The role of neoadjuvant systemic therapy for high grade upper tract urothelial carcinoma: Results from the upper tract collaborative network (UCAN).

Introduction: Utilization of neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAT) prior to radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is inconsistent, and optimal patient selection for NAT is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical benefit of NAT in high grade UTUC undergoing RNU.

Materials And Methods: The UTUC Collaborative Network (UCAN) identified patients who underwent RNU for high grade UTUC between 2000 and 2022.

A general strategy for engineering GU base pairs to facilitate RNA crystallization.

X-ray crystallography is a fundamental technique that provides atomic-level insights into RNA structures. However, obtaining crystals of RNA structures diffracting to high resolution is challenging. We introduce a simple strategy to enhance the resolution limit of RNA crystals by the selective substitution of Watson-Crick pairs by GU pairs within RNA sequences.

Discovery and optimization of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives as novel ferroptosis inhibitors.

Ferroptosis is a novel form of regulated cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid ROS accumulation, which is associated with various diseases, including acute organ injury, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer. Pharmacological inhibition of ferroptosis has great potential for the treatment of these diseases. However, the clinical translation of many ferroptosis inhibitors is hindered by their inadequate activity or suboptimal pharmacokinetic profiles.

Heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblast subpopulations in prostate cancer: Implications for prognosis and immunotherapy.

Background: Prostate cancer stands as the second most common malignancy among men, notorious for its intricate heterogeneity, especially evident in metastatic disease. This complexity presents substantial challenges in treatment efficacy and patient prognosis.

Objective: This study endeavors to elucidate the multifaceted roles of cancer-associated fibroblasts within the tumor microenvironment of prostate cancer, with a focus on their implications for disease prognosis and the potential for novel immunotherapeutic strategies.

Urothelial carcinoma in situ with "early papillary formation" vs "lateral spread/shoulder lesion" of prior high-grade noninvasive papillary urothelial carcinoma: A survey of pathologist and urologist interpretations.

Objectives: Urothelial carcinoma in situ (CIS) with early papillary formation is terminology sometimes used to suggest incipient high-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma (PUC) but may lead to confusion between true CIS and lateral flat spread of PUC.

Methods: It remains unclear how pathologists and urologists interpret this scenario, so a survey was circulated to 68 pathologists (group 1 = 28 academic genitourinary pathologists; group 2 = 17 pathologists with a self-reported genitourinary focus; group 3 = 23 pathologists self-reported as not genitourinary specialists) and 32 urologists.

Results: Regarding atypical urothelial lesions that appear mainly flat but contain possible papillae, group 3 was more likely to label this as CIS compared with groups 1 and 2 (35% for group 3 vs 13% for groups 1 and 2), while groups 1 and 2 more often adopted another descriptive diagnosis, such as "CIS with early papillary features" (38% for groups 1 and 2 vs 13% for group 3).

Applicability of creatinine-based glomerular filtration rate assessment equations to patients with neurogenic bladder.

Purpose: Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) measured by dynamic renal scintigraphy (Gates method) is used in this study as the standard to investigate the applicability of two creatinine (Cr)-based GFR estimation equations in Chinese patients of different genders, age groups, and GFR stages diagnosed with neurogenic bladder (NB).

Methods: GFR values were measured using Tc-DTPA renal dynamic imaging, the new serum creatinine (Cr)-based chronic kidney disease epidemiology collaborative group (CKD-EPI) equation, and the equation for the estimated GFR of CKD patients in China, which were designated as sGFR, EPI-GFR, and cGFR, respectively. Pearson's correlation and linear regression were used to compare the differences, absolute differences, precision, and accuracies of the results of the two equations with sGFR to determine the formula offering better performance for the assessment of patients with NB.

Increased ratio of red cell distribution width to lymphocyte percentage as a new preoperative marker for unfavorable survival outcomes in upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

The aim of the present study was to determine the prognostic significance of a novel marker, the red cell distribution width to lymphocyte percentage (RDW-to-LYM%) ratio, in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). The clinical and follow-up data of 625 patients with UTUC receiving RNU were retrospectively analyzed. The optimal cut-off value of the pre-treatment RDW-to-LYM% ratio was determined as 0.

