Fig 2: As4S4 downregulated the PD-L1 expression through p53/miR-34a-5p axis. (a) Effect of As4S4 (1.5 µM) on p53 and PD-L1 protein expression in A549/DDP cells in the presence or absence of PFT-a (30 µM) treated for 48 h. (b) p53 protein quantification of the western blot results in A549/DDP cells treated with As4S4, PFT-a or their combinations for 48 h. Protein levels were normalized to the GAPDH levels and are shown as fold increase or decrease relative to the levels for the control strain. (c) PD-L1 protein quantification of the western blot results in A549/DDP cells treated with As4S4, PFT-a or their combination for 48 h. (d) Flow cytometric analysis showing apoptosis in A549/DDP cells treated by DDP (8 µM), DDP plus As4S4 (1.5 µM), or PFT (30 µM), or the combinations. (e) Apoptotic rate in each group. (f) miR-34a-5p levels in A549/DDP cells treated with As4S4, PFT-a or their combination for 48 h. Data represents the mean ± SD of three independent experiments (*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001). PFT-a, Pifithrin-a

Fig 3: In vivo PDT of TC-WS-CQDs. A Photos of the excised tumors on day 10 (X: failed to form tumor). B The tumor volume of mice as a function of time. C Quantitative analysis of tumor weight on day 10. D Body weight of Huh7 cancer bearing mice of different groups after treatments. E The detection of LC3, p53 and pAMPK expression in tumors by immunohistochemistry. The data are mean ± SD (n = 5, statistical significance was analyzed via two-way ANOVA in B, statistical significance was analyzed via unpaired t test in C, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ns: not significant. CQDs + I470nm: TC-WS-CQDs with 470 nm irradiation, I470nm: 470 nm irradiation without TC-WS-CQDs, CQDs: TC-WS-CQDs, PBS: no TC-WS-CQDs and irradiation

Fig 4: Expression of p53 and p21 during the reprogramming process examined using qRT-PCR and western blotting analysis for BJ fibroblasts. (A) In the DAPT/iDOT1L method, the mRNA expression of TP53 (p53) and CDKN1A (p21) were examined in the early reprogramming. The data are reported as the mean ± SE. Statistically significant differences were identified between conventional RNA reprogramming cells and DAPT/iDOT1L-RNA reprogramming cells between each time point using Student's t-test (n = 3). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01. GAPDH was used as an internal control. Relative gene expression to conventional RNA reprogramming cells at day 2. (B) Western blotting analysis showed p53 and p21 in protein levels in the conventional method and DAPT/iDOT1L RNA reprogramming cells.

Fig 5: FAM129A knockdown suppressed HCC malignant behaviors and promoted apoptosis in vitro. (A) The protein expression levels of p-FAK, p-AKT, (B) Snail, N-cadherin, E-cadherin and Vimentin, (C) MMP2, MMP9 and TIMP-1, (D) MDM2, P53, BAX and BCL-2, (E) Cytochrome-C, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 were determined by WB analysis in HCCLM3 and HepG2 si-FAM129A transfected group cells compared with si-NC. P < 0.05, 0.01, 0.001 and 0.0001 are denoted by *, **, *** and ****.