High-density switchable skyrmion-like polar nanodomains integrated on silicon.

Topological domains in ferroelectrics1-5 have received much attention recently owing to their novel functionalities and potential applications6,7 in electronic devices. So far, however, such topological polar structures have been observed only in superlattices grown on oxide substrates, which limits their applications in silicon-based electronics. Here we report the realization of room-temperature skyrmion-like polar nanodomains in lead titanate/strontium titanate bilayers transferred onto silicon. Moreover, an external electric field can reversibly switch these nanodomains into the other type of polar texture, which substantially modifies their resistive behaviours. The polar-configuration-modulated resistance is ascribed to the distinct band bending and charge carrier distribution in the core of the two types of polar texture. The integration of high-density (more than 200 gigabits per square inch) switchable skyrmion-like polar nanodomains on silicon may enable non-volatile memory applications using topological polar structures in oxides.

Construction of the single-diamond-structured titania scaffold-Recreation of the holy grail photonic structure.

As one of the most stunning biological nanostructures, the single-diamond (SD) surface discovered in beetles and weevils exoskeletons possesses the widest complete photonic bandgap known to date and is renowned as the "holy grail" of photonic materials. However, the synthesis of SD is difficult due to its thermodynamical instability compared to the energetically favoured bicontinuous double diamond and other easily formed lattices; thus, the artificial fabrication of SD has long been a formidable challenge. Herein, we report a bottom-up approach to fabricate SD titania networks via a one-pot cooperative assembly scenario employing the diblock copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polystyrene as a soft template and titanium diisopropoxide bis(acetylacetonate) as an inorganic precursor in a mixed solvent, in which the SD scaffold was obtained by kinetically controlled nucleation and growth in the skeletal channels of the diamond minimal surface formed by the polymer matrix. Electron crystallography investigations revealed the formation of tetrahedrally connected SD frameworks with the space group Fd [Formula: see text] m in a polycrystalline anatase form. A photonic bandgap calculation showed that the resulting SD structure has a wide and complete bandgap. This work solves the complex synthetic enigmas and offers a frontier in hyperbolic surfaces, biorelevant materials, next-generation optical devices, etc.

The adaptive antioxidant response during fasting-induced muscle atrophy is oppositely regulated by ZEB1 and ZEB2.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) serve important homeostatic functions but must be constantly neutralized by an adaptive antioxidant response to prevent supraphysiological levels of ROS from causing oxidative damage to cellular components. Here, we report that the cellular plasticity transcription factors ZEB1 and ZEB2 modulate in opposing directions the adaptive antioxidant response to fasting in skeletal muscle. Using transgenic mice in which Zeb1 or Zeb2 were specifically deleted in skeletal myofibers, we show that in fasted mice, the deletion of Zeb1, but not Zeb2, increased ROS production and that the adaptive antioxidant response to fasting essentially requires ZEB1 and is inhibited by ZEB2. ZEB1 expression increased in fasted muscles and protected them from atrophy; conversely, ZEB2 expression in muscles decreased during fasting and exacerbated muscle atrophy. In fasted muscles, ZEB1 reduces mitochondrial damage and increases mitochondrial respiratory activity; meanwhile, ZEB2 did the opposite. Treatment of fasting mice with Zeb1-deficient myofibers with the antioxidant triterpenoid 1[2-cyano-3,12-dioxool-eana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oyl] trifluoro-ethylamide (CDDO-TFEA) completely reversed their altered phenotype to that observed in fasted control mice. These results set ZEB factors as potential therapeutic targets to modulate the adaptive antioxidant response in physiopathological conditions and diseases caused by redox imbalance.

MtPIN4 plays critical roles in amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism of seed in Medicago truncatula.

The regulation of seed development is critical for determining crop yield. Auxins are vital phytohormones that play roles in various aspects of plant growth and development. However, its role in amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism in seeds is not fully understood. In this study, we identified a mutant with small seeds through forward genetic screening in Medicago truncatula. The mutated gene encodes MtPIN4, an ortholog of PIN1. Using molecular approaches and integrative omics analyses, we discovered that auxin and amino acid content significantly decreased in mtpin4 seeds, highlighting the role of MtPIN4-mediated auxin distribution in amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism. Furthermore, genetic analysis revealed that the three orthologs of PIN1 have specific and overlapping functions in various developmental processes in M. truncatula. Our findings emphasize the significance of MtPIN4 in seed development and offer insights into the molecular mechanisms governing the regulation of seed size in crops. This knowledge could be applied to enhance crop quality by targeted manipulation of seed protein regulatory pathways.

