LILRB4 as a novel immunotherapeutic target for multiple diseases.

Immune checkpoints are critical for maintaining autoimmune homeostasis and are implicated in various autoimmune diseases, with their significance increasingly recognized. Investigating the functions and mechanisms of these checkpoints is essential for the development of more effective treatments. Leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor subfamily B member 4 (LILRB4) stands out as a unique immune checkpoint, with limited expression in most normal tissues but prominent presence in various hematological and solid tumors.

Unlocking the Key to Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production Using Electronic Mediators for Z-Scheme Water Splitting.

A prevalent challenge in particulate photocatalytic water splitting lies in the fact that while numerous photocatalysts exhibit outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity in organic sacrificial reagents, their performance diminishes markedly in a Z-scheme water splitting system using electronic mediators. This underlying reason remains undefined, posing a long-standing issue in photocatalytic water splitting. Herein, we unveiled that the primary reason for the decreased HER activity in electronic mediators is due to the strong adsorption of shuttle ions on cocatalyst surfaces, which inhibits the initial proton reduction and results in a severe backward reaction of the oxidized shuttle ions.

Double-targeted liposomes coated with matrix metallopeptidase-2-responsive polypeptide nanogel for chemotherapy and enhanced immunotherapy against cervical cancer.

Immunotherapy is a cornerstone in cancer treatment, celebrated for its precision, ability to eliminate residual cancer cells, and potential to avert tumor recurrence. Nonetheless, its effectiveness is frequently undermined by the immunosuppressive milieu created by tumors. This study presents a novel nanogel-based drug delivery system, DOX-4PI@CpG@Lipo@Gel (DPCLG), engineered to respond to Matrix Metallopeptidase-2 (MMP-2)-a protease abundant in the tumor microenvironment (TME).

A Smart mRNA-Initiated Theranostic Multi-shRNA Nanofactory for Precise and Efficient Cancer Gene Therapy.

Despite the significant potential of short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated gene therapy for various diseases, the clinical success of cancer treatment remains poor, partly because of low selectivity and low efficiency. In this study, an mRNA-initiated autonomous multi-shRNA nanofactory (RNF@CM) is designed for in vivo amplification imaging and precise cancer treatment. The RNF@CM consists of a gold nanoparticle core, an interlayer of two types of three-stranded DNA/RNA hybrid probes, one of which is bound to aptamer-inhibited DNA polymerases, and an outer layer of the cancer cell membrane.

Cervical spine infection arising from chronic paronychia: A case report and review of literature.

Background: Cervical spine pyogenic infection (CSPI) is a rare and challenging form of spinal infection that is typically caused by pyogenic bacteria and primarily affects the cervical vertebral bodies and surrounding tissues. Given its nonspecific symptoms, such as fever and neck pain, early diagnosis is crucial to prevent severe complications, including spinal cord injury. We report a previously unreported case of acute CSPI arising from chronic paronychia, exploring its diagnostic and therapeutic challenges through a review of the current literature.

Alleviating batch effects in cell type deconvolution with SCCAF-D.

Cell type deconvolution methods can impute cell proportions from bulk transcriptomics data, revealing changes in disease progression or organ development. But benchmarking studies often use simulated bulk data from the same source as the reference, which limits its application scenarios. This study examines batch effects in deconvolution and introduces SCCAF-D, a computational workflow that ensures a Pearson Correlation Coefficient above 0.

Human milk microbiota and oligosaccharides in colostrum and mature milk: comparison and correlation.

Background: The interaction between the human breast milk microbiota and human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) plays a crucial role in the healthy growth and development of infants. We aimed to clarify the link between the breast milk microbiota and HMOs at two stages of lactation.

Methods: The microbiota and HMOs of 20 colostrum samples (C group, 1-5 days postpartum) and 20 mature milk samples (S group, 42 days postpartum) collected from postpartum mothers were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing and high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Single-Nucleus and Spatial Transcriptome Profiling Delineates the Multicellular Ecosystem in Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy.

Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) has emerged as a promising treatment strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but a detailed understanding of the multicellular ecosystem after HAIC treatment is lacking. Here, we collected tumor samples from treatment-naïve primary and post-HAIC HCC, and integrated single-nucleus RNA sequencing with spatial transcriptomics to characterize the tumor ecosystem in the post-HAIC HCC. Increased fractions and enhanced cellular communication of CD4 T, CD20 B, and dendritic cell subtypes were identified in post-HAIC tumors.

The muscle-intervertebral disc interaction mediated by L-BAIBA modulates extracellular matrix homeostasis and PANoptosis in nucleus pulposus cells.

Upon engaging in physical activity, skeletal muscle synthesizes myokines, which not only facilitate crosstalk with various organs, including the brain, adipose tissue, bone, liver, gut, pancreas, and skin but also promote intramuscular signaling. Crosstalk is vital for maintaining various physiological processes. However, the specific interactions between skeletal muscle and intervertebral discs remain largely unexplored.

