length of the BFRP mesh in the ECC matrix is computationally verified to be reliable in prediction.

Search for New Physics in Electronic Recoil Data from XENONnT

We report on a blinded analysis of low-energy electronic recoil data from the first science run of the XENONnT dark matter experiment. Novel subsystems and the increased 5.9 ton liquid xenon target reduced the background in the (1, 30) keV search region to (15.8±1.3)  events/(ton×year×keV), the lowest ever achieved in a dark matter detector and ∼5 times lower than in XENON1T. With an exposure of 1.16 ton-years, we observe no excess above background and set stringent new limits on solar axions, an enhanced neutrino magnetic moment, and bosonic dark matter.

[Bedside monitoring of lung perfusion by electrical impedance tomography]

As a non-invasive and radiation-free bedside imaging method, electrical impedance tomography (EIT) can perform real-time regional pulmonary ventilation evaluation and pulmonary blood flow monitoring for patients, thus realizing bedside ventilation/perfusion matching visualization, effectively guiding the pathophysiological mechanism of hypoxemia, and providing a new method for the study of pulmonary blood flow. EIT has also played a unique and irreplaceable role in COVID-19 research and treatment. At the same time, as functional imaging, the operation details and image reconstruction algorithm of this technology still need to be further optimized by more researches to provide a more robust evaluation in clinical application. In this paper, EIT pulmonary blood flow monitoring methods, operation and implementation of monitoring indicators, application and related research progress will be described.

DAP10 integration in CAR-T cells enhances the killing of heterogeneous tumors by harnessing endogenous NKG2D

Although chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells have achieved remarkable successes in hematological malignancies, the efficacies of CAR-T cells against solid tumors remains unsatisfactory. Heterogeneous antigen expression is one of the obstacles on its effective elimination of solid cancer cells. DNAX-activating protein 10 (DAP10) interacts with natural killer group 2D (NKG2D), acting as an adaptor that targets various malignant cells for surveillance. Here, we designed a DAP10 chimeric receptor that utilized native NKG2D on T cells to target NKG2D ligand-expressing cancer cells. We then tandemly incorporated it with anti-glypican 3 (GPC3) single-chain variable fragment (scFv) to construct a dual-antigen-targeting system. T cells expressing DAP10 chimeric receptor (DAP10-T cells) displayed with an enhancement on both cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion against solid cancer cell lines, and its tandem connection with anti-GPC3 scFv (CAR GPC3-DAP10-T cells) exhibited a dual-antigen-targeting capacity on eliminating heterogeneous cancer cells in vitro and suppressing the growth of heterogeneous cancer in vivo. Thus, this novel dual-targeting system enabled a high efficacy on killing cancer cells and extended the recognition profile of CAR-T cells toward tumors, which providing a potential strategy on treatment of solid cancer clinically.

BET bromodomain inhibition rescues PD-1-mediated T-cell exhaustion in acute myeloid leukemia

Sustained expression of programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1) is correlated with the exhaustion of T cells, and blockade of the PD-1 pathway is an effective immunotherapeutic strategy for treating various cancers. However, response rates are limited, and many patients do not achieve durable responses. Thus, it is important to seek additional strategies that can improve anticancer immunity. Here, we report that the bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) inhibitor JQ1 inhibits PD-1 expression in Jurkat T cells, primary T cells, and T-cell exhaustion models. Furthermore, JQ1 dramatically impaired the expression of PD-1 and T-cell immunoglobulin mucin-domain-containing-3 (Tim-3) and promoted the secretion of cytokines in T cells from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In line with that, BET inhibitor-treated CD19-CAR T and CD123-CAR T cells have enhanced anti-leukemia potency and resistant to exhaustion. Mechanistically, BRD4 binds to the NFAT2 and PDCD1 (encoding PD-1) promoters, and NFAT2 binds to the PDCD1 and HAVCR2 (encoding Tim-3) promoters. JQ1-treated T cells showed downregulated NFAT2, PD-1, and Tim-3 expression. In addition, BET inhibitor suppressed programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and cell growth in AML cell lines and in primary AML cells. We also demonstrated that JQ1 treatment led to inhibition of leukemia progression, reduced T-cell PD-1/Tim-3 expression, and prolonged survival in MLL-AF9 AML mouse model and Nalm6 (B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell)-bearing mouse leukemia model. Taken together, BET inhibition improved anti-leukemia immunity by regulating PD-1/PD-L1 expression, and also directly suppressed AML cells, which provides novel insights on the multiple effects of BET inhibition for cancer therapy.

