Screening of active components in Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and Panax notoginseng formula for anti-fibrosis in CKD: nobiletin inhibits Lgals1/PI3K/AKT signaling to improve renal fibrosis.

The Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and Panax notoginseng formula (A&P) has been clinically shown to effectively slow down the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and has demonstrated significant anti-fibrosis effects in experimental CKD model. However, the specific active ingredients and underlying mechanism are still unclear. The active ingredients of A&P were analyzed by Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-HR-MS). A mouse model of CKD was constructed by 5/6 nephrectomy. Renal function was assessed by creatinine and urea nitrogen. Real-time PCR and Western Blot were performed to detect the mRNA and protein changes in kidney and cells. An in vitro fibrotic cell model was constructed by TGF-ß induction in TCMK-1 cells. The results showed that thirteen active ingredients of A&P were identified by UPLC-HR-MS, nine of which were identified by analysis with standards, among which the relative percentage of NOB was high. We found that NOB treatment significantly improved renal function, pathological damage and reduced the expression level of fibrotic factors in CKD mice. The results also demonstrated that Lgals1 was overexpressed in the interstitial kidney of CKD mice, and NOB treatment significantly reduced its expression level, while inhibiting PI3K and AKT phosphorylation. Interestingly, overexpression of Lgals1 significantly increased fibrosis in TCMK1 cells and upregulated the activity of PI3K and AKT, which were strongly inhibited by NOB treatment. NOB is one of the main active components of A&P. The molecular mechanism by which NOB ameliorates renal fibrosis in CKD may be through the inhibition of Lgals1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

[Research Advances in the Association Between Alzheimer's Disease and Double-Stranded RNA-Dependent Protein Kinase].

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a severe threat to human health and one of the three major causes of human death.Double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) is an interferon-induced protein kinase involved in innate immunity.In the occurrence and development of AD,PKR is upregulated and continuously activated.On the one hand,the activation of PKR triggers an integrated stress response in brain cells.On the other hand,it indirectly upregulates the expression of ß-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 and facilitates the accumulation of amyloid-ß protein (Aß),which could activate PKR activator to further activate PKR,thus forming a sustained accumulation cycle of Aß.In addition,PKR can promote Tau phosphorylation,thereby reducing microtubule stability in nerve cells.Inflammation in brain tissue,neurotoxicity resulted from Aß accumulation,and disruption of microtubule stability led to the progression of AD and the declines of memory and cognitive function.Therefore,PKR is a key molecule in the development and progression of AD.Effective PKR detection can aid in the diagnosis and prediction of AD progression and provide opportunities for clinical treatment.The inhibitors targeting PKR are expected to control the activity of PKR,thereby controlling the progression of AD.Therefore,PKR could be a target for the development of therapeutic drugs for AD.

Dihydroartemisinin breaks the immunosuppressive tumor niche during cisplatin treatment in Hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Hepatocellular carcinoma, characterized by high mortality rates, often exhibits limited responsiveness to conventional treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Therefore, identifying a sensitizer for cisplatin has become crucial. Dihydroartemisinin, known for its potent role of tumor treatment, arises as a prospective candidate for cisplatin sensitization in clinical settings. METHODS: A mouse model of liver tumor was established through chemical induction of DEN/TCPOBOP. Upon successful model establishment, ultrasound was employed to detect tumors, Hematoxylin and eosin staining was conducted for observation of liver tissue pathology, and ELISA was utilized to assess cytokine changes (IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, TGF-ß, IL-1ß, CCL2, and CCL21) in peripheral blood, para-tumor tissues, and tumor tissues. The infiltration of CD8+T cells and macrophages in tumor tissue sections was detected by immunofluorescence. RESULTS: Dihydroartemisinin combined with cisplatin obviously restrained the growth of liver tumors in mice and improved the weight and spleen loss caused by cisplatin. Cisplatin treatment of liver tumor mice increased the content of CCL2 and the number of macrophages in tumor tissues and promoted the formation of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. The combination therapy decreased the content of TGF-ß in tumor tissues while increasing CCL2 levels in para-tumor tissues. Both combination therapy and cisplatin alone increased the number of CD8+T cells in tumor tissue, but there was no difference between them. CONCLUSION: Dihydroartemisinin combined with cisplatin obviously prevented the deterioration of liver tumor in hepatocellular carcinoma mice and improve the therapeutic effect of cisplatin by improving the immunosuppressive microenvironment induced by cisplatin. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for considering dihydroartemisinin as an adjuvant drug for cisplatin in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in the future.

