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In this work, we report a new design strategy to synthesize a double-cable polymer acceptor PT-BTP composed of a fused-ring Y-series acceptor framework as a pendant side unit and thiophene derivative as the conjugated backbone.

BACKGROUND Recent evidence support that netrin-1 involves in colorectal carcinogenesis. OBJECTIVE This study was to evaluate the performance of serum netrin-1 for detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) in both clinical/screening sets. METHODS A total of 115 consecutive patients with CRC and matched healthy controls were included in Clinical Set. Fifty subjects with CRC, 50 subjects with advanced adenoma (AA), and 150 matched control participants free of neoplasia were included in Screening Set. RESULTS In Clinical set, subjects with CRC presented higher levels of serum netrin-1 (513.9 ± 22.6 pg/mL) than controls (347.8 ± 20.3 pg/mL, p< 0.0001). Similar in Screening set, serum netrin-1 was higher in CRC (644.5 ± 37.0 pg/mL, both p< 0.0001), compared with controls (407.7 ± 14.8 pg/mL) and AA (416.5 ± 18.5 pg/mL). However, there was no difference between controls and AA (p= 0.752). Compared with the low netrin-1 group, the high group presented increased risk of CRC (Clinical set: OR = 4.300, p< 0.001; Screening set: OR = 7.731, p< 0.001). ROC curve of netrin-1 was developed to detect CRC (Clinical set: AUC 0.703; Screening set: AUC 0.759). CONCLUSIONS It suggests netrin-1 as a potential biomarker for CRC detection.

Organic pollutants pose a serious threat to human health, and so their control by photocatalytic techniques has become an important field. There is an urgent need to devise convenient syntheses of effective photocatalysts for the degradation of contaminants. Here, high-performance anatase TiO2 nanowires have been obtained through a hydrothermal method followed by calcination at different temperatures in Ar. The products have been characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, and UV/Vis DRS measurements. The photocatalytic performances of the as-prepared catalysts in the degradation of rhodamine 6G (R6G) have been evaluated. The experimental results revealed that as-prepared TiO2 nanowires calcined at 600 °C (TNWs-600) exhibited the highest degree of R6G degradation (96%) under simulated solar irradiation. This could be attributed to their stable anatase phase with good photocatalytic activity, the excellent light absorption ability of which favors excitation. Overall, the fabricated TNWs-600 constitute a promising candidate material for photocatalytic applications in the removal of environmental pollutants.

Copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidative C-S bond coupling reaction between thiophenols and aryl-substituted alkenes for (E)-vinyl sulfones synthesis is reported here. With air utilized as a green oxidant, this transformation not only produces various vinyl sulfones in moderate to good yields but also possesses a simple and ecofriendly system. To clarify the mechanism, kinetic experiments has been investigated.

Background and methods Transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) is a novel radical resection technique that may address the unsatisfactory functional and oncological outcomes of medium-low rectal cancers. Although its oncological safety remains unclear, taTME has demonstrable value in surgery, complications, and oncological outcomes. Here, we explore the short-term outcomes of rectal cancer after taTME and discuss the surgical experience. Twenty-two patients with medium-low rectal cancer who underwent taTME were retrospectively evaluated. Comprehensive demographic, oncological, and clinical data were analyzed and the perioperative state and postoperative follow-up were evaluated. Results Over a median follow-up period of 24.4 (4-36) months, local recurrence occurred in one patient at 6 months postsurgery. Fecal incontinence was the most common postoperative complication, and 3-6 months of pelvic-floor-rehabilitation training greatly improved anal function CONCLUSIONS: taTME achieved satisfactory short-term outcomes in oncological complications and postoperative functions. Accurate intraoperative anatomical location, identification of the rectovesical fascia, and neuroprotection are critical. However, this procedure has a steep learning curve, and large samples and multicenter studies are required to substantiate its effectiveness. Discussion We retrospectively analyzed the oncological and functional prognosis of 22 patients with colorectal cancer undergoing taTME surgery and preliminarily concluded taTME can be regarded as a safe and feasible treatment.

