Potent prophylactic cancer vaccines harnessing surface antigens shared by tumour cells and induced pluripotent stem cells.

The development of prophylactic cancer vaccines typically involves the selection of combinations of tumour-associated antigens, tumour-specific antigens and neoantigens. Here we show that membranes from induced pluripotent stem cells can serve as a tumour-antigen pool, and that a nanoparticle vaccine consisting of self-assembled commercial adjuvants wrapped by such membranes robustly stimulated innate immunity, evaded antigen-specific tolerance and activated B-cell and T-cell responses, which were mediated by epitopes from the abundant number of antigens shared between the membranes of tumour cells and pluripotent stem cells. In mice, the vaccine elicited systemic antitumour memory T-cell and B-cell responses as well as tumour-specific immune responses after a tumour challenge, and inhibited the progression of melanoma, colon cancer, breast cancer and post-operative lung metastases.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy by liposomal doxorubicin boosts immune protection of tumor membrane antigens-based nanovaccine.

Autologous tumor cell membrane antigen-based vaccines (TMVs) have garnered extensive attention as personalized immunotherapy. However, patients who take TMVs therapy usually undergo various treatments prior to surgery, and these processes modulate the immunogenicity of the tumor membrane and the tumor immune microenvironment. Herein, we investigate the impact of preoperative chemotherapy on the efficacy of TMVs.

Combined urine proteomics and metabolomics analysis for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic monitoring is paramount to clinical decision-making and the host biomarkers appears to play a significant role. The currently available diagnostic technology for TB detection is inadequate. In the present study, we aimed to identify biomarkers for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) using urinary metabolomic and proteomic analysis.

scEccDNAdb: an integrated single-cell eccDNA resource for human and mouse.

Extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA), an extrachromosomal circular structured DNA, is extensively found in eukaryotes. Investigating eccDNA at the single-cell level is crucial for understanding cellular heterogeneity, evolution, development, and specific cellular functions. However, high-throughput identification methods for single-cell eccDNA are complex, and the lack of mature, widely applicable technologies has resulted in limited resources.

Task-driven framework using large models for digital pathology.

Microscopy is an indispensable tool for collecting biomedical information in pathological diagnosis, but manual annotation, measurement and interpretation are labor-intensive and costly. Here, we propose a task-driven framework powered by large models that excel in visual analysis and real-time control, paving the way for the next generation of microscopes. We achieve proof-of-concept success on clinical tasks, specifically in adaptive analysis of H&E-stained liver tissue slides.

Ferroptosis, oxidative stress and hearing loss: Mechanistic insights and therapeutic opportunities.

Hearing loss, a prevalent sensory impairment, poses significant challenges worldwide. Recent research has shed light on the intricate interplay between ferroptosis, a newly recognized form of regulated cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of hearing loss. In this review, we delve into the mechanisms underlying ferroptosis and oxidative stress in various forms of hearing loss, including age-related hearing loss (ARHL), noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) ototoxic drug-induced hearing loss and genetic hearing loss.

Synthetic Nanocapsules with Tailored Surface Chemistry for Lung-Specific Protein Delivery and Cancer Immunotherapy.

Efficient delivery of therapeutic proteins remains a major challenge in developing effective immunotherapies and treatments for genetic disorders due to the limited tissue targeting capability of native proteins. In this study, the design and synthesis of protein nanocapsules (NCs) that achieve lung-specific delivery of therapeutic proteins are reported. These NCs are synthesized through a surface modification process that involves coating protein with functional monomers and cross-linkers, followed by in situ polymerization to create a protective shell on the protein surface with tailored surface chemistry.

CD8+ T cells infiltrating into tumors were controlled by immune status of pulmonary lymph nodes and correlated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients' prognosis treated with chemoimmunotherapy.

Purpose: Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy has the potential to reduce tumor burden, improve the pathological complete response (pCR) rate, and significantly prolong patients' disease-free survival (DFS). However, the treatment's effectiveness varies among NSCLC patients. The immunological mechanisms contributing to tumor regression still require further exploration and elucidation.

Prior Visual-guided Self-supervised Learning Enables Color Vignetting Correction for High-throughput Microscopic Imaging.

Vignetting constitutes a prevalent optical degradation that significantly compromises the quality of biomedical microscopic imaging. However, a robust and efficient vignetting correction methodology in multi-channel microscopic images remains absent at present. In this paper, we take advantage of a prior knowledge about the homogeneity of microscopic images and radial attenuation property of vignetting to develop a self-supervised deep learning algorithm that achieves complex vignetting removal in color microscopic images.

Investigating nonlinear associations between neutrophil percentage to albumin ratio and cardiovascular disease: a nationally representative cross-sectional study.

While the negative consequences of particular illnesses have been associated with the neutrophil percentage to albumin ratio (NPAR), its association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still lacking in the broader public. This study examines the relationship between NPAR and CVD prevalence using information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), with particular attention to potential nonlinear associations. This analysis included 26,225 adults from NHANES 2011-2020.

A polymer-like ultrahigh-strength metal alloy.

Futuristic technologies such as morphing aircrafts and super-strong artificial muscles depend on metal alloys being as strong as ultrahigh-strength steel yet as flexible as a polymer. However, achieving such 'strong yet flexible' alloys has proven challenging because of the inevitable trade-off between strength and flexibility. Here we report a Ti-50.

