First-in-human study of GFH018, a small molecule inhibitor of transforming growth factor-ß receptor I inhibitor, in patients with advanced solid tumors.

BACKGROUND: Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) is a cytokine with multiple functions, including cell growth regulation, extracellular matrix production, angiogenesis homeostasis adjustment and et al. TGF-ß pathway activation promotes tumor metastasis/progression and mediates epithelial-mesenchymal transmission suppressing immunosurveillance in advanced tumors. GFH018, a small molecule inhibitor blocking TGF-ß signal transduction, inhibits the progression and/or metastasis of advanced cancers. This first-in-human study evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and efficacy of GFH018 monotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumors. METHODS: This phase I, open-label, multicenter study used a modified 3+3 dose escalation and expansion design. Adult patients with advanced solid tumors failing the standard of care were enrolled. Starting at 5 mg, eight dose levels up to 85 mg were evaluated. Patients received GFH018 BID (14d-on/14d-off) starting on the 4th day after a single dose on cycle 1, day 1. Subsequent cycles were defined as 28 days. The study also explored the safety of 85 mg BID 7d-on/7d-off. Adverse events were graded using NCI criteria for adverse events (NCI-CTCAE v5.0). PK was analyzed using a noncompartmental method. Efficacy was evaluated using RECIST 1.1. Blood samples were collected for biomarker analysis. RESULTS: Fifty patients were enrolled and received at least one dose of GFH018. No dose-limiting toxicity occurred, and the maximum tolerated dose was not reached. Forty-three patients (86.0%) had at least one treatment-related adverse event (TRAE), and three patients (6.0%) had ≥ G3 TRAEs. The most common TRAEs (any grade/grade ≥3) were AST increased (18%/0%), proteinuria (14%/2%), anemia (14%/2%), and ALT increased (12%/0%). No significant cardiotoxicity or bleeding was observed. GFH018 PK was linear and dose-independent, with a mean half-life of 2.25-8.60 h from 5 - 85 mg. Nine patients (18.0%) achieved stable disease, and one patient with thymic carcinoma achieved tumor shrinkage, with the maximum target lesion decreased by 18.4%. Serum TGF-ß1 levels were not associated with clinical responses. The comprehensive recommended dose for Phase II was defined as 85 mg BID 14d-on/14d-off. CONCLUSIONS: GFH018 monotherapy presented a favorable safety profile without cardiac toxicity or bleeding. Modest efficacy warrants further studies, including combination strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrial. gov ( https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ ), NCT05051241. Registered on 2021-09-02.

Optimization of clofibrate with O-desmethyl anetholtrithione lead to a novel hypolipidemia compound with hepatoprotective effect.

Oxidative stress and inflammation were considered to be the major mechanisms in liver damage caused by clofibrate (CF). In order to obtain lipid-lowering drugs with less liver damage, the structure of clofibrate was optimized by O-desmethyl anetholtrithione and got the target compound clofibrate-O-desmethyl anetholtrithione (CF-ATT). CF-ATT significantly reduced the levels of plasma triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC) in hyperlipidemia mice induced by Triton WR-1339. In addition, CF-ATT has a significantly protective effect on the liver compared with CF. The liver weight and liver coefficient were reduced. The hepatic function indexes were also decreased, such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Histopathological examination of the liver revealed that inflammatory cell infiltration, nuclear degeneration, cytoplasmic loosening and hepatocyte necrosis were ameliorated by administration with CF-ATT. The hepatoprotective mechanism showed that CF-ATT significantly up-regulated Nrf2 and HO-1 protein expression and down-regulated p-NF-κB P65 expression in the liver. CF-ATT has obviously antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. These findings suggested that CF-ATT has significant hypolipidemia activity and exact hepatoprotective effect possibly through the Nrf2/NF-κB-mediated signal pathway.

Low and high storage temperature inhibited the coloration of mandarin fruit (Citrus unshiu Marc.) with different mechanism.

