Engineering the Band Topology in a Rhombohedral Trilayer Graphene Moiré Superlattice.

Moiré superlattices have become a fertile playground for topological Chern insulators, where the displacement field can tune the quantum geometry and Chern number of the topological band. However, in experiments, displacement field engineering of spontaneous symmetry-breaking Chern bands has not been demonstrated. Here in a rhombohedral trilayer graphene moiré superlattice, we use a thermodynamic probe and transport measurement to monitor the Chern number evolution as a function of the displacement field. At a quarter filling of the moiré band, a novel Chern number of three is unveiled to compete with the well-established number of two upon turning on the electric field and survives when the displacement field is sufficiently strong. The transition can be reconciled by a nematic instability on the Fermi surface due to the pseudomagnetic vector field potentials associated with moiré strain patterns. Our work opens more opportunities to active control of Chern numbers in van der Waals moiré systems.

Genome-wide evolutionary analysis of TKL_CTR1-DRK-2 gene family and functional characterization reveals that TaCTR1 positively regulates flowering time in wheat.

BACKGROUND: Flowering time has an important effect on regional adaptation and yields for crops. The tyrosine kinase-like (TKL) gene family is widely existed and participates in many biological processes in plants. Furthermore, only few TKLs have been characterized functions in controlling flowering time in wheat. RESULTS: Here, we report that TaCTR1, a tyrosine kinase-like (TKL) gene, regulates flowering time in wheat. Based on identification and evolutionary analysis of TKL_CTR1-DRK-2 subfamily in 15 plants, we proposed an evolutionary model for TaCTR1, suggesting that occurrence of some exon fusion events during evolution. The overexpression of TaCTR1 caused early flowering time in transgenic lines. Transcriptomics analysis enabled identification of mass differential expression genes including plant hormone (ET, ABA, IAA, BR) signaling, flavonoid biosynthesis, phenolamides and antioxidant, and flowering-related genes in TaCTR1 overexpression transgenic lines compared with WT plants. qRT-PCR results showed that the expression levels of ethylene (ET) signal-related genes (ETR, EIN, ERF) and flowering-related genes (FT, PPD1, CO, PRR, PHY) were altered in TaCTR1-overexpressing wheat compared with WT plants. Metabonomics analysis showed that flavonoid contents were altered. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the results show that TaCTR1 plays a positive role in controlling flowering time by activating various signaling pathways and regulating flowering-related genes, and will provide new insights on the mechanisms of wheat flowering regulation.

Efficient Green Spin Light-Emitting Diodes Enabled by Ultrafast Energy- and Spin-Funneling in Chiral Perovskites.

Introducing molecular chirality into perovskite crystal structures has enabled the control of carrier spin states, giving rise to circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) in thin films and circularly polarized electroluminescence (CPEL) in LEDs. Spin-LEDs can be fabricated either through a spin-filtering layer enabled by chiral-induced spin selectivity or a chiral emissive layer. The former requires a high degree of spin polarization and a compatible spinterface for efficient spin injection, which might not be easily integrated into LEDs. Alternatively, a chiral emissive layer can also generate circularly polarized electroluminescence, but the efficiency remains low and the fundamental mechanism is elusive. In this work, we report an efficient green LED based on quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) chiral perovskites as the emitting layer (EML), where CPEL is directly produced without separate carrier spin injection. The optimized chiral perovskite thin films exhibited strong CPL at 535 nm with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 91% and a photoluminescence dissymmetry factor (glum) of 8.6 × 10-2. Efficient green spin-LEDs were successfully demonstrated, with a large EL dissymmetry factor (gEL) of 7.8 × 10-2 and a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 13.5% at room temperature. Ultrafast transient absorption (TA) spectroscopic study shows that the CPEL is generated from a rapid energy transfer accompanied by spin transfer from 2D to 3D perovskites. Our study not only demonstrates a reliable approach to achieve high performance spin-LEDs but also reveals the fundamental mechanism of CPEL with an emissive layer of chiral perovskites.

