Disulfidptosis-related lncRNAs signature predicting prognosis and immunotherapy effect in lung adenocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a prevalent malignant tumor worldwide, with high incidence and mortality rates. However, there is still a lack of specific and sensitive biomarkers for its early diagnosis and targeted treatment. Disulfidptosis is a newly identified mode of cell death that is characteristic of disulfide stress. Therefore, exploring the correlation between disulfidptosis-related long non-coding RNAs (DRGs-lncRNAs) and patient prognosis can provide new molecular targets for LUAD patients. METHODS: The study analysed the transcriptome data and clinical data of LUAD patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, gene co-expression, and univariate Cox regression methods were used to screen for DRGs-lncRNAs related to prognosis. The risk score model of lncRNA was established by univariate and multivariate Cox regression models. TIMER, CIBERSORT, CIBERSORT-ABS, and other methods were used to analyze immune infiltration and further evaluate immune function analysis, immune checkpoints, and drug sensitivity. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to detect the expression of DRGs-lncRNAs in LUAD cell lines. RESULTS: A total of 108 lncRNAs significantly associated with disulfidptosis were identified. A prognostic model was constructed by screening 10 lncRNAs with independent prognostic significance through single-factor Cox regression analysis, LASSO regression analysis, and multiple-factor Cox regression analysis. Survival analysis of patients through the prognostic model showed that there were obvious survival differences between the high- and low-risk groups. The risk score of the prognostic model can be used as an independent prognostic factor independent of other clinical traits, and the risk score increases with stage. Further analysis showed that the prognostic model was also different from tumor immune cell infiltration, immune function, and immune checkpoint genes in the high- and low-risk groups. Chemotherapy drug susceptibility analysis showed that high-risk patients were more sensitive to Paclitaxel, 5-Fluorouracil, Gefitinib, Docetaxel, Cytarabine, and Cisplatin. Additionally, RT-PCR analysis demonstrated differential expression of DRGs-lncRNAs between LUAD cell lines and the human bronchial epithelial cell line. CONCLUSIONS: The prognostic model of DRGs-lncRNAs constructed in this study has certain accuracy and reliability in predicting the survival prognosis of LUAD patients, and provides clues for the interaction between disulfidptosis and LUAD immunotherapy.

Novel PBMC LncRNA signatures as diagnostic biomarkers for colorectal cancer.

The expression of long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and its clinical relevance in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains largely uncharacterized. To address these gaps, we investigated the expression profiles of lncRNAs in PBMC from CRC and healthy controls (HC) by RNA sequencing. The expression level of differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) were evaluated by quantitative PCR in PBMC samples from CRC patients and HC. A total of 447 DElncRNAs were identified, with 178 elevated lncRNAs and 269 decreased lncRNAs in PBMC from CRC patients as compared with that from HC. RT-PCR results supported a significant elevation of NEAT1:11, lnc-PDZD8-1:5 and LINC00910:16 in 98 CRC patients and 82 HC. The clinical implication of NEAT1:11, lnc-PDZD8-1:5 and LINC00910:16 as CRC diagnostic biomarker were determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, showing sensitivity 74.5% and specificity 84.5% for joint detection the three lncRNAs. Notably, NEAT1:11 was closely related with the size and extent of primary tumor, with higher relative expression of NEAT1:11 in higher T stage (P = 0.0047). Moreover, NEAT1:11 was related with grade (P = 0.012). Collectively, PBMC from patients with CRC show significantly variable expression profiles of lncRNAs, and detection of these differential expression lncRNAs may provide useful information for basic and clinical research.

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the lung with PD-L1 expression and the response to anti-PD-1 therapy: a case report.

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the lung (HAL) is extremely rare; a standardized treatment strategy for HAL has not been established. The prognosis of patients with unresectable HAL is extremely poor. Here, we reported a 64-year-old male patient with unresectable alpha-fetoprotein-producing HAL who showed moderate harboring programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and no targetable driver mutations. The patient was treated with brain radiotherapy, multiple lines of chemotherapies, and PD-1 inhibitor and achieved a survival rate of 9 months. The patient finally died because of the progression of brain metastasis. The case report provides valuable information for the treatment strategy development of advanced HAL patients and reminds us of the therapeutic particularity of brain metastasis.

Phosphorylation of USP27X by GSK3ß maintains the stability and oncogenic functions of CBX2.