Material radiopurity control in the XENONnT experiment

The selection of low-radioactive construction materials is of the utmost importance for rare-event searches and thus critical to the XENONnT experiment. Results of an extensive radioassay program are reported, in which material samples have been screened with gamma-ray spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$^{222}$$\end{document}222Rn emanation measurements. Furthermore, the cleanliness procedures applied to remove or mitigate surface contamination of detector materials are described. Screening results, used as inputs for a XENONnT Monte Carlo simulation, predict a reduction of materials background (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\sim $$\end{document}∼17%) with respect to its predecessor XENON1T. Through radon emanation measurements, the expected \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$^{222}$$\end{document}222Rn activity concentration in XENONnT is determined to be 4.2 (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$^{+0.5}_{-0.7}$$\end{document}-0.7+0.5) \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\upmu $$\end{document}μBq/kg, a factor three lower with respect to XENON1T. This radon concentration will be further suppressed by means of the novel radon distillation system.

Anticancer effects of disulfiram in T-cell malignancies through NPL4-mediated ubiquitin-proteasome pathway

T-cell malignancies, including T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and T-cell lymphoma (TCL), are characterized by inferior treatment effects, high heterogeneity, poor prognosis, and a lack of specific therapeutic targets and drugs to improve outcome. Disulfiram (DSF) is a drug used to clinically control alcoholism that has recently been shown to be cytotoxic for multiple cancers. However, the underlying effects and mechanisms of DFS treatment in patients with T-cell malignancies are not well characterized. In this study, we report that DSF promotes apoptosis and inhibits the proliferation of malignant T-cell cell lines and primary T-ALL cells. We provide evidence that DSF exerts anticancer activity in T-cell malignancies by targeting the NPL4-mediated ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Notably, high expression of NPL4 and 2 ubiquitin-proteasome pathway genes, anaphase-promoting complex subunit 1 (ANAPC1) and proteasome 26S subunit ubiquitin receptor, non-ATPase 2 (PSMD2), was significantly associated with unfavorable overall survival (OS) for patients with TCL and T-ALL (p < 0.05). More importantly, the weighted combination of NPL4, ANAPC1, and PSMD2 could visually display the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates for patients with T-cell malignancies in a nomogram model and facilitate risk stratification. Specifically, risk stratification was an independent predictor of OS for patients with T-cell malignancies. In conclusion, DSF might induce apoptosis and inhibit the proliferation of malignant T-cells via the NPL4-mediated ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and offer a potential therapeutic option for T-cell malignancies.

Context Matters: Social Psychological Factors That Underlie Academic Performance across Seven Institutions

To enhance equity and diversity in undergraduate biology, recent research in biology education focuses on best practices that reduce learning barriers for all students and improve academic performance. However, the majority of current research into student experiences in introductory biology takes place at large, predominantly White institutions. To foster contextual knowledge in biology education research, we harnessed data from a large research coordination network to examine the extent of academic performance gaps based on demographic status across institutional contexts and how two psychological factors, test anxiety and ethnicity stigma consciousness, may mediate performance in introductory biology. We used data from seven institutions across three institution types: 2-year community colleges, 4-year inclusive institutions (based on admissions selectivity; hereafter, inclusive), and 4-year selective institutions (hereafter, selective). In our sample, we did not observe binary gender gaps across institutional contexts, but found that performance gaps based on underrepresented minority status were evident at inclusive and selective 4-year institutions, but not at community colleges. Differences in social psychological factors and their impacts on academic performance varied substantially across institutional contexts. Our findings demonstrate that institutional context can play an important role in the mechanisms underlying performance gaps.

Lower BCL11B expression is associated with adverse clinical outcome for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is an aggressive and genetically heterogeneous disease with poor prognosis. Cellular immune disorder is a common characteristic of this disease and is thought to be related to clinical outcome. Alterations in T cell clonal expansion and T cell dysfunction has been detected in MDS patients. Little is known about whether there are immune biomarkers to evaluate the T cell alterations with clinical outcome. Previous studies have demonstrated that B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 11B (BCL11B) plays an important role in regulating T cell development and proliferation. In this study, the prognostic value of BCL11B for MDS patients was explored by analyzing RNA-seq data from 270 patients in two datasets in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and real-time quantitative PCR data (qRT-PCR) of 31 bone marrow (BM) samples of MDS and 6 BM samples of patients with MDS progress to secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) from our clinical center. The results demonstrated that BCL11B is significantly down-regulated in MDS patients as compared with healthy individuals (HIs). Importantly, lower BCL11B expression was found in MDS patients who were of high/very high risk, older than 60 y, or male and patients with sAML. Furthermore, low BCL11B expression appeared to be associated with poor overall survival (OS) for MDS patients, though the data were not yet significant enough at this point. In addition, BCL11B low-expressing MDS patients had shorter restricted mean survival time (RMST) than those with high BCL11B expression. Interestingly, BCL11B positively correlated with naive and activated memory CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, and the T cell receptor complex genes CD3E and CD3G, but it negatively correlated with regulatory T cells (Treg). Additionally, co-occurrence of low BCL11B expression and CD3E and CD3G was associated with poor OS and shorter RMST. In conclusion, lower BCL11B expression in BM samples of MDS patients was associated with adverse clinical outcome.

