Clinical Evaluation of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing and Identification of Risk Factors in Patients with Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia.

Purpose: Severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP) is the leading cause of death among patients with infectious diseases worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) through detecting pathogens in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and identifying risk factors for recovery in SCAP patients.

Patients And Methods: This prospective study recruited 158 SCAP patients admitted to respiratory intensive care unit that were randomly divided into control and study groups, with receiving conventional tests and the same conventional tests plus mNGS, respectively.

Associations of the Methylation Levels of NFAT5, PVT1, RPS6KA1, and MIB1 with Steroid-Resistant Asthma.

Background: This study detected the methylation levels of nuclear factor-5 (NFAT5), PVT1, ribosomal protein S6 kinase A-1 (RPS6KA1), and MIB1 in patients with steroid-resistant asthma (SRA) and explored their associations with SRA.

Methods: In our pilot study, we found abnormal methylation of NFAT5, PVT1, RPS6KA1, and MIB1 in SRA patients according to genome-wide methylation screening. This study expanded the sample size to further validate the results of the pilot study.

Demineralized bone matrix scaffold modified with mRNA derived from osteogenically pre-differentiated MSCs improves bone repair.

Gene therapy based on mRNA provides a promising approach for bone regeneration. Quick mRNA translation and controlled protein production could be earned by implantation of mRNA-activated scaffold in bone remodeling region. Furthermore, the expression levels of osteogenic-related mRNA in the cytoplasm of osteogenically pre-differentiated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were high and the expression levels were different at different stages of osteogenically differentiated MSCs.

RNA-based scaffolds for bone regeneration: application and mechanisms of mRNA, miRNA and siRNA.

Globally, more than 1.5 million patients undergo bone graft surgeries annually, and the development of biomaterial scaffolds that mimic natural bone for bone grafting remains a tremendous challenge. In recent decades, due to the improved understanding of the mechanisms of bone remodeling and the rapid development of gene therapy, RNA (including messenger RNA (mRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and short interfering RNA (siRNA)) has attracted increased attention as a new tool for bone tissue engineering due to its unique nature and great potential to cure bone defects.

RRM1 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with gemcitabine.

Background: The usefulness of ribonucleotide reductase catalytic subunit M1 (RRM1) for predicting the therapeutic effects of gemcitabine-containing chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. RRM1-positive patients show unique clinicopathological features.

Methods: Here, we performed a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the relationship between RRM1 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of NSCLC patients treated with gemcitabine-containing regimens.