BackgroundCircular RNA-BTG3 associated nuclear protein (circ-BANP) was identifified to involve in cell proliferation of colorectal cancer (CRC). The aerobic glycolysis is a key metabolism mediating cancer progression. However, the role of circ-BANP on aerobic glycolysis in CRC remains unknown. MethodsThe expression of circ-BANP, microRNA (miR)-874-3p, and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) mNRA was detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell viability and invasion were measured by cell counting kit-8 assay or transwell assay. Glucose consumption and lactate production were assessed by a glucose and lactate assay kit. XF Extracellular Flux Analyzer was used to determine extracellular acidifification rate (ECAR). Western blot was used to analyze the levels of hexokinase-2 (HK2), pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), MAPK1, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Cyclin D1, N-cadherin, E-cadherin, hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), glucose transport protein 1(GLUT1), and c-Myc. The interaction between miR-874-3p and circ-BANP or MAPK1 was confifirmed by dual luciferase reporter assay. In vivo experiments were conducted through the murine xenograft model. ResultsCirc-BANP was up-regulated in CRC tissues and cell lines. Circ-BANP knockdown suppressed CRC cell proliferation, invasion and aerobic glycolysis in vitro as well as inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Circ-BANP was a sponge of miR-874-3p and performed anti-tumor effffects by binding to miR-874-3p in CRC cells. Subsequently, we confifirmed MAPK1 was a target of miR-874-3p and circ-BANP indirectly regulated MAPK1 expression by sponging miR-874-3p. After that, we found MAPK1 overexpression partially reversed circ-BANP deletion-mediated inhibition on cell carcinogenesis and aerobic glycolysis in CRC. ConclusionCirc-BANP accelerated cell carcinogenesis and aerobic glycolysis by regulating MAPK1 through miR- 874-3p in CRC, suggesting a promising therapeutic strategy for CRC treatment.

Hai Luo,1,* Lingzhi Cui,2,* Kexin Shen,1 Ruiqi Li,1 Zeming Wang,1 Zhongshi Xie1 1Gastrointestinal Colorectal and Anal Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China; 2General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Zhongshi XieChina-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, 126 Xian Tai Street, Changchun, Jilin Province, 130033, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 13944108332Email surgeonxzs@163.comPurpose: This study was designed to investigate the correlation between the expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), mismatch repair (MMR), and clinicopathological parameters and serum tumor markers in a total of 522 resection samples materials from colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. These data were also used to determine the links between HER2 and MMR expression and prognosis.Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical data from 522 CRC patients. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect HER2 overexpression and MMR deficiency (dMMR) in tumor specimens which were then correlated with various clinicopathological parameters. Prognostic value for HER2 and MMR expression was then evaluated using the data from 105 CRC patients.Results: HER2 overexpression was identified in 35.63% of the samples evaluated in this study, while the total dMMR rate was 12.64%. Expression of HER2 and several, MMR proteins (MLH1, MSH-2, MSH-6, and PMS-2) were then correlated with tumor location. HER2 overexpression is significantly associated with increased depth of tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastases, pTNM staging, vascular invasion, nerve infiltration, and serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels. HER2 overexpression and dMMR increased with advancing clinical stage. In addition, deficiencies in MLH1 and PMS2 correlated with HER2 overexpression. Finally, the prognostic evaluations revealed that HER2 overexpression was closely associated with poorer clinical outcomes.Conclusion: HER2 overexpression is significantly correlated with multiple clinicopathological parameters resulting in a poorer prognosis. Moreover, the prognosis of patients with HER2 overexpression was worse, confirming its significance during disease assessment. In clinical practice, clinicians should pay close attention to the HER2 profile of patients as they may require more extensive clinical intervention. In addition, deficiencies in MLH1, MSH-2, MSH-6, or PMS-2 correlate with tumor location, and MLH1 and PMS2 expression is associated with lymph node metastasis and pTNM stage, suggesting that these may be additional markers in CRC risk assessments.Keywords: human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, mismatch repair deficiency, colorectal cancers, prognosis

