Research progress and applications of epigenetic biomarkers in cancer.

Epigenetic changes are heritable changes in gene expression without changes in the nucleotide sequence of genes. Epigenetic changes play an important role in the development of cancer and in the process of malignancy metastasis. Previous studies have shown that abnormal epigenetic changes can be used as biomarkers for disease status and disease prediction. The reversibility and controllability of epigenetic modification changes also provide new strategies for early disease prevention and treatment. In addition, corresponding drug development has also reached the clinical stage. In this paper, we will discuss the recent progress and application status of tumor epigenetic biomarkers from three perspectives: DNA methylation, non-coding RNA, and histone modification, in order to provide new opportunities for additional tumor research and applications.

Circ_0007534 promotes cholangiocarcinoma stemness and resistance to anoikis through DDX3X-mediated positive feedback regulation of parental gene DDX42.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignancy with an extremely poor prognosis, and much remains unknown about its pathogenesis and treatment modalities. Circular RNA (circRNA) has been proven to play regulatory roles in various tumorigenesis, yet its potential function and mechanism in cholangiocarcinoma require further investigation. This study is the first to identify the aberrant expression and functional role of a novel circRNA, circ_0007534, derived from the DDX42 gene, in cholangiocarcinoma. Compared to the normal control group, the expression of circ_0007534 was significantly elevated in the tissues and cells with CCA and that high expression correlated with lymph node invasion and poor prognosis. Functional experiments indicated that downregulating circ_0007534 markedly inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion, stemness, and anti-anoikis ability of CCA cells, as well as the tumor growth and liver and lung metastasis in nude mice. Mechanistic studies revealed that DDX42, as the parent gene of circ_0007534, can mutually regulate each other's expression. Predominantly located in the cytoplasm, circ_0007534 can form a complex with the RNA-binding protein DDX3X, which enhances the stability of DDX42 mRNA, thereby upregulating the expression of DDX42. This creates a positive feedback loop among the three, collectively promoting the progression of cholangiocarcinoma. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the pivotal role and molecular mechanism of circ_0007534 in the development of CCA, offering potential new targets for early diagnosis and treatment.

Advances in Drug Therapy for Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive disease with a notably poor prognosis. A large number of patients with PDAC develop metastases before they are diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPDAC). For mPDAC, FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel are the current first-line treatments. It is important to note, however, that many patients will fail chemotherapy because of drug resistance. ​Heterogeneous tumors and complex tumor microenvironments are key factors. As a result, clinical researchers are exploring a variety of alternative treatment modalities. Current understanding of the molecular signature and immune landscape of PDAC has motivated the emergence of different targeted and immune-based therapeutic approaches, some of which have shown promising results. The purpose of this review is to discuss the new targets and new drugs for mPDAC in terms of specific pathogenic factors such as metabolic vulnerability, DNA damage repair system, tumor microenvironment and immune system, in order to identify potential vulnerabilities in mPDAC patients and hopefully improve the prognosis of mPDAC patients.

Utilization of 3D printing technology in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. / 3D打印技术在肝胆胰外科中的应用进展.

The technology of three-dimensional (3D) printing emerged in the late 1970s and has since undergone considerable development to find numerous applications in mechanical engineering, industrial design, and biomedicine. In biomedical science, several studies have initially found that 3D printing technology can play an important role in the treatment of diseases in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. For example, 3D printing technology has been applied to create detailed anatomical models of disease organs for preoperative personalized surgical strategies, surgical simulation, intraoperative navigation, medical training, and patient education. Moreover, cancer models have been created using 3D printing technology for the research and selection of chemotherapy drugs. With the aim to clarify the development and application of 3D printing technology in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery, we introduce seven common types of 3D printing technology and review the status of research and application of 3D printing technology in the field of hepatopancreatobiliary surgery.

