Publications by authors named "Yu-pei Chen"

Bamboo vinegar has been applied in livestock and fisheries as food additives. In this study, the antioxidant and antifungal properties of bamboo vinegar powder extract (BVPE) and its bioactive compounds were explored. BVPE exhibited significant free radical scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals, along with notable antifungal effects against Aspergillus terreus and Paecilomyces variotii.

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Approximately 10,000 metric tons of broiler livers are yielded every year in Taiwan. However, due to unpleasant odor and health concern, these livers are typically discarded as waste in the slaughtering stream in most developed or developed countries. In alignment with global agrocycle policies, a biofunctional chicken-liver hydrolysate (CLH) has been developed.

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Both concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and induction chemotherapy (ICT) followed by CCRT are standard care of advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, tailoring personalized treatment is lacking. Herein, we established a radiogenomic clinical decision support system to classify patients into three subgroups according to their predicted disease-free survival (DFS) with CCRT and ICT response.

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Recurrence risks of cancer patient can change during treatment as a result of treatment-related tumor evolution. However, biomarkers that can monitor these changes are lacking. Here, we investigated whether tracking circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) dynamics through liquid biopsy can inform real-time recurrence risk.

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When applied as the standard therapeutic modality, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) improves local control and survival rates in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, distant metastasis continues to be the leading cause of treatment failure. Here, we review the most recent optimization strategies for combining chemotherapy with IMRT in high-risk patients with locoregionally advanced NPC.

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Article Synopsis
  • This clinical trial explored the effectiveness of adding sintilimab, a PD-1 inhibitor, to standard chemoradiotherapy for patients with high-risk, locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
  • Results showed that the sintilimab group had significantly better event-free survival rates compared to the standard therapy group at a median follow-up of nearly 42 months.
  • The trial also reported that a high percentage of patients experienced grade 3-4 adverse events, indicating a need for monitoring side effects in this treatment approach.
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The AJCC/UICC TNM classification describes anatomic extent of tumor progression and guides treatment decisions. Our comprehensive analysis of 8,834 newly diagnosed patients with non-metastatic Epstein-Barr virus related nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) from six Chinese centers indicates certain limitations in the current staging system. The 8th edition of the AJCC/UICC TNM classification inadequately differentiates patient outcomes, particularly between T2 and T3 categories and within the N classification.

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To investigate the patterns of local failure and prognosis in patients with locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (rNPC) after primary intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The data of 298 patients with locally rNPC after IMRT were retrospectively analyzed. Magnetic resonance images of the initial and recurrent tumors were reviewed and, for patients with extra-nasopharyngeal local recurrence, the gross tumor volume of local recurrence was transferred to the original IMRT plan for dosimetry analysis.

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Background: Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) flowers will compete with tea leaves in nutrition and are abandoned as an undesirable by-product. In this study, the biological efficacy of tea flowers was investigated.

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Introduction: Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) are fatally threatening to critical patients. The fungal defensin as an antifungal protein can widely inhibit fungi.

Methods: In this study, eight antifungal genes from different filamentous fungi were optimized by synonymous codon bias and heterologously expressed in .

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Background: Detectable Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA levels and unsatisfactory tumor response to induction chemotherapy (IC) could be used to guide the risk-adapted treatment strategy of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC) before concurrent chemoradiotherapy. We aim to compare the efficacy and safety of concurrent chemotherapy using taxane plus cisplatin [double-agent concurrent chemotherapy (DACC) group] with those of cisplatin alone [single-agent concurrent chemotherapy (SACC) group] in high-risk LANPC.

Methods: Overall, 197 LANPC patients with detectable EBV DNA or stable disease (SD) after IC were retrospectively included.

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Gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP) chemotherapy is the standard of care for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the mechanisms underpinning its clinical activity are unclear. Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing and T cell and B cell receptor sequencing of matched, treatment-naive and post-GP chemotherapy NPC samples (n = 15 pairs), we show that GP chemotherapy activated an innate-like B cell (ILB)-dominant antitumor immune response.

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Objectives: To address whether sparing the medial retropharyngeal lymph node (MRLN) region from elective irradiation volume provides non-inferior local relapse-free survival versus standard radiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Design: Open-label, non-inferiority, multicentre, randomised, phase 3 trial.

