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Abstract Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered to be responsible for tumor recurrence and metastasis. Therefore, clarification of the mechanisms involved in CSC stemness maintenance and cell fate determination would provide a new strategy for cancer therapy. Unregulated cellular energetics has been accepted as one of the hallmarks of cancer cells, but recent studies have revealed that mitochondrial metabolism can also actively determine CSC fate by affecting nuclear stemness gene expression. Herein, from the perspective of mito-nuclear communication, we review recent progress on the influence of mitochondria on CSC potential from four aspects: metabolism, dynamics, mitochondrial homeostasis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Video Abstract

In this paper, we combine electrospinning with laminar flow theory to verify the influence of the spinning needle length on the internal structure of PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) nanofibers. The long spinning needle is referred as a reference like long ducts in the body of spiders. We also discussed the effect of different needle length on the micro-morphology, mechanical properties, electrical properties, porosity, and hydrophobic properties of PVDF nanofiber membranes. The results showed that when the needle length increased, more PVDF macromolecular chains will have sufficient time to be straightened and aligned, resulting in an increasingly ordered internal structure of the prepared PVDF nanofibers. The different length of the long needle has a certain influence on the morphology, mechanical properties, electrical properties, porosity, and hydrophobic properties of PVDF nanofiber membrane obtained by electrospinning. The more ordered the internal structure of nanofibers, the worse the membrane’s mechanical properties, but the lower its electrical resistivity.

BackgroundAlterations in Mitochondrial DNA methylation (MTDM) exist in many tumors, but their role in breast cancer (BC) development remains unclear.MethodsWe analyzed BC patient data by combining scRNA-seq and bulk sequencing. Weighted co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) of TCGA data identified mitochondrial DNA methylation (MTDM)-associated genes in BC. COX regression and LASSO regression were used to build prognostic models. The biological function of MTDM was assessed using various methods, such as signaling pathway enrichment analysis, copynumber karyotyping analysis, and quantitative analysis of the cell proliferation rate. We also evaluated MTDM-mediated alterations in the immune microenvironment using immune microenvironment, microsatellite instability, mutation, unsupervised clustering, malignant cell subtype differentiation, immune cell subtype differentiation, and cell-communication signature analyses. Finally, we performed cellular experiments to validate the role of the MTDM-associated prognostic gene NCAPD3 in BC.ResultsIn this study, MTDM-associated prognostic models divided BC patients into high/low MTDM groups in TCGA/GEO datasets. The difference in survival time between the two groups was statistically significant (P

The PAN spinning solution was chosen as the spiral spinning research object. Laminar flow theory was used to straighten and align macromolecules, and spiral spinning needles were used to control the spiral twisting of straightened PAN macromolecules. The internal spiral arrangement of PAN nanofibers became more compact as the helix number of spinning needles increased. The TEM (transmission electron microscope) was used to photograph the motion trajectory of TiO 2 (titanium dioxide) nanoparticles in nanofibers, which directly confirmed the feasibility of the spiral spinning principle. SEM (Scanning Electronic Microscopy) observations revealed that the appearance of the PAN nanofiber membranes changed to some extent under spiral physical technology. The analysis of the tensile and bursting properties of PAN nanofiber membranes demonstrated that the structure of the nanofibers changed significantly after spiral spinning. The pore structure, electrical resistance, and antibacterial properties of PAN nanofiber membrane all reached optimal values at the optimal helix number of spinning needle.

The spinning solution of PVA(polyvinyl alcohol) was chosen as the spiral spinning research object. With enough needle length, the macromolecules were straightened and aligned under laminar flow theory. The spiral spinning needle controlled the spiral twisting of the straightened macromolecules. The motion trajectory of titanium dioxide(nanoparticles) in nanofibers was photographed by TEM(transmission electron microscope) under the action of spiral centripetal force, which directly verified the feasibility of the spiral spinning principle. The greater the number of spiral spinning needles, the tighter the spiral arrangement inside the nanofibers and the greater the crystallinity of the nanofibers. The SEM(scanning electron microscope) observation revealed that the diameter of nanofibers had a relationship with the number of spiral spinning needles. When the spiral number of spinning needle was 13, the tensile and bursting properties of the nanofiber membrane were optimal, but when the spiral number of spinning needle was 19, the pore structure, electrical resistance, and antibacterial properties of the nanofiber membrane were optimal.

