RACGAP1 drives proliferation, migration and invasion and suppresses autophagy of gastric cancer cells via inhibiting SIRT1/Mfn2.

Objective: Gastric cancer is the most frequent gastrointestinal malignancy with a poor prognosis. Rac GTPase activation protein 1 (RACGAP1) is a novel tumor promotor, whose detailed effect on gastric cancer remains to be further elucidated. Hence, this study identifies the action of RACGAP1 on gastric cancer and investigates the potential mechanism. Methods: RACGAP1 expression in gastric cancer was analyzed based on the data of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Cell proliferation was measured by CCK-8 and colony formation assay. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated by transwell assay. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. Cell autophagy was evaluated via determining LC3. Results: RACGAP1 presented at high level in gastric cancer cells. Overexpressed RACGAP1 potentiated gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Besides, silenced RACGAP1 induced cell apoptosis and autophagy. Furthermore, RACGAP1 suppressed the expression of SIRT1 and Mfn2. Conclusion: RACGAP1 was overexpressed in gastric cancer. RACGAP1 potentiated aggressive behaviors of gastric cancer, and suppressed cell apoptosis and autophagy via modulating SIRT1/Mfn2. RACGAP1 may be a valuable target in the treatment of gastric cancer.

pH/Temperature Dual-Responsive Protein-Polymer Conjugates for Potential Therapeutic Hypothermia in Ischemic Stroke.

Thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke still has several limitations, such as a narrow therapeutic time window and adverse effects. Therapeutic hypothermia is a neuroprotective strategy for stroke. In this study, we developed pH/temperature dual-responsive protein-polymer conjugates (PEG-uPA-PEG-PPG-PEG) by modifying a urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-PPG-PEG, a thermosensitive polymer) via pH-sensitive imine bonds and disulfide bonds, respectively. At 37 °C and pH 7.4 (normothermia and physiological pH), PEG-uPA-PEG-PPG-PEG exhibits antiprotease hydrolysis and masked bioactivity of uPA due to the protective effect of the polymer segments wrapped around the protein surface. However, at 33 °C and pH 6.0 (hypothermia and pH at the thrombotic site), uPA loses the protective effect and recovers its bioactivity due to PEG dissociation and PEG-PPG-PEG stretching. The masked bioactivity of uPA at normothermia and physiological pH could reduce the risk of acute hemorrhage complication, and the recovery of protein activity at acidic pH and 33 °C is of great significance for thrombolytic therapy at mild hypothermia. Thus, PEG-uPA-PEG-PPG-PEG provides promising potential for therapeutic hypothermia in ischemic stroke.

Bronchoscopic interventions for bronchopleural fistulas.

Bronchopleural fistula is a potentially fatal disease most often caused after pneumonectomy. Concomitant problems such as pulmonary infection and respiratory failure are typically the main contributors to patient mortality because of the improper contact between the bronchial and pleural cavity. Therefore, bronchopleural fistulas need immediate treatment, which requires the accurate location and timely closure of the fistula. Currently, bronchoscopic interventions, because of their flexibility and versatility, are reliable alternative therapies in patients for whom surgical intervention is unsuitable. Possible interventions include bronchoscopic placement of blocking agents, atrial septal defect (ASD)/ventricular septal defect (VSD) occluders, airway stents, endobronchial valves (EBVs) and endobronchial Watanabe spigots (EWSs). Recent developments in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation technology and three-dimensional (3D) printed stents have also contributed to the treatment of bronchopleural fistula, but more research is needed to investigate the long-term benefits. This review focuses on the effectiveness of various bronchoscopic measures for the treatment of bronchopleural fistula and the directions for future development.

3D printing technique applied in vaginoplasty: A case report.

