Pramipexole Inhibits Neuronal Apoptosis in Rats with Parkinson's Disease.

To explore the inhibition of pramipexole on the neuronal apoptosis and its influences on the expressions of brain tissue brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and serum miR-103a and miR-30b and inflammatory factors in rats with Parkinson's disease. A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal group ( = 12), model group ( = 12) and pramipexole group ( = 12). Compared with that in normal group, the positive expression of BDNF was substantially increased in model group and pramipexole group, and its positive expression in pramipexole group was notably higher than that in model group.

Bioinformatics analysis of potential therapeutic targets for COVID-19 infection in patients with carotid atherosclerosis.

Background: COVID-19 is a new coronavirus that constitutes a great challenge to human health. At this stage, there are still cases of COVID-19 infection in some countries and regions, in which ischemic stroke (IS) is a risk factor for new coronavirus pneumonia, and patients with COVID-19 infection have a dramatically elevated risk of stroke. At the same time, patients with long-term IS are vulnerable to COVID-19 infection and have more severe disease, and carotid atherosclerosis is an early lesion in IS.

Identification of the Crucial Role of CCL22 in -Related Colorectal Tumorigenesis that Correlates With Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Checkpoint Therapy.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignant cancer worldwide with the second highest mortality. Gut microbiota can educate the tumor microenvironment (TME), consequently influencing the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Fusobacterium is one of the most crucial bacteria contributing to colorectal tumorigenesis, but the molecular mechanisms between and TME or ICIs are poorly investigated.

RNA modification "writer"-mediated RNA modification patterns and tumor microenvironment characteristics of cervical cancer.

Purpose: As an epigenetic regulation mechanism after transcription, RNA modification is installed by endogenous "writer" enzymes and is widely involved in a variety of physiological processes, including cancer progression. This study explored the RNA modification patterns of cervical cancer to clarify overall effect of RNA modification on tumor microenvironment (TME) characteristics and immune/targeted therapy.

Methods: 26 RNA modification "writers" were clustered, and the RNA modification patterns and TME characteristics of cervical cancer patients in TCGA were systematically evaluated.

Blocking iASPP/Nrf2/M-CSF axis improves anti-cancer effect of chemotherapy-induced senescence by attenuating M2 polarization.

The complex interaction between cancer cells and the immune microenvironment is a central regulator of tumor growth and the treatment response. Chemotherapy-induced senescence is accompanied by the senescence-associated secretion phenotype (SASP). However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of the SASP remain the most poorly understood element of senescence.

iASPP is essential for HIF-1α stabilization to promote angiogenesis and glycolysis via attenuating VHL-mediated protein degradation.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) plays central roles in the hypoxia response. It is highly expressed in multiple cancers, but not always correlated with hypoxia. Mutation of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene, which encodes an E3 ligase, contributes to the constructive activation of HIF-1α in specific tumor types, as exemplified by renal cell carcinoma; but how VHL wild-type tumors acquire this ability is not completely understood.

Diet, Sports, and Psychological Stress as Modulators of Breast Cancer Risk: Focus on Methylation.

DNA methylation is influenced by environmental factors and contributes to adverse modification of cancer risk and clinicopathological features. A case-control study (402 newly diagnosed cases, 470 controls) was conducted to evaluate the effect of environmental factors and methylation in peripheral blood leukocyte (PBL) DNA on the risk of breast cancer. A case-only study (373 cases) was designed to evaluate the effects of environmental factors on methylation in tumor tissue and the relationship of methylation with clinicopathological features.

Heterogeneity analysis of the immune microenvironment in laryngeal carcinoma revealed potential prognostic biomarkers.

Laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC) is the second most prevalent malignancy occurring in the head and neck with a high incidence and mortality rate. Immunotherapy has recently become an emerging treatment for cancer. It is therefore essential to explore the role of tumour immunity in laryngeal cancer.

Are dietary factors involved in the association of methylation and breast cancer risk?

DNA methylation is one of the most important epigenetic modifications in breast cancer (BC) development, and long-term dietary habits can alter DNA methylation. Cadherin-4 (, a member of the cadherin family) encodes Ca-dependent cell-cell adhesion glycoproteins. We conducted a case-control study (380 newly diagnosed BC and 439 cancer-free controls) to explore the relationship of methylation in peripheral blood leukocyte DNA (PBL DNA), as well as its combined and interactive effects with dietary factors on BC risk.

High Iodine Nutrition May Be a Risk Factor for Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Patients.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to retrospectively identify the effect of iodine on the papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) process and investigate the risk clinicopathologic characteristics of cervical lymph node metastasis (CLNM) for achieving a better preventive strategy of PTC.

Methods: Totally 187 patients with CLNM and 279 without CLNM (NCLNM) were enrolled, and their urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and serum iodine concentration (SIC) were measured. Logistic regressions were used to reveal the effects of iodine nutrition on the CLNM status of PTC.

Upregulation of LINC00659 expression predicts a poor prognosis and promotes migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve an important role in the progression of cancer. LINC00659 was recently identified as a novel oncogenic lncRNA involved in colon cancer cell proliferation via modulating the cell cycle. However, the function of LINC00659 in other types of cancer, especially in gastric cancer (GC), remains unknown.

Identifying potential metabolic tissue biomarkers for papillary thyroid cancer in different iodine nutrient regions.

Purpose: To investigate the applicability of metabolomics to select thyroid cancer-associated biomarkers and discover the effects of iodine on metabolic changes in thyroid cancer.

