Trends in HIV/AIDS-Related Mortality and the Impact of Antiretroviral Treatment Strategies in Lu'an City: A Comprehensive Analysis.

BACKGROUND There are many factors that affect human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related deaths, and different antiretroviral therapy (ART) strategies may affect HIV/AIDS-related fatality rates. However, studies on this area are very limited. This study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with HIV/AIDS-related mortality and the impact of different ART strategies in Lu'an City, Anhui Province, China, 1999-2023. MATERIAL AND METHODS Data of HIV/AIDS cases were downloaded from the China HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Response Information Management System, and were assessed to evaluate the impact of different ART strategies on the related fatality rate using interrupted time series (ITS). RESULTS We found that age at diagnosis of 15 years, 25 years, 40 years, and 60 years, as well as receiving ART, were protective factors against death (with P below 0.05), while lower CD4 count at the last CD4 count and the year of diagnosis before 2007 and between 2007 and 2016 were risk factors (with P below 0.05). ITS analysis revealed that in the year of the introduction of free ART in 2006, the fatality rate decreased by 38.60% (P=0.015). The fatality rate trend from 2006 to 2015 was -1.1%, which was not statistically significant (P=0.434). The fatality rate trend from 2016 to 2023 was -0.33%, indicating a decreasing trend (P=0.000). CONCLUSIONS Children under 15 years old and elderly patients had a higher risk of death. The main reasons for the decrease in HIV/AIDS-related fatality rate were ART, especially the "early treatment" strategy.

Novel osteogenic peptide from bovine bone collagen hydrolysate: Targeted screening, molecular mechanism, and stability analysis.

This study aimed to screen for a novel osteogenic peptide based on the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) and explore its molecular mechanism and gastrointestinal stability. In this study, a novel osteogenic peptide (Phe-Ser-Gly-Leu, FSGL) derived from bovine bone collagen hydrolysate was successfully screened by molecular docking and synthesised by solid phase peptide synthesis for further analysis. Cell experiments showed that FSGL significantly enhanced the osteogenic activity of MC3T3-E1 cells by acting on CaSR, including proliferation (152.53%), differentiation, and mineralization. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics further demonstrated that FSGL was a potential allosteric activator of CaSR, that turned on the activation switch of CaSR by closing the Venus flytrap (VFT) domain and driving the two protein chains in the VFT domain to easily form dimers. In addition, 96.03% of the novel osteogenic peptide FSGL was stable during gastrointestinal digestion. Therefore, FSGL showed substantial potential for enhancing the osteogenic activity of osteoblasts. This study provided new insights for the application of CaSR in the targeted screening of osteogenic peptides to improve bone health.

People-centered primary care measures in health equity: a perspective of urban-rural comparison in Beijing, China.

Person-centered primary care measures (PCPCM) facilitate high-quality and culturally appropriate primary care. Access to PCPCM remains unequal between rural and urban areas, and the available evidence on rural PCPCM is still lacking. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with stratified sampling by regions, and four districts (Xicheng, Fengtai, Huairou, and Daxing) in Beijing were selected to test the performance of PCPCM in both urban and rural areas. Descriptive statistical methods were used to compare the urban-rural differences in the demographic characteristics of PCPCM. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to determine the associations between PCPCM in demographics and utilization of primary care. The PCPCM showed good reliability and validity in both urban and rural areas (P < .001), slightly lower in rural areas, but scores of rural PCPCM (R-PCPCM) in all items were lower than urban PCPCM (U-PCPCM). Patients in either the preferred urban or rural health centers all showed the highest PCPCM scores, with U-PCPCM= 3.31 for CHCs and R-PCPCM= 3.10 for RHCs, respectively. Patients in urban areas were more likely to receive higher-quality primary care than in rural areas (P < .001). Patients who preferred hospitals (ß = 2.61, P < .001) or CHCs (ß = 0.71, P = .003) as providers was a significant positive predictor of U-PCPCM but it was the preference for hospitals (ß = 2.95, P < .001) for R-PCPCM. Urban-rural differences existed in the performance of PCPCM, with rural areas typically more difficult to access better PCPCM. To promote health equity in rural areas, healthcare providers should strive to minimize urban-rural differences in the quality and utilization of primary care services as much as feasible.

Community-dwelling older adults' perspectives on health risks: a qualitative study exploring anxieties, priorities, and expectations in ageing.

