Combination of gold nanoparticles with near-infrared light as an alternative approach for melanoma management.

Melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer and recently approved drugs are often associated with resistance and significant adverse effects. Therefore, the design of more effective and safe options remains imperative. Photothermal therapy (PTT) using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) presents a promising and innovative approach.

Photoprotective Melanin Is Maintained within Keratinocytes in Storage Lysosomes.

In the skin, melanin is synthesized by melanocytes within melanosomes and transferred to keratinocytes. After being phagocytosed by keratinocytes, melanin polarizes to supranuclear caps that protect against the genotoxic effects of UVR. We provide evidence that melanin-containing phagosomes undergo a canonical maturation process, with the sequential acquisition of early and late endosomal markers.

Membrane trafficking alterations in breast cancer progression.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancer in women, and remains one of the major causes of death in women worldwide. It is now well established that alterations in membrane trafficking are implicated in BC progression. Indeed, membrane trafficking pathways regulate BC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis.

BRD9 status is a major contributor for cysteine metabolic remodeling through MST and EAAT3 modulation in malignant melanoma.

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is the most aggressive skin cancer, showing globally increasing incidence. Hereditary CM accounts for a significant percentage (5-15 %) of all CM cases. However, most familial cases remain without a known genetic cause.

Melanin's Journey from Melanocytes to Keratinocytes: Uncovering the Molecular Mechanisms of Melanin Transfer and Processing.

Skin pigmentation ensures efficient photoprotection and relies on the pigment melanin, which is produced by epidermal melanocytes and transferred to surrounding keratinocytes. While the molecular mechanisms of melanin synthesis and transport in melanocytes are now well characterized, much less is known about melanin transfer and processing within keratinocytes. Over the past few decades, distinct models have been proposed to explain how melanin transfer occurs at the cellular and molecular levels.

Genuine Tripartite Non-Gaussian Entanglement.

Triple-photon states generated by three-mode spontaneous parametric down-conversion are the paradigm of unconditional non-Gaussian states, essential assets for quantum advantage. How to fully characterize their non-Gaussian entanglement remains however elusive. We propose here a set of sufficient and necessary conditions for separability of the broad family of spontaneously generated three-mode non-Gaussian states.

Correlated twin-photon generation in a silicon nitride loaded thin film PPLN waveguide.

Photon-pair sources based on thin film lithium niobate on insulator technology have a great potential for integrated optical quantum information processing. We report on such a source of correlated twin-photon pairs generated by spontaneous parametric down conversion in a silicon nitride (SiN) rib loaded thin film periodically poled lithium niobate (LN) waveguide. The generated correlated photon pairs have a wavelength centred at 1560 nm compatible with present telecom infrastructure, a large bandwidth (21 THz) and a brightness of ∼2.

RAB3A Regulates Melanin Exocytosis and Transfer Induced by Keratinocyte-Conditioned Medium.

Skin pigmentation is imparted by melanin and is crucial for photoprotection against UVR. Melanin is synthesized and packaged into melanosomes within melanocytes and is then transferred to keratinocytes (KCs). Although the molecular players involved in melanogenesis have been extensively studied, those underlying melanin transfer remain unclear.

Liposomal Formulations of a New Zinc(II) Complex Exhibiting High Therapeutic Potential in a Murine Colon Cancer Model.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Many current therapies rely on chemotherapeutic agents with poor specificity for tumor cells. The clinical success of cisplatin has prompted the research and design of a huge number of metal-based complexes as potential chemotherapeutic agents.

The Dark Side of Melanin Secretion in Cutaneous Melanoma Aggressiveness.

Skin cancers are among the most common cancers worldwide and are increasingly prevalent. Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is characterized by the malignant transformation of melanocytes in the epidermis. Although CM shows lower incidence than other skin cancers, it is the most aggressive and responsible for the vast majority of skin cancer-related deaths.

Crosstalk between cilia and autophagy: implication for human diseases.

Macroautophagy/autophagy is a self-degradative process necessary for cells to maintain their energy balance during development and in response to nutrient deprivation. Autophagic processes are tightly regulated and have been found to be dysfunctional in several pathologies. Increasing experimental evidence points to the existence of an interplay between autophagy and cilia.

Melanocore uptake by keratinocytes occurs through phagocytosis and involves protease-activated receptor-2 internalization.

In the skin epidermis, melanin is produced and stored within melanosomes in melanocytes, and then transferred to keratinocytes. Different models have been proposed to explain the melanin transfer mechanism, which differ essentially in how melanin is transferred-either in a membrane-bound melanosome or as a melanosome core, that is, melanocore. Here, we investigated the endocytic route followed by melanocores and melanosomes during internalization by keratinocytes, by comparing the uptake of melanocores isolated from the supernatant of melanocyte cultures, with melanosomes isolated from melanocytes.

