Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Virginia Sanchez-Sanchez, Antonio Garcia-Espana, Pilar Sanchez-Gomez, Jaime Font-de-Mora, Marian Merino, Jose Luis Mullor
Summary: NANOG is a key transcription factor for maintaining pluripotency, with elevated expression levels in various human cancers and a role in tumor metastasis. Studies show that NANOG regulates cancer cell migration through the SDF1/CXCR4 pathway, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for Nanog-dependent tumor progression.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Ernesto Rossi, Michela Croce, Francesco Reggiani, Giovanni Schinzari, Marianna Ambrosio, Rosaria Gangemi, Giampaolo Tortora, Ulrich Pfeffer, Adriana Amaro
Summary: Survival rates for metastatic uveal melanoma have not significantly improved over the years, as it differs from cutaneous melanoma and is resistant to current therapies. The main obstacles are the activation of oncogenic signaling pathways that cannot be targeted, the lack of tumor specific neo-antigens for immune response, and the pro-tumorigenic microenvironment that promotes tumor progression. However, new drugs targeting oncogenic pathways, innovative immune therapy approaches, and liver-specific treatments offer hope for improving outcomes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Briana Mason, Corey Calhoun, Victoria Woytowicz, Latifa Pina, Roshninder Kanda, Curtis Dunn, Antonio Alves, S. Tiffany Donaldson
Summary: Adolescent psychostimulant abuse is increasing, affecting brain morphology and behavior, and raising the risk for addiction. Neuroimmune substrates may play a role in substance use disorders. CXCR4 signaling may be involved in the development of AMPH sensitization.
Article
Immunology
Qixian Sun, Xinrong Tao, Bing Li, Hangbing Cao, Haoming Chen, Yuanjie Zou, Huihui Tao, Min Mu, Wenyang Wang, Keyi Xu
Summary: AMD3100, a CXCR4 inhibitor, delays the progression of pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in a silicosis mouse model caused by crystalline silica, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic drug for silicosis.
JOURNAL OF INFLAMMATION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Along Gao, Lan Li, Fangfang Yan, Yang Lei, Jianlin Chen, Liting Wu, Jianmin Ye
Summary: The study identified and characterized a homolog of CXCR4 in Nile tilapia, which plays crucial roles in host defense against bacterial infection and inflammation by responding to CXCL12.
DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jiafang Ma, Li Weng, Boris C. Bastian, Xu Chen
Summary: The study identified the CYSLTR2 -> GNAQ/11 -> PLC beta signaling pathway as a key driver of uveal melanoma proliferation, with the PKC/RasGRP3/MAPK signaling branch being essential. Inhibition of the MAPK branch, but not the FAK branch, synergized with inhibition of the proximal cascade, providing a blueprint for combination therapy. All oncogenic signaling could be suppressed by the GNAQ/11 inhibitor YM-254890, highlighting its potential for treating neoplastic disorders with G alpha q pathway mutations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tomas Radivoyevitch, Emily C. Zabor, Arun D. Singh
Summary: The long-term survival of uveal melanoma patients in the US was compared using different methods, finding that death due to melanoma became rare beyond 20 years with normal life expectancy reached at 25 years after primary therapy. Relative survival methods provide more realistic estimates by comparing the survival to that of a normal matched population.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Grace B. Phelps, Hannah R. Hagen, Adam Amsterdam, Jacqueline A. Lees
Summary: This study investigates the oncogenic signaling events and the role of MITF in uveal melanoma (UM) using zebrafish models. The findings suggest that YAP signaling is the major mediator of UM and MITF acts as a tumor suppressor in UM.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Meng Zhang, Yi Liu, Jing Chen, Lei Chen, Li Zhang, Xianguo Chen, Zongyao Hao, Chaozhao Liang
Summary: This study identified highly expressed factors in the prostate tissues of CNP mice and found that targeting the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis could alleviate inflammation. The study also explored the influence of this axis on downstream signaling pathways.
JOURNAL OF INFLAMMATION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Margarete M. Karg, Lukas John, Nasrin Refaian, Christian Buettner, Tanja Rottmar, Jonas Sommer, Barbara Bock, Yazid J. Resheq, Bruce R. Ksander, Ludwig M. Heindl, Andreas Mackensen, Jacobus J. Bosch
Summary: This study identifies midkine as a survival factor that drives liver metastasis and therapeutic resistance in uveal melanoma.
MOLECULAR CANCER RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Shaofan Hu, Hong Liu, Qua Li, Qiang Yu, Xiaoqing Liu, Jin Xu, Rui Fu
Summary: Suppressing CXCR4 activity can downregulate the expression of renal fibrosis-related genes in primary glomerular cells, even under a non-inflammatory state.
