Tumor Shrinkage in Response to Vitamin K2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Multiple Lung Metastases: A Case Report

Introduction: Advanced or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be lethal because of the limited therapeutic approach such as sorafenib. Recently, Vitamin K2 (VK2) has been increasingly recognized to have anti-cancer effects for HCC in vitro and vivo. However, the direct anti-cancer effect of VK2 to HCC has not been established yet in human.Presentation of Case: We presented here a 88-year-HCC patient displayed a tumor shrinkage in response to VK2 in multiple lung metastases, indicating the possibility of VK2 as an anti-cancer agent in human. Menatetrenone, a VK2 analogue, was introduced for multiple lung metastases as a palliative treatment, and thereafter multiple lung metastases, except one lung lesion, displayed tumor shrinkage and disappeared within five months after VK2 intake. The residual one lesion continued to grow up during the intake of VK2, suggesting that the residual tumor was insensitive to VK2 represented by tumor heterogeneity. Consequently, after a radiation therapy for the residual lesion, the elevated tumor markers of all were finally decreased into normal levels, and he is still alive for 18 months after VK2 intake without elevated tumor marker levels and toxic adverse effects.Conclusion:VK2 may be a therapeutic option for advanced and metastatic HCCs without any toxic adverse

Dispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes modified with poly-l-tyrosine in water

In this study, complexes composed of poly-l-tyrosine (pLT) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were produced and the dispersibility of the pLT/SWCNT complexes in water by measuring the ζ potential of the complexes and the turbidity of the solution were investigated. It is found that the absolute value of the ζ potential of the pLT/SWCNT complexes is as high as that of SWCNTs modified with double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and that the complexes remain stably dispersed in the water at least for two weeks. Thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) and visualization of the surface structures of pLT/SWCNT complexes using an atomic force microscope (AFM) were also carried out

An emissive charge-transfer excited-state at the well-defined hetero-nanostructure interface of an organic conjugated molecule and two-dimensional inorganic nanosheet

Precise engineering of excited-state interactions between an organic conjugated molecule and a two-dimensional semiconducting inorganic nanosheet, specifically the manipulation of charge-transfer excited (CTE) states, still remains a challenge for state-of-the-art photochemistry. Herein, we report a long-lived, highly emissive CTE state at structurally well-defined hetero-nanostructure interfaces of photoactive pyrene and two-dimensional MoS2 nanosheets via an N-benzylsuccinimide bridge (Py-Bn-MoS2). Spectroscopic measurements reveal that no charge-transfer state is formed in the ground state, but the locally-excited (LE) state of pyrene in Py-Bn-MoS2 efficiently generates an unusual emissive CTE state. Theoretical studies elucidate the interaction of MoS2 vacant orbitals with the pyrene LE state to form a CTE state that shows a distinct solvent dependence of the emission energy. This is the first example of organic-inorganic 2D hetero-nanostructures displaying mixed luminescence properties by an accurate design of the bridge structure, and therefore represents an important step in their applications for energy conversion and optoelectronic devices and sensors

Nonfullerene Acceptors Bearing Spiro‐Substituted Bithiophene Units in Organic Solar Cells: Tuning the Frontier Molecular Orbital Distribution to Reduce Exciton Binding Energy

Wang Kai, Jinnai Seihou, Urakami Takumi, et al. Nonfullerene Acceptors Bearing Spiro‐Substituted Bithiophene Units in Organic Solar Cells: Tuning the Frontier Molecular Orbital Distribution to Reduce Exciton Binding Energy. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, e202412691 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202412691.The development of nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs), represented by ITIC, has contributed to improving the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of organic solar cells (OSCs). Although tuning the electronic structures to reduce the exciton binding energy (Eb) is considered to promote photocharge generation, a rational molecular design for NFAs has not been established. In this study, we designed and developed two ITIC-based NFAs bearing spiro-substituted bithiophene or biphenyl units (named SpiroT-DCI and SpiroF-DCI) to tune the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) distribution of NFAs. While the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) of SpiroF-DCI and ITIC are delocalized in the main π-conjugated framework, the HOMO of SpiroT-DCI is distributed on the bithiophene unit. Reflecting this difference, SpiroT-DCI exhibits a smaller Eb than either SpiroF-DCI or ITIC, and exhibits greater external quantum efficiency in single-component OSCs. Furthermore, SpiroT-DCI shows improved PCEs for bulk-heterojunction OSCs with a donor of PBDB-T, compared with that of either SpiroT-DCI or ITIC. Time-resolved spectroscopy measurements show that the photo-induced intermolecular charge separation is effective even in pristine SpiroT-DCI films. This study highlights the introduction of spiro-substituted bithiophene units that are effective in tuning the FMOs of ITIC, which is desirable for reducing the Eb and improving the PCE in OSCs

Effects of attentional bias modification on chronic low back pain in older outpatients

Objectives: In the present study, the effect of attentional bias modification (ABM) on older outpatients, with chronic low back pain, was examined.Design: This was a single-center, randomized, single-blinded, crossover trial and patients were randomly divided in a 1:1 allocation ratio into two groups: an ABM Leading group and an ABM Trailing group.Participants: Forty-three outpatients with chronic low back pain participated.Interventions: Patients were evaluated four times and the treatments were ABM + Normal intervention or Normal intervention only.Outcomes: Outcome measures included pain intensity on the Numerical Rating Scale, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Somatic Symptom Scale-8, and EuroQol 5 Dimension-3 levels questionnaire. In addition, we performed the 30-second Chair-Stand test and the Timed Up & Go test for physical function evaluations.Results: There was no change in pain intensity due to ABM. However, the total Pain Catastrophizing Scale score was significantly decreased, and the EuroQol 5 Dimension-3 levels questionnaire and 30-second chair-stand test were significantly improved (P <.05).Trial registration: The Health Science Ethics Committee, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University (permit number: 17060861), and the clinical trial was registered with UMIN (UMIN000029424)