Reconstructed human pigmented skin/epidermis models achieve epidermal pigmentation through melanocore transfer.

The skin acts as a barrier to environmental insults and provides many vital functions. One of these is to shield DNA from harmful ultraviolet radiation, which is achieved by skin pigmentation arising as melanin is produced and dispersed within the epidermal layer. This is a crucial defence against DNA damage, photo-ageing and skin cancer.

Apparent Absence of BMAL1-Dependent Skeletal Muscle-Kidney Cross Talk in Mice.

BMAL1 is a core mammalian circadian clock transcription factor responsible for the regulation of the expression of thousands of genes. Previously, male skeletal-muscle-specific BMAL1-inducible-knockout (iMS-BMAL1 KO) mice have been described as a model that exhibits an aging-like phenotype with an altered gait, reduced mobility, muscle weakness, and impaired glucose uptake. Given this aging phenotype and that chronic kidney disease is a disease of aging, the goal of this study was to determine if iMS-BMAL1 KO mice exhibit a renal phenotype.

Kidney-specific KO of the circadian clock protein PER1 alters renal Na handling, aldosterone levels, and kidney/adrenal gene expression.

PERIOD 1 (PER1) is a circadian clock transcription factor that is regulated by aldosterone, a hormone that increases blood volume and Na retention to increase blood pressure. Male global knockout (KO) mice develop reduced night/day differences in Na excretion in response to a high-salt diet plus desoxycorticosterone pivalate treatment (HS + DOCP), a model of salt-sensitive hypertension. In addition, global KO mice exhibit higher aldosterone levels on a normal-salt diet.

Supermode-based second harmonic generation in a nonlinear interferometer.

We demonstrate supermode-based second harmonic generation in an integrated nonlinear interferometer made of linear and nonlinear directional couplers. We use a fully-fibered pump shaper to demonstrate second harmonic generation pumped by the symmetric or anti-symmetric fundamental spatial modes. The selection of the pumping mode and thus of a specific SHG spectral profile is achieved through the selection of the fundamental wavelength and via a robust phase setting scheme.

Hierarchy of Nonlinear Entanglement Dynamics for Continuous Variables.

The entanglement produced by a bilinear Hamiltonian in continuous variables has been thoroughly studied and widely used. In contrast, the physics of entanglement resulting from nonlinear interaction described by partially degenerate high-order Hamiltonians remains unclear. Here, we derive a hierarchy of sufficient and necessary conditions for the positive-partial-transposition separability of bipartite nonlinear quantum states.

Unraveling the Relevance of ARL GTPases in Cutaneous Melanoma Prognosis through Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis.

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is the deadliest skin cancer, whose molecular pathways underlying its malignancy remain unclear. Therefore, new information to guide evidence-based clinical decisions is required. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribosylation factor-like (ARL) proteins are membrane trafficking regulators whose biological relevance in CM is undetermined.

Development of Dl1.72, a Novel Anti-DLL1 Antibody with Anti-Tumor Efficacy against Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer.

The Notch-signaling ligand DLL1 has emerged as an important player and promising therapeutic target in breast cancer (BC). DLL1-induced Notch activation promotes tumor cell proliferation, survival, migration, angiogenesis and BC stem cell maintenance. In BC, DLL1 overexpression is associated with poor prognosis, particularly in estrogen receptor-positive (ER) subtypes.

Rab11 is required for lysosome exocytosis through the interaction with Rab3a, Sec15 and GRAB.

Lysosomes are dynamic organelles, capable of undergoing exocytosis. This process is crucial for several cellular functions, namely plasma membrane repair. Nevertheless, the molecular machinery involved in this process is poorly understood.

Melanin Transfer in the Epidermis: The Pursuit of Skin Pigmentation Control Mechanisms.

The mechanisms by which the pigment melanin is transferred from melanocytes and processed within keratinocytes to achieve skin pigmentation remain ill-characterized. Nevertheless, several models have emerged in the past decades to explain the transfer process. Here, we review the proposed models for melanin transfer in the skin epidermis, the available evidence supporting each one, and the recent observations in favor of the exo/phagocytosis and shed vesicles models.

Interplay of the Circadian Clock and Endothelin System.

The peptide hormone endothelin-1 and its receptors are linked to several disease states. Pharmacological inhibition of this pathway has proven beneficial in pulmonary hypertension, yet its potential in other disease states remains to be realized. This review considers an often understudied aspect of endothelin biology, circadian rhythm regulation and how understanding the intersection between endothelin signaling and the circadian clock may be leveraged to realize the potential of endothelin-based therapeutics.

Subversion of Ras Small GTPases in Cutaneous Melanoma Aggressiveness.

The rising incidence and mortality rate associated with the metastatic ability of cutaneous melanoma represent a major public health concern. Cutaneous melanoma is one of the most invasive human cancers, but the molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Moreover, currently available therapies are not efficient in avoiding melanoma lethality.