Unemployment and Health-Related Quality of Life in Melanoma Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The outbreak of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) ineluctably caused social distancing and unemployment, which may bring additional health risks for patients with cancer. To investigate the association of the pandemic-related impacts with the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with melanoma during the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted a cross-sectional study among Chinese patients with melanoma. A self-administered online questionnaire was distributed to melanoma patients through social media. Demographic and clinical data, and pandemic-related impacts (unemployment and income loss) were collected. HRQoL was determined by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) and its disease-specific module (the melanoma subscale, MS). A total of 135 patients with melanoma completed the study. The mean age of the patients was 55.8 ± 14.2 years, 48.1% (65/135) were male, and 17.04% (34/135) were unemployed since the epidemic. Unemployment of the patients and their family members and income loss were significantly associated with a lower FACT-G score, while the MS score was associated with the unemployment of the patients' family members. Our findings suggested that unemployment is associated with impaired HRQoL in melanoma patients during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Space-Selective Chemodynamic Therapy of CuFe5O8 Nanocubes for Implant-Related Infections

Implant-related infections (IRIs) are a serious complication after orthopedic surgery, especially when a biofilm develops and establishes physical and chemical barriers protecting bacteria from antibiotics and the hosts local immune system. Effectively eliminating biofilms is essential but difficult, as it requires not only breaking the physical barrier but also changing the chemical barrier that induces an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Herein, tailored to a biofilm microenvironment (BME), we proposed a space-selective chemodynamic therapy (CDT) strategy to combat IRIs using metastable CuFe₅O₈ nanocubes (NCs) as smart Fenton-like reaction catalysts whose activity can be regulated by pH and H₂O₂ concentration. In the biofilm, extracellular DNA (eDNA) was cleaved by high levels of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) catalyzed by CuFe₅O₈ NCs, thereby disrupting the rigid biofilm. Outside the biofilm with relatively higher pH and lower H₂O₂ concentration, lower levels of generated •OH effectively reversed the immunosuppressive microenvironment by inducing pro-inflammatory macrophage polarization. Biofilm fragments and exposed bacteria were then persistently eliminated through the collaboration of pro-inflammatory immunity and •OH. The spatially selective activation of CDT and synergistic immunomodulation exerted excellent effects on the treatment of IRIs in vitro and in vivo. The anti-infection strategy is expected to provide a method to conquer IRIs.

Redox Dyshomeostasis Strategy for Hypoxic Tumor Therapy Based on DNAzyme-Loaded Electrophilic ZIFs

Redox homeostasis is one of the main reasons for reactive oxygen species (ROS) tolerance in hypoxic tumors, limiting ROS-mediated tumor therapy. Proposed herein is a redox dyshomeostasis (RDH) strategy based on a nanoplatform, FeCysPW@ZIF-82@CAT Dz, to disrupt redox homeostasis, and its application to improve ROS-mediated hypoxic tumor therapy. Once endocytosed by tumor cells, the catalase DNAzyme (CAT Dz) loaded zeolitic imidazole framework-82 (ZIF-82@CAT Dz) shell can be degraded into Zn²⁺ as cofactors for CAT Dz mediated CAT silencing and electrophilic ligands for glutathione (GSH) depletion under hypoxia, both of which lead to intracellular RDH and H₂ O₂ accumulation. These "disordered" cells show reduced resistance to ROS and are effectively killed by ferrous cysteine-phosphotungstate (FeCysPW) induced chemodynamic therapy (CDT). In vitro and in vivo data demonstrate that the pH/hypoxia/H₂ O₂ triple stimuli responsive nanocomposite can efficiently kill hypoxic tumors. Overall, the RDH strategy provides a new way of thinking about ROS-mediated treatment of hypoxic tumors.

Autologous full-thickness skin graft for treating squamous carcinoma in a patient with psoriasis

A 31-year-old male patient with psoriasis received administration of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) during a disease course of 14 years. He showed multiple keratoma together with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in left lower limbs. After admission, the conditions were stable after treatment, and received surgery for treating SCC. The skin defect was treated using full-thickness skin graft. The postoperative survival of the flap was satisfactory, and the conditions of psoriasis were well controlled. In this case, we presented the feasibility of graft in the donor site from a psoriatic lesion. Besides, we analyzed the possibility of SCC and keratinizing lesions.

