biomedicine

Label-free Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a rapid technique that has been extensively applied in clinical diagnosis and biomedicine for the analysis of biofluids. The purpose of this approach relies on the ability to detect specific "metabolic fingerprints" of complex biological samples, but the full potential of this technique in diagnostics is yet to be exploited, mainly because of the lack of common analytical protocols for sample preparation and analysis. Variation of experimental parameters, such as substrate type, laser wavelength and sample processing can greatly influence spectral patterns, making results from different research groups difficult to compare...

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are pivotal controllers of gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms, Methylation, a prominent area of study in epigenetics, significantly impacts cellular processes. Various RNA base methylations, including m6A, m5C, m1A, and 2'-O-methylation, profoundly influence lncRNA folding, interactions, and stability, thereby shaping their functionality. LncRNAs and methylation significantly contribute to tumor development, especially in lung cancer. Their roles encompass cell differentiation, proliferation, the generation of cancer stem cells, and modulation of immune responses...

BACKGROUND: Despite remarkable advances in the therapy of multiple sclerosis (MS), patients with MS may still experience relapses. High-dose short-term methylprednisolone (MP) remains the standard treatment in the acute management of MS relapses due to its potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. However, there is a lack of studies on the cell type-specific transcriptome changes that are induced by this synthetic glucocorticoid (GC). Moreover, it is not well understood why some patients do not benefit adequately from MP therapy...

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) involves articular cartilage degradation driven mainly by inflammation. Kaempferol (KM), known for its anti-inflammatory property, holds potential for OA treatment. This study investigated the potential of hyaluronic acid (HA)-coated gelatin nanoparticles loaded with KM (HA-KM GNP) for treating knee OA. KM was encapsulated into gelatin nanoparticles (KM GNP) and then coated with HA to form HA-KM GNPs. Physical properties were characterized, and biocompatibility and cellular uptake were assessed in rat chondrocytes...

Intestinal diseases often stem from a compromised intestinal barrier. This barrier relies on a functional epithelium and proper turnover of intestinal cells, supported by mitochondrial health. Mitochondria and lysosomes play key roles in cellular balance. Our previous researches indicate that biogenic selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) can alleviate intestinal epithelial barrier damage by enhancing mitochondria-lysosome crosstalk, though the detailed mechanism is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of mitochondria-lysosome crosstalk in the protective effect of SeNPs on intestinal barrier function in mice exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) comprises a group of neurodegenerative disorders with some changes in the brain, which could lead to the deposition of certain proteins and result in the degeneration and death of brain cells. Patients with AD manifest primarily as cognitive decline, psychiatric symptoms, and behavioural disorders. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are a class of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) produced by gut microorganisms through the fermentation of dietary fibre ingested. SCFAs, as a significant mediator of signalling, can have diverse physiological and pathological roles in the brain through the gut-brain axis, and play a positive effect on AD via multiple pathways...

Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for treating central nervous system (CNS) disorders by modulating gene expression with high selectivity and specificity. However, the poor permeability of ASO across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) diminishes its therapeutic success. Here, we designed and synthesized a series of BBB-penetrating peptides (BPP) derived from either the receptor-binding domain of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) or a transferrin receptor-binding peptide (THR)...

Acute kidney injury (AKI) disrupts energy metabolism. Targeting metabolism through AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) may alleviate AKI. ATX-304, a pan-AMPK activator, was evaluated in C57Bl/6 mice and tubular epithelial cell (TEC) cultures. Mice received ATX-304 (1 mg/g) or control chow for 7 days before cisplatin-induced AKI (CI-AKI). Primary cultures of tubular epithelial cells (TECs) were pre-treated with ATX-304 (20 µM, 4 h) prior to exposure to cisplatin (20 µM, 23 h)...

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) holds great promise for enhancing the wound healing process; however, its clinical application is hindered by its low stability and the challenge of maintaining its effective concentration at the wound site. Herein, we developed novel double-emulsion alginate (Alg) and heparin-mimetic alginate sulfate (AlgSulf)/polycaprolactone (PCL) nanoparticles (NPs) for controlled CTGF delivery to promote accelerated wound healing. The NPs' physicochemical properties, cytocompatibility, and wound healing activity were assessed on immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT), primary human dermal fibroblasts (HDF), and a murine cutaneous wound model...

INTRODUCTION: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common cancer with a five-year survival rate around 60%, indicating a need for new treatments. BH3 mimetics are small molecules that inhibit anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, resulting in apoptosis induction. METHODS: We performed a high-throughput screen using a Myogel matrix to identify the synergy between irradiation and the novel BH3 mimetics A-1155463, A-1331852, and navitoclax in 12 HNSCC cell lines, normal (NOF) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), and dysplastic keratinocytes (ODA)...