Background The correlation between long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and gastric cancer (GC) has been indicated. As a newly found lncRNA, small nucleolar RNA host gene 22 (SNHG22) functions as an oncogene in ovarian carcinoma and breast cancer. However, its action has not been explored in GC. Herein, the purpose of the current research was to examine the influence of SNHG22 on GC development. Methods RT-qPCR was used to identify SNHG22 and microRNA-361-3p (miR-361-3p) in GC tissues and cells. Functional assays were implemented to measure changes on biological activities of GC cells under different transfections. Besides, after human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were co-cultured with supernatant of transfected GC cells, angiogenesis was assessed by tube formation assay in vitro. HMGA1 and β-catenin expression were determined. Finally, mechanistic assays, including RNA pull-down assay and dual-luciferase reporter assay, were employed to assess relationships among SNHG22, miR-361-3p, and HMGA1. Results SNHG22 and HMGA1 were highly expressed but miR-361-3p was poorly expressed in GC tissues. Mechanistically, SNHG22 bound to miR-361-3p, and miR-361-3p targeted HMGA1 to disrupt the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Following SNHG22 or HMGA1 silencing or miR-361-3p upregulation, we observed a decline of proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells and HUVEC angiogenesis but acceleration of GC cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Conclusion Collectively, SNHG22 silencing possessed tumor-suppressing potentials in GC development via Wnt/β-catenin pathway by binding to miR-361-3p and downregulating HMGA1, highlighting a new promising road for GC treatment development.

Serum and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 (SGK1) is an AGC kinase that has been reported to be involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Recent evidence has accumulated that SGK1 acts as an essential Akt-independent mediator of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in cancer. SGK1 is overexpressed in several tumors, including prostate cancer, colorectal carcinoma, glioblastoma, breast cancer, and endometrial cancer. The functions of SGK1 include regulating tumor growth, survival, metastasis, autophagy, immunoregulation, calcium (Ca2+) signaling, cancer stem cells, cell cycle, and therapeutic resistance. In this review, we introduce the pleiotropic role of SGK1 in the development and progression of tumors, summarize its downstream targets, and integrate the knowledge provided by preclinical studies that the prospect of SGK1 inhibition as a potential therapeutic approach.

Colon cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide. Both environmental and molecular characters can influence its development. DNA methylation has been heralded as a promising marker for use in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. It has been shown to facilitate cancer progression through multiple mechanisms. Changes in DNA methylation can inhibit or promote the binding of transcription factors (TFs) and further disturb gene regulation. Detection of DNA methylation-mediated regulatory events in colon cancer are critical for mining novel biomarkers. Here, we explore the influence of CpG sites located at promoter regions of differentially expressed genes and identify methylation–gene relationships using expression–methylation quantitative trait loci. We find that promoter methylation sites mainly negatively regulate the corresponding genes. We also identify candidate TFs that can bind to these sites in a sequence-dependent manner. By integrating transcriptome and methylome profiles, we construct a TF–CpG–gene regulatory network for colon cancer, which is used to determine the roles of TFs and methylation in the transcription process. Finally, based on TF–CpG–gene relationships, we design a framework to evaluate patient prognosis, which shows that one TF–CpG–gene triplet is significantly associated with patient survival rate and represents a potential novel biomarker for use in colon cancer prognosis and treatment.

A novel bromine-isotope probe named D-BPBr with stereodynamic chiral recognition characteristics was developed for the labeling, separation, and detection of trace chiral amino acids and amino-containing metabolites. Fourteen enantiomeric pairs of amino acids could be successfully separated and quantified on a reverse-phase C18 column with an HPLC-MS/MS system after D-BPBr labeling. The chromatographic resolution for d,l-amino acid enantiomers ranged from 1.14 to 8.83 with the l-amino acid derivative always eluting prior to the corresponding d-enantiomer. Meanwhile, D-BPBr showed strong chiral selectivity on d-amino acids, and the ratio of mass spectrometric response for D-BPBr labeled d-amino acids to that of l-enantiomers ranged from 1.31 to 12.87 under the same condition. The D-BPBr labeling method was also demonstrated to be highly efficient and selective in separation and quantification of chiral amino acids especially for trace-level d-amino acids in human biofluids including urine and plasma, and in total, 11 l-amino acids and 10 d-amino acids in urine and 11 l-amino acids and 6 d-amino acids in plasma were detected and quantified. Based on the characteristic 2-Da mass difference of precursor ions and the nearly 1:1 peak intensity ratio originated from79Br and 81Br natural isotopes, as well as their dissociation features, 119 amino-containing metabolites were also rapidly detected in urine and plasma samples. Our work indicated that D-BPBr may be a potentially promising tool for the detection of d-amino acid-type biomarkers in disease diagnosis.