BACKGROUND: Peel color regulated by pigment metabolism is one of the most crucial indicators affecting the commodity values of citrus fruit. Storage temperature is a vital environmental factor that regulates the fruit pigmentation. RESULTS: Results showed that the peel coloring process was significantly inhibited when mandarin fruit were stored at 5 and 32 °C with normal coloring at 25 °C as the control. However, the inhibitive mechanisms of 5 and 32 °C storage were different. At 5 °C, higher levels of CcNYC and CcCHL2 were detected, which indicated that 5 °C induces the circulation of chlorophyll rather than inhibits chlorophyll degradation. CcPSY2, CcCHYB, and CcZEP exhibited higher expression levels in fruit stored at 5 °C, which accelerated the accumulation of carotenoids. In fruit stored at 32 °C, CcNYC, CcPAO, and CcCHL2 exhibited lower expression levels than those fruit stored at 5 °C, and the expressions of CcPSY2, CcCHYB, and CcZEP were down regulated, implying the carotenoid synthesis was suppressed. CONCLUSION: Storage at 5 °C inhibited the postharvest coloring of mandarin fruit mainly by activating the cycle of chlorophyll, although it promotes the accumulation of carotenoids at the same time, but chlorophyll covers the color of carotenoids. Storage at 32 °C inhibited mandarin fruit coloring mainly by inhibiting the degradation of chlorophyll. Compared with the change of individual chlorophyll or carotenoid content, the change of the ratio of chlorophyll and carotenoid had a more important role in the coloration of mandarin fruit. This research offers valuable details for understanding the effect of temperature on the coloring process of postharvest citrus fruit. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

TWIST2 and the PPAR signaling pathway are important in the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the roles of the transcription factors twist family bHLH transcription factor 1 (TWIST1), twist family bHLH transcription factor 2 (TWIST2), and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) in the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. METHODS: The protein levels of TWIST1, TWIST2 and PPARγ were determined in the serum of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients and healthy controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). An in vivo model for fatty liver was established by feeding C57BL/6 J mice a high-fat diet (HFD). An in vitro model of steatosis was established by treating LO-2 cells with oleic acid (OA). RNA sequencing was performed on untreated and OA-treated LO-2 cells followed by TWIST1, TWIST2 and PPARγ gene mRNA levels analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and pathway analysis. RESULTS: The TWIST2 serum protein levels decreased significantly in all fatty liver groups (P < 0.05), while TWIST1 varied. TWIST2 tended to be lower in mice fed an HFD and was significantly lower at 3 months. Similarly, in the in vitro model, the TWIST2 protein level was downregulated significantly at 48 and 72 h after OA treatment. RNA sequencing of LO-2 cells showed an approximately 2.3-fold decrease in TWIST2, with no obvious change in TWIST1 and PPARγ. The PPAR signaling pathway was enriched, with 4 genes upregulated in OA-treated cells (P = 0.0018). The interleukin (IL)-17 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathways were enriched in OA-treated cells. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide evidence that the TWIST2 and PPAR signaling pathways are important in NAFLD and shed light on a potential mechanism of steatosis.

Palladium Single Atoms on TiO2 as a Photocatalytic Sensing Platform for Analyzing the Organophosphorus Pesticide Chlorpyrifos.

Traditional methods for analyzing organophosphorus pesticide chlorpyrifos, usually require the tedious sample pretreatment and sophisticated bio-interfaces, leading to the difficulty for real-time analysis. Herein, we use palladium single-atom (PdSA)/TiO2 as a photocatalytic sensing platform to directly detect chlorpyrifos with high sensitivity and selectivity. PdSA/TiO2 , prepared by an in situ photocatalytic reduction of PdCl42- on the TiO2 , shows much higher photocatalytic activity (10 mol g-1 h-1 ) for hydrogen evolution reaction than Pd nanoparticles (1.95 mol g-1 h-1 ), and excellent stability. In the presence of chlorpyrifos, the photocatalytic activity of PdSA/TiO2 decreases. Through this inhibition effect the platform can realize a detection limit for chlorpyrifos of 0.01 ng mL-1 , much lower than the maximum residue limit (10 ppb) permitted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Genomic Landscape Survey Identifies SRSF1 as a Key Oncodriver in Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive disease with poor survival. A few sequencing studies performed on limited number of samples have revealed potential disease-driving genes in SCLC, however, much still remains unknown, particularly in the Asian patient population. Here we conducted whole exome sequencing (WES) and transcriptomic sequencing of primary tumors from 99 Chinese SCLC patients. Dysregulation of tumor suppressor genes TP53 and RB1 was observed in 82% and 62% of SCLC patients, respectively, and more than half of the SCLC patients (62%) harbored TP53 and RB1 mutation and/or copy number loss. Additionally, Serine/Arginine Splicing Factor 1 (SRSF1) DNA copy number gain and mRNA over-expression was strongly associated with poor survival using both discovery and validation patient cohorts. Functional studies in vitro and in vivo demonstrate that SRSF1 is important for tumorigenicity of SCLC and may play a key role in DNA repair and chemo-sensitivity. These results strongly support SRSF1 as a prognostic biomarker in SCLC and provide a rationale for personalized therapy in SCLC.