Association of Socioeconomic Changes due to the COVID-19 Pandemic With Health Outcomes in Patients With Skin Diseases: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

BACKGROUND

The outbreak of COVID-19 has profoundly influenced people's lifestyles; these impacts have varied across subgroups of people. The pandemic-related impacts on the health outcomes of people with dermatological conditions are unknown.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper was to study the association of COVID-19 pandemic-related impacts with health-related quality of life in patients with skin diseases.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study among Chinese patients with skin diseases. A self-administered web-based questionnaire was distributed through social media. Demographic and clinical data and pandemic-related impacts (isolation status, income changes, and employment status) were collected. The main outcomes included perceived stress (Visual Analog Scale), symptoms of anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) and depression (9-Item Patient Health Questionnaire), quality of life (Dermatology Life Quality Index), and health utility mapping based on the EQ-5D-3L descriptive system. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate the associations.

RESULTS

A total of 506 patients with skin diseases completed the survey. The mean age of the patients was 33.5 years (SD 14.0), and 217/506 patients (42.9%) were male. Among the 506 respondents, 128 (25.3%) were quarantined, 102 (20.2%) reported unemployment, and 317 (62.6%) reported decrease or loss of income since the pandemic. The pandemic-related impacts were significantly associated with impaired mental well-being and quality of life with different effects. Unemployment and complete loss of income were associated with the highest risks of adverse outcomes, with increases of 110% to 162% in the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and impaired quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Isolation, income loss, and unemployment are associated with impaired health-related quality of life in patients with skin diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Near-Infrared Light-Triggered Chlorine Radical (. Cl) Stress for Cancer Therapy

Free radicals with reactive chemical properties can fight tumors without causing drug resistance. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been widely used for cancer treatment, but regrettably, the common O₂ and H₂ O₂ deficiency in tumors sets a severe barrier for sufficient ROS production, leading to unsatisfactory anticancer outcomes. Here, we construct a chlorine radical (^. Cl) nano-generator with SiO₂ -coated upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) on the inside and Ag⁰ /AgCl hetero-dots on the outside. Upon near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation, the short-wavelength emission UCNP catalyzes ^. Cl generation from Ag⁰ /AgCl with no dependence on O₂ /H₂ O₂ . ^. Cl with strong oxidizing capacity and nucleophilicity can attack biomolecules in cancer cells more effectively than ROS. This ^. Cl stress treatment will no doubt broaden the family of oxidative stress-induced antitumor strategies by using non-oxygen free radicals, which is significant in the development of new anticancer agents.

Near-infrared light-triggered NO release for spinal cord injury repair

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is caused by external physical impacts and can induce complex cascade events, sometimes converging to paralysis. Existing clinical drugs to traumatic SCI have limited therapeutic efficacy because of either the poor blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) permeability or a single function. Here, we suggest a "pleiotropic messenger" strategy based on near-infrared (NIR)-triggered on-demand NO release at the lesion area for traumatic SCI recovery via the concurrent neuroregeneration and neuroprotection processing. This NO delivery system was constructed as upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) core coated by zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) with NO donor (CysNO). This combined strategy substantial promotes the repair of SCI in vertebrates, ascribable to the pleiotropic effects of NO including the suppression of gliosis and inflammation, the promotion of neuroregeneration, and the protection of neurons from apoptosis, which opens intriguing perspectives not only in nerve repair but also in neurological research and tissue engineering.

Combination of surgery and photodynamic therapy for the treatment of cystic acne of the scalp

Cystic acne of the scalp is relatively resistant to conventional treatment because of its thick wall and deep cavity. This study was conducted as a comparative analysis of clinical outcomes of single surgery and those of surgery combined with photodynamic therapy for cystic acne of the scalp. Ten patients were treated only with surgical incisions and drainage of pus and necrotic tissues, and another ten patients were treated with photodynamic therapy immediately after surgery, followed by two weekly cycles thereafter. The combination treatment group reported better outcomes than the single surgery group in terms of duration of wound healing, the number of dressing changes, pain score at the time of dressing change, and recurrence rate. Our study demonstrateds that the combination of surgery and photodynamic therapy may have pronounced effects on the treatment for cystic acne of the scalp.

Highly dispersed nano-enzyme triggered intracellular catalytic reaction toward cancer specific therapy

Currently, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced apoptosis systems have drawn increasing attention in cancer therapy, owing to their specific tumor inhibition ability and great biocompatibility. Herein, we developed a highly dispersed nano-enzyme based on the assembly of natural glucose oxidase (GOD) onto CoFe-layered double hydroxides (CoFe-LDHs) monolayer nanosheets. By virtue of the high dispersion of Fe³⁺ within the host layer, the CoFe-LDHs nanosheets exhibit a collaborative enhanced Fenton catalytic activity with a rate constant of 3.26 × 10^-4 s^-1, which is 1-3 orders of magnitude higher than other iron-containing Fenton reaction agents. Subsequently, with a massive H₂O₂ triggered by GOD, GOD/CoFe-LDHs nanohybrid converts a cascade of glucose into hydroxyl radicals under tumor acid conditions, which is validated by a high maximum velocity (V_max = 2.23 × 10^-6 M) and low Michaelis-Menten constant (K_M = 5.40 mM). Through the intracellular catalytic Fenton reaction within the tumor environment, both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate the excellent antitumor effect of GOD/CoFe-LDHs. Therefore, a self-supplied, ultra-efficient and sequential catalytic tumor-specific therapy has been achieved based on GOD/CoFe-LDHs nano-enzyme, which holds great promise in clinical cancer therapy with minimum side effects.

