Sequence-Guided Localization of DNA Hybridization Enables Highly Selective and Robust Genotyping.

Genetic variations are always related to human diseases or susceptibility to therapies. Nucleic acid probes that precisely distinguish closely related sequences become an indispensable requisite both in research and clinical applications. Here, a Sequence-guided DNA LOCalization for leaKless DNA detection (SeqLOCK) is introduced as a technique for DNA hybridization, where the intended targets carrying distinct "guiding sequences" act selectively on the probes.

Comprehensive analysis of fifteen hub genes to identify a promising diagnostic model, regulated networks, and immune cell infiltration in acute kidney injury.

Background: Acute kidney injury is a common clinical problem with no sensitive and specific diagnostic biomarkers and definitive treatments. The underlying molecular mechanisms of acute kidney injury are unclear. Therefore, it is pivotal to explore the underlying mechanisms and screen for novel diagnostic biomarkers, and therapeutic targets.

Identification and Validation of Three Hub Genes Involved in Cell Proliferation and Prognosis of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Background: The acquisition of castration resistance is lethal and inevitable in most prostate cancer patients under hormone therapy. However, effective biomarkers and therapeutic targets for castration-resistant prostate cancer remain to be defined.

Methods: Comprehensive bioinformatics tools were used to screen hub genes in castration-resistant prostate cancer and were verified in androgen-dependent prostate cancer and castration-resistant prostate cancer in TCGA and the SU2C/PCF Dream Team database, respectively.

Machine Learning Reveals a Multipredictor Nomogram for Diagnosing the Alzheimer's Disease Based on Chemiluminescence Immunoassay for Total Tau in Plasma.

Background: Predicting amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) in conversion and Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains a daunting task. Standard diagnostic procedures for AD population are reliant on neuroimaging features (positron emission tomography, PET), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers (Aβ1-42, T-tau, P-tau), which are expensive or require invasive sampling. The blood-based biomarkers offer the opportunity to provide an alternative approach for easy diagnosis of AD, which would be a less invasive and cost-effective screening tool than currently approved CSF or amyloid β positron emission tomography (PET) biomarkers.

A Multivariate Diagnostic Model Based on Urinary EpCAM-CD9-Positive Extracellular Vesicles for Prostate Cancer Diagnosis.

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers and the leading cause of cancer death in males worldwide. Although prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening has considerably improved the detection of PCa, it has also led to a dramatic increase in overdiagnosing indolent disease due to its low specificity. This study aimed to develop and validate a multivariate diagnostic model based on the urinary epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)-CD9-positive extracellular vesicles (EVs) (uEV) to improve the diagnosis of PCa.

Combined Use of Fecal Biomarkers in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Oncostatin M and Calprotectin.

Background: Fecal biomarkers have emerged as one of the most useful tools for clinical management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Oncostatin M (OSM), like fecal calprotectin (FC), is highly expressed in the inflamed intestinal mucosa which may have potential usefulness. We aimed to evaluate the additional utility of these two fecal biomarkers for IBD diagnosis, activity, and prediction of infliximab response over FC alone.

Serum oncostatin M is a potential biomarker of disease activity and infliximab response in inflammatory bowel disease measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay.

Background: Although endoscopy is the gold standard to assess disease activity and infliximab efficacy in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the invasive, costly, and time-consuming procedure limits its routine applications. We aimed to investigate the clinical value of serum oncostatin M (OSM) as a surrogate biomarker.

Methods: Fifty healthy controls, 34 non-IBD patients, and 189 IBD patients who were pre-infliximab treatment (n = 122) or in infliximab maintenance (n = 67) were enrolled.

Glycolysis-related gene expression profiling serves as a novel prognosis risk predictor for human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Metabolic pattern reconstruction is an important factor in tumor progression. Metabolism of tumor cells is characterized by abnormal increase in anaerobic glycolysis, regardless of high oxygen concentration, resulting in a significant accumulation of energy from glucose sources. These changes promotes rapid cell proliferation and tumor growth, which is further referenced a process known as the Warburg effect.

Five-gene signature associating with Gleason score serve as novel biomarkers for identifying early recurring events and contributing to early diagnosis for Prostate Adenocarcinoma.

Compared to non-recurrent type, recurrent prostate adenocarcinoma (PCa) is highly fatal, and significantly shortens the survival time of affected patients. Early and accurate laboratory diagnosis is particularly important in identifying patients at high risk of recurrence, necessary for additional systemic intervention. We aimed to develop efficient and accurate diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for new PCa following radical therapy.

Emerging roles and mechanisms of microRNA‑222‑3p in human cancer (Review).

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are a class of small non‑coding RNAs that maintain the precise balance of various physiological processes through regulating the function of target mRNAs. Dysregulation of miRNAs is closely associated with various types of human cancer. miR‑222‑3p is considered a canonical factor affecting the expression and signal transduction of multiple genes involved in tumor occurrence and progression.

A quantitative detection of Cardiotrophin-1 in chronic heart failure by chemiluminescence immunoassay.

Background: Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) is a cytokine that could induce cardiomyocytes hypertrophy and dysfunction. Plasma CT-1 might serve as a cardiac biomarker both in diagnosis, staging, and prognostic assessment of heart failure.

Methods: In this study, a one-step paramagnetic particles-based chemiluminescence immunoassay (MPs-CILA) for rapid and sensitive detection of plasma CT-1 was established.

S100A1 is a sensitive and specific cardiac biomarker for early diagnosis and prognostic assessment of acute myocardial infarction measured by chemiluminescent immunoassay.

