Precise Oligopeptides Block CCDC25 Interaction with DNA in Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Inhibiting Tumor Metastasis.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) induce tumor metastasis by riding tumor cells through interaction via the transmembrane protein CCDC25 on the surface of cancer cells. Recently, we applied positively charged polyamino acids to neutralize negatively charged NET-DNA and inhibit tumor metastasis as approved on several metastasis models. To elucidate the exact polymer structures on performance, herein, we precisely synthesized a series of cationic oligopeptides with defined numbers of arginine (R) and glycine (G).

Cancer-secreted exosomal miR-1825 induces angiogenesis to promote colorectal cancer metastasis.

Background: Angiogenesis is one of the important factors related to tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastasis. Cancer-secreted exosomes are essential mediators of intercellular cross-talk and participate in angiogenesis and metastasis. Unveiling the mechanism of angiogenesis is an important way to develop anti-angiogenesis therapeutic strategies to against cancer progression.

Cancer-secreted exosomal miR-1246 promotes colorectal cancer liver metastasis by activating hepatic stellate cells.

Colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) are the primary cause of mortality in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, highlighting the importance of understanding the underlying mechanisms. The tumor microenvironment (TME) and its interaction with tumor cells play a crucial role in CRLM progression. Notably, the stability and peak levels of tumor-derived exosomal miRNAs facilitate intercellular communication in the TME.

Regulation of Glycolysis by SMAD5 in Glioma Cells: Implications for Tumor Growth and Apoptosis.

The Warburg effect serves as a crucial aspect of tumor metabolism, where tumor cells preferentially rely on glycolysis, despite its lower efficiency, over oxidative phosphorylation for energy production even under aerobic conditions. This reprogramming of glucose metabolism confers glioma cells with the capacity for survival and proliferation. Serving as a messenger for regulating transforming growth factor beta, intracellular pH, cell metabolism maintaining cellular bioenergetic homeostasis, SMAD family member 5 (SMAD5) plays a pivotal role in the malignant progression of glioma cells and aerobic glycolysis.

Comprehensive Serum Analysis via an AI-Assisted Magnetically Driven SERS Platform for the Diagnosis and Etiological Differentiation of Childhood Epilepsy.

Timely and accurate diagnosis of childhood epilepsy and identification of its etiology are crucial for early interventional treatment, yet still, effective detection methods are lacking. Blood analysis is a promising strategy for disease diagnosis. However, due to the complex composition and lack of definite childhood epilepsy diagnostic markers in serum, comprehensively profiling serum molecular signals to accurately reveal diagnostic information is still challenging.

Hemodynamics of distal cerebral arteries are associated with functional outcomes in symptomatic ischemic stroke in middle cerebral artery territory: A 4D flow CMR study.

Background: Cerebrovascular hemodynamics are believed to play an important role in the development of ischemic stroke (IS). However, the relationships between hemodynamics and prognosis are not fully understood. Four-dimensional (4D) flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) enables comprehensive characteristics of cerebrovascular hemodynamics.

Hydrogels empowered mesenchymal stem cells and the derived exosomes for regenerative medicine in age-related musculoskeletal diseases.

As the population ages, musculoskeletal diseases (MSK) have emerged as a significant burden for individuals, healthcare systems, and social care systems. Recently, regenerative medicine has exhibited vast potential in age-related MSK, with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and their derived exosomes (Exos) therapies showing distinct advantages. However, these therapies face several limitations, including issues related to ensuring stability and effective distribution within the body.

Raman spectroscopy with a microfluidic device embedded with plasmonic metasurface.

Metasurfaces offer a powerful tool to realize label-free and highly sensitive Raman spectroscopy. Embedding metasurfaces into microfluidic channels is promising to establish a new characterizing platform for microfluids. In this Letter, we present a highly stable method for improving the Raman scattering intensity of biological microfluids by using a microfluidic chip embedded with a plasmonic metasurface.

Development and validation of a preoperative nomogram for predicting gallbladder adenoma.

Background: Gallbladder cholesterol polyp (GCP) and gallbladder adenoma (GA) are easily confused in clinical diagnosis. This study aims to establish a nomogram prediction model for preoperative prediction of the risk of GA patients.

Study Design: We retrospectively collected clinical data of GCP or GA patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) between January 2020 and April 2023.

Gastric cancer-derived exosomal let-7 g-5p mediated by SERPINE1 promotes macrophage M2 polarization and gastric cancer progression.

Background: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), particularly M2-polarized TAMs, are significant contributors to tumor progression, immune evasion, and therapy resistance in gastric cancer (GC). Despite efforts to target TAM recruitment or depletion, clinical efficacy remains limited. Consequently, the identification of targets that specifically inhibit or reprogram M2-polarized TAMs presents a promising therapeutic strategy.

Van der Waals epitaxial growth of single-crystal molecular film.

Epitaxy is the cornerstone of semiconductor technology, enabling the fabrication of single-crystal film. Recent advancements in van der Waals (vdW) epitaxy have opened new avenues for producing wafer-scale single-crystal 2D atomic crystals. However, when it comes to molecular crystals, the overall weak vdW force means that it is a significant challenge for small molecules to form a well-ordered structure during epitaxy.