Background: We present the first case report of the treatment of congenital vaginal atresia by 3D-printed patient-specific vaginal scaffold from China. Case presentation: A 17-year-old female patient was referred to our department for treatment of congenital vaginal atresia and complications arising from previous failed operations. Pelvic examination was conducted to understand the morphological characteristics and severity of stenosis, and based on which we designed our prototypes of vaginal scaffold using software UG NX10.0. We finally obtained our patient-specific mold, which was 50 mm in length, 28 mm in diameter, 2 mm of thickness with a whole weight of 7.6 g, and it was made of polycaprolactone. After removing scar tissues caused by vaginal stenosis, an 8 cm long artificial tunnel was created, and then the polycaprolactone (PCL) vaginal mold was placed and sutured. The patient had no discomfort after surgery and was discharged 3 days after the surgery. Follow-up for 1 year after surgery, through hysteroscopy and colposcopy, it was found that the cervix was smooth, the vaginal wall was covered with stratified squamous epithelium, and the vaginal wall was soft and lubricated, which was close to a normal vagina. The incompletely absorbed mold was taken out one year after the operation. Hysteroscopy and colposcopy were performed one year and two years after the mold was taken out. The vagina was unobstructed and the length was about 12 cm. The appearance of the vaginal wrinkles was normal. The patient's quality of sexual life was good. Conclusion: Our team tried to treat congenital vaginal atresia by 3D-printed patient-specific vaginal scaffold, which can effectively reduce patient complications and reduce patient pain. Through long-term follow-up, we found that this technique has achieved favorable results and improved the patient's quality of sexual life.

Fibrinogen-to-Neutrophil Ratio as a New Predictor of Central Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients with Papillary Thyroid Cancer and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Many patients have a higher risk of thyroid cancer if they have both papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Meanwhile, the primary reason for local PTC recurrence is cervical lymph node metastasis. Therefore, the prognosis of patients affects how cervical lymph nodes are managed during surgery. Due to surgical complications such as laryngeal nerve palsy and hypocalcemia, it is still debatable whether to prevent central lymph node dissection (CLND). Predicting central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) is crucial to direct CLND. It is unclear how important the fibrinogen-to-neutrophil ratio (FNR) is in thyroid cancer, so we looked into how it might help patients with PTC and T2DM predict CLNM. Patients and methods: Wenzhou Medical University's First Affiliated Hospital provided us with 413 patients with PTC and T2DM, randomly divided into a training set (N = 292) and a validation set (N = 121). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors. After constructing a nomogram, the validity of the model was evaluated. Results: The maximum tumor diameter, high-density lipoprotein, thyroxine, triglyceride, lymphocyte, and FNR were all identified as independent risk factors by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The C index of the training set was 0.775, and the validation set was 0.654. Conclusion: In patients with PTC and T2DM, preoperative FNR was an independent risk factor for CLNM.

PDZK1IP1 gene promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Thyroid cancer is a common malignant tumor for the adult and the potential molecular mechanism of papillary thyroid cancer cell metastasis is still unclear. We used sequencing techniques to analyze paired papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and adjacent thyroid tissue and identified a gene, PDZK1IP1, that was significantly overexpressed in thyroid cancer. We found It has been detected to play an important role in many malignant tumors. But the role in papillary thyroid cancer was still unknown, we decided to find a new marker and therapeutic target for the disease. The present study shows that PDZK1IP1 may be a potential gene that leads to thyroid cancer. In our study, silencing PDZK1IP1 can inhibit PTC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest. This study surmised that PDZK1IP1 was an oncogene that correlated with tumor development.

Glucose-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (GLR) as a Predictor of Preoperative Central Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Construction of the Nomogram.

