All-hydrocarbon stapling enables improvement of antimicrobial activity and proteolytic stability of peptide Figainin 2

Figainin 2 is a cationic, hydrophobic, α-helical host-defense peptide with 28 residues, which was isolated from the skin secretions of the Chaco tree frog. It shows potent inhibitory activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens and has garnered considerable interest in developing novel classes of natural antibacterial agents. However, as a linear peptide, conformational flexibility and poor proteolytic stability hindered its development as antibacterial agent. To alleviate its susceptibility to proteolytic degradation and improve its antibacterial activity, a series of hydrocarbon-stable analogs of Figainin 2 were synthesized and evaluated for their secondary structure, protease stability, antimicrobial, and hemolytic activities. Among them, F2-12 showed significant improvement in protease resistance and antimicrobial activity compared to that of the template peptide. This study provides a promising strategy for the development of antimicrobial drugs.

Enhancing anticancer treatment: Development of cRGD-Conjugated F-OH-Evo prodrugs for targeted delivery

Small molecule drugs sourced from natural products are pivotal for novel therapeutic discoveries. However, their clinical deployment is often impeded by non-specific activity and severe adverse effects. This study focused on 3-fluoro-10-hydroxy-Evodiamine (F-OH-Evo), a potent derivative of Evodiamine, whose development is curtailed due to suboptimal tumor selectivity and heightened cytotoxicity. By harnessing the remarkable stability, specificity, and αvβ3 integrin affinity of c(RGDFK), a novel prodrug by conjugating F-OH-Evo with cRGD was synthesized. This innovative prodrug substantially enhanced the tumor-specific targeting of F-OH-Evo and improved the anti-tumor activities. Among them, compound 3c demonstrated the best selective inhibitory activity toward U87 cancer cells in vitro. It selectively enterd U87 cells by binding to αvβ3 integrin, releasing the parent molecule under the dual response of ROS and GSH to exert inhibitory activity on topo I. The results highlight the potential of cRGD-conjugated prodrugs in targeted cancer therapy. This approach signifies a significant advancement in developing safer and more effective chemotherapy drugs, emphasizing the role of prodrug strategies in overcoming the limitations of traditional cancer treatments.

Therapeutic stapled peptides: Efficacy and molecular targets

Peptide stapling, by employing a stable, preformed alpha-helical conformation, results in the production of peptides with improved membrane permeability and enhanced proteolytic stability, compared to the original peptides, and provides an effective solution to accelerate the rapid development of peptide drugs. Various reviews present peptide stapling chemistries, anchoring residues and one- or two-component cyclization, however, therapeutic stapled peptides have not been systematically summarized, especially focusing on various disease-related targets. This review highlights the latest advances in therapeutic peptide drug development facilitated by the application of stapling technology, including different stapling techniques, synthetic accessibility, applicability to biological targets, potential for solving biological problems, as well as the current status of development. Stapled peptides as therapeutic drug candidates have been classified and analysed mainly by receptor- and ligand-based stapled peptide design against various diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, inflammation, and diabetes. This review is expected to provide a comprehensive reference for the rational design of stapled peptides for different diseases and targets to facilitate the development of therapeutic peptides with enhanced pharmacokinetic and biological properties.

The relationship between the size and asymmetry of the lateral ventricles and cortical myelin content in individuals with mood disorders

Background

Although enlargement of the lateral ventricles was previously observed in individuals with mood disorders, the link between ventricular size and asymmetry with other indices of brain structure remains underexplored. In this study, we examined the association of lateral ventricular size and asymmetry with cortical myelin content in individuals with bipolar (BD) and depressive (DD) disorders compared to healthy controls (HC).

Methods

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to obtain T1w and T2w images from 149 individuals (age=27.7 (SD=6.1) years, 78% female, BD=38, DD=57, HC=54). Cortical myelin content was calculated using the T1w/T2w ratio. Elastic net regularized regression identified brain regions whose myelin content was associated with ventricular size and asymmetry. A post-hoc linear regression examined how participants' diagnosis, illness duration, and current level of depression moderated the relationship between the size and asymmetry of the lateral ventricles and levels of cortical myelin in the selected brain regions.

Results

Individuals with mood disorders had larger lateral ventricles than HC. Larger ventricles and lower asymmetry were observed in individuals with BD who had longer lifetime illness duration and more severe current depressive symptoms. A greater left asymmetry was observed in participants with DD than in those with BD (p<0.01). Elastic net revealed that both ventricular enlargement and asymmetry were associated with altered myelin content in cingulate, frontal, and sensorimotor cortices. In BD, but not other groups, ventricular enlargement was related to altered myelin content in the right insular regions.

Conclusions

Lateral ventricular enlargement and asymmetry are linked to myelin content imbalance, thus, potentially leading to emotional and cognitive dysfunction in mood disorders.

[Construction of a model based on multipoint full-layer puncture biopsy for predicting pathological complete response after neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer]

Objective: To investigate the value of transanal multipoint full-layer puncture biopsy (TMFP) in predicting pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy (nCRT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) and to establish a predictive model for providing clinical guidance regarding the treatment of LARC. Methods: In this multicenter, prospective, cohort study, we collected data on 110 LARC patients from four hospitals between April 2020 and March 2023: Beijing Chaoyang Hospital of Capital Medical University (50 patients), Beijing Friendship Hospital of Capital Medical University (41 patients), Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (16 patients), and Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University (three patients). The patients had all received TMFP after completing standard nCRT. The variables studied included (1) clinicopathological characteristics; (2) clinical complete remission (cCR) and efficacy of TMFP in determining pCR after NCRT in LARC patients; and (3) hospital attended, sex, age, clinical T- and N-stages, distance between the lower margin of the tumor and the anal verge, baseline and post-radiotherapy serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA)19-9 concentrations, chemotherapy regimen, use of immunosuppressants with or without radiotherapy, radiation therapy dosage, interval between surgery and radiotherapy, surgical procedure, clinical T/N stage after radiotherapy, cCR, pathological results of TMFP, puncture method (endoscopic or percutaneous), and number and timing of punctures. Single-factor and multifactorial logistic regression analysis were used to determine the factors affecting pCR after NCRT in LARC patients. A prediction model was constructed based on the results of multivariat analysis and the performance of this model evaluated by analyzing subject work characteristics (ROC), calibration, and clinical decision-making (DCA) curves. pCR was defined as complete absence of tumor cells on microscopic examination of the surgical specimens of rectal cancer (including lymph node dissection) after NCRT, that is, ypT0+N0. cCR was defined according to the Chinese Neoadjuvant Rectal Cancer Waiting Watch Database Study Collaborative Group criteria after treatment, which specify an absence of ulceration and nodules on endoscopy; negative rectal palpation; no tumor signals on rectal MRI T2 and DWI sequences; normal serum CEA concentrations, and no evidence of recurrence on pelvic computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Of the 110 patients, 45 (40.9%) achieved pCR after nCRT, which was combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors in 34 (30.9%). cCR was diagnosed before puncture in 38 (34.5%) patients, 43 (39.1%) of the punctures being endoscopic. There were no complications of puncture such as enterocutaneous fistulae, vaginal injury, prostatic injury, or presacral bleeding . Only one (2.3%) patient had a small amount of blood in the stools, which was relieved by anal pressure. cCR had a sensitivity of 57.8% (26/45) for determining pCR, specificity of 81.5% (53/65), accuracy of 71.8% (79/110), positive predictive value 68.4% (26/38), and negative predictive value of 73.6% (53/72). In contrast, the sensitivity of TMFP pathology in determining pCR was 100% (45/45), specificity 66.2% (43/65), accuracy 80.0% (88/110), positive predictive value 67.2% (45/67), and negative predictive value 100.0% (43/43). In this study, the sensitivity of TMFP for pCR (100.0% vs. 57.8%, χ2=24.09, P<0.001) was significantly higher than that for cCR. However, the accuracy of pCR did not differ significantly (80.0% vs. 71.8%, χ2=2.01, P=0.156). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that a ≥4 cm distance between the lower edge of the tumor and the anal verge (OR=7.84, 95%CI: 1.48-41.45, P=0.015), non-cCR (OR=4.81, 95%CI: 1.39-16.69, P=0.013), and pathological diagnosis by TMFP (OR=114.29, the 95%CI: 11.07-1180.28, P<0.001) were risk factors for pCR after NCRT in LARC patients. Additionally, endoscopic puncture (OR=0.02, 95%CI: 0.05-0.77, P=0.020) was a protective factor for pCR after NCRT in LARC patients. The area under the ROC curve of the established prediction model was 0.934 (95%CI: 0.892-0.977), suggesting that the model has good discrimination. The calibration curve was relatively close to the ideal 45° reference line, indicating that the predicted values of the model were in good agreement with the actual values. A decision-making curve showed that the model had a good net clinical benefit. Conclusion: Our predictive model, which incorporates TMFP, has considerable accuracy in predicting pCR after nCRT in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. This may provide a basis for more precisely selecting individualized therapy.

