Zinc deficiency (ZD) increases the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In a rat model, chronic ZD induces an inflammatory gene signature that fuels ESCC development. microRNAs regulate gene expression and are aberrantly expressed in cancers. Here we investigated whether chronic ZD (23 weeks) also induces a protumorigenic microRNA signature. Using the nanoString technology, we eva...

Chronic low-level inflammation during the aging process is a key risk factor for activation of resident cells brain innate immune system (microglia and astrocytes). Such leads to development neuroinflammation cognitive impairment which are typical neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers disease, vascular dementia, Parkinson disease etc. Currently, there lack minimally invasive, affordable...

OBJECTIVE MicroRNAs are a class of small ribonucleotides regulating gene/protein targets by transcript degradation or translational inhibition. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is involved in cardiac fibrosis partly by stimulation of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). Here, we investigated whether microRNA (miR)-21, a microRNA enriched in fibroblasts and involved in general fibr...

A sticky-flare gold nanoparticle probe (AuNP-probe) is designed by the combination of locked nucleic acid functionalized silencing microRNA technology for intracellular microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) sensitively detecting, fluorescence imaging, localizing and silencing. The limit detection as low 0.01 nM. Overexpressed miRNA-21 in cancer cells serves endogenous drug release stimuli to trigger probe-loa...