BACKGROUND:Degenerative scoliosis is defined as a condition that occurs in adulthood with a coronal cobb angle of the spine>10° accompanied by sagittal deformity and rotational subluxation,which often produces symptoms of spinal cord and nerve compression,such as lumbar pain,lower limb pain,numbness,weakness,and neurogenic claudication.The finite element method is a mechanical analysis technique for computer modelling,which can be used for spinal mechanics research by building digital models that can realistically restore the human spine model and design modifications. OBJECTIVE:To review the application of finite element method in the etiology and treatment of degenerative scoliosis. METHODS:The literature databases CNKI,PubMed,and Web of Science were searched for articles on the application of finite element method in degenerative scoliosis published before October 2023.Search terms were"finite element analysis,biomechanics,stress analysis,degenerative scoliosis,adult spinal deformity"in Chinese and English.Fifty-four papers were finally included. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The biomechanical findings from the degenerative scoliosis model constructed using the finite element method were identical to those from the in vivo experimental studies,which proves that the finite element method has a high practical value in degenerative scoliosis.(2)The study of the etiology and treatment of degenerative scoliosis by the finite element method is conducive to the prevention of the occurrence of the scoliosis,slowing down the progress of the scoliosis,the development of a more appropriate treatment plan,the reduction of complications,and the promotion of the patients'surgical operation.(3)The finite element method has gradually evolved from a single bony structure to the inclusion of soft tissues such as muscle ligaments,and the small sample content is increasingly unable to meet the research needs.(4)The finite element method has much room for exploration in degenerative scoliosis.

The inherent clinical uncertainties, substantial costs, and small patient cohorts of orphan drugs limit the applicability of randomized controlled trial (RCT)-based health technology assessments (HTAs) in guiding coverage criteria, sustainable financing models, and equitable reimbursement frameworks for medical financial assistance policies for rare diseases.The digital transformation in healthcare system leads to solutions to the challenges in designing the policy by using data-driven decision-making. This article summarizes the decision-making issues in policy design, discusses the current status and trends of digital transformation, and analyzes the important new opportunities for AI-driven policy design for medical financial assistance policies for rare diseases. Decision-making that is digital intelligence driven and using techniques such as big data analytics and real-world research methods will enhance targeting efficiency, improve the quality of financing, and realize the performance-based reimbursement in the medical financial assistance, providing significant value in facilitating the policy reform and development for rare diseases healthcare.

Persistent left superior vena cava is a rare venous variant that is often combined with cardiovascular malformations. In thoracic surgery, especially mediastinal tumor resection, neglect of this variant may make the surgery difficult and risky, and careful preoperative imaging interpretation and adequate preoperative evaluation play an important role in the perioperative safety of the patient. In this paper, we reported a case of a 17-year-old female patient with a persistent left superior vena cava combined with mediastinal tumors. She was successfully discharged 5 days after thoracoscopic surgery, and after 3 years of postoperative follow-up, no tumor recurrence was observed.

To summarize the dermoscopic features of superficial basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and Bowen's disease and explore the diagnostic value of dermoscopy for these two conditions.

Homo- or heterodimeric compounds that affect dimeric protein function through interaction between monomeric moieties and protein subunits can serve as valuable sources of potent and selective drug candidates. Here, we screened an in-house dimeric natural product collection, and panepocyclinol A (PecA) emerged as a selective and potent STAT3 inhibitor with profound anti-tumor efficacy. Through cross-linking C712/C718 residues in separate STAT3 monomers with two distinct Michael receptors, PecA inhibits STAT3 DNA binding affinity and transcription activity. Molecular dynamics simulation reveals the key conformation changes of STAT3 dimers upon the di-covalent binding with PecA that abolishes its DNA interactions. Furthermore, PecA exhibits high efficacy against anaplastic large T cell lymphoma in vitro and in vivo, especially those with constitutively activated STAT3 or STAT3^Y640F. In summary, our study describes a distinct and effective di-covalent modification for the dimeric compound PecA to disrupt STAT3 function.