Background: Detection of metastasis of central lymph nodes in papillary thyroid cancer is difficult before surgery. The role of routine or preventive central lymph node dissection in the management of papillary thyroid cancer remains inconclusive. Moreover, glucose metabolism and systemic inflammation are related to the aggressiveness of several malignant tumors and the prognoses of these patients. This study aimed to construct a nomogram based on the readily available preoperative clinical features for predicting the occurrence of preoperative central lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The findings may underlie clinical implications for determining the appropriate treatment strategies for these patients. Methods: A total of 419 patients were enrolled. We used the receiver operating characteristic curves to determine the best cut-off value and converted the continuous into categorical variables. Next, a single-factor logistic analysis for the independent variables was performed, following which a multivariate regression analysis was conducted for the selected significant risk factors. Finally, the nomogram was constructed and verified using external data; the existing data were compared with the original model. Results: According to the receiver operating characteristic curves, the best cut-off values ​​for glucose-to-lymphocyte ratio and tumor size were 4.23 cm and 0.95 cm, respectively. Findings from the multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that age, bilateral tumors, maximum tumor size, and the ratio of glucose-to-lymphocytes were independent risk factors for preoperative central lymph node metastasis. The C-indexes in the training and the external validation data sets were 0.733 and 0.664, respectively. Both calibration curves and the Hosmer-Lemeshow tests indicated that the model was well-calibrated. Through decision curve analysis, the predictive model was estimated to have strong clinical applicability and greater benefits. To compare the performance of the new with that of the original model, we performed a net reclassification index and the integrated discrimination improvement analyses, both of which indicated that the new model had a better predictive ability. Conclusion: In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and papillary thyroid cancer, a high preoperative glucose-to-lymphocyte ratio was an independent predictor of the preoperative central lymph node metastasis. The nomogram so constructed could better predict the preoperative central lymph node metastasis in these patients.

The Overexpression and Clinical Significance of AP1S1 in Breast Cancer.

Purpose: To explore the mechanism of AP1S1 in breast cancer. Methods and Results: In different datasets, we found that AP1S1 is more highly expressed in breast tumors, which was furthermore verified in our local cohort.Immune infiltration analysis showed that AP1S1 was related to a variety of immune cells. The higher AP1S1 expression was negatively correlated with a variety of immune infiltrating cells, suggesting that AP1S1 may affect cellular immunity.Clinical analysis showed that patients with higher AP1S1 expression had higher estrogen receptor gene expression and were more prone to distant metastasis and lymph node metastasis.The overall survival rate, disease-specific survival rate, and progression-free interval time were worse in the group with higher AP1S1 expression. AP1S1 may be a potential oncogene of breast cancer, and overexpression is related to the poor prognosis of breast cancer.Therefore, a nomogram was constructed, along with correlated gene analysis and functional analysis to further explore the carcinogenic mechanism, practical clinical issues, and value of AP1S1. Conclusion: AP1S1 is a potential oncogene of breast cancer.

SEC61G regulates breast cancer cell proliferation and metastasis by affecting the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

Breast cancer is a common malignant tumor for women and its incidence has increased constantly in recent decades. The underlying molecular means of breast tumorigenesis endure uncertain. With the sequencing expertise, we found that the SEC61G gene is overexpressed in tumor tissues. However, the biological function of SEC61G in breast malignancy has yet to be determined. We investigated the SEC61G expression level, genetic alteration, IHC, immune infiltration, diagnostic value, survival analysis, and functional enrichment analysis by bioinformatics analysis. Then, vitro experiments were done. We investigated that SEC61G was greater in breast cancer tissues related to adjacent non-tumor tissues through qRT-PCR. We performed proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion assays, and EMT-related phenotype to determine the specific biological functions of SEC61G in breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, BT-549) transfected with small interfering RNA. SEC61G expression and exon expression were higher in the tumor while the level of SEC61G methylation was higher in normal tissues. The expression level of SEC61G was connected with immune infiltration and survival and was an effective diagnostic and prognostic indicator. The functional enrichment analysis of SEC61G prompted that SEC61G might play a tumor-promoting role via the EMT pathway. In vitro experiments indicated that knocking down SEC61G considerably impaired the colony formation, cck-8, migration, and invasion, and induced apoptosis of the breast cancer cell lines. The vitro experiments also indicated that ectopic expression of SEC61G could influence EMT. This study revealed that SEC61G plays vital tumorigenic functions and acts as a novel oncogene in breast cancer.

The ETNK2 gene promotes progression of papillary thyroid carcinoma through the HIPPO pathway.

