Advanced Microscopic Evaluation of Parallel Type I and Type II Cell deaths Induced by Multi-functionalized Gold Nanocages in Breast Cancer

Despite aggressive surgical resections and combinatorial chemoradiations, certain highly malignant populations of tumor cells resurrect and metastasize. Mixed-grade cancer cells fail to respond to standard-of-care therapies by developing intrinsic chemoresistance and subsequently result in tumor relapse. Macroautophagy is a membrane trafficking process that underlies drug resistance and tumorigenesis in most breast cancers. Manipulating cellular homeostasis by a combinatorial nanotherapeutic model, one can evaluate the crosstalk between type I and type II cell death and decipher the fate of cancer therapy. Here, we present a multi-strategic approach in cancer targeting to mitigate the autophagic flux with subcellular toxicity via lysosome permeation, accompanied by mitochondrial perturbation and apoptosis. In this way, a nanoformulation is developed with a unique blend of a lysosomotropic agent, an immunomodulating sulfated-polysaccharide, an adjuvant chemotherapeutic agent, and a monoclonal antibody as a broad-spectrum complex for combinatorial nanotherapy of all breast cancers. To the best of our knowledge, this manuscript illustrates for the first time the applications of advanced microscopic techniques such as electron tomography, three-dimensional rendering and segmentation of subcellular interactions, and fate of the multifunctional therapeutic gold nanocages specifically targeted toward breast cancer cells

Multimodal pyrethroid resistance in malaria vectors, Anopheles gambiae s.s., Anopheles arabiensis, and Anopheles funestus s.s. in western Kenya.

Anopheles gambiae s.s., Anopheles arabiensis, and Anopheles funestus s.s. are the most important species for malaria transmission. Pyrethroid resistance of these vector mosquitoes is one of the main obstacles against effective vector control. The objective of the present study was to monitor the pyrethroid susceptibility in the 3 major malaria vectors in a highly malaria endemic area in western Kenya and to elucidate the mechanisms of pyrethroid resistance in these species. Gembe East and West, Mbita Division, and 4 main western islands in the Suba district of the Nyanza province in western Kenya were used as the study area. Larval and adult collection and bioassay were conducted, as well as the detection of point mutation in the voltage-gated sodium channel (1014L) by using direct DNA sequencing. A high level of pyrethroid resistance caused by the high frequency of point mutations (L1014S) was detected in An. gambiae s.s. In contrast, P450-related pyrethroid resistance seemed to be widespread in both An. arabiensis and An. funestus s.s. Not a single L1014S mutation was detected in these 2 species. A lack of cross-resistance between DDT and permethrin was also found in An. arabiensis and An. funestus s.s., while An. gambiae s.s. was resistant to both insecticides. It is noteworthy that the above species in the same area are found to be resistant to pyrethroids by their unique resistance mechanisms. Furthermore, it is interesting that 2 different resistance mechanisms have developed in the 2 sibling species in the same area individually. The cross resistance between permethrin and DDT in An. gambiae s.s. may be attributed to the high frequency of kdr mutation, which might be selected by the frequent exposure to ITNs. Similarly, the metabolic pyrethroid resistance in An. arabiensis and An. funestus s.s. is thought to develop without strong selection by DDT

Trapping and proliferation of target cells on C60 fullerene nano fibres

The ratio of the surface area to the volume of materials increases in inverse proportion to their size and therefore the surface area of nanostructures and nanomaterials is extremely large compared to that of macroscopic materials of the same volume, thanks to which it is supposed that chemical and biochemical reactions may be greatly enhanced and target molecules and cells may be efficiently trapped on the surface of nanomaterials. It is well known that C60 molecules are stable both physically and chemically and the affinity of C60 molecules with biomolecules is rather high. Here, we synthesise fibres composed of C60 and sulphur and immobilise the surface of the fibres with the primary antibody; i.e., epithelial cell adhesion molecules (anti-EpCAM), to trap target cells. The primary antibody is evenly immobilised on the fibres confirmed by a fluorescent secondary antibody attached to the primary one and then TE2 esophageal and DLD-1 colon cancer cells are successfully trapped by the primary antibody immobilised on the fibres thanks to its high affinity with TE2 and DLD-1 cells, whereas few IM9 B lymphoblast cells are captured on the fibres since the affinity of the primary antibody with IM9 cells is extremely low. Furthermore, those cells trapped by the primary antibody immobilised on the fibres proliferate faster than native cells thanks to the primary antibody acting as a growth factor. The present result suggests that different types of cells can be trapped and grown on nano fibres by immobilising appropriate antibody molecules on the surface of the fibres. Even an extremely small number of cells in sample fluids may be analysed and characterised for the detection of diseases such as cancer in the early stage by trapping and proliferating target cells on the fibres

Spontaneous Formation of Spherical Tokamak by ECH on LATE

Spontaneous formation of spherical tokamak is observed during a microwave discharge at the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) under a steady vertical magnetic field. In the course of slow plasma current increase, a fast rise of current (usually within several ms) occurs and the magnetic field topology changes drastically from open field type to closed one. After this current jump, a steady plasma current is maintained. The plasma current in the steady stage is proportional to the strength of the vertical field which balances the outward hoop force of the plasma current and maintains the MHD equilibrium. When a 5GHz, 130kW, 60ms microwave power is injected at 85G vertical field, plasma current of 6.8kA is obtained