Risk factors for mediastinal lymph node metastases in early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer and prediction model establishment.

This study aimed to explore the risk factors for mediastinal lymph node metastases (MLNM) in patients with early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to establish a predictive model. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data from NSCLC patients treated at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University and the First Affiliated Dongguan Hospital of Guangdong Medical University between March 2021 and March 2023. Baseline clinical data, laboratory parameters, and pathological features were collected and analyzed.

ClC-5 knockout mitigates angiotensin II-induced hypertension and endothelial dysfunction.

Aims: Impairment of nitric oxide (NO) production is a major cause of endothelial dysfunction and hypertension. ClC-5 Cl channel is abundantly expressed in the vascular endothelium. However, it remains unclear how it regulates endothelial function.

Mesoporous bioactive glass-enhanced MSC-derived exosomes promote bone regeneration and immunomodulation in vitro and in vivo.

Background: Exosomes produced by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have vascular generative properties and are considered new effective candidates for the treatment of bone defects as alternatives to cell therapy. Improving the pro-regenerative function and efficacy of exosomes has been a popular research topic in the field of orthopaedics.

Methods: We prepared mesoporous bioactive glass (mBG) microspheres via the template method.

Construction of a lung cancer 3D culture model based on alginate/gelatin micro-beads for drug evaluation.

Background: Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. Despite advances in lung cancer treatment, patients still face challenges related to drug resistance and recurrence. Current methods for evaluating anti-cancer drug activity are insufficient, as they rely on two-dimensional (2D) cell culture and animal models.

A High-Resolution Microendoscope Improves Esophageal Cancer Screening and Surveillance: Implications for Underserved Global Settings Based on an International Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background & Aims: Lugol's chromoendoscopy (LCE)-based detection of esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN) is limited by low specificity. High-resolution microendoscopy (HRME) was shown to improve specificity and reduce unnecessary biopsies when used by academic endoscopists. In this international randomized controlled trial, we determined the clinical impact, efficiency, and performance of HRME in true global health contexts with a range of providers.

Differential interference with actin-binding protein function by acute Cytochalasin B.

Dynamic actin filament remodeling is crucial for a plethora of fundamental cell biological processes, ranging from cell division and migration to cell communication, intracellular trafficking or tissue development. Cytochalasin B and -D are fungal secondary metabolites frequently used for interference with such processes. Although generally assumed to block actin filament polymerization at their rapidly growing barbed ends and compete with regulators at these sites, our molecular understanding of their precise effects in dynamic actin structures is scarce.

H3K27ac acts as a molecular switch for doxorubicin-induced activation of cardiotoxic genes.

Background: Doxorubicin (Dox) is an effective chemotherapeutic drug for various cancers, but its clinical application is limited by severe cardiotoxicity. Dox treatment can transcriptionally activate multiple cardiotoxicity-associated genes in cardiomyocytes, the mechanisms underlying this global gene activation remain poorly understood.

Methods And Results: Herein, we integrated data from animal models, CUT&Tag and RNA-seq after Dox treatment, and discovered that the level of H3K27ac (a histone modification associated with gene activation) significantly increased in cardiomyocytes following Dox treatment.

Design and Evaluation of ScanCap: A Low-Cost, Reusable Tethered Capsule Endoscope with Blue-Green Illumination Imaging for Unsedated Screening and Early Detection of Barrett's Esophagus.

Esophageal carcinoma is the sixth-leading cause of cancer death worldwide. A precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is Barrett's Esophagus (BE). Early-stage diagnosis and treatment of esophageal neoplasia (Barrett's with high-grade dysplasia/intramucosal cancer) increase the five-year survival rate from 10% to 98%.

Vascular smooth muscle-specific LRRC8A knockout ameliorates angiotensin II-induced cerebrovascular remodeling by inhibiting the WNK1/FOXO3a/MMP signaling pathway.

Hypertensive cerebrovascular remodeling involves the enlargement of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), which activates volume-regulated Cl channels (VRCCs). The leucine-rich repeat-containing family 8 A (LRRC8A) has been shown to be the molecular identity of VRCCs. However, its role in vascular remodeling during hypertension is unclear.

DeepDOF-SE: affordable deep-learning microscopy platform for slide-free histology.

Histopathology plays a critical role in the diagnosis and surgical management of cancer. However, access to histopathology services, especially frozen section pathology during surgery, is limited in resource-constrained settings because preparing slides from resected tissue is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and requires expensive infrastructure. Here, we report a deep-learning-enabled microscope, named DeepDOF-SE, to rapidly scan intact tissue at cellular resolution without the need for physical sectioning.

Optical imaging technologies for cancer detection in low-resource settings.

Cancer continues to affect underserved populations disproportionately. Novel optical imaging technologies, which can provide rapid, non-invasive, and accurate cancer detection at the point of care, have great potential to improve global cancer care. This article reviews the recent technical innovations and clinical translation of low-cost optical imaging technologies, highlighting the advances in both hardware and software, especially the integration of artificial intelligence, to improve cancer detection in low-resource settings.

Nuclear miR-204-3p mitigates metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in mice.