Thyroid cancer is a disease with an extremely high incidence rate and is divided into papillary, follicular, medullary, and undifferentiated thyroid cancers. Among them, papillary carcinoma is the most common subtype. We assessed expression of ETNK2 in public databases and found that ETNK2 is upregulated in PTC. Cohort and RNA sequencing data were used to verify this discovery. To further determine the relationship between ETNK2 and papillary thyroid carcinoma, we performed an in vitro experiment. In a PTC cell line, silencing ETNK2 inhibited cell proliferation, weakened cell migration and invasion ability, promoted apoptosis, and blocked the cell cycle. In addition, western blotting suggested that ETNK2 is related to the HIPPO pathway and may activate the EMT pathway through the HIPPO pathway to promote the development of thyroid cancer. These results revealed that ETNK2 is related to the occurrence and development of papillary thyroid carcinoma, suggesting that ETNK2 may be an oncogene associated with PTC.

ErbB inhibitors as neoadjuvant therapy for triple-positive breast cancer: a network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the effectiveness of ErbB inhibitor interventions for women with triple-positive breast cancer (TPBC) is scarce. Exposure to hormone receptors was reported to eclipse targeted intervention effectiveness. Here, we aimed to explore the optimum targeted regimen for TPBC. METHODS: We conducted a thorough search of the literature focusing on neoadjuvant targeted therapy with both hormone receptor-positive and HER2 (ErbB2)-positive patients and performed a network meta-analysis comparing the regimens using a random-effects model. The rate of pathological complete response (pCR) (ypT0/is) was the primary outcome. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the association among twelve regimens. RESULTS: Thirteen studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included. Significantly more TPBC patients receiving ado-trastuzumab emtansine plus lapatinib experienced pCR events than other patients. In the high-performance ranking of the twelve regimens, ado-trastuzumab emtansine plus lapatinib (TDM-1+L) ranked top, followed by ado-trastuzumab emtansine (TDM-1), trastuzumab plus carboplatin, taxanes and pertuzumab (TCHP), trastuzumab plus docetaxel and lapatinib (THL), trastuzumab, taxanes and pertuzumab (THP), ado-trastuzumab emtansine plus pertuzumab (TDM1+P), trastuzumab plus taxanes (TH), trastuzumab plus taxanes and neratinib, taxanes plus pertuzumab (HP), taxanes and neratinib (HN), trastuzumab plus lapatinib (TL), trastuzumab plus pertuzumab (TP) in sequence. CONCLUSION: Double-targeted therapy in chemotherapy-based regimens was associated with better pCR than single-targeted therapy, and TDM-1+L stood out. For either single-targeted or double-targeted therapies, regimens free of chemotherapy were always worse than those with targeted therapy. Our data support guidelines that recommend combinations of chemotherapies plus targeted therapies in the neoadjuvant setting for early TPBC.

SYT12 is a novel oncogene that promotes thyroid carcinoma progression and metastasis.

Background: Thyroid malignancy is the most frequent endocrine malignant tumor whose incidence is still increasing. Mechanisms genomic variations play a major part in the pathogenesis of many types of malignancy. Synaptotagmin 12 (SYT12) is a member gene of the synaptotagmins family and SYT12's variants were shown to be associated with some malignancies. Nevertheless, SYT12's specific function and probable clinical value in papillary cancer were still unknown. Methods: We conducted complete genome sequence of 39 pairs PTC malignant neoplasm and matched non-neoplastic tissues. We found that SYT12 was significantly overexpressed in thyroid malignancy. Next, we investigated the expression level of SYT12 and the relation between clinical information and SYT12 expression in thyroid cancer in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). QRt-PCR of else 40 pairs local verified cohort was performed to confirm the sequencing data and TCGA cohort. Then, we used small interfering RNA (si-RNA) to knock down the expression of SYT12 in PTC cells. Finally, proliferation, cell colony formation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis assays were done to demonstrate the function of SYT12. Results: SYT12 is significantly overexpressed and higher expression of SYT12 upsurges the risk of lymph node metastatic and incidence rate of primary neoplasm multivariate focus type and classical histological type for PTC patients in TCGA cohort. In vitro experiments, the results of functional assays presented that knock-down of SYT12 inhibited the cell proliferation, cell colony formation, trans-well migration, and trans-well invasion and promoted cell apoptotic in PTC cell lines. Conclusion: SYT12 was a novel oncogene that promotes thyroid carcinoma progression and metastasis potential and a potential biomarker for diagnosis and treatment in PTC.

