A set of electrostatically charged, fluorescent, and superparamagnetic nanoprobes was developed for targeting cancer cells without using any molecular biomarkers. The surface electrostatic properties ...of the established cancer cell lines and primary normal cells were characterized by using these nanoprobes with various electrostatic signs and amplitudes. All twenty two randomly selected cancer cell lines of different organs, but not normal control cells, bound specifically to the positively charged nanoprobes. The relative surface charges of cancer cells could be quantified by the percentage of cells captured magnetically. The activities of glucose metabolism had a profound impact on the surface charge level of cancer cells. The data indicate that an elevated glycolysis in the cancer cells led to a higher level secretion of lactate. The secreted lactate anions are known to remove the positive ions, leaving behind the negative changes on the cell surfaces. This unique metabolic behavior is responsible for generating negative cancer surface charges in a perpetuating fashion. The metabolically active cancer cells are shown to a unique surface electrostatic pattern that can be used for recovering cancer cells from the circulating blood and other solutions.
At present, various fluorescent nanomaterials have been designed and synthesized as optical contrast agents for surgical navigation. However, there have been no reports on the preparation of ...fluorescent contrast agents for lung cancer surgery navigation using silicon quantum dots (Si QDs). This study improved and modified the water-dispersible Si QD micelles reported by Pi et al. to prepare Si QD micelles-CKAP4. The data showed that the Si QD micelles-CKAP4 were spherical particles with a mean hydrodiameter of approximately 78.8 nm. UV–visible absorption of the Si QD micelles-CKAP4 ranged from 200 to 500 nm. With an excitation wavelength of 330 nm, strong fluorescence at 640 nm was observed in the fluorescence emission spectra. Laser confocal microscopy and fluorescence microscopy assay showed that the Si QD micelles-CKAP4 exhibited good targeting ability to lung cancer cells and lung cancer tissues in vitro. The in vivo fluorescence-imaging assay showed that the Si QD micelles-CKAP4 was metabolized by the liver and excreted by the kidney. In addition, Si QD micelles-CKAP4 specifically targeted lung cancer tissue in vivo compared with healthy lung tissue. Cytotoxicity and hematoxylin and eosin staining assays showed that the Si QD micelles-CKAP4 exhibited high biosafety in vitro and in vivo. Si QD micelles-CKAP4 is a specifically targeted imaging agent for lung cancer and is expected to be a fluorescent contrast agent for lung cancer surgical navigation in the future.
The synergistic adsorption of heavy metal ions and humic acid can be very challenging. This is largely because of their competitive adsorption onto most adsorbent materials. Hierarchically structured ...composites containing polyethylenimine-modified magnetic mesoporous silica and graphene oxide (MMSP-GO) were here prepared to address this. Magnetic mesoporous silica microspheres were synthesized and functionalized with PEI molecules, providing many amine groups for chemical conjugation with the carboxyl groups on GO sheets and enhanced the affinity between the pollutants and the mesoporous silica. The features of the composites were characterized using TEM, SEM, TGA, DLS, and VSM measurements. Series adsorption results proved that this system was suitable for simultaneous and efficient removal of heavy metal ions and humic acid using MMSP-GO composites as adsorbents. The maximum adsorption capacities of MMSP-GO for Pb(II) and Cd (II) were 333 and 167 mg g(-1) caculated by Langmuir model, respectively. HA enhances adsorption of heavy metals by MMSP-GO composites due to their interactions in aqueous solutions. The underlying mechanism of synergistic adsorption of heavy metal ions and humic acid were discussed. MMSP-GO composites have shown promise for use as adsorbents in the simultaneous removal of heavy metals and humic acid in wastewater treatment processes.
In recent years, numerous studies have confirmed that chronic stress is closely related to the development of cancer. Our previous research showed that high levels of stress hormones secreted in the ...body during chronic stress could inhibit the cancer-killing activity of granulocytes, which could further promote the development of cancer. Therefore, reversing the immunosuppressive effect of stress hormones on granulocytes is an urgent problem in clinical cancer treatment. Here, we selected noradrenaline (NA) as a representative stress hormone.
