Pan-genome of Citrullus genus highlights the extent of presence/absence variation during domestication and selection.

The rich genetic diversity in Citrullus lanatus and the other six species in the Citrullus genus provides important sources in watermelon breeding. Here, we present the Citrullus genus pan-genome based on the 400 Citrullus genus resequencing data, showing that 477 Mb contigs and 6249 protein-coding genes were absent in the Citrullus lanatus reference genome. In the Citrullus genus pan-genome, there are a total of 8795 (30.5%) genes that exhibit presence/absence variations (PAVs). Presence/absence variation (PAV) analysis showed that a lot of gene PAV were selected during the domestication and improvement, such as 53 favorable genes and 40 unfavorable genes were identified during the C. mucosospermus to C. lanatus landrace domestication. We also identified 661 resistance gene analogs (RGAs) in the Citrullus genus pan-genome, which contains 90 RGAs (89 variable and 1 core gene) located on the pangenome additional contigs. By gene PAV-based GWAS, 8 gene presence/absence variations were found associated with flesh color. Finally, based on the results of gene PAV selection analysis between watermelon populations with different fruit colors, we identified four non-reference candidate genes associated with carotenoid accumulation, which had a significantly higher frequency in the white flesh. These results will provide an important source for watermelon breeding.

A Role for Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors in the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease: A Mini Review.

BACKGROUND: Sodium-glucose cotransport protein 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, a new type of glucose-lowering drug, have been well proved in several clinical studies for their glucose-lowering and nephroprotective effects, and the nephroprotective effects include both indirect effects of metabolic improvement and direct effects, independent of glucose-lowering effects. SUMMARY: In patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD), several studies have demonstrated the potential nephroprotective mechanisms of SGLT2 inhibitors, and evidence of nephroprotective mechanisms in the non-DKD population is accumulating. Although the nephroprotective mechanism of SGLT2 inhibitors has not been fully elucidated, several laboratory studies have illustrated the mechanism underlying the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors at various aspects. KEY MESSAGES: The purpose of this article is to review the mechanism of nephroprotective effect of SGLT2 inhibitors and to look forward to promising research in the future.

The efficacy of low-frequency ultrasound as an added treatment for chronic wounds: A meta-analysis.

We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of low-frequency ultrasound as an added treatment for chronic wounds. A systematic literature search up to May 2022 was performed and 838 subjects with chronic wounds at the baseline of the studies; 412 of them were using the low-frequency ultrasound (225 low-frequency high-intensity contact ultrasound for diabetic foot wound ulcers, and 187 low-frequency low-intensity non-contact ultrasound for a venous leg wound ulcers), and 426 were using standard care (233 sharp debridements for diabetic foot wound ulcers and 193 sham treatments for venous leg wound ulcers). Odds ratio (OR), and mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the effect of low-frequency ultrasound as an added treatment for chronic wounds using the dichotomous, and contentious methods with a random or fixed-effect model. The low-frequency high-intensity contact ultrasound for diabetic foot wound ulcers had significantly lower non-healed diabetic foot wound ulcers at ≥3 months (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.24-0.56, P < .001), a higher percentage of diabetic foot wound ulcers area reduction (MD, 17.18; 95% CI, 6.62-27.85, P = .002) compared with sharp debridement for diabetic foot wound ulcers. The low-frequency low-intensity non-contact ultrasound for a venous leg wound ulcers had a significantly lower non-healed venous leg wound ulcers at ≥3 months (OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.15-0.62, P = .001), and higher percentage venous leg wound ulcers area reduction (MD, 18.96; 95% CI, 2.36-35.57, P = .03) compared with sham treatments for a venous leg wound ulcers. The low-frequency ultrasound as an added treatment for diabetic foot wound ulcers and venous leg wound ulcers had significantly lower non-healed chronic wound ulcers at ≥3 months, a higher percentage of chronic wound ulcers area reduction compared with standard care. The analysis of outcomes should be with caution because of the low sample size of all the 17 studies in the meta-analysis and a low number of studies in certain comparisons.

Self-emulsifying micelles as a drug nanocarrier system for itraconazole oral bioavailability enhancement; in vitro and in vivo assessment.