Methods: In this study, a total of 33 papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients from areas with iodine excess and 32 PTC patients from areas with adequate iodine were recruited, and their cancerous tissue and paracancerous tissue were collected. These specimens were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/QTOF/MS) in conjunction with multivariate statistical analysis.

Efficacy and Safety of Intrathecal Pemetrexed Combined With Dexamethasone for Treating Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor-Failed Leptomeningeal Metastases From EGFR-Mutant NSCLC-a Prospective, Open-Label, Single-Arm Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial (Unique Identifier: ChiCTR1800016615).

Introduction: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intrathecal pemetrexed (IP) for treating EGFR-mutant leptomeningeal metastases (LMs) from EGFR-mutant NSCLC.

Methods: Patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC with LM who had failed tyrosine kinase inhibitors were recruited. The dose of IP was escalated from 15 mg to 80 mg using an accelerated titration design in a phase 1 study.

Diannexin Can Ameliorate Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Rats by Promoting Heme Oxygenase-1 Expression.

Background: The recombinant protein diannexin can inhibit platelet-mediated events, which contribute to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Here, we investigated the effect of diannexin and its effect on heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in ARDS.

Methods: A total of 32 rats were randomized into sham, ARDS, diannexin (D), and diannexin+HO-1 inhibitor (DH) groups.

Health-Related Quality of Life and Its Influencing Factors for Elderly Patients With Hypertension: Evidence From Heilongjiang Province, China.

Hypertension is one of the most common public health issues worldwide. However, few existing studies examining health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were conducted on elderly patients with hypertension in China. Hence, this study aimed to assess the HRQoL of elderly patients with hypertension and its influencing factors using EuroQol five-dimensional-three-level (EQ-5D-3L) in China.

Inhibition of TGFβ1 accelerates regeneration of fibrotic rat liver elicited by a novel two-staged hepatectomy.

Emerging evidence is demonstrating that rapid regeneration of remnant liver elicited by associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) may be attenuated in fibrotic livers. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for this process are largely unknown. It is widely acknowledged that the TGFβ1 signaling axis plays a major role in liver fibrosis.

Circular RNA Calm4 Regulates Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells Pyroptosis via the Circ-Calm4/miR-124-3p/PDCD6 Axis.

[Figure: see text].

The joint effect of energy reduction with calcium supplementation on the risk factors of type 2 diabetes in the overweight population: a two-year randomized controlled trial.

Both excessive energy intake and low calcium intake are inversely associated with the aging-related diseases, particularly for type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM). This study examined whether energy reduction coupled with calcium supplementation aided in the prevention of T2DM among the overweight population. A randomized controlled trial(RCT) of 1021 overweight participants was performed, in which participants were randomly assigned to 4 groups: 1) energy-reduction group(ERG), 2) calcium supplementation group(CSG), 3) energy-reduction with calcium supplementation group(ER-CSG), 4) control group(CG).

Current Status and Prospects of Camrelizumab, A Humanized Antibody Against Programmed Cell Death Receptor 1.

Background: Camrelizumab, which was launched in China on May 29, 2019, is a humanized anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) antibody. It is used for the treatment of complicated or refractory classic Hodgkin's lymphoma with at least second-line chemotherapy. On March 4, 2020, camrelizumab was approved as a second-line drug in China for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Long non-coding RNA TMPO-AS1 promotes tumor progression via sponging miR-140-5p in breast cancer.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in carcinogenesis and tumor suppression, and are novel biological tumor regulators. However, the functional roles of lncRNAs and their underlying dysregulation mechanisms in breast cancer are not completely understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical significance and biological functions of lncRNA TMPO antisense RNA 1 (TMPO-AS1) in breast cancer.

Randomized clinical trial of pembrolizumab vs chemotherapy for previously untreated Chinese patients with PD-L1-positive locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer: KEYNOTE-042 China Study.

In the global KEYNOTE-042 study (Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02220894), pembrolizumab significantly improved overall survival (OS) vs chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive locally advanced/metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without EGFR/ALK alterations. We present results from patients in KEYNOTE-042 enrolled from China in the global or extension study (NCT03850444; protocol identical to global study).

GEMSTONE-301: a phase III clinical trial of CS1001 as consolidation therapy in patients with locally advanced/unresectable (stage III) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who did not have disease progression after prior concurrent/sequential chemoradiotherapy.

Background: In China, platinum-based doublet chemotherapy is the standard treatment for patients who have unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), administered with radiotherapy on either a concurrent or sequential basis. However, NSCLC patients who undergo this treatment can expect poor median progression-free survival (PFS) of around 8-10 months and a dismal 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of about 15%. In the recent PACIFIC trial, durvalumab was demonstrated to hold significant clinical benefit for patients with locally advanced/unresectable NSCLC who experienced no disease progression after definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT).

Corrigendum: The Long Noncoding RNA MALAT1 Induces Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells and Regulatory T Cells miR155/Dendritic Cell-Specific Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-3 Grabbing Nonintegrin/IL10 Axis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.

Measurement Properties of the EQ-5D-5L and EQ-5D-3L in Six Commonly Diagnosed Cancers.

Background: This study aimed to compare the measurement properties of the EQ-5D-3L (3L) and EQ-5D-5L (5L) in cancer patients.

Methods: A consecutive sample of inpatients with lung, breast, colorectal, liver, gastric, or thyroid cancer were interviewed using the 3L, 5L, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) questionnaires, and a subgroup was invited to complete the 3L and 5L again. Kappa and intraclass correlation coefficient were used to assess test-retest reliability, and Spearman's correlation between the EQ-5D and FACT-G was evaluated to assess convergent validity.