Role of periodontal ligament fibroblasts in periodontitis: pathological mechanisms and therapeutic potential.

Periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLFs) play a crucial role in the etiology of periodontitis and periodontal tissue regeneration. In healthy periodontal tissues, PDLFs maintain the homeostasis of periodontal soft and hard tissues as well as the local immune microenvironment. PDLFs also have the potential for multidirectional transdifferentiation and are involved in periodontal tissue regeneration.

An internally validated prognostic nomogram model predicts the stone-free rate following endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery for renal stones.

Background: Here, we aim to develop and validate a viable prognostic nomogram model for predicting a stone-free rate of kidney stones patients based on retrospective cohort analysis.

Methods: This is a retrospective study that obtained a continuous cohort from the databases of two hospitals (General Hospital of Southern Theater Command, and Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital), including 522 patients with kidney stones who underwent Endoscopic Combined Intrarenal Surgery (ECIRS) from January 2015 to December 2022.The characteristics of the primary cohort between the SF (stone-free) and SR (stone residue) groups were identified using single factor and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Detecting white adipose tissue browning in mice with in vivo R* mapping at 9.4T MRI.

White adipose tissue (WAT) browning is considered a promising strategy to combat obesity and related metabolic diseases. Currently, fat-water fraction (FWF) has been used as a marker for the loss of lipids associated with WAT browning. However, FWF may not be sensitive to metabolic changes and cannot specifically reflect iron-regulated metabolism during browning.

Molecular investigation of an epidemic dissemination of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium sequence type 80 in Guangdong Province, China.

Objectives: The detection rate of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) displayed a dramatically increase in Guangdong, China from 2021 to 2023, for which the molecular epidemiology and genomic characteristics remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the genetic features and epidemiology of VREfm isolates in Guangdong.

Methods: A total of 54 Guangdong VREfm isolates were collected from three tertiary hospitals in Guangdong.

Efficacy of local-regional radiotherapy in de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients receiving chemo-immunotherapy: A multicenter, propensity score matching study.

Background: To evaluate the efficacy of local-regional radiotherapy (LRRT) in de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (dm NPC) patients receiving chemo-immunotherapy as first-line treatment and select the beneficiaries from LRRT.

Methods And Materials: M1-NPC patients receiving platinum-based chemo-immunotherapy with or without LRRT from four centers were included in this study. The propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was employed to balance the baseline characteristics between the LRRT and non-LRRT groups.

Targeting ATM enhances radiation sensitivity of colorectal cancer by Potentiating radiation-induced cell death and antitumor immunity.

Introduction: The efficacy of radiotherapy in colorectal cancer (CRC) is often limited by radiation resistance. Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is well known for its role in repairing double-strand DNA breaks within the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway. However, whether ATM mediates other mechanisms contributing to radiation resistance remains insufficiently investigated.

Tinospora crispa (L.) Hook.f. & Thomson vines ameliorates hyperuricemia by inhibiting synthesis and promoting excretion of uric acid through targeting NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β pathway.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Tinospora crispa (L.) Hook.f.

Thermosensitive, injectable, antibacterial glabridin liposome/chitosan dual network hydrogel for diabetic wound healing.

Thermosensitive hydrogels show great potential in healing diabetic wounds, but they are still challenged by the long healing time, risk of infectivity, and accumulation of melanin. Herein, a dual network hydrogel is designed, which consists of chlorogenic acid (CA) modified chitosan (CS) (CA@CS), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm), and glabridin liposomes (GL). The gelation transition temperature of the hydrogel is 32-34 °C, which thus endows it with superior injectability at ambient temperature.

Variants in EP400, encoding a chromatin remodeler, cause epilepsy with neurodevelopmental disorders.

EP400 encodes a core catalytic ATPase subunit of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes. The gene-disease association of EP400 is undetermined. In this study, we performed trio-based whole-exome sequencing in a cohort of 402 families with epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and identified compound heterozygous EP400 variants in six unrelated individuals.

Effects of orally exposed SiO nanoparticles on lipid profiles in gut-liver axis of mice.

Recently we proposed the possibility of orally exposed nanoparticles (NPs) to alter metabolite homeostasis by changing metabolism pathways, in addition to intestinal damages, but relatively few studies investigated the changes of metabolite profiles in multi-organs. This study investigated the influences of orally exposed SiO NPs on lipid profiles in gut-liver axis. To this end, we treated mice with 16, 160 or 1600 mg/kg bodyweight SiO NPs via intragastric route.

Systolic blood pressure modifies the effect of endovascular thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke: a mediation analysis.

Background: Systolic blood pressure (BP) is a key factor in the outcomes of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) receiving endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). However, the factors that mediate the association between BP and clinical outcome are unclear.

Methods: Consecutive patients with AIS in the anterior circulation underwent continuous blood pressure monitoring for 24 hours.

Protocol for generating brain metastatic tumor cells through repeated intracardiac injections in mice.

Here, we present a protocol for generating the lung cancer cell line, LLC1-BMT5, with highly brain metastatic tropism through multiple rounds of in vivo selection. We describe steps for establishing the brain metastases (BrMs) mouse model through intracardiac injection of cancer cells. We then detail procedures for obtaining brain metastatic subpopulations, in vivo selection of LLC1-BMT5 cells, and validating metastatic potential.

Automated measurement of cardiothoracic ratio based on semantic segmentation integration model using deep learning.

The objective of this study is to investigate the efficacy of the semantic segmentation model in predicting cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) and heart enlargement and compare its consistency with the reference standard. A total of 650 consecutive chest radiographs from our center and 756 public datasets were retrospectively included to develop a segmentation model. Three semantic segmentation models were used to segment the heart and lungs.