Itraconazole (ITZ) is a renowned antifungal medication, however its therapeutic efficacy is limited by low solubility and oral bioavailability. The current research work attempted to augment the oral bioavailability of ITZ by incorporating into self-emulsifying micelles (SEMCs). To fabricate the SEMCs, various preparation techniques including physical mixture, melt-emulsification, solvent evaporation and kneading, were opted by using different weight ratio of drug and solubilizers i.e. Gelucire-50/13 or Gelucire-44/14 and characterized both in vitro and in vivo. The prepared SEMCs were found to be in the size range from 63.4 ± 5.2 to 284.2 ± 19.5 nm with surface charges ranging from -16 ± 1.2 to -27 ± 2.0 mV. The drug solubility was improved to a reasonable extent with all investigated formulations, however, SEMCs in group 6 prepared by kneading method (KMG6) using Gelucire-44/14: drug (10:1 presented 87.6 folds' increase (964.93 ± 2 µg/mL) compared to solubility of crystalline ITZ (11 ± 2 µg/mL) through kneading method. In addition, KMG6 SEMCs shows the fast drug release compared to other SEMCs. Further, KMG6 SEMCs also exhibited 5.12-fold higher relative intestinal serosal fluid absorption compared to crystalline ITZ. The pharmacokinetic parameters such Cmax, AUC and Tmax of KMG6 SEMCs significantly improved compared to crystalline ITZ. In conclusion, the manipulation of ITZ solubility, dissolution rate and absorption using SEMCs is a promising strategy for bioavailability enhancement.

Long non-coding RNA CIR inhibits chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells by epigenetically suppressing ATOH8 via methyltransferase EZH2.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common articular disorder, leading to joint malfunction and disability. Although the incidence of OA is increasing globally, the treatment of OA is very limited. LncRNA CIR has been implicated in OA through unclear mechanisms. Here, we investigated the role of lncRNA CIR in chondrogenic differentiation. METHODS: Human umbilical-cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) were obtained from human umbilical cords. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the surface markers of hUC-MSCs. Various culture conditions and corresponding staining assays were employed to assess the differentiation abilities of hUC-MSC. qRT-PCR, western blot, and immunostaining were used to measure expression levels of related genes and proteins such as lncRNA CIR, ATOH8, EZH2, and H3K27me3. RNA immunoprecipitation assay, biotin pull-down, and chromatin immunoprecipitaion assay were performed to analyze the interactions of lncRNA CIR, EZH2, H3K27me3 and ATOH8 promoter. RESULTS: hUC-MSCs exhibited MSCs features and could differentiate into chondrocytes under specific conditions. LncRNA CIR was downregulated while ATOH8 was upregulated during the chondrogenic differentiation of hUC-MSCs. Knockdown lncRNA CIR or overexpression of ATOH8 promoted chondrogenic differentiation. Further, lncRNA CIR bound to EZH2 and repressed ATOH8 expression via EZH2-mediated H3K27me3, which promotes the methylation of ATOH8. Inhibition of ATOH8 reversed the effects of knockdown lncRNA CIR on chondrogenic differentiation. CONCLUSION: LncRNA CIR suppresses chondrogenic differentiation of hUC-MSCs. Mechanistically, lncRNA CIR could inhibit ATOH8 expression that functions to promote chondrogenic differentiation through EZH2-mediated epigenetic modifications.

Prodrug Delivery Using Dual-Targeting Nanoparticles To Treat Breast Cancer Brain Metastases.

Brain metastases from breast cancer are the most frequent brain metastasis in women, which are often difficult to be surgically removed due to the multifocal and infiltrative intracranial growth patterns. Cytotoxic drugs have potent anti-breast cancer properties. However, owing to the toxic side effects and the blood-brain barrier (BBB), these drugs cannot be fully and aggressively exploited with systemic administration and hence have very limited application for brain metastases. In this study, hyaluronidase-activated prodrug hyaluronic-doxorubicin (hDOX) was assembled by the BBB and metastatic breast cancer dual-targeting nanoparticles (NPs), which were constructed based on transcytosis-targeting peptide and hyaluronic acid co-modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-poly(ε-carbobenzoxy-l-lysine). hDOX showed enzyme-recovered DNA insertion, selective cytotoxicity to metastatic breast cancer cells rather than astrocytes, and efficient loading into dual-targeting NPs. hDOX@NPs displayed the ability of dually targeting the BBB and metastatic breast cancer and significantly extended the median survival time of mice with intracranial metastatic breast cancer. Based on these improvements, this prodrug delivery tactic may serve as an important direction for drug therapy against brain metastases.

