SL4, a chalcone-based compound, has been shown to retard tumor invasion and angiogenesis by suppressing HIF1 activity and to induce apoptosis by promoting ROS release. Here, we report that SL4 is able to inhibit the proliferation of different types of breast cancer cell in vitro and in vivo by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest. Our results showed that SL4 exhibited strong anti-proliferative activity in several human breast cancer cell lines, with IC50 values lower than 1.3 μM. Further studies indicated that SL4 induced G2/M arrest in these cell lines. Mechanistically, SL4 reduces the expression of cyclin A2 and cdc25C and decreases the activity of the cdc2/cyclin B1 complex. Notably, SL4 treatment resulted in an obvious increase in p21 mRNA and protein levels through activation of MAPK signaling pathways, but not the TGF-β pathway. SP600125 and PD98059, specific inhibitors of JNK kinase and ERK kinase, significantly blocked the SL4-induced G2/M phase arrest and upregulation of p21. Furthermore, SL4 suppressed the growth of established breast tumors in nude mice through upregulation of p21 and downregulation of cdc25C, and displayed a good safety profile. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the potential value of SL4 as a novel multi-target anti-tumor drug candidate.

Polyploid breeding is an important means for creating elite willow cultivars, and therefore provokes an active demand for discriminating the ploidy levels of natural willow stands. In this study, we established an analytical toolkit for polyploid willow identification by combining molecular markers and flow cytometry (FCM). A total of 10 single-copy fully informative SSRs were chosen for marker-aided selection based on a segregation test with a full-sib willow pedigree and a mutability test with a collection of natural willow stands. Aided by these molecular markers, we performed polyploid selection in two tree species and two shrub species of the genus Salix. The ploidy levels of the investigated samples were further examined using a flow cytometer. It was previously shown that results from marker-aided selection were consistent with those from FCM measurements. Based on ploidy level assessment in different willow species, it was found that tree willows were dominantly tetraploid, whereas shrub willows were most frequently diploid. With this analytical toolkit, polyploids can be rapidly screened from a large number of natural stands; thereafter, the exact ploidy levels of the polyploid candidates can be efficiently confirmed by FCM. This analytical toolkit will greatly enhance polyploid breeding programs for willows.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a liver cancer associated protein and has long been utilized as a serum tumor biomarker of disease progression. AFP is usually detected in HCC patients by an antibody based system. Recently, however, aptamers generated from systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) were reported to have an alternative potential in targeted imaging, diagnosis and therapy. In this study, AFP-bound ssDNA aptamers were screened and identified using capillary electrophoresis (CE) SELEX technology. After cloning, sequencing and motif analysis, we successfully confirmed an aptamer, named AP273, specifically targeting AFP. The aptamer could be used as a probe in AFP immunofluorescence imaging in HepG2, one AFP positive cancer cell line, but not in A549, an AFP negative cancer cell line. More interesting, the aptamer efficiently inhibited the migration and invasion of HCC cells after in vivo transfection. Motif analysis revealed that AP273 had several stable secondary motifs in its structure. Our results indicate that CE-SELEX technology is an efficient method to screen specific protein-bound ssDNA, and AP273 could be used as an agent in AFP-based staining, diagnosis and therapy, although more works are still needed.

Observational studies examining the relationship between hypertension and breast cancer risk have reported conflicting findings. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the evidence regarding the association between hypertension and risk of breast cancer. Eligible studies were identified through a comprehensive literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane library until August 2016. We included observational studies that reported relative risks (RR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results from individual studies were pooled by using a random-effects model. 29 articles of 30 studies, with totally 11643 cases of breast cancer, were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. We observed a statistically significant association between hypertension and increased breast cancer risk (RR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.22). In the subgroup analysis, we found a positive association between hypertension and breast cancer incidence among postmenopausal women (RR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.31). In contrast, hypertension was not associated with risk of breast cancer among premenopausal women (RR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.84, 1.12) and Asian population (RR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.22).This meta-analysis collectively suggests a significantly association between hypertension and breast cancer risk, specifically for postmenopausal hypertensive women.

