Publications by authors named "Xiu-mei Ma"
Article Synopsis
- Chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy is the main treatment for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but response durations and progression-free survival rates are still low, prompting a study on early radiotherapy.
- Researchers analyzed data from 72 patients who had positive responses to first-line treatments and received radiotherapy, noting improved median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) after treatment, particularly with higher radiation doses.
- Findings suggest that adding early radiotherapy can enhance outcomes for these patients, but more research is needed to confirm and better understand these benefits.
Article Synopsis
- * The study found that increased levels of MCT4 (a transporter for lactate) in heart cells led to too much lactate leaving these cells, which caused oxidative stress and inflammation, worsening heart damage.
- * Inhibiting MCT4 in diabetic mice improved heart function and reduced inflammation; additionally, high blood lactate levels were linked to heart function issues in diabetic patients, indicating lactate could be a useful test for predicting DCM.
Article Synopsis
- Proanthocyanidins (PCs) are natural compounds with antioxidant properties, and their impact on blood lipid regulation is debated; this study aimed to clarify that relationship.
- The research reviewed 17 trials involving 1,138 participants, finding that PCs significantly lowered triglycerides and increased good cholesterol (apolipoprotein A1), especially in older adults and those with a healthy weight.
- While PCs show promise for improving lipid profiles, particularly with longer interventions, the study suggests further high-quality research is necessary to solidify these findings.
Hyperglycemia-induced STING signaling activation leads to aortic endothelial injury in diabetes.
Cell Commun Signal
December 2023
Article Synopsis
- Hyperglycaemia causes endothelial dysfunction, which contributes to diabetic complications; this study investigates the role of STING, a newly identified immune regulator, in this process.
- Using diabetic mouse models and high glucose-treated endothelial cells, researchers found that STING levels were elevated in diabetic conditions, leading to cell dysfunction and death.
- Inhibiting STING improved endothelial cell health, suggesting that targeting STING could offer a new treatment approach for managing diabetic vascular issues.
This randomized phase II trial (NCT05978193) combines low-dose radiotherapy (LDRT) and conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT) with immunochemotherapy for metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, aiming to assess the potential enhanced effect of radiotherapy on immunotherapy. Patients are administered a PD-1 inhibitor along with paclitaxel and platinum-based chemotherapy (arm B), or combined with LDRT and CFRT (arm A). Immunotherapy is given every 3 weeks with chemotherapy for 4 cycles, followed by immunotherapy maintenance therapy for up to 24 months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe role of oxidative stress in diabetes mellitus-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction.
Cardiovasc Diabetol
September 2023
Article Synopsis
- - Diabetes mellitus leads to high blood sugar levels and causes complications like microangiopathy and macroangiopathy, which increase mortality rates in diabetic patients.
- - Endothelial dysfunction, primarily influenced by oxidative stress and reduced nitric oxide (NO), plays a crucial role in the damage caused by diabetes to blood vessels.
- - The review explores sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in diabetes and discusses potential treatments like hypoglycemic drugs, antioxidants, and lifestyle changes to mitigate endothelial dysfunction.
Purpose: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) is a standard treatment option for patients with stage III oesophageal cancer. Approximately 30% of oesophageal cancer patients will have a pathological complete response (pCR) after nCRT. However, available clinical methods cannot accurately predict pCR for patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Circular RNAs (CircRNAs), particularly hsa_circ_0003823, are being investigated for their roles in cancer, specifically in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and its resistance to the drug Apatinib.
- The study used RNA sequencing and various assays to show that hsa_circ_0003823 is elevated in ESCC tissues and is linked to poor patient outcomes, promoting tumor growth and spread.
- By targeting microRNA-607, hsa_circ_0003823 enhances the expression of CRISP3, leading to reduced sensitivity to Apatinib, highlighting a potential therapeutic target for overcoming drug resistance in ESCC.
Article Synopsis
- Research on the anti-diabetic effects of camellia and herbal tea in diabetic patients has been reviewed, focusing on randomized trials that assess their impact on various health factors.
- Sixteen studies involving 832 participants were analyzed, measuring results like body weight, blood glucose levels, and blood pressure, but no significant effects were found on total cholesterol or waist size.
- While camellia and herbal teas showed moderate benefits for metabolic regulation, further high-quality studies are required to strengthen these findings and inform clinical practice.
Article Synopsis
- Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) involves lipid buildup, mitochondrial problems, and inflammation, with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) playing a potential role in inflammation through the cGAS-STING pathway.
- The study identified increased levels of cytosolic mtDNA and the activation of this pathway in a mouse model of obesity-related DCM, linking it to inflammatory markers.
- Findings suggest that targeting the cGAS-STING pathway could provide a new therapeutic approach to treat DCM, as inhibiting this pathway reduced inflammation and cell death in heart cells.
Article Synopsis
- * The study analyzed 54 patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who underwent various imaging techniques (DW-MRI and F-FDG PET/CT) before, during, and after nCRT, comparing results between those who achieved a pathological complete response (pCR) and those who did not.
- * Results showed significant differences in metabolic tumor volume and other imaging parameters between patients with pCR and non-pCR, suggesting that functional imaging could enhance predictive
Article Synopsis
- Apatinib is a new drug that inhibits a receptor (VEGFR-2) associated with cancer growth, approved for metastatic gastric cancer, with potential effects against esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
- The study investigated how apatinib affects ESCC cell lines by inducing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, enhancing autophagy, and promoting cell death, revealing the IRE-1α-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway as a key mechanism.
