Optimising first-line subtyping-based therapy in triple-negative breast cancer (FUTURE-SUPER): a multi-cohort, randomised, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancers display heterogeneity in molecular drivers and immune traits. We previously classified triple-negative breast cancers into four subtypes: luminal androgen receptor (LAR), immunomodulatory, basal-like immune-suppressed (BLIS), and mesenchymal-like (MES). Here, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of subtyping-based therapy in the first-line treatment of triple-negative breast cancer. METHODS: FUTURE-SUPER is an ongoing, open-label, randomised, controlled phase 2 trial being conducted at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC), Shanghai, China. Eligible participants were females aged 18-70 years, with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1, and histologically confirmed, untreated metastatic or recurrent triple-negative breast cancer. After categorising participants into five cohorts according to molecular subtype and genomic biomarkers, participants were randomly assigned (1:1) with a block size of 4, stratified by subtype, to receive, in 28-day cycles, nab-paclitaxel (100 mg/m2, intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15) alone (control group) or with a subtyping-based regimen (subtyping-based group): pyrotinib (400 mg orally daily) for the LAR-HER2mut subtype, everolimus (10 mg orally daily) for the LAR-PI3K/AKTmut and MES-PI3K/AKTmut subtypes, camrelizumab (200 mg intravenously on days 1 and 15) and famitinib (20 mg orally daily) for the immunomodulatory subtype, and bevacizumab (10 mg/kg intravenously on days 1 and 15) for the BLIS/MES-PI3K/AKTWT subtype. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival for the pooled subtyping-based group versus the control group in the intention-to-treat population (all randomly assigned participants). Safety was analysed in all patients with safety records who received at least one dose of study drug. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04395989). FINDINGS: Between July 28, 2020, and Oct 16, 2022, 139 female participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to the subtyping-based group (n=69) or control group (n=70). At the data cutoff (May 31, 2023), the median follow-up was 22·5 months (IQR 15·2-29·0). Median progression-free survival was significantly longer in the pooled subtyping-based group (11·3 months [95% CI 8·6-15·2]) than in the control group (5·8 months [4·0-6·7]; hazard ratio 0·44 [95% CI 0·30-0·65]; p<0·0001). The most common grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were neutropenia (21 [30%] of 69 in the pooled subtyping-based group vs 16 [23%] of 70 in the control group), anaemia (five [7%] vs none), and increased alanine aminotransferase (four [6%] vs one [1%]). Treatment-related serious adverse events were reported for seven (10%) of 69 patients in the subtyping-based group and none in the control group. No treatment-related deaths were reported in either group. INTERPRETATION: These findings highlight the potential clinical benefits of using molecular subtype-based treatment optimisation in patients with triple-negative breast cancer, suggesting a path for further clinical investigation. Phase 3 randomised clinical trials assessing the efficacy of subtyping-based regimens are now underway. FUNDING: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai, Shanghai Hospital Development Center, and Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals. TRANSLATION: For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Ginsenoside Rh2 shifts tumor metabolism from aerobic glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation through regulating the HIF1-α/PDK4 axis in non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Ginsenoside Rh2 (G-Rh2), a steroidal compound extracted from roots of ginseng, has been extensively studied in tumor therapy. However, its specific regulatory mechanism in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not well understood. Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4), a central regulator of cellular energy metabolism, is highly expressed in various malignant tumors. We investigated the impact of G-Rh2 on the malignant progression of NSCLC and how it regulated PDK4 to influence tumor aerobic glycolysis and mitochondrial function. METHOD: We examined the inhibitory effect of G-Rh2 on NSCLC through I proliferation assay, migration assay and flow cytometry in vitro. Subsequently, we verified the ability of G-Rh2 to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis by constructing subcutaneous tumor and metastasis models in nude mice. Proteomics analysis was conducted to analyze the action pathways of G-Rh2. Additionally, we assessed glycolysis and mitochondrial function using seahorse, PET-CT, Western blot, and RT-qPCR. RESULT: Treatment with G-Rh2 significantly inhibited tumor proliferation and migration ability both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, G-Rh2 inhibited the tumor's aerobic glycolytic capacity, including glucose uptake and lactate production, through the HIF1-α/PDK4 pathway. Overexpression of PDK4 demonstrated that G-Rh2 targeted the inhibition of PDK4 expression, thereby restoring mitochondrial function, promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and inducing apoptosis. When combined with sodium dichloroacetate, a PDK inhibitor, it complemented the inhibitory capacity of PDKs, acting synergistically as a detoxifier. CONCLUSION: G-Rh2 could target and down-regulate the expression of HIF-1α, resulting in decreased expression of glycolytic enzymes and inhibition of aerobic glycolysis in tumors. Additionally, by directly targeting mitochondrial PDK, it elevated mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and enhanced ROS accumulation, thereby promoting tumor cells to undergo normal apoptotic processes.

