Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory disorder with rising prevalence. Due to the recurrent and difficult-to-treat nature of UC symptoms, current pharmacological treatments fail to meet patients' expectations. This study presents a machine learning-assisted high-throughput screening strategy to expedite the discovery of efficient nanozymes for UC treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPreserving healthy river habitats is essential for maintaining fish diversity. Over time, anthropogenic activities have severely damaged river habitats, leading to notable changes in fish diversity patterns. Conducting thorough and reliable investigations into fish diversity is crucial for assessing anthropogenic impacts on diversity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmunocompromised populations, including cancer patients, elderly individuals, and those with chronic diseases, are the primary targets of superbugs. Traditional vaccines are less effective due to insufficient or impaired immune cells. Inspired by the "vanguard" effect of neutrophils (NE) during natural infection, this project leverages the ability of NE to initiate the NETosis program to recruit monocytes and DC cells, designing vaccines that can rapidly recruit immune cells and enhance the immune response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground/aim: Chemotherapy based on 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) is the first-line treatment for advanced gastric cancer (GC) patients. Importantly, 5-Fu resistance is recognized as a major obstacle for the successful treatment of GC. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are non-coding RNAs involved in the pathogenesis of GC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To develop a model for accurate prediction of axillary lymph node (LN) status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer patients with nodal involvement.
Methods: Between October 2018 and February 2024, 671 breast cancer patients with biopsy-proven LN metastasis who received NAC followed by axillary LN dissection were enrolled in this prospective, multicenter study. Preoperative ultrasound (US) images, including B-mode ultrasound (BUS) and shear wave elastography (SWE), were obtained.
The N-acyl-homoserine-lactone (AHLs)-mediated quorum sensing (QS) system is crucial for the coordination of microbial behaviors within communities. However, the levels of AHLs in biofilms in drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) and their impact on biofilm formation remain poorly understood. Herein, we simulated DWDSs via biofilm reactors to explore the presence and influence of AHLs during the initial stages of biofilm formation on pipe walls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Triglycerides and glucose (TyG) index, a relatively convenient method for assessing insulin resistance, has been confirmed as an independent predictor both for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in previous studies. However, a few studies focus on the prognostic value of TyG index for CVD in patients diagnosed with CKD, especially in advanced CKD patients. In this study, we aim to investigate the prognostic value of TyG index for heart failure (HF) in patients with non-dialysis CKD stage 3-5.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To develop a combined approach using shear wave elastography (SWE) and conventional ultrasound (US) to determine the extent of positive axillary lymph nodes (LNs) following neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in breast cancer patients with nodal involvement.
Methods: This prospective, multicenter study was registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2400085035). From October 2018 to February 2024, a total of 303 breast cancer patients with biopsy-proven positive LN were enrolled.
Photo-immunotherapy is a promising strategy for the treatment of malignancies; however, its efficacy is often limited by the low tumor immunogenicity and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). TME is typically deficient in L-arginine (L-Arg), which negatively impacts T cell survival and function. To address this issue, we developed a novel drug delivery system based on the multi-vesicular liposomes (MVLs) loaded with photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) and L-Arg (R), named R-ICG@MVLs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) commonly experience a high prevalence of multiple metabolic diseases (MD), leading to higher morbidity and premature mortality. Here, we aimed to investigate the pathogenesis of MD in RA patients (RA_MD) through an integrated multi-omics approach.
Methods: Fecal and blood samples were collected from a total of 181 subjects in this study for multi-omics analyses, including 16S rRNA and internally transcribed spacer (ITS) gene sequencing, metabolomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and phosphoproteomics.
Background: The role of quorum sensing signaling in the immunoinflammatory response during the development of periodontitis is not yet known. This study aimed to explore the effect of Autoinducer-2, a quorum sensing signaling molecule, on macrophage phenotypic remodeling in the immune microenvironment of periodontitis, to further elucidate its mechanism and to discover inhibitors against periodontitis.
Methods: Bioluminescence experiments and periodontitis model were used to demonstrate the association between periodontitis progression with AI-2.
Previous studies have suggested that diabetic patients should align their food and nutrient intake with their biological metabolic rhythm. However, the optimal timing of coffee consumption to prevent the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in diabetic patients remains unknown. This study aims to examine the association between the amount and timing of coffee consumption and CKD prevalence in diabetic patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdoptive cell therapy (ACT) emerged as a promising approach for cancer treatment, yet its application in solid tumors faced challenges such as inadequate tumor infiltration and cellular dysfunction. Histone acetylation is reported to play a crucial role in restoring T-cell function within tumor tissues. Building upon previous research, a novel strategy involving the co-loading of two drugs, G3C12 and vorinostat (SAHA), into PLGA microspheres to form G3C12+SAHA@PLGA is developed for intratumoral injection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIndole, a compound in Chinese stinky tofu (ST), acts as a ligand for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Despite extensive research on prebiotic compounds, indole's specific role in ST remains unexplored. This study used an ethanol gavage method to create an ALD (alcoholic liver disease) mouse model and investigate dietary indole's effects on the intestinal barrier.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Hippocampal-avoidance whole-brain radiotherapy (HA-WBRT) planning can present challenges. This study examines the influence of head tilt angles on the dosimetric characteristics of target and organs at risk (OARs), aiming to identify the optimal tilt angle that yields optimal dosimetric outcomes using tomotherapy (TOMO).
Methods: Eight patients diagnosed with brain metastases underwent CT scans at five tilt angles: [0°, 10°), [10°, 20°), [20°, 30°), [30°, 40°), and [40°, 45°].
Importance: Previous evidence suggests that maternal hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection during prepregnancy or pregnancy is associated with congenital heart diseases (CHDs) in offspring. However, the association of paternal HBV infection with CHDs is not well examined.
Objective: To explore the association of paternal preconception HBV infection with CHDs in offspring.
This investigation explores the impact of various fermentation techniques and the inoculation of Bacillus subtilis spores on the physicochemical properties and principal flavor profiles of Huangjiu. Employing sensory analysis, headspace solid-phase microextraction, gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), we observed that these variables significantly alter the physicochemical attributes of Huangjiu. Our analysis, integrating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with odor activity values (OAV), revealed that while B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is an essential stage in the progression of different chronic liver conditions to cirrhosis and even hepatocellular carcinoma. The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) plays a crucial role in the progression of HF. IFN- γ/Smad7 pathway can inhibit HSCs activation, while TGF-β1/CUGBP1 pathway can inhibit IFN-γ/Smad7 pathway transduction and promote HSCs activation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) exhibit compromised therapeutic efficacy in many patients with advanced cancers, particularly those with liver metastases. Much of this incapability can be ascribed as an irresponsiveness resulting from the "cold" hepatic tumor microenvironment that acts as T cell "traps" for which there currently lack countermeasures. We report a novel nanomedicine that converts the hepatic immune microenvironment to a "hot" phenotype by targeting hepatic macrophage-centric T cell elimination.
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