Nicotine exhausts CD8 T cells against tumor cells through increasing miR-629-5p to repress IL2RB-mediated granzyme B expression.

The mechanism exhausting CD8 T cells is not completely clear against tumors. Literature has demonstrated that cigarette smoking disables the immunological activity, so we propose nicotine is able to exhaust CD8 T cells. The CD8 T cells from healthy volunteers with and without cigarette smoking and the capacity of CD8 T cells against tumor cells were investigated.

STAT3 Mediated miR-30a-5p Inhibition Enhances Proliferation and Inhibits Apoptosis in Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), a transcriptional factor involved in tumorigenesis and cancer stemness formation, contributes to drug resistance in cancer therapies. STAT3 not only mediates gene transcription but also participates in microRNA suppression. This study identified a STAT3-downstream micro RNA (miRNA) involved in drug resistance against regorafenib in colorectal cancer stem-like tumorspheres.

miR-124a inhibits the proliferation and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes via targeting PIK3/NF-κB pathway.

Abnormal hyperplasia of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) leads to the progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-124a in the pathogenesis of RA. The viability and cell cycle of FLS in rheumatoid arthritis (RAFLS) were evaluated by Cell Counting Kit 8 and flow cytometry assay.

STAT3 exacerbates survival of cancer stem-like tumorspheres in EGFR-positive colorectal cancers: RNAseq analysis and therapeutic screening.

Background: Cancer stem cells are capable of undergoing cell division after surviving cancer therapies, leading to tumor progression and recurrence. Inhibitory agents against cancer stem cells may be therapeutically used for efficiently eradicating tumors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the relevant driver genes that maintain cancer stemness in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and to discover effective therapeutic agents against these genes.

EGFR-mediated interleukin enhancer-binding factor 3 contributes to formation and survival of cancer stem-like tumorspheres as a therapeutic target against EGFR-positive non-small cell lung cancer.

Objectives: YM155, an inhibitor of interleukin enhancer-binding factor 3 (ILF3), significantly suppresses cancer stemness property, implying that ILF3 contributes to cell survival of cancer stem cells. However, the molecular function of ILF3 inhibiting cancer stemness remains unclear. This study aimed to uncover the potential function of ILF3 involving in cell survival of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive lung stem-like cancer, and to investigate the potential role to improve the efficacy of anti-EGFR therapeutics.

Healthy Chinese with benign pancreatic hyperenzymemia.

Benign pancreatic hyperenzymemia, or Gullo's syndrome, is an uncommon syndrome characterized by a long-term increase of serum pancreatic enzyme in the absence of pancreatic diseases. It is primarily discovered incidentally and occurs in either sporadic or familial form. Herein, we report the first case of benign pancreatic hyperenzymemia in Taiwan.

External validation of fatty liver index for identifying ultrasonographic fatty liver in a large-scale cross-sectional study in Taiwan.

Background And Aims: The fatty liver index (FLI) is an algorithm involving the waist circumference, body mass index, and serum levels of triglyceride and gamma-glutamyl transferase to identify fatty liver. Although some studies have attempted to validate the FLI, few studies have been conducted for external validation among Asians. We attempted to validate FLI to predict ultrasonographic fatty liver in Taiwanese subjects.

A novel one-step Helicobacter pylori saliva antigen test.

Background: A rapid, reliable, and sufficiently accurate test for diagnosing Helicobacter pylori infection is required for screening dyspeptic patients before a referral for endoscopy. The purpose of this article is two-fold: first, to evaluate the accuracy of a one-step H. pylori saliva antigen (HPS) test; and second, to compare noninvasive and invasive H.