Protocadherin-8 promotes invasion and metastasis via laminin subunit γ2 in gastric cancer.

Growing evidence suggests that protocadherins (PCDH) play crucial roles in pathogenesis and progression of cancers, including gastric cancer (GC). Protocadherin-8 (PCDH8) was previously reported to be involved in metastasis of GC, but functional studies yielded inconsistent results and the molecular mechanism remained unknown. The present study aimed to explore the clinical relevance, function and molecular mechanism of PCDH8 in GC. Data from the GEPIA and Kaplan-Meier plotter databases showed that high expression of PCDH8 was significantly correlated with poorer prognosis in GC. Ectopic expression of PCDH8 in GC cells promoted invasion and migration in vitro and metastasis in vivo, and knockdown of PCDH8 inhibited invasion and migration in vitro. RNA sequencing followed by gene set enrichment analysis found a remarkable enrichment in the extracellular matrix receptor interaction pathway, with the expression of laminin subunit γ2 (LAMC2) being significantly increased in the PCDH8-overexpressing group. High expression of LAMC2 was significantly correlated to poor prognosis in GC in GEPIA database. Upregulation of LAMC2 following PCDH8 overexpression was further confirmed by immunohistochemistry in liver metastatic lesions of nude mice. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the metastasis-enhancing property and molecular mechanism through upregulation of LAMC2 of PCDH8 in cancer. High expression of PCDH8 could be used as a biomarker for poor prognosis in clinical practice.

An ultra low-cost smartphone device for in-situ monitoring of acute organophosphorus poisoning for agricultural workers.

In this work, we present an ultra-low-cost smartphone device for in situ quantification of OP poisoning severity. The performance of the lens-less smartphone spectrum apparatus (LeSSA) is evaluated using standard human Interleukin-6 (IL-6) immunoassay kits. Upon dose-response curve fitting, LeSSA demonstrates an accuracy of 99.5%. The limit of detection (LOD) of LeSSA was evaluated through comparison of 6.4 pg/ml with standard laboratory grade UV-vis spectrophotometer at 5.5 pg/ml. Evaluating the capacity of LeSSA in spike solution by combining plasma cholinesterase (PChE) and human plasma shows consistency at agreement of 97.6% between LeSSA and the laboratory instrument. For application demonstration, the activity of PChE for 24 agricultural workers' plasma samples was measured with LeSSA, showing exceptional agreement (r2 = 0.92) with the laboratory instrument reference. In addition to near laboratory grade accuracy, the total manufacturing cost of LeSSA is only $20 USD highlighting it's affordability. With LeSSA, clinicians can evaluate OP poisoning severity without the need to transport patient samples to facilities at far distances. Utilizing LeSSA, immediate results can be used for administration of appropriate treatment.

Plasma microRNA-based signatures to predict 3-year postoperative recurrence risk for stage II and III gastric cancer.

Our aim was to identify plasma microRNA (miRNA)-based signatures to predict 3-year postoperative recurrence risk for patients with stage II and III gastric cancer (GC), so as to provide insights for individualized adjuvant therapy. Plasma miRNA expression was investigated in three phases, involving 407 patients recruited from three centers. ABI miRNA microarray and TaqMan Low Density Array were adopted in the discovery phase to identify potential miRNAs. Quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to assess the expression of selected miRNAs. Logistic regression models were constructed in the training set (n = 170) and validated in the validation set (n = 169). Receiver operating characteristic analyses, survival analyses and subgroup analyses were further used to assess the accuracy of the models. We identified a 7 miRNA classifier and 7miR + pathological factors index that provided high predictive accuracy of GC recurrence (area under the curve = 0.725 and 0.841 in the training set; and 0.627 and 0.771 in the validation set). High-risk patients defined by the signatures had significantly shorter disease-free survival and overall survival than low-risk patients. The 7 miRNA classifier is an independent prognostic factor, and could add predictive value to traditional prognostic factors. Subgroup analyses revealed the satisfactory performance persisted regardless of stage, and the two models both displayed high accuracy in stage IIA patients. In conclusion, identified microRNA signature may potentially provide some additional benefit for prediction of disease recurrence in patients with stage II and III GC.

