Development of MPS1 Inhibitors: Recent Advances and Perspectives

Monopolar spindle kinase 1 (MPS1) plays a pivotal role as a dual-specificity kinase governing spindle assembly checkpoint activation and sister chromatid separation in mitosis. Its overexpression has been observed in various human malignancies. MPS1 reduces spindle assembly checkpoint sensitivity, allowing tumor cells with a high degree of aneuploidy to complete mitosis and survive. Thus, MPS1 has emerged as a promising candidate for cancer therapy. Despite the identification of numerous MPS1 inhibitors, only five have advanced to clinical trials with none securing FDA approval for cancer treatment. In this perspective, we provide a concise overview of the structural and functional characteristics of MPS1 by highlighting its relevance to cancer. Additionally, we explore the structure-activity relationships, selectivity, and pharmacokinetics of MPS1 inhibitors featuring diverse scaffolds. Moreover, we review the reported work on enhancing MPS1 inhibitor selectivity, offering valuable insights into the discovery of novel, highly potent small-molecule MPS1 inhibitors.

High Dose Hyperfractionated Thoracic Radiotherapy vs. Standard Dose for Limited Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Multicenter, Open-Label Randomized, Phase 3 Trial

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Limited stage small-cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) is associated with poor prognosis. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of high-dose, hyperfractionated thoracic radiotherapy of 54 Gy in 30 fractions compared with standard dose (45 Gy in 30 fractions) as a first-line treatment for LS-SCLC.

MATERIALS/METHODS

The study was an open-label, randomized, phase 3 trial, done at 16 public hospitals in China. Key inclusion criteria were patients aged 18-70 years, with previously histologically or cytologically confirmed LS-SCLC, previously untreated or received 1-2 courses of intravenous cisplatin (75 mg/m²of body-surface area, on day 1 or divided into two days of each cycle) or carboplatin (area under the curve of 5 mg/mL per min, day 1 of each cycle)and intravenous etoposide (100 mg/m²of body-surface area, on days 1-3 of each cycle), and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-1.Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive volumetric-modulated arc radiotherapy (VMAT) of 45 Gy in 30 fractions or the simultaneous integrated boost VMAT (SIB-VMAT) of 54 Gy in 30 fractions to the primary lung tumor and lymph node metastases starting 0-42 days after the first chemotherapy course. Both groups of patients received thoracic radiotherapy twice per day and 10 fractions per week. Prophylactic cranial radiation (PCI, 25 Gy in 10 fractions) was implemented to patients with responsive disease. The primary endpoint was overall survival. Safety was analyzed in the as-treated population.

RESULTS

Between June 30, 2017, and April 6, 2021, 224 eligible patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to 54 Gy (n = 108) or 45 Gy (n = 116). Median follow-up for the primary analysis was 45 months (IQR 41-48). Median overall survival was significantly improved in the 54 Gy group (62.4 months) compared with the 45 Gy group (43.1 months; p = 0.001). Median progression-free survival was significantly improved in the 54 Gy group (30.5 months) compared with the 45 Gy group (16.7 months; p = 0.044). The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia (30 [28%] of 108 patients in the 54 Gy group vs 27 [23%] of 116 patients in the 45 Gy group), neutropenic infections (6 [6%] vs 2 [2%]), thrombocytopenia (13 [12%] vs 12 [10%]), anemia (6 [6%] vs 4 [3%]), and esophagitis (1 [1%] vs 3 [3%]). Treatment-related serious adverse events occurred in 9 [8%] patients in the 54 Gy group and 16 [14%] patients in the 45 Gy group. There were one treatment-related deaths in 54 Gy group (myocardial infarction).

CONCLUSION

Compared with standard thoracic radiotherapy dose of 45 Gy, the high dose of 54 Gy improved overall survival and progression-free survival without increasing toxicities in patients with LS-SCLC, supporting twice-daily hyperfractionated thoracic radiotherapy of 54 Gy with concurrent chemotherapy is an alternative treatment option for LS-SCLC. This study is complete and registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03214003.

Risk factors for hyperactive delirium after laparoscopic radical gastrectomy under general anesthesia in patients with gastric cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze the risk factors for the occurrence of postoperative hyperactive delirium after laparoscopic radical gastrectomy under general anesthesia in patients with gastric cancer.

METHODS

The clinical data of 280 gastric cancer patients who underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy under general anesthesia in First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University from January 2020 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, and the types and incidence of postoperative delirium were recorded. The factors influencing the occurrence of postoperative hyperactive delirium were analyzed.

RESULTS

Multi-factor logistic regression analysis showed that older age, high dosage of anesthetic drug consumption, high American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification (or ASA grade 3-4), long Post-anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) stay, and long extubation time were independent risk factors for the occurrence of hyperactive delirium after laparoscopic radical gastrectomy (OR > 1, P < 0.05). The area under the curve of the nomogram was used to predict the occurrence of hyperactive delirium after laparoscopic radical gastrectomy under general anesthesia was 0.903 (95% CI: 0.846-0.978).

CONCLUSION

Older age, high dosage of anesthetic drug consumption, high ASA classification (or ASA grade 3-4), long PACU stay, and long extubation time were independent risk factors affecting the occurrence of hyperactive delirium after laparoscopic radical gastrectomy under general anesthesia.

Association of insulin resistance with bone mineral density in a nationwide health check-up population in China

INTRODUCTION

Insulin resistance (IR) is closely associated with cardio-metabolic diseases. However, the impact of IR on bone mass remains obscure. The present study is to evaluate the association between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) indicated IR and bone mass in a nationwide health check-up population in China.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study including 788,247 participants and a longitudinal cohort study in 8770 participants who had repeated measurements of TyG index and bone mass in at least a 2-year follow-up period. The restricted cubic splines and logistic models were used to analyze the association between IR and bone mass in the cross-sectional study. The Cox model was applied to evaluate the relationship between baseline IR and the subsequent incidence of low bone mass and osteoporosis in the longitudinal study.