First report of Corynespora cassicola causing black spot on Sarcandra glabra in China.

Sarcandra glabra is an important Chinese medicinal plant, which was widely cultivated under forest in south China. Guangxi province is the main producing areas of this herb. In June 2019, a serious leaf disease was found causing severe defoliation in the S. glabra plantation under bamboo forest in Rongan country, Guangxi province (109°13'N''E). About 70% of the plants in the plantation (300 ha) showed the similar symptoms. Initially, circular lesions appeared on young leaves as black spots (about 1 to 2 mm). Then, the spots gradually enlarged usually with an obvious yellowish margin (6 to 8 mm). Finally, the lesions coalesced and formed irregular, black, and large necrotic areas, resulting in the leaf abscission. For pathogen isolation, small pieces of tissue (5×5 mm) taken from 25 diseased leaves were sterilized with 75% ethanol for 30 s, subsequently, soaked in 0.1% HgCl2 for 2 min, rinsed three times in sterile distilled water, dried, and then placed aseptically onto the potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates, and incubated at 28 °C (12 h/12 h light/dark). Three days later, the isolates were placed on a new PDA plate for subsequent purification and sporulation. 20 pure fungal isolates were obtained from single spores. Of which, 15 isolates showed similar morphological characteristics.The colonies on PDA were round, dense, gray edge and dark gray in center area. Conidia in culture were appeared light brown, cylindrical in shape, with 0 to 8 septa, and 55 to 165 µm × 5.2 to 13.5 µm in size (mean = 106.2 µm × 8.6 µm, n = 30). These morphological characteristics resemble those of Corynespora sp. (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) C.T. Wei (Ellis et al. 1971). A single-spore isolate (ZD5) was selected from the 15 fungal isolates for a subsequent molecular identification. The genes of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of ribosomal DNA, ß-tublin, and actin were amplified with the primer pairs ITS-1/ITS-4 (White et al. 1990), ß-tubulin 2-Bt2a/Bt2b (Glass and Donaldson 1995), ACT-512F/ACT-783R (Carbone and Kohn 1999), respectively. And the ITS, ß-tublin, and actin sequences were deposited in the GenBank database with the accession numbers MW362446, MW367029, and MW533122. Blast analysis and neighbor-joining analysis based on ITS, ß-tublin, and actin sequences using MEGA 6 revealed that the isolate was placed in the same clade as C. cassicola with 100% bootstrap support. Pathogenicity test was performed on the two-year-old potted S. glabra. Six-mm-diameter mycelial plugs were attached to the healthy leaves of S. glabra for co-culture, while the control group was attached with PDA. All plants were covered with plastic bags for 2 days in order to maintain high humidity and cultured in a greenhouse at 28 °C with a 12-h/12-h light/dark cycle. The symptoms appeared 2 days after co-culture were identical to those observed in the field. The same fungus was re-isolated from the lesions, and further morphological characterization and molecular assays, as described above.The control leaves remained symptomless during the pathogenicity tests. According to the previous literatures, C. cassicola is a plant pathogenic fungus with a broad host range, which can damage diverse tropical plants including Salvia miltiorrhiza (Lu et al. 2019), Solanum americanum (Wagner and Louise 2019), Vitex rotundifolia (Yeh and Kirschner 2017), Cucumis sativus, Lycopersicon esculentum (Hsu et al. 2002), Carica papaya (Tsai et al. 2015),and so on. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. cassicola causing leaf spot on S. glabra in China.

A Modified Technique to Improve Reliability of Distally Based Sural Fasciocutaneous Flap for Reconstruction of Soft Tissue Defects Longitudinal in Distal Pretibial Region or Transverse in Heel and Ankle.

