Pharmacological Effects of a Ginseng-Containing Chinese Medicine Formula in Treating Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Comprehensive Bioinformatics and Experimental Validation.

Ginseng-containing Shentao Ruangan granules (STR) have been a well-known Chinese medicine prescription for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in China for decades. This study aimed to establish an experimental framework to decipher the underlying mechanism of STR in the treatment of HCC. Microarray analysis, network pharmacology, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq), bioinformatics analysis, and and experiments were used as integrated approaches to uncover the effects and mechanisms of action of STR.

A systematic review on the epidemiology and treatment options of multiple Myeloma in Asia.

Multiple myeloma (MM) accounts for almost 15 % of all neoplastic malignancies around the globe. This systematic review intends to analyse data on the treatment and management of MM in selected regions in Asia to identify and prioritize areas that need attention. A comprehensive review of original articles, published in English from 2005 to 2022, derived from the PubMed/MEDLINE database was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Dynamic changes in γδT cells and bone resorption markers after zoledronic acid in multiple myeloma: A prospective study.

We conducted a prospective evaluation for the dynamic change of γδT cells in peripheral blood (PB) and N-telopeptide of type I collagen in urine (uNTX) of patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM) who underwent their initial treatment with zoledronic acid (ZOA; Zobonic®, TTY, Taiwan). Between March 2012 and November 2015, a total of 35 patients were enrolled, including 25 newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) patients. The percentage of γδT cells in PB was assessed at 20 days prior to the first ZOA infusion, then at day 8, day 64, and day 85 after the infusion.

An open-label, first-in-human, single agent, dose escalation study for the evaluation of safety and efficacy of SAR442085 in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Objectives: Cluster of differentiation 38 (CD38) is a key target on multiple myeloma (MM) cells. This multi-centre, Phase 1, single-agent study (NCT04000282) investigated SAR442085, a novel fragment crystallisable (Fc)-modified anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody (mAb), with enhanced affinity towards Fc-gamma receptor on effector cells in patients with relapsed and/or refractory (RR) MM.

Methods: This study comprised two parts: Part-A (dose-escalation involving anti-CD38 mAb pre-treated and naïve patients) and Part-B (dose expansion).

Treatment pattern among patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) who had received pomalidomide-based regimens in Taiwan.

Background/purpose: The treatment landscape of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) is rapidly evolving in Taiwan. The present study aimed to assess the treatment patterns among RRMM patients in Taiwan.

Methods: This retrospective, chart review-based, non-interventional study collected data on RRMM patients (≥20 years old) receiving pomalidomide-based treatment between January 2017 and December 2020 across five sites in Taiwan.

The lack of PPARα exacerbated the progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in mice with spleen deficiency syndrome by triggering an inflammatory response.

Background: In addition to abnormal liver inflammation, the main symptoms of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are often accompanied by gastrointestinal digestive dysfunction, consistent with the concept of spleen deficiency (SD) in traditional Chinese medicine. As an important metabolic sensor, whether peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) participates in regulating the occurrence and development of NASH with SD (NASH-SD) remains to be explored.

Methods: Clinical liver samples were collected for RNA-seq analysis.

Pogostone attenuated high-fat diet-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice through inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome signaling.

Inhibition of inflammasome activation is a potential therapeutic strategy for treating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Pogostone (PO), an active ingredient in Pogostemon cablin, exhibits various pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammation. However, there are no reports of the hepatoprotective effects of PO in NAFLD induced by a high-fat diet (HFD).

Isatuximab-pomalidomide-dexamethasone pomalidomide-dexamethasone in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma: final overall survival analysis.

The primary and prespecified updated analyses of ICARIA-MM (clinicaltrial gov. Identifier: NCT02990338) demonstrated improved progression-free survival (PFS) and a benefit in overall survival (OS) was reported with the addition of isatuximab, an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, to pomalidomide-dexamethasone (Pd) in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Here, we report the final OS analysis.

Hepatic Zbtb18 (Zinc Finger and BTB Domain Containing 18) alleviates hepatic steatohepatitis via FXR (Farnesoid X Receptor).