[Effects of Rhodiola rosea injection on intrapulmonary shunt and blood IL-6 and TNF-α levels during single lung ventilation in patients undergoing radical resection of esophageal cancer]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effects of Rhodiola rosea injection on pulmonary shunt and serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels during single lung ventilation in patients undergoing radical resection of esophageal cancer.

METHODS

Forty-six patients undergoing radical operation for esophageal cancer were randomized equally into control group and Rhodiola rosea injection group. In the Rhodiola group, 10 mL of Rhodiola rosea injection was added into 250 mL of normal saline or 5% glucose solution for slow intravenous infusion, and normal saline of the same volume was used in the control group after the patients entered the operation room. At T0, T1 and T3, PaO2 of the patient was recorded and 2 mL of deep venous blood was collected for determination of serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels. The incidence of postoperative atelectasis of the patients was recorded.

RESULTS

Compared with those in the control group, the patients receiving Rhodiola rosea injection had significantly higher PaO2 and Qs/Qt at T1 and T2 (P<0.05) and lower serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels at T3 (P<0.05). No significant difference in the incidence of postoperative atelectasis was observed between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Rhodiola rosea injection before anesthesia induction can reduce intrapulmonary shunt during single lung ventilation, improve oxygenation, reduce serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels, and alleviate intraoperative lung injury in patients undergoing radical resection of esophageal cancer.

Brassica napus BnaA09.MYB52 enhances seed coat mucilage accumulation and tolerance to osmotic stress during seed germination in Arabidopsis thaliana

Seed coat mucilage plays an important role in promoting seed germination under adversity. Previous studies have shown that Arabidopsis thaliana MYB52 (AtMYB52) can positively regulate seed coat mucilage accumulation. However, the role of Brassica napus MYB52 (BnaMYB52) in accumulation of seed coat mucilage and tolerance to osmotic stress during seed germination remains largely unknown. We cloned the BnaA09.MYB52 coding domain sequence from B. napus cv ZS11, identified its conserved protein domains and elucidated its relationship with homologues from a range of plant species. Transgenic plants overexpressing BnaA09.MYB52 in the A. thaliana myb52-1 mutant were generated through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and used to assess the possible roles of BnaA09.MYB52 in accumulation of seed coat mucilage and tolerance to osmotic stress during seed germination. Subcellular localization and transcriptional activity assays demonstrated that BnaA09.MYB52 functions as a transcription factor. RT-qPCR results indicate that BnaA09.MYB52 is predominantly expressed in roots and developing seeds of B. napus cv ZS11. Introduction of BnaA09.MYB52 into myb52-1 restored thinner seed coat mucilage in this mutant to levels in the wild type. Consistently, expression levels of three key genes participating in mucilage formation in developing seeds of myb52-1 were also restored to wild type levels by overexpressing BnaA09.MYB52. Furthermore, BnaA09.MYB52 was induced by osmotic stress during seed germination in B. napus, and ectopic expression of BnaA09.MYB52 successfully corrected sensitivity of the myb52-1 mutant to osmotic stress during seed germination. These findings enhance our understanding of the functions of BnaA09.MYB52 and provide a novel strategy for future B. napus breeding.

Subtyping of triple-negative breast cancers: its prognostication and implications in diagnosis of breast origin

BACKGROUND

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtyping by gene profiling has provided valuable clinical information. Here, we aimed to evaluate the relevance of TNBC subtyping using immunohistochemistry (IHC), which could be a more clinically practical approach, for prognostication and applications in patient management.

METHODS

A total of 123 TNBC cases were classified using androgen receptor (AR), CD8, Forkhead box C1 protein (FOXC1), and doublecortin-like kinase 1 (DCLK1) into luminal androgen receptor (LAR), basal-like immunosuppressive (BLIS), mesenchymal-like (MES), and immunomodulatory (IM) subtypes. The IM cases were further divided into the IM-excluded and IM-inflamed categories by CD8 spatial distribution. Their clinicopathological and biomarker profiles and prognoses were evaluated.

RESULTS

LAR (28.6%) and MES (11.2%) were the most and least frequent subtypes. The IHC-TNBC subtypes demonstrated distinct clinicopathological features and biomarker profiles, corresponding to the reported features in gene profiling studies. IM-inflamed subtype had the best outcome, while BLIS had a significantly poorer survival. Differential breast-specific marker expressions were found. Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type 1 (TRPS1) was more sensitive for IM-inflamed and BLIS, GATA-binding protein 3 (GATA3) for IM-excluded and MES, and gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP15) for LAR subtypes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrated the feasibility of IHC surrogates to stratify TNBC subtypes with distinct features and prognoses. The IM subtype can be refined by its CD8 spatial pattern. Breast-specific marker expression varied among the subtypes. Marker selection should be tailored accordingly.

Cyclic peptide conjugated photosensitizer for targeted phototheranostics of gram-negative bacterial infection

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising alternative to antibiotics for eradicating pathogenic bacterial infections. It holds advantage of not inducing antimicrobial resistance but is limited for the treatment of gram-negative bacterial infection due to the lack of photosensitizer (PS) capable of targeted permeating the outer membrane (OM) of gram-negative bacteria. To facilitate the targeted permeability of PS, cyclic polymyxin b nonapeptide that can specifically bind to the lipopolysaccharide on OM, is conjugated to an FDA approved PS chlorin e6 via variable linkers. Based on structure to activity study, C6pCe6 with aminohexanoic linker and P2pCe6 with amino-3, 6-dioxaoctanoic linker are identified to preferentially image gram-negative bacteria. These two conjugates also exhibit improved aqueous dispersity and enhanced ROS generation, consequently enabled their selective bactericidal activities against gram-negative bacteria upon 660 nm light irradiation. The effective photobactericidal ability of P2pCe6 is further validated on P. aeruginosa infected G. mellonella. Moreover, it is demonstrated to effectively treat the P. aeruginosa infection and accelerate the healing process at the wound site of mouse. Owing to the light irradiation triggered targeted imaging and enhanced bactericidal capacities, P2pCe6 hold great potential to serve as a potent PS for mediating the phototheranostics of gram-negative bacterial infection.

Dimple Grinding Coupled with Optical Microscopy for Porosity Analysis of Metallic Coatings

Dimple grinding is one of the steps used in a common method of preparing samples for transmission electron microscopy (TEM); the TEM sample preparation process also involves ion beam sputtering after the dimpling stage. During dimpling, a spherical depression is machined into the sample, leaving a thicker rim to support and facilitate sample handling. In this paper, an alternative application for dimple grinding is developed; dimple grinding combined with optical microscopy is utilized to quantify internal porosity present within coatings. This technique essentially permits three dimensional porosity quantification across the coating thickness using a simple polishing method which provides analysis of areas larger than those observed during standard cross sectional microscopy. The application of this technique to nine electroless nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) coatings deposited on Mg substrates is demonstrated. An analysis linking medium P content in the Ni-P coatings and high coating thickness to lower porosity is also performed. The lowest porosity was observed for medium P content coatings (5.2 wt% P), while the largest porosity occurred for the high P content coatings (10.0 wt% P). Porosity levels decreased continuously with increasing coating thickness (from 28 µm to 57 µm).

Integrated Physiologic and Proteomic Analyses Reveal the Molecular Mechanism of Navicula sp. in Response to Ultraviolet Irradiation Stress

With the continuous development of space station construction, space ecosystem research has attracted increasing attention. However, the complicated responses of different candidate plants and algae to radiation stress remain unclear. The present study, using integrated physiologic and proteomic analyses, was carried out to reveal the molecular mechanism of Navicula sp. in response to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation stress. Under 12~24 h of high-dose UV irradiation conditions, the contents of chlorophyll and soluble proteins in Navicula sp. cells were significantly higher than those in the control and 4~8 h of low-dose UV irradiation groups. The activity of catalase (CAT) increased with the extension of irradiation time, and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased first and then increased. Furthermore, differential volcano plot analysis of the proteomic data of Navicula sp. samples found only one protein with a significant difference. Differential protein GO analysis unveiled that UV irradiation can activate the antioxidant system of Navicula sp. and further impact photosynthesis by affecting the photoreaction and chlorophyll synthesis of Navicula sp. The most significant differences in KEGG pathway analysis were also associated with photosynthesis. The above results indicate that Navicula sp. has good UV radiation resistance ability by regulating its photosynthetic pigment content, photosynthetic activity, and antioxidant system, making it a potential candidate for the future development of space ecosystems.