Anti-PD-L1 antibody TQB2450 combined with tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor AL2846 for immunotherapy-refractory advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A prospective phase 1b cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Effective systemic therapy remains limited for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), particularly after prior failed treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Theoretically, a combination of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) with ICIs may restore immunotherapy sensitivity. METHODS: In this phase 1b study, patients received AL2846, an antiangiogenic TKI with multiple targets (c-MET, VEGFR1, c-KIT, Axl, RET, KDR, and VEGFR3), in combination with an anti-PD-L1 antibody (TQB2450) until disease progression, intolerable toxicity, death, or discontinuation for any cause. The primary end points included overall response rate (ORR) and safety, with secondary end points encompassing progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR), and duration of response. RESULTS: Between November 2021 and September 2022, 18 patients with ESCC and 15 patients with HCC, whose ORR was 11.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.1%-32.8%) and 0%, respectively, were enrolled. Adverse events (AEs) of any grade and treatment-related AEs were documented in 32 patients (97.0%) and 31 patients (93.9%), respectively. Grade 3 or higher AEs were observed in 10 patients (30.3%), with vomiting (6.1%) and infectious pneumonia (9.1%) being the most prevalent. Median PFS and OS values were 3.22 months (95% CI, 1.35-5.68 months) and 5.98 months (95% CI, 3.71-8.87 months), respectively, in patients with ESCC, and 5.55 months (95% CI, 2.66 months to not evaluable [NE]) and 16.72 months (95% CI, 4.86 months to NE), respectively, in patients with HCC. The DCRs were 66.7% (95% CI, 43.75%-83.72%) in patients with ESCC and 73.3% (95% CI, 48.05%-89.10%) in patients with HCC. CONCLUSIONS: Combined TQB2450 and AL2846 therapy exhibited a favorable safety profile in immunotherapy-refractory patients with advanced ESCC and HCC.

Tunable Surface Charge of Layered Double Hydroxide Membranes Enabling Osmotic Energy Harvesting from Anion Transport.

Membrane-based osmotic energy harvesting is a promising technology with zero carbon footprint. High-performance ion-selective membranes (ISMs) are the core components in such applications. Recent advancement in 2D nanomaterials opens new avenues for building highly efficient ISMs. However, the majority of the explored 2D nanomaterials have a negative surface charge, which selectively enhances cation transport, resulting in the underutilization of half of the available ions. In this study, ISMs based on layered double hydroxide (LDH) with tunable positive surface charge are studied. The membranes preferentially facilitate anion transport with high selectivity. Osmotic energy harvesting device based on these membranes reached a power density of 2.31 W m-2 under simulated river/sea water, about eight times versus that of a commercial membrane tested under the same conditions, and up to 7.05 W m-2 under elevated temperature and simulated brine/sea water, and long-term stability with consistent performance over a 40-day period. A prototype reverse electrodialysis energy harvesting device, comprising a pair of LDH membranes and commercial cation-selective membranes, is able to simultaneously harvest energy from both cations and anions achieving a power density of 6.38 W m-2 in simulated river/sea water, demonstrating its potential as building blocks for future energy harvesting systems.

Brain-Targeted Black Phosphorus-Based Nanotherapeutic Platform for Enhanced Hypericin Delivery in Depression.

