Micro-droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction and Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Technologies Provide Highly Sensitive and Accurate Detection of Zika Virus

Abstract

The establishment of highly sensitive diagnostic methods is critical in the early diagnosis and control of Zika virus (ZIKV) and in preventing serious neurological complications of ZIKV infection. In this study, we established micro-droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) protocols for the detection of ZIKV based on the amplification of the NS5 gene. For the ZIKV standard plasmid, the RT-qPCR results showed that the cycle threshold (Ct) value was linear from 10¹ to 10⁸ copy/μL, with a standard curve R² of 0.999 and amplification efficiency of 92.203%; however, a concentration as low as 1 copy/μL could not be detected. In comparison with RT-qPCR, the ddPCR method resulted in a linear range of 10¹–10⁴ copy/μL and was able to detect concentrations as low as 1 copy/μL. Thus, for detecting ZIKV from clinical samples, RT-qPCR is a better choice for high-concentration samples (above 10¹ copy/μL), while ddPCR has excellent accuracy and sensitivity for low-concentration samples. These results indicate that the ddPCR method should be of considerable use in the early diagnosis, laboratory study, and monitoring of ZIKV.

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Efficacy and safety of sorafenib versus apatinib in the treatment of intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a comparative retrospective study

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Twenty-gene-based prognostic model predicts lung adenocarcinoma survival

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Identification of CD24 as a marker for tumorigenesis of melanoma

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Reformulating acute myeloid leukemia: liposomal cytarabine and daunorubicin (CPX-351) as an emerging therapy for secondary AML

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Cancers, Vol. 10, Pages 199: TGF-β Sustains Tumor Progression through Biochemical and Mechanical Signal Transduction

Cancers, Vol. 10, Pages 199: TGF-β Sustains Tumor Progression through Biochemical and Mechanical Signal Transduction

Cancers doi: 10.3390/cancers10060199

Authors: Robert L. Furler Douglas F. Nixon Christine A. Brantner Anastas Popratiloff Christel H. Uittenbogaart

Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling transduces immunosuppressive biochemical and mechanical signals in the tumor microenvironment. In addition to canonical SMAD transcription factor signaling, TGF-β can promote tumor growth and survival by inhibiting proinflammatory signaling and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. In this article, we review how TGF-β activated kinase 1 (TAK1) activation lies at the intersection of proinflammatory signaling by immune receptors and anti-inflammatory signaling by TGF-β receptors. Additionally, we discuss the role of TGF-β in the mechanobiology of cancer. Understanding how TGF-β dampens proinflammatory responses and induces pro-survival mechanical signals throughout cancer development is critical for designing therapeutics that inhibit tumor progression while bolstering the immune response.

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Cancers, Vol. 10, Pages 198: Oncolytic Viruses for Multiple Myeloma Therapy

Cancers, Vol. 10, Pages 198: Oncolytic Viruses for Multiple Myeloma Therapy

Cancers doi: 10.3390/cancers10060198

Authors: Christine M. Calton Kevin R. Kelly Faiz Anwer Jennifer S. Carew Steffan T. Nawrocki

Although recent treatment advances have improved outcomes for patients with multiple myeloma (MM), the disease frequently becomes refractory to current therapies. MM thus remains incurable for most patients and new therapies are urgently needed. Oncolytic viruses are a promising new class of therapeutics that provide tumor-targeted therapy by specifically infecting and replicating within cancerous cells. Oncolytic therapy yields results from both direct killing of malignant cells and induction of an anti-tumor immune response. In this review, we will describe oncolytic viruses that are being tested for MM therapy with a focus on those agents that have advanced into clinical trials.

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