TFAP2C Knockdown Sensitizes Bladder Cancer Cells to Cisplatin Treatment via Regulation of EGFR and NF-κB.

Cisplatin is the first-line chemotherapy for advanced or metastatic bladder cancer. Nevertheless, approximately half of patients with BCa are insensitive to cisplatin therapy or develop cisplatin resistance during the treatment process. Therefore, it is especially crucial to investigate ways to enhance the sensitivity of tumor cells to cisplatin.

Phototherapy with Cancer-Specific Nanoporphyrin Potentiates Immunotherapy in Bladder Cancer.

Purpose: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in general have shown poor efficacy in bladder cancer. The purpose of this project was to determine whether photodynamic therapy (PDT) with bladder cancer-specific porphyrin-based PLZ4-nanoparticles (PNP) potentiated ICI.

Experimental Design: SV40 T/Ras double-transgenic mice bearing spontaneous bladder cancer and C57BL/6 mice carrying syngeneic bladder cancer models were used to determine the efficacy and conduct molecular correlative studies.

Corrigendum: Comprehensive Analysis of N6-Methylandenosine-Related Long Non-Coding RNAs Signature in Prognosis and Tumor Microenvironment of Bladder Cancer.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.

Comprehensive Analysis of N6-Methylandenosine-Related Long Non-Coding RNAs Signature in Prognosis and Tumor Microenvironment of Bladder Cancer.

To investigate the role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A)- related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in bladder cancer (BC). 50 m6A-related lncRNAs were screened out and were correlated with prognosis from BC samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The lncRNAs were subdivided into cluster 1 and cluster 2 with consensus cluster analysis, and it was found that lncRNAs in cluster 2 were associated with poor prognosis and increased PD-L1 expression.

Volunteering, Charitable Donation, and Psychological Well-Being of College Students in China.

Psychological well-being indicates individuals' positive psychological functioning and well-being. A growing body of literature, largely based on adults and old people, suggests that volunteering and charitable donations are related to individuals' psychological well-being. As emerging adulthood is a vital time for lifespan development, the aim of this study is to examine the effects of volunteering and charitable donation on individuals' psychological well-being on college students.

Job Demands and Resources and Employee Well-Being in the Chinese Nonprofit Sector.

Although the nonprofit sector in China has grown substantially in past decades, its future is threatened by high turnover and burnout. It is thus necessary to investigate the factors that contribute to employee well-being (EWB) among nonprofit employees in China. This study used 233 foundation employees in China to examine the effects of job demands and resources (JD-R) on EWB.

Synergistic antitumor activity of pan-PI3K inhibition and immune checkpoint blockade in bladder cancer.

Background: Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) induces durable response in approximately 20% of patients with advanced bladder urothelial cancer (aUC). Over 50% of aUCs harbor genomic alterations along the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. The goal of this project was to determine the synergistic effects and mechanisms of action of PI3K inhibition and ICB combination in aUC.

SC66 inhibits the proliferation and induces apoptosis of human bladder cancer cells by targeting the AKT/β-catenin pathway.

Bladder cancer (BC) is a major disease of the genitourinary tract, and chemotherapy is one of the main treatments commonly used at present. SC66 is a new type of allosteric AKT inhibitor that is reported to play an effective inhibitory role in the progression of many other types of tumours, but there is no reported research on its role in BC. In this study, we found that SC66 significantly inhibited the proliferation and EMT-mediated migration and invasion of T24 and 5637 cells.

Combination strategies to maximize the benefits of cancer immunotherapy.

Immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and adoptive cell therapy (ACT) have revolutionized cancer treatment, especially in patients whose disease was otherwise considered incurable. However, primary and secondary resistance to single agent immunotherapy often results in treatment failure, and only a minority of patients experience long-term benefits. This review article will discuss the relationship between cancer immune response and mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy.

Preclinical Models for Bladder Cancer Research.

At diagnosis, more than 70% of bladder cancers (BCs) are at the non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) stages, which are usually treated with transurethral resection followed by intravesical instillation. For the remaining advanced cancers, systemic therapy is the standard of care, with addition of radical cystectomy in cases of locally advanced cancer. Because of the difference in treatment modalities, different models are needed to advance the care of NMIBC and advanced BC.

Upregulation of NFKBIZ affects bladder cancer progression via the PTEN/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

NF‑κB inhibitor ζ (NFKBIZ), a member of the IκB family that interacts with NF‑κB, has been reported to be an important regulator of inflammation, cell proliferation and survival. However, the role of NFKBIZ in bladder cancer (BC) remains unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the functions of NFKBIZ in BC.

Single Small Molecule-Assembled Mitochondria Targeting Nanofibers for Enhanced Photodynamic Cancer Therapy in Vivo.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as an attractive alternative in cancer therapy, but its therapeutic effects are limited by the nonselective subcellular localization and poor intratumoral retention of small-molecule photosensitizes. Here a fiber-forming nanophotosensitizer (PQC NF) that is composed of mitochondria targeting small molecules of amphiphilicity is reported. Harnessing the specific mitochondria targeting, the light-activated PQC NFs produce approximately 110-fold higher amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells than free photosensitizers and can dramatically induce mitochondrial disruption to trigger intense apoptosis, showing 20-50 times better anticancer potency than traditional photosensitizers.

TSPAN7 Exerts Anti-Tumor Effects in Bladder Cancer Through the PTEN/PI3K/AKT Pathway.