Transmembrane protein 45B (TMEM45B), belonging to the TMEM family, has been found abnormally expressed in several types of tumors and can play an important role in tumorigenesis. However, the role of TMEM45B in gastric cancer remains unclear. Therefore, the current study was designed to examine the effects of TMEM45B on gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro, and to explore the potential molecular mechanisms. The presented study is the first demonstration that TMEM45B was highly expressed in human gastric cancer tissues and cell lines. In addition, knockdown of TMEM45B significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration/invasion and EMT phenotype in gastric cancer cells. Furthermore, knockdown of TMEM45B efficiently inhibited the expression of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 in gastric cancer cells. Taken together, our findings indicate that knockdown of TMEM45B suppresses the proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells, at least partly, via the inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. Therefore, TMEM45B may be a new potent therapeutic molecule for the treatment of gastric cancer.

New findings What is the central question of this study? What is the function of miR-25 in the development of gastric cancer (GC) and the molecular mechanism? What is the main finding and its importance? Polyomavirus enhancer activator protein 3 (PEA3) activates transcription of microRNA-25 and augments progression of GC through suppressing salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) and activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Abstract Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is frequently involved in the pathogenesis of GC. This study aims to determine the functions of miR-25 in GC development and the molecular mechanism. miR-25 was screened to be significantly highly expressed in GC tissues using a miRNA microarray analysis. The subsequent RT-qPCR suggested high-expression profiling of miR-25 in cancer tissues and cells relative to the normal samples. High miR-25 expression indicated poor prognosis and shorter survival time of GC patients. Polyomavirus enhancer activator protein 3 (PEA3) was identified as an upstream transcriptional activator of miR-25. miR-25 directly bound to salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) mRNA. Downregulation of miR-25 suppressed proliferation and invasiveness of GC cells and the growth of xenograft tumors in vivo. These tumor-suppressive effects were strengthened by further silencing of PEA3 but blocked by SIK1 knockdown. The PEA3/miR-25 axis was found to activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. To conclude, this study suggested that PEA3 activates miR-25 transcription and regulates GC progression through suppressing SIK1 and activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. This study may provide new ideas in GC treatment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Background: It has been reported that blocking small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) conjugation by silencing SUMO gene remarkably decreased tumor growth in vivo. However, few studies have examined the relationship between SUMO gene silencing and gastric cancer (GC). The study aims to explore the effects of SUMO-1 gene silencing on GC cell proliferation and apoptosis. Methods: GC cells were cultured and divided into 5 groups: the blank group (without any transfection or treatment), the empty vector group (transfected with empty vector), the shRNA-SUMO-1-1 group (transfected with shRNA-SUMO-1-1 plasmid), the shRNA-SUMO-1-2 group (transfected with shRNA-SUMO-1-2 plasmid), and the shRNA-SUMO-1-3 group (transfected with shRNA-SUMO-1-3 plasmid). Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was performed to examine cell proliferation. Annexin V/PI staining combined with flow cytometry were used to detect cell apoptosis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were employed to measure the mRNA and protein expressions of SUMO-1, P53, Bcl-2 and c-myc, respectively. Results: SUMO-1 mRNA and protein expressions were decreased after transfecting with shRNA-SUMO-1. Compared with the blank group, the shRNA-SUMO-1-1 group presented a remarkable decreased proliferation of SGC-7901 cells. Significant increase in cell apoptosis rate was observed. Bcl-2, c-myc and P53 expressions were declined after transfecting with shRNA-SUMO plasmid. Conclusion: Our study provided evidence that SUMO-1 gene silencing could decrease proliferation and promote apoptosis in GC cells.

