Pharmacogenomic profiling of intra-tumor heterogeneity using a large organoid biobank of liver cancer.

Inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity is a major hurdle in primary liver cancer (PLC) precision therapy. Here, we establish a PLC biobank, consisting of 399 tumor organoids derived from 144 patients, which recapitulates histopathology and genomic landscape of parental tumors, and is reliable for drug sensitivity screening, as evidenced by both in vivo models and patient response. Integrative analysis dissects PLC heterogeneity, regarding genomic/transcriptomic characteristics and sensitivity to seven clinically relevant drugs, as well as clinical associations.

Efficient production of isoquercitin, icariin and icariside II by a novel thermostable α-l-rhamnosidase PodoRha from Paenibacillus odorifer with high α-1, 6-/α-1, 2- glycoside specificity.

Minor flavonoids, such as isoquercitin, icariin and icariside II, have desired bioactivity and bioavailability. To enhance the production efficiency on converting rutin and epimedin C into minor flavonoids, a novel GH family 78 α-l-rhamnosidase PodoRha from the Paenibacillus odorifer was cloned and heterologous over-expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3).

Comparative efficacy of different types of acupuncture as adjuvant therapy on carotid atherosclerosis: a protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Introduction: Carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) is a disease of the aorta caused by lipid metabolism disorders and local inflammation. Acupuncture combined with traditional western medicine (such as aspirin or atorvastatin) for the treatment of CAS has been widely applied in clinical practice, but there is still a lack of supporting evidence for its efficacy and safety on CAS. Therefore, this systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) will summarise the effects of different types of acupuncture treatments on CAS, and a ranking of the therapeutic classes will also be presented, aiming to provide evidence-based medicine for its extensive clinical application.

Injectable exosome-functionalized extracellular matrix hydrogel for metabolism balance and pyroptosis regulation in intervertebral disc degeneration.

Exosome therapy is a promising therapeutic approach for intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) and achieves its therapeutic effects by regulating metabolic disorders, the microenvironment and cell homeostasis with the sustained release of microRNAs, proteins, and transcription factors. However, the rapid clearance and disruption of exosomes are the two major challenges for the application of exosome therapy in IVDD. Herein, a thermosensitive acellular extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel coupled with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ADSC) exosomes (dECM@exo) that inherits the superior properties of nucleus pulposus tissue and ADSCs was fabricated to ameliorate IVDD.

Surface Ligand Valency and Immunoliposome Binding: when More Is Not Always Better.

Purpose: Nano-drug delivery systems are designed to contain surface ligands including antibodies for "active targeting". The number of ligands on each nanoparticle, known as the valency, is considered a critical determinant of the "targeting" property. We sought to understand the correlation between valency and binding properties using antibody conjugated liposomes, i.

Size-Dependent Absorption through Stratum Corneum by Drug-Loaded Liposomes.

Purpose: Topical treatment of various skin disorders requires drug absorption and penetration through the stratum corneum (SC) into the epidermis and dermis tissues. The use of nano-drug delivery systems including liposomes and lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) have been shown to facilitate SC penetration. The goal of this work was to study the impact of liposome sizes and the resulted drug distribution inside various skin tissue.

The multiple function of long noncoding RNAs in osteosarcoma progression, drug resistance and prognosis.

Osteosarcoma is a bone tumor prevalent in children and young adults. LncRNAs are a family of non-protein-coding transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides. The tumor-related pathological functions of lncRNAs include proliferation, migration, and chemotherapy resistance, all of which have been widely acknowledged in research on osteosarcoma.

Detection of latent fingerprint hidden beneath adhesive tape by optical coherence tomography.

Adhesive tape is one type of common item which can be encountered in criminal cases involving rape, murder, kidnapping and explosives. It is often the case that a suspect deposits latent fingerprints on the sticky side of adhesive tape material when tying up victims, manufacturing improvised explosive devices or packaging illegal goods. However, the adhesive tapes found at crime scenes are usually stuck together or attached to a certain substrate, and thus the latent fingerprints may be hidden beneath the tapes.

Characterization of automotive paint by optical coherence tomography.

Automotive paint is common trace evidence that plays a significant role in many vehicle-related criminal cases. However, the conventional methods of obtaining tomographic images tend to damage the samples. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a novel method to obtain high-resolution and cross-sectional images of the automotive paints in a non-destructive, and high-speed manner.

[Role of nitric oxide--NF-kappaB signaling pathway in differentiation of human naive T lymphocytes into Th1/Th2 cells].

Aim: To explore the role of nitric oxide (NO)--NF-kappaB signaling pathway in the differentiation of human naive T lymphocytes into Th1/Th2 cells.

Methods: Human naive T lymphocytes were isolated from umbilical blood. Various concentrations of NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP), NO inhibitor NAME and NF-kappaB inhibitor PDTC were added to the culture medium to induce the differentiation of naive T cells towards Th1/Th2 cells.