Foxa1 disruption enhances human cell integration in human-mouse interspecies chimeras.

Blastocyst complementation can potentially generate a rodent model with humanized nasopharyngeal epithelium (NE) that supports sustained Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, enabling comprehensive studies of EBV biology in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. However, during this process, the specific gene knockouts required to establish a developmental niche for NE remain unclear. We performed bioinformatics analyses and generated Foxa1 mutant mice to confirm that Foxa1 disruption could potentially create a developmental niche for NE.

eEF2K alleviates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting GSK3β and improving autophagy dysfunction.

Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC) poses a threat to the health and prognosis of cancer patients. It is important to find a safe and effective method for the prevention and treatment of DIC. eEF2K, which is a highly conserved α-kinase, is thought to be a therapeutic target for several human diseases.

Unveiling the Potential of Tetrahedral DNA Frameworks in Clinical Medicine: Mechanisms, Advances, and Future Perspectives.

As deoxyribonucleic acis (DNA) nanotechnology advances, DNA, a fundamental biological macromolecule, has been employed to treat various clinical diseases. Among the advancements in this field, tetrahedral frameworks nucleic acids (tFNAs) have gained significant attention due to their straightforward design, structural simplicity, low cost, and high yield since their introduction by Turberfield in the early 2000s. Due to its stable spatial structure, tFNAs can resist the impact of innate immune responses on DNA and nuclease activity.

Masticatory Stress Maintains Mucosal Homeostasis via M2 Polarization.

In addition to breaking down food, mastication plays regulatory roles in tissue homeostasis. During mastication, the oral mucosa is subjected to masticatory stress, and the maintenance between mucosal damage and repair is a key process. Despite rapid healing in the oral mucosa during chewing, the molecular mechanisms underlying repair remain unclear.

The role of C-reactive protein and genetic predisposition in the risk of psoriasis: results from a national prospective cohort.

Background: Psoriasis is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory disease associated with multiple factors. To evaluate the extent to which C-reactive protein (CRP) and genetic predisposition affect the incidence of psoriasis.

Methods: The cohort study retrieved 420,040 participants without psoriasis at baseline from the UK Biobank.

Single-cell multi-omics analysis reveals candidate therapeutic drugs and key transcription factor specifically for the mesenchymal subtype of glioblastoma.

The inherent heterogeneity of tumor cells impedes the development of targeted therapies for specific glioblastoma (GBM) subtypes. This study aims to investigate the mesenchymal subtype of GBM to uncover detailed characteristics, potential therapeutic strategies, and improve precision treatment for GBM patients. We integrated single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), single-nucleus assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (snATAC-seq), and bulk RNA sequencing datasets to identify core gene modules, candidate therapeutic drugs, and key transcription factors specific to mesenchymal subtype GBM tumor cells which we validated in vitro and human samples.

Safety, pharmacokinetics, and antiviral efficacy of the novel capsid assembly modulator GST-HG141 in patients with chronic hepatitis B: a phase 1 trial with a randomized, placebo-controlled design.

In preclinical studies, GST-HG141, a novel hepatitis B virus (HBV) capsid assembly modulator displayed potent anti-HBV activity in vitro and strong efficacy in HBV animal models. A randomized, double-blind, ascending phase 1b trial assessed the pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of GST-HG141 in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) individuals. Thirty treatment-naïve CHB patients were enrolled in three cohorts (25, 50, and 100 mg twice orally after meals daily) over 28 days, with 10 subjects per cohort (8:2 ratio for GST-HG141 and placebo).

Application characteristics and clinical effectiveness of clinical finding staging in guiding non-surgical treatment of knee osteoarthritis involving 92 medical institutions.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that the radiographic phenotypes of patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) often do not correlate with their clinical findings, which are the primary reason for seeking medical care. Therefore, at OARSI 2024, we proposed a clinical finding staging system-Chinese medicine staging (CMS)-to guide the treatment of KOA. However, the clinical effectiveness and application characteristics of CMS in guiding non-surgical treatment of KOA remain unclear.

Combined immunotherapy with dendritic cells and cytokine-induced killer cells for solid tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Immunotherapy utilizing dendritic cells (DCs) and cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells is a promising treatment approach for solid tumors. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of DC-CIK immunotherapy by assessing overall survival, progression-free survival, overall response rate, disease control rate, and adverse events in relevant randomized controlled trials. The results of this analysis will contribute to optimizing treatment strategies and improving cancer immunotherapy outcomes.

Lactate-related gene signatures as prognostic predictors and comprehensive analysis of immune profiles in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Objectives: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an aggressive malignancy with high rates of morbidity and mortality, largely because of its late diagnosis and metastatic potential. Lactate metabolism and protein lactylation are thought to play roles in NPC pathogenesis by modulating the tumor microenvironment and immune evasion. However, research specifically linking lactate-related mechanisms to NPC remains limited.

Air pollution is linked to cognitive decline independent of hypersensitive C-reactive protein: insights from middle-aged and older Chinese.

Background: Long-term air pollution exposure and inflammation are considered to be associated with cognitive decline. However, whether air pollution exposure related cognitive decline is dependent on inflammation remains uncertain.

Materials And Methods: The present study collected data from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) at baseline in 2011, with a follow up period in 2015.

Berberine promotes primordial follicle activation and increases ovulated oocyte quantity in aged mice.

Background: Primordial follicle activation is vital for the reproduction of women with advanced age and premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). But there is a lack of effective and safe therapeutic options to activate their primordial follicles in vivo. Berberine (BBR) possesses multiple pharmacological properties, but its impact on primordial follicle activation remains unclear.