Background/objectives: Effectively targeting treatment-resistant tumor cells, particularly cancer stem cells (CSCs) involved in tumor recurrence, remains a major challenge in immunotherapy. This study examines the potential of combining mechanical high-intensity focused ultrasound (M-HIFU) with dendritic cell (DC) vaccines to enhance immune responses against OLFM4-expressing tumors, a CSC marker linked to immune evasion and tumor growth.
Methods: M-HIFU was applied to induce immunogenic cell death by mechanically disrupting tumor cells, releasing tumor-associated antigens and creating an immunostimulatory environment.
Naturally occurring homoisoflavonoids isolated from some Liliaceae plants have been reported to have diverse biological activities (e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-angiogenic effects).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer stem cells (CSCs) can self-renew and differentiate, contributing to tumor heterogeneity, metastasis, and recurrence. Their resistance to therapies, including immunotherapy, underscores the importance of targeting them for complete remission and relapse prevention. Olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4), a marker associated with various cancers such as colorectal cancer, is expressed on CSCs promoting immune evasion and tumorigenesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 (LPA) plays a critical role in brain injury following a transient brain ischemic stroke. However, its role in permanent brain ischemic stroke remains unknown. To address this, we investigated whether LPA could contribute to brain injury of mice challenged by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCompared to other organs, the brain has limited antioxidant defenses. In particular, the hippocampus is the central region for learning and memory and is highly susceptible to oxidative stress. Glial cells are the most abundant cells in the brain, and sustained glial cell activation is critical to the neuroinflammation that aggravates neuropathology and neurotoxicity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLevodopa, a dopamine prodrug, alleviates the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), but its chronic use gives rise to levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). However, it remains unclear whether levodopa pharmacodynamics is altered during the progressive onset of LID. Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry and second-derivative-based background drift removal, we continuously measured tonic dopamine levels using high temporal resolution recording over 1-h.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnnu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc
July 2023
Quantitative measurement of the phasic (changes in several seconds) and tonic (changes in minutes to hours) level changes of neurotransmitters is an essential technique for understanding brain functions and brain diseases regulated by the neurotransmitters. However, monitoring phasic and tonic levels of multiple neurotransmitters is still a challenging technology. Microdialysis can measure the tonic levels of multiple neurotransmitters simultaneously but has a low temporal resolution (minute) to analyze precisely.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFQuantum identity authentication serves as a crucial technology for secure quantum communication, but its security often faces challenges due to quantum hacking of measurement devices. This study introduces a measurement-device-independent mutual quantum identity authentication (MDI MQIA) scheme capable of ensuring secure user authentication, despite the use of measurement devices vulnerable to quantum hacking. To realize the MDI MQIA scheme, we proposed and applied a modified Bell state measurement based on linear optics, enabling the probabilistic measurement of all Bell states.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStroke is a major global health problem that causes significant mortality and long-term disability. Post-stroke neurological impairment is a complication that is often underestimated with the risk of persistent neurological deficits. Although traditional Chinese medicines have a long history of being used for stroke, their scientific efficacy remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSocial interaction among conspecifics is essential for maintaining adaptive, cooperative, and social behaviors, along with survival among mammals. The 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neuronal system is an important neurotransmitter system for regulating social behaviors; however, the circadian role of 5-HT in social interaction behaviors is unclear. To investigate whether the circadian nuclear receptor REV-ERBα, a transcriptional repressor of the rate-limiting enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (Tph2) gene in 5-HT biosynthesis, may affect social interaction behaviors, we generated a conditional knockout (cKO) mouse by targeting Rev-Erbα in dorsal raphe (DR) 5-HT neurons (5-HT-specific REV-ERBα cKO) using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system and assayed social behaviors, including social preference and social recognition, with a three-chamber social interaction test at two circadian time (CT) points, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHere, we propose a quantum asymmetric key cryptography scheme using Grover's quantum search algorithm. In the proposed scheme, Alice generates a pair of public and private keys, keeps the private keys safe, and only discloses public keys to the outside. Bob uses Alice's public key to send a secret message to Alice and Alice uses her private key to decrypt the secret message.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDopamine (DA) homeostasis influences emotions, neural circuit development, cognition, and the reward system. Dysfunctions in DA regulation can lead to neurological disorders, including depression, developmental disorders, and addiction. DA homeostasis disruption is a primary cause of Parkinson's Disease (PD).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTerpenoids are widely distributed in nature, especially in the plant kingdom, and exhibit diverse pharmacological activities. In recent years, screening has revealed a wide variety of new terpenoids that are active against different psychiatric disorders. This review synthesized the current published preclinical studies of terpenoid use in psychiatric disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBreast cancer has a high risk of recurrence and distant metastasis after remission. Controlling distant metastasis is important for reducing breast cancer mortality, but accomplishing this goal remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the molecular pathways underlying metastasis using cells that mimic the breast cancer distant metastasis process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe dysregulation of dopamine, a neuromodulator, is associated with a broad spectrum of brain disorders, including Parkinson's disease, addiction, and schizophrenia. Quantitative measurements of dopamine are essential for understanding dopamine functional dynamics. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is the most popular electrochemical technique for measuring real-time in vivo dopamine level changes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFcalcium imaging is a standard neuroimaging technique that allows selective observation of target neuronal activities. In calcium imaging, neuron activation signals provide key information for the investigation of neural circuits. For efficient extraction of the calcium signals of neurons, selective detection of the region of interest (ROI) pixels corresponding to the active subcellular region of the target neuron is essential.
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