Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) offer a non-selective and receptor-independent mode to promote cellular uptake. Although the non-specificity of CPP-mediated internalization allows this approach applicable to a wide range of tumor types potentially, their universality is a significant obstacle to their clinical utility for targeted delivery of cancer therapeutics and imaging agents. Accordingly, many reports have focused on selective switching of systemically delivered inert CPPs into their active form in lesions (tumor). In this review, our attention is mainly confined to such an enzyme-sensitive domain incorporated delivery system with activatable CPPs (ACPPs), which have displayed the exciting strength in balancing the CPPs' pros and cons, and potential in the treatment and diagnosis of some diseases.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy ofTiaozhong YifeiPrescription combined with Western therapy for treatment of cough variant asthma (CVA) remission. Methods Totally 90 patients with CVA remission were randomly divided into TCM group, Western therapy group and TCM and Western therapy group, 30 cases in each group. TCM group was givenTiaozhong YifeiPrescription, 1 dose per day, morning and evening; Western therapy group was given salmeterol xinafoate and fluticasone propionate powder for inhalation, each 1 suction, 2 times a day, inhalation; a mixture ofTiaozhong YifeiPrescription and xinafoate and fluticasone propionate powder for inhalation was given to TCM and Western therapy group, the same as above, continuous treatment for 12 weeks. TCM syndrome score, EOS, IgE, pulmonary function and safety index were observed in the three groups before and after treatment. The recurrence rate and the number of colds after three-month treatment were observed.Results TCM syndrome scores in the three groups decreased after treatment (P<0.05). There was statistical significance between TCM group and TCM and Western therapy group after treatment (P<0.05). The total effective rate of TCM group was 96.67% (29/30), 100.00% (30/30) of Western therapy group, 76.67% (23/30) of TCM and Western therapy group, with statistical significance (P<0.05). After three-month treatment, 1, 0 and 11 cases relapsed in TCM group, TCM and Western therapy group and Western therapy group, respectively, with statistical significance (P<0.001). Compared with the Western therapy group, the number of colds in the TCM group and TCM and Western therapy group significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, IgE decreased significantly (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in EOS among the three groups before and after treatment (P>0.05). After treatment, the maximum expiratory flow in TCM and Western therapy groupwas higher than that before treatment and lower than that in the Western therapy group (P<0.01), and the other lung function indexes were not statistically significant (P>0.05). 1 mild adverse reaction was found in the TCM and Western therapy, and no obvious adverse reactions were found in other groups (P<0.05).ConclusionTiaozhong Yifei Prescription has good clinical efficacy for CVA.

Objective:To compare the effect of uPWS R15 software based on deep learning with MIM-Maestro 6.9 software based on atlas library to automatically delineate the organs at risk of prostate cancer in order to provide a reference for clinical application.Methods:The CT data of 90 prostate cancer patients admitted to the Department of Oncology Radiotherapy of the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from 2018 to 2022 were retrospectively selected. Based on the uPWS R15 software developed by Shanghai United Imaging Medical Technology Company and the MIM-Maestro 6.9 software developed by Beijing Mingwei Vision Medical Software Company, the effects of uPWS and MIM software on automatic delineation of organs at risk were evaluated according to five parameters, including delineation time (T), Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Jaccard similarity coefficient (JSC), Hausdorff distance (HD) and the mean distance to agreement (MDA).Results:The sketching time of uPWS software was less than that of MIM software. There were no significant differences in the sketching effect of femoral head and skin between the two software (all P>0.05). The delineation of right kidney ( tMDA=-3.43, zDSC=-4.03, zJSC=-4.16, P<0.05), left kidney ( tMDA=-3.87, zDSC=-4.18, zJSC=-4.41, P<0.05), small intestine ( tMDA=-8.57, zDSC=-9.99, tJSC=14.21, P<0.05) and rectum ( zMDA=-4.00, tDSC=-9.98, tJSC= 9.72, P< 0.05) except HD, was statistically different. The bladder ( z=-7.88, -9.00, -8.17, -8.74, P<0.05) and spinalcord ( z=-3.87, -4.43, 4.03, 3.05, P<0.05) were also delineated with significant differences. The DSC automatically delineated by uPWS software was >0.7, while the DSC automatically delineated by MIM software was >0.7 for all other organs at risk except small intestine and rectum. In addition, the HD, MDA and JSC values of the organs at risk (bilateral femoral head, bilateral kidneys, spinal cord, bladder, skin, rectum and small intestine) automatically delineated by uPWS software were generally better than those with MIM software. Conclusions:The uPWS software outlines better than the MIM software, but the MIM software can also be used clinically with modifications to the small bowel and rectum, saving a great deal of time in preparation for radiation therapy.

Objective:To observe any effect of electroacupuncture pretreatment (EP) on the function of cerebral microvascular endothelial cells in mice with middle cerebral artery obstruction (MCAO), and to explore the role of miRNA-155 RNA and the p53 pathway in determining it.Methods:Forty-two mice were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, an EP group, an miR-155 inhibitor (MI) group, an miR-155 agonist (MA) group, an miR-155 inhibitor negative control (MIN) group and an miR-155 agonist negative control (MAN) group. Each group had 6 rats. All except the sham-operated and model groups received EP, followed by injecting into the corresponding lateral ventricles inhibitor and agonist in groups MI and MA, and placebos in group MIN and MAN. All 7 groups were subjected to MCAO modeling 48 hours after the EP. Twenty-four and 72 hours after the modeling, neurological deficits were quantified using modified neurological severity scoring (mNSS). All of the mice were then sacrificed and any brain tissue damage was observed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) was used to observe any apoptosis of endothelial cells, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were employed to detect the level of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the serum. Apoptotic endothelial cells in the cerebral microbleed and ICAM-1, Bcl-2 and Bax positive cells were detected using immunofluorescence. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions (qRT-PCR) were carried to observe the expressions of miRNA-155 RNA and YY1 and p53 proteins in the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) region.Results:Twenty-four and 72 hours after the MCAO the average mNSS score of the EP group was significantly lower than the model group′s average. HE staining showed that the cell morphology of the EP group was more regular. The number of apoptotic cells, the expression of ICAM-1, the relative expression of ICAM-1, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, as well as the relative expression of miRNA-155 RNA and YY1 and p53 proteins were all then significantly lower in the EP group than in the model group, on average.The expression of miRNA-155 RNA, p53 protein and ICAM-1, as well as the Bax to Bcl-2 ratio in the MI group was then significantly lower than in the MIN group, on average.Conclusion:Electroacupuncture pretreatment improves microvascular endothelial cell functioning in the cerebrum after ischemia and reperfusion (at least in mice) and may attenuate cerebral cell injury by down-regulating the miRNA-155-mediated YY1/p53 pathway.

Objective: To explore the application effect of fine needle aspiration cytology and sentinel lymph nodes stain assisted by contrast-enhanced ultrasound in early breast cancer. Methods: A patient with early breast cancer enrolled in Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University received fine needle aspiration cytology assisted by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and the sentinel lymph nodes were stained with blue dye before a standard sentinel lymph nodes biopsy traced with indocyanine green. The axillary status accessed by these two methods were compared. Results: Three sentinel lymph nodes were found and aspirated assisted by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. Seven sentinel lymph nodes were obtained in sentinel lymph nodes biopsy surgery. All of these sentinel lymph nodes were negative. The stained sentinel lymph nodes could be recognized and dissected in open lymph nodes biopsy surgery. Conclusions Fine needle aspiration cytology assisted by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography could be a substitute for open sentinel lymph nodes biopsy. More related researches should be carry out to further compare these two methods.