Enhancing Specific Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization with Quantum Dots for Single-Molecule RNA Imaging in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tumor Tissues

Single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization (smFISH) represents a promising approach for the quantitative analysis of nucleic acid biomarkers in clinical tissue samples. However, low signal intensity and high background noise are complications that arise from diagnostic pathology when performed with smFISH-based RNA imaging in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens. Moreover, the associated complex procedures can produce uncertain results and poor image quality. Herein, by combining the high specificity of split DNA probes with the high signal readout of ZnCdSe/ZnS quantum dot (QD) labeling, we introduce QD split-FISH, a high-brightness smFISH technology, to quantify the expression of mRNA in both cell lines and clinical FFPE tissue samples of breast cancer and lung squamous carcinoma. Owing to its high signal-to-noise ratio, QD split-FISH is a fast, inexpensive, and sensitive method for quantifying mRNA expression in FFPE tumor tissues, making it suitable for biomarker imaging and diagnostic pathology.

Global burden and inequality of maternal and neonatal disorders: based on data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study

BACKGROUND

Maternal and neonatal disorders account for substantial health loss across the lifespan from early childhood. These problems may be related to health inequality.

AIM

To provide evidence for improvement in health policies regarding maternal and neonatal disorder inequity.

DESIGN

This was a population-based cross-sectional study based on 2019 Global Burden of Disease data.

METHODS

Annual cases and age-standardized rates (ASRs) of incidence, prevalence, death, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in maternal and neonatal disorders between 1990 and 2019 were collected from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study. Concentration curves and concentration indices were used to summarize the degree of socioeconomic-related inequality.

RESULTS

For maternal disorders, the global ASRs of incidence, prevalence, death and DALYs were 2889.4 (95% uncertainty interval (UI), 2562.9-3251.9), 502.9 (95% UI 418.7-598.0), 5.0 (95% UI 4.4-5.8) and 324.9 (95% UI 284.0-369.1) per 100 000 women in 2019, respectively. The ASRs of maternal disorders were all obviously reduced and remained pro-poor from 1990 to 2019. In neonatal disorders, the global ASRs of incidence, prevalence, death and DALYs were 363.3 (95% UI 334.6-396.8), 1239.8 (95% UI 1142.1-1356.7), 29.1 (95% UI 24.8-34.5) and 2828.3 (95% UI 2441.6-3329.6) per 100 000 people in 2019, respectively. The global ASRs of incidence, death and DALYs in neonatal disorders have remained pro-poor. However, the socioeconomic-related fairness in the ASR of neonatal disorder prevalence is being levelled.

CONCLUSIONS

The global burden of maternal and neonatal disorders has remained high, and socioeconomic-related inequality (pro-poor) tended not to change between 1990 and 2019.

Aptamer-based expansion microscopy platform enables signal-amplified imaging of dendritic spines

Super-resolution imaging of dendritic spines (DS) can provide valuable information for mechanistic studies related to synaptic physiology and neural plasticity, but challenged by their small dimension (50-200 nm) below the spatial resolution of conventional optical microscopes. In this work, by combining the molecular recognition specificity of aptamer with high programmability of DNA nanotechnology, we developed an expansion microscopy (ExM) platform for imaging DS with enhanced spatial resolution and amplified signal output. Our results demonstrated that the aptamer probe could specifically bind to DS of primary hippocampal neurons. With physical expansion, the DS structure could be effectively enlarged by 4-5 folds, leading to the generation of more structural information. Meantime, the aptamer binding signal could be readily amplified by the introduction of DNA signal amplification strategy, overcoming the drawback of fluorescence dilution during the ExM treatment. This platform enabled evaluation of ischemia-induced early stroke based on the morphological change of DS, highlighting a promising avenue for studying nanoscale structures in biological systems.

A4 PREDNISOLONE, A GLUCOCORTICOID WIDELY USED FOR TREATMENT OF IBD, ENHANCES A HUMAN INTERLEUKIN-4-ACTIVATED MACROPHAGE PHENOTYPE

Background

With cellular immunotherapy, the individuals’ medication could ablate (or enhance) any therapeutic benefit of the transferred cells. Murine and human macrophages activated with IL-4 (i.e., M(IL4)) improve wound healing and reduce the severity of disease in murine models of colitis. Advancing the position that autologous M(IL4) could be a novel approach to IBD, a critical question arises: will concurrent medication impact the M(IL4)s anti-colitic effect? To address this, we tested if prednisolone, a synthetic, anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid used to induce remission in IBD flares,impacts human M(IL4) phenotype and function.