RESULTS

In the cross-sectional study, the TyG index had positive correlations with low bone mass, osteoporosis, or both after adjusting for confounding factors (all P < 0.001). In the longitudinal cohort study, the baseline TyG index was significantly associated with the incidence of low bone mass, osteoporosis, or both during the follow-up period, with hazard ratios (HRs) of 1.56 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.25, 1.93, P < 0.05), 1.66 (95%CI: 1.06, 2.59, P < 0.05), and 1.55 (95%CI: 1.27, 1.88, P < 0.05) after adjusting for confounding factors, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that IR indicated by TyG is significantly associated with an increased risk of low bone mass and osteoporosis. Therefore, bone mass monitoring and early prevention strategies may be needed in individuals with IR to prevent the occurrence of low bone mass and osteoporosis.

Mobile Payment Protocol with Deniably Authenticated Property

Mobile payment services have been widely applied in our daily life, where users can conduct transactions in a convenient way. However, critical privacy concerns have arisen. Specifically, a risk of participating in a transaction is the disclosure of personal privacy. This might occur if, for example, the user pays for some special medicine, such as AIDS medicine or contraceptives. In this paper, we propose a mobile payment protocol that is suitable for mobile devices only with limited computing resources. In particular, the user in a transaction can confirm the identity of others in the same transaction while the user cannot show convincing evidence to prove that others also take part in the same transactions. We implement the proposed protocol and test its computation overhead. The experiment results corroborate that the proposed protocol is suitable for mobile devices with limited computing resources.

Local Cluster-Aware Attention for Non-Euclidean Structure Data

Meaningful representation of large-scale non-Euclidean structured data, especially in complex domains like network security and IoT system, is one of the critical problems of contemporary machine learning and deep learning. Many successful cases of graph-based models and algorithms deal with non-Euclidean structured data. However, It is often undesirable to derive node representations by walking through the complete topology of a system or network (graph) when it has a very big or complicated structure. An important issue is using neighborhood knowledge to deduce the symmetric network’s topology or graph. The traditional approach to solving the graph representation learning issue is surveyed from machine learning and deep learning perspectives. Second, include local neighborhood data encoded to the attention mechanism to define node solidarity and enhance node capture and interactions. The performance of the proposed model is then assessed for transduction and induction tasks that include downstream node categorization. The attention model taking clustering into account has successfully equaled or reached the state-of-the-art performance of several well-established node classification benchmarks and does not depend on previous knowledge of the complete network structure, according to experiments. Following a summary of the research, we discuss problems and difficulties that must be addressed for developing future graph signal processing algorithms and graph deep learning models, such as graph embeddings’ interpretability and adversarial resilience. At the same time, it has a very positive impact on network security and artificial intelligence security.

Anomaly detection using spatial and temporal information in multivariate time series

Real-world industrial systems contain a large number of interconnected sensors that generate a significant amount of time series data during system operation. Performing anomaly detection on these multivariate time series data can timely find faults, prevent malicious attacks, and ensure these systems safe and reliable operation. However, the rarity of abnormal instances leads to a lack of labeled data, so the supervised machine learning methods are not applicable. Furthermore, most current techniques do not take full advantage of the spatial and temporal dependencies implied among multiple variables to detect anomalies. Hence, we propose STADN, a novel Anomaly Detection Network Using Spatial and Temporal Information. STADN models the relationship graph between variables for a graph attention network to capture the spatial dependency between variables and utilizes a long short-term memory network to mine the temporal dependency of time series to fully use the spatial and temporal information of multivariate time series. STADN predicts the future behavior of each sensor by combining the historical behavior of the sensor and its neighbors, then detects and locates anomalies according to the prediction error. Furthermore, we improve the proposed model's ability to discriminate anomaly and regularity and expand the prediction error gap between normal and abnormal instances by reconstructing the prediction errors. We conduct experiments on two real-world datasets, and the experimental results suggested that STADN achieves state-of-the-art outperformance.

The potential value of exosomes as adjuvants for novel biologic local anesthetics

The side effects of anesthetic drugs are a key preoperative concern for anesthesiologists. Anesthetic drugs used for general anesthesia and regional blocks are associated with a potential risk of systemic toxicity. This prompted the use of anesthetic adjuvants to ameliorate these side effects and improve clinical outcomes. However, the adverse effects of anesthetic adjuvants, such as neurotoxicity and gastrointestinal reactions, have raised concerns about their clinical use. Therefore, the development of relatively safe anesthetic adjuvants with fewer side effects is an important area for future anesthetic drug research. Exosomes, which contain multiple vesicles with genetic information, can be released by living cells with regenerative and specific effects. Exosomes released by specific cell types have been found to have similar effects as many local anesthetic adjuvants. Due to their biological activity, carrier efficacy, and ability to repair damaged tissues, exosomes may have a better efficacy and safety profile than the currently used anesthetic adjuvants. In this article, we summarize the contemporary literature about local anesthetic adjuvants and highlight their potential side effects, while discussing the potential of exosomes as novel local anesthetic adjuvant drugs.

The increasing incidence and high body mass index-related burden of gallbladder and biliary diseases-A results from global burden of disease study 2019

BACKGROUND

Gallbladder and biliary diseases are common gastrointestinal conditions associated with huge socioeconomic costs and are considered risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and digestive system cancers. The prevalence and incidence of gallbladder and biliary diseases have not received enough attention from 1990 to 2019. Several non-communicable diseases were associated with the incidence of gallbladder and biliary diseases. It is necessary to clarify the change in the incidence and disability burden of gallbladder and biliary diseases worldwide.

METHODS

Data on high body mass index (BMI)-related disease burden and incidence, years of life lost prematurely, and years lived with disability (YLDs) due to gallbladder and biliary diseases were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease 2019. The estimated annual percentage change was calculated to qualify the gallbladder and biliary disease burden change.

RESULTS

The global age-standardized incidence rate has increased from 585.35 per 100,000 (95% UI: 506.05-679.86) in 1990 to 634.32 per 100,000 (95% UI: 540.21-742.93) in 2019. And the increase in incidence was positively correlated with rising high BMI-related summary exposure value. The high BMI-related YLDs of gallbladder and biliary diseases have increased worldwide over time. Globally, the 25-49 age group suffered a rapid rise in incidence and high BMI attributable to the YLDs rate of gallbladder and biliary diseases.

