Interfacial Dehydration Strategy for Chitosan Film Shape Morphing and Its Application.

Shape morphing of biopolymer materials, such as chitosan (CS) films, has great potential for applications in many fields. Traditionally, their responsive behavior has been induced by the differential water swelling through the preparation of multicomponent composites or cross-linking as deformation is not controllable in the absence of these processes. Here, we report an interfacial dehydration strategy to trigger the shape morphing of the monocomponent CS film without cross-linking. The release of water molecules is achieved by spraying the surface with a NaOH solution or organic solvents, which results in the interfacial shrinkage and deformation of the entire film. On the basis of this strategy, a range of CS actuators were developed, such as soft grippers, joint actuators, and a light switch. Combined with the geometry effect, edited deformation was also achieved from the planar CS film. This shape-morphing strategy is expected to enable the application of more biopolymers in a wide range of fields.

Factors predicting recurrence after left­sided pancreatectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Recurrence after resection is the main factor for poor survival. The relationship between clinicopathological factors and recurrence after curative distal pancreatectomy for PDAC has rarely been reported separately. METHODS: Patients with PDAC after left­sided pancreatectomy between May 2015 and August 2021 were retrospectively identified. RESULTS: One hundred forty-one patients were included. Recurrence was observed in 97 patients (68.8%), while 44 (31.2%) patients had no recurrence. The median RFS was 8.8 months. The median OS was 24.9 months. Local recurrence was the predominant first detected recurrence site (n = 36, 37.1%), closely followed by liver recurrence (n = 35, 36.1%). Multiple recurrences occurred in 16 (16.5%) patients, peritoneal recurrence in 6 (6.2%) patients, and lung recurrence in 4 (4.1%) patients. High CA19-9 value after surgery, poor differentiation grade, and positive lymph nodes were found to be independently associated with recurrence. The patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy had a decreased likelihood of recurrence. In the high CA19-9 value cohort, the median PFS and OS of the patients with or without chemotherapy were 8.0 VS. 5.7 months and 15.6 VS. 13.8 months, respectively. In the normal CA19-9 value cohort, there was no significant difference in PFS with or without chemotherapy (11.7 VS. 10.0 months, P = 0.147). However, OS was significantly longer in the patients with chemotherapy (26.4 VS. 13.8 months, P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Tumor biologic characteristics, such as T stage, tumor differentiation and positive lymph nodes, affecting CA19-9 value after surgery are associated with patterns and timing of recurrence. Adjuvant chemotherapy significantly reduced recurrence and improved survival. Chemotherapy is strongly recommended in patients with high CA199 after surgery.

Berberine Protects against Neurological Impairments and Blood-Brain Barrier Injury in Mouse Model of Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Elevation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC1α) signaling can suppress intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)-induced neurological impairments. As an isoquinoline alkaloid, Berberine exerts neuroprotective effects in neurological disease models with activated AMPK/PGC1α signaling. AIM: We aim to study the effect of Berberine on ICH-induced brain injury and explore the potential molecular mechanism. METHODS: ICH model was established in mice through intracerebral injection of autologous whole blood, followed by treatment with Berberine. Neurological impairments were assessed by the modified neurological severity score and behavioral assays. Brain edema and blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity were assessed by water content in the brain, amount of extravasated Evans blue, and BBB tight junction components. Neuroinflammatory responses were assessed by inflammatory cytokine levels. AMPK/PGC1α signaling was examined by AMPK mRNA expression and phosphorylated AMPK and PGC1α protein levels. RESULTS: Berberine (200 mg/kg) attenuated ICH-induced neurological deficits, motor and cognitive impairment, and BBB disruption. Berberine also suppressed ICH-induced inflammatory responses indicated by reduced production of inflammatory cytokines. Finally, Berberine drastically elevated AMPK/PGC1α signaling in the hemisphere of ICH mice. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that Berberine plays an important neuroprotective role against ICH-induced neurological impairments and BBB injury, probably by inhibition of inflammation and activation of AMPK/PGC1α signaling.