Depression is a significant global health concern that remains inadequately treated due to the limited effectiveness of conventional drug therapies. One potential therapeutic agent, hypericin (HYP), is identified as an effective natural antidepressant. However, its poor water solubility, low bioavailability, and limited ability to penetrate the brain parenchyma have hindered its clinical application. To address these shortcomings and enhance the therapeutic efficacy of HYP, it is loaded onto black phosphorus nanosheets (BP) modified with the neural cell-targeting peptide RVG29 to synthesize a nanoplatform named BP-RVG29@HYP (BRH). This platform served as a nanocarrier for HYP and integrated the advantages of BP with advanced delivery methods and precise targeting strategies. Under the influence of 808 nm near-infrared irradiation (NIR), BRH effectively traversed an in vitro BBB model. In vivo experiments validated these findings, demonstrating that treatment with BRH significantly alleviated depressive-like behaviors and oxidative stress in mice. Importantly, BRH exhibited an excellent safety profile, causing minimal adverse effects, which highlighted its potential as a promising therapeutic agent. In brief, this novel nanocarrier holds great promise in the development of antidepressant drugs and can create new avenues for the treatment of depression.

SNARE protein USE1 is involved in the glycosylation and the expression of mumps virus fusion protein and important for viral propagation.

Mumps virus (MuV) is the etiological agent of mumps, a disease characterized by painful swelling of the parotid glands and often accompanied by severe complications. To understand the molecular mechanism of MuV infection, a functional analysis of the involved host factors is required. However, little is known about the host factors involved in MuV infection, especially those involved in the late stage of infection. Here, we identified 638 host proteins that have close proximity to MuV glycoproteins, which are a major component of the viral particles, by proximity labeling and examined comprehensive protein-protein interaction networks of the host proteins. From siRNA screening and immunoprecipitation results, we found that a SNARE subfamily protein, USE1, bound specifically to the MuV fusion (F) protein and was important for MuV propagation. In addition, USE1 plays a role in complete N-linked glycosylation and expression of the MuV F protein.

FBXO22 Mediates the NGF/TRKA Signaling Pathway in Bone Metastases in Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer (PC) is a malignancy with high morbidity and mortality. Bone metastasis is the main driver of short survival time and difficulties in the treatment and prevention of PC. The goal of this study was to explore the biological function of E3 ubiquitin ligase F-box only protein 22 (FBXO22) in PC metastasis and its specific regulation mechanism. According to transcriptome sequencing, FBXO22 was overexpressed in PC tissues (versus adjacent tissues) and bone tissues (versus biopsied bone tissues without bone metastases). Fbxo22 down-regulation reduced bone metastases and macrophage M2 polarization in mice. FBXO22 was down-regulated in macrophages, and polarization was observed by flow cytometry. Macrophages were co-cultured with PC cells and osteoblasts to assess PC cell and osteoblast activity. FBXO22 knockdown restored osteoblast capacity. FBXO22 ubiquitinated and degraded Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), which regulated the nerve growth factor (NGF)/tropomyosin receptor kinase A pathway by repressing NGF transcription. Silencing of KLF4 mitigated the metastasis-suppressing properties of FBXO22 knockdown, whereas NGF reversed the metastasis-suppressing properties of KLF4 in vitro and in vivo. Cumulatively, these data indicate that FBXO22 promotes PC cell activity and osteogenic lesions by stimulating macrophage M2 polarization. It also degrades KLF4 in macrophages and promotes NGF transcription, thereby activating the NGF/tropomyosin receptor kinase A pathway.

Mutations in the NDV fusion protein HR4 region decreased fusogenic activity due to failed protein expression.

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is the pathogen of a zoonosis that is primarily transmitted by poultry and has severe infectivity and a high fatality rate. Many studies have focused on the role of the NDV fusion (F) protein in the cell-cell membrane fusion process. However, little attention has been given to the heptad repeat region, HR4, which is located in the NDV F2 subunit. Here, site-directed mutants were constructed to study the function of the NDV F protein HR4 region and identify the key amino acids in this region. Nine conserved amino acids were substituted with alanine or the corresponding amino acid of other aligned paramyxoviruses. The desired mutants were examined for changes in fusogenic activity through three kinds of membrane fusion assays and expression and proteolysis through IFA, FACS and WB. The results showed that when conserved amino acids (L81, Y84, L88, L91, L92, P94, L95 and I99) were replaced with alanine, the fusogenic activity of the F protein was abolished, possibly because of failed protein expression not only on the cell surface but also inside cells. These data indicated that the conserved amino acids above in NDV F HR4 are critical for normal protein synthesis and expression, possibly for the stability of the F protein monomer, formation of trimer and conformational changes.