Purpose

To determine if prednisolone suppresses or enhances a human M(IL4) phenotype as defined by canonical marker molecules and wound healing and anti-colitic activities.

Method

Macrophages were differentiated from the blood monocytes of healthy volunteers using M-CSF (7 days) and treated with GMP-grade IL-4 (10 ng/mL, 48h) ± a 24h treatment with prednisolone (1μg/mL). Subsequently, conditioned medium was collected for TGFb measurement by ELISA and for use in a T84 epithelial cell in vitro wound healing assay. Retrieved M(IL4) and M(IL4,pred.) were characterized by mRNA expression of CD206 (mannose receptor), RAMP1 (CGRP receptor), and CD14 (LPS co-receptor). One million murine bone marrow-derived M(IL4) or M(IL4,pred.) were injected into BALB/c mice 48h prior to intra-rectal DNBS (3mg), and colitis was assessed 72h-post DNBS.

Result(s)

Human M(IL4)s displayed increased mRNA expression of CD206 and RAMP1, and reduced CD14 compared to M(0), with the CD206 and RAMP1 being further increased by prednisolone treatment. M(IL4,pred.) produced more TGF-β than M(IL4) upon LPS stimulation [363 ± 30 vs. 241 ± 24 pg/ml, n= 4, p<0.05], which would predict an enhanced wound healing capacity. Stimulated M(IL4,pred.) produced more IL-10 than M(IL4). Furthermore, murine M(IL4,pred.) retained an anti-colitic capacity comparable to M(IL4) as determined by disease activity score in the DNBS model.

Conclusion(s)

Human M(IL4)s subsequently exposed to the potent immunomodulatory glucocorticoid, prednisolone show increased expression of phenotypic markers and increased output of TGFb and IL-10. Crucially M(IL4,pred.) retained an anti-colic effect in the murine DNBS model of colitis. Interpreting these data, we suggest that the anti-colitic effect of M(IL4) immunotherapy would not be adversely offset by the individuals concomitant use of steroids. Our preliminary findings support pursuing M(IL4) transfers as a novel approach to the management of IBD.

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Helmsley Charitable Trust

Disclosure of Interest

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Multi-parameter Inputted Logic-Gating on Aptamer-Encoded Extracellular Vesicles for Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a potential biomarker in liquid biopsy. However, cancer heterogeneity poses significant challenge to precise molecular diagnosis based on single-parameter input. Hence, strategies for analyzing multiple inputs with molecular computing were developed with the aim of improving diagnostic accuracy in liquid biopsy. In the present study, based on the surface of aptamer-encoded EVs, three toe-hold extended DNA aptamers served as specific inputs to perform AND-logic-gating to distinguish between healthy and cancerous EVs. In addition, this strategy has been successfully employed to analyze circulating EVs in clinical samples from colorectal cancer patients and healthy donors. The developed method has a promising future in the analysis of multiplex EV membrane proteins and the identification of early cancer.

Strong band renormalization and emergent ferromagnetism induced by electron-antiferromagnetic-magnon coupling

The interactions between electrons and antiferromagnetic magnons (AFMMs) are important for a large class of correlated materials. For example, they are the most plausible pairing glues in high-temperature superconductors, such as cuprates and iron-based superconductors. However, unlike electron-phonon interactions (EPIs), clear-cut observations regarding how electron-AFMM interactions (EAIs) affect the band structure are still lacking. Consequently, critical information on the EAIs, such as its strength and doping dependence, remains elusive. Here we directly observe that EAIs induce a kink structure in the band dispersion of Ba_1-xK_xMn₂As₂, and subsequently unveil several key characteristics of EAIs. We found that the coupling constant of EAIs can be as large as 5.4, and it shows strong doping dependence and temperature dependence, all in stark contrast to the behaviors of EPIs. The colossal renormalization of electron bands by EAIs enhances the density of states at Fermi energy, which is likely driving the emergent ferromagnetic state in Ba_1-xK_xMn₂As₂ through a Stoner-like mechanism with mixed itinerant-local character. Our results expand the current knowledge of EAIs, which may facilitate the further understanding of many correlated materials where EAIs play a critical role.