Prenatal and childhood lead exposure is prospectively associated with biological markers of aging in adolescence

Few studies have related early life lead exposure to adolescent biological aging, a period characterized by marked increases in maturational tempo. We examined associations between prenatal and childhood lead exposure and adolescent biological age (mean 14.5 years) utilizing multiple epigenetic clocks including: intrinsic (IEAA), extrinsic (EEAA), Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, GrimAge, Skin-Blood, Wu, PedBE, as well as DNA methylation derived telomere length (DNAmTL). Epigenetic clocks and DNAmTL were calculated via adolescent blood DNA methylation measured by Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChips. We constructed general linear models (GLMs) with individual lead measures predicting biological age. We additionally examined sex-stratified models and lead by sex interactions, adjusting for adolescent age and lead levels, maternal smoking and education, and proportion of cell types. We also estimated effects of lead exposure on biological age using generalized estimating equations (GEE). First trimester blood lead was positively associated with a 0.14 increase in EEAA age in the GLMs though not the GEE models (95%CI 0.03, 0.25). First and 2nd trimester blood lead levels were associated with a 0.02 year increase in PedBE age in GLM and GEE models (1st trimester, 95%CI 0.004, 0.03; 2nd trimester, 95%CI 0.01, 0.03). Third trimester and 24 month blood lead levels were associated with a -0.06 and -0.05 decrease in Skin-Blood age, respectively, in GLM models. Additionally, 3rd trimester blood lead levels were associated with a 0.08 year decrease in Hannum age in GLM and GEE models (95%CI -0.15, -0.01). There were multiple significant results in sex-stratified models and significant lead by sex interactions, where males experienced accelerated biological age, compared to females who saw a decelerated biological age, with respect to IEAA, EEAA, Horvath, Hannum, and PedBE clocks. Further research is needed to understand sex-specific relationships between lead exposure and measures of biological aging in adolescence and the trajectory of biological aging into young adulthood.

[Clinicopathological analysis of gonadal differentiation of sex development disorder]

Objective: To investigate pathological features and differential diagnosis in the gonads with disorder of sex development. Methods: Thirty-six cases of clinically diagnosed hermaphroditism with gonadal biopsy in the Department of Pathology, the Seventh Medical Center of People's Liberation Army General Hospital from April 2007 to July 2021, were collected. All biopsy pathological sections were reviewed, and the gonadal cases with abnormal pathological morphology were screened out. The clinical and imaging data and karyotype of these cases were reviewed. Additional immunohistochemical staining was performed and relevant literature was reviewed. Results: Seven cases of ovotesticular disorder of sex development (OTDSD) were identified, which were characterized by the presence of testicular and ovarian differentiation in the same individual. All patients were under 15 years old and presented with abnormal appearance of external genitalia, and the ratio of male to female was 2∶5. Ultrasonography showed testicular structure in all female patients and cryptorchidism in all male patients. The most common karyotype was 46, XX. One case with undifferentiated gonadal tissue (UGT) and one case with streak gonads were screened out. UGT germ cells were neither in seminiferous tubules nor in follicles, but randomly distributed in an ovarial-type interstitial background, sometimes accompanied by immature sex cords. Streak gonads resembled UGT without germ cells. FOXL2 was positive in granulosa cells, but negative in Sertoli cells. SOX9 expression was opposite. OCT4 was weakly positively/negatively expressed in oocytes and positively expressed in the germ nuclei of UGT. Conclusions: Four differentiation patterns need to be identified in the gonadal biopsy: ovarian differentiation, testicular differentiation, undifferentiated gonadal tissue and streak gonad. The positive expression of SOX9 indicates testicular differentiation, while the positive expression of FOXL2 confirms ovarian differentiation, and the expression of both markers in the same tissue indicates ovotestis differentiation. It is very important to identify UGT, because that has a high probability of developing into gonadoblastoma in the future.

Design, Synthesis, and Anti-Osteoporotic Characterization of Arginine N-Glycosylated Teriparatide Analogs via the Silver-catalyzed Solid-Phase Glycosylation Strategy

In spite of effective antiosteoporosis potency, teriparatide, a bone-building agent approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), was proven to exhibit various side effects. In our previous work, we developed a universal strategy for synthesizing arginine N-glycosylated peptides termed silver-promoted solid-phase glycosylation (SSG) strategy. However, it is unknown whether the SSG strategy can be applied in the peptide drug design. Herein, we first reported the optimization of teriparatide via SSG strategy. Using Arg20 and/or Arg25 as the modifying positions, three series of arginine N-glycosylated teriparatide analogs were successfully synthesized, of which the introduced sugar groups included glucose, galactose, mannose, rhamnose, ribose, 2-acetamino-2-deoxy-glucose, xylose, lactose, and maltose. Among the 27 arginine N-glycosylated derivatives, Arg20-xylose and Arg25-maltose teriparatide analogs, termed PTH-1g and PTH-2i, respectively, indicated enhanced serum stability and significantly improved antiosteoporotic activities in vitro and in vivo compared with the native counterpart. They may serve as effective therapeutic candidates for treating osteoporosis.

Discovery of novel antibacterial agent for the infected wound treatment: all-hydrocarbon stapling optimization of LL-37

Rationale: Antimicrobial peptide LL-37 has been recognized as a favorable alternative to antibiotics due to its broad antibacterial spectrum, low resistance development and diverse biological activities. However, its high manufactory cost, poor proteolytic stability, and unpredictable cytotoxicity seriously hindered its medical translation. Methods: To push the frontiers of its clinical application, all-hydrocarbon stapling strategy was exploited here for the structural modification of KR-12, the core and minimal fragment of LL-37. Results: Based on a library of KR-12 derivatives that designed and synthesized to be stapled at positions of either i, i+4 or i, i+7, structure to activity relationship was investigated. Among them, KR-12(Q5, D9) with the glutamine and aspartic acid residues stapled displayed increased helical content and positive charge. The reinforced α-helical conformation not only protected it from proteolytic hydrolysis but also improved its antibacterial efficacy via effective membrane perturbation and anti-inflammatory efficacy via compact LPS binding. Besides, the increased positive charge endowed it with an enhanced therapeutic index. On infected wound mouse model, it was demonstrated to eliminate bacteria and promote wound closure and regeneration effectively. Conclusion: Overall, the all-hydrocarbon stapling was proven to lay the foundation for the future development of antibacterial agents. KR-12(Q5, D9) could serve as a lead compound for the clinical treatment of bacterial infections.

Discovery of a novel antifungal agent: All-hydrocarbon stapling modification of peptide Aurein1.2

Aurein1.2 is secreted by the Australian tree frog Litoria aurea and is active against a broad range of infectious microbes including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Its antifungal potency has garnered considerable interest in developing novel classes of natural antifungal agents to fight pathogenic infection by fungi. However, serious pharmacological hurdles remain, hindering its clinical translation. To alleviate its susceptibility to proteolytic degradation and improve its antifungal activity, six conformationally locked peptides were synthesized through hydrocarbon stapling modification and evaluated for their physicochemical and antifungal parameters. Among them, SAU2-4 exhibited significant improvement in helicity levels, protease resistance, and antifungal activity compared to the template linear peptide Aurein1.2. These results confirmed the prominent role of hydrocarbon stapling modification in the manipulation of peptide pharmacological properties and enhanced the application potential of Aurein1.2 in the field of antifungal agent development.

Machine-learning-based performance comparison of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) CT radiomics features for intracerebral haemorrhage expansion

AIM

To investigate the value of non-contrast CT (NCCT)-based two-dimensional (2D) radiomics features in predicting haematoma expansion (HE) after spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) and compare its predictive ability with the three-dimensional (3D) signature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three hundred and seven ICH patients who received baseline NCCT within 6 h of ictus from two stroke centres were analysed retrospectively. 2D and 3D radiomics features were extracted in the manner of one-to-one correspondence. The 2D and 3D models were generated by four different machine-learning algorithms (regularised L1 logistic regression, decision tree, support vector machine and AdaBoost), and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to compare their predictive performance. A robustness analysis was performed according to baseline haematoma volume.

RESULTS

Each feature type of 2D and 3D modalities used for subsequent analyses had excellent consistency (mean ICC >0.9). Among the different machine-learning algorithms, pairwise comparison showed no significant difference in both the training (mean area under the ROC curve [AUC] 0.858 versus 0.802, all p>0.05) and validation datasets (mean AUC 0.725 versus 0.678, all p>0.05), and the 10-fold cross-validation evaluation yielded similar results. The AUCs of the 2D and 3D models were comparable either in the binary or tertile volume analysis (all p>0.5).

CONCLUSION

NCCT-derived 2D radiomics features exhibited acceptable and similar performance to the 3D features in predicting HE, and this comparability seemed unaffected by initial haematoma volume. The 2D signature may be preferred in future HE-related radiomic works given its compatibility with emergency condition of ICH.

Enhanced Tumor Targeting and Penetration of Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras through iRGD Peptide Conjugation: A Strategy for Precise Protein Degradation in Breast Cancer

Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) have recently emerged as a promising technology for drug development. However, poor water solubility, limited tissue selectivity, and inadequate tumor penetration pose significant challenges for PROTAC-based therapies in cancer treatment. Herein, we developed an iRGD-PROTAC conjugation strategy utilizing tumor-penetrating cyclic peptide iRGD (CRGDK/RGPD/EC) to deliver PROTACs deep into breast cancer tissues. As a conceptual validation study, iRGD peptides were conjugated with a bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) PROTAC through a GSH-responsive linker. The resulting iRGD-PROTAC conjugate iPR showed enhanced water solubility, tumor-targeting capability, and penetration within tumor tissues, resulting in increased antibreast cancer efficacy in animal models and patient-derived organoids. This study demonstrates the advantages of combining iRGD and PROTACs in improving drug delivery and highlights the importance of tissue selectivity and penetration ability in PROTAC-based therapeutics.

