Among the cytokines linked to inflammation-associated cancer, interleukin (IL)-6 drives many of the cancer 'hallmarks' through downstream activation of the Janus kinase/signal transducer and ...activator of transcription 3 (JAK/STAT3) signaling pathway. Additionally, dysregulation of the interleukin (IL)-6-mediated JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway is closely related to the development of diverse human solid tumors including colorectal cancer (CRC). On this basis, modulation of the IL-6/JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway is currently being widely explored to develop novel therapies for CRC. The present review details the mechanisms and roles of the IL-6/JAK/STAT3 pathway in CRC, describes current therapeutic strategies, and the search for potential therapeutic approaches to treat CRC.
Reliable energy modules and higher-sensitivity, higher-density, lower-powered sensing systems are constantly required to develop wearable electronics and the Internet of Things technology. As an ...emerging technology, triboelectric nanogenerators have been potentially guiding the landscape of sustainable power units and energy-efficient sensors. However, the existing triboelectric series is primarily populated by polymers and rubbers, limiting triboelectric sensing plasticity to some extent owing to their stiff surface electronic structures. To enrich the current triboelectric group, we explore the triboelectric properties of the topological insulator nanofilm by Kelvin probe force microscopy and reveal its relatively positive electrification charging performance. Both the larger surface potential difference and the conductive surface states of the nanofilms synergistically improve the charge transfer behavior between the selected triboelectric media, endowing the topological insulator-based triboelectric nanogenerator with considerable output performance. Besides serving as a wearable power source, the ultra-compact device array demonstrates innovative system-level sensing capabilities, including precise monitoring of dynamic objects and real-time signal control at the human-machine interface. This work fills the blank between topological quantum matters and triboelectric nanogenerators and, more importantly, exploits the significant potential of topological insulator nanofilms for self-powered flexible/wearable electronics and scalable sensing technologies.
Glioblastomas are the most aggressive type of brain tumour, with poor prognosis even after standard treatment such as surgical resection, temozolomide and radiation therapy. The overexpression of the ...nuclear factor kappa‐light‐chain‐enhancer of activated B cells (NF‐κB) in glioblastomas is recognized as an important treatment target. Thus, an urgent need regarding glioblastomas is the development of a new, suitable agent that may show potential for the inhibition of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK)/NF‐κB–mediated glioblastoma progression. Imipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, has anti‐inflammatory actions against inflamed glial cells; additionally, imipramine can induce glioblastoma toxicity via the activation of autophagy. However, whether imipramine can suppress glioblastoma progression via the induction of apoptosis and blockage of ERK/NF‐κB signalling remains unclear. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of imipramine on apoptotic signalling and ERK/NF‐κB–mediated glioblastoma progression by using cell proliferation (3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide MTT assay), flow cytometry, Western blotting, and cell invasion/migration assay analysis in vitro. The ERK and NF‐κB inhibitory capacity of imipramine is detected by NF‐κB reporter gene assay and Western blotting. Additionally, a glioblastoma‐bearing animal model was used to validate the therapeutic efficacy and general toxicity of imipramine. Our results demonstrated that imipramine successfully triggered apoptosis through extrinsic/intrinsic pathways and suppressed the invasion/migration ability of glioblastoma cells. Furthermore, imipramine effectively suppressed glioblastoma progression in vivo via the inhibition of the ERK/NF‐κB pathway. In summary, imipramine is a potential anti‐glioblastoma drug which induces apoptosis and has the capacity to inhibit ERK/NF‐κB signalling.
Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels can help predict the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. Accordingly, high preoperative CEA levels that is not restored after surgery are indicative ...of a worse outcome. On the other hand, smoking can increase serum CEA levels independently of the disease status. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the impact of smoking on the prognostic value of serum CEA levels. This retrospective cohort study included 273 patients who underwent curative resection for stage I-III colorectal adenocarcinoma at a single institution, between January 2010 and December 2017. Patients were grouped as follows: group A, normal preoperative and postoperative CEA levels (n = 152); group B, elevated preoperative CEA levels that returned to reference values after surgery (n = 69); and group C, elevated postoperative serum CEA levels (n = 52). Patients were also grouped according to their smoking history: group S (current smokers, n = 79) and group NS (never and former smokers, n = 194). Group A showed a higher 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate (84.9%) than groups B (75.4%) and C (62.0%) (p 0.001). Postoperative serum CEA levels were significantly higher in the S group than in the NS group (2.6 vs. 3.1 ng/mL, p = 0.009), whereas preoperative levels were similar (3.8 vs. 4.1, p = 0.182). Further, smokers showed higher 3 year-DFS rates than nonsmokers in group C (83.3% vs. 43.9%, p = 0.029). This suggests that while elevated postoperative CEA levels are associated with lower DFS rates in never and former smokers, they are not associated with lower DFS rates in current smokers. We conclude that persistent smoking alters the prognostic value of postoperative serum CEA levels in colorectal cancer patients and that, consequently, alternative surveillance strategies need to be developed for colon cancer patients with smoking habits.
Lithium (Li) metal batteries (LMBs) face huge challenges to achieve long cycling life at wide temperature range owing to the severe dendrite growth at subambient temperature and the intense side ...reactions with electrolyte at high temperature. Herein, an ultrathin LiBO2 layer with an extremely high Young's modulus of 8.0 GPa is constructed on Li anode via an in situ reaction between Li metal and 4,4,5,5‐tetramethyl‐1,3,2‐dioxa‐borolane (TDB) to form LiBO2@Li anode, which presents two times higher exchange current density than pristine Li anode. The LiBO2 layer presents a strong absorption to Li ions and greatly improves the interfacial dynamics of Li‐ion migration, which induces homogenous lithium nucleation and deposition to form a dense lithium layer. Consequently, the Li dendrite growth during cycling at subambient temperature and the side reactions with electrolyte at high temperature are simultaneously suppressed. The LiBO2@Li/LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) full batteries with limited Li capacity and high cathode mass loading of 9.9 mg cm–2 can steadily cycle for 300 cycles with a capacity retention of 86.6%. The LiBO2@Li/NCM811 full batteries and LiBO2@Li/LiBO2@Li symmetric batteries also present excellent cycling performance at both −20 and 60 °C. This work develops a strategy to achieve outstanding performance of LMBs at wide working temperature‐range.
An ultra‐thin LiBO2 layer with high Young's modulus of 8.0 GPa is constructed on lithium anode via the reaction between lithium metal and 4,4,5,5‐tetramethyl‐1,3,2‐dioxa‐borolane. The LiBO2 layer presents a strong absorption to lithium ions, which greatly accelerates the interfacial dynamics, induces the formation of integrated solid electrolyte interphase and thus allows the steady operation of Li/LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 batteries over a wide temperature range.
Hydrogel shape memory and actuating functionalities are heavily pursued and have found great potential in various application fields. However, their combination for more flexible and complicated ...morphing behaviors is still challenging. Herein, it is reported that by controlling the light‐initiated polymerization of active hydrogel layers on shape memory hydrogel substrates, advanced morphing behaviors based on programmable hydrogel shapes and actuating trajectories are realized. The formation and photo‐reduction‐induced dissociation of Fe3+‐carboxylate coordination endow the hydrogel substrates with the shape memory functionality. The photo‐reduced Fe2+ ions can diffuse from the substrates into the monomer solutions to initiate the polymerization of the thermally responsive active layers, whose actuating temperatures and amplitudes can be facially tuned by controlling their thicknesses and compositions. One potential application, a shape‐programmable 3D hook that can lift an object with a specific shape, is also unveiled. The demonstrated strategy is extendable to other hydrogel systems to realize more versatile and complicated actuating behaviors.
Developing thermal responsive hydrogel layers on hydrogel substrates via light‐activated interfacial polymerization is reported. Fe3+ ions acting as dynamic crosslinking sites to realize shape memory property in the substrate are photo‐reduced and subsequently act as part of redox initiator to form the active layers. The resulting hydrogels exhibit flexible and complex shape changes.
