Efficacy of a novel double-controlled oncolytic adenovirus driven by the Ki67 core promoter and armed with IL-15 against glioblastoma cells.

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is an immunosuppressive, highly vascular and devastating malignant brain tumor. Even with progressive combination treatment that includes surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, the prognosis for GBM patients is still extremely poor. Oncolytic adenovirus (OAd) can specifically replicate in GBM cells, permitting the rapid copy of the therapeutic genes it carries.

Macrophage polarization contributes to the efficacy of an oncolytic HSV-1 targeting human uveal melanoma in a murine xenograft model.

Uveal melanoma (UM), the most common primary malignant tumor of the eye in adults, is difficult-to-treat. UM has a relatively high mortality secondary to distant metastasis and poor overall survival with existing therapies. The oncolytic virus herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) has been approved for clinical use in melanoma.

Biological Characterization and Therapeutics for Subscalp Recurrent in Intracranial Glioblastoma.

Purpose: Gliomas are common intracranial tumors, of which 70% are malignant gliomas. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive tumor, and patients with GBM have a median survival time of only 9-12 months; extracranial recurrence of GBM is very rare. A therapeutic strategy for this kind of recurrent tumor is lacking.

Antitumor efficacy of oncolytic HSV-1 expressing cytosine deaminase is synergistically enhanced by DPD down-regulation and EMT inhibition in uveal melanoma xenograft.

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common intraocular tumor in adults and has a high incidence of metastases. Possible treatments remain limited in UM with enucleation and radiation, leading to poor prognosis in this chemo-resistant carcinoma. Thus, urging demand for novel treatment is needed.

Application of endoscopic endonasal approach in skull base surgeries: summary of 1886 cases in a single center for 10 consecutive years.

Background: Endonasal endoscopic skull base surgery has undergone rapid technological developments and is now widely performed, but its strengths and weaknesses deserve further investigation and deliberation. This study was performed to investigate the surgical indications, complications, and technical advantages and disadvantages of endonasal endoscopic skull base surgery.

Methods: The clinical data of 1886 endoscopic endonasal skull base surgeries performed in our ward at Beijing Tiantan Hospital from June 2006 to June 2016 were retrospectively analyzed.

Experience of trans-nasal endoscopic surgery for pituitary tumors in a single center in China: Surgical results in a cohort of 2032 patients, operated between 2006 and 2018.

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate complications and outcome by endonasal endoscopic approach in our single center.

Patients And Methods: The clinical data of 2032 pituitary adenoma surgeries performed in our ward between January 2006 and December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The GTR (gross total resection) rate, hormonal control, complications, and tumor recurrence rate were retrospectively analyzed.

Epidermal growth factor receptor as a molecular determinant of glioblastoma response to dopamine receptor D2 inhibitors.

Background: There are ongoing clinical trials exploring the efficacy of dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) inhibition against glioblastomas, the most common primary brain tumor. Here we examine potential molecular determinants of this efficacy.

Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas glioblastoma database and other published mRNA profiles were used to analyze the DRD2 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression pattern.

Advances and potential pitfalls of oncolytic viruses expressing immunomodulatory transgene therapy for malignant gliomas.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an immunosuppressive, lethal brain tumor. Despite advances in molecular understanding and therapies, the clinical benefits have remained limited, and the life expectancy of patients with GBM has only been extended to ~15 months. Currently, genetically modified oncolytic viruses (OV) that express immunomodulatory transgenes constitute a research hot spot in the field of glioma treatment.

Identification of a multidimensional transcriptome signature predicting tumor regrowth of clinically non‑functioning pituitary adenoma.

Clinically non‑functioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) represents approximately one third of all pituitary adenomas. Tumor regrowth is an important feature of NFPA; however, the effective methods with which to predict this are limited. The present study analyzed the expression of protein‑coding genes and long non‑coding RNA in 66 patients with NFPA.

Germline mutations in are associated with the tumorigenesis of pituitary adenoma associated with meningioma.

Pituitary adenoma and meningioma are two of the most common benign tumors in the central nervous system. Pituitary adenoma associated with meningioma (PAM) is a rare disease, the tumorigenesis of which remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the tumorigenesis of PAM.

Effects of the Remaining and/or Spontaneously Regenerated Facial Axons After Hypoglossal-Facial Nerve Neurorrhaphy for Facial Paralysis.

The incidence of incomplete facial paralysis is now relatively higher in clinical practice, and surgical intervention is still desirable for patients with significant facial paralysis. However, the importance and usefulness of the remaining and/or spontaneously regenerated facial axons for regaining facial function when using hypoglossal-facial nerve (HN-FN) neurorrhaphy or other nerve-transferring methods to treat facial paralysis remain controversial. We designed a rat FN injury model with preservation of the anatomical structure followed by HN-FN side-to-side neurorrhaphy to investigate the effects of the remaining and/or spontaneously regenerated FN axons on restoration of facial function.

Meta-analysis investigating the relationship between clinical features, outcomes, and severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the relationship between clinical characteristics, outcomes and the severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pneumonia.

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to assess the clinical characteristics and outcomes of confirmed COVID-19 cases and compared severe (ICU) and nonsevere (non-ICU) groups.

Results: We included 12 cohort studies including 2,445 patients with COVID-19.

