Smell cancer by machine learning-assisted peptide/MXene bioelectronic array.

Non-invasive detection of tumors is of utmost importance to save lives. Nonetheless, identifying tumors through gas analysis is a challenging task. In this work, biosensors with remarkable gas-sensing characteristics were developed using a self-assembly method consisting of peptides and MXene. Based on these biosensors, a mimetic biosensor array (MBA) was fabricated and integrated into a real-time testing platform (RTP). In addition, machine learning (ML) algorithms were introduced to improve the RTP's detection and identification capabilities of exhaled gas signals. The synthesized biosensor, with the ability to specifically bind to targeted gas molecules, demonstrated higher performance than the pristine MXene, with a response up to 150% greater. Besides, the MBA successfully detected 15 odor molecules affiliated with five categories of alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, esters, and acids by pattern recognition algorithms. Furthermore, with the ML assistance, the RTP detected the breath odor samples from volunteers of four categories, including healthy populations, patients of lung cancer, upper digestive tract cancer, and lower digestive tract cancer, with accuracies of 100%, 94.1%, 90%, and 95.2%, respectively. In summary, we have developed a cost-effective and precise model for non-invasive tumor diagnosis. Furthermore, this prototype also offers a versatile solution for diagnosing other diseases like nephropathy, diabetes, etc.

The effect of LNCRNA SHANK3 on the malignant development of gastric cancer cells by regulating the miR-4530/MNX1.

Gastric cancer (GC) has become the first malignant tumor with highest incidence rate and mortality of cancer in China, finding therapeutic targets for gastric cancer is of great significant for improving the survival rate of patients with GC. Recently, many of studies have shown that LncRNAs is involved in multiple biological progresses in the development of GC. This study, we screened for abnormally high expression of LncSHANK3 in GC through the TCGA database, and found that LncSHANK3 sponge adsorbs miR-4530, further competing with MNX1 and binding to miR-4530. We demonstrated the interaction between LncSHANK3 and miR-4530 through luciferase reporting analysis, with miR-4530 negatively regulating MNX1.Through CCK8, colony formation, transwell, and wound healing assays, it was found that LncSHANK3 affects the occurrence of GC through cell proliferation, migration and invasion. In conclusion, LncSHANK3/miR-4530/MNX1 axis is a potential mechanism for the treatment of GC.

Recent progress of nano-drugs in neutron capture therapy.

As a developing radiation treatment for tumors, neutron capture therapy (NCT) has less side effects and a higher efficacy than conventional radiation therapy. Drugs with specific isotopes are indispensable counterparts of NCT, as they are the indespensable part of the neutron capture reaction. Since the creation of the first and second generations of boron-containing reagents, NCT has significantly advanced. Notwithstanding, the extant NCT medications, predominantly comprised of small molecule boron medicines, have encountered challenges such monofunctionality, inadequate targeting of tumors, and hypermetabolism. There is an urgent need to promote the research and development of new types of NCT drugs. Bio-nanomaterials can be introduced into the realm of NCT, and nanotechnology can give conventional medications richer functionality and significant adaptability. This can complement the advantages of each other and is expected to develop more new drugs with less toxicity, low side effects, better tumor targeting, and high biocompatibility. In this review, we summarized the research progress of nano-drugs in NCT based on the different types and sources of isotopes used, and introduced the attempts and efforts made by relevant researchers in combining nanomaterials with NCT, hoping to provide pivotal references for promoting the development of the field of tumor radiotherapy.

Transient spray combustion characteristics in a gas-liquid pintle rocket engine under acoustic excitation.

