Britanin–a beacon of hope against gastrointestinal tumors?

Britanin is a bioactive sesquiterpene lactone known for its potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.It also exhibits significant anti-tumor activity,suppressing tumor growth in vitro and in vivo.The current body of research on Britanin includes thirty papers predominantly related to neoplasms,the majority of which are gastrointestinal tumors that have not been summarized before.To drive academic debate,the present paper reviews the available research on Britanin in gastrointestinal tumors.It also outlines novel research directions using data not directly concerned with the digestive system,but which could be adopted in future gastrointestinal research.Britanin was found to counteract liver,colorectal,pancreatic,and gastric tumors,by regulating proliferation,apoptosis,autophagy,immune response,migration,and angiogenesis.As confirmed in pancreatic,gastric,and liver cancer,its most commonly noted molecular effects include nuclear factor kappa B and B-cell lymphoma 2 downregulation,as well as Bcl-2-associated X protein upregulation.Moreover,it has been found to induce the Akt kinase and Forkhead box O1 axis,activate the AMP-activated protein kinase pathway,elevate interleukin-2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γlevels,reduce interleukin-10,as well as downregulate matrix metalloproteinase-9,Twist family bHLH transcription factor 1,and cyclooxygenase-2.It also inhibits Myc–HIF1αinteraction and programmed death ligand 1 transcription by interrupting the Ras/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway and mTOR/P70S6K/4EBP1 signaling.Future research should aim to unravel the link between Britanin and acetylcholinesterase,mast cells,osteolysis,and ischemia,as compelling data have been provided by studies outside the gastrointestinal context.Since the cytotoxicity of Britanin on noncancerous cells is significantly lower than that on tumor cells,while still being effective against the latter,further in-depth studies with the use of animal models are merited.The compound exhibits pleiotropic biological activity and offers considerable promise as an anti-cancer agent,which may address the current paucity of treatment options and high mortality rate among patients with gastrointestinal tumors.

Revisiting the standards of cancer detection and therapy alongside their comparison to modern methods

In accordance with the World Health Organization data,cancer remains at the forefront of fatal diseases.An upward trend in cancer incidence and mortality has been observed globally,emphasizing that efforts in developing detection and treatment methods should continue.The diagnostic path typically begins with learning the medical history of a patient;this is followed by basic blood tests and imaging tests to indicate where cancer may be located to schedule a needle biopsy.Prompt initiation of diagnosis is crucial since delayed cancer detection entails higher costs of treatment and hospitalization.Thus,there is a need for novel cancer detection methods such as liquid biopsy,elastography,synthetic biosensors,fluorescence imaging,and reflectance confocal microscopy.Conventional therapeutic methods,although still common in clinical practice,pose many limitations and are unsatisfactory.Nowadays,there is a dynamic advancement of clinical research and the development of more precise and effective methods such as oncolytic virotherapy,exosome-based therapy,nanotechnology,dendritic cells,chimeric antigen receptors,immune checkpoint inhibitors,natural product-based therapy,tumor-treating fields,and photodynamic therapy.The present paper compares available data on conventional and modern methods of cancer detection and therapy to facilitate an understanding of this rapidly advancing field and its future directions.As evidenced,modern methods are not without drawbacks;there is still a need to develop new detection strategies and therapeutic approaches to improve sensitivity,specificity,safety,and efficacy.Nevertheless,an appropriate route has been taken,as confirmed by the approval of some modern methods by the Food and Drug Administration.

Generation of electricity from CO_2 mineralization: Principle and realization

Current CO2 reduction and utilization technologies suffer from high energy consuming. Thus, an energy favourable route is in urgent demanding. CO2 mineralization is theoretically an energy releasing process for CO2 reduction and utilization, but an approach to recovery this energy has so far remained elusive. For the first time, here we proposed the principle of harvesting electrical energy directly from CO2 mineralization, and realized an energy output strategz1 for CO2 utilization and reduction via a CO2-mineralization fuel cell （CMFC） system. In this system CO2 and industrial alkaline wastes were used as feedstock, and industrial valuable NaHCO3 was produced concomitantly during the electricity generation. The highest power density of this system reached 5.5 W/m2, higher than many microbial fuel cells. The maximum open circuit voltage reached 0.452 V. Moreo- ver, this system was demonstrated viable to low concentration CO2 （10%） and other carhonation process. Thus, the existing of an energy-generating and environmentally friendly strategy to utilize CO2 as a supplement to the current scenario of CO2 emis- sion control has been demonstrated.

Role of the gut microbiota in anticancer therapy:from molecular mechanisms to clinical applications

In the past period,due to the rapid development of next-generation sequencing technology,accumulating evidence has clarified the complex role of the human microbiota in the development of cancer and the therapeutic response.More importantly,available evidence seems to indicate that modulating the composition of the gut microbiota to improve the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs may be feasible.However,intricate complexities exist,and a deep and comprehensive understanding of how the human microbiota interacts with cancer is critical to realize its full potential in cancer treatment.The purpose of this review is to summarize the initial clues on molecular mechanisms regarding the mutual effects between the gut microbiota and cancer development,and to highlight the relationship between gut microbes and the efficacy of immunotherapy,chemotherapy,radiation therapy and cancer surgery,which may provide insights into the formulation of individualized therapeutic strategies for cancer management.In addition,the current and emerging microbial interventions for cancer therapy as well as their clinical applications are summarized.Although many challenges remain for now,the great importance and full potential of the gut microbiota cannot be overstated for the development of individualized anti-cancer strategies,and it is necessary to explore a holistic approach that incorporates microbial modulation therapy in cancer.

