Overestimation of contralateral hilar lymph node metastasis in non-metastatic non-small cell lung cancer and its predictive model: HAM.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Metastasis of non-metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NMNSCLC) to contralateral hilar lymph nodes (CHLN) eliminates the opportunity for radical therapy. This study aims to analyze whether CHLN metastasis in NMNSCLC is commonly overestimated in clinical practice and to establish a predictive model for enhanced precision. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 834 pathologically confirmed NMNSCLC patients. Monitoring of treatment responses and regular ≥ 1 year CT follow-up was used to determine the nature of CHLN. Lasso regression was used to select predictive factors, and a multivariate binary logistic regression model (HAM) was constructed. Internal validation was performed using ten-fold cross-validation. RESULTS: The CHLN metastasis rate was 4.4% among the NMNSCLC patients. The positive predictive value (PPV) and sensitivity for PET-CT diagnosis were 36.8% and 67.5%, while for CT they are 44.8% and 70.2%, respectively. The five optimal predictive factors (emphysema or bullae, central-type lung cancer, short diameter of CHLN, calcification and SUVmax) were used to develop the HAM model. The Area under curve (AUC) values for PET-CT, CT, and HAM model were 0.81, 0.83, and 0.96, respectively. The F1 scores for PET-CT and CT were 0.48 and 0.55, respectively, while the maximum F1 score of our model was 0.73, with corresponding PPV and sensitivity of 66.7%, and 81.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: CHLN metastasis is rare in NMNSCLC patients. PET-CT diagnosis significantly overestimates CHLN metastasis and the HAM model improves clinical decision-making in this study. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these conclusions.

Pathogenic mechanism and therapeutic intervention of impaired N7-methylguanosine (m7G) tRNA modification.

Mutations modification enzymes including the tRNA N7-methylguanosine (m7G) methyltransferase complex component WDR4 were frequently found in patients with neural disorders, while the pathogenic mechanism and therapeutic intervention strategies are poorly explored. In this study, we revealed that patient-derived WDR4 mutation leads to temporal and cell-type-specific neural degeneration, and directly causes neural developmental disorders in mice. Mechanistically, WDR4 point mutation disrupts the interaction between WDR4 and METTL1 and accelerates METTL1 protein degradation. We further uncovered that impaired tRNA m7G modification caused by Wdr4 mutation decreases the mRNA translation of genes involved in mTOR pathway, leading to elevated endoplasmic reticulum stress markers, and increases neural cell apoptosis. Importantly, treatment with stress-attenuating drug Tauroursodeoxycholate (TUDCA) significantly decreases neural cell death and improves neural functions of the Wdr4 mutated mice. Moreover, adeno-associated virus mediated transduction of wild-type WDR4 restores METTL1 protein level and tRNA m7G modification in the mouse brain, and achieves long-lasting therapeutic effect in Wdr4 mutated mice. Most importantly, we further demonstrated that both TUDCA treatment and WDR4 restoration significantly improve the survival and functions of human iPSCs-derived neuron stem cells that harbor the patient's WDR4 mutation. Overall, our study uncovers molecular insights underlying WDR4 mutation in the pathogenesis of neural diseases and develops two promising therapeutic strategies for treatment of neural diseases caused by impaired tRNA modifications.

Metabolic rewiring during bone development underlies tRNA m7G-associated primordial dwarfism.

