Vascular dementia （VaD） is a cognitive dysfunction syndrome caused by cerebrovascular disease and is the second most common type of dementia worldwide， following Alzheimer's disease. The pathological mechanisms of VaD are complex， involving multiple biological processes， including angiogenesis， neuroinflammation， apoptosis， and oxidative stress. Among these， angiogenesis is a key process in VaD pathology and is primarily regulated through the vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） signaling pathway. In recent years， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has gradually gained attention in the treatment of VaD， particularly the therapeutic approach of benefiting Qi， activating blood circulation， and resolving blood stasis， which has demonstrated unique advantages in clinical practice. This method， based on the TCM theory of Qi and blood， emphasizes improving the pathological state of ''blood stasis'' by harmonizing the circulation of Qi and blood， and its scientific basis has been increasingly elucidated by modern pharmacological studies. This article systematically integrates the TCM concept of ''removing stasis to promote regeneration'' with the modern medical mechanism of neoangiogenesis and reviews the current research on promoting neoangiogenesis through the benefiting Qi， activating blood circulation， and resolving blood stasis in VaD treatment. It covers research progress on single Chinese medicine and compound formulas that promote neoangiogenesis， reduce apoptosis， and improve cerebral hemodynamics through multi-target and multi-pathway synergistic effects. Furthermore， this article explores the therapeutic approach of combining acupuncture and moxibustion with Chinese medicine formulas， breaking through the traditional single-treatment model. The synergistic treatment of acupuncture and herbal medicine not only enhances neoangiogenesis but also improves cognitive function and quality of life in VaD patients via multiple pathways. By comparing the advantages and limitations of modern medicine and TCM in VaD treatment， this article notes that while modern medicine excels in elucidating pathological mechanisms and targeted therapies， it is limited in overall regulation and multi-target interventions. TCM， through the comprehensive effects of multiple components and targets， is better suited to address the complex pathological features of VaD. However， current research on TCM for VaD still has limitations， including incompletely clarified mechanisms and insufficient clinical studies. Therefore， future research should further integrate multidisciplinary approaches， such as modern pharmacology and molecular biology， to deeply explore TCM resources and investigate diverse interdisciplinary collaborative treatment models， providing new ideas and strategies for VaD therapy.

Metastasis serves as an indicator of malignancy and is a biological characteristic of carcinomas. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a key role in the promotion of tumor invasion and metastasis and in the enhancement of tumor cell aggressiveness. Prostaglandin E synthase 3 (p23) is a cochaperone for heat shock protein 90 (HSP90). Our previous study showed that p23 is an HSP90-independent transcription factor in cancer-associated inflammation. The effect and mechanism of action of p23 on lung cancer metastasis are tested in this study. By utilizing cell models in vitro and mouse tail vein metastasis models in vivo, the results provide solid evidence that p23 is critical for promoting lung cancer metastases by regulating downstream CXCL1 expression. Rather than acting independently, p23 forms a complex with RNA-binding motif protein 14 (RBM14) to facilitate EMT progression in lung cancer. Therefore, our study provides evidence for the potential role of the RBM14-p23-CXCL1-EMT axis in the metastasis of lung cancer.

Purpose To evaluate the safety and efficacy of microwave ablation(MWA)treatment for papillary thyroid cancer(PTC)in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis(HT).Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from April 2020 to May 2022,involving 181 patients who underwent MWA at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital.All patients were divided into experimental group(n=89 cases)and control group(n=92 cases).The technical success rate,tumor volume reduction rate(VRR),disease progression and incidence of complications were compared between the two groups,respectively.Results Both groups achieved a technical success rate of 100%,with a median follow-up time of(16.90±11.43)months.At 3,6,12,and 18 months post-ablation,the VRR in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group(3 months:-405.10(-778.57,-119.64)%vs.-190.00(-525.62,0)%;6 months:-50.00(-318.00,45.52)%vs.52.75(-93.33,97.13)%;12 months:83.33(17.70,100.00)%vs.100.00(64.88,100.00)%;18 months:100.00(96.05,100.00)%vs.100.00(100.00,100.00)%,Z=-2.77,-3.70,-2.41,-2.18,all P<0.05).At the end of follow-up,there was no significant difference in the disease progression rates and the incidence of hoarseness between the two groups(5.61%vs.4.34%,2.24%vs.4.34%,both P>0.05).Conclusion Patients with HT who received MWA treatment demonstrate safety and effectiveness,with no significant differences in postoperative disease progression rates compared to the controls.

Objective To explore the impact factors of volume reduction rate(VRR)of benign thyroid nodules after thermal ablation based on conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)manifestations.Methods Totally 238 patients with benign thyroid nodules who underwent thermal ablation were retrospectively enrolled and divided into VRR＜75%group(n=93)and VRR≥75%group(n=145)according to VRR of lesions 12 months after treatment.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to screen the independent impact factors of VRR of lesions 12 months after thermal ablation based on conventional ultrasound and CEUS manifestations.Receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted,the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of the above factors for predicting VRR of lesions.Results High echo,calcification,cystic and solid components,high enhancement,enhancement loss and high ablation energy were all independent risk factors,while circular enhancement was the independent protective factor of VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation(all P＜0.05).The AUC of combination of the above factors for predicting VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation was 0.926.Conclusion High echo,calcification,cystic and solid components,high enhancement,enhancement loss and high ablation energy were all independent risk factors,while circular enhancement was the independent protective factor of VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation.