Thyroid cancer trends in China and its comparative analysis with G20 countries: Projections for 2020-2040.

Background: Thyroid cancer, a leading type of endocrine cancer, accounts for 3-4% of all cancer diagnoses. This study aims to analyse and compare thyroid cancer patterns in China and the Group twenty (G20) countries, and predict these trend for the upcoming two decades. Methods: This observational longitudinal study utilised data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2019. We used metrics including incidence, mortality, mortality-incidence ratio (MIR), age-standardised rate (ASR) and average annual percent change (AAPC) to examine thyroid cancer trends. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to identify periods manifesting notable changes. The association between sociodemographic index (SDI) and AAPC were investigated. The autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was used to predict thyroid cancer trends from 2020 to 2040. Results: From 1990 to 2019, thyroid cancer incidence cases in China increased by 289.6%, with a higher AAPC of age-standardised incidence rate (ASIR) in men. Contrastingly, the G20 demonstrated a smaller increase, particularly among women over 50. Despite the overall age-standardised mortality rate (ASMR) was higher in the G20, the increase in mortality was less pronounced than in China. Age-standardised incidence rate increased across all age groups and genders, with a notable rise among men aged 15-49. ASMR decreased in specific age groups and genders, especially among women. Conversely, the ASMR significantly increased in group aged over 70. The MIR exhibited a declining trend, but this decrease was less noticeable in men and the group aged over 70. Joinpoint analysis pinpointed significant shifts in overall ASIR and ASMR, with the most pronounced increase in ASIR during 2003-2011 in China and 2003-2010 in the G20. Predictions suggested a continual ASIR uptrend, especially in the 50-69 age group, coupled with a predicted ASMR downturn among the elderly by 2040. Moreover, the proportion of thyroid cancer deaths attributable to high body mass index (BMI) escalated, with significant increase in Saudi Arabia and a rise to 7.4% in China in 2019. Conclusions: Thyroid cancer cases in incidence and mortality are escalating in both China and the G20. The increasing trend may be attributed to factors beyond overdiagnosis, including environmental and genetic factors. These findings emphasise the necessity for augmenting prevention, control, and treatment strategies. They also highlight the significance of international collaboration in addressing the global challenge posed by thyroid cancer.

In vivo selection in non-human primates identifies AAV capsids for on-target CSF delivery to spinal cord.

Systemic administration of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for spinal cord gene therapy has challenges including toxicity at high doses and pre-existing immunity that reduces efficacy. Intrathecal (IT) delivery of AAV vectors into cerebral spinal fluid can avoid many issues, although distribution of the vector throughout the spinal cord is limited, and vector entry to the periphery sometimes initiates hepatotoxicity. Here we performed biopanning in non-human primates (NHPs) with an IT injected AAV9 peptide display library. We identified top candidates by sequencing inserts of AAV DNA isolated from whole tissue, nuclei, or nuclei from transgene-expressing cells. These barcoded candidates were pooled with AAV9 and compared for biodistribution and transgene expression in spinal cord and liver of IT injected NHPs. Most candidates displayed increased retention in spinal cord compared with AAV9. Greater spread from the lumbar to the thoracic and cervical regions was observed for several capsids. Furthermore, several capsids displayed decreased biodistribution to the liver compared with AAV9, providing a high on-target/low off-target biodistribution. Finally, we tested top candidates in human spinal cord organoids and found them to outperform AAV9 in efficiency of transgene expression in neurons and astrocytes. These capsids have potential to serve as leading-edge delivery vehicles for spinal cord-directed gene therapies.

First report of plastic and non-plastic microparticles in stomach of slandertail lanternshark and shortspine spurdog from the edge of East China Sea.

