BCLAF1 promotes cell proliferation, invasion and drug-resistance though targeting lncRNA NEAT1 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIMS: In the present research, we aimed to investigate the effect of Bcl-2-associated transcription factor 1 (BCLAF1) on hepatocellular carcinoma and further explore the special molecular mechanism. MAIN METHODS: The expression of BCLAF1 was analyzed in tumor tissues and different hepatocellular cancer cell lines by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot. Cell proliferation and invasion was explored using MTT and Transwell assay respectively. In addition, luciferase reporter assay was performed to determine the binding activity of BCLAF1 and Nuclear enrichment-rich transcription factor 1 (NEAT1) promoter. Finally, the IC50 for 5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu) was measured by MTT assay, and Western blot was used to determine the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug resistance protein1 (MRP1). KEY FINDING: The result revealed that BCLAF1 was highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and cells. In addition, BCLAF1-siRNA inhibited the proliferation and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and overexpression of BCLAF1 promoted proliferation and invasion. Furthermore, luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that BCLAF1 directly interact with lncNEAT1 promoter and improved NEAT1 expression, and BCLAF1 promoted proliferation and invasion through targeting lncRNA NEAT1. What's more, BCLAF1 promoted 5-Fu resistance and the expression of P-gp and MRP1 in hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting NEAT1. SIGNIFICANCE: The results of the present study suggested that BCLAF1 might be a new gene related to proliferation and drug-resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma. In the future, the search for a deep and reasonable mechanism for the role of BCLAF1 will help us to understand its function more comprehensively, and finally find a new method for the treatment of human cancer.

Large-Area Structural Color Filtering Capitalizing on Nanoporous Metal-Dielectric-Metal Configuration.

We present a highly efficient structural color filtering approach for large-area application, using a nanoporous anodic alumina (NAA) film overlaid with an aluminum (Al) layer on top of an optically thick Al substrate. The NAA film, consisting of a self-assembled nanopore array in a hexagonal lattice, is equivalent to a quasi-homogeneous medium according to effective medium theory. The proposed structure enables strong absorption at resonance owing to the Fabry-Perot resonance supported by the metal-dielectric-metal configuration and the plasmonic effect mediated by the top nanoporous Al layer. The reflection colors can be readily tuned by altering the NAA thickness that is determined by anodization time, thereby allowing the flexible creation of complicated color images on a single platform. By fabricating three samples with different NAA thicknesses in a large area of 2 cm × 2 cm, it is confirmed that the proposed color filtering scheme exhibits highly enhanced color purity and high reflection efficiency of up to 73%, which is superior to that generated by previously reported NAA-based approaches. The presented strategy can pave the way for the efficient fabrication of large-area color filtering devices for various potential applications, including color display devices, imaging sensors, structural color printing, and photovoltaic cells.

High serum Ephrin-B2 levels predict poor prognosis for patients with gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer is an intractable disease with a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Its treatment remains a major clinical challenge worldwide. Ephrin-B2 is upregulated and involved in tumor growth in various types of cancer. However, the association between ephrin-B2 and prognosis of gastric cancer, and the potential of ephrin-B2 as a therapeutic target remains unknown. The present study investigated ephrin-B2 as a prognostic factor and a therapeutic target for gastric cancer. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the protein expression level of ephrin-B2 in gastric cancer serum samples (n=162) and healthy serum samples (n=165). It was revealed that the protein expression level of ephrin-B2 was significantly upregulated in gastric cancer serum samples compared with the healthy samples. Ephrin-B2 protein expression was associated with tumor size (P<0.001), metastasis (P=0.02) and TNM stage (P=0.03), and was indicated to be an independent prognostic factor for gastric cancer. Furthermore, the Kaplan-Meier survival curve demonstrated that patients with high ephrin-B2 protein expression had shorter overall and progression-free survival rates than those with low ephrin-B2 protein expression. Ephrin-B2 protein expression was induced by small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection of HGC27 and MKN-45 cells, significantly impeding cell viability and inducing apoptosis of HGC27 and MKN-45 cells compared with the respective negative control (NC) group. Thus, to the best of our knowledge, the present study indicates that ephrin-B2 functions as an oncogene in gastric cancer, and that serum ephrin-B2 level may be a promising non-invasive prognostic indicator, as well as a therapeutic target for gastric cancer.