Cancer-associated fibroblast-derived extracellular vesicles promote lymph node metastases in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma by encapsulating ITGB1 and BMI1.

BACKGROUND: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been revealed to facilitate the development of oral squamous cavity cell carcinoma (OCSCC), while its supporting role in lymph node metastases is under continuous investigation. This study aimed to examine the function of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF)-derived EVs (CAF-EVs) during lymph node metastasis in OCSCC and the mechanisms. METHODS: CAF were isolated from OCSCC tissues of patients, and CAF-EVs were extracted and identified. EdU, colony formation, wound healing, and Transwell assays were performed. The OCSCC cells before and after CAF-EVs treatment were injected into mice to probe the effects of CAF-EVs on tumor growth and lymph node metastasis, respectively. The effect of CAF-EVs treatment on transcriptome changes in OCSCC cells was analyzed. Clinical data of patients with OCSCC were analyzed to determine the prognostic significance of the selected genes. Finally, loss-of-function assays were conducted to corroborate the involvement of polycomb complex protein BMI-1 (BMI1) and integrin beta1 (ITGB1). RESULTS: CAF-EVs promoted the malignant behavior of OCSCC cells and accelerated tumor growth and lymph node metastasis in mice. CAF-EVs significantly increased the expression of BMI1 and ITGB1, and the expression of BMI1 and ITGB1 was negatively correlated with the overall survival and relapse-free survival of OCSCC patients. Knockdown of BMI1 or ITGB1 in OCSCC cells abated the promoting effects of CAF-EVs in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION: CAF-EVs elicited the metastasis-promoting properties in OCSCC by elevating BMI1 and ITGB1, suggesting that BMI1 and ITGB1 could be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for OCSCC.

Enhanced ion transport in nanochannels of MXenes by Mg2+ pre-intercalation.

How to enhance the ion transport between MXene layers is a critical topic in the fields of electrochemical storage (especially supercapacitors) and water treatment. Vertical structure design of MXene nanosheets and single-molecule organic pre-intercalation are proposed, but the methods to enhance the ion transport through MXene nanochannels by modulating MXene's surface state have not been investigated yet. The interaction mechanism between Mg2+ and MXene 2D nanochannels during the transport process has not been thoroughly explored. In our work, we used a facile infiltration method to immerse the Ti3C2Tx membranes in MgCl2 solution for ion pre-intercalation. We found that the pre-intercalation of Mg2+ has a significant effect on the increase of the ion transport rate of Ti3C2Tx membranes, especially for Li+ which reached 268.49% compared with those of non-intercalation membranes. Through multiple characterization methods, we discovered that the enhancement of ion transport rate by pre-intercalation of Mg2+ mainly originated from the fact that the pre-intercalation of Mg2+ increased the layer spacing of MXene films as the channel support between layers while Mg2+ increased the work function (WF) of 2D nanochannels thereby reducing the interaction of other ions with the channel surface. The acceleration phenomenon of ion transport by surface state modulation proposed in our work will provide new strategies for the design of structure and regulation of surface states, revealing the mechanism of capacity improvement.

A Clinical Study of Early Intervention with Coralline Hydroxyapatite on Fresh Extraction Sockets.

To clinically, histologically and radiologically evaluate the effects of early intervention on fresh extraction sockets, 30 patients were selected and assigned evenly into group A (blood clot) and group B (coralline hydroxyapatite). All participants underwent clinical examination. Oral plaster casts and panoramic radiographs were undertaken before tooth extraction and at 3-4 months after socket grafting. A 6-8 mm sample of longitudinal bone core was obtained using a 2 mm diameter trephine 3-4 month's post-operatively. Group A had a greater decrease in interdental papilla height, which was about 2-3 times more than that of group B (P >0.001). The buccal-lingual alveolar ridge width also absorbed more in group A (P >0.001). Radiological findings were similar. Group B had less new bone formation (P >0.001), and the residual rate was a little high. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of new bone formation rating grade. Clinical, histological and radiological tissue differences were observed between sockets with and without biomaterial grafts 3-4 months after surgery. This indicates that early intervention of extraction sockets is clinically advantageous.

Coexistence of positive and negative refractive index sensitivity in the liquid-core photonic crystal fiber based plasmonic sensor.

We present and numerically characterize a liquid-core photonic crystal fiber based plasmonic sensor. The coupling properties and sensing performance are investigated by the finite element method. It is found that not only the plasmonic mode dispersion relation but also the fundamental mode dispersion relation is rather sensitive to the analyte refractive index (RI). The positive and negative RI sensitivity coexist in the proposed design. It features a positive RI sensitivity when the increment of the SPP mode effective index is larger than that of the fundamental mode, but the sensor shows a negative RI sensitivity once the increment of the fundamental mode gets larger. A maximum negative RI sensitivity of -5500nm/RIU (Refractive Index Unit) is achieved in the sensing range of 1.50-1.53. The effects of the structural parameters on the plasmonic excitations are also studied, with a view of tuning and optimizing the resonant spectrum.

A multi-core holey fiber based plasmonic sensor with large detection range and high linearity.

We present and numerically characterize a closed-form multi-core holey fiber based plasmonic sensor. The coupling properties of the specific modes are investigated comprehensively by the finite element method. It is found that not only phase matching but also loss matching plays a key role in the coupling process between the fundamental mode and plasmonic mode. The coupling transforms from incomplete coupling to complete coupling with increasing analyte RI. An average sensitivity of 2929.39 nm/RIU in the sensing range 1.33-1.42, and 9231.27 nm/RIU in 1.43-1.53 with high linearity is obtained. The dynamic sensing range is the largest among the reported holey fiber based plasmonic sensors, to the best of our knowledge.