Integrating melt electrospinning writing and microfluidics to engineer a human cardiac microenvironment for high-fidelity drug screening.

The preclinical evaluation of drug-induced cardiotoxicity is critical for developing novel drug, helping to avoid drug wastage and post-marketing withdrawal. Although human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) and the engineered heart organoid have been used for drug screening and mimicking disease models, they are always limited by the immaturity and lack of functionality of the cardiomyocytes. In this study, we constructed a Cardiomyocytes-on-a-Chip (CoC) that combines micro-grooves (MGs) and circulating mechanical stimulation to recapitulate the well-organized structure and stable beating of myocardial tissue.

Combined interdisciplinary treatment of metastatic bone lesions using 3D robot-assisted image-guided navigation : Embolization, biopsy, ablation, and surgery in one operative session.

Objective: To maximize local tumor control, stabilize affected bones, and preserve or replace joints with minimal interventional burden, thereby enhancing quality of life for empowered living.

Indications: Suitable for patients with bone metastases, particularly those with severe pain and/or fractures and appropriate life expectancy.

Contraindications: In primary bone tumors, refer to the sarcoma surgery team for evaluation of wide resection.

Peri-Interventional Hemodynamic Management Strategies for Percutaneous Chemosaturation of the Liver in Metastatic Cancer.

Hepatic chemosaturation for inoperable liver tumors is a palliative treatment option with a beneficial effect on survival. However, the procedure regularly leads to circulatory failure during the filtration phase, and hemodynamic management is challenging. Our study aimed to compare two different strategies for hemodynamic management during chemosaturation to develop hypotheses for improving patient care and reducing peri-interventional morbidity.

Outcome of the novel description of arterial position changes after major liver resections: retrospective study.

Background: After major liver resections, anatomical shifts due to liver parenchymal hypertrophy and organ displacement can happen. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of these anatomical changes on the main abdominal arteries (coeliac trunk and superior mesenteric artery) and on patient outcomes.

Methods: All patients who underwent major liver resections (between January 2010 and July 2021) and who underwent preoperative and postoperative arterial-phase contrast-enhanced abdominal CT imaging were studied.

Identification of proliferative hepatocellular carcinoma using the SMARS score and implications for microwave ablation.

Objective: To compare therapeutic outcomes of predicted proliferative and nonproliferative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after microwave ablation (MWA) using a previously developed imaging-based predictive model, the SMARS score.

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study included consecutive 635 patients with unresectable HCC who underwent MWA between August 2013 and September 2020. Patients were stratified into predicted proliferative and nonproliferative phenotypes according to the SMARS score.

Postoperative Management of Portal Vein Arterialization: An Interdisciplinary Institutional Approach.

Portal vein arterialization (PVA) is a surgical procedure that plays a crucial role in hepatic vascular salvage when hepatic artery flow restoration remains elusive. Dedicated diagnostic vascular imaging and the timely management of PVA shunts are paramount to preventing complications, such as portal hypertension and thrombosis. Regrettably, a lack of standardized postoperative management protocols for PVA has increased morbidity and mortality rates post-procedure.

Factors Impacting Microwave Ablation Zone Sizes: A Retrospective Analysis.

Purpose: Evaluation of the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic conditions on ablation zone volumes (AZV) after microwave ablation (MWA).

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 38 MWAs of therapy-naïve liver tumours performed with the NeuWave PR probe. Ablations were performed either in the 'standard mode' (65 W, 10 min) or in the 'surgical mode' (95 W, 1 min, then 65 W, 10 min).

Durvalumab Plus Gemcitabine and Cisplatin in Patients with Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer: An Exploratory Analysis of Real-World Data.

Background: The combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin (gem/cis) with the anti-PD-L1-antibody durvalumab was recently approved as first line therapy for biliary tract cancer (BTC) based on the results of the TOPAZ-1 trial.

Objective: We aim to analyse the feasibility and efficacy of the triple combination therapy in patients with BTC in a real-world setting and in correspondence with the genetic alterations of the cancer.

Methods: In this single-centre retrospective analysis, all patients with BTC and treated with durvalumab plus gem/cis from April 2022 to September 2023 were included.

Promising Results of Associating Liver Partition and Portal Vein Ligation for Staged Hepatectomy for Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma in a Systematic Review and Single-Arm Meta-Analysis.

Background: ALPPS popularity is increasing among surgeons worldwide and its indications are expanding to cure patients with primarily unresectable liver tumors. Few reports recommended limitations or even contraindications of ALPPS in perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (phCC). Here, we discuss the results of ALPPS in patients with phCC in a systematic review as well as a pooled data analysis.

