Tumor-derived interleukin-1 receptor antagonist exhibits immunosuppressive functions and promotes pancreatic cancer.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a pernicious disease characterized by an immunosuppressive milieu that is unresponsive to current immunotherapies. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) is a natural anti-inflammatory cytokine; however, its contribution to cancer pathogenesis and immunosuppression remains elusive. In this research, we investigated the role and mechanism of IL-1Ra in malignant progression of PDA.

Association of Nilotinib With Cardiovascular Diseases in Patients With Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: A National Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment has been identified to be a risk factor for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in patients diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, the specific contribution of post-TKI metabolic syndrome and the individual TKIs, including imatinib, nilotinib, and dasatinib, contribute to the development of CVDs remains unclear.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide database to investigate the incidence of post-TKI metabolic syndrome, including diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension, as well as their association with CVDs.

Real-world patient characteristics and treatment patterns of polycythemia vera in Taiwan between 2016 and 2017: a nationwide cross-sectional study.

Background: Polycythemia vera (PV) patients often experience constitutional symptoms and are at risk of thromboembolism as well as disease progression to myelofibrosis or acute myeloid leukemia. Not only is PV often overlooked but treatment options are also limited, however.

Objectives: To explore the patient characteristics and treatment pattern of PV patients in Taiwan, and compare with other countries reported in the literature.

Frailty in chronic myeloid leukemia: evidence from 2016-2018 Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the US.

Background: Frailty is a marker of poor prognosis in older adults with hematologic malignancies and contributes to the severe vulnerability of the aging population to adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to determine the association between frailty and outcomes in hospitalized patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

Methods: The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) identified data on hospitalized patients 20 years or older admitted with CML between 2016 and 2018 in the US National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database.

Risk of critical limb ischemia in long-term uterine cancer survivors: A population-based study.

Background: The risk of critical limb ischemia (CLI) which causes ischemic pain or ischemic loss in the arteries of the lower extremities in long-term uterine cancer (UC) survivors remains unclear, especially in Asian patients, who are younger at the diagnosis of UC than their Western counterparts.

Aim: To conduct a nationwide population-based study to assess the risk of CLI in UC long-term survivors.

Methods: UC survivors, defined as those who survived for longer than 5 years after the diagnosis, were identified and matched at a 1:4 ratio with normal controls.

Disruption of CCL2 in Mesenchymal Stem Cells as an Anti-Tumor Approach against Prostate Cancer.

Background: MSCs are known to secrete abundant CCL2, which plays a crucial role in recruiting TAMs, promoting tumor progression. It is important to know whether disrupting MSC-derived CCL2 affects tumor growth.

Methods: Murine bone marrow-derived MSCs were characterized by their surface markers and differentiation abilities.

Enriched Peripheral Blood-Derived Mononuclear Cells for Treating Knee Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic skeletal disease in the elderly. There is no effective therapy to reverse disease severity and knee OA (KOA) progression, particularly at the late stage. This study aims to examine the effect of peripheral blood-derived mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) on pain and motor function rescue in patients with Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade II to IV KOA.

Comparing the Therapeutic Mechanism and Immune Response of Human and Mouse Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Immunocompetent Mice With Acute Liver Failure.

Current mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) research is based on xenotransplantation of human MSCs (hMSCs) in immunodeficient mice and cannot comprehensively predict MSC repair mechanisms and immunomodulatory effects in damaged tissue. This study compared the therapeutic efficacy, mechanisms, and immune response of hMSCs and mouse MSCs (mMSCs) in immunocompetent mice with CCl4-induced acute liver failure. mMSCs maintained F4/80+ hepatic macrophage recruitment into the damaged liver region, increased IL-6-dependent hepatocyte proliferation, and reduced inflammatory TNF-α cytokine secretion.

Induction of type II collagen expression in M2 macrophages derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

The human type II collagen (Col II), specifically expressed in chondrocytes, is a crucial component of the adult hyaline cartilage. We examine the potential of artificial induction of Col II in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) as a novel Col II provider. Human PBMNCs were purified and were treated with high doses of macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), or granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and examined the Col II expression at indicated days.

Clinical assessment for non-reversal stoma and stoma re-creation after reversal surgery for patients with rectal cancer having undergoing sphincter-saving operation.

Background: This study aimed to identify the risk factors for permanent stoma (PS) in patients who underwent sphincter-saving operations for rectal cancer.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 597 consecutive patients with rectal cancer from January 2012 to December 2020 at Taipei Medical University Hospital. Univariate and multivariable analyses were used to analyze risk factors for PS.

The potential and limitation of targeted chromosomal breakpoint sequencing for the fusion gene identification in lung cancer.

fusion genes are rare but important driver genes in lung cancer. Owing to their rarity, many clinicopathological features and treatment responses for each fusion variant are still largely unknown and require further investigation. RNA is the preferable template for the fusion gene screening, but deterioration of RNA in FFPE often makes the detection challenging.

