Ultrasensitive detection of circulating tumour DNA via deep methylation sequencing aided by machine learning.

The low abundance of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) in plasma samples makes the analysis of ctDNA biomarkers for the detection or monitoring of early-stage cancers challenging. Here we show that deep methylation sequencing aided by a machine-learning classifier of methylation patterns enables the detection of tumour-derived signals at dilution factors as low as 1 in 10,000. For a total of 308 patients with surgery-resectable lung cancer and 261 age- and sex-matched non-cancer control individuals recruited from two hospitals, the assay detected 52-81% of the patients at disease stages IA to III with a specificity of 96% (95% confidence interval (CI) 93-98%).

FXR agonists enhance the sensitivity of biliary tract cancer cells to cisplatin via SHP dependent inhibition of Bcl-xL expression.

Chemoresistance is common in patients with biliary tract cancer (BTC) including gallbladder cancer (GBC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC). Therefore, it is necessary to identify effective chemotherapeutic agents for BTC. In the present study, we for the first time tested the effect of farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists GW4064 and CDCA (chenodeoxycholic acid) in combination with cisplatin (CDDP) on increasing the chemosensitivity in BTC.

[Triple acupuncture method at cervical Jiaji (EX-B 2) for cervicogenic headache: a randomized controlled trial].

Objective: To compare the efficacy difference between triple acupuncture method at cervical Jiaji (EX-B 2) and conventional acupuncture for cervicogenic headache.

Methods: A total of 66 patients were randomly divided into a triple acupuncture group and a conventional acupuncture group, 33 cases in each one. The acupoints selected in the two groups were identical, including C1 to C7 of cervical Jiaji (EX-B 2) as well as Baihui (GV 20), Qiangjian (GV 18), Naokong (GB 19), Fengchi (GB 20), Fengfu (GV 16), Tianzhu (BL 10), etc.