Digoxigenin activates autophagy in hepatocellular carcinoma cells by regulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is recognized as a highly malignant tumor. Targeted combination immunotherapy, the initially approved regimen, is compromised by adverse side effects and low response rates during clinical treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine and its derived natural compounds, known for their anticancer effects, offer advantages of low toxicity and cost.

ncRNA-mediated SOX4 overexpression correlates with unfavorable outcomes and immune infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The activity and number of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment are closely related to the overall survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The sex-determining region Y-box 4 (SOX4) gene is abnormally expressed in various tumor tissues and is critical for tumor development. However, the correlation between SOX4 expression in HCC and tumor immunity is unclear.

Qizhu anticancer prescription enhances immunosurveillance of liver cancer cells by regulating p21-dependent secretory phenotypes.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, largely due to the limitations of available therapeutic strategies. The traditional Chinese medicine Qizhu Anticancer Prescription (QZACP) can improve the quality of life and prolong the survival time of patients with HCC. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer properties of QZACP remain unclear.

Boronate crosslinking-based ratiometric electrochemical assay of glycated albumin.

As a product of nonenzymatic glycation, glycated albumin (GA) is a promising serum marker for the short-term glycemic monitoring in patients with diabetes. On the basis of the boronate crosslinking (BCL)-enabled direct labeling of ferrocene (Fc) tags to the nonenzymatically glycated (NEG) sites, we report herein a novel aptamer-based ratiometric electrochemical (apt-REC) platform for the point-of-care (POC) assay of GA. This apt-REC platform is based on the recognition of GA proteins by the methylene blue (MB)-modified aptamer receptors and the labeling of the Fc tags to the NEG sites via the BCL.

Investigating the molecular mechanism of Qizhu anticancer prescription in inhibiting hepatocellular carcinoma based on high-resolution mass spectrometry and network pharmacology.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Of all primary liver cancer cases, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for about 90%. Most patients with HCC receive a diagnosis in the medium-to-late stages or with chronic liver disease, have lost the opportunity for radical treatment, such as surgical resection, and their 5-year survival rate is low. Qizhu Anticancer Prescription (QZACP) is an empirical formula composed of traditional Chinese herbs that can clinically relieve HCC symptoms, inhibit the progression of HCC, reduce recurrence rate, and prolong survival; however, its exact mode of action remains unknown.

Qizhu Anti-Cancer Recipe promotes anoikis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by activating the c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway.

Background: Qizhu Anti-Cancer Recipe (QACR) is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used in treating several liver diseases. However, its function and the relevant mechanism underlying its effect in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of QACR in HCC, which are expected to be a potential therapeutic scheme for HCC.

FAT4 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is associated with prognosis and immune cell infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) genes reflect the host immune status and could be suitable for evaluating the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), for which a reliable biomarker is unavailable and the host immune responses to cancer cells. This study aimed to investigate prognostically relevant genes in HCC PBMCs and assessed whether their expression represents tumor immune infiltration. Gene expression in PBMCs from patients with advanced or terminal HCC who had survived or died was examined.

Amplification-Free Ratiometric Electrochemical Aptasensor for Point-of-Care Detection of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies.

The rapid quantification of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is of great significance to their pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) research and the personalized medication for disease treatment. Taking advantage of the direct decoration of tens of redox tags to the target of interest, we illustrate herein an amplification-free ratiometric electrochemical aptasensor for the point-of-care (POC) detection of trace amounts of therapeutic mAbs. The POC detection of therapeutic mAbs involved the use of the methylene blue (MB)-conjugated aptamer as the affinity element and the decoration of therapeutic mAbs with ferrocene (Fc) tags via the boronate crosslinking, in which the MB-derived peak current was used as the reference signal, and the peak current of the Fc tag was used as the output signal.

Identification of immune-related target and prognostic biomarkers in PBMC of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background:  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and is characterized by insidious onset, rapid progression, and poor prognosis. Immunotherapy is a first-line treatment for advanced HCC. The identification of immune-related prognostic markers may be an effective strategy to predict and improve clinical response rate of immunotherapy.

Hepatoprotective efficacy and interventional mechanism of JianPi LiShi YangGan formula in acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) progresses rapidly with a high short-term death rate. Although JianPi LiShi YangGan formula (YGF) has been used to treat ACLF by managing inflammatory responses and reducing endotoxemia, hepatocyte injury, and mortality, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Aim Of The Study: This study aims to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the efficacy and protective benefits of YGF in mice with ACLF.

Role of liensinine in sensitivity of activated macrophages to ferroptosis and in acute liver injury.

Acute liver injury (ALI) is an acute inflammatory liver disease with a high mortality rate. Alternatively, activated macrophages (AAMs) have been linked to the inflammation and recovery of ALI. However, the mechanism underlying AAM death in ALI has not been studied sufficiently.

Dually Amplified Electrochemical Aptasensor for Endotoxin Detection via Target-Assisted Electrochemically Mediated ATRP.