Solar-driven water vaporization is considered one of the most sustainable ways to solve water scarcity. The design of highly efficient solar absorber systems has received extensive attention. Here, ...we report a novel light absorption material for water evaporation using laser-treated wood. The obtained laser-treated wood possesses interconnected 3D porous networks formed by the random construction of carbon arrays and a hydrophilic surface due to the oxygen implantation by laser treatment. When under 1 sun solar-simulated light irradiation (1 kW m
−2
), the surface temperatures of dry and water-saturated wood reach 59.5 °C and 40.4 °C, respectively, indicating good heat localization. As a result, the laser-treated wood under 1 sun illumination shows high solar to vapor efficiencies of 93.1% and 92.6% for pure water and seawater, respectively, which are higher than that of most wood-based reported photo-thermal conversion materials. Therefore, the fabricated laser-treated wood may pave the way for harvesting solar energy to produce clean water at low cost.
Solar-driven water vaporization is considered one of the most sustainable ways to solve waterscarcity.
OBJECTIVES
The optimal surgical strategy for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is still controversial because of the inconsistent or even conflicting results of proximal aortic repair (PR) ...versus extensive aortic repair (ER) on early and late prognostic outcomes. This meta-analysis pooled data from all available studies of PR versus ER to get a summarized conclusion.
METHODS
Studies were identified by searching the Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane databases. Early and late prognostic outcomes of interest were evaluated with meta-analysis. Fixed- or random-effect models were used according to the significance of heterogeneity. Robustness of pooled estimates and the source of heterogeneity were assessed via sensitivity analyses and meta-regression, respectively. Publication bias was evaluated by the funnel plot and Egger's test.
RESULTS
Nine studies with a total of 1872 patients were included for the meta-analysis. Pooled results indicated that, when compared with the ER procedure, PR was associated with lower early mortality risk ratio (RR) = 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54–0.90, P = 0.005 but higher incidence of postoperative aortic events including reoperation of the distal aorta (RR = 3.14, 95% CI 1.74–5.67, P < 0.001). PR and ER demonstrated analogous prognosis on long-term mortality (HR = 1.02, 95% CI 0.51–2.06, P = 0.96) and the incidences of early postoperative renal failure (RR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.49–1.14, P = 0.17) and stroke (RR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.30–1.78, P = 0.50). All the pooled results were robust to sensitivity analysis. Heterogeneity was insignificant except for the meta-analysis of late mortality.
CONCLUSIONS
Performing a less aggressive initial surgical procedure of PR in ATAAD patients would have lower early mortality but elevated incidence rates of late aortic reintervention, when compared with ER. Other prognostic results of the two surgical strategies including long-term mortality were similar for both.
Nucleotide excision repair (NER) modulates platinum-based chemotherapeutic efficacy by removing drug-produced DNA damage. To summarize published data on the association between polymorphisms of NER ...genes (ERCC1 and ERCC2) and responses to oxaliplatin-based chemotherapies, we carried out a meta-analysis of gastric and colorectal cancer for commonly studied polymorphisms ERCC1 rs11615C>T and ERCC2 rs13181T>G.
In 17 previously published studies, 1,787 cancer patients were treated with the oxaliplatin-based regimen. Primary outcomes included therapeutic response (TR; i.e., complete response + partial response vs. stable disease + progressive disease), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). We calculated OR or HR with 95% CIs to estimate the risk or hazard.
We found consistent and clinically substantial risk or hazard for TR, PFS, and OS in the oxaliplatin-treated gastric and colorectal cancer patients with an ethnic discrepancy. For ERCC1 rs11615C>T, the T allele was associated with reduced response and poor PFS and OS in Asians (TR: OR = 0.53 and 95% CI = 0.35-0.81; PFS: HR = 1.69 and 95% CI = 1.05-2.70; and OS: HR = 2.03 and 95% CI = 1.60-2.59). For ERCC2 rs13181T>G, the G allele was associated with reduced response and poor PFS and OS in Caucasians (TR: OR = 0.56 and 95% CI = 0.35-0.88; PFS: HR = 1.41 and 95% CI = 1.02-1.95; and OS: HR = 1.42 and 95% CI = 1.11-1.81).
NER ERCC1 rs11615C>T and ERCC2 rs13181T>G polymorphisms are useful prognostic factors in oxaliplatin-based treatment of gastric and colorectal cancer. Larger studies and further clinical trials are warranted to confirm these findings.
PDF
