Interfacing Ag₂S Nanoparticles and MoS₂ Nanosheets on Polypyrrole Nanotubes with Enhanced Catalytic Performance

The tubular architecture with multiple components can bring synergistic effects to improve the enzyme-like activity of molybdenum-based nanomaterials. Here, a facile polypyrrole (PPy)-protected hydrothermal sulfidation process was implemented to engineer MoS2/Ag2S heterointerfaces encapsulated in one-dimensional (1D) PPy nanotubes with MoO3@Ag nanorods as the self-sacrificing precursor. Notably, the sulfidation treatment led to the generation of MoS2 nanosheets (NSs) and Ag2S nanoparticles (NPs) and the creation of a tubular structure with a “kill three birds with one stone” role. The Ag2S/MoS2@PPy nanotubes showed the synergistic combined effects of Ag2S NPs, MoS2 NSs, and the 1D tube-like nanostructure. Based on the synergistic effects from these multiple components and the tubular structure, Ag2S/MoS2@PPy nanocomposites were used as a colorimetric sensing platform for detecting H2O2. Moreover, the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) revealed excellent catalytic activity in the presence of NaBH4 and Ag2S/MoS2@PPy nanocomposites. This work highlights the effects of MoS2/Ag2S heterointerfaces and the hierarchical tubular structure in catalysis, thereby providing a new avenue for reducing 4-NP and the enzyme-like catalytic field

data_sheet_1_Matrix Remodeling Associated 7 Deficiency Alleviates Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Mice.docx

<p>Matrix remodeling associated 7 (MXRA7) was first noted to co-express with a group of matrix remodeling related genes, and its biological functions had remained unclear. In this study, we investigated the presumed function of MXRA7 in a carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced acute liver injury model in mice. Wild-type, MXRA7^−/− mice, and mice that were pulsed with hydrodynamic injection of vehicle or MXRA7-harboring plasmids were challenged with a single dose of CCl₄ for injury induction. The sera, spleens, and livers were harvested from mice for assay of cytokines/chemokines expression, cellular responses, or histological features. We found that MXRA7 deficiency alleviated, and MXRA7 overexpression aggravated liver damage in CCl₄-challenged mice. FACS analysis showed that MXRA7 deficiency reduced the recruitment of neutrophils through downregulation the expression of CXCL1 and CXCL2 in liver, decreased the number of CD8⁺ T cells in liver and spleen, suppressed the release of IFNγ and TNFα from T cells, and decreased IFNγ in serum and liver. Western blot assay demonstrated that MXRA7 deficiency suppressed the activation of MAPK pathway and AKT/NF-κB pathway, respectively. Lastly, MXRA7 deficiency or overexpression regulated the expression of two matrix remodeling-related genes (fibronectin and TIMP1) in the liver. We concluded that MXRA7 was an active player in CCl₄-induced liver injury, hypothetically by mediating the inflammation or immune compartments and matrix remodeling processes. Further exploration of MXRA7 as a possible new therapeutic target for management of inflammation-mediated liver injury was discussed.</p

A Novel Cell Membrane-Associated RNA Extraction Method and Its Application in the Discovery of Breast Cancer Markers

Cell membrane-associated RNA (mem-RNA) has been demonstrated to be cell-specific and disease-related and are considered as potential biomarkers for disease diagnostics, drug delivery, and cell screening. However, there is still a lack of methods specifically designed to extract mem-RNA from cells, limiting the discovery and applications of mem-RNA. In this study, we propose the first all-in-one solution for high-purity mem-RNA isolation based on two types of magnetic nanoparticles, named MREMB (Membrane-associated RNA Extraction based on Magnetic Beads), which achieved ten times enrichment of cell membrane components and over 90% recovery rate of RNA extraction. To demonstrate MREMB’s potential in clinical research, we extracted and sequenced mem-RNA of typical breast cancer MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and SKBR-3 cell lines and non-neoplastic breast epithelial cell MCF-10A. Compared to total RNA, sequencing results revealed that membrane/secreted protein-encoding mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) were enriched in the mem-RNA, some of which were significantly overexpressed in the three cancer cell lines, including extracellular matrix-related genes COL5A1 and lncRNA TALAM1. The results indicated that MREMB could enrich membrane/secreted protein-coding RNA and amplify the expression differences of related RNAs between cancer and non-neoplastic cells, promising for cancer biomarker discovery

A Novel Cell Membrane-Associated RNA Extraction Method and Its Application in the Discovery of Breast Cancer Markers

Cell membrane-associated RNA (mem-RNA) has been demonstrated to be cell-specific and disease-related and are considered as potential biomarkers for disease diagnostics, drug delivery, and cell screening. However, there is still a lack of methods specifically designed to extract mem-RNA from cells, limiting the discovery and applications of mem-RNA. In this study, we propose the first all-in-one solution for high-purity mem-RNA isolation based on two types of magnetic nanoparticles, named MREMB (Membrane-associated RNA Extraction based on Magnetic Beads), which achieved ten times enrichment of cell membrane components and over 90% recovery rate of RNA extraction. To demonstrate MREMB’s potential in clinical research, we extracted and sequenced mem-RNA of typical breast cancer MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and SKBR-3 cell lines and non-neoplastic breast epithelial cell MCF-10A. Compared to total RNA, sequencing results revealed that membrane/secreted protein-encoding mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) were enriched in the mem-RNA, some of which were significantly overexpressed in the three cancer cell lines, including extracellular matrix-related genes COL5A1 and lncRNA TALAM1. The results indicated that MREMB could enrich membrane/secreted protein-coding RNA and amplify the expression differences of related RNAs between cancer and non-neoplastic cells, promising for cancer biomarker discovery