BACKGROUND: With the conflict between the promise of ageing in health and longevity and the limited availability of health resources and social support, older adults in China inevitably experience anxieties surrounding health risks. This study aims to investigate how older adults perceive the health risks that come with getting older, explore the degree to which health risks affect older adults, and advocate for active engagement in practices for managing health risks. METHODS: Using purposive sampling, three districts of Beijing (Xicheng District, Fengtai District, and Daxing District, respectively) were selected for the research. Qualitative semi-structured and in-depth interviews were conducted with 70 community-dwelling older adults who participated in the study. Data were extracted and analyzed based on a thematic framework approach. RESULTS: Three main themes were identified: (i) the anxieties of older adults concerning health risks in ageing; (ii) the priorities of older adults for health risk management in ageing; (iii) the expectations of older adults for health risk management in ageing. The primary health concerns among older adults included disease incidence and function decline. It was found that basic health management emerged as a critical need for older adults to mitigate health risks. Moreover, it was observed that healthcare support for older adults from familial, institutional, and governmental levels exhibited varying degrees of inadequacy. CONCLUSIONS: The primary source of anxieties among older adults regarding health risks predominantly stems from a perceived sense of health deprivation. It is often compounded by persistent barriers to primary care of priorities in managing health risks among older adults. In addition, the expectations of older adults for health risk management emphasize the necessity for integrated care approaches. Therefore, further research should give priority to the prevention and management of health risks, aim to reduce anxieties, provide integrated care to meet the primary needs and expectations of older adults, and ultimately strive toward the overarching goal of promoting health and longevity.

Malignant glomus tumor of the breast: a case report.

Malignant glomus tumor (MGT) is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm. It is rarely located in the breast. We present a case of a 57-year-old female patient presenting with complaints of a progressively growing mass found in her left breast. Though multiple imaging examinations have been performed, especially multimodal ultrasound examinations, an accurate diagnosis still cannot be determined. Finally, the lesion was confirmed to be a MGT of the breast by postoperative pathological diagnosis. In conclusion, MGT originating from breast is extremely rare. No such case has ever been described before. This study demonstrates the imaging characteristics of a patient with MGT of the breast in order to provide more extensive insights to consider the differential diagnosis of breast lesions.

HIF1A-dependent overexpression of MTFP1 promotes lung squamous cell carcinoma development by activating the glycolysis pathway.

Introduction: Mitochondrial fission process 1 (MTFP1) is an inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) protein implicated in the development and progression of various tumors, particularly lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). This study aims to provide a more theoretical basis for the treatment of LUSC. Methods: Through bioinformatics analysis, MTFP1 was identified as a novel target gene of HIF1A. MTFP1 expression in LUSC was examined using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and Proteomics Data Commons (PDC) databases. The Kaplan-Meier plotter (KM plotter) database was utilized to evaluate its correlation with patient survival. Western blot and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were employed to confirm the regulatory relationship between MTFP1 and HIF1A. Additionally, cell proliferation, colony formation, and migration assays were conducted to investigate the mechanism by which MTFP1 enhances LUSC cell proliferation and metastasis. Results: Our findings revealed that MTFP1 overexpression correlated with poor prognosis in LUSC patients(P < 0.05). Moreover, MTFP1 was closely associated with hypoxia and glycolysis in LUSC (R = 0.203; P < 0.001, R = 0.391; P < 0.001). HIF1A was identified as a positive regulator of MTFP1. Functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that MTFP1 played a role in controlling LUSC cell proliferation. Cell proliferation, colony formation, and migration assays indicated that MTFP1 promoted LUSC cell proliferation and metastasis by activating the glycolytic pathway (P < 0.05). Conclusions: This study establishes MTFP1 as a novel HIF1A target gene that promotes LUSC growth by activating the glycolytic pathway. Investigating MTFP1 may contribute to the development of effective therapies for LUSC patients, particularly those lacking targeted oncogene therapies.

Leptomeningeal metastasis of breast cancer during neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in a 38-year-old woman: a case report.

