Secreted Phospholipases A2: Drivers of Inflammation and Cancer.

Secreted phospholipase 2 (sPLA2) is the largest family of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) enzymes with 11 mammalian isoforms. Each sPLA2 exhibits different localizations and specific properties, being involved in a very wide spectrum of biological processes. The enzymatic activity of sPLA2 has been well described; however, recent findings have shown that they could regulate different signaling pathways by acting directly as ligands.

Noncentrosymmetric Triangular Magnet CaMnTeO: Strong Quantum Fluctuations and Role of s versus s Electronic States in Competing Exchange Interactions.

Noncentrosymmetric triangular magnets offer a unique platform for realizing strong quantum fluctuations. However, designing these quantum materials remains an open challenge attributable to a knowledge gap in the tunability of competing exchange interactions at the atomic level. Here, a new noncentrosymmetric triangular S = 3/2 magnet CaMnTeO is created based on careful chemical and physical considerations.

MicroRNAs Present in Malignant Pleural Fluid Increase the Migration of Normal Mesothelial Cells In Vitro and May Help Discriminate between Benign and Malignant Effusions.

The sensitivity of pleural fluid (PF) analyses for the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusions (MPEs) is low to moderate. Knowledge about the pathobiology and molecular characteristics of this condition is limited. In this study, the crosstalk between stromal cells and tumor cells was investigated in vitro in order to reveal factors that are present in PF which can mediate MPE formation and aid in discriminating between benign and malignant etiologies.

Applications of CRISPR Technology to Breast Cancer and Triple Negative Breast Cancer Research.

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) technology has transformed oncology research in many ways. Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy globally and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive subtypes with numerous challenges still to be faced. In this work, we have explained what CRISPR consists of and listed its applications in breast cancer while focusing on TNBC research.

PLA2G12A as a Novel Biomarker for Colorectal Cancer with Prognostic Relevance.

Metastasis is the leading cause of colorectal cancer (CRC)-related deaths. Therefore, the identification of accurate biomarkers predictive of metastasis is needed to better stratify high-risk patients to provide preferred management and reduce mortality. In this study, we identified 13 new genes that modified circulating tumor cell numbers using a genome-wide genetic screen in a whole animal CRC model.

Borate-Based Compounds as Mixed Polyanion Cathode Materials for Advanced Batteries.

Rational design of new and cost-effective advanced batteries for the intended scale of application is concurrent with cathode materials development. Foundational knowledge of cathode materials’ processing−structure−properties−performance relationship is integral. In this review, we provide an overview of borate-based compounds as possible mixed polyanion cathode materials in organic electrolyte metal-ion batteries.

Ln (SeO ) (SO )(H O) (Ln=Sm, Dy, Yb): A Mixed-Ligand Pathway to New Lanthanide(III) Multifunctional Materials Featuring Nonlinear Optical and Magnetic Anisotropy Properties.

Bottom-up assembly of optically nonlinear and magnetically anisotropic lanthanide materials involving precisely placed spin carriers and optimized metal-ligand coordination offers a potential route to developing electronic architectures for coherent radiation generation and spin-based technologies, but the chemical design historically has been extremely hard to achieve. To address this, we developed a worthwhile avenue for creating new noncentrosymmetric chiral Ln materials Ln (SeO ) (SO )(H O) (Ln=Sm, Dy, Yb) by mixed-ligand design. The materials exhibit phase-matching nonlinear optical responses, elucidating the feasibility of the heteroanionic strategy.

Are Transcription Factors Plausible Oncotargets for Triple Negative Breast Cancers?

Breast cancer (BC) is the most diagnosed cancer worldwide and one of the main causes of cancer deaths. BC is a heterogeneous disease composed of different BC intrinsic subtypes such as triple-negative BC (TNBC), which is one of the most aggressive subtypes and which lacks a targeted therapy. Recent comprehensive analyses across cell types and cancer types have outlined a vast network of protein-protein associations between transcription factors (TFs).

Microenvironmental Reactive Oxygen Species in Colorectal Cancer: Involved Processes and Therapeutic Opportunities.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Although screening programs have reduced mortality rates, there is a need for research focused on finding the main factors that lead primary CRC to progress and metastasize. During tumor progression, malignant cells modify their habitat, corrupting or transforming cells of different origins and creating the tumor microenvironment (TME).

An N-ethyl-N-Nitrosourea Mutagenesis Screen in Mice Reveals a Mutation in ( Altering the DNA Methylation State and Correct Embryonic Development.