Risk factors of diabetic foot ulcer in patients with type 2 diabetes: a retrospective cohort study.

The aim of this study is to investigate the risk factors of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Baseline characteristics of DFU-free patients with Type 2 diabetes were retrospectively collected and DFU was identified during the follow-up. Incidence of DFU was calculated and cumulative incidence was estimated by Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression model was used to explore factors associated with DFU. A total of 980 patients were included with a median follow-up time of 28.7 months. 259 (26.4%) patients developed DFU with an incidence rate of 11.3 per 100 person-years. The cumulative incidences of DFU at 1 year and 2 years during the follow-up were 5.4% (95% CI 3.9-6.9%) and 14.1% (95% CI 11.7-16.5%), respectively. Cox regression analysis indicated that factors associated with developing DFU included age (hazard ratio (HR)=1.06, 95% CI 1.05-1.07, per 1-year increase), body mass index (HR=1.05, 95% CI 1.02-1.07), higher level of education (HR=0.77, 95% CI 0.60-0.98), hypertension (HR=1.90, 95% CI 1.47-2.45), hyperlipidemia (HR=2.63, 95% CI 2.02-3.43), coronary heart disease (HR=2.88, 95% CI 2.22-3.75), heart failure (HR=2.47, 95% CI 1.91-3.20), stroke (HR=2.44, 95% CI 1.86-3.19), diabetic retinopathy (HR=1.86, 95% CI 1.40-2.48), diabetic kidney disease (HR=1.89, 95% CI 1.41-2.53), diabetic neuropathy (HR=1.73, 95% CI 1.31-2.30), poor glycemic control (HR=1.13, 95% CI 1.07-1.19, per 1% glycosylated hemoglobin increase), and course of diabetes (HR=1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.01, per 1-month increase). The results showed a relatively high incidence of DFU, and revealed several baseline characteristics identified as risk factors of developing DFU.

The effect of vacuum sealing drainage after early woundabrasion on wound healing in diabetic patients with deep second degree burn and its influence on the inflammatory response.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) after early woundabrasion (WA) in diabetic patients with deep second degree burn (DSDB). METHODS: This prospective study selected 89 diabetic patients with DSDB treated in our hospital. Using the random number table method, the patients were divided into the control group (44 cases with conventional treatment after early WA) and observation group (45 cases with VSD treatment after WA). Wound healing, fungal infection rate, serum levels of inflammatory factors and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and adverse reactions in both groups were compared. RESULTS: After 2 weeks of treatment, the total effective rate of observation group was higher than that of control group, and the incidence of adverse reactions showed an opposite trend (both P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the wound healing time was shortened, the wound healing rate was increased, and the fungal infection rate was decreased in the observation group (all P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, serum TNF-α levels in both groups were decreased, while serum levels of IL-10, IL-4 and VEGF were increased after treatment, and the changes in the observation group were more obvious (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In diabetic patients with DSDB, VSD after early WA can effectively reduce the incidence of fungal infection, reduce inflammation, improve VEGF level, and facilitate wound healing.

PSD3 is an oncogene that promotes proliferation, migration, invasion, and G1/S transition while inhibits apoptotic in papillary thyroid cancer.

