PD15, a steroidal saponin, induces apoptosis of HCT116 colorectal cancer cells via suppressing the Akt/GSK3β pathway.

Objectives: PD15, a novel natural steroidal saponin extracted from the rhizomes of Paris delavayi Franchet, has demonstrated a strong cytotoxic effect against HepG2 and U87MG cells. However, its therapeutic effects on colorectal cancer (CRC) and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear.

Methods: MTT assay, clonogenic assay, Hoechst 33258 staining, flow cytometry, molecular docking, and western blot were used to investigate the mechanism of PD15 in HCT116 cell lines.

Short-term starvation boosts anti-PD-L1 therapy by reshaping tumor-associated macrophages in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background And Aims: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized systemic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment. Nevertheless, numerous patients are refractory to ICIs therapy. It is currently unknown whether diet therapies such as short-term starvation (STS) combined with ICIs can be used to treat HCC.

First-Line Mobocertinib Versus Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in Patients With Exon 20 Insertion-Positive Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in the Phase III EXCLAIM-2 Trial.

Purpose: Mobocertinib is an oral epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets exon 20 insertion (ex20ins) mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This open-label, phase III trial (EXCLAIM-2: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04129502) compared mobocertinib versus platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment of ex20ins+ advanced/metastatic NSCLC.

Chromosome length genome assembly of the stone marten (Martes foina, Mustelidae): a new view on one of the cornerstones in carnivore cytogenetics.

The stone marten (Martes foina) is an important species for cytogenetic studies in the order Carnivora. ZooFISH probes created from its chromosomes provided a strong and clean signal in chromosome painting experiments and were valuable for studying the evolution of carnivoran genome architecture. The research revealed that the stone marten chromosome set is similar to the presumed ancestral karyotype of the Carnivora, which added an additional value for the species.

Dual Pathways of Photorelease Carbon Monoxide via Photosensitization for Tumor Treatment.

Carbon monoxide (CO) gas therapy, as an emerging therapeutic strategy, is promising in tumor treatment. However, the development of a red or near-infrared light-driven efficient CO release strategy is still challenging due to the limited physicochemical characteristics of the photoactivated carbon monoxide-releasing molecules (photoCORMs). Here, we discovered a novel photorelease CO mechanism that involved dual pathways of CO release via photosensitization.

The multifaceted role of the inferior colliculus in sensory prediction, reward processing, and decision-making.

The inferior colliculus (IC) has traditionally been regarded as an important relay in the auditory pathway, primarily involved in relaying auditory information from the brainstem to the thalamus. However, this study uncovers the multifaceted role of the IC in bridging auditory processing, sensory prediction, and reward prediction. Through extracellular recordings in monkeys engaged in a sound duration-based deviation detection task, we observed a 'climbing effect' in neuronal firing rates, indicative of an enhanced response over sound sequences linked to sensory prediction rather than reward anticipation.

Nitroxyl protects H9C2 cells from H/R-induced damage and inhibits autophagy via PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Background: Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) is an important complication in the treatment of heart failure, and its treatment has not made satisfactory progress. Nitroxyl (HNO) showed protective effects on the heart failure, however, the effect and underlying mechanism of HNO on MIRI remain largely unclear.

Methods: MIRI model in this study was established to induce H9C2 cell injury through hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) in vitro.

Identification of Functionally-Relevant Lentivirus Integration Sites in an Insertional Mutagenesis Cell Library.

The extent of functional sequences within the human genome is a pivotal yet debated topic in biology. Although high-throughput reverse genetic screens have made strides in exploring this, they often limit their scope to known genomic elements and may introduce non-specific effects. This underscores the urgent need for novel functional genomics tools that enable a deeper, unbiased understanding of genome functionality.

Copper(II)-Catalyzed Asymmetric (3+3) Annulation of Diaziridines with Oxiranes.

Highly asymmetric (3+3) annulation of diaziridines with oxiranes via C-N bond cleavage in diaziridine was achieved under 10 mol % of chiral copper(II) complex as the catalyst under mild reaction conditions. With Cu(OTf) as the Lewis acid and C-symmetric imidazolidine-pyrroloimidazolone pyridine as the ligand, diverse tetrahydro-[1,3,4]-oxadiazines were obtained by stereospecific C-N/C-O bond formation in moderate to good yields (up to 93% yield) and high diastereo- (>20:1 dr) and enantioselectivities (up to 92% ee). The catalytic cycle and stereochemical model were proposed by DFT calculation.

The association between preoperative lacunar infarcts and postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing major abdominal surgery: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: The primary goal was to investigate whether the presence of preoperative lacunar infarcts (LACI) was associated with postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients undergoing elective major abdominal surgery.

Design: A prospective cohort study.

Setting And Participants: Patients aged ≥ 65 years from a tertiary level A hospital in China.

Assessing the role of education level on climate change belief, concern and action: a multinational survey of healthcare professionals in nephrology.

Background: Climate change poses a significant risk to kidney health, and countries with lower national wealth are more vulnerable. Yet, citizens from lower-income countries demonstrate less concern for climate change than those from higher-income countries. Education is a key covariate.

Preclinical evaluation of zirconium-89 labeled anti-Trop2 antibody-drug conjugate (Trodelvy) for imaging in gastric cancer and triple-negative breast cancer.

Purpose: Trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (Trop2) is overexpressed in various solid tumors and contributes to tumor progression, while its expression remains low in normal tissues. Trop2-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), sacituzumab govitecan-hziy (Trodelvy), has shown efficacy in targeting this antigen. Leveraging the enhanced specificity of ADCs, we conducted the first immunoPET imaging study of Trop2 expression in gastric cancer (GC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) models using Zr-labeled Trodelvy ([Zr]Zr-DFO-Trodelvy).

