Rui Vitorino

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) is a malignant cancer with a poor prognosis. Galectins (Gal) have been the subject of intensive research, but the comparative prognostic value of each Gal type is not yet understood. Therefore, a literature search for evaluating galectins as prognostic biomarkers in HNSCC was conducted. The relationship between Gal expression in HNSCC with HPV and TP53 mutational status was assessed using the UALCAN database. The impact of these biomarkers on prognosis was analyzed using ToPP and CPPA web tools. The expression of galectins in the tumor microenvironment and the impact on prognosis depending on the cancer immune subtype were analyzed using single-cell RNA sequencing. Gal-1 and Gal-3BP were shown to be promising biomarkers with a triple function for the prediction of HPV and TP53 mutational status, stratification of the HNSCC prognosis, and prediction of the response to treatment. In addition, these two galectins have been shown to be most influenced by the tumor microenvironment of HNSCC. Gal-1 and Gal-3BP are the most promising galectins in HNSCC. Furthermore, this study highlights the need for further studies to evaluate galectins in HNSCC and clarify the role of individual Gals in the patient’s stratification.

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a myocardial stress biomarker that can be found in serum or plasma, saliva, and urine in the context of cardiovascular disease. In this study, we developed a rapid (~25 min) and straightforward localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based assay for detecting NT-proBNP in urine. The assay employs citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and an aptamer specific for NT-proBNP, which initially interacts with NT-proBNP. The remaining unbound aptamer then interacts with the AuNPs, and the addition of NaCl induces the aggregation of the unprotected AuNPs, resulting in a decrease in absorbance at the LSPR band (A521) and an increase in absorbance at 750 nm (A750). The concentration of NT-proBNP showed a linear correlation with the aggregation ratio (A521/A750), and the assay demonstrated a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.303 µg·L−1 and a detection range of 0.566–8 µg·L−1. However, the presence of sulfur-containing proteins in saliva and fetal bovine serum hindered the detection of NT-proBNP in these biofluids. Nevertheless, the assay successfully detected NT-proBNP in diluted urine with an LOD of 0.417 µg·L−1 and a detection range of 0.589–6 µg·L−1. The observed values in urine samples from preterm infants with cardiovascular disease fell within this range, indicating the potential clinical relevance of the assay. The recovery percentages ranged from 92.3 to 116.3%. Overall, our findings suggest that the LSPR-based assay for NT-proBNP detection in urine can be a valuable tool for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.