HGK promotes metastatic dissemination in prostate cancer

Metastasis is the process of cancer cell dissemination from primary tumors to different organs being the bone the preferred site for metastatic homing of prostate cancer (PCa) cells. Prostate tumorigenesis is a multi-stage process that ultimately tends to advance to become metastatic PCa. Once PCa patients develop skeletal metastases, they eventually succumb to the disease. Therefore, it is imperative to identify essential molecular drivers of this process to develop new therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of this devastating disease. Here, we have identified MAP4K4 as a relevant gene for metastasis in PCa. Our work shows that genetic deletion of MAP4K4 or pharmacological inhibition of its encoded kinase, HGK, inhibits metastatic PCa cells migration and clonogenic properties. Hence, MAP4K4 might promote metastasis and tumor growth. Mechanistically, our results indicate that HGK depleted cells exhibit profound differences in F-actin organization, increasing cell spreading and focal adhesion stability. Additionally, HGK depleted cells fails to respond to TNF-α stimulation and chemoattractant action. Moreover, here we show that HGK upregulation in PCa samples from TCGA and other databases correlates with a poor prognosis of the disease. Hence, we suggest that it could be used as prognostic biomarker to predict the appearance of an aggressive phenotype of PCa tumors and ultimately, the appearance of metastasis. In summary, our results highlight an essential role for HGK in the dissemination of PCa cells and its potential use as prognostic biomarker.

Surface physical structure and durability of superhydrophobic wood surface with epoxy resin

In this study, a superhydrophobic wood surface was prepared with amino-functionalized nano-silica (SiO2) particles, epoxy resin (EP) of different curing times, and octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS). The micro-nano structures of the wood samples were represented by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the hydrophobicity and durability of the hydrophobic effect was shown by the contact angle (CA) tests. The results indicated that the optimal curing time of EP was 4 h, such that the wood surface exhibited promising superhydrophobicity with a static CA of 155.4° and a sliding angle (SA) of 3.9°. The different curing time of EP had a remarkable influence on the roughness and the pore structure type of superhydrophobic wood surface. In terms of the Cassie-Baxter theory, the increase of CA on the wood surface was ascribed to the presence of secondary air pores and rough structure in the solid-liquid interface. The obtained wood surface not only possessed excellent adhesion stability and anti-aging properties, but also a resistance to acidic solutions, organic solvents, and mechanical abrasion.

Strong adhesion of poly(vinyl alcohol)–glycerol hydrogels onto metal substrates for marine antifouling applications

PVA–glycerol gels, which were adhered onto metal substrates by using adhesives, were employed as robust antifouling coating materials. The adhesion stability and antifouling performances of the hydrogel coating against barnacles were investigated.

Enhanced photoresponse and fast charge transfer: three-dimensional macroporous g-C3N4/GO-TiO2 nanostructure for hydrogen evolution

Enhancing the adhesion stability of the anatase TiO2 cocatalyst on the three-dimensional macroporous g-C3N4/GO skeleton for highly efficient hydrogen evolution.