Harnessing the tumor microenvironment: targeted cancer therapies through modulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is integral to cancer progression, impacting metastasis and treatment response. It consists of diverse cell types, extracellular matrix components, and signaling molecules that interact to promote tumor growth and therapeutic resistance. Elucidating the intricate interactions between cancer cells and the TME is crucial in understanding cancer progression and therapeutic challenges.

High interindividual variability of indoxyl sulfate production identified by an oral tryptophan challenge test.

Indoxyl sulfate (IS) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. IS is converted from indole, a metabolite of dietary tryptophan through the action of gut microbial tryptophanase, by two hepatic enzymes: CYP2E1 and SULT1A1. We hypothesized that the effect of tryptophan intake on IS production might differ from person to person.

The impact of clinical phenotypes of coronary artery disease on outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation: A post-hoc analysis of GLORIA-AF registry.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) and atrial fibrillation (AF) often coexist, but the impact of clinical phenotypes of CAD on outcomes in AF patients in the non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant drugs (NOACs) era is less well understood.

Methods: This was a post-hoc of the GLORIA-AF registry, a global, multicenter, prospective AF registry study. Patients were divided into three groups: prior history of myocardial infarction (MI)/unstable angina group (Group 1); stable angina group (Group 2); and a control group without stable angina or history of MI/unstable angina.

The Optimal Dosage and Duration of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation in Heart Failure Management: Evidence from a Network Meta-Analysis.

Heart failure is a progressive condition associated with a high mortality rate. Despite advancements in treatment, many patients continue to experience less-than-ideal outcomes. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have been studied as a potential supplementary therapy for heart failure, but the optimal dosage and duration of supplementation remain unclear.

Outdoor activity during class recess prevents myopia onset and shift in premyopic children: Subgroup analysis in the Recess Outside Classroom study.

Purpose: To investigate whether premyopia is a risk factor for myopia onset and whether outdoor activities can protect against myopia development in premyopic children in the Recess Outside Classroom (ROC) study.

Methods: Nonmyopic schoolchildren aged 7 to 11 years were recruited from two schools in Taiwan. One school implemented the ROC program, which encouraged children to go outdoors during recess.

Effectiveness of the User-Centered "Healthcare CEO" App for Patients With Type 1 Diabetes Transitioning From Adolescence to Early Adulthood: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Young patients aged 16 to 25 years with type 1 diabetes (T1D) often encounter challenges related to deteriorating disease control and accelerated complications. Mobile apps have shown promise in enhancing self-care among youth with diabetes. However, inconsistent findings suggest that further evidence is necessary to confirm the effectiveness of app-based interventions.

Increased resting heart rate indicates high-workload hearts with augmented aortic hydraulic power in hypertensive pigs.

Clarifying the inceptive pathophysiology of hypertensive heart disease helps to impede the disease progression. Through coarctation of the infrarenal abdominal aorta (AA), we induced hypertension in minipigs and evaluated physiological reactions and morpho-functional changes of the heart. Moderate aortic coarctation was achieved with approximately 30 mmHg systolic pressure gradient in minipigs.

Growth differentiation factor 15 is a glucose-downregulated gene acting as the crosstalk between stroma and cancer cells of the human bladder.

Hyperglycemia and hyperglycosuria, two primary characteristics of diabetes mellitus, may increase the risk of cancer initiation, particularly for bladder cancer. The effectiveness of metformin, a common antidiabetic agent, is determined by its ability to induce GDF15. However, the mechanism of the GDF15 in relation to glucose, which influences the tumor microenvironment in the human bladder, is not fully understood.

Safety and Efficacy of IV Onasemnogene Abeparvovec for Pediatric Patients With Spinal Muscular Atrophy: The Phase 3b SMART Study.

Background And Objectives: Safety and efficacy of IV onasemnogene abeparvovec has been demonstrated for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) weighing <8.5 kg. SMART was the first clinical trial to evaluate onasemnogene abeparvovec for participants weighing 8.

Association between preconception and early pregnancy exposure to fine particulate matter and nervous system anomalies: a nested case-control study.

Although several environmental factors may increase the risk of nervous system anomalies, the association between exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 2.5 μm (PM) and nervous system anomalies is not completely understood. This study aimed to examine the association between expoure to PM and nervous system anomalies, including specific phenotypes during preconception and early pregnancy and determine the crucial time windows.

Application of deep learning in automated localization and interpretation of coronary artery calcification in oncological PET/CT scans.

Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a key marker of coronary artery disease (CAD) but is often underreported in cancer patients undergoing non-gated CT or PET/CT scans. Traditional CAC assessment requires gated CT scans, leading to increased radiation exposure and the need for specialized personnel. This study aims to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) method to automatically detect CAC from non-gated, freely-breathing, low-dose CT images obtained from positron emission tomography/computed tomography scans.