This study investigates the presence of plastic and non-plastic microparticles in the gastrointestinal tracts of two deep-sea sharks, Etmopterus molleri (n = 118) and Squalus mitsukurii (n = 6), bycatch from the East China Sea continental shelf. We found a total of 117 microparticles, predominantly fibres (67.52 %), with blue (31.62 %) and black (23.94 %) being the most prevalent colours. E. molleri contained 70 microparticles (0.63 ± 0.93 items/shark), 61.42 % non-plastics like viscose and cotton, while plastics included polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and acrylic. Despite S. mitsukurii's limited sample size, the results show that it takes in a lot of microparticles (47 microparticles, 7.83 ± 2.64 items/shark), 57.44 % non-plastics (viscose, cotton, and ethyl cellulose), and 42.56 % plastics. A positive correlation between microparticle presence and total length was observed for E. molleri. These results provide initial data on microparticle ingestion by these species, highlighting potential ecological risks and trophic transfer implications in deep-sea ecosystems.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells promoted tumor cell growth associated with increased interleukin-18 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is experiencing a concerning rise in both incidence and mortality rates. Current therapeutic strategies are limited in their effectiveness, largely due to the complex causes of the disease and significant levels of drug resistance. Given the latest developments in human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) research, there is a debate over the continued use of stem cell transplantation for treating tumors. Consequently, this study seeks to explore the role of hUC-MSCs in the management of HCC. METHODS AND RESULTS: HUC-MSCs increased the number (10.75 ± 1.50) in the DEN/TCPOBOP-induced mice hepatoma model, compared with DMSO group (7.25 ± 1.71). Moreover, the liver index in hUC-MSCs group (0.21 ± 0.06) was greater than that in DMSO group (0.09 ± 0.01). Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis revealed that while hUC-MSCs did not alter Foxp3 expression, they significantly stimulated Ki67 expression, indicative of increased tumor cellular proliferation. Additionally, immunofluorescence (IF) studies showed that hUC-MSCs increased CD8+ T cell counts without affecting macrophage numbers. Notably, granzyme B expression remained nearly undetectable. We observed that serum IL-18 levels were higher in the hUC-MSCs group (109.66 ± 0.38 pg/ml) compared to the DMSO group (91.14 ± 4.37 pg/ml). Conversely, IL-1ß levels decreased in the hUC-MSCs group (63.00 ± 0.53 pg/ml) relative to the DMSO group (97.38 ± 9.08 pg/ml). CONCLUSIONS: According to this study, hUC-MSCs promoted the growth of liver tumors. Therefore, we proposed that hUC-MSCs are not suitable for treating HCC, as they exhibit clinically prohibited abnormalities.

Lysine acetyltransferase 14 mediates TGF-ß-induced fibrosis in ovarian endometrioma via co-operation with serum response factor.

BACKGROUND: Fibrogenesis within ovarian endometrioma (endometrioma), mainly induced by transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß), is characterized by myofibroblast over-activation and excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, contributing to endometrioma-associated symptoms such as infertility by impairing ovarian reserve and oocyte quality. However, the precise molecular mechanisms that underpin the endometrioma- associated fibrosis progression induced by TGF-ß remain poorly understood. METHODS: The expression level of lysine acetyltransferase 14 (KAT14) was validated in endometrium biopsies from patients with endometrioma and healthy controls, and the transcription level of KAT14 was further confirmed by analyzing a published single-cell transcriptome (scRNA-seq) dataset of endometriosis. We used overexpression, knockout, and knockdown approaches in immortalized human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) or human primary ectopic endometrial stromal cells (EcESCs) to determine the role of KAT14 in TGF-ß-induced fibrosis. Furthermore, an adeno-associated virus (AAV) carrying KAT14-shRNA was used in an endometriosis mice model to assess the role of KAT14 in vivo. RESULTS: KAT14 was upregulated in ectopic lesions from endometrioma patients and predominantly expressed in activated fibroblasts. In vitro studies showed that KAT14 overexpression significantly promoted a TGF-ß-induced profibrotic response in endometrial stromal cells, while KAT14 silencing showed adverse effects that could be rescued by KAT14 re-enhancement. In vivo, Kat14 knockdown ameliorated fibrosis in the ectopic lesions of the endometriosis mouse model. Mechanistically, we showed that KAT14 directly interacted with serum response factor (SRF) to promote the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) by increasing histone H4 acetylation at promoter regions; this is necessary for TGF-ß-induced ECM production and myofibroblast differentiation. In addition, the knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of SRF significantly attenuated KAT14-mediating profibrotic effects under TGF-ß treatment. Notably, the KAT14/SRF complex was abundant in endometrioma samples and positively correlated with α-SMA expression, further supporting the key role of KAT14/SRF complex in the progression of endometrioma-associated fibrogenesis. CONCLUSION: Our results shed light on KAT14 as a key effector of TGF-ß-induced ECM production and myofibroblast differentiation in EcESCs by promoting histone H4 acetylation via co-operating with SRF, representing a potential therapeutic target for endometrioma-associated fibrosis.