Radio-Frequency Magnetometry Based on Parametric Resonances.

We propose and demonstrate a radio-frequency (rf) atomic magnetometer based on parametric resonances. Previously, most rf atomic magnetometers are based on magnetic resonances and their sensitivities are often limited by spin-exchange relaxation. Here, we introduce a novel scheme for an rf magnetometer where the rf magnetic field is measured by exciting the parametric resonances instead of magnetic resonances using parametric modulation fields. In this way, the spin-exchange relaxation is almost eliminated. Benefiting from the low spin relaxation rate, the parametric resonance scheme exhibits a narrower linewidth and stronger signal, which results in a higher sensitivity. With a 6×6×3 mm^{3} Rb atomic vapor cell, we developed an rf atomic magnetometer with a noise floor of 2 fT/Hz^{1/2}, which is about one order of magnitude higher than the sensitivity achieved in the magnetic-resonance-based scheme. The presented rf detection scheme holds promise in advancing rf atomic magnetometers and brings new insight into their various applications.

Effect of glycotoxicity and lipotoxicity on carbohydrate antigen 19 - 9 in the patients with diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: In comparison to the subjects without diabetes, a greater concentration of serum carbohydrate antigen 19 - 9 (CA 19 - 9) was observed in the subjects with diabetes. Nevertheless, since the occurrence of abnormal CA 19 - 9 is not widespread among the whole diabetic population, this phenomenon has not attracted enough attention. The prevalence of abnormal CA 19 - 9 in hospitalized patients with diabetes was the focus of our research. METHOD: A total of 385 subjects with diabetes and 200 controls were enrolled and all had been tested the CA19-9 levels. Cases of cancers were excluded through examination and followup for 1 year. RESULTS: We found that the rate of patients with abnormal CA19-9 level was 8.3%. The rate of patients with abnormal CA19-9 level was 14.0% in the HbA1c ≥ 9% group, and 3.0% in the HbA1c < 9% group, 2.5% in the control group. There was no significant difference in the HbA1c < 9% group and the control group. A significant correlation between serum CA19-9 and both HbA1c and total cholesterol was observed, yet no difference in CRP level was observed between subjects with normal CA19-9 level and subjects with abnormal CA19-9 level. However, a significant difference in fasting C-peptide levels was observed between the two groups, p = 0.039. CONCLUSION: The percentage of patients with diabetes exhibiting elevated CA19-9 level is 14% in the HbA1c ≥ 9% diabetic patients, much higher than expected. The underlying mechanism may be related to islet injury caused by glycotoxicity and lipotoxicity. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY: We studied the rate of hospitalized diabetic patients with elevated CA 19 - 9 which were characterized with poorly controlled blood glucose. We found that the elevation of CA 19 - 9 was unexpectedly high in diabetic inpatients without development to cancer. The limitation of this study is that the underlying mechanism is not sufficiently studied.

Exposure memory and susceptibility to ambient PM2.5: A perspective from hepatic cholesterol and bile acid metabolism.