Chromobox protein homolog 2 (CBX2) exerts a multifaceted impact on the progression of aggressive cancers. The proteasome-dependent pathway is crucial for modulating CBX2 regulation, while the specific regulatory roles and mechanisms of deubiquitinating enzymes targeting CBX2 remain poorly understood. Mass spectrometry analysis identified ubiquitin-specific peptidase 27X (USP27X) as a deubiquitinating enzyme that targets CBX2. Overexpression of USP27X significantly enhances CBX2 levels by promoting deubiquitination, while deficiency of USP27X leads to CBX2 degradation, thereby inhibiting tumorigenesis. Furthermore, it has been revealed that glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3ß) can directly bind to and phosphorylate USP27X, thereby enhancing the interaction between USP27X and CBX2 and leading to further stabilization of the CBX2 protein. Clinically, the co-expression of high levels of USP27X and CBX2 in breast cancer tissues is indicative of a poor prognosis for patients with this disease. These findings collectively underscore the critical regulatory role played by USP27X in modulating CBX2, thereby establishing the GSK3ß-USP27X-CBX2 axis as a pivotal driver of malignant progression in breast cancer.

Incomplete radiofrequency ablation following transarterial chemoembolization accelerates the progression of large hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: To examine post-operative progression and risk impact of insufficient radiofrequency ablation (RFA) following transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for the prognosis of large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods: From January 2014 to January 2021 were analyzed. A total of 343 patients with large HCC (diameter >5 cm) who received TACE combined with RFA were enrolled and were divided into two groups: complete ablation (CA, n = 172) and insufficient ablation (IA, n = 171). Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were determined by the Kaplan-Meier curve and compared with the log-rank test. To find parameters influencing OS and PFS, clinicopathological variables underwent univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: The cumulative 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS and PFS rates of the CA group were significantly higher than that of the IA group (P < 0.001). 25 (41%) patients in local tumor progression (LTP), 36 (59%) in intrahepatic distant recurrence (IDR), and 0 (0%) in extrahepatic distant recurrence (EDR) in the CA group. 51 (32.1%) patients in LTP, 96 (60.4%) patients in IDR, and 12 (7.5%) cases in EDR in the IA group. The recurrence patterns of the two groups were statistically significant difference (P = 0.039). In multivariate analysis, inadequate ablation and conjunction with TKIs were both significant risk factors for OS and PFS. Apart from these, older age and >7 cm of tumor size were indicators of poor OS and multiple tumors were indicators of poor PFS. Conclusion: Insufficient ablation causes a poor survival outcome of TACE combined with RFA for large HCC, particularly, which can promote IDR.

Efficient Utilization of Tea Resources through Encapsulation: Dual Perspectives from Core Material to Wall Material.

With the high production and consumption of tea around the world, efficient utilization of tea byproducts (tea pruning, tea residues after production, and drinking) is the focus of improving the economy of the tea industry. This review comprehensively discusses the efficient utilization of tea resources by encapsulation from the dual perspectives of core material and wall material. The core material is mainly tea polyphenols, followed by tea oils. The encapsulation system for tea polyphenols includes microcapsules, nanoparticles, emulsions, gels, conjugates, metal-organic frameworks, liposomes, and nanofibers. In addition, it is also diversified for the encapsulation of tea oils. Tea resources as wall materials refer to tea saponins, tea polyphenols, tea proteins, and tea polysaccharides. The application of the tea-based delivery system widely involves functionally fortified food, meat preservation, film, medical treatment, wastewater treatment, and plant protection. In the future, the coencapsulation of tea resources as core materials and other functional ingredients, the precise targeting of these tea resources, and the wide application of tea resources in wall materials need to be focused on. In conclusion, the described technofunctional properties and future research challenges in this review should be followed.

Effects of steaming on the concentration, distribution and bioaccessibility of cadmium in Chlamys farreri tissues.

