Free Radicals as a Double-Edged Sword: The Cancer Preventive and Therapeutic Roles of Curcumin

Free radicals, generally composed of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), are generated in the body by various endogenous and exogenous systems. The overproduction of free radicals is known to cause several chronic diseases including cancer. However, increased production of free radicals by chemotherapeutic drugs is also associated with apoptosis in cancer cells, indicating the dual nature of free radicals. Among various natural compounds, curcumin manifests as an antioxidant in normal cells that helps in the prevention of carcinogenesis. It also acts as a prooxidant in cancer cells and is associated with inducing apoptosis. Curcumin quenches free radicals, induces antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase), and upregulates antioxidative protein markers–Nrf2 and HO-1 that lead to the suppression of cellular oxidative stress. In cancer cells, curcumin aggressively increases ROS that results in DNA damage and subsequently cancer cell death. It also sensitizes drug-resistant cancer cells and increases the anticancer effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. Thus, curcumin shows beneficial effects in prevention, treatment and chemosensitization of cancer cells. In this review, we will discuss the dual role of free radicals as well as the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects of curcumin and its analogues against cancer.     

A Phototheranostic Strategy to Continuously Deliver Singlet Oxygen in the Dark and Hypoxic Tumor Microenvironment

Continuous irradiation during photodynamic therapy (PDT) inevitably induces tumor hypoxia, thereby weakening the PDT effect. In PDT‐induced hypoxia, providing singlet oxygen from stored chemical energy may enhance the cell‐killing effect and boost the therapeutic effect. Herein, we present a phototheranostic (DPPTPE@PEG‐Py NPs) prepared by using a 2‐pyridone‐based diblock polymer (PEG‐Py) to encapsulate a semiconducting, heavy‐atom‐free pyrrolopyrrolidone‐tetraphenylethylene (DPPTPE) with high singlet‐oxygen‐generation ability both in dichloromethane and water. The PEG‐Py can trap the ¹O₂ generated from DPPTPE under laser irradiation and form a stable intermediate of endoperoxide, which can then release ¹O₂ in the dark, hypoxic tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, fluorescence‐imaging‐guided phototherapy demonstrates that this phototheranostic could completely inhibit tumor growth with the help of laser irradiation.     

Systematic Research and Evaluation Models of Nanomotors for Cancer Combined Therapy

Limited tumor permeability of therapeutic agents is a great challenge faced by current cancer therapy methods. Herein, a kind of near infrared light (NIR)‐driven nanomotor with autonomous movement, targeted ability, hierarchical porous structure, multi‐drugs for cancer chemo/photothermal therapy is designed, prepared and characterized. Further, we establish a method to study the interaction between nanomotors and cells, along with their tumor permeability mechanism, including 2D cellular models, 3D multicellular tumor spheroids and in vivo models. In vivo tumor elimination results verify that the movement behaviour of the nanomotors can greatly facilitate them to eliminate tumor through multiple therapeutic methods. This work tries to establish systematic research and evaluation models, providing strategies to understand the relationship between motion behaviour and tumor permeation efficiency of nanomotors in depth.     

Dual‐Mode Antibacterial Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles for Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapy

In this work, dual‐mode antibacterial conjugated polymer nanoparticles (DMCPNs) combined with photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) are designed and explored for efficient killing of ampicillin‐resistant Escherichia coli (Amp^r E. coli). The DMCPNs are self‐assembled into nanoparticles with a size of 50.4 ± 0.6 nm by co‐precipitation method using the photothermal agent poly(diketopyrrolopyrrole‐thienothiophene) (PDPPTT) and the photosensitizer poly[2‐methoxy‐5‐((2‐ethylhexyl)oxy)‐p‐phenylenevinylene] (MEH‐PPV) in the presence of poly(styrene‐co‐maleic anhydride) which makes nanoparticles disperse well in water via hydrophobic interactions. Thus, DMCPNs simultaneously possess photothermal effect and the ability of sensitizing oxygen in the surrounding to generate reactive oxygen species upon the illumination of light, which could easily damage resistant bacteria. Under combined irradiation of near‐infrared light (550 mW cm^?2, 5 min) and white light (65 mW cm^?2, 5 min), DMCPNs with a concentration of 9.6 × 10^?4 µm could reach a 93% inhibition rate against Amp^r E. coli, which is higher than the efficiency treated by PTT or PDT alone. The dual‐mode nanoparticles provide potential for treating pathogenic infections induced by resistant microorganisms in clinic.     