Partial flap loss is a common complication of the distally based sural fasciocutaneous flap. We present a modified technique of a sloped skin island design to improve the reliability of the flap when used to reconstruct a longitudinal distal pretibial defect or transverse heel and ankle defect. Thirty-one flaps with the slope-designed skin island were used to reconstruct such defects in 30 patients. In the modified technique, the skin island was rotated toward the vascular axis of the flap. The defects were located in the distal pretibial region in 7 cases and the ankle and heel region in 24. The horizontal dimension of the skin island decreased by an average of 5.6 (range 2.5 to 14.8) cm with the sloped design, and the rotation angle varied from 42° to 90° (mean 69°). Of the 31 flaps, 29 survived, 1 developed marginal necrosis, and 1 developed lateral partial necrosis. The sloped design of the skin island is applicable to reconstruction of longitudinal distal pretibial or transverse heel and ankle defects. The modified technique can decrease the horizontal dimension and increase perfusion of the skin island, thus improving the reliability of the flap.

iNOS expression and osteocyte apoptosis in idiopathic, non-traumatic osteonecrosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Non-traumatic osteonecrosis is a progressive disease with multiple etiologies. It affects younger individuals more and more, often leading to total hip arthroplasty. We investigated whether there is a correlation between inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and osteocyte apoptosis in non-traumatic osteonecrosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We collected and studied 20 human idiopathic, non-traumatic osteonecrosis femoral heads. Subchondral bone samples in the non-sclerotic region (n = 30), collected from osteoarthritis patients, were used as controls. Spontaneously hypertensive rats were used as a model for osteonecrosis in the study. We used scanning electron microscopy, TUNEL assay, and immunohistochemical staining to study osteocyte changes and apoptosis. RESULTS: The morphology of osteocytes in the areas close to the necrotic region changed and the number of apoptotic osteocytes increased in comparison with the same region in control groups. The expression of iNOS and cytochrome C in osteocytes increased while Bax expression was not detectable in osteonecrosis samples. Using spontaneously hypertensive rats, we found a positive correlation between iNOS expression and osteocyte apoptosis in the osteonecrotic region. iNOS inhibitor (aminoguanidine) added to the drinking water for 5 weeks reduced the production of iNOS and osteonecrosis compared to a control group without aminoguanidine. INTERPRETATION: Our findings show that increased iNOS expression can lead to osteocyte apopotosis in idiopathic, non-traumatic osteonecrosis and that an iNOS inhibitor may prevent the progression of the disease.

Distally based perforator-plus sural fasciocutaneous flap for soft-tissue reconstruction of the distal lower leg, ankle, and foot: comparison between pediatric and adult patients.

There are no large series comparing the distally based perforator-plus sural fasciocutaneous flap used in pediatric and adult populations. The flaps were divided into two groups: the children (patient's age<14 years) group (n=53) and the adults (patient's age ≥ 18 years) group (n=148). We compared flap-viability-related complications and their potential risk factors. In the patients with at least 12-month postoperative follow-up, the reconstruction outcomes, donor-site morbidities, and transitory and permanent swelling of the affected lower limb were compared. Partial necrosis, marginal necrosis, and overall complication rates were 13.2, 3.8, and 17.0% in the pediatric group, and 12.2, 1.4, and 13.6% in the adult group, respectively; the differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Incidences of hypertrophic scar and pruritus at the donor site were significantly higher, while incidence of transitory swelling of the affected lower limb was significantly lower in the pediatric group. This flap in children is similar to that in adults in the reliability.

Stimuli-sensitive biomimetic nanoparticles for the inhibition of breast cancer recurrence and pulmonary metastasis.