Prognostic significance and functional implication of immune activating receptor NKG2D in gastric cancer.

NKG2D, an activating receptor expressed on CD8+ T lymphocytes, serves as a co-stimulation molecule by engagement with its ligands MICA/B and ULBPs to trigger immune activation against tumors. Currently, the biological function and clinical significance of NKG2D in gastric cancer remains unexplored. The study aims to investigate the expression of NKG2D in gastric cancer in association with clinical prognosis and its biological function. Real-time PCR was used to analyze NKG2D expression in paired cancer and adjacent non-malignant tissues in 139 gastric cancer patients between 2007 and 2010 in Shanghai Cancer Center. NKG2D expression showed no association with any clinical characteristic parameters. High NKG2D level was significantly associated with better outcome (P = 0.018 for OS, P = 0.041 for DFS). Using univariate Cox regression model, high NKG2D mRNA resulted in 43% risk reduction in gastric cancer patients (HR = 0.57, CI (0.36-0.91), P = 0.019). High NKG2D level displayed a significant association with longer OS in the multivariate analysis (HR = 0.59, CI (0.363-0.96), P = 0.034), independent of other prognostic factors including Lauren classification, neural infiltration, vascular/lymphatic invasion, TNM stage. Upon co-incubation with cancer cells, NKG2D expression in CD8+ T cells was markedly down-regulated. Functional study suggested that either blocking NKG2D or its ligand ULBP-2 could suppress tumor-killing activity of CD8+ T cells. Our data showed that NKG2D receptor could be an independent favorable prognostic indicator for gastric cancer. Furthermore, decreased NKG2D expression might be the mechanism underlying immune evasion by tumors in gastric cancer.

Bioinspired Synthesis of All-in-One Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Nanoflowers Combined with a Handheld pH Meter for On-Site Detection of Food Pathogen.

With a mild elaborately bioinspired one-pot process, Con A-GOx-CaHPO4 nanoflowers are prepared. Employing the as-prepared all-in-one hybrid nanoflowers as signal tags, a simple but potentially powerful amplification biosensing technology for the detection of food pathogen with excellent simplicity, portability, sensitivity, and adaptability is achieved.

A sensitive magnetic nanoparticle-based immunoassay of phosphorylated acetylcholinesterase using protein cage templated lead phosphate for signal amplification with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry detection.

We developed a new magnetic nanoparticle sandwich-like immunoassay using protein cage nanoparticles (PCN) for signal amplification together with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) for the quantification of an organophosphorylated acetylcholinesterase adduct (OP-AChE), the biomarker of exposure to organophosphate pesticides (OPs) and nerve agents. OP-AChE adducts were firstly captured by titanium dioxide coated magnetic nanoparticles (TiO2-MNPs) from the sample matrixes through metal chelation with phospho-moieties, and then selectively recognized by anti-AChE antibody labeled on PCN which was packed with lead phosphate in its cavity (PCN-anti-AChE). The sandwich-like immunoreaction was performed among TiO2-MNPs, OP-AChE and PCN-anti-AChE to form a TiO2-MNP/OP-AChE/PCN-anti-AChE immunocomplex. The complex could be easily isolated from the sample solution with the help of magnet, and the released lead ions from PCN were detected by GFAAS for the quantification of OP-AChE. Greatly enhanced sensitivity was achieved because PCN increased the amount of metal ions in the cavity of each apoferritin. The proposed immunoassay yielded a linear response over a broad range of OP-AChE concentrations from 0.01 nM to 2 nM, with a detection limit of 2 pM, which has enough sensitivity for monitoring of low-dose exposure to OPs. This new method showed an acceptable stability and reproducibility and was validated with OP-AChE spiked human plasma.