The tetraspanin protein superfamily participate in the dynamic regulation of cellular membrane compartments expressed in a variety of tumor types, which may alter the biological properties of cancer cells such as cell development, activation, growth and motility. The role of tetraspanin 7 (TSPAN7) has never been investigated in bladder cancer (BCa). In this study, we aimed to investigate the biological function of TSPAN7 and its therapeutic potential in human BCa.

[Effect of testicular autophagy on spermatogenic cells in varicocele rats].

Objective: To study the effect of different levels of autophagy in the testis on the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells in the rat model of varicocele (VC).

Methods: We randomly divided 54 SD male rats into six groups, blank control (n = 6), rapamycin control (n = 6), chloroquine control (n = 6), VC model control (n = 12), VC + rapamycin (n = 12), and VC + chloroquine (n = 12). We observed the histomorphological changes of the testis and epididymis by HE staining, obtained the scores on spermatogenesis in the testis and epididymis, calculated the apoptosis index (AI) of the testicular spermatogenic cells by TUNEL, and determined the expressions of LC3-Ⅱ, LC3-Ⅰ, p62, Bax and Bcl-2 proteins in the testis tissue by Western blot.

Ultrasound for Measuring the Cross-Sectional Area of Biceps Brachii Muscle in Sarcopenia.

Ultrasound is emerging as an effective method for measuring muscle mass in elderly people. It has been applied in numerous studies to obtain measurement of lower limbs. The study aims to explore the relationship between sarcopenia and ultrasound measurements of biceps brachii.

Traditional Classification and Novel Subtyping Systems for Bladder Cancer.

Bladder cancer is the most common tumor in the urinary system, with approximately 420,000 new cases and 160,000 deaths per year. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EOTRC) classifies non-muscular invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) into low-risk, medium-risk and high-risk groups based on a comprehensive analysis of NMIBC pathological parameters and the risk of recurrence and progression to muscular invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Traditional classification systems are based on pathologic grading, staging systems, and clinical prognosis.

Overexpression of the transcription factor HAC1 improves nerolidol production in engineered yeast.

Increasing the metabolic flux of the mevalonate pathway, reducing the metabolic flux of competing pathway and utilizing the diauxie-inducible system constructed by GAL promoters are strategies commonly used in yeast metabolic engineering for the production of terpenoids. Using these strategies, we constructed a series of yeast strains with a strengthened mevalonate pathway and finally produced 336.5 mg/L nerolidol in a shake flask.

Effects of autophagy on the spermatogonia of chronic hypoxic mice.

Varicocele (VC) is a common cause of male infertility. An increasing number of studies have confirmed that chronic hypoxia plays an important role in male infertility caused by VC. Our previous study suggested that autophagy may have a crucial function in VC.

Identification of differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways in ovarian cancer by integrated bioinformatics analysis.

Background: The mortality rate associated with ovarian cancer ranks the highest among gynecological malignancies. However, the cause and underlying molecular events of ovarian cancer are not clear. Here, we applied integrated bioinformatics to identify key pathogenic genes involved in ovarian cancer and reveal potential molecular mechanisms.

Autophagy may play an important role in varicocele.

The present study aimed to determine the expression of autophagy and investigate whether the hypoxia‑inducible factor 1α (HIF‑1α)/BCL2 interacting protein (BNIP3)/Beclin‑1 autophagy signaling pathway serves an important role in activating autophagy in varicocele (VC) rat testes cells. Furthermore, the current study aimed to explain the possible association between autophagy and apoptosis. A total of 48 adult male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into group A (control), group B (VC 15‑day), group C (VC 30‑day) and group D (VC 45‑day), with 12 rats in each group.

Effect of varicocelectomy treatment on spermatogenesis and apoptosis via the induction of heat shock protein 70 in varicocele‑induced rats.

In the current study, the hypothesis that testicular varicocelectomy improves spermatogenesis and attenuates apoptosis via the induction of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) in a rat model of varicocele was investigated. Adult male Wistar rats (n=75) were randomly divided into 5 groups of 15 each: Control, sham, varicocele, varicocelectomy, and varicocelectomy plus Quercetin. A total of 6 weeks after the varicocelectomy, the left testis of all rats was removed for subsequent examination.

Serum C-reactive protein predicts early mortality in hospitalized patients with HBV-related decompensated cirrhosis.

The serum C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory marker. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether CRP could serve as a potential surrogate marker for 30-day mortality in hospitalized patients with HBV-related decompensated cirrhosis (HBV-DeCi).This was a retrospective cohort study that included 140 patients with HBV-DeCi.

Lymphocyte-monocyte ratio at admission predicts possible outcomes in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Background: The lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) in the peripheral blood is suggested to be a potential biomarker for predicting the clinical outcomes of several diseases. We aimed to evaluate the relative efficiency of LMR for predicting 3-month mortality in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (AoCLF).

Patients And Methods: In this study, 74 chronic hepatitis B patients, 90 AoCLF patients, and 70 healthy controls were followed up for 4 months.

Correlation of the occurrence of YMDD mutations with HBV genotypes, HBV-DNA levels, and HBeAg status in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B during lamivudine treatment.

Background: Continuous lamivudine therapy is associated with high rates of YMDD mutations, which are the main causes of drug resistance. The current study explores the association of the emergence of YMDD mutations with pretherapy HBV genotype, HBV-DNA levels, HBeAg status, and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in Chinese patients receiving lamivudine therapy for chronic hepatitis B.

Methods: A total of 319 chronic hepatitis B patients who received lamivudine therapy for more than a year were enrolled in this study.