A comprehensive review of bioinformatics tools for chromatin loop calling.

Precisely calling chromatin loops has profound implications for further analysis of gene regulation and disease mechanisms. Technological advances in chromatin conformation capture (3C) assays make it possible to identify chromatin loops in the genome. However, a variety of experimental protocols have resulted in different levels of biases, which require distinct methods to call true loops from the background. Although many bioinformatics tools have been developed to address this problem, there is still a lack of special introduction to loop-calling algorithms. This review provides an overview of the loop-calling tools for various 3C-based techniques. We first discuss the background biases produced by different experimental techniques and the denoising algorithms. Then, the completeness and priority of each tool are categorized and summarized according to the data source of application. The summary of these works can help researchers select the most appropriate method to call loops and further perform downstream analysis. In addition, this survey is also useful for bioinformatics scientists aiming to develop new loop-calling algorithms.

Autonomous indication of electrical degradation in polymers.

Dielectric polymers are ubiquitous as electrical insulation in electronic devices and electrical systems. Electrical degradation of dielectric polymers tends to initiate catastrophic failure of numerous devices and systems, but its detection and early warning remain challenging. Here we report a general material strategy that signals the electrical degradation of dielectric polymers by autonomously presenting a visually discernible warning in the form of a pronounced colour change. This colour change is induced by the chromogenic response of molecular indicators blended with the polymer, which are chemically activated by the oxygen radicals generated in situ during the electrical degradation of the polymer. We unveil that the structural degradation and electrical properties of the dielectric polymer are quantitatively correlated with the colour difference. Such a chromogenic process is autonomous without the need of human intervention or other external energy, thus offering the convenience to lower or even eliminate the risk of dielectric failure.

Cryptochrome 2 Suppresses Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition by Promoting Trophoblastic Ferroptosis in Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion.

Unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) is a serious reproductive issue that affects women of childbearing age. Studies have shown a close association between disrupted circadian rhythm and impaired epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in trophoblasts during URSA, although the underlying mechanism is not known. The current study investigated the regulatory relationship between circadian rhythm gene cryptochrome 2 (CRY2) and ferroptosis on the migratory ability of trophoblast cells. Cell proliferation experiments, wound-healing assays, and expression of related markers were conducted to study EMT. Trophoblastic ferroptosis was confirmed by the expressions of malondialdehyde, glutathione, mitochondrial membrane potential, divalent iron ions, and related genes. The results showed significant increased expression of CRY2 and decreased expression of brain and muscle aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein 1 (BMAL1) in the URSA villous tissues, accompanied by iron-dependent oxidative changes and abnormal expression of ferroptosis-related proteins. CRY2 and BMAL1 were co-localized and functioned as a feedback loop, which regulated the dynamic changes of EMT-related markers in trophoblast cells. CRY2 promoted trophoblastic ferroptosis, whereas BMAL1 had the opposite effect. Particularly, the ferroptosis inhibitor (ferrostatin-1) effectively reversed the trophoblastic ferroptosis and EMT inhibition caused by CRY2 overexpression. Collectively, these results suggest that CRY2 regulates trophoblastic ferroptosis and hinders cellular EMT and migratory ability by suppressing BMAL1 expression.

Freestanding crystalline oxide perovskites down to the monolayer limit.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene and transition-metal dichalcogenides reveal the electronic phases that emerge when a bulk crystal is reduced to a monolayer1-4. Transition-metal oxide perovskites host a variety of correlated electronic phases5-12, so similar behaviour in monolayer materials based on transition-metal oxide perovskites would open the door to a rich spectrum of exotic 2D correlated phases that have not yet been explored. Here we report the fabrication of freestanding perovskite films with high crystalline quality almost down to a single unit cell. Using a recently developed method based on water-soluble Sr3Al2O6 as the sacrificial buffer layer13,14 we synthesize freestanding SrTiO3 and BiFeO3 ultrathin films by reactive molecular beam epitaxy and transfer them to diverse substrates, in particular crystalline silicon wafers and holey carbon films. We find that freestanding BiFeO3 films exhibit unexpected and giant tetragonality and polarization when approaching the 2D limit. Our results demonstrate the absence of a critical thickness for stabilizing the crystalline order in the freestanding ultrathin oxide films. The ability to synthesize and transfer crystalline freestanding perovskite films without any thickness limitation onto any desired substrate creates opportunities for research into 2D correlated phases and interfacial phenomena that have not previously been technically possible.