Immunotherapy has been used as a first-line treatment for a variety of advanced tumors, allowing remarkable progress to be made in cancer treatment. Nonetheless, only a small number of patients can benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy. To improve the effect of immunotherapy, the underlying mechanism of combination therapy was investigated in the context of an intact human tumor immune microenvironment using mice with a human immune system (HIS) bearing human tumors. Herein, we summarize and discuss strategies for the development and use of HIS mice models in tumor immunotherapies. Most importantly, this review proposes a method of t11umor identification and classification in HIS mice based on the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and PD-L1 expression, and according to this classification, we propose different combination treatment strategies that can be utilized to enhance the effect of immunotherapy. Thus, we provide effective experimental schemes for tumor immunotherapy in HIS mice models.

Bubble electrospinning technology can be used for mass production of nanofibers, it has been widely used in polymer electrospinning such as PVA, PVP and PAN, but there are no reports on the preparation of composite phase-change nanofibers by this method. In this paper, the transparent solution 1(PEG was put into formic acid according to the mass fraction of 60%) was mixed with the transparent solution 2 (PA66 was put into formic acid according to the mass fraction of 15%) according to the mass ratio of 15:85 , 25:75 , 35:65 and 45:55 to prepare four kinds of spinning solutions. And the pure PA66 nanofiber membrane(PNM) and PA66/PEG composite nanofiber membrane(PGCNM) were fabricated by the improved bubble electrospinning device on the basis of bubble electrospinning device invented by He Jihuan etc Also we analyzed their surface microstructure and tested their mechanical properties, thermal properties and molecular structure. The lower the content of PA66, the smaller the adhesion granular matter on the nanofiber surface and the thicker the diameter of the nanofiber, but the surface of the nanofiber is more smooth. The PGNCM appeared double absorption peak at 1515.5 cm ^−1 and 1642 cm ^−1 and existed weak absorption peak at 3298 cm ^−1 ∼ 3302 cm ^−1 . The tensile strength and the elongation at break of the PGNCM was less than that of the PNM. The hot decomposition process of the PGNCM was composed the melting exothermic process of PEG and PA66. When the mixed ratio between PA66 and PEG was 15:85, the decomposition rate of residues between 210 ∼ 310 °C was the fastest.