CONCLUSION

The global incidence and high BMI-related YLDs of gallbladder and biliary diseases remain prominent to increase over the past 30 years. Notably, the incidence and high BMI-related YLDs among people aged 25-49 years have rapidly increased over time. Therefore, high BMI should be emphasized in strategic priorities for controlling gallbladder and biliary diseases.

The global disease burden attributable to a diet low in fibre in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019

OBJECTIVE

The relationship of a diet low in fibre with mortality has not been evaluated. This study aims to assess the burden of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCD) attributable to a diet low in fibre globally from 1990 to 2019.

DESIGN

All data were from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019, in which the mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALY) and years lived with disability (YLD) were estimated with Bayesian geospatial regression using data at global, regional and country level acquired from an extensively systematic review.

SETTING

All data sourced from the GBD Study 2019.

PARTICIPANTS

All age groups for both sexes.

RESULTS

The age-standardised mortality rates (ASMR) declined in most GBD regions; however, in Southern sub-Saharan Africa, the ASMR increased from 4·07 (95 % uncertainty interval (UI) (2·08, 6·34)) to 4·60 (95 % UI (2·59, 6·90)), and in Central sub-Saharan Africa, the ASMR increased from 7·46 (95 % UI (3·64, 11·90)) to 9·34 (95 % UI (4·69, 15·25)). Uptrends were observed in the age-standardised YLD rates attributable to a diet low in fibre in a number of GBD regions. The burden caused by diabetes mellitus increased in Central Asia, Southern sub-Saharan Africa and Eastern Europe.

CONCLUSIONS

The burdens of disease attributable to a diet low in fibre in Southern sub-Saharan Africa and Central sub-Saharan Africa and the age-standardised YLD rates in a number of GBD regions increased from 1990 to 2019. Therefore, greater efforts are needed to reduce the disease burden caused by a diet low in fibre.

Novel Thermosensitive Hydrogel Promotes Spinal Cord Repair by Regulating Mitochondrial Function

The repair of spinal cord injury (SCI) is still a tough clinical challenge and needs innovative therapies. Mitochondrial function is significantly compromised after SCI and has emerged as an important factor causing neuronal apoptosis and hindering functional recovery. In this study, umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSC), which are promising seed cells for nerve regeneration, and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) that have been demonstrated to have a variety of effects on neural regeneration were jointly immobilized in extracellular matrix (ECM) and heparin-poloxamer (HP) to create a polymer bioactive system that brings more hope and possibility for the treatment of SCI. Our results in vitro and in vivo showed that the UCMSC-bFGF-ECM-HP thermosensitive hydrogel has good therapeutic effects, mainly in reducing apoptosis and improving the mitochondrial function. It showed promising utility for the functional recovery of impaired mitochondrial function by promoting mitochondrial fusion, reducing pathological mitochondrial fragmentation, increasing mitochondrial energy supply, and improving the metabolism of MDA, LDH, and ROS. In addition, we uncovered a distinct molecular mechanism underlying the protective effects associated with activating p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) and mitochondrial sirtuin 4 (SIRT4) by the UCMSC-bFGF-ECM-HP hydrogel. The expansion of new insights into the molecular relationships between PAK1 and SIRT4, which links the mitochondrial function in SCI, can lay the foundation for future applications and help to provide promising interventions of stem-cell-based biological scaffold therapies and potential therapeutic targets for the clinical formulation of SCI treatment strategies.

A Bidirectional Relationship Between Hyperuricemia and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a newly emerged term that is suggested to better reflect the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, the association between hyperuricemia and MAFLD has not been explored in the Chinese population. Meantime, this study also examined the temporal relationship between the two entities in a longitudinal cohort.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study including 1,587,962 individuals from 19 health check-up centers in China from 2009-2017 and a longitudinal study with 16,112 individuals. A logistic regression model was applied to determine the association between hyperuricemia and MAFLD in a cross-sectional study. The Cox regression model was used to explore the association between hyperuricemia at baseline and subsequent onset of MAFLD or the association between the presence of MAFLD at baseline and the subsequent incidence of hyperuricemia. The cross-lagged analysis was applied to exam the temporal relationship between hyperuricemia and MAFLD.

RESULTS

In the cross-sectional study, hyperuricemia showed a strong positive association with MAFLD after controlled potential confounders. In the longitudinal cohorts, hyperuricemia at baseline was associated with the new-onset of MAFLD, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.765 (95% CI: 1.512, 2.060). Interestingly, baseline MAFLD was also associated with the subsequent incidence of hyperuricemia, with an HR of 1.245 (95% CI: 1.106, 1.400). The cross-lagged path analysis revealed a bidirectional relationship between hyperuricemia and MAFLD.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggested that hyperuricemia and MAFLD form a vicious cycle, resulting in more deterioration of metabolic status.

Roadmap on Ionic Liquid Electrolytes for Energy Storage Devices

Ionic liquids are considered to be promising electrolyte solvents or additives for rechargeable batteries (i. e., lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, aluminum-ion batteries, etc.) and supercapacitors. This is related with the superior physical and electrochemical properties of ionic liquids, which can influence the performance of rechargeable batteries. Therefore, it is necessary to write a roadmap on ionic liquids for rechargeable batteries. In this roadmap, some progress, critical techniques, opportunities and challenges of ionic liquid electrolytes for various batteries and supercapacitors are pointed out. Especially, properties and roles of ionic liquids should be considered in energy storage. Ionic liquids can be used as electrolyte salts, electrolyte additives, and solvents. For optimizing ionic liquid-based electrolytes for energy storage, their applications in various energy storage devices should be considered by combing native chemical/physical properties and their roles. We expect that this roadmap will give a useful guidance in directing future research in ionic liquid electrolytes for rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors.

