© 2020 Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Antiepileptic/teratogen valproate (VPA) is a histone deacetylase inhibitor/epigenetic drug proposed for the antitumor therapy where it is generally crucial to target poorly or undifferentiated cells to prevent a recurrence. Transplanted rodent gastrulating embryos-proper (primitive streak and three germ layers) are the source of teratoma/teratocarcinoma tumors. Human primitive-streak remnants develop sacrococcygeal teratomas that may recur even when benign (well differentiated). To screen for unknown VPA impact on teratoma-type tumors, we used original 2-week embryo-derived teratoma in vitro biological system completed by a spent media metabolome analysis. Gastrulating 9.5-day-old rat embryos-proper were cultivated in Eagle's minimal essential medium (MEM) with 50% rat serum (controls) or with the addition of 2 mm VPA. Spent media metabolomes were analyzed by FTIR. Compared to controls, VPA acetylated histones; significantly diminished overall teratoma growth, impaired survival, increased the apoptotic index, and decreased proliferation index and incidence of differentiated tissues (e.g., neural tissue). Control teratomas continued to grow and differentiate for 14 days in isotransplants in vivo, but in vitro VPA-treated teratomas resorbed. Principal component analysis of FTIR results showed that spent media metabolomes formed well-separated clusters reflecting the treatment and day of cultivation. In metabolomes of VPA-treated teratomas, we found elevation of previously described histone acetylation biomarkers [amide I α-helix and A(CH3 )/A(CH2 )]) with apoptotic biomarkers within the amide I region for β-sheets, and unordered and CH2 vibrations of lipids. VPA may be proposed for therapy of the undifferentiated component of teratoma tumors and this biological system completed by metabolome analysis, for a faster dual screening of antitumor/embryotoxic agents. © 2020 The Authors. The FEBS Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.Evidence is emerging that inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) is a fundamental molecule involved in a wide range of biological processes. In higher eukaryotes, polyP is abundant in osteoblasts but questions remain as to its functions. Here, we find that polyP is particularly enriched in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where it colocalizes with cyclophilin B (CypB) using osteoblastic SaOS-2 model cell line. PolyP binds directly and specifically to CypB, inhibiting its peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity which is critical for collagen folding. PolyP sequestration by spermine and ER-specific polyP reduction by polyphosphatase expression in cells reduced collagen misfolding and confirmed that endogenous polyP acts as a molecular control of CypB-mediated collagen folding. We propose that polyP is a previously unrecognized critical regulator of protein homeostasis in ER. © 2020 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.A practical silver-catalyzed decarboxylative allylation of α,α-difluoroarylacetic acids with allyl sulfones is described, which provides a variety of β,β-difluorinated alkenes in good yields. Notably, the reaction proceeds smoothly in water with good functional group tolerance. The practicality and synthetic value of this process was demonstrated by scaled-up experiment and elaboration of the products via reduction or Heck reaction. Primary mechanism investigations suggest that a radical process might be involved. © 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.Three-dimensional (3D) biomimetic cell culture platforms offer more realistic microenvironments that cells naturally experience in vivo. We developed a tunable hyaluronan-based hydrogels that could easily be modified to mimic healthy or malignant extracellular matrices (ECMs). For that, we pre-functionalized our hydrogels with an adhesive polypeptide (poly-l-lysine, PLL) or ECM proteins (type III and type IV collagens), naturally present in tumorous tissues, and next, we tuned their stiffness by crosslinking with gradual concentrations of genipin (GnP). Then, we thoroughly characterized our substrates before testing them with glioblastoma and breast cancer cells, and thereafter with endothelial cells. Overall, our hydrogels exhibited (a) increasing stiffness with GnP concentration for every pre-functionalization and (b) efficient enzyme resistance with PLL treatment, and also with type IV collagen but to a lesser extent. While PLL-treated hydrogels were not favorable to the culture of any glioblastoma cell lines, they enhanced the proliferation of breast cancer cells in a stiffness-dependent manner. Contrary to type III collagen, type IV collagen pre-treated hydrogels supported the proliferation of glioblastoma cells.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/amg510.html  The as-desired HA-based 3D tumor-like models we developed may provide a useful platform for the study of various cancer cells by simply tuning their biochemical composition and their mechanical properties. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.In the last 5 years, additive manufacturing (3D printing) has emerged as a highly valuable technology to advance the field of analytical sample preparation. 3D printing enabled the cost-effective and rapid fabrication of devices for sample preparation, especially in flow-based mode, opening new possibilities for the development of automated analytical methods. Recent advances involve membrane-based 3D printed separation devices fabricated by print-pause-print and multi-material 3D printing, or improved 3D printed holders for solid-phase extraction containing sorbent bead packings, extraction disks, fibers and magnetic particles. Other recent developments rely on the direct 3D printing of extraction sorbents, the functionalization of commercial 3D printable resins, or the coating of 3D printed devices with functional micro/nanomaterials. In addition, improved devices for liquid-liquid extraction such as extraction chambers, or phase separators are opening new possibilities for analytical method development combined with high-performance liquid chromatography. The present review outlines the current state-of-the-art of 3D printing in analytical sample preparation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.