Targeting Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Eliminate or Reprogram?

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are key components of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Given their various roles in tumor progression and treatment resistance, CAFs are promising therapeutic targets in cancer. The elimination of tumor-promoting CAFs has been investigated in various animal models to determine whether it effectively suppresses tumor growth.

Trideoxycytidine diphosphate promotes neural stem cell proliferation and neurogenesis in mice.

Background: Food-derived nucleic acids exhibit various biological activities and may act as nutrients. Oral ingestion of the nucleic acid fraction (NAF) of salmon milt extract hydrolysates enhances cognitive function in mice although their active ingredients have not yet been identified, and detailed mechanisms of action are unknown.

Objective: To identify active ingredients enhancing cognitive function contained in the NAF and its possible underlying mechanism.

Photocatalytic Multiple Deuteration of Polyethylene Glycol Derivatives using Deuterium Oxide.

Deuterated molecules are of growing interest because of the specific characteristics of deuterium, such as stronger C-D bonds being stronger than C-H bonds. Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) are widely utilized in scientific fields (e.g.

Comprehensive Analysis of Deuterium Isotope Effects on Ionic HOπ Interactions Using Multi-Component Quantum Mechanics Methods.

Deuterium isotope effects on interaction energies and geometrical parameters in several HO(DO)ene and HO+(DO)yne complexes, which involve O-H(D)π interactions, have been analyzed using the MP2 level of the multi-component molecular orbital method (MC_MP2), which can incorporate the nuclear quantum effects of light nuclei, such as protons and deuterons. The MC_MP2 calculations revealed that DO replacement reduced the interaction energies of the complexes and induced changes in geometrical parameters. In addition, natural energy decomposition analysis (NEDA) revealed a strong correlation between the H/D isotope effects on the H/Dπ distances and on each energy component.

Serum Mac2-binding protein glycosylated isomer (M2BPGi) as a prognostic biomarker in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: iCAFs-derived M2BPGi drives tumor invasion.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Mac2-binding protein glycosylated isomer (M2BPGi), a known biomarker for liver fibrosis, is also elevated in other fibrotic tissues. However, its role in PDAC remains unexplored.