Objective To explore the design of word-picture matching semantic judgment task based on Chinese high frequency nouns and further explore the way to apply the task in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)/event-related potential (ERP) study.Methods The materials, stimuli and procedure of the word-picture matching semantic task were provided. Then, a healthy subject for the pilot study was included. In the pilot study, fMRI and ERP data of the subject were collected during the word-picture matching task. The fMRI and ERP data were analyzed to test the feasibility of the word-picture matching task in an fMRI/ERP task.Results The results of fMRI analysis showed an increased activity in the right middle frontal gyrus under the word-picture presenting condition compared with the "+" presenting condition. In addition, fMRI analysis showed an increased activity in the right middle temporal gyrus in the word-picture mismatching condition compared with the word-picture matching condition. The results of ERP analysis showed an increased activity in the left frontal/temporal area in the word-picture matching condition and an increased activity in the right frontal area in the word-picture mismatching condition.Conclusion Language associated brain regions can be identified in the fMRI/ERP research based on the word-picture matching task described in this article, which indicated that the task is effective in exploring language processing mechanism in the brain.

Although high-efficiency targeted delivery is investigated for years, the efficiency of tumor targeting seems still a hard core to smash. To overcome this problem, we design a three-step delivery strategy based on streptavidin-biotin interaction with the help of c(RGDfK), magnetic fields and lasers. The ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (USIONPs) modified with c(RGDfK) and biotin are delivered at step 1, followed by streptavidin and the doxorubicin (Dox) loaded nanosystems conjugated with biotin at steps 2 and 3, respectively. The delivery systems were proved to be efficient on A549 cells. The co-localization of signal for each step revealed the targeting mechanism. The external magnetic field could further amplify the endocytosis of USPIONs based on c(RGDfK), and magnify the uptake distinctions among different test groups. Based on photoacoustic imaging, laser-heating treatment could enhance the permeability of tumor venous blood vessels and change the insufficient blood flow in cancer. Then, it was noticed that only three-step delivery with laser-heating and magnetic fields realized the highest tumor distribution of nanosystem. Finally, the magnetism/laser-auxiliary cascaded delivery exhibited the best antitumor efficacy. Generally, this study demonstrated the necessity of combining physical, biological and chemical means of targeting.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2019.03.006.].

Recently, considerable attention in the field of cancer therapy has been focused on the mammalian rapamycin target (mTOR), inhibition of which could result in autophagic cell death (ACD). Though novel combination chemotherapy of autophagy inducers with chemotherapeutic agents is extensively investigated, nanomedicine-based combination therapy for ACD remains in infancy. In attempt to actively trigger ACD for synergistic chemotherapy, here we incorporated autophagy inducer rapamycin (RAP) into 7pep-modified PEG-DSPE polymer micelles (7pep-M-RAP) to specifically target and efficiently priming ACD of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells with high expression of transferrin receptor (TfR). Cytotoxic paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded micelle (7pep-M-PTX) was regarded as chemotherapeutic drug model. We discovered that with superior intracellular uptake and more tumor accumulation of micelles , 7pep-M-RAP exhibited excellent autophagy induction and synergistic antitumor efficacy with 7pep-M-PTX. Mechanism study further revealed that 7pep-M-RAP and 7pep-M-PTX used in combination provided enhanced efficacy through induction of both apoptosis- and mitochondria-associated autophagic cell death. Together, our findings suggested that the targeted excess autophagy may provide a rational strategy to improve therapeutic outcome of breast cancer, and simultaneous induction of ACD and apoptosis may be a promising anticancer modality.