Increased IR-A/IR-B ratio in non-small cell lung cancers associates with lower epithelial-mesenchymal transition signature and longer survival in squamous cell lung carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the insulin receptor isoform mRNA expression status in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. METHODS: RNA-seq data from 614 NSCLC [355 adenocarcinomas (LUAD) and 259 squamous cell carcinomas (LUSC)] and 92 normal lung specimens were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to evaluate the mRNA expression of insulin receptor isoform A (IR-A) and insulin receptor isoform B (IR-B). The differential expression status of the insulin receptor isoforms in NSCLC patients was confirmed using qRT-PCR assays with lung cancer cDNA arrays and primary tumor samples. RESULTS: The mRNA expression levels of IR-B were significantly lower in some NSCLC samples compared to normal lung specimens, including both LUAD and LUSC. Notably, no IR-B transcripts were detected - only the IR-A isoform was expressed in 11% of NSCLC patients. This decrease in IR-B expression contributed to an elevated IR-A/IR-B ratio, which was also associated with lower epithelial-mesenchymal transition gene signatures in NSCLC and longer patient survival under standard of care in LUSC. In addition to NSCLC, RNA-seq data from TCGA revealed a similar increase in IR-A/IR-B ratio in many other cancer types, with high prevalence in acute myeloid leukemia, glioblastoma multiforme, and brain lower grade glioma. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate a common reduction of the mRNA expression level of IR-B and an increased IR-A/IR-B mRNA ratio in NSCLC and other tumor types. The relationship of altered IR-A/IR-B ratios with cancer progression and patient survival should be prospectively explored in future studies.

Surgical treatment of early-stage thymomas: robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery versus transsternal thymectomy.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the perioperative outcomes for patients who underwent transsternal or robot-assisted thymectomy and to determine the feasibility of robot-assisted thymectomy for the treatment of Masaoka stages 1 and 2 thymomas. METHODS: The study evaluated the short-term outcomes for 74 patients undergoing surgery for Masaoka stages 1 and 2 thymomas without myasthenia gravis between January 2009 and December 2012. Of these 74 patients, 23 underwent thymoma resection using unilateral robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS group), and 51 underwent transsternal thymectomy (TST group). Duration of surgery, amount of intraoperative blood loss, duration of chest drainage, duration of postoperative hospital stay, and postoperative complications were evaluated. RESULTS: The intraoperative blood loss was significantly less in the RATS groups (61.3 ml) than in the TST group (466.1 ml) (p < 0.01). The postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the RATS group (3.7 vs 11.6 days; p < 0.01). No patients in the RATS group underwent conversion to open surgery. No severe surgical complications (e.g., bleeding caused by injury to the left brachiocephalic vein) and only one case of pulmonary atelectasis (appearing in a male patient 2 days after surgery) were detected in this series. CONCLUSION: Robot-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy for early-stage thymomas is technically feasible, safe, and less invasive for the patient.

Factors that predict lymph node status in clinical stage T1aN0M0 lung adenocarcinomas.

BACKGROUND: To identify patients in whom systematic lymph node dissection would be suitable, preoperative diagnosis of the biological invasiveness of lung adenocarcinomas through the classification of these T1aN0M0 lung adenocarcinomas into several subgroups may be warranted. In this retrospective study, we sought to determine predictive factors of lymph node status in clinical stage T1aN0M0 lung adenocarcinomas. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 273 consecutive patients undergone surgical resection of clinical stage T1aN0M0 lung adenocarcinomas at Shanghai Chest Hospital, from January 2011 to December 2012. Preoperative computed tomography findings of all 273 patients were reviewed and their tumors categorized as pure GGO, GGO with minimal solid components (<5 mm), part-solid (solid parts >5 mm), or purely solid. Relevant clinicopathologic features were investigated to identify predictors of hilar or mediastinal lymph node metastasis using univariate or multiple variable analysis. RESULTS: Among the 273 eligible clinical stage T1aN0M0 lung adenocarcinomas examined on thin-section CT, 103 (37.7%) were pure GGO, 118 (43.2%) GGO with minimal solid components, 13 (4.8%) part-solid (solid parts >5 mm, five GGO predominant and eight solid predominant), and 39 (14.3%) pure solid. There were 18 (6.6%) patients with lymph node metastasis. Incidence of N1 and N2 nodal involvement was 11 (6.6%) and seven (2.6%) patients, respectively. All patients with pure GGO and GGO with minimal solid components (<5 mm) tumors were pathologically staged N0. Multivariate analyses showed that the following factors significantly predicted lymph node metastasis for T1a lung adenocarcinomas: symptoms at presentation, GGO status, and abnormal carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) titer. Multivariate analyses also showed that the following factors significantly predicted lymph node metastasis for pure solid tumors: air bronchogram sign, tumor size, symptoms at presentation, and abnormal CEA titer. CONCLUSIONS: The patients of clinical stage T1aN0M0 lung adenocarcinomas with pure GGO and GGO with minimal solid components tumors were pathologically staged N0 and systematic lymph node dissection should be avoided. But systematic lymph node dissection should be performed for pure solid tumors or part-solid, especially in patients with CEA greater than 5 ng/mL or symptoms at presentation, because of the high possibility of lymph node involvement.