Reduced SARS-CoV-2 Infection Rates in Lab Workers Conducting Nucleic Acid Testing: Controlling for the Healthy Worker Effect.

Background: During the COVID-19 outbreak in December 2022 in China, some laboratory workers in SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing (NAT) laboratories remained uninfected.

Objectives: To evaluate if the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was reduced in laboratory workers who performed SARS-CoV-2 NAT, and whether this reduction resulted from the healthy worker effect.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 423 laboratory workers from 14 SARS-CoV-2 NAT laboratories in Xiamen, China.

2-dodecyl-6-methoxycyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione protects against MPP-induced neurotoxicity by ameliorating oxidative stress, apoptosis and autophagy in SH-SY5Y cells.

2-dodecyl-6-methoxycyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione (DMDD) is a cyclohexanedione compound extracted from the roots of Averrhoa carambola L. Several studies have documented its beneficial effects on diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer. However, its potential neuroprotective effects on Parkinson's disease (PD) have not yet been explored.

Automatic multimodal registration of cone-beam computed tomography and intraoral scans: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate recent advances in the automatic multimodal registration of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and intraoral scans (IOS) and their clinical significance in dentistry.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in October 2024 across the PubMed, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore databases, including studies that were published in the past decade. The inclusion criteria were as follows: English-language studies, randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, cross-sectional studies, and retrospective studies.

The key role of the NUDT3 gene in lung adenocarcinoma progression and its association with the manganese ion metabolism family.

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. Its complex molecular mechanisms and high tumor heterogeneity pose significant challenges for clinical treatment. The manganese ion metabolism family plays a crucial role in various biological processes, and the abnormal expression of the NUDT3 gene in multiple cancers has drawn considerable attention.

Tinosinenside A inhibits neuroinflammation and protects HT22 cells by suppressing the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway in BV2 cells.

Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Tinosinenside A (Tis A) is a novel sesquiterpene glycoside isolated from the dried rattan stem of Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merr.

SHP2 promotes the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in triple negative breast cancer cells by regulating β-catenin.

Purpose: Growing evidence suggests that the tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 is pivotal for tumor progression. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most lethal subtype of breast cancer, characterized by its high recurrence rate, aggressive metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy. Understanding the mechanisms of tumorigenesis and the underlying molecular pathways in TNBC could aid in identifying new therapeutic targets.

Molecularly imprinted hydrogels embedded with two-dimensional photonic crystals for the detection of dexamethasone/betamethasone sodium phosphate.

Dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP) and betamethasone sodium phosphate (BSP) imprinted hydrogels embedded with two-dimensional photonic crystals (2DPC) were developed as hormones-sensitive photonic hydrogel sensors with highly sensitive, selective, anti-interference and reproducible recognition capability. The DSP/BSP molecularly imprinted photonic hydrogels (denoted as DSP-MIPH and BSP-MIPH) can specifically recognize DSP/BSP by rebinding the DSP/BET molecules to nanocavities in the hydrogel network. This recognition is enabled by the similar shape, size, and binding sites of the nanocavities to the target molecules.

The protective efficacy of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on oxidative stress, inflammation, neurotransmitter perturbations, and apoptosis induced by monosodium glutamate in the brain of male rats.

Exaggerated neuronal excitation by glutamate is a well-known cause of excitotoxicity, a key factor in numerous neurodegenerative disorders. This study examined the neurotoxic effect of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the brain cortex of rats and focused on assessing the potential neuroprotective effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs). Four groups of adult male rats (n = 10) were assigned as follows; normal control, ω-3 PUFAs (400 mg/kg) alone, MSG (4 mg/g) alone, and MSG plus ω-3 PUFAs (4 mg/g MSG plus 400 mg/kg ω-3 PUFAs).

Molecular Imaging for Biomimetic Nanomedicine in Cancer Therapy: Current Insights and Challenges.

Coating biological membranes onto biomimetic nanocarriers improves biocompatibility, prolongs circulation, and enhances targeted delivery for cancer precision medicine. To better understand the biodistribution profiles of these biomimetic nanosystems, molecular imaging techniques, including optical imaging, radionuclide imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound imaging, have been widely employed for in vivo tracking and dynamic imaging. Here in this review, we delve into the profound role of these imaging modalities in visualizing changes in the tumor microenvironment, particularly in monitoring oxygen consumption and immune response dynamics, highlighting their potential to improve cancer therapies.

Senolytic procyanidin C1 alleviates renal fibrosis by promoting apoptosis of senescent renal tubular epithelial cells.

Renal fibrosis is a common pathological process in various chronic kidney diseases. The accumulation of senescent renal tubular epithelial cells (TECs) in renal tissues plays an important role in the development of renal fibrosis. Eliminating senescent TECs has been proven to effectively reduce renal fibrosis.

Hepatocyte-derived liver progenitor-like cells attenuate liver cirrhosis via induction of apoptosis in hepatic stellate cells.

Background: Cell therapy demonstrates promising potential as a substitute therapeutic approach for liver cirrhosis. We have developed a strategy to effectively expand murine and human hepatocyte-derived liver progenitor-like cells (HepLPCs) in vitro. The primary objective of the present study was to apply HepLPCs to the treatment of liver cirrhosis and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for their therapeutic efficacy.

Adipokines regulate the development and progression of MASLD through organellar oxidative stress.

The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which is increasingly being recognized as a leading cause of chronic liver pathology globally, is increasing. The pathophysiological underpinnings of its progression, which is currently under active investigation, involve oxidative stress. Human adipose tissue, an integral endocrine organ, secretes an array of adipokines that are modulated by dietary patterns and lifestyle choices.