Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common head and neck malignancy. Approximately 50% to 60% of patients with OSCC are diagnosed at a locally advanced stage (clinical staging III-IVa). Even with comprehensive and sequential treatment primarily based on surgery, the 5-year overall survival rate remains below 50%, and patients often suffer from postoperative functional impairments such as difficulties with speaking and swallowing. Programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) inhibitors are increasingly used in the neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced OSCC and have shown encouraging efficacy. However, clinical practice still faces key challenges, including the definition of indications, optimization of combination regimens, and standards for efficacy evaluation. Based on the latest research advances worldwide and the clinical experience of the expert group, this expert consensus systematically evaluates the application of PD-1 inhibitors in the neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced OSCC, covering combination strategies, treatment cycles and surgical timing, efficacy assessment, use of biomarkers, management of special populations and immune related adverse events, principles for immunotherapy rechallenge, and function preservation strategies. After multiple rounds of panel discussion and through anonymous voting using the Delphi method, the following consensus statements have been formulated: 1) Neoadjuvant therapy with PD-1 inhibitors can be used preoperatively in patients with locally advanced OSCC. The preferred regimen is a PD-1 inhibitor combined with platinum based chemotherapy, administered for 2-3 cycles. 2) During the efficacy evaluation of neoadjuvant therapy, radiographic assessment should follow the dual criteria of Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1 and immune RECIST (iRECIST). After surgery, systematic pathological evaluation of both the primary lesion and regional lymph nodes is required. For combination chemotherapy regimens, PD-L1 expression and combined positive score need not be used as mandatory inclusion or exclusion criteria. 3) For special populations such as the elderly (≥ 70 years), individuals with stable HIV viral load, and carriers of chronic HBV/HCV, PD-1 inhibitors may be used cautiously under the guidance of a multidisciplinary team (MDT), with close monitoring for adverse events. 4) For patients with a poor response to neoadjuvant therapy, continuation of the original treatment regimen is not recommended; the subsequent treatment plan should be adjusted promptly after MDT assessment. Organ transplant recipients and patients with active autoimmune diseases are not recommended to receive neoadjuvant PD-1 inhibitor therapy due to the high risk of immune related activation. Rechallenge is generally not advised for patients who have experienced high risk immune related adverse events such as immune mediated myocarditis, neurotoxicity, or pneumonitis. 5) For patients with a good pathological response, individualized de escalation surgery and function preservation strategies can be explored. This consensus aims to promote the standardized, safe, and precise application of neoadjuvant PD-1 inhibitor strategies in the management of locally advanced OSCC patients.

Objective To assess the risk of human Spirometra mansoni infections and investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards sparganosis mansoni among residents in Henan Province, so as to provide insights into formulation of the sparganosis mansoni control measures. Methods Qinling Village in Fugou County of Zhoukou City, Bali Village in Yancheng District of Luohe City, Duzhai Village in Puyang County of Puyang City and Doushan Village in Luoshan County of Xinyang City were sampled as survey sites in Henan Province from July to August 2023, and more than 40 frogs were sampled from ponds or streams in each survey site for detection of Sparganum mansoni infections. At least 150 residents were sampled using a cluster sampling method from each survey site, and the sero-prevalence of anti-S. mansoni IgG antibody was estimated. In addition, a questionnaire survey was conducted on the KAP towards sparganosis mansoni among participants, and the proportion of eligible KAP, rate of correct KAP and KAP scores were calculated. Results A total 229 frogs were collected from 4 survey sites in 2023, and the overall prevalence of S. mansoni infection was 4.37% (10/229) in frogs, with 7.75% (10/129) prevalence in wild frogs and 0 in farm-bred frogs. A questionnaire survey was performed among 649 residents sampled from 4 survey sites, and 649 serum samples were collected. The seroprevalence of anti-S.mansoni IgG antibody was 0.15% (1/649) and the overall proportion of eligible KAP was 23.73% (154/649) among participants. There were age- (χ² = 30.905, P = 0.000), educational level- (χ² = 41.011, P = 0.000), and occupation-specific proportions of eligible KAP among participants (χ² = 10.721, P = 0.005), and the proportion of eligible KAP decreased with age (χ² _trend = 22.717, P = 0.000) and increased with education levels (χ² _trend = 40.025, P = 0.000). The rates of correct KAP towards sparganosis mansoni were 40.81% (2 119/5 192), 96.66% (1 882/1 947) and 63.81% (3 727/5 841) (χ² = 1 913.731, P = 0.000) among residents, respectively. The rates of correct KAP towards sparganosis mansoni varied significantly among survey sites (χ² = 136.872, 42.347 and 255.157; all P values= 0.000, with the highest rate of correct knowledge (51.94%, 748/1 440) and practices (75.86%, 1 229/1 620) in Yancheng District of Luohe City and the highest rate of correct attitudes in Puyang County of Puyang City (99.11%, 446/450) (all P values< 0.05). Conclusions There is still a high transmission risk of sparganosis mansoni in Henan Province, and the KAP towards sparganosis mansoni is required to be improved among residents.