Mutant U2AF1-induced differential alternative splicing causes an oxidative stress in bone marrow stromal cells

Alternative splicing (AS) is a critical regulatory process of gene expression. In bone marrow microenvironment, AS plays a critical role in mesenchymal stem cells fate determination by forming distinct isoforms of important regulators. As a spliceosome factor, U2AF1 is essential for the catalysis of pre-mRNA splicing, and its mutation can cause differential AS events. In the present study, by forced expression of mutant U2AF1 (U2AF1S34F) in the mouse bone marrow stroma OP9 cells, we determine AS changes in U2AF1S34F transduced OP9 cells and investigate their role in stroma cell biological functions. We find that abundant differential RNA splicing events are induced by U2AF1S34F in OP9 cells. U2AF1S34F causes increased generation of hydrogen peroxide, promotes production of cytokines and chemokines. U2AF1S34F transduced OP9 cells also exhibit dysfunction of mitochondria. RNA-seq data, gene ontology (GO), and gene set enrichment analysis reveal that differentially expressed genes downregulated in response to U2AF1S34F are enriched in peroxisome component and function. U2AF1S34F can also cause release of hydrogen peroxide from OP9 cells. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of U2AF1S34F-induced oxidative stress in stromal cells on hematopoietic cells. When co-culturing mouse bone marrow mononuclear cells with OP9 cells, the U2AF1S34F expressing OP9 cells induce phosphorylation of histone H2AX in hematopoietic cells. Collectively, our results reveal that mutant U2AF1-induced differential AS events cause oxidative stress in bone marrow stromal cells and can further lead to DNA damage and genomic instability in hematopoietic cells.

Linc00703 suppresses non-small cell lung cancer progression by modulating CyclinD1/CDK4 expression

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to detect the expression of linc00703 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to explore the biological function and potential molecular mechanism of linc00703 in NSCLC using in vitro experiments.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The carcinoma tissues and para-carcinoma tissues were collected from 32 patients diagnosed with NSCLC, from which the RNA was extracted. The relative expression of linc00703 in NSCLC tissues was detected via quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The NSCLC cells and normal human bronchial epithelial cells were selected, in which the relative expression of linc00703 was determined via qRT-PCR. Next, the linc00703 overexpression plasmids were designed and synthesized, and then transiently transfected into NSCLC cells. After 48 h, the overexpression efficiency was detected. Finally, the changes in cell proliferation, apoptosis, cycle distribution and expressions of downstream molecular markers were determined using cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry and Western blotting, respectively, after overexpression of linc00703 in NSCLC cells.

RESULTS

The results of qRT-PCR revealed that the expression of linc00703 was down-regulated by 5.14 times on average in 29 out of 32 cases of NSCLC tissues, and it was also down-regulated in NSCLC cells. Besides, it was found through CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay and flow cytometry that after overexpression of linc00703 in NSCLC cells, the cell proliferation was inhibited, the apoptosis was enhanced, and the cell cycle was arrested in G1/G0 phase. Furthermore, the results of Western blotting showed that after overexpression of linc00703, the protein expressions of cyclinD1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) declined, while those of cyclinE1 and CDK2 did not change.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of linc00703 is down-regulated in NSCLC, and it suppresses the occurrence and development of NSCLC via mediating the expression of cyclinD1/CDK4.

Medical ozone induces proliferation and migration inhibition through ROS accumulation and PI3K/AKT/NF-κB suppression in human liver cancer cells in vitro

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies and leading cancer-associated deaths worldwide. Ozone has been proposed as a promising therapeutic agent in the treatment of various disorders.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to assess the potential anticancer effects of the ozone on liver cancer cells.

METHOD

The liver cancer cell line of bel7402 and SMMC7721 was used in this study. Proliferation was evaluated using the CCK-8 and the colony formation assay. Wond healing assay and transwell assay without Matrigel were used to evaluate their migration ability. Flow cytometry was used for cell cycle analysis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) determination. Glutathione detection kit was used for measurement of glutathione level. Protein expression was estimated by western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Ozone treatment inhibited liver cancer cell proliferation, colony formation. Ozone induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, which could be elucidated by the change of protein levels of p53, p21, Cyclin D1, cyclin B1, cdc2, and CDK4. We also found that ozone treatment inhibited migration ability by inhibiting EMT-relating protein. Ozone also induced ROS accumulation and decreased glutathione level decreased, which contributed to the inactivation of the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway. Finally, we found that pre-treatment of liver cancer cells with N-acetylcysteine resisted ozone-induced effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Ozone restrains the proliferation and migration potential and EMT process of liver cancer cells via ROS accumulation and PI3K/AKT/NF-κB suppression.