UVB induces cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma progression by de novo ID4 methylation via methylation regulating enzymes

BACKGROUND

Little is known about whether UVB can directly influence epigenetic regulatory pathways to induce cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). This study aimed to identify epigenetic-regulated signalling pathways through global methylation and gene expression profiling and to elucidate their function in CSCC development.

METHODS

Global DNA methylation profiling by reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) and genome-wide gene expression analysis by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) in eight pairs of matched CSCC and adjacent normal skin tissues were used to investigate the potential candidate gene(s). Clinical samples, animal models, cell lines, and UVB irradiation were applied to validate the mechanism and function of the genes of interest.

FINDINGS

We identified the downregulation of the TGF-β/BMP-SMAD-ID4 signalling pathway in CSCC and increased methylation of inhibitor of DNA binding/differentiation 4 (ID4). In normal human and mouse skin tissues and cutaneous cell lines, UVB exposure induced ID4 DNA methylation, upregulated DNMT1 and downregulated ten-eleven translocation (TETs). Similarly, we detected the upregulation of DNMT1 and downregulation of TETs accompanying ID4 DNA methylation in CSCC tissues. Silencing of DNMT1 and overexpression of TET1 and TET2 in A431 and Colo16 cells led to increased ID4 expression. Finally, we showed that overexpression of ID4 reduced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and increased apoptosis in CSCC cell lines and reduced tumourigenesis in mouse models.

INTERPRETATION

The results indicate that ID4 is downregulated by UVB irradiation via DNA methylation. ID4 acts as a tumour suppressor gene in CSCC development.

FUNDING

CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS) (2016-I2M-3-021, 2017-I2M-1-017), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20191136), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (3332019104).

Novel visualized quantitative epigenetic imprinted gene biomarkers diagnose the malignancy of ten cancer types

Background

Epigenetic alterations are involved in most cancers, but its application in cancer diagnosis is still limited. More practical and intuitive methods to detect the aberrant expressions from clinical samples using highly sensitive biomarkers are needed. In this study, we developed a novel approach in identifying, visualizing, and quantifying the biallelic and multiallelic expressions of an imprinted gene panel associated with cancer status. We evaluated the normal and aberrant expressions measured using the imprinted gene panel to formulate diagnostic models which could accurately distinguish the imprinting differences of normal and benign cases from cancerous tissues for each of the ten cancer types.

Results

The Quantitative Chromogenic Imprinted Gene In Situ Hybridization (QCIGISH) method developed from a 1013-case study which provides a visual and quantitative analysis of non-coding RNA allelic expressions identified the guanine nucleotide-binding protein, alpha-stimulating complex locus (GNAS), growth factor receptor-bound protein (GRB10), and small nuclear ribonucleoprotein polypeptide N (SNRPN) out of five tested imprinted genes as efficient epigenetic biomarkers for the early-stage detection of ten cancer types. A binary algorithm developed for cancer diagnosis showed that elevated biallelic expression (BAE), multiallelic expression (MAE), and total expression (TE) measurements for the imprinted gene panel were associated with cell carcinogenesis, with the formulated diagnostic models achieving consistently high sensitivities (91–98%) and specificities (86–98%) across the different cancer types.

Conclusions

The QCIGISH method provides an innovative way to visually assess and quantitatively analyze individual cells for cancer potential extending from hyperplasia and dysplasia until carcinoma in situ and invasion, which effectively supplements standard clinical cytologic and histopathologic diagnosis for early cancer detection. In addition, the diagnostic models developed from the BAE, MAE, and TE measurements of the imprinted gene panel GNAS, GRB10, and SNRPN could provide important predictive information which are useful in early-stage cancer detection and personalized cancer management.

