(i) There are significant differences with respect to clinical, biochemical, immunological and virological aspects between ASL-HB and CHB-AF. (ii) Of several diagnostic combinations, IgM anti-HBc jointing HBV-DNA is most effective and most practicable in distinguishing ASL-HB from CHB-AF. (iii) A low HBeAg level is more useful than negative HBeAg in differential diagnosis between ASL-HB and CHB-AF. (iv) In those patients with a high level of IgM anti-HBc, serum AFP level >10x upper reference limit could rule out a probability of ASL-HB.

We report BSA and SA stabilized iron porphyrin MOF nanocomposites with tremendous potential in tumor hypoxic imaging guided PDT and PTT.

Visible-light and X-ray detectors based on semiconductors as light absorption and charge transport materials are widely used in image sensing, optical communication, biological detection, inspection, etc. Metal halide perovskite materials...

In this study, we explored the neuroprotective effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in traumatic brain injury (TBI) models. In this study, we first confirmed that DHA was neuroprotective against TBI via the NSS test and Morris water maze experiment. Western blot was conducted to identify the expression of Bax, caspase-3, and Bcl-2. And the cell apoptosis of the TBI models was validated by TUNEL staining. Relationships between nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2-antioxidant response element (Nrf2-ARE) pathway-related genes and DHA were explored by RT-PCR and Western blot. Rats of the DHA group performed remarkably better than those of the TBI group in both NSS test and water maze experiment. DHA conspicuously promoted the expression of Bcl-2 and diminished that of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax, indicating the anti-apoptotic role of DHA. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and cortical malondialdehyde content, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were renovated in rats receiving DHA treatment, implying that the neuroprotective influence of DHA was derived from lightening the oxidative stress caused by TBI. Moreover, immunofluorescence and Western blot experiments revealed that DHA facilitated the translocation of Nrf2 to the nucleus. DHA administration also notably increased the expression of the downstream factors NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO-1) and heme oxygenase 1(HO-1). DHA exerted neuroprotective influence on the TBI models, potentially through activating the Nrf2- ARE pathway.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising strategy in cancer treatment that utilizes photosensitizers (PSs) to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and eliminate cancer cells under specific wavelength light irradiation. However, special tumor environments, such as those with overexpression of glutathione (GSH), which will consume PDT-mediated ROS, as well as hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment (TME) could lead to ineffective treatment. Moreover, PDT is highly light-dependent and therefore can be hindered in deep tumor cells where light cannot easily penetrate. To solve these problems, we designed oxygen-dual-generating nanosystems MnO 2 @Chitosan-CyI (MCC) for enhanced phototherapy. Methods : The TME-sensitive nanosystems MCC were easily prepared through the self-assembly of iodinated indocyanine green (ICG) derivative CyI and chitosan, after which the MnO 2 nanoparticles were formed as a shell by electrostatic interaction and Mn-N coordinate bonding. Results : When subjected to NIR irradiation, MCC offered enhanced ROS production and heat generation. Furthermore, once endocytosed, MnO 2 could not only decrease the level of GSH but also serve as a highly efficient in situ oxygen generator. Meanwhile, heat generation-induced temperature increase accelerated in vivo blood flow, which effectively relieved the environmental tumor hypoxia. Furthermore, enhanced PDT triggered an acute immune response, leading to NIR-guided, synergistic PDT/photothermal/immunotherapy capable of eliminating tumors and reducing tumor metastasis. Conclusion: The proposed novel nanosystems represent an important advance in altering TME for improved clinical PDT efficacy, as well as their potential as effective theranostic agents in cancer treatment.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided phototherapy are new breakthroughs in cancer therapeutics due to their complementary advantages, such as enhanced imaging spatial resolution and depth.

No abstract

Integrating biomedical imaging and multimodal therapies into one platform for enhanced anticancer efficacy is of great significance. Herein, a core/shell structured nanotheranostic (CuS@copolymer) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided chemo-photothermal therapy was simply prepared via emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization with the full participation of hydrophilic CuS NPs, styrene (St), N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm), methacrylic acid (MAA), and polymerizable rare earth complex (Gd­(AA)3phen). The synthesized multifunctional microspheres with excellent biocompatibility exhibited high loading capacity (15.3 wt %) for DOX·HCl and excellent drug release under low pH and high temperature. The photosensitive CuS cores which can simultaneously efficiently absorb near-infrared (NIR) light and convert NIR light to fatal heat, leading to a synergistic therapeutic effect combined photothermal therapy (PTT) with chemotherapy. Moreover, the temperature sensitive copolymer attached onto the CuS nanoparticles was able to be productively infected by the thermal effect and give rise to a highly controllable DOX release. Furthermore, the CuS@copolymer/DOX showed an enhanced therapeutic efficacy against 4T1 cells than separate photothermal therapy or chemotherapy. Additionally, the drug delivery procedure could be visualized by in vivo MR images and the longitudinal relaxivity (r 1) was calculated to be 10.72 mM–1 s–1. These results suggest the CuS@copolymer microspheres highly attractive candidates for biomedical applications.