The 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meeting, two of the most prestigious events in oncology, have concluded sequentially. As the most authoritative annual gatherings in lung cancer and the entire oncology field, the WCLC and ESMO conferences brought together top oncology experts and scientists from around the world to share, discuss, and publish the latest cutting-edge advancements in oncology. In both conferences, lung cancer immunotherapy remained a hot topic of considerable interest. This article aims to summarize and discuss the important research progress on perioperative immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer reported at the two conferences.

The 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium (ASCO-GI) was held from January 23 to 25, 2025. Several significant studies on the treatment of esophageal and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer were presented at the symposium, highlighting notable advances, particularly in the perioperative and advanced settings. Immunotherapy has demonstrated significant promise in the neoadjuvant treatment of esophageal cancer, showing potential to become a standard treatment. Furthermore, the long-term survival benefits of combining immunotherapy with chemotherapy for advanced GEJ cancer were further validated. This article summarizes and interprets the researches presented at the symposium concerning perioperative and advanced treatments for esophageal and GEJ cancers.

The 2025 European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC) convened in Paris, France, centering on the optimization and innovation of immunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Key topics at the congress included the application strategies for perioperative immunotherapy, breakthroughs in combination therapy models for advanced NSCLC, and the emerging roles of biomarkers in predicting diverse treatment outcomes. This paper integrates data from several key pivotal studies to systematically analyze the clinical value of neoadjuvant therapy within the perioperative setting, the potential of targeted combination regimens, and the challenges of managing drug resistance, thus offering new directions for clinical practice.

Stroke is a critical health issue in China, and carotid artery stenosis and plaque play key roles in its prevalence. Despite the acknowledged significance of this condition, detailed information regarding the prevalence of carotid artery stenosis and plaque across the Chinese population has been scarce. This study analyzed data from the China Stroke High-risk Population Screening and Intervention Program for 2020-2021, focusing on 194 878 Chinese adults aged 40 years and above. It assessed the prevalence of carotid artery stenosis and plaque and identified their associated risk factors. Results revealed a standardized prevalence of 0.40% for carotid artery stenosis and 36.27% for carotid plaque. Notably, the highest rates of stenosis were observed in north and south China at 0.61%, while southwestern China exhibited the highest plaque prevalence at 43.17%. Key risk factors included older age, male gender, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, smoking, and atrial fibrillation. This study highlights significant geographical and demographic disparities in the prevalence of these conditions, underlining the urgent need for targeted interventions and policy reforms. These measures are essential for reducing the incidence of stroke and improving patient outcomes, addressing this significant health challenge in China.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Prevalence ; Middle Aged ; Carotid Stenosis/epidemiology* ; Risk Factors ; Aged ; Adult ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/epidemiology* ; Stroke/epidemiology* ; Aged, 80 and over

Dental caries, a chronic disease characterized by tooth decay, occupies the second position in terms of disease burden and is primarily caused by cariogenic bacteria, especially Streptococcus mutans, because of its acidogenic, aciduric, and biofilm-forming capabilities. Developing novel targeted anti-virulence agents is always a focal point in caries control to overcome the limitations of conventional anti-virulence agents. The current study represents an up-to-date review of in silico approaches of drug design against dental caries, which have emerged more and more powerful complementary to biochemical attempts. Firstly, we categorize the in silico approaches into computer-aided drug design (CADD) and AI-assisted drug design (AIDD) and highlight the specific methods and models they contain respectively. Subsequently, we detail the design of anti-virulence drugs targeting single or multiple cariogenic virulence targets of S. mutans, such as glucosyltransferases (Gtfs), antigen I/II (AgI/II), sortase A (SrtA), the VicRK signal transduction system and superoxide dismutases (SODs). Finally, we outline the current opportunities and challenges encountered in this field to aid future endeavors and applications of CADD and AIDD in anti-virulence drug design.