Translation of mRNA to protein is tightly regulated by transfer RNAs (tRNAs), which are subject to various chemical modifications that maintain structure, stability, and function. Deficiency of tRNA N7-methylguanosine (m7G) modification in patients causes a type of primordial dwarfism, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here we report that the loss of m7G rewires cellular metabolism, leading to the pathogenesis of primordial dwarfism. Conditional deletion of the catalytic enzyme Mettl1 or missense mutation of the scaffold protein Wdr4 severely impaired endochondral bone formation and bone mass accrual. Mechanistically, Mettl1 knockout decreased abundance of m7G-modified tRNAs and inhibited translation of mRNAs relating to cytoskeleton and Rho GTPase signaling. Meanwhile, Mettl1 knockout enhanced cellular energy metabolism despite incompetent proliferation and osteogenic commitment. Further exploration revealed that impairment of Rho GTPase signaling upregulated the level of branched-chain amino acid transaminase 1 (BCAT1) that rewired cell metabolism and restricted intracellular α-ketoglutarate (αKG). Supplementation of αKG ameliorated the skeletal defect of Mettl1-deficient mice. In addition to the selective translation of metabolism-related mRNAs, we further revealed that Mettl1 knockout globally regulated translation via integrated stress response (ISR) and mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling. Restoring translation by targeting either ISR or mTORC1 aggravated bone defects of Mettl1-deficient mice. Overall, our study unveils a critical role of m7G tRNA modification in bone development by regulation of cellular metabolism and indicates suspension of translation initiation as a quality control mechanism in response to tRNA dysregulation.

Key technologies and challenges in online adaptive radiotherapy for lung cancer.

ABSTRACT: Definitive treatment of lung cancer with radiotherapy is challenging, as respiratory motion and anatomical changes can increase the risk of severe off-target effects during radiotherapy. Online adaptive radiotherapy (ART) is an evolving approach that enables timely modification of a treatment plan during the interfraction of radiotherapy, in response to physiologic or anatomic variations, aiming to improve the dose distribution for precise targeting and delivery in lung cancer patients. The effectiveness of online ART depends on the seamless integration of multiple components: sufficient quality of linear accelerator-integrated imaging guidance, deformable image registration, automatic recontouring, and efficient quality assurance and workflow. This review summarizes the present status of online ART for lung cancer, including key technologies, as well as the challenges and areas of active research in this field.

METTL3 regulates cartilage development and homeostasis by affecting Lats1 mRNA stability in an m6A-YTHDF2-dependent manner.

Cartilage maintains the structure and function of joints, with disturbances leading to potential osteoarthritis. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most widespread post-transcriptional modification in eukaryotes, plays a crucial role in regulating biological processes. While current research has indicated that m6A affects the progression of osteoarthritis, its function in the development and homeostasis of articular cartilage remains unclear. Here we report that Mettl3 deficiency in chondrocytes leads to mandibular condylar cartilage morphological alterations, early temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis, and diminished adaptive response to abnormal mechanical stimuli. Mechanistically, METTL3 modulates Lats1 mRNA methylation and facilitates its degradation in an m6A-YTHDF2-dependent manner, which subsequently influences the degradation and nuclear translocation of YAP1. Intervention with the Hippo pathway inhibitor XMU-MP-1 alleviates condylar abnormality caused by Mettl3 knockout. Our findings demonstrate the role of METTL3 in cartilage development and homeostasis, offering insights into potential treatment strategies for osteoarthritis.

Study of the Enantioselectivity and Recognition Mechanism of Allyl-ß-CD Modified Organic Polymer Monolithic Capillary Column.

Allyl-ß-CD was synthesized and used as the chiral functional monomer to prepare chiral organic polymer monolithic columns in capillary HPLC. First, the enantioselectivity of the prepared allyl-ß-CD modified organic polymer monolithic capillary columns was investigated. Then, the influences of enantioseparation conditions of chiral drugs were further explored. Finally, the recognition mechanism was studied by molecular docking with AutoDock. Complete enantioseparations of four chiral drugs as well as partial enantioseparations of eight chiral drugs have been achieved. Results showed that the RSD values for run-to-run, day-to-day, and column-to-column variations ranged from 1.2% to 4.6%, 1.4% to 4.7%, and 2.0% to 6.1%, respectively. The enantioselectivity factor rather than resolution is correlated with the binding free energy difference between enantiomers with allyl-ß-CD. Furthermore, the abundant ether bonds, hydroxyl groups, and hydrophobic cavities in cyclodextrin are responsible for the enantioseparation ability of the chiral monolithic capillary columns.