Short-term spinal cord stimulation versus debridement for the treatment of diabetic foot: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: This is the first study to evaluate the efficacy of short-term Spinal Cord Stimulation (st-SCS) versus debridement for treating Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFU).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed records from DFU patients treated at our hospital. Patients were divided into two groups: 62 received st-SCS with debridement (SCS group), and 43 received only debridement (debridement group).

Effects of Early Oral Feeding on Quality of Life Following Esophagectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The role of early oral feeding (EOF) following esophagectomy remains debated. This study evaluates whether postoperative EOF improves patients' quality of life.

Methods: A comprehensive search was performed across eight databases to identify relevant studies.

Development of a rapid method for the simultaneous determination of aminophylline, doxofylline, bromhexine, and ambroxol by HPLC.

Antitussive and expectorant drugs such as aminophylline (APL), doxofylline (DXL), bromhexine hydrochloride (BXH), and ambroxol hydrochloride (AXH), either individually or in combination, are widely used in the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases. The study aimed to establish a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the simultaneous determination of these four drugs and to investigate their stability in 0.9% sodium chloride injection or 5% glucose injection over 48 hours.

Visualizing Ultrafast Photogenerated Electron and Hole Separation in Facet-Engineered Bismuth Vanadate Crystals.

Photogenerated charge separation is pivotal for effecting efficient photocatalytic reactions. Understanding this process with spatiotemporal resolution is vital for devising highly efficient photocatalysts. Here, we employed pump-probe transient reflection microscopy to directly observe the temporal and spatial evolution of photogenerated electrons and holes on the surface of facet-engineered bismuth vanadate (BiVO) crystals.

A new perspective on the therapeutic potential of tumor metastasis: targeting the metabolic interactions between TAMs and tumor cells.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) undergo metabolic reprogramming, encompassing glucose, amino acid, fatty acid metabolism, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, purine metabolism, and autophagy, within the tumor microenvironment (TME). The metabolic interdependencies between TAMs and tumor cells critically influence macrophage recruitment, differentiation, M2 polarization, and secretion of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related factors, thereby activating intratumoral EMT pathways and enhancing tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Tumor cell metabolic alterations, including hypoxia, metabolite secretion, aerobic metabolism, and autophagy, affect the TME's metabolic landscape, driving macrophage recruitment, differentiation, M2 polarization, and metabolic reprogramming, ultimately facilitating EMT, invasion, and metastasis.

Anti-NMDAR encephalitis with delayed ovarian teratoma in a young woman: a case report with 5 years of follow-up.

Background: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is an autoimmune disorder with a variety of clinical manifestations. It has been established that anti-NMDAR encephalitis may be related to ovarian teratoma in female patients. However, a considerable number of patients have no obvious evidence of ovarian teratoma during the onset of the disease.

The Experience and Needs of Living With Home Parenteral Nutrition in Adult Patients: A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Studies.

Background: Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) can improve the nutritional status of patients with gastrointestinal dysfunction. However, some patients face a series of challenges during its implementation, which significantly affect their quality of life.

Aims: To explore the experience and needs of living with home parenteral nutrition in adult patients.

Development of a sequential release nanomaterial for co-delivery of hypoxia-induced tirapazamine and HIF-1α siRNA in cancer therapy.

Unlike traditional drug carriers, sequential drug delivery systems can release different drugs in order, with the first released drug providing a prerequisite for the later released drug to maximize its function, thereby achieving stronger anti-tumor effects. Herein we constructed a temporal sequential system designated TPZ@MSN/HIF-1α siRNA@PDA@GOx (MTRPG) in which mesoporous silica nanoparticles were used as cores to load hypoxia induced chemotherapy drug tirapazamine (TPZ) and gene targeted nucleic acid drug HIF-1α siRNA, polydopamine (PDA) as acid -responsive coating as well as to realize photothermal therapy, and glucose oxidase (GOx) as the outermost layer to achieve starvation therapy and construct a deepened hypoxia to activate TPZ. Through in vitro and in vivo experiments, we demonstrated that the first released glucose oxidase catalyzed the oxidation of glucose, achieving starvation treatment while reducing the acidic environment and further exacerbating hypoxia in tumor cells.

Comprehensive characterization of cytopenia after chimeric antigen receptor-T cell infusion in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Background: Many studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cell therapy for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), but the hematologic toxicity has not been well characterized.

Methods: A total of 111 adults with RRMM who received BCMA CAR-T cells, BCMA + CD19 CAR-T cells or tandem BCMA/CD19 dual-target (BC19) CAR-T cells infusion were enrolled. We characterized cytopenia and hematologic recovery at different time points after CAR-T-cell therapy, analyzed the effect of cytopenia on prognosis and identified the risk factors.