The role of RNA methylation in tumor immunity and its potential in immunotherapy.

RNA methylation, a prevalent post-transcriptional modification, has garnered considerable attention in research circles. It exerts regulatory control over diverse biological functions by modulating RNA splicing, translation, transport, and stability. Notably, studies have illuminated the substantial impact of RNA methylation on tumor immunity.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Immunosuppressive Function of Regulatory T Cells in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tissues.

Background: Immune-based therapies are commonly employed to combat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the presence of immune-regulating elements, especially regulatory T cells (Tregs), can dramatically impact the treatment efficacy. A deeper examination of the immune-regulation mechanisms linked to these inhibitory factors and their impact on HCC patient outcomes is warranted.

Transcatheter Arterial Embolization with Bleomycin-Lipiodol of Hepatic Hemangiomas: Safety, Efficacy and Predictors of Response.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety, efficacy and predictors of response of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) to treat hepatic hemangiomas (HHs).

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of consecutive HH patients who received TAE with bleomycin-Lipiodol emulsion and gelatin sponge particles at three institutions from January 2014 to January 2021. TAE effectiveness was defined as more than 50% reduction of tumor volume.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of CalliSpheres® microsphere-transarterial chemoembolization in large hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: The prognosis of large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unfavorable due to limited and challenging treatment. CalliSpheres® microsphere-transarterial chemoembolization (CSM-TACE) is an effective therapy for general HCC but not frequently applied for large HCC. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of CSM-TACE in large HCC patients.

Coexistence of a small bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumor, small bowel adenocarcinoma and ganglioneuroma in a patient with neurofibromatosis type I caused intussusception.

Neurofibromatosis type I is a relatively rare inherited disorder. Simultaneous occurrence of abdominal tumors of three types in NF-I and causing intussusception is rare. We report a synchronous case of small bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumor, small bowel adenocarcinoma, and ganglioneuroma complicated by intussusception in an old woman with NF-I.

Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Benefits for Hepatic Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome Associated with Consumption of Gynura Segetum: a Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Purpose: Pyrrolidine alkaloids-related hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (PA-HSOS) is associated with a high mortality rate without standardized therapy. The efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) remains controversial. The study aimed to explore the risk factors influencing the clinical response in patients with PA-HSOS related to Gynura segetum (GS) to assess the disease prognosis at an early stage and to evaluate the efficacy of TIPS in these patients.

Mechanistic insights of NAC1 nuclear export and its role in ovarian cancer resistance to docetaxel.

In this study, we uncovered the nuclear export of nucleus accumbens-associated protein-1 (NAC1) as a novel mechanism involved in ovarian cancer resistance to taxanes, the chemotherapeutic drugs commonly used in treatment of this malignancy. We showed that NAC1, a nuclear factor of the BTB/POZ gene family, has a nuclear export signal (NES) at the N terminus (aa 17-28), and this NES critically contributes to the NAC1 nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling when tumor cells were treated with docetaxel. Mechanistically, the nuclear-exported NAC1 bound to cullin3 (Cul3) and Cyclin B1 via its BTB and BOZ domains respectively, and the cyto-NAC1-Cul3 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex promotes the ubiquitination and degradation of Cyclin B1, thereby facilitating mitotic exit and leading to cellular resistance to docetaxel.

A rare cause of a bulging mass in the mid esophagus.

Aortoesophageal fistula, a rare and potentially fatal disease, is an abnormal connection between the aorta and esophagus. We have recently identified a case of aortoesophageal fistula, but it was characterized by submucosal bulge of esophagus, not gastrointestinal bleeding. And he was treated promptly.

Surface-Based Falff: A Potential Novel Biomarker for Prediction of Radiation Encephalopathy in Patients With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Radiation encephalopathy (RE) is an important potential complication in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) who undergo radiotherapy (RT) that can affect the quality of life. However, a functional imaging biomarker of pre-symptomatic RE has not yet been established. This study aimed to assess radiation-induced gray matter functional alterations and explore fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) as an imaging biomarker for predicting or diagnosing RE in patients with NPC.

Hepatic Artery Infusion of Floxuridine in Combination With Systemic Chemotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer Liver Metastasis: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis in Two Centers.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of hepatic artery infusion (HAI) of floxuridine (FUDR) in combination with systemic chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic cancer liver metastases (PCLM).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively collected clinical data of 347 patients with PCLM who underwent first-line chemotherapy at two Chinese centers between 2012 and 2019. Propensity score matching between patients with and without HAI was performed to compensate for differences in baseline characteristics.

High-affinity neoantigens correlate with better prognosis and trigger potent antihepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) activity by activating CD39CD8 T cells.

Objective: It remains controversial whether tumour mutational burden (TMB) or neoantigens are prognostic markers in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to define the function of TMB or neoantigens in antitumour immunotherapy.

Design: Neoantigens of patients (n=56) were analysed by pVAC tools with major histocompatibility complex-1 (MHC-I) algorithms based on whole exome sequencing and neoantigens with mutant type IC <50 nM were defined as high-affinity neoantigens (HANs).

Hepatic artery infusion pump for nasopharyngeal carcinoma with liver metastasis.