Methyl methacrylate-modified polystyrene microspheres: an effective strategy to enhance the fluorescence of Eu-complexes.

The in vitro detection applications of europium complex-doped microspheres mainly rely on strong fluorescence intensity and a well-defined morphology. In this work, using methyl methacrylate-modified polystyrene microspheres has been proven an effective strategy to enhance the fluorescence and morphology of Eu-complexes. The experimental results showed that the modification resulted in the formation of a porous structure within the polystyrene microspheres, enhancing the doping uniformity and facilitating a more significant accumulation of fluorescent molecules. Furthermore, because of their encapsulation ability, microspheres efficiently confine the fluorescent molecules within them. In addition, the nano-scale porous structure endowed the microspheres with enhanced properties without compromising solvent swelling capability, thereby significantly boosting the fluorescence performance of porous PSMMA. In lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs), PSMMA-Eu microspheres were effectively utilized to detect fentanyl with exceptional sensitivity by capitalizing on these benefits, capable of detecting concentrations as low as 0.10 ng mL-1. This technology has significant potential for rapid point-of-care screening and clinical applications.

Revealing the impact of thermal annealing on the perovskite/organic bulk heterojunction interface in photovoltaic devices.

Perovskite/organic bulk heterojunction (BHJ) integrated solar cells have tremendous development potential to exceed the Shockley-Queisser limit efficiency of single-junction photovoltaics, due to the merits of spectra response extension. However, the presence of energy level barriers and severe non-radiative recombination at the interface between perovskite and BHJ greatly hindered the transport and collection of charge carriers, usually leading to large Voc and photocurrent loss, as well as the stability degradation of integrated devices. Therefore, investigating the interface properties of perovskite/BHJ is crucial for understanding the charge transport process and enhancing device performance. In this study, we effectively regulated the interface properties and charge transport in perovskite/BHJ integrated devices using a thermal annealing process. Using Kelvin probe microscopy, photoluminescence, and transient absorption spectroscopy, we revealed that moderate annealing treatment would contribute to forming close interface contact and provide more channels or pathways for charge transfer, which is advantageous for the interface charge collection and device performance. In addition, the lone pair electrons of acyl, thiophene and pyrrole function groups in polymer PDPP3T and PCBM can act as the Lewis base and provide electrons to the under-coordinated lead atoms or clusters in the perovskite, effectively passivating traps on the surface and grain boundaries of the perovskite through Lewis acid-base coordination. Finally, we improved the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of the device to 21.57% with enhanced stability using an optimized thermal annealing process. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the integrated perovskite/BHJ interface properties, which could be extended to other optoelectronic devices based on a similar integrated structure.

Developing liver-targeted naringenin nanoparticles for breast cancer endocrine therapy by promoting estrogen metabolism.

Endocrine therapy is standard for hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer treatment. However, current strategies targeting estrogen signaling pay little attention to estradiol metabolism in the liver and is usually challenged by treatment failure. In a previous study, we demonstrated that the natural compound naringenin (NAR) inhibited HR+ breast cancer growth by activating estrogen sulfotransferase (EST) expression in the liver. Nevertheless, the poor water solubility, low bio-barrier permeability, and non-specific distribution limited its clinical application, particularly for oral administration. Here, a novel nano endocrine drug NAR-cell penetrating peptide-galactose nanoparticles (NCG) is reported. We demonstrated that NCG presented specific liver targeting and increased intestinal barrier permeability in both cell and zebrafish xenotransplantation models. Furthermore, NCG showed liver targeting and enterohepatic circulation in mouse breast cancer xenografts following oral administration. Notably, the cancer inhibition efficacy of NCG was superior to that of both NAR and the positive control tamoxifen, and was accompanied by increased hepatic EST expression and reduced estradiol levels in the liver, blood, and tumor tissue. Moreover, few side effects were observed after NCG treatment. Our findings reveal NCG as a promising candidate for endocrine therapy and highlight hepatic EST targeting as a novel therapeutic strategy for HR+ breast cancer.