Biomimetic nanoparticles represent a promising avenue for mitigating rapid clearance by the reticuloendothelial system (RES); however, current challenges include insufficient tumour targeting, suboptimal adhesion, and inadequate localized drug release within tumour regions. These shortcomings contribute to persistent contests, such as recurrence and pulmonary metastasis, even with advanced breast cancer therapies. Stimuli-sensitive drug release can furbish the membrane coated nanoparticles for their efficiency against the stated problems. To enhance the efficacy of biomimetic nanoparticles in addressing these issues, we proposed a versatile, stimuli-responsive drug delivery system by encapsulating doxorubicin (Dox) and perfluorohexane (PFH) within poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles, subsequently coated with macrophage-derived cell membranes. Within this framework, PFH serves as the mediator for ultrasonic (US)-irradiation-triggered drug release specifically within tumour microenvironment, while the macrophage-derived cell membrane coating enhances cell adhesion, enables immune evasion, and natural tumour-homing ability. The characterization assays and in vitro evaluations yielded encouraging results, indicating enhanced targeting and release efficiencies. In vivo studies demonstrated marked inhibitory effects on both breast cancer recurrence and pulmonary metastasis. The resulting data indicate that these engineered nanoparticles have notable potential for targeted delivery and controlled release upon US irradiation, thereby offering significant therapeutic efficacy against primary breast cancer, pulmonary metastasis, and recurrent malignancies. Our findings lay the groundwork for a novel clinical approach, representing an intriguing direction for ongoing investigation by oncologists.

Identification of PRDX5 as A Target for The Treatment of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a long-standing clinical challenge. Traditionally, CRPC drugs work by either reducing dihydrotestosterone biosynthesis or blocking androgen receptor (AR) signaling. Here it is demonstrated that AR inhibitor treatment gives rise to a drug-tolerant persister (DTP) state. The thioredoxin/peroxiredoxin pathway is up-regulated in DTP cells. Peroxiredoxin 5 (PRDX5) promotes AR inhibitor resistance and CRPC development. Inhibition of PRDX5 suppresses DTP cell proliferation in culture, dampens CRPC development in animal models, and stabilizes PSA progression and metastatic lesions in patients. Therefore, the study provides a novel mechanism and potential target for the management of castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Obstructed vein delivery of ceftriaxone via poly(vinyl-pyrrolidone)-iodine-chitosan nanofibers for the management of diabetic foot infections and burn wounds.

Superficial skin injuries especially burn injuries and unhealed diabetic foot open wounds remain troubling for public health. The healing process is often interrupted by the invasion of resistant pathogens that results in the failure of conventional procedures outside the clinical settings. Herein, we designed nanofibers dressing with intrinsic antibacterial potential of poly(vinyl-pyrrolidone)-iodine/ poly (vinyl)-alcohol by electrospinning with chitosan encapsulating ceftriaxone (CPC/NFs). The optimized electrospun CPC/NFs exhibited smooth surface morphology with average diameter of 165 ± 7.1 nm, drug entrapment and loading efficiencies of 76.97 ± 4.7 % and 8.32 ± 1.73 %, respectively. The results displayed smooth and uniformed fibers with adequate thermal stability and ensured chemical doping. The enhanced in vitro antibacterial efficacy of CPC/NFs against resistant E. coli isolates and biosafety studies encourage the use of designed nanofibers dressing for burn injuries and diabetic foot injuries. In vivo studies proved the healing power of dressing for burn wounds model and diabetic infected wounds model. Immunofluorescence investigation of the wound tissue also suggested promising healing ability of CPC/NFs. The designed approach would be helpful to treat these infected skin open wounds in the hospitals and outside the clinical settings.

Albumin-coated green-synthesized zinc oxide nanoflowers inhibit skin melanoma cells growth via intra-cellular oxidative stress.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) has attracted a substantial interest in cancer research owing to their promising utility in cancer imaging and therapy. This study aimed to synthesized ZnO nanoflowers coated with albumin to actively target and the inhibit skin melanoma cells. We synthesized bovine serum albumin (BSA)-coated ZnO nanoflowers (BSA@ZnO NFs) and evaluated it's in vitro and in vivo therapeutic efficacy for skin cancer cells. BSA@ZnO NFs were prepared via single-step reduction method in the presence of plant extract (Heliotropium indicum) act as a capping agent, and further the successful fabrication was established by various physico-chemical characterizations, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and x-rays diffraction (XRD) analysis. The fabricated BSA@ZnO NFs appeared flower like with multiple cone-shaped wings and average hydration size of 220.8 ± 12.6 nm. Further, BSA@ZnO NFs showed enhanced cellular uptake and cytocidal effects against skin cancer cells by inhibiting their growth via oxidative stress compared uncoated ZnO NFs. Moreover, BSA@ZnO NFs showed enhance biosafety, blood circulation time, tumor accumulation and in vivo tumor growth inhibition compared to ZnO NFs. In short, our findings suggesting BSA@ZnO NFs as a promising candidate for various types of cancer treatment along with chemotherapy.