- Combining apatinib with chloroquine significantly improved the effectiveness of paclitaxel against ESCC, suggesting a potential new treatment strategy to enhance cancer therapy outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on enhancing the linear-quadratic (LQ) model to create a new dose conversion platform that better captures radiation responses for high and acute doses.
- Researchers improved the LQ model by using piecewise fitting to match biological dose curves with experimental data, addressing inaccuracies found in the traditional model for higher doses.
- The modified model shows that calculated treatment values are consistent regardless of α/β ratios, helping to explain the differences seen in hypofractionated versus conventional dose treatments.
Article Synopsis
- * Heparanase expression is higher in the SGC-7901 gastric cancer cell line compared to MGC-803, and silencing heparanase reduces both migration and invasion in SGC-7901 cells.
- * Increasing heparanase in MGC-803 cells promotes their migration and invasion, with these processes linked to the activation of signaling pathways involving Src and p38 kinases.
Article Synopsis
- * Among the patients, 18 (5.8%) experienced perforation, leading to a significantly lower median overall survival of 2 months compared to 17 months for those without perforation.
- * Key risk factors for perforation included being younger than 60, having T4 stage cancer, extracapsular lymph nodes, and receiving a second course of radiotherapy; careful monitoring for these patients is recommended given the poor prognosis after perforation.
Article Synopsis
- * After a median follow-up of 42 months, the results showed high local control (93.3%), distant metastases-free survival (90.3%), and overall survival (91.6%) rates at 3 years, with slightly lower rates at 5 years.
- * Despite favorable outcomes and manageable acute toxicities (mostly Grade 3 mucositis and leucopenia), the study highlighted the need for further research to improve the combination of SMART and chemotherapy for more effectively
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates the photoconductivity of the insulating LaAlO3-SrTiO3 (LAO-STO) interface, highlighting significant persistent photocurrent when exposed to a 514 nm laser at room temperature, due to trapped carriers.
- - Further experiments using a monochromator reveal that the photoconductivity occurs not only in the ultraviolet but also in visible and infrared light regions, indicating the presence of midgap states at the interface.
- - The findings enhance understanding of the band structure of the LAO-STO heterointerface and suggest potential applications in optoelectronic devices.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers developed a new memory device using an insulating interface made from LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ (LAO/STO) that exhibits unique properties due to element mixing.
- The device transitions from an insulating to a metallic state when exposed to light, maintaining this state even after the light is turned off, thanks to a phenomenon called persistent photoconductivity (PPC).
- The memory's ability to switch states reversibly and reproducibly, combined with a high on/off ratio, suggests that this technology could lead to advances in nonvolatile memory storage and all-oxide electronics.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate how effective and toxic re-irradiation using intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is for patients with locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
- A total of 54 NPC patients were analyzed, showing a median overall survival of 21 months, with severe late adverse events occurring in 48.1% of the patients.
- The results suggest that while IMRT with a dosage of 70Gy effectively controls local tumors, it comes with a significant risk of serious complications, indicating a need for better treatment strategies and patient selection.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined the relationship between tumor size measured by CT scans and the actual size determined after surgery in 174 patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
- Results showed that while CT scans generally provided a larger measurement, they significantly correlated with the actual tumor size, with an average overestimation of about 2.16 mm.
- It was noted that certain types of tumors, particularly those measuring between 3-5 cm and classified as Grade I HCC, were more prone to being underestimated on pathology, suggesting that different treatment margins may be needed based on CT size for effective radiation therapy.
Article Synopsis
- Mn(2)Au, a new layered bimetal, is created using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).
- Research shows that Mn(2)Au exhibits antiferromagnetic properties with a low critical temperature.
- The findings also confirm the antiferromagnetic behavior through the exchange-bias effect in Mn(2)Au/Fe bilayers, paving the way for future studies in spin-electronic devices.
Radiographic characteristics of bone metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma.
Contemp Oncol (Pozn)
June 2013
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to investigate how bone metastasis develops in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma by analyzing their imaging characteristics to improve treatment approaches.
- A total of 42 patients were studied, revealing that 100 of the 123 detected metastases were located in the vertebrae, mostly exhibiting osteolytic changes and soft tissue masses.
- The findings highlighted the significance of vertebral appendix metastasis, which can occur independently from vertebral body metastasis, pointing to the need for careful diagnosis to avoid missing these cases.
[Effect of silencing heparanase on the biological behavior of gastric carcinoma in nude mice].
Zhonghua Zhong Liu Za Zhi
September 2010
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate how silencing heparanase (HPA) affects the growth, blood vessel formation (angiogenesis), and spread (metastasis) of gastric carcinoma in mice.
- SGC-7901 gastric cancer cells with and without silenced HPA were implanted in nude mice, and tumor growth and microvessel density were compared, showing significant differences.
- The results indicated that silencing HPA reduced tumor growth and metastasis, suggesting HPA could be a potential target for treating gastric cancer.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma is essential in the pathogenesis of gastric carcinoma.
World J Gastroenterol
August 2009
Article Synopsis
- This study explores the role of PPAR-gamma expression in human gastric carcinoma and its potential as a therapeutic target.
- Researchers employed various techniques like immunohistochemistry and Western blotting to assess PPAR-gamma levels and its impact on cell growth, apoptosis, and the cell cycle in gastric cancer cells.
- Results indicate a high PPAR-gamma expression in gastric carcinoma, with the agonist 15d-PGJ2 inhibiting cell growth and promoting apoptosis, suggesting that targeting PPAR-gamma could be a promising strategy for gastric cancer treatment.