A facile online multi-gear capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detector for an automatic and wide range monitoring of high salt in HPLC.

Sensing the electrolyte solution or aqueous-organic mixture has attracted much interest in chemical separation, pharmaceutical engineering, bioprocess, and biochemical experiments. However, reports on online contactless sensor with automatic and wide range sensing of high content electrolyte have been rarely presented. Herein, a facile model and theory of online multi-gear capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (M-C4D) sensor was proposed using one excitation electrode and multiple detection electrodes. Further, the relevant digital computation based on the M-C4D theory was developed for parameter optimization: the electrode gap of 5-150 mm, inner radius of 0.25-0.75 mm, electrode length of 10-60 mm, and frequency of 40-250 kHz using MATLAB. To demonstrate the model, theory, and digital computation, liquid chromatography (LC) was chosen as the model of bioprocess, and the sensor was designed and used as an online sensing device for the automatic monitoring of high salt elution in LC. The experiments showed that (i) the detection results were in agreement with the digital data, validating the digital computation, theory, and model of M-C4D and (ii) the monitoring data of M-C4D were in agreement with those via the traditional meter, further validating the model and theory. Finally, the developed sensor was applied to the automated detection of high salt gradient in LC. In contrast to the currently used meters and C4D, the developed M-C4D sensor had the following merits: (i) facile and automatic online detection avoiding cumbersome manual switching of detector heads, (ii) fair linear range of 0.015-20 mS cm-1 (equivalently 0.1-159 mM KCl) that does not fit the range of traditional C4D, and (iii) fair accuracy of less than 1.50% relative error. All these results indicate that the developed model, theory, and sensor have potential for the process monitoring of high content electrolytes transfer in biochemical engineering and clinic pre-warning.

Laparoscopic duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection with real-time indocyanine green guidance of different dosage and timing: enhanced safety with visualized biliary duct and its long-term metabolic morbidity.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (L-DPPHR) is technically demanding with extreme difficulty in biliary preservation. Only a few reports of L-DPPHR are available with alarming bile leakage, and none of them revealed the long-term metabolic outcomes. For the first time, our study explored the different dosage and timing of indocyanine green (ICG) for guiding L-DPPHR and described the long-term metabolic results. METHODS: Between October 2015 and January 2021, different dosage and timing of ICG were administrated preoperatively and evaluated intra-operatively using Image J software to calculate the relative fluorescence intensity ratio of signal-to-noise contrast between bile duct and pancreas. Short-term complications and long-term metabolic disorder were collected in a prospectively maintained database and analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients were enrolled without conversion to laparotomy or pancreaticoduodenectomy. Administrating a dosage of 0.5 mg/kg 24 h before the operation had the highest relative fluorescence intensity ratio of 19.3, and it proved to guide the biliary tract the best. Fifty-six percent of patients suffered from postoperative complications with 48% experiencing pancreatic fistula and 4% having bile leakage. No one suffered from the duodenal necrosis, and there was no mortality. When compared with the non-ICG group, the ICG group had a comparable diameter of tumor and similar safety distance from lesions to common bile duct; however, it decreased the incidence of bile leakage from 10% to none. The median length of hospital stay was 16 days. After a median follow-up of 26.6 months, no one had tumor recurrence or refractory cholangitis. No postoperative new onset of diabetes mellitus (pNODM) was observed, while pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (pPEI) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were seen in 4% of patients 12 months after the L-DPPHR. CONCLUSION: L-DPPHR is feasible and safe in selected patients, and real-time ICG imaging with proper dosage and timing may greatly facilitate the identification and the prevention of biliary injury. And it seemed to be oncological equivalent to PD with preservation of metabolic function without refractory cholangitis.

Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy versus open pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: oncologic outcomes and long-term survival.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to compare the oncologic outcomes and long-term survival of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) and open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) for patients diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). BACKGROUND: Substantial evidence demonstrated that LPD is technically safe and feasible with perioperative outcomes equivalent to that of OPD. However, for patients with malignancy, especially PDAC, the oncologic outcomes and long-term survival of patients who underwent LPD remains to be elucidated. METHODS: Studies on LPD for the treatment of PDAC published before December 25, 2018 were searched online. The oncologic outcomes (e.g., numbers of lymph nodes retrieved, negative margin (R0) resection), and long-term survival (postoperative survival from 1 to 5 year) of LPD were compared to that of ODP. RESULTS: After screening 1507 studies, six comparative cohort studies, which reported the oncologic outcomes and long-term survival of patients with PDAC were included. No significant difference was found between LPD and OPD regarding lymph nodes harvested (OR 1.96, 95% CI - 1.17 to 5.09, p = 0.22), R0 rate (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.00 to 2.06, p = 0.05), number of positive lymph nodes (OR - 0.44, 95% CI - 1.06 to 0.17, p = 0.16), rate of adjuvant treatment (OR 1.04, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.59, p = 0.86) and time to adjuvant treatment (OR - 6.21, 95% CI - 16.00 to 3.59, p = 0.21). LPD showed similar 1-year (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.65, p = 0.28), and 2-year survival (OR 1.25, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.66, p = 0.13) to that of OPD. The 3-year (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.02, p = 0.007), 4-year (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.93, p = 0.04), and 5-year survival (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.35 to 3.31, p = 0.001) were significantly longer in LPD group. CONCLUSION: For the treatment of PDAC, the oncologic outcomes of LPD were equivalent to that of OPD; LPD seemed promising regarding the postoperative long-term survival.

Long noncoding RNA LINC00511 induced by SP1 accelerates the glioma progression through targeting miR-124-3p/CCND2 axis.

Mounting evidence suggests the vital roles of long noncoding RNA (lncRNAs) in the glioma. However, the role of LINC00511 in gliomagenesis is still uncovered. Here, in this study, we aim to investigate the effects of LINC00511 on the glioma cancer phenotype and its deepgoing mechanism. Results indicated that LINC00511 was up-regulated in glioma tissues and cell lines, moreover its overexpression positively correlated with the poor prognosis and advanced pathological stages. For the upstream regulation, LINC00511 was epigenetically up-regulated by transcription factor specificity protein 1 (SP1). Gain and loss of functional experiments demonstrated that LINC00511 promoted the proliferation and invasion of glioma cells in vitro. The knockdown of LINC00511 repressed the tumour growth in vivo. Mechanistically, LINC00511 positively regulated the CCND2 expression via competitively sponging with miR-124-3p. Overall, our finding illuminates that LINC00511 is induced by SP1 and accelerates the glioma progression through targeting miR-124-3p/CCND2 axis, constructing the SP1/LINC00511/miR-124-3p/CCND2 axis.

PUM2 Promotes Glioblastoma Cell Proliferation and Migration via Repressing BTG1 Expression.

PUM2, an RNA binding protein, is known to promote stem cell proliferation via repressing expressions of cell cycle genes. Similar with stem cells, malignant cells are characterized by unlimited proliferation and remote migration. However, roles of PUM2 in cancer development are controversial. Here, we investigated PUM2's role in glioblastoma development and its relationship with the cell cycle regulator BTG1. Immunoblotting and RT-qPCR were used to evaluate protein expression level and transcript level, respectively. ShRNAs were designed to knock down PUM2 and BTG1 expression. CCK-8 assay was used to evaluate cell viability. Cell migration assay and evasion assay were used to evaluate metastatic capability of glioblastoma cell. RNA pull-down assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay were used to test the interaction between PUM2 and BTG1 3'UTR. PUM2 expression is elevated in glioblastoma tumor tissues as well as glioblastoma cell lines. PUM2 knockdown remarkably suppresses glioblastoma cell proliferation and migration. In addition, PUM2 knockdown increases BTG1 expression. RNA pull-down assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay show PUM2 binds to BTG1 3'UTR directly. Furthermore, knockdown of BTG1 reverses the effect of PUM2 knockdown on glioblastoma cell proliferation and migration. Our results suggest that PUM2 promote glioblastoma development via repressing BTG1 expression.Key words: PUM2, BTG1, glioblastoma, cell proliferation, metastasis.