Distinct ecological niches and community dynamics: understanding free-living and particle-attached bacterial communities in an oligotrophic deep lake.

Oligotrophic deep-water lakes are unique and sensitive ecosystems with limited nutrient availability. Understanding bacterial communities within these lakes is crucial for assessing ecosystem health, biogeochemical cycling, and responses to environmental changes. In this study, we investigated the seasonal and vertical dynamics of both free-living (FL) and particle-attached (PA) bacteria in Lake Fuxian, a typical oligotrophic deep freshwater lake in southeast China. Our findings revealed distinct seasonal and vertical dynamics of FL and PA bacterial communities, driven by similar physiochemical environmental factors. PA bacteria exhibited higher α- and ß-diversity and were enriched with Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, Patescibacteria, Planctomycetota, and Verrucomicrobiota, while FL bacteria were enriched with Actinobacteria and Bacteroidota. FL bacteria showed enrichment in putative functions related to chemoheterotrophy and aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis, whereas the PA fraction was enriched with intracellular parasites (mainly contributed by Rickettsiales, Chlamydiales, and Legionellales) and nitrogen metabolism functions. Deterministic processes predominantly shaped the assembly of both FL and PA bacterial communities, with stochastic processes playing a greater role in the FL fraction. Network analysis revealed extensive species interactions, with a higher proportion of positively correlated edges in the PA network, indicating mutualistic or cooperative interactions. Cyanobium, Comamonadaceae, and Roseomonas were identified as keystone taxa in the PA network, underscoring potential cooperation between autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria in organic particle microhabitats. Overall, the disparities in bacterial diversity, community composition, putative function, and network characteristics between FL and PA fractions highlight their adaptation to distinct ecological niches within these unique lake ecosystems.IMPORTANCEUnderstanding the diversity of microbial communities, their assembly mechanisms, and their responses to environmental changes is fundamental to the study of aquatic microbial ecology. Oligotrophic deep-water lakes are fragile ecosystems with limited nutrient resources, rendering them highly susceptible to environmental fluctuations. Examining different bacterial types within these lakes offers valuable insights into the intricate mechanisms governing community dynamics and adaptation strategies across various scales. In our investigation of oligotrophic deep freshwater Lake Fuxian in China, we explored the seasonal and vertical dynamics of two bacterial types: free-living (FL) and particle-attached (PA). Our findings unveiled distinct patterns in the diversity, composition, and putative functions of these bacteria, all shaped by environmental factors. Understanding these subtleties provides insight into bacterial interactions, thereby influencing the overall ecosystem functioning. Ultimately, our research illuminates the adaptation and roles of FL and PA bacteria within these unique lake environments, contributing significantly to our broader comprehension of ecosystem stability and health.

D-MAINS: A Deep-Learning Model for the Label-Free Detection of Mitosis, Apoptosis, Interphase, Necrosis, and Senescence in Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND: Identifying cells engaged in fundamental cellular processes, such as proliferation or living/death statuses, is pivotal across numerous research fields. However, prevailing methods relying on molecular biomarkers are constrained by high costs, limited specificity, protracted sample preparation, and reliance on fluorescence imaging. METHODS: Based on cellular morphology in phase contrast images, we developed a deep-learning model named Detector of Mitosis, Apoptosis, Interphase, Necrosis, and Senescence (D-MAINS). RESULTS: D-MAINS utilizes machine learning and image processing techniques, enabling swift and label-free categorization of cell death, division, and senescence at a single-cell resolution. Impressively, D-MAINS achieved an accuracy of 96.4 ± 0.5% and was validated with established molecular biomarkers. D-MAINS underwent rigorous testing under varied conditions not initially present in the training dataset. It demonstrated proficiency across diverse scenarios, encompassing additional cell lines, drug treatments, and distinct microscopes with different objective lenses and magnifications, affirming the robustness and adaptability of D-MAINS across multiple experimental setups. CONCLUSIONS: D-MAINS is an example showcasing the feasibility of a low-cost, rapid, and label-free methodology for distinguishing various cellular states. Its versatility makes it a promising tool applicable across a broad spectrum of biomedical research contexts, particularly in cell death and oncology studies.

