Southeast University

About: Southeast University is a education organization based out in Nanjing, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Computer science & MIMO. The organization has 66363 authors who have published 79434 publications receiving 1170576 citations. The organization is also known as: SEU.

Apoptosis, autophagy, necroptosis, and cancer metastasis

Abstract: Metastasis is a crucial hallmark of cancer progression, which involves numerous factors including the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), tumor angiogenesis, the development of an inflammatory tumor microenvironment, and defects in programmed cell death. Programmed cell death, such as apoptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis, plays crucial roles in metastatic processes. Malignant tumor cells must overcome these various forms of cell death to metastasize. This review summarizes the recent advances in the understanding of the mechanisms by which key regulators of apoptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis participate in cancer metastasis and discusses the crosstalk between apoptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis involved in the regulation of cancer metastasis.

Energy metabolism of cancer: Glycolysis versus oxidative phosphorylation (Review)

Abstract: Metabolic activities in normal cells rely primarily on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to generate ATP for energy. Unlike in normal cells, glycolysis is enhanced and OXPHOS capacity is reduced in various cancer cells. It has long been believed that the glycolytic phenotype in cancer is due to a permanent impairment of mitochondrial OXPHOS, as proposed by Otto Warburg. This view is challenged by recent investigations which find that the function of mitochondrial OXPHOS in most cancers is intact. Aerobic glycolysis in many cancers is the combined result of various factors such as oncogenes, tumor suppressors, a hypoxic microenvironment, mtDNA mutations, genetic background and others. Understanding the features and complexity of the cancer energy metabolism will help to develop new approaches in early diagnosis and effectively target therapy of cancer.

Metal-Free Single Atom Catalyst for N2 Fixation Driven by Visible Light.

Abstract: Solar nitrogen (N2) fixation is the most attractive way for the sustainable production of ammonia (NH3), but the development of a highly active, long-term stable and low-cost catalyst remains a great challenge. Current research efforts for N2 reduction mainly focus on the metal-based catalysts using the electrochemical approach, while metal-free or solar-driven catalysts have been rarely explored. Herein, on the basis of a concept of electron "acceptance-donation", a metal-free photocatalyst, namely, boron (B) atom, decorated on the optically active graphitic-carbon nitride (B/g-C3N4), for the reduction of N2 is proposed by using extensive first-principles calculations. Our results reveal that gas phase N2 can be efficiently reduced into NH3 on B/g-C3N4 through the enzymatic mechanism with a record low onset potential (0.20 V). Moreover, the B-decorated g-C3N4 can significantly enhance the visible light absorption, rendering them ideal for solar-driven reduction of N2. Importantly, the as-designed catalyst is further demonstrated to hold great promise for synthesis due to its extremely high stability. Our work is the first report of metal-free single atom photocatalyst for N2 reduction, offering cost-effective opportunities for advancing sustainable NH3 production.

Dual Enzyme-like Activities of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles and Their Implication for Diminishing Cytotoxicity

Abstract: Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are frequently used in biomedical applications, yet their toxic potential is still a major concern. While most studies of biosafety focus on cellular responses after exposure to nanomaterials, little is reported to analyze reactions on the surface of nanoparticles as a source of cytotoxicity. Here we report that different intracellular microenvironment in which IONPs are located leads to contradictive outcomes in their abilities to produce free radicals. We first verified pH-dependent peroxidase-like and catalase-like activities of IONPs and investigated how they interact with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) within cells. Results showed that IONPs had a concentration-dependent cytotoxicity on human glioma U251 cells, and they could enhance H2O2-induced cell damage dramatically. By conducting electron spin resonance spectroscopy experiments, we showed that both Fe3O4 and γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles could catalyze H2O2 to produce hydroxyl radicals in acidic lysosome mimic conditions, wit...