Using CT imaging features to predict visceral pleural invasion of non-small-cell lung cancer

AIM

To examine the diagnostic performance of different models based on computed tomography (CT) imaging features in differentiating the invasiveness of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with multiple pleural contact types.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 1,573 patients with NSCLC (tumour size ≤3 cm) were included retrospectively. The clinical and pathological data and preoperative imaging features of these patients were investigated and their relationships with visceral pleural invasion (VPI) were compared statistically. Multivariate logistic regression was used to eliminate confounding factors and establish different predictive models.

RESULTS

By univariate analysis and multivariable adjustment, surgical history, tumour marker (TM), number of pleural tags, length of solid contact and obstructive inflammation were identified as independent risk predictors of pleural invasiveness (p=0.014, 0.003, <0.001, <0.001, and 0.017, respectively). In the training group, comparison of the diagnostic efficacy between the combined model including these five independent predictors and the image feature model involving the latter three imaging predictors were as follows: sensitivity of 88.9% versus 77% and specificity of 73.5% versus 84.1%, with AUC of 0.868 (95% CI: 0.848-0.886) versus 0.862 (95% CI: 0.842-0.880; p=0.377). In the validation group, the sensitivity and specificity of these two models were as follow: the combined model, 93.5% and 74.3%, the imaging feature model, 77.4% and 81.3%, and their areas under the curve (AUCs) were both 0.884 (95% CI: 0.842-0.919). The best cut-off value of length of solid contact was 7.5 mm (sensitivity 68.9%, specificity 75.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

The image feature model showed great potential in predicting pleural invasiveness, and had comparable diagnostic efficacy compared with the combined model containing clinical data.

[Resistance to deltamethrin and its association with mutation sites in the sodium iron channel domain III gene in Rhipicephalus microplus in Huaihua City of Hunan Province]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the level of deltamethrin resistance and mutation sites in the sodium iron channel gene in Rhipicephalus microplus in Huaihua City, Hunan Province, and to examine the correlation between deltamethrin resistance and mutation sites in the sodium iron channel gene in Rh. microplus.

METHODS

Rh. microplus was sampled from multiple yellow cattle farms in Huaihua City, Hunan Province from June to September 2022, and the level of resistance to deltamethrin was determined in ticks using the adult immersion test. The sodium iron channel domain III gene was amplified in deltamethrin-resistant and wild-type Rh. microplus using PCR assay. Following sequencing and sequence alignment, mutation sites were detected in bases. The sodium iron channel domain III gene in Rh. microplus was translated, and the signal peptide, transmembrane domain, and phosphorylation and glycosylation sites were detected in amino acid sequences. The tertiary structures of the sodium iron channel domain III protein of deltamethrin-resistant and wild-type Rh. microplus were deduced and compared, and the association be tween mutation sites in bases and resistance to deltamethrin was examined in Rh. microplus according the level of deltamethrin resistance, sequence alignment and protein tertiary structure.

RESULTS

The median (LC50) and 95% lethal concentrations (LC95) of deltamethrin were 121.39 mg/L and 952.61 mg/L against Rh. microplus, with a resistance factor of 9.24 and level II resistance. The sequence of the sodium ion channel domain III gene was 1 010 bp in size, and mutation sites were detected in two neighboring bases in the sequence of the sodium ion channel domain III gene in deltamethrin-resistant Rh. microplus. Although no signal peptides were found in the sodium iron channel domain III protein of deltamethrin-resistant or wild-type Rh. microplus, 6 trans-membrane domains, 42 phosphorylation sites and 8 glycosylation sites were identified, with a significant difference in the tertiary structure of the sodium iron channel domain III protein between deltamethrin-resistant and wild-type Rh. microplus.

CONCLUSIONS

Level II resistance to deltamethrin is detected in Rh. microplus in Huaihua City, Hunan Province, and two mutation sites that correlate with the emergence of deltamethrin resistance are identified in the sequence of the sodium iron channel domain III gene in deltamethrin-resistant Rh. microplus.

Unleashing the potential of natural biological peptide Macropin: Hydrocarbon stapling for effective breast cancer treatment

The identification of novel candidate molecules with the potential to revolutionize the treatment of breast cancer holds profound clinical significance. Macropin (Mac)-1, derived from the venom of wild bees, emerges as an auspicious therapeutic agent for combating breast cancers. Nevertheless, linear peptides have long grappled with the challenges of traversing cell membranes and succumbing to protease hydrolysis. To address this challenge, the present study employed hydrocarbon stapling modification to synthesize a range of stapled Mac-1 peptides, which were comprehensively evaluated for their chemical and biological properties. Significantly, Mac-1-sp4 exhibited a remarkable set of improvements, including enhanced helicity, proteolytic stability, cell membrane permeability, induction of cell apoptosis, in vivo antitumor activity, and inhibition of tubulin polymerization. This study explores the significant impact of the hydrocarbon stapling technique on the secondary structure, hydrolase stability, and biological activity of Mac-1, shedding light on its potential as a revolutionary and potent anti-breast cancer therapy. The findings establish a strong basis for the development of innovative and highly effective anti-tumor treatments.

Validating genomic prediction for nitrogen efficiency index and its composition traits of Holstein cows in early lactation

Nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE) is an economically important trait for dairy cows. Recently, we proposed a new N efficiency index (NEI), that simultaneously considers both NUE and N pollution. This study aimed to validate the genomic prediction for NEI and its composition traits and investigate the relationship between SNP effects estimated directly from NEI and indirectly from its composition traits. The NEI composition included genomic estimated breeding value of N intake (NINT), milk true protein N (MTPN) and milk urea N yield. The edited data were 132,899 records on 52,064 cows distributed in 773 herds. The pedigree contained 122,368 animals. Genotypic data of 566,294 SNP was available for 4514 individuals. A total of 4413 cows (including 181 genotyped) and 56 bulls (including 32 genotyped) were selected as the validation populations. The linear regression method was used to validate the genomic prediction of NEI and its composition traits using best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) and single-step genomic BLUP (ssGBLUP). The mean theoretical accuracies of validation populations obtained from ssGBLUP were higher than those obtained from BLUP for both NEI and its composition traits, ranging from 0.57 (MTPN) to 0.72 (NINT). The highest mean prediction accuracies for NEI and its composition traits were observed for the genotyped cows estimated under ssGBLUP, ranging from 0.48 (MTPN) to 0.66 (NINT). Furthermore, the SNP effects estimated from NEI composition traits, multiplied by the relative weight were the same as those estimated directly from NEI. This study preliminary showed that genomic prediction can be used for NEI, however, we acknowledge the need for further validation of this result in a larger dataset. Moreover, the SNP effects of NEI can be indirectly calculated using the SNP effects estimated from its composition traits. This study provided a basis for adding genomic information to establish NEI as part of future routine genomic evaluation programs.

Improving the visualisation of perforator arteries for anterolateral thigh flaps harvest in CT angiography via sublingual glyceryl trinitrate

AIM

To investigate the improvement of image quality and visualisation of the anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap perforators on computed tomography angiography (CTA) after administration of sublingual glyceryl trinitrate (GTN).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sixty patients with oral lesions received thigh CTA examinations were divided randomly into two groups after administration of sublingual GTN (GTN group) or without administration of sublingual GTN (non-GTN group). Two radiologists calculated the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and assessed the image quality of each vessel. Besides, the grade of thigh artery, the lumen diameter of deep femoral artery, lateral circumflex femoral artery (LCFA), the descending branch of LCFA and its proximal and distal perforators, and the number and type of visible perforators were evaluated quantitatively.

RESULTS

The SNR and CNR were not significantly different between the two groups (p>0.05). The image quality of CTA in the GTN group was significantly better than that in the non-GTN group (p<0.01). The lumen diameters of the deep femoral artery, LCFA, the descending branch of LCFA and its perforators were significantly larger in the GTN group than those in the non-GTN group (p<0.01). Compared with the non-GTN group, the number of visible perforators and the number of visible septocutaneous perforators were significantly more in the GTN group, and the qualitative grade of visible perforators was significantly higher (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The administration of sublingual GTN in preoperative thigh CTA can improve the image quality and visualisation of perforator vessels, thus could help surgeons to select the optimum ALT flaps.