In order to investigate the acoustic oscillation characteristics of gas-liquid pintle rocket engines and elucidate the path by which spray combustion process provides energy to the combustor pressure oscillation, a LOX/GCH4 pintle engine with rectangular combustor was designed. By adding transverse velocity disturbance for the first time, the acoustic response of spray combustion process was simulated, and the effect of excitation amplitude on acoustic response was researched. Numerical results show that the adopted transverse velocity disturbance can excite the first-order transverse acoustic oscillation with same excitation frequency in the engine combustor. The acoustic response maintenance mechanism under extrinsic excitation is summarized for pintle engines. Besides, the temperature distribution inside the engine combustor tends to be uniform, and the low-frequency oscillation caused by the flame transverse swing gradually disappears. The amplitude of combustor pressure oscillation is dominated by excitement amplitude and phase difference between the pressure and heat release in combustion reaction region. In addition, the time-averaged combustor pressure can be amplified mainly by transverse velocity disturbance. The research work can provide a reference for related fire tests on the acoustic response of a subscale gas-liquid pintle engine.

Biosafety assessments of hexafluoropropylene trimer derivative as a fluorinated cooling fluid for electronics.

The Internet Data Center (IDC) is one of the most important infrastructures in the field of information technology. The cooling system for heat dissipation of IDC is indispensable due to it generates a large amount of heat during its calculation process, which may potentially harm its normal operation. Electronic fluorinated fluids have been widely used in cooling systems of IDC with stable physical and chemical properties. However, the biological toxicity of electronic fluorinated fluids has not been fully evaluated and there is a lack of unified safety standards, which may pose potential risks to the environment and human health. Here, hexafluoropropylene terpolymer (HFPT) as an example has been systematically studied, fully considering the application scenarios of data centers. Also, the emergency effects of fluorinated coolants in mammalian models from the perspectives of inhalation, skin contact, accidental entry into eyes, accidental ingestion, and chronic toxicity, are evaluated. Multiple in vivo experiments have proven that HFPT not only has stable physical and chemical properties, that can maintain the safe operation of IDC, but also has low physiological toxicity to mammals and can provide health benefits to data center staff and the assurance of surrounding environment. This study proves the good biological safety of electronic fluorinated fluids and provides a reference for environmental assessment and risk management of liquid cooling technology in IDC. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43188-024-00234-3.

Risks of SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 infection and COVID-19 associated emergency-department (ED) visits/hospitalizations following updated boosters and prior infection: a population-based cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Data on protection afforded by updated COVID-19 vaccines (bivalent/XBB 1.5 monovalent) against the emergent JN.1 variant remains limited. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study amongst all boosted Singaporeans aged ≥18 years during a COVID-19 wave predominantly driven by JN.1, from 26th November 2023 to 13th January 2024. Multivariable Cox regression was utilised to assess risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 associated emergency-department (ED) visits/hospitalizations, stratified by vaccination status/prior infection; with individuals last boosted ≥1 year utilized as the reference category. Vaccination and infection status were classified using national registries. RESULTS: 3,086,562 boosted adult Singaporeans were included in the study population, accounting for 146,863,476 person-days of observation. During the JN.1 outbreak, 28,160 SARS-CoV-2 infections were recorded, with 2,926 hospitalizations and 3,747 ED-visits. Compared with individuals last boosted ≥1 year prior with ancestral monovalent vaccines, receipt of an updated XBB.1.5 booster 8-120 days prior was associated with lower risk of JN.1 infection (adjusted-hazard-ratio, aHR = 0.59[0.52-0.66]), COVID-19 associated ED-visits (aHR = 0.50[0.34-0.73]) and hospitalizations(aHR = 0.58[0.37-0.91]), while receipt of a bivalent booster 121-365 days prior was associated with lower risk of JN.1 infection (aHR = 0.92[0.88-0.95]) and ED-visits (aHR = 0.80[0.70-0.90]). Lower risk of COVID-19 hospitalization during the JN.1 outbreak (aHR = 0.57[0.33-0.97]) was still observed following receipt of an updated XBB.1.5 booster 8-120 days prior, even when analysis was restricted to previously infected individuals. CONCLUSION: Recent receipt of updated boosters conferred protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and ED-visits/hospitalization during a JN.1 variant wave, in both previously infected and uninfected individuals. Annual booster doses confer protection during COVID-19 endemicity.