Long noncoding RNA CASC9/miR-519d/STAT3 positive feedback loop facilitate the glioma tumourigenesis.

Emerging evidence have illustrated the vital roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in glioma. Nevertheless, the majority of their roles and mechanisms in gliomagenesis are still largely unclear. In this study, we investigate the roles of lncRNA CASC9 on glioma tumourigenesis and authenticate its potential mechanisms. Results manifested that CASC9 was highly expressed in glioma specimens and cells, moreover, the ectopic overexpression was correlated with glioma patients' clinic. Functional studies found that siRNA-mediated CASC9 silencing inhibited the proliferative ability, invasion in vitro, and impaired the tumour growth in vivo. Mechanical studies revealed that miR-519d both targeted the 3'-UTR of CASC9 and STAT3 mRNA, which was identified by luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP). Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase reporter assay revealed that STAT3, an oncogenic transcription factor, could bind with the promoter of CASC9 and activate its transcriptional level. In conclusion, our results concluded that CASC9 promotes STAT3 expression via sponging miR-519d, in return, STAT3 activate CASC9 transcription, forming a positive feedback loop of CASC9/miR-519d/STAT3. The novel finding provides a potential therapeutic target for glioma.

Down-expression of miR-154 suppresses tumourigenesis in CD133(+) glioblastoma stem cells.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer. Evidences have suggested that CD133 is a marker for a subset of glioblastoma cancer stem cells. However, whether miRNA plays a critical role in CD133(+) GBM is poorly understood. Here, we identified that miR-154 was upregulated in CD133(+) GBM cell lines. Knockdown of miR-154 remarkably suppressed proliferation and migration of CD133(+) GBM cells. Further study found that PRPS1 was a direct target of miR-154 in CD133(+) GBM cells. Overexpression of PRPS1 exhibited similar effects as miR-154 knockdown in CD133(+) GBMs. Our study identified miR-154 as a previously unrecognized positive regulator of proliferation and migration in CD133(+) GBM cells and a potentially therapeutic target of GBMs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

MicroRNA-10b promotes migration and invasion through Hoxd10 in human gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the effect of miR-10b overexpression on cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and Hoxd10 expression. METHODS: The effect of miR-10b on proliferation, migration, and invasion of MKN-28, BGC-823, and SGC-7901 cells and the expression of Hoxd10 protein in SGC-7901 and BGC-823 cells were detected following transfection of miR-10b inhibitor or Negative Control B. Expression of Hoxd10 protein in 436 paraffin-embedded cancer tissues was also investigated. RESULTS: miR-10b was significantly upregulated in AGS, MKN-28, BGC-823, HCG-27, SGC-7901, and MKN-45 cell lines, miR-10b inhibitor significantly inhibited proliferation and migration of MKN-45, BGC-823 and SGC-7901 cells 48 h after transfection, while Hoxd10 protein in these cells lines had increased 72 h after transfection. Hoxd10 was highly expressed in gastric cancer and correlated with size of tumor, Lauren classification, depth of invasion, lymph node and distant metastasis, Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) stage, and prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: miR-10b promotes migration and invasion through Hoxd10 in human gastric cancer cell lines and may play an important role in tumorigenesis, progression, and prognosis.

Pink1 deficiency enhances neurological deficits and inflammatory responses after intracerebral hemorrhage in mice.