TQB2450 in patients with advanced malignant tumors: results from a phase I dose-escalation and expansion study.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy has demonstrated impressive clinical benefits in multiple tumor types. TQB2450, a novel monoclonal antibody targeting programmed cell death ligand 1, has shown safety and efficacy in preclinical studies. Objectives: This first-in-human study aimed to evaluate the safety/tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), immunogenicity, and preliminary antitumor activity of TQB2450 in patients with advanced malignant tumors. Design and methods: In this phase I study, eligible patients with advanced malignant tumors received intravenous TQB2450 once every 3 weeks. This study consisted of a 3 + 3 dose-escalation phase (1-30 mg/kg) and a specific dose-expansion phase (1200 mg). The primary endpoints were maximum tolerated dose (MTD), dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), and safety. The secondary endpoints were PK, immunogenicity, and investigator-assessed response rate. Results: Between April 2018 and February 2020, 40 patients were enrolled (22 in the dose-escalation phase and 18 in the dose-expansion phase). No DLT was reported and the MTD was not reached. Grade ⩾3 or worse treatment-related treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) occurred in 11 (27.50%) patients, with the most frequent being aspartate aminotransferase increased (5.00%), leukopenia (5.00%), and anemia (5.00%). Treatment-related serious AEs were reported in six patients, the most common of which was decompensated liver function (5.00%). No treatment-related death was reported. The maximum serum concentration of TQB2450 increased in a dose-proportional manner. Treatment-induced anti-drug antibodies were detected in 31.58% (12/38) of patients. The investigator assessed the objective response rate as 5.00% and the disease control rate was 52.50%, including 2 partial responses and 19 stable diseases. The median progression-free survival was 2.69 (95% confidence interval, 2.07-6.14) months. Conclusion: TQB2450 has a manageable safety profile with favorable PK and immunogenicity and has shown early evidence of clinical activity in advanced malignant tumors. ClinicalTrialsgov identifier: NCT03460457.

Neuroprotection on ischemic brain injury by Mg2+/H2 released from endovascular Mg implant.

Most acute ischemic stroke patients with large vessel occlusion require stent implantation for complete recanalization. Yet, due to ischemia-reperfusion injury, over half of these patients still experience poor prognoses. Thus, neuroprotective treatment is imperative to alleviate the ischemic brain injury, and a proof-of-concept study was conducted on "biodegradable neuroprotective stent". This concept is premised on the hypothesis that locally released Mg2+/H2 from Mg metal within the bloodstream could offer synergistic neuroprotection against reperfusion injury in distant cerebral ischemic tissues. Initially, the study evaluated pure Mg's neuroactive potential using oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) injured neuron cells. Subsequently, a pure Mg wire was implanted into the common carotid artery of the transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat model to simulate human brain ischemia/reperfusion injury. In vitro analyses revealed that pure Mg extract aided mouse hippocampal neuronal cell (HT-22) in defending against OGD/R injury. Additionally, the protective effects of the Mg wire on behavioral abnormalities, neural injury, blood-brain barrier disruption, and cerebral blood flow reduction in MCAO rats were verified. Conclusively, Mg-based biodegradable neuroprotective implants could serve as an effective local Mg2+/H2 delivery system for treating distant cerebral ischemic diseases.