Transcription factor ZEB1 coordinating with NuRD complex to promote oncogenesis through glycolysis in colorectal cancer.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an aggressive primary intestinal malignancy with the third-highest incidence and second-highest mortality among all cancer types worldwide. Transcription factors (TFs) regulate cell development and differentiation owing to their ability to recognize specific DNA sequences upstream of genes. Numerous studies have demonstrated a strong correlation between TFs, the etiology of tumors, and therapeutic approaches.

Prognostic analysis of patients with gastric cancer based on N-methyladenosine modification patterns and tumor microenvironment characterization.

Background: Cancers arise from genetic and epigenetic abnormalities that affect oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, compounded by gene mutations. The N6-methyladenosine (mA) RNA modification, regulated by methylation regulators, has been implicated in tumor proliferation, differentiation, tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastasis. However, the role of mA modification patterns in the tumor microenvironment of gastric cancer (GC) remains poorly understood.

The feedback loop between MTA1 and MTA3/TRIM21 modulates stemness of breast cancer in response to estrogen.

The metastasis-associated protein (MTA) family plays a crucial role in the development of breast cancer, a common malignancy with a high incidence rate among women. However, the mechanism by which each member of the MTA family contributes to breast cancer progression is poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the roles of MTA1, MTA3, and tripartite motif-containing 21 (TRIM21) in the proliferation, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and stem cell-like properties of breast cancer cells in vivo and in vitro.

The E3 ligase TRIM22 functions as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer by targeting CCS for proteasomal degradation to inhibit STAT3 signaling.

Deregulation of E3 ubiquitin ligases drives the proliferation and metastasis of various cancers; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the role of tripartite motif-containing 22 (TRIM22), a poorly investigated E3 ubiquitin ligase in the TRIM family, as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer. High expression of TRIM22 in breast cancer correlated with better prognosis.

Semi-Supervised Instance Segmentation in Whole Slide Images via Dense Spatial Variability Enhancing.

Current whole slide image (WSI) segmentation aims at extracting tumor regions from the background. Unlike this, segmenting distinct tumor areas (instances) within a WSI driven by limited annotated data remains under-explored. In this paper, we formally propose semisupervised instance segmentation (Semi-IS) in WSIs.

Research trends and hotspot analysis of age-related hearing loss: A bibliometric analysis from 2019 to 2023.

Background: Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) - also termed presbycusis - is prevalent among older adults, leading to a range of issues. Although considerable progress in the understanding of ARHL over the decades, available reports lack data from recent years and do not comprehensively reflect the latest advancements and trends. Therefore, our study sought to assess research hotspots and trends in ARHL over the past 5 years to provide the basis for future research.

Large Nonhysteretic Volume Magnetostriction in a Strong and Ductile High-Entropy Alloy.

Rapid development of smart technologies poses a big challenge for magnetostrictive materials, which should not only permit isotropic and hysteresis-free actuation (i.e., nonhysteretic volume change) in magnetic fields, but also have high strength and high ductility.

Identification of key anti-neuroinflammatory components in Gastrodiae Rhizoma based on spectrum-effect relationships and its mechanism exploration.

Gastrodiae Rhizoma was proven to have anti-inflammatory activity based on its main component of 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (4-HBA) and gastrodin (GAS). However, the anti-inflammatory activity of other phenols has been less reported. In this study, the n-BuOH extract was selected as the active anti-inflammatory part of Gastrodiae Rhizoma based on the LPS-induced inflammatory BV-2 cells.

Epigenetics and environmental health.

Epigenetic modifications including DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, and RNA modifications complicate gene regulation and heredity and profoundly impact various physiological and pathological processes. In recent years, accumulating evidence indicates that epigenetics is vulnerable to environmental changes and regulates the growth, development, and diseases of individuals by affecting chromatin activity and regulating gene expression. Environmental exposure or induced epigenetic changes can regulate the state of development and lead to developmental disorders, aging, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, cancers, and so on.

Identification of ClpB, a molecular chaperone involved in the stress tolerance and virulence of Streptococcus agalactiae.

Bacterial ClpB is an ATP-dependent disaggregate that belongs to the Hsp100/Clp family and facilitates bacterial survival under hostile environmental conditions. Streptococcus agalactiae, which is regarded as the major bacterial pathogen of farmed Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), is known to cause high mortality and large economic losses. Here, we report a ClpB homologue of S.

Potential for Recycling Metakaolin/Slag-Based Geopolymer Concrete of Various Strength Levels in Freeze-Thaw Conditions.

Geopolymer concrete (GPC) represents an innovative green and low-carbon construction material, offering a viable alternative to ordinary Portland cement concrete (OPC) in building applications. However, existing studies tend to overlook the recyclability aspect of GPC for future use. Various structural applications necessitate the use of concrete with distinct strength characteristics.

Deep learning-based detection of irreversible pulpitis in primary molars.

Background: Changes in healthy and inflamed pulp on periapical radiographs are traditionally so subtle that they may be imperceptible to human experts, limiting its potential use as an adjunct clinical diagnostic feature.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of an image-analysis technique based on the convolutional neural network (CNN) to detect irreversible pulpitis in primary molars on periapical radiographs (PRs).

Design: This retrospective study was performed in two health centres.