Development of an mRNA-based therapeutic vaccine mHTV-03E2 for high-risk HPV-related malignancies.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 and 18 infections are related to many human cancers. Despite several preventive vaccines for high-risk (hr) HPVs, there is still an urgent need to develop therapeutic HPV vaccines for targeting pre-existing hrHPV infections and lesions. In this study, we developed a lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-formulated mRNA-based HPV therapeutic vaccine (mHTV)-03E2, simultaneously targeting the E2/E6/E7 of both HPV16 and HPV18. mHTV-03E2 dramatically induced antigen-specific cellular immune responses, leading to significant CD8+ T cell infiltration and cytotoxicity in TC-1 tumors derived from primary lung epithelial cells of C57BL/6 mice expressing HPV E6/E7 antigens, mediated significant tumor regression, and prolonged animal survival, in a dose-dependent manner. We further demonstrated significant T cell immunity against HPV16/18 E6/E7 antigens for up to 4 months post-vaccination in immunological and distant tumor rechallenging experiments, suggesting robust memory T cell immunity against relapse. Finally, mHTV-03E2 synergized with immune checkpoint blockade to inhibit tumor growth and extend animal survival, indicating the potential in combination therapy. We conclude that mHTV-03E2 is an excellent candidate therapeutic mRNA vaccine for treating malignancies caused by HPV16 or HPV18 infections.

Stroke risk in women with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Female sex is associated with higher rates of stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF) after adjustment for other CHA2DS2-VASc factors. This study aimed to describe sex differences in age and cardiovascular care to examine their relationship with stroke hazard in AF. METHODS: Population-based cohort study using administrative datasets of people aged ≥66 years diagnosed with AF in Ontario between 2007 and 2019. Cause-specific hazard regression was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for stroke associated with female sex over a 2-year follow-up. Model 1 included CHA2DS2-VASc factors, with age modelled as 66-74 vs. ≥ 75 years. Model 2 treated age as a continuous variable and included an age-sex interaction term. Model 3 further accounted for multimorbidity and markers of cardiovascular care. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 354 254 individuals with AF (median age 78 years, 49.2% female). Females were more likely to be diagnosed in emergency departments and less likely to receive cardiologist assessments, statins, or LDL-C testing, with higher LDL-C levels among females than males. In Model 1, the adjusted HR for stroke associated with female sex was 1.27 (95% confidence interval 1.21-1.32). Model 2 revealed a significant age-sex interaction, such that female sex was only associated with increased stroke hazard at age >70 years. Adjusting for markers of cardiovascular care and multimorbidity further decreased the HR, so that female sex was not associated with increased stroke hazard at age ≤80 years. CONCLUSION: Older age and inequities in cardiovascular care may partly explain higher stroke rates in females with AF.

Continuous Strain Regulation of Palladium-Gold at the Atomic Level.

Revealing the effect of surface structure changes on the electrocatalytic performance is beneficial to the development of highly efficient catalysts. However, precise regulation of the catalyst surface at the atomic level remains challenging. Here, we present a continuous strain regulation of palladium (Pd) on gold (Au) via a mechanically controllable surface strain (MCSS) setup. It is found that the structural changes induced by the strain setup can accelerate electron transfer at the solid-liquid interface, thus achieving a significantly improved performance toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments further confirm that the enhanced activity is attributed to the increased interplanar spacing resulting from the applied strain. Theoretical calculations reveal that the tensile strain modulates the electronic structure of the Pd active sites and facilitates the desorption of the hydrogen intermediates. This work provides an effective approach for revealing the relationships between the electrocatalyst surface structure and catalytic activity.

Association of travel time, patient characteristics, and hospital quality with patient mobility for breast cancer surgery: A national population-based study.