MicroRNA-597 inhibits NSCLC progression through negatively regulating CDK2 expression

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies have shown that microRNA-597 serves as a tumor suppressor gene. However, the role of microRNA-597 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the expression of microRNA-597 in NSCLC, and to further explore the possible underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed to examine microRNA-597 level in tumor tissues and para-cancerous normal tissues collected from 50 patients with NSCLC. The interplay between microRNA-597 expression and clinical indicators, as well as prognosis of NSCLC patients, was analyzed. Meanwhile, qPCR was used to verify microRNA-59 level in NSCLC cell lines. Subsequently, microRNA-597 overexpression and knockdown models were constructed using lentivirus in NSCLC cell lines (including H1299 and PC-9). The impacts of microRNA-597 on the biological functions of NSCLC cells were evaluated using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay, respectively. Finally, luciferase reporter gene assay and recovery experiment were performed to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism.

RESULTS

QPCR results indicated that microRNA-597 level in NSCLC tissues was remarkably lower than that of adjacent normal tissues, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Compared with patients with high expression of microRNA-597, patients with low expression of microRNA-597 exhibited significantly higher incidence of pathological stage and lower overall survival rate (p<0.05). Similarly, compared with NC group, the proliferation ability of NSCLC cells was remarkably weakened in microRNA-597 overexpression group (p<0.05). However, the opposite results were observed in microRNA-597 inhibitor group (p<0.05). CDK2 expression was found remarkably elevated in NSCLC cell lines as well as in tissue samples CDK2 expression. Meanwhile, CDK2 expression was negatively correlated with microRNA-597 expression. Luciferase reporter gene assay demonstrated that overexpression of CDK2 could significantly attenuate the luciferase activity of wild-type microRNA-597 vector without attenuating that of mutant vector CDK2 expression. This further suggested that microRNA-597 could target bind to CDK2. Furthermore, cell recovery experiment revealed that CDK2 could reverse the impact of microRNA-597 on the malignant progression of NSCLC.

CONCLUSIONS

MicroRNA-597 expression was significantly down-regulated in NSCLC tissues, as well as cell lines. Meanwhile, microRNA-597 expression was associated with the pathological staging and poor prognosis of patients with NSCLC. In addition, microRNA-597 might suppress the malignant progression of NSCLC through the regulation of CDK2.

[Advances in researches on neoadjuvant therapy for resectable colorectal liver metastasis]

Surgery is recognized as the core treatment for colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM), while its recurrence rate remains relatively high, even for resectable CRLM. This hints that the efficacy of treatment involves not only technological factors of surgery, but also biological behavior of tumor. For resectable CRLM, neoadjuvant therapy is beneficial to eliminate the micro-metastasis, reduce postoperative recurrence rate, screen tumor biological behavior and improve prognosis. However, questions about which kind of CRLM patients fits for neoadjuvant therapy and what regimen should be used are still debatable. This paper reviews stratified management of resectable CRLM, choice of neoadjuvant regimen, especially the application value of targeted therapy, based on the latest guidelines and studies.

A Comparative Analysis of Immunohistochemical Profile of Primary and Metastatic Endometrial Endometrioid Carcinoma

Introduction/Objective

Beta catenin plays an important role in cancer tumorigenesis and have been found to be associated with metastasis in a variety of tumors. Analyzing TCGA data, we found that 30% of endometrial endometrioid carcinoma cases have beta-catenin mutations. We hypothesize that beta-catenin mutation may be associated with metastasis of endometrial endometrioid carcinoma. ER and PR expression was also compared to determine any changes after metastasis.

Methods

Retrospective institutional review of all endometrial endometrioid carcinoma (192 cases) between 2011 to 2018 was performed, including 149 cases of FIGO grade I, 38 cases of FIGO grade II and 5 cases of FIGO grade III. 19 cases with paired primary and metastatic specimen were identified. Immunohistochemistry staining (IHC) was carried out for ER, PR and beta-catenin.

Results

Median patient age was 56 years. The most common metastatic site was vagina, accounting for 68% of metastasis (14/19), followed by bladder (3/19), lung (2/19) and rectum (1/19). The primary and metastatic carcinoma of all 19 cases exhibit very similar morphology. All of those cases were positive and concordant for ER and PR in primary and metastatic endometrioid carcinoma. On the other hand, nuclear beta-catenin staining caused by mutation was positive in 5 metastatic carcinoma but not in primary carcinoma.