We have established a genome-wide N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis screen to identify novel genes playing a role in epigenetic regulation in mammals. We hypothesize that the ENU mutagenesis screen will lead to the discovery of unknown genes responsible of the maintenance of the epigenetic state as the genes found are modifiers of variegation of the transgene green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in erythrocytes, which are named . Here we report the generation of a novel mutant mouse line, , that carries a new missense mutation producing an amino acid transversion (L71P) in the dimerization domain of Nuclear Respiratory Factor 1 (Nrf1).

Diving into the Pleural Fluid: Liquid Biopsy for Metastatic Malignant Pleural Effusions.

Liquid biopsy is emerging as a promising non-invasive diagnostic tool for malignant pleural effusions (MPE) due to the low sensitivity of conventional pleural fluid (PF) cytological examination and the difficulty to obtain tissue biopsies, which are invasive and require procedural skills. Currently, liquid biopsy is increasingly being used for the detection of driver mutations in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from plasma specimens to guide therapeutic interventions. Notably, malignant PF are richer than plasma in tumor-derived products with potential clinical usefulness, such as ctDNA, micro RNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circulating tumor cells (CTC).

Prognostic Factors Involved in the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Process in Colorectal Cancer Have a Preponderant Role in Oxidative Stress: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is one of the most accepted mechanisms leading to metastasis, which is responsible for most of the cancer-related deaths. In order to identify EMT-related biomarkers able to predict clinical outcomes in colorectal cancer (CRC), a systematic review and meta-analysis of prognostic factors associated to overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) was conducted. The systematic literature search included studies from June 2014 to June 2019 available at PubMed and Scopus databases.

Determinants of Sensitivity to Radiotherapy in Endometrial Cancer.

Radiotherapy is one of the cornerstone treatments for endometrial cancer and has successfully diminished the risk of local recurrences after surgery. However, a considerable percentage of patients suffers tumor relapse due to radioresistance mechanisms. Knowledge about the molecular determinants that confer radioresistance or radiosensitivity in endometrial cancer is still partial, as opposed to other cancers.

Crystal Structure and Electronic Properties of New Compound ZrPtSe.

A new ternary nonstoichiometric ZrPtSe has been discovered as a part of effort to dope Zr into the layered transitional metal chalcogenide PtSe. With a new structure type (68), it is the first Pt-based ternary chalcogenide with group 4 elements (Ti, Zr, and Hf). The crystal structure adopts the orthorhombic space group with lattice parameters of = 15.

Synthesis of the Elusive = / Star Structure: A Possible Quantum Spin Liquid Candidate.

Materials with two-dimensional, geometrically frustrated, spin-/ lattices provide a fertile playground for the study of intriguing magnetic phenomena such as quantum spin liquid (QSL) behavior, but their preparation has been a challenge. In particular, the long-sought, exotic spin-/ star structure has not been experimentally realized to date. Here we report the synthesis of [(CH)(NH)][Cu(μ-OH)(μ-SO)(μ-SO)]·0.

From Seabed to Bedside: A Review on Promising Marine Anticancer Compounds.

The marine environment represents an outstanding source of antitumoral compounds and, at the same time, remains highly unexplored. Organisms living in the sea synthesize a wide variety of chemicals used as defense mechanisms. Interestingly, a large number of these compounds exert excellent antitumoral properties and have been developed as promising anticancer drugs that have later been approved or are currently under validation in clinical trials.

A Mixed-Valent Iron (II/III) Diamond Chain with Single-Ion Anisotropy.

The geometrically frustrated diamond spin chain system has yielded materials with a diversity of interesting magnetic properties but is predominantly limited to compounds with single-spin components. Here, we report the compound [(CH)NH][FeFe(μ-O)(μ-OH)(μ-SO)] (), which features the mixed-valent iron(II/III) diamond chain: [Fe-(Fe)-Fe-(Fe)]. Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy shows that two-thirds of the total spins in the [FeFe] diamond chain are spin5/2 (high-spin Fe), while the remaining one-third are spin2 (high-spin Fe).

Sulfate-Bridged, Octanuclear Chromic and Ferric Wheels.

Two new amine-templated transition metal-based sulfates, [(CH)NH] [SO] [M(μ-OH)(μ-SO)] where M = Cr and Fe, have been synthesized via mild solvothermal synthesis. The compounds are isostructural and were refined in the monoclinic space group 2/. They feature the rare sulfate-bridged inorganic molecular wheels [Cr(OH)(SO)] and [Fe(OH)(SO)].

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) from pleural fluid cell lysates is a highly accurate diagnostic biomarker of adenocarcinomatous effusions.

Background And Objective: The discovery of highly accurate pleural fluid (PF) biomarkers of malignancy remains elusive. We assessed the operating characteristics of the PF epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), claudin 4 (CL4) and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) as potential markers of epithelial malignancies.

Methods: The three markers were quantified by immunoassays in the supernatants (s) and cell lysates (cl) of 175 PF samples.