BACKGROUND: This national study investigated hospital quality and patient factors associated with treatment location for breast cancer surgery. METHODS: By using linked administrative data sets from the English National Health Service, the authors identified all women diagnosed between January 2, 2016, and December 31, 2018, who underwent breast-conserving surgery (BCS) or a mastectomy with or without immediate breast reconstruction. The extent to which patients bypassed their nearest hospital was investigated using a geographic information system (ArcGIS). Conditional logistic regressions were used to estimate the impact of travel time, hospital quality, and patient characteristics. RESULTS: 22,622 Of 69,153 patients undergoing BCS, 22,622 (32.7%) bypassed their nearest hospital; and, of 23,536 patients undergoing mastectomy, 7179 (30.5%) bypassed their nearest hospital. Women who were younger, without comorbidities, or from rural areas were more likely to travel to more distant hospitals (p < .05). Patients undergoing BCS (odds ratio [OR], 1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-2.50) or mastectomy (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.14-2.02) were more likely to be treated at specialist breast reconstruction centers despite not undergoing the procedure. Patients receiving mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction were more likely to travel to hospitals employing surgeons who had a media reputation (OR, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.28-4.52). Patients undergoing BCS were less likely to travel to hospitals with shorter surgical waiting times (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.46-0.92). The authors did not observe a significant impact for research activity, hospital quality rating, breast re-excision rates, or the status as a multidisciplinary cancer center. CONCLUSIONS: Patient choice policies may drive inequalities in the health care system without improving patient outcomes.

Impact of tocilizumab on anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Tocilizumab is commonly used for the management of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy-associated cytokine release syndrome (CRS). However, it remains unknown whether tocilizumab or its dosage affects the efficacy and safety of CAR T-cell therapy. The objective of this multicenter retrospective study was to explore the impact of tocilizumab on CAR T-cell therapy. METHODS: In total, 93 patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) receiving humanized anti-CD19 CAR T cells were recruited from May 2016 to November 2022. Forty-five patients received tocilizumab (tocilizumab group), whereas 48 patients did not (nontocilizumab group). Thirteen patients received >1 dose of tocilizumab. The primary end point was the effect of tocilizumab on the efficacy and safety of CAR T cells. Additionally, proliferation, killing, and cytokine assays of CAR T cells were performed in vitro in the presence of tocilizumab. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 33 years, with 47 males and 46 females. Patients in the tocilizumab group showed similar complete response (CR) rate, overall survival (OS), and event-free survival (EFS) compared with the nontocilizumab group. Compared with patients who received ≤1 dose of tocilizumab, receiving >1 dose of tocilizumab did not affect their CR rate, OS, or EFS. In the tocilizumab group, all patients experienced CRS and 26.7% experienced immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). In the nontocilizumab group, 64.6% of patients experienced CRS and 8.3% experienced ICANS. Up to 75% of ICANS and 87.5% of grade ≥3 ICANS occurred in the tocilizumab group. In vitro, tocilizumab did not impair the proliferation and killing effects of CAR T cells. CONCLUSIONS: Tocilizumab does not affect the efficacy of CAR T cells but may increase the likelihood of ICANS.

The dsRNA isolated from Escherichia coli infected with the MS2 bacteriophage induces the production of interferons.

Viral infections pose a significant threat to public health, and the production of interferons represents one of the most critical antiviral innate immune responses of the host. Consequently, the screening and identification of compounds or reagents that induce interferon production are of paramount importance. This study commenced with the cultivation of host bacterium 15,597, followed by the infection of Escherichia coli with the MS2 bacteriophage. Utilizing the J2 capture technique, a class of dsRNA mixtures (MS2+15,597) was isolated from the E. coli infected with the MS2 bacteriophage. Subsequent investigations were conducted on the immunostimulatory activity of the MS2+15,597 mixture. The results indicated that the dsRNA mixtures (MS2+15,597) extracted from E. coli infected with the MS2 bacteriophage possess the capability to activate innate immunity, thereby inducing the production of interferon-ß. These dsRNA mixtures can activate the RIG-I and TLR3 pattern recognition receptors, stimulating the expression of interferon stimulatory factors 3/7, which in turn triggers the NF-κB signaling pathway, culminating in the cellular production of interferon-ß to achieve antiviral effects. This study offers novel insights and strategies for the development of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs, potentially providing new modalities for future antiviral therapies.

Polyploid cardiomyocytes: implications for heart regeneration.