TRANSLATIONAL PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Li Xing, Hai-Tao Lv, San-Guang Liu, Wen-Bin Wang, Teng-Fei Zhang, Jian-Hua Liu, Wei Bian
Summary: The study confirmed the inhibitory effect of gemcitabine on the growth of cholangiocarcinoma RBE cells and demonstrated its impact on the expression levels of cell-related proteins and mRNA. Combination of AMD3100 with gemcitabine reduced cell invasion and metastasis-related factors.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Paul Nathan, Jessica C. Hassel, Piotr Rutkowski, Jean-Francois Baurain, Marcus O. Butler, Max Schlaak, Ryan J. Sullivan, Sebastian Ochsenreither, Reinhard Dummer, John M. Kirkwood, Anthony M. Joshua, Joseph J. Sacco, Alexander N. Shoushtari, Marlana Orloff, Josep M. Piulats, Mohammed Milhem, April K. S. Salama, Brendan Curti, Lev Demidov, Lauris Gastaud, Cornelia Mauch, Melinda Yushak, Richard D. Carvajal, Omid Hamid, Shaad E. Abdullah, Chris Holland, Howard Goodall, Sophie Piperno-Neumann
Summary: The randomized trial of tebentafusp for metastatic uveal melanoma showed a higher 1-year overall survival rate among patients who received tebentafusp compared to those who received the investigator's choice of therapy, indicating superior efficacy.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Biology
Maria Marcos-Jubilar, Josune Orbe, Carmen Roncal, Florencio J. D. Machado, Jose Antonio Rodriguez, Alejandro Fernandez-Montero, Inmaculada Colina, Raquel Rodil, Juan C. Pastrana, Jose A. Paramo
Summary: Elevated levels of SDF1 and CRP were associated with clinical atherosclerosis, with patients having both biomarkers showing an increased risk. The involvement of the SDF1/CXCR4 axis and MMP12 in atherosclerosis suggests they could be potential targets for treatment.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guangying Luo, Weiwei Xu, Xiaoyan Chen, Siqi Wang, Jiao Wang, Feng Dong, Dan-Ning Hu, Peter S. Reinach, Dongsheng Yan
Summary: This study reveals the biological roles and regulatory mechanisms of RNA m(5)C in uveal melanoma. NSUN2-mediated m(5)C modification regulates cell migration and proliferation by targeting beta-Catenin, providing potential therapeutic targets for the management of UM pathogenesis.
Article
Oncology
Guoqiang Chang, Gloria S. Xie, Li Ma, Peng Li, Linlin Li, Hope T. Richard
Summary: This study reveals that USP36, as a deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB), plays a crucial role in stabilizing ALKBH5 and regulating ALKBH5-mediated gene expression in glioblastoma. The depletion of USP36 impairs cell proliferation, self-renewal of GSCs, and sensitizes GSCs to treatment, indicating its potential as a therapeutic target for glioblastoma.
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Luofeng Yu, Zifang Shang, Qizhe Jin, Siew Yin Chan, Weilin Hong, Nan Li, Peng Li
Summary: As the development of new antibiotics falls behind the rise of drug-resistant bacteria, alternative strategies are urgently needed. Antibody-drug conjugates offer a promising solution by precisely delivering cytotoxic drugs to target cells for effective disease treatment. Antibody-antimicrobial conjugates (AACs) have gained significant attention as they can specifically target bacteria, reducing drug dosage and adverse effects, and slowing down antimicrobial resistance. This review discusses the selection and progress of antibodies, antimicrobial payloads, and linkers that constitute AACs, as well as the commonly used conjugation strategies and recent applications. The challenges and opportunities of this technology are also discussed.