Analysis of Parametric and Subharmonic Excitation in Push-Pull Driven Disk Resonator Gyroscopes

For micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) resonators, once the devices are fabricated and packaged, their intrinsic quality factors (Q) will be fixed and cannot be changed, which seriously limits the further improvement of the resonator’s performance. In this paper, parametric excitation is applied in a push-pull driven disk resonator gyroscope (DRG) to improve its sensitivity by an electrical pump, causing an arbitrary increase of the “effective Q”. However, due to the differential characteristics of the push-pull driving method, the traditional parametric excitation method is not applicable. As a result, two novel methods are proposed and experimentally carried out to achieve parametric excitation in the push-pull driven DRGs, resulting in a maximum “effective Q” of 2.24 × 10⁶ in the experiment, about a 7.6 times improvement over the intrinsic Q. Besides, subharmonic excitation is also theoretically analyzed and experimentally characterized. The stability boundary of parametric excitation, defined by a threshold voltage, is theoretically predicted and verified by related experiments. It is demonstrated that, when keeping the gyroscope’s vibration at a constant amplitude, the fundamental frequency driving voltage will decrease with the increasing of the parametric voltage and will drop to zero at its threshold value. In this case, the gyroscope operates in a generalized parametric resonance condition, which is called subharmonic excitation. The novel parametric and subharmonic excitation theories displayed in this paper are proven to be efficient and tunable dynamical methods with great potential for adjusting the quality factor flexibly, which can be used to further enhance the resonator’s performance.

Transient activation of tumoral DNA damage tolerance pathway coupled with immune checkpoint blockade exerts durable tumor regression in mouse melanoma

Major advances in cancer therapy rely on engagement of the patient's immune system and suppression of mechanisms that impede the antitumor immune response. Among the most notable is immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy that releases immune cells from suppression. Although ICB has had significant success particularly in melanoma, it eradicates tumors in subsets of patients and sequencing data across different cancers suggest that tumors with high mutational loads are more likely to respond to ICB. This is consistent with the premise that greater tumoral mutational loads contribute to formation of neoantigens that spur the body's antitumor immune response. Prompted by strong evidence supporting the therapeutic benefits of neoantigens in the context of ICB, we have developed a mouse melanoma combination treatment, where intratumoral administration of DNA-damaging drug transiently activates intrinsic mutagenic DNA damage tolerance pathway and improves success rates of ICB. Using the YUMM1.7 cells melanoma model, we demonstrate that intratumoral delivery of cisplatin activates translesion synthesis DNA polymerases-catalyzed DNA synthesis on damaged DNA, which when coupled with ICB regimen, elicits durable tumor regression. We expect that this new combination protocol affords insights with clinical relevance that will help expand the range of patients who benefit from ICB therapy.

Electrolytes for Lithium- and Sodium-Metal Batteries

High-energy-density batteries have attracted significant attention due to the huge demand in electric transportation in future. Metal-based batteries, especially lithium metal batteries (LMBs) and sodium metal batteries (SMBs), have been hot research topics nowadays. The uncontrolled growth of metal dendrites has retarded the development of LMBs and SMBs. Various electrolytes have been explored to meet the demand of high-performance metal-based batteries, such as additives-contained electrolytes, polymer electrolytes, and solid-state electrolytes. To guide the development of electrolytes in LMBs and SMBs, we organize this roadmap to give out the status of present research and future challenges in this field. We also hope that the readers can get the knowledge and ideas from this roadmap.

[Current situation of screening, prevention and treatment of bleeding esophageal varices in cirrhotic portal hypertension in Tibet region: a multicenter study]

Objective: To investigate and analyze the current situation, screening, clinical characteristics, prevention and treatment of bleeding esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension in Tibet region. Methods: Clinical data of cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension through March 2017 to February 2020 from Tibet region were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Results: 511 cases with liver cirrhosis were included in the study, of which 185 cases (36.20%) had compensated cirrhosis and 326 cases (63.80%) had decompensated cirrhosis. Further analysis of the etiological data of liver cirrhosis showed that 306 cases (59.88%) were of chronic hepatitis B, 113 cases (22.11%) of alcoholic liver disease, and 68 cases (13.31%) of chronic hepatitis B combined with alcoholic liver disease. Among patients with compensated liver cirrhosis, 48 cases (25.95%) underwent endoscopic examination of which 33 diagnosed as high-risk variceal bleeding. However, none of these 33 cases had received non-selective β-blocker therapy, and only four patients had received endoscopic variceal banding therapy. Among patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis, 83 cases (25.46%) had a history of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, 297 cases (91.10%) had ascites, 23 cases (7.05%) had hepatic encephalopathy, and 3 cases (0.92%) had hepatorenal syndrome. Among the patients with a history of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, 42 cases (50.60%) had received secondary preventive treatment for bleeding esophageal varices, including 39 cases of endoscopic treatment, 1 case of endoscopic combined drug treatment, 3 cases of interventional treatment, and 2 cases of surgical treatment. Conclusion: Chronic hepatitis B and alcoholic liver diseases are the main causes of liver cirrhosis in Tibet region. Moreover, this region lacks screening, prevention and treatment for bleeding esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the screening of high-risk groups to prevent and improve the first-time bleeding, and promote multidisciplinary team to prevent and treat re-bleeding.

Hypoxia potentiates the capacity of melanoma cells to evade cisplatin and doxorubicin cytotoxicity via glycolytic shift

The hypoxic environment within solid tumors impedes the efficacy of chemotherapeutic treatments. Here, we demonstrate that hypoxia augments the capacity of melanoma cells to withstand cisplatin and doxorubicin cytotoxicity. We show that B16F10 cells derived from spontaneously formed melanoma and YUMM1.7 cells, engineered to recapitulate human‐relevant melanoma driver mutations, profoundly differ in their vulnerabilities to cisplatin and doxorubicin. The differences are manifested in magnitude of proliferative arrest and cell death rates, extent of mtDNA depletion, and impairment of mitochondrial respiration. In both models, cytotoxicity is mitigated by hypoxia, which augments glycolytic metabolism. Collectively, the findings implicate metabolic reprogramming in drug evasion and suggest that melanoma tumors with distinct genetic makeup may have differential drug vulnerabilities, highlighting the importance of precision anticancer treatments.