Terminally differentiated cells are generally thought to have arrived at their final form and function. Many terminally differentiated cell types are polyploid, i.e. they have multiple copies of the normally diploid genome. Mammalian heart muscle cells, termed cardiomyocytes, are one such example of polyploid cells. Terminally differentiated cardiomyocytes are bi- or multi-nucleated, or have polyploid nuclei. Recent mechanistic studies of polyploid cardiomyocytes indicate that they can limit cellular proliferation and, hence, heart regeneration. In this short Spotlight, we present the mechanisms generating bi- and multi-nucleated cardiomyocytes, and the mechanisms generating polyploid nuclei. Our aim is to develop hypotheses about how these mechanisms might relate to cardiomyocyte proliferation and cardiac regeneration. We also discuss how these new findings could be applied to advance cardiac regeneration research, and how they relate to studies of other polyploid cells, such as cancer cells.

High-Throughput Screening of pH-Dependent ß-sheet Self-Assembling Peptide.

pH-dependent peptide biomaterials hold tremendous potential for cell delivery and tissue engineering. However, identification of responsive self-assembling sequences with specified secondary structure remains a challenge. In this work, An experimental procedure based on the one-bead one-compound (OBOC) combinatorial library is developed to rapidly screen self-assembling ß-sheet peptides at neutral aqueous solution (pH 7.5) and disassemble at weak acidic condition (pH 6.5). Using the hydrophobic fluorescent molecule thioflavin T (ThT) as a probe, resin beads displaying self-assembling peptides show fluorescence under pH 7.5 due to the insertion of ThT into the hydrophobic domain, and are further cultured in pH 6.5 solution. The beads with extinguished fluorescence are selected. Three heptapeptides are identified that can self-assemble into nanofibers or nanoparticles at pH 7.5 and disassemble at pH 6.5. P1 (LVEFRHY) shows a rapid acid response and morphology transformation with pH modulation. Changes in the charges of histidine and hydrophobic phenyl motif of phenylalanine may play important roles in the formation of pH-responsive ß-sheet nanofiber. This high-throughput screening method provides an efficient way to identify pH-dependent ß-sheet self-assembling peptide and gain insights into structural design of such nanomaterials.

Systematic optimization of host-directed therapeutic targets and preclinical validation of repositioned antiviral drugs.

Inhibition of host protein functions using established drugs produces a promising antiviral effect with excellent safety profiles, decreased incidence of resistant variants and favorable balance of costs and risks. Genomic methods have produced a large number of robust host factors, providing candidates for identification of antiviral drug targets. However, there is a lack of global perspectives and systematic prioritization of known virus-targeted host proteins (VTHPs) and drug targets. There is also a need for host-directed repositioned antivirals. Here, we integrated 6140 VTHPs and grouped viral infection modes from a new perspective of enriched pathways of VTHPs. Clarifying the superiority of nonessential membrane and hub VTHPs as potential ideal targets for repositioned antivirals, we proposed 543 candidate VTHPs. We then presented a large-scale drug-virus network (DVN) based on matching these VTHPs and drug targets. We predicted possible indications for 703 approved drugs against 35 viruses and explored their potential as broad-spectrum antivirals. In vitro and in vivo tests validated the efficacy of bosutinib, maraviroc and dextromethorphan against human herpesvirus 1 (HHV-1), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and influenza A virus (IAV). Their drug synergy with clinically used antivirals was evaluated and confirmed. The results proved that low-dose dextromethorphan is better than high-dose in both single and combined treatments. This study provides a comprehensive landscape and optimization strategy for druggable VTHPs, constructing an innovative and potent pipeline to discover novel antiviral host proteins and repositioned drugs, which may facilitate their delivery to clinical application in translational medicine to combat fatal and spreading viral infections.

A review and performance evaluation of clustering frameworks for single-cell Hi-C data.

The three-dimensional genome structure plays a key role in cellular function and gene regulation. Single-cell Hi-C (high-resolution chromosome conformation capture) technology can capture genome structure information at the cell level, which provides the opportunity to study how genome structure varies among different cell types. Recently, a few methods are well designed for single-cell Hi-C clustering. In this manuscript, we perform an in-depth benchmark study of available single-cell Hi-C data clustering methods to implement an evaluation system for multiple clustering frameworks based on both human and mouse datasets. We compare eight methods in terms of visualization and clustering performance. Performance is evaluated using four benchmark metrics including adjusted rand index, normalized mutual information, homogeneity and Fowlkes-Mallows index. Furthermore, we also evaluate the eight methods for the task of separating cells at different stages of the cell cycle based on single-cell Hi-C data.

High somatic mutations in circulating tumor DNA predict response of metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma to first-line nab-paclitaxel plus S-1: prospective study.