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jingjing Huo, Qingyan Jia, Kun Wang, Jingjie Chen, Jianhong Zhang, Peng Li, Wei Huang
Summary: To solve the problem of titanium (Ti) orthopedic implants lacking antimicrobial and osteoconductive activities, this study successfully constructed TiO2 nanospike (TNS) structure on the Ti surface, followed by assembling metal-polyphenol networks (MPNs) and depositing antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to endow Ti implants with anti-infective function and bioactivity. The TNS structure physically punctures bacteria and shows excellent photothermal conversion performance under near-infrared light. With the assistance of contact-active chemo bactericidal efficacy of AMPs, the TNS-MPN-AMP nanocoating achieves physical/photothermal/chemo triple-synergistic therapy against pathogenic bacteria. This multifaceted nanocoating significantly enhances antibacterial activity, cytocompatibility, and osteoconductive ability of Ti implants.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Atif Saleem, Jingjie Chen, Meng Liu, Nian Liu, Muhammad Usman, Ke Wang, Muhammad Haris, Yuezhou Zhang, Peng Li
Summary: This study reports magnetic mesoporous carbon nanospheres modified with antimicrobial polyhexamethylene biguanidine (PHMB) for the purification of water contaminated by toxic metals and opportunistic pathogens. The core-shell nano-adsorbent has adjustable shell thickness, high surface area, and abundant functional groups. It exhibits high adsorption capacity for toxic thallium ions, excellent disinfection against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and remarkable regeneration capability.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Miao Xu, Xiaohuan Ji, Jingjing Huo, Jingjie Chen, Nian Liu, Ziyue Li, Qingyan Jia, Bin Sun, Meifang Zhu, Peng Li
Summary: In this study, AgNPs were modified and embedded into CA hydrogel to create a multifunctional material for wound healing. The CA/Ag hydrogel exhibited on-demand photodynamic antibacterial efficacy and effective hemostatic ability. Furthermore, it promoted wound healing by downregulating proinflammatory cytokines. Overall, the CA/Ag nanocomposite hydrogel has excellent prospects as an advanced wound dressing.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhang Yuan, Jianshuang Wu, Yao Xiao, Huan Yang, Siyu Meng, Liangliang Dai, Peng Li, Kaiyong Cai
Summary: The use of non-antibiotic strategies to combat refractory drug-resistant bacterial infections, especially biofilms and inflammation, has attracted widespread interest. In this study, a photo-therapeutic nanocomposite, MI-MPDA NPs, was developed using manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanozymes and indocyanine green (ICG)-loaded mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles (MPDA). This nanocomposite can generate oxygen (O-2) in the infection microenvironment, effectively alleviating biofilm hypoxia. Under near-infrared light irradiation, the continuous oxygen supply enhances the production of singlet oxygen (O-1(2)), leading to robust biofilm elimination through photodynamic/photothermal therapy. Additionally, the nanocomposite down-regulates inflammatory signaling pathways and prevents macrophage polarization, promoting pro-regenerative M2 phenotype and wound healing. This O-2-potentiated photo-therapeutic strategy shows promise in combating drug-resistant biofilm infections and inflammation.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rongjun Liu, Tengjiao Wang, Gangfeng Li, Zhuoyao Fan, Qian Zhou, Kun Wang, Peng Li, Wei Huang
Summary: The inherent tissue-like feature and multifunctional property of hydrogels make them excellent materials for flexible electronics. However, conventional hydrogels lack mechanical strength and fatigue resistance, leading to damage or loss of service stability under alternating stress. In this study, self-reinforced hydrogels are fabricated from ionic conductive hydrogels through repetitive sweat soak-dehydration treatment. The self-reinforced hydrogels exhibit improved tensile strength and insensitivity to crack propagation in any direction after 6 treatment cycles. Additionally, these hydrogels show excellent skin friendliness and can be used to fabricate various skin-contactable flexible electronics, including an emergency alarming system for cardiogenic shock caused by acute myocardial infarction.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Junjie Wang, Tengjiao Wang, Haoyan Liu, Kun Wang, Kumi Moses, Zhuoya Feng, Peng Li, Wei Huang
Summary: This article introduces the current research and application prospects of brain-computer interface (BCI), highlighting the limitations of traditional rigid electrodes and the advantages and development directions of flexible electrodes as alternatives. The article provides a systematic review of electrode classification, materials, fabrication methods, and requirements for flexible electrodes.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Zhangyong Si, Jianguo Li, Lin Ruan, Sheethal Reghu, Ying Jie Ooi, Peng Li, Yabin Zhu, Paula T. Hammond, Chandra S. Verma, Guillermo C. Bazan, Kevin Pethe, Mary B. Chan-Park
Summary: New antimicrobials are urgently needed for combatting drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, and a copolymer without a defined sequence shows promise in selectively targeting these bacteria. The copolymer interacts strongly with the bacterial lipopolysaccharides, but not with mammalian cell membranes, making it non-toxic. This new approach provides a concept for designing antibiotics specifically targeting drug-resistant and biofilm-forming Gram-negative bacteria.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qian Zhou, Tengjiao Wang, Kunpeng Li, Shanyu Zhang, Kun Wang, Weilin Hong, Rongjun Liu, Peng Li
Summary: Biofilm-associated infections (BAI) are a serious threat to public health, and novel therapy based on carbon monoxide (CO) is gaining recognition. However, the low bioavailability of CO has hindered CO therapy, such as inhaled gas treatment. Additionally, the use of CO releasing molecules (CORM) has shown low therapeutic efficacy in BAI. Therefore, improving the efficiency of CO therapy is crucial. In this study, we proposed polymeric CO releasing micelles (pCORM) composed of amphiphilic copolymers that self-assemble and release CO passively in the biofilm microenvironment. Combined with the antibiotic amikacin, pCORM significantly enhanced its bactericidal efficiency against biofilm-encapsulated multidrug-resistant bacteria, offering a promising approach to combat BAI.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yinjia Yan, Yixue Jiang, Evelyn Ling Ling Ng, Yanni Zhang, Cally Owh, Fuke Wang, Qing Song, Tao Feng, Biao Zhang, Peng Li, Xian Jun Loh, Siew Yin Chan, Benjamin Qi Yu Chan
Summary: Electrically conductive polymer composites have attracted considerable attention in the research community for their unique advantages of combining regular polymers with the electronic properties of metals or semiconductors. Additive manufacturing offers promising prospects in the field of conductive polymer composites by enabling greater design flexibility, complex shapes, and rapid manufacturing. This article provides insights into current research advances in additive manufacturing of conductive polymer composites, addressing the limitations of different additive manufacturing processes, discussing material requirements and breakthroughs, as well as exploring promising electronic applications.