Scallops are delicious and healthy, but their filter feeding habits make them vulnerable to ingesting and accumulating toxic chemicals from the environment, resulting in food safety issues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of steaming process on the concentration, distribution and bioaccessibility of cadmium (Cd) in Chlamys farreri tissues. The results indicated that the Cd concentration calculated based on wet weight (ww) increased from 0.3 mg/kg-28.1 mg/kg to 0.5 mg/kg-30.8 mg/kg after steaming, in which viscera was found to show the largest accumulation of Cd that accounted for 85 % of the total Cd in the fresh scallops. The proportion of Cd in viscera dropped to 66.5 %, while reached to 22.7 % in juice, indicating that steaming altered the Cd distribution in scallops. INFOGEST 2.0 was carried out to investigate the in vitro bioaccessibility of Cd (BCd) in C. farreri tissues. The result shows that steaming could improve edible safety of scallops by reducing the BCd in gonad and viscera. This current study directed safer scallop consumption, which would provide scientific support for incorporating physical cutting steps into the shellfish industrial pretreatment process, as well as suggestions for the targeted development of heavy metal removal technology in bivalves.

Fabrication of fucoxanthin/2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin inclusion complex assisted by ultrasound procedure to enhance aqueous solubility, stability and antitumor effect of fucoxanthin.

Fucoxanthin (Fx) possesses multiple bioactivities such as antitumor, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, but its application is limited due to the poor water solubility, low bioavailability, and instability to some external harsh conditions. In this study, a stable inclusion complex of Fx and 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (2-HP-ß-CD) was prepared with the aid of ultrasound, which was characterized by scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry techniques. The phase solubility analysis and absorption spectroscopy results showed that Fx formed stoichiometry 1:2 inclusion complex with 2-HP-ß-CD, and this could be well proved by molecular simulation. Structural analyses and molecular docking study indicated that Fx was successfully encapsulated into the cavity of 2-HP-ß-CD, promoting it soluble in water and stable against heat, storage and gastrointestinal environments. In addition, Fx/2-HP-ß-CD inclusion complex exhibited excellent antitumor activity against HCT116 and Caco-2 cell lines with IC50 values of 12.0 µΜ and 14.86 µΜ, respectively. Therefore, it could be a potentially promising way to promote the application of Fx in pharmaceuticals and functional foods by HP-ß-CD encapsulation strategy.

One-step self-assembly of curcumin-loaded zein/sophorolipid nanoparticles: physicochemical stability, redispersibility, solubility and bioaccessibility.

Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound isolated from turmeric, exhibits various biological activities. The application of this nutraceutical in foods, however, is limited due to its extreme hydrophobicity, inferior stability, and poor bioaccessibility. The purpose of this paper is to prepare alcohol-free curcumin-loaded zein/sophorolipid nanoparticles (Cur-Z/SNPs) by one-step self-assembly to overcome the abovementioned challenges of curcumin. In detail, Cur-Z/SNPs were formed by mixing curcumin, zein, and sophorolipid under neutral conditions without any organic reagents or high energy equipment. The encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of Cur-Z/SNPs were 94.08% and 11.50%, respectively. The spherical shape of Cur-Z/SNPs was observed by using a transmission electron microscope. The self-assembly mechanism involved hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions, and the crystalline nature of curcumin changed to amorphous during self-assembly. Cur-Z/SNPs enhanced the zein denaturation resistance. They exhibited complete redispersibility and improved the aqueous solubility by approximately 246 times compared with free curcumin. The fresh Cur-Z/SNPs exhibited physicochemical stability at pH 5.0-8.0, ionic strength within 250 mM, and storage at 25 °C and 4 °C for 30 days. Notably, Cur-Z/SNPs could achieve excellent storage stability at room temperature as compared to those at refrigeration. Furthermore, lyophilization had a positive effect on storage stability, did not change the pH stability, and slightly reduced the ionic strength stability. Besides, Cur-Z/SNPs increased the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH˙) scavenging capacity compared to free curcumin. The bioaccessibility of curcumin was increased by about 6 times by Cur-Z/SNPs. These findings provided new insight into the application of hydrophobic nutrients in alcohol-free functional foods.

Lipid metabolism-related proteins of relevant evolutionary and lymphoid interest (PRELI) domain containing family proteins in cancer.

Metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells plays a critical role in the tumor microenvironment, including disorder of lipid metabolism. Recently, lipid metabolism has received increasing attention in cancer research. The proteins of relevant evolutionary and lymphoid interest (PRELI) domain containing family contains 6 proteins. Functionally, the PRELI-like family proteins were mainly involved in mitochondrial lipid transport and correlated with several types of diseases and malignant tumors. Here we review current knowledge of the functions, structures, biological functions and underlying mechanisms of the PRELI-like family proteins in cancer progression, which provide insights into the clinical translational application.