A Tuning Fork Gyroscope with a Polygon-Shaped Vibration Beam

In this paper, a tuning fork gyroscope with a polygon-shaped vibration beam is proposed. The vibration structure of the gyroscope consists of a polygon-shaped vibration beam, two supporting beams, and four vibration masts. The spindle azimuth of the vibration beam is critical for performance improvement. As the spindle azimuth increases, the proposed vibration structure generates more driving amplitude and reduces the initial capacitance gap, so as to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the gyroscope. However, after taking the driving amplitude and the driving voltage into consideration comprehensively, the optimized spindle azimuth of the vibration beam is designed in an appropriate range. Then, both wet etching and dry etching processes are applied to its manufacture. After that, the fabricated gyroscope is packaged in a vacuum ceramic tube after bonding. Combining automatic gain control and weak capacitance detection technology, the closed-loop control circuit of the drive mode is implemented, and high precision output circuit is achieved for the gyroscope. Finally, the proposed Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) gyroscope system demonstrates a bias instability of 0.589°/h, an angular random walk (ARW) of 0.038°/√h, and a bandwidth of greater than 100 Hz in a full scale range of ± 200°/s at room temperature.

Optimization of a hybrid plasmonic configuration: particle on a corrugated film and its SERS application

Hybrid SERS configurations, which combine manufactured metallic chips with nanoparticles, have emerged as powerful and promising SERS substrates because they not only provide cost-effective and high-yield manufacture, but also demonstrate excellent sensitivity and outstanding reproducibility. Herein, a plasmonic hybrid structure, a particle on an Au film over nanoparticles (particle-AuFON) configuration, was studied for SERS application. In a previous study, we constructed a hybrid substrate by grafting Au@Ag core–shell NPs onto the AuFON structure. In this study, the hybrid substrate is designed and simulated to optimize electromagnetic enhancement while also affording exceptional uniformity, repeatability and stability, which are essential factors in SERS applications. This hybrid substrate provides good SERS performance with a detection limit of 1 × 10⁻¹⁰ M, which is 100-fold improvement compared to AuFON substrate or Au@Ag NPs. The excellent signal enhancement originates from the hotspot improvement and densification, as visualized by the FDTD calculations. Additional hotspots were created at the gaps between the Au@Ag NPs and the AuFON, thus improving the density of hotspots. Moreover, the intensity of the hotspots was improved due to EM coupling between the original hotspots and additional hotspots. To validate the feasibility of this hybrid substrate in SERS-based detection, melamine was detected as an example. The detection limit was 10 nM, which was much lower than the maximum limit of melamine in infant formula (1 ppm) legislated by the governments of both the United States and China. A calibration curve was plotted between the SERS intensity and melamine concentration with a correlation coefficient of 0.98. This hybrid SERS substrate shows great potential in SERS-based sensing and imaging, as it provides high sensitivity and outstanding reproducibility with a simple fabrication procedure, facilitating the cost-effective and high-yield manufacture of SERS substrates.

A plasmonic hybrid structure of particles on a Au film over nanoparticles (particle-AuFON) configuration was studied for application in SERS. It showed great potential in SERS-based sensing and it provides outstanding uniformity, repeatability and stability.

Cholesterol induces dedifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells by regulating monocyte chemotactic protein-1-induced protein 1

OBJECTIVE

To discover the effect of cholesterol on dedifferentiation of VSMCs in vitro and the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) were employed to evaluate the role of cholesterol in regulating the dedifferentiation of VSMCs in vitro. Immunofluorescent staining, western blot, and RT-PCR were applied to uncover the inducing effect of cholesterol at a molecular level.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that the cholesterol was capable of inducing the dedifferentiation of VSMCs. Mechanistic studies revealed that monocyte chemotactic protein-1-induced protein 1 (MCPIP1) composed the most influential factor in the regulation of VSMCs during the process of cholesterol induction. When MCPIP1 was overexpressed in VSMCs, the dedifferentiation, proliferation and migration of the cells was enhanced, and the expression of miR-145 was suppressed. In contrast, knocking down MCPIP1 by siRNA promoted the differentiation and prohibited the migration of VSMCs after cholesterol treatment. These results demonstrate that MCPIP1 plays an important role in regulating cholesterol-induced dedifferentiation of VSMCs in vitro.

Elevated Neuroglobin Lessens Neuroinflammation and Alleviates Neurobehavioral Deficits Induced by Acute Inhalation of Combustion Smoke in the Mouse

Acute inhalation of combustion smoke produces long-term neurologic deficits in survivors. To study the mechanisms that contribute to the development of neurologic deficits and identify targets for prevention, we developed a mouse model of acute inhalation of combustion smoke, which supports longitudinal investigation of mechanisms that underlie the smoke induced inimical sequelae in the brain. Using a transgenic mouse engineered to overexpress neuroglobin, a neuroprotective oxygen-binding globin protein, we previously demonstrated that elevated neuroglobin preserves mitochondrial respiration and attenuates formation of oxidative DNA damage in the mouse brain after smoke exposure. In the current study, we show that elevated neuronal neuroglobin attenuates the persistent inflammatory changes induced by smoke exposure in the mouse brain and mitigates concordant smoke-induced long-term neurobehavioral deficits. Specifically, we found that increases in hippocampal density of GFAP and Iba-1 positive cells that are detected post-smoke in wild-type mice are absent in the neuroglobin overexpressing transgenic (Ngb-tg) mice. Similarly, the smoke induced hippocampal myelin depletion is not observed in the Ngb-tg mice. Importantly, elevated neuroglobin alleviates behavioral and memory deficits that develop after acute smoke inhalation in the wild-type mice. Taken together, our findings suggest that the protective effects exerted by neuroglobin in the brains of smoke exposed mice afford protection from long-term neurologic sequelae of acute inhalation of combustion smoke. Our transgenic mouse provides a tool for assessing the potential of elevated neuroglobin as possible strategy for management of smoke inhalation injury.