MpoxNet: dual-branch deep residual squeeze and excitation monkeypox classification network with attention mechanism.

While the world struggles to recover from the devastation wrought by the widespread spread of COVID-19, monkeypox virus has emerged as a new global pandemic threat. In this paper, a high precision and lightweight classification network MpoxNet based on ConvNext is proposed to meet the need of fast and safe detection of monkeypox classification. In this method, a two-branch depth-separable convolution residual Squeeze and Excitation module is designed. This design aims to extract more feature information with two branches, and greatly reduces the number of parameters in the model by using depth-separable convolution. In addition, our method introduces a convolutional attention module to enhance the extraction of key features within the receptive field. The experimental results show that MpoxNet has achieved remarkable results in monkeypox disease classification, the accuracy rate is 95.28%, the precision rate is 96.40%, the recall rate is 93.00%, and the F1-Score is 95.80%. This is significantly better than the current mainstream classification model. It is worth noting that the FLOPS and the number of parameters of MpoxNet are only 30.68% and 31.87% of those of ConvNext-Tiny, indicating that the model has a small computational burden and model complexity while efficient performance.

The prognostic and immunological role of MCM3 in pan-cancer and validation of prognosis in a clinical lower-grade glioma cohort.

Background: Previous studies have shown that MCM3 plays a key role in initiating DNA replication. However, the mechanism of MCM3 function in most cancers is still unknown. The aim of our study was to explore the expression, prognostic role, and immunological characteristics of MCM3 across cancers. Methods: We explored the expression pattern of MCM3 across cancers. We subsequently explored the prognostic value of MCM3 expression by using univariate Cox regression analysis. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to determine the correlations between MCM3 and immune-related characteristics, mismatching repair (MMR) signatures, RNA modulator genes, cancer stemness, programmed cell death (PCD) gene expression, tumour mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and neoantigen levels. The role of MCM3 in predicting the response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy was further evaluated in four immunotherapy cohorts. Single-cell data from CancerSEA were analysed to assess the biological functions associated with MCM3 in 14 cancers. The clinical correlation and independent prognostic significance of MCM3 were further analysed in the TCGA and CGGA lower-grade glioma (LGG) cohorts, and a prognostic nomogram was constructed. Immunohistochemistry in a clinical cohort was utilized to validate the prognostic utility of MCM3 expression in LGG. Results: MCM3 expression was upregulated in most tumours and strongly associated with patient outcomes in many cancers. Correlation analyses demonstrated that MCM3 expression was closely linked to immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoints, MMR genes, RNA modulator genes, cancer stemness, PCD genes and the TMB in most tumours. There was an obvious difference in outcomes between patients with high MCM3 expression and those with low MCM3 expression in the 4 ICB treatment cohorts. Single-cell analysis indicated that MCM3 was mainly linked to the cell cycle, DNA damage and DNA repair. The expression of MCM3 was associated with the clinical features of LGG patients and was an independent prognostic indicator. Finally, the prognostic significance of MCM3 in LGG was validated in a clinical cohort. Conclusion: Our study suggested that MCM3 can be used as a potential prognostic marker for cancers and may be associated with tumour immunity. In addition, MCM3 is a promising predictor of immunotherapy responses.

Professional characteristics, numbers, distribution and training of China's mental health workforce from 2000 to 2020: a scoping review.

Over the last 20 years, the numbers, types, distribution, and qualifications of mental health professionals in China have changed dramatically. However, there has been no systematic attempt to collect information about this transformation in the human resources available to provide mental health services-information that needs to be regularly updated to improve the country's coordination of these services. This scoping review compiles current details about China's mental health workforce and identifies critical gaps in available research and reporting. We reviewed all relevant studies and reports published between 1 January 2000 and 30 June 2021 in two English-language and four Chinese-language databases, the website of China's National Health Commission, and national and provincial health services yearbooks. In addition to summarising data from government yearbooks, we integrated relevant results from 82 peer-reviewed publications and two government reports. From 2000 to 2020, the number of psychiatrists in the country increased by 139%, and the number of psychiatric nurses increased by 340%. However, the much higher ratio of mental health professionals per 100,000 population and the better quality of training of mental health professionals in urban, eastern provinces compared to rural, western provinces has not changed. Progress has been made in standardising the training of psychiatrists, but there are no standardised training programs for psychiatric nurses, clinical psychologists, or psychiatric social workers. Future research needs to address several issues that limit the effectiveness of policies aimed at increasing the size, quality and equitable distribution of China's mental health workforce: 1) limited data available about the numbers and characteristics of professionals who provide mental health services, 2) absence of nationally standardised training programs for non-psychiatric medical professionals and non-medical personnel who provide essential monitoring and supportive care to persons with mental illnesses, and 3) failure to scientifically assess the outcomes of currently available training programs.

