Publications by authors named "F-C Cheng"

Article Synopsis
  • This study aimed to confirm the reliability of measuring choriocapillaris flow deficit (CCFD) within a specific macular grid and to track these measurements over time.
  • Researchers utilized advanced imaging technology to gather data, excluding certain areas in the scans to accurately calculate CCFD percentages in both normal eyes and those with eye conditions.
  • The findings showed that the methodology is effective for monitoring changes in CCFD, particularly in cases where drusen (eye abnormalities) resolved, demonstrating the practicality of the grid strategy for longitudinal studies.
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Protein/peptide subunit vaccines are promising to promote the tumor therapeutic efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). However, current protein/peptide vaccines elicit limited antitumor T cell responses, leading to suboptimal therapeutic efficacy. Here, we present proteolysis-targeting vaccines (PROTAVs) that facilitate antigen proteolytic processing and cross-presentation to potentiate T cell responses for robust ICB combination immunotherapy of melanoma.

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Many human-targeted drugs alter the gut microbiome, leading to implications for host health. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are not well known. Here we combined quantitative microbiome profiling, long-read metagenomics, stable isotope probing and single-cell chemical imaging to investigate the impact of two widely prescribed drugs on the gut microbiome.

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Poliovirus (PV) is on the brink of eradication due to global vaccination programs utilizing live-attenuated oral and inactivated polio vaccines. Recombinant PV virus-like particles (VLPs) are emerging as a safe next-generation vaccine candidate for the impending polio-free era. In this study, we investigate the production, antigenicity, thermostability, immunogenicity, and structures of VLPs derived from PV serotype 2 (PV2) wildtype strain and thermally stabilized mutant (wtVLP and sVLP, respectively).

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Background: CT-to-body divergence-described as the difference between preprocedural CT scans and intraprocedural lung architecture-is a significant barrier to improving diagnostic yield during navigational bronchoscopy. A major proposed contributor to CT-to-body divergence is the development of atelectasis, which can confound visualization of peripheral lung lesions via radial probe endobronchial ultrasound (RP-EBUS). High positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) ventilatory strategies have been used to decrease atelectasis, allowing the lesion to re-APPEAR on intraprocedure imaging.

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Introduction: New therapies to prevent or delay the onset of symptoms, slow progression, or improve cognitive and behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are needed.

Methods: We interrogated clinicaltrials.gov including all clinical trials assessing pharmaceutical therapies for AD active in on January 1, 2024.

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  • The Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX®) is used globally to calculate fracture risk but its methodology is not publicly available.
  • A study using data from a Taiwan community survey identified key clinical risk factors and simplified the FRAX® tool, enabling easier assessment of fracture risk.
  • The new model, which focuses on three primary risk factors, aims to help community screenings and provides a user-friendly way to estimate 10-year fracture risk without requiring specialized measurements like bone mineral density.
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Introduction: Blood protein biomarkers demonstrate potential for Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis. Limited studies examine the molecular changes in AD blood cells.

Methods: Bulk RNA-sequencing of blood cells was performed on AD patients of Chinese descent (n = 214 and 26 in the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively) with normal controls (n = 208 and 38 in the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively).

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Lassa virus (LASV) infection is expanding outside its traditionally endemic areas in West Africa, posing a pandemic biothreat. LASV-neutralizing antibodies, moreover, have proven difficult to elicit. To gain insight into LASV neutralization, here we develop a prefusion-stabilized LASV glycoprotein trimer (GPC), pan it against phage libraries comprising single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) from shark and camel, and identify one, D5, which neutralizes LASV.

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  • Visible perivascular spaces (BGPVS) are linked to cerebral small vessel disease and may signal higher future stroke risk based on a large analysis of patient data.
  • The study analyzed 7,778 participants with recent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), examining the relationship between BGPVS, CSOPVS, and various health factors.
  • Results indicated that a greater burden of BGPVS correlates with higher risks of ischemic stroke but not intracranial hemorrhage, while CSOPVS showed weaker associations overall.
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Background: The pathogenesis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is multifactorial and growing evidence has indicated that hematological disorders are involved. Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) has recently been associated with an increased risk of both hematological malignancies and cardiovascular diseases. However, the prevalence and clinical relevance of CHIP in patients with CTEPH remains unclear.