0.04 degree-per-hour MEMS disk resonator gyroscope with high-quality factor (510 k) and long decaying time constant (74.9 s)

The disk resonator gyroscope is an attractive candidate for high-performance MEMS gyroscopes. This gyroscope consists of a sensor and readout electronics, and the characteristics of the sensor directly determine the performance. For the sensor, a high-quality factor and long decaying time constant are the most important characteristics required to achieve high performance. We report a disk resonator gyroscope with a measured quality factor of 510 k and decaying time constant of 74.9 s, which is a record for MEMS silicon disk resonator gyroscopes, to the best of our knowledge. To improve the quality factor of the DRG, the quality factor improvement mechanism is first analyzed, and based on this mechanism two stiffness-mass decoupled methods, i.e., spoke length distribution optimization and lumped mass configuration design, are proposed and demonstrated. A disk resonator gyroscope prototype is fabricated based on these design strategies, and the sensor itself shows an angle random walk as low as 0.001°/√h, demonstrating true potential to achieve navigation-grade performance. The gyroscope with readout electronics shows an angle random walk of 0.01°/√h and a bias instability of 0.04°/h at room temperature without compensation, revealing that the performance of the gyroscope is severely limited by the readout electronics, which should be further improved. We expect that the quality factor improvement methods can be used in the design of other MEMS gyroscopes and that the newly designed DRG can be further improved to achieve navigation-grade performances for high-end industrial, transportation, aerospace, and automotive applications.

Neurotoxicity of cytarabine (Ara-C) in dorsal root ganglion neurons originates from impediment of mtDNA synthesis and compromise of mitochondrial function

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) neurotoxicity caused by cancer drugs hinders attainment of chemotherapy goals. Due to leakiness of the blood nerve barrier, circulating chemotherapeutic drugs reach PNS neurons and adversely affect their function. Chemotherapeutic drugs are designed to target dividing cancer cells and mechanisms underlying their toxicity in postmitotic neurons remain to be fully clarified. The objective of this work was to elucidate progression of events triggered by antimitotic drugs in postmitotic neurons. For proof of mechanism study, we chose cytarabine (ara-C), an antimetabolite used in treatment of hematological cancers. Ara-C is a cytosine analog that terminates DNA synthesis. To investigate how ara-C affects postmitotic neurons, which replicate mitochondrial but not genomic DNA, we adapted a model of Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) neurons. We showed that DNA polymerase γ, which is responsible for mtDNA synthesis, is inhibited by ara-C and that sublethal ara-C exposure of DRG neurons leads to reduction in mtDNA content, ROS generation, oxidative mtDNA damage formation, compromised mitochondrial respiration and diminution of NADPH and GSH stores, as well as, activation of the DNA damage response. Hence, it is plausible that in ara-C exposed DRG neurons, ROS amplified by the high mitochondrial content shifts from physiologic to pathologic levels signaling stress to the nucleus. Combined, the findings suggest that ara-C neurotoxicity in DRG neurons originates in mitochondria and that continuous mtDNA synthesis and reliance on oxidative phosphorylation for energy needs sensitize the highly metabolic neurons to injury by mtDNA synthesis terminating cancer drugs.

Acute inhalation of combustion smoke triggers neuroinflammation and persistent anxiety-like behavior in the mouse

CONTEXT

Acute inhalation of combustion smoke triggers neurologic sequelae in survivors. Due to the challenges posed by heterogeneity of smoke exposures in humans, mechanistic links between acute smoke inhalation and neuropathologic sequelae have not been systematically investigated.

METHODS

Here, using mouse model of acute inhalation of combustion smoke, we studied longitudinal neurobehavioral manifestations of smoke exposures and molecular/cellular changes in the mouse brain.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemical analyses at eight months post-smoke, revealed hippocampal astrogliosis and microgliosis accompanied by reduced myelination. Elevated expression of proinflammatory cytokines was also detected. Longitudinal testing in different neurobehavioral paradigms in the course of post-smoke recovery, revealed lasting anxiety-like behavior. The examined paradigms included the open field exploration/anxiety testing at two, four and six months post-smoke, which detected decreases in total distance traveled and time spent in the central arena in the smoke-exposed compared to sham-control mice, suggestive of dampened exploratory activity and increased anxiety-like behavior. In agreement with reduced open field activity, cued fear conditioning test revealed increased freezing in response to conditioned auditory stimulus in mice after acute smoke inhalation. Similarly, elevated plus maze testing demonstrated lesser presence in open arms of the maze, consistent with anxiety-like behavior, for the post-smoke exposure mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our data demonstrate for the first time persistent neurobehavioral manifestations of acute inhalation of combustion smoke and provide new insights into long-term progression of events initiated by disrupted brain oxygenation that might contribute to lasting adverse sequelae in survivors of smoke inhalation injuries.

Long Non-Coding RNA: An Emerging Paradigm of Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer remains a worldwide issue and burden that is hard to resolve given its low resection rate and chemo-resistance. Early diagnosis and early treatment are critical for conquering pancreatic cancer. Therefore, new biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis are urgently needed. Previously, researchers mainly focused on protein-coding genetic and epigenetic changes in many types of cancers, and regarded the noncoding part as waste. Recently, however, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has emerged as a major participant in carcinogenesis, as it regulates cell proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, chemo-resistance, etc. The underlying mechanisms are summarized as signaling, decoy, guide and scaffold, yet the specific regulation networks remain to be uncovered. Several studies have revealed that some lncRNAs are dysregulated in pancreatic cancer, participating in biological functions. In this review, we will briefly outline the functional lncRNAs in pancreatic cancer, decipher possible mechanisms of lncRNAs, and further explore their significance in pancreatic cancer.

Increased expression of LncRNA BANCR and its prognostic significance in human epithelial ovarian cancer

PURPOSE

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proved to play important roles in the tumorigenesis and development of human epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and clinical value of BRAF-activated non-coding RINA (BANCR) in EOC patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

BANCR expression was detected in 84 EOC and 36 normal ovarian epithelial tissue samples. Association between BANCR levels and clinicopathological factors and patient prognosis was also analyzed.

RESULTS

BANCR expression was increased in EOC compared with normal ovarian epithelial tissues. Moreover, high expression of BANCR was closely correlated with advanced FIGO stage, higher serum, CAI125 expression level, and lymph node metastasis. Multivariate regression analysis identified BANCR overexpression as an independent unfavorable prognostic factor in EOC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggested that BANCR may act as a tumor promoter in EOC and would be a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker for this disease.