After screening many traditional Chinese herbal medicine active ingredients, a promising compound, ginsenoside Rg1, attracted our attention. We verified the immunoprotective effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on granulocytes
and
, and attempted to understand its potential immunoprotective mechanism. We confirmed the immunoprotective effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on granulocytes using cell and animal experiments. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and
experiments were performed to investigate the immunoprotective effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on the anti-cancer function of granulocytes inhibited by NA. Transcriptome sequencing analysis and qRT-PCR showed that NA elevated the mRNA expression of
,
,
, and
in granulocytes, thereby reducing the anti-cancer function of granulocytes. In contrast, ginsenoside Rg1 downregulated the mRNA expression of
,
,
, and
, and upregulated the mRNA expression of
,
,
, and
, thereby enhancing the anti-cancer function of granulocytes inhibited by NA. Transwell cell migration experiments were performed to verify that ginsenoside Rg1 significantly enhanced the migration capability of granulocytes inhibited by NA. Tumor-bearing model mice were used to verify the significant immunoprotective effects
. Finally, CCK-8 and hematoxylin and eosin staining experiments indicated that ginsenoside Rg1 exhibited high biosafety
and
.
In future clinical treatments, ginsenoside Rg1 may be used as an adjuvant agent for cancer treatment to alleviate chronic stress-induced adverse events in cancer patients.
Zwitterionic materials are widely applied in the biomedical field due to their excellent antimicrobial, non-cytotoxicity, and antifouling properties but have never been applied in bone tissue ...engineering. In this study, we synthesized a novel zwitterionic hydrogel incorporated with graphene oxide (GO) using maleic anhydride (MA) as a cross-linking agent by grafted L-cysteine (L-Cys) as the zwitterionic material on maleilated chitosan via click chemistry. The composition and each reaction procedure of the novel zwitterionic hydrogel were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), while the morphology was imaged by scanning electron microscope (SEM). In vitro cell studies, CCK-8 and live/dead assay, alkaline phosphatase activity, W-B, and qRT-CR tests showed zwitterionic hydrogel incorporated with GO remarkably enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs); it is dose-dependent, and 2 mg/mL GO is the optimum concentration. In vivo tests also indicated the same results. Hence, these results suggested the novel zwitterionic hydrogel exhibited porous characteristics similar to natural bone tissue. In conclusion, the zwitterionic scaffold has highly biocompatible and mechanical properties. When GO was incorporated in this zwitterionic scaffold, the zwitterionic scaffold slows down the release rate and reduces the cytotoxicity of GO. Zwitterions and GO synergistically promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs in vivo and in vitro. The optimal concentration is 2 mg/mL GO.
Graphene oxide/gold nanorod （GO/GNR） nanohybrids were synthesized with a GO- and gold-seed-mediated in situ growth method at room temperature by mixing polystyrene sulfonate （PSS） functionalized GO, ...secondary growth solution, and gold seeds. Compared with ex situ preparation methods of GO/GNRs or graphene （G）/GNRs, the in situ synthesis of GO/GNRs addressed the issue of the aggregation of the GNRs before their attachment onto the GO. The method is straightforward and environment-friendly; The GO/GNRs showed a remarkable photothermal effect in vitro. The temperature of the GO/GNR nanohybrids increased from 25 to 49.9 ℃ at a concentration of 50 μg/mL after irradiation with an 808-nm laser （0.4 W/cm2） for 6 min. Additionally; the GO/GNRs exhibited good optical and morphological stability and photothermal properties after six cycles of laser irradiation. Upon injection of the GO/GNRs into xenograft tumors, excellent computed tomography （CT） imaging properties and photothermal effect were obtained. The preclinical CT agent iohexol was combined with the GO/GNRs and further enhanced CT imaging. Therefore, the GO/GNR nanohybrids have great potential for predse CT-image-guided tumor photothermal treatment.
BiFeO₃ particles (BFO) were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method and characterized. BFO was pure, with a wide particle size distribution, and was visible light responsive. Tetracycline was chosen ...as the model pollutant in this study. The pH value was an important factor influencing the degradation efficiency. The total organic carbon (TOC) measurement was emphasized as a potential standard to evaluate the visible light photocatalytic degradation efficiency. The photo-Fenton process showed much better degradation efficiency and a wider pH adaptive range than photocatalysis or the Fenton process solely. The optimal residual TOC concentrations of the photocatalysis, Fenton and photo-Fenton processes were 81%, 65% and 21%, while the rate constants of the three processes under the same condition where the best residual TOC was acquired were 9.7 × 10
, 3.2 × 10
and 1.5 × 10
min
, respectively. BFO was demonstrated to have excellent stability and reusability. A comparison among different reported advanced oxidation processes removing tetracycline (TC) was also made. Our findings showed that the photo-Fenton process had good potential for antibiotic-containing waste water treatment. It provides a new method to deal with antibiotic pollution.