Tertiary lymphoid structures in pancreatic cancer: a new target for immunotherapy.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is extremely malignant and shows limited response to available immunotherapies due to the hypoxic and immunosuppressive nature of its tumor microenvironment (TME). The aggregation of immune cells (B cells, T cells, dendritic cells, etc.), which is induced in various chronic inflammatory settings such as infection, inflammation, and tumors, is known as the tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS). Several studies have shown that TLSs can be found in both intra- and peritumor tissues of PC. The role of TLSs in peritumor tissues in tumors remains unclear, though intratumoral TLSs are known to play an active role in a variety of tumors, including PC. The formation of intratumoral TLSs in PC is associated with a good prognosis. In addition, TLSs can be used as an indicator to assess the effectiveness of treatment. Targeted induction of TLS formation may become a new avenue of immunotherapy for PC. This review summarizes the formation, characteristics, relevant clinical outcomes, and clinical applications of TLSs in the pancreatic TME. We aim to provide new ideas for future immunotherapy of PC.

Liver fibrosis and MAFLD: the exploration of multi-drug combination therapy strategies.

In recent years, the prevalence of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has reached pandemic proportions as a leading cause of liver fibrosis worldwide. However, the stage of liver fibrosis is associated with an increased risk of severe liver-related and cardiovascular events and is the strongest predictor of mortality in MAFLD patients. More and more people believe that MAFLD is a multifactorial disease with multiple pathways are involved in promoting the progression of liver fibrosis. Numerous drug targets and drugs have been explored for various anti-fibrosis pathways. The treatment of single medicines is brutal to obtain satisfactory results, so the strategies of multi-drug combination therapies have attracted increasing attention. In this review, we discuss the mechanism of MAFLD-related liver fibrosis and its regression, summarize the current intervention and treatment methods for this disease, and focus on the analysis of drug combination strategies for MAFLD and its subsequent liver fibrosis in recent years to explore safer and more effective multi-drug combination therapy strategies.

Exosomal miRNAs in the microenvironment of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is highly aggressive having an extremely poor prognosis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) of PC is complex and heterogeneous. Various cellular components in the microenvironment are capable of secreting different active substances that are involved in promoting tumor development. Their release may occur via exosomes, the most abundant extracellular vesicles (EVs), that can carry numerous factors as well as act as a mean of intercellular communication. Emerging evidence suggests that miRNAs are involved in the regulation and control of many pathological and physiological processes. They can also be transported by exosomes from donor cells to recipient cells, thereby regulating the TME. Exosomal miRNAs show promise for use as future targets for PC diagnosis and prognosis, which may reveal new treatment strategies for PC. In this paper, we review the important role of exosomal miRNAs in mediating cellular communication in the TME of PC as well as their potential use in clinical applications.

Achieved RGBY Four Colors Changeable Electrochromic Pixel by Coelectrodeposition of Iron Hexacyanoferrate and Molybdate Hexacyanoferrate.

Although multicolor electrochromic materials and devices have been studied by many researchers, there is still none an inorganic single-layer film that has red, blue, and green three typical color states, while red, green, and blue (RGB) are indispensably for multicolor display. Iron hexacyanoferrate (FeHCF) is a kind of well-studied inorganic electrochromic material with relatively colorful properties and a great family of analogues. In this Research Article, the RGBY film with red, green, blue and yellow four typical color states are obtained successfully by coelectrodeposition of FeHCF and molybdate hexacyanoferrate (MoOHCF). This film contains the electrochromic properties of both components. Moreover, benefiting from its high A+ (alkali cation ions that can insert/extract into/from the framework, such as Li+ and K+) content, the redox process of RGBY film can be fully completed to achieve rich color variation. The absorptivity adjustment range of RGBY film at 730 and 440 nm are 0.81 and 0.43, respectively. The response time of RGBY films varies from 3 to 30 s between states and maintains its optical properties without significant decay during 1000 cycles. Finally, a pixelated electrode and a facile electrochromic device based on RGBY film have been developed to exhibit its high application potential in nonemission display field.