The accurate evaluation of the therapeutic effects of advanced laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LHSCC) remains challenging. In this study, we determined the value of quantitative parameters derived from dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) for predicting the therapeutic effects of advanced LHSCC and to provide valuable evidence for early judgement of the tumour's response to therapy in clinical practice. We prospectively analysed 41 patients with pathologically confirmed LHSCC. All patients received a DECT scan before therapy. Nineteen of 41 patients showed complete remission (CR), and 22 showed non-complete remission (NCR). The mean of the slope of spectral Hounsfield unit curve (λHU), standardized iodine concentration and effective atomic number in the CR group were significantly lower than the NCR group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences for T stage, treatment modality and standardized water concentration between two groups (P > 0.05). The best predictor of CR effect was λHU. The 2-year cumulative recurrence rate of patients with higher λHU values was significantly higher than that of patients with lower λHU values (P < 0.05), while the 2-year survival rate of those patients was not significantly different (P > 0.05). DECT could easily identify CR patients and potentially help to choose the appropriate treatment regimen for advanced LHSCC.

The traditional chemotherapy, including Adriamycin (Doxorubicin, DOX), is widely used and is part of the first-line chemotherapy of invasive B cell lymphoma. DOX is nonselective cytotoxic drug and has many adverse effects, which limit its clinical application in combination with other anti-cancer drugs. Optimization of the delivery system targeting tumor microenvironment could be a feasible approach that may have significant clinical significance. Further, combination of DOX with other anticancer drugs, such as curcumin, can enhance the synergistic effects, possibly through epigenetic mechanisms. Hence, we evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of novel nanoparticles that enable the co-delivery of DOX and curcumin in the treatment of invasive B cell lymphoma both in vivo and vitro. The polymer nano materials [mPEG-b-P(Glu-co-Phe)] was used to co-load DOX and curcumin (CUR): L-DOX + CUR. DOX signal was measured to determine the ability of the drugs entering the cells by flow cytometry, and the different enrichment areas in the cells were directly observed by confocal microscope. The toxicity of LDOX + CUR was tested by CCK-8 assay in different cells, and the synergistic coefficients were calculated. The cell apoptosis and the possible mechanisms of apoptosis pathways regulation by L-DOX + CUR were examined using flow cytometry and Western Blot. The MTD (maximum tolerable dose) test was performed in mice. Tumor-bearing SCID mice (i.e., BJAB cell) were used to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of L-DOX + CUR. L-DOX + CUR, was prepared successfully, and the mole ratio of DOX and CUR fixed in 1.0:1.2. (DOX loading rate 9.7%, CUR loading rate 8.1%). L-DOX + CUR exhibited increased intracellular delivery and the main enrichment area of DOX was nucleus. L-DOX + CUR increased cytotoxicity, induced higher rates of apoptosis, and had synergistic effect, especially in BJAB cells (min CI 0.019). It even had epigenetic effect and affected miRNA levels favorably by down-regulating miR-21, miR-199a and up-regulating miR-98 and miR-200c. Additionally, L-DOX + CUR increased MTD in Kunming mice (i.e., 25 mg/kg), compared to DOX (10 mg/kg) and L-DOX (20 mg/kg). In BJAB cell bearing SCID mice, L-DOX + CUR treatment suppressed tumor growth compared to DOX or L-DOX alone, and exhibited less weight loss in mice. We developed new polymer nanoparticles-mPEG-b-P (Glu-co-Phe) co-loaded with DOX and DUR. L-DOX + CUR exhibited synergistic cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on invasive B cell lymphoma. Treatment of L-DOX + CUR potentiated tumor killing in xenografts and reduced toxicity in vivo.