Multi-dimensional radiomics analysis to predict visceral pleural invasion in lung adenocarcinoma of ≤3 cm maximum diameter

AIM

To explore the value of radiomics analysis in preoperatively predicting visceral pleural invasion (VPI) of lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) with ≤3 cm maximum diameter and to compare the performance of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) radiomics models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 391 LAC patients were enrolled retrospectively, of whom 142 were VPI (+) and 249 were VPI (-). Radiomics features were extracted from 2D and 3D regions of interest (ROIs) of tumours in CT images. 2D and 3D radiomics models were developed combining the optimal radiomics features by using the logistic regression machine-learning method and radiomics scores (rad-scores) were calculated. Nomograms were constructed by integrating independent risk factors and rad-scores. The performance of each model was evaluated by using the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve, decision curve analysis (DCA), clinical impact curve (CIC), and calculating the area under the curve (AUC).

RESULTS

There was no difference in the VPI prediction between 2D and 3D radiomics models (training group: 2D AUC=0.835, 3D AUC=0.836, p=0.896; validation group: 2D AUC=0.803, 3D AUC=0.794, p=0.567). The 2D and 3D nomograms performed similarly regarding discrimination (training group: 2D AUC=0.867, 3D AUC=0.862, p=0.409, validation group: 2D AUC=0.835, 3D AUC=0.827, p=0.558), and outperformed their corresponding radiomics models and the clinical model. DCA and CIC revealed that the 2D nomogram had slightly better clinical utility.

CONCLUSION

The 2D radiomics model has a similar discrimination capability compared with the 3D radiomics model. The 2D nomogram performs slightly better for individual VPI prediction in LAC.

Corrigendum: Design, synthesis, and antitumor activity study of all-hydrocarbon-stapled B1-Leu peptides

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.840131.].

Second Data Release from the European Pulsar Timing Array: Challenging the Ultralight Dark Matter Paradigm

Pulsar Timing Array experiments probe the presence of possible scalar or pseudoscalar ultralight dark matter particles through decade-long timing of an ensemble of galactic millisecond radio pulsars. With the second data release of the European Pulsar Timing Array, we focus on the most robust scenario, in which dark matter interacts only gravitationally with ordinary baryonic matter. Our results show that ultralight particles with masses 10^{-24.0}  eV≲m≲10^{-23.3}  eV cannot constitute 100% of the measured local dark matter density, but can have at most local density ρ≲0.3  GeV/cm^{3}.

Softening of a flat phonon mode in the kagome ScV6Sn6

Geometrically frustrated kagome lattices are raising as novel platforms to engineer correlated topological electron flat bands that are prominent to electronic instabilities. Here, we demonstrate a phonon softening at the kz = π plane in ScV6Sn6. The low energy longitudinal phonon collapses at ~98 K and q = [Formula: see text] due to the electron-phonon interaction, without the emergence of long-range charge order which sets in at a different propagation vector qCDW = [Formula: see text]. Theoretical calculations corroborate the experimental finding to indicate that the leading instability is located at [Formula: see text] of a rather flat mode. We relate the phonon renormalization to the orbital-resolved susceptibility of the trigonal Sn atoms and explain the approximately flat phonon dispersion. Our data report the first example of the collapse of a kagome bosonic mode and promote the 166 compounds of kagomes as primary candidates to explore correlated flat phonon-topological flat electron physics.

Associations of prenatal and childhood Pb exposure with allostatic load in adolescence: Findings from the ELEMENT cohort study

The biological pathways which link lead (Pb) and long-term outcomes are unclear, though rodent models and a few human studies suggest Pb may alter the body's stress response systems, which over time, can elicit dysregulated stress responses with cumulative impacts. This study examined associations between prenatal and early childhood Pb exposure and adolescent allostatic load, an index of an individual's body burden of stress in multiple biological systems, and further examined sex-based associations. Among 391 (51% male) participants in the ELEMENT birth cohort, we related trimester-specific maternal blood Pb, 1-month postpartum maternal tibia and patella Pb, and child blood Pb at 12-24 months to an allostatic load index in adolescence comprised of biomarkers of cardiovascular, metabolic, neuroendocrine, and immune function. The results were overall mixed, with prenatal exposure, particularly maternal bone Pb, being positively associated with allostatic load, and early childhood Pb showing mixed results for males and females. In adjusted Poisson regression models, 1 mcg/g increase in tibia Pb was associated with a 1% change in expected allostatic load (IRR = 1.01; 95%CI 0.99, 1.02). We found a significant Pb × sex interaction (IRR = 1.05; 95%CI 1.01, 1.10); where males saw an increasing percent change in allostatic load as 12 month Pb levels increased compared to females who saw a decreasing allostatic load. Further examination of allostatic load will facilitate the determination of potential mechanistic pathways between developmental toxicant exposures and later-in-life cardiometabolic outcomes.

Efficacy and Safety of High-Dose Vitamin C Combined with Total Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer (HCCSC R02 Study)

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Forpatients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), the standard treatment is fluoropyrimidine (FU) -based neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) combined with curative surgery. The CAO/ARO/AIO-04 trial and FORWARC trial reported that the addition of oxaliplatin to FU -based NCRT contributed to improve pathologic complete response (pCR), nevertheless, increased the acute therapeutic toxicity. Some studies showed that vitamin C (VitC) had potential benefits on anti-tumor therapy and anti-inflammatory response. Therefore, we conducted this HCCSC R02 study to explore the efficacy and safety of adding a high-dose intravenous VitC to mFOLFOX6/XELOX -based NCRT in LARC.

MATERIALS/METHODS

HCCSCR02 study was designed as a prospective, single-center phase II trial, which including pts aged 18-75 years with stage II/III rectal adenocarcinoma, distance from anus ≤12cm. The enrollment criteria included: staged with MRI as cT3/cT4 or cN1/2, or mesorectal fascia involvement (MRF+), or difficult to preserve the anus. Patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme(G6PD) deficiency were excluded. Pelvic intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was given in 45-50.4Gy/25-28 fractions. Concurrently, two cycles of chemotherapy (mFOLFOX6 or XELOX) were administered during IMRT, as well as intravenous VitC (24g) delivered daily after the end of each radiation therapy. Additional 2-3 cycles of mFOLFOX6 / XELOX were adopted between the completion of radiotherapy and surgery. The primary endpoint was pCR rate. The secondary endpoints included radiation-related toxicities, overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). This study is still recruiting.

RESULTS

From May 15, 2021 to Feb 8, 2023, 19 pts were recruited and finished all the scheduled NCRT, of which the proportion of cT4, cT3, cN2, cN1 were 31.6%, 63.2%, 52.6%, 36.8%, respectively. In addition, 10 pts (52.6%) were diagnosed as MRF+ initially, and 8 pts (42.1%) had a lower primary tumor(≤5cm) who were considered difficult for anal preservation before NCRT. All subjects enrolled were confirmed to be proficient mismatch repair (pMMR). As a result, 18 pts underwent a total mesorectal excision (TME) all with R0-resection, and 8 pts were evaluated as pCR (44.4%, 8/18, confidence interval: 0.246-0.663), 11 as major pathological response rate (MPR) (61.6%, 11/18), respectively. The anus preservation rate in patients with lower diseases was 87.5% (7/8). One case accepted a watch-and-wait strategy because of clinical complete response (cCR). Overall, grade 3 toxicities were observed in 4 pts, including 3 leucopenia (15.8%, 3/19), 2 neutropenia (10.5%, 2/19) and 1 diarrhea (5.3%, 1/19). No grade 4 adverse event was observed.

CONCLUSION

The addition of high-dose VitC to the mFOLFOX6/XELOX-based NCRT in LARC showed a promising pCR, well tolerance, particularly low rate of diarrhea, thus warrants further investigation.

CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION

NCT04801511.

Impact of shift work on dementia: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Although shift work has been reported as having a link to dementia, evidence remains inconsistent, and a comprehensive dose-response meta-analysis of the association is still lacking. We therefore conducted this meta-analysis to explore the association between shift work and the risk of dementia.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched. Fixed or random-effects models were used to estimate the summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Generalized least squares regression was used to estimate dose-response associations, and restricted cubic splines were used to examine possible linear or non-linear associations.

RESULTS

Five articles (10 studies) with 72,999 participants and 23,067 cases were eventually included in the meta-analysis. The summary RRs and 95% CIs of dementia risk with shift work and night shift work versus daytime work were 1.13 (95% CI: 1.05-1.21, I2 = 46.70%) and 1.13 (95% CI: 1.03-1.24, I2 = 9.20%), respectively. The risk of dementia increased by 1% (RR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.01-1.02, I2 = 41.3%) with each 1-year increase in the duration of shift work. We found a non-linear dose-response association between the duration of shift work and the risk of dementia (Pnon-linearity = 0.006). Though the shape of the curve was steeper with the duration of shift work <7 years, the increase was more gradual after 7 years.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that shift work may be a risk factor for future dementia and that controlling the length of shift work is a feasible measure that may contribute to prevent dementia.