Global, regional prevalence, and risk factors of osteoporosis according to the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the global, regional prevalence, and risk factors of osteoporosis. Prevalence varied greatly according to countries (from 4.1% in Netherlands to 52.0% in Turkey) and continents (from 8.0% in Oceania to 26.9% in Africa). Osteoporosis is a common metabolic bone disorder in the elderly, usually resulting in bone pain and an increased risk of fragility fracture, but few summarized studies have guided global strategies for the disease. Therefore, we pooled the epidemiologic data to estimate the global, regional prevalence, and potential risk factors of osteoporosis. We conducted a comprehensive literature search through PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus, to identify population-based studies that reported the prevalence of osteoporosis based on the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were used to explore the sources of heterogeneity. The study was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42021285555). Of the 57,933 citations evaluated, 108 individual studies containing 343,704 subjects were included. The global prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia was 19.7% (95%CI, 18.0%-21.4%) and 40.4% (95%CI, 36.9%-43.8%). Prevalence varied greatly according to countries (from 4.1% in Netherlands to 52.0% in Turkey) and continents (from Oceania 8.0% to 26.9% in Africa). The prevalence was higher in developing countries (22.1%, 95%CI, 20.1%-24.1%) than in developed countries (14.5%, 95%CI, 11.5%-17.7%). Our study indicates a considerable prevalence of osteoporosis among the general population based on WHO criteria, and the prevalence varies substantially between countries and regions. Future studies with robust evidence are required to explore risk factors to provide effective preventive strategies for the disease.

[Prevention of adverse prognosis of malignant melanoma from the point of evolution of surgical margin]

Treating malignant melanoma of skin at the early stage depends on wide excision mainly. For the prevention of tumor recurrence, means of acquisition of the safe margin changed from empirical resection to accurate pathological evaluation, and therapeutic target evolved from clearing tumor cells to pursuing the best prognosis. In the future, it would be necessary to combine individualized treatment with evidence-based medicine in the treatment of cutaneous malignant melanoma to prevent adverse outcomes.

Manipulation of Multiple Cell-Cell Interactions by Tunable DNA Scaffold Networks

Manipulation of cell-cell interactions via cell surface engineering has potential biomedical applications in tissue engineering and cell therapy. However, manipulation of the comprehensive and multiple intercellular interactions remains a challenge and missing elements. Herein, utilizing a DNA triangular prism (TP) and a branched polymer (BP) as functional modules, we fabricate tunable DNA scaffold networks on the cell surface. The responsiveness of cell-cell recognition, aggregation and dissociation could be modulated by aptamer-functionalized DNA scaffold networks with high accuracy and specificity. By regulating the DNA scaffold networks coated on the cell surface, controlled intercellular molecular transportation is achieved. Our tunable network provides a simple and extendible strategy which addresses a current need in cell surface engineering to precisely manipulate cell-cell interactions and shows promise as a general tool for controllable cell behavior.

Engineering DNA on the Surface of Upconversion Nanoparticles for Bioanalysis and Therapeutics

Surface modification of inorganic nanomaterials with biomolecules has enabled the development of composites integrated with extensive properties. Lanthanide ion-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) are one class of inorganic nanomaterials showing optical properties that convert photons of lower energy into higher energy. Additionally, DNA oligonucleotides have exhibited powerful capabilities for organizing various nanomaterials with versatile topological configurations. Through rational design and nanotechnology, DNA-based UCNPs offer predesigned functionality and potential. To fully harness the capabilities of UCNPs integrated with DNA, various DNA-UCNP composites have been developed for diagnosis and therapeutics. In this review, beginning with the introduction of the UCNPs and the conjugation of DNA strands on the surface of UCNPs, we present an overview of the recent progress of DNA-UCNP composites while focusing on their applications for bioanalysis and therapeutics.

