Tumor metastasis is the leading cause of high mortality in most cancers, and numerous studies have demonstrated that the malignant crosstalk of multiple components in the tumor microenvironment (TME) together promotes tumor metastasis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the major stromal cells and crosstalk centers in the TME of various kinds of tumors, such as breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer. Recently, the CAF-induced pro-tumor metastatic TME has gained wide attention, being considered as one of the effective targets for tumor therapy. With in-depth research, CAFs have been found to promote tumor metastasis through multiple mechanisms, such as inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition in tumor cells, remodeling the extracellular matrix, protecting circulating tumor cells, and facilitating the formation of a pre-metastatic niche. To enhance the anti-tumor metastasis effect, therapeutic strategies designed by combining nano-drug delivery systems with CAF modulation are undoubtedly a desirable choice, as evidenced by the research over the past decades. Herein, we introduce the physiological properties of CAFs, detail the possible mechanisms whereby CAFs promote tumor metastasis, categorize CAFs-based nano-drug delivery strategies according to their anti-metastasis functions and discuss the current challenges, possible solutions, as well as the future directions in order to provide a theoretical basis and reference for the utilization of CAFs-based nano-drug delivery strategies to promote tumor metastasis therapy.

BACKGROUND: Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), a rare and recurrent autoinflammatory disease, imposes a substantial burden on patients and society. Awareness of GPP in China remains limited. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey, conducted between September 2021 and May 2023 across 14 hospitals in China, included GPP patients of all ages and disease phases. Data collected encompassed demographics, clinical characteristics, economic impact, disease severity, quality of life, and treatment-related complications. Risk factors for GPP recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 127 patients (female/male ratio = 1.35:1), the mean age of disease onset was 25 years (1st quartile [Q1]-3rd quartile [Q3]: 11-44 years); 29.2% had experienced GPP for more than 10 years. Recurrence occurred in 75.6% of patients, and nearly half reported no identifiable triggers. Younger age at disease onset ( P  = 0.021) and transitioning to plaque psoriasis ( P  = 0.022) were associated with higher recurrence rates. The median diagnostic delay was 8 months (Q1-Q3: 2-41 months), and 32.3% of patients reported misdiagnoses. Comorbidities were present in 53.5% of patients, whereas 51.1% experienced systemic complications during treatment. Depression and anxiety affected 84.5% and 95.6% of patients, respectively. During GPP flares, the median Dermatology Life Quality Index score was 19.0 (Q1-Q3: 13.0-23.5). This score showed significant differences between patients with and without systemic symptoms; it demonstrated correlations with both depression and anxiety scores. Treatment costs caused financial hardship in 55.9% of patients, underscoring the burden associated with GPP. CONCLUSIONS The substantial disease and economic burdens among Chinese GPP patients warrant increased attention. Patients with early onset disease and those transitioning to plaque psoriasis require targeted interventions to mitigate the high recurrence risk.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Psoriasis/pathology* ; Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adolescent ; Child ; Young Adult ; Quality of Life ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; East Asian People

This article aims to study the processing methods by exploring the main chemical constituents of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata and the toxicity-attenuating mechanisms. The relevant articles were retrieved from multiple databases with the time interval of 1960-2024, and the chemical constituents of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata and the toxicity-attenuating mechanisms of its processing methods were summarized. The review revealed that the chemical constituents of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata included 32 diester-type alkaloids, 36 monoester-type alkaloids, 43 alkanolamine-type alkaloids, and 8 lipid-type alkaloids. At the same time, other chemical constituents such as water-soluble alkaloids were also studied, and their pharmacological activities were summarized. The toxicity-attenuating mechanisms of the processing methods included constituent loss, hydrolysis, ester exchange, and ion-pair action. The processing methods of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata have developed from being traditional to modern, with simplified operation and increased retention amounts of active constituents, which have improved the efficacy of processed Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata products and have facilitated the industrial production. However, the existing processing methods of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata cannot completely solve the problem of possible reduction in efficacy during toxicity attenuation. More toxicity-attenuating mechanisms and lipid-type alkaloids of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata should be explored, which is expected to reduce its toxicity while retaining its efficacy.
Aconitum/toxicity* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Alkaloids/chemistry* ; Animals ; Humans