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite advances in treatment, cancer relapse remains a significant challenge, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies. In this study, we engineered nanobody-based chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) natural killer (NK) cells targeting cadherin 17 (CDH17) for the treatment of GI tumors. In addition, to enhance the efficacy of CAR-NK cells, we also incorporated CV1, a CD47-SIRPα axis inhibitor, to evaluate the anti-tumor effect of this combination. We found that CDH17-CAR-NK cells effectively eliminated GI cancers cells in a CDH17-dependent manner. CDH17-CAR-NK cells also exhibit potent in vivo anti-tumor effects in cancer cell-derived xenograft and patient-derived xenograft mouse models. Additionally, the anti-tumor activity of CDH17-CAR-NK cells is synergistically enhanced by CD47-signal regulatory protein α (SIRPα) axis inhibitor CV1, likely through augmented macrophages activation and an increase in M1-phenotype macrophages in the tumor microenvironment. Collectively, our findings suggest that CDH17-targeting CAR-NK cells are a promising strategy for GI cancers. The combination of CDH17-CAR-NK cells with CV1 emerges as a potential combinatorial approach to overcome the limitations of CAR-NK therapy. Further investigations are warranted to speed up the clinical translation of these findings.

Aging and cancer share overlapping characteristics, referred to as meta-hallmarks, which elucidate the convergent, antagonistic, or contradictory relationships between aging and cancer. Likewise, as a key characteristic of aging, senescent cells share some meta-hallmarks with tumor cells. These hallmarks include apoptosis resistance, metabolic alterations, secretory phenotypes, epigenetic reprogramming, and immune surveillance, all of which play pivotal roles in both tumorigenesis and senescence. Moreover, senolytic drugs, which are a class of agents selectively designed to eliminate senescent cells, have emerged as promising therapeutic agents in oncology and aging-related diseases. Since the discovery of the first senolytic drug in 2015, a diverse array of such agents has been developed. Notably, most senolytic drugs are repurposed from existing anti-tumor therapies, leveraging their shared mechanisms with senescent cells and tumor cells. Thus, this review examines the similarities between senescent cells and tumor cells, providing a better understanding of the meta-hallmarks. Besides, we categorize existing senolytic drugs based upon meta-hallmarks and elucidate the potential molecular mechanisms underlying their effects. By integrating insights from cancer and senescence research, this work aims to inspire innovative strategies for senolytic drug discovery.

Objective    To retrospectively analyze the surgical treatment of Stanford type A aortic dissection after coronary artery stenting, and to explore the surgical techniques and surgical indications. Methods    Clinical data of 1 246 consecutive patients who underwent operations on Stanford type A aortic dissection from April 2016 to July 2019 in Beijing Anzhen Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection after coronary artery stenting were enrolled. Results    Finally 19 patients were collected, including 16 males and 3 females with an average age of 54±7 years ranging from 35 to 66 years. There were 11 patients in acute phase, 15 patients with AC (DeBakey Ⅰ) type and 4 patients with AS (DeBakey Ⅱ) type. In AC type, there were 10 patients receiving Sun's surgery and 5 patients partial arch replacement. Meanwhile, coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in 7 patients and mitral valve replacement in 1 patient. Stents were removed from the right coronary artery in 4 patients. In this group, 1 patient died of multiple organ failure in hospital after operation combined with malperfusion of viscera. Eighteen patients recovered after treatment and were discharged from hospital. The patients were followed up for 30 (18-56) months. One patient underwent aortic pseudoaneurysm resection, one thoracic endovascular aortic repair, one emergency percutaneous coronary intervention due to left main artery stent occlusion, and one underwent femoral artery bypass due to iliac artery occlusion. Conclusion    Iatrogenic aortic dissection has a high probability of coronary artery bypass grafting at the same time in patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection after coronary artery stenting. Complicated type A aortic dissection after percutaneous coronary intervention should be treated with surgery aggressively.