Early infiltrating NKT lymphocytes attenuate bone regeneration through secretion of CXCL2.

Trauma rapidly mobilizes the immune response of surrounding tissues and activates regeneration program. Manipulating immune response to promote tissue regeneration shows a broad application prospect. However, the understanding of bone healing dynamics at cellular level remains limited. Here, we characterize the landscape of immune cells after alveolar bone injury and reveal a pivotal role of infiltrating natural killer T (NKT) cells. We observe a rapid increase in NKT cells after injury, which inhibit osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and impair alveolar bone healing. Cxcl2 is up-regulated in NKT cells after injury. Systemic administration of CXCL2-neutralizing antibody or genetic deletion of Cxcl2 improves the bone healing process. In addition, we fabricate a gelatin-based porous hydrogel to deliver NK1.1 depletion antibody, which successfully promotes alveolar bone healing. In summary, our study highlights the importance of NKT cells in the early stage of bone healing and provides a potential therapeutic strategy for accelerating bone regeneration.

Efficacy and Toxicity of Moderately Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy with Helical TomoTherapy Versus Conventional Radiation Therapy in Patients with Unresectable Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Concurrent Chemotherapy: A Multicenter, Randomized Phase 3 Trial.

PURPOSE: The standard treatment schedule for unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is chemotherapy with concurrent radiation therapy (60 Gy delivered in 30 fractions), although moderately hypofractionated radiation therapy (Hypo-RT) has also been considered as an alternative strategy. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and toxicity of moderately Hypo-RT with helical TomoTherapy versus conventionally fractionated radiation therapy (Con-RT) in patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC receiving concurrent chemotherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: In this randomized, multicenter, nonblinded phase 3 clinical trial, eligible patients were randomised at a 1:1 ratio to either the Hypo-RT group (60 Gy in 20 fractions) or Con-RT group (60 Gy in 30 fractions). All patients received 2 cycles of concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy plus 2 cycles of consolidation therapy. The primary endpoint was 3-year overall survival (OS) in the intention-to-treat population. The secondary endpoints were progression-free survival and treatment-related adverse events. RESULTS: A total of 146 patients were enrolled from July 27, 2018, to November 1, 2021. The median follow-up was 46 months. The 3-year OS rates in the Hypo-RT and Con-RT groups were 58.4% and 38.4%, respectively (P = .02). The median OS from randomisation was 41 months in the Hypo-RT group and 30 months in the Con-RT group (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% confidence interval, 0.40-0.94; P = .02). There was no significant difference in the rates of grade ≥2 treatment-related adverse events between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Moderately Hypo-RT using helical TomoTherapy may improve OS in patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC, while maintaining toxicity rates.

A novel evaluation model of image registration for cone-beam computed tomography guided lung cancer radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to establish a weighted comprehensive evaluation model (WCEM) of image registration for cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) guided lung cancer radiotherapy that considers the geometric accuracy of gross target volume (GTV) and organs at risk (OARs), and assess the registration accuracy of different image registration methods to provide clinical references. METHODS: The planning CT and CBCT images of 20 lung cancer patients were registered using diverse algorithms (bony and grayscale) and regions of interest (target, ipsilateral, and body). We compared the coverage ratio (CR) of the planning target volume (PTVCT) to GTVCBCT, as well as the dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of the GTV and OARs, considering the treatment position across various registration methods. Furthermore, we developed a mathematical model to assess registration results comprehensively. This model was evaluated and validated using CRFs across four automatic registration methods. RESULTS: The grayscale registration method, coupled with the registration of the ipsilateral structure, exhibited the highest level of automatic registration accuracy, the DSC were 0.87 ± 0.09 (GTV), 0.71 ± 0.09 (esophagus), 0.74 ± 0.09 (spinal cord), and 0.91 ± 0.05 (heart), respectively. Our proposed WCEM proved to be both practical and effective. The results clearly indicated that the grayscale registration method, when applied to the ipsilateral structure, achieved the highest CRF score. The average CRF scores, excellent rates, good rate and qualification rates were 58 ± 26, 40%, 75%, and 85%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study successfully developed a clinically relevant weighted evaluation model for CBCT-guided lung cancer radiotherapy. Validation confirmed the grayscale method's optimal performance in ipsilateral structure registration.