AGMB-Transformer: Anatomy-Guided Multi-Branch Transformer Network for Automated Evaluation of Root Canal Therapy

Accurate evaluation of the treatment result on X-ray images is a significant and challenging step in root canal therapy since the incorrect interpretation of the therapy results will hamper timely follow-up which is crucial to the patients' treatment outcome. Nowadays, the evaluation is performed in a manual manner, which is time-consuming, subjective, and error-prone. In this paper, we aim to automate this process by leveraging the advances in computer vision and artificial intelligence, to provide an objective and accurate method for root canal therapy result assessment. A novel anatomy-guided multi-branch Transformer (AGMB-Transformer) network is proposed, which first extracts a set of anatomy features and then uses them to guide a multi-branch Transformer network for evaluation. Specifically, we design a polynomial curve fitting segmentation strategy with the help of landmark detection to extract the anatomy features. Moreover, a branch fusion module and a multi-branch structure including our progressive Transformer and Group Multi-Head Self-Attention (GMHSA) are designed to focus on both global and local features for an accurate diagnosis. To facilitate the research, we have collected a large-scale root canal therapy evaluation dataset with 245 root canal therapy X-ray images, and the experiment results show that our AGMB-Transformer can improve the diagnosis accuracy from 57.96% to 90.20% compared with the baseline network. The proposed AGMB-Transformer can achieve a highly accurate evaluation of root canal therapy. To our best knowledge, our work is the first to perform automatic root canal therapy evaluation and has important clinical value to reduce the workload of endodontists.

G-Quadruplex-Induced Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in Biomimetic Protocells

Biomolecular condensates comprised of specific proteins and nucleic acids are now recognized as one of the key organizing mechanisms in eukaryotic cells. However, the specific roles played by the nucleic acid secondary structure and sequence in biomolecular phase separation are still not clear. Here, utilizing giant membrane vesicles (GMVs) as a protocell model, we found that single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) with a parallel G-quadruplex structure could functionally cooperate with a G-quadruplex-binding protein to form speckle-like puncta inside the GMVs. The clustering behavior is dependent on the structural diversity of G-quadruplexes, and the reversible clustering behavior implicated a new pathway in dynamically regulating the formation of biomolecular condensates. This finding represents a potential link between G-quadruplex-binding proteins and the resulting G-quadruplex-mediated biomolecular phase separation, which would gain insight into a wide range of biological processes associated with nucleic acid-modulated phase separation inside living cells.

Distinct Kondo Screening Behaviors in Heavy Fermion Filled Skutterudites with 4f^{1} and 4f^{2} Configurations

CeOs_{4}Sb_{12} (COS) and PrOs_{4}Sb_{12} (POS) are two representative compounds that provide the ideal vantage point to systematically study the physics of multi-f-electron systems. COS with Ce 4f^{1}, and POS with Pr 4f^{2} configurations show distinct properties of Kondo insulating and heavy fermion superconductivity, respectively. We unveiled the underlying microscopic origin by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy studies. Their eV-scale band structure matches well, representing the common characters of conduction electrons in ROs_{4}Sb_{12} systems (R=rare earth). However, f electrons interact differently with conduction electrons in COS and POS. Strong hybridization between conduction electrons and f electrons is observed in COS with band dependent hybridization gaps, and the development of a Kondo insulating state is directly revealed. Although the ground state of POS is a singlet, finite but incoherent hybridization exists, which can be explained by the Kondo scattering with the thermally excited triplet crystalline electric field state. Our results help us to understand the intriguing properties in COS and POS, and provide a clean demonstration of the microscopic differences in heavy fermion systems with 4f^{1} and 4f^{2} configurations.

CORRELATION BETWEEN SUBCLINICAL HYPOTHYROIDISM AND DYSLIPIDEMIA IN WOMEN IN NORTHEAST CHINA

CONTEXT

It is well known that thyroid hormones are important, being involved in affects the metabolism of carbohydrate, protein, lipids. The relationship between thyroid hormones and lipid metabolism is the focus of recent research.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism and lipid metabolism in women.

DESIGN

We conducted an epidemiological survey of thyroid diseases among women in Northeast China from September 2014 to December 2014.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A total of 1397 women underwent physical examinations and laboratory tests for thyroid function and lipid metabolism.

RESULTS

We found that the detection rate of subclinical hypothyroidism was 13.03%. Patients with subclinical hypothyroidism showed significantly higher levels of triglyceride (1.69±1.9 vs. 1.45±1.4) and the risk of hyper triglyceridemia in women with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels ≥10mIU/L was 4.96-fold higher compared with that in the normal population (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Disorders of lipid metabolism in women with subclinical hypothyroidism show a direct correlation with the level of TSH, and the risk of hyper triglyceridemia is significantly increased when the level of TSH ≥10mIU/L.