Both epidemiological and experimental studies increasingly show that exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is related to the occurrence and development of chronic diseases, such as metabolic diseases. However, whether PM2.5 has "exposure memory" and how these memories affect chronic disease development like hepatic metabolic homeostasis are unknown. Therefore, we aimed to explore the effects of exposure transition on liver cholesterol and bile acids (BAs) metabolism in mice. In this study, C57BL/6 mice were exposed to concentrated ambient PM2.5 or filtered air (FA) in a whole-body exposure facility for an initial period of 10 weeks, followed by another 8 weeks of exposure switch (PM2.5 to FA and FA to PM2.5) comparing to non-switch groups (FA to FA and PM2.5 to PM2.5), which were finally divided into four groups (FF of FA to FA, PP of PM2.5 to PM2.5, PF of PM2.5 to FA, and FP of FA to PM2.5). Our results showed no significant difference in food intake, body composition, glucose homeostasis, and lipid metabolism between FA and PM2.5 groups after the initial exposure before the exposure switch. At the end of the exposure switch, the mice switched from FA to PM2.5 exposure exhibited a high sensitivity to late-onset PM2.5 exposure, as indicated by significantly elevated hepatic cholesterol levels and disturbed BAs metabolism. However, the mice switched from PM2.5 to FA exposure retained a certain memorial effects of previous PM2.5 exposure in hepatic cholesterol levels, cholesterol metabolism, and BAs metabolism. Furthermore, 18-week PM2.5 exposure significantly increased hepatic free BAs levels, which were completely reversed by the FA exposure switch. Finally, the changes in small heterodimeric partner (SHP) and nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 2 (LRH1) in response to exposure switch mechanistically explained the above alterations. Therefore, mice switching from PM2.5 exposure to FA showed only a weak memory of prior PM2.5 exposure. In contrast, the early FA caused mice to be more susceptible to subsequent PM2.5 exposure.

Exploration of the Delivery of Oncolytic Newcastle Disease Virus by Gelatin Methacryloyl Microneedles.

Oncolytic Newcastle disease virus is a new type of cancer immunotherapy drug. This paper proposes a scheme for delivering oncolytic viruses using hydrogel microneedles. Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) was synthesized by chemical grafting, and GelMA microneedles encapsulating oncolytic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) were prepared by micro-molding and photocrosslinking. The release and expression of NDV were tested by immunofluorescence and hemagglutination experiments. The experiments proved that GelMA was successfully synthesized and had hydrogel characteristics. NDV was evenly dispersed in the allantoic fluid without agglomeration, showing a characteristic virus morphology. NDV particle size was 257.4 ± 1.4 nm, zeta potential was -13.8 ± 0.5 mV, virus titer TCID50 was 107.5/mL, and PFU was 2 × 107/mL, which had a selective killing effect on human liver cancer cells in a dose and time-dependent manner. The NDV@GelMA microneedles were arranged in an orderly cone array, with uniform height and complete needle shape. The distribution of virus-like particles was observed on the surface. GelMA microneedles could successfully penetrate 5% agarose gel and nude mouse skin. Optimal preparation conditions were freeze-drying. We successfully prepared GelMA hydrogel microneedles containing NDV, which could effectively encapsulate NDV but did not detect the release of NDV.

The Involvement of Ascorbic Acid in Cancer Treatment.

Vitamin C (VC), also known as ascorbic acid, plays a crucial role as a water-soluble nutrient within the human body, contributing to a variety of metabolic processes. Research findings suggest that increased doses of VC demonstrate potential anti-tumor capabilities. This review delves into the mechanisms of VC absorption and its implications for cancer management. Building upon these foundational insights, we explore modern delivery systems for VC, evaluating its use in diverse cancer treatment methods. These include starvation therapy, chemodynamic therapy (CDT), photothermal/photodynamic therapy (PTT/PDT), electrothermal therapy, immunotherapy, cellular reprogramming, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and various combination therapies.

Mitochondria-Targeted Nanosystem with Reactive Oxygen Species-Controlled Release of CO to Enhance Photodynamic Therapy of PCN-224 by Sensitizing Ferroptosis.