Background Long-term exposure to noise during sleep may has adverse effects on metabolic system, and liver lipid metabolism is closely related to circadian clock genes. Objective To investigate the effects of long-term noise exposure during sleep on liver circadian clock and lipid metabolism in mice and its related mechanism. Methods Twenty C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into two groups: a noise exposure group and a control group with 10 mice in each group. The mice in the noise exposure group were exposed to white noise at 90 dB sound pressure level (SPL) for 30 consecutive days, 8 h a day, from 9:00 to 17:00. The mice in the control group were exposed to background noise ≤40 dB SPL. After noise exposure, the animals were neutralized at 14:00 (ZT6) and 2:00 (ZT18), 5 animals at each time spot, and the liver tissues were collected. Total cholesterol and triglyceride in liver were determined by cholesterol oxidase method and glycerol phosphate oxidase method respectively. The expressions of circadian clock genes (Clock, Bmal1, Rev-erbα, and Rev-erbβ) and lipid metabolism genes (Srebp1c, Hmgcr, Fasn, Lxrα, Acc1, and Chrebp) in liver were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. Results Compared with the control group, the content of total cholesterol in liver in the noise exposure group increased by 48% (P<0.05) and the content of liver triglyceride increased by 61% (P<0.05) at ZT18. The mRNA expression levels of circadian clock genes Clock and Bmal1 in the noise exposure group was significantly increased at ZT18 and decreased at ZT6 (P<0.05). The mRNA expression level of Rev-erbα decreased at both ZT6 and ZT18 (P<0.05). The mRNA expression level of Rev-erbβ had no significant change at ZT6 and ZT18. The mRNA expression levels of liver lipid metabolism related genes Srebp1c, Hmgcr, Chrebp, and Lxrα in the noise exposure group were higher than those in the control group at ZT18 (P<0.05). The mRNA expression levels of Acc1 and Fasn showed no significant change at ZT6, then an upward trend at ZT18, but no significant difference between the two time spots (P>0.05). Conclusion Long-term noise exposure during sleep can cause circadian clock and lipid metabolism disorders in mice. Among them, suppression of key circadian clock genes may be associated with Rev-erbα-mediated upregulation of the nuclear receptors Srebp1c and Chrebp for lipid synthesis and deposition in the liver, resulting in lipid metabolism disorder.

Screening and evaluating the diseases responding specifically to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） will help to highlight the advantages of TCM treatment， and the evaluation method should be standardized with consideration to the unique characteristics of the diseases. The incidence of Sjögren's Syndrome （SS） is increasing year by year， while the pathogenesis of this disease remains unclear. Modern therapies for this disease include biological agents and immunosuppressants， which generally have unsatisfactory efficacy. The TCM treatment of SS focuses on the harmony of the physical and mental health. The Rheumatology Branch of the China Association of Chinese Medicine organizes experts in TCM， Western medicine， and evidence-based medicine to form working groups. Delphi method and bibliometric method were used for analysis， and SS was selected as a disease responding specifically to TCM. Furthermore， the evaluation system was established for this disease， and the consensus regarding this disease was reached after seminar discussion. This paper summarized the whole process of the evaluation of the advantages of TCM treatment of SS. First， because TCM atomization is widely used in clinical practice and enriches TCM administration methods， this therapy is included after other non-drug therapies were taken as characteristic therapies. Second， the evaluation indicators of therapeutic effect should be determined with consideration to international acceptance and the current research status. Third， the expression method should be accurate， standardized， and objective， highlight the natural advantages of TCM， and avoid arbitrary extension. This paper provides a reference for clinicians to explore other diseases responding specifically to TCM.

Background Environmental noise pollution is serious, and there are few studies on the effects of long-term noise exposure during sleep on cognitive function and possible biological clock mechanism. Objective To explore the cognitive impairment induced by noise exposure during sleep in mice and possible biological clock mechanism, and to provide a theoretical basis for the protection against noise exposure. Methods Twenty male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a control group and a noise-exposed group, 10 mice in each group. The noise-exposed group was exposed to sleep-period noise using a noise generator for 12 h (08:00–20:00) per day for a total of 30 d. The calibrated noise intensity was set at 90 dB. No intervention was imposed on the control group. At the end of the noise exposure, cognitive function of mice was examined using the new object recognition experiment and the open field test, and the hippocampal tissue damage of mice were evaluated by Nissl staining, ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) immunofluorescence staining, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR for inflammatory factors and biological clock genes. Oxidative stress indicators in the hippocampus of mice were also detected by assay kit. Results After noise exposure during sleep period, the results of new object recognition experiment showed that the discrimination index of mice in the noise-exposed group was 0.06±0.04, which was significantly lower than that of the control group (0.65±0.13) (P<0.05). The results of open field test showed that the central activity distance of the noise-exposed group was (242.20±176.10) mm, which was significantly lower than that of the control group, (1548.00±790.30) mm (P < 0.05), and the central activity time of the noise-exposed group was (0.87±0.64) s, which was significantly lower than that of the control group, (6.00±2.86) s (P < 0.05). The Nissl staining results showed that compared with the control group, neurons in the hippocampus of the noise-exposed mice were shrunken, deeply stained, disorganized, and loosely connected. The immunofluorescence results showed that microglia in the hippocampus of the noise-exposed mice were activated and the expression of Iba1 was significantly increased compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The real-time PCR results of showed that the mRNA levels of the biological clock genes Clock, Per2, and Rev-erbα were significantly increased compared with those of the control group (P<0.05), and the mRNA level of Per1 was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group (P<0.05); and the mRNA levels of IL-18, IL-6, iNOS, and NLRP3 in the hippocampal tissues of mice were significantly increased compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The results of oxidative stress evaluation showed that compared with the control group, reduced glutathione content was significantly reduced in the noise-exposed group (P<0.001). Conclusion Noise exposure during sleep period can lead to the destabilization of biological clock genes in hippocampal tissues and trigger hippocampal neuroinflammation, which can lead to the activation of microglia and cause cognitive impairment in mice.

