Key Regulatory Elements of the TGFβ-LRRC15 Axis Predict Disease Progression and Immunotherapy Resistance Across Cancer Types.

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) has dual roles in cancer, initially suppressing tumors but later promoting metastasis and immune evasion. Efforts to inhibit TGFβ have been largely unsuccessful due to significant toxicity and indiscriminate immunosuppression. Leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 15 (LRRC15) is a TGFβ-regulated antigen expressed by mesenchymal-derived cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs).

Clinical Efficacy and Safety Analysis of PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitor vs. Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab (PD-1/PD-L inhibitor) and adjuvant chemotherapy to treat NSCLC and provide evidence-based reference for clinical use.

Methods: By searching the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science, according to the inclusion criteria, literature selection, data extraction, and quality evaluation were carried out for the included literature. The test was used to evaluate heterogeneity between studies, and the meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.

Two dimensional NiP/CdS photocatalyst for boosting hydrogen production under visible light irradiation.

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor materials have attracted considerable attention in the field of photocatalysis due to the high interfacial charge separation efficiency and abundant surface active sites. Herein, we have fabricated 2D/2D sheets of NiP/CdS heterostructure for photocatalytic H evolution. The microscopic and photocatalytic activity results suggested that NiP nanosheets were coupled with snowflake CdS.

Role of protein deimination in cardiovascular diseases: potential new avenues for diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

Introduction: Arginine deimination (citrullination) is a post-translational modification catalyzed by a family of peptidyl arginine deiminase (PAD) enzymes. Cell-based functional studies and animal models have manifested the key role of PADs in various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

Area Covered: This review summarizes the past 10 years of knowledge on the role of PADs in CVD pathogenesis.

Spatial Compartmentalization of Cobalt Phosphide in P-Doped Dual Carbon Shells for Efficient Alkaline Overall Water Splitting.

Highly durable and earth-abundant bifunctional catalysts with low cell voltage are desirable for alkaline overall water splitting in the industrial fields. Herein, a novel carbon-based CoP hybrid with spatial compartmentalization of CoP nanoparticles (NPs) in P-doped dual carbon shells is achieved via a cheap Co-glycerate-template strategy. Benefitted from the uniform atomic blending of Co ions in the Co-glycerate precursors, CoP NPs formed in the confined space with NaHPO as phosphorus source during the annealing process; meanwhile, glycerate suffered carbonization and transformed into P-doped dual carbon shells during the annealing process, including interior thin carbon coating, closely encircled CoP NP, and peripheral hollow carbon sphere loading a lot of CoP NPs.

Preparation of a Phenolic-Resin-Based Polymer Sponge Composed of Intertwined Nanofibers with Tunable Wettability for High-Efficiency Separation of Oil-Water Emulsions.

Nowadays, as the combination of water pollution and water shortage causes severe environmental and social issues, the special wettable materials, which can be selectively wetted by either water or oil, attract tremendous attention for high-efficiency separation of oil-water mixtures. Herein, we prepare a phenolic-resin-based sponge composed of intertwined nanofibers via a simple hydrothermal method. The wettability of the as-prepared polymer is tuned readily by controlling only the hydrothermal temperature.

Ultrathin Ni(OH) nanosheets: a new strategy for cocatalyst design on CdS surfaces for photocatalytic hydrogen generation.

Ultrathin metal materials exhibit quantum size and surface effects that give rise to unique catalytic properties. In this paper, we report a facile liquid synthesis method for polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP, K30) capped ultrathin Ni(OH) nanosheets with lamellar structure. The as-prepared ultrathin Ni(OH) nanosheets coupled with CdS nanorods exhibit excellent activity in hydrogen generation from water splitting under visible light.

Pt-Ni alloy nanoparticles: a new strategy for cocatalyst design on a CdS surface for photo-catalytic hydrogen generation.

Solar photocatalytic water splitting for the production of hydrogen has been a core aspect for decades. A highly active and durable photocatalyst is crucial for the success of the renewable hydrogen economy. To date, the development of highly effective photocatalysts has been seen by the contemporary research community as a grand challenge.

Critical role for the Tsc1-mTORC1 pathway in β-cell mass in Pdx1-deficient mice.

Mutations in the pancreatic duodenal homeobox () gene are associated with diabetes in humans. -haploinsufficient mice also develop diabetes, but the molecular mechanism is unknown. To this end, we knocked down gene expression in mouse MIN6 insulinoma cells.

Low Cost and Reliable Electrochemical Sensor for Rutin Detection Based on Au Nanoparticles-Loaded ZnS Nanocomposites.