OBJECTIVE To investigate ameliorative effects and mechanisms of two probiotics （Bacillus subtilis， Lactobacillus acidophilus） combined with Aurantii Fructus Immaturus （AFI） on functional dyspepsia （FD） in rats. METHODS Rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， positive control group （domperidone group， 2.7 mg/kg）， AFI group （9 g/kg）， L. acidophilus group （5×107 cfu/kg）， B. subtilis group （5×107 cfu/kg）， L. acidophilus+ AFI group （L. acidophilus 5×107 cfu/kg+ AFI 9 g/kg）， and B. subtilis+AFI group （B. subtilis 5×107 cfu/kg+AFI 9 g/kg）， with 8 rats in each group. Except for the blank group， FD model was established by tail-clamping stimulation+hunger and satiety disorder+swimming exhaustion in other groups. After modeling， each group was given the corresponding drug/probiotic suspensions/physiological saline intragastrically， once a day， for 14 consecutive days. After the last medication， gastric emptying rate and the rate of propulsion of the small intestine in rats were measured； the levels of brain-gut peptide-related indicators [gastrin （GAS）， substance P （SP）， vasoactive intestinal peptide （VIP）， somatostatin （SS） and cholecystokinin （CCK）] in the serum of rats were measured. The pathological morphology of the gastric antrum tissue and duodenal tissue was observed. Cecal contents from the rats were collected for gut microbiota sequencing analysis. The protein expression levels of tyrosine kinase receptor c-Kit and stem cell factor （SCF） in the gastric antrum tissue， as well as Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88）， and nuclear factor κB （NF-κB） in the duodenal tissue of the rats were detected. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， model group showed significantly lower gastric emptying rate， small intestinal propulsion rate， serum levels of GAS and SP， relative abundance of Firmicutes， Ace， Chao and Sobs indexes of the gut microbiota， and protein levels of SCF and c-Kit in gastric antrum （P＜0.05）， while serum levels of VIP， SS and CCK， relative abundance of Bacteroidetes， as well as protein expressions of TLR4， MyD88， and NF-κB， were significantly higher （P＜0.05）. The histological structure JZYC23S53） of the gastric antrum tissue appeared basically normal； however， abnormalities were observed in the duodenal structure， with a significant infiltration of inflammatory cells visible. Compared with the model group， all treatment groups significantly modulated most of the above indexes （P＜0.05）. The histological structure of the gastric antrum tissue was normal. Except for the B. subtilis group and the B. subtilis+AFI group， the pathological states of the duodenum in the remaining rats gradually recovered. Compared with each single drug group， most of above indexes in rats from each combination group showed further improvement （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS The combination of AFI with two probiotics can improve gastrointestinal motility in FD rats， and the effect is superior to that of using the drugs alone. The specific underlying mechanisms may be related to the activation of the SCF/c-Kit signaling pathway and the inhibition of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective: To improve the efficiency and standardization of preoperative anemia diagnosis and treatment by establishing a systematic intelligent management platform for preoperative anemia. Methods: A multidisciplinary collaborative model was adopted to develop a preoperative anemia management system that integrates intelligent early warning, standardized treatment pathways, and quality control. The system utilizes natural language processing technology to automatically capture laboratory data and establish evidence-based medical decision support functions. A pre-post study design was employed to compare changes in preoperative anemia screening rates, preoperative anemia intervention rates, reasonable use of iron supplements, and perioperative red blood cell transfusion rates before and after system implementation. Results: After system implementation, the standardization of anemia diagnosis and treatment significantly improved: 1) Screening effectiveness: The anemia screening rate increased to 50.00% (an increase of 27.24%); 2) Intervention effectiveness: The anemia treatment rate rose to 56.30% (an increase of 14.02%); 3) Treatment standardization: The reasonable use rate of iron supplements increased to 55.33% (an increase of 21.02%); the red blood cell transfusion rate decreased to 18.29% (a decrease of 4.07%), and the amount of red blood cell transfusions was reduced by 291 units. Conclusion: This system achieves full-process management of preoperative anemia through information technology, significantly enhancing the standardization of diagnosis and treatment as well as intervention effectiveness, providing an effective solution for perioperative anemia management.