To evaluate the benefits and risks of hepatic artery infusion (HAI) gemcitabine and floxuridine (FUDR) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma liver metastases. HAI catheter systems were implanted under the guide of digital subtract angiography (DSA) in 16 patients with unresectable nasopharyngeal carcinoma liver metastases. HAI gemcitabine and FUDR in combination with radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy were delivered.

Identification of a small-molecule compound that inhibits homodimerization of oncogenic NAC1 protein and sensitizes cancer cells to anticancer agents.

Nucleus accumbens-associated protein-1 (NAC1) is a transcriptional repressor encoded by the gene, which is amplified and overexpressed in various human cancers and plays critical roles in tumor development, progression, and drug resistance. NAC1 has therefore been explored as a potential therapeutic target for managing malignant tumors. However, effective approaches for effective targeting of this nuclear protein remain elusive.

MiR-629 promotes human pancreatic cancer progression by targeting FOXO3.

The FOXO signaling pathway has been reported to have an important role in human cancer. Expression of miR-629 was markedly upregulated in pancreatic cancer and negatively correlated with FOXO3. Therefore, exploring the regulatory mechanism of miR-629 and FOXO3 signaling may provide valuable clinical targets for pancreatic cancer therapy.

The safety and efficacy of microwave ablation for the treatment of CRC pulmonary metastases.

Purpose: Microwave ablation (MWA) is a recently developed thermal ablation technique that has been used for the treatment of different types of tumours. In the present study, we retrospectively evaluated the safety and efficacy of CT-guided percutaneous MWA for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) pulmonary metastases.

Materials And Methods: From June 2010 to June 2015, 48 unresectable lesions in 32 patients with CRC pulmonary metastases were subjected to CT-guided MWA.

The combination of systemic chemotherapy and local treatment may improve the survival of patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer.

With the development of systemic chemotherapy, the survival time of patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) has increased. In addition, local treatments, such as microwave ablation and radioactive seed implantation, have been shown to be effective. However, the number of studies reporting on the effect of systemic chemotherapy combined with local treatments is limited.

Intra-observer and inter-observer agreements for the measurement of dual-input whole tumor computed tomography perfusion in patients with lung cancer: Influences of the size and inner-air density of tumors.

Background: This study was conducted to assess intra-observer and inter-observer agreements for the measurement of dual-input whole tumor computed tomography perfusion (DCTP) in patients with lung cancer.

Methods: A total of 88 patients who had undergone DCTP, which had proved a diagnosis of primary lung cancer, were divided into two groups: (i) nodules (diameter ≤3 cm) and masses (diameter >3 cm) by size, and (ii) tumors with and without air density. Pulmonary flow, bronchial flow, and pulmonary index were measured in each group.

Knockdown of PD-L1 in Human Gastric Cancer Cells Inhibits Tumor Progression and Improves the Cytotoxic Sensitivity to CIK Therapy.

Unlabelled: Background/Abstract: PD-L1 has been an important target of cancer immunotherapy. We have showed that in human gastric cancer tissues, over-expression of PD-L1 was significantly associated with cancer progression and patients' postoperative prognoses. However, as of now, how PD-L1 regulates the biological function of gastric cancer cells still remains elusive.

Higher Numbers of T-Bet+ Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Associate with Better Survival in Human Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.

Background/aims: T-bet, a member of the T-box family of transcription factors, is a key marker of type I immune response within the tumor microenvironment, and has been previously reported by us to serve as an important prognostic indicator for human gastric cancer patients and a potential biomarker for immunotherapy. In the present study, we aimed to assess the clinical significance and prognostic value of T-bet+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in human epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods: The immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the infiltration density of T-bet+ lymphoid cells in human epithelial ovarian cancer tissues, and the flow cytometry analysis was used to further analyze the presence of T-bet+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes subgroups in cancer tissues.

Phase II/III Study of Radiofrequency Ablation Combined with Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells Treating Colorectal Liver Metastases.

Purpose: This phase II/III, non-randomized clinical trial aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of the combination of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells transfusion for patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs).

Experimental Design: A total of 60 eligible patients with CRLMs were enrolled and divided into Group A (RFA alone, n = 30) and Group B (RFA plus CIK, n = 30), and following enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay was performed in 8 patients with CEA > 50 ng/mL pre-RFA and 7 days post-RFA and CIK treatment, respectively.

Results: The median progression-free survival (PFS) times of Group A and Group B were 18.

Assessment of combined expression of B7-H3 and B7-H4 as prognostic marker in esophageal cancer patients.

The co-stimulatory ligands of B7-family have been confirmed to play an important role in negatively regulating the T-cell mediated anti-tumor immunity. In addition, these inhibitory molecules are also aberrantly expressed on various human cancers tissues, and significantly associated with cancer progression and patients' poor prognoses. We have previously reported that B7-H3 and B7-H4 ligands are highly expressed in human esophageal cancer tissues.

Prognostic value of tumor infiltrating NK cells and macrophages in stage II+III esophageal cancer patients.

The detailed understanding of the immunobiology of tumor microenvironment has recently translated into new therapeutic approach against human cancers. Besides the role of immune cells mediating adaptive immune responses, the tumor infiltrating components of the innate immune system including, neutrophils, mast cells, NK cells, and macrophages, also role importantly in anti-tumor immunity. In our present study, we retrospectively analyzed the prognostic value of the densities of tumor infiltrating NK cells and macrophages in esophageal cancer tissues derived from stage II+III patients.