TrkB Promotes Breast Cancer Metastasis via Suppression of Runx3 and Keap1 Expression

In metastatic breast cancer, the acquisition of malignant traits has been associated with the increased rate of cell growth and division, mobility, resistance to chemotherapy, and invasiveness. While screening for the key regulators of cancer metastasis, we observed that neurotrophin receptor TrkB is frequently overexpressed in breast cancer patients and breast cancer cell lines. Additionally, we demonstrate that TrkB expression and clinical breast tumor pathological phenotypes show significant correlation. Moreover, TrkB expression was significantly upregulated in basal-like, claudin-low, and metaplastic breast cancers from a published microarray database and in patients with triple-negative breast cancer, which is associated with a higher risk of invasive recurrence. Interestingly, we identified a new TrkB-regulated functional network that is important for the tumorigenicity and metastasis of breast cancer. We demonstrated that TrkB plays a key role in regulation of the tumor suppressors Runx3 and Keap1. A markedly increased expression of Runx3 and Keap1 was observed upon knockdown of TrkB, treatment with a TrkB inhibitor, and in TrkB kinase dead mutants. Additionally, the inhibition of PI3K/AKT activation significantly induced Runx3 and Keap1 expression. Furthermore, we showed that TrkB enhances metastatic potential and induces proliferation. These observations suggest that TrkB plays a key role in tumorigenicity and metastasis of breast cancer cells through suppression of Runx3 or Keap1 and that it is a promising target for future intervention strategies for preventing tumor metastasis and cancer chemoprevention.     

The first report on the characterization of a virus isolated from Allomyrina dichotoma in the Republic of Korea

This report reveals the structure of a virus extracted from the Korean horn beetle Allomyrina dichotoma. The purified virus particle was 100% identical to Allomyrina virus lef‐8 sequence registered as KM_233709.1. The structure of this virus was confirmed to be closely related to that of the Nudiviridae family, and it was rod shaped and enveloped, and observed to be of approximately the mean length of a single viral nucleocapsid of 200–210 nm and mean diameter of 100–110 nm. These results provide an insight into the structural characteristics of the Nudiviridae family that can be used for nudiviral identification.     

Anticancer activity of paroxetine in human colon cancer cells: Involvement of MET and ERBB3

The concept of drug repositioning has recently received considerable attention in the field of oncology. In the present study, we propose that paroxetine can be used as a potent anticancer drug. Paroxetine, one of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), has been widely prescribed for the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. Recently, SSRIs have been reported to have anticancer activity in various types of cancer cells; however, the underlying mechanisms of their action are not yet known. In this study, we investigated the potential anticancer effect of paroxetine in human colorectal cancer cells, HCT116 and HT‐29. Treatment with paroxetine reduced cell viability, which was associated with marked increase in apoptosis, in both the cell lines. Also, paroxetine effectively inhibited colony formation and 3D spheroid formation. We speculated that the mode of action of paroxetine might be through the inhibition of two major receptor tyrosine kinases – MET and ERBB3 – leading to the suppression of AKT, ERK and p38 activation and induction of JNK and caspase‐3 pathways. Moreover, in vivo experiments revealed that treatment of athymic nude mice bearing HT‐29 cells with paroxetine remarkably suppressed tumour growth. In conclusion, paroxetine is a potential therapeutic option for patients with colorectal cancer.     

Brominated Diphenyl Ethers Including a New Tribromoiododiphenyl Ether from the Vietnamese Marine Sponge Arenosclera sp. and Their Antibacterial Activities

A new tribromoiododiphenyl ether ( 1 ) and eight known brominated diphenyl ethers ( 2 – 9 ) were isolated from the MeOH extract of the sponge Arenosclera sp. collected in Vietnam, using repeated open column chromatography and preparative thin layer chromatography. The chemical structure of the new compound 1 was determined by analyses of spectroscopic (1D‐ and 2D‐NMR, and MS) data and by comparison of our data with those reported in the literature. Compounds 1 , 3 , and 8 exhibited strong antibacterial activities against the Gram‐positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram‐negative bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae with MIC values ranging from 0.8 to 6.3 μm , while compounds 5 and 7 only displayed activities against Gram‐positive bacteria with MIC values from 0.5 to 3.1 μm . Compound 2 showed activities against the four tested bacteria with MIC values ranging from 0.5 to 6.3 μm .     

Room Temperature Processed Highly Efficient Large‐Area Polymer Solar Cells Achieved with Molecular Engineering of Copolymers

The room temperature (RT) processability of the photoactive layers in polymer solar cells (PSCs) from halogen‐free solvent along with their highly reproducible power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) and intrinsic thickness tolerance are extremely desirable for the large‐area roll‐to‐roll (R2R) production. However, most of the photoactive materials in PSCs require elevated processing temperatures due to their strong aggregation, which are unfavorable for the industrial R2R manufacturing of PSCs. These limiting factors for the commercialization of PSCs are alleviated by synthesizing random terpolymers with components of (2‐decyltetradecyl)thiophen‐2‐yl)naphtho[1,2‐c:5,6‐c′]bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole and bithiophene substituted with methyl thiophene‐3‐carboxylate (MTC). In contrast to the temperature‐dependent PNTz4T polymer, the resulting random terpolymers (PNTz4T‐MTC) show better solubility, slightly reduced crystallinity and aggregation, and weaker intermolecular interaction, thus enabling PNTz4T‐MTC to be processed at RT from a halogen‐free solvent. Particularly, the PNTz4T‐5MTC‐based photoactive layer exhibits an excellent PCE of 9.66%, which is among the highest reported PCEs for RT and ecofriendly halogen‐free solvent processed fullerene‐based PSCs, and a thickness tolerance with a PCE exceeding 8% from 100 to 520 nm. Finally, large‐area modules fabricated with the PNTz4T and PNTz4T‐5MTC polymer have shown 4.29% and 6.61% PCE respectively, with an area as high as 54.45 cm² in air.     

The influential factor of narcolepsy on quality of life: compared to obstructive sleep apnea with somnolence or insomnia

Sleep and Biological Rhythms - Narcoleptics tend to have a low quality of life (QoL). Few studies have compared QoL in narcolepsy against other sleep disorders. The purpose of this study was to...