粉尘螨疫苗免疫治疗过敏性鼻炎小鼠鼻黏膜的电镜观察

建立了粉尘螨小鼠过敏性鼻炎模型,观察粉尘螨疫苗免疫治疗鼻黏膜超微结构的变化,探讨粉尘螨疫苗免疫治疗的疗效.将24只BALB/c小鼠随机分为阴性对照组(A组)、过敏性鼻炎模型组(B组)、粉尘螨疫苗治疗组(C组),按本室常规方法建立尘螨过敏性鼻炎小鼠动物模型,观察抓鼻、流涕、喷嚏等症状,末次激发24 h后,麻醉小鼠,眼窝取血,ELISA法检测血清中Der f特异性抗体IgE和IgG2a;取鼻黏膜组织固定,切片、电镜观察.结果表明:建模后B组、C组均出现典型的喷嚏、流涕、抓鼻症状,但粉尘螨疫苗免疫治疗组较模型组症状明显减轻,正常对照组无任何行为异常.与B组相比,C组血清中Der f特异性抗体IgE显著降低(P<0.05),而B组和C组IgG2a的含量较A组显著增高(P<0.01).电镜观察:(1)正常对照组:嗅黏膜上皮细胞,表面有大量纤毛,排列整齐;胞质内细胞器丰富.(2)过敏性鼻炎组:嗅黏膜上皮细胞肿胀,嗅细胞表面的纤毛减少或消失,细胞排列紊乱、细胞间有炎症细胞浸润,细胞器退变、空泡化,核变形不规则、固缩.(3)粉尘螨疫苗免疫治疗组:嗅黏膜纤毛排列较整齐,粗细较均匀,纤毛密度较正常对照组低,线粒体致密,与空白对照组相比数量增多.粉尘螨疫苗可以有效改善过敏性鼻炎的症状,抑制过敏性鼻炎鼻黏膜炎症变化.     

Electromyography Activity of Vastus Medialis Obliquus and Vastus Lateralis Muscles During Lower Limb Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Patterns in Individuals with and without Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Objective: Exercise therapy to strengthen quadriceps muscle is recommended in rehabilitation program for people with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). This study aimed to investigate the electromyography (EMG) activity of vastus medialis obliquus (VMO), vastus lateralis (VL) and VMO/VL ratio during PNF in individuals with and without PFPS. Methods: 26 persons with PFPS and 26 healthy subjects participated to study. All subjects performed PNF patterns (Flexion-Adduction-External Rotation (D₁FL), Extension-Adduction-External Rotation (D₂EX), D₁FL+ load, D₂EX+ load) and straight leg raise (SLR). The normalized EMG activity of VMO, VL and VMO/VL ratio were measured and analyzed using repeated measure ANOVA. Results: There were significant main effects of group and exercises for the both VMO and VL (p<0.05). It was found that except SLR and D₂EX, in the other motions PFPS group had lower VMO activity compared to healthy group (p<0.05). For VL except SLR, in the other motions PFPS group had lower VL activity too (p<0.05). The PNF patterns activated VMO more than SLR, however it was not significant (p>0.05). Also; there weren''t any significant difference between the two groups in VMO/VL activation ratios. Also, performing the PNF patterns with load increased VMO and VL muscles activity significantly (p<0.05). It also found that in PFPS group the VMO/VL ratio values in PNF patterns were significantly more than SLR and the highest VMO/VL ratio value (0.96) was found during D₂EX. Conclusion: The PNF patterns due to provide optimal VMO/VL ratio value than SLR and proper balance between these two muscles can be recommended in rehabilitation of individuals with PFPS.     

一个关于肿瘤治疗的自由边界问题的数学分析

§1Introduction Avarietyofpartialdifferentialequationmodelsfortumorgrowthortherapyhave beendevelopedinthelastthreedecades[see2,3,16-18,21-26].Mostofthosemodelsare informoffreeboundaryproblems,andareverydiversified.Rigorousmathematical analysisofsuchfreeboundaryproblemshasdrawngreatinterest,andmanyinteresting resultshavebeenestablished[4-15].Inthispaperwedealwithamathematicalmodeldescribingtumorchemotherapy.In thismodelthetumorisviewedasdenselypacked,radially-symmetricsphereofradiusR(t)contain…     

具有聚集诱导发光性质的近红外荧光染料

聚集诱导发光(AIE)现象的发现为解决传统有机荧光分子在高浓度和聚集形态下存在的荧光猝灭问题提供了最佳方案,并实现了在光电器件、化学传感、生物成像和靶向治疗等众多领域的广泛应用.随着对AIE 发光机理研究的不断深入,AIE 分子体系得到了极大的扩展.其中,一类具有给体-受体结构的AIE分子能够显著降低分子能隙,使发光分...