Paired Oxidative and Reductive Catalysis: Breaking the Potential Barrier of Electrochemical C(sp3 )-H Alkenylation.

Due to the intrinsic inertness of alkanes, strong oxidative conditions are typically required to enable their C(sp3 )-H functionalization. Herein, a paired electrocatalysis strategy was developed by integrating oxidative catalysis with reductive catalysis in one cell without interference, in which earth-abundant iron and nickel are employed as the anodic and cathodic catalysts, respectively. This approach lowers the previously high oxidation potential required for alkane activation, enabling electrochemical alkane functionalization at the ultra-low oxidation potential of ≈0.25 V vs. Ag/AgCl under mild conditions. Structurally diverse alkenes, including challenging all-carbon tetrasubstituted olefins, can be accessed using readily available alkenyl electrophiles.

Controlling the Thermal Stability, Threshold Voltage, and Thermoelectric Properties of Cuprous Sulfide Thermoelectrics.

Cu-ion liquid-like copper sulfide materials have excellent thermoelectric properties, while their applications are limited by their high-temperature decomposition and electric field-driven Cu precipitation issues. In particular, high thermoelectric properties and electric field-driven degradation are difficult to reconcile because liquid-like Cu ions are dominant in low κ and high ZT, while they cause electric field-driven degradation. Here, we control the sintering current and duration time to remove the Cu1.8S phase, thereby inhibiting the thermal decomposition of the copper sulfide samples, and introduce the Fe element into the sample matrix to improve its resistance to electric field-driven degradation. We reveal that the kinetic process of Cu1.8S phase decomposition can be suppressed by increasing the relative density of the sample or covering a layer of dense coating/film on the surface of the sample. However, as long as the Cu1.8S phase is present in the sample, it cannot maintain thermal stability above 450 °C. Furthermore, we find that the Fe element forms a nanogrid spinodal decomposition structure in the sample matrix, which acts as a barrier wall to prevent the long-range diffusion of liquid-like Cu ions and inhibit the electric field-driven degradation. The freely movable liquid-like Cu ions in the grid maintain a strong scattering of phonons in a short range, so the sample possesses low κ and high ZT. Then, a strategy to unify the high thermal decomposition temperature, high threshold voltage, and high thermoelectric performance of copper sulfide thermoelectric materials is proposed: transforming the Cu1.8S phase and introducing a liquid-like Cu ion migration barrier.

Presence of MET exon 14 skipping and fusion as mechanism of osimertinb resistance in a lung adenocarcinoma with an EGFR exon 19 deletion that responds to combination of capmatinib and osimertinb: A case report.

Lung cancer stands as a leading cause of mortality in China, with EGFR mutations frequently identified as pivotal driver genes. Osimertinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting EGFR mutations, is typically employed as a first-line treatment for EGFR-sensitive mutations; nevertheless, resistance can emerge. In this case report, we present the case of a 53-year-old non-smoking male diagnosed with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma bearing an EGFR exon 19 deletion. This patient eventually developed resistance to both Erlotinib and Osimertinib after 28 months of treatment. Subsequent genetic testing uncovered the emergence of new MET exon 14 skipping and MET fusion, coexisting with the initial EGFR exon 19 deletion. In light of this complex molecular profile, the patient was administered a combination therapy consisting of Osimertinib and Capmatinib. This novel approach yielded a partial response, and notably, the patient experienced a progression-free survival exceeding 7 months. Vigilant monitoring of the patient's progress revealed the disappearance of the MET exon 14 skipping and a notable improvement in the patient's symptoms. This case report underscores the potential efficacy of Osimertinib and Capmatinib combination therapy as a viable treatment strategy for patients harboring EGFR-mutated lung cancer who develop resistance to first-line EGFR inhibitors due to MET activation.

Selective C(sp3)-H arylation/alkylation of alkanes enabled by paired electrocatalysis.

We report a combination of electrocatalysis and photoredox catalysis to perform selective C(sp3)-H arylation/alkylation of alkanes, in which a binary catalytic system based on earth-abundant iron and nickel is applied. Reaction selectivity between two-component C(sp3)-H arylation and three-component C(sp3)-H alkylation is tuned by modulating the applied current and light source. Importantly, an ultra-low anodic potential (~0.23 V vs. Ag/AgCl) is applied in this protocol, thus enabling compatibility with a variety of functional groups (>70 examples). The robustness of the method is further demonstrated on a preparative scale and applied to late-stage diversification of natural products and pharmaceutical derivatives.