AIMS: We previously showed that the nab-paclitaxel plus S-1 (NPS) regimen had promising effects against metastatic pancreatic ducal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC), whose efficacy however could not be precisely predicted by routine biomarkers. This prospective study aimed to investigate the values of mutations in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and their dynamic changes in predicting response of mPDAC to NPS chemotherapy. METHODS: Paired tumor tissue and blood samples were prospectively collected from patients with mPDAC receiving first-line NPS chemotherapy, and underwent next-generation sequencing with genomic profiling of 425 genes for ctDNA. High mutation allelic frequency (MAF) was defined as ≥ 30% and ≥ 5% in tumor tissue and blood, respectively. Kappa statistics were used to assess agreement between mutant genes in tumor and ctDNA. Associations of mutations in ctDNA and their dynamic changes with tumor response, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method, multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression, and longitudinal data analysis. RESULTS: 147 blood samples and 43 paired tumor specimens from 43 patients with mPDAC were sequenced. The most common driver genes with high MAF were KRAS (tumor, 35%; ctDNA, 37%) and TP53 (tumor, 37%; ctDNA, 33%). Mutation rates of KRAS and TP53 in ctDNA were significantly higher in patients with liver metastasis, with baseline CA19-9 ≥ 2000 U/mL, and/or without an early CA19-9 response. κ values for the 5 most commonly mutated genes between tumor and ctDNA ranged from 0.48 to 0.76. MAFs of the genes mostly decreased sequentially during subsequent measurements, which significantly correlated with objective response, with an increase indicating cancer progression. High mutations of KRAS and ARID1A in both tumor and ctDNA, and of TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4 in ctDNA but not in tumor were significantly associated with shorter survival. When predicting 6-month OS, AUCs for the 5 most commonly mutated genes in ctDNA ranged from 0.59 to 0.84, larger than for genes in tumor (0.56 to 0.71) and for clinicopathologic characteristics (0.51 to 0.68). Repeated measurements of mutations in ctDNA significantly differentiated survival and tumor response. Among the 31 patients with ≥ 2 ctDNA tests, longitudinal analysis of changes in gene MAF showed that ctDNA progression was 60 and 58 days ahead of radiologic and CA19-9 progression for 48% and 42% of the patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: High mutations of multiple driving genes in ctDNA and their dynamic changes could effectively predict response of mPDAC to NPS chemotherapy, with promising reliable predictive performance superior to routine clinicopathologic parameters. Inspiringly, longitudinal ctDNA tracking could predict disease progression about 2 months ahead of radiologic or CA19-9 evaluations, with the potential to precisely devise individualized therapeutic strategies for mPDAC.

An novel effective and safe model for the diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in China: gene excavations, clinical validations, and mechanism elucidation.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases. NAFLD leads to liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and it also has systemic effects associated with metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and malignant tumors. Therefore, it is important to diagnose NAFLD early to prevent these adverse effects. METHODS: The GSE89632 dataset was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and then the optimal genes were screened from the data cohort using lasso and Support Vector Machine Recursive Feature Elimination (SVM-RFE). The ROC values of the optimal genes for the diagnosis of NAFLD were calculated. The relationship between optimal genes and immune cells was determined using the DECONVOLUTION algorithm CIBERSORT. Finally, the specificity and sensitivity of the diagnostic genes were verified by detecting the expression of the diagnostic genes in blood samples from 320 NAFLD patients and liver samples from 12 mice. RESULTS: Through machine learning we identified FOSB, GPAT3, RGCC and RNF43 were the key diagnostic genes for NAFLD, and they were further demonstrated by a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. We found that the combined diagnosis of the four genes identified NAFLD samples well from normal samples (AUC = 0.997). FOSB, GPAT3, RGCC and RNF43 were strongly associated with immune cell infiltration. We also experimentally examined the expression of these genes in NAFLD patients and NAFLD mice, and the results showed that these genes are highly specific and sensitive. CONCLUSIONS: Data from both clinical and animal studies demonstrate the high sensitivity, specificity and safety of FOSB, GPAT3, RGCC and RNF43 for the diagnosis of NAFLD. The relationship between diagnostic key genes and immune cell infiltration may help to understand the development of NAFLD. The study was reviewed and approved by Ethics Committee of Tianjin Second People's Hospital in 2021 (ChiCTR1900024415).