Correlation between drug sensitivity profiles of circulating tumour cell-derived organoids and clinical treatment response in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Introduction: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is highly aggressive and has poor prognosis. There are few biomarkers to inform treatment decisions, and collecting tumour samples for testing is challenging.

Methods: Circulating tumour cells (CTCs) from patients with PDAC liquid biopsies were expanded ex vivo to form CTC-derived organoid cultures, using a laboratory-developed biomimetic cell culture system.

Different impacts of common risk factors associated with thrombocytopenia in patients with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection.

Background: Thrombocytopenia is a common extrahepatic manifestation in chronic liver disease. However, there have been rare studies of impacts of risk for hepatitis C virus-associated thrombocytopenia (HCV-TP) and hepatitis B virus-associated thrombocytopenia (HBV-TP). The aim of this study is to evaluate different impacts of risk factors for HCV-TP and HBV-TP.

Roles of Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist in Prostate Cancer Progression.

Background: Inflammation is known to promote tumor formation and progression; however, we found a natural anti-inflammatory factor, interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN), in a mouse transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP)-C1-derived tumor microenvironment (TME). We sought to characterize the functions of the IL1RN-secreting cells in the TME.

Methods: We compared tumors collected from two syngeneic mouse models and isolated tumor-infiltrating leukocytes (TILs) with different cluster of differentiation 11b (CD11b) statuses.

Tumor-infiltrating Leukocytes Suppress Local Inflammation Via Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist in a Syngeneic Prostate Cancer Model.

Background: Several lines of evidence have demonstrated the tumor-promoting function of inflammation. Since many chemokines are important in coordinating immune cells during inflammation, monitoring intratumoral chemokines provides a way to study the tumor microenvironment.

Methods: To identify tumorigenic chemokines, we compared two syngeneic mouse prostate cancer cell lines by an antibody array and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Radiotherapy Is Associated with an Accelerated Risk of Ischemic Stroke in Oral Cavity Cancer Survivors after Primary Surgery.

The number of oral cavity carcinoma (OCC) survivors continues to increase due to advances in definitive surgery and radiation therapy (RT), however the risk of ischemic stroke is unclear in long-term survivors. In this study, survivors are defined as those who survived for >5 years after a diagnosis of OCC. They were matched at a 1:5 ratio with normal controls.

A Novel Anti-PD-L1 Vaccine for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunoprevention.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells that play a critical role in activating cellular and humoral immune responses. DC-based tumor vaccines targeting tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) have been extensively tested and demonstrated to be safe and potent in inducing anti-TAA immune responses in cancer patients. Sipuleucel-T (Provenge), a cancer vaccine of autologous DCs loaded with TAA, was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer.

High Expression of Acid-Sensing Ion Channel 2 (ASIC2) in Bone Cells in Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures.

Little is known about the function of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) in bone cells or osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF). This study delineated ASICs expression in adult human bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells- (BM-MSC-) derived osteoblasts and in OVF bone cells. Adult BM-MSC-derived osteoblasts were isolated and cultured in different pH values.

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization improves the resectability of malignant breast phyllodes tumor with angiosarcoma component: a case report.

Background: A giant phyllodes tumor of the breast is a rare fibroepithelial lesion, and its treatment is controversial. Many case reports have reported performing skin graft reconstruction after tumor excision. Chest wall resection may be required if the tumor has invaded the chest muscle layer.

Accelerated Risk of Premature Ischemic Stroke in 5-Year Survivors of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Background: Research on cancer survivorship associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is rare. We aimed to elucidate the risk of ischemic stroke in 5-year survivors of NPC following radiotherapy (RT) or concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT).

Subjects, Materials, And Methods: NPC survivors, defined as those who survived longer than 5 years after diagnosis, were identified and matched at a 1:5 ratio with normal controls from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2005 of Taiwan.

A Phase II study of S-1 plus oral leucovorin in heavily treated metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

Purpose: Fewer treatment options are available for refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). In early trials, S-1 monotherapy was effective for mCRC patients after chemotherapy failure and its combination with oral leucovorin therapy offers promising results in untreated mCRC. Hence, we conduct a Phase II trial to assess the efficacy of S-1 plus oral leucovorin (SL) in refractory mCRC that progressed after multiple prior standard therapies.

Satisfaction with pain management and impact of pain on quality of life in cancer patients.

Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of pain in cancer outpatients in Taiwan and to investigate the impact of pain on quality of life (QoL) and patient satisfaction. Results were compared to those of a similarly designed study conducted in 2008 to identify trends.

Methods: Adult patients with cancer treated as outpatients in hospitals throughout Taiwan were recruited.

and Methylation Attenuates Tubulin Expression and Cell Stiffness in Cancer.

Cell stiffness is a potential biomarker for monitoring cellular transformation, metastasis, and drug resistance development. Environmental factors relayed into the cell may result in formation of inheritable markers (e.g.