Facile preparation of electrode modified materials with low-cost nanocomposites is an important step to develop highly active electrochemical sensors for mass-market applications. Here we fabricated Au nanoparticles (AuNPs)-loaded ZnS nanocomposites for the sensitive determination of rutin due to the cooperative amplification of the conductivity and catalytic activity of AuNPs on ZnS spheres resulting from the high loading ratio of AuNPs on ZnS spheres. Under the optimal conditions, the developed sensor based on AuNPs-loaded ZnS nanocomposites exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity towards rutin in a linear range from 1 × 10-7 mol/L to 2 × 10-5 mol/L with a limit of detection of 15.

Mammary epithelium-specific inactivation of V-ATPase reduces stiffness of extracellular matrix and enhances metastasis of breast cancer.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) critically impacts tumor progression and is influenced by both cancer and host tissue cells. While our understanding of cancer cell ECM remodeling is widespread, the importance of host tissue ECM, which provides initial congenial environment for primary tumor formation, is partly understood. Here, we report a novel role of epithelial cell-associated vacuolar ATPase 'a2' isoform (a2V) in regulating breast tissue ECM stiffness to control metastasis.

Pancreatic β-Cell Death due to Pdx-1 Deficiency Requires Multi-BH Domain Protein Bax but Not Bak.

Diabetes develops in Pdx1-haploinsufficient mice due to an increase in β-cell death leading to reduced β-cell mass and decreased insulin secretion. Knockdown of Pdx1 gene expression in mouse MIN6 insulinoma cells induced apoptotic cell death with an increase in Bax activation and knockdown of Bax reduced apoptotic β-cell death. In Pdx1 haploinsufficient mice, Bax ablation in β-cells increased β-cell mass, decreased the number of TUNEL positive cells and improved glucose tolerance after glucose challenge.

Identification of Ssm1b, a novel modifier of DNA methylation, and its expression during mouse embryogenesis.

The strain-specific modifier Ssm1 is responsible for the strain-dependent methylation of particular E. coli gpt-containing transgenic sequences. Here, we identify Ssm1 as the KRAB-zinc finger (ZF) gene 2610305D13Rik located on distal chromosome 4.

BH3-only molecule Bim mediates β-cell death in IRS2 deficiency.

Irs2-deficient mice develop type 2-like diabetes due to a reduction in β-cell mass and a failure of pancreatic islets to undergo compensatory hyperplasia in response to insulin resistance. In order to define the molecular mechanisms, we knocked down Irs2 gene expression in mouse MIN6 insulinoma cells. Insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) suppression induced apoptotic cell death, which was associated with an increase in expression of the BH3-only molecule Bim.

Role of BH3-only molecules Bim and Puma in β-cell death in Pdx1 deficiency.

Mutations in pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX1) are associated with diabetes in humans. Pdx1-haploinsufficient mice develop diabetes due to an increase in β-cell death leading to reduced β-cell mass. For definition of the molecular link between Pdx1 deficiency and β-cell death, Pdx1-haploinsufficient mice in which the genes for the BH3-only molecules Bim and Puma had been ablated were studied on a high-fat diet.

Dynamic behavior of water droplet impact on microtextured surfaces: the effect of geometrical parameters on anisotropic wetting and the maximum spreading diameter.

Textured silicon surfaces decorated by square arrays of pillars with adjustable pitch were fabricated. The wetting behavior, especially for direction-dependent water contact angles on textured silicon surfaces after silanization, was investigated by incorporating the contact line fraction into a modified Wenzel model. Also, the effect of geometrical parameters on the anisotropic wetting behavior of water was examined with respect to water droplet impact on the textured surface.

[Relationship of IL-6 and IL-8 secretion in epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines with their sensitivity to tamoxifen as well as MAPK, Akt and estrogen receptor phosphorylation].

Aim: To investigate the relationship of IL-6 and IL-8 secretion in four epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines (A2780, CAOV-3, SKOV-3 and ES-2) with their sensitivity to tamoxifen (TAM) as well as MAPK, Akt and estrogen receptor (ER) phosphorylation, and to explore the mechanism of endocrine therapy resistance caused by IL-6 and IL-8 in ovarian cancer cells.

Methods: Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to analyze the expression of IL-6 and IL-8. MTT assay was carried out to examine the response of ovarian cancer cells to TAM.

[Comparative study of the protective immunity activated by antigens of adult worms and muscle larvae of Trichinella spiralis].

Aim: To compare the immune protective effects of the mice immunized by antigens derived from adult worms and muscle larvae of Trichinella spiralis.

Methods: The adult worm and muscle larvae antigens of Trichinella spiralis were prepared and two groups of mice (adult worm antigen group and muscle larvae antigen group) were immunized with them, respectively. After 10 days of the final vaccination, the mice in each group were challenged with infective larvae of Trichinella spiralis.