A Cascade Signaling Network between Artificial Cells Switching Activity of Synthetic Transmembrane Channels

Cell-cell communication plays a vital role in biological activities; in particular, membrane-protein interactions are profoundly significant. In order to explore the underlying mechanism of intercellular signaling pathways, a full range of artificial systems have been explored. However, many of them are complicated and uncontrollable. Herein we designed an artificial signal transduction system able to control the influx of environmental ions by triggering the activation of synthetic transmembrane channels immobilized on giant membrane vesicles (GMVs). A membrane protein-like stimulator from one GMV community (GMV_B) stimulates a receptor on another GMV community (GMV_A) to release ssDNA messengers, resulting in the activation of synthetic transmembrane channels to enable the influx of ions. This event, in turn, triggers signal responses encapsulated in the GMV_A protocell model. By mimicking natural signal transduction pathways, this novel prototype provides a workable tool for investigating cell-cell communication and expands biological signaling systems in general as well as explores useful platforms for addressing scientific problems which involve materials science, chemistry, and medicine.

Hierarchical Fabrication of DNA Wireframe Nanoarchitectures for Efficient Cancer Imaging and Targeted Therapy

Though small-molecule drugs play a crucial role in cancer treatment, intrinsic issues such as poor solubility and systematic toxicity have considerably mitigated their anticancer functions and caused unwanted side effects. To achieve satisfying therapeutic efficiency, it is essential to develop innovative targeting systems for precise and efficient delivery of anticancer drugs. In this work, a hierarchical self-assembly strategy was applied to fabricate a core-shell nanoarchitecture composed of a DNA octahedral wireframe and chemodrug-functionalized Sgc8c aptamer. The integrated enhanced permeability and retention effect of the DNA nanostructure and active targeting ability of the Sgc8c aptamer allowed the highly selective chemodrug delivery and in vivo efficient imaging and treatment. The advantage of our multifunctional nanostructure was further highlighted by its impressive serum stability, excellent accumulation ability, deep penetration capability, significantly improved therapeutic efficacy, and favorable biosafety. This study showed promising potential of such a core-shell DNA nanoarchitecture in precise drug loading control, drug delivery, and personal medicine.

A minireview on multiparameter-activated nanodevices for cancer imaging and therapy

Tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive nanodevices are essential tools for cancer imaging and therapy. Exploiting the advantages of molecular engineering, nanodevices are emerging for biomedical applications. In order to reach targeted cancer areas, activated nanodevices first respond to the TME and then serve as an actuator for sensing, imaging and therapy. Most nanodevices depend on a single parameter as an input for their downstream activation, potentially leading to inaccurate diagnostic results and poor therapeutic outcomes. However, in the TME, some biomarkers are cross-linked, and such correlated biomarkers are potentially useful for cancer imaging and theranostic applications. Based on this phenomenon, researchers have developed approaches for the construction of multiparameter-activated nanodevices (MANs) to improve accuracy. This minireview summarizes the recent advances in the development of MANs for cancer imaging including fluorescence imaging, photoacoustic (PA) imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) imaging, as well as cancer therapy including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, photoinduced therapy and immunotherapy. We highlight different approaches for improving the specificity and precision of cancer imaging and therapy. In the future, MANs will show promise for clinical work in multimodal diagnosis and therapeutics.

The importance of proper and prompt treatment of ocular syphilis: a lesson from permanent vision loss in 52 eyes

BACKGROUND

Ocular involvement can occur at any stage of syphilis. Prompt diagnosis and proper treatment of ocular syphilis are vital to avoid long-term consequences.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the risk factors for ocular syphilis and clinical features of blindness caused by syphilis.

METHODS

We report risk factors for ocular syphilis amongst patients seen at the Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital between October 2009 and October 2017. We identify patients with ocular syphilis resulting in blindness and report the clinical characteristics, laboratory findings and treatment outcomes of these patients.

RESULTS

A total of 8310 new cases of syphilis were seen, of which 213 patients had ocular disease and 50 patients had blindness due to syphilis. Increasing age and higher RPR titres were associated with ocular involvement but there was no association with HIV status. Blindness in syphilis was restricted predominantly to patients with optic nerve involvement and not patients with isolated uveitis. Fifty patients (and a total of 67 eyes) met the WHO definition of blindness prior to treatment for syphilis. At the end of follow-up, vision had improved in 24 of 67 eyes (35.8%) after treatment. Successful treatment of uveitis was associated with the best improvement in visual acuity, whilst patient with underlying optic atrophy prior to treatment had the worst visual outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Ocular involvement is an important manifestation of syphilis which may result in blindness. Our data demonstrate outcomes for ocular syphilis are poor if detected late; early recognition and diagnosis is therefore vital to avoid permanent visual loss.