Background: The morbidity of thyroid cancer is gradually increasing, meanwhile, the average age of the morbidity population also becomes younger. Mechanisms genomic variations serve an important function for the pathogenesis of many cancer types. Pleckstrin and sec7 domain-containing 3 (PSD3), also known as EFA6R, was shown to be associated with some cancers such as acute myeloid leukemia, breast cancer metastasis, and astrocytoma. But it was unknown that whether PSD3 took effect and how did it work in thyroid cancer. Methods: We guessed that PSD3 might play an important role in thyroid cancer by consulting previous literature. Then, we analyzed the level of PSD3 expression in thyroid malignancy and the connection with clinical manifestation in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). And RNA extraction, reverse transcription, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRt-PCR) of 40 pairs of local samples were done to verify the result of TCGA. Then, PSD3 was knocked down by small interfering RNA (siRNA) for flowing functional experiments. Results: Bioinformatics and qRt-PCR analysis shown PSD3 was overexpressed in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and connected with the histological type (P=0.009) and risk of lymph node metastasis (P=0.016). In vitro assays, we confirmed that down-regulation PSD3 could not only suppress the cell proliferation, colony formation, cell migration, cell invasion, and G1/S cell cycle transition but also promote apoptosis in PTC cells. Conclusion: PSD3 promotes proliferation, migration, invasion, and G1/S transition while inhibits apoptotic in PTC and a possible biomarker in PTC.

Effects of acupuncture on clinical outcome and helper T cell distribution and abundance in patients with convalescent ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of acupuncture on clinical outcomes and helper T cell levels in patients with convalescent ischemic stroke. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-six patients with cerebral ischemic stroke were selected for this prospective study. Patients in the control group were treated with routine therapy, and patients in the observation group were treated with acupuncture for 30 minutes once a day for 14 days plus the treatment of the control group. The clinical efficacy, cognitive function, T cell subsets distribution and inflammatory factors of patients in both groups were recorded before and after treatment. RESULTS: Total effectiveness rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, CD3+ cell percentage, CD4+ cell percentage and CD4+ cell percentage/CD8+ cell percentage of patients in both groups were significantly increased (P<0.05), while CD8+ cell percentage in both groups was significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared to those in the control group, the overall response rate as well as CD3+ cell percentage, CD4+ cell percentage and CD4+/CD8+ of patients after treatment in the observation group were higher (P<0.001), while CD8+ cell percentage was lower (all P<0.001). Moreover, the improvement in inflammatory factors as well as scores of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in observation group were better than those of the control group (P<0.001) respectively. CONCLUSION: Treatment of cerebral ischemic stroke by acupuncture can improve clinical outcome and cognitive function, which may be related to its regulation of immune response and reduction of inflammation in vivo.

PLGA-PEG Nanoparticles Facilitate In Vivo Anti-Alzheimer's Effects of Fucoxanthin, a Marine Carotenoid Derived from Edible Brown Algae.

The marine natural product fucoxanthin has been reported previously to produce anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuroprotective effects in vitro and in vivo. Fucoxanthin was also demonstrated to be safe in preclinical and small population clinical studies, but the low bioavailability of fucoxanthin in the central nervous system (CNS) has limited its clinical applications. To overcome this, poly lactic-co-glycolic acid-block-polyethylene glycol loaded fucoxanthin (PLGA-PEG-Fuc) nanoparticles with diameter at around 200 nm and negative charge were synthesized and suggested to penetrate into the CNS. Loaded fucoxanthin could be liberated from PLGA-PEG nanoparticles by sustained released in the physiological environment. PLGA-PEG-Fuc nanoparticles were shown to significantly inhibit the formation of Aß fibrils and oligomers. Moreover, these nanoparticles were taken up by both neurons and microglia, leading to the reduction of Aß oligomers-induced neurotoxicity in vitro. Most importantly, intravenous injection of PLGA-PEG-Fuc nanoparticles prevented cognitive impairments in Aß oligomers-induced AD mice with greater efficacy than free fucoxanthin, possibly via acting on Nrf2 and NF-κB signaling pathways. These results altogether suggest that PLGA-PEG nanoparticles can enhance the bioavailability of fucoxanthin and potentiate its efficacy for the treatment of AD, thus potentially enabling its future use for AD therapy.

The Psychological Effect of Forming WeChat Groups Between Medical Staff and Patients With COVID-19.