A case of Sjögren's syndrome with selective anion exchanger 1 defect causing distal renal tubular acidosis.

Distal renal tubular acidosis (dRTA) is a significant clinical expression of Sjögren's syndrome (SS). While SS-related dRTA is traditionally linked to impaired H-ATPase, we report a unique case demonstrating selectively decreased anion exchanger 1 (AE1) expression with preserved H-ATPase expression. A 16-year-old girl with SS presented with muscle weakness, difficulty in ambulation, and severe hypokalemia.

PARADIGM-PV: a randomized, multicenter phase 4 study to assess the efficacy and safety of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in patients with low- or high-risk polycythemia vera.

Polycythemia vera (PV) is characterized by clonal hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells with constitutively active somatic mutation(s) in the Janus kinase 2 gene. Phlebotomy (Phl) and aspirin are often used alone for low-risk PV patients. However, data from the Low-PV study demonstrated that Phl and aspirin may not be adequate for patients.

Statin Use and the Risk of Graves' Orbitopathy: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Statin use is reported to reduce the risk of Graves' orbitopathy (GO) in Western populations. However, study regarding the protective effect of statins against GO in Asians with Graves' disease (GD) is scarce. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of statins in preventing GO in Asian GD patients.

Predicting Age and Visual-Motor Integration Using Origami Photographs: Deep Learning Study.

Background: Origami is a popular activity among preschool children and can be used by therapists as an evaluation tool to assess children's development in clinical settings. It is easy to implement, appealing to children, and time-efficient, requiring only simple materials-pieces of paper. Furthermore, the products of origami may reflect children's ages and their visual-motor integration (VMI) development.

Continuing anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody after secondary resection significantly prolongs overall survival for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who were responsive to first-line anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody plus chemotherapy doublet.

The combination of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and doublet chemotherapy is the standard first-line treatment for patients with wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Some patients may require secondary resection after first-line treatment. However, it remains unclear whether targeted therapy should be continued after liver resection.

Characterization of the immune cell profile in metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated cancer, and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown efficacy in its treatment. The combination of chemotherapy and ICIs represents a new trend in the standard care for metastatic NPC. In this study, we aim to clarify the immune cell profile and related prognostic factors in the ICI-based treatment of metastatic NPC.

Outcomes of upfront primary tumor resection in patients with synchronous wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer.

This multicenter study explored the survival benefits of upfront primary tumor resection (PTR) followed by first-line cetuximab plus chemotherapy in real-world patients with wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Treatment options for mCRC include chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and surgery. The efficacy of upfront PTR in managing mCRC remains unclear.

Cardiac-targeted delivery of a novel Drp1 inhibitor for acute cardioprotection.

Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) is a mitochondrial fission protein and a viable target for cardioprotection against myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Here, we reported a novel Drp1 inhibitor (DRP1i1), delivered using a cardiac-targeted nanoparticle drug delivery system, as a more effective approach for achieving acute cardioprotection. DRP1i1 was encapsulated in cubosome nanoparticles with conjugated cardiac-homing peptides (NanoDRP1i1) and the encapsulation efficiency was 99.

Simplified segmental scleral buckling without localization and cryopexy: A retrospective comparison with conventional segmental scleral buckling.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to propose a simplified segmental scleral buckling (SSSB) technique that does not require break localization for less-experienced vitreoretinal surgeons.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study compared the clinical results of 46 conventional and 23 SSSB (conventional segmental SB [CSSB] and SSSB, respectively) procedures in a tertiary referral retinal center in Taiwan between 2008 and 2019. In the CSSB group, breaks were localized during surgery.

Reshaping vitreoretinal surgery: Intraoperative optical coherence tomography as a tool for enhancing surgical decision-making in complex cases.

Intraoperative optical coherence tomography (iOCT) has been applied and studied in a variety of vitreoretinal surgeries for its feasibility, safety, and outcomes for years. Common scenarios include membrane peeling procedures, retinal detachments, choroidal-retinal biopsies, Argus implants, and subretinal injections. iOCT offers the surgeon a better understanding of the retinal microarchitectural changes and timely intraoperative feedback, directing a future view of precision surgery.

Vitrectomy for diabetic retinopathy: A review of indications, techniques, outcomes, and complications.

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most severe forms of retinopathy and a leading cause of blindness all over the world. Of a greater concern is proliferative diabetic retinopathy which leads to vitreous haemorrhage and tractional retinal detachment in such cases. A majority of these cases require a surgical intervention to improve vision and prevent further vision loss.

Choroid vascular index in myopic patients - A mini review.

Myopia has become a globally prevalent ocular disease. The choroid plays a vital role in myopia, and its changes tend to occur earlier than those of the retina and long-term variations in eye growth. Abnormal axial growth is an intrinsic characteristic of myopia, accompanied by ocular biomechanical changes that result in chorioretinal atrophy, thinning, and other complications particularly in the choroidal vasculature.