PPIH as a poor prognostic factor increases cell proliferation and m6A RNA methylation in hepatocellular carcinoma.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play a crucial role in the biological processes of liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase H (PPIH), an RBP, possesses prolyl isomerase activity and functions as a protein chaperone. The relationship between PPIH and LIHC has not yet been fully elucidated.

TESC associated with poor prognosis enhances cancer stemness and migratory properties in liver cancer.

Liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) are responsible for recurrence, metastasis, and drug resistance in liver cancer. However, the genes responsible for inducing LCSCs have not been fully identified. Based on our previous study, we found that tescalcin (TESC), a calcium-binding EF hand protein that plays a crucial role in chromatin remodeling, transcriptional regulation, and epigenetic modifications, was up-regulated in LCSCs of spheroid cultures.

T-cell exhaustion and stemness in antitumor immunity: Characteristics, mechanisms, and implications.

T cells play a crucial role in the regulation of immune response and are integral to the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Because immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment for cancer, increasing attention has been focused on the differentiation and function of T cells in immune response. In this review, we describe the research progress on T-cell exhaustion and stemness in the field of cancer immunotherapy and summarize advances in potential strategies to intervene and treat chronic infection and cancer by reversing T-cell exhaustion and maintaining and increasing T-cell stemness.

Macrophages Are a Double-Edged Sword: Molecular Crosstalk between Tumor-Associated Macrophages and Cancer Stem Cells.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subset of highly tumorigenic cells in tumors. They have enhanced self-renewal properties, are usually chemo-radioresistant, and can promote tumor recurrence and metastasis. They can recruit macrophages into the tumor microenvironment and differentiate them into tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs).

Alanine-Glyoxylate Aminotransferase Sustains Cancer Stemness Properties through the Upregulation of SOX2 and OCT4 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

Liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) are a small subset of oncogenic cells with a self-renewal ability and drug resistance, and they promote the recurrence and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the mechanisms regulating LCSCs have not been fully explored. By enriching LCSCs from spheroid cultures and performing transcriptomic analysis, we determined that alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGXT), which participates in the metabolism of serine and glycine, was significantly upregulated in spheroid cultures, and its function in LCSCs remains unknown.

Potential of E3 Ubiquitin Ligases in Cancer Immunity: Opportunities and Challenges.

Cancer immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and immune pathway-targeted therapies, are promising clinical strategies for treating cancer. However, drug resistance and adverse reactions remain the main challenges for immunotherapy management. The future direction of immunotherapy is mainly to reduce side effects and improve the treatment response rate by finding new targets and new methods of combination therapy.

[Clinical observation on acupuncture combined with microorganism pharmaceutical preparations for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome of constipation type].

Objective: To explore the best program for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) of constipation type.

Methods: Ninety-five cases of IBS were randomly divided into 3 groups. Group A (n = 30) were treated by acupuncture combined with microorganism pharmaceutical preparations, group B (n = 35) by oral administration of medicine for loosening the bowel to relieve constipation plus microorganism pharmaceutical preparations, and group C (n = 30) by simple acupuncture.