Clinical evaluation of a rapid colloidal gold immunochromatography assay for SARS-Cov-2 IgM/IgG.

Background: Since December 2019, there had been an outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. At present, diagnosis COVID-19 were based on real-time RT-PCR, which have to be performed in biosafe laboratory and is unsatisfactory for suspect case screening. Therefore, there is an urgent need for rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19.

Circ-MALAT1 Functions as Both an mRNA Translation Brake and a microRNA Sponge to Promote Self-Renewal of Hepatocellular Cancer Stem Cells.

Both circular RNAs (circRNAs) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) are separately known to be involved in cancer, but their interaction remains unclear. Here, the regulation of hepatocellular CSC self-renewal is discovered by a circRNA, circ-MALAT1, which is produced by back-splicing of a long noncoding RNA, MALAT1. Circ-MALAT1 is highly expressed in CSCs from clinical hepatocellular carcinoma samples under the mediation of an RNA-binding protein, AUF1.

Chemical Cocktail Induces Hematopoietic Reprogramming and Expands Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells.

Generation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) via cell expansion or cell reprogramming has been widely achieved by overexpression of transcription factors. Herein, it is reported that without introducing exogenous genes, mouse fibroblasts can be reprogrammed into hemogenic cells based on lineage tracing analysis, which further develop into hematopoietic cells, by treatment of cocktails of chemical compounds. The chemical cocktails also reprogram differentiated hematopoietic cells back into HSPC-like cells.

DNA nanotweezers for stabilizing and dynamically lighting up a lipid raft on living cell membranes and the activation of T cells.

Lipid rafts are generally considered as nanodomains on cell membranes and play important roles in signaling, viral infection, and membrane trafficking. However, the raft hypothesis is still debated with many inconsistencies because the nanoscale and transient heterogeneous raft structure creates difficulties in its location and functional analysis. In the present study, we report a DNA nanotweezer composed of a cholesterol-functionalized DNA duplex that stabilizes transient lipid rafts, which facilitate the further analysis of the raft component and its functions other spectroscopy tools.

Bacterial Endotoxin Activates the Coagulation Cascade through Gasdermin D-Dependent Phosphatidylserine Exposure.

Excessive activation of the coagulation system leads to life-threatening disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Here, we examined the mechanisms underlying the activation of coagulation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the major cell-wall component of Gram-negative bacteria. We found that caspase-11, a cytosolic LPS receptor, activated the coagulation cascade.

[Finite element analysis of clear aligners in extractive cases].

Purpose: This study analysed the mechanical features of the extraction space closure in clear aligners through mechanical research.

Methods: A patient with four first premolars extraction was chosen as sample, and four plans with clear aligners for space closure were designed, including anterior retraction entirely, anterior retraction dispersedly, posterior movement mesially and posterior movement dispersedly. Finite element analysis was performed separately.

Lysosomal degradation of GMPPB is associated with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2T.

Objective: GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase B (GMPPB) related phenotype spectrum ranges widely from congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS), limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2T (LGMD 2T) to severe congenital muscle-eye-brain syndrome. Our study investigates the clinicopathologic features of a patient with novel mutations and explores the pathogenetic mechanism.

Methods: The patient was a 22-year-old woman with chronic proximal limb weakness for 9 years without cognitive deterioration.

Reactive Oxygen Species-Biodegradable Gene Carrier for the Targeting Therapy of Breast Cancer.

An ideal gene-carrying vector is supposed to exhibit outstanding gene-condensing capability with positively charged macromolecules to protect the carried gene during in vivo circulation and a rapid dissociation upon microenvironmental stimuli at the aimed sites to release the escorted gene. Currently, it still remains a challenge to develop an ideal gene carrier with efficient transfection ability and low toxicity for clinical applications. Herein, we have innovatively introduced a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-biodegradable boric acid ester linkage in elaborating the design of a gene carrier.

Association of insulin resistance with breast, ovarian, endometrial and cervical cancers in non-diabetic women.

Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance were reported to play a crucial role in diabetes-cancer relationship. This study aimed to explore the associations between insulin resistance and several female cancers in a non-diabetic population. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 121,230 middle-aged and elderly non-diabetic women.

Reduction in placental growth factor impaired gestational beta-cell proliferation through crosstalk between beta-cells and islet endothelial cells.

Reduced placental growth factor (PLGF) during pregnancy is known to be a reason for developing preeclampsia (PE) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Recently, it has been shown that reduced PLGF may induce GDM through suppressing beta-cell mass growth in a PI3k/Akt signalling-dependent manner. Here, we dissected the interaction between beta-cells and islet endothelial cells in this model.

Differential network analysis reveals dysfunctional regulatory networks in gastric carcinogenesis.

Gastric Carcinoma is one of the most common cancers in the world. A large number of differentially expressed genes have been identified as being associated with gastric cancer progression, however, little is known about the underlying regulatory mechanisms. To address this problem, we developed a differential networking approach that is characterized by including a nascent methodology, differential coexpression analysis (DCEA), and two novel quantitative methods for differential regulation analysis.

MiR-25 is up-regulated in non-small cell lung cancer and promotes cell proliferation and motility by targeting FBXW7.

Increasing evidence showed that miR-25 is involved in the carcinogenesis and progression of various human cancers, while its role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still unclear. Here, we found that miR-25 is significantly up-regulated in NSCLC tissue samples and cell lines. Inhibition of miR-25 remarkably suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion in NSCLC cells, whereas enforced expression of miR-25 significantly increased NSCLC cells proliferation, migration and invasion.

Aralar plays a significant role in maintaining the survival and mitochondrial membrane potential of BV2 microglia.

NADH shuttles mediate the transfer of the reducing equivalents of cytosolic NADH into mitochondria. Increasing evidence has suggested that malate-aspartate shuttle (MAS), one of the two types of NADH shuttles, plays important roles in certain biological processes. Aralar/AGC1, a Ca(2+)-dependent aspartate-glutamate carrier on mitochondrial membrane, is a component of MAS.

SIRT2 plays a key role in both cell cycle regulation and cell survival of BV2 microglia.

Sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) is a member of sirtuin protein family. Previous studies have suggested that SIRT2 plays differential roles in the survival and cell cycle regulation of various cell types. Because microglia plays critical roles in multiple major neurological disorders, in our current study we investigated the roles of SIRT2 in regulation of the cell cycle and cell survival of BV2 microglia by applying SIRT2 siRNA.

Deubiquitination and stabilization of IL-33 by USP21.

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a dual-function protein that acts both as a secreted cytokine and as a nuclear factor regulating gene transcription. It has been demonstrated that IL-33 exerts its nuclear function in promoting the transcription of NF-κB p65. Here, we show that USP21-mediated deubiquitination of IL-33 affects the transcription of p65.

Opposing role of JNK-p38 kinase and ERK1/2 in hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative damage of human trophoblast-like JEG-3 cells.

Trophoblasts play a crucial role in embryo implantation and maintenance of normal pregnancy. Recently, oxidative stress has been considered as one important factor in the pathogenesis of spontaneous abortion and preeclampsia. Many studies have reported that the plasma levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are significantly increased in women with preeclampsia, but the mechanisms involved in H2O2-induced cell cytotoxicity in trophoblasts are still not completely explained.