Auger Electrons Constructed Active Sites on Nanocatalysts for Catalytic Internal Radiotherapy

Excess electrons play important roles for the construction of superficial active sites on nanocatalysts. However, providing excess electrons to nanocatalysts in vivo is still a challenge, which limits the applications of nanocatalysts in biomedicine. Herein, auger electrons (AEs) emitted from radionuclide 125 (125I) are used in situ to construct active sites in a nanocatalyst (TiO2) and the application of this method is further extended to cancer catalytic internal radiotherapy (CIRT). The obtained 125I-TiO2 nanoparticles first construct superficial Ti3+ active sites via the reaction between Ti4+ and AEs. Then Ti3+ stretches and weakens the O-H bond of the absorbed H2O, thus enhancing the radiolysis of H2O molecules and generating hydroxyl radicals (•OH). All in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate a good CIRT performance. These findings will broaden the application of radionuclides and introduce new perspectives to nanomedicine.

Near-Infrared Voltage Nanosensors Enable Real-Time Imaging of Neuronal Activities in Mice and Zebrafish

Optical voltage sensors with the ability to monitor neuronal activities are invaluable tools for studying information processing of the brain. However, the current genetically encoded voltage indicators usually require high-power visible light for excitation and are limited to genetically addressable model animals. Here, we report a near-infrared (NIR)-excited nongenetic voltage nanosensor that achieves stable recording of neuronal membrane potential in intact animals. The nanosensor is composed of a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) pair, the outer membrane-anchored upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP), and the membrane-embedded dipicrylamine (DPA). The negative charge of DPA allows membrane potential fluctuation to affect the distance between the DPA and UCNP, therefore changing the FRET efficiency. Consequently, the emission intensity of the nanosensor can report the membrane potential. Using the nanosensor, we monitor not only electrically evoked changes in the membrane potential of cultured cells but also sensory responses of neurons in intact zebrafish and brain state-modulated subthreshold activities of cortical neurons in intact mice.

Accurate and Real-Time Temperature Monitoring during MR Imaging Guided PTT

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an efficient approach for cancer treatment. However, accurately monitoring the spatial distribution of photothermal transducing agents (PTAs) and mapping the real-time temperature change in tumor and peritumoral normal tissue remain a huge challenge. Here, we propose an innovative strategy to integrate T₁-MRI for precisely tracking PTAs with magnetic resonance temperature imaging (MRTI) for real-time monitoring temperature change in vivo during PTT. NaBiF₄: Gd@PDA@PEG nanomaterials were synthesized with favorable T₁-weighted performance to target tumor and localize PTAs. The extremely weak susceptibility (1.04 × 10^-6 emu g^-1 Oe^1-) of NaBiF₄: Gd@PDA@PEG interferes with the local phase marginally, which maintains the capability of MRTI to dynamically record real-time temperature change in tumor and peritumoral normal tissue. The time resolution is 19 s per frame, and the detection precision of temperature change is approximately 0.1 K. The approach achieving PTT guided by multimode MRI holds significant potential for the clinical application.

A highly sensitive and selective nanosensor for near-infrared potassium imaging

Potassium ion (K⁺) concentration fluctuates in various biological processes. A number of K⁺ probes have been developed to monitor such fluctuations through optical imaging. However, the currently available K⁺ probes are far from being sensitive enough in detecting physiological fluctuations in living animals. Furthermore, the monitoring of deep tissues is not applicable because of short-wavelength excitation prevailingly used so far. Here, we report a highly sensitive and selective nanosensor for near-infrared (NIR) K⁺ imaging in living cells and animals. The nanosensor is constructed by encapsulating upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and a commercial K⁺ indicator in the hollow cavity of mesoporous silica nanoparticles, followed by coating a K⁺-selective filter membrane. The membrane adsorbs K⁺ from the medium and filters out interfering cations. The UCNPs convert NIR to ultraviolet light, which excites the K⁺ indicator, thus allowing the detection of the fluctuations of K⁺ concentration in cultured cells and intact mouse brains.

Full-Process Radiosensitization Based on Nanoscale Metal-Organic Frameworks

Full-process radiosensitization, that is, pre-increasing radiation sensitivity of cancer cells, magnifying •OH formation during ionizing irradiation, and intervention on the resultant DNA repair for final cells death, could enhance the overall radiotherapeutic effects, but has not yet been achieved. Herein, Hf-nMOFs with Fe³⁺ ions uniformly dispersed (Hf-BPY-Fe) were constructed to integratedly improve radiotherapeutic effects via a multifaceted mechanism. The in vitro experiments demonstrated that persistent reactive oxygen species stress from Hf-BPY-Fe-activated in situ Fenton reaction reassorted cell cycle distribution, consequently contributing to increased tumoral radiosensitivity to photon radiation. Upon irradiation during the course of radiation therapy, Hf⁴⁺ in Hf-BPY-Fe gave substantial amounts of high-energy electrons, which partially converted H₂O to •OH and, meanwhile, relaxed to a low-energy state in nMOF pores, leading to an electron-rich environment. These aggregated electrons facilitated the reduction from Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺ and further promoted the production of •OH in the Fenton process to attack DNA. The Hf-BPY-Fe postponed the DNA damage response process by interfering with certain proteins involved in the DNA repair signaling pathway. The in vivo experiments showed improved radiotherapeutic effects from integrated contributions from Fe³⁺-based Fenton reaction and Hf⁴⁺-induced X-ray energy conversion in tumors. This work provides a nMOFs-based full-process radiosensitizing approach for better radiotherapeutic efficacy.

