MYBBP1A‑mediated IGFBP4 promoter methylation promotes epithelial‑mesenchymal transition and metastasis through activation of NOTCH pathway in liver cancer.

Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) seriously threatens patients' prognosis. It was previously suggested that the insulin growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) family could serve as cancer suppressors in the development and metastasis of HCC. However, the role of IGFBP4 and its underlying molecular mechanism in HCC metastasis is elusive.

Design, synthesis, and activity evaluation of novel multitargeted l-tryptophan derivatives with powerful antioxidant activity against Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurological disease, and the multitarget directed ligand (MTDL) strategy may be an effective approach to delay its progression. Based on this strategy, 27 derivatives of l-tryptophan, 3a-1-3d-1, were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their biological activity. Among them, IC (inhibitor concentration resulting in 50% inhibitory activity) values of compounds 3a-18 and 3b-1 were 0.

Exosomal circRNAs as novel potential biomarkers for colorectal adenoma.

Growing evidences have revealed that exosomal miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs play a pleiotropic role in tumor biology. Cell-cell communication mediated by exosomes has been considered to be a key factor in the malignant progression of colorectal cancer. However, the importance of exosome-derived circRNAs in the biological function and clinical significance of colorectal adenoma remains elusive.

The BMP2 Signaling Axis Promotes Invasive Differentiation of Human Trophoblasts.

Embryo implantation and trophoblast invasion are principal limiting factors of pregnancy establishment. Aberrant embryo development or improper trophoblast differentiation and invasion may lead to various unfavorable pregnancy-related outcomes, including early pregnancy loss (EPL). Our clinical data show that the serum BMP2 levels were significantly increased during the first trimester of pregnancy and that the serum and BMP2 expression levels were lower in women with EPL than in women with normal early pregnancies.

Association between APE1 ASP148GLU and colorectal cancer risk: A meta-analysis.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is recognized as one of the most common cancer globally. The association between CRC and apurinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) Asp148Glu polymorphism remains unclear; thus, this meta-analysis aimed to explore whether APE1 Asp148Glu polymorphism is related to CRC risk.

Methods: Embase, PubMed, Cochrane library, CNKI and Wanfang databases were subject to a systematic search until April, 17, 2020 to evaluate the effect of APE1 Asp148Glu polymorphism on CRC risk.

ALKBH2 inhibition alleviates malignancy in colorectal cancer by regulating BMI1-mediated activation of NF-κB pathway.

Background: The alkB homolog 2, alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase (ALKBH2) gene is involved in DNA repair and is expressed in different types of malignancies. However, the role of ALKBH2 in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the potential mechanism of ALKBH2 and its function in CRC.

Enantioselective dearomative [3+2] annulation of 5-amino-isoxazoles with quinone monoimines.

The first enantioselective dearomative [3+2] annulation of 5-amino-isoxazoles with quinone monoimines was realized using a chiral phosphoric acid as catalyst. Various novel (bridged) isoxazoline fused dihydrobenzofurans bearing two continuous quaternary stereocenters were achieved in moderate to good yields (up to 94%) with moderate to good enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee). The absolute configurations of two products were assigned by X-ray crystal structural analyses and a plausible reaction mechanism was proposed.

Analysis of the molecular nature associated with microsatellite status in colon cancer identifies clinical implications for immunotherapy.

Background: Microsatellite instability in colon cancer implies favorable therapeutic outcomes after checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. However, the molecular nature of microsatellite instability is not well elucidated.

Methods: We examined the immune microenvironment of colon cancer using assessments of the bulk transcriptome and the single-cell transcriptome focusing on molecular nature of microsatellite stability (MSS) and microsatellite instability (MSI) in colorectal cancer from a public database.

Synthesis of chiral [2,3]-fused indolines through enantioselective dearomatization inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction/oxidation of indoles with 2-(2-nitrovinyl)-1,4-benzoquinone.

Enantioselective dearomatization inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction/oxidation of indoles with 2-(2-nitrovinyl)-1,4-benzoquinone was realised using a chiral bisoxazoline/zinc complex as a catalyst. This transformation allowed for the synthesis of enantioenriched six-membered [2,3]-fused indolines (up to 99% yield and 88% ee).

[Effect of acupuncture intervention on neurological function, cerebral microglia activation and secondary nerve damage in traumatic brain injury rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture on activities of microglia in traumatic brain injury (TBI) rats.

Methods: Fifty-four male SD rats were randomly and equally divided into normal control, model and acupuncture groups according to the random number table (＝18 rats in each group). The TBI model was established by using a free fall brain injury striking device after exposing the local cranial bone (to induce the left parietal cerebral contusion).

Effect of acupuncture on the TLR2/4-NF-κB signalling pathway in a rat model of traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To study the effect of acupuncture on the TLR2/4-NF-κB signalling pathway in the cortex of Sprague-Dawley rats following traumatic brain injury (TBI), and investigate the possible mechanism underlying the effects of acupuncture on scar repair.

Methods: TBI was established using Feeney's free-falling epidural percussion model. In total, 108 rats were randomly divided into a normal group (n=18), untreated TBI model group (TBI group, n=36) and manual acupuncture-treated TBI group (TBI+MA, n=36).

Genome-wide CRISPR screen reveals SGOL1 as a druggable target of sorafenib-treated hepatocellular carcinoma.