The apoptosis-resistant mechanism of photodynamic therapy (PDT) usually results in limited therapeutic efficacy. The development of new strategies for sensitizing targeted ferroptosis that bypass apoptosis resistance is of great significance to improve the antitumor efficacy of PDT. In this study, a novel amphiphilic copolymer whose main chain contains reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive groups and the end of side chains contains triphenylphosphine is synthesized, to encapsulate porphyrinic metal-organic framework PCN-224 via self-assembly which are hydrothermally synthesized by coordination of zirconium (IV) with tetra-kis(4-caboxyphenyl) porphyrin, and loaded carbon monoxide releasing molecule 401 (CORM-401) by their hollow structures (PCN-CORM), and finally, surface-coated with hyaluronic acid. The nanosystem can sequentially localize to mitochondria which is an important target to induce apoptosis and ferroptosis in cancer cells. Upon excitation with near-infrared light, PCN-224 is activated to produce amounts of ROS, and simultaneously triggers the rapid intracellular release of CO. More importantly, the released CO can sensitize ferroptosis and promote apoptosis to significantly enhance the antitumor efficacy of PCN-224 both in vitro and in vivo. These results illustrate that the mitochondria-targeted drug delivery system combined PDT with CO leads to an effective antitumor efficacy, which maybe a promising way to enhance the treatment efficiency of PDT.

Improving the therapeutic efficacy of oncolytic viruses for cancer: targeting macrophages.

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) for cancer treatment are in a rapid stage of development, and the direct tumor lysis and activation of a comprehensive host immune response are irreplaceable advantages of cancer immunotherapy. However, excessive antiviral immune responses also restrict the spread of OVs in vivo and the infection of tumor cells. Macrophages are functionally diverse innate immune cells that phagocytose tumor cells and present antigens to activate the immune response, while also limiting the delivery of OVs to tumors. Studies have shown that the functional propensity of macrophages between OVs and tumor cells affects the overall therapeutic effect of oncolytic virotherapy. How to effectively avoid the restrictive effect of macrophages on OVs and reshape the function of tumor-associated macrophages in oncolytic virotherapy is an important challenge we are now facing. Here, we review and summarize the complex dual role of macrophages in oncolytic virotherapy, highlighting how the functional characteristics of macrophage plasticity can be utilized to cooperate with OVs to enhance anti-tumor effects, as well as highlighting the importance of designing and optimizing delivery modalities for OVs in the future.

Detection of methyltransferase activity and inhibitor screening based on rGO-mediated silver enhancement signal amplification strategy.

DNA methylation refers to the chemical modification process of obtaining a methyl group by the covalent bonding of a specific base in DNA sequence with S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) as a methyl donor under the catalysis of methyltransferase (MTase), which is related to the occurrence of multiple diseases. Therefore, the detection of MTase activity is of great significance for disease diagnosis and drug screening. Because reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has a unique planar structure and remarkable catalytic performance, it is not clear whether rGO can rapidly catalyze silver deposition as an effective way of signal amplification. However, in this study, we were pleasantly surprised to find that using H2O2 as a reducing agent, rGO can rapidly catalyze silver deposition, and its catalytic efficiency of silver deposition is significantly better than that of GO. Therefore, based on further verifying the mechanism of catalytic properties of rGO, we constructed a novel electrochemical biosensor (rGO/silver biosensor) for the detection of dam MTase activity, which has high selectivity and sensitivity to MTase in the range of 0.1 U/mL to 10.0 U/mL, and the detection limit is as low as 0.07 U/mL. Besides, this study also used Gentamicin and 5-Fluorouracil as inhibitor models, confirming that the biosensor has a good application prospect in the high-throughput screening of dam MTase inhibitors.

AMPK hyperactivity maintains the survival of vasculogenic T cells in patients with Takayasu's arteritis.

OBJECTIVES: Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) is a progressive autoimmune vasculitis that mainly affects the aorta and its major branches. While recent studies have identified proinflammatory T cells, including Th1 and Th17 cells, as the dominant infiltrates in the arterial adventitia, mechanisms underpinning the maintenance of such vasculogenic T cells remain obscure. METHODS: 75 patients with TAK and 30 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. CD4 T cells from TAK patients were activated with anti-CD3/CD28 beads to mimic vasculogenic T cells. The survival of T cells was detected by quantifying Annexin-V+7-AAD+ fractions. Expression and activity of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) were determined using phosflow cytometry and immunoblots. Specific inhibitors and shRNA were applied to block the function of AMPK and Notch1, while erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were used to reflect the disease activity of TAK patients. RESULTS: T cells from TAK patients undergo spontaneous differentiation into vasculogenic proinflammatory T cells with prolonged survival capacity. Mechanistic explorations uncover AMPK hyperactivity in such T cells from TAK patients, promoting mitochondrial metabolism and their survival. Such AMPK hyperactivity results from the robust Notch1 activity in TAK T cells. Accordingly, T cell-intrinsic phosphor-AMPK reflects the disease activity in clinical TAK patients. CONCLUSIONS: AMPK hyperactivity is essential for maintaining the vasculogenic proinflammatory T cells in TAK patients, serving as a promising therapeutic target for TAK management.