In Situ Catalytic Reaction for Solving the Aggregation of Hydrophobic Photosensitizers in Tumor

The aggregation of hydrophobic photosensitizers limits the therapeutic effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT). Improving the hydrophilicity of photosensitizers can reduce their aggregation for enhancing PDT. Herein, a nanosystem (TPFcNP) is developed by a hydrophobic photosensitizer 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-methacryloyloxyphenyl)porphyrin (TMPP) containing multiple carbon-carbon double bonds and a ferrocene-containing amphiphilic block copolymer (PEG-b-PMAEFc), which catalyzes hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) to produce hydroxyl radicals (^•OH) in a tumor microenvironment by the Fenton reaction. The ^•OH could catalyze the addition reaction between the carbon-carbon double bonds of TMPP and overexpressed water-soluble glutathione (GSH) in tumor cells, which greatly improves the hydrophilicity of photosensitizers and reduces their aggregation. Experiments in vitro and in vivo have proved that this strategy significantly enhances the therapeutic efficacy of PDT. Catalyzing intracellular reactions in situ by making use of the tumor microenvironment will open up a new opportunity to solve the aggregation of materials in the tumor for cancer treatment.

The Dose-Response Associations of Sedentary Time with Chronic Diseases and the Risk for All-Cause Mortality Affected by Different Health Status: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PURPOSE

To determine the dose-response associations of sedentary behaviour with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), cancer, and all-cause mortality, and to examine whether the sedentary-associated all-cause mortality risk was affected by appearance of diabetes and hypertension, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI).

DESIGN

We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to search Medline, SportDiscus, and Web of Science for eligible studies.

SETTINGS

Prospective cohort studies that reported sedentary time and CVD, cancer, and mortality incidents.

MEASUREMENTS

Two authors independently extracted data based on predefined criteria. The effect estimates were evaluated by hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidences (CIs).

RESULTS

Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Sitting time showed dose-response associations with CVD, cancer, and all-cause mortality, with each 1-hour increment of sitting time daily accounting for HRs 1.04 (95% CIs 1.02-1.07), 1.01 (1.00-1.02), and 1.03 (1.02-1.03), respectively. The link between sitting time and CVD and all-cause mortality was non-linear (pnon-linear < 0.0001). The relationship between TV viewing and CVD and all-cause mortality was dose-dependent, with HRs 1.07 (1.06-1.09) and 1.04 (1.01-1.06) for per 1-hour increment of TV time every day, respectively. The regression was curved (pnon-linear < 0.0001). When the analysis was stratified by the percentage of diabetes and hypertension, BMI values, and physical activity levels, we found that higher BMI and a greater percentage of diabetes and hypertension further increased all-cause mortality risk in the most sedentary populations, whereas higher physical activity levels decreased it.

CONCLUSION

Sitting time and TV viewing significantly increased cardiovascular, cancer, and mortality risk; the associations were dose-dependent. More importantly, sedentary behaviour in combination with chronic diseases or high BMI increased all-cause mortality risk whereas physical activity was likely to alleviate the adverse associations.

Long noncoding RNA CPS1-IT1 suppresses melanoma cell metastasis through inhibiting Cyr61 via competitively binding to BRG1

Long noncoding RNA CPS1-IT1 is recently recognized as a tumor suppressor in several cancers. Here, we investigate the role of CPS1-IT1 in human melanoma. Presently, our study reveals the low expression of CPS1-IT1 in human melanoma tissues and cell lines, which is significantly associated with metastasis and tumor stage. Besides, the potential of CPS1-IT1 as a prognosis-predictor is strongly indicated. Functionally, CPS1-IT1 overexpression inhibits cell migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and angiogenesis in melanoma cells. CYR61, an angiogenic factor that participates in tumor metastasis as well as a recognized oncogene in melanoma, is shown to be confined under CPS1-IT1 overexpression in melanoma cells. Furthermore, enforced expression of Cyr61 in CPS1-IT1-silenced melanoma cells dramatically normalized the protein level of Cyr61 and that of its downstream targets vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase-9, as well as the repressive effect of CPS1-IT1 overexpression on melanoma cell metastasis. BRG1, a core component of SWI/SNF complex, is implied to interact with both CPS1-IT1 and Cyr61 in melanoma cells. Moreover, CPS1-IT1 negatively regulates Cyr61 expression by blocking the binding of BRG1 to Cyr61 promoter. Jointly, CPS1-IT1 controls melanoma metastasis through impairing Cyr61 expression via competitively binding with BRG1, uncovering a novel potential therapeutic and prognostic biomarker for patients with melanoma.

