Ferroptosis in the tumor microenvironment: mechanisms, advances, and therapeutic perspectives.

Ferroptosis is a regulated, non-apoptotic form of cell death marked by the accumulation of iron-dependent lipid peroxides. This process causes rapid rupture of the plasma membrane and the release of intracellular contents. Ferroptosis acts as an intrinsic tumor-suppressive mechanism.

Pro-Apoptosis Effects of Yangzheng-Xiaoji Capsules in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Activation of the p53-Induced Apoptotic Pathway and Inhibition of the PI3K/Akt Pathway.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent form of primary liver cancer, characterized by high incidence and mortality rates. Yangzheng-Xiaoji capsules (YXC) have been widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of HCC in China; however, the composition of compounds in YXC and its underlying anti-tumor mechanisms remain unclear.

Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was used to analyze the composition of YXC.

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals Shen-Bai-Jie-Du decoction retards colorectal tumorigenesis by regulating the TMEM131-TNF signaling pathway-mediated differentiation of immunosuppressive dendritic cells.

Colorectal tumorigenesis generally progresses from adenoma to adenocarcinoma, accompanied by dynamic changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME). A randomized controlled trial has confirmed the efficacy and safety of Shen-Bai-Jie-Du decoction (SBJDD) in preventing colorectal tumorigenesis. However, the mechanism remains unclear.

Scab-inspired strong adhesive tapes with self-detachment based on water-mediated destruction of polymer crystals.

Adhesive tapes with strong adhesion and triggerable detachment are highly desirable in diverse functional applications. However, existing designs often face limitations such as harsh detaching conditions, complex synthesis, and adhesive residues. Inspired by the formation and removal of scabs, a facile strategy is proposed to design strong adhesive tapes with water-triggered self-detachment based on the crystallization and melt/dissolution of polyethylene glycol (PEG).

Solvent-Free Ion-Conductive Xerogels with High Conductivity and Adhesion Enable Multimodal Sensing.

Ion-conductive gels (ICGs) are essential for achieving human-machine interfaces, bioelectronic applications, or durable wearable sensors. However, traditional solvent-dependent ICGs face bottlenecks such as dehydration-induced failure and challenges in achieving a balance between conductivity and mechanical properties. Here, this work developed a novel ternary ion-conductive xerogel (PEM-Li ICXG) system based on polyethylene glycol (PEG), poly (2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (PMEA), and LiTFSI.

Shape Memory Networks With Tunable Self-Stiffening Kinetics Enabled by Polymer Melting-Recrystallization.

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are deformable materials capable of recovering from a programmed temporary shape to a permanent shape under specific stimuli. However, shape recovery of SMPs is often accompanied by the evolution of materials from a stiff to soft state, leading to a significant decrease in strength/modulus and thereby impacting their practical applications. Although some attempts are made to pursue the SMPs with self-stiffening capability after shape recovery, the modulus increase ratio is much limited.

Non-monotonic Information and Shape Evolution of Polymers Enabled by Spatially Programmed Crystallization and Melting.

Stimuli-responsive polymer materials are a kind of intelligent material which can sense and respond to external stimuli. However, most current stimuli-responsive polymers only exhibit a monotonic response to a single constant stimulus but cannot achieve dynamic evolution. Herein, we report a method to achieve a non-monotonic response under a single stimulus by regionalizing the crystallization and melting kinetics in semicrystalline polymers.

Muscle Activation Reduction During Walking with an Active Hip Exoskeleton.

To reduce hip joint muscles' activation during walking with an active hip exoskeleton. Few studies examine the optimal active assistance timing of the hip exoskeleton based on muscle activation characteristics. Sixteen gender-balanced healthy adults (mean age 28.

Network pharmacology alliance with experimental validation unveils the anti-colorectal cancer mechanism of Xianlian Jiedu decoction.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The Xianlian Jiedu Decoction (XLJDD), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoction, which is effective in clinical treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Nevertheless, the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism of its action have not been explored yet.

Aims Of The Study: To investigate the potential functional components and possible mechanism of XLJDD in anti-CRC.

Moisture-responsive ultralow-hysteresis polymer ionogels for adhesion-switchable strain sensing.

Adhesion-switchable ultralow-hysteresis polymer ionogels are highly demanded in soft electronics to avoid debonding damage and signal distortion, yet the design and fabrication of such ionogels are challenging. Herein, we propose a novel method to design switchable adhesive ionogels by using binary ionic solvents with two opposite-affinity ionic components. The obtained ionogels exhibit moisture-induced phase separation, facilitating switchable adhesion with a high detaching efficiency (>99%).

Defect Crystal Formation and Thermal-Induced Structural Ordering of Semicrystalline Copolymers Induced by Comonomer Inclusion/Exclusion.

Comonomer defects can induce semicrystalline polymers to form unique crystalline structures (., defect crystals), which can greatly influence the materials' physical properties. However, the formation mechanism and structural evolution of defect polymer crystals are not yet well understood.

α-Hederin induces human colorectal cancer cells apoptosis through disturbing protein homeostasis.

Protein homeostasis and quality control are crucial for normal cellular activities, and a severe imbalance in protein homeostasis can lead to cell death. α-Hederin, a pentacyclic triterpenoid saponin isolated from Fructus Akebia, has a clear role in promoting colorectal cancer (CRC) cell apoptosis and has been recently used for CRC therapy. However, whether the pro-apoptotic activity of α-hederin in CRC cells involves disturbing protein homeostasis remains unknown.

