The potential prognostic value of stem cell markers is variably reported, such as CD133 and epithelial cell adhesion molecule. However, their clinical value and significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain controversial. The aim of this study was to carry out a meta-analysis of literature evaluating CD133 and epithelial cell adhesion molecule expression as prognostic factors in HCC and to determine the association between cancer stem cells (CSCs) and common clinical and pathologic features of HCC. The relevant literature was identified using Science Direct, EMBASE, and PubMed. Outcome measures included disease-free survival, overall survival, and relevant pathological parameters. Meta-analyses were carried out using Review Manager, version 5.2. Twelve eligible articles involving 1344 patients were included. Meta-analyses showed that the presence of CSCs was significantly associated with a poor histological grade (OR=3.16, P=0.003) and elevated serum α-fetoprotein level (OR=2.68, P<0.00001). However, there were no significant relations between the presence of CSCs and tumor size, tumor stage, hepatitis, or cirrhosis. The presence of CSCs was significantly associated with poor survival, including overall survival (HR=1.62, P<0.00001) and disease-free survival (HR=1.85, P<0.00001). On the basis of current retrospective evidence, the presence of CSCs is associated with poor histopathologic grade and worse survival in patients with HCC and CD133 plays a significant role in predicting the clinical outcome. Further extensive experimental and clinical research should be carried out to evaluate the role of these markers in clinical practice.

Herein, we report a set of novel AIE-active fluorescent probes containing pyridiniums and boric acid groups with the applications of ATP recognition and specific tracking of different cell organelles.

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The newly emerged pathogenic bacteria leads to the bactericides generations one by one, which is definitely a long-term and costly process. For the small organic molecule used as antibacterial materials, photostability, biomembrane penetrating ability, and long-term antibacterial ability still are questionable. In this work, we synthesized the multiple-cation-charged aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active polymer 1,2-diphenyl-1,2-bis­(4-(pyridin-4-yl)­phenyl) ethane–1,8-dibromooctane (DBPE-DBO). Due to the incorporating the dark toxicity from positively charged polymers, and the phototoxicity from generation of singlet oxygen, as well as AIE-active fluorescence performance, DBPE-DBO could be employed as an efficient bacteria targeting, imaging, and killing materials. Interestingly, DBPE-DBO was less toxic to the normal mammalian cells, which leads us to verify that DBPE-DBO could be used as a very cell-membrane permeable nucleus imaging probes. Thus, our research results may provide a new concept for the designing advanced biomaterials with versatile antibacterial properties and cell imaging ability.

The development of anticancer therapy is significant to human health but remains a huge challenge. Photodynamic therapy (PDT), inducing the synergistic mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer cells is a promising approach but suffer from the low efficiency in hypoxic microenvironment and deep-seated tumors. Herein, to improve the outcomes of PDT for cancer treatment, a series of red fluorophores consisting of dual-cationic triphenylphosphoniumalkylated pyridinium and (substituted) triphenylamine are prepared as organelle-targeting antitumor photosensitizers (PSs) with aggregation-induced emission characteristics. These PSs can selectively accumulate at the mitochondria or lysosomes of cancer cells with both dark-and photo-cytotoxicity, making them possess excellent killing effect on cancer cells and efficient inhibition of tumor growth in living mice. This study brings about new insight into the development of powerful cancer treatment.

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