YY1 mediated DCUN1D5 transcriptional activation promotes triple-negative breast cancer progression by targeting FN1/PI3K/AKT pathway.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is more aggressive and has a higher metastasis rate compared with other subtypes of breast cancer. Due to the lack of drug-targetable receptors, chemotherapy is now the only available systemic treatment for TNBC. However, some patients might still develop drug resistance and have poor prognosis. Therefore, novel molecular biomarkers and new treatment targets are urgently needed for patients with TNBC. To provide molecular insights into TNBC progression, we investigated the function and the underlying mechanism of Defective in cullin neddylation 1 domain containing 5 (DCUN1D5) in the regulation of TNBC. By TCGA dataset and surgical specimens with immunohistochemical (IHC) staining method, DCUN1D5 was identified to be significantly upregulated in TNBC tumor tissues and negatively associated with prognosis. A series of in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to confirm the oncogenic role of DCUN1D5 in TNBC. Overexpression of FN1 or PI3K/AKT activator IGF-1 could restore the proliferative and invasive ability induced by DCUN1D5 knockdown and DCUN1D5 could act as a novel transcriptional target of transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1). In conclusion, YY1-enhanced DCUN1D5 expression could promote TNBC progression by FN1/PI3K/AKT pathway and DCUN1D5 might be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for TNBC treatment.

Additional prognostic value of polymorphisms within the 3'-untranslated region of programmed cell death pathway genes in early-stage breast cancer.

Introduction: The programmed cell death (PCD) pathway plays an important role in restricting cancer cell survival and proliferation. However, limited studies have investigated the association between genetic variants in the 3'-untranslated region of the PCD pathway genes and breast cancer outcomes. Methods: In this study, we genotyped 28 potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 23 PCD pathway genes in 1,177 patients with early-stage breast cancer (EBC) from a Han Chinese population. The median follow-up period was 174 months. Results: Among all the candidate SNPs, four independent SNPs (rs4900321 and rs7150025 in ATG2B, rs6753785 in BCL2L11, and rs2213181 in c-Kit) were associated with invasive disease-free survival (iDFS), distant disease-free survival (DDFS), breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS), respectively. Further combined genotypes of these four SNPs revealed that the survival decreased as the number of unfavorable genotypes increased (Ptrend = 1.0 × 10-6, 8.5 × 10-8, 3.6 × 10-4, and 1.3 × 10-4 for iDFS, DDFS, BCSS, and OS, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that incorporating unfavorable genotypes and clinicopathological variables improved the ability to predict EBC survival (P = 0.006, 0.004, 0.029, and 0.019 for iDFS, DDFS, BCSS, and OS, respectively). Additionally, rs6753785 and rs2213181 were associated with BCL2L11 and c-Kit mRNA expression, respectively. Conclusions: Our results suggest that these four SNPs may act as novel biomarkers for EBC survival, possibly by modulating the expression of the corresponding genes.

Investigation of Levan-Derived Nanoparticles of Dolutegravir: A Promising Approach for the Delivery of Anti-HIV Drug as Milk Admixture.

Nanoparticles composed of Levan and Dolutegravir (DTG) have been successfully synthesized using a spray drying procedure specifically designed for milk/food admixture applications. Levan, obtained from the microorganism Bacillus subtilis, was thoroughly characterized using MALDI-TOF and solid-state NMR technique to confirm its properties. In the present study, this isolated Levan was utilized as a carrier for drug delivery applications. The optimized spray-dried nanoparticles exhibited a smooth surface morphology with particle sizes ranging from 195 to 329 nm. In the in-vitro drug release experiments conducted in water media, the spray-dried nanoparticles showed 100 % release, whereas the unprocessed drug exhibited only 50 % release at the end of 24 h. Notably, the drug release in milk was comparable to that in plain media, indicating the compatibility. The improved dissolution rate observed for the nanoparticles could be attributed to the solid-state conversion (confirmed by XRD analysis) of DTG from its crystalline to amorphous state. The stability of the drug was verified using Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy and Thermogravimetry-Differential Scanning Calorimetry analysis. To evaluate the in-vitro cellular toxicity, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was conducted, which revealed the CC50 value of 88.88 ± 5.10 µg/mL for unprocessed DTG and 101.08 ± 37.37 µg/mL for DTG nanoparticles. These results indicated that the toxicity of the nanoparticles was comparable to the unprocessed drug. Furthermore, the anti-HIV activity of the nanoparticles in human cell lines was found to be similar to that of the pure drug, emphasizing the therapeutic efficacy of DTG in combating HIV.