Negative CT Contrast Agents for the Diagnosis of Malignant Osteosarcoma

The current positive computed tomography (CT) contrast agents (PCTCAs) including clinical iodides, present high CT density value (CT-DV). However, they are incapable for the accurate diagnosis of some diseases with high CT-DV, such as osteosarcoma. Because bones and PCTCAs around osteosarcoma generate similar X-ray attenuations. Here, an innovative strategy of negative CT contrast agents (NCTCAs) to reduce the CT-DV of osteosarcoma is proposed, contributing to accurate detection of osteosarcoma. Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles, loading ammonia borane molecules and further modified by polyethylene glycol, are synthesized as NCTCAs for the diagnosis of osteosarcoma. The nanocomposites can produce H2 in situ at osteosarcoma areas by responding to the acidic microenvironment of osteosarcoma, resulting in nearly 20 times reduction of CT density in osteosarcoma. This helps form large CT density contrast between bones and osteosarcoma, and successfully achieves accurate diagnosis of osteosarcoma. Meanwhile, The NCTCAs strategy greatly expands the scope of CT application, and provides profound implications for the precise clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of diseases.

In Vivo Tumor Visualization through MRI Off-On Switching of NaGdF4 -CaCO3 Nanoconjugates

The development of high-performance contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has recently received considerable attention, as they hold great promise and potential as a powerful tool for cancer diagnosis. Despite substantial achievements, it remains challenging to develop nanostructure-based biocompatible platforms that can generate on-demand MRI signals with high signal-to-noise ratios and good tumor specificity. Here, the design and synthesis of a new class of nanoparticle-based contrast agents comprising self-assembled NaGdF₄ and CaCO₃ nanoconjugates is reported. In this design, the spatial confinement of the T₁ source (Gd³⁺ ions) leads to an "OFF" MRI signal due to insufficient interaction between the protons and the crystal lattices. However, when immersed in the mildly acidic tumor microenvironment, the embedded CaCO₃ nanoparticles generate CO₂ bubbles and subsequently disconnect the nanoconjugate, thus resulting in an "ON" MRI signal. The in vivo performance of these nanoconjugates shows more than 60-fold contrast enhancement in tumor visualization relative to the commercially used contrast agent Magnevist. This work presents a significant advance in the construction of smart MRI nanoprobes ideally suited for deep-tissue imaging and target-specific cancer diagnosis.

HPV Infection Downregulates the Expression of Autophagy-Related Genes in Condylomata Acuminata

BACKGROUND

Condylomata acuminata are benign anogenital warts caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection with a high recurrence rate. Autophagy plays an important role in maintaining internal environmental stability. However, the role of autophagy regulation in the anogenital warts caused by HPV infection remains unknown.

OBJECTIVE

A multigroup case-control study was designed to identify the autophagy gene fingerprint involved in anogenital warts arising from infections with different HPV genotypes.

METHODS

Human autophagy PCR arrays were performed on the initial 18 participants grouped by their different HPV genotypes for gene expression-profiling analysis. The negative control was skin samples collected during plastic surgery on the chest from a group of individuals who showed none of the clinical symptoms or evidence of HPV infection. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed to validate the microarray results in another 24 individuals.

RESULTS

Out of 84 genes involved in autophagy, different autophagic responses were found among the 29 genes that encode autophagy machinery components, and expression levels of 13 of these genes were downregulated. Finally, we verified that the expression levels of 2 key genes that participate in the formation of autophagosomes, ATG3 and -BECLIN1, were downregulated in the HPV infection groups independently of genotype compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings showed that HPV infection downregulated the expression of ATGs in CA. Additionally, there were no differences in the expression of ATGs between the different HPV genotype infection groups. This study provided new insights into the autophagic response to HPV infection.

Higher-Order Quantum Ghost Imaging with Ultracold Atoms

Ghost imaging is a quantum optics technique that uses correlations between two beams to reconstruct an image from photons that do not interact with the object being imaged. While pairwise (second-order) correlations are usually used to create the ghost image, higher-order correlations can be utilized to improve the performance. In this Letter, we demonstrate higher-order atomic ghost imaging, using entangled ultracold metastable helium atoms from an s-wave collision halo. We construct higher-order ghost images up to fifth order and show that using higher-order correlations can improve the visibility of the images without impacting the resolution. This is the first demonstration of higher-order ghost imaging with massive particles and the first higher-order ghost imaging protocol of any type using a quantum source.

