Antibacterial nanostructured composite films for biomedical applications: microstructural characteristics, biocompatibility, and antibacterial mechanisms.

Hydrogenated Cu-incorporated diamond-like carbon (a-C:H/Cu) films were prepared in the present study using a radio-frequency plasma magnetron sputtering system at various CH4/Ar gas ratios. The a-C:H/Cu films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, nano-indentation and a contact angle goniometer. The antibacterial properties and cell cytotoxicity of a-C:H/Cu films were evaluated as per JIS Z2801:2010 and ISO 10993-5 specifications, respectively. The analytical results revealed that the production of a-C:H/Cu films varied with the CH4/Ar ratio, and the phase transformation (amorphous-like → nano-polycrystalline structure) was induced by Cu doping/ion bombardment and radical reactions. Moreover, it was found that the microhardness of the a-C:H/Cu films decreased with increasing Ar fraction in the gas ratio. The a-C:H/Cu films exhibited a high hydrophobic surface feature. The film which contained 77.3 ± 4.4 at.% Cu did not influence cell adhesion and proliferation behaviors. Antibacterial tests also demonstrated that a-C:H/Cu films possessed excellent antibacterial properties. Therefore, a-C:H/Cu films could be developed as promising antibacterial coatings for biomedical applications.

Targeting LncRNA HOTAIR suppresses cancer stemness and metastasis in oral carcinomas stem cells through modulation of EMT.

Increasing evidence indicates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate diverse cellular processes, such as cell growth, apoptosis and tumorigenesis. However, the functional roles of lncRNAs and mechanistic analysis of their interplays with oncogenic pathways in oral cancer remain largely unknown. In the current study, we examined the significance of lncRNA HOTAIR (HOX transcript antisense RNA) in tumor progression of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). We found the expression of HOTAIR was upregulated in tumor tissues, especially in the metastatic samples. And it was also observed in metastatic OSCC cell lines. Silence of HOTAIR in oral carcinomas stem cells (OCSC) significantly inhibited their cancer stemness, invasiveness and tumourigenicity in xenotransplantation models. By contrast, overexpression of HOTAIR in OSCC enhanced their metastatic potential and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) characteristics. And we showed that the expression of HOTAIR was positively related to mesenchymal markers and inversely correlated with epithelial marker in clinical samples. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis suggested that high level of HOTAIR was a strong predictor of poor survival in OSCC patients. Collectively, our data demonstrated that HOTAIR-mediated cancer stemness and metastasis are associated with the regulation of EMT and HOTAIR may serve as a therapeutic target in OSCC.

Potential biomarkers in saliva for oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Sensitive and reliable early diagnostic markers for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unavailable. Early identification of recurrence for OSCC is also a challenge. Unlike the other deep cancers, OSCC is located in oral cavity. The DNA, RNA, and protein derived from the living cancer cells and inflammatory cells then can be conveniently obtained from saliva. High-throughput genomic and proteomic approaches have been carried out to identify the potential biomarkers in body fluids such as saliva and blood for diagnosis and prognosis of OSCC. This article reviewed the recently identified biomarkers from saliva for OSCC. In addition, the biomarkers which have been correlated with OSCC tumor malignancy by molecular pathology analysis are also described. Finally, the potential biomarkers that have been demonstrated to associate with the malignant OSCC may be used for salivary screening for high-risk patients are suggested. This article may help to identify the potential biomarkers for screening and the molecular pathology analysis for high-risk patients of OSCC. Effective screening to identify high-risk patients can allow the clinician to provide the appropriate treatment without delay and to reduce the recurrence of OSCC.