Objective To explore the clinical effect of cold treatment of replacement fluid in continuous blood purification(CBP)of patients with heat stroke.Methods Clinical data of 46 patients with heat stroke who were treated with CBP in Hainan Hospital of PLA General Hospital from July 2018 to September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were assigned to control group(23 cases,conventional treatment for heat stroke and CBP with room temperature replacement fluid)and observation group(23 cases,conventional treatment for heat stroke and CBP with cooling replacement fluid).The body temperatures were compared between the two groups before treatment and 30 min,2 h,6 h,12 h and 24 h after treatment.The prothrombin activity(PTA),activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT),D-dimer(D-D),fibrinogen(FIB)and platelet count(PLT)before treatment and at 24 h(T1),3 d(T2)and 7 d(T3)after treatment,as well as the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ)score at 7 d after treatment were also compared between the two groups.Results There was no significant difference in temperature or coagulation function between the two groups before treatment(P>0.05).The temperature of the observation group was significantly different from that of the control group at 2 h,6h and 12h after treatment(P<0.05).After treatment,the levels of PTA,FIB and PLT in the observation group at T1,T2 and T3 were higher than those in the control group,while the level of D-D in the observation group was lower than that in the control group,and the APPT at T1 and T2 was significantly shorter than that in the control group(P<0.05).PTA,APPT,D-D,FIB and PLT of the two groups were improved after treatment(P<0.05).Conclusion The cold treatment of replacement fluid can quickly shorten the cooling time of patients with heat stroke during CBP,and significantly improve coagulation function.It is worthy of clinical promotion so as to improve the progrosis of patients with heat strok.

Objective To analyze the application value of multi-slice spiral CT(MSCT)in the preoperative diagnosis and classification of inguinal hernia.Methods The clinical data of 130 patients with inguinal hernia admitted to our hospital were collected,and all patients underwent inguinal hernia repair.MSCT examination was conducted for the inguinal hernia of the patients,and the efficacy of MSCT in the diagnosis of different types of inguinal hernia was explored by taking the intraoperative diagnosis results as the gold standard.The contents of the hernia sac in patients with different types of inguinal hernia were analyzed,and the accuracy of MSCT under different scanning directions on the relationship between neck of hernia sac and inferior epigastric artery was analyzed.Results The intraoperative diagnosis results confirmed that there were 92 cases of oblique hernia,26 cases of direct hernia and 12 cases of femoral hernia among 130 patients with inguinal hernia.A total of 139 hernia sacs were present,with 121 unilateral and 9 bilateral hernia sacs.Among patients with oblique hernias,87 cases were unilateral and 5 cases were bilateral;among patients with direct hernias,23 cases were unilateral and 3 cases were bilateral;among patients with femoral hernias,11 cases were unilateral and 1 case was bilateral.The MSCT scan results showed that patients with oblique hernia,direct hernia and femoral hernia were 92 cases,26 cases and 12 cases respectively.The sensitivities of MSCT in diagnosing oblique hernia,direct hernia and femoral hernia were 95.65%,84.62%and 100%respectively,and the specificities were 89.47%,96.15%and 100%respectively.The contents of the hernia sac in oblique hernia were mainly small intestine and mesentery,while those in direct hernia and femoral hernia were mainly small intestine and fat.The proportions of fat and bladder in the contents of the hernia sac of direct hernia were higher than those of oblique hernia and femoral hernia(P<0.05).The proportion of mesentery in the contents of the hernia sac of oblique hernia was higher than that of direct hernia and femoral hernia(P<0.05).According to the relationship between hernia sac neck and inferior epigastric artery,the diagnostic accuracy of inguinal hernia by MSCT under coronal scan was the highest.Conclusion The sensitivity and specificity of MSCT in the preoperative differential diagnosis of inguinal hernia are relatively high,and the accuracy of MSCT in classification diagnosis can be improved if combined the contents of the hernia sac and the relationship between the hernia sac neck and inferior epigastric artery.

In recent decades,the incidence of human papillomavirus(HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma(OPSCC)has shown a marked increase.Significant changes have also occurred in the OPSCC diagnosis and treatment paradigm.Deter-mining HPV status prior to treatment is now essential,and radiotherapy/chemotherapy,immunotherapy,and minimally invasive surgical techniques have progressively emerged as key modalities for managing OPSCC.However,alongside these paradigm shifts,a comprehen-sive technical consensus guiding the entire diagnostic and therapeutic process for OPSCC patients is currently lacking.Given China's large population base and the rising incidence of OPSCC,an expert panel convened to develop a clinical technical consensus on OPSCC diagno-sis and management tailored to China's specific context.This consensus aims to further enhance and standardize understanding of OPSCC management techniques among relevant healthcare professionals.