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is a lethal malignancy prone to gemcitabine resistance. The single-strand selective monofunctional uracil DNA glycosylase (SMUG1), which is responsible for initiating base excision repair, has been reported to predict the outcomes of different cancer types. However, the function of SMUG1 in pancreatic cancer is still unclear. METHODS: Gene and protein expression of SMUG1 as well as survival outcomes were assessed by bioinformatic analysis and verified in a cohort from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. Subsequently, the effect of SMUG1 on proliferation, cell cycle, and migration abilities of SMUG1 cells were detected in vitro . DNA damage repair, apoptosis, and gemcitabine resistance were also tested. RNA sequencing was performed to determine the differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways, followed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting verification. The cancer-promoting effect of forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1) and SMUG1 on the ubiquitylation of myelocytomatosis oncogene (c-Myc) was also evaluated. Finally, a xenograft model was established to verify the results. RESULTS: SMUG1 was highly expressed in pancreatic tumor tissues and cells, which also predicted a poor prognosis. Downregulation of SMUG1 inhibited the proliferation, G1 to S transition, migration, and DNA damage repair ability against gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer cells. SMUG1 exerted its function by binding with FOXQ1 to activate the Protein Kinase B (AKT)/p21 and p27 pathway. Moreover, SMUG1 also stabilized the c-Myc protein via AKT signaling in pancreatic cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS SMUG1 promotes proliferation, migration, gemcitabine resistance, and c-Myc protein stability in pancreatic cancer via protein kinase B signaling through binding with FOXQ1. Furthermore, SMUG1 may be a new potential prognostic and gemcitabine resistance predictor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Humans ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Forkhead Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/genetics* ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation/physiology* ; Mice ; Uracil-DNA Glycosidase/genetics* ; Female ; Male ; Gemcitabine ; Mice, Nude ; Apoptosis/physiology* ; Deoxycytidine/analogs & derivatives* ; Cell Movement/genetics*

Peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals targeting integrin α5β1 show promise for precise tumor diagnosis and treatment. However, current peptide-based radioligands that target α5β1 demonstrate inadequate in vivo performance owing to limited tumor retention. The use of PEGylation to enhance the tumor retention of radiopharmaceuticals by prolonging blood circulation time poses a risk of increased blood toxicity. Therefore, a PEGylation strategy that boosts tumor retention while minimizing blood circulation time is urgently needed. Here, we developed a PEGylation-enabled peptide multidisplay platform (PEGibody) for PR_b, an α5β1 targeting peptide. PEGibody generation involved PEGylation and self-assembly. [⁶⁴Cu]QM-2303 PEGibodies displayed spherical nanoparticles ranging from 100 to 200 nm in diameter. Compared with non-PEGylated radioligands, [⁶⁴Cu]QM-2303 demonstrated enhanced tumor retention time due to increased binding affinity and stability. Importantly, the biodistribution analysis confirmed rapid clearance of [⁶⁴Cu]QM-2303 from the bloodstream. Administration of a single dose of [¹⁷⁷Lu]QM-2303 led to robust antitumor efficacy. Furthermore, [⁶⁴Cu]/[¹⁷⁷Lu]QM-2303 exhibited low hematological and organ toxicity in both healthy and tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, this study presents a PEGibody-based radiotheranostic approach that enhances tumor retention time and provides long-lasting antitumor effects without prolonging blood circulation lifetime. The PEGibody-based radiopharmaceutical [⁶⁴Cu]/[¹⁷⁷Lu]QM-2303 shows great potential for positron emission tomography imaging-guided targeted radionuclide therapy for α5β1-overexpressing tumors.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the primary fibrogenic cells in the liver, and their activation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of hepatic fibrosis. Here, we report that retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXRα), a unique member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a key modulator of HSC activation and liver fibrosis. RXRα exerts its effects by modulating calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ)-mediated activation of AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKα). In addition, we demonstrate that K-80003, which binds RXRα by a unique mechanism, effectively suppresses HSC activation, proliferation, and migration, thereby inhibiting liver fibrosis in the CCl₄ and amylin liver NASH (AMLN) diet animal models. The effect is mediated by AMPKα activation, promoting mitophagy in HSCs. Mechanistically, K-80003 activates AMPKα by inducing RXRα to form condensates with CaMKKβ and AMPKα via a two-phase process. The formation of RXRα condensates is driven by its N-terminal intrinsic disorder region and requires phosphorylation by CaMKKβ. Our results reveal a crucial role of RXRα in liver fibrosis regulation through modulating mitochondrial activities in HSCs. Furthermore, they suggest that K-80003 and related RXRα modulators hold promise as therapeutic agents for fibrosis-related diseases.