Ivonescimab Plus Chemotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer With EGFR Variant: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: For patients with non-small cell lung cancer whose disease progressed while receiving EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy, particularly third-generation TKIs, optimal treatment options remain limited. Objective: To compare the efficacy of ivonescimab plus chemotherapy with chemotherapy alone for patients with relapsed advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) variant. Design, Setting, and Participants: Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, phase 3 trial at 55 sites in China enrolled participants from January 2022 to November 2022; a total of 322 eligible patients were enrolled. Interventions: Participants received ivonescimab (n = 161) or placebo (n = 161) plus pemetrexed and carboplatin once every 3 weeks for 4 cycles, followed by maintenance therapy of ivonescimab plus pemetrexed or placebo plus pemetrexed. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population assessed by an independent radiographic review committee (IRRC) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. The results of the first planned interim analysis are reported. Results: Among 322 enrolled patients in the ivonescimab and placebo groups, the median age was 59.6 vs 59.4 years and 52.2% vs 50.9% of patients were female. As of March 10, 2023, median follow-up time was 7.89 months. Median progression-free survival was 7.1 (95% CI, 5.9-8.7) months in the ivonescimab group vs 4.8 (95% CI, 4.2-5.6) months for placebo (difference, 2.3 months; hazard ratio [HR], 0.46 [95% CI, 0.34-0.62]; P < .001). The prespecified subgroup analysis showed progression-free survival benefit favoring patients receiving ivonescimab over placebo across almost all subgroups, including patients whose disease progressed while receiving third-generation EGFR-TKI therapy (HR, 0.48 [95% CI 0.35-0.66]) and those with brain metastases (HR, 0.40 [95% CI, 0.22-0.73]). The objective response rate was 50.6% (95% CI, 42.6%-58.6%) with ivonescimab and 35.4% (95% CI, 28.0%-43.3%) with placebo (difference, 15.6% [95% CI, 5.3%-26.0%]; P = .006). The median overall survival data were not mature; at data cutoff, 69 patients (21.4%) had died. Grade 3 or higher treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 99 patients (61.5%) in the ivonescimab group vs 79 patients (49.1%) in the placebo group, the most common of which were chemotherapy-related. Grade 3 or higher immune-related adverse events occurred in 10 patients (6.2%) in the ivonescimab group vs 4 (2.5%) in the placebo group. Grade 3 or higher vascular endothelial growth factor-related adverse events occurred in 5 patients (3.1%) in the ivonescimab group vs 4 (2.5%) in the placebo group. Conclusions: Ivonescimab plus chemotherapy significantly improved progression-free survival with tolerable safety profile in TKI-treated non-small cell lung cancer. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05184712.

Chemical Potential Characterization of Symmetry-Breaking Phases in a Rhombohedral Trilayer Graphene.

Rhombohedral trilayer graphene has recently emerged as a natural flat-band platform for studying interaction-driven symmetry-breaking phases. The displacement field (D) can further flatten the band to enhance the density of states, thereby controlling the electronic correlation that tips the energy balance between spin and valley degrees of freedom. To characterize the energy competition, chemical potential measurement─a direct thermodynamic probe of Fermi surfaces─is highly demanding to be conducted under a constant D. In this work, we characterize D-dependent isospin flavor polarization, where electronic states with isospin degeneracies of one and two can be identified. We also developed a method to measure the chemical potential at a fixed D, allowing for the extraction of energy variation during phase transitions. Furthermore, symmetry breaking could also be invoked in Landau levels, manifesting as quantum Hall ferromagnetism. Our work opens more opportunities for the thermodynamic characterization of displacement-field tuned van der Waals heterostructures.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Rejuvenation Performance of Waste Cooking Oil with High Acid Value on Aged Asphalt.

