Additively manufactured pure zinc porous scaffolds for critical-sized bone defects of rabbit femur

Additive manufacturing has received attention for the fabrication of medical implants that have customized and complicated structures.Biodegradable Zn metals are revolutionary materials for orthopedic implants.In this study,pure Zn porous scaffolds with diamond structures were fabricated using customized laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF)technology.First,the mechanical properties,corrosion behavior,and biocompatibility of the pure Zn porous scaffolds were characterized in vitro.The scaffolds were then implanted into the rabbit femur critical-size bone defect model for 24 weeks.The results showed that the pure Zn porous scaffolds had compressive strength and rigidity comparable to those of cancellous bone,as well as relatively suitable degradation rates for bone regeneration.A benign host response was observed using hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining of the heart,liver,spleen,lungs,and kidneys.Moreover,the pure Zn porous scaffold showed good biocompatibility and osteogenic promotion ability in vivo.This study showed that pure Zn porous scaffolds with customized structures fabricated using L-PBF represent a promising biodegradable solution for treating large bone defects.

Activated STING: an ion channel to trigger non-interferon-related functions

Recently,a study published in Science by Liu et al.1 presented compelling evidence demonstrating that upon translocation to the Golgi apparatus,STING(Stimulator of Interferon Genes)serves as a direct mediator for proton release into the cytosol,thereby instigating non-canonical LC3B(light-chain 3B)lipidation and NLRP3(NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain–containing 3)inflammasome activation(Fig.1).This study offers a new perspective on the involvement of the cGAS-STING pathway in non-interferon-related functions.

The loss of epigenetic information:not only consequences but a cause of mammalian aging

In a recent study published in Cell,Yang et al.revealed that changes in epigenetic landscapes caused by faithful DNA repair are key drivers accelerating aging of mammalian organs or tissues.1 Impressively,changes in H3K27ac landscape during aging process influence cell identity maintenance,and this aging process can be reversed by the inducible expression of pioneer transcription factors,Oct4,Sox2,and Klf4(OSK)in the living mammals.In mammals,global and local changes of DNA methylation occur in the genome during aging.Additionally,general loss of histones and global chromatin remodeling have been observed in all aging models,while in reverse reprograming of cell fate can lead to global changes in the epigenetic and rejuvenated epigenome,suggesting the potential of reprogramming for the reversal of aging.2 However,as no systematic studies revealed the characteristics of epigenomic changes during aging,it remains unclear whether the changes in epigenetic landscape are the consequences(marks)or direct cause of aging.

The fungal mycobiome:a new hallmark of cancer revealed by pan-cancer analyses

In a recent study published in Cell,1 a group led by Ravid Straussman and Rob Knight characterized fungi across multiple types of cancer and revealed their distribution,relationships with immune cells,and possible prognostic value.Meanwhile,another study led by Anders B.Dohlman and Iliyan D.Iliev2 reported a similar pan-cancer mycobiome analysis of diverse body sites and identified tumor-associated fungi.

Ras homolog family member J (RHOJ): a key regulator of chemoresistance associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition

In a recently published study in Nature,a group led by Cédric Blanpain identified Ras homolog family member J(RHOJ)as a key regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)-associated chemoresistance in skin squamous cell carcinoma(SCC).1 Mechanistically,this study demonstrated that RHOJ promotes DNA repair and replication of EMT tumor cells to assist them in rapidly repairing DNA lesions induced by chemotherapy(Fig.1).

Gold nanoflowers for 3D volumetric molecular imaging of tumors by photoacoustic tomography

By binding molecular probes that target tumor cells, gold nanoparticles （AuNPs） with superior characteristics have shown great potential in tumor molecular imaging studies. The non-invasive, high-resolution, and three-dimensional imaging of the targeted AuNPs within the tumor is desirable for both diagnosis and therapy. In this study, gold nanoflowers （AuNFs） are presented as a novel contrast agent for photoacoustic tomography （PAT）. By binding to folic acid, the molecular probe, the tail-vein injected AuNFs concentrated within the tumor site in mice; this was clearly visualized by three-dimensional （3D） PAT imaging. In addition, toxicity assay proved that AuNFs were harmless to living cells and animals. Our results demonstrate that AuNFs have great potential in tumor molecular imaging.

The change in thickness of the solidified liquid layer rather than the immobilized mass determines the frequency response of a quartz crystal microbalance

The "solidified liquid layer" model has been examined using a quartz crystal microbalance(QCM) with a polymeric matrix.The model is shown to give a reasonable explanation for the following experimental observations:(i) The opposite response of the QCM and surface plasmon resonance(SPR) for the activation process;(ii) the marked difference in the responses for IgG/anti-IgG interaction between QCM and SPR.Theoretical analysis and experimental results indicated that QCM is sensitive to the thickness change of the "solidified liquid layer" but not the mass of captured biomolecules(i.e.,the immobilized mass),implying caution must be taken in interpreting QCM results.

Prospective study of first night effect on 2-night polysomnographic parameters in adult Chinese snorers with suspected obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome

Background A prospective 2-night polysomnographic （PSG） study in Chinese snorers was designed to assess the role of the first night effect （FNE） in PSG parameters and the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome （OSAHS）.Methods Seventy-two snorers from two teaching hospitals underwent overnight PSG on two consecutive nights. I he night-to-night variability of PSG parameters were recorded and analyzed.Results Sixty-six patients were analyzed. Among all the PSG parameters, only the total time of stage 2 presented a significant difference between two nights： 219.50 （83.50-353.50） vs. 215.25 （59.50-342.50） （P=0.000）. Subgroup assessment showed a slight night-to-night difference in about 1-2 parameters in the group with the apnea-hypopnea index （AHI） -〉20 events per hour as well as the group with AHI 〈20 events per hour, but there was no night-to-night difference in the AHI in each group. And slighter FNE was found among patients -〉40 years old. There was no significant difference in diagnosis of OSAHS. In the decision of severity, a slight difference was found between the two nights with a Kappa value=0.531.Conclusions Only mild FNE can be found on two consecutive nights of PSG in adult Chinese snorers, but it has no effect on the diagnosis of OSAHS. A single polysomnographic night may be adequate for the diagnosis of OSAHS.

Role of pyroptosis in inflammation and cancer

Pyroptosis is a form of programmed cell death mediated by gasdermin and is a product of continuous cell expansion until the cytomembrane ruptures,resulting in the release of cellular contents that can activate strong inflammatory and immune responses.Pyroptosis,an innate immune response,can be triggered by the activation of inflammasomes by various influencing factors.Activation of these inflammasomes can induce the maturation of caspase-1 or caspase-4/5/11,both of which cleave gasdermin D to release its N-terminal domain,which can bind membrane lipids and perforate the cell membrane.Here,we review the latest advancements in research on the mechanisms of pyroptosis,newly discovered influencing factors,antitumoral properties,and applications in various diseases.Moreover,this review also provides updates on potential targeted therapies for inflammation and cancers,methods for clinical prevention,and finally challenges and future directions in the field.

Erratum to： Gold nanoflowers for 3D volumetric molecular imaging of tumors by photoacoustic tomography

The original version of this article unfortunately missed acknowledgements part. The acknowledgements are as below.