SIRT2-mediated deacetylation of ACLY promotes the progression of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

ATP citrate lyase (ACLY), as a key enzyme in lipid metabolism, plays an important role in energy metabolism and lipid biosynthesis of a variety of tumours. Many studies have shown that ACLY is highly expressed in various tumours, and its pharmacological or gene inhibition significantly inhibits tumour growth and progression. However, the roles of ACLY in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain unclear. Here, our data showed that ACLY inhibitor significantly attenuated cell proliferation, migration, invasion and lipid synthesis in different ESCC cell lines, whereas the proliferation, migration, invasion and lipid synthesis of ESCC cells were enhanced after ACLY overexpression. Furthermore, ACLY inhibitor dramatically suppressed tumour growth and lipid metabolism in ESCC cells xenografted tumour model, whereas ACLY overexpression displayed the opposite effect. Mechanistically, ACLY protein harboured acetylated modification and interacted with SIRT2 protein in ESCC cells. The SIRT2 inhibitor AGK2 significantly increased the acetylation level of ACLY protein and inhibited the proliferation and migration of ESCC cells, while overexpression of ACLY partially reversed the inhibitory effect of AGK2 on ESCC cells. Overall, these results suggest that targeting the SIRT2/ACLY signalling axis may be a potential therapeutic strategy for ESCC patients.

Injectable and Antioxidative HT/QGA Hydrogel for Potential Application in Wound Healing

Hydrogels have gained a niche in the market as wound dressings due to their high water content and plasticity. However, traditional hydrogel wound dressings are difficult to fully adapt to irregular-shaped wound areas. Additionally, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulated in the damaged area impede the wound healing process. Therefore, hydrogels with injectable and antioxidant properties offer promising qualities for wound healing, but their design and development remain challenges. In this study, HT/QGA (tyramine-grafted hyaluronic acid/gallic acid-grafted quaternized chitosan) hydrogels with injectable and antioxidant properties were prepared and characterized. This hydrogel exhibited excellent injectability, favorable antioxidant activity, and good biocompatibility. Moreover, we evaluated the therapeutic effect of HT/QGA hydrogel in a full-thickness skin injury model. These results suggested that HT/QGA hydrogel may offer a great potential application in wound healing.