CD70-targeted iPSC-derived CAR-NK cells display potent function against tumors and alloreactive T cells.

Clinical application of autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells is complicated by limited targeting of cancer types, as well as the time-consuming and costly manufacturing process. We develop CD70-targeted, induced pluripotent stem cell-derived CAR-natural killer (NK) (70CAR-iNK) cells as an approach for universal immune cell therapy. Besides the CD70-targeted CAR molecule, 70CAR-iNK cells are modified with CD70 gene knockout, a high-affinity non-cleavable CD16 (hnCD16), and an interleukin (IL)-15 receptor α/IL-15 fusion protein (IL15RF).

Efficacy of Fruit Extract in Hangover Mitigation: Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Evaluation.

The fruit of Thunb. (HD) is renowned for its medicinal properties and is rich in bioactive compounds, traditionally used in East Asian medicine as a natural antidote for alcohol intoxication. A randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo (PLA)-controlled clinical trial was conducted to compare the effects of beverages containing 0.

Clinical Evaluation of Extract Combinations for Effective Hangover Relief in Humans.

Alcohol consumption is associated with both short- and long-term adverse effects, including hangover symptoms. The objective of this study was to examine the potential benefits of traditional beverages containing a combination of extract (HD) with either extract (HDPB) or glutathione yeast extract (HDGB) in abbreviating alcohol intoxication and mitigating hangover symptoms. A total of 25 participants between the ages of 19 and 40 who had previously experienced a hangover were evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo (PLA)-controlled clinical trial.

The Inferior Cerebellar Peduncle Sign: A Novel Imaging Marker for Differentiating Multiple System Atrophy Cerebellar Type from Spinocerebellar Ataxia.

Background And Purpose: The hot cross bun (HCB) sign is a hallmark feature of multiple system atrophy with predominant cerebellar ataxia (MSA-C), typically observed in advanced stages of the disease; however, it can also present in other conditions such as spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), making the differentiation challenging. The middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP) sign may be observed in various medical conditions and in healthy individuals. We hypothesized that the inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP), known to be affected in MSA-C, may exhibit hyperintensity on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging, potentially aiding in differentiating MSA-C from SCA.

Suppressive Effects of Geoje Raspberry ( Nakai ex J.Y. Yang) on Post-Menopausal Osteoporosis via Its Osteogenic Activity on Osteoblast Differentiation.

Background: Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease with a high mortality rate due to non-traumatic fractures. The risk of osteoporosis is increasing globally due to an increasing aging population. Current therapies are limited to delaying disease progression.

Safety Assessment and Evaluation of Probiotic Potential of IDCC 3601 for Human Use.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are probiotic microorganisms widely used for their health benefits in the food industry. However, recent concerns regarding their safety have highlighted the need for comprehensive safety assessments. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the safety of IDCC 3601, isolated from homemade plain yogurt, via genomic, phenotypic, and toxicity-based analyses.

The Induction of Drug Uptake Transporter Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide 1A2 by Radiation Is Mediated by the Nonreceptor Tyrosine Kinase v-YES-1 Yamaguchi Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog 1.

Organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATP, gene symbol ) are well-recognized key determinants for the absorption, distribution, and excretion of a wide spectrum of endogenous and exogenous compounds including many antineoplastic agents. It was therefore proposed as a potential drug target for cancer therapy. In our previous study, it was found that low-dose X-ray and carbon ion irradiation both upregulated the expression of OATP family member OATP1A2 and in turn, led to a more dramatic killing effect when cancer cells were cotreated with antitumor drugs such as methotrexate.

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors, Dulaglutide, and Risk for Dementia : A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: Both sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) may have neuroprotective effects in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, their comparative effectiveness in preventing dementia remains uncertain.

Objective: To compare the risk for dementia between SGLT2 inhibitors and dulaglutide (a GLP-1 RA).