The genome-wide clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) screen is a powerful tool used to identify therapeutic targets that can be harnessed for cancer treatment. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of genome-wide CRISPR screening to identify druggable genes associated with sorafenib-treated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A genome-scale CRISPR knockout (GeCKO v2) library containing 123,411 single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) was used to identify loss-of-function mutations conferring sorafenib resistance upon HCC cells.

Over Expression of Long Non-Coding RNA PANDA Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Inhibiting Senescence Associated Inflammatory Factor IL8.

It has been reported that long non-coding RNA PANDA was disregulated in varieties types of tumor, but its expression level and biological role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains contradictory. We detected PANDA expression in two independent cohorts (48 HCC patients following liver transplantation and 84 HCC patients following liver resection), and found that PANDA was down-regulated in HCC. Thereafter we explored its function in cancer biology by inversing its low expression.

KCTD11 inhibits growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma through activating Hippo signaling.

A lack of effective prognostic biomarkers and molecular targets is a serious problem in hepatocellular carcinoma. KCTD11, reported as a tumor suppressor, are still not well understood. In this study, KCTD11 was found low-expressed in HCC tissues and cell lines.

Expression and Critical Role of Interleukin Enhancer Binding Factor 2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Interleukin enhancer binding factor 2 (ILF2), a transcription factor, regulates cell growth by inhibiting the stabilization of mRNA. Currently, its role has gained recognition as a factor in the tumorigenic process. However, until now, little has been known about the detailed role ILF2 plays in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

TAZ regulates cell proliferation and sensitivity to vitamin D3 in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

The transcriptional coactivator with PDZ binding motif (TAZ) is reported as one of the nuclear effectors of Hippo-related pathways. TAZ is found overexpressed in many primary tumors and could regulate many biological processes. However, little is known about the role of TAZ in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).

Downregulation of Peptidylprolyl isomerase A promotes cell death and enhances doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Peptidylprolyl isomerase A (PPIA) is a peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase that is known to play a critical role in the development of many human cancers. However, the precise biological function of PPIA in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unclear. In this study, lentiviral overexpression vectors and small interfering RNA knockdown methods were employed to investigate the biological effects of PPIA in HCC.

[Expression and significance of Nrf2/ARE pathway ralated factors in the HepG2 cell model of steatosis].

Objective: To explore a new method of establishing HepG2 cell model of steatosis and observe the expression and significance of nuclear factor erythroid-2p45-related factor 2(Nrf2)/antioxidative response element (ARE) pathway related factors in HepG2 cells of steatosis.

Methods: HepG2 cells were induced with DMEM containing 25% fetal bovine serum, 0.1% MCT/LCT Fat Emulsion and 0.

Effects of acupuncture on cortical expression of Wnt3a, β-catenin and Sox2 in a rat model of traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To observe the effects of acupuncture treatment on the expression of Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway-related genes (Wnt3a, β-catenin and Sox2) in the injured cerebral cortex of rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Methods: A controlled impact model of TBI was established using Feeney's free-drop method. Seventy-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following three groups: a normal group (n=18) that was left untreated; a model group (n=30) that received no treatment after TBI; and an acupuncture group (n=30) that received acupuncture (at LI4, GV20, GV26 and GV16) after TBI.

(-)-Meptazinol-melatonin hybrids as novel dual inhibitors of cholinesterases and amyloid-β aggregation with high antioxidant potency for Alzheimer's therapy.

The multifactorial pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) implicates that multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) intervention may represent a promising therapy for AD. Amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation and oxidative stress, two prominent neuropathological hallmarks in patients, play crucial roles in the neurotoxic cascade of this disease. In the present study, a series of novel (-)-meptazinol-melatonin hybrids were designed, synthesized and biologically characterized as potential MTDLs against AD.

Long non-coding RNA PVT1 is associated with tumor progression and predicts recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

PVT1, which maps to chromosome 8q24, is a copy number amplification-associated long non-coding RNA. Overexpression of PVT1 is a powerful predictor of tumor progression and patient survival in a diverse range of cancer types. However, the association between PVT1 and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear.

γ-H2AX promotes hepatocellular carcinoma angiogenesis via EGFR/HIF-1α/VEGF pathways under hypoxic condition.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most deadly cancers. Using mRNA microarray analysis, we found that H2AX decreased under hypoxic conditions. Hypoxia is an important physiological and pathological stress that induces H2AX phosphorylation (γ-H2AX), but the regulatory mechanism of γ-H2AX remains elusive in the progress of HCC.

Identification of bile biomarkers of biliary tract cancer through a liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry-based metabolomic method.

The incidence and mortality rate of biliary tract cancer have been increasing worldwide; however, its diagnosis and prognosis have not improved in recent years. A novel approach, termed 'metabolomics', may have the potential to be developed as an effective diagnostic tool. The present study prospectively obtained bile samples from 115 individuals, including 32 patients with biliary tract cancer, 61 patients with benign biliary tract diseases and 22 normal controls.

BAG3 and HIF-1 α coexpression detected by immunohistochemistry correlated with prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation.

Objective: The objective is to determine the effects of BAG3 and HIF-1 α expression on the prognosis of HCC patients after liver transplantation.

Methods: Samples from 31 patients with HCC receiving liver transplantation were collected for this study. The immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of BAG3 and HIF-1 α of HCC samples.