Background: Breast cancer accounts for 5% of the population who develop central nervous system metastasis, which is only second to the lung cancer. Breast cancer metastasis to the brain including parenchymal brain metastasis (BM) and leptomeningeal metastasis (LM). Compared with BM, LM is a more rare but aggressive metastatic diagnosis with poor outcome. Case Description: We reported a 38-year-old woman presented to the neurology department due to progressive headache for 1 month, accompanied with dizziness, nausea, vomiting and neck pain. During hospitalization, she experienced paroxysmal loss of consciousness twice. Five months prior to this visit, her first visit was diagnosed with breast cancer on the right side which was of triple-negative subtype and with homolateral axillary lymph node involvement by biopsy. After the clinician assessment she had received six cycles of TCb (docetaxel/carboplatin) neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. During the period of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, she did not report the presence of severe neurological symptoms. Twenty days ago, she underwent right breast-conserving surgery and the postoperative evaluation was ypT1N3M0 stage and Miller-Payne grade 2. Head computed tomography (CT) scan and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) didn't find typical brain imaging changes. No other signs of metastasis were seen in the CT examinations of the patient's chest and abdomen. Finally, lumbar puncture with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed the presence of malignant cells. Given the patient's clinical history and new neurologic symptoms, the diagnosis was LM from breast cancer. Various treatment modalities including intrathecal thiotepa, oral temozolomide (TMZ) and whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) had been used, but none of them showed significant benefit for survival. Conclusions: Breast cancer metastasis to the brain, especially LM, should be given sufficient vigilance and attention at the beginning of the diagnosis and treatment, particularly in triple-negative breast cancer patients who are at high risk. Symptoms of LM may be masked by the chemotherapy adverse effects. The results of MRI and CT may show negative results, thus lumbar puncture with CSF should be done promptly if LM is highly suspected in clinical practice. Early prevention, early detection and timely treatment are crucial according to the poor prognosis.

Case report: Prostatic malakoplakia: a rare disease that has a profile mimicking prostate cancer.

Prostatic malakoplakia (PMP) is a rare inflammatory disease, and misdiagnosis on imaging is a major reason for unnecessary punctures; however, information on imaging is even rarer. Five patients with PMP between May 2022 and February 2023 were enrolled in this study to summarize the imaging manifestations. All patients underwent ultrasound (US)-guided prostate biopsy and were confirmed by pathology, and the presence of prostate cancer was also excluded by pathology. The five patients, with a median age of 71 years (range = 58-74 years), had a median total prostate-specific antigen (T-PSA) of 10.40 ng/mL (range = 1.74-63.42 ng/mL). In two patients, chest computed tomography showed pulmonary infections. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Of these patients, four had a Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PIRADS) score of 5, while one had a score of 4. The lesions were mostly distributed in the peripheral zone of the prostate and appeared as a high signal on T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and a low signal on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI). In the US examination, four patients had abnormal prostate morphology, with an unsmooth envelope and non-uniform parenchymal echogenicity. Four patients had increased prostate volume. US showed a hypoechoic nodule with non-uniform internal echogenicity, and an abundant internal blood flow signal was detected by color Doppler US. PSA, MRI, and US were not specific for PMP in our study, but we found that a history of co-infection may be helpful in an accurate diagnosis and to avoid unnecessary biopsy.

Acceptability and experience of a smartphone symptom monitoring app for people with psychosis in China (YouXin): a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Access to high-quality mental healthcare remains challenging for people with psychosis globally, including China. Smartphone-based symptom monitoring has the potential to support scalable mental healthcare. However, no such tool, until now, has been developed and evaluated for people with psychosis in China. This study investigated the acceptability and the experience of using a symptom self-monitoring smartphone app (YouXin) specifically developed for people with psychosis in China. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants with psychosis to explore the acceptability of YouXin. Participants were recruited from the non-randomised feasibility study that tested the validity, feasibility, acceptability and safety of the YouXin app. Data analysis was guided by the theoretical framework of acceptability. RESULTS: Most participants felt the app was acceptable and easy to use, and no unbearable burdens or opportunity costs were reported. Participants found completing the self-monitoring app rewarding and experienced a sense of achievement. Privacy and data security were not major concerns for participants, largely due to trust in their treating hospital around data protection. Participants found the app easy to use and attributed this to the training provided at the beginning of the study. A few participants said they had built some form of relationship with the app and would miss the app when the study finished. CONCLUSIONS: The YouXin app is acceptable for symptom self-monitoring in people with experience of psychosis in China. Participants gained greater insights about their symptoms by using the YouXin app. As we only collected retrospective acceptability in this study, future studies are warranted to assess hypothetical acceptability before the commencement of study to provide a more comprehensive understanding of implementation.