Researchers are excited about the latest advances in the long needle electrospinning and the bubble electrospinning, which have triggered widespread concern. This paper offers a new angle for modifying both methods, the former is developed into a modified one with an auxiliary helix needle, which is used for fabrication of super-hydrophobic polyvinylidene difluoride-copolypolyhexafluoropropylene nanofiber membrane (PH-E membrane for short), and the latter is extended to a bubble electrostatic spaying, which is used for spraying PDMS microspheres on the PH-E membrane surface, and the resultant membrane is called as the PDMSPH-E membrane. Both membranes hydrophobicity, surface roughness, porosity, and wetting property are measured and compared, and the drop impact dynamical property of the PDMS-PH-E membrane has opened the path for a new way to design of self-clearing and anti-fouling and antiwetting surfaces. Far-reaching applications of the membranes include energy harvesting devices and sensors. We anticipate this article to be a starting point for more sophisticated study of the bubble electrostatic spaying and PDMS-PH-E membrane advanced applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is to mimic the long transporting process of proteins in the spider spinning, and a long and helical needle electrospinning technology is proposed, the polyvinylidene fluoride solution is used to study the effects of needle helix spirals on the micromorphology, mechanical property, electrical property, porosity, and hydrophobic property of polyvinylidene fluoride nanofiber membranes. The results showed that there is a threshold value for the helix spirals helical pitch, and its spider-inspired mechanism is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct contact membrane distillation tests are carried out on four kinds of dye solutions using the superhydrophobic polyvinylidene difluron-copolymerized hexafluoropropylene nanofiber membrane (PH-E) and its modification coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanoparticles (PDMS-PH-E membrane). The test results show that PDMS-PH-E membrane has higher water flux, and the removal efficiency of four dyes reaches 100%. While the removal efficiency of the PH-E membrane reaches 100% only for two dyes. The loosely absorbed dye structure on PDMS-PH-E membrane roughens the surface, and stimulates the negatively charged droplets to bounce, resulting in an effective anti-fouling and self-cleaning effect and a long-term scaling prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the anticancer effects of cisplatin (DDP) combined with salinomycin (SAL) on the gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901, as well as to explore the mechanisms underlying their actions. An MTT assay was used to evaluate the inhibitory effects of SAL, DDP and their combination on gastric cancer cell proliferation. Morphological alterations of cancer cells following treatment were observed under an inverted phase-contrast microscope and a fluorescence microscope. Cell cycle progression and apoptosis were analyzed using flow cytometry. The expression of nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 and Fas protein ligand (L) in cancer cells was assessed using immunocytochemistry. The present results demonstrated that the combination of SAL and DDP significantly inhibited the proliferation (P<0.05) and altered the morphological characteristics of SGC-7901 cells, thus suggesting that SAL may enhance the susceptibility of gastric cancer cells to DDP. In addition, treatment with a combination of SAL and DDP resulted in S phase-arrest and increased the apoptotic rate of SGC-7901 cells. Furthermore, marked FasL upregulation and NF-κB p65 downregulation were observed in cancer cells treated with the combination of SAL and DDP. The results of the present study demonstrated that the combination of SAL and DDP induced the apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells, and suggested that the underlying mechanism may involve the upregulation of FasL and downregulation of NF-κB p65. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects and mechanisms of 17-AAG combined with salinomycin treatment on proliferation and apoptosis of the SGC-7901 gastric cancer cell line. An MTT assay was used to detect the proliferation of SGC-7901 cells. Morphological alterations of cells were observed under inverted phase-contrast and fluorescence microscopes. Cell cycle and apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry analysis. The protein expression of nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 and Fas-ligand (L) were evaluated by immunocytochemistry. Salinomycin with a concentration range of 1-32 µmol/l was demonstrated to inhibit growth of SGC-7901 cells effectively, affect the morphology and apoptosis rate of cells, and arrest SGC-7901 cells in S phase. Furthermore, salinomycin significantly increased the protein expression of Fas-L and decreased the protein expression of NF-κB p65. The alterations in SGC-7901 cells co-treated with salinomycin and 17-AAG were more significant compared with cells treated with one drug only. In conclusion, the individual use of salinomycin and combined use with 17-AAG may significantly inhibit SGC-7901 gastric cancer cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis. The potential mechanisms may be associated with upregulation of Fas-L and downregulation of NF-κB. These results provide a basis for the potential use of salinomycin in gastric cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) genetically modified by lentivirus-mediated mouse interleukin-12 (Lenti-mIL-12) in treating malignant ascites in mice. The in vitro chemotactic effect of Lenti-mIL-12-MSC culture supernatant on dendritic cells was investigated using a chemotaxis chamber. Liver cancer H22 and MethA ascites models were constructed. Mice were divided evenly into four groups: Normal saline, MSC, Null and Lenti-mIL-12-MSC. The survival rate, ascites volume and red blood cell number were measured for these groups. The toxicity and side effects of Lenti-mIL-12-MSCs were investigated using visual and microscopy inspections. The results indicated that mIL-12 had a strong chemotactic effect on dendritic cells. mIL-12 was highly expressed in ascites of Lenti-mIL-12-MSC-treated mice. Lenti-mIL-12-MSCs reduced the volume of ascites and the number of red blood cells in ascites and thus increased the survival rate and prolonged the survival duration of the mice. Furthermore, Lenti-mIL-12-MSCs showed no toxicity and side effects on the mice with malignant ascites. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that Lenti-mIL-12-MSCs inhibited the growth of ascites and promoted the survival of tumor-bearing mice, suggesting that Lenti-mIL-12-MSCs exerts a therapeutic effect on malignant ascites by stimulating the immune responses of the mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]