NADPH oxidase 4 deficiency promotes hepatocellular carcinoma arising from hepatic fibrosis by inducing M2-macrophages in the tumor microenvironment.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often arises in the cirrhotic livers, highlighting the intricate link between hepatic fibrosis and carcinogenesis. Reactive oxygen species produced by NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) contribute to liver injury leading to hepatic fibrosis. Paradoxically, NOX4 is known to inhibit HCC progression.

Integrated 1D epitaxial mirror twin boundaries for ultrascaled 2D MoS field-effect transistors.

In atomically thin van der Waals materials, grain boundaries-the line defects between adjacent crystal grains with tilted in-plane rotations-are omnipresent. When the tilting angles are arbitrary, the grain boundaries form inhomogeneous sublattices, giving rise to local electronic states that are not controlled. Here we report on epitaxial realizations of deterministic MoS mirror twin boundaries (MTBs) at which two adjoining crystals are reflection mirroring by an exactly 60° rotation by position-controlled epitaxy.

Deep-ultraviolet electroluminescence and photocurrent generation in graphene/hBN/graphene heterostructures.

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is a van der Waals semiconductor with a wide bandgap of ~ 5.96 eV. Despite the indirect bandgap characteristics of hBN, charge carriers excited by high energy electrons or photons efficiently emit luminescence at deep-ultraviolet (DUV) frequencies via strong electron-phonon interaction, suggesting potential DUV light emitting device applications.

Proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 mediates transforming growth factor-beta-induced hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis.

Hepatic fibrogenesis is characterized by activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). The impact of ECM on TGF-β-mediated fibrogenic signaling pathway in HSCs has remained obscure. We studied the role of non-receptor tyrosine kinase focal adhesion kinase (FAK) family members in TGF-β-signaling in HSCs.

The therapeutic potential of induced hepatocyte-like cells generated by direct reprogramming on hepatic fibrosis.

Background: Until now, there is no effective anti-fibrotic therapy available for liver cirrhosis. Stem cell therapies have been studied for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis. However, the use of embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) has limitations such as ethical concern or malignancy potential.

KML001 enhances anticancer activity of gemcitabine against pancreatic cancer cells.

Background/aim: Gemcitabine is a drug commonly used to treat pancreatic cancer but chemoresistance to it is a common clinical issue. KML001 (sodium meta-arsenite) has demonstrated certain antitumor activity. The objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of KML001 on the anticancer activity of gemcitabine against pancreatic cancer cells.

KML001 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion in pancreatic cancer cells through suppression of NF-κB and VEGF-C.

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis and the efficacy of chemotherapy is limited. KML001 (sodium meta-arsenite) has been demonstrated to have anticancer activity against some solid cancer cells. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of KML001 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells.

Inhibition of SCAMP1 suppresses cell migration and invasion in human pancreatic and gallbladder cancer cells.

Lymph node (LN) metastasis is one of the most important risk factors for the prognosis of pancreatic cancer. This study aimed to identify novel LN metastasis-associated markers and therapeutic targets for pancreatic and gallbladder cancers. DNA microarray analysis was carried out to identify genes differentially expressed between 17 pancreatic cancer tissues with LN metastasis and 17 pancreatic cancer tissues without LN metastasis.

Guggulsterone enhances antitumor activity of gemcitabine in gallbladder cancer cells through suppression of NF-κB.

Purpose: Patients with gallbladder cancer usually have a poor prognosis, and effective standard chemotherapeutic regimens have not been established. The anticancer activities of guggulsterone have been demonstrated in various cancer cells. The aims of the study were to determine the effect of guggulsterone on gallbladder cancer cells and to investigate whether treatment with guggulsterone influences the antitumor activities of gemcitabine.

A critical time window for the survival of neural progenitor cells by HDAC inhibitors in the hippocampus.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) that modulate gene expression by inhibiting HDAC enzymes may contribute to the survival of immature hippocampal neurons. However, it remains unknown how and when HDACIs regulate the survival of newly generated immature hippocampal neurons. In the present study, if the treatment of valproic acid (VPA) and sodium butyrate (SBt) in the specific time window during the development of newly generated n eurons r esulted in the i ncreased survival of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)(+) neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG) of hippocampus in mice was investigated.