DNA-based artificial molecular signaling system that mimics basic elements of reception and response

In order to maintain tissue homeostasis, cells communicate with the outside environment by receiving molecular signals, transmitting them, and responding accordingly with signaling pathways. Thus, one key challenge in engineering molecular signaling systems involves the design and construction of different modules into a rationally integrated system that mimics the cascade of molecular events. Herein, we rationally design a DNA-based artificial molecular signaling system that uses the confined microenvironment of a giant vesicle, derived from a living cell. This system consists of two main components. First, we build an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-driven DNA nanogatekeeper. Second, we encapsulate a signaling network in the biomimetic vesicle, consisting of distinct modules, able to sequentially initiate a series of downstream reactions playing the roles of reception, transduction and response. Operationally, in the presence of ATP, nanogatekeeper switches from the closed to open state. The open state then triggers the sequential activation of confined downstream signaling modules.

[3D printing non-coplanar template-assisted 125-iodine seed implantation for thorax movement tumor: individual template design method]

Objective: To compare the dosimetric data between preoperative plans and postoperative verification in computed tomography CT-guided and 3D printing template-assisted 125-iodine ((125)I) seed implantation for thorax movement tumor and to explore the feasibility and accuracy of the individualized template design method. Methods: A total of 35 patients, 20 males and 15 females with median age of 62 (17-87) years old, who registered from January 2016 to December 2017 applied with 3D printing guided template assisted radioactive seed implantations in Peking University Third Hospital were included in this study. (125)I seeds with a prescribed dose of 110-180 Gy were impanted. 3D printing templates were designed and produced for 35 cases. The dosimetric parameters: D(90), minimum peripheral dose (mPD), V(100), V(150), V(200), conformal index (CI), external index (EI), and homogeneity index (HI) were compared between pre-and post-plannings. Statistical method was two group of related non-parameters test. Results: The design and production of 35 cases' templates were in place well. Compared with the preoperative planning, the postoperative D(90), V(100), V(150), V(200), mPD, CI, EI and HI differences were 5.57%, 0.34%, 0.33%, -1.20%, 21%, 2.8%, -14.2%, 4.71%, -10.4%. All the included dosimetry parameters changed slightly after surgery compared with before surgery, but the difference was not statistically significant(all P>0.05). Conclusions: The dosimetric parameters of postoperative verification are consistent well with the preoperative planning and have good accuracy, the results could meet the clinical requirements.

Protocells programmed through artificial reaction networks

As the smallest unit of life, cells attract interest due to their structural complexity and functional reliability. Protocells assembled by inanimate components are created as an artificial entity to mimic the structure and some essential properties of a natural cell, and artificial reaction networks are used to program the functions of protocells. Although the bottom-up construction of a protocell that can be considered truly ‘alive’ is still an ambitious goal, these man-made constructs with a certain degree of ‘liveness’ can offer effective tools to understand fundamental processes of cellular life, and have paved the new way for bionic applications. In this review, we highlight both the milestones and recent progress of protocells programmed by artificial reaction networks, including genetic circuits, enzyme-assisted non-genetic circuits, prebiotic mimicking reaction networks, and DNA dynamic circuits. Challenges and opportunities have also been discussed.

In this review, the milestones and recent progress of protocells programmed by various types of artificial reaction networks are highlighted.

Programming DNA Tube Circumference by Tile Offset Connection

DNA tubes with prescribed circumferences are appealing for numerous multidisciplinary applications. The DNA single-stranded tiles (SSTs) assembly method has demonstrated an unprecedented capability for programming the circumferences of DNA tubes in a modular fashion. Nevertheless, a distinct set of SSTs is typically required to assemble DNA tube of a specific circumference, with wider tubes requiring higher numbers of tiles of unique sequences, which not only increases the expense and design complexity but also hampers the assembly yield. Herein, we introduce "offset connection" to circumvent such challenges in conventional SST tube assembly. In this new connection scheme, the boundary SST tiles in an SST array are designed to connect in an offset manner. To compensate for the offset, the SST array has to grow wider until the array can close to form a wide tube with a tolerable degree of twist. Using this strategy, we have successfully assembled DNA tubes with prescribed circumferences consisting of 8, 12, 14, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 42, 56, or 70 helices from two distinct sets of SSTs composed of 19×4 or 19×14 tiles.