Conclusion

IHC expression of ER and PR remains unchanged between primary and metastatic carcinoma, demonstrating the reliability of ER and PR to confirm the origin of metastatic carcinoma. 26% of the metastatic carcinoma (5/19) exhibit nuclear beta-catenin staining but not in primary carcinoma, suggesting the possible role of beta-catenin in metastasis of endometrial endometrioid carcinoma.

Correlations of UGT1A1 gene polymorphisms with onset and prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlations of UDP glucuronosyltransferase family 1 member A1 (UGT1A1) gene polymorphisms with the onset and prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 400 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (disease group) and healthy controls (control group) in our hospital were selected as research subjects. Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood. UGT1A1 gene polymorphisms rs8330, rs4148323 and rs35003977 were detected after Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification. RT-qPCR was performed to measure the expression level of UGT1A1. The survival of patients was analyzed combined with their prognosis. Moreover, the expression of UGT1A1 gene in lung cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was analyzed by bioinformatics, and the prognosis was analyzed.

RESULTS

According to the expression level of UGT1A1 gene from TCGA and GTEx databases, UGT1A1 gene was highly expressed in lung cancer tissues but lowly expressed in normal lung tissues, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Combined with the expression level of UGT1A1 and the prognostic information of lung cancer patients from TCGA database, patients with higher expression level of UGT1A1 gene exhibited significantly better prognosis than those with lower level (p=0.0013), suggesting that UGT1A1 gene is an anti-oncogene. There were statistically differences in allele distribution of UGT1A1 gene polymorphism rs8330 between the disease group and control group (p=0.003), and the frequency of allele G was higher in disease group. Moreover, the distribution of genotypes of UGT1A1 gene polymorphisms rs8330 (p=0.006) and rs4148323 (p=0.003) in the disease group was significantly different from that in the control group, and the frequencies of GG genotype of polymorphisms rs8330 and rs4148323 were higher in the disease group. Statistically significant differences in the distribution of recessive models of UGT1A1 gene polymorphism rs8330 were observed between the disease group and control group (p=0.047), and the disease group exhibited a lower frequency of recessive model GC + CC than control group. There were evident differences in the distribution of haplotype GGT of UGT1A1 gene polymorphisms rs8330, rs4148323 and rs35003977 between the disease group and control group (p=0.004), and the frequencies of haplotype GGT were higher in the disease group than those in the control group. UGT1A1 gene polymorphism rs8330 was remarkably associated with gene expression (p<0.05). Meanwhile, the expression of UGT1A1 gene in patients carrying genotype CC declined notably compared with that in patients carrying genotypes GG and GC (p<0.05). Furthermore, the polymorphism rs8330 had a significant correlation with the survival of patients in disease group (p=0.0001), and patients with genotype CC had the worst prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

UGT1A1 gene polymorphisms are prominently correlated with the onset and prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer.

Chi3l1 regulates APAP-induced liver injury by promoting macrophage infiltration

The article "Chi3l1 regulates APAP-induced liver injury by promoting macrophage infiltration, by Y. Wang, M. Zhong, W. Wang, Y.-H. Li, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (11): 4996-5003-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201906_18091-PMID: 31210337" has been withdrawn from the authors. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/18091.

MiR-1-3p suppresses cell proliferation and invasion and targets STC2 in gastric cancer

OBJECTIVE

MiR-1 has been reported to act as an inhibitory microRNA in gastric cancer (GC). This study aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanism by which miR-1-3p blocks the progression of GC by targeting stanniocalcin 2 (STC2).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expression level of miR-1-3p in GC was assessed via quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Expressions of STC2 were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Proliferation and invasion assays were detected by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) and transwell assays, respectively. Moreover, the dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the binding sites between miR-1-3p and STC2.

RESULTS

MiR-1-3p was significantly down-regulated in GC. Moreover, abnormal expression of miR-1-3p was correlated with GC tumor size. Functionally, overexpression of miR-1-3p inhibited proliferation and invasion in GC by inhibiting stanniocalcin 2 (STC2) expressions. In contrast, STC2 was significantly up-regulated in GC. Furthermore, miR-1-3p negatively regulated STC2 expression in GC. The upregulation of STC2 weakened the inhibitory effect of miR-1-3p in GC.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-1-3p suppressed cell proliferation and invasion by targeting STC2 in GC, providing a novel therapeutic target for GC.

