Search

The South China Sea is rich in sea anemone resources, and the protein and peptide components from sea anemone toxins comprise an important treasure trove for researchers to search for leading compounds. This study conducted a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of the tentacles and column of Macrodactyla doreensis and explored the distribution and diversity of proteins and peptides in depth using bioinformatics, initially constructing a putative protein and peptide database. In this database, typical peptide families are identified through amino acid sequence analysis, and their 3D structures and potential biological activities are revealed through AlphaFold2 modeling and molecular docking. A total of 4239 transcripts were identified, of which the putative protein accounted for 81.53%. The highest content comprised immunoglobulin and a variety of proteases, mainly distributed in the column and related to biological functions. Importantly, the putative peptide accounted for 18.47%, containing ShK domain and Kunitz-type peptides, mainly distributed in the tentacles and related to offensive predatory behavior. Interestingly, 40 putative peptides belonging to eight typical peptide families were identified, and their structures and targets were predicted. This study reveals the diversity and complexity of Macrodactyla doreensis toxins and predicts their structure and targets based on amino acid sequences, providing a feasible approach for research regarding the discovery of peptides with potentially high activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is rare in men and is managed using strategies similar to those for breast cancer in women. This study retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological features, treatment, and survival of male breast cancer (MBC). A total of 66 patients with MBC admitted into Xijing Hospital from August 2006 to March 2024 were reviewed. Data were collected from patients' hospital records and breast cancer database of Xijing Hospital. The incidence of MBC tended to increase from 2018, with affected individuals being older than those with female breast cancer (FBC). The most common histological type of MBC was invasive carcinoma, with positive hormone receptor status. A total of 62 (93.9%) patients with MBC underwent modified radical mastectomy. Chemotherapy was administered to 39 (59.1%) patients, while endocrine therapy was received by 14 patients (21.2%) and radiotherapy by nine patients (13.6%). Survival analysis indicated that the median overall survival (OS) of patients with MBC was 46.7 months (0.9–184.8 months). As of the latest data, 58 patients (87.9%) with MBC are alive. Factors significantly associated with survival included age (χ2 = 3.856, p =.050), estrogen receptor (χ2 = 10.427, p =.005), molecular types (χ2 = 10.641, p =.031), P63 (χ2 = 2.631, p <.001), and endocrine therapy (χ2 = 31.167, p <.001). These findings provide valuable insights into MBC within the Chinese population and serve as a reference for the standard treatment of MBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aurora kinase B (AURKB) overexpression promotes tumor initiation and development by participating in the cell cycle. In this study, we focused on the mechanism of AURKB in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and on AURKB's value as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in HCC. We used data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to analyze AURKB expression in HCC. We found that the expression levels of AURKB in HCC samples were higher than those in the corresponding control group. R packages were used to analyze RNA sequencing data to identify AURKB-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and these genes were found to be significantly enriched during the cell cycle. The biological function of AURKB was verified, and the results showed that cell proliferation was slowed down and cells were arrested in the G2/M phase when AURKB was knocked down. AURKB overexpression resulted in significant differences in clinical symptoms, such as the clinical T stage and pathological stage. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, Cox regression analysis, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis suggested that AURKB overexpression has good diagnostic and prognostic potential in HCC. Therefore, AURKB may be used as a potential target for the diagnosis and cure of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of immediate breast reconstruction with free or pedicled laparoscopically harvested omental flaps (LHOFs). Methods: Between March 2011 and 2021, 82 patients who underwent immediate breast reconstruction with free or pediculated omental flaps were enrolled. Breast total or partial mastectomy, laparoscopic greater omentum harvest, and breast reconstruction were carried out in an orderly manner. Postoperative operative results, cosmetic outcomes, and complications were investigated. Results: Seventeen cases of free LHOF and 65 cases of pedicled LHOF were performed. Cosmetic results were mostly satisfactory (61% excellent, 35% good), with a soft breast that was natural in appearance. Satisfaction investigation showed that 96.2% of patients were satisfied with the reconstructed breast. Uneventful follow-up showed no abdominal complications at the donor site, and the surface skin displayed no swelling. No major complications were found, except for three cases of necrosis. One patient developed slight hematoma. Two patients were found to have local recurrence, and one had distant metastasis. Twenty-four patients accepted radiotherapy, but no size reduction was noted after radiotherapy. We followed the patients to determine their survival status. All patients were alive, except for 1 in the free LHOF group who died 31.2 months after surgery. Conclusion: Immediate breast reconstruction with LHOF provides a soft reconstructed breast with relatively little donor-site deformity and is useful for breast tumor-specific immediate reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]