Aim To reveal the mechanism of CIP4 homologs protein 1(RICH1)are involved in the regu-lation of myocardial fibrosis.Methods Mouse cardiac fibroblasts(MCFs)cells were treated with transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β1)to induce the formation of a myocardial fibrosis cell model;the level of the target protein was detected by Western blotting;and the RICH1 gene was detected by transfection of the cells with plasmid.The RICH1 gene was overexpressed(RICH 1 OE)using plasmid transfection;the RICH1 gene was silenced using siRNA fragment(siRICH1);and the expression levels of myocardial fibrosis marker genes,such as Col1 a1,Col3 a1,and Acta2,were de-tected using RT-qPCR.Results RICH1 was signifi-cantly down-regulated in TGF-β1-treated MCFs;the expression levels of myocardial fibrosis marker genes,such as Col1 a1,Col3a1,and Acta2,were down-regu-lated in the RICH1 OE+TGF-β1 group;and in the siRICH1+TGF-β1 group,myocardial fibrosis marker genes,such as Col1 a1,Col3a1 and Acta2 were up-regulated at the expression level;phosphorylated SMAD2(p-SMAD2)and phosphorylated SMAD3(p-SMAD3)levels were down-regulated in the siRICH1 OE+TGF-β1 group.p-SMAD2 and P-SMAD3 levels were upregulated in the siRICH1+TGF-β1 group.Conclusion RICH1 inhibits TGF-β1-induced myo-cardial fibrosis;RICH1 inhibits TGF-β1-induced myo-cardial fibrosis by negatively regulating the SMAD2/3 signaling pathway.

Turning to critical illness is a common stage of various diseases and injuries before death. Patients usually have complex health conditions, while the treatment process involves a wide range of content, along with high requirements for doctor′s professionalism and multi-specialty teamwork, as well as a great demand for time-sensitive treatments. However, this is not matched with critical care professionals and the current state of medical care in China. Telemedicine, which shortens the distance of medical professionals and the gap of disease diagnosis and treatments in various regions through electronic information, can effectively solve the current problem. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a standardized, high-quality visualization telemedicine round system .Therefore, experts have been organized to search domestic and foreign literature on telemedicine round for critically ill patients and to form this consensus based on clinical experiences so as to further improve the level of critical care treatments in regions.

Objective:To develop an artificial intelligence system using fully convolutional neural networks（FCN）to assist echocardiographers in the quantitative assessment of mitral regurgitation（MR）severity.Methods:From August 2021 to June 2024，echocardiographic images of 441 patients with MR were prospectively collected from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University and the Central Hospital of Wuhan. After screening，a total of 269 patients（4 917 frames）were included in the study. Of these，3 644 frames（128 patients）of apical four-chamber color Doppler MR flow convergence images from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University were selected as the training/validation set，while images from 121 patients（813 frames）were used as the internal test set. Additionally，images from 20 patients（460 frames）from the Central Hospital of Wuhan were selected as the external test set. The FCN algorithm was employed to capture features and segment the MR color region on the left atrial side，simultaneously outputting the regurgitant radius（r）for the calculation of the effective regurgitant orifice area and regurgitant volume. The severity of MR was then classified according to the 2017 guidelines of the American Society of Echocardiography. The segmentation and classification performance of the model was evaluated，and the measurement results of the AI system was compared with that of both senior and junior physicians.Results:In the internal test set，the accuracy of r identification for cases classified as Grade Ⅰ to Ⅳ was 0.48，0.81，0.86，and 0.87，respectively. In the external test set，the accuracy of r identification for cases classified as Grade Ⅰ to Ⅳ was 0.60，0.77，0.64，and 0.77，respectively. The average accuracy of MR classification in the internal and external test sets was 0.91 and 0.88，respectively.Conclusions:The FCN model is capable of segmenting the left atrial side regurgitant areas in apical four-chamber heart color Doppler images，aiding physicians in obtaining quantitative assessment parameters for MR，and assisting junior physicians in accurately assessing the severity of MR.

The lab module of exploratory experiment is newly designed in the practical course of bio-chemistry.Here we describe one of the experimental projects,and it originates from new scientific re-search results on the dynamic structure of ATP synthase.This exploratory experiment is organized in the form of real scientific research,which would fully mobilize the initiative and creativity of students in learning theoretical knowledge and experimental technology.Students work in groups and start with refer-ence reading.Through cooperation,they must develop certain experimental plan,handle samples with photocrosslinking technique and utilize the high-throughput electrophoresis method to analyze the dynamic structural change of ε subunit in ATP synthase under different physiological conditions.High quality re-sults from high-throughput electrophoresis can only be obtained through optimized operation and treat-ment,from which students would experience the process of technological innovation.The teaching process of this lab module embodies the student-centered teaching concept and is widely approved and supported by students.The project of ATP synthase closely combines the content of lab course with cut-ting-edge technology.Students can deeply experience the importance of experimental technology innova-tion in solving scientific problems.The practical ability of students would be comprehensively improved through this lab module.