Progression from ductal carcinoma in situ to invasive breast cancer: molecular features and clinical significance.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) represents pre-invasive breast carcinoma. In untreated cases, 25-60% DCIS progress to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). The challenge lies in distinguishing between non-progressive and progressive DCIS, often resulting in over- or under-treatment in many cases. With increasing screen-detected DCIS in these years, the nature of DCIS has aroused worldwide attention. A deeper understanding of the biological nature of DCIS and the molecular journey of the DCIS-IDC transition is crucial for more effective clinical management. Here, we reviewed the key signaling pathways in breast cancer that may contribute to DCIS initiation and progression. We also explored the molecular features of DCIS and IDC, shedding light on the progression of DCIS through both inherent changes within tumor cells and alterations in the tumor microenvironment. In addition, valuable research tools utilized in studying DCIS including preclinical models and newer advanced technologies such as single-cell sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and artificial intelligence, have been systematically summarized. Further, we thoroughly discussed the clinical advancements in DCIS and IDC, including prognostic biomarkers and clinical managements, with the aim of facilitating more personalized treatment strategies in the future. Research on DCIS has already yielded significant insights into breast carcinogenesis and will continue to pave the way for practical clinical applications.

Molecular epidemiological characteristics of Mycobacterium leprae in highly endemic areas of China during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Objectives: The present study analyzed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence and incidence of new leprosy cases, as well as the diversity, distribution, and temporal transmission of Mycobacterium leprae strains at the county level in leprae-endemic provinces in Southwest China. Methods: A total of 219 new leprosy cases during two periods, 2018-2019 and 2020-2021, were compared. We genetically characterized 83 clinical isolates of M. leprae in Guizhou using variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The obtained genetic profiles and cluster consequences of M. leprae were compared between the two periods. Results: There was an 18.97% decrease in the number of counties and districts reporting cases. Considering the initial months (January-March) of virus emergence, the number of new cases in 2021 increased by 167% compared to 2020. The number of patients with a delay of >12 months before COVID-19 (63.56%) was significantly higher than that during COVID-19 (48.51%). Eighty-one clinical isolates (97.60%) were positive for all 17 VNTR types, whereas two (2.40%) clinical isolates were positive for 16 VNTR types. The (GTA)9, (TA)18, (TTC)21 and (TA)10 loci showed higher polymorphism than the other loci. The VNTR profile of these clinical isolates generated five clusters, among which the counties where the patients were located were adjacent or relatively close to each other. SNP typing revealed that all clinical isolates possessed the single SNP3K. Conclusion: COVID-19 may have a negative/imbalanced impact on the prevention and control measures of leprosy, which could be a considerable fact for official health departments. Isolates formed clusters among counties in Guizhou, indicating that the transmission chain remained during the epidemic and was less influenced by COVID-19 preventative policies.

Evaluating a smartphone-based symptom self-monitoring app for psychosis in China (YouXin): A non-randomised validity and feasibility study with a mixed-methods design.

Background: Psychosis causes a significant burden globally, including in China, where limited mental health resources hinder access to care. Smartphone-based remote monitoring offers a promising solution. This study aimed to assess the validity, feasibility, acceptability, and safety of a symptom self-monitoring smartphone app, YouXin, for people with psychosis in China. Methods: A pre-registered non-randomised validity and feasibility study with a mixed-methods design. Participants with psychosis were recruited from a major tertiary psychiatric hospital in Beijing, China. Participants utilised the YouXin app to self-monitor psychosis and mood symptoms for four weeks. Feasibility outcomes were recruitment, retention and outcome measures completeness. Active symptom monitoring (ASM) validity was tested against corresponding clinical assessments (PANSS and CDS) using Spearman correlation. Ten participants completed qualitative interviews at study end to explore acceptability of the app and trial procedures. Results: Feasibility parameters were met. The target recruitment sample of 40 participants was met, with 82.5% completing outcome measures, 60% achieving acceptable ASM engagement (completing >33% of all prompts), and 33% recording sufficient passive monitoring data to extract mobility indicators. Five ASM domains (hallucinations, suspiciousness, guilt feelings, delusions, grandiosity) achieved moderate correlation with clinical assessment. Both quantitative and qualitative evaluation showed high acceptability of YouXin. Clinical measurements indicated no symptom and functional deterioration. No adverse events were reported, suggesting YouXin is safe to use in this clinical population. Conclusions: The trial feasibility, acceptability and safety parameters were met and a powered efficacy study is indicated. However, refinements are needed to improve ASM validity and increase passive monitoring data completeness.