Sediment DNA Records the Critical Transition of Bacterial Communities in the Arid Lake.

It is necessary to predict the critical transition of lake ecosystems due to their abrupt, non-linear effects on social-economic systems. Given the promising application of paleolimnological archives to tracking the historical changes of lake ecosystems, it is speculated that they can also record the lake's critical transition. We studied Lake Dali-Nor in the arid region of Inner Mongolia because of the profound shrinking the lake experienced between the 1300 s and the 1600 s. We reconstructed the succession of bacterial communities from a 140-cm-long sediment core at 4-cm intervals and detected the critical transition. Our results showed that the historical trajectory of bacterial communities from the 1200 s to the 2010s was divided into two alternative states: state1 from 1200 to 1300 s and state2 from 1400 to 2010s. Furthermore, in the late 1300 s, the appearance of a tipping point and critical slowing down implied the existence of a critical transition. By using a multi-decadal time series from the sedimentary core, with general Lotka-Volterra model simulations, local stability analysis found that bacterial communities were the most unstable as they approached the critical transition, suggesting that the collapse of stability triggers the community shift from an equilibrium state to another state. Furthermore, the most unstable community harbored the strongest antagonistic and mutualistic interactions, which may imply the detrimental role of interaction strength on community stability. Collectively, our study showed that sediment DNA can be used to detect the critical transition of lake ecosystems.

Deep learning unlocks label-free viability assessment of cancer spheroids in microfluidics.

Despite recent advances in cancer treatment, refining therapeutic agents remains a critical task for oncologists. Precise evaluation of drug effectiveness necessitates the use of 3D cell culture instead of traditional 2D monolayers. Microfluidic platforms have enabled high-throughput drug screening with 3D models, but current viability assays for 3D cancer spheroids have limitations in reliability and cytotoxicity. This study introduces a deep learning model for non-destructive, label-free viability estimation based on phase-contrast images, providing a cost-effective, high-throughput solution for continuous spheroid monitoring in microfluidics. Microfluidic technology facilitated the creation of a high-throughput cancer spheroid platform with approximately 12 000 spheroids per chip for drug screening. Validation involved tests with eight conventional chemotherapeutic drugs, revealing a strong correlation between viability assessed via LIVE/DEAD staining and phase-contrast morphology. Extending the model's application to novel compounds and cell lines not in the training dataset yielded promising results, implying the potential for a universal viability estimation model. Experiments with an alternative microscopy setup supported the model's transferability across different laboratories. Using this method, we also tracked the dynamic changes in spheroid viability during the course of drug administration. In summary, this research integrates a robust platform with high-throughput microfluidic cancer spheroid assays and deep learning-based viability estimation, with broad applicability to various cell lines, compounds, and research settings.