Measurement resolution and dynamic range of conventional optical fiber sensors are often mutually restricted. In this work, an in-fiber chirped Fabry-Perot cavity (interferometer) is proposed, for the first time to our knowledge, to resolve the conflict between the resolution and dynamic range. The chirped Fabry-Perot interferometer is constructed by two chirped fiber Bragg gratings inscribed in the opposite directions, resulting in a gradually varied (i.e., chirp) cavity length for different reflection wavelengths...

The regional industry network (RIN) is a type of financial network derived from industry networks that possess the capability to describe the connections between specific industries within a particular region. For most investors and financial analysts lacking extensive experience, the decision-support information provided by industry networks may be too vague. Conversely, RINs express more detailed and specific industry connections both within and outside the region. As RIN analysis is domain-specific and current financial network analysis tools are designed for generalized analytical tasks and cannot be directly applied to RINs, new visual analysis approaches are needed to enhance information exploration efficiency...

The practical application of photodynamic therapy (PDT) demands targeted and activatable photosensitizers to mitigate off-target phototoxicity common in "always on" photosensitizers during light exposure. Herein, a cyclometalated iridium complex-based activatable photodynamic molecular hybrid, Cy-Ir-7-nitrobenzofurazan (NBD), is demonstrated as a biomedicine for molecular precision. This design integrates a hydrogen sulfide (H2 S)-responsive NBD unit with a hydroxy-appended iridium complex, Cy-Ir-OH. In normal physiological conditions, the electron-rich Ir metal center exerts electron transfer to the NBD unit, quenches the excited state dynamics, and establishes a PDT-off state...

The ability to modify and control natural and engineered microbiomes is essential for biotechnology and biomedicine. Fungi are critical members of most microbiomes, yet technology for modifying the fungal members of a microbiome has lagged far behind that for bacteria. Interdomain conjugation (IDC) is a promising approach, as DNA transfer from bacterial cells to yeast enables in situ modification. While such genetic transfers have been known to naturally occur in a wide range of eukaryotes and are thought to contribute to their evolution, IDC has been understudied as a technique to control fungal or fungal-bacterial consortia...

The second-most common cause of death resulting from genetic mutations in DNA sequences is cancer. The difficulty in the field of anticancer research is the application of the traditional methods, which also affects normal cells. Mutations, genetic replication alterations, and chromosomal abnormalities have a direct impact on the effectiveness of anticancer drugs at different stages. Presently, therapeutic techniques utilize nanotechnology, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), and robotics. TMDCs are being increasingly employed in tumor therapy and biosensing applications due to their biocompatibility, adjustable bandgap, versatile functionality, exceptional photoelectric properties, and wide range of applications...

RESEARCH QUESTION: How do cancer type and treatment affect semen quality before and after treatment, and what effect does it have in their clinical management of infertility? Also, what is the rate of patients using cryopreserved semen samples after treatment? DESIGN: Patients who cryopreserved spermatozoa for oncological reasons between 2000 and 2022 in IVI clinics in Spain were retrospectively reviewed. Semen parameters were analysed before and after treatment, and utilization and destruction rates were calculated...

Advanced cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) presents a clinical challenge due to limited treatment options, necessitating exploration of innovative therapeutic approaches. Bispecific T cell engager (BTE)-armed T cell therapy shows promise in hematological and solid malignancies, offering potential advantages in safety over continuous BTE infusion. In this context, we developed a novel BTE, targeting CD3 on T cells and integrin αvβ6, an antigen elevated in various epithelial malignancies, on cancer cells. The novel BTE was generated by fusing an integrin αvβ6-binding peptide (A20) to an anti-CD3 (OKT3) single-chain variable fragment (scFv) through a G4 S peptide linker (A20/αCD3 BTE)...

G-protein-coupled receptors are a diverse class of cell surface receptors that orchestrate numerous physiological functions. The G-protein-coupled receptors, GPR41 and GPR43, sense short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are metabolites of dietary fermentation by the host's intestinal bacteria. These receptors have gained attention as potential therapeutic targets against various diseases because of their SCFA-mediated beneficial effects on the host's intestinal health. Mounting evidence has associated the activity of these receptors with chronic metabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease...

Qualitative alterations in type I collagen due to pathogenic variants in the COL1A1 or COL1A2 genes, result in moderate and severe Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), a rare disease characterized by bone fragility. The TGF-β signaling pathway is overactive in OI patients and certain OI mouse models, and inhibition of TGF-β through anti-TGF-β monoclonal antibody therapy in phase I clinical trials in OI adults is rendering encouraging results. However, the impact of TGF-β inhibition on osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells from OI patients (OI-MSCs) is unknown...

Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread environmental toxicant that poses significant threat to public health. After intake, Cd is distributed throughout the body via blood and lymphatic circulation. However, the effect of Cd on lymphatic vessels has not been revealed. In this study, mice were exposed to 10 μM cadmium chloride through drinking water immediately after corneal alkali burn. In vivo analyses showed that Cd treatment enhances the alkali burn-induced corneal lymphangiogenesis, which is characterized by increased expression of lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1 (LYVE-1), prospero-related homeobox 1 (PROX-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR3)...