Hepatocyte-specific METTL3 ablation by Alb-iCre mice (GPT), but not by Alb-Cre mice (JAX), resulted in acute liver failure (ALF) and postnatal lethality.

AIM: In 2019, to examine the functions of METTL3 in liver and underlying mechanisms, we generated mice with hepatocyte-specific METTL3 homozygous knockout (METTL3Δhep) by simultaneously crossing METTL3fl/fl mice with Alb-iCre mice (GPT) or Alb-Cre mice (JAX), respectively. In this study, we explored the potential reasons why hepatocyte-specific METTL3 homozygous disruption by Alb-iCre mice (GPT), but not by Alb-Cre mice (JAX), resulted in acute liver failure (ALF) and then postnatal lethality. MAIN METHODS: Mice with hepatocyte-specific METTL3 knockout were generated by simultaneously crossing METTL3fl/fl mice with Alb-iCre mice (GPT; Strain No. T003814) purchased from the GemPharmatech Co., Ltd., (Nanjing, China) or with Alb-Cre mice (JAX; Strain No. 003574) obtained from The Jackson Laboratory, followed by combined-phenotype analysis. The publicly available RNA-sequencing data deposited in the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database under the accession No.: GSE198512 (postnatal lethality), GSE197800 (postnatal survival) and GSE176113 (postnatal survival) were mined to explore the potential reasons why hepatocyte-specific METTL3 homozygous deletion by Alb-iCre mice (GPT), but not by Alb-Cre mice (JAX), leads to ALF and then postnatal lethality. KEY FINDINGS: Firstly, we observed that hepatocyte-specific METTL3 homozygous deficiency by Alb-iCre mice (GPT) or by Alb-Cre mice (JAX) caused liver injury, abnormal lipid accumulation and apoptosis. Secondly, we are surprised to find that hepatocyte-specific METTL3 homozygous deletion by Alb-iCre mice (GPT), but not by Alb-Cre mice (JAX), led to ALF and then postnatal lethality. Our findings clearly demonstrated that METTL3Δhep mice (GPT), which are about to die, exhibited the severe destruction of liver histological structure, suggesting that METTL3Δhep mice (GPT) nearly lose normal liver function, which subsequently contributes to ALF, followed by postnatal lethality. Finally, we unexpectedly found that as the compensatory growth responses of hepatocytes to liver injury induced by METTL3Δhep (GPT), the proliferation of METTL3Δhep hepatocytes (GPT), unlike METTL3Δhep hepatocytes (JAX), was not evidenced by the significant increase of Ki67-positive hepatocytes, not accompanied by upregulation of cell-cycle-related genes. Moreover, GO analysis revealed that upregulated genes in METTL3Δhep livers (GPT), unlike METTL3Δhep livers (JAX), are not functionally enriched in terms associated with cell cycle, cell division, mitosis, microtubule cytoskeleton organization, spindle organization, chromatin segregation and organization, and nuclear division, consistent with the loss of compensatory proliferation of METTL3Δhep hepatocytes (GPT) observed in vivo. Thus, obviously, the loss of the compensatory growth capacity of METTL3Δhep hepatocytes (GPT) in response to liver injury might contribute to, at least partially, ALF and subsequently postnatal lethality of METTL3Δhep mice (GPT). SIGNIFICANCE: These findings from this study and other labs provide strong evidence that these phenotypes (i.e., ALF and postnatal lethality) of METTL3Δhep mice (GPT) might be not the real functions of METTL3, and closely related with Alb-iCre mice (GPT), suggesting that we should remind researchers to use Alb-iCre mice (GPT) with caution to knockout gene in hepatocytes in vivo.