As the most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-associated mortality, colorectal cancer (CRC) has received increasing attention. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms of CRC by analyzing the microarray dataset, GSE32323. The GSE32323 dataset was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus, and included 17 pairs of matched cancer and normal colorectal tissue samples. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using the Linear Models for Microarray Data package and a search of CRC genes, also denoted as seed genes, was performed using the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man database. Subsequently, the protein‑protein interaction (PPI) network was downloaded from the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes database and the sub‑network (CRC.PPI) of the DEGs and seed genes were obtained. In addition, the top 50 nodes with highest affinity scores in the CRC.PPI were identified using random walk with restart analysis. The potential functions of the DEGs included in the top 50 nodes were analyzed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery online tool. Using the Drug Gene Interaction database, drug‑gene interaction analysis was performed to identify antineoplastic drug interacts with genes. A total of 1,640 DEGs between the CRC and normal samples were screened. The obtained seed genes included cyclin D1 (CCND1) and aurora kinase A (AURKA). The enriched functions for the 31 DEGs in the PPI network of the top 50 nodes were predominantly associated with cell cycle. The DEGs may function in CRC by interacting with other genes in the PPI network of the top 50 nodes, for example, DEP domain‑containing MTOR‑interacting protein (DEPTOR)‑CCND1, AURKA‑breast carcinoma amplified sequence‑1 (BCAS1), CCND1‑BCAS1, CCND1‑neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated 9 (NEDD9) and CCND1‑mitogen‑activated protein kinase kinase 2 (MAP2K2). Only three DEGs (CCND1, AURKA and DEPTOR) had interactions with their corresponding antineoplastic drugs. Taken together, DEPTOR, AURKA, CCND1, BCAS1, NEDD9 and MAP2K2 may act in CRC.

Unregulated protein-tyrosine kinase signaling is a common feature of AML, often involving mutations in Flt3 and overexpression of myeloid Src-family kinases (Hck, Fgr, Lyn). Here we show that high-level expression of these Src kinases predicts poor survival in a large cohort of AML patients. To test the therapeutic benefit of Flt3 and Src-family kinase inhibition, we used the pyrrolopyrimidine kinase inhibitor A-419259. This compound potently inhibits Hck, Fgr, and Lyn as well as Flt3 bearing an activating internal tandem duplication (ITD). Flt3-ITD expression sensitized human TF-1 myeloid cells to growth arrest by A-419259, supporting direct action on the Flt3-ITD kinase domain. Cells transformed with the Flt3-ITD mutants D835Y and F691L were resistant to A-419259, while co-expression of Hck or Fgr restored inhibitor sensitivity to Flt3-ITD D835Y. Conversely, Hck and Fgr mutants with engineered A-419259 resistance mutations decreased sensitivity of TF-1/Flt3-ITD cells. To investigate de novo resistance mechanisms, A-419259-resistant Flt3-ITD+ AML cell populations were derived via long-term dose escalation. Whole exome sequencing identified a distinct Flt3-ITD kinase domain mutation (N676S/T) among all A-419259 target kinases in each of six independent resistant cell populations. These studies show that Hck and Fgr expression influences inhibitor sensitivity and the pathway to acquired resistance in Flt3-ITD+ AML.

The present study investigated the value of combinations of five specific tumor biomarkers for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC): Neuron-specific enolase (NSE), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen (CA)19-9, CA125 and CA242. Associations between these markers and clinicopathological characteristics (including the Tumor-Node-Metastasis stage) were also assessed. Serum levels of the 5 markers were compared between 358 patients with CRC and 298 healthy individuals (CRC and control group, respectively). The NSE concentration of the CRC group was significantly higher compared with the control. Furthermore, patients at clinical stage III+IV exhibited significantly higher NSE levels compared with those at stage I+II. The serum NSE level of N+ patients was significantly higher compared with the N- group, and the NSE level of M1 patients was significantly compared with the M0 group. NSE level was also significantly associated with tumor stage, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and hematochezia. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for NSE in CRC was 0.766, which was significantly higher than that of the other four markers, which ranged from 0.560-0.682. The AUC of NSE, CEA, CA19-9, CA125, CA242 combined was significantly higher compared with any of the markers individually (range, 0.796-0.858). Therefore, serum NSE may be a good clinical tool for the auxiliary diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Besides, the combination of NSE, CEA, CA19-9, CA125 and CA242 was significantly more sensitive compared with NSE alone. Thus, the combined detection of the 5 tumor markers may be more useful for the diagnosis of CRC.

