MicroRNA-221/222 (miRNA-221/222, miR-221/222) is a noncoding microRNA which is widely distributed in eukaryotic organisms and deeply involved in the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expressions. According to recent studies, abnormal expressions of miR-221/222 are closely related to the occurrence and development of various kinds of malignant tumors. The role of miR-221/222 in tumor development and their potential molecular mechanism in various cancers, including liver cancer, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and endometrial carcinoma, are summarized and reviewed in this paper. Moreover, the potential translational biomarker role of abnormal miR-221/222 level in tumor or blood circulation for tumor diagnosis is also discussed.

The sea urchin is an ancient, common, seafloor-dwelling marine invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Echinodermata. There are multiple species of sea urchin with resources that are widely distributed in China, where they were used in ancient times as Traditional Chinese Medicine for treating a variety of diseases. At present, it is known that the shell, spine and gonad of the sea urchin have many medicinal values determined through modern research. In this paper, we summarized the major chemical constituents and medicinal value of the sea urchin.

Arctic-derived fungus Eutypella sp. D-1 has attracted wide attention due to its huge ability to synthesize secondary metabolites. However, current studies only focus on stimulating its production of new secondary metabolites by OSMAC strategies, and the relationship between secondary metabolites and biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) has not been explored. In this study, the preparation and regeneration conditions of Eutypella sp. D-1 protoplasts were explored to lay a foundation for the study of genetic transformation of this fungus. Orthogonal experiment showed that the optimal preparation conditions were 0.75 M NaCl, 20 g/L of lysing enzyme, and 20 g/L of driselase, 28°C for 6 h. The maximum yield of Eutypella sp. D-1 protoplasts could reach 6.15 × 10⁶ cells·ml⁻¹, and the concentration of osmotic stabilizer NaCl was the most important factor for Eutypella sp. D-1 protoplasts. The results of FDA staining showed that the prepared protoplasts had good activity. Besides, the best protoplasts regeneration medium was YEPS, whose maximum regeneration rate is 36%. The mediums with nitrogen sources, such as SR and RM, also had good effects on the Eutypella sp. D-1 protoplast regeneration, indicating that nitrogen sources played an important role on the Eutypella sp. D-1 protoplast regeneration. Subsequent transformation experiments showed that hygromycin resistance genes (hrg) could be successfully transferred into the genome of Eutypella sp. D-1, indicating that the prepared protoplasts could meet the needs of subsequent gene manipulation and research. This study lays a foundation for the genetic transformation of Eutypella sp. D-1.

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), constructed with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), linkers, and natural cytotoxins, are innovative drugs developed for oncotherapy. Owing to the distinctive advantages of both chemotherapy drugs and antibody drugs, ADCs have obtained enormous success during the past several years. The development of highly specific antibodies, novel marine toxins’ applications, and innovative linker technologies all accelerate the rapid R&D of ADCs. Meanwhile, some challenges remain to be solved for future ADCs. For instance, varieties of site-specific conjugation have been proposed for solving the inhomogeneity of DARs (Drug Antibody Ratios). In this review, the usages of various natural toxins, especially marine cytotoxins, and the development strategies for ADCs in the past decade are summarized. Representative ADCs with marine cytotoxins in the pipeline are introduced and characterized with their new features, while perspective comments for future ADCs are proposed.