As the entering of bacterial endotoxin into blood can cause various life-threatening pathological conditions, the screening and detection of low-abundance endotoxin are of great importance to human health. Taking advantage of signal amplification by target-assisted electrochemically mediated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), we illustrate herein a simple and cost-effective electrochemical aptasensor capable of detecting endotoxin with high sensitivity and selectivity. Specifically, the aptamer receptor was employed for the selective capture of endotoxin, of which the glycan chain was then decorated with ATRP initiators via covalent coupling between the diol sites and phenylboronic acid (PBA) group, followed by the recruitment of ferrocene signal reporters via the grafting of polymer chains through potentiostatic ATRP under ambient temperature.

High‑throughput screening identification of a small‑molecule compound that induces ferroptosis and attenuates the invasion and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting the STAT3/GPX4 axis.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal malignancy. Although considerable efforts have been made in recent years regarding treatments, effective therapeutic drugs for HCC remain insufficient. In the present study, polyphyllin VI was identified as a potential therapeutic drug for HCC by screening natural herbal compounds.

Boronate Affinity-Amplified Electrochemical Aptasensing of Lipopolysaccharide.

As lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is closely associated with sepsis and other life-threatening conditions, the point-of-care (POC) detection of LPS is of significant importance to human health. In this work, we illustrate an electrochemical aptasensor for the POC detection of low-abundance LPS by utilizing boronate affinity (BA) as a simple, efficient, and cost-effective amplification strategy. Briefly, the BA-amplified electrochemical aptasensing of LPS involves the tethering of the aptamer receptors and the BA-mediated direct decoration of LPS with redox signal tags.

Detection and monitoring of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma from plasma cfDNA fragmentation profiles.

Most hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) are associated with hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) in China. Early detection of HCC can significantly improve prognosis but is not yet fully clinically feasible. This study aims to develop methods for detecting HCC and studying the carcinogenesis of HBV using plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data.

Electrochemically Controlled Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization for Electrochemical Aptasensing of Tumor Biomarkers.

Tumor biomarkers are of great value in the liquid biopsy of malignant tumors. In this work, a simple and cost-friendly electrochemical aptasensor was presented for the highly sensitive and selective detection of glycoprotein tumor biomarkers. The DNA aptamer-modified electrode was used as the sensing interface to specifically capture the target glycoprotein tumor biomarkers, to which the alkyl halide initiators for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) were then attached via the esterification crosslinking between the boronic acid group and the -dihydroxyl sites of the conjugated oligosaccharide chains on glycoprotein tumor biomarkers followed by the growth of long-chain polymers through electrochemically controlled ATRP (eATRP) to efficiently recruit the ferrocene detection tags.

Electrochemical Detection of Femtomolar DNA via Boronate Affinity-Mediated Decoration of Polysaccharides with Electroactive Tags.

In view of their high efficiency and cost-effectiveness, polymers are of great promise as carriers for signal tags in amplified detection. Herein, we present a polysaccharide-amplified method for the electrochemical detection of a 1 breast cancer gene-derived DNA target at the femtomolar levels. Briefly, peptide nucleic acid (PNA) with a complementary sequence was tethered as the capture probe for the DNA target, to which carboxyl group-containing polysaccharides were then attached via facile phosphate-Zr(IV)-carboxylate crosslinking, followed by the decoration of polysaccharide chains with electroactive ferrocene (Fc) signal tags via affinity coupling between a -diol site and phenylboronic acid (PBA) group.

Boronate Affinity-Based Electrochemical Aptasensor for Point-of-Care Glycoprotein Detection.

As a class of oligosaccharide chain-containing proteins, glycoproteins are of great value in screening and early diagnosis of malignant tumors and other major diseases. Herein, we report a universal boronate affinity-based electrochemical aptasensor for point-of-care glycoprotein detection. Aptasensing of glycoproteins involves the specific recognition and capture of target glycoproteins by end-tethered nucleic acid aptamers and the site-specific labeling of ferrocene tags via the phenylboronic acid (PBA)-based boronate affinity interactions because the -diol sites of oligosaccharide chains on glycoproteins can selectively react with the PBA receptor groups to form cyclic phenylborates in aqueous basic media.

Germacrone induces caspase-3/GSDME activation and enhances ROS production, causing HepG2 pyroptosis.

Liver cancer is a highly lethal malignancy. Despite considerable efforts made in recent years, the prognosis of patients with liver cancer remains poor. (known as Ezhu in Chinese) is widely prescribed in traditional Chinese medicine.

CircRNA expression profiling of PBMCs from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma by RNA-sequencing.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are differentially expressed in various cancer types. The present study aimed to investigate the expression and clinical implication of circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to evaluate the potential of circRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers for HCC. CircRNA expression was profiled in 19 patients with HCC and 19 normal controls using ribosomal RNA-depleted RNAs.

RNA-seq profiling reveals PBMC RNA as a potential biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors and has extremely high morbidity and mortality. Although many existing studies have focused on the identification of biomarkers, little information has been uncovered regarding the PBMC RNA profile of HCC. We attempted to create a profile throughout using expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) RNA using RNA-seq technology and compared the transcriptome between HCC patients and healthy controls.