[The value of a nomogram for predicting the outcome of intracerebral hemorrhage based on clinical characteristics and diffusion-weighted imaging of hyperintense lesions]

Objective: To investigate the value of a nomogram predicting the outcome of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) based on clinical characteristics and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of hyperintense lesions. Methods: A case-control study. Consecutive patients, aged 30-88(59±13) years old, with ICH were recruited at the Stroke Center of Zhengzhou People's Hospital from January 2018 to August 2021. Patients were divided into a group with DWI lesions and a group without DWI lesions depending on whether there were DWI hyperintense lesions distant from the hematoma. Prognosis was evaluated at 90 days via the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify independent predictors of a poor ICH outcome (mRS score≥4), and a nomogram model was developed. The performance of the nomogram was validated via the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and a calibration chart. Results: Of the 303 patients included in the study, 24.8% presented with DWI lesions; 17.5% with asymptomatic DWI lesions and 7.3% with symptomatic DWI lesions. Poor outcomes were significantly more frequent in the group with DWI lesions than in the group without DWI lesions (χ2=21.32, P<0.001). In multivariable regression analysis, age [odds ratio (OR)=1.032, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.002-1.063, P=0.035], hematoma volume (OR=1.050, 95%CI 1.011-1.090, P=0.012), hematoma location (OR=3.839, 95%CI 1.248-11.805, P=0.019), DWI lesions (OR=3.955, 95%CI 1.906-8.206, P<0.001), and baseline NIHSS scores (OR=1.102, 95%CI 1.038-1.170, P=0.001) were independent predictors of a poor outcome. In subgroup analysis patients with asymptomatic DWI lesions had a 3-fold greater risk of a poor outcome compared to those without DWI lesions (OR=3.135, 95%CI 1.382-7.112, P=0.006), and patients with symptomatic DWI lesions had a 7-fold greater risk of a poor outcome compared to those without DWI lesions (OR=7.126, 95%CI 2.279-22.277, P=0.001). A nomogram model was established based on the independent predictors for a poor outcome. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.846 (95%CI 0.795-0.898), and a calibration chart indicated good consistency between values predicted by the nomogram and actual observed values. Conclusions: DWI lesions are an independent risk factor for a poor outcome in patients with ICH-particularly symptomatic DWI lesions. A nomogram model based on clinical characteristics and DWI lesions exhibited good efficacy when predicting the outcome of ICH.

The regulatory metabolic networks of the Brassica campestris L. hairy roots in response to cadmium stress revealed from proteome studies combined with a transcriptome analysis

Brassica campestris L., a cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulating herbaceous plant, is considered as a promising candidate for the bioremediation of Cd pollution. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating these processes remain unclear. The present work, using proteome studies combined with a transcriptome analysis, was carried out to reveal the response mechanisms of the hairy roots of Brassica campestris L. under Cd stress. Significant tissue necrosis and cellular damage occurred, and Cd accumulation was observed in the cell walls and vacuoles of the hairy roots. Through quantitative proteomic profiling, a total of 1424 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, and are known to be enriched in processes including phenylalanine metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, cysteine and methionine metabolism, protein export, isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis and flavone biosynthesis. Further studies combined with a transcriptome analysis found that 118 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and their corresponding proteins were simultaneously up- or downregulated. Further Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis of the 118 shared DEGs and DEPs indicated their involvement in calcium, ROS and hormone signaling-mediated response, including regulation of carbohydrate and energy metabolism, biosynthesis of GSH, PCs and phenylpropanoid compounds that play vital roles in the Cd tolerance of Brassica campestris L. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the regulatory networks of Brassica campestris L. under Cd stress, as well as provide valuable information on candidate genes (e.g., BrPAL, BrTAT, Br4CL, BrCDPK, BrRBOH, BrCALM, BrABCG1/2, BrVIP, BrGCLC, BrilvE, BrGST12/13/25). These results are of particular importance to the subsequent development of promising transgenic plants that will hyperaccumulate heavy metals and efficient phytoremediation processes.

[The value of transanal multipoint full-layer puncture biopsy in determining the response degree of rectal cancer following neoadjuvant therapy: a prospective multicenter study]

Objective: To verify the feasibility and accuracy of the transanal multipoint full-layer puncture biopsy (TMFP) technique in determining the residual status of cancer foci after neoadjuvant therapy (nCRT) in rectal cancer. Methods: Between April 2020 and November 2022, a total of 78 patients from the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital of Capital Medical University, the Beijing Friendship Hospital of Capital Medical University, the Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University with advanced rectal cancer received TMFP after nCRT participated in this prospective multicenter trial. There were 53 males and 25 females, aged (M(IQR)) 61 (13) years (range: 35 to 77 years). The tumor distance from the anal verge was 5 (3) cm (range: 2 to 10 cm). The waiting time between nCRT and TMFP was 73 (26) days (range: 33 to 330 days). 13-point transanal puncture was performed with a 16 G tissue biopsy needle with the residual lesion as the center. The specimens were submitted for independent examination and the complications of the puncture were recorded. The consistency of TMFP and radical operation specimen was compared. The consistency of TMPF with clinical remission rates for the diagnosis of complete pathological remission was compared by sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value and accuracy. Statistical analysis between groups was performed using the χ2 analysis, and a paired χ2 test was used to compare diagnostic validity. Results: Before TMFP, clinical complete response (cCR) was evaluated in 27 cases. Thirty-six cases received in vivo puncture, the number of punctures in each patient was 13 (8) (range: 4 to 20), 24 cases of tumor residue were found in the puncture specimens. The sensitivity to judgment (100% vs. 60%, χ2=17.500, P<0.01) and accuracy (88.5% vs. 74.4%, χ2=5.125, P=0.024) of TMFP for the pathologic complete response (pCR) were significantly higher than those of cCR. Implement TMFP based on cCR judgment, the accuracy increased from 74.4% to 92.6% (χ2=4.026, P=0.045). The accuracy of the in vivo puncture was 94.4%, which was 83.3% of the in vitro puncture (χ2=1.382, P=0.240). Overall, the accuracy of TMFP improved gradually with an increasing number of cases (χ2=7.112, P=0.029). Conclusion: TMFP is safe and feasible, which improves the sensitivity and accuracy of rectal cancer pCR determination after nCRT, provides a pathological basis for cCR determination, and contributes to the safe development of the watch and wait policy.

Discovery of an orally effective double-stapled peptide for reducing ovariectomy-induced bone loss in mice

Stapled peptides with significantly enhanced pharmacological profiles have emerged as promising therapeutic molecules due to their remarkable resistance to proteolysis and performance to penetrate cells. The all-hydrocarbon peptide stapling technique has already widely adopted with great success, yielding numerous potent peptide-based molecules. Based on our prior efforts, we conceived and prepared a double-stapled peptide in this study, termed FRNC-1, which effectively attenuated the bone resorption capacity of mature osteoclasts in vitro through specific inhibition of phosphorylated GSK-3β. The double-stapled peptide FRNC-1 displayed notably improved helical contents and resistance to proteolysis than its linear form. Additionally, FRNC-1 effectively prevented osteoclast activation and improved bone density for ovariectomized (OVX) mice after intravenous injection and importantly, after oral (intragastric) administration. The double-stapled peptide FRNC-1 is the first orally effective peptide that has been validated to date as a therapeutic candidate for postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP).

Beneficial effects of pioglitazone and α-lipoic acid in patients with polycystic ovaries syndrome

OBJECTIVE

Changes in hormone levels, improper lipid metabolism, and oxidative stress all significantly contribute to the pathogenic process of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). According to earlier research, pioglitazone and alpha-lipoic acid are crucial in the emergence of PCOS. The beneficial effects of pioglitazone and alpha-lipoic acid on PCOS were examined in the current study.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The 120 patients with PCOS received three months of treatment in pioglitazone groups (n=40 case, 30 mg/time, 1 time/day), α-lipoic acid (n=40 case, 0.6 g/time, 1 time/day), and combination therapy (n=40 case, pioglitazone 30 mg/time, 1 time/day and α-lipoic acid, 0.6 g/time, 1 time/day). Before and after therapy, the following factors were evaluated: the hormonal profile, fasting serum insulin, body weight, body mass index (BMI), menstruation status, oxidative stress, and indications of lipid metabolism.

