The simultaneous imaging and quantification of multiple intracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) are particularly desirable for the early diagnosis of cancers. However, simultaneous direct imaging with absolute quantification of multiple intracellular RNAs remains a great challenge, particularly for miRNAs, which have significantly different expression levels in living cells. We designed dual-signal switchable (DSS) nanoprobes using the fluorescence-Raman signal switch. The intracellular uptake and dynamic behaviors of the probe are monitored by its fluorescence signal. Meanwhile, real-time quantitative detection of multiple miRNAs is made possible by measurements of the surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) ratios. Moreover, the signal 1:n ratio amplification mode only responds to low-abundance miRNA (asymmetric signal amplification mode) for simultaneous visualization and quantitative detection of significantly different levels of miRNAs in living cells. miR-21 and miR-203 were successfully detected in living MCF-7 cells, in agreement with in vitro results from the same batch of cell lysates. The reported dual-spectrum imaging method promises to offer a new strategy for the intracellular imaging and detection of various types of biomolecules.
This study prepared a composite scaffold composed of curcumin and poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL-PEG-PCL, PCEC) copolymer using coelectrospinning technology. Incorporation of curcumin into the polymeric matrix had an obvious effect on the morphology and dimension of PCEC/curcumin fibers. The results of in vitro anti-oxidant tests and of the cytotoxicity assay demonstrated that the curcumin-loaded PCEC fibrous mats had significant anti-oxidant efficacy and low cytotoxicity. Curcumin could be sustainably released from the fibrous scaffolds. More importantly, in vivo efficacy in enhancing wound repair was also investigated based on a full-thickness dermal defect model for Wistar rats. The results indicated that the PCEC/curcumin fibrous mats had a significant advantage in promoting wound healing. At 21 days post-operation, the dermal defect was basically recovered to its normal condition. A percentage of wound closure reached up to 93.3 ± 5.6% compared with 76.9 ± 4.9% of the untreated control (p < 0.05). Therefore, the as-prepared PCEC/curcumin composite mats are a promising candidate for use as wound dressing.
Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in many biological processes, including cancer development. Among those miRNAs, miR-143 shows tumor-suppressive activity in some human cancers. However, the function and mechanism of miR-143 in lung cancer cells remains unknown. Here we explored the role of miR-143 in lung cancer. Results: According to qRT-PCR, we found that miR-143 was notably down-regulated in 19 NSCLC tissues and 5 cell lines. In vitro experiments showed us that miR-143 could significantly suppress the migration and invasion of NSCLC cell lines while it had no effects on the growth of NSCLC cell lines, and in vivo metastasis assay showed the same results. Finally, we found that the mechanism of miR-143 inhibiting the migration and invasion of NSCLC might be through targeting CD44v3. Conclusions: The up-regulated miR-143 in lung cancer could significantly inhibit cell migration and invasion, and this might work through targeting CD44v3, which was newly identified by us.
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