GMI, a Ganoderma microsporum protein, abolishes focal adhesion network to reduce cell migration and metastasis of lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cancer metastasis is a major cause of cancer-related deaths, emphasizing the urgent need for effective therapies. Although it has been shown that GMI, a fungal protein from Ganoderma microsporum, could suppress primary tumor growth in a wide spectrum of cancer types, it is still unclear whether GMI exhibits anti-metastasis properties, particularly in lung cancers. Further investigation is needed. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to investigate the potential inhibitory effects of GMI on lung cancer metastasis in vivo. Utilizing systematic and comprehensive approaches, our research aims to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for the anti-metastatic effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vitro migration and cell adhesion assays addressed the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related phenotype. Proteomic and bioinformatic analyses identified the GMI-regulated proteins and cellular responses. GMI-treated LLC1-bearing mice were analyzed using IVIS Spectrum to assess the anti-metastatic effect. KEY FINDINGS: GMI inhibits EMT as well as cell migration. GMI disrupts cell adhesion and downregulates integrin, resulting in inhibition of phosphorylated FAK. GMI induces macropinocytosis and lysosome-mediated degradation of integrin αv, α5, α6 and ß1. GMI downregulates Slug via inhibition of FAK activity, which in turn enhances expressions of epithelial-related markers and decreases cell mobility. Mechanistically, GMI-induced FAK inhibition engenders MDM2 expression and enhances MDM2/p21/Slug complex formation, leading to Slug degradation. GMI treatment reduces the metastatic pulmonary lesion and prolongs the survival of LLC1-bearing mice. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings highlight GMI as a promising therapeutic candidate for metastatic lung cancers, offering potential avenues for further research and drug development.

Study of Atomic Layer Deposition Nano-Oxide Films on Corrosion Protection of Al-SiC Composites.

In recent years, aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) have attracted attention due to their promising properties. However, the presence of ceramic particles in the aluminum matrix renders AMCs a high corrosion rate and makes it challenging to use traditional corrosion protection methods. In this study, atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques were used to deposit HfO2, ZrO2, TiO2, and Al2O3 thin films on AMC reinforced with 20 vol.% SiC particles. Our results indicate that the presence of micro-cracks between the Al matrix and SiC particles leads to severe micro-crack-induced corrosion in Al-SiC composites. The ALD-deposited films effectively enhance the corrosion resistance of these composites by mitigating this micro-crack-induced corrosion. Among these four atomic-layer deposited films, the HfO2 film exhibits the most effective reduction in the corrosion current density of Al-SiC composites in a 1.5 wt% NaCl solution from 1.27 × 10-6 A/cm2 to 5.89 × 10-11 A/cm2. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) investigation shows that HfO2 deposited on Al-SiC composites has the largest Rp value of 2.0 × 1016. The HfO2 film on Al-SiC composites also exhibits effective inhibition of pitting corrosion, remaining at grade 10 even after 96 h of a salt spray test.

Improvement of Corrosion and Wear Resistance of CoCrNiSi0.3 Medium-Entropy Alloy by Sputtering CrN Film.

In this study, Co, Cr, and Ni were selected as the equal-atomic medium entropy alloy (MEA) systems, and Si was added to form CoCrNiSi0.3 MEA. In order to further improve its wear and corrosion properties, CrN film was sputtered on the surface. In addition, to enhance the adhesion between the soft CoCrNiSi0.3 substrate and the super-hard CrN film, a Cr buffer layer was pre-sputtered on the CoCrNiSi0.3 substrate. The experimental results show that the CrN film exhibits a columnar grain structure, and the film growth rate is about 2.022 µm/h. With the increase of sputtering time, the increase in CrN film thickness, and the refinement of columnar grains, the wear and corrosion resistance improves. Among all CoCrNiSi0.3 MEAs without and with CrN films prepared in this study, the CoCrNiSi0.3 MEA with 3 h-sputtered CrN film has the lowest wear rate of 2.249 × 10-5 mm3·m-1·N-1, and the best corrosion resistance of Icorr 19.37 µA·cm-2 and Rp 705.85 Ω·cm2.