Copper-catalyzed aerobic oxidative C-S bond coupling reaction between thiophenols and aryl-substituted alkenes for (

This study investigated the diagnostic value of preoperative serum neuro-specific enolase (NSE) in gastric cancer (GC) and colorectal cancer (CRC), and the diagnostic viability of combined serum NSE, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen (CA)19-9, and CA242. Patients with GC and CRC, and a healthy control group (n = 666 and 266, respectively) were compared with regard to NSE, CEA, CA19-9, and CA242 serum levels. NSE was analyzed for associations with clinicopathological parameters. To estimate the diagnostic potential of NSE, a receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed and the area under the curve (AUCs) was calculated for different patient subgroups. The median serum NSE level of the tumor group (20.925 ng/mL) was significantly higher than that of the control (15.190 ng/mL). Serum NSE was associated with pathological tumor-node-metastasis staging, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, vascular invasion, and nerve infiltration. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for NSE in GC and CRC (0.769) was higher than for the other 3 markers (0.571–0.680). The AUC of the combined markers was higher than for any of the markers individually (0.778–0.810). The AUC for NSE alone suggests it may be an independent tumor marker, and useful for diagnosis of GC and CRC. However, the AUC for combined NSE, CEA, CA19-9, and CA242 was higher and thus potentially more diagnostic value.

As a biomarker, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) has been widely recognized in the diagnosis of benign diseases and malignant tumors. This study aimed to investigate the potential diagnostic value of NSE in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Serum levels of the NSE were compared between 219 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and 298 healthy individuals, NSE and clinicopathological parameters were analyzed. Meanwhile, to evaluate the diagnostic capability of NSE, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and area under curve (AUC) was calculated. In the present study, the median serum NSE level of the patient group was 20.770 ng/mL, which was higher than that of the control group 15.625 ng/mL (P

Fgr is a member of the Src family of nonreceptor tyrosine kinases, which are overexpressed and constitutively active in many human cancers. Fgr expression is restricted to myeloid hematopoietic cells and is markedly increased in a subset of bone marrow samples from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here, we investigated the oncogenic potential of Fgr using Rat-2 fibroblasts that do not express the kinase. Expression of either wild-type or regulatory tail-mutant constructs of Fgr promoted cellular transformation (inferred from colony formation in soft agar), which was accompanied by phosphorylation of the Fgr activation loop, suggesting that the kinase domain of Fgr functions independently of regulation by its noncatalytic SH3-SH2 region. Unlike other family members, recombinant Fgr was not activated by SH3-SH2 domain ligands. However, hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry data suggested that the regulatory SH3 and SH2 domains packed against the back of the kinase domain in a Src-like manner. Sequence alignment showed that the activation loop of Fgr was distinct from that of all other Src family members, with proline rather than alanine at the +2 position relative to the activation loop tyrosine. Substitution of the activation loop of Fgr with the sequence from Src partially inhibited kinase activity and suppressed colony formation. Last, Fgr expression enhanced the sensitivity of human myeloid progenitor cells to the cytokine GM-CSF. Because its kinase domain is not sensitive to SH3-SH2-mediated control, simple overexpression of Fgr without mutation may contribute to oncogenic transformation in AML and other blood cancers.

This communication reports copper-catalyzed N–H olefination of sulfonamides for enaminone synthesis using saturated ketones as olefin sources. With TEMPO derivatives and O2 as oxidants, this method provided an efficient way to produce various enaminones in good yields. Mechanistic studies helped figure out the stable intermediates and develop novel methodologies for the difunctionalization of saturated ketones.

Introduction: Rectal cancer is a common cancer worldwide. Low rectal cancer exhibits a tendency for recurrence. Surgical resection is an important treatment for rectal cancer. Cylindrical abdominal–perineal resection is suitable for patients with low rectal cancer and has helped improve the prognosis of these patients. However, there are some difficulties during the operation. Especially the perineal area operation cannot be performed under direct vision, which affects the quality of surgical resection. To resolve these constraints, our group designed double laparoscopy assisted cylindrical abdominal–perineal resection for low rectal cancer. Conclusion: The procedure effectively solved these problems and reduced the operation time with no increase in surgery complications.

A c(RGDfC)-decorated polylactide stereocomplex micelle (cRGD-SCM) was prepared through the stereocomplex and hydrophobic interactions among 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol)- block -poly(D-lactide) (4-arm PEG- b -PDLA), methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)- block -poly(L-lactide) (mPEG- b -PLLA), and c(RGDfC)-poly(ethylene glycol)- block -poly(L-lactide) (cRGD-PEG- b -PLLA) for targeted treatment of α v β 3 integrin-positive C26 colon cancer. Doxorubicin (DOX), a model antitumor drug, was loaded into cRGD-SCM with a diameter of approximately 100 nm, and the drug loading efficiency was 45.9 wt.%. cRGD-SCM/DOX with a sustained release pattern exhibited prolonged circulation time, upregulated accumulation in tumor, enhanced tumor inhibition, and decreased side effects compared with free DOX and non-targeting SCM/DOX in vivo . More interestingly, the targeting ligand in the terminal of PEG can be easily replaced with other targeting groups according to the different types of malignancies. Therefore, the cRGD-decorated platform might be a promising targeted drug delivery system for personal chemotherapy clinically.