α-Lactalbumin based scaffolds for infected wound healing and tissue regeneration.

Interruption of wound healing by multi-drug resistant-bacterial infection is a harmful issue for the worldwide health care system, and conventional treatment approaches may not resolve this issue due to antimicrobial resistance. So, there is an unmet need to develop scaffolds with intrinsic wound healing properties to combat bacterial-infected wounds. Inspired by the α-lactalbumin's (Lalb's) ability to promote collagen synthesis, we herein electrospun Lalb with cephalexin (CPL) and epigallocatechin (EP) to produce nanofibers (CE-Lalb NFs) to solve this issue. The CE-Lalb NFs were prepared using the electrospinning technique and subjected to physicochemical characterizations, in vitro, and in vivo assessments. The CE-Lalb NFs promoted fibroblast migration, proliferation, and collagen synthesis, while CPL/EP annihilated MRSA and E. coli infections. Physicochemical characterizations proved the successful fabrication and doping of CE-Lalb NFs. Antimicrobial assays and fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) declared synergistic antibacterial activity of CE-Lalb NFs against MRSA and E. coli. The in vivo and immunohistochemical data evidenced its exceptional potential for wound healing, promoting growth factor, collagen synthesis, and reduced scar formation. The presence of mature collagen, fewer inflammatory cytokines, increased expression of blood vessels, and low expression of IL-6 at the wound site support in vitro and in vivo results. In our view, the tailored scaffold is the next step for personalized wound dressings that could meet patients with infected wounds' unmet needs by the subscription of noninvasive and easily navigable therapeutic options.

Prebiotic stachyose inhibits PRDX5 activity and castration-resistant prostate cancer development.

Stachyose (STA) is a prebiotic with poor oral bioavailability. In this study, we developed stachyose caproate (C6-STA), as a novel STA derivative, to demonstrate its high adsorption rate via oral administration. Pharmacokinetic analysis reveals that after absorption, the STA derived from C6-STA reaches its highest peak in the blood, liver, and kidney at 20 min, 30 min, and 12-24 h, with approximate levels of 1200 µg/mL, 0.14 µg/mL, and 0.2-0.3 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, the accumulation of STA in prostate tissues of mice with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) (1.75 µg/mg) is 10-fold higher than that in normal prostate tissues (0.14 µg/mg). The analysis also reveals that C6-STA has t1/2 of 12.8 h and Tmax of 0.25 h, indicating that it has the potential to be used as a promising drug in clinical practice. The toxicological evaluation shows no obvious side effects of C6-STA in mice administered with a 0.2 g/kg intragastric dose. Pharmacodynamic analysis and mechanism investigation of C6-STA show its ability to inhibit peroxiredoxin 5 (PRDX5) enzyme activity, disrupt PRDX5-nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) interaction, and decrease NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1) levels. NQO1 decrease further causes the accumulation of quinone radicals, which ultimately leads to the apoptosis of LNCaP cell-derived drug-tolerant persister (DTP) cells and slows CRPC progression. Our study discovered the anti-tumor activity of stachyose and shows that prebiotics have biological functions in vivo besides in the gut. Further investigation of C6-STA, especially in CRPC patients, is warranted.

Rationalized landscape on protein-based cancer nanomedicine: Recent progress and challenges.

The clinical advancement of protein-based nanomedicine has revolutionized medical professionals' perspectives on cancer therapy. Protein-based nanoparticles have been exploited as attractive vehicles for cancer nanomedicine due to their unique properties derived from naturally biomacromolecules with superior biocompatibility and pharmaceutical features. Furthermore, the successful translation of Abraxane™ (paclitaxel-based albumin nanoparticles) into clinical application opened a new avenue for protein-based cancer nanomedicine. In this mini-review article, we demonstrate the rational design and recent progress of protein-based nanoparticles along with their applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy from recent literature. The current challenges and hurdles that hinder clinical application of protein-based nanoparticles are highlighted. Finally, future perspectives for translating protein-based nanoparticles into clinic are identified.