ATF4 renders human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell resistance to FGFR1 inhibitors through amino acid metabolic reprogramming.

Abnormalities of FGFR1 have been reported in multiple malignancies, suggesting FGFR1 as a potential target for precision treatment, but drug resistance remains a formidable obstacle. In this study, we explored whether FGFR1 acted a therapeutic target in human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and the molecular mechanisms underlying T-ALL cell resistance to FGFR1 inhibitors. We showed that FGFR1 was significantly upregulated in human T-ALL and inversely correlated with the prognosis of patients. Knockdown of FGFR1 suppressed T-ALL growth and progression both in vitro and in vivo. However, the T-ALL cells were resistant to FGFR1 inhibitors AZD4547 and PD-166866 even though FGFR1 signaling was specifically inhibited in the early stage. Mechanistically, we found that FGFR1 inhibitors markedly increased the expression of ATF4, which was a major initiator for T-ALL resistance to FGFR1 inhibitors. We further revealed that FGFR1 inhibitors induced expression of ATF4 through enhancing chromatin accessibility combined with translational activation via the GCN2-eIF2α pathway. Subsequently, ATF4 remodeled the amino acid metabolism by stimulating the expression of multiple metabolic genes ASNS, ASS1, PHGDH and SLC1A5, maintaining the activation of mTORC1, which contributed to the drug resistance in T-ALL cells. Targeting FGFR1 and mTOR exhibited synergistically anti-leukemic efficacy. These results reveal that FGFR1 is a potential therapeutic target in human T-ALL, and ATF4-mediated amino acid metabolic reprogramming contributes to the FGFR1 inhibitor resistance. Synergistically inhibiting FGFR1 and mTOR can overcome this obstacle in T-ALL therapy.

Signal Amplification-Based Biosensors and Application in RNA Tumor Markers.

Tumor markers are important substances for assessing cancer development. In recent years, RNA tumor markers have attracted significant attention, and studies have shown that their abnormal expression of post-transcriptional regulatory genes is associated with tumor progression. Therefore, RNA tumor markers are considered as potential targets in clinical diagnosis and prognosis. Many studies show that biosensors have good application prospects in the field of medical diagnosis. The application of biosensors in RNA tumor markers is developing rapidly. These sensors have the advantages of high sensitivity, excellent selectivity, and convenience. However, the detection abundance of RNA tumor markers is low. In order to improve the detection sensitivity, researchers have developed a variety of signal amplification strategies to enhance the detection signal. In this review, after a brief introduction of the sensing principles and designs of different biosensing platforms, we will summarize the latest research progress of electrochemical, photoelectrochemical, and fluorescent biosensors based on signal amplification strategies for detecting RNA tumor markers. This review provides a high sensitivity and good selectivity sensing platform for early-stage cancer research. It provides a new idea for the development of accurate, sensitive, and convenient biological analysis in the future, which can be used for the early diagnosis and monitoring of cancer and contribute to the reduction in the mortality rate.

Aptamer-based biosensors and application in tumor theranostics.

An aptamer is a short oligonucleotide chain that can specifically recognize targeting analytes. Due to its high specificity, low cost, and good biocompatibility, aptamers as the targeting elements of biosensors have been applied widely in non-invasive tumor imaging and treatment in situ to replace traditional methods. In this review, we will summarize recent advances in using aptamer-based biosensors in tumor diagnosis. After a brief introduction of the advantage of aptamers compared with enzyme sensors and immune sensors, the different sensing designs and mechanisms based on 3 signal transduction modes will be reviewed to cover different kinds of analytical methods, including: electrochemistry analysis, colorimetry analysis, and fluorescence analysis. Finally, the prospective advantages of aptamer-based biosensors in tumor theranostics and post-treatment monitoring are also evaluated in this review.

