Research status and potential applications of circRNAs affecting colorectal cancer by regulating ferroptosis.

Ferroptosis is an emerging form of non-apoptotic programmed cell death (PCD), characterized by iron-mediated oxidative imbalance. This process plays a significant role in the development and progression of various tumors, including colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, and others. Circular RNA (circRNA) is a stable, non-coding RNA type with a single-stranded, covalently closed loop structure, which is intricately linked to the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of tumor cells. Recent studies have shown that many circRNAs regulate various pathways leading to cellular ferroptosis. Colorectal cancer, known for its high incidence and mortality among cancers, is marked by a poor prognosis and pronounced chemoresistance. To enhance our understanding of how circRNA-mediated regulation of ferroptosis influences colorectal cancer development, this review systematically examines the mechanisms by which specific circRNAs regulate ferroptosis and their critical role in the progression of colorectal cancer. Furthermore, it explores the potential of circRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in colorectal cancer treatment, offering a novel approach to clinical management.

Mitochondrial transfer in tunneling nanotubes-a new target for cancer therapy.

A century ago, the Warburg effect was first proposed, revealing that cancer cells predominantly rely on glycolysis during the process of tumorigenesis, even in the presence of abundant oxygen, shifting the main pathway of energy metabolism from the tricarboxylic acid cycle to aerobic glycolysis. Recent studies have unveiled the dynamic transfer of mitochondria within the tumor microenvironment, not only between tumor cells but also between tumor cells and stromal cells, immune cells, and others. In this review, we explore the pathways and mechanisms of mitochondrial transfer within the tumor microenvironment, as well as how these transfer activities promote tumor aggressiveness, chemotherapy resistance, and immune evasion. Further, we discuss the research progress and potential clinical significance targeting these phenomena. We also highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting intercellular mitochondrial transfer as a future anti-cancer strategy and enhancing cell-mediated immunotherapy.

Pre-screening for osteoporosis with calcaneus quantitative ultrasound and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry bone density.

Calcaneal quantitative ultrasonography (QUS) is a useful prescreening tool for osteoporosis, while the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the mainstream in clinical practice. We evaluated the correlation between QUS and DXA in a Taiwanese population. A total of 772 patients were enrolled and demographic data were recorded with the QUS and DXA T-score over the hip and spine. The correlation coefficient of QUS with the DXA-hip was 0.171. For DXA-spine, it was 0.135 overall, 0.237 in females, and 0.255 in males. The logistic regression model using DXA-spine as a dependent variable was established, and the classification table showed 66.2% accuracy. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses with Youden's Index revealed the optimal cut-off point of QUS for predicting osteoporosis to be 2.72. This study showed a meaningful correlation between QUS and DXA in a Taiwanese population. Thus, it is important to pre-screen for osteoporosis with calcaneus QUS.

Solution-Processed Sb2Se3 on TiO2 Thin Films Toward Oxidation- and Moisture-Resistant, Self-Powered Photodetectors.

Semiconductor-sensitized TiO2 thin films with long-term air stability are attractive for optoelectronic devices and applications. Herein, we demonstrate the potential of the TiO2 thin film (∼800 nm in thickness) sensitized with a Sb2Se3 layer (∼350 nm) grown from solution spin coating and processed by annealing recrystallization at 300 °C for high-performance optical detection. The type-II band alignment, p-Sb2Se3/n-TiO2 heterojunction, and narrow band gap of Sb2Se3 (∼1.25 eV) endow the film photodetector with a large photocurrent, high switching stability and on/off ratio (>103), and fast response speeds (<20 ms) under the broadband visible-near-infrared irradiation in a zero-bias self-powered photovoltaic mode. In particular, the photodetector shows notable resistance to oxidation and moisture for long-term operation, which is linked to the modest surface oxidation (Sb-O) of Sb2Se3, as verified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The first-principles calculations show that a low and medium concentration of oxygen substitution for Se (OSe) and oxygen interstitial (Oi) with negative formation energies can lead to such a moderate surface oxidation but do not generate impurity states or just introduce a shallow-level acceptor state in the electronic structures of Sb2Se3 without degrading its optoelectronic performance. Our theoretical results offer a rational explanation for the air-stable and oxidation/moisture-resistant characteristics in moderately oxidized Sb2Se3 and may shed light on the surface oxidation-property relationship studies of other nonoxide semiconductor-sensitized devices.

Binary-Ternary Bi2S3-AgBiS2 Rod-to-Rod Transformation via Anisotropic Partial Cation Exchange Reaction.

Nanoscale chemical transformations based on partial cation exchange reactions are known as a component-increased, shape-maintaining means for the design and tunable preparation of ternary or multinary metal chalcogenide compounds. Herein, we present a new material couple, Bi2S3-AgBiS2, to detail the binary-ternary chemical transformation via partial cation exchange and its reaction thermodynamics and kinetics. The preformed Bi2S3 nanorods (NRs) act as both the reactant and the parent template, within which the partial exchange of Bi3+ with Ag+ cations proceeds under a silver-rich, diffusion-controlled regime, leading to the formation of energetically favorable AgBiS2. The NR shape preservation involving sulfur sublattice rearrangement is due to the proper diameter thickness (∼12 nm) of parent Bi2S3 NRs and the rapid establishment of equilibrium-phase AgBiS2, as supported by X-ray diffraction measurements and the pseudobinary Ag2S-Bi2S3 phase diagram. Interestingly, the finding of a AgBiS2-Bi2S3-AgBiS2 intermediate with axially segmented heterostructures reveals the real NR-to-NR conversion trajectory and the shape-induced exchange reaction anisotropy at the ends and middle of Bi2S3 NRs. Additionally, the resultant AgBiS2 NRs with a measured band gap of ∼0.86 eV exhibit potential for photoelectronic applications because of their impressive visible-near-infrared absorption and photoconductivity.

The research progress on treatment of myocardial fibrosis by regulating TGF-β1/Smads pathway / 中国药理学通报

Myocardial fibrosis leads to cardiac remodeling and heart failure after myocardial infarction .The mechanism of ven-tricular remodeling after myocardial infarction is complicated , which results from multi-factor interactions .TGF-β1-dependent Smads signal pathway is a definite mechanism which plays an important role in the process of myocardial fibrosis .Myocardial infarction activates the TGF-β1, which links the downstream Smads signaling to play a sustained biological effects via the ac-cumulation of activated cardiac fibroblasts and excess deposition of extracellular matrix , and the differentiation from myocardial fibroblasts to myofibroblasts .Therefore, how to block or control TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway is an important research di-rection for the treatment of myocardial fibrosis after myocardial infarction.This paper reviews the current studies of the treat-ment of myocardial fibrosis after myocardial infarction based on the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway .