Two-phase magnetic nanospheres with magnetic coupling effect encapsulated in porous carbon to achieve lightweight and efficient microwave absorbers.

Component selection is crucial for microwave absorbents. Multi-component absorbers are increasingly useful and can be prepared through the rational design and control of various electrical, magnetic, and other auxiliary components. In this paper, Ni3Fe/NiFe2O4 nanospheres with two-phase magnetism were designed for use as a multi-component absorber. Specifically, a Ni3Fe/ NiFe2O4@SPC composite with 3D networks was successfully fabricated by hydrothermal method, high-temperature carbonization for activation, and electrostatic self-assembly. The contact interface and coupling effect between the two magnetic components can promote the attenuation of electromagnetic waves. Moreover, the introduction of porous carbon successfully inhibits the easy aggregation of the magnetic particles. Impressively, with a filling load of 10 wt%, the optimal RL of the prepared Ni3Fe/NiFe2O4@SPC composite reaches -60.6 dB, and the effective absorption bandwidth is 5.2 GHz at 2 mm. The combination of two magnetic components and porous carbon in this multiphase microwave-absorbing composite demonstrates a feasible strategy for designing efficient microwave absorbers in the future.

LncRNA AFAP1-AS1 Knockdown Represses Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Induced Apoptosis in Breast Cancer by Downregulating SEPT2 Via Sponging miR-497-5p.

Background: Long non-coding RNA actin filament-associated protein1-antisense RNA 1 (AFAP1-AS1) was confirmed to be associated with tumorigenesis. However, the role of AFAP1-AS1 in breast cancer was little known. Materials and Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the levels of AFAP1-AS1, microRNA-497-5p (miR-497-5p), and Septin 2 (SEPT2) in breast cancer tissues and cells. The cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis were tested by Methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), Transwell and Flow cytometry assays, respectively. The targeting relationship between genes was predicted by StarBase v.3.0 and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Pearson's correlation coefficient was applied to examine the correlation between the two groups. SEPT2 protein expression was evaluated by Western blot. Xenograft models were established to investigate the role of AFAP1-AS1 knockdown in vivo. Results: AFAP1-AS1 was upregulated in breast cancer tissues and cells, and AFAP1-AS1 knockdown could hinder proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells, and contribute to cell apoptosis. MiR-497-5p, which was downregulated in breast cancer, was verified to be a target of AFAP1-AS1 and inversely correlated with AFAP1-AS1 expression. SEPT2, as a target gene of miR-497-5p, was negatively regulated by miR-497-5p and positively correlated with AFAP1-AS1 expression. Importantly, AFAP1-AS1 could upregulate SEPT2 expression by sponging miR-497-5p, and modulate cell progression by regulation of the miR-497-5p/SEPT2 axis in breast cancer. Conclusion: AFAP1-AS1 knockdown repressed the progression of breast cancer cells by sponging miR-497-5p and downregulating SEPT2.

Improved antitumor activity of epirubicin-loaded CXCR4-targeted polymeric nanoparticles in liver cancers.

A liver-targeted drug delivery system (CX-EPNP) composed of PLGA/TPGS was prepared and characterized. The surface of nanoparticle was conjugated with LFC131 peptide to increase the specific interaction of carrier with CXCR4 overexpressing liver cancers to enhance the Epirubicin (EPI) delivery to tumors. The particles were nanosized with size than 150 nm and portrayed a sustained release kinetics suggesting its suitability for cancer targeting. The in vitro cell uptake results showed that the introduction of LFC131 to the nanoparticles could increase significantly the affinity to human hepatic carcinoma cells (HepG2) with approximately a 3-fold improvement in cellular uptake than non-targeted one. A specific receptor-mediated uptake was observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. In addition, CX-EPNP showed remarkable cytotoxicity towards HepG2 cells, and could effectively inhibit tumor growth. The more significant EPI accumulation from CX-EPNP in the cancer cells gave rise to the enhanced EPI cytotoxicity and cell apoptosis. The CX-EPNP distributed mostly in the xenograft tumor after intravenous administration to mice and adequately remained in the blood for at least 24h. It seemed that CX-EPNP upon intravenous injection avoided rapid recognition by Kupffer cells and adequately remained in the blood. These findings suggest that CX-EPNP could effectively inhibit the growth of liver tumors in situ and could potentially reduce the systemic side effects. However, extensive investigation is still needed to assess the possible applications of the CX-EPNP in humans.