Modulation of tumour hypoxia by ultrasound-responsive microbubbles to enhance the sono-photodynamic therapy effect on triple-negative breast cancer.

Sono-photodynamic therapy (SPDT) is an oxidative stress-dependant antitumour treatment modality. Due to the hypoxic tumour microenvironment, the antitumour effect of SPDT is limited. In this study, we developed lipid vesicles to transport a photosensitizer (chlorin e6, Ce6) and oxygen into tumours to promote SPDT efficiency on triple-negative breast cancer in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that compared with the same concentration of free Ce6, Lipo-Ce6 produced a higher singlet oxygen level under light irradiation. Cellular Lipo-Ce6 accumulation was 4-fold higher than that of free Ce6. The cytotoxicity on 4T1 cells caused by Lipo-Ce6-SPDT was significantly stronger than that caused by free Ce6-SPDT, and oxygen microbubbles (O2MB) further enhanced the cytotoxicity of Lipo-Ce6-SPDT under hypoxic conditions. Cellular ROS production in the Lipo-Ce6-SPDT+O2MB group was approximately 2.5-fold higher than that in the Lipo-Ce6-SPDT+C3F8MB group. Furthermore, O2MB rapidly relieved 4T1 subcutaneous xenograft hypoxia conditions under ultrasound exposure and significantly improved the antitumour activity of SPDT in vivo. These results indicate that the combination of O2MB and a high-activity liposome photosensitizer can significantly enhance the antitumour efficiency of SPDT for hypoxic tumours.

Sustainable DNA Data Storage on Cellulose Paper.

DNA is a promising material for high density and long-term archival data storage. In addition to algorithms for encoding digital information into DNA sequences, the DNA writing (chemical synthesis) and reading (DNA sequencing), the preservation of DNA mixtures with high sequence diversity is another critical issue for sustainable, long-term, and large-scale DNA data storage. Here, this work demonstrates a method for low-cost, convenient and sustainable DNA data storage on cellulose paper. A DNA pool comprising thousands of sequences, in which archival data are encoded, is conveniently stored on a cellulose paper with a calculated density as high as 15 TB per mm3 through electrostatic adsorption. This work demonstrates that these digitally encoded DNA pools can be stable for years on the cellulose paper after drying even when directly exposed to air. Furthermore, the reversible electrostatic adsorption enables repeated loading/retrieval of DNA on/off cellulose paper. Therefore, this sustainable DNA preservation on cellulose paper through the convenient electrostatic adsorption exhibits a great advantage in terms of storage capacity and cost that is crucial for practical systems to achieve large-scale and long-time data storage.

Poor adherence to clinical practice guidelines: A call to action for increased albuminuria testing in patients with type 2 diabetes.

We describe the substantial shortfall in adherence to guideline-recommended albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) testing for people in the United States with type 2 diabetes. Poor compliance with current guidelines leads to delays in diagnosis-and treatment- of chronic kidney disease, which adversely affects clinical outcomes and contributes to incremental economic burden.

Nudix hydrolase 14 influences plant development and grain chalkiness in rice.

Nudix hydrolases (NUDX) can hydrolyze a wide range of organic pyrophosphates and are widely distributed in various organisms. Previous studies have shown that NUDXs are extensively involved in biotic and abiotic stress responses in different plant species; however, the role of NUDXs in plant growth and development remains largely unknown. In the present study, we identified and characterized OsNUDX14 localized in the mitochondria in rice. Results showed that OsNUDX14 is constitutively expressed in various tissues and most strongly expressed in mature leaves. We used CRISPR/Cas9 introducing mutations that editing OsNUDX14 and its encoding product. OsNUDX14-Cas9 (nudx14) lines presented early flowering and a larger flag leaf angle during the reproductive stage. In addition, OsNUDX14 affected grain chalkiness in rice. Furthermore, transcript profile analysis indicated that OsNUDX14 is associated with lignin biosynthesis in rice. Six major haplotypes were identified by six OsNUDX14 missense mutations, including Hap_1 to Hap_6. Accessions having the Hap_5 allele were geographically located mainly in South and Southeast Asia with a low frequency in the Xian/indica subspecies. This study revealed that OsNUDX14 is associated with plant development and grain chalkiness, providing a potential opportunity to optimize plant architecture and quality for crop breeding.