ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib combined with sintilimab versus atezolizumab combined with bevacizumab in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma （uHCC）， aims to provide real-world evidence for clinical personalized treatment. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 78 patients with uHCC who were admitted to Beijing Ditan Hospital， Capital Medical University， from January 1， 2023， to May 31， 2025， and according to the treatment modality， they were divided into lenvatinib+sintilimab group （L+S group with 49 patients） and atezolizumab+bevacizumab group （A+T group with 29 patients）. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival （PFS） and overall survival （OS）， and the secondary endpoints included objective response rate （ORR）， disease control rate （DCR）， and the incidence rate of adverse events. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis， and the log-rank test was used for comparison between groups. ResultsThe 78 patients had a median PFS of 9 months and a median OS of 15 months. The median PFS was 11 months in the L+S group and 7 months in the A+T group， with no significant difference between the two groups （χ²=0.247， P=0.619）； the median OS was 19 months in the L+S group and 12 months in the A+T group， with a significant difference between the two groups （χ²=6.565， P=0.010）. There were no significant differences between the two groups in complete remission， partial remission， stable disease， disease progression， DCR， and ORR （all P>0.05）. The L+S group had a significantly higher incidence rate of adverse events than the A+T group （95.9% vs 75.9%， P=0.007）， and there was a significant difference in the incidence rate of grade ≥3 adverse events between the L+S group and the A+T group （65.3% vs 34.5%， P=0.008）. ConclusionCompared with atezolizumab combined with bevacizumab， lenvatinib combined with sintilimab can improve the OS of patients with uHCC， while atezolizumab combined with bevacizumab has a better safety profile.

Bile acids (BAs) serve not only as key facilitators of lipid absorption but also as crucial signaling molecules regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammation, and overall energy homeostasis. Aging profoundly alters BA metabolism, characterized by shifts in biosynthetic pathways, compositional changes, disrupted receptor-mediated signaling, and alterations in gut microbiota interactions. These age-related changes contribute to the onset and progression of metabolic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, and neurodegenerative disorders. An increased abundance of hydrophobic and cytotoxic BAs has been associated with systemic inflammation, metabolic rigidity (disruption of metabolic flexibility), and organ dysfunction. Targeting BA signaling—through pharmacological modulation of farnesoid X receptor and Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 or microbiota-directed therapies—offers promising strategies to mitigate aging-related metabolic decline. A deeper understanding of how BA metabolism evolves over the lifespan may unveil novel interventions to promote healthy aging and prevent age-related disease.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of atezolizumab combined with bevacizumab versus sintilimab combined with bevacizumab biosimilar in the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） in a real-world setting， and to provide a reference for clinical practice. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 130 patients with unresectable HCC who were treated in Beijing Ditan Hospital， Capital Medical University， from January 2020 to January 2026， and all patients received the first-line systemic therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with bevacizumab or its biosimilar. According to the treatment regimen， the patients were divided into atezolizumab+bevacizumab group （T+A group with 51 patients） and sintilimab+bevacizumab biosimilar group （Shuangda group with 79 patients）. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival （PFS）， and secondary endpoints included objective response rate （ORR）， disease control rate （DCR）， and safety profile. The independent-samples t test or the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of continuous data between the two groups， and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis， and the Log-rank test was used for comparison between groups. ResultsThe T+A group had a median PFS of 297.00 days （95% confidence interval ［CI］： 195.44 — 398.56）， and the Shuangda group had a median PFS of 236.00 days （95%CI： 165.10 — 306.90）， with no significant difference between the two groups （P=0.668）. There were no significant differences between the T+A group and the Shuangda group in ORR （56.9% vs 45.6%， χ²=1.581， P=0.209）， DCR （76.5% vs 77.2%， χ²=0.010， P=0.922）， and the incidence of adverse events （96.08% vs 94.94%， P>0.05）. ConclusionFor unresectable HCC patients without prior systemic treatment， atezolizumab combined with bevacizumab can achieve a comparable PFS to sintilimab combined with bevacizumab biosimilar.