The long-term use of chemical fertilizers to maintain agricultural production has had various harmful effects on farmland and has greatly impacted agriculture's sustainable expansion. Graphene, a unique and effective nanomaterial, is used in plant-soil applications to improve plant nutrient uptake, reduce chemical fertilizer pollution by relieving inadequate soil nutrient conditions and enhance soil absorption of nutrient components. We investigated the effects of graphene amendment on nutrient content, maize growth, and soil physicochemical parameters. In each treatment, 5 graphene concentration gradients (0, 25, 50, 100, and 150 g kg-1) were applied in 2 different types (single-layer and few-layers, SL and FL). Soil aggregates, soil accessible nutrients, soil enzyme activity, plant nutrients, plant height, stem diameter, dry weight, and fresh weight were all measured throughout the maize growth to the V3 stage. Compared to the control (0 g kg-1), we found that graphene increased the percentage of large agglomerates (0.25-10 mm) in the soil and significantly increased the geometric mean diameter (GMD) and mean weight diameter (MWD) values of > 0.25 mm water-stable agglomerates as the increase of concentration. Soil available nutrient content (AN, AP, and AK) increased, peaking at 150 g kg-1. Graphene boosted nutrient absorption by maize plants, and aboveground total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total potassium (TK) contents rose with the increasing application, which raised aboveground fresh weight, dry weight, plant height, and stalk thickness. The findings above confirmed our prediction that adding graphene to the soil may improve maize plant biomass by enhancing soil fertility and improving the soil environment. Given the higher manufacturing cost of single-layer graphene and the greater effect of few-layer graphene on soil and maize plants at the same concentration, single-layer graphene and few-layer graphene at a concentration of 50 g kg-1 were the optimal application rates.

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has facilitated crop canopy monitoring, enabling yield prediction by integrating regression models. However, the application of UAV-based data to individual-level harvest weight prediction is limited by the effectiveness of obtaining individual features. In this study, we propose a method that automatically detects and extracts multitemporal individual plant features derived from UAV-based data to predict harvest weight. We acquired data from an experimental field sown with 1196 Chinese cabbage plants, using two cameras (RGB and multi-spectral) mounted on UAVs. First, we used three RGB orthomosaic images and an object detection algorithm to detect more than 95% of the individual plants. Next, we used feature selection methods and five different multi-temporal resolutions to predict individual plant weights, achieving a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.86 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 436 g/plant. Furthermore, we achieved predictions with an R2 greater than 0.72 and an RMSE less than 560 g/plant up to 53 days prior to harvest. These results demonstrate the feasibility of accurately predicting individual Chinese cabbage harvest weight using UAV-based data and the efficacy of utilizing multi-temporal features to predict plant weight more than one month prior to harvest.

The length of ancestral tracks decays with the passing of generations which can be used to infer population admixture histories. Previous studies have shown the power in recovering the histories of admixed populations via the length distributions of ancestral tracks even under simple models. We believe that the deduction of length distributions under a general model will greatly elevate the power. Here we first deduced the length distributions under a general model and proposed general principles in parameter estimation and model selection with the deduced length distributions. Next, we focused on studying the length distributions and its applications under three typical special cases. Extensive simulations showed that the length distributions of ancestral tracks were well predicted by our theoretical framework. We further developed a new method, AdmixInfer, based on the length distributions and good performance was observed when it was applied to infer population histories under the three typical models. Notably, our method was insensitive to demographic history, sample size and threshold to discard short tracks. Finally, good performance was also observed when applied to some real datasets of African Americans, Mexicans and South Asian populations from the HapMap project and the Human Genome Diversity Project.

The associations between hyperhomocysteinaemia (HHcy), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism, and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remain controversial, with only few studies focused on these associations within the Chinese population. We performed subgroup and interaction analyses in a Chinese Han population to investigate these associations. In all, 155 AAA patients and 310 control subjects were evaluated for serum total homocysteine levels and MTHFR C677T polymorphisms. Multiple logistic regression models were used to evaluate the aforementioned associations. Interaction and stratified analyses were conducted according to age, sex, smoking status, drinking status, and chronic disease histories. The multiple logistic analyses showed a significant association between HHcy and AAA but no significant association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and AAA. The interaction analysis showed that age and peripheral arterial disease played an interactive role in the association between HHcy and AAA, while drinking status played an interactive role in the association between MTHFR C677T polymorphism and AAA. In conclusion, HHcy is an independent risk factor of AAA in a Chinese Han population, especially in the elderly and peripheral arterial disease subgroups. Longitudinal studies and clinical trials aimed to reduce homocysteine levels are warranted to assess the causal nature of these relationships.