RESULTS

The combination of pioglitazone and α-lipoic acid has a significantly improving effect on BMI, body weight, oxidative stress levels, lipid metabolism, and menstrual status. A significant increase in body weight, BMI, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were found in mice after being treated with α-lipoic acid alone. However, the use pioglitazone alone improves body weight, BMI, the calculation of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), Area under the curve (AUC)-insulin, fasting glucose/insulin (G/I) ratio, total testosterone, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in post-treatment than pre-treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that pioglitazone alone has a better effect than alpha-lipoic acid in improving oxidative stress levels, BMI, and menstrual cyclicity. Additionally, treatment with pioglitazone and alpha-lipoic acid did demonstrate a greater effect than monotherapy with each medication alone.

pH-Activated Ce-Doped Molybdenum Oxide Nanoclusters for Tumor Microenvironment Responsive Photothermal and Chemodynamic Therapy

Molybdenum-based nanomaterials have shown promise for anticancer treatment due to their strong photothermal and redox-activated capabilities. Herein, we have fabricated cerium-doped MoO_x (Ce-MoO_v) with tunable Mo/Ce molar ratios by a one-pot method and investigated their effect on chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT). It is found that Ce-MoO_v can self-assemble into nanoclusters in acidic conditions and the increasing Ce amount will generate oxygen vacancy defects and induce the valence change of Mo⁶⁺/Mo⁵⁺ and Ce⁴⁺/Ce³⁺, which leads to strong near-infrared absorption with high photothermal conversion efficiency of 71.31 and 49.86% for 808 and 1064 nm. Other than photothermal conversion, the materials demonstrate pH-/glutathione (GSH)-activated photoacoustic (PA) imaging capability in vitro. In addition, Ce-MoO_v acts as a CDT reagent capable of converting endogenous H₂O₂ to two types of reactive oxygen species (^•OH, ¹O₂) while depleting GSH. Ce-MoO_v demonstrates an excellent therapeutic effect against HCT116 cells and effectively reduces the intracellular GSH level and significantly increases the number of reactive radicals under 1064 nm laser irradiation as compared with the no-laser group in vitro. This work provides a new paradigm using lanthanide-doped polymetallic oxides for pH-/GSH-responsive photothermal/chemodynamic therapy with PA imaging ability.

[Research progress of brain MRI in comitant strabismus]

Comitant strabismus is a common type of strabismus, the etiology and pathogenesis of which remain unclear. It is currently believed to be associated with various factors, including anatomy, refractive errors, accommodation, genetics, and neural factors. In recent years, with the improvement of MRI technology and analysis methods, multidimensional presentations of structural and functional changes in different brain regions related to comitant strabismus have been achieved. Undoubtedly, the application of MRI has the potential to contribute to the etiology of strabismus, particularly the study of central mechanisms. This review article summarizes the research progress on cranial MRI in comitant strabismus, with a focus on summarizing the changes and patterns in brain structures, functions, and interconnections in patients with comitant strabismus reported in previous studies. The aim is to provide new insights into the etiology and pathogenesis of comitant strabismus.

[Pathological significance of plasma cell infiltration in diagnosing lymph node diseases]

Objective: To investigate the value of plasma cells for diagnosing lymph node diseases. Methods: Common lymphadenopathy (except plasma cell neoplasms) diagnosed from September 2012 to August 2022 were selected from the pathological records of Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, China. Morphological and immunohistochemical features were analyzed to examine the infiltration pattern, clonality, and IgG and IgG4 expression of plasma cells in these lymphadenopathies, and to summarize the differential diagnoses of plasma cell infiltration in common lymphadenopathies. Results: A total of 236 cases of lymphadenopathies with various degrees of plasma cell infiltration were included in the study. There were 58 cases of Castleman's disease, 55 cases of IgG4-related lymphadenopathy, 14 cases of syphilitic lymphadenitis, 2 cases of rheumatoid lymphadenitis, 18 cases of Rosai-Dorfman disease, 23 cases of Kimura's disease, 13 cases of dermal lymphadenitis and 53 cases of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL). The main features of these lymphadenopathies were lymph node enlargement with various degrees of plasm cell infiltration. A panel of immunohistochemical antibodies were used to examine the distribution of plasma cells and the expression of IgG and IgG4. The presence of lymph node architecture could help determine benign and malignant lesions. The preliminary classification of these lymphadenopathies was based on the infiltration features of plasma cells. The evaluation of IgG and IgG4 as a routine means could exclude the lymph nodes involvement of IgG4-related dieases (IgG4-RD), and whether it was accompanied by autoimmune diseases or multiple-organ diseases, which were of critical evidence for the differential diagnosis. For common lesions of lymphadenopathies, such as Castleman's disease, Kimura's disease, Rosai-Dorfman's disease and dermal lymphadenitis, the expression ratio of IgG4/IgG (>40%) as detected using immunhistochemistry and serum IgG4 levels should be considered as a standard for the possibility of IgG4-RD. The differential diagnosis of multicentric Castleman's diseases and IgG4-RD should be also considered. Conclusions: Infiltration of plasma cells and IgG4-positive plasma cells may be detected in some types of lymphadenopathies and lymphomas in clinicopathological daily practice, but not all of them are related to IgG4-RD. It should be emphasized that the characteristics of plasma cell infiltration and the ratio of IgG4/IgG (>40%) should be considered for further differential diagnosis and avoiding misclassification of lymphadenopathies.

The recent progress of peptide regulators for the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Wnt signaling plays an important role in many biological processes such as stem cell self-renewal, cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. The β-catenin-dependent signaling pathway mainly regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration. In the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, the Wnt family ligands transduce signals through LRP5/6 and Frizzled receptors to the Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascades. Wnt-targeted therapy has garnered extensive attention. The most commonly used approach in targeted therapy is small-molecule regulators. However, it is difficult for small-molecule regulators to make great progress due to their inherent defects. Therapeutic peptide regulators targeting the Wnt signaling pathway have become an alternative therapy, promising to fill the gaps in the clinical application of small-molecule regulators. In this review, we describe recent advances in peptide regulators for Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Evaluation of CT angiography obstruction score and pulmonary perfusion defect score using the third-generation dual-source CT for pulmonary embolism

AIM

To investigate the application value of computed tomography (CT) angiography (CTA) obstruction score and pulmonary perfusion defect score on the third-generation dual-source CT for pulmonary embolism and the changes of the right ventricular function.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The clinical data of 52 patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) confirmed using the third-generation dual-source dual-energy CTPA were analysed retrospectively. These patients were divided into the severe group and non-severe group according to their clinical manifestations. The results of CTPA and dual-energy pulmonary perfusion imaging (DEPI) were recorded by two radiologists for index computation. The ratio of the maximum short-axis diameter of the right ventricle (RV) to that of the left ventricle (LV) was also recorded. The correlation analysis between RV/LV and the mean values of CTA obstruction score and perfusion defect score was performed. Correlation analysis and agreement analysis were performed on the data measured by two radiologists, CTA obstruction score, and pulmonary perfusion defect score.

RESULTS

CTA obstruction score and perfusion defect score measured by the two radiologists had good correlation and agreement. CTA obstruction score, perfusion defect score, and RV/LV were significantly lower in the non-severe group than in the severe PE group. RV/LV had a significant positive correlation with CTA obstruction score and perfusion defect score (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The third-generation dual-source dual-energy CT plays a positive role in assessing PE severity and RV function and can provide additional information for the clinical management and treatment of PE patients.

[Diagnostic value of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 in OPBR combined with gallbladder cholesterol deposition]

Objective: To study the diagnostic value of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2(LP-PL-A2) in occult pancreaticobiliary reflux(OPBR) combined with gallbladder cholesterol deposition. Methods: This was a case-control study. Forty-six patients with OPBR who underwent gallbladder surgery at Shanghai East Hospital from December 2020 to October 2021, with gallbladder cholesterol deposition as the case group and the remainder as the control group, were included for analysis of their clinical data. Results: There were 21 cases in the case group, with 10 males and 11 females, and aged (57±12) years; 25 cases in the control group, with 11 males and 14 females, and aged (56±10) years. Serum LP-PL-A2 [(551.62±128.69) U/L] was significantly higher in the case group than in the control group [(436.70±135.88) U/L] (t=-2.80,P<0.01).Univariate analysis showed that LP-PL-A2 was a risk factor for OPBR combined with gallbladder cholesterol deposition, OR(95%CI):1.007(1.002-1.012), P=0.011. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curve was 0.742, P=0.005. Conclusion: LP-PL-A2 is of diagnostic value in OPBR combined with gallbladder cholesterol deposition.

[Clinical analysis of the correlation between gallbladder adenomyomatosis and occult pancreaticobiliary reflux]

Objective: To explore the association between gallbladder adenomyomatosis (GA) and occult pancreaticobiliary reflux (OPBR). Methods: A total of 81 patients with GA who underwent cholecystectomy in Shanghai East Hospital from December 2020 to January 2022 were enrolled, including 48 cases of fundal type, 28 cases of segmental type and 5 cases of diffuse type. Patient's intraoperative bile was coltected and tested for amylase. According to gallbladder bile amylase level, patients were divided into OPBR group (bile amylase>110 U/L) and the control group (bile amylase≤110 U/L). Results: Among 81 patients, 32 were male and 49 were female, and aged (49.1±13.2) years; there were 66 cases in control group, including 27 males and 39 females, and aged (50.0±12.9)years; there were 15 patients in the OPBR group, including 5 males and 10 females, and aged (45.1±14.2) years. In terms of the clinical features of the two groups, there was no significant difference (all P>0.05), except for a significant increase in biliary amylase in the OPBR group compared with the control group (P<0.001). However, the incidence of OPBR was significantly different in the three types of GA, with a lower incidence of OPBR in the fundal type (10.4%, 5/48) than in the segmental type (28.6%, 8/28) and diffuse type (2/5) (P=0.038). In addition, segmental GA was more likely to be combined with gallbladder stones (85.7%, 24/28) than fundal GA (58.3%, 28/48) and diffuse GA (3/5) (P=0.031). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed OPBR [OR (95%CI)=3.410 (1.010 to 11.513), P=0.048] and combined gallbladder stones [OR (95%CI)=2.974 (1.011 to 8.745), P=0.048] indepenclently correlated with segmental and diffuse GA. Conclusions: The incidence of OPBR is higher in segmental and diffuse GA, and gallstones and OPBR are independently associated with the occurrence of segmental and diffuse GA. These results suggest that OPBR may be the initiating factor for the occurrence and carcinogenesis of segmental and diffuse GA.