Spatially and Temporally Programmable Transparency Evolutions in Hydrogels Enabled by Metal Coordination toward Transient Anticounterfeiting.

Hydrogels have emerged as promising candidates for anticounterfeiting materials, owing to their unique stimulus-responsive capabilities. To improve the security of encrypted information, efforts are devoted to constructing transient anticounterfeiting hydrogels with a dynamic information display. However, current studies to design such hydrogel materials inevitably include sophisticated chemistry, complex preparation processes, and particular experimental setups.

Linearly-Changed Thermal Behavior and Depressed Brill Transition in Long-Chain Polyamides Substituted by Methyl Side Groups.

Side substitution is an effective way of functionalizing and modifying the properties of polyamides. Meanwhile, side substitution would significantly influence the crystallization kinetics and polymorphic phase transition of polyamides, which, however, has not been well elucidated. Herein, we synthesized the side-substituted long-chain polyamides with various content of methyl pendent groups and investigated their crystallization and phase transition behaviors.

Sophocarpine alleviates intestinal fibrosis via inhibition of inflammation and fibroblast into myofibroblast transition by targeting the Sirt1/p65 signaling axis.

In this study, we used alkaloids from Sophora flavescens to inhibit the SASP, leading to fibroblast-into-myofibroblast transition (FMT) to maintain intestinal mucosal homeostasis in vitro and in vivo. We used western blotting (WB) and immunofluorescence staining (IF) to assess whether five kinds of alkaloids inhibit the major inflammatory pathways and chose the most effective compound (sophocarpine; SPC) to ameliorate colorectal inflammation in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC mouse model. IF, Immunohistochemistry staining (IHC), WB, disease activity index (DAI), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were conducted to investigate the mechanism of action of this compound.

Ultrasensitive Ionic Conductors with Tunable Resistance Switching Temperature Enabled by Phase Transformation of Polymer Cocrystals.

Phase-transformable ionic conductors (PTICs) show significant prospects for functional applications due to their reversible resistance switching property. However, the representative design principle of PTICs is utilizing the melt-crystallization transition of ionic liquids, and the resistance switching temperatures of such PTICs cannot be tuned as desired. Herein, a new strategy is proposed to design PTICs with on-demand resistance switching temperatures by using the melt-crystallization transition of polymer cocrystal phase, whose melting temperature shows a linear relationship with the polymer compositions.

Role of hierarchy structure on the mechanical adaptation of self-healing hydrogels under cyclic stretching.

Soft materials with mechanical adaptability have substantial potential for various applications in tissue engineering. Gaining a deep understanding of the structural evolution and adaptation dynamics of soft materials subjected to cyclic stretching gives insight into developing mechanically adaptive materials. Here, we investigate the effect of hierarchy structure on the mechanical adaptation of self-healing hydrogels under cyclic stretching training.

Crystal Polymorphism of Isodimorphic Polyesters Tuned by - and -C═C Comonomer Units.

Polymorphism is ubiquitous in polymer crystallization due to the diversified chain conformations and interchain packings in polymer crystals. Controlling chain conformation is effective in tailoring the crystal polymorphism of polymers, which, however, is challenging at the molecular level. Herein, we have synthesized poly(butylene adipate) (PBA)-based copolymers containing C═C units and demonstrated the important role of /-C═C units in tuning the chain conformation and crystal polymorphism of polymers.

Hexagonal Phase Formation and Crystalline Structural Transition in Long-Spaced Aliphatic Polyesters with Side Groups.

Side substitution is an effective method for the chemical modification and functionalization of linear polyesters. The presence of side groups can have a profound effect on the crystalline structure and phase transition of semicrystalline polyesters. Herein, we synthesized the long-spaced polyesters with -OH and -CH side groups and various methylene segment lengths and studied the effects of the side groups on the crystal polymorph and phase transition of substituted polyesters.

Loss of hepatic FTCD promotes lipid accumulation and hepatocarcinogenesis by upregulating PPARγ and SREBP2.

Background & Aims: Exploiting key regulators responsible for hepatocarcinogenesis is of great importance for the prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the key players contributing to hepatocarcinogenesis remain poorly understood. We explored the molecular mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis and progression of HCC for the development of potential new therapeutic targets.

Overview of research progress and application of experimental models of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy in terms of global tumor incidence, and the rates of morbidity and mortality due to CRC are rising. Experimental models of CRC play a vital role in CRC research. Clinical studies aimed at investigating the evolution and mechanism underlying the formation of CRC are based on cellular and animal models with broad applications.

CCDC85C suppresses colorectal cancer cells proliferation and metastasis through activating GSK-3β and promoting β-catenin degradation.

Coiled-coil domain-containing 85C (CCDC85C) is a member of the DIPA family and contains a pair of conserved coiled-coil motifs, which was found to be related to a therapeutic target for colorectal cancer, however, its biological effects require further elucidation. This study aimed to determine the effect of CCDC85C on Colorectal Cancer (CRC) progression and to explore the related mechanism. pLV-PURO plasmid was used to construct CCDC85C-overexpressing cells while CRISPR-CasRx was used to construct CCDC85C knockdown cells.

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of a ratio-optimized drug pair of Aiton and Franch and study on the mechanism of anti-colorectal cancer effect of two alkaloids thereof.

The drug pair consisting of Aiton (, Kushen) and Franch. (, Huanglian), as described in Prescriptions for Universal Relief (Pujifang), is widely used to treat laxation. Matrine and berberine are the major active components of Kushen and Huanglian, respectively.