Artificial intelligence-enhanced automation of left ventricular diastolic assessment: a pilot study for feasibility, diagnostic validation, and outcome prediction.

Background: Evaluating left ventricular diastolic function (LVDF) is crucial in echocardiography; however, the complexity and time demands of current guidelines challenge clinical use. This study aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based framework for automatic LVDF assessment to reduce subjectivity and improve accuracy and outcome prediction.

Methods: We developed an AI-based LVDF assessment framework using a nationwide echocardiographic dataset from five tertiary hospitals.

Clinical Value of Single-Projection Angiography-Derived FFR in Noninfarct-Related Artery.

Background: The Murray law-based quantitative flow ratio (μFR) is an emerging technique that requires only 1 projection of coronary angiography with similar accuracy to quantitative flow ratio (QFR). However, it has not been validated for the evaluation of noninfarct-related artery (non-IRA) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) settings. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of μFR and the safety of deferring non-IRA lesions with μFR >0.

Improving the Quality of Wheat Flour Bread by a Thermophilic Xylanase with Ultra Activity and Stability Reconstructed by Ancestral Sequence and Computational-Aided Analysis.

Xylanase is an essential component used to hydrolyze the xylan in wheat flour to enhance the quality of bread. Presently, cold-activated xylanase is popularly utilized to aid in the development of dough. In this study, ancestral sequence reconstruction and molecular docking of xylanase and wheat xylan were used to enhance the activity and stability of a thermophilic xylanase.

A Case Study: Electrically Assisted Stress Relief Annealing for Cold-Coiled Helical Automotive Springs.

This study experimentally investigated electrically assisted (EA) stress relief annealing for cold-coiled commercial automotive springs. In EA stress relief annealing, the temperature of a spring is rapidly increased to the annealing temperature (400 °C) and is held constant for a specified time using a pulsed electric current. Experimental findings show that the effectiveness of the EA stress relief annealing is superior to that of the conventional stress relief annealing, especially in terms of process time.

Enhancing NSCLC recurrence prediction with PET/CT habitat imaging, ctDNA, and integrative radiogenomics-blood insights.

While we recognize the prognostic importance of clinicopathological measures and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), the independent contribution of quantitative image markers to prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains underexplored. In our multi-institutional study of 394 NSCLC patients, we utilize pre-treatment computed tomography (CT) and F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) to establish a habitat imaging framework for assessing regional heterogeneity within individual tumors. This framework identifies three PET/CT subtypes, which maintain prognostic value after adjusting for clinicopathologic risk factors including tumor volume.

Association Between Orthostatic Hypertension and Frailty Among Older Patients With Hypertension.

Background: Frailty frequently coexists with hypertension in older patients. We aimed to evaluate the association between frailty and positional change in blood pressure, especially orthostatic hypertension.

Methods: Participants were recruited from 12 University hospitals in South Korea.

Cost-Effectiveness of Intravascular Imaging-Guided Complex PCI: Prespecified Analysis of RENOVATE-COMPLEX-PCI Trial.

Background: Although clinical benefits of intravascular imaging-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with complex coronary artery lesions have been observed in previous trials, the cost-effectiveness of this strategy is uncertain.

Methods: RENOVATE-COMPLEX-PCI (Randomized Controlled Trial of Intravascular Imaging Guidance vs Angiography-Guidance on Clinical Outcomes After Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) was conducted in Korea between May 2018 and May 2021. This prespecified cost-effectiveness substudy was conducted using Markov model that simulated 3 states: (1) post-PCI, (2) spontaneous myocardial infarction, and (3) death.

Synthetic PET from CT improves diagnosis and prognosis for lung cancer: Proof of concept.

[F]Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and computed tomography (CT) are indispensable components in modern medicine. Although PET can provide additional diagnostic value, it is costly and not universally accessible, particularly in low-income countries. To bridge this gap, we have developed a conditional generative adversarial network pipeline that can produce FDG-PET from diagnostic CT scans based on multi-center multi-modal lung cancer datasets (n = 1,478).

