In situ reduction of gold nanoparticles-decorated MXenes-based electrochemical sensing platform for KRAS gene detection.

In this work, gold nanoparticles@Ti3C2 MXenes nanocomposites with excellent properties were combined with toehold-mediated DNA strand displacement reaction to construct an electrochemical circulating tumor DNA biosensor. The gold nanoparticles were synthesized in situ on the surface of Ti3C2 MXenes as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The good electrical conductivity of the gold nanoparticles@Ti3C2 MXenes composite and the nucleic acid amplification strategy of enzyme-free toehold-mediated DNA strand displacement reaction can be used to efficiently and specifically detect the non-small cell cancer biomarker circulating tumor DNA KRAS gene. The biosensor has a linear detection range of 10 fM -10 nM and a detection limit of 0.38 fM, and also efficiently distinguishes single base mismatched DNA sequences. The biosensor has been successfully used for the sensitive detection of KRAS gene G12D, which has excellent potential for clinical analysis and provides a new idea for the preparation of novel MXenes-based two-dimensional composites and their application in electrochemical DNA biosensors.

A signal-on electrochemical DNA biosensor based on exonuclease III-assisted recycling amplification.

DNA electrochemical detection technology has attracted tremendous interest in recent years. However, a facile and sensitive method for the detection of the disease indicators or genes is still waiting. Herein, we constructed a signal-on electrochemical platform for detecting the manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) gene by incorporating a redox electrochemical signal probe (methylene blue) and exonuclease III-assisted target recycling signal amplification strategy. The sensor was prepared by self-assembly of a capture DNA probe of thiol-modified on GCE with gold electrodeposition. In the presence of target DNA, the exonuclease III can cleave the duplexes formed by the target DNA and the redox-labeled hairpin probes, release the target DNA and produce a residual sequence. The target DNA can continue to hybridize with the hairpin probe for the next cycle of amplification. The residual sequence hybridized with the surface-immobilized capture probes on AuNPs-modified GCE to generate a significantly amplified redox current. In particular, the redox current value of the resultant sensor showed a linear relationship with MnSOD gene concentration in the range of 1-104 pM with the detection limit as low as 0.3 pM. Furthermore, the sensor has excellent specificity and can distinguish single-base mismatch from perfectly matched target DNA. The sensor is fast in operation, and simple in design for detecting different DNA sequences or DNA identification by selecting the appropriate probe sequence, thus shedding light on a good promising application when encountering disease outbreaks or for the early clinical diagnosis of gene-related diseases.

A ferrocene-linked metal-covalent organic polymer as a peroxidase-enzyme mimic for dual channel detection of hydrogen peroxide.

A novel ferrocene-linked metal-covalent organic polymer (MCOP-NFC) was synthesized through the Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction of 1,1'-diacetyl ferrocene and tris(4-formylphenyl)amine. MCOP-NFC acts as a highly efficient artificial enzyme for mimicking peroxidase, and shows good stability in harsh chemical environments including strong bases and acids, and boiling water. Based on the peroxidase-like activity of MCOP-NFC, a highly sensitive dual channel detection method for hydrogen peroxide was developed. For the colorimetric detection strategy, the limit of detection (LOD) reached 2.1 µM, while the limit of detection was found to be as low as 0.08 µM based on the electrochemical detection channel. This study offers a new strategy for the development of an enzyme mimetic on the basis of the covalent assembly of nanostructures, and the proposed electrochemical-colorimetric sensor for H2O2 detection has great potential for applications in biology and biomedicine.

Anti-herpes simplex virus type 1 activity of Houttuynoid A, a flavonoid from Houttuynia cordata Thunb.