Background: This study was conducted in order to explore the effect of psychological intervention based on the use of WeChat with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Methods: A total of 65 patients with COVID-19, from two wards, were divided into an experimental group and a control group with the ward as the basic unit. Communication concerning routine treatment and nursing was established between the medical staff and patients in the experimental group via WeChat groups. Within 48 h of admission, at 7 days, and on discharge, all 65 patients completed two self-evaluation questionnaires: the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Hospital stay statistics and a satisfaction survey on discharge were also collated for both groups of patients. Results: The PANAS scores of the experimental group were 26.61 ± 7.99 points on admission, 20.81 ± 5.48 points at 7 days, and 19.58 ± 6.61 points on discharge (P < 0.05). The scores of HADS in the experimental group were 27.74 ± 9.35 points on admission, 12.19 ± 1.92 points at 7 days, and 11.71 ± 3.64 points on discharge (P < 0.05). The differences in the PANS and HADS scores between the experimental and control groups at 7 days and on discharge were statistically significant. The discharge satisfaction ratings of the two groups of patients were 99.87 ± 0.34 and 98.68 ± 1.09 points, the difference being statistically significant (t = 5.827, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Establishing WeChat groups between medical staff and patients with COVID-19 and building a bridge for better communication improved patients' positive mentality and their compliance with doctors, shortened their hospital stay, and promoted their recovery.

Genetic landscape of breast cancer and mutation tracking with circulating tumor DNA in Chinese women.

Considerable efforts have been devoted to exploring the breast cancer mutational landscape to understand its genetic complexity. However, no studies have yet comprehensively elucidated the molecular characterization of breast tumors in Chinese women. This study aimed to determine the potential clinical utility of peripheral blood assessment for circulating tumor-derived DNA (ctDNA) and comprehensively characterize the female Chinese population's genetic mutational spectrum. We used Omi-Seq to create cancer profiles of 273 patients enrolled at The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. The gene landscape results indicate PIK3CA and TP53 as the most frequently detected genes, followed by ERBB2, in Chinese breast cancer patients. The accuracy of ERBB2 copy number variations in tissue/formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples was 95% with 86% sensitivity and 99% specificity. Moreover, mutation numbers varied between different molecular cell-free DNA subtypes, with the basal-like patients harboring a higher number of variants than the luminal patients. Furthermore, ratio changes in the max ctDNA allele fraction highly correlated with clinical response measurements, including cancer relapse and metastasis. Our data demonstrate that ctDNA characterization using the Omi-Seq platform can extend the capacity of personalized clinical cancer management.

MFAP2 is a Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker That Correlates with the Progression of Papillary Thyroid Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Microfibril-associated protein 2 (MFAP2) is a protein coding gene that exerts important phenotypic effects on cell motility, and increasing research has indicated that MFAP2 was correlated with many cancers. However, the functional and potential clinical role of MFAP2 in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has not yet been verified. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed whole transcriptome sequencing on 78 paired PTC tissues and corresponding adjacent normal tissues and found that MFAP2 was highly expressed in PTC tissues. Then, we analyzed the expression of MFAP2 and its relation with the clinicopathological features of PTC in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) PTC genomic dataset. We detected MFAP2 expression in 40 paired PTC tissues and corresponding adjacent normal tissues through RT-qPCR (real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction) to validate the sequencing data and TCGA cohort. Cell functional assays were performed to elucidate the function of MFAP2 in PTC cells, Western blot assay was performed to explore the correlation between MFAP2 and EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition)-related proteins. RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed that MFAP2 was obviously upregulated in PTC tissues compared to matched normal tissues, and the expression levels of MFAP2 in PTC tissues were strongly related with lymph node metastasis (p=0.016). The results of RT-qPCR of our own tissue specimens showed the same conclusions as that in TCGA dataset. The results of functional assays in PTC cell lines showed that MFAP2 could promote proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion abilities and decrease the apoptotic rate in PTC cells. Western Blot assay showed that MFAP2 could regulate the expression of EMT-related proteins. CONCLUSION: MFAP2 increases the proliferation, motility and decreases the apoptosis of PTC cells, and might be a potential therapeutic target for papillary thyroid cancer.