Pervasive transcription occurs in the human genome to generate thousands of RNA transcripts, and accumulating evidence suggested that the RNA molecules, without protein coding ability, have important ...roles in diverse biological functions. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), with size larger than 200nt, is a new class of the non-coding RNA that contributes to cancer development and progression. Roles for several lncRNAs in cancers have been characterized and strategies targeting them have inhibitory effects to malignant cells in vitro and in vivo. These findings point to the potential of lncRNAs as prospective novel therapeutic targets in cancers. Recent advance in biological drugs, led by nucleic acid drugs (i.e. siRNAs, antisense oligonucleotides), suggest directions for the development of cancer therapies targeting lncRNAs. Here, we discuss the characteristics of lncRNAs regarding their synthesis, stability and functional role in cells, and emphasize their unique properties that determine their molecular functions. We then discuss the association of lncRNAs with cancers, and illustrate the anticancer effects induced upon modulating the level and function of lncRNAs. We also revisit established methods for targeting RNA molecules and discuss new agents and strategies to attenuate lncRNAs in cancer.
Health literacy has been concerned a key factor for determining the use of health information and promoting health. The study aimed to explore adolescent health literacy, health-promoting lifestyle ...profile, and health status and related factors.
A cross-sectional study design was used; 918 first year junior college students were recruited in Taiwan. The measurements were the Chinese Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-C-Q), the Chinese Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP-S), and the Health Status Questionnaire.
The mean score for health literacy was 36.15 (±6.21), with 30.17% of the participants having insufficient or problematic health literacy. Further, 19.9% of participants were obese and 11.2% experienced emotional instability. Health literacy and health-promoting lifestyle profile showed significant positive and negative correlations with perceived health status and depression, respectively (p < 0.05). An exercise frequency of ≥3 times/week was a predictor of health literacy, health-promoting lifestyle profile, and emotional stability.
Adolescent health literacy, health-promoting lifestyle profile, and health status require careful consideration. In adolescents, developing regular exercise may increase health literacy, thereby developing healthy lifestyle profiles and ameliorating obesity and depression-related issues.
Non-coding RNA refers to a large group of endogenous RNA molecules that have no protein
coding capacity, while having specialized cellular and molecular functions. They possess wide
range of ...functions such as the regulation of gene transcription and translation, post-transcriptional
modification, epigenetic landscape establishment, protein scaffolding and cofactors recruitments. They
are further divided into small non-coding RNAs with size < 200nt (e.g. miRNA, piRNA) and long
non-coding RNAs with size >= 200nt (e.g. lincRNA, NAT). Increasing evidences suggest that both non-coding RNAs
groups play important roles in cancer development, progression and pathology. Clinically, non-coding RNAs aberrations
show high diagnostic and prognostic values. With improved understanding of the nature and roles of non-coding RNAs, it
is believed that we can develop therapeutic treatment against cancer via the modulation of these RNA molecules. Advances
in nucleic acid drug technology and computational simulation prompt the development of agents to intervene the
malignant effects of non-coding RNAs. In this review, we will discuss the role of non-coding RNAs in cancer, and evaluate
the potential of non-coding RNA-based cancer therapies.
For a given p×q complex matrix C, a necessary and sufficient condition is obtained for the existence of a matrix X satisfying JpX−XJq=C, here Jr denotes the r×r Jordan block of 0. An easy ...construction of the solution X is given if it exists. These results lead to a proof of the fact that a nilpotent matrix is similar to a direct sum of Jordan blocks.
CuS, CoS, and CuS/CoS onto fluorine‐doped tin oxide glass substrates were deposited to function as counter electrodes for polysulfide redox reactions in CdS/CdSe quantum dot–sensitized solar cells ...(QDSSCs). Relative to a Pt electrode, the CuS, CoS, and CuS/CoS electrodes provide greater electrocatalytic activity, higher reflectivity, and lower charge‐transfer resistance. Measurements of fill factor and short‐current density reveal that the electrocatalytic activities, reflectivity, and internal resistance of counter electrodes play strong roles in determining the energy‐conversion efficiency (η) of the QDSSCs. Because the CuS/CoS electrode has a smaller internal resistance and higher reflectivity relative to those of the CuS and CoS electrodes, it exhibits a higher fill factor and short‐circuit current density. As a result, the QDSSC featuring a CuS/CoS electrode provides a higher value of η. Under illumination of one sun (100 mW cm−2), the QDSSCs incorporating Pt, CuS, CoS, and CuS/CoS counter electrodes provide values of η of 3.0 ± 0.1, 3.3 ± 0.3, 3.8 ± 0.2, and 4.1 ± 0.2%, respectively.
Quantum dot‐sensitized solar cells featuring CuS/CoS relative to Pt counter electrodes provide greater energy conversion efficiency (4.1 ± 0.2% vs. 3.0 ± 0.1%) and are more stable. The improved performance is attributed to the greater electrocatalytic activity, higher reflectivity, and lower charge‐transfer resistance of these electrode materials relative to platinum.
Mosunetuzumab is a CD20 × CD3 T-cell-engaging bispecific monoclonal antibody that redirects T cells to eliminate malignant B cells. In a phase 1 study, mosunetuzumab was well tolerated and active in ...patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma. We, therefore, aimed to evaluate the safety and anti-tumour activity of fixed-duration mosunetuzumab in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma who had received two or more previous therapies.