Subclinical/overt hypothyroidism may be associated with diminished ovarian reserve in infertile women independent of thyroid autoimmunity.

Objective: To investigate the association between thyroid dysfunction or thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) and diminished ovarian reserve (DOR).

Methods: A total of 2,867 women undergoing their first fertilization (IVF) cycle at Shenzhen Zhongshan Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital between January 1, 2013 and June 30, 2021, were enrolled in this study. The participants had documented thyroid and ovarian reserve metrics.

Relationship between post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence, sexual functions, and dyadic adjustment: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is the treatment option for localized prostate cancer. It can lead to side effects like erectile dysfunction (ED) and post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence (PPUI). This study aimed to evaluate association between dyadic adjustment, PPUI and ED.

A French Multicenter Real-Life Study on the Biological and Clinical Parameters Associated With Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) in Second-Line Treatment of Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma: Impact of Antibiotics Administration at the Time of ICIs Initiation.

Background: After failure of first-line chemotherapy, standard of care for advanced urothelial cancer (aUC) is immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. Several prognostic models (Bajorin and Bellmunt scores) have been evaluated, but only in the context of chemotherapy.

Objective: To study whether the variables in these scores and new emerging clinical and biological criteria have an impact on the probability of objective response in aUC treated with ICIs in 2nd-line setting and beyond.

The relationship between increased regional body fat and overactive bladder: a population-based study.

Background: The link between regional body fat distribution and overactive bladder (OAB) in prior epidemiological research has been uncertain. Our objective is to assess the relationship between increased regional body fat and the prevalence of OAB.

Methods: Within this analysis, 8,084 individuals aged 20 years and older were selected from NHANES surveys conducted from 2011 to 2018.

Mechanistic insights into SIRT7 and EZH2 regulation of cisplatin resistance in bladder cancer cells.

Cisplatin (CDDP) resistance has been established to significantly impact Bladder Cancer (BCa) therapy. On the other hand, the crucial regulatory involvement of SIRT7 and EZH2 in bladder cancer development is well known. Herein, the collaborative regulatory roles and underlying mechanisms of SIRT7 and EZH2 in CDDP resistance in bladder cancer were explored.

Different doses of dexmedetomidine combined with propofol for older adults undergoing cardiac surgery: the impact on postoperative delirium.

Objective: This study retrospectively investigated the effects of different doses of dexmedetomidine combined with propofol on postoperative delirium in older adults undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods: The medical records of 82 older adults undergoing cardiac surgery admitted to two hospitals between August 2019 and August 2022 were analyzed. The participants were divided into two groups based on the dexmedetomidine dose: group A (0.

Effective Bone Tissue Fabrication Using 3D-Printed Citrate-Based Nanocomposite Scaffolds Laden with BMP9-Stimulated Human Urine Stem Cells.

Effective repair of large bone defects through bone tissue engineering (BTE) remains an unmet clinical challenge. Successful BTE requires optimal and synergistic interactions among biocompatible scaffolds, osteogenic factors, and osteoprogenitors to form a highly vascularized microenvironment for bone regeneration and osseointegration. We sought to develop a highly effective BTE system by using 3D printed citrate-based mPOC/hydroxyapatite (HA) composites laden with BMP9-stimulated human urine stem cells (USCs).

CXCL10 Promotes Spinal Macrophage Recruitment via the JAK/STAT3 Pathway to Induce Pain in Experimental Autoimmune Prostatitis.

The aim is to explore the mechanisms underlying pain development in chronic prostatitis and identify therapeutic targets for pain management in patients with chronic prostatitis. RNA sequence of the spinal cord dorsal horns and proteomic analysis of spinal macrophages of experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) mice were conducted to identify pain-related genes, proteins and signalling pathways. The clodronate liposome, CXCR3 and P-STAT3 inhibitors, NGF antibody and cromolyn sodium were used to investigate the roles of the CXCL10/CXCR3, JAK/STAT3 and NGF/TrKA pathways in spinal macrophage recruitment and pain response.

Outcomes following laparoscopic adrenalectomy: Experience of more than two decades at a tertiary care centre.

Introduction: Laparoscopic transperitoneal adrenalectomy was first described by Gagner M et al. Here, we present our experience of more than two decades of laparoscopic adrenalectomy performed in a single surgical unit at a tertiary care centre.