Pink1 (PTEN-induced putative kinase 1) is a protein associated with maintaining mitochondrial function and integrity and has been reported to mediate neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. While the role of Pink1 in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)-related neurological deficits and inflammatory responses is not deciphered. Congenic blood was transfused into the left corpus striatum to construct the ICH model in C57/BL6 wild-type (WT) and Pink1-/- mice. The relative expression of Pink1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, Cd86, nitric oxide synthase 2 (Nos2), Cd206, arginase 1 (Arg-1), and IL-10 was detected with qRT-PCR, Western blotting, or ELISA. Mouse neurological deficit scores (mNSS) and water content were detected, and an open-field test was performed to assay anxiety-like behavior. Remarkably decreased Pink1 expression and increased MIP-2, IL-1ß, MCP-1, and TNF-α expression were observed after 12 â€‹h, 24 â€‹h, 48 â€‹h, 72 â€‹h, and 7 â€‹d post-ICH induction in the ipsilateral injury hemispheres. Pink1 deficiency could further up-regulate mNSS scores, brain water content, MIP-2, MCP-1, IL-1ß, and TNF-α in the ipsilateral injury hemispheres. On the other hand, Pink1 deficiency could decrease the number of center cross, the velocity, and the total distance traveled in open field test. Pink1 deficiency could further up-regulate the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory (M1) molecules (Cd86, Nos2), and down-regulate the relative expression of anti-inflammatory (M2) molecules (Cd206, Arg-1, and IL-10). Pink1 deficiency deteriorates neurological deficits and inflammatory responses after ICH, which can be considered as a treatment target.

Targeting tumor­associated macrophages: Critical players in tumor progression and therapeutic strategies (Review).

Tumor­associated macrophages (TAMs) are essential components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and display phenotypic heterogeneity and plasticity associated with the stimulation of bioactive molecules within the TME. TAMs predominantly exhibit tumor­promoting phenotypes involved in tumor progression, such as tumor angiogenesis, metastasis, immunosuppression and resistance to therapies. In addition, TAMs have the potential to regulate the cytotoxic elimination and phagocytosis of cancer cells and interact with other immune cells to engage in the innate and adaptive immune systems. In this context, targeting TAMs has been a popular area of research in cancer therapy, and a comprehensive understanding of the complex role of TAMs in tumor progression and exploration of macrophage­based therapeutic approaches are essential for future therapeutics against cancers. The present review provided a comprehensive and updated overview of the function of TAMs in tumor progression, summarized recent advances in TAM­targeting therapeutic strategies and discussed the obstacles and perspectives of TAM­targeting therapies for cancers.

Asymptomatic low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Low-grade appendiceal neoplasms (LAMN) are characterized by low incidence and atypical clinical presentations, often leading to misdiagnosis as acute or chronic appendicitis before surgery. The primary diagnostic tool for LAMN is abdominal computed tomography (CT) imaging. Surgical resection remains the cornerstone of LAMN management, necessitating en bloc tumor excision to minimize the risk of iatrogenic rupture. Laparoscopy, known for its minimal invasiveness, reduced postoperative discomfort, and expedited recovery, is a safe and reliable approach for LAMN treatment. Despite the possibility of pseudomyxoma peritonei development, appendectomy and partial appendectomy generally result in negative tumor margins and favorable outcomes, which can be attributed to the disease's slow growth and lower malignancy. CASE SUMMARY: A 71-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital with a pelvic space-occupying lesion detected 1 mo prior. Physical examination showed a soft abdomen without tenderness or rebound and no palpable masses. No shifting dullness was noted, and digital rectal examination revealed no palpable mass. Enteroscopy revealed a raised, smooth-surfaced mass measuring 3.0 cm in the cecum. Abdominal contrast-enhanced CT showed a markedly thickened and dilated appendix with visible cystic shadows. Laparoscopic surgery was performed and revealed a significantly dilated appendix, leading to laparoscopic resection of the appendix and part of the cecum. Post-surgical pathologic analysis confirmed LAMN. The patient received symptomatic and supportive post-operative care and was discharged on postoperative day 4 without complications such as abdominal bleeding, intestinal obstruction, or incision infection. No tumor recurrence was observed during a 7-mo follow-up period. CONCLUSION: LAMN is a rare disease that lacks specific clinical manifestations. Abdominal CT plays a crucial role in diagnosing LAMN, and laparoscopic surgery is a safe and effective diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

A skeletal randomization strategy for high-performance quinoidal-aromatic polymers.