A lasting imbalance between fatty acid synthesis and consumption leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), coupled with hepatitis and insulin resistance. Yet the details of the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we unraveled that the expression of the transcription factor Zbtb18 is markedly decreased in the livers of both patients and murine models of NAFLD.

Carfilzomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone are safe and effective in relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma: final report of the single-arm, multicenter, phase II ALLG MM018/AMN002 study.

This multicenter, phase II study of the Australasian Lymphoma and Leukemia Group and the Asian Myeloma Network investigated fixed-duration (18-month) treatment with carfilzomib (K), thalidomide (T), and dexamethasone (d) (KTd) in patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma who had received one to three prior lines of therapy. Patients received induction with up to 12 28-day cycles of carfilzomib (20 mg/m2 intravenously in cycle 1 on days 1 and 2, then 56 mg/m2 [36 mg/m2 for patients ≥75 years] from day 8 onwards), thalidomide 100 mg orally in the evening and weekly dexamethasone 40 mg (20 mg for patients ≥75 years). During maintenance, thalidomide was omitted, while carfilzomib was continued on days 1, 2, 15, and 16 with fortnightly dexamethasone.

Hepatic Clstn3 Ameliorates Lipid Metabolism Disorders in High Fat Diet-Induced NAFLD through Activation of FXR.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become serious liver disease all over the world. At present, NAFLD caused by high calorie and fat diet is increasing. Calsyntenin-3 (Clstn3) is a transmembrane protein that has recently been found to participate in lipid energy metabolism.

Hepatic ZBTB22 promotes hyperglycemia and insulin resistance via PEPCK1-driven gluconeogenesis.

Excessive gluconeogenesis can lead to hyperglycemia and diabetes through as yet incompletely understood mechanisms. Herein, we show that hepatic ZBTB22 expression is increased in both diabetic clinical samples and mice, being affected by nutritional status and hormones. Hepatic ZBTB22 overexpression increases the expression of gluconeogenic and lipogenic genes, heightening glucose output and lipids accumulation in mouse primary hepatocytes (MPHs), while ZBTB22 knockdown elicits opposite effects.

Hepatic ZBTB22-mediated detoxification ameliorates acetaminophen-induced liver injury by inhibiting pregnane X receptor signaling.

Overdose acetaminophen (APAP) can cause acute liver injury (ALI), but the underlying mechanism remains undetermined. This study explored the role of hepatic Zinc Finger And BTB Domain Containing 22 (ZBTB22) in defense against APAP-mediated hepatotoxicity. The results showed that hepatic ZBTB22 expression was significantly reduced in patients with ALI and mice.

Isatuximab-Pomalidomide-Dexamethasone Versus Pomalidomide-Dexamethasone in East Asian Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma: ICARIA-MM Subgroup Analysis.

Background: In the pivotal phase III, randomized, multicenter ICARIA-MM study (NCT02990338), isatuximab plus pomalidomide and dexamethasone (Isa-Pd) improved progression-free survival and overall response rate versus pomalidomide and dexamethasone (Pd) in the overall population of patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Patients And Methods: In this predefined subgroup analysis, efficacy, and safety between East Asian patients and the overall population were assessed.

Results: In total, 36 East Asian patients were included (Japanese, n = 13; Korean, n = 9; Taiwanese, n = 14).

Carfilzomib, dexamethasone, and daratumumab in Asian patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma: post hoc subgroup analysis of the phase 3 CANDOR trial.

Background: Due to increasing use of frontline lenalidomide, effective and safe lenalidomide-free therapies for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) are needed in Asia. This subgroup analysis of phase 3 CANDOR study evaluated efficacy and safety of KdD vs Kd in Asian patients with RRMM.

Methods: Self-identified Asian patients with RRMM (KdD = 46; Kd = 20) with 1‒3 prior therapies were included.

Bone marrow plasma level of decorin may be associated with improved treatment outcomes in a subset of multiple myeloma patients.

Background/purpose: Decorin is a small leucine-rich proteoglycan rich in extracellular matrix with potential antitumor activity. However, the role of decorin in hematological malignancies remains unclear, especially in the case of multiple myeloma (MM), a bone marrow (BM) stroma-dependent plasma cell neoplasm.