JHD205, A Novel Abemaciclib Derivative, Exerts Antitumor Effects on Breast Cancer by CDK4/6.

BACKGROUND: Efficient targeted molecular therapeutics are needed for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a highly invasive and difficult-to-treat form of breast cancer associated with a poor prognosis. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the potential of selective CDK4/6 inhibitors as a therapeutic option for TNBC by impairing the cell cycle G1 phase through the inhibition of retinoblastoma protein (Rb) phosphorylation. METHODS: In this study, we synthesized a compound called JHD205, derived from the chemical structure of Abemaciclib, and examined its inhibitory effects on the malignant characteristics of TNBC cells. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that JHD205 exhibited superior tumor growth inhibition compared to Abemaciclib in breast cancer xenograft chicken embryo models. Western blot analysis revealed that JHD205 could dosedependently degrade CDK4 and CDK6 while also causing abnormal changes in other proteins associated with CDK4/6, such as p-Rb, Rb, and E2F1. Moreover, JHD205 induced apoptosis and DNA damage and inhibited DNA repair by upregulating Caspase3 and p-H2AX protein levels. CONCLUSION: Collectively, our findings suggest that JHD205 holds promise as a potential treatment for breast carcinoma.

Phosphorylation modification of bovine bone collagen peptide enhanced its effect on mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells via improving calcium-binding capacity.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of phosphorylation modification of collagen peptide on its calcium-binding capacity and pro-mineralization activity. In this study, collagen peptide (Leu-Thr-Phe, LTF) and phosphorylated LTF (P-LTF) were synthesized and further chelated with calcium ions. The results showed that phosphorylation of LTF significantly enhanced its calcium-binding capacity. Spectra analysis revealed that the calcium-binding sites of P-LTF were mainly carbonyl, carboxyl, and phosphate groups. Molecular docking further demonstrated that the phosphate group introduced by phosphorylation enhanced the calcium-binding capacity of LTF by ionic bonds and coordination bonds. The stability analysis results suggested that intestinal fluid could repair the peptide-calcium complex destroyed by gastric fluid. The cell experiment displayed that P-LTF-Ca significantly improved the mineralization activity of MC3T3-E1 cells, and the order of effective influence was P-LTF-Ca > LTF-Ca > P-LTF > LTF. This study provided the theoretical basis for the potential application of phosphorylation modification in improving bone health.

Robust Synthesis of GO-PtNPs Nanocomposites: A Highly Selective Colorimetric Sensor for Mercury Ion (II) Detection.

Due to their high toxicity and ongoing bioaccumulation, mercury ions (Hg2+) can cause significant harm to both the environment and human health. Therefore, rapid, accurate, and selective methods for Hg2+ detection are highly desirable. Herein, we present a simple method for depositing platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) on graphene oxide (GO) to obtain graphene oxide-PtNPs (GO-PtNPs). The fabricated GO-PtNPs exhibit excellent peroxidase-like activity and high stability. Further, the GO-PtNPs nanozymes preferentially reduced Hg2+, thereby inhibiting the catalytic activity. By monitoring the color change in the chromogenic substrate, Hg2+ can be detected within 15 min. With a detection limit of 88.3 pM, the GO-PtNPs system may be employed to detect Hg2+ in a linear range of 0.1 nM to 10 µM. The simplicity and low cost of the proposed approach as well as its applicability to complicated samples demonstrate its capacity for mercury sensing in environmental samples.

Recent Advances in Design and Application of Nanomaterials-Based Colorimetric Biosensors for Agri-food Safety Analysis.

A colorimetric sensor detects an analyte by utilizing the optical properties of the sensor unit, such as absorption or reflection, to generate a structural color that serves as the output signal to detect an analyte. Detecting the refractive index of an analyte by recording the color change of the sensor structure on its surface has several advantages, including simple operation, low cost, suitability for onsite analysis, and real-time detection. Colorimetric sensors have drawn much attention owing to their rapidity, simplicity, high sensitivity and selectivity. This Review discusses the use of colorimetric sensors in the food industry, including their applications for detecting food contaminants. The Review also provides insight into the scope of future research in this area.