Enhancing the solution-processability of conjugated polymers (CPs) without diminishing their thin-film crystallinity is crucial for optimizing charge transport in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). However, this presents a classic "Goldilocks zone" dilemma, as conventional solubility-tuning methods for CPs typically yield an inverse correlation between solubility and crystallinity. To address this fundamental issue, a straightforward skeletal randomization strategy is implemented to construct a quinoid-donor conjugated polymer, PA4T-Ra, that contains para-azaquinodimethane (p-AQM) and oligothiophenes as repeat units. A systematic study is conducted to contrast its properties against polymer homologues constructed following conventional solubility-tuning strategies. An unusually concurrent improvement of solubility and crystallinity is realized in the random polymer PA4T-Ra, which shows moderate polymer chain aggregation, the highest crystallinity and the least lattice disorder. Consequently, PA4T-Ra-based OFETs, fabricated under ambient air conditions, deliver an excellent hole mobility of 3.11 cm2 V-1 s-1, which is about 30 times higher than that of the other homologues and ranks among the highest for quinoidal CPs. These findings debunk the prevalent assumption that a random polymer backbone sequence results in decreased crystallinity. The considerable advantages of the skeletal randomization strategy illuminate new possibilities for the control of polymer aggregation and future design of high-performance CPs, potentially accelerating the development and commercialization of organic electronics.

A Three-in-One Hybrid Strategy for High-Performance Semiconducting Polymers Processed from Anisole.

The development of semiconducting polymers with good processability in green solvents and competitive electrical performance is essential for realizing sustainable large-scale manufacturing and commercialization of organic electronics. A major obstacle is the processability-performance dichotomy that is dictated by the lack of ideal building blocks with balanced polarity, solubility, electronic structures, and molecular conformation. Herein, through the integration of donor, quinoid and acceptor units, an unprecedented building block, namely TQBT, is introduced for constructing a serial of conjugated polymers. The TQBT, distinct in non-symmetric structure and high dipole moment, imparts enhanced solubility in anisole-a green solvent-to the polymer TQBT-T. Furthermore, PTQBT-T possess a highly rigid and planar backbone owing to the nearly coplanar geometry and quinoidal nature of TQBT, resulting in strong aggregation in solution and localized aggregates in film. Remarkably, PTQBT-T films spuncast from anisole exhibit a hole mobility of 2.30 cm2 V-1 s-1, which is record high for green solvent-processable semiconducting polymers via spin-coating, together with commendable operational and storage stability. The hybrid building block emerges as a pioneering electroactive unit, shedding light on future design strategies in high-performance semiconducting polymers compatible with green processing and marking a significant stride towards ecofriendly organic electronics.

Abnormal expression of miR-301a in gastric cancer associated with progression and poor prognosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: miR-301a is significantly overexpressed in many cancers. However, its expression and biological role in gastric cancer remain poorly understood. We investigated microRNA-301a (miR-301a) expression in gastric cancer and determined its effects on cancer cell behavior and its clinical significance in the development and progression of gastric cancer. METHODS: We determined miR-301a expression in gastric tumors and gastric cancer cell lines by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The effects of miR-301a on cell clone formation, migration, and invasion of HGC-27 and SGC-7901 cells were detected following transfection of an miR-301a inhibitor. miR-301a expression in a 304-tissue gastric cancer microarray was determined by in situ hybridization and its role in progression and prognosis was analyzed. RESULTS: miR-301a was upregulated in gastric tumor tissues and cell lines. Down-regulation of miR-301a significantly inhibited cell clone formation, migration, and invasion of HGC-27and SGC-7901 cells. Overexpression of miR-301a in primary gastric cancer tissues was associated with tumor size, invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage. CONCLUSIONS: miR-301a overexpression correlated with TNM stage and prognosis, suggesting that miR-301a is involved in cellular clone formation, migration, and invasion in vitro and may play an important role in the clinical progression and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Clinical utility of measuring expression levels of KAP1, TIMP1 and STC2 in peripheral blood of patients with gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: We examined preoperative kinesin II-associated protein (KAP1), TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP1) and stanniocalcin 2 (STC2) expression levels in patients with gastric cancers to assess their clinical application for diagnosing and monitoring diseases. METHODS: Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression levels of KAP1, TIMP1, STC2, talin 2 (TLN2), sushi-repeat-containing protein, X-linked 2 (SRPX2) and secreted protein, acidic, cysteine-rich (SPARC) in the patients' peripheral blood karyocytes. The data were analyzed with receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves. RESULTS: A total of 112 patients with gastric cancer, 42 patients with recurrence and 107 healthy volunteers were recruited. There were significant correlations between KAP1, TIMP1 and STC2 levels, and TNM tumor stages and distant metastases. The area under the ROC curves (AUC) of KAP1 was 0.803 ± 0.040 (P = 0.0001), the AUC of TIMP1 was 0.767 ± 0.043 (P = 0.0001) and the AUC of STC2 was 0.769 ± 0.045 (P = 0.0001), thus differentiating preoperative gastric cancer patients from healthy volunteers by ROC curve analysis. The AUC of STC2 was 0.739 ± 0.070 (P = 0.004) and the AUC of KAP1 was 0.418 ± 0.088 (P = 0.319), thus differentiating recurrence of gastric cancer from healthy volunteers by ROC curve analysis. High TIMP1 and STC2 expression levels were suspected to be poor prognostic factors of disease recurrence in patients with gastric cancer. CONCLUSIONS: KAP1, TIMP1 and STC2 expression levels may be potential biomarkers for the screening, diagnosis, prognosis and surveillance of gastric cancer.

