Immunophenotypic analysis on circulating T cells for early diagnosis of lung cancer.

The immune system continuously interacts with tumors, possibly leading to systemic alterations in circulating immune cells. However, the potential of these cancer-associated changes for diagnostic purposes remains poorly explored. To investigate this, we conducted a comprehensive flow cytometric analysis of 452 peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples from 206 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, 100 small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients, 94 healthy individuals, and 52 benign lung disease (BLD) patients.

Molecular regulatory effect of the ergot alkaloid methylergometrine on the α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

Methylergometrine has widely been used pharmacologically to treat conditions such as pain, addiction, vasoconstriction, migraines, and Parkinson's disease. Despite its side effects, it is used as a therapeutic agent and research material for various diseases based on its natural potential; however, the regulatory effect of its interaction with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) has not yet been investigated. The α3β4 nAChR is an ion channel essential for neurotransmission within the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and autonomic nervous systems.

Structural comparison of substrate-binding pockets of serine β-lactamases in classes A, C, and D.

β-lactams have been the most successful antibiotics, but the rise of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria threatens their effectiveness. Serine β-lactamases (SBLs), among the most common causes of resistance, are classified as A, C, and D, with numerous variants complicating structural and substrate spectrum comparisons. This study compares representative SBLs of these classes, focusing on the substrate-binding pocket (SBP).

Computational deconvolution of cell type-specific gene expression in COPD and IPF lungs reveals disease severity associations.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are debilitating diseases associated with divergent histopathological changes in the lungs. At present, due to cost and technical limitations, profiling cell types is not practical in large epidemiology cohorts (n > 1000). Here, we used computational deconvolution to identify cell types in COPD and IPF lungs whose abundances and cell type-specific gene expression are associated with disease diagnosis and severity.

Exploring the Role of Flexoelectric Effect in Band Modulation in 1D MoS/Boron Phosphide Nanotube Heterostructures.

Designing and discovering superior type-II band alignment are crucial for advancing optoelectronic device technologies. Here, we employ first-principles calculations to investigate the evolution of band edges in monolayer MoS, boron phosphide (BP), and MoS/BP heterostructures before and after their rolling into nanotubes. Our research results indicate that the intrinsic MoS/BP vertical heterostructures exhibit a type-II direct bandgap, but this feature is not robust under strain.