Frequency of depression and correlates among Chinese children and adolescents living in poor areas under the background of targeted poverty alleviation: results of a survey in Weining county.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of epidemiological data on depressive morbidity in children and adolescents in rural China. This study determines the frequency and correlates of depression among children and adolescents to offer useful insights for family education and government policy-making in rural China. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between April 20 to May 10, 2022. Depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the correlative factors of depression were analyzed. RESULTS: In this study, 23,180 children and adolescents were enrolled (median (range) age: 12 (9-18) years); of them, 8,261 (35.6%) suffered from depression with a CES-D score of > 15. The onset of depression was significantly related to age, grade, gender, parental absence, attending key schools or classes, presence of moderate or severe internet addiction (IA), school record, social relationships, parental occupation, and education status. Furthermore, female gender (OR = 1.175; 95% CI: 1.108-1.247; p < 0.001), junior middle school (OR = 1.487; 95% CI: 1.380-1.601; p < 0.001), parental absence (OR = 1.272; 95% CI: 1.183-1.367; p < 0.001), attending key schools (OR = 1.221; 95% CI: 1.120-1.332; p < 0.001), attending key classes (OR = 1.099; 95% CI: 1.001-1.207; p = 0.048), and presence of moderate or above IA (OR = 13.593; 95% CI: 12.028-15.361; p < 0.001) were the most prominent independent factors for depression. CONCLUSION: Depression is very common among Chinese children and adolescents living in poor areas of Weining County. Older age, higher school grade, female gender, parental absence, attending key schools or classes, and the presence of moderate to severe IA are some important factors that may dictate the occurrence of depression in these children and adolescents.

Circular RNAs: biology and clinical significance of breast cancer.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are novel noncoding RNAs with covalently closed-loop structures that can regulate eukaryotic gene expression. Due to their stable structure, circRNAs are widely distributed in the cytoplasm and have important biological functions, including as microRNA sponges, RNA-binding protein conjugates, transcription regulators, and translation templates. Breast cancer is among the most common malignant cancers diagnosed in women worldwide. Despite the development of comprehensive treatments, breast cancer still has high mortality rates. Recent studies have unmasked critical roles for circRNAs in breast cancer as regulators of tumour initiation, progression, and metastasis. Further, research has revealed that some circRNAs have the potential for use as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in clinical practice. Herein, we review the biogenesis and biological functions of circRNAs, as well as their roles in different breast cancer subtypes. Moreover, we provide a comprehensive summary of the clinical significance of circRNAs in breast cancer. CircRNAs are believed to be a hot focus in basic and clinical research of breast cancer, and innovative future research directions of circRNAs could be used as biomarkers, therapeutic targets, or novel drugs.Abbreviations: CeRNA: Competitive endogenous RNA; ciRNA: Circular intronic RNA; circRNA: Circular RNA; EIciRNA: Exon-intron circRNA; EMT: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; IRES: Internal ribosome entry site; lncRNA: Long non-coding RNA; miRNA: MicroRNA; MRE: MiRNA response element; ncRNA: Non-coding RNA; RBP: RNA-binding protein; RNA-seq: RNA sequencing; RT-PCR: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

Genome-Wide Characterization of TAZ Binding Sites in Mammary Epithelial Cells.

The transcriptional co-activator with PDZ binding motif (TAZ) is a key effector of the Hippo signaling pathway. We and others previously reported that high expression levels of TAZ are positively associated with decreased survival rates and shorter times to relapse in basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) patients. The oncogenic activity of TAZ involves the regulation of diverse signal transduction pathways that direct processes such as cell proliferation, migration, and resistance to apoptosis, albeit through poorly characterized gene expression programs. Here, using a tet-inducible system in mammary epithelial MCF10A cells, we have characterized the TAZ-regulated transcription program using RNA sequencing in a temporal and spatial manner. We further identified global TAZ binding sites at different TAZ activation time points by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) sequencing analysis. We found that the vast majority of TAZ was rapidly localized in enhancer regions at the early TAZ activation time point and then gradually spread to promoter regions. TAZ bound to enhancer regions following a switch in potential TEAD and FOSL2 transcription factor motifs. Furthermore, the ATAC sequencing analysis indicated that TAZ activation led to chromatin structural alterations. Together, our results have revealed the landscape of genome-wide TAZ binding sites and may lead to improvements in the current understanding of how TAZ regulates the gene expression program that contributes to the development of breast cancer.