Drug Response of Patient-Derived Lung Cancer Cells Predicts Clinical Outcomes of Targeted Therapy.

Intratumor heterogeneity leads to different responses to targeted therapies, even within patients whose tumors harbor identical driver oncogenes. This study examined clinical outcomes according to a patient-derived cell (PDC)-based drug sensitivity test in lung cancer patients treated with targeted therapies. From 487 lung cancers, 397 PDCs were established with a success rate of 82%.

Development and Validation of Clinical-Radiomics Nomogram for Preoperative Prediction of Central Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

Background: This investigation sought to create and verify a nomogram utilizing ultrasound radiomics and crucial clinical features to preoperatively identify central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) in patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Methods: We enrolled 1069 patients with PTC between January 2022 and January 2023. All patients were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 748) and a validation cohort (n = 321).

Thermal-plex: fluidic-free, rapid sequential multiplexed imaging with DNA-encoded thermal channels.

Multiplexed fluorescence imaging is typically limited to three- to five-plex on standard setups. Sequential imaging methods based on iterative labeling and imaging enable practical higher multiplexing, but generally require a complex fluidic setup with several rounds of slow buffer exchange (tens of minutes to an hour for each exchange step). We report the thermal-plex method, which removes complex and slow buffer exchange steps and provides fluidic-free, rapid sequential imaging.

Clinical Benefit of Intravascular Imaging Compared With Conventional Angiography in Left Main Coronary Artery Intervention.

Background: The RENOVATE-COMPLEX-PCI (Randomized Controlled Trial of Intravascular Imaging Guidance Versus Angiography-Guidance on Clinical Outcomes After Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention) demonstrated that intravascular imaging-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) improved clinical outcome compared with angiography-guided PCI for patients with complex coronary artery lesions. This study aims to assess whether the prognostic benefit of intravascular imaging-guided procedural optimization persists in patients undergoing PCI for left main coronary artery disease.

Methods: Of 1639 patients enrolled in the RENOVATE-COMPLEX-PCI, 192 patients with left main coronary artery disease were selected for the current prespecified substudy.

Clinical Outcomes of Deferred Lesions by IVUS Versus FFR-Guided Treatment Decision.

Background: There are limited data regarding the safety of deferral of percutaneous coronary intervention based on intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) findings. The current study sought to compare the prognosis between deferred lesions based on IVUS and fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided treatment decision.

Methods: This study is a post hoc analysis of the FLAVOUR randomized trial (Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular Ultrasound for Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Intermediate Stenosis) that compared 2-year clinical outcomes between IVUS- and FFR-guided treatment decision on intermediate coronary artery lesions using predefined criteria.

Fully Automated Segmentation of Human Eyeball Using Three-Dimensional U-Net in T2 Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Purpose: To develop and validate a fully automated deep-learning-based tool for segmentation of the human eyeball using a three-dimensional (3D) U-Net, compare its performance to semiautomatic segmentation ground truth and a two-dimensional (2D) U-Net, and analyze age and sex differences in eyeball volume, as well as gaze-dependent volume consistency in normal subjects.

Methods: We retrospectively collected 474 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, including different gazing scans, from 119 patients. A 10-fold cross-validation was applied to separate the dataset into training, test, and validation sets for both the 3D U-Net and 2D U-Net.

Improvement in Delivery of Ischemic Stroke Treatments but Stagnation of Clinical Outcomes in Young Adults in South Korea.

Background: There is limited information on the delivery of acute stroke therapies and secondary preventive measures and clinical outcomes over time in young adults with acute ischemic stroke. This study investigated whether advances in these treatments improved outcomes in this population.

Methods: Using a prospective multicenter stroke registry in Korea, young adults (aged 18-50 years) with acute ischemic stroke hospitalized between 2008 and 2019 were identified.