Engineering Phage Nanocarriers Integrated with Bio-Intelligent Plasmids for Personalized and Tunable Enzyme Delivery to Enhance Chemodynamic Therapy.

Customizable and number-tunable enzyme delivery nanocarriers will be useful in tumor therapy. Herein, a phage vehicle, T4-Lox-DNA-Fe (TLDF), which adeptly modulates enzyme numbers using phage display technology to remodel the tumor microenvironment (TME) is presented. Regarding the demand for lactic acid in tumors, each phage is engineered to display 720 lactate oxidase (Lox), contributing to the depletion of lactic acid to restructure the tumor's energy metabolism. The phage vehicle incorporated dextran iron (Fe) with Fenton reaction capabilities. H2O2 is generated through the Lox catalytic reaction, amplifying the H2O2 supply for dextran iron-based chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Drawing inspiration from the erythropoietin (EPO) biosynthetic process, an EPO enhancer is constructed to impart the EPO-Keap1 plasmid (DNA) with tumor hypoxia-activated functionality, disrupting the redox homeostasis of the TME. Lox consumes local oxygen, and positive feedback between the Lox and the plasmid promotes the expression of kelch ECH Associated Protein 1 (Keap1). Consequently, the downregulation of the antioxidant transcription factor Nrf2, in synergy with CDT, amplifies the oxidative killing effect, leading to tumor suppression of up to 78%. This study seamlessly integrates adaptable T4 phage vehicles with bio-intelligent plasmids, presenting a promising approach for tumor therapy.

Bacterial Biohybrids for Invasion of Tumor Cells Promote Antigen Cross-Presentation Through Gap Junction.

Due to inherent differences in cellular composition and metabolic behavior with host cells, tumor-harbored bacteria can discriminatorily affect tumor immune landscape. However, the mechanisms by which intracellular bacteria affect antigen presentation process between tumor cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are largely unknown. The invasion behavior of attenuated Salmonella VNP20009 (VNP) into tumor cells is investigated and an attempt is made to modulate this behavior by modifying positively charged polymers on the surface of VNP. It is found that non-toxic chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) modified VNP (VNP@COS) bolsters the formation of gap junction between tumor cells and APCs by enhancing the ability of VNP to infect tumor cells. On this basis, a bacterial biohybrid is designed to promote in situ antigen cross-presentation through intracellular bacteria induced gap junction. This bacterial biohybrid also enhances the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I molecules on the surface of tumor cells through the incorporation of Mdivi-1 coupled with VNP@COS. This strategic integration serves to heighten the immunogenic exposure of tumor antigens; while, preserving the cytotoxic potency of T cells. A strategy is proposed to precisely controlling the function and local effects of microorganisms within tumors.

Quantification of MicroRNA in a Single Living Cell via Ionic Current Rectification-Based Nanopore for Triple Negative Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

Accurate analysis of microRNAs (miRNAs) at the single-cell level is extremely important for deeply understanding their multiple and intricate biological functions. Despite some advancements in analyzing single-cell miRNAs, challenges such as intracellular interferences and insufficient detection limits still remain. In this work, an ultrasensitive nanopore sensor for quantitative single-cell miRNA-155 detection is constructed based on ionic current rectification (ICR) coupled with enzyme-free catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA). Benefiting from the enzyme-free CHA amplification strategy, the detection limit of the nanopore sensor for miRNA-155 reaches 10 fM and the nanopore sensor is more adaptable to complex intracellular environments. With the nanopore sensor, the concentration of miRNA-155 in living single cells is quantified to realize the early diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Furthermore, the nanopore sensor can be applied in screening anticancer drugs by tracking the expression level of miRNA-155. This work provides an adaptive and universal method for quantitatively analyzing intracellular miRNAs, which will greatly improve our understanding of cell heterogeneity and provide a more reliable scientific basis for exploring major diseases at the single-cell level.