Biomimetic Carriers Based on Giant Membrane Vesicles for Targeted Drug Delivery and Photodynamic/Photothermal Synergistic Therapy

Membrane vesicles derived from live cells show great potential in biological applications due to their preserved cell membrane properties. Here, we demonstrate that cell-derived giant membrane vesicles can be used as vectors to deliver multiple therapeutic drugs and carry out combinational phototherapy for targeted cancer treatment. We show that therapeutic drugs can be efficiently encapsulated into giant membrane vesicles and delivered to target cells by membrane fusion, resulting in synergistic photodynamic/photothermal therapy under light irradiation. This study highlights biomimetic giant membrane vesicles for drug delivery with potential biomedical application in cancer therapeutics.

Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Cholesterol-DNA Nanorods

Amphiphilic DNA block copolymers have been utilized in preparing self-assembled amphiphilic structures in aqueous solution. These block copolymers usually contain specifically designed hydrophobic regions, and typically assemble under near-physiological conditions. Here, we report self-assembly of spherical micelles and one-dimensional nanorods under acidic conditions from cholesterol-conjugated DNA strands (Cholesterol-DNA). Further study also revealed that the nanorods were hierarchically assembled from the micelle nanostructures. The morphology of the nanorod assemblies can be tuned by altering solution condition and the design of Cholesterol-DNA. The self-assembly of Cholesterol-DNA nanostructures under acidic conditions and the discovery of the relationship between the nanorods and the micelles can provide new insights for future design of self-assemblies of amphiphilic DNA block copolymers.

Interference illumination of three nonzero-order beams for LCOS-based structured illumination microscopy

To avoid the need for a mask and polarisation-adjusting devices, and to solve the problem of low fringe contrast caused by the reflected light along with 0th-order diffraction beam, this paper presents an illumination method using three nonzero-order diffraction beams in liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS)-based structured illumination microscopy. Here, a LCOS-based spatial light modulator (SLM) is used to diffract the collimated light and a rotating frosted film is used to reduce the spatial coherence of the laser; then, the fringe is produced by adjusting the SLM angle to allow three nonzero-order diffraction beams to interfere on the sample surface. Interference fringes with high contrast in all directions can be obtained without considering polarisation control and the removal of the 0th-order diffraction beam, which demonstrates that the optical setup is simple and easy to control. We carried out experiments on a photolithographic pattern on a silicon chip, and the resolution after reconstruction is 210 nm, reaching the theoretical resolution at our experiment condition and nearly half of the Rayleigh resolution limit (100× objective, NA = 0.8), which is 406 nm. LAY DESCRIPTION: SIM has been widely applied in imaging of biological sample owing to its advantage of super-resolution. Commonly the structured illumination is produced by interfering two or three diffractive beams and the fringe contrast affects the reconstruction result directly. In this study about liquid-crystal-on-silicon based structured illumination microscopy (LCOS-based SIM), we presents an illumination method using three nonzero-order diffractive beams. Our method can avoid the need for a mask and the polarisation-adjusting devices, because three-beam interference can reduce the influence of polarisation on the fringe contrast. Besides, 0th-order beam is not used, because reflected light still exists even the grey level of the picture-pixels uploaded to spatial light modulator are all 0, which means the 0th-order beam will bring obvious noise. Using our method, interference fringe with high contrast in all directions can be obtained at a relatively high utilisation rate of laser intensity without considering the control of polarisation. Our setup is simple and easy to control, because the adjustment of the deflection angle of the spatial light modulator can realise the removal of the zero diffraction order. We have analysed and discussed the reasons why the interference of three nonzero-order beams can avoid the influence of polarisation and amplitude. The experiments carried out on a photolithographic pattern on silicon chip showed that the resolution after reconstruction is 210 nm, reaching the half of the Rayleigh resolution limit (100× objective, NA=0.8), which is 406 nm.

