Cellular senescence-Related genes define the immune microenvironment and molecular characteristics in severe asthma patients.

Recent studies have shown that cellular senescence is involved in the pathogenesis of severe asthma (SA). The objective of this study was to investigate the role of cellular senescence-related genes (CSGs) in the pathogenesis of SA. Here, 54 differentially expressed CSGs were identified in SA patients compared to healthy control individuals.

Role of sulfatide-reactive vNKT cells in promoting lung Treg cells via dendritic cell modulation in asthma models.

Our previous studies have showed that sulfatide-reactive type II NKT (i.e. variant NKT, vNKT) cells inhibit the immunogenic maturation during the development of mature lung dendritic cells (LDCs), leading todeclined allergic airway inflammation in asthma.

Anti-CD20 treatment attenuates Th2 cell responses: implications for the role of lung follicular mature B cells in the asthmatic mice.

Background: B cells were believed to act as antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to promote T helper type 2 (Th2) cell responses. However, the role of lung B cells and its subpopulations in Th2 cell responses in asthma remains unclear.

Objective: We leveraged an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment that has been shown to selectively deplete B cells in mice and investigated whether this treatment modulates Th2 cell responses and this modulation is related to lung follicular mature (FM) B cells in a murine model of asthma.

Anti-CD1d treatment suppresses immunogenic maturation of lung dendritic cells dependent on lung invariant natural killer T cells in asthmatic mice.

Our previous findings show that invariant natural killer T (iNKT)cells can promote immunogenic maturation of lung dendritic cells (LDCs) to enhance Th2 cell responses in asthma. It has been accepted that recognition of glycolipid antigens presented by CD1d molecules by the T cell receptors of iNKT cells leads to iNKT cell activation. Therefore, we examine the immunoregulatory influences of anti-CD1d treatment on Th2 cell response and immunogenic maturation of LDCs and subsequently explored whether these influences were dependent on lung iNKT cells in asthmatic mice.

Analysis of risk factors of fungal superinfections in viral pneumonia patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Infections with fungi, such as Aspergillus species, have been found as common complications of viral pneumonia. This study aims to determine the risk factors of fungal superinfections in viral pneumonia patients using meta-analysis.

Objective: This study aims to determine the risk factors of fungal infection s in viral pneumonia patients using meta-analysis.

Low-dose 5-fluorouracil ameliorates Th2 responses through the induction of apoptotic cell death of lung monocyte-derived dendritic cells in asthma.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is an analog of pyrimidine and has been shown to display antitumor and immunomodulatory effects. However, the impacts of 5-FU in regulating asthma, an inflammatory disease associated with T helper cell 2 (Th2) responses, remain unclear. Here, we determine the modulatory effects of low-dose 5-FU on Th2 cell responses in asthma and delineate the underlying mechanisms using adoptive cell transfer and in vitro culture experiments.

Cross-talk of four types of RNA modification writers defines the immune microenvironment in severe asthma.

Adenine modifications, including m A, m A, APA, and A-to-I modifications, are the most impactful RNA modifications. These modifications are primarily produced by enzymes called writers. The main purpose of this study was to explore the cross-talk and potential roles of these writers in severe asthma.

Identification of hub genes and potential biomarkers of neutrophilic asthma: evidence from a bioinformatics analysis.

Objective: Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease caused by multiple genetic and environmental factors. This study mainly sought to provide potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers for neutrophilic asthma (NA).

Methods: Three gene expression profiling datasets were obtained from the Genome Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.

Injectable and Thermosensitive Liposomal Hydrogels for NIR-II Light-Triggered Photothermal-Chemo Therapy of Pancreatic Cancer.

An injectable hydrogel sustained drug release system could be a promising technique for in situ treatment. Herein, an injectable hydrogel was prepared for photothermal-chemo therapy of cancer based on the thermosensitive liposomal hydrogel (Lip-Gel). The Lip-Gel system was fabricated by encapsulation of the NIR-II photothermal agent (DPP-BTz) and chemotherapy drugs (GEM) in thermosensitive liposomes and then combined with hydrogel precursor solution.

Near-infrared-II light excitation thermosensitive liposomes for photoacoustic imaging-guided enhanced photothermal-chemo synergistic tumor therapy.

Despite the great success of photothermal therapy (PTT), it still suffers from many obstacles, such as the limited penetration depth of light, thermoresistance of tumors, and limitations of mono-therapeutic modalities. Herein, second near-infrared (NIR-II, 1064 nm) light excitation thermosensitive liposomes (DG@TLs) were fabricated for photoacoustic imaging (PAI) guided enhanced PTT-chemotherapy. DG@TLs were constructed by encapsulating NIR-II light excitation semiconducting polymers into liposomes composed of phase change materials (PCMs), along with gambogic acid (GA) with chemotherapeutic and heat shock protein inhibition effects.

Erratum: MIST1 regulates SNAI1 and acts through the PTEN/AKT signaling axis to promote anoikis resistance in human melanoma cells.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3892/etm.2018.

The global COVID-19 pandemic at a crossroads: relevant countermeasures and ways ahead.

Background: Since the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China at the beginning of December 2019, there have been over 11,200,000 confirmed cases in the world as of the 3 July 2020, affecting over 213 countries and regions with nearly 530,000 deaths. The pandemic has been sweeping all continents, North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East and South Asia among others at an alarming rapidity. Here, we provide an estimate of the scale of the pandemic spread under different scenarios of variation in key influencing parameters with a hybrid model.

Tumor Microenvironment-Responsive Fe(III)-Porphyrin Nanotheranostics for Tumor Imaging and Targeted Chemodynamic-Photodynamic Therapy.

The development of effective and safe tumor nanotheranostics remains a research imperative. Herein, tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive Fe(III)-porphyrin (TCPP) coordination nanoparticles (FT@HA NPs) were prepared using a simple one-pot method followed by modification with hyaluronic acid (HA). FT@HA NPs specifically accumulated in CD44 receptor-overexpressed tumor tissues through the targeting property of HA and upon endocytosis by tumor cells.

MIST1 regulates SNAI1 and acts through the PTEN/AKT signaling axis to promote anoikisresistance in human melanoma cells.

Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer. The prognosis of CMM patients with ulcers, regional lymph node metastasis or organ metastasis is poor. In this process, resistance to anoikis is a critical step in tumor cell metastasis.

Evaluation of optical clearing with the combined liquid paraffin and glycerol mixture.

By scanning biological tissues in vivo and in vitro with optical coherence tomography, it is found that liquid paraffin can enhance the percutaneous penetration of glycerol in deep layers of tissue and take synergistically optical clearing effect with glycerol. It is shown from experimental results that 30% - 50% liquid paraffin glycerol solutions have the best enhancement effect. Considering the refractive index of liquid paraffin and its medicinal value, we think liquid paraffin will play an important role in optical clearing as the penetration enhancer of glycerol in future clinical research.