MATERIALS TODAY ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pandi Peng, Tao Feng, Xue Yang, Chaofan Nie, Luofeng Yu, Rui Ding, Qian Zhou, Xueqing Jiang, Peng Li
Summary: The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis and human health, and its imbalance is directly linked to various intestinal diseases. The use of probiotics for treating gut microbiota dysbiosis shows promise, but suffers from limited effectiveness when taken orally. In this study, a simple and safe method was developed to treat colitis by encapsulating probiotics and an anti-inflammatory drug, 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), in an alginate polysaccharide coating that responds to the gastrointestinal environment. The coating protected probiotics from gastric acid and released them and 5-ASA in the intestine. In a colitis mouse model, the probiotics regained their bioactivity and worked together with 5-ASA to alleviate colitis by improving microbiota diversity, reducing proinflammatory cytokine expression, and restoring intestinal barriers. This work demonstrates the synergistic therapy of intestinal diseases using alginate-encapsulated probiotics and a clinical drug, providing a new approach to enhance the therapeutic effect of oral microecologics.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jiaheng Liang, Ronghao Lv, Maorui Li, Jin Chai, Shuo Wang, Wenjun Yan, Zijian Zheng, Peng Li
Summary: Cardiovascular diseases have become a major global burden, causing deaths and loss of healthy life expectancy. Myocardial infarction is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease-related deaths, and researchers have shown great interest in hydrogels as a potential therapy for cardiac tissue repair after myocardial infarction. This review summarizes the advantages of hydrogels as a novel treatment, discusses the design strategies and therapeutic strategies of different hydrogels, and provides an overview of the latest research progress and future perspectives in this field.
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Huifang Ma, Yizhang Tang, Fan Rong, Kun Wang, Tengjiao Wang, Peng Li
Summary: Due to the protection of extracellular polymeric substances, conventional antimicrobial agents often face challenges in penetrating and accumulating in biofilm. To tackle this issue, researchers developed a surface charge adaptable nitric oxide (NO) nanogenerator for biofilm permeation, retention, and eradication. This nanogenerator consisted of a core-shell structure, with thermo-sensitive NO donor conjugated AuNPs on cationic poly(dopamine-co-glucosamine) nanoparticle (PDG@Au-NO) as the core, and anionic phenylboronic acid-acryloylmorpholine (PBAM) copolymer as the shell. The nanogenerator showed long circulation and good biocompatibility. Upon reaching the acidic biofilm, the nanogenerator's surface charge would switch to positive, allowing for infiltration and accumulation in the deep layers of the biofilm. In addition, the nanogenerator could generate sustained NO to disrupt the biofilm's integrity at physiological temperature, and upon near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, it could generate hyperthermia and explosive NO release to effectively eradicate drug-resistant bacteria biofilm. This rational design provides a promising approach for developing nanosystems against biofilm-associated infections.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shuo Wang, Mengmeng Zhao, Yibo Yan, Peng Li, Wei Huang
Summary: Microneedles (MNs) have attracted increasing attention due to their convenient, noninvasive, and flexible applicability as well as painless microchannels and precise multifunction control. MNs can be modified for transdermal drug delivery, overcoming the penetration barrier caused by the skin stratum corneum. Incorporating photosensitizer or photothermal agents into MNs enables photodynamic or photothermal therapy, respectively. MN sensors for health monitoring and medical detection can extract information from skin interstitial fluid and other biochemical/electronic signals.
