Colorectal cancer (CRC) is known as the third most common cancer as well as the fourth most deadly cancer worldwide. CRC accounts for approximately 10 % of all new cancer cases globally, remaining the second most frequent cause of cancer-related deaths. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs that can affect a variety of cellular and molecular targets. Depending on the cell environment in which the information is expressed, miRNAs can serve as a CRC suppressor or promoter and play essential roles in several biological processes. In this review, we summarized the relationship between miRNAs and proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis, autophagy, apoptosis, and the chemoradiotherapy of CRC, revealing that relevant miRNAs could serve as potential targets for CRC therapy.

Zika virus (ZIKV), which belongs to the Flavivirus family, is mainly transmitted via the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. In newborns, ZIKV infection can cause severe symptoms such as microcephaly, while in adults, it can lead to Guillain‒Barré syndrome (GBS). Due to the lack of specific therapeutic methods against ZIKV, the development of a safe and effective vaccine is extremely important. Several potential ZIKV vaccines, such as live attenuated, inactivated, nucleic acid, viral vector, and recombinant subunit vaccines, have demonstrated promising outcomes in clinical trials involving human participants. Therefore, in this review, the recent developmental progress, advantages and disadvantages of these five vaccine types are examined, and practical recommendations for future development are provided.

Background: The cell division cycle-associated (CDCA) protein family plays a pivotal role in the regulation of the cell cycle during tumorigenesis and predicts the prognosis of tumors, but an analysis of these proteins in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is still lacking.

DNA methylation is treated as an important epigenetic mark in various biological activities. In the past, a large number of articles focused on 5 mC while lacking attention to N6-methyladenine (6 mA). The presence of 6 mA modification was previously discovered only in prokaryotes. Recently, with the development of detection technologies, 6 mA has been found in several eukaryotes, including protozoans, metazoans, plants, and fungi. The importance of 6 mA in prokaryotes and single-celled eukaryotes has been widely accepted. However, due to the incredibly low density of 6 mA and restrictions on detection technologies, the prevalence of 6 mA and its role in biological processes in eukaryotic organisms are highly debated. In this review, we first summarize the advantages and disadvantages of 6 mA detection methods. Then, we conclude existing reports on the prevalence of 6 mA in eukaryotic organisms. Next, we highlight possible methyltransferases, demethylases, and the recognition proteins of 6 mA. In addition, we summarize the functions of 6 mA in eukaryotes. Last but not least, we summarize our point of view and put forward the problems that need further research.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease, which is caused by severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV). The disease results in high mortality and increased morbidity and threatens global public health. Rapid detection of SFTSV is crucial for epidemic prevention in low-resource settings. Here we developed deployable, sensitive and rapid detection methods based on CRISPR/Cas12a or Cas13a technologies. The CRISPR/Cas12a-based detection assay could stably detect the SFTSV L or M genes at 10 cp/μl. The Cas13a-based method could detect the L gene as low as 0.75 cp/μl. For point-of-care testing, we combined fluorescence visualization and lateral flow detection with CRISPR/Cas-based assays. Furthermore, using the orthogonal DNA/RNA collateral activity of the Cas12a/Cas13a system, we present the dual-gene detection platform for SFTSV, which can simultaneously detect the L and M genes in a single tube. Based on the dual-gene detection, we designed multiplexed test strips to detect SFTSV. All our methods were initially validated using 52 clinical samples, showing 100% sensitivity and specificity. These new CRISPR/Cas-based detection methods are promising candidates for on-site detection of SFTSV.

The mosquito Aedes albopictus can transmit various arboviral diseases, posing a severe threat to human health. As an environmentally friendly method, sterile insect technology (SIT) is considered an alternative to traditional methods such as chemical pesticides to control Ae. albopictus. In SIT, the sterility of male mosquitoes can be achieved by γ-ray or X-ray radiation. Compared with γ-rays, X-rays are easier to obtain, cheaper, and less harmful. However, there is a lack of comparative assessment of these two types of radiation for SIT under the same controlled conditions. Here, we compared the effects of X-ray and γ-ray radiation on the sterility of Ae. albopictus males under laboratory-controlled conditions. Neither type of radiation affected the number of eggs but significantly reduced the survival time and hatch rate. The same dose of γ-rays caused a higher sterility effect on males than X-rays but had a more significant impact on survival. However, X-rays could achieve the same sterility effect as γ-rays by increasing the radiation dose. For example, X-rays of 60 Gy induced 99% sterility, similar to γ-rays of 40 Gy. In the test of male mating competitiveness, the induced sterility and the male mating competitiveness index were also identical at the same release ratio (sterile males/fertile males). At a release ratio of 7:1, nearly 80% of eggs failed to hatch. Sterile males produced by X-ray and γ-ray radiation had similar male competitiveness in competition with field males. In conclusion, a higher dose of X-rays is required to achieve the same sterility effect, compared to γ-rays. When γ-rays are not readily available, high-dose X-rays can be used instead. This study provides data supporting the selection of more suitable radiation for the field release of sterile male mosquitoes.