Augmentation of glycolytic metabolism by meclizine is indispensable for protection of dorsal root ganglion neurons from hypoxia-induced mitochondrial compromise

To meet energy demands, dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons harbor high mitochondrial content, which renders them acutely vulnerable to disruptions of energy homeostasis. While neurons typically rely on mitochondrial energy production and have not been associated with metabolic plasticity, new studies reveal that meclizine, a drug, recently linked to modulations of energy metabolism, protects neurons from insults that disrupt energy homeostasis. We show that meclizine rapidly enhances glycolysis in DRG neurons and that glycolytic metabolism is indispensable for meclizine-exerted protection of DRG neurons from hypoxic stress. We report that supplementation of meclizine during hypoxic exposure prevents ATP depletion, preserves NADPH and glutathione stores, curbs reactive oxygen species (ROS) and attenuates mitochondrial clustering in DRG neurites. Using extracellular flux analyzer, we show that in cultured DRG neurons meclizine mitigates hypoxia-induced loss of mitochondrial respiratory capacity. Respiratory capacity is a measure of mitochondrial fitness and cell ability to meet fluctuating energy demands and therefore, a key determinant of cellular fate. While meclizine is an 'old' drug with long record of clinical use, its ability to modulate energy metabolism has been uncovered only recently. Our findings documenting neuroprotection by meclizine in a setting of hypoxic stress reveal previously unappreciated metabolic plasticity of DRG neurons as well as potential for pharmacological harnessing of the newly discovered metabolic plasticity for protection of peripheral nervous system under mitochondria compromising conditions.

Identification of five novel MHC class II alleles in cynomolgus macaques of Vietnamese origin

We report here the identification of one Mafa-DPA1 and four Mafa-DQB1 novel alleles of Vietnamese cynomolgus macaques.

Ten novel MHC class II alleles identified in cynomolgus macaques of Vietnamese origin

Five Mafa-DPB1, two Mafa-DQB1 and three Mafa-DRB novel alleles are identified in Vietnamese cynomolgus macaques.

Diethylamine gas sensor using V2O5-decorated α-Fe2O3 nanorods as a sensing material

V₂O₅-decorated α-Fe₂O₃ composite nanorods were synthesized successfully by electrospinning and an environmentally-friendly soak-calcination method.

MCPIP is induced by cholesterol and participated in cholesterol-caused DNA damage in HUVEC

Hypercholesterolemia is an important risk factor for atherosclerosis and cholesterol treatment would cause multiple damages, including DNA damage, on endothelial cells. In this work, we have used human umbilical vein endothelial cell line (HUVEC) to explore the mechanism of cholesterol induced damage. We have found that cholesterol treatment on HUVEC could induce the expression of MCPIP1. When given 12.5 mg/L cholesterol on HUVEC, the expression of MCPIP1 starts to increase since 4 hr after treatment and at 24 hr after treatment it could reach to 10 fold of base line level. We hypothesis this induction of MCPIP1 may contribute to the damaging process and we have used siRNA of MCPIP1 in further research. This MCPIP1 siRNA (siMCPIP) could down regulate MCPIP1 by 73.4% and when using this siRNA on HUVECs, we could see the cholesterol induced DNA damage have been reduced. We have detected DNA damage by γH2AX foci formation in nuclear, γH2AX protein level and COMET assay. Compare to cholesterol alone group, siMCPIP group shows much less γH2AX foci formation in nuclear after cholesterol treatment, less γH2AX protein level in cell and also less tail moment detected in COMET assay. We have also seen that using siMCPIP1 could result in less reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cell after cholesterol treatment. We have also seen that using siMCPIP could reduce the protein level of Nox4 and p47(phox), two major regulators in ROS production. These results suggest that MCPIP1 may play an important role in cholesterol induced damage.

The tomato DDI2, a PCNA ortholog, associating with DDB1-CUL4 complex is required for UV-damaged DNA repair and plant tolerance to UV stress

CULLIN 4 (CUL4)-DAMAGED DNA binding protein 1 (DDB1)-based ubiquitin E3 ligase modulates diverse cellular processes including repair of damaged genomic DNA. In this study, an uncharacterized gene termed as DDB1-Interacting protein 2 (DDI2) was identified in yeast two-hybrid screening with bait gene DDB1. The co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) assays further demonstrated that DDI2 is associated with tomato DDB1-CUL4 complex in vivo. It appears that DDI2 encodes an ortholog of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Confocal microscope observation indicated that DDI2-GFP fusion protein was localized in nuclei. The expression of DDI2 gene is constitutive but substantially enhanced by UV-C irradiation. The transgenic tomato plants with overexpression or knockdown of DDI2 gene displayed the increased or decreased tolerance, respectively, to UV-C stress and chemical mutagen cisplatin. The quantitative analysis of UV-induced DNA lesions indicated that the dark repair of DNA damage was accelerated in DDI2 overexpression lines but delayed in knockdown lines. Conclusively, tomato DDI2 gene is required for UV-induced DNA damage repair and plant tolerance to UV stress. In addition, fruits of DDI2 transgenic plants are indistinguishable from that of wild type, regarding fresh weight and nutrient quality. Therefore, overexpression of DDI2 offers a suitable strategy for genetic manipulation of enhancing plant tolerance to UV stress.

Neuroglobin mitigates mitochondrial impairments induced by acute inhalation of combustion smoke in the mouse brain

CONTEXT

Acute inhalation of combustion smoke adversely affects brain homeostasis and energy metabolism. We previously showed that overexpressed neuroglobin (Ngb), neuron specific globin protein, attenuates the formation of smoke inhalation-induced oxidative DNA damage, in vivo, in the mouse brain, while others reported protection by Ngb in diverse models of brain injury, mainly involving oxidative stress and hypoxic/ischemic insults.

OBJECTIVE

To determine to what extent elevated Ngb ameliorates post smoke-inhalation brain bioenergetics and homeostasis in Ngb overexpressing transgenic mouse.

METHODS

Smoke inhalation induced changes in bioenergetics were measured in the wild type and Ngb transgene mouse brain. Modulations of mitochondrial respiration were analyzed using the Seahorse XF24 flux analyzer and changes in cytoplasmic energy metabolism were assessed by measuring enzymatic activities and lactate in the course of post smoke recovery.