Promoting effect of ammonia oxidation on sulfur oxidation during composting: Nitrate as a bridge.

Ammonia (NH) and hydrogen sulfide (HS) are the main odor components in the composting process. Controlling their emissions is very important to reduce environmental pollution and improve the quality of composting products. This study explored the effects of functional bacteria on nitrogen and sulfur metabolism in the composting process of food waste (FW) by adding ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB, A treatment), sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB, S treatment), and combined AOB and SOB (AS treatment), respectively.

Authors' reply to comments on "Improved photostability, solubility, hygroscopic stability and antimicrobial activity of fleroxacin by synthesis of fleroxacin-D-tartaric acid pharmaceutical salt".

This article responds to Dr. Shayanfar's comment "Improvement of photostability, solubility, hygroscopic stability and antimicrobial activity of fleroxacin by synthesizing fleroxacin-D-tartaric acid pharmaceutical salt". We rationalized and explained the solubility study portion of the published novel pharmaceutical salt (fleroxacin-D-tartaric acid, FL-D-TT).

Precision Nanovaccines for Potent Vaccination.

Compared with traditional vaccines, nanoparticulate vaccines are especially suitable for delivering antigens of proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids and facilitating lymph node targeting. Moreover, apart from improving pharmacokinetics and safety, nanoparticulate vaccines assist antigens and molecular adjuvants in crossing biological barriers, targeting immune organs and antigen-presenting cells (APC), controlled release, and cross-presentation. However, the process that stimulates and orchestrates the immune response is complicated, involving spatiotemporal interactions of multiple cell types, including APCs, B cells, T cells, and macrophages.

Synthesis of 2-imidazoles copper-catalyzed homo/cross-coupling of oxime acetates.

A facile and practical protocol to construct 2-imidazoles by applying an oxime acetate block as the sole component oxidative homo/cross-coupling catalyzed by Cu(I) was developed. This strategy provides a straightforward method to produce a series of substituted 2-imidazoles in moderate to excellent yields. The transformation process is straightforward to operate and is considered as a readily available catalytic system exhibiting good substrate compatibility, eliminating the necessity for pre-functionalization of azides or the use of additives.

Synthetic polypeptides inhibit nucleic acid-induced inflammation in autoimmune diseases by disrupting multivalent TLR9 binding to LL37-DNA bundles.

Complexes of extracellular nucleic acids (NAs) with endogenous proteins or peptides, such as LL37, break immune balance and cause autoimmune diseases, whereas NAs with arginine-enriched peptides do not. Inspired by this, we synthesize a polyarginine nanoparticle PEG-TK-NP, which effectively inhibits Toll-like receptor-9 (TLR9) activation, in contrast to LL37. To explore the discrepancy effect of PEG-TK-NP and LL37, we evaluate the periodic structure of PEG-TK-NP-NA and LL37-NA complexes using small-angle X-ray scattering.

Molecular and cellular role of variants of the promoter region of HAND1 gene in sporadic and isolated ventricular septal defect.

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common type of congenital heart disease. HAND1 gene plays a crucial role in the development of the heart, but the role of the variants in the HAND1 gene promoter region in patients with VSD has not been explored yet. From 588 participants (300 with isolated and sporadic VSD and 288 healthy controls), DNA was extracted from blood samples.

Association of body mass index with muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness: A cross-sectional study based on Chinese adolescents.

Background: Muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness are important components of physical fitness and are important for the physical and mental health development of university students. However, obesity is also an important factor affecting physical fitness, and there are few studies on how body mass index (BMI), which reflects obesity, is associated with muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness among Chinese university students. Therefore, this study analyzed the association between BMI and muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness among Chinese university students in order to provide a reference and basis for promoting the development of physical fitness among Chinese university students.

Discovery and Manipulation of van der Waals Polarons in SbO Ultrathin Molecular Crystal.

Manipulating single electrons at the atomic scale is vital for mastering complex surface processes governed by the transfer of individual electrons. Polarons, composed of electrons stabilized by electron-phonon coupling, offer a pivotal medium for such manipulation. Here, using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we report the identification and manipulation of a new type of polaron, dubbed van der Waals (vdW) polaron, within mono- to trilayer ultrathin films composed of SbO molecules that are bonded via vdW attractions.

Stem-Cell-Regenerative and Protective Effects of Squid () Skin Collagen Peptides against HO-Induced Fibroblast Injury.

Recently, there has been a growing interest in collagen peptides derived from marine sources for their notable ability to protect skin cells against apoptosis induced by oxidants. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the fundamental properties of collagen peptides, including their physicochemical, thermal, structural, stem-cell-regenerative, and skin-cell-protective effects, in comparison to commercial collagen peptides. The acid-soluble (ASC) and pepsin-soluble (PSC) collagens exhibited three distinct bands on SDS-PAGE, namely α (α and α), β, and γ chains, confirming a type I pattern.