Multiple parametric nanoscale measurements with high sensitivity based on through-focus scanning optical microscopy

High-throughput through-focus scanning optical microscopy (TSOM) involves defocusing along the optical axis and capturing a series of defocus images and is useful in optical nanoscale measurement. However, TSOM is usually affected by its optical and mechanical noises. In this study, the issue of sensitivity and application in three-dimensional (3D) multiple parameter measurement of TSOM is investigated. First, a TSOM system with objective scanning and its relative simulation algorithm are proposed. Second, based upon the system and algorithm, an experiment on an isolated Au line is performed and the corresponding matching library is established. Comparing the experimental TSOM image and simulated TSOM images of the library, 3D multiple parameter results of the Au line are extracted. Third, the precision of the system is analysed through a fidelity test particular for through-focus images. According to this study, the system is robust to the optical and mechanical noises and hence could be useful in 3D multiple parametric measurement and high-volume nanomanufacturing.

[Clinical features and prognosis of 93 elderly patients with multiple myeloma]

Objective: To explore the clinical features and prognostic factors of elderly MM patients. Methods: A retrospectively analysis of clinical characteristics in 93 newly diagnosed MM patients with more than 70 years of old between August 2011 and August 2016. Based on age, basic activities of daily living scale, instrumental activities of daily living scale, Charlson comorbidity index at diagnosis, patients were divided into three groups: Fit (score=0, n=15) , Intermediate fitness (score=1, n=31) , Frail (score≥2, n=47) according to a geriatric assessment system proposed by Antonio Palumbo et al. The treatment response rate, progression free survival time (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of the three groups were analyzed. Results: Complete remission was 60.0% in Fit, 22.6% in Intermediate fitness and 12.8% in Frail (Fisher χ(2)=12.398, P=0.002) . The median PFS for the three groups were 31 months, 24 months and 13 months (χ(2)=17.832, P<0.001) . The median OS was not reached for Fit, 58 months for Intermediate fitness and 25 months for Frail (χ(2)=40.678, P<0.001) . In 47 Frail cases, patients who received chemotherapy containing new drugs (proteasome inhibitor or immune-modulator) had a longer PFS (17 months vs 9 months, χ(2)=6.454, P=0.011) and patients who achieved CR had prolonged PFS and OS than non-CR (PFS: 24 months vs 12 months, χ(2)=4.117, P=0.042; OS: 37 months vs 25 months, χ(2)= 6.507, P=0.011) . Conclusion: The health status of the elderly MM patients was associated with better response and longer PFS and OS. Given on those with poor health status, new drugs may have better PFS and prolonged OS.

Generating Giant Membrane Vesicles from Live Cells with Preserved Cellular Properties

Biomimetic giant membrane vesicles, with size and lipid compositions comparable to cells, have been recognized as an attractive experimental alternative to living systems. Due to the similarity of their membrane structure to that of body cells, cell-derived giant plasma membrane vesicles have been used as a membrane model for studying lipid/protein behavior of plasma membranes. However, further application of biomimetic giant membrane vesicles has been hampered by the side-effects of chemical vesiculants and the utilization of osmotic buffer. We herein develop a facile strategy to derive giant membrane vesicles (GMVs) from mammalian cells in biofriendly medium with high yields. These GMVs preserve membrane properties and adaptability for surface modification and encapsulation of exogenous molecules, which would facilitate their potential biological applications. Moreover, by loading GMVs with therapeutic drugs, GMVs could be employed for drug transport to tumor cells, which represents another step forward in the biomedical application of giant membrane vesicles. This study highlights biocompatible GMVs with biomimicking membrane surface properties and adaptability as an ideal platform for drug delivery strategies with potential clinical applications.

Unveiling the Superconducting Mechanism of Ba_{0.51}K_{0.49}BiO_{3}

The mechanism of high superconducting transition temperatures (T_{c}) in bismuthates remains under debate despite more than 30 years of extensive research. Our angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy studies on Ba_{0.51}K_{0.49}BiO_{3} reveal an unexpectedly 34% larger bandwidth than in conventional density functional theory calculations. This can be reproduced by calculations that fully account for long-range Coulomb interactions-the first direct demonstration of bandwidth expansion due to the Fock exchange term, a long-accepted and yet uncorroborated fundamental effect in many body physics.Furthermore, we observe an isotropic superconducting gap with 2Δ_{0}/k_{B}T_{c}=3.51±0.05, and strong electron-phonon interactions with a coupling constant λ∼1.3±0.2. These findings solve a long-standing mystery-Ba_{0.51}K_{0.49}BiO_{3} is an extraordinary Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superconductor, where long-range Coulomb interactions expand the bandwidth, enhance electron-phonon coupling, and generate the high T_{c}. Such effects will also be critical for finding new superconductors.