Dihydroartemisinin breaks the positive feedback loop of YAP1 and GLUT1-mediated aerobic glycolysis to boost the CD8+ effector T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aerobic glycolysis is a hallmark of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) exhibits antitumor activity towards liver cancer. Our previous studies have shown that DHA inhibits the Warburg effect in HCC cells. However, the mechanism still needs to be clarified. Our study aimed to elucidate the interaction between YAP1 and GLUT1-mediated aerobic glycolysis in HCC cells and focused on the underlying mechanisms of DHA inhibiting aerobic glycolysis in HCC cells. In this study, we confirmed that inhibition of YAP1 expression lowers GLUT1-mediated aerobic glycolysis in HCC cells and enhances the activity of CD8+T cells in the tumor niche. Then, we found that DHA was bound to cellular YAP1 in HCC cells. YAP1 knockdown inhibited GLUT1-mediated aerobic glycolysis, whereas YAP1 overexpression promoted GLUT1-mediated aerobic glycolysis in HCC cells. Notably, liver-specific Yap1 knockout by AAV8-TBG-Cre suppressed HIF-1α and GLUT1 expression in tumors but not para-tumors in DEN/TCPOBOP-induced HCC mice. Even more crucial is that YAP1 forms a positive feedback loop with GLUT1-mediated aerobic glycolysis, which is associated with HIF-1α in HCC cells. Finally, DHA reduced GLUT1-aerobic glycolysis in HCC cells through YAP1 and prevented the binding of YAP1 and HIF-1α. Collectively, our study revealed the mechanism of DHA inhibiting glycolysis in HCC cells from a perspective of a positive feedback loop involving YAP1 and GLUT1 mediated-aerobic glycolysis and provided a feasible therapeutic strategy for targeting enhanced aerobic glycolysis in HCC.

ASSOCIATION OF MACULAR STRUCTURE WITH MICROPERIMETRY SENSITIVITY FOLLOWING VITRECTOMY FOR PROLIFERATE DIABETIC RETINOPATHY.

PURPOSE: To evaluate macular sensitivity using microperimetry in patients with proliferate diabetic retinopathy following vitrectomy and to investigate the relationship between the sensitivity and foveal microstructures with optical coherence tomography/angiography. METHODS: Eighty-four eyes of 84 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, who were indicated for vitrectomy, had no intraocular surgery history 3 months preoperatively, and were able to ensure fundus examination after the vitrectomy, were included. A logMAR best-corrected visual acuity, macular sensitivity of microperimetry, macular retinal thickness, and macular vessel perfusion using optical coherence tomography/angiography were examined at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The logMAR best-corrected visual acuity and mean macular sensitivity of patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy improved postoperatively (P < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between best-corrected visual acuity and mean sensitivity (P < 0.05). Postoperative mean macular sensitivity was significantly correlated with outer retinal thickness in the 0 to 6 mm macular area (P < 0.05) and also significantly correlated with deep capillary plexus perfusion (P < 0.05). Fixation stability and mean macular sensitivity did not show any correlation with glycated hemoglobin, triglyceride, serum total cholesterol, carbamide, and creatinine and duration of diabetes mellitus (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Postoperative mean macular sensitivity was significantly correlated with outer retinal thickness and deep capillary plexus perfusion for patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The authors found that the visual performance of patients can be evaluated by the outer retinal thickness and deep capillary plexus perfusion, so optical coherence tomography/angiography examination can be an important prognostic factor for visual performance in patients.Clinical Trial Registration: This trial is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org.cn; Registration No.: ChiCTR2100043399).

Preparation of (S)-epichlorohydrin using a novel halohydrin dehalogenase by selective conformation adjustment.

Chiral epichlorohydrin (ECH) is an attractive intermediate for chiral pharmaceuticals and chemicals preparation. The asymmetric synthesis of chiral ECH using 1,3-dicholoro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP) catalyzed by a haloalcohol dehalogenase (HHDH) was considered as a feasible approach. However, the reverse ring opening reaction caused low optical purity of chiral ECH, thus severely restricts the industrial application of HHDHs. In the present study, a novel selective conformation adjustment strategy was developed with an engineered HheCPS to regulate the kinetic parameters of the forward and reverse reactions, based on site saturation mutation and molecular simulation analysis. The HheCPS mutant E85P was constructed with a markable change in the conformation of (S)-ECH in the substrate pocket and a slight impact on the interaction between 1,3-DCP and the enzyme, which resulted in the kinetic deceleration of the reverse reactions. Compared with HheCPS, the catalytic efficiency (kcat(S)-ECH/Km(S)-ECH) of the reversed reaction dropped to 0.23-fold (from 0.13 to 0.03 mM-1 s-1), while the catalytic efficiency (kcat(1,3-DCP)/Km(1,3-DCP)) of the forward reaction only reduced from 0.83 to 0.71 mM-1 s-1. With 40 mM 1,3-DCP as substrate, HheCPS E85P catalyzed the synthesis of (S)-ECH with the yield up to 55.35% and the e.e. increased from 92.54 to >99%. Our work provided an effective approach for understanding the stereoselective catalytic mechanism as well as the green manufacturing of chiral epoxides.