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Exposure to PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) has been associated with increased cardiopulmonary outcomes, mediated by a hypothesized biological mechanism of systemic inflammation and oxidation. This randomized, double‐blinded and placebo‐controlled trial among 120 healthy adults in Wuhan, China, was conducted to evaluate whether the supplementation of herbal product composed of Ginseng, Lilii Bulbus and Poria (GLP) which have been shown to have anti‐inflammatory and anti‐oxidant activity offers protective effects on PM2.5‐induced damage to cardiopulmonary health. Participants received four rounds of health examinations and two rounds of blood sample collection from November 2018 to January 2019. Compared to the placebo group, the GLP group showed significant increased antioxidant biomarkers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and paraoxonase1 (PON1). What is more, interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), an inflammatory biomarker, was significantly decreased in the GLP group. In addition, nitric oxide and club cell secretory protein (CC16) were increased but heart rate was decreased in the GLP group. As for pulmonary function indicators, significantly increased fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) was observed in the GLP group. Taken together, we concluded that GLP supplementation is associated with decreased inflammatory biomarker and increased antioxidant biomarkers suggesting cardiopulmonary benefits against PM2.5 exposure among young adults in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CircRNAs are essential factors that have been verified to regulate various forms of carcinogenesis. However, the role of circRNAs in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) tumourigenesis is not well clarified. In this study, we explored the circRNA expression profiles and possible modulation mechanism of circRNAs on triple negative breast cancer tumourigenesis. We used three pairs of triple negative breast cancer tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues to perform a human circRNA microarray for screening of circRNA expression patterns in TNBC. The results showed that circ-TFCP2L1 was significantly up-regulated in TNBC tissues and cells, tending to have a shorter disease-free survival of TNBC patients. In vitro loss-of-function experiments showed that knockdown of circ-TFCP2L1 significantly suppressed the proliferation and migration of TNBC cells. Moreover, the results showed that the proliferation and migration capabilities and PAK1 expression in TNBC cells treated with si-circ-TFCP2L1 + miR-7 mimics were significantly suppressed compared with the normal group. Therefore, circ-TFCP2L1 was identified as a sponge of miR-7 functionally targeting PAK1 and further promoting the proliferation and migration of TNBC cells. Taken together, the results from our study reveal a novel regulatory mechanism and offer novel insight into the role of circ-TFCP2L1 in progression of triple negative breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite substantial breakthroughs in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in recent years, many patients are diagnosed in the middle or late stages, denying them the option for surgical excision. Therefore, it is of great importance to find effective therapeutic targets of HCC. In this study, it is found that Gap junction protein beta-2 (GJB2) is highly enriched in malignant cells based on single-cell RNA sequencing and higher expression of GJB2 indicates a worse prognosis. The localization of GJB2 in HCC cancer cells is changed compared with normal liver tissue. In cancer cells, GJB2 tends to be located in the cytoplasm and nucleus, while in normal tissues, GJB2 is mainly located on the cell membrane. GJB2 is related to glycolysis, promoting NF-κB pathway via inducing the ubiquitination degradation of IκBa, and activating HIF-1α/GLUT-1/PD-L1 pathway. In addition, GJB2 knockdown reshapes tumor immune microenvironment and Salvianolic acid B inhibits the activity of GJB2. In conclusion, GJB2 promotes HCC progression by activating glycolysis through cytoplasmic translocation and generating a suppressive tumor microenvironment. Salvianolic acid B inhibits the expression of GJB2 and enhances the sensitivity of anti-PD1 therapy, which may provide insights into the development of novel combination therapeutic strategies for HCC., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is responsible for a significant number of cancer-related deaths worldwide and its incidence is increasing. Locoregional treatments, which are precision procedures guided by imaging to specifically target liver tumors, play a critical role in the management of a substantial portion of HCC cases. These therapies have become an essential element of the HCC treatment landscape, with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) being the treatment of choice for patients with intermediate to advanced stages of the disease. Other locoregional therapies, like radiofrequency ablation, are highly effective for small, early-stage HCC. Nevertheless, the advent of targeted immunotherapy has challenged these established treatments. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown remarkable efficacy in clinical settings. However, their specific uses and the development of resistance in subsequent treatments have led clinicians to reevaluate the future direction of HCC therapy. This review concentrates on the distinct features of both systemic and novel locoregional therapies. We investigate their effects on the tumor microenvironment at the molecular level and discuss how targeted immunotherapy can be effectively integrated with locoregional therapies. We also examine research findings from retrospective studies and randomized controlled trials on various combined treatment regimens, assessing their validity to determine the future evolution of locoregional therapies within the framework of personalized, comprehensive treatment., (Copyright ©2024 Chinese Journal of Cancer Research. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study was designed to explore MicroRNAs (miRNAs) associated with the prognosis of cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC) to search for biomarkers of CESC and provide guidelines for the clinical treatment., Methods: mRNAs of CESC patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and miRNA expression and clinical data of the patients were preprocessed. Key miRNAs associated with the prognosis of cervical cancer were identified by weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA). The corresponding target genes were intersected with differentially expressed genes (DEGs) acquired from variation analysis, and the pathways and functional enrichment of genes were analyzed. Key genes were screened by Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival analysis. Risk models were constructed using Cox proportional hazard regression model and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) method, and the predictive value of the models was evaluated by time-associated receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Finally, independent prognostic factors were identified by COX analysis., Results: The hsa-miR-3150b-3p associated with the prognosis of CESC was identified by WGCNA. A total of 136 target genes were differentially expressed in CESC tissue and were associated with biological processes such as phylogeny, multicellular organism development and cell development. CBX7, ENPEP, FAIM2, IGF1, NUP62CL and TSC22D3 were associated with the prognosis of CESC, and a prognostic prediction model was constructed using these six genes, which had a good predictive value for the prognosis of cervical cancer within 1, 3 and 5 years (AUC: 0.784, 0.680 and 0.683, respectively). Among them, ENPEP (hazard ratio = 1.3996, 95% confidence interval: 1.0552-1.8565) was identified as an independent prognostic factor., Conclusions: In this study, a highly accurate prognostic model consisting of six gene signatures was developed to predict the prognosis of patients with cervical cancer, which provides a reference for developing individualized treatment plans for patients., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2022.)

Exposure to PM 2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) has been associated with increased cardiopulmonary outcomes, mediated by a hypothesized biological mechanism of systemic inflammation and oxidation. This randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled trial among 120 healthy adults in Wuhan, China, was conducted to evaluate whether the supplementation of herbal product composed of Ginseng, Lilii Bulbus and Poria (GLP) which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity offers protective effects on PM 2.5 -induced damage to cardiopulmonary health. Participants received four rounds of health examinations and two rounds of blood sample collection from November 2018 to January 2019. Compared to the placebo group, the GLP group showed significant increased antioxidant biomarkers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and paraoxonase1 (PON1). What is more, interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory biomarker, was significantly decreased in the GLP group. In addition, nitric oxide and club cell secretory protein (CC16) were increased but heart rate was decreased in the GLP group. As for pulmonary function indicators, significantly increased fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) was observed in the GLP group. Taken together, we concluded that GLP supplementation is associated with decreased inflammatory biomarker and increased antioxidant biomarkers suggesting cardiopulmonary benefits against PM 2.5 exposure among young adults in China., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)