Background & Aims: Accumulating evidence has indicated the presence of mature microRNAs (miR) in the nucleus, but their effects on steatohepatitis remain elusive. We have previously demonstrated that the intranuclear miR-204-3p in macrophages protects against atherosclerosis, which shares multiple risk factors with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Herein, we aimed to explore the functional significance of miR-204-3p in steatohepatitis.

A DNA-inspired injectable adhesive hydrogel with dual nitric oxide donors to promote angiogenesis for enhanced wound healing.

Chronic diabetic wounds are a severe complication of diabetes, often leading to high treatment costs and high amputation rates. Numerous studies have revealed that nitric oxide (NO) therapy is a promising option because it favours wound revascularization. Here, base-paired injectable adhesive hydrogels (CAT) were prepared using adenine- and thymine-modified chitosan (CSA and CST).

Scanning darkfield high-resolution microendoscope for label-free microvascular imaging.

Characterization of microvascular changes during neoplastic progression has the potential to assist in discriminating precancer and early cancer from benign lesions. Here, we introduce a novel high-resolution microendoscope that leverages scanning darkfield reflectance imaging to characterize angiogenesis without exogenous contrast agents. Scanning darkfield imaging is achieved by coupling programmable illumination with a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera rolling shutter, eliminating the need for complex optomechanical components and making the system portable, low-cost (<$5,500) and simple to use.

Revealing the extracellular function of HMGB1 N-terminal region acetylation assisted by a protein semi-synthesis approach.

HMGB1 (high-mobility group box 1) is a non-histone chromatin-associated protein that has been widely reported as a representative damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) and to play a pivotal role in the proinflammatory process once it is in an extracellular location. Accumulating evidence has shown that HMGB1 undergoes extensive post-translational modifications (PTMs) that actively regulate its conformation, localization, and intermolecular interactions. However, fully characterizing the functional implications of these PTMs has been challenging due to the difficulty in accessing homogeneous HMGB1 with site-specific PTMs of interest.

Checkpoint inhibitors as dual immunotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis.

Introduction: Recent clinical trials have confirmed that anti-programmed cell death-1/ligand 1 (anti-PD-1/L1) combined with either anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (anti-CTLA-4) or anti-T-cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT) antibodies (dual immunotherapy) produced significant benefits as first-line therapies for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, it also increased the incidence of adverse reactions, which cannot be ignored. Our study aims to explore the efficacy and safety of dual immunotherapies in advanced NSCLC.

Carbohydrate Strengthens the Immunotherapeutic Effect of Small-Molecule PD-L1 Inhibitors.

PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockade has demonstrated great success in cancer immunotherapy. Small-molecule PD-L1 inhibitors also attract significant research interests but remain challenging in the efficacy and safety. Carbohydrate moiety and carbohydrate-binding proteins (lectins) play important roles in immune modulation including antigen recognition and presenting.

Multimodal optical imaging with real-time projection of cancer risk and biopsy guidance maps for early oral cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Significance: Despite recent advances in multimodal optical imaging, oral imaging systems often do not provide real-time actionable guidance to the clinician who is making biopsy and treatment decisions.

Aim: We demonstrate a low-cost, portable active biopsy guidance system (ABGS) that uses multimodal optical imaging with deep learning to directly project cancer risk and biopsy guidance maps onto oral mucosa in real time.

Approach: Cancer risk maps are generated based on widefield autofluorescence images and projected onto the at-risk tissue using a digital light projector.

Identification and Validation a Necroptosis-Related Prognostic Signature in Cervical Cancer.

Necroptosis is a promising novel target for cervical cancer therapy. Nevertheless, differentially expressed necroptosis-related genes (NRGs) in cervical cancer and their associations with prognosis are far from fully clarified. In this study, differentially expressed NRGs (DE-NRGs) were screened out and their bio-function was elucidated.

Arf GTPase activates the WAVE regulatory complex through a distinct binding site.

Cross-talk between Rho- and Arf-family guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) plays an important role in linking the actin cytoskeleton to membrane protrusions, organelle morphology, and vesicle trafficking. The central actin regulator, WAVE regulatory complex (WRC), integrates Rac1 (a Rho-family GTPase) and Arf signaling to promote Arp2/3-mediated actin polymerization in many processes, but how WRC senses Arf signaling is unknown. Here, we have reconstituted a direct interaction between Arf and WRC.

Thiophene-2,3-Dialdehyde Enables Chemoselective Cyclization on Unprotected Peptides, Proteins, and Phage Displayed Peptides.

Ortho-phthalaldehyde has recently found wide potentials for protein bioconjugation and peptide cyclization. Herein, the second-generation dialdehyde-based peptide cyclization method is reported. The thiophene-2,3-dialdehyde (TDA) reacts specifically with the primary amine (from Lys side chain or peptide N-terminus) and thiol (from Cys side chain) within unprotected peptides to generate a highly stable thieno[2,3-c]pyrrole-bridged cyclic structure, while it does not react with primary amine alone.

Evaluation of quality and readability of over-the-counter medication package inserts.

Background: Over-the-counter (OTC) medication package inserts are vital references for healthcare professionals to make drug recommendations and influential education materials that patients commonly refer to when self-caring. However, little is known about the quality and readability of the OTC medication package inserts in China.

Objectives: This study aimed at evaluating the quality and readability of OTC medication package inserts.