The genetic side of diabetic kidney disease: a review.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the most common complications of diabetes, with approximately 30-40% of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and 20% of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus eventually developing DKD. If DKD is not controlled in the early clinical stage and proteinuria develops, the disease will progress to end-stage renal disease. The pathogenesis of DKD remains largely unknown and is multifactorial, likely due to interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Familial clustering also supports a critical role of hereditary factors in DKD. The development of gene detection technology has promoted the exploration of DKD susceptibility genes in different cohorts of patients with diabetes. Identifying susceptibility genes can provide insights into the pathogenesis of DKD, as well as a basis for its clinical diagnosis and therapy. RESULTS: Numerous candidate gene loci have been found to be associated with DKD, many of which play critical regulatory roles in the pathogenesis of this disease, including genes involved in glycol-metabolism, lipid metabolism, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, inflammation and oxidative stress. In this review, we summarize the functions of several susceptibility genes involved in the development of DKD. CONCLUSION: Based on our findings, we recommend that studying susceptibility gene polymorphisms can lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of DKD and could help prevent this disease or improve its outcomes.

Chitosan/poly (3-hydroxy butyric acid-co-3-hydroxy valeric acid) electrospun nanofibers with cephradine for superficial incisional skin wound infection management.

The belated and compromised incisional skin wound healing caused by the invading of methicillin-resistance staphylococcus aureus is a serious problem in clinic. Designing a new therapeutic strategy to inhibit the growth of invading bacteria at post-surgical site might be helpful in fast healing of post-surgical wounds. In this study, we developed cephradine (Ceph) encapsulated chitosan and poly (3-hydroxy butyric acid-co-3-hydroxy valeric acid, (PHBV)) hybrid nanofibers (Ceph-CHP NFs) employing an electrospinning method to revamp the Ceph bioavailability at the post-surgical wound site to prevent the growth of invading bacteria and trigger the wound healing process. The fabricated nanofibers revealed smooth and uniform surface with a diameter range of 160 ± 25 to 190 ± 55 nm, depending on Ceph concentration. Further, the electrospun hybrid nanofibers exhibited a higher entrapment efficiency (EE) and drug loading capacity (DLC) nearly 72.8 ± 5.2 % and 16.5 ± 3.2 %, respectively. Moreover, the Ceph-CHP NFs showed high swelling rate and biodegradation in presence of lysozyme in contrast to blank CHP NFs. Ceph-CHP NFs exhibited fast drug release in initial few hours followed by slow and controlled drug release drug up to 48 h with a constant rate. In-vitro antimicrobial studies indicated the heightened efficacy of Ceph-CHP NFs against MRSA clinical isolates and exhibited no visible cytotoxicity against keratinocytes, HC11 and L929 cells. Lastly, Ceph-CHP NFs showed the enhanced wound healing and bacterial clearance from post-surgical wound compared to Ceph in C57BL/6 mice skin model. Overall, our results showed that Ceph-CHP NFs might be used as a promising wound dressing material for MRSA-infected post-surgical wounds.

The pharmacological mechanism of ß-elemene in the treatment of esophageal cancer revealed by network pharmacology and experimental verification.

The study aimed to investigate the mechanism of action of ß-elemene (ELE) in the treatment of esophageal cancer (EC). In this study, public databases were used to predict related targets in ELE and EC. The network analysis was performed to identify key targets of ELE in EC treatment. Further, bioinformatics and DAVID databases were used for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis, respectively. Ultimately, molecular docking and in vitro cell experiments were conducted to validate the results of network pharmacology enrichment. As a result, 34 candidate targets for ELE in the treatment of EC were obtained, and five key targets (STAT3, EGFR, CTNNB1, BCL2L1 and CASP9) were identified. GO functional annotation yielded 2200 GO entries (p < 0.05). KEGG signaling pathway enrichment analysis screened 100 pathways (p < 0.05). Molecular docking results showed that ELE had similar affinity with five key targets. In vitro experiments showed that the expressions of STAT3, EGFR and BCL2L1 were significantly decreased, and the expression of CASP9 in the ELE intervention group was significantly increased compared with that in the control group. All in all, ELE may play a key role in the treatment of EC by regulating the expression of STAT3, EGFR, BCL2L1 and CASP9.