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical value of three-dimensional(3D) printing-assisted fenestrated/branched endovascular aortic repair (F/B-TEVAR) for the treatment of endoleak after open surgery for type A aortic dissection.Methods:A multi-center retrospective case series analysis was conducted on 16 patients with anastomotic leakage following Stanford type A aortic dissection open repair, admitted to 12 medical centers between January 2019 and December 2023. All surgeries were led by the vascular surgery team from Department of Vascular Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital. The study included 12 males and 4 females, with an age of (58.1±8.2) years (range: 42 to 75 years). Preoperative patient-specific 3D-printed models or 3D parametric surface topological guides were created based on aortic CT angiography data. These models assisted intraoperative external positioning of fenestration sites, combined with stent diameter selection and inner branch techniques to complete endovascular repair. Surgical procedures, complications, and clinical outcomes were evaluated, with follow-up CT imaging to assess efficacy.Results:All patients successfully underwent surgery without conversion to open repair. One patient had distal stent migration from a prior open repair, requiring intraoperative coverage of the main stent window and conversion to an in situ fenestration procedure. The mean operative time was (332.6±111.2)minutes (range: 80 to 460 minutes). No renal failure, paraplegia, or branch artery loss occurred. Postoperative follow-up ( M(IQR)) was 18(18) months(range: 6 to 36 months), with follow-up rates of 16/16 at 6 months, 10/16 at 12 months, 8/16 at 24 months, and 2/16 at 36 months. During follow-up, endoleak occurred in 3 patients, cerebral infarction in 1 patient, and death in 1 patient. The remaining patients demonstrated stable stent positioning, patent branches, and no endoleak. Conclusion:3D technology-guided F/B-TEVAR shows favorable mid-to short-term outcomes in treating anastomotic leakage after open repair of type A aortic dissection.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical value of three-dimensional(3D) printing-assisted fenestrated/branched endovascular aortic repair (F/B-TEVAR) for the treatment of endoleak after open surgery for type A aortic dissection.Methods:A multi-center retrospective case series analysis was conducted on 16 patients with anastomotic leakage following Stanford type A aortic dissection open repair, admitted to 12 medical centers between January 2019 and December 2023. All surgeries were led by the vascular surgery team from Department of Vascular Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital. The study included 12 males and 4 females, with an age of (58.1±8.2) years (range: 42 to 75 years). Preoperative patient-specific 3D-printed models or 3D parametric surface topological guides were created based on aortic CT angiography data. These models assisted intraoperative external positioning of fenestration sites, combined with stent diameter selection and inner branch techniques to complete endovascular repair. Surgical procedures, complications, and clinical outcomes were evaluated, with follow-up CT imaging to assess efficacy.Results:All patients successfully underwent surgery without conversion to open repair. One patient had distal stent migration from a prior open repair, requiring intraoperative coverage of the main stent window and conversion to an in situ fenestration procedure. The mean operative time was (332.6±111.2)minutes (range: 80 to 460 minutes). No renal failure, paraplegia, or branch artery loss occurred. Postoperative follow-up ( M(IQR)) was 18(18) months(range: 6 to 36 months), with follow-up rates of 16/16 at 6 months, 10/16 at 12 months, 8/16 at 24 months, and 2/16 at 36 months. During follow-up, endoleak occurred in 3 patients, cerebral infarction in 1 patient, and death in 1 patient. The remaining patients demonstrated stable stent positioning, patent branches, and no endoleak. Conclusion:3D technology-guided F/B-TEVAR shows favorable mid-to short-term outcomes in treating anastomotic leakage after open repair of type A aortic dissection.

In recent years, botulinum toxin has been used in many skin diseases and related conditions. This review summarizes and analyzes the off-label clinical application of botulinum toxin in dermatology, including facial flushing, Raynaud phenomenon, postherpetic neuralgia, psoriasis, etc., in order to provide new means and ideas for the management of these skin conditions.

Objective:To review the risk factors for early and medium-term complications of fenestration-branch endovascular thoracic aortic repair (F/B-TEVAR) in patients with complex aortic arch disease.Methods:The clinical and follow-up data of 202 patients undergoing F/B-TEVAR treatment from Feb 2019 to Sep 2023 in these centers were retrospectively analyzed .Results:There were 46 cases suffering from postoperative complications (22.8%). The risk factors with statistical significance included aortic atherosclerotic plaque [ OR=2.843; 95% CI (1.4-5.6); P<0.01], aortic intramural thrombosis [ OR=2.358; 95% CI (1.2-4.6), P=0.011], the aortic dilatation [ OR=4.219; 95% CI (1.6-11.3), P<0.01], the history of stroke [ OR=2.088; 95% CI (1.1-4.1), P=0.032], smoking history [ OR=2.680; 95% CI: (1.3-5.5); P<0.01], duration of surgery [ OR=1.9; 95% CI: (1.2-2.9); P=0.042].While the application of 3D printing assistive technology [ OR=0.392; 95% CI: (0.2-0.9); P=0.048] was in a negative correlation with postoperative complication. Conclusions:The independent risk factors for complications after F/B-TVAR included aortic atherosclerotic plaque, aortic intramural thrombosis, the aortic dilatation, the history of stroke, smoking history,duration of surgery.The application of 3D printing technology can effectively reduce the complication rate.

Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanism of circular RNA (cirRNA) on the radiosensitivity of rectal cancer.Methods:The differential circRNAs in radiosensitive and radioresistant rectal cancer tissues (biopsy tissue before radiotherapy and chemotherapy) were detected by gene sequencing, and the effect of circRNAs on the radiosensitivity of colorectal cancer cells was further confirmed in vitro. Results:Through gene sequencing of rectal cancer tissue samples, 64 circRNAs were found to be highly expressed in radiosensitive rectal cancer tissues, and 36 circRNAs were lowly expressed in radiosensitive tissues. Ten differential circRNAs were selected and verified by qRT-PCR, and it was found that circATL2 was highly expressed in radiosensitive rectal cancer tissues. In vitro cell experiment indicated that up-regulation of circATL2 expression could significantly improve the radiosensitivity of rectal cancer. Subsequently, 8 miRNAs lowly expressed in radiosensitive rectal cancer tissues were analyzed. The direct binding relationship between miR-205 and circATL2 was confirmed by dual luciferase reporter assay. The rescue experiment confirmed that circATL2 in rectal cancer regulated the radiosensitivity of rectal cancer through miR-205. Conclusion:circATL2 regulates the radiosensitivity of rectal cancer by binding to miR-205.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) previously treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 76 patients with unresectable HCC who were treated with lenvatinib in Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 2019 to January 2020, and according to the treatment method, they were divided into TKI previously untreated group with 49 patients and TKI treatment-experienced group with 27 patients. The patients were observed till one year after enrollment, adjustment of treatment regimen, tumor progression, or death. The two groups were compared in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) time, objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and incidence rate of adverse events. The t -test or the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test or the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups; the Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and the log-rank test was used for comparison between groups. Results There were no significant differences between the TKI previously untreated group and the TKI treatment-experienced group in median PFS time (115 days vs 72 days, P =0.148), ORR (36.7% vs 18.5%, P =0.098), DCR (65.3% vs 55.6%, P =0.402), and incidence rates of grade ≥3 adverse events (24.5% vs 18.5%, P =0.550). Conclusion Patients with unresectable HCC previously treated with TKI can benefit from lenvatinib and have good safety, with similar results to those treated with TKI for the first time.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib combined with sintilimab as the second-line therapy for advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of the patients with advanced ICC who were admitted to Beijing Ditan Hospital from October 31, 2019 to October 31, 2021 and could not undergo surgery or experienced metastasis after surgery. All patients were treated with lenvatinib combined with sintilimab as the second-line therapy. The patients were followed up, and the RECIST1.1 criteria were used to assess treatment outcome. The primary endpoint was time to progression (TTP), and the secondary endpoints were tumor objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS) time, and safety. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves, and the log-rank test was used for comparison between groups. Results A total of 27 patients were enrolled, among whom there were15 male patients (55.6%) and 12 female patients (44.4%), with a median age of 58 years (range 33-73 years). The median TTP for these patients was 5.5 (95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.7-9.3) months, and 13 patients (48.1%) died of disease progression, with a median OS time of 11.2 (95% CI : 5.0-17.4) months. The overall ORR and DCR were 40.7% and 70.3%, respectively. Of all patients, 66.7% experienced varying degrees of adverse events, and among these patients, 44.4% had an increase in alanine aminotransferase, 44.4% had an increase in aspartate aminotransferase, 37.0% had hypertension, 29.6% had an increase in bilirubin, 29.6% experienced diarrhea, and 25.9% each experienced proteinuria, anorexia, and weakness. No treatment-related death was observed, and only 1 patient developed grade Ⅳ immune-related hepatotoxicity and was relieved without sequelae after corticosteroid therapy, resulting in permanent withdrawal of sintilimab. The patients with lymph node metastasis had a significantly shorter median TTP than those without lymph node metastasis (4.5 months vs 18.8 months, P =0.035), and the patients who achieved disease remission had a significantly longer median TTP [11.6 months (95% CI : 5.6-17.6) vs 2.8 months (95% CI : 1.8-3.8), P < 0.001]; the patients with lymph node metastasis had a shorter median OS time [9.6 months (95% CI: 7.9-11.3) vs 21.9 months (95% CI : 0-44.9), P =0.053], and the patients who achieved disease remission had a significantly longer median OS time [16.6 months (95% CI : 9.0-24.2) vs 6.9 months (95% CI : 3.6-10.2), P =0.011]. Conclusion Lenvatinib combined with sintilimab has a marked clinical effect and a low incidence rate of serious adverse events as the second-line therapy for advanced ICC, and therefore, it is a safe and effective treatment regimen.