Long noncoding RNA CASC15 is upregulated in non-small cell lung cancer and facilitates cell proliferation and metastasis via targeting miR-130b-3p

OBJECTIVE

Recent researches have discovered a class of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are dysregulated in various tumors and linked to carcinogenesis. This study aims to uncover the molecular functions of lncRNA CASC15 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumorigenesis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to detect CASC15 expression in 55 NSCLC samples and four NSCLC cell lines. Besides, the function of CASC15 was detected through proliferation assay, transwell assay, and wound healing assay in NSCLC cells. Furthermore, the interaction between CASC15 and miR-130b-3p in NSCLC was studied by performing dual-luciferase reporter assay. In addition, tumor formation and metastasis assay were performed in vivo.

RESULTS

CASC15 expression was remarkably upregulated in NSCLC samples compared with that in adjacent samples. Cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in NSCLC were inhibited via knockdown of CASC15 in vitro. Moreover, RT-qPCR results revealed that miR-130b-3p was upregulated via knockdown of CASC15 in vitro. In addition, miR-130b-3p was a direct target of CASC15 in NSCLC. Tumor formation and metastasis were inhibited after CASC15 was knockdown in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study indicates that CASC15 could promote metastasis and proliferation of NSCLC through sponging miR-130b-3p in vitro and in vivo, which may offer a new therapeutic intervention for NSCLC patients.

Long non-coding RNA OR3A4 is associated with poor prognosis of human non-small cell lung cancer and regulates cell proliferation via up-regulating SOX4

OBJECTIVE

Recent studies have uncovered that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in the progression of malignant tumors. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common type of fatal cancer worldwide. The aim of this study was to identify the specific function of lncRNA OR3A4 in the progression of NSCLC, and to explore the possible underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

LncRNA OR3A4 expression in 52-paired NSCLC tissues and adjacent normal tissues was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation assay and cell apoptosis assay were used to investigate the function of OR3A4 in NSCLC. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism was explored by qRT-PCR and Western blot assay.

RESULTS

OR3A4 expression was remarkably upregulated in NSCLC tissues when compared with adjacent normal tissues. The overall survival of NSCLC patients in high OR3A4 expression group was significantly worse than those in low OR3A4 expression group. After the silence of OR3A4, the proliferation of NSCLC cells was significantly inhibited. Besides, the apoptosis of NSCLC cells was remarkably promoted after the silence of OR3A4. Meanwhile, knockdown of OR3A4 significantly down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of SOX4 in NSCLC cells. Furthermore, the expression of SOX4 was found upregulated in both NSCLC tissues and cells.

CONCLUSIONS

These above results suggested that OR3A4 could promote cell proliferation and suppress cell apoptosis in NSCLC through up-regulating SOX4. Our findings demonstrated that OR3A4 might serve as a new therapeutic intervention for NSCLC patients.

LncRNA HAGLROS accelerates the progression of lung carcinoma via sponging microRNA-152

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to analyze the expression profiling of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HAGLROS and microRNA-152 in lung carcinoma (LCa), and to explore their regulatory effects on the malignant progression of LCa.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expression of HAGLROS in 44 paired LCa tissues and matched adjacent tissues was determined by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The correlation between HAGLROS expression and clinical indexes of LCa patients was analyzed. Furthermore, HAGLROS expression in LCa cell lines was detected as well. The HAGLROS over-expression and knockdown models were established in A549 and SPC-A1 cells by transfection of pcDNA-HAGLROS and anti-HAGLROS, respectively. The biological influences of HAGLROS on LCa cells were evaluated through a series of functional experiments. Furthermore, the potential relationship between HAGLROS and microRNA-152 was analyzed.

RESULTS

HAGLROS was highly expressed in LCa tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. LCa patients with a higher expression of HAGLROS presented significantly worse tumor stage, a higher rate of lymphatic metastasis, and a lower survival. The knockdown of HAGLROS significantly attenuated the proliferative and migratory abilities of LCa cells. Meanwhile, HAGLROS over-expression obtained the opposite results. MicroRNA-152 was negatively correlated with HAGLROS in LCa. Rescue experiments showed that the knockdown of microRNA-152 reversed the regulatory effects of HAGLROS on proliferative and migratory abilities of LCa cells.

CONCLUSIONS

HAGLROS expression is correlated with tumor stage and lymphatic metastasis of LCa patients. Furthermore, HAGLROS accelerates proliferation and migration of LCa cells by regulating microRNA-152.