Rationale: Extramammary Peget disease (EMPD) is a rare tumor, which typically occurs in the perianal regions. Perianal Paget disease (PPD) was first reported in 1893, and which has only 180 cases that have been reported in literature. The rarity of the disease means that no large studies have been made, and so the optimal treatment for this disease still remains controversial. Patient concerns: In this case, we reported a 65-years-old female patient with PPD. The patient suffered intermittent pruritus in the perianal region for 1 year. She had neither genitourinary nor gastrointestinal symptoms. Local examination revealed a whitish gray skin lesion in the left perianal area with a 3 × 3 cm size. Diagnoses: The perianal skin biopsy was consistent with EMPD. Then the patient underwent a screening colonoscopy, gynecological ultrasonography, and whole-body computed tomography to exclude underlying malignancy. Interventions: The patient underwent wide local excision with margin control by frozen section examination and posterior thigh flap reconstruction. Subsequently follow-up remains 6 years. Outcomes: The operation was successful. The total operation time was 296 minutes, and the estimated blood loss was 120 mL. The patient recovered without any complication and discharged home on the sixth postoperative day. After 6 years’ follow-up, there was no evidence of recurrence and no influence in the anal bowel control function. Lessons: PPD is a rare disorder; the current knowledge on diagnose and treatment is based on small case series. Thus, it is complicated to elaborate a consensus on diagnostic and treatment guidelines. Wide local excision remains the treatment of choice with a variety of adjuvant therapies. Our method has an advantage which is the posterior thigh flap could be designed in accordance with the defect of the perianal. It is mandatory that the patient must accept a long-term follow-up to detect local recurrence and to distant carcinoma.

Nanoscale polymeric micelles have attracted more and more attention as a promising nanocarrier for controlled delivery of antineoplastic drugs. Herein, the doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded poly(D-lactide)-based micelle (PDM/DOX), poly(L-lactide)-based micelle (PLM/DOX), and stereocomplex micelle (SCM/DOX) from the equimolar mixture of the enantiomeric four-armed poly(ethylene glycol)-polylactide (PEG-PLA) copolymers were successfully fabricated. In phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at pH 7.4, SCM/DOX exhibited the smallest hydrodynamic diameter (D h) of 90 ± 4.2 nm and the slowest DOX release compared with PDM/DOX and PLM/DOX. Moreover, PDM/DOX, PLM/DOX, and SCM/DOX exhibited almost stable D hs of around 115, 105, and 90 nm at above normal physiological condition, respectively, which endowed them with great potential in controlled drug delivery. The intracellular DOX fluorescence intensity after the incubation with the laden micelles was different degrees weaker than that incubated with free DOX · HCl within 12 h, probably due to the slow DOX release from micelles. As the incubation time reached to 24 h, all the cells incubated with the laden micelles, especially SCM/DOX, demonstrated a stronger intracellular DOX fluorescence intensity than free DOX · HCl-cultured ones. More importantly, all the DOX-loaded micelles, especially SCM/DOX, exhibited potent antineoplastic efficacy in vitro, excellent serum albumin-tolerance stability, and satisfactory hemocompatibility. These encouraging data indicated that the loading micelles from nonlinear enantiomeric copolymers, especially SCM/DOX, might be promising in clinical systemic chemotherapy through intravenous injection.