Baicalein triggers ferroptosis in colorectal cancer cells via blocking the JAK2/STAT3/GPX4 axis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent form of gastrointestinal malignancy with challenges in chemotherapy resistance and side effects. Effective and low toxic drugs for CRC treatment are urgently needed. Ferroptosis is a novel mode of cell death, which has garnered attention for its therapeutic potential against cancer. Baicalein (5, 6, 7-trihydroxyflavone) is the primary flavone extracted from the dried roots of Scutellaria baicalensis that exhibits anticancer effects against several malignancies including CRC. In this study, we investigated whether baicalein induced ferroptosis in CRC cells. We showed that baicalein (1-64 µM) dose-dependently inhibited the viability of human CRC lines HCT116 and DLD1. Co-treatment with the ferroptosis inhibitor liproxstatin-1 (1 µM) significantly mitigated baicalein-induced CRC cell death, whereas autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (25 µM), necroptosis inhibitor necrostatin-1 (10 µM), or pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK (10 µM) did not rescue baicalein-induced CRC cell death. RNA-seq analysis confirmed that the inhibitory effect of baicalein on CRC cells is associated with ferroptosis induction. We revealed that baicalein (7.5-30 µM) dose-dependently decreased the expression levels of GPX4, key regulator of ferroptosis, in HCT116 and DLD1 cells by blocking janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/STAT3 signaling pathway via direct interaction with JAK2, ultimately leading to ferroptosis in CRC cells. In a CRC xenograft mouse model, administration of baicalein (10, 20 mg/kg, i.g., every two days for two weeks) dose-dependently inhibited the tumor growth with significant ferroptosis induced by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3/GPX4 axis in tumor tissue. This study demonstrates that ferroptosis contributes to baicalein-induced anti-CRC activity through blockade of the JAK2/STAT3/GPX4 signaling pathway, which provides evidence for the therapeutic application of baicalein against CRC.

Unified cross-modality integration and analysis of T cell receptors and T cell transcriptomes by low-resource-aware representation learning.

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and T cell receptor sequencing (TCR-seq) are pivotal for investigating T cell heterogeneity. Integrating these modalities, which is expected to uncover profound insights in immunology that might otherwise go unnoticed with a single modality, faces computational challenges due to the low-resource characteristics of the multimodal data. Herein, we present UniTCR, a novel low-resource-aware multimodal representation learning framework designed for the unified cross-modality integration, enabling comprehensive T cell analysis. By designing a dual-modality contrastive learning module and a single-modality preservation module to effectively embed each modality into a common latent space, UniTCR demonstrates versatility in connecting TCR sequences with T cell transcriptomes across various tasks, including single-modality analysis, modality gap analysis, epitope-TCR binding prediction, and TCR profile cross-modality generation, in a low-resource-aware way. Extensive evaluations conducted on multiple scRNA-seq/TCR-seq paired datasets showed the superior performance of UniTCR, exhibiting the ability of exploring the complexity of immune system.

Efficacy of varenicline or bupropion and its association with nicotine metabolite ratio among smokers with COPD.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Nicotine metabolic ratio (NMR) has been associated with nicotine metabolism and smoking characteristics. However, there are few studies on the potential association between NMR and smoking cessation efficacy in smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in China or elsewhere. METHODS: This study was a stratified block randomized controlled trial for smoking cessation in Chinese smokers with COPD. NMR was used as a stratification factor; slow metabolizers were defined as those with NMR <0.31, and normal metabolizers as those with NMR ≥0.31. Participants were randomly assigned to the varenicline or bupropion group. Follow-up visits were conducted at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12 and 24 weeks. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-four participants were recruited and analysed from February 2019 to June 2022. In normal metabolizers, the 9-12 weeks continuous abstinence rate of varenicline (43.1%) was higher than in bupropion (23.5%) (OR = 2.47, 95% CI 1.05-5.78, p = 0.038). There was no significant difference in abstinence rates between treatment groups in slow metabolizers (54.1% vs. 45.9%, OR = 1.39, 95% CI 0.68-2.83, p = 0.366). For slow metabolizers, the total score of side effects in the varenicline group was significantly higher than the bupropion group (p = 0.048), while there was no significant difference in side effects between groups for normal metabolizers (p = 0.360). CONCLUSION: Varenicline showed better efficacy than bupropion in normal metabolizers, and bupropion showed equivalent efficacy in slow metabolizers with less side effects. According to our study, NMR provides a better justification for both scientific research and tailoring optimal pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation among smokers in COPD.