Author Correction: Magnesium silicide nanoparticles as a deoxygenation agent for cancer starvation therapy

In the version of this Article originally published, incorrect images were used for columns 4-6 in Fig. 4a. Also, the fluorescent scale of columns 1-3 was inconsistent with the others, and the scale bar was missing. The original and corrected panels of Fig. 4a are shown below. This does not affect the text or the conclusions of the paper.

Lycopene upregulates ZO-1 and downregulates claudin-1 through autophagy inhibition in the human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cell line COLO-16

Lycopene, a kind of carotenoid, has been reported to have an inhibitory function on tumor cell migration. However, the potential role of lycopene in the treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) remains unclear. Therefore, we assessed the biological effects of lycopene in the human cSCC cell line COLO-16, human epidermal keratinocytes (HEKs) and the immortalized human keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. We found that lycopene inhibited the cell proliferation and migration of COLO-16 cells but not normal keratinocytes. In addition, lycopene upregulated the protein levels of ZO-1 in COLO-16 and HaCaT cells but not in HEKs. In contrast, lycopene upregulated the protein level of claudin-1 in HEKs but downregulated claudin-1 in COLO-16 cells. Lycopene led to a decrease in autophagic flux in COLO-16 cells in a mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (MTORC1)-dependent manner. Importantly, autophagy inhibition contributed to the lycopene-induced regulation on ZO-1 and claudin-1 in COLO-16 cells. Moreover, JNK inhibitor (SP600125) and MEK inhibitor (U0126) treatment abolished the increase in phosphorylated MTOR and ribosomal protein S6 as well as the increase in ZO-1 and the decrease in claudin-1 in lycopene-treated COLO-16 cells. Gene silencing of JNK and ERK also prohibited ZO-1 upregulation and claudin-1 downregulation. In conclusion, lycopene upregulates ZO-1 expression and downregulates claudin-1 expression through the activation of ERK, JNK and MTORC1 as well as the inhibition of autophagy in human cSCC cells. Our findings demonstrate that autophagy plays a key role in lycopene-mediated pharmacological effects. This study indicates that lycopene might be a useful chemopreventive agent against cSCC.

Oxygen Vacancies Enhanced CeO2:Gd Nanoparticles for Sensing a Tumor Vascular Microenvironment by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The specific characteristics of the tumor vascular microenvironment such as microvascular permeability and water diffusion have been demonstrated to play essential roles in the evaluation of infiltration of tumors. However, at present, there are few contrast agents (CAs) for magnetic resonance imaging to enhance the sensitivity for acquiring this vital information. Herein, we develop Gd-doped (CeO₂:Gd) nanoparticles as CAs to detect the tumor vascular microenvironment with high sensitivity. The lattice oxygen vacancies on the surface of CeO₂:Gd nanoparticles could bind considerable water molecules to improve the r₁ value, achieving an excellent dynamic contrast-enhanced perfusion weighted imaging performance for the measurement of microvascular permeability. Diffusion limiting of water molecules by oxygen vacancies of CeO₂:Gd nanoparticles further enhances the diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging signal in vitro and in vivo. Excitingly, the strategy is not only essential for obtaining tumor vascular microenvironment information but also offers a way for further research in the design of magnetic resonance CAs.

Modulating Hypoxia via Nanomaterials Chemistry for Efficient Treatment of Solid Tumors