[Correlation between pelvic relapses of rectal cancer after radical and R0 resection: A regression model-based analysis]

Objective: To propose a new staging system for presacral recurrence of rectal cancer and explore the factors influencing radical resection of such recurrences based on this staging system. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, clinical data of 51 patients with presacral recurrence of rectal cancer who had undergone surgical treatment in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital between January 2008 and September 2022 were collected. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) primary rectal cancer without distant metastasis that had been radically resected; (2) pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer confirmed by multi-disciplinary team assessment based on CT, MRI, positron emission tomography, physical examination, surgical exploration, and pathological examination of biopsy tissue in some cases; and (3) complete inpatient, outpatient and follow-up data. The patients were allocated to radical resection and non-radical resection groups according to postoperative pathological findings. The study included: (1) classification of pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer according to its anatomical characteristics as follows: Type I: no involvement of the sacrum; Type II: involvement of the low sacrum, but no other sites; Type III: involvement of the high sacrum, but no other sites; and Type IV: involvement of the sacrum and other sites. (2) Assessment of postoperative presacral recurrence, overall survival from surgery to recurrence, and duration of disease-free survival. (3) Analysis of factors affecting radical resection of pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer. Non-normally distributed measures are expressed as median (range). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between groups. Results: The median follow-up was 25 (2-96) months with a 100% follow-up rate. The rate of metachronic distant metastasis was significantly lower in the radical resection than in the non-radical resection group (24.1% [7/29] vs. 54.5% [12/22], χ²=8.333, P=0.026). Postoperative disease-free survival was longer in the radical resection group (32.7 months [3.0-63.0] vs. 16.1 [1.0-41.0], Z=8.907, P=0.005). Overall survival was longer in the radical resection group (39.2 [3.0-66.0] months vs. 28.1 [1.0-52.0] months, Z=1.042, P=0.354). According to univariate analysis, age, sex, distance between the tumor and anal verge, primary tumor pT stage, and primary tumor grading were not associated with achieving R0 resection of presacral recurrences of rectal cancer (all P>0.05), whereas primary tumor pN stage, anatomic staging of presacral recurrence, and procedure for managing presacral recurrence were associated with rate of R0 resection (all P<0.05). According to multifactorial analysis, the pathological stage of the primary tumor pN1-2 (OR=3.506, 95% CI: 1.089-11.291, P=0.035), type of procedure (transabdominal resection: OR=29.250, 95% CI: 2.789 - 306.811, P=0.005; combined abdominal perineal resection: OR=26.000, 95% CI: 2.219-304.702, P=0.009), and anatomical stage of presacral recurrence (Type III: OR=16.000, 95% CI: 1.542 - 166.305, P = 0.020; type IV: OR= 36.667, 95% CI: 3.261 - 412.258, P = 0.004) were all independent risk factors for achieving radical resection of anterior sacral recurrence after rectal cancer surgery. Conclusion: Stage of presacral recurrences of rectal cancer is an independent predictor of achieving R0 resection. It is possible to predict whether radical resection can be achieved on the basis of the patient's medical history.

Genome-wide association study and functional annotation analyses for nitrogen efficiency index and its composition traits in dairy cattle

The aims of this study were (1) to identify genomic regions associated with a N efficiency index (NEI) and its composition traits and (2) to analyze the functional annotation of identified genomic regions. The NEI included N intake (NINT1), milk true protein N (MTPN1), milk urea N yield (MUNY1) in primiparous cattle, and N intake (NINT2+), milk true protein N (MTPN2+), and milk urea N yield (MUNY2+) in multiparous cattle (2 to 5 parities). The edited data included 1,043,171 records on 342,847 cows distributed in 1,931 herds. The pedigree consisted of 505,125 animals (17,797 males). Data of 565,049 SNPs were available for 6,998 animals included in the pedigree (5,251 females and 1,747 males). The SNP effects were estimated using a single-step genomic BLUP approach. The proportion of the total additive genetic variance explained by windows of 50 consecutive SNPs (with an average size of about 240 kb) was calculated. The top 3 genomic regions explaining the largest rate of the total additive genetic variance of the NEI and its composition traits were selected for candidate gene identification and quantitative trait loci (QTL) annotation. The selected genomic regions explained from 0.17% (MTPN2+) to 0.58% (NEI) of the total additive genetic variance. The largest explanatory genomic regions of NEI, NINT1, NINT2+, MTPN1, MTPN2+, MUNY1, and MUNY2+ were Bos taurus autosome 14 (1.52-2.09 Mb), 26 (9.24-9.66 Mb), 16 (75.41-75.51 Mb), 6 (8.73-88.92 Mb), 6 (8.73-88.92 Mb), 11 (103.26-103.41 Mb), 11 (103.26-103.41 Mb). Based on the literature, gene ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and protein-protein interaction, 16 key candidate genes were identified for NEI and its composition traits, which are mainly expressed in the milk cell, mammary, and liver tissues. The number of enriched QTL related to NEI, NINT1, NINT2+, MTPN1, and MTPN2+ were 41, 6, 4, 11, 36, 32, and 32, respectively, and most of them were related to the milk, health, and production classes. In conclusion, this study identified genomic regions associated with NEI and its composition traits, and identified key candidate genes describing the genetic mechanisms of N use efficiency-related traits. Furthermore, the NEI reflects not only its composition traits but also the interactions among them.

Ultrasound Fusion-Guided Core Needle Biopsy for Deep Head and Neck Space Lesions: Technical Feasibility, Histopathologic Yield, and Safety

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Ultrasound is generally considered to have a minor role in guiding biopsies for deep head and neck space lesions. However, the ultrasound fusion technique may have the potential to change this opinion. This study evaluated the feasibility, histopathologic yield, and safety of ultrasound fusion-guided core needle biopsies for deep head and neck space lesions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From March 2021 to April 2022, patients with primary deep head and neck space lesions were prospectively included in this study. Ultrasound fusion was performed with contemporaneous CT, MR imaging, or PET/CT studies, and ultrasound fusion-guided core needle biopsy was performed by using a Micro-Convex probe via 4 different needle approaches. Feasibility, histopathologic results, and biopsy-related complications were observed. Descriptive statistics were applied.

RESULTS

Ultrasound-guided biopsy was feasible in all 16 patients (11 women and 5 men; mean age 46 [SD, 16] years; range, 16-76 years). The lesions were located in the parapharyngeal space, infratemporal fossa, and skull base, with a median diameter of 3.8 cm (range, 2.2-6.5 cm). An adequate and definite histopathologic yield was obtained in 15/16 (93.8%) patients; among them, 4/15 lesions (26.7%) were malignant, and 11/15 (73.6%) were benign. No major complications occurred. Minor complications were noted in 2 of the 16 (12.5%) patients (self-limiting inflammation in 1 and bleeding in 1).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that ultrasound fusion-guided biopsy of deep head and neck space lesions is feasible and safe, with a high histopathologic yield.

Establishment of hairy root system of transgenic IRT1 brassica campestris L. and preliminary study of its effect on cadmium enrichment

Cadmium (Cd) is the main heavy metal pollutant in soil. The combination of genetic engineering technology and Rizobium rhizogenes mediated technology can effectively improve the enrichment efficiency of heavy metals in super accumulators and reduce soil heavy metal pollution. In this study, the transgenic hairy root system containing the IRT1 gene of Cd hyperaccumulator-Brassica campestris L. was successfully constructed by the R. rhizogenes mediated method (IRT1 gene come from Arabidopsis thaliana). The hairy roots of each subculture can grow stably within 6 weeks, and IRT1 gene will not be lost within 50 subcultures., which is detected using PCR method. The results of Cd enrichment experiments showed that after treatment with 100 µmol/L Cd for 14 days, the growth state of transgenic IRT1 hairy roots only showed slight browning. Also, the accumulation value of Cd reached 331.61 µg/g and the enrichment efficiency of transgenic IRT1 hairy roots was 13.8% higher than that of wild-type hairy roots. Western blotting results showed that the expression of IRT1 protein in transgenic hairy roots was significantly higher than that of wild-type hairy roots under Cd stress. The above results indicated that the overexpression of IRT1 gene can help B. campestris L. hairy roots to effectively cope with Cd stress and improve its ability to enrich Cd.