Prognostic Implication of Platelet Reactivity According to Procedural Complexity After PCI: Subanalysis of PTRG-DES Consortium.

Background: Complex percutaneous coronary intervention (C-PCI) and high platelet reactivity (HPR) have been proposed as representative risk factors for the high ischemic phenotype. Uncertainty remains regarding the relative prognostic importance of these factors. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prognostic implication of HPR according to procedural complexity. Methods: Patients treated with drug-eluting stent implantation (PTRG-PFT cohort; N = 11,714) were classified according to procedural complexity. HPR criteria were determined using VerifyNow (≥252 P2Y12 reaction units). The major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) (the composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, definite stent thrombosis, or stroke) and major bleeding were assessed for up to 3 years. Results: C-PCI was performed in 3,152 patients (26.9%). C-PCI significantly increased the risk of MACCE (HRadjusted: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.01-1.44; P = 0.035), driven by a higher rate of all-cause death (HRadjusted: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.15-1.83; P = 0.002), although it did not increase the risk of major bleeding. Irrespective of procedural complexity, the HPR phenotype was significantly associated with MACCE (Pinteraction = 0.731) and all-cause mortality (Pinteraction = 0.978), in which the prognostic implication appeared prominent within 1 year. The HPR phenotype did not show a significant interaction with any type of C-PCI. In addition, the number of complexity features per procedure did not proportionally increase the risk of MACCE. Conclusions: C-PCI was significantly associated with 3-year risk of MACCE and all-cause death. The HPR phenotype appears to have a similar prognostic implication irrespective of the type and extent of procedural complexity. (Platelet Function and Genotype-Related Long-Term Prognosis in DES-Treated Patients [PTRG-DES]; NCT04734028).

Prevalence of cigarette use and addiction among Chinese females by age and province: Findings from nationwide China Health Literacy Survey during 2018-19.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of cigarette smoking among women is significantly different from that of men, however, cigarette use by women is little known. The study aims to describe cigarette use prevalence and patterns among Chinese females by age and province. METHODS: This study was based on the 2018 China Health Literacy Survey (2018 CHLS), a nationally representative cross-sectional study, and our analysis included 43,319 female participants aged 20-69 with valid data. The prevalence of cigarette use was estimated overall by sociodemographic factors and weighted based on the census population data. The logistic regression model was conducted to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk factors associated with cigarette use and dependency. RESULTS: In China, the estimated female current cigarette use prevalence was 1.85%, with over half of the population suffering from tobacco dependence (7.34 million). Jilin Province has the highest cigarette prevalence among women (10.59%), while Fujian Province has the lowest (0.27%). Participants over 60 years old (aOR=1.61, 95%CI=1.20-2.14), single (aOR=1.54, 95%CI=1.07-2.21), with primary education (aOR=1.93, 95%CI=1.47-2.52) were more likely to smoke. The age of smoking initiation among women intergenerational advanced, and compared to the cigarette users without tobacco dependence, those who have tobacco dependence start smoking earlier in all age groups (25.69 years vs. 19.36 years, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The cigarette use prevalence among Chinese women was 1.85%, and there are significant differences among provinces. We noted a trend of women initiating smoking at increasingly younger ages, particularly among those with tobacco dependence.

Identification of novel mammalian viruses in tree shrews ( Tupaia belangeri chinensis).