Effect of chitin-architected spatiotemporal three-dimensional culture microenvironments on human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation has been explored for the clinical treatment of various diseases. However, the current two-dimensional (2D) culture method lacks a natural spatial microenvironment . This limitation restricts the stable establishment and adaptive maintenance of MSC stemness.

Risk factors and management of biliary leakage after Endocystectomy for hepatic cystic echinococcosis.

Background: Endocystectomy is a conservative surgical approach to managing cystic echinococcosis. Bile leakage is the main complication of this technique. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors associated with bile leakage and to assess the outcomes and cost efficiency of strategies used to treat bile leakage.

Association of perioperative use of statins, metformin, and aspirin with recurrence after curative liver resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A propensity score matching analysis.

Background: Statins, metformin, and aspirin have been reported to reduce the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the effect of their perioperative use on survival outcomes of HCC patients following curative liver resection still remains unclear.

Method: Three hundred and fifty three patients with a first diagnosis of HCC who underwent curative liver resection were included.

Identifying Proliferative Hepatocellular Carcinoma at Pretreatment CT: Implications for Therapeutic Outcomes after Transarterial Chemoembolization.

Background Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) can be divided into proliferative and nonproliferative types, which may have implications for outcomes after conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE). Biopsy to identify proliferative HCC is not routinely performed before cTACE. Purpose To develop and validate a predictive model for identifying proliferative HCCs using CT imaging features and to compare therapeutic outcomes between predicted proliferative and nonproliferative HCCs after cTACE according to this model.

Identification of NOX4 as a New Biomarker in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Its Effect on Sorafenib Therapy.

To improve the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), new biomarkers and therapeutic targets are urgently needed. In this study, the GEO and TCGA dataset were used to explore the differential co-expressed genes and their prognostic correlation between HCC and normal samples. The mRNA levels of these genes were validated by qRT-PCR in 20 paired fresh HCC samples.

A Novel Quantitative Electrocardiography Strategy Reveals the Electroinhibitory Effect of Tamoxifen on the Mouse Heart.

Tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator, was initially used to treat cancer in women and more recently to induce conditional gene editing in rodent hearts. However, little is known about the baseline biological effects of tamoxifen on the myocardium. In order to clarify the short-term effects of tamoxifen on cardiac electrophysiology of myocardium, we applied a single-chest-lead quantitative method and analyzed the short-term electrocardiographic phenotypes induced by tamoxifen in the heart of adult female mice.

Engineering of MSCs sheet for the prevention of myocardial ischemia and for left ventricle remodeling.

Tissue engineering combines cell biology and material science to construct tissues or organs for disease modeling, drug testing, and regenerative medicine. The cell sheet is a newly developed tissue engineering technology that has brought about scaffold-free tissue and shows great application potential. In this review, we summarized recent progress and future possibilities in preclinical research into and clinical applications of cell sheets fabricated by differing cell types from various sources for cardiac tissue repair, and the manufacturing strategies and promising application potential of 3D cell-dense tissue constructed from cell sheets.

Declined Organs for Liver Transplantation: A Right Decision or a Missed Opportunity for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma?

Background: Liver transplantation is the only promising treatment for end-stage liver disease and patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. However, too many organs are rejected for transplantation.

Methods: We analyzed the factors involved in organ allocation in our transplant center and reviewed all livers that were declined for transplantation.

Construction of multifunctional hydrogel with metal-polyphenol capsules for infected full-thickness skin wound healing.

Damaged skin cannot prevent harmful bacteria from invading tissues, causing infected wounds or even severe tissue damage. In this study, we developed a controlled-release antibacterial composite hydrogel system that can promote wound angiogenesis and inhibit inflammation by sustained releasing Cu-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (Cu-EGCG) nano-capsules. The prepared SilMA/HAMA/Cu-EGCG hydrogel showed an obvious inhibitory effect on and .

An Integrated Liver Function, Systemic Inflammation, and Tumor Characteristic Score Predicts Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Curative Resection.

Background: Several scoring systems are currently used to predict prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but none of them integrates liver function, systemic inflammation, and tumor characteristics in a unified model. The current study aimed to develop and validate a novel prognostic score that integrates liver function, systemic inflammation, and tumor characteristics in a unified model to predict the prognosis of HCC after curative resection.

Methods: Patients with HCC who underwent curative liver resection were included in a training set (n = 1027).