The common existence of hypoxia in solid tumors has been heavily researched because it renders tumors more resistant to most standard therapeutic methods, such as radiotherapy (RT), chemotherapy, and photodynamic therapy (PDT), and is associated with a more malignant phenotype and poor survival in patients with tumors. The development of hypoxia modulation methods for advanced therapeutic activity is therefore of great interest but remains a considerable challenge. Since the significant development of nanotechnology and nanomedicine, functionalized nanomaterials can be exploited as adjuvant "drugs" for these oxygen-dependent standard therapies or as hypoxia initiators for advanced new therapies to solid tumors. In this Account, we summarize our recent studies on the design and synthesis of nanomaterials with a set of desired chemistry benefits achievable by modulating hypoxia, suggesting a valid therapeutic option for tumors. The investigated strategies can be categorized into three groups: The first strategy is based on countering hypoxia. Considering that O₂ deficiency is the major obstacle for the oxygen-dependent therapies, we initially developed methods to supply O₂ by taking advantage of the hypoxia-responsive properties of nano-MnO₂ or nanomaterials' photothermal effects for increased intratumoral blood flow. The second approach is to disregard hypoxia. Possible benefits of nanoagents include reducing/eliminating reliance on O₂ or making O₂ replacements as adjuvants to standard therapies. To this end, we investigated a nano-upconversion/scintillator with the capacity toup-/down-convert near-infrared light (NIR)/X-ray to luminescence in the ultraviolet/visible region fortype-I PDT with minimized oxygen-tension dependency or developed Fe-based nanomaterials for chemodynamic therapy (CDT) without external energy and oxygen participation for efficient free radical killing of deep tumors. The third strategy involves exploiting hypoxia. The unique biological characteristics of hypoxia are exploited to activate nanoagents for new therapies. To address the discrepancy between the nanoagents' demand and supply within the hypoxia region, a smart "molecule-nano" medicine that stays small-molecule-like in the bloodstream and turns into self-assembled nanovesicles after entry into the hypoxia region was constructed for hypoxia-adaptive photothermal therapy (PTT). In addition to traditional anti-angiogenesis therapy, we prepared Mg₂Si nanoparticles by a special self-propagating high-temperature synthesis approach. These nanoparticles can directly remove the intratumoral oxygen via the oxidation reactions of Mg₂Si and later efficiently block the rapid reoxygenation via tumor blood vessels by the resultant SiO₂ microsheets for cancer starvation therapy. Taken together, these findings indicate that nanomaterials will assume a valuable role for anticancer exploration based on either their properties to make up oxygen deficiency or the use of hypoxia for therapeutic applications.

Exogenous Amino Acid-Loaded Nanovehicles: Stepping across Endogenous Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) allows the assessment of metabolic contents and biochemical information in vivo. It provides essential compositional information in the diagnosis and monitoring of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, especially brain tumors. Conventional MRS is usually confined to endogenous metabolites that may lack specificity for certain disease such as differentiating glioma from other tumor and non-tumorous lesions. Therefore, exogenous MRS contrast agents (CAs) that may improve the sensitivity and specificity of MRS are highly desirable for its clinical use. In this work, a novel MRS CA, β-alanine loaded hollow mesoporous silica nanospheres, with a high biosafety profile and characteristic MRS spectrum was synthesized and investigated. This new CA is further tested to realize the accurate functional MRS diagnosis of brain glioma with high sensitivity. The general approach of synthesizing disease specific CA for MRS may lead to a new era of molecular imaging.

Scintillator-Based Nanohybrids with Sacrificial Electron Prodrug for Enhanced X-ray-Induced Photodynamic Therapy

X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy (X-PDT) has high depth of penetration and has considerable potential for applications in cancer therapy. Scintillators and heavy metals have been adopted to absorb X-rays and transmit the energy to photosensitizers. However, the low efficiency of converting X-rays to reactive oxygen species (ROS) presents a challenge for the use of X-PDT to cure cancer. In this study, a new method based on LiLuF₄:Ce@SiO₂@Ag₃PO₄@Pt(IV) nanoparticles (LAPNP) is presented that could be used to enhance the curative effects of X-PDT. To make full use of the fluorescence produced by nanoscintillators (LiLuF₄:Ce), a cisplatin prodrug Pt(IV) was utilized as a sacrificial electron acceptor to increase the yield of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) by increasing the separation of electrons and holes in photosensitizers (Ag₃PO₄). Additionally, cisplatin is produced upon the acceptance of electrons by Pt(IV) and further enhances the damage caused by ·OH. Via two-step amplification, the potential of LAPNP to enhance the effects of X-PDT has been demonstrated.

Is Ras a potential target in treatment against cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma?

Hyperactive retrovirus-associated DNA sequence (Ras) genes have been found in human cancers and are involved in cancer pathogenesis. Salirasib, one anti-Ras compound, was reported to exhibit antitumoral effects, but its role remains unclear in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). In our study, salirasib treatment led to deregulation of c-Raf, ERK and Akt signaling, blockage of MTOR signaling, interruption on Beclin 1-related autophagy regulation, activation of apoptosis and down-regulation of some cell cycle regulatory proteins in primary human epidermal keratinocyte (HEK)s, but did not exhibit similar effects in the human cSCC cell line COLO-16. MEK inhibitor U0126 can lead to dephosphorylation of MTOR and Rictor in COLO-16 cells; however, c-Raf was not yet down-regulated after salirasib treatment in the presence of U0126. Furthermore, we verified that the Ras activity could be suppressed by salirasib, and there was no loss-of-function mutation in c-Raf in HEKs and COLO-16 cells. In summary, salirasib does not exhibit antitumoral effects in the cSCC cells in assays in vitro. We speculated that the disability of signaling transmission from Ras to c-Raf in COLO-16 cells might contribute to the ineffective performance of salirasib.