Patients And Methods: A prospectively collected database of patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy from December 1994 to May 2020 was analysed retrospectively.

CRISPR/Cas9 screens identify LIG1 as a sensitizer of PARP inhibitors in castration-resistant prostate cancer.

PARP inhibitors (PARPi) have received regulatory approval for the treatment of several tumors, including prostate cancer (PCa), and demonstrate remarkable results in the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients characterized by defects in homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes. Preclinical studies showed that DNA repair genes (DRG) other than HRR genes may have therapeutic value in the context of PARPi. To this end, we performed multiple CRISPR/Cas9 screens in PCa cell lines using a custom sgRNA library targeting DRG combined with PARPi treatment.

A Modern Education Theory Approach to Development of a Benchtop Simulation Model for Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.

To develop and validate a high-fidelity, nonbiohazardous simulator model for the ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy procedure. We employed a systematic framework based on Delphi consensus and modern education theory to design a simulation model. Twelve expert surgeons provided input through a hierarchal task analysis and identified procedural tasks, anatomical landmarks, and potential errors.

Application of extended immunotherapy in advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma treated with first-line combination of immune-checkpoint inhibitor and tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of extended immunotherapy in first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) combination treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from patients with advanced RCC who received first-line ICIs-TKIs combination treatment at West China Hospital of Sichuan University between October 2018 and July 2024. Patients who are assessed as having a disease control status after 2 years of continuous treatment will continue to receive immune checkpoint inhibitors until the inhibitors are discontinued due to disease progression or death.

The association between animal protein, plant protein, and their substitution with bladder cancer risk: a pooled analysis of 10 cohort studies.

Purpose: Although total dietary protein intake has been associated with bladder cancer (BC) risk, the effect of the origin (plant or animal) and the substitutions remain to be understood. This study aimed to investigate the effect of total dietary protein, animal-based protein, plant-based protein, and their substitutions with each other on the risk of BC using a pooled analysis of 10 cohort studies.

Methods: The study was conducted within the "BLadder cancer Epidemiology and Nutritional Determinants" (BLEND) study, including 10 prospective cohort studies from several European countries, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

MRI-directed Micro-US-guided Transperineal Focal Laser Ablation for Localized Prostate Cancer: A 1-year Follow-up Study.

Background MRI-guided focal laser ablation (FLA) is a promising treatment in localized prostate cancer (PCa). MRI-guided micro-US FLA shows potential for outpatient use, but its clinical application remains unexplored. Purpose To evaluate the safety, feasibility, and 12-month functional and oncologic outcomes of MRI-guided micro-US transperineal FLA in localized PCa and to assess the accuracy of micro-US in showing lesions depicted at MRI with Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) score of 3 or higher.

Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone receptor agonists and antagonists in prostate cancer: effects on long-term survival and combined therapy with next-generation hormonal agents.

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in men worldwide. Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone receptor (LHRH-R) agonists and antagonists are known to achieve castration-level testosterone suppression; however, long-term data comparing the survival benefits of these therapies are insufficient to inform treatment decisions. Furthermore, the advent of next-generation hormonal agents (NHAs), such as abiraterone and enzalutamide, have shifted the paradigm of managing prostate cancer.

Can We Prevent Recurrent UTIs Without Antibiotics, in Both Those Who Do and Do Not Use Catheters? ICI-RS 2024.

Aims: Urinary tract infections are one of the most common reasons for antibiotic prescription. The widespread use of antibiotic treatments contributes to the global health problem of antimicrobial resistance development. To slow down the progression of antimicrobial resistance, it is essential that we explore nonantibiotic preventive treatments for this common condition.

Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Surgeons and Attitudes Towards Wearable Devices for Ergonomic Optimization.

Objective: To assess the burden of ergonomic strain and to examine factors influencing intention to use wearable technology that may improve ergonomics during surgery.

Background: Surgical ergonomic strain leads to high rates of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and pain, contributing to early surgeon retirement and an epidemic of burnout.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of surgeons at a single institution was conducted using two validated instruments, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2), assessing musculoskeletal strain and facilitators of wearable sensor use, respectively.