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A mild strategy for visible-light-induced synthesis of benzimidazoles was developed using aromatic aldehydes and o-phenylenediamines as substrates. The use of an organic dye, fluorescein, as an innoxious photocatalyst provided a mild and inexpensive catalytic system to synthesize a series of benzimidazoles in moderate to excellent yields. It was originally applied to this system to obtain benzimidazoles. Besides, the catalytic system does not require an additional oxidant or metal which was good for the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A regioselective cyanation of quinoline N‐oxides with trimethylsilyl cyanide was developed by using (Diacetoxyiodo) benzene (PIDA) as mediated hypervalent iodine(III) reagent under metal‐free and base‐free reaction conditions to obtain 2‐cyanoquinolines. The efficient PIDA reagent could play the role of an activator of the substrates and an accelerator of N−O bond cleavage. The reaction system featured a wide range of substrate suitability and high yields. The procedure was enlarged gram‐scale to synthesize the tuberculosis (TB) inhibitor. Finally, according to some experimental results, a plausible mechanism for the cyanation reaction is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced graphene oxide (RGO)‐supported Cu–Cu2O nanocomposite material (Cu‐Cu2O@RGO) was prepared through a one‐pot reflux synthesis method. The morphology, crystal structure and composition of the prepared Cu‐Cu2O@RGO were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and X‐ray photoelectron, infrared and Raman spectroscopies. Cu‐Cu2O@RGO as a heterogeneous catalyst was applied to tandem reactions of halides and sodium azide with terminal alkynes to synthesize effectively 1,4‐disubstituted 1,2,3‐triazoles. Moreover, the catalyst showed excellent recyclability performance with very little leaching of the metal. Compared with homogeneous catalysts, Cu‐Cu2O@RGO as a green and efficient catalyst was recoverable, easy to separate and highly stable in the tandem method for the synthesis of 1,2,3‐triazole compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence suggests that periostin is frequently upregulated in tissue injury, inflammation, fibrosis and tumor progression. Periostin expression in cancer cells can promote metastatic potential of colorectal cancer (CRC) via activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Moreover, periostin is observed mainly in tumor stroma and cytoplasm of cancer cells, which may facilitate aggressiveness of CRC. In this review, we summarize information regarding periostin to emphasize its role as a prognostic marker of CRC.

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Tumor markers are valuable in detecting post-surgical recurrence or in monitoring response to chemotherapy. Pyruvate kinase isoform M2 (PKM2), a glycolytic enzyme catalyzing conversion of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to pyruvate, confers a growth advantage to the tumor cells and enables them to adapt to the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we have summarized current research on the expression and regulation of PKM2 in tumor cells, and its potential role in GI carcinogenesis and progression. Furthermore, we have also discussed the potential of PKM2 as a diagnostic and screening marker, and a therapeutic target in GI cancer.