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Background And Objectives: Many acute treatment options exist for migraine. However, large-scale, head-to-head comparisons of treatment effectiveness from real-world patient experience reports are lacking.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of 10,842,795 migraine attack records extracted from an e-diary smartphone application between June 30, 2014, and July 2, 2020.

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  • A study was conducted on a Chinese family to investigate hereditary coagulation factor XII (FⅫ) deficiency, focusing on clinical features and genetic mutations.
  • Testing showed a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and significantly low levels of FⅫ activity and antigen in one family member, the proband.
  • DNA analysis identified two harmful genetic variants in the F12 gene, suggesting these mutations are likely responsible for the family's FⅫ deficiency.
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  • CAR-T therapy is effective for B-cell lymphoma but is costly and has safety concerns due to its complicated genetic modification process.
  • A new approach, antibody-cell conjugation (ACC), allows for attaching cancer-targeting antibodies to immune cells without genetic changes, resulting in a treatment called ACE1831, which uses rituximab-conjugated γδ2 T cells.
  • ACE1831 showed enhanced cancer-killing ability in lab studies and improved survival in mice with B-cell lymphoma, showing promise as an accessible treatment option without harmful side effects.
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Rationale And Objectives: To evaluate the association between positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers and survival outcomes in patients with endometrial cancer.

Materials And Methods: Between April 2014 and April 2016, 88 patients with newly diagnosed endometrial cancer participated this prospective study and underwent [F] fluorodeoxyglucose PET/MRI. Sixty-nine patients with measurable tumors on PET/MRI were included in the image analysis.

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease with pathogenic inflammation caused partly by excessive cell-free DNA (cfDNA). Specifically, cfDNA is internalized into immune cells, such as macrophages in lymphoid tissues and joints, and activates pattern recognition receptors, including cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase (cGAS), resulting in overly strong proinflammation. Here, nanomedicine-in-hydrogel (NiH) is reported that co-delivers cGAS inhibitor RU.

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Background: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is an obliterative and diffuse form of vasculopathy and is the most common cause of long-term cardiovascular mortality in heart transplant patients. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of Tc and Tl tracers in the assessment of CAV using cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial flow reserve (MFR) quantification, which was further validated using N-NH positron emission tomography (PET).

Methods: Thirty-eight patients with prior heart transplantation who underwent CZT SPECT and N-NH PET dynamic scans were included in this study.

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Introduction: Drugs that prevent the onset, slow progression, or improve cognitive and behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are needed.

Methods: We searched ClinicalTrials.gov for all current Phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials for AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) attributed to AD.

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To analyze the gene variation of a genetic coagulation factor Ⅴ (FⅤ) deficiency pedigree and explore the molecular pathogenesis. The proband was a 32 years old female. The patient was prone to nose bleeding since childhood which was usually self-healed.

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CreTA, CRISPR-regulated toxin-antitoxin (TA), safeguards CRISPR-Cas immune systems by inducing cell dormancy/death upon their inactivation. Here, we characterize a bacterial CreTA associating with the I-F CRISPR-Cas in Acinetobacter. CreT is a distinct bactericidal small RNA likely targeting several essential RNA molecules that are required to initiate protein synthesis.

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Background: The presence of abnormal substrate of left atrium is a predictor of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation. We aimed to investigate the isochronal late activation mapping to access the abnormal conduction velocity for predicting AF ablation outcome.

Methods: Forty-five paroxysmal AF patients (30 males, 57.

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Background: NDRG-1 (N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1) is a member of NDRG family that plays essential roles in cell differentiation, proliferation, and stress responses. Although the expression of NDRG1 is regulated by fluid shear stress, its roles in vascular biology remain poorly understood. The purpose of the study is to determine the functional significance of NDRG1 in vascular inflammation and remodeling.

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Background: Crohn's disease (CD) is highly heterogenous and may be complicated by stricturing behavior. Personalized prediction of stricturing will inform management. We aimed to create a stricturing risk stratification model using genomic/clinical data.

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Melanoma currently lacks validated blood-based biomarkers for monitoring and predicting treatment efficacy. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), originating from tumor cells and detectable in plasma, has emerged as a possible biomarker in patients with metastatic melanoma. In this retrospective, single-center study, we collected 129 plasma samples from 79 patients with stage IIIB-IV melanoma as determined by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC, 8th edition).

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