ThermomiR-377-3p-induced suppression of Cirbp expression is required for effective elimination of cancer cells and cancer stem-like cells by hyperthermia.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the development of adjunctive therapeutic hyperthermia for cancer therapy has received considerable attention. However, the mechanisms underlying hyperthermia resistance are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the roles of cold­inducible RNA binding protein (Cirbp) in regulating hyperthermia resistance and underlying mechanisms in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, tumor sphere formation assay, qRT-PCR, Western blot were employed to examine the effects of hyperthermia (HT), HT + oridonin(Ori) or HT + radiotherapy (RT) on the proliferation and stemness of NPC cells. RNA sequencing was applied to gain differentially expressed genes upon hyperthermia. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments were used to evaluate the effects of RNAi-mediated Cirbp silencing or Cirbp overexpression on the sensitivity or resistance of NPC cells and cancer stem-like cells to hyperthermia by CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, tumorsphere formation assay and apoptosis assay, and in subcutaneous xenograft animal model. miRNA transient transfection and luciferase reporter assay were used to demonstrate that Cirbp is a direct target of miR-377-3p. The phosphorylation levels of key members in ATM-Chk2 and ATR-Chk1 pathways were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: Our results firstly revealed that hyperthermia significantly attenuated the stemness of NPC cells, while combination treatment of hyperthermia and oridonin dramatically increased the killing effect on NPC cells and cancer stem cell (CSC)­like population. Moreover, hyperthermia substantially improved the sensitivity of radiation­resistant NPC cells and CSC­like cells to radiotherapy. Hyperthermia noticeably suppressed Cirbp expression in NPC cells and xenograft tumor tissues. Furthermore, Cirbp inhibition remarkably boosted anti­tumor­killing activity of hyperthermia against NPC cells and CSC­like cells, whereas ectopic expression of Cirbp compromised tumor­killing effect of hyperthermia on these cells, indicating that Cirbp overexpression induces hyperthermia resistance. ThermomiR-377-3p improved the sensitivity of NPC cells and CSC­like cells to hyperthermia in vitro by directly suppressing Cirbp expression. More importantly, our results displayed the significantly boosted sensitization of tumor xenografts to hyperthermia by Cirbp silencing in vivo, but ectopic expression of Cirbp almost completely counteracted hyperthermia-mediated tumor cell-killing effect against tumor xenografts in vivo. Mechanistically, Cirbp silencing-induced inhibition of DNA damage repair by inactivating ATM-Chk2 and ATR-Chk1 pathways, decrease in stemness and increase in cell death contributed to hyperthermic sensitization; conversely, Cirbp overexpression-induced promotion of DNA damage repair, increase in stemness and decrease in cell apoptosis contributed to hyperthermia resistance. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these findings reveal a previously unrecognized role for Cirbp in positively regulating hyperthermia resistance and suggest that thermomiR-377-3p and its target gene Cirbp represent promising targets for therapeutic hyperthermia.

CD97 inhibits osteoclast differentiation via Rap1a/ERK pathway under compression.

Acceleration of tooth movement during orthodontic treatment is challenging, with osteoclast-mediated bone resorption on the compressive side being the rate-limiting step. Recent studies have demonstrated that mechanoreceptors on the surface of monocytes/macrophages, especially adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs), play important roles in force sensing. However, its role in the regulation of osteoclast differentiation remains unclear. Herein, through single-cell analysis, we revealed that CD97, a novel mechanosensitive aGPCR, was expressed in macrophages. Compression upregulated CD97 expression and inhibited osteoclast differentiation; while knockdown of CD97 partially rescued osteoclast differentiation. It suggests that CD97 may be an important mechanosensitive receptor during osteoclast differentiation. RNA sequencing analysis showed that the Rap1a/ERK signalling pathway mediates the effects of CD97 on osteoclast differentiation under compression. Consistently, we clarified that administration of the Rap1a inhibitor GGTI298 increased osteoclast activity, thereby accelerating tooth movement. In conclusion, our results indicate that CD97 suppresses osteoclast differentiation through the Rap1a/ERK signalling pathway under orthodontic compressive force.

Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation to Explore Mechanism of Tetrahydropalmatine on Acute Myocardial Ischemia.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential molecular mechanism of tetrahydropalmatine (THP) on acute myocardial ischemia (AMI). METHODS: First, the target genes of THP and AMI were collected from SymMap Database, Traditional Chinese Medicine Database and Analysis Platform, and Swiss Target Prediction, respectively. Then, the overlapping target genes between THP and AMI were evaluated for Grene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction network analysis. The binding affinity between the protein and THP was assessed by molecular docking. Finally, the protective effects of THP on AMI model and oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) model of H9C2 cardiomyocyte were explored and the expression levels of target genes were detected by RT-qPCR in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS: MMP9, PPARG, PTGS2, SLC6A4, ESR1, JAK2, GSK3B, NOS2 and AR were recognized as hub genes. The KEGG enrichment analysis results revealed that the potential target genes of THP were involved in the regulation of PPAR and hormone pathways. THP improved the cardiac function, as well as alleviated myocardial cell damage. Furthermore, THP significantly decreased the RNA expression levels of MMP9, PTGS2, SLC6A4, GSK3B and ESR1 (P<0.05, P<0.01) after AMI. In vitro, THP significantly increased H9C2 cardiomyocyte viability (P<0.05, P<0.01) and inhibited the RNA expression levels of PPARG, ESR1 and AR (P<0.05, P<0.01) in OGD model. CONCLUSIONS: THP could improve cardiac function and alleviate myocardial injury in AMI. The underlying mechanism may be inhibition of inflammation, the improvement of energy metabolism and the regulation of hormones.

Mettl3-mediated m6A modification plays a role in lipid metabolism disorders and progressive liver damage in mice by regulating lipid metabolism-related gene expression.

AIMS: N6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most abundant and conserved epigenetic modification of mRNA, participates in various physiological and pathological processes. However, the roles of m6A modification in liver lipid metabolism have yet to be understood entirely. We aimed to investigate the roles of the m6A "writer" protein methyltransferase-like 3 (Mettl3) in liver lipid metabolism and the underlying mechanisms. MAIN METHODS: We assessed the expression of Mettl3 in liver tissues of diabetes (db/db) mice, obese (ob/ob) mice, high saturated fat-, cholesterol-, and fructose-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) mice, and alcohol abuse and alcoholism (NIAAA) mice by quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). Hepatocyte-specific Mettl3 knockout mice were used to evaluate the effects of Mettl3 deficiency in mouse liver. The molecular mechanisms underlying the roles of Mettl3 deletion in liver lipid metabolism were explored by multi-omics joint analysis of public data from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and further validated by qRT-PCR and Western blot. KEY FINDINGS: Significantly decreased Mettl3 expression was associated with NAFLD progression. Hepatocyte-specific knockout of Mettl3 resulted in significant lipid accumulation in the liver, increased serum total cholesterol levels, and progressive liver damage in mice. Mechanistically, loss of Mettl3 significantly downregulated the expression levels of multiple m6A-modified mRNAs related to lipid metabolism, including Adh7, Cpt1a, and Cyp7a1, further promoting lipid metabolism disorders and liver injury in mice. SIGNIFICANCE: In summary, our findings demonstrate that the expression alteration of genes related to lipid metabolism by Mettl3-mediated m6A modification contributes to the development of NAFLD.