Early events in herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection reactivate latent human immunodeficiency virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and human papillomavirus in the presence of acyclovir (ACV). The common use of nucleoside analog medications, such as ACV and pencyclovir, has resulted in the emergence of drug-resistant HSV-1 strains in clinical therapy. Therefore, new antiherpetics that can inhibit early events in HSV-1 infection should be developed. An example of this treatment is Houttuynia cordata Thunb. water extract, which can inhibit HSV-1 infection through multiple mechanisms. In this study, the anti-HSV-1 activity of Houttuynoid A, a new type of flavonoid isolated from H. cordata, was investigated. Three different assays confirmed that this compound could exhibit strong in vitro anti-HSV-1 activity. One assay verified that this compound could inhibit HSV-1 multiplication and prevent lesion formation in a HSV-1 infection mouse model. Mechanism analysis revealed that this compound could inactivate HSV-1 infectivity by blocking viral membrane fusion. Moreover, Houttuynoid A exhibited antiviral activities against other alpha herpes viruses, such as HSV-2 and varicella zoster virus (VZV). In conclusion, Houttuynoid A may be a useful antiviral agent for HSV-1.

Purification and identification of a polysaccharide from medicinal mushroom Amauroderma rude with immunomodulatory activity and inhibitory effect on tumor growth.

Medicinal mushrooms in recent years have been the subject of many experiments searching for anticancer properties. We previously screened thirteen mushrooms for their potential in inhibiting tumor growth, and found that the water extract of Amauroderma rude exerted the highest activity. Previous studies have shown that the polysaccharides contained in the water extract were responsible for the anticancer properties. This study was designed to explore the potential effects of the polysaccharides on immune regulation and tumor growth. Using the crude Amauroderma rude extract, in vitro experiments showed that the capacities of spleen lymphocytes, macrophages, and natural killer cells were all increased. In vivo experiments showed that the extract increased macrophage metabolism, lymphocyte proliferation, and antibody production. In addition, the partially purified product stimulated the secretion of cytokines in vitro, and in vivo. Overall, the extract decreased tumor growth rates. Lastly, the active compound was purified and identified as polysaccharide F212. Most importantly, the purified polysaccharide had the highest activity in increasing lymphocyte proliferation. In summary, this molecule may serve as a lead compound for drug development.

Chemical constituents from Inonotus obliquus and their biological activities.

Seven new triterpenes, inonotusol A-G (1-7), one new diterpene, inonotusic acid (8), and 22 known compounds were isolated from Inonotus obliquus. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including homonuclear and heteronuclear correlation NMR ((1)H-(1)H COSY, ROESY, HSQC, and HMBC) experiments. In in vitro assays, compounds 6 and 8-16 showed hepatoprotective effects against d-galactosamine-induced WB-F344 cell damage, with inhibitory effects from 34.4% to 81.2%. Compounds 7, 17, and 18 exhibited selective cytotoxicities against KB, Bel-7402, or A-549 cell lines. Compounds 16 and 17 showed inhibitory effects against protein tyrosine kinases, with IC50 values of 24.6 and 7.7 µM, respectively.

Aqueous extract from a Chaga medicinal mushroom, Inonotus obliquus (higher Basidiomycetes), prevents herpes simplex virus entry through inhibition of viral-induced membrane fusion.

Chaga medicinal mushroom, Inonotus obliquus, a popular prescription in traditional medicine in Europe and Asia, was used to reduce inflammation in the nasopharynx and to facilitate breathing. The aqueous extract from I. obliquus (AEIO) exhibited marked decrease in herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection (the 50% inhibitory concentration was 3.82 µg/mL in the plaque reduction assay and 12.29 µg/mL in the HSV-1/blue assay) as well as safety in Vero cells (the 50% cellular cytotoxicity was > 1 mg/mL, and selection index was > 80). Using a time course assay, effective stage analysis, and fusion inhibition assay, the mechanism of anti-HSV activity was found against the early stage of viral infection through inhibition of viral-induced membrane fusion. Therefore, AEIO could effectively prevent HSV-1 entry by acting on viral glycoproteins, leading to the prevention of membrane fusion, which is different from nucleoside analog antiherpetics.