The Chinese tree shrew ( Tupaia belangeri chinensis), a member of the mammalian order Scandentia, exhibits considerable similarities with primates, including humans, in aspects of its nervous, immune, and metabolic systems. These similarities have established the tree shrew as a promising experimental model for biomedical research on cancer, infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and mental health conditions. Herein, we used meta-transcriptomic sequencing to analyze plasma, as well as oral and anal swab samples, from 105 healthy asymptomatic tree shrews to identify the presence of potential zoonotic viruses. In total, eight mammalian viruses with complete genomes were identified, belonging to six viral families, including Flaviviridae, Hepeviridae, Parvovirinae, Picornaviridae, Sedoreoviridae, and Spinareoviridae. Notably, the presence of rotavirus was recorded in tree shrews for the first time. Three viruses - hepacivirus 1, parvovirus, and picornavirus - exhibited low genetic similarity (<70%) with previously reported viruses at the whole-genome scale, indicating novelty. Conversely, three other viruses - hepacivirus 2, hepatovirus A and hepevirus - exhibited high similarity (>94%) to known viral strains. Phylogenetic analyses also revealed that the rotavirus and mammalian orthoreovirus identified in this study may be novel reassortants. These findings provide insights into the diverse viral spectrum present in captive Chinese tree shrews, highlighting the necessity for further research into their potential for cross-species transmission.

Self-Delivery Nanoplatform Based on Amphiphilic Apoptosis Peptide for Precise Mitochondria-Targeting Photothermal Therapy.

Mitochondria-targeting photothermal therapy could significantly enhance the tumor cell killing effect. However, since therapeutic reagents need to overcome a series of physiological obstacles to arrive at mitochondria accurately, precise mitochondria-targeting photothermal therapy still faces great challenges. In this study, we developed a self-delivery nanoplatform that specifically targeted the mitochondria of tumor cells for precise photothermal therapy. Photothermal agent IR780 was encapsulated by amphiphilic apoptotic peptide KLA with mitochondria-targeting ability to form nanomicelle KI by self-assembly through hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions. Subsequently, negatively charged tumor-targeting polymer HA was coated on the surface of KI through electrostatic interactions, to obtain tumor mitochondria-targeting self-delivery nanoplatform HKI. Through CD44 receptor-mediated recognition, HKI was internalizated by tumor cells and then disassembled in an acidic environment with hyaluronidase in endosomes, resulting in the release of apoptotic peptide KLA and photothermal agent IR780 with mitochondria anchoring capacity, which achieved precise mitochondria guidance and destruction. This tumor mitochondria-targeting self-delivery nanoplatform was able to effectively deliver photothermal agents and apoptotic peptides to tumor cell mitochondria, resulting in precise destruction to mitochondria and enhancing tumor cell inhibition at the subcellular organelle level.

Advances of Photothermal Agents with Fluorescence Imaging/Enhancement Ability in the Field of Photothermal Therapy and Diagnosis.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an effective cancer treatment method. Due to its easy focusing and tunability of the irradiation light, direct and accurate local treatment can be performed in a noninvasive manner by PTT. This treatment strategy requires the use of photothermal agents to convert light energy into heat energy, thereby achieving local heating and triggering biochemical processes to kill tumor cells. As a key factor in PTT, the photothermal conversion ability of photothermal agents directly determines the efficacy of PTT. In addition, photothermal agents generally have photothermal imaging (PTI) and photoacoustic imaging (PAI) functions, which can not only guide the optimization of irradiation conditions but also achieve the integration of disease diagnosis. If the photothermal agents have function of fluorescence imaging (FLI) or fluorescence enhancement, they can not only further improve the accuracy in disease diagnosis but also accurately determine the tumor location through multimodal imaging for corresponding treatment. In this paper, we summarize recent advances in photothermal agents with FLI or fluorescence enhancement functions for PTT and tumor diagnosis. According to the different recognition sites, the application of specific targeting photothermal agents is introduced. Finally, limitations and challenges of photothermal agents with fluorescence imaging/enhancement in the field of PTT and tumor diagnosis are prospected.