Electrochemical Generation of Catalytically Active Edge Sites in C2 N-Type Carbon Materials for Artificial Nitrogen Fixation.

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) to ammonia (NH3 ) is a potentially carbon-neutral and decentralized supplement to the established Haber-Bosch process. Catalytic activation of the highly stable dinitrogen molecules remains a great challenge. Especially metal-free nitrogen-doped carbon catalysts do not often reach the desired selectivity and ammonia production rates due to their low concentration of NRR active sites and possible instability of heteroatoms under electrochemical potential, which can even contribute to false positive results. In this context, the electrochemical activation of nitrogen-doped carbon electrocatalysts is an attractive, but not yet established method to create NRR catalytic sites. Herein, a metal-free C2 N material (HAT-700) is electrochemically etched prior to application in NRR to form active edge-sites originating from the removal of terminal nitrile groups. Resulting activated metal-free HAT-700-A shows remarkable catalytic activity in electrochemical nitrogen fixation with a maximum Faradaic efficiency of 11.4% and NH3 yield of 5.86 µg mg-1 cat h-1 . Experimental results and theoretical calculations are combined, and it is proposed that carbon radicals formed during activation together with adjacent pyridinic nitrogen atoms play a crucial role in nitrogen adsorption and activation. The results demonstrate the possibility to create catalytically active sites on purpose by etching labile functional groups prior to NRR.

Analysis of the genomic landscapes of Barbadian and Nigerian women with triple negative breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype that disproportionately affects women of African ancestry (WAA) and is often associated with poor survival. Although there is a high prevalence of TNBC across West Africa and in women of the African diaspora, there has been no comprehensive genomics study to investigate the mutational profile of ancestrally related women across the Caribbean and West Africa. METHODS: This multisite cross-sectional study used 31 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples from Barbadian and Nigerian TNBC participants. High-resolution whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed on the Barbadian and Nigerian TNBC samples to identify their mutational profiles and comparisons were made to African American, European American and Asian American sequencing data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Whole exome sequencing was conducted on tumors with an average of 382 × coverage and 4335 × coverage for pooled germline non-tumor samples. RESULTS: Variants detected at high frequency in our WAA cohorts were found in the following genes NBPF12, PLIN4, TP53 and BRCA1. In the TCGA TNBC cases, these genes had a lower mutation rate, except for TP53 (32% in our cohort; 63% in TCGA-African American; 67% in TCGA-European American; 63% in TCGA-Asian). For all altered genes, there were no differences in frequency of mutations between WAA TNBC groups including the TCGA-African American cohort. For copy number variants, high frequency alterations were observed in PIK3CA, TP53, FGFR2 and HIF1AN genes. CONCLUSION: This study provides novel insights into the underlying genomic alterations in WAA TNBC samples and shines light on the importance of inclusion of under-represented populations in cancer genomics and biomarker studies.

Circular RNA EPB41 expression predicts unfavorable prognoses in NSCLC by regulating miR-486-3p/eIF5A axis-mediated stemness.

Dysregulation of circular RNAs (circRNAs) has recently been found to play an important role in the progression and development of cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Yet the functions of many circRNAs in NSCLC remain unclear. In this study, the circRNA expression profiles in NSCLC tumor tissues and adjacent non-tumorous tissues were detected by high-throughput sequencing. Bioinformatics analyses, the dual-luciferase reporter system, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and miRNA/mRNA high-throughput sequencing were used to identify circ-EPB41 and its downstream target. The subcutaneous tumor/caudal vein transfer mouse model was used for tumor growth and invasion analysis. The results show that the circ-EPB41 was upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Increased circ-EPB41 expression in NSCLC was significantly correlated with malignant characteristics, and positive to post-surgical overall survival of NSCLC patients. Reduced circ-EPB41 expression in NSCLC decreased cell proliferation and invasion in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. The miRNA/mRNA high-throughput sequencing suggested that downregulation of circ-EPB41 promoted microRNA (miR)-486-3p and suppressed eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) expression. Luciferase reporter experiments confirmed that miR-486-3p/eIF5A were downstream targets of circ-EPB41. In addition, we also found that downregulation of circ-EPB41 suppressed self-renewal and decreased expression of stemness markers SOX2, OCT-4, Nanog and CD133 by sponging miR-486-3p to enhance eIF5A expression. Taken togeter, these data revealed the important role of circ-EPB41 in regulating NSCLC cell invasion and proliferation by modifying miR-486-3p/eIF5A axis-mediated stemness. We believe our study provides a novel perspective regarding the role of circRNAs in NSCLC progression.

