microRNA-622 acts as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma

microRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of tumor development and progression. In this study, we aimed to explore the expression and role of miR-622 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We found that miR-622 was significantly downregulated in human HCC specimens compared to adjacent noncancerous liver tissues. miR-622 downregulation was significantly associated with aggressive parameters and poor prognosis in HCC. Enforced expression of miR-622 significantly decreased the proliferation and colony formation and induced apoptosis of HCC cells. In vivo studies demonstrated that miR-622 overexpression retarded the growth of HCC xenograft tumors. Bioinformatic analysis and luciferase reporter assays revealed that miR-622 directly targeted the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of mitogen-activated protein 4 kinase 4 (MAP4K4) mRNA. Ectopic expression of miR-622 led to a significant reduction of MAP4K4 expression in HCC cells and xenograft tumors. Overexpression of MAP4K4 partially restored cell proliferation and colony formation and reversed the induction of apoptosis in miR-622-overexpressing HCC cells. Inhibition of JNK and NF-κB signaling phenocopied the anticancer effects of miR-622 on HCC cells. Taken together, miR-622 acts as a tumor suppressor in HCC and restoration of miR-622 may provide therapeutic benefits in the treatment of HCC.     

中医药调控microRNA治疗银屑病的研究进展

银屑病在临床中的发病率不断攀升，因其皮损泛发，瘙痒、干燥显著，给患者带来了极大的心理压力，严重影响患者的生存质量。西医学对于银屑病机制的研究不断深入，从终端角质形成细胞的病理表现差异，到相关因子和细胞的表达紊乱，再到T淋巴细胞及其亚群的免疫失衡，或是遗传学基因支配的转录异常，形成了复杂而庞大的机制网络体系并产生了诸多学说。近年来随着非编码基因研究的不断延伸，微小核糖核酸（microRNA）参与修饰的多通路效应，干预银屑病的发生发展机制，影响角质细胞的增殖、凋亡、分化等多个方面，对于microRNA的研究可以良好地整合遗传学和免疫学的内容，完善银屑病微观通路中的关键环节，是银屑病病机学中的关键“拼图”，亦成为现代银屑病研究的热点和难点。同时，发挥传统中医药的辨治优势，将具有清热、凉血、解毒、祛瘀等作用的中药复方制剂或丹皮酚、雷公藤多苷、紫草素、姜黄素、赤芍总苷、靛玉红等有效药味单体进行microRNA靶点的探索，并以microRNA作为银屑病基于血分证候辨证分型的依据，可以有机结合银屑病中医学辨证理论与西医学微观指标，更好地挖掘中医中药的治疗特色，指导临床的分型和治疗。现阶段中医学对于microRNA方面的干预性研究仍十分有限，主要围绕microRNA-155、microRNA-210、microRNA-21、microRNA-203、microRNA-320、microRNA-124、microRNA-330、microRNA-146a、microRNA-15a-5p等几个靶点，该文总结了以中药复方和单体通过干预microRNA治疗、辨证银屑病的相关成果，以期为银屑病的中西医研究和基于microRNA数据库的建立提供参考和借鉴。     

Diagnosis,staging, and risk stratification in prostate cancer: Utilizing diagnostic tools to avoid unnecessary therapies and side effects

A lack of appropriate diagnostic tools for prostate cancer has led to overdiagnosis and over treatment. In a recent publication in the New England Journal of Medicine, Hamdy et al showed no difference in the outcomes of patients that had undergone either radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy, or active monitoring. In an effort to enhance clinical stratification, the development of improved, more accurate diagnostic tools is actively being pursued. Herein, we explore recent advances in prostate cancer screening, including biomarker assays, genetic testing, and specialized fields, such as mathematical oncology. These newly developed, highly sensitive diagnostic assays may potentially aid clinicians in selecting appropriate therapies for patients in the very near future.     

Synthetic high-density lipoprotein nanoparticles: Good things in small packages

Medicine has been a great beneficiary of the nanotechnology revolution. Nanotechnology involves the synthesis of functional materials with at least one size dimension between 1 and 100 nm. Advances in the field have enabled the synthesis of bio-nanoparticles that can interface with physiological systems to modulate fundamental cellular processes. One example of a diverse acting nanoparticle-based therapeutic is synthetic high-density lipoprotein (HDL) nanoparticles (NP), which have great potential for treating diseases of the ocular surface. Our group has developed a spherical HDL NP using a gold nanoparticle core. HDL NPs: (i) closely mimic the physical and chemical features of natural HDLs; (ii) contain apoA-I; (iii) bind with high-affinity to SR-B1, which is the major receptor through which HDL modulates cell cholesterol metabolism and controls the selective uptake of HDL cargo into cells; (iv) are non-toxic to cells and tissues; and (v) can be chemically engineered to display nearly any surface or core composition desired. With respect to the ocular surface, topical application of HDL NPs accelerates re-epithelization of the cornea following wounding, attenuates inflammation resulting from chemical burns and/or other stresses, and effectively delivers microRNAs with biological activity to corneal cells and tissues. HDL NPs will be the foundation of a new class of topical eye drops with great translational potential and exemplify the impact that nanoparticles can have in medicine.