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Increasing evidence has shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are non-coding endogenous single-stranded RNAs, play an essential role in various physiological and pathological processes through transcriptional interference, post-transcriptional regulation, and epigenetic modification. Moreover, lncRNAs, as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, play an important role in the occurrence and development of human cancers. Prostate androgen-regulated transcript 1 (PART1) was initially identified as a carcinogenic lncRNA in prostate adenomas. The upregulated expression of PART1 plays a tumor-promoting role in liver, prostate, lung cancers, and other tumors. In contrast, the expression of PART1 is downregulated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, glioma, and other tumors, which may inhibit the tumor. PART1 plays a dual role in cancer and regulates cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis through a variety of potential mechanisms. These findings suggest that PART1 is a promising tumor biomarker and therapeutic target. This article reviews the biological functions, related mechanisms, and potential clinical significance of PART1 in a variety of human cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have recently been remarkable achievements in turning lightâ€"matter interaction into strong-coupling quantum regime. In particular, room-temperature plexcitonic strong coupling in plasmon-exciton hybrid systems can bring promising benefits for fundamental and applied physics. Herein, we review theoretical insight and recent experimental achievements in plexcitonic strong coupling, and divide this review into two main parts. The first part briefly introduces the general field of strong coupling, including its origin and history, physical mechanisms and theoretical models, as well as recent advanced applications of strong coupling, such as quantum or biochemical devices enabled by optical strong coupling. The second part concentrates on plexcitonic strong coupling by introducing its unique features and new potentials (such as single-particle ultrastrong coupling, strong-coupling dynamics in femtosecond scale) and discusses the limitations and challenges of plexcitonic strong coupling. This will also be accompanied by potential solutions, such as microcavity-engineered plexcitonics, spectral hole burning effects and metamaterial-based strong coupling. Finally, we summarize and conclude this review, highlighting future research directions and promising applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inherent heterogeneity of individual cells in cell populations plays significant roles in disease development and progression, which is critical for disease diagnosis and treatment. Substantial evidences show that the majority of traditional gene profiling methods mask the difference of individual cells. Single cell sequencing can provide data to characterize the inherent heterogeneity of individual cells, and reveal complex and rare cell populations. Different microfluidic technologies have emerged for single cell researches and become the frontiers and hot topics over the past decade. In this review article, we introduce the processes of single cell sequencing, and review the principles of microfluidics for single cell analysis. Also, we discuss the common high-throughput single cell sequencing technologies along with their advantages and disadvantages. Lastly, microfluidics applications in single cell sequencing technology for the diagnosis of cancers and immune system diseases are briefly illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcription factor Krüppel‐like factor 5 (KLF5) is a member of the Krüppel‐like factors' (KLFs) family. KLF5 regulates a number of cellular functions, such as apoptosis, proliferation and differentiation. Therefore, KLF5 can play a role in many diseases, including, cancer, cardiovascular disease and gastrointestinal disorders. An important role for KLF5 in the kidney was recently reported, such that KLF5 regulated podocyte apoptosis, renal cell proliferation, tubulointerstitial inflammation and renal fibrosis. In this review, we have summarized the available information in the literature with a brief description on how transcriptional, post‐transcriptional and post‐translational modifications of KLF5 modulate its function in a variety of organs including the kidney with a focus of its importance on the pathogenesis of various kidney diseases. Furthermore, we also have outlined the current and possible mechanisms of KLF5 activation in kidney diseases. These studies suggest a need for more systemic investigations, particularly for generation of animal models with renal cell‐specific deletion or overexpression of KLF5 gene to examine direct contributions of KLF5 to various kidney diseases. This will promote further experimentation in the development of therapies to prevent or treat various kidney diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]