CD44-positive cancer stem cells from oral squamous cell carcinoma exhibit reduced proliferation and stemness gene expression upon adipogenic induction.

We proposed to assess adipogenic differentiation and its effect on the proliferation and stemness markers in CD44 + OSCC CSCs. D44 + CSCs were sorted by magnetic sorting from the single-cell suspension of the OSCC tumor. Adipogenic differentiation was induced by an adipogenic induction medium. Lipid droplet formation was confirmed by oil red O staining. The expression of the cell surface marker was analyzed by flow cytometry. Real-time qPCR was performed to examine the gene expression activity. CD44 + OSCC CSCs can differentiate into adipocytes and adipogenesis in these cells decrease their proliferation and stemness gene expression. Adipogenic induction can make the cancer stem cells from OSCC tumors lose their stemness potential. Oral cancer, especially OSCC, is a huge burden worldwide. Similar to other stem cells, cancer stem cells can differentiate into other lineage cells. Our study shows that the proliferation and stemness gene expression in the CSCs from OSCC tumors can be thwarted by inducing them to differentiate into adipocytes, which could be advantageous to find out new clinical approaches in the treatment of cancers, like OSCC.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Infection Control among Dental Healthcare Personnel: The Updated Guidelines for COVID-19 in Dental Settings.

AIM: The study sought to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of infection control among dental healthcare personnel (DHCP) in dental settings, with updated guidelines and recommendations regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was an observational cross-sectional study. A self-administrative online survey consisting of 45 close-ended statements was prepared, validated, and revised by an expert panel, and pilot tested with a convenience sample. The survey comprised four parts covering the following aspects: demographic data, infection control facilities in the dental office, knowledge of infection control measures, and attitude toward infection control. Data were collected, analyzed, and presented as frequencies and percentages or means and standard deviations, when applicable. The independent t-test or analysis of variance (ANOVA), as appropriate, were used for differences in knowledge and attitude scores between the groups, with the significance level of p-value < 0.05. RESULTS: Out of 176 participants, 54 (30.7%) were men, and 122 (69.3%) were women. A total of 143 participants were dental practitioners (81.3%), and more than half [94 (53.4%)] were from governmental universities, followed by those from government dental clinics [44 (25%)]. In general, most participants acknowledged the infection control facilities in their dental offices. Dental assistants, respondents working in private universities, and respondents working in the eastern region showed better knowledge than their counterparts (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were noticed between the different groups concerning attitude toward infection control (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The participants exhibited acceptable knowledge and attitude, with respondents from private universities and dental assistance attaining better knowledge scores. More infection control programs and training courses should be implemented in dental settings.

Detection of Nail Oncometabolite SAICAR in Oral Cancer Patients and Its Molecular Interactions with PKM2 Enzyme.

Oncometabolites are known to drive metabolic adaptations in oral cancer. Several oncometabolites are known to be shared between cancer cells and non-cancer cells including microbiotas to modulate the tumor microenvironment. Among potential oncometabolites, succinylaminoimidazolecarboxamide ribose5'-phosphate (SAICAR) supports the growth and invasiveness of cancer cells by pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) enzyme in a glucose starved tumor microenvironment. There is a significant gap that shows the detection of SAICAR in biological samples including nails of oral cancer patients. Metabolite identification of SAICAR was investigated in the nails of oral cancer patients using novel vertical tube gel electrophoresis (VTGE) and LC-HRMS. Further molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) were employed to determine the nature of molecular interactions of SAICAR (CHEBI ID:18319) with PKM2 (PDB ID: 4G1N). Molecular docking of SAICAR (CHEBI ID:18319) was performed against pyruvate kinase M2 (PDB ID: 4G1N). Data suggest the presence of oncometabolite SAICAR in nails of oral cancer. Molecular docking of SAICAR with PKM2 showed appreciable binding affinity (-8.0 kcal/mol) with residues including ASP407, THR405, GLU410, ARG443, GLY321, ARG436, HIS439, LYS266, and TYR466. Furthermore, MDS confirmed the specific binding of SAICAR within the activator site of PKM2 and the stability of SAICAR and PKM2 molecular interactions. In conclusion, SAICAR is a promising oncometabolite biomarker present in the nails of oral cancer patients. A significant activation potential of SAICAR exists with the PKM2 enzyme.

Effect of Ascorbic Acid on Differentiation, Secretome and Stemness of Stem Cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Tooth (SHEDs).

Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) are considered a type of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) because of their unique origin from the neural crest. SHEDs can self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation with the ability to differentiate into odontoblasts, osteoblast, chondrocytes, neuronal cells, hepatocytes, adipocytes, etc. They are emerging as an ideal source of MSCs because of their easy availability and extraordinary cell number. Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, has many cell-based applications, such as bone regeneration, osteoblastic differentiation, or extracellular matrix production. It also impacts stem cell plasticity and the ability to sustain pluripotent activity. In this study, we evaluate the effects of ascorbic acid on stemness, paracrine secretion, and differentiation into osteoblast, chondrocytes, and adipocytes. SHEDs displayed enhanced multifaceted activity, which may have applications in regenerative therapy.