Rex rabbit is an important small herbivore for fur and meat production. However, little is known about the gut microbiota in rex rabbit, especially regarding their relationship with different fecal types and growth of the hosts. We characterized the microbiota of both hard and soft feces from rex rabbits with high and low body weight by using the Illumina MiSeq platform targeting the V4 region of the 16S rDNA. High weight rex rabbits possess distinctive microbiota in hard feces, but not in soft feces, from the low weight group. We detected the overrepresentation of several genera such as YS2/Cyanobacteria, and Bacteroidales and underrepresentation of genera such as Anaeroplasma spp. and Clostridiaceae in high weight hard feces. Between fecal types, several bacterial taxa such as Ruminococcaceae, and Akkermansia spp. were enriched in soft feces. PICRUSt analysis revealed that metabolic pathways such as "stilbenoid, diarylheptanoid, gingerol biosynthesis" were enriched in high weight rabbits, and pathways related to "xenobiotics biodegradation" and "various types of N-glycan biosynthesis" were overrepresented in rabbit soft feces. Our study provides foundation to generate hypothesis aiming to test the roles that different bacterial taxa play in the growth and caecotrophy of rex rabbits.

In this paper, we present a portable wireless electrocorticography (ECoG) system. It uses a high resolution 32-channel flexible ECoG electrodes array to collect electrical signals of brain activities and to stimulate the lesions. Electronic circuits are designed for signal acquisition, processing and transmission using Bluetooth Low Energy 4 (LTE4) for wireless communication with cell phone. In-vivo experiments on a rat show that the flexible ECoG system can accurately record electrical signals of brain activities and transmit them to cell phone with a maximal sampling rate of 30 ksampling/s per channel. It demonstrates that the epilepsy lesions can be detected, located and treated through the ECoG system. The wireless ECoG system has low energy consumption and high brain spatial resolution, thus has great prospects for future application.

Several studies suggest that infrarenal aortic diameter is associated with lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (LE-PAD). However, data regarding the associations between infrarenal aortic diameter and LE-PAD are limited, especially in large sample populations and Asian or Chinese populations. Our analysis included 17279 Chinese hypertensive adults comprising 6590 men and 10689 women with a mean age of 64.74 ± 7.41 years. Participants were selected from 22693 candidates from two large population-based cohort-studies. The primary noninvasive test for diagnosis of LE-PAD is the ankle-brachial index (ABI) at rest and typically an ABI ≤ 0.90 is used to define LE-PAD. The prevalence of LE-PAD was found to significantly decrease as the aortic diameter increased according to the tertile of the aortic diameter. LE-PAD was significantly more prevalent in the lowest tertile (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.29-1.94, p < 0.001) and similarly prevalent in the highest tertile (OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.73-1.16, p = 0.49) when compared with the median tertile. No significant interactions between the aortic diameter and any of the stratified variables were found (all p > 0.05). In conclusion, Small aortic diameter (as opposed to large aortic diameter) is significantly associated with LE-PAD in Chinese hypertensive adults.

Astragalus Polysaccharide (APS) is an important feed additive due to its immunomodulatory functions. Previous studies have proven that miRNAs play important roles in posttranscriptional gene regulation. Our goals were to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in testes in responses to APS dietary supplements and to find the effects of APS on breeder cock testes. We measured several enzymatic activities in testes and sperm samples and further generated miRNA expression profiles of testes from breeder cocks fed with control diets and extra APS. As a result, we found APS could increase testicular functional activities of marker enzymes. Meanwhile, there were 16 up-regulated and 17 down-regulated miRNAs in APS group, compared with the control group meeting the criteria of P-values < 0.05. Meanwhile, twelve differentially expressed miRNAs were validated by Mir-XTM miRNA RT-qPCR. Further GO and KEGG analyses of target genes for differentially expressed miRNAs revealed that some miRNAs may be involved in testicular nutrient metabolisms and NK cell mediated cytotoxicity pathway. Moreover, the effect of dietary APS supplements on NK cell mediated cytotoxicity pathway was also validated by RT-qPCR. Our results provided a novel insight into the effect of dietary APS supplements on testicular miRNA expression profiles and enzymatic changes of breeder cocks.

This paper presents a 96-well microfabricated assay to study three-dimensional (3D) invasion of tumor cells. A 3D cluster of tumor cells was first generated within each well by seeding cells onto a micro-patterned surface consisting of a central fibronectin-coated area that promotes cellular attachment, surrounded by a poly ethylene glycol (PEG) coated area that is resistant to cellular attachment. Following the formation of the 3D cell clusters, a 3D collagen extracellular matrix was formed in each well by thermal-triggered gelation. Invasion of the tumor cells into the extracellular matrix was subsequently initiated and monitored. Two modes of cellular infiltration were observed: A549 cells invaded into the extracellular matrix following the surfaces previously coated with PEG molecules in a pseudo-2D manner, while H1299 cells invaded into the extracellular matrix in a truly 3D manner including multiple directions. Based on the processing of 2D microscopic images, a key parameter, namely, equivalent invasion distance (the area of invaded cells divided by the circumference of the initial cell cluster) was obtained to quantify migration capabilities of these two cell types. These results validate the feasibility of the proposed platform, which may function as a high-throughput 3D cellular invasion assay.

This cohort study aimed to identify the characteristics and risk factors of adult idiopathic inflammatory myopathy-associated interstitial lung disease (IIM-ILD) and further explore the prognostic factors of IIM-ILD. We extracted data regarding 539 patients with laboratory-confirmed idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) with or without interstitial lung disease (ILD) from the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between January 2016 and December 2021. The regression analysis was conducted to identify the possible risk factors for ILD as well as mortality. Of 539 IIM patients, 343 (64.6%) were diagnosed with IIM-ILD. The median (IQR) baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) and ferritin were 4.1371 (2.6994-6.8143), 0.1685 (0.0641-0.5456) and 393.6 (210.6-532.2), respectively. Risk factors associated with IIM-ILD were older age (p = 0.002), arthralgia (p = 0.014), lung infection (p = 0.027), hemoglobin (p = 0.022), high CAR (p = 0.014), anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (anti-ARS) antibody-positive (p < 0.001), and anti-MDA5 antibody-positive (p < 0.001). The IIM-ILD patients whose age at diagnosis of disease ≥ 59.5 (HR = 2.673, 95% CI 1.588-4.499, p < 0.001), NLR ≥ 6.6109 (HR = 2.004, 95% CI 1.193-3.368, p = 0.009), CAR ≥ 0.2506 (HR = 1.864, 95% CI 1.041-3.339, p = 0.036), ferritin ≥ 397.68 (HR = 2.451, 95% CI 1.245-4.827, p = 0.009) and anti-MDA5 antibody-positive (HR = 1.928, 95% CI 1.123-3.309, p = 0.017) had a higher mortality rate. High CAR and anti-MDA5 antibody-positive are more likely to be associated with a high mortality rate of IIM-ILD, which can be used as serum biomarkers, especially the CAR, a simple, objective tool to assess the prognosis of IIM.

We investigated whether attempted percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) would improve the prognosis in patients with renal insufficiency at high risk of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). We analyzed 2,330 consecutive patients with renal insufficiency with or without CTOs who underwent coronary angiography or PCI from prospectively collected data. The long-term death and risk of CIN were evaluated among three groups: patients without CTOs (group A, n = 1,829), patients with un-attempted PCI for CTOs (group B, n = 142), and patients who underwent attempted PCI for CTOs (group C, n = 359). Overall, group B and group C (successful rate, 89%) patients had similar renal function and were not significantly associated with an increased risk of CIN (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.41-1.93, P = 0.758). During a 2.33-year period (median), multivariate analysis demonstrated that attempted PCI for CTOs was independently associated with lower mortality (adjusted hazard ratio for death: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.18-0.83; P = 0.015). Attempted PCI for CTOs improved the long-term prognosis in patients with high-risk renal insufficiency and did not increase the risk of CIN.