Electrochemical detection of dual exposure biomarkers of organophosphorus agents based on reactivation of inhibited cholinesterase.

Considering inter- or intra-individual variation in the normal levels of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), real-time measurement of AChE via the reactivation from a postexposure sample was used, and thus a baseline-free and reliable approach was proposed for detecting/screening low-dose organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) poisons. The principle of this technology is on the basis of parallel measurements of AChE activity before and after reactivation from a postexposure to simultaneously provide the content of dual biomarkers of both enzyme inhibition and enzyme adducts. It is more accurate and reliable compared with only one biomarker (inhibition or adduct). Reactivation from a postexposure sample is a better individual enzyme baseline compared to pre-exposure from the population average level in currently available approaches. AChE activity was measured with an electrochemical method. Greatly enhanced sensitivity was achieved by using Fe3O4/Au nanocomposites to enrich thiocholine, the hydrolysis product of active AChE, followed by electrochemical oxidative desorption of the adsorbed thiocholine. The validation of this method for measurement of OP exposures was further explored with in vitro paraoxon inhibited human red blood cells (RBCs) samples and demonstrated its practicability.

Nanoparticle-based immunochromatographic test strip with fluorescent detector for quantification of phosphorylated acetylcholinesterase: an exposure biomarker of organophosphorus agents.

A nanoparticle-based fluorescence immunochromatographic test strip (FITS) coupled with a hand-held detector for highly selective and sensitive detection of phosphorylated acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an exposure biomarker of organophosphate (OP) pesticides and nerve agents, is reported. In this approach, OP-AChE adducts were selectively captured by quantum dot-tagged anti-AChE antibodies (Qdot-anti-AChE) and zirconia nanoparticles (ZrO2 NPs). The sandwich-like immunoreactions were performed among the Qdot-anti-AChE, OP-AChE and ZrO2 NPs to form a Qdot-anti-AChE-OP-AChE-ZrO2 complex, which was detected by recording the fluorescence intensity of Qdots captured during the test line. Paraoxon was used as the model OP pesticide. Under optimal conditions, this portable FITS immunosensor demonstrates a highly linear absorption response over the range of 0.01 nM to 10 nM OP-AChE, with a detection limit of 4 pM, coupled with good reproducibility. Moreover, the FITS immunosensor has been validated with OP-AChE spiked human plasma samples. This is the first report on the development of ZrO2 NP-based FITS for the detection of the OP-AChE adduct. The FITS immunosensor provides a sensitive and low-cost sensing platform for on-site screening/evaluating OP pesticides and nerve agents poisoning.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery versus robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in the surgical treatment of Masaoka stage I thymoma.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare perioperative outcomes in patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery or robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and assess the feasibility of robotic-assisted thymectomy for the treatment of Masaoka stage I. METHODS: We evaluated the short-term outcomes of 46 patients who underwent surgery for Masaoka stage I thymoma without myasthenia gravis between January 2009 and June 2012. Of these patients, 25 received unilateral video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS group) and the rest 21 recieved unilateral robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS group). We evaluated the duration of surgery, amount of intraoperative blood loss, duration of chest drainage, duration of postoperative hospital stay, hospitalization costs, postoperative complications and oncological outcomes. RESULTS: The duration of surgery was not significantly different between the two groups. Intraoperative blood loss volumes did not differ significantly between the VATS and RATS groups (86.8 mL and 58.6 mL, respectively; P=0.168). The postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the RATS group (3.7 days vs. 6.7 days; P <0.01), and the postoperative pleural drainage volume of the RATS group was significantly less than VATS group (1.1 days vs. 3.6 days; P <0.01). No patients in the RATS group needed conversion to open surgery. However, in the VATS series, one patient had conversion to an open procedure. No surgical complications were observed except that one case had pulmonary atelectasis in the RATS group and one case developed pneumonia after surgery. Use of robot is much more expensive than video. No early recurrence was observed in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic thymectomy is feasible and safe for Masaoka stage I thymoma. RATS is equally minimally invasive as VATS and results in a shorter drainage period and reduced hospital stay compared with the VATS approach.