PAIRWISE NONLINEAR DEPENDENCE ANALYSIS OF GENOMIC DATA.

In The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data set, there are many interesting nonlinear dependencies between pairs of genes that reveal important relationships and subtypes of cancer. Such genomic data analysis requires a rapid, powerful and interpretable detection process, especially in a high-dimensional environment. We study the nonlinear patterns among the expression of pairs of genes from TCGA using a powerful tool called Binary Expansion Testing. We find many nonlinear patterns, some of which are driven by known cancer subtypes, some of which are novel.

ILP-2: A New Bane and Therapeutic Target for Human Cancers.

Inhibitor of apoptosis protein-related-like protein-2 (ILP-2), also known as BIRC-8, is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAPs) family, which mainly encodes the negative regulator of apoptosis. It is selectively overexpressed in a variety of human tumors and can help tumor cells evade apoptosis, promote tumor cell growth, increase tumor cell aggressiveness, and appears to be involved in tumor cell resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. Several studies have shown that downregulation of ILP-2 expression increases apoptosis, inhibits metastasis, reduces cell growth potential, and sensitizes tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. In addition, ILP-2 inhibits apoptosis in a unique manner; it does not directly inhibit the activity of caspases but induces apoptosis by cooperating with other apoptosis-related proteins. Here, we review the current understanding of the various roles of ILP-2 in the apoptotic cascade and explore the use of interfering ILP-2, and the combination of related anti-tumor agents, as a novel strategy for cancer therapy.

Proteomic analysis of inhibitor of apoptosis protein­like protein­2 on breast cancer cell proliferation.

Although inhibitor of apoptosis protein­like protein­2 (ILP­2) is considered to be a novel enhancer of breast cancer proliferation, its underlying mechanism of action remains unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the expression profile of ILP­2­related proteins in MCF­7 cells to reveal their effect on promoting breast cancer cell proliferation. The isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) method was used to analyse the expression profile of ILP­2­related proteins in MCF­7 breast cancer cells transfected with small interfering (si)RNA against ILP­2 (siRNA­5 group) and the negative control (NC) siRNA. The analysis of the iTRAQ data was carried out using western blotting and reverse transcription­quantitative PCR. A total of 4,065 proteins were identified in MCF­7 cells, including 241 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs; fold change ≥1.20 or ≤0.83; P<0.05). Among them, 156 proteins were upregulated and 85 were downregulated in the siRNA­5 group compared with in the NC group. The aforementioned DEPs were mainly enriched in 'ECM­receptor interaction'. In addition, the top 10 biological processes related to these proteins were associated with signal transduction, cell proliferation and immune system processes. Furthermore, ILP­2 silencing upregulated N(4)­(ß­N­acetylglucosaminyl)­L­asparaginase, metallothionein­1E and tryptophan 2,3­dioxygenase, whereas ILP­2 overexpression exerted the opposite effect. The results of the present study suggested that ILP­2 could promote breast cancer growth via regulating cell proliferation, signal transduction, immune system processes and other cellular physiological activities.

Inhibitor of apoptosis protein­like protein­2: A novel growth accelerator for breast cancer cells.

Although the inhibitor of apoptosis protein­like protein­2 (ILP­2) has been shown as a serological biomarker for breast cancer, its effect on breast cancer cell growth remains elusive. The present study aimed to determine the role of ILP­2 in breast cancer cell growth. We used immunohistochemistry to analyze ILP­2 expression in 59 tissue paraffin­embedded blocks, which included 35 breast cancer tissues and 24 galactophore hyperplasia tissues. Western blot analysis was used to detect protein expression levels of ILP­2 in breast cancer cell lines such as HCC­1937, MX­1 and MCF­7 as well as breast gland cell line MCF 10A. ILP­2 was silenced by siRNA in HCC­1937, MX­1 and MCF­7 cell lines. MTT assays, scratch assays and AO­EB double staining analysis were conducted to evidence the role of ILP­2 on breast cancer cell growth. Results from this study showed increased ILP­2 expression in breast cancer tissues and breast cancer cell lines such as HCC­1937, MX­1 and MCF­7. Cell viability or rate of cell migration of HCC­1937, MX­1 and MCF­7 cell lines was significantly inhibited when ILP­2 was knocked down by siRNA. The apoptosis rate of HCC­1937, MX­1 and MCF­7 cell lines was increased when compared with that of the control group. Thus, ILP­2 plays an active role in the growth of breast cancer cells.