Waste cooking oil's (WCO's) potential as a rejuvenator of aged asphalt has received attention in recent years, with the acid value of WCO affecting its rejuvenation effect. This study explored the rejuvenation effect of WCO with a high acid value on aged asphalt by using molecular dynamics simulation. First, the representative molecules of WCO with a high acid value and asphalt were determined. The rejuvenation effect of WCO on aged asphalt was analyzed by adding different contents of WCO to an aged asphalt model. The effect of WCO on the thermodynamic properties of the aged asphalt was analyzed. The results show that WCO can restore the thermodynamic properties of aged asphalt binder to a certain extent. Regarding the microstructure of rejuvenated asphalt, WCO molecules dispersed around asphaltenes weakened the latter's aggregation and improved the colloidal structure of the aged asphalt. In terms of interface adhesion properties, WCO can improve the adhesion properties between asphalt binder and SiO2, but it has limited influence on water sensitivity. The results allowed us to comprehensively evaluate the rejuvenation effect of WCO with a high acid value on aged asphalt and to explore its rejuvenation mechanism.

Effects of different wall-breaking methods on the nutrient release of Ganoderma lucidum spore powder during in vitro digestion.

BACKGROUND: The hard double-walled structure of Ganoderma lucidum spore powder (GLSP) is difficult for the human body to digest, so it is very important to break the wall of GLSP. In this study, the wall of GLSP was broken by mechanical milling at room temperature (MM-R) and ultra-fine grinding at low temperature (UFG-L), respectively. RESULTS: Compared with MM-R, UFG-L could better retain the sporangium powder's morphological and structural integrity. During in vitro digestion, compared with unbroken GLSP, the released amounts of polysaccharides and triterpenes from broken GLSP were significantly increased, and they increased with the increase of specific surface area. The bioaccessibility of polysaccharide and triterpene from unbroken GLSP after the intestinal stage were 29.52% and 5.37%, respectively. The bioaccessibility of polysaccharides and triterpene from broken GLSP by MM-R after the intestinal phase were 39.73-72.45% and 16.44-24.97%, while those by UFG-L were 44.53-104.18% and 12.96-32.90%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The active ingredients of broken GLSP showed better digestion and absorption abilities than unbroken GLSP. Moreover, the specific surface area of GLSP by UFG-L was lower than that by MM-R, and the bioaccessibility of GLSP by UFG-L was higher than that by MM-R. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Esophageal cancer cell-derived small extracellular vesicles decrease circulating Tfh/Tfr via sEV-PDL1 to promote immunosuppression.

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a deadly malignancy. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) with programmed death ligand 1 (sEV-PDL1) induce immune escape to promote tumor progression. Furthermore, the imbalance between circulating follicular helper T (Tfh) and circulating follicular regulatory T (Tfr) cells is related to the progression of many malignant tumors. However, the role of the EC-derived sEV-PDL1 in circulating Tfh/Tfr is unknown. Circulating Tfh and Tfr cells were detected by flow cytometry. sEVs were isolated through differential centrifugation and cultured for cell expansion assays. Naïve CD4+ T cells were isolated, stimulated, and cultured with sEVs to evaluate the frequencies, phenotypes, and functions of Tfh and Tfr cells. The proportion of circulating Tfh in patients with EC was lower than that in healthy donors (HDs), whereas that of circulating Tfr was higher. The EC group showed significantly lower circulating Tfh/Tfr and a higher level of sEV-PDL1 than HDs. Notably, sEV-PDL1 was negatively correlated with circulating Tfh/Tfr in the EC group. In vitro assays, sEV-PDL1 inhibited Tfh expansion, enhanced the cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4+ (CTLA4+) Tfh cell percentage, decreased the levels of interleukin (IL)-21 and interferon-γ, and increased IL-10. sEV-PDL1 promoted the expansion and immunosuppressive functions of circulating Tfr; the increased percentages of CTLA4+ Tfr and inducible T cell co-stimulator+ Tfr were accompanied with high IL-10. However, applying an anti-PDL1 antibody significantly reversed this. Our results suggest a novel mechanism of sEV-PDL1-mediated immunosuppression in EC. Inhibiting sEV-PDL1 to restore circulating Tfh/Tfr balance provides a novel therapeutic approach for EC.