LncRNA FBXL19-AS1 promotes proliferation and metastasis via regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition in non-small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

To detect the relative expression of long non-coding ribonucleic acid (lncRNA) F-box and leucine-rich repeat protein 19-antisense RNA 1 (FBXL19-AS1) in tissues and cells of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and investigate the mechanism of lncRNA FBXL19-AS1 in promoting NSCLC cell proliferation and metastasis by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via in vitro experiments.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The relative expression of lncRNA FBXL19-AS1 in NSCLC tissues and cells was detected via quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The colony formation assay was performed to study the impact of interference with lncRNA FBXL19-AS1 expression on NSCLC cell proliferation. The flow cytometry was applied to determine the influence of si-FBXL19-AS1 on the cycle distribution of NSCLC cells. After the interference with lncRNA FBXL19-AS1 expression, the transwell assay was utilized to measure the changes in the migratory and invasive abilities of NSCLC cells, while the expression changes in EMT-related molecular markers was detected via Western blotting.

RESULTS

The results of qRT-PCR showed that the expression of lncRNA FBXL19-AS1 in NSCLC tissues and cells was up-regulated. According to the results of the colony formation assay, the proliferative capacity of NSCLC cells was decreased after the interference with lncRNA FBXL19-AS1 expression. In flow cytometry, it was indicated that the cell cycle was arrested at the G0/G1 phase in the experimental group compared with that in the control group. The transwell assay results showed that the migratory and invasive abilities of NSCLC cells were weakened after the interference with lncRNA FBXL19-AS1 expression. The results of the Western blotting assay revealed that the expressions of EMT-related molecular markers (E-cadherin, N-cadherin, etc.) were changed.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of lncRNA FBXL19-AS1 in NSCLC tissues and cells is up-regulated, and the highly expressed lncRNA FBXL19-AS1 can promote NSCLC cell proliferation and metastasis by regulating the EMT.

Chi3l1 regulates APAP-induced liver injury by promoting macrophage infiltration

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the role of Chi3l1 in Acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In vivo model of liver injury was established in mice administrated with APAP (250 mg/kg) or equivalent phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Mouse liver tissues were collected at 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, and 24 h after treatment, respectively. ALT levels and apoptosis were evaluated. Additionally, we established APAP-induced acute liver injury model in wild-type (WT) mice and Chi3l1-deficient (Chi3l1-/-) mice. Pathological changes of liver tissue were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Mononuclear cells (MNCs) were isolated from mouse liver, and the amounts of infiltrating macrophages and neutrophils were then counted by flow cytometry. Serum levels of cytokines were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were extracted from each mouse.

RESULTS

After APAP stimulation, Chi3l1-/- mice showed more severe liver injury than that of WT mice, which was manifested as higher ALT levels and more necrotic or apoptotic cells. Compared with WT mice, Chi3l1-/- mice expressed higher levels of inflammatory cytokines (MCP-1 and IL-6), macrophage-associated molecules (CD68 and CD86), as well as the amounts of infiltrating macrophages and neutrophils. In addition, higher expressions of inflammatory cytokines were found in BMDMs extracted from WT mice treated with those BMDM lysates derived from Chi3l1-/- mice than those of non-treated cells. APAP-treated Chi3l1-/- mice exhibited more severe liver injury than that of WT mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study confirmed that Chi3l1 protects the liver function from APAP-induced injury by inhibiting the secretion of inflammatory factors and macrophage infiltration.

Efficacy and safety of CD19 CAR T constructed with a new anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor in relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Background

Recent evidence suggests that resistance to CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cell therapy may be due to the presence of CD19 isoforms that lose binding to the single-chain variable fragment (scFv) in current use. As such, further investigation of CARs recognize different epitopes of CD19 antigen may be necessary.

Methods

We generated a new CD19 CAR T (HI19α-4-1BB-ζ CAR T, or CNCT19) that includes an scFv that interacts with an epitope of the human CD19 antigen that can be distinguished from that recognized by the current FMC63 clone. A pilot study was undertaken to assess the safety and feasibility of CNCT19-based therapy in both pediatric and adult patients with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R B-ALL).

Results

Data from our study suggested that 90% of the 20 patients treated with infusions of CNCT19 cells reached complete remission or complete remission with incomplete count recovery (CR/CRi) within 28 days. The CR/CRi rate was 82% when we took into account the fully enrolled 22 patients in an intention-to-treat analysis. Of note, extramedullary leukemia disease of two relapsed patients disappeared completely after CNCT19 cell infusion. After a median follow-up of 10.09 months (range, 0.49–24.02 months), the median overall survival and relapse-free survival for the 20 patients treated with CNCT19 cells was 12.91 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.74–18.08 months) and 6.93 months (95% CI, 3.13–10.73 months), respectively. Differences with respect to immune profiles associated with a long-term response following CAR T cell therapy were also addressed. Our results revealed that a relatively low percentage of CD8⁺ naïve T cells was an independent factor associated with a shorter period of relapse-free survival (p = 0.012, 95% CI, 0.017–0.601).