lncRNA TUSC7 sponges miR-10a-5p and inhibits BDNF/ERK pathway to suppress glioma cell proliferation and migration.

OBJECTIVE: Gliomas as primary cerebral malignancies frequently occurring in adults have relatively high morbidity and mortality. The underlying role of long non-coding ribonucleic acids (lncRNAs) in malignancies has attracted much attention, among which tumor suppressor candidate 7 (TUSC7) is a novel tumor suppressor gene whose regulatory mechanism in human cerebral gliomas remains inconclusive. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, bioinformatics analysis indicated that TUSC7 could specifically bind to microRNA (miR)-10a-5p, and according to quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR), miR-10a-5p was up-regulated in human glioma cells and negatively correlated with TUSC7 expression. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay showed the ability of TUSC7 to bind to miR-10a-5p, and overexpression of TUSC7 notably inhibited miR-10a-5p expression, restrained human glioma cell proliferation and migration, and regulated cell cycle and cyclin expression via the brain-derived neurotrophic factor/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (BDNF/ERK) pathway. The inhibitory effect of TUSC7 on miR-10a-5p was also verified by designing miR-10a-5p overexpression and knockdown panels for wound healing, Transwell and Western blotting assays. CONCLUSIONS: TUSC7 suppresses human glioma cell proliferation and migration by negatively modulating miR-10a-5p and inhibiting the BDNF/ERK pathway, thus acting as a tumor suppressor gene in human gliomas.

Digestive tract reconstruction after laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy for Gastric cancer: A systematic review.

The incidence of gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma has gradually increased. Proximal gastrectomy or total gastrectomy is recommended for early gastric cancer of the upper third of the stomach. Because total gastrectomy is often accompanied by body mass loss and nutrient absorption disorders, such as severe hypoproteinemia and anemia, Proximal gastrectomy is more frequently recommended by researchers for early upper gastric cancer (T1N0M0) and Siewert II gastroesophageal junction cancer less than 4 cm in length. Although some functions of the stomach are retained after proximal gastrectomy, the anatomical structure of the gastroesophageal junction can be destroyed, and the anti-reflux effect of the cardia is lost. In recent years, as various reconstruction methods for anti-reflux function have been developed, some functions of the stomach are retained, and serious reflux esophagitis is avoided after proximal gastrectomy. In this article, we summarized the indications, advantages, and disadvantages of various classic reconstruction methods and latest improved reconstruction method including esophageal and residual stomach anastomosis, tubular gastroesophageal anastomosis, muscle flap anastomosis, jejunal interposition, and double-tract reconstruction.