Background: A member of the S100 family of Ca-binding proteins, S100A1 is highly expressed in cardiac muscle tissue. Although this protein is considered an indicator of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), high-throughput and sensitive detection methods are still urgently needed. We constructed a rapid and sensitive method for detecting S100A1 and to investigate the clinical utility of S100A1 as a biomarker for the early diagnosis of AMI and subsequent prognostic assessments.

Determination of plasma β-amyloids by rolling circle amplification chemiluminescent immunoassay for noninvasive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

A rolling circle amplification chemiluminescence immunoassay (RCA-CLIA) was developed for precise quantitation of Aβ in plasma. Capture antibodies conjugated with magnetic beads and detection antibodies with collateral single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) were bound to Aβ42/Aβ40 antigens to form a typical double-antibody sandwich structure. The RCA reaction was triggered by the addition of ssDNA, which generated products with a large number of sites for the binding of acridinium ester (AE)-labeled detection probes, thereby realizing the purpose of the amplification.

Prostatic aspirated cellular RNA analysis enables fast diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the potential application of prostatic aspirated cellular RNA analysis technique for fast diagnosing and staging prostate cancer.

Methods: Prostatic aspirated cells were obtained immediately after transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided needle biopsy. Cellular RNA such as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) mRNA, prostate specific antigen (PSA) mRNA and prostate-specific RNA (PCA3) mRNA were analyzed by using Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR).

ARMS TaqMan real-time PCR for genotyping factor V Leiden mutation in Han Chinese.

Factor V Leiden (FV ) is a missense mutation of 1691 position (G1691A) in exon 10 of FV gene, and being a genetic risk for venous thrombosis. Currently, there are several PCR-based methods for detecting FV mutation; however, these methods have disadvantages such as time-consuming, cumbersome steps and potentially hazardous gels. The aims of present study were to develop a simple, time-saving, accurate, and gel-free method, called amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) TaqMan real-time PCR, for detecting FV mutation.

DPHL: A DIA Pan-human Protein Mass Spectrometry Library for Robust Biomarker Discovery.

To address the increasing need for detecting and validating protein biomarkers in clinical specimens, mass spectrometry (MS)-based targeted proteomic techniques, including the selected reaction monitoring (SRM), parallel reaction monitoring (PRM), and massively parallel data-independent acquisition (DIA), have been developed. For optimal performance, they require the fragment ion spectra of targeted peptides as prior knowledge. In this report, we describe a MS pipeline and spectral resource to support targeted proteomics studies for human tissue samples.

Integrated profiling identifies SLC5A6 and MFAP2 as novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in gastric cancer patients.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of malignancy‑associated mortality worldwide. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of GC are unclear and the prognosis of GC is poor. Therefore, it is important and urgent to explore the underlying mechanisms and screen for novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as therapeutic targets.

Rapid and Quantitative Analysis of Exosomes by a Chemiluminescence Immunoassay Using Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Particles.

Since the discovery of exosomes, their potential diagnostic value has been the focus of considerable research. However, the lack of a rapid and simple technique for the quantitative analysis of exosomes greatly limits the application of exosomes in clinical research. In this study, we describe a newly developed one-step chemiluminescence immunoassay for the rapid quantitative analysis of exosomes from biofluids.

Toehold integrated molecular beacon system for a versatile non-enzymatic application.

A molecular beacon (MB) is an oligonucleotide hybridization probe with a hairpin-shaped structure that leads to specific and instantaneous nucleic acid hybridization, enabling a variety of applications. However, integration of additional module sequences interferes with the performance of MBs and increases the complexity of sequence design. Herein, we develop and characterize a toehold integrated molecular beacon (ToMB) strategy for nucleic acid hybridization, where the reaction rate can be flexibly regulated by a target-induced MB conformational switch.

SGK1 inhibition-induced autophagy impairs prostate cancer metastasis by reversing EMT.

Background: Despite SGK1 has been identified and characterized as a tumor-promoting gene, the functions and underlying mechanisms of SGK1 involved in metastasis regulation have not yet been investigated in cancer.

Methods: We investigated the cellular responses to GSK650394 treatment and SGK1 silencing (or overexpression) in human prostate cancer (PCa) cell lines and PC3 xenografts by wound healing assay, migration and invasion assay, western blotting, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry.

Results: In the present study, we found that SGK1 expression positively correlates with human prostate cancer (PCa) progression and metastasis.

SGK1 inhibition induces autophagy-dependent apoptosis via the mTOR-Foxo3a pathway.

Background: Although inhibition of SGK1 has been shown to delay cancer progression, the underlying mechanisms have not yet been elucidated.

Methods: We investigated the cellular responses to GSK650394 treatment and SGK1 silencing (or overexpression) in human prostate cancer (PCa) cell lines and PC3 xenografts by flow cytometry, western blotting, immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry.

Results: In the present study, we demonstrated that SGK1 inhibition, mediated by either GSK650394 or SGK1 shRNA, induced G2/M arrest, apoptosis and autophagy.

Comparison of the performance in detection of HPV infections between the high-risk HPV genotyping real time PCR and the PCR-reverse dot blot assays.

A new multiplex real-time PCR assay, the high-risk HPV genotyping real time PCR assay (HR HPV RT-PCR), has been developed to detect 15 high-risk HPV types with respective viral loads. In this report, a total of 684 cervical specimens from women diagnosed with vaginitis were assessed by the HR HPV RT-PCR and the PCR reaction and reverse dot blot (PCR-RDB) assays, using a PCR-sequencing method as a reference standard. A total coincidence of 97.