Conclusions

The results presented in this study indicate that CNCT19 cells have potent anti-leukemic activities in patients with R/R B-ALL. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the percentage of CD8⁺ naïve T cells may be a useful biomarker to predict the long-term prognosis for patients undergoing CAR T cell therapy.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02975687; registered 29 November, 2016. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/keydates/NCT02975687

[Laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer with preservation of the left colic artery: anatomical basis and surgical experience]

In order to increase the blood supply of anastomosis, surgeons choose to preserve the left colon artery (LCA) during the laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer. However, surgeons are always ailed by hemorrhage and incompletely dissection of No. 253 lymph nodes. One reason is the shortage of understanding the relationship between inferior mesenteric artery (IMA), LCA, and inferior mesenteric vein before surgery. Another reason is that surgeon always remove the lymph nodes around LCA, while don't normatively resect No. 253 lymph nodes, which affect the overall survival rate. Therefore, the "medial-to-lateral approach" for laparoscopic preservation with LCA radical resection in rectal cancer was suggested in this article. The CT technique could be used to analyze the IMA classification, which contribuated to the standard conservation of LCA. Laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer could be completed of high quality, through accurate definition and exactly dissection of the No. 235 lymph nodes.

miR-146a alleviates the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons induced by microglia activation via targeting TRAF6

OBJECTIVE

To identify the role of miR-146a and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) for improving the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons induced by microglia activation.

METHODS

Mouse microglial cell line (BV2 cell) was employed and treated with lipopolysaccharide. Mouse hippocampal nerve cell line (HT22 cell) was then grown in BV2 conditioned medium, and miR-146a overexpression and silencing cell lines were constructed. CCK8 and clone formation test were utilized to evaluate the proliferation ability of the transfected cells, and the level of inflammatory factors was measured by ELISA. Apoptosis was determined extensively by flow cytometry. The apoptosis-related protein and TRAF6 protein expressions were verified by Western blot. TRAF6 was identified to be the target gene of miR-146a based on double Luciferase Report. Finally, both TRAF6 and miR-146a were used to treat HT22 cells and the above indexes were detected repeatedly.

RESULTS

Interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-6 expressions in BV2 cells increased significantly. miR-146a overexpression distinctly increased the cell proliferation ability and B-cell lymphoma-2 expression ((Bcl-2, p < 0.05); meanwhile, the apoptosis rate of cells, apoptosis-related proteins (Bcl-2 associated X and cleaved caspase-3), and TRAF6 gene and protein expressions were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). However, these above results were reversed for miR-146a silence. There is a targeting relationship between miR-146a and TRAF6. Silencing TRAF6 gene can promote HT22 cells' proliferation and inhibit apoptosis. The effect of miR-146a on HT22 cells was reversed by adding TRAF6 mimics to miR-146a overexpression cells.

CONCLUSION

miR-146a can inhibit the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons caused by microglia activation via targeting TRAF6 and down-regulating its expression.

Culture and application of conditionally reprogrammed primary tumor cells

Cancer is still a major public-health problem that threatens human life worldwide and further study needs to be carried out in the basic and preclinical areas. Although high-throughput sequencing technology and individualized precise therapy have made breakthroughs over the years, the high failure rate of clinical translational research has limited the innovation of antitumor drugs and triggered the urgent need for optimal cancer-research models. The development of cancerous cell lines, patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, and organoid has strongly promoted the development of tumor-biology research, but the prediction values are limited. Conditional reprogramming (CR) is a novel cell-culture method for cancer research combining feeder cells with a Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, which enables the rapid and continuous proliferation of primary epithelial cells. In this review, we summarize the methodology to establish CR model and overview recent functions and applications of CR cell-culture models in cancer research with regard to the study of cancer-biology characterization, the exploration of therapeutic targets, individualized drug screening, the illumination of mechanisms about response to antitumor drugs, and the improvement of patient-derived animal models, and finally discuss in detail the major limitations of this cell-culture system.

The biomarkers of hyperprogressive disease in PD-1/PD-L1 blockage therapy

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies (Abs) and anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) Abs, are effective for patients with various cancers. However, low response rates to ICI monotherapies and even hyperprogressive disease (HPD) have limited the clinical application of ICIs. HPD is a novel pattern of progression, with an unexpected and fast progression in tumor volume and rate, poor survival of patients and early fatality. Considering the limitations of ICI due to HPD incidence, valid biomarkers are urgently needed to predict the occurrence of HPD and the efficacy of ICI. Here, we reviewed and summarized the known biomarkers of HPD, including tumor cell biomarkers, tumor microenvironment biomarkers, laboratory biomarkers and clinical indicators, which provide a potential effective approach for selecting patients sensitive to ICI cancer treatments.