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► Yolk-shell spheres as template to get magnetic hollow mesoporous silica spheres. ► Novel template results in the unique structure and good property of the products. ► Magnetite ...particles were homogeneous embedded in the mesoporous silica shell. ► A way to balance the magnetic property and distinct meso-pores of hollow spheres.
Magnetic hollow mesoporous silica microspheres (MHMSs) were successfully prepared by employing yolk-shell magnetic silica spheres as the template together with the coating of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS)/hexadecyl trimethoxysilane (C16TMS) hybrid. The microstructure and properties of MHMSs were studied by TEM, SEM, XRD, BET, and VSM characterizations. The average diameter of MHMSs was about 300nm and the mesoporous shell thickness was totally around 70nm. The 11nm magnetite nanoparticles were homogeneously embedded in the mesoporous silica shell. Meanwhile, the adsorption and separation process of Rhodamine B were carried out to demonstrate that the material could be used for the adsorbent.
Sarcopenia and osteoporosis, two degenerative diseases in older patients, have become severe health problems in aging societies. Muscles and bones, the most important components of the motor system, ...are derived from mesodermal and ectodermal mesenchymal stem cells. The adjacent anatomical relationship between them provides the basic conditions for mechanical and chemical signals, which may contribute to the co-occurrence of sarcopenia and osteoporosis. Identifying the potential common crosstalk genes between them may provide new insights for preventing and treating their development. In this study, DEG analysis, WGCNA, and machine learning algorithms were used to identify the key crosstalk genes of sarcopenia and osteoporosis; this was then validated using independent datasets and clinical samples. Finally, four crosstalk genes (
,
,
, and
) were identified, and mRNA expression and protein levels of
in clinical samples from patients with sarcopenia, with osteoporosis, and with both sarcopenia and osteoporosis were found to be significantly higher than those from patients without sarcopenia or osteoporosis.
seems to be a key gene related to the development of both sarcopenia and osteoporosis.
Novel functions and involvement of circFARSA have not been reported in pancreatic cancer; in addition, its inhibitor screening has not yet been conducted. The purpose of this study was to (1) verify ...circFARSA as a novel anti-cancer target for pancreatic cancer and (2) to prepare a novel anti-pancreatic cancer agent targeting circFARSA. In this study, we designed and synthesized a small interfering RNA (siRNA, named siRNA-circFARSA), which specifically inhibits circFARSA expression. Using liposomes and porous silicon nanoparticles (pSiNPs) as siRNA delivery system, we prepared liposome-siRNA-circFARSA and pSiNP-PEI-siRNA-circFARSA and investigated their anti-cancer mechanism by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. Cell proliferation curves and transwell migration assays were performed to investigate the effect of siRNAs proliferation and migration capabilities of cancer cells. Patient-derived tumor xenograft mouse models were used to investigate the anti-cancer effects in vivo. The data showed that both liposome-siRNA-circFARSA and pSiNP-PEI-siRNA-circFARSA (Si: 0.7 µg/mL) significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. However, the biological safety and in vivo anti-cancer effects of pSiNP-PEI-siRNA-circFARSA (Si: 22.4 µg/mL) were higher than those of liposome-siRNA-circFARSA. The results showed that siRNA-circFARSA could inhibit the expression of circFARSA and then BCL-2 protein expression, thereby leading to pancreatic cancer cell apoptosis after transportation into pancreatic cancer cells. Therefore, this study provides tools for pancreatic cancer treatment in the future, as it (1) verified circFARSA as a novel target for pancreatic cancer treatment, and (2) prepared a novel anti-pancreatic cancer agent (pSiNP-PEI-siRNA-circFARSA).
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•circFARSA is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer.•circFARSA is a new anti-pancreatic cancer target.•siRNA-circFARSA can specifically inhibit circFARSA expression.•pSiNPs is an ideal siRNA-circFARSA delivery system better than liposome.•pSiNP-PEI-siRNA-circFARSA is a potential anti-pancreatic cancer drug.
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