Portable and multiplexed lateral flow immunoassay reader based on SERS for highly sensitive point-of-care testing.

A portable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) reader with multiplexed detection was developed using an integrated LFIA reaction column. The proposed LFIA reader was designed to simultaneously detect multiple samples or samples with multiple biomarkers. With the integrated LFIA reaction column, we achieved the specific detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) with a detection limit of 0.01 ng/mL, which was three orders of magnitude lower than that of the visual signal. We also investigated the uniformity of channels based on an eight-channel integrated LFIA reaction column. The relative standard deviation values of the SERS intensity of the eight-channel for measuring the AFP, CEA, and PSA antigens at 1323 cm-1 were 13%, 4.8%, and 5%, respectively. We detected 45 clinical serum samples of the three antigens using the proposed portable SERS-based LFIA reader to further confirm its applicability to clinical samples. The SERS signals of the positive sera were higher than those of the negative sera and their thrice standard deviation. This result indicated the practicality of the developed integrated reaction column and the proposed portable and multiplexed Raman reader. This work provides a new high-sensitivity, multiplexed, and automated SERS-based LFIA detector for use in the point-of-care setting.

Effect of purity of tea polysaccharides on its antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities.

The effects of purity of tea polysaccharides (TPS) on its five antioxidant activities and hypoglycemic activities in vitro were studied. The results showed that the higher the purity of TPS, the lower the antioxidant capacity. The purity of FTPSI is the highest (sugar content 80.72%), but its antioxidant activities were lower than those of Fujian tea polysaccharides (FTPS) and FTPSII. The antioxidant activity of tea polysaccharide is related to its protein and polyphenol content (Pearson r > .90). The protective effect of Zhejiang tea polysaccharides and FTPS on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) was better than that of its purified fractions. The inhibition rates of FTPSII (5 and 2 mg/ml) on α-glucosidase (32.76%) and α-amylase (-11.93%) were higher than those of FTPS and FTPSII. Purification does not change the basic structure of TPS. This study has certain reference value for the study of the antioxidant activities of TPS. Meanwhile, TPS can be used as a potential resource with hypoglycemic function. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: A large number of studies have shown that TPS have antioxidant activity. However, several studies considered that the antioxidant activity of TPS mainly comes from the residues of tea polyphenols. Therefore, the in vitro and cell antioxidant activities of TPS were studied in this paper. We believe that both glycoprotein and tea polyphenol are antioxidants of tea, and tea polysaccharide perform preferable effect on hypoglycemic. HUVEC cell model and four in vitro antioxidant test methods were used to study the antioxidant activities of TPS, and two enzyme inhibition activities were used to study the hypoglycemic effect of TPS, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the study of biological activity of TPS.

Self-assembled composite nanoparticles based on zein as delivery vehicles of curcumin: role of chondroitin sulfate.

Composite nanoparticles composed of zein and chondroitin sulfate (CS) were self-assembled by the method of antisolvent precipitation to deliver curcumin (ZCCNPs). The structure of ZCCNPs changed from spheres to microaggregates with the increase of CS, involving hydrogen bonding and electrostatic and hydrophobic effects. The resistance of ZCCNPs to degeneration was improved by CS. The encapsulation efficiency of curcumin was enhanced by CS and showed the maximum (91.97%) when the mass ratio of zein-to-CS was 1 : 1 (ZCCNPs1:1). The crystallinity of curcumin changed to amorphous in ZCCNPs1:1. ZCCNPs1:1 exhibited great stability at pH 3.0-8.0, and it showed excellent thermostability at 35, 55, and 80 °C respectively for 120 min when the pH was 4.0 or 6.0. Meanwhile, it showed great storage stability at 4 and 22 °C respectively for 30 days. The retention rate of curcumin in ZCCNPs1:1 was higher than 65% within 8 days. The presence of CS improved the antiproliferative activity of curcumin-loaded zein nanoparticles (Cur-ZNPs) to HCT116 cells. ZCCNPs1:1 exhibited higher bioaccessibility (42.36%) than Cur-ZNPs. In addition, ZCCNPs1:1 exhibited excellent biocompatibility evaluated using in vitro cytotoxicity assay on NCM460 cells. The studies indicate that the delivery system fabricated in our work would be efficient for improving the application of hydrophobic nutrients in functional foods.