Methods: We measured decorin levels in BM plasma samples from 270 patients with newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Pomalidomide and Dexamethasone Are Effective in Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma in a Real-Life Setting: A Multicenter Retrospective Study in Taiwan.

Background: The therapeutic options of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) remain a challenge. The MM-003 trial demonstrated that RRMM patients treated with pomalidomide and dexamethasone (Pom/Dex) have better progression-free survival (PFS) than those treated with high-dose dexamethasone alone. However, the real-world effectiveness of Pom/Dex in these patients in Taiwan remains unclear.

Survival, health care resource utilization and expenditures of first-line treatments for multiple myeloma patients ineligible for transplant in Taiwan.

Background: We aimed to provide real-world information on survival, health care resource utilization (HCRU), and expenditures related to various first lines of therapy (1LOTs) in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients who were transplant ineligible (TI).

Patients And Methods: From the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database (2008-2016), we identified 1,511 NDMM-TI patients who had received 1LOT since June 2012. We categorized 1LOT regimens into four groups: bortezomib (V)+thalidomide (T), V, T, and non-V/T.

Pomalidomide and dexamethasone combination with additional cyclophosphamide in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (AMN001)-a trial by the Asian Myeloma Network.

Pomalidomide is a third generation immunomodulatory drug which in combination with dexamethasone, has been shown to be active in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. However, the data in Asian patients remain limited. We conducted a prospective phase two clinical trial in major cancer centers in Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong to assess the efficacy and safety of pomalidomide and dexamethasone combination (PomDex) +/- cyclophosphamide in Asian patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who failed lenalidomide and bortezomib.

Outcomes for Asian patients with multiple myeloma receiving once- or twice-weekly carfilzomib-based therapy: a subgroup analysis of the randomized phase 3 ENDEAVOR and A.R.R.O.W. Trials.

Carfilzomib is an irreversible proteasome inhibitor used for the treatment of relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). We evaluated the efficacy and safety of carfilzomib in subgroups of Asian patients in the randomized phase 3 ENDEAVOR and A.R.

Randomized phase III study (ADMYRE) of plitidepsin in combination with dexamethasone vs. dexamethasone alone in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

The randomized phase III ADMYRE trial evaluated plitidepsin plus dexamethasone (DXM) versus DXM alone in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma after at least three but not more than six prior regimens, including at least bortezomib and lenalidomide or thalidomide. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive plitidepsin 5 mg/m on D1 and D15 plus DXM 40 mg on D1, D8, D15, and D22 (arm A, n = 171) or DXM 40 mg on D1, D8, D15, and D22 (arm B, n = 84) q4wk. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).

Long non-coding RNA HOXB-AS3 promotes myeloid cell proliferation and its higher expression is an adverse prognostic marker in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent the majority of cellular transcripts and play pivotal roles in hematopoiesis. However, their clinical relevance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated the functions of HOXB-AS3, a lncRNA located at human HOXB cluster, in the myeloid cells, and analyzed the prognostic significances in patients with AML and MDS.

Adoptive donor immunity protects against resolved hepatitis B virus reactivation after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the world's largest retrospective cohort study.

Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) by reverse seroconversion (HBV-RS) after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) can occur in patients with resolved HBV infection (rHBV, defined as negative HBV surface antigen [HBsAg] and positive HBV core antibody), and may cause fatal hepatitis. To explore the risk factors, we retrospectively identified 817 consecutive patients who underwent allo-HSCT from 2005 to 2016 in this largest single centre cohort from National Taiwan Univerisity Hospital. Transplants using donors or recipients positive for HBsAg or HBV DNA were excluded, leaving 445 rHBV patients for analysis.

Bortezomib therapy in a real-world setting in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Bortezomib is a proteasome inhibitor, approved for treating newly diagnosed and relapsed multiple myeloma (MM). This realworld, multicenter, observational, non-interventional study of bortezomib was designed to collect and analyze prospective data in Taiwanese patients with relapsed or refractory MM. The primary endpoints included clinical effectiveness outcomes (disease response, disease progression [PD], time-to-response, time-toprogression, response duration, and overall survival [OS]).