Recently, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has gained considerable attention as a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of psoriasis. Unfortunately, the activation of high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) by PDT triggers innate and adaptive immune responses, which exacerbate skin inflammation. Herein, we combined glycyrrhizic acid (GA), a natural anti-inflammatory compound and immunomodulator derived from the herb Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., with PDT actuated by the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) by co-loading them in GA-based lipid nanoparticles coated with a catechol-modified quaternary chitosan salt (GC NPs/QCS-C). GC NPs/QCS-C exhibited high drug loading efficacy, uniform size distribution, an ideal topical adhesive property, enhanced skin retention and penetration in psoriasis-like lesions, and high intracellular uptake in epidermal cells compared with the counterparts. Subsequently, the transdermal administration of GC NPs/QCS-C followed by near-infrared laser radiation in an imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like mouse model significantly ameliorated psoriasis symptoms, promoted the apoptosis of hyperproliferative epidermal cells, and alleviated the inflammatory cascade. The significant therapeutic outcomes of GC NPs/QCS-C were attributed to the synergistic effects of GA and PDT on modulating immune cell recruitment and inhibiting dendritic cell maturation. Our results demonstrated that the topical bio-adhesive nanosystem that combines GA and Ce6 offers a synergistic chemo-phototherapeutic strategy for psoriasis treatment.

Natural compounds demonstrate unique therapeutic advantages for cancer treatment, primarily through direct tumor suppression or interference with the tumor microenvironment (TME). Glycyrrhizic acid (GL), a bioactive ingredient derived from the medicinal herb Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., and its sapogenin glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), have been recognized for their ability to inhibit angiogenesis and remodel the TME. Consequently, the combination of GL with other therapeutic agents offers superior therapeutic benefits. Given GL's amphiphilic structure, self-assembly capability, and liver cancer targeting capacity, various GL-based nanoscale drug delivery systems have been developed. These GL-based nanosystems exhibit angiogenesis suppression and TME regulation properties, synergistically enhancing anti-cancer effects. This review summarizes recent advances in GL-based nanosystems, including polymer-drug micelles, drug-drug assembly nanoparticles (NPs), liposomes, and nanogels, for cancer treatment and tumor postoperative care, providing new insights into the anti-cancer potential of natural compounds. Additionally, the review discusses existing challenges and future perspectives for translating GL-based nanosystems from bench to bedside.
Animals ; Humans ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Glycyrrhizic Acid/therapeutic use* ; Liposomes/chemistry* ; Micelles ; Nanoparticles/chemistry* ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects* ; Nanoparticle Drug Delivery System/therapeutic use*

The clinical application of triptolide (TPL) in tumor therapy has been greatly limited by its toxicity and inefficient delivery. Herein, a localized and sustained-release thermo-sensitive hydrogel was developed for the intra-tumor administration of TPL. Based on the amphiphilic structure of poly (

Surgical resection or liver transplantation are the primary curative treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).However, a minority of patients are eligible for these treatment strategies upon initial diagnosis.With the development of radiotherapy technol-ogy,radiotherapy is being used increasingly in the treatment of HCC.A large number of studies have shown that external beam radio-therapy has obvious advantages for different stages of HCC.Stereotactic radiotherapy provides an alternative to radiofrequency abla-tion in the treatment of early unresectable HCC,and radiotherapy combined with other local or systemic treatments,including trans-catheter arterial chemoembolization and sorafenib,has been applied for the treatment of locally advanced and distant metastatic le-sions.The particle beam has the advantages of Bragg peak and better dose distribution compared to conventional radiography,show-ing promising prospect in clinical application.This review focuses on the developments in the field of external beam radiotherapy in the treatment of HCC.

A new biosensor was prepared based on conductive polymer poly ( 3 , 4-ethylenedioxythiophene ) ( PEDOT) and 1-pyrenebutanoic acid ( PBA) through π-π stacking, as well as hematin associated with PBA through coordinate bonds of Zr4+ and carboxyl group. Its stability and sensitivity were examined by cyclic voltammetry ( CV) , electrochemical impedance spectroscopy ( EIS) and current-time ( i-t) method. A pair of well defined and quasi-reversible redox peaks was observed when GCE/PEDOT/PBA/hematin was tested by CV in PBS without oxygen. The electron transfer rate constant was estimated to be 4. 8 s-1 . Results indicated that the PEDOT film enhanced the electron transfer process of hematin. When the i-t method was used to detect the response of biosensor to catechol with different concentrations, it displayed a linear response for the reduction of catechol in the range of 0. 5-200 μmol/L. The linear equation was i=0. 018C+0. 006 ( R=0. 9998), and the detection sensitivity was 0. 258 μA (μmol/L· cm2) with a detection limit of 0. 33 nmol/L (S/N=3). The results illustrate that the GCE/PEDOT/PBA/hematin biosensor is very sensitive and stable.