NPM1 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis and stemness by recruiting Mdm2 to induce the ubiquitination-mediated degradation of p53.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is clinically challenging due to the development of distant metastasis following initial therapy. Therefore, it is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms underlying metastases to develop novel therapeutic strategies. Nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) has been directly linked to the development of human tumors and may have both tumor-suppressing and oncogenic properties. Although NPM1 is often overexpressed in solid tumors of various histopathological origins, its specific function in mediating the development of NPC is still unknown. Here, we investigated the role of NPM1 in NPC and discovered that NPM1 was elevated in clinical NPC samples and served as a predictor of the worst prognosis in NPC patients. Furthermore, the upregulation of NPM1 promoted the migration and the cancer stemness of NPC both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic analyses revealed that the E3 ubiquitin ligase Mdm2 was recruited by NPM1 to induce the ubiquitination-mediated proteasomal degradation of p53. Ultimately, knockdown of NPM1 suppressed the stemness and EMT signals. In summation, this study demonstrated the role and the underlying molecular mechanism of NPM1 in NPC, providing the evidence for the clinical application of NPM1 as a therapeutic target for the treatment of patients with NPC.

Hairy gene homolog increases nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell stemness by upregulating Bmi-1.

B-cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus integration site 1 (Bmi-1) is overexpressed in various cancer types. We found that Bmi-1 mRNA levels were elevated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines. In immunohistochemical analyses, high Bmi-1 levels were observed in not only 5 of 38 non-cancerous nasopharyngeal squamous epithelial biopsies, but also in 66 of 98 NPC specimens (67.3%). High Bmi-1 levels were detected more frequently in T3-T4, N2-N3 and stage III-IV NPC biopsies than in T1-T2, N0-N1 and stage I-II NPC samples, indicating that Bmi-1 is upregulated in advanced NPC. In 5-8F and SUNE1 NPC cells, stable depletion of Bmi-1 using lentiviral RNA interference greatly suppressed cell proliferation, induced G1-phase cell cycle arrest, reduced cell stemness and suppressed cell migration and invasion. Likewise, knocking down Bmi-1 inhibited NPC cell growth in nude mice. Both chromatin immunoprecipitation and Western blotting assays demonstrated that Hairy gene homolog (HRY) upregulated Bmi-1 by binding to its promoter, thereby increasing the stemness of NPC cells. Immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time PCR analyses revealed that HRY expression correlated positively with Bmi-1 expression in a cohort of NPC biopsies. These findings suggested that HRY promotes NPC cell stemness by upregulating Bmi-1, and that silencing Bmi-1 can suppress NPC progression.

Alpha-ketoglutarate promotes alveolar bone regeneration by modulating M2 macrophage polarization.

Objectives: Alpha-ketoglutarate (αKG) is an essential metabolite that plays a crucial role in skeletal homeostasis. Here we aim to investigate the effect of αKG on alveolar socket healing and reveal the underlying mechanism in the view of macrophage polarization. Methods: In a murine model pretreated with or without αKG, mandibular first molars were extracted. Mandibular tissues were harvested for microCT and histological analyses. Immunofluorescence was used to evaluate macrophage polarization during healing process. Macrophages with αKG/vehicle supplementation in vitro were proceeded to quantitative real-time PCR and flow cytometry to further elucidate the mechanism. Results: MicroCT and histological analyses showed accelerated healing and enhanced bone regeneration of extraction sockets in experimental group. αKG increased new bone volume in alveolar sockets and promoted the activity of both osteoblastogenesis and osteoclastogenesis. αKG administration reduced M1 pro-inflammatory macrophages in an early phase and promoted anti-inflammatory M2 macrophage polarization in a later phase. Consistently, the expressions of M2 marker genes were augmented in αKG group, while M1 marker genes were downregulated. Flow cytometry revealed the increased ratio of M2/M1 macrophages in cells treated with αKG. Conclusions: αKG accelerates the healing process of extraction sockets via orchestrating macrophage activation, with promising therapeutic potential in oral clinics.