We conducted a single-arm, multicentre, phase 2 study at 49 centres in seven countries (Australia, Canada, Germany, South Korea, Spain, UK, and USA). All patients were aged 18 years or older with histologically confirmed follicular lymphoma (grade 1–3a) and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–1. Patients had disease that was relapsed or refractory to two or more previous lines of treatment, including an anti-CD20 therapy and an alkylating agent. Intravenous mosunetuzumab was administered in 21-day cycles with cycle 1 step-up dosing: 1 mg on cycle 1 day 1, 2 mg on cycle 1 day 8, 60 mg on cycle 1 day 15 and cycle 2 day 1, and 30 mg on day 1 of cycle 3 and onwards. Patients with a complete response by investigator assessment using the International Harmonisation Project criteria completed treatment after cycle 8, whereas patients with a partial response or stable disease continued treatment for up to 17 cycles. The primary endpoint was independent review committee-assessed complete response rate (as best response) in all enrolled patients; the primary efficacy analysis compared the observed IRC-assessed complete response rate with a 14% historical control complete response rate in a similar patient population receiving the pan class I PI3K inhibitor copanlisib. Safety was assessed in all enrolled patients. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02500407, and is ongoing.
Between May 2, 2019, and Sept 25, 2020, we enrolled 90 patients. As of the data cutoff date (Aug 27, 2021), the median follow-up was 18·3 months (IQR 13·8–23·3). According to independent review committee assessment, a complete response was recorded in 54 patients (60·0% 95% CI 49·1–70·2). The observed complete response rate was significantly higher than the historical control complete response rate with copanlisib of 14% (p<0·0001), thereby meeting the primary study endpoint. Cytokine release syndrome was the most common adverse event (40 44% of 90 patients) and was predominantly grade 1 (23 26% of 90) and grade 2 (15 17%), and primarily confined to cycle 1. The most common grade 3–4 adverse events were neutropenia or neutrophil count decreased (24 27% of 90 patients), hypophosphataemia (15 17%), hyperglycaemia (seven 8%), and anaemia (seven 8%). Serious adverse events occurred in 42 (47%) of 90 patients. No treatment-related grade 5 (ie, fatal) adverse event occurred.
Fixed-duration mosunetuzumab has a favourable safety profile and induces high rates of complete remissions, allowing potential administration as an outpatient regimen, in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma and two or more previous therapies.
F Hoffmann-La Roche and Genentech.
A single‐junction polymer solar cell with an efficiency of 10.1% is demonstrated by using deterministic aperiodic nanostructures for broadband light harvesting with optimum charge extraction. The ...performance enhancement is ascribed to the self‐enhanced absorption due to collective effects, including pattern‐induced anti‐reflection and light scattering, as well as surface plasmonic resonance, together with a minimized recombination probability.
Recurrent and hormone-refractory prostate cancer (PCA) exhibits aggressive behaviors while current therapeutic approaches show little effect of prolonging the survival of patients with PCA. Thus, a ...deeper understanding of the patho-molecular mechanisms underlying the disease progression in PCA is crucial to identify novel diagnostic and/or therapeutic targets to improve the outcome of patients. Recent evidence suggests that activation of Wnt signaling in cancer stem cells (CSCs) contributes to cancer progression in malignant tumors. Here, we report that a novel Wnt co-activator ASPM (abnormal spindle-like microcephaly associated) maintains the prostate CSC subpopulation by augmenting the Wnt-β-catenin signaling in PCA. ASPM expression is incrementally upregulated in primary and metastatic PCA, implicating its potential role in PCA progression. Consistently, downregulation of ASPM expression pronouncedly attenuated the proliferation, colony formation, and the invasive behavior of PCA cells, and dramatically reduced the number of ALDH
CSCs and inhibited cancer stemness and tumorigenicity. Mechanistically, ASPM interacts with disheveled-3 (Dvl-3), a cardinal upstream regulator of canonical Wnt signaling, and inhibits its proteasome-dependent degradation, thereby increasing its protein stability and enabling the Wnt-induced β-catenin transcriptional activity in PCA cells. In keeping with the role of ASPM as a CSC-regulator, ASPM co-localizes with ALDH in PCA tissues and its expression exhibits high intra-tumoral heterogeneity. The proportion of high-ASPM-expressing cells in the tumor inversely correlates with the relapse-free survival of PCA patients. Collectively, our data points to ASPM as a novel oncoprotein and an essential regulator of Wnt signaling and cancer stemness in PCA, which has important clinical and therapeutic significance.
Thalassaemia is the most common monogenic disorder worldwide. It is common in areas with prevalent malaria as thalassaemic red cells provide immunity against the parasite. The incidence of ...thalassaemia carriers is high in regions such as Mediterranean, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and South China. In the past few decades, migrants from the thalassaemia prevalent countries to non-prevalent countries, mainly North America and Central and North Europe, are rapidly increasing in number. The non-prevalent countries may not have established pre-natal screening system for thalassaemia. The genetic subtypes among the different ethnic groups vary; this may pose challenges in prenatal diagnosis. Genetic counselling on the postnatal course of thalassaemia may be affected by the genotype–phenotype correlation and coinheritance of other genetic diseases. New treatment methods improve the survival of patient with thalassaemia major, but some late complications that occur with longer survival have been recently discovered.
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