Coptis chinensis Franch. and Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. are traditional herbal medicines with millennia of documented use and broad therapeutic applications, including anti-diabetic properties. However, the synergistic effect of total alkaloids from Coptis chinensis and total ginsenosides from Panax ginseng on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its underlying mechanism remain unclear. The research demonstrated that the optimal ratio of total alkaloids from Coptis chinensis and total ginsenosides from Panax ginseng was 4∶1, exhibiting maximal efficacy in improving insulin resistance and gluconeogenesis in primary mouse hepatocytes. This combination demonstrated significant synergistic effects in improving glucose tolerance, reducing fasting blood glucose (FBG), the weight ratio of epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in leptin receptor-deficient (db/db) mice. Subsequently, a T2DM liver-specific network was constructed based on RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) experiments and public databases by integrating transcriptional properties of disease-associated proteins and protein-protein interactions (PPIs). The network recovery index (NRI) score of the combined treatment group with a 4∶1 ratio exceeded that of groups treated with individual components. The research identified that activated adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) signaling in the liver played a crucial role in the synergistic treatment of T2DM, as verified by western blot experiment in db/db mice. These findings demonstrate that the 4∶1 combination of total alkaloids from Coptis chinensis and total ginsenosides from Panax ginseng significantly improves insulin resistance and glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in db/db mice, surpassing the efficacy of individual treatments. The synergistic mechanism correlates with enhanced AMPK/ACC signaling pathway activity.
Animals ; Panax/chemistry* ; Ginsenosides/administration & dosage* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism* ; Mice ; Male ; Alkaloids/pharmacology* ; Coptis/chemistry* ; Drug Synergism ; Insulin Resistance ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Humans ; Transcriptome/drug effects* ; Blood Glucose/metabolism* ; Hypoglycemic Agents/administration & dosage* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Hepatocytes/metabolism*

Cell metabolism is one of the basic characteristics of life, and the host metabolic state is closely related to the process and outcome of viral infection. Viruses can use the metabolites in host cells to complete the life cycle. When the virus particles are adsorbed onto the surface of the susceptible cells and enter the cells, a series of biomolecules synthesized by the host cells are involved in the intracellular transport of the virus. Thus, the virus completes its replication cycle and infects more cells. Besides, metabolic reactions and metabolites can regulate the host antiviral responses at various stages of viral infection, thus affecting the outcome of viral infection. Therefore, cell metabolism plays key roles in affecting viral infection and host antiviral responses. In this paper, the effects of cell metabolism on the interaction between viruses and host cells will be described from the six stages of virus replication cycle in vivo.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) for the salvage treatment of invasive fungal disease (IFD) in patients with hematological diseases.Methods:Data were retrospectively collected from 80 patients with hematological issues treated with L-AmB between June 2023 and December 2023 after failure of previous antifungal therapy. Baseline patient information, clinical efficacy, and factors affecting the efficacy of L-AmB were analyzed by logistic regression. Moreover, adverse effects associated with L-AmB were evaluated.Results:Among the 80 patients, 9 (11.2%) had proven IFD, 43 (53.8%) had probable IFD, and 28 (35.0%) had possible IFD. The efficacy rate of L-AmB salvage therapy for IFD was 77.5%, with a median daily dose of 3 (range: 1-5) mg·kg -1·d -1 and a median dosing course of 14 (range: 8-25) days. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the disease remission status ( OR=4.337, 95% CI 1.167-16.122, P=0.029) and duration of medication ( OR=1.127, 95% CI 1.029-1.234, P=0.010) were independent factors affecting the efficacy of L-AmB. The incidence of infusion reactions associated with L-AmB, including fever and chills, was 5.0%. The incidence of hypokalemia was 28.8% (predominantly grades 1-2), and the incidence of nephrotoxicity was 11.3% (predominantly grades 1-2) . Conclusion:L-AmB is safe and effective in the treatment of patients with IFD who are intolerant to or who have experienced no effect of previous antifungal therapy, with a low rate of adverse reactions.