Setting: Three Chinese hospitals between 20 November 2017 and 3 December 2018.

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The molecular basis underlying nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear. Recent progress in transcriptional regulatory network analysis helps identify the master regulator (MR) proteins that transcriptionally define malignant tumor phenotypes. Here, we investigated transcription factor-target interactions and identified TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4) as an MR of high-risk NPC.

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Article Synopsis
  • Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is traditionally the standard treatment for stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but evidence supporting the need for chemotherapy alongside intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is limited.
  • This study aimed to determine if patients with low-risk stage II/T3N0 NPC could safely skip concurrent chemotherapy while receiving IMRT, involving a total of 341 adults across five hospitals in China.
  • Key outcomes measured included 3-year failure-free survival, overall survival, and quality of life, with 98% of participants completing the trial and a median follow-up of 46 months.
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Purpose: Using real-world evidence, this study aimed to identify elderly nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients who would benefit from chemotherapy.

Methods And Materials: 1714 elderly NPC patients between April 2007 and December 2017 were identified. Recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) was used to generate risk-stratified outcomes.

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Objective: We analyzed the patterns of lymph node (LN) failure and prognosis in patients with regional recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (rNPC) alone after primary intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Methods: A total of 175 patients who were treated with IMRT between 2010 and 2015 and who experienced regional recurrence alone were included. Recurrent LNs were re-located in the initial pretreatment imaging and IMRT plan and failures were classified as in-field or out-field based on target volume delineation.

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  • Medical plants can be fermented using microbes like Monascus species to enhance their health benefits, reduce toxicity, and create new compounds.
  • In this study, researchers identified the production of monacolin K from Monascus strains and observed its benefits, including increased antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties through fermentation with various medicinal plants.
  • The results showed that Monascus pilosus and Monascus ruber produced monacolin K, with the highest levels found in Glycyrrhiza uralensis, and certain metabolites improved the extract's health benefits without causing toxicity.
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JCO We previously reported significantly improved failure-free survival using gemcitabine plus cisplatin induction chemotherapy in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Here, we present the final overall survival (OS) analysis. In this multicenter, randomized trial, patients were assigned to be treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone (standard therapy, n = 238) or gemcitabine and cisplatin induction chemotherapy before concurrent chemoradiotherapy (n = 242).

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  • Tibetan kefir grain was studied for its bioactive properties, and after fermentation, a milk whey product (TKG-MW) was produced with beneficial effects.
  • The research showed that TKG-MW had increased antioxidant activity and significant anti-inflammatory effects, particularly after six days of fermentation.
  • Additionally, TKG-MW demonstrated the ability to inhibit melanin production, making it a potential ingredient for depigmenting products in food and cosmetics.
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Purpose: To quantify the long-term evaluation of optic chiasma (OC) and/or optic nerve(s) (ONs) and to develop predictive models for radiation-induced optic neuropathy (RION) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Methods And Materials: A total of 3,662 patients' OC/ONs with full visual acuity and dosimetry data between 2010 and 2015 were identified. Critical dosimetry predictors of RION were chosen by machine learning and penalized regression for survival.

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Since 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been rapidly spreading worldwide, causing hundreds of millions of infections. Despite the development of vaccines, insufficient protection remains a concern. Therefore, the screening of drugs for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is reasonable and necessary.

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Background And Purpose: This study aims to identify the optimal high-risk candidates for clinical trials in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Materials And Methods: Non-metastatic NPC patients (n = 9,468) were included. Recursive partitioning analyses (RPA) were performed to generate risk stratification.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on the spatial distribution of lymphocytes and cancer cells within the tumor microenvironment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients and its relevance to clinical outcomes.
  • Researchers analyzed immunohistochemistry images from 336 NPC patients to create cell density maps and used hotspot analysis to identify areas with high concentrations of cancer and immune cells.
  • Results indicated that immune-cancer hotspots were linked to worse overall survival, while higher immune hotspot scores correlated with better survival rates, suggesting that spatial analysis can provide valuable prognostic information for NPC patients.
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