The association of postoperative radiotherapy with survival in resected N2 non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: The current staging system for completely resected pathologic N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with chemotherapy is not suitable for distinguishing those patients most likely to benefit from postoperative radiotherapy (PORT). This study aimed to construct a survival prediction model that will enable individualized prediction of the net survival benefit of PORT in patients with completely resected N2 NSCLC treated with chemotherapy. Methods: A total of 3,094 cases from between 2002 and 2014 were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Patient characteristics were included as covariates, and their association with overall survival (OS) with and without PORT was assessed. Data from 602 patients from China were included for external validation. Results: Age, sex, the number of examined/positive lymph nodes, tumor size, the extent of surgery, and visceral pleural invasion (VPI) were significantly associated with OS (P<0.05). Two nomograms were developed based on clinical variables to estimate individuals' net survival difference attributable to PORT. The calibration curve showed excellent agreement between the OS predicted by the prediction model and that actually observed. In the training cohort, the C-index for OS was 0.619 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.598-0.641] in the PORT group and 0.627 (95% CI: 0.605-0.648) in the non-PORT group. Results showed that PORT could improve OS [hazard ratio (HR): 0.861; P=0.044] for patients with a positive PORT net survival difference. Conclusions: Our practical survival prediction model can be used to make an individualized estimate of the net survival benefit of PORT for patients with completely resected N2 NSCLC who have been treated with chemotherapy.

Engineered Plant Virus Complexes with a RANK Motif Modulator and Bone Targeting for Osteoporosis Treatment.

Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by excessive osteoclastic bone resorption and impaired osteoblastic bone formation. Traditional delivery of antiresorptive drugs lacks a specific biodistribution in the body and may cause adverse effects to the patients. In this study, the peptide BTRM is first synthesized consisting of the bone-targeting peptide Asp8 (BT) and the peptide derived from the amino acid sequences of RANK Motif2/3 (RM), two cytoplasmic RANK motifs (PVQEET560-565 and PVQEQG604-609) that have been reported to play an important role in osteoclastogenesis. Then, BTRM is conjugated on the plant virus-like nanoparticles (VNPs) obtained from cowpea chlorotic mottle viruses (CCMVs), forming the engineered plant viruses BTRM-VNPs. In vitro experiments demonstrate that BTRM-VNPs can effectively and safely inhibit osteoclast differentiation and function. Moreover, after injection into ovariectomized mice, BTRM-VNPs show excellent capability to target bone tissue and improve osteoporotic bone loss. Collectively, the findings may provide a novel and promising strategy in the treatment of osteoporotic defects via targeting bone tissue and regulating the function of RANK Motif2/3.

A Person-Environment Fit Model to Explain Information and Communication Technologies-Enabled After-Hours Work-Related Interruptions in China.

Given the ubiquitous nature of mobile devices and information and communication technologies (ICT), after-hours work-related interruptions (AHWI) occur anywhere and anytime in China. In the current study, an alternative person-environment (P-E) fit model of ICT-enabled AHWI, hereafter referred to as IAWI, that treats polychronic variables as moderated solutions are presented. A cross-sectional survey among 277 Chinese employees (average age: 32.04 years) was conducted in September 2022 and tested by PLS-structural equation modeling to validate our hypotheses. The results indicated that IAWI had a positive influence on employees' innovative job performance and in-role job performance (ß = 0.139, p < 0.05; ß = 0.200, p < 0.01; ß = 0.298, p < 0.001). Moreover, among employees with higher levels of polychronicity, the heightened effects of IAWI on innovative job performance were increased (ß = 0.112, p < 0.05). This study offers implications for employees: under IAWI situations, they could search for a person-environment (P-E) that is fit to buffer the negative aspects of IAWI, consequently increasing their innovative job performance and in-role job performance. Future research could extend beyond this framework to explore employees' IAWI and job performance balance.