The use of adjuvant extemal-beam RT is well established in the postoperative treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (CBM).It is consensus that target volume should be determined based on the fusion images of MRI and CT,but the inclusion of peritumoural edematous is controversial.The vast majority of recurrences occur within 2 cm of the original tumor site orin radiation field.There is no inevitable relation between the degree of peritumoral edema and recurrence model.The clinical and pathological characteristics may be as predictive and prognostic factors for the treatment of GBM.Target volume delineation for CBM tend to individual,which can maintain known outcomes and reduce treatment toxicity.

Objective To evaluate the effect of pitavastatin on blood glucose in patients with hypercholesterolemia,and to investigate the efficacy of pitavastatin in diabetic patients combined with hypercholesterolemia.Method This study was a 12-week,multi-center,open-label,without parallel-group comparison,phase Ⅳ clinical trail.Results Contrasting to baseline,the prevalences at week 4 and 12 post-treatment of abnormal fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycosylated hemoglobin Alc (HbA1c)( FPG:14.2％ vs 14.1％ and 11.0％ ; HbA1c:14.3％ vs 15.1％ and 16.1％ ) in the safety set subjects without diabetes mellitus (DM),as well as in those with DM but not taking glucose-lowering drugs (FPG:7/7 vs 4/7 and 5/7; HbAlc:5/5 vs 4/4 and 5/5) had no significant changes (all P vaules ＞0.05).Contrasting to baseline,the levels of TC [ (6.51±0.94) mmol/L vs (5.12 ±0.93) mmol/L and (4.54 ±1.00) mmol/L],LDL-C [(4.11 ±0.79)mmol/L vs (3.02 ±0.81) mmol/L and (2.51 ±0.70)mmol/L] and TG [2.10(1.53,2.54) mmol/L vs 1.62(1.26,2.00) mmol/L and 1.35(1.10,1.86)mmol/L]at week 4 and 12 post-treatment in the per protocol set 55 subjects with DM were significantly reduced (all P values ＜ 0.05 ) ; 33.3％ of subjects at high risk and 10.0％ of subjects at very high risk had achieved a TC target value; 55.6％ of subjects at high risk and 40.0％ of subjects at very high risk had achieved a LDL-C target value.Conclusion Pitavastatin has a safe effect on blood glucose and it could be used to treat diabetic patients combined with hypercholesterolemia in China.

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of regular and dual-time-point 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-CT(FDG PET/CT)imaging for recurrence and metastasis in esophageal carcinoma(EC)after curative esophagectomy. Methods A retrospective study was done on 48 patients received curative esophagectomy, who underwent FDG PET/CT scans to detect doubtful recurrent or metastatic lesions. The diagnostic accuracy of FDG PET-CT was assessed with the help of pathological findings as well as clinical or follow-up data. Using Fisher's Exact Test from SPSS 11.5 to analyze the data.Results Of the 48 patients, after a median follow-up of 21.5 months, 61 sites of local and regional recurrence or metastasis were finally confirmed in 34 patients. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of regular FDG PET/CT imaging in detecting recurrence of all sites were 93.44%, 74.29% and 86.46%respectively. The specificity and accuracy of local recurrence and regional metastasis were 57.14% ,78.95% and 77.78% ,84.62%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of dual-time-point FDG PET/ CT imaging in detecting local and regional recurrence(96.97% ,96.00% and 96.55%)were higher than those of regular FDG PET/CT(90.90%, 72.00% and 82.76%)and there were significant differences of specificity and accuracy(P = 0.049, P = 0.029). Conclusions Regular FDG PET/CT imaging is highly effective in detecting recurrence and metastasis in EC patients after curative esophagectomy despite the low specificity and accuracy. Dual-time-point FDG PET/CT imaging can elevate the specificity and accuracy.

Epithelial membrane protein 3 (EMP3) is a trans-membrane signaling molecule with important roles in the regulation of apoptosis, differentiation and invasion of cancer cells, but the detailed is largely still unknown. We analyzed the mRNA levels and methylation statuses of EMP3 in 63 primary breast carcinomas and assessed their correlations with clinicopathologic variables. The expression of EMP3 mRNA in primary breast carcinomas was significantly higher than the expression of 20 normal breast tissues (p<10(-7)). EMP3 overexpression in breast carcinomas was significantly related to histological grade III (p=3.9X10(-7)), lymph node metastasis (p= 0.003), and strong Her-2 expression (p=3.3X10(-6)). Hypermethylation frequencies of EMP3 were detected in 36.5% of breast carcinomas by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. However, no significant correlations were found between methylation status of EMP3 and mRNA expression levels as well as other clinical parameters. In conclusion, EMP3 may be a novel marker of tumor aggressiveness. Overexpression of EMP3 in primary breast carcinoma is not associated with DNA methylation.
Adult ; Breast Neoplasms/*genetics/pathology ; Carcinoma/*genetics/pathology ; DNA Methylation ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Membrane Glycoproteins/*genetics/metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism ; Receptor, erbB-2/genetics/metabolism ; Severity of Illness Index

etabolic response to radiotherapy may predict the prognosis of paitents with locally advanced NPC. The prognosis is poor for patients with high FDG uptake before and after radiotherapy or SUV max-NSUV max-P .