Selective, highly efficient extraction of Cr(III), Pb(II) and Fe(III) from complex water environment with a tea residue derived porous gel adsorbent.

A novel macroporous (~150 µm) double network hydrogel (TR/PAA) was prepared from tea residue and acrylic acid, and its performance was systematically evaluated. The static adsorption experiments showed that gel exhibited high selectivity and adsorption capacity, ultrafast kinetics (~10 min) for Cr(III), Pb(II) and Fe(III). The adsorption behavior showed heterogeneous and chemisorption process adsorption capacities of 206.19, 253.16, and 94.88 mg g-1 for Cr(III), Pb(II) and Fe(III), respectively. In pluralistic systems, TR/PAA showed the adsorption order of Fe(III) > Cr(III) > Pb(II). Mechanism studies confirm that nitrogen and oxygen-containing functional groups play a major role in the adsorption process. In the fixed-bed column experiments, the treatment volume of simulated wastewater reached 1400 bed volumes (BV) (21.6 L), producing only 7 BV (323 mL) eluent. This work provides a new avenue for the combination of TR/PAA reuse and heavy metal removal, which is expected to be applied in actual wastewater treatment.

Dietary Recombinant Phycoerythrin Modulates the Gut Microbiota of H22 Tumor-Bearing Mice.

Normal intestinal flora is widely involved in many functions of the host: nutritional metabolism; maintenance of intestinal microecological balance; regulation of intestinal endocrine function and nerve signal transduction; promotion of intestinal immune system development and maturation; inhibition of pathogenic bacteria growth and colonization, reduction of its invasion to intestinal mucosa, and so on. In recent years, more and more studies have shown that intestinal flora is closely related to the occurrence, development, and treatment of various tumors. It is indicated that recombinant phycoerythrin (RPE) has significant anti-tumor and immunomodulatory effects. However, little is known about the mechanism of the effect of oral (or intragastric) administration of RPE on gut microbiota in tumor-bearing animals. In this study, using high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing, we examined the response of gut microbiota in H22-bearing mice to dietary RPE supplementation. The results showed that the abundance of beneficial bacteria in the mice intestinal flora decreased and that of the detrimental flora increased after inoculation with tumor cells (H22); following treatment with dietary RPE, the abundance of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal flora significantly increased and that of detrimental bacteria decreased. In this study, for the first time, it was demonstrated that dietary RPE could modulate the gut microbiota of the H22 bearing mice by increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria and decreasing that of detrimental bacteria among intestinal bacteria, providing evidence for the mechanism by which bioactive proteins affect intestinal nutrition and disease resistance in animals.

Improved cadmium resistance and removal capacity in Pichia kudriavzevii A16 by sucrose preincubation.

Removal of heavy metals from food material by growing micro-organisms is limited by the toxicity to cells. In this study, different preincubation treatments were investigated to analyze their effects on cadmium resistance and removal ability of Pichia kudriavzevii A16 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae CICC1211. Sucrose preincubation improved the cadmium resistance of both yeast cells and increased the cadmium-removal rate of P. kudriavzevii A16. An evident decrease of intracellular and cell-surface cadmium accumulation was observed after sucrose preincubation, which may be the primary reason responsible for the improved cadmium resistance. Flow cytometry assay showed that sucrose significantly reduced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell death rate of both yeasts under cadmium compared with those normally cultured cells. Under cadmium stress, the content of both protein carbonyls and malonyldialdehyde were also reduced by the addition of sucrose, the results were in accordance with the tendency of ROS, exhibiting a defending function of sucrose. Osmotic regulators as proline and trehalose were increased by sucrose preincubation in P. kudriavzevii A16 in the presence of cadmium. The results suggested that sucrose preincubation could be applied to improve cadmium resistance and removal rate of yeasts.

circANKS1B regulates FOXM1 expression and promotes cell migration and invasion by functioning as a sponge of the miR-149 in colorectal cancer.