Comparison of long-term quality of life between Billroth-I and Roux-en-Y anastomosis after distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a randomized controlled trial

Background:The results of studies comparing Billroth-I(B-I)with Roux-en-Y(R-Y)reconstruction on the quality of life(QoL)are still inconsistent.The aim of this trial was to compare the long-term QoL of B-I with R-Y anastomosis after curative distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer.Methods:A total of 140 patients undergoing curative distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy in West China Hospital,Sichuan University from May 2011 to May 2014 were randomly assigned to the B-I group(N=70)and R-Y group(N=70).The follow-up time points were 1,3,6,9,12,24,36,48,and 60 months after the operation.The final follow-up time was May 2019.The clinicopathological features,operative safety,postoperative recovery,long-term survival as well as QoL were compared,among which QoL score was the primary outcome.An intention-to-treat analysis was applied.Results:The baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups.There were no statistically significant differences in terms of postoperative morbidity and mortality rates,and postoperative recovery between the two groups.Less estimated blood loss and shorter surgical duration were found in the B-I group.There were no statistically significant differences in 5-year overall survival(79%[55/70]of the B-I group vs.80%[56/70]of the R-Y group,P=0.966)and recurrence-free survival rates(79%[55/70]of the B-I group vs.78%[55/70]of the R-Y group,P=0.979)between the two groups.The scores of the global health status of the R-Y group were higher than those of the B-I group with statistically significant differences(postoperative 1 year:85.4±13.1 vs.88.8±16.1,P=0.033;postoperative 3 year:87.3±15.2 vs.92.8±11.3,P=0.028;postoperative 5 year:90.9±13.7 vs.96.4±5.6,P=0.010),and the reflux(postoperative 3 year:8.8±12.9 vs.2.8±5.3,P=0.001;postoperative 5 year:5.1±9.8 vs.1.8±4.7,P=0.033)and epigastric pain(postoperative 1 year:11.8±12.7 vs.6.1±8.8,P=0.008;postoperative 3 year:9.4±10.6 vs.4.6±7.9,P=0.006;postoperative 5 year:6.0±8.9 vs.2.7±4.6,P=0.022)were milder in the R-Y group than those of the B-I group at the postoperative 1,3,and 5-year time points.Conclusions:Compared with B-I group,R-Y reconstruction was associated with better long-term QoL by reducing reflux and epigastric pain,without changing survival outcomes.Trial Registration:ChiCTR.org.cn,ChiCTR-TRC-10001434.

Neurons generated from carcinoma stem cells support cancerprogression

Recent evidences show that nervous system acts as a crucial part of cancer microenvironment.Infiltration of nerve fibers into cancer microenvironment has an important active role in cancer progression.The stimulations of both cancer growth and metastasis by members of nervous system such as neurons and glial cells have been demonstrated.However,how the nervous system is built in cancer is largely unknown.Here we show that a fraction of cancer stem cells(CSCs)derived from patients with gastric carcinoma and colorectal carcinoma are capable of producing neurons that are involved in tumor neurogenesis and tumor growth.Cancer stem cell monoclone derived from a single cancer stem cell was able to generate neurons including sympathetic and parasympathetic neurons to take part in the nervous system in cancer tissues.Knocking down the neural cell generating capability of the human CSCs inhibited the growth of xenograft tumors in mouse model.Our data demonstrate that human CSCs are able to produce one of most important components in the cancer microenvironment that are required for cancer development and progression.

Metabolic regulation of the immune system in health and diseases:mechanisms and interventions

Metabolism,including glycolysis,oxidative phosphorylation,fatty acid oxidation,and other metabolic pathways,impacts the phenotypes and functions of immune cells.The metabolic regulation of the immune system is important in the pathogenesis and progression of numerous diseases,such as cancers,autoimmune diseases and metabolic diseases.The concept of immunometabolism was introduced over a decade ago to elucidate the intricate interplay between metabolism and immunity.The definition of immunometabolism has expanded from chronic low-grade inflammation in metabolic diseases to metabolic reprogramming of immune cells in various diseases.With immunometabolism being proposed and developed,the metabolic regulation of the immune system can be gradually summarized and becomes more and more clearer.In the context of many diseases including cancer,autoimmune diseases,metabolic diseases,and many other disease,metabolic reprogramming occurs in immune cells inducing proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory effects.The phenotypic and functional changes of immune cells caused by metabolic regulation further affect and development of diseases.Based on experimental results,targeting cellular metabolism of immune cells becomes a promising therapy.In this review,we focus on immune cells to introduce their metabolic pathways and metabolic reprogramming,and summarize how these metabolic pathways affect immune effects in the context of diseases.We thoroughly explore targets and treatments based on immunometabolism in existing studies.The challenges of translating experimental results into clinical applications in the field of immunometabolism are also summarized.We believe that a better understanding of immune regulation in health and diseases will improve the management of most diseases.