Fgr is a member of the Src family of non-receptor protein-tyrosine kinases, which are over-expressed and constitutively active in many human cancers. Fgr expression is restricted to myeloid hematopoietic cells and strongly upregulated in a subset of primary human AML bone marrow samples, suggesting that Fgr kinase activity may contribute to AML pathogenesis. To investigate the oncogenic potential of Fgr, we expressed the wild-type kinase in Rat-2 fibroblasts and scored transformation in soft-agar colony-forming assays. Remarkably, Fgr expression resulted in strong transforming activity, suggesting that over-expression of the kinase is sufficient to overcome regulatory control by its SH2 and SH3 domains. To test this idea, we mutated the negative regulatory tail tyrosine of Fgr. Phosphorylation of the homologous tyrosines in c-Src, Hck and other Src-family members by the regulatory kinase Csk causes intramolecular engagement of the SH2 domain to suppress kinase activity. Substitution of the Fgr tail tyrosine with phenylalanine did not further enhance the transforming or kinase activity of Fgr in Rat-2 cells, suggesting that its kinase domain is uncoupled from regulation by its non-catalytic SH3-SH2 region. To explore the regulatory mechanism further, we expressed near-full-length Fgr in insect cells, purified it to homogeneity, and confirmed that it was singly phosphorylated on its negative regulatory tail (and not the activation loop). Hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry demonstrated that the SH3 and SH2 domains are protected from deuterium uptake as observed previously for recombinant, downregulated Hck, suggesting that they are packed against the back of the kinase domain. We then tested recombinant Fgr for sensitivity to activation in vitro using peptide ligands for the SH3 and SH2 domains, as well as a peptide that engages both domains simultaneously. Fgr kinase activity was unaffected by these peptides, providing further evidence that the kinase domain is not allosterically coupled to SH3 and SH2 control. In contrast, Hck and c-Src were both stimulated by these peptides, consistent with a domain displacement mechanism of activation described previously. Control experiments using surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy confirmed that the SH3 and SH2 domains of both Hck and Fgr bind to each of the peptide ligands with similar kinetics and affinity. Taken together, our data show that Fgr is a unique Src family member in that its kinase domain is not subject to regulatory domain control despite evidence for intramolecular interactions with the SH3 and SH2 domains. As a consequence, simple over-expression of Fgr is sufficient to induce transformation of rodent fibroblasts, unlike Hck or other Src family members. By extension, over-expression of Fgr may contribute to AML development and selective targeting of its kinase activity may be of therapeutic benefit. Citation Format: Kexin Shen, Heather R. Dorman, Haibin Shi, Ravi K. Patel, Jamie A. Moroco, John R. Engen, Thomas E. Smithgall. The AML linked Src family kinase Fgr is uncoupled from SH2 and SH3 domain regulation and drives oncogenic transformation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2377. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2377

Background Previous epidemiological studies have shown that fish consumption may modify the risk of ovarian cancer. However, these studies yielded controversial results. The present meta-analysis was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between fish intake and ovarian cancer risk. Methods A literature search was carried out using Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane Library Central database for all relevant studies up to August 2013. We pooled the relative risks (RR) from individual studies using fixed-effect or random-effect model, and carried out heterogeneity and publication bias analyses. Results A total of 15 (ten case–control, and five cohort) studies were included in the present meta-analysis, representing data for 889,033 female subjects and 6,087 ovarian cancer cases. We found that total fish intake was not significantly associated with the risk of ovarian cancer among cohort studies (RR = 1.04 95% CI [0.89, 1.22]) as well as case–control studies (RR = 0.90, 95% CI [0.73,1.12]). There was no evidence of publication bias as suggested by Begg's test (P = 0.55) and Egger's test(P = 0.29). Conclusions The present meta-analysis showed that total fish consumption was not significantly associated with the risk of ovarian cancer. Further analysis on different fish species and food preparation methods should be conducted in future studies.

The targeting protein for the Xenopus kinesin-like protein 2 (TPX2), a microtubule-associated protein, has been utilized as a tool to evaluate, more precisely, the proliferative behavior of tumor cells. The abnormal expression of TPX2 in a variety of malignant tumor types has been reported, however less is known about its role in cervical cancer. In the present study, the association between TPX2 expression and the biological behavior of cervical cancer, was investigated. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR were used to detect the expression of TPX2 in cervical cancer tissues. The inhibitory effect of TPX2-siRNA on the growth of SiHa human cervical carcinoma cells was studied in vitro. TPX2 expression was identified as significantly higher in cervical carcinoma compared with the control, normal cervical tissues. TPX2 siRNA transfected into SiHa cells induced apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation and invasion. Similar results were obtained by in vivo transplantation, as TPX2 siRNA transfection significantly reduced tumor growth of the xenograft in nude mice. The results demonstrated that TPX2 is important in the regulation of tumor growth in cervical cancer and therefore may be a potential therapeutic target as a novel treatment strategy.