Multiview Clustering of Adaptive Sparse Representation Based on Coupled P Systems.

A multiview clustering (MVC) has been a significant technique to dispose data mining issues. Most of the existing studies on this topic adopt a fixed number of neighbors when constructing the similarity matrix of each view, like single-view clustering. However, this may reduce the clustering effect due to the diversity of multiview data sources. Moreover, most MVC utilizes iterative optimization to obtain clustering results, which consumes a significant amount of time. Therefore, this paper proposes a multiview clustering of adaptive sparse representation based on coupled P system (MVCS-CP) without iteration. The whole algorithm flow runs in the coupled P system. Firstly, the natural neighbor search algorithm without parameters automatically determines the number of neighbors of each view. In turn, manifold learning and sparse representation are employed to construct the similarity matrix, which preserves the internal geometry of the views. Next, a soft thresholding operator is introduced to form the unified graph to gain the clustering results. The experimental results on nine real datasets indicate that the MVCS-CP outperforms other state-of-the-art comparison algorithms.

Fuzzy Reasoning Numerical Spiking Neural P Systems for Induction Motor Fault Diagnosis.

The fuzzy reasoning numerical spiking neural P systems (FRNSN P systems) are proposed by introducing the interval-valued triangular fuzzy numbers into the numerical spiking neural P systems (NSN P systems). The NSN P systems were applied to the SAT problem and the FRNSN P systems were applied to induction motor fault diagnosis. The FRNSN P system can easily model fuzzy production rules for motor faults and perform fuzzy reasoning. To perform the inference process, a FRNSN P reasoning algorithm was designed. During inference, the interval-valued triangular fuzzy numbers were used to characterize the incomplete and uncertain motor fault information. The relative preference relationship was used to estimate the severity of various faults, so as to warn and repair the motors in time when minor faults occur. The results of the case studies showed that the FRNSN P reasoning algorithm can successfully diagnose single and multiple induction motor faults and has certain advantages over other existing methods.

Differential skeletal response in adult and aged rats to independent and combinatorial stimulation with pulsed electromagnetic fields and mechanical vibration.

Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) and whole-body vibration (WBV) are proved to partially preserve bone mass/strength in hindlimb-unloaded and ovariectomized animals. However, the potential age-dependent skeletal response to either PEMF or WBV has not been fully investigated. Moreover, whether the coupled "mechano-electro-magnetic" signals can induce greater osteogenic potential than single stimulation remains unknown. Herein, 5-month-old or 20-month-old rats were assigned to the Control, PEMF, WBV, and PEMF + WBV groups. After 8-week treatment, single PEMF/WBV enhanced bone mass, strength, and anabolism in 5-month-old rats, but not in 20-month-old rats. PEMF + WBV induced greater increase of bone quantity, quality, and anabolism than single PEMF/WBV in young adult rats. PEMF + WBV also inhibited bone loss in elderly rats by primarily improving osteoblast and osteocyte activity, but had no effects on bone resorption. PEMF + WBV upregulated the expression of various canonical Wnt ligands and downstream molecules (p-GSK-3ß and ß-catenin), but had no impacts on noncanonical Wnt5a expression in aged skeleton, revealing the potential involvement of canonical Wnt signaling in bone anabolism of PEMF + WBV. This study not only reveals much weaker responsiveness of aged skeleton to single PEMF/WBV relative to young adult skeleton, but also presents a novel noninvasive approach based on combinatorial treatment with PEMF + WBV for improving bone health and preserving bone quantity/quality (especially for age-related osteoporosis) with stronger anabolic effects.