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in the development of human cancers. CircANKS1B has been reported to be increased in breast cancer. Methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) assay was used to measure expressions of circANKS1B, ANKS1B, and FOXM1. Western blot assay was employed to examine the protein level of FOXM1 and Slug. The abilities of cell migration and invasion were measured by wound-healing and transwell assays. The interaction between circANKS1B and miR-149 was confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis and luciferase assays. Results: The expression of circANKS1B was up-regulated in colorectal cancer tissues and cells. Additionally, circANKS1B increased the expression of FOXM1. Furthermore, the enhancement of CRC cell migration and invasion by circANKS1B was dependent on FOXM1. However, previous studies have shown that miR-149 can directly target FOXM1 and act as tumor suppressor in CRC. Consequently, our results showed that miR-149 could directly bind to circANKS1B and FOXM1. The inhibition of circANKS1B could reduce FOXM1 and Slug protein levels, thus suppressing CRC cell migration and invasion. Conclusion: Taken together, circANKS1B promotes colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion by acting as a molecular sponge of miR-149 to modulate FOXM1 and Slug protein levels.

Expression of Snail and E-cadherin in Drug-resistant MCF-7/ADM Breast Cancer Cell Strains.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of zinc finger transcription factors-Snail and E-cadherin in adriamycin-resistant human breast cancer MCF-7/ADM cells and non-resistant MCF-7 cells. STUDY DESIGN: An experimental study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, and Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, China, from April 2017 to March 2018. METHODOLOGY: Real-time quantitative PCR technology was used to detect the expression levels of Snail mRNA and E-cadherin mRNA in normal breast cells, adriamycin-resistant human breast cancer MCF-7/ADM cells and non-resistant MCF-7 cells. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of proteins of Snail and E-cadherin in normal breast cells, adriamycin-resistant human breast cancer MCF-7/ADM cells and non-resistant MCF-7 cells. RESULTS: The expression of Snail mRNA and protein in adriamycin-resistant human breast cancer MCF-7/ADM cells was significantly higher than that in normal breast cells (p<0.001) and non-resistant MCF-7 cells (p<0.001). The expression of E-cadherin mRNA and protein in adriamycin-resistant human breast cancer MCF-7/ADM cells was significantly lower than that in normal breast cells (p<0.001) and non-resistant MCF-7 cells (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Adriamycin-resistant human breast cancer MCF-7/ADM cell strains had high expression of Snail and low expression of E-cadherin. This points out to a new research direction for the targeted therapy of drug-resistant breast cancer cells, and provides clinical guidance for breast cancer therapy and prognosis evaluation.

Overexpression of MAPT-AS1 is associated with better patient survival in breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most frequent malignant disease in women worldwide. It is a heterogeneous and complex genetic disease with different molecular characteristics. MAPT-AS1, a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) existing at the anti-sense strand of the MAPT (microtubule associated protein tau) promoter region, was believed to regulate MAPT, which was associated with disease state in Parkinson's disease. But the role of MAPT-AS1 in breast cancer has never been reported. In our study we found that MAPT-AS1 is overexpressed in breast cancer but not in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), and that high expression of MAPT-AS1 was correlated with better patient survival. In addition, the level of MAPT-AS1 was correlated with the expression of MAPT, and MAPT was associated with survival time in breast cancer. Our study suggests that MAPT-AS1 may play a role and be a potential survival predictive biomarker in breast cancer.

Construction and Characterization of Phthalocyanine-Loaded Particles of Curdlan and Their Photosensitivity.

To optimize the physicochemical properties of phthalocyanine (PC), we examined its behavior in particles of triple helix glucan curdlan (CUR). CUR was denatured and renatured in DMSO, in the presence of PC. Infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that PC and CUR formed an inclusion complex, in which PC was trapped inside CUR molecules. This redshifted the absorption peak of PC, which would improve its usefulness as a photosensitizer, because infrared light can penetrate more deeply into human tissues. The conductivity of the solution of CUR-PC was higher than the conductivities of either a CUR solution or a PC dispersion, indicating that CUR-PC is more water soluble than PC. In addition, CUR-PC was highly stable in water. Thus, the use of CUR as a carrier of PC improves several of its physical properties. PC is used as a photosensitizer for killing cancer cells, but its use is hampered by its low solubility. Further, its absorption range limits its use to a depth of 1⁻3 mm in tissues. CUR-PC, with its high solubility and infrared absorption peak, was highly effective as a photosensitizer. It killed 84% of HeLa cells under 15 min of long wavelength radiation and had little cytotoxicity in the absence of light. These results demonstrate that CUR-PC has promise as a photosensitizer, as well as provide theoretical support for a wide range of applications for PC and CUR.