Integration and viral oncogene expression of human papillomavirus type 16 in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and gastric cancer.

Persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infections cause cervical cancer and a fraction of head and neck cancer. To investigate whether HR-HPV infection might be also involved in the development of gastric cancer (GC), we developed a platform utilizing a rolling circle amplification (RCA)-based nested L1 polymerase chain reaction with Sanger sequencing to genotype the HPV DNA in cancer tissues of 361 GC and 89 oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC). HPV transcriptional activity was determined by E6/E7 mRNA expression and a 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends was performed to identify HPV integration and expression of virus-host fusion transcripts. Ten of 361 GC, 2 of 89 OPSCC, and 1 of 22 normal adjacent tissues were HPV L1 DNA-positive. Five of the 10 HPV-positive GC were genotyped as HPV16 by sequencing and 1 of 2 GC with RCA/nested HPV16 E6/E7 DNA detection exhibited HPV16 E6/E7 mRNA. Two OPSCC displayed HPV16 L1 DNA and E6/E7 mRNA, of which 1 OPSCC tissue showed virus-host RNA fusion transcripts from an intron region of KIAA0825 gene. Together, our data reveal viral oncogene expression and/or integration in GC and OPSCC and a possible etiology role of HPV infections in gastric carcinogenesis.

Role of exosomes in prostate cancer bone metastasis.

Bone is a preferred metastatic site of prostate cancer (PCa), and most patients with PCa metastases develop osteogenic bone metastasis, which manifests as disturbed bone structure and poor bone quality. However, the underlying mechanisms of PCa bone metastasis remain unclear. In recent years, increasing evidence has implicated extracellular vesicles, especially exosomes, in PCa bone metastasis. Exosomes are 30-150 nm in diameter, enclosing a cargo of biomolecules, such as DNA, RNA, and proteins. Exosomes play a functional role in intercellular communication, modulate the functions of recipient cells, and potentially modulate bone microenvironment changes, thereby influencing the development of PCa bone metastasis. This review summarizes the involvement of exosomes in the imbalance between bone resorption and formation, and establishing a pre-metastatic niche in bone marrow, as well as potential clinical applications of exosomes in therapeutic strategies for treating patients with advanced PCa with bone metastasis.

Rapid determination of serum amyloid A using an upconversion luminescent lateral flow immunochromatographic strip.

The early diagnosis and real-time prognosis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) at the bedside are important. However, real-time detection of myocardial infarction involves the use of large-scale instrumentation and long test times. Herein, a simple, rapid and sensitive lateral flow immunochromatographic strip (LFIS) based on Yb/Er co-doped NaYF4 upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) was demonstrated for use in the detection of myocardial infarction. First, through heavy Yb/Er doping and an inert NaYF4 shell coating on the nanoparticles, the surface-related luminescence quenching effect of UCNPs was eliminated to enhance the upconversion luminescence. Second, through uniform coating of a SiO2 layer on the UCNPs, the biological affinity was improved to couple UCNPs and antibody proteins. Finally, through modification and activation with a specific antibody protein (serum amyloid A (SAA)), the UCNPs exhibited intense upconversion luminescence and high specificity when applied as a lateral flow immunochromatographic strip (LFIS). The developed UC-LFIS was highly sensitive (0.1 µg mL-1) and specific for detecting SAA in only 10 µL of serum. The UC-LFIS holds great potential for the early diagnosis and prognosis of CVDs.