RESULTS

Cortical mitochondria from Ngb transgene, better maintained ATP synthesis-linked oxygen consumption and unlike wild type mitochondria did not increase futile oxygen consumption feeding the proton leak, reflecting lesser smoke-induced mitochondrial compromise. Measurements revealed lesser reduction of mitochondrial ATP content and lesser compensatory increases in cytosolic energy metabolism, involving pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities as well as cytosolic lactate levels. Additionally, induction of c-Fos, the early response gene and key neuronal stress sensor, was attenuated in Ngb transgene compared to wild type brain after smoke.

CONCLUSION

Considered together, these differences reflect lesser perturbations produced by acute inhalation of combustion smoke in the Ngb overexpressing mouse, suggesting that Ngb mitigates mitochondrial dysfunction and neurotoxicity and raises the threshold of smoke inhalation-induced brain injury.

High-performance humidity sensors based on electrospinning ZnFe2O4 nanotubes

In this paper, ZnFe₂O₄ nanotubes with hollow structure were synthesized by a simple electrospinning method. Humidity sensor was fabricated based on these nanotubes. The electrical measurements show excellent performance in humidity sensing.

Facile construction of graphene-like Ni3S2 nanosheets through the hydrothermally assisted sulfurization of nickel foam and their application as self-supported electrodes for supercapacitors

A facile and low-cost approach has been developed for the fabrication of large-area nickel sulfide nanosheets via the hydrothermally assisted sulfurization of Ni foam.

NiMoO4@Co(OH)2 core/shell structure nanowire arrays supported on Ni foam for high-performance supercapacitors

NiMoO₄@Co(OH)₂ core/shell structure nanowire arrays (NWAs) supported on Ni foam were successfully fabricated via a facile hydrothermal growth and electrochemical deposition route, and applied in supercapacitors (SCs).

High-performance humidity sensors from Ni(SO4)0.3(OH)1.4 nanobelts

Ni(SO4)0.3(OH)1.4 nanobelts were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. Humidity sensors based on Ni(SO4)0.3(OH)1.4 nanobelts were fabricated and exhibited high sensitivity and a fast response. They also showed good long-term stability. The high performance could be related to the high surface-to-volume ratio of nanobelts and the chemical composition of Ni(SO4)0.3(OH)1.4.

Overexpressed neuroglobin raises threshold for nitric oxide-induced impairment of mitochondrial respiratory activities and stress signaling in primary cortical neurons

Surges of nitric oxide compromise mitochondrial respiration primarily by competitive inhibition of oxygen binding to cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV) and are particularly injurious in neurons, which rely on oxidative phosphorylation for all their energy needs. Here, we show that transgenic overexpression of the neuronal globin protein, neuroglobin, helps diminish protein nitration, preserve mitochondrial function and sustain ATP content of primary cortical neurons challenged by extended nitric oxide exposure. Specifically, in transgenic neurons, elevated neuroglobin curtailed nitric oxide-induced alterations in mitochondrial oxygen consumption rates, including baseline oxygen consumption, consumption coupled with ATP synthesis, proton leak and spare respiratory capacity. Concomitantly, activation of genes involved in sensing and responding to oxidative/nitrosative stress, including the early-immediate c-Fos gene and the phase II antioxidant enzyme, heme oxygenase-1, was diminished in neuroglobin-overexpressing compared to wild-type neurons. Taken together, these differences reflect a lesser insult produced by similar concentrations of nitric oxide in neuroglobin-overexpressing compared to wild-type neurons, suggesting that abundant neuroglobin buffers nitric oxide and raises the threshold of nitric oxide-mediated injury in neurons.

Characterization of the major histocompatibility complex class I A alleles in cynomolgus macaques of Vietnamese origin

Cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis, Mafa) have emerged as an important animal model for infectious disease and transplantation research. Extensive characterization of their major histocompatibility complex (MHC) polymorphism regions therefore becomes urgently required. In this study, we identified 41 MHC class I A nucleotide sequences in 34 unrelated cynomolgus macaques of Vietnamese origin farmed in Southern China, including eight novel Mafa-A sequences. We found two sequences with perfect identity and six sequences with close similarity to previously defined MHC class I alleles from other populations, especially from Indonesian-origin macaques. We also found three Vietnamese-origin cynomolgus macaque MHC class I sequences for which the predicted protein sequences identical throughout their B and F binding pockets to Mamu-A1*001:01 and Mamu-A3*13:03, respectively. This is important because Mamu-A1*001:01 and Mamu-A3*13:03 are associated with longer survival and lower set-point viral load in simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected rhesus monkeys. These findings have implications for the evolutionary history of Vietnamese-origin cynomolgus macaque as well as for the use of this model in SIV/SHIV (a virus combining parts of the HIV and SIV genomes) research.

Binding with nucleic acids or glycosaminoglycans converts soluble protein oligomers to amyloid

Ample evidence suggests that almost all polypeptides can either adopt a native structure (folded or intrinsically disordered) or form misfolded amyloid fibrils. Soluble protein oligomers exist as an intermediate between these two states, and their cytotoxicity has been implicated in the pathology of multiple human diseases. However, the mechanism by which soluble protein oligomers develop into insoluble amyloid fibrils is not clear, and investigation of this important issue is hindered by the unavailability of stable protein oligomers. Here, we have obtained stabilized protein oligomers generated from common native proteins. These oligomers exert strong cytotoxicity and display a common conformational structure shared with known protein oligomers. They are soluble and remain stable in solution. Intriguingly, the stabilized protein oligomers interact preferentially with both nucleic acids and glycosaminoglycans (GAG), which facilitates their rapid conversion into insoluble amyloid. Concomitantly, binding with nucleic acids or GAG strongly diminished the cytotoxicity of the protein oligomers. EGCG, a small molecule that was previously shown to directly bind to protein oligomers, effectively inhibits the conversion to amyloid. These results indicate that stabilized oligomers of common proteins display characteristics similar to those of disease-associated protein oligomers and represent immediate precursors of less toxic amyloid fibrils. Amyloid conversion is potently expedited by certain physiological factors, such as nucleic acids and GAGs. These findings concur with reports of cofactor involvement with disease-associated amyloid and shed light on potential means to interfere with the pathogenic properties of misfolded proteins.