The effect of temperature-control microwave on HELA and MG-63 cells

Secondary structural analyses of histone H2A-H2B proteins extracted from heated cells

Histone proteins, building blocks of chromatins, participate in enzymatic reactions in cells heated at around 45°C though in vitro the denaturation of histones significantly proceeds at a similar temperature. It implies that unidentified mechanisms prevent thermal denaturation of histones in vivo. However, studies on the histone structures in the heated cells have been scarce. Here, we analyzed the secondary structures of histone H2A-H2B proteins originating from the heated cells using circular dichroism spectroscopy. The secondary structure contents of the H2A-H2B extracted from the heated cells differed from those of H2A-H2B both native and denatured in vitro but reverted to the native structures by incubating the heated cells at 37°C within 2 h. Such structural flexibility may play a role in protecting genomic functions governed by chromatin structures from heat stresses.

MoSBOTs: Magnetically Driven Biotemplated MoS2 -Based Microrobots for Biomedical Applications

2D layered molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂ ) nanomaterials are a promising platform for biomedical applications, particularly due to its high biocompatibility characteristics, mechanical and electrical properties, and flexible functionalization. Additionally, the bandgap of MoS₂ can be engineered to absorb light over a wide range of wavelengths, which can then be transformed into local heat for applications in photothermal tissue ablation and regeneration. However, limitations such as poor stability of aqueous dispersions and low accumulation in affected tissues impair the full realization of MoS₂ for biomedical applications. To overcome such challenges, herein, multifunctional MoS₂ -based magnetic helical microrobots (MoSBOTs) using cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis are proposed as biotemplate for therapeutic and biorecognition applications. The cytocompatible microrobots combine remote magnetic navigation with MoS₂ photothermal activity under near-infrared irradiation. The resulting photoabsorbent features of the MoSBOTs are exploited for targeted photothermal ablation of cancer cells and on-the-fly biorecognition in minimally invasive oncotherapy applications. The proposed multi-therapeutic MoSBOTs hold considerable potential for a myriad of cancer treatment and diagnostic-related applications, circumventing current challenges of ablative procedures.

Secretome of Activated Fibroblasts Induced by Exosomes for the Discovery of Biomarkers in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Molecules involved in crosstalk between tumor cells and fibroblasts play vital roles in tumor progression. Extracellular matrix proteins, whose abundance is altered after being affected by tumor-derived exosomes, possess considerable promise as biomarkers for diagnosis or prognosis. In this study, quantitative proteomics is employed to determine the abundance of proteins secreted by normal fibroblasts and exosome-activated fibroblasts, which first identify differentially secreted proteins affected by lung cancer cell-derived exosomes. Based on the differentially secreted proteins and multiple independent datasets comprising 1897 patient samples with non-small cell lung carcinoma or other lung diseases, a diagnostic marker is identified that can effectively distinguish tumor tissues from normal tissue, as well as tumor-associated stroma from normal stroma, and a five-gene prognostic signature is presented with independent prognostic impact to identify patients who may require further adjuvant therapy after surgical resection. In addition, the secretome provides novel potential targets for clinical treatment.

Adjuvant Biophysical Therapies in Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary bone sarcoma, manifesting as osteogenesis by malignant cells. Nowadays, patients’ quality of life has been improved, however continuing high rates of limb amputation, pulmonary metastasis and drug toxicity, remain unresolved issues. Thus, effective osteosarcoma therapies are still required. Recently, the potentialities of biophysical treatments in osteosarcoma have been evaluated and seem to offer a promising future, thanks in this field as they are less invasive. Several approaches have been investigated such as hyperthermia (HT), high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) and sono- and photodynamic therapies (SDT, PDT). This review aims to summarize in vitro and in vivo studies and clinical trials employing biophysical stimuli in osteosarcoma treatment. The findings underscore how the technological development of biophysical therapies might represent an adjuvant role and, in some cases, alternative role to the surgery, radio and chemotherapy treatment of OS. Among them, the most promising are HIFU and HT, which are already employed in OS patient treatment, while LIPUS/SDT and PDT seem to be particularly interesting for their low toxicity.