Nanomaterial-based CT contrast agents and their applications in image-guided therapy.

Computed tomography (CT), a diagnostic tool with clinical application, comprehensive coverage, and low cost, is used in hospitals worldwide. However, CT imaging fails to distinguish soft tissues from normal organs and tumors because their mass attenuation coefficients are similar. Various CT contrast agents have been developed in recent years to improve the sensitivity and contrast of imaging. Here, we review the progress of nanomaterial-based CT contrast agents and their applications in image-guided therapy. The CT contrast agents are classified according to their components; gold (Au)-based, bismuth (Bi)-based, lanthanide (Ln)-based, and transition metal (TM)-based nanomaterials are discussed. CT image-guided therapy of diseases, including photothermal therapy (PPT), photodynamic therapy (PDT), chemotherapy, radiotherapy (RT), gas therapy, sonodynamic therapy (SDT), immunotherapy, starvation therapy, gene therapy (GT), and microwave thermal therapy (MWTT), are reviewed. Finally, the perspectives on the CT contrast agents and their biomedical applications are discussed.

Multi-omics analysis reveals therapeutic effects of Bacillus subtilis-fermented Astragalus membranaceus in hyperuricemia via modulation of gut microbiota.

At present, uncovering how to preventandcontrol hyperuricemia has become an important public health issue. Fermented traditionalChinesemedicine has exhibited promising applications in the clinical management of hyperuricemia. In this study, we generated a hyperuricemic mouse model to explore the potent therapeutic ability of Bacillus subtilis-fermented Astragalus membranaceus (BFA) on this condition by multi-omics analysis. We found that the serum uric acid level was decreased in hyperuricemic mice after BFA treatment. BFA effectively attenuated renal inflammation and regulated the expression of urate transporters. Additionally, we found that BFA could increase the abundances of butyrate-producing bacteria, including Butyricimonas synergistica, Odoribacter splanchnicus, and Collinsella tanakaei, and probiotics, including Lactobacillus intestinalis and Bacillus mycoides, in hyperuricemic mice. Therefore, we believe that BFA has the potential to become a novel safe and valid functional food for addressing hyperuricemia.

Apolipoprotein l6, a novel proapoptotic Bcl-2 homology 3-only protein, induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells.

Cancer cells frequently possess defects in the genetic and biochemical pathways of apoptosis. Members of the Bcl-2 family play pivotal roles in regulating apoptosis and possess at least one of four Bcl-2 homology (BH) domains, designated BH1 to BH4. The BH3 domain is the only one conserved in proapoptotic BH3-only proteins and plays an important role in protein-protein interactions in apoptosis by regulating homodimerization and heterodimerization of the Bcl-2 family members. To date, 10 BH3-only proapoptotic proteins have been identified and characterized in the human genome. The completion of the Human Genome Project and the availability of various public databases and sequence analysis algorithms allowed us to use the bioinformatic database-mining approach to identify one novel BH3-only protein, apolipoprotein L6 (ApoL6). The full-length cDNA of ApoL6 was identified, cloned, and functionally expressed in p53-null colorectal cancer cells (DLD-1). We found that overexpression of wild-type ApoL6 induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in DLD-1 cells characterized by release of cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO from mitochondria and activation of caspase-9, whereas ApoL6 BH3 domain deletion allele did not. In addition, overexpression of ApoL6 also induced activation of caspase-8. Furthermore, we showed that adenovirus harboring the full-length cDNA of ApoL6 induced marked apoptosis in a variety of cancer cell types, and ApoL6 recruited and interacted with lipid/fatty acid components during the induction of apoptosis. To our knowledge, this is the first example that intracellular overproduction of an apolipoprotein induces marked apoptosis.