Epidemiologic evidence suggested chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) might increase risk for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). However, the association between COPD and AAA remains inconclusive. We searched PubMed and Cochrane databases until June 2015. Forty-eight articles were included for meta-analysis. COPD was found to be positively associated with AAA, regardless of study design and smoking status. AAA mortality is higher among COPD patients compared with non-COPD patients (postoperative [adjusted OR 2.11; 95% CI 1.33-3.34]; long-term [adjusted OR 1.70; 95% CI 1.37-2.12]). But the association between postoperative mortality and COPD was not found to be significant in patients underwent endovascular aneurysm repair (mixed OR 2.53; 95% CI 0.70-9.18). Rupture AAA may increase the postoperative mortality in COPD patients (rupture [adjusted OR 4.75; 95% CI 2.07-10.89]; non-rupture [adjusted OR 1.97; 95% CI 1.11-3.49]). The AAA postoperative morbidity was found to be positively associated with COPD (adjusted OR 1.59; 95% CI 1.14-2.21). Increased COPD severity may increase the long-term mortality (medical versus oxygen dependent: [OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.07-1.49] versus [OR 2.79; 95% CI 2.24-3.49]). In conclusion, COPD may increase the risk of AAA, morbidity and mortality of AAA patients underwent endovascular aortic repair.

The full-length cDNAs of amh and dax1 in the hermaphrodite, rice-field eel (Monopterus albus), were cloned and characterized in this study. Multiple sequence alignment revealed Dax1 was well conserved among vertebrates, whereas Amh had a low degree of similarity between different vertebrates. Their expression profiles in gonads during the course of sex inversion and tissues were investigated. The tissue distribution indicated amh was expressed mostly in gonads and was scarcely detectable in other tissues, whereas the expression of dax1 was widespread among the different tissues, especially liver and gonads. amh was scarcely detectable in ovaries whereas it was abundantly expressed in both ovotestis and testis. By contrast, dax1 was highly expressed in ovaries, especially in ♀IV (ovaries in IV stage), but it was decreased significantly in ♀/♂I (ovotestis in I stage). Its expression was increased again in ♀/♂III (ovotestis in III stage), and then decreased to a low level in testis. These significant different expression patterns of amh and dax1 suggest the increase of amh expression and the decline of dax1 expression are important for the activation of testis development, and the high level of amh and a low level of dax1 expression are necessary for maintenance of testis function.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the main subtype of esophageal cancer. Since autophagy-related genes (ARGs) play a key role in the pathogenesis of many tumors, including ESCC, the purpose of this study is to establish an autophagy-related prognostic risk signature based on ARGs expression profile, and to provide a new method for improving prediction of clinical outcomes. We obtained the expression profiles of ESCC from public data (GSE53625) and extracted the portion of ARGs. Differential expression analysis and enrichment analysis were performed to confirm abnormal autophagy-related biological functions. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed on RNA microarray data (GSE53625) to construct a prognostic risk signature associated with autophagy. The performance of the model was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, survival analysis and Brier score. The model was subjected to bootstrap internal validation. The potential molecular mechanism of gene signature was explored by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Spearman correlation coefficient examined the correlation between risk score and immune status and ferroptosis. The expression levels of genes and proteins were validated by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry in ESCC cell lines and ESCC tissues. We constructed and validated an autophagy-related prognostic risk signature in 179 patients with ESCC. The long-term survival of patients in high-risk group was lower than that in low-risk group (log-rank, P value < 0.001). ROC analysis and Brier score confirmed the reliability of the signature. GSEA results showed significant enrichment of cancer- and autophagy-related signaling pathways in the high-risk ESCC patients and immunoregulatory signaling pathways in the low-risk ESCC patients. Correlation analysis showed that the risk signature can effectively predict the effect of immunotherapy. About 33.97% (71/209) ferroptosis-related genes were significantly correlated with risk scores. Finally, the results of qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry experiments were consistent with bioinformatics analysis. In brief, we constructed a novel autophagy-related gene signature (VIM, UFM1, TSC2, SRC, MEFV, CTTN, CFTR and CDKN1A), which could improve the prediction of clinical outcomes in patients with ESCC.