Objective:To explore the protective mechanism of Xuebijing injection (referred to as Xuebijing) on sepsis-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).Methods:① Animal experiments: 100 mice were randomly(random number) divided into 4 groups, including sham operation (Sham) group, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) group, CLP+low-dose Xuebijing (L-XBJ) group, and CLP+high-dose Xuebijing (H-XBJ) group. The survival rate, lung histological changes, lung wet/dry (W/D) ratio, cell count and protein concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF), inflammatory factors levels in serum, oxidative stress indicators, cell apoptosis, and key proteins of HIF-1α/p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway were measured. ② Cell experiments: Mouse alveolar macrophages (MH-S) were cultured in vitro and divided into 6 groups, including control (Con) group, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group, LPS+L-XBJ group, and LPS+H-XBJ group, LPS+H-XBJ+ dimethyloxallyl glycine (DMOG, HIF-1α activator) group, LPS+H-XBJ+ 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME2, HIF-1α inhibitor) group. The effects of Xuebijing on inflammatory factors, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis and their relationship with HIF-1α/p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway were detected.Results:Xuebijing increased the survival rate of mice with sepsis-associated ARDS, relieved lung tissue damage [lung injury score: CLP group (8.778±0.588), CLP+L-XBJ group (5.833±0.310), and CLP+H-XBJ group (4.750±0.246)], alleviated lung W/D ratio, and decreased pneumonia cell infiltration and protein exudation (all P<0.05). Additionally, Xuebijing treatment also diminished the expression of inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, malondialdehyde (MDA) formation, superoxide dismutase (SOD) depletion, and cell apoptosis in LPS-induced MH-S cells and CLP-induced sepsis-associated ARDS mice (all P<0.05). Furthermore, mechanistic investigation further clarified the effects of Xuebijing on inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis through the HIF-1α/p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway. Conclusions:Xuebijing can exert anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-apoptotic effects by suppressing the HIF-1α/p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby conferring protection against sepsis-associated ARDS.

Objective:To assess the efficacy and safety of the treat-and-extend (TAE) regimen and pro re nata (PRN) regimen of intravitreal conbercept in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) patients.Methods:A non-randomized controlled study was performed.Ninety-one patients (91 eyes) diagnosed with treatment-na?ve PCV from October 2016 to January 2019 at Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University People's Hospital were enrolled.All the patients received the intravitreal injection of 0.5 mg conbercept.After the initial treatment, the patients were divided into 3+ PRN group and 3+ TAE group according to their willingness.The follow-up time was one year.All the eyes underwent visual acuity test with ETDRS chart, optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT), maximum retinal thickness (MRT), pigment epithelium detachment (PED) height, the number and area of polypoidal lesions, the area of retinal hemorrhage and the area of branching vascular network (BVN) were recorded.Treatment interval and injection frequencies during the one-year follow-up were compared between the two groups.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by Peking University People's Hospital (No.2020PHB250-01). Written informed consent was obtained from each patient.Results:One-year after treatment, the BCVA improvement in the 3+ PRN group and 3+ TAE group was 5.0(-2.0, 15.0) and 6.0(-1.0, 14.0) letters, respectively, showing no significant difference ( Z=-0.352, P=0.725). No significant differences were found in CRT, MRT and PED height between the two groups ( Z=-0.145, -0.529, -0.985, all at P>0.05). There was no significant difference in polypoidal lesions number, polypoidal lesions area, the number of eyes with different degrees of polyp regression, BVN area and retinal hemorrhage area between the two groups ( Z=-0.502, -0.300, -0.047, -0.265, -1.243, all at P>0.05). After the one-year follow-up, the mean injection frequency of 3+ PRN group was (7.6±0.9) times, which was lower than (8.4±2.0) times of 3+ TAE group, showing a significant difference ( t=2.432, P=0.019). The mean follow-up frequency was (11.3±1.5) times of 3+ PRN group, which was significantly higher than (10.1±1.7) times of 3+ TAE group ( t=3.403, P=0.001). For the 3+ TAE group, 17.1%(6/35) of patients achieved an extension interval of 12 weeks after the first 3 doses, and 48.5%(17/35) of patients achieved an extension interval of 8 weeks or more, with a mean maximum extension interval of (9.5±2.0) weeks.During the follow-up, 10 patients in 3+ PRN group and 8 patients in 3+ TAE group received photodynamic therapy as a rescue treatment. Conclusions:The 3+ PRN and 3+ TAE regimens of intravitreal injection of conbercept combined with photodynamic therapy as a rescue treatment have similar efficacy in visual and anatomical outcomes for PCV patients.3+ TAE regimen has a higher treatment frequency and fewer follow-up visits.