Somatic SF3B1 hotspot mutation in prolactinomas.

The genetic basis and corresponding clinical relevance of prolactinomas remain poorly understood. Here, we perform whole genome sequencing (WGS) on 21 patients with prolactinomas to detect somatic mutations and then validate the mutations with digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of tissue samples from 227 prolactinomas. We identify the same hotspot somatic mutation in splicing factor 3 subunit B1 (SF3B1) in 19.

Assemblies of indocyanine green and chemotherapeutic drug to cure established tumors by synergistic chemo-photo therapy.

Indocyanine green (ICG), a safe and clinically approved near-infrared (NIR) dye, was recently explored as a potential photosensitizer due to its excellent photophysical properties. However, ICG tends to form aggregations in physiological solution, causing fluorescence quenching, fast blood clearance and thereby inefficient tumor accumulation. Herein, we report ICG-based nanodrug delivery systems formed by self-assembly of ICG and chemotherapeutic drugs without any excipients for combined chemo- and photo-therapy.

Adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization following radical resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: A multi-center retrospective study.

: The prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) after radical resection is far from satisfactory, but the effect of postoperative transarterial chemoembolization (p-TACE) remains controversial. This multi-center retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical value of p-TACE and identify the selected patients who would benefit from p-TACE. : Data of ICC patients who underwent radical resection with/without p-TACE therapy was obtained from 12 hepatobiliary centers in China between Jan 2014 and Jan 2017.

Intracranial hemodynamic relationships in patients with cerebral small vessel disease.

Objective: To investigate cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), blood flow, vascular and CSF pulsatility, and their independent relationship with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) features in patients with minor ischemic stroke and MRI evidence of SVD.

Methods: We recruited patients with minor ischemic stroke and assessed CVR using blood oxygen level-dependent MRI during a hypercapnic challenge, cerebral blood flow (CBF), vascular and CSF pulsatility using phase-contrast MRI, and structural magnetic resonance brain imaging to quantify white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and perivascular spaces (PVSs). We used multiple regression to identify parameters associated with SVD features, controlling for patient characteristics.

Changing the strategy and culture of stroke awareness education in China: implementing Stroke 1-2-0.

This project implemented the Stroke 1-2-0 stroke awareness programme across China and investigated its impact over a 2-year period. We initiated the Stroke 1-2-0 educational campaign and Stroke 1-2-0 special task forces (STF) across the nation. Massive media coverage, community-based educational sessions with videos and other related materials and induction of Stroke 1-2-0 STF were the major means of promotion.

IGFBP5 increases cell invasion and inhibits cell proliferation by EMT and Akt signaling pathway in Glioblastoma multiforme cells.

Background: Recurrence of Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) seems to be the rule despite combination therapies. Cell invasion and cell proliferation are major reasons for recurrence of GBM. And insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 (IGFBP5) is the most conserved of the IGFBPs and is frequently dysregulated in cancers and metastatic tissues.

Self-assembly of oxidation-responsive polyethylene glycol-paclitaxel prodrug for cancer chemotherapy.

Amphiphilic drug conjugates can self-assemble into nanovehicles for cancer drug delivery, but the key is to design stable yet intracellular labile drug linkers for drug retention during blood circulation but fast intracellular drug release. The conjugation of paclitaxel (PTX) is generally via the ester of its 2'-hydroxyl group, but the ester is either too stable to release PTX in the cytosol or so labile that hydrolyzes during circulation. Herein, we report a p-(boronic ester)benzyl-based tumor-specifically cleavable linker for preparing PTX-conjugate with polyethylene glycol (PEG, Mw = 5000 Da) (PEG-B-PTX).

Tumor extravasation and infiltration as barriers of nanomedicine for high efficacy: The current status and transcytosis strategy.

Nanotechnology-based drug delivery platforms have been explored for cancer treatments and resulted in several nanomedicines in clinical uses and many in clinical trials. However, current nanomedicines have not met the expected clinical therapeutic efficacy. Thus, improving therapeutic efficacy is the foremost pressing task of nanomedicine research.

Postoperative adjuvant therapy following radical resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: A multicenter retrospective study.

Background And Aims: The prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) after radical resection is far from satisfactory; however, the clinical value of adjuvant therapy (AT) remains controversial. This multicenter study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of AT and identify potential patients who would be benefited from AT.

Methods: Data from ICC patients who underwent radical resection were retrospectively collected from 12 hepatobiliary centers in China between December 2012 and December 2015.

Integrated analysis of DNA methylation and mRNA expression profiles to identify key genes involved in the regrowth of clinically non-functioning pituitary adenoma.

Tumour regrowth is a key characteristic of clinically non-functioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA). No applicable prognosis evaluation method is available for post-operative patients. We aimed to identify DNA methylation biomarkers that can facilitate prognosis evaluation.

Formation of new lymphatic vessels in glioma: An immunohistochemical analysis.

We investigated the distribution and formation of new lymphatic vessels in gliomas. Specimens from seven glioma cases were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining for CD34, lymphatic endothelial hyaluronic acid receptor 1 (LYVE-1), prospero-related homeobox 1 (Prox1), nestin, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α). Three types of vessels were observed in glioma specimens: LYVE-1 lymphatic vessels, CD34 blood vessels, and LYVE-1 /CD34 blood vessels.