Elemene is widely recognized as an effective anti-cancer compound and is routinely administered in Chinese clinical settings for the management of several solid tumors,including non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).However,its detailed molecular mechanism has not been adequately demonstrated.In this research,it was demonstrated that elemene effectively curtailed NSCLC growth in the patient-derived xenograft(PDX)model.Mechanistically,employing high-throughput screening techniques and subsequent biochemical validations such as microscale thermophoresis(MST),microRNA-145-5p(miR-145-5p)was pinpointed as a critical target through which elemene exerts its anti-tumor effects.Inter-estingly,elemene serves as a binding stabilizer for miR-145-5p,demonstrating a strong binding affinity(dissociation constant(KD)=0.39±0.17 μg/mL)and preventing its degradation both in vitro and in vivo,while not interfering with the synthesis of the primary microRNA transcripts(pri-miRNAs)and precursor miRNAs(pre-miRNAs).The stabilization of miR-145-5p by elemene resulted in an increased level of this miRNA,subsequently suppressing NSCLC progression through the miR-145-5p/mitogen-activated pro-tein kinase kinase kinase 3(MAP3K3)/nuclear factor kappaB(NF-κB)pathway.Our findings provide a new perspective on revealing the interaction patterns between clinical anti-tumor drugs and miRNAs.

Elemene is widely recognized as an effective anti-cancer compound and is routinely administered in Chinese clinical settings for the management of several solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, its detailed molecular mechanism has not been adequately demonstrated. In this research, it was demonstrated that elemene effectively curtailed NSCLC growth in the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. Mechanistically, employing high-throughput screening techniques and subsequent biochemical validations such as microscale thermophoresis (MST), microRNA-145-5p (miR-145-5p) was pinpointed as a critical target through which elemene exerts its anti-tumor effects. Interestingly, elemene serves as a binding stabilizer for miR-145-5p, demonstrating a strong binding affinity (dissociation constant (K _D) = 0.39 ± 0.17 μg/mL) and preventing its degradation both in vitro and in vivo, while not interfering with the synthesis of the primary microRNA transcripts (pri-miRNAs) and precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs). The stabilization of miR-145-5p by elemene resulted in an increased level of this miRNA, subsequently suppressing NSCLC progression through the miR-145-5p/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 3 (MAP3K3)/nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) pathway. Our findings provide a new perspective on revealing the interaction patterns between clinical anti-tumor drugs and miRNAs.

Objective To explore the impact factors of volume reduction rate(VRR)of benign thyroid nodules after thermal ablation based on conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)manifestations.Methods Totally 238 patients with benign thyroid nodules who underwent thermal ablation were retrospectively enrolled and divided into VRR＜75%group(n=93)and VRR≥75%group(n=145)according to VRR of lesions 12 months after treatment.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to screen the independent impact factors of VRR of lesions 12 months after thermal ablation based on conventional ultrasound and CEUS manifestations.Receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted,the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of the above factors for predicting VRR of lesions.Results High echo,calcification,cystic and solid components,high enhancement,enhancement loss and high ablation energy were all independent risk factors,while circular enhancement was the independent protective factor of VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation(all P＜0.05).The AUC of combination of the above factors for predicting VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation was 0.926.Conclusion High echo,calcification,cystic and solid components,high enhancement,enhancement loss and high ablation energy were all independent risk factors,while circular enhancement was the independent protective factor of VRR of benign thyroid nodules 12 months after thermal ablation.

Purpose To evaluate the safety and efficacy of microwave ablation(MWA)treatment for papillary thyroid cancer(PTC)in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis(HT).Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from April 2020 to May 2022,involving 181 patients who underwent MWA at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital.All patients were divided into experimental group(n=89 cases)and control group(n=92 cases).The technical success rate,tumor volume reduction rate(VRR),disease progression and incidence of complications were compared between the two groups,respectively.Results Both groups achieved a technical success rate of 100%,with a median follow-up time of(16.90±11.43)months.At 3,6,12,and 18 months post-ablation,the VRR in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group(3 months:-405.10(-778.57,-119.64)%vs.-190.00(-525.62,0)%;6 months:-50.00(-318.00,45.52)%vs.52.75(-93.33,97.13)%;12 months:83.33(17.70,100.00)%vs.100.00(64.88,100.00)%;18 months:100.00(96.05,100.00)%vs.100.00(100.00,100.00)%,Z=-2.77,-3.70,-2.41,-2.18,all P<0.05).At the end of follow-up,there was no significant difference in the disease progression rates and the incidence of hoarseness between the two groups(5.61%vs.4.34%,2.24%vs.4.34%,both P>0.05).Conclusion Patients with HT who received MWA treatment demonstrate safety and effectiveness,with no significant differences in postoperative disease progression rates compared to the controls.

Objective To explore the role of MAPK4 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma(CSCC)for the identification of candidate prognostic prediction biomarkers and molecular therapeutic targets.Methods The TCGA cohort was subjected to Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.Immunohistochemistry experiments were conducted on clinical samples to explore the correlation between MAPK4 and patient prognosis.A nomogram was constructed based on MAPK4 mRNA levels.Western blot,CCK-8,colony formation,and Transwell cell function experiments were performed to clarify the abnormal expression and role of MAPK4 in CSCC.DIA proteome sequencing was used to identify effector molecules regulated by MAPK4.Combined with the above cell function experiments,the knockdown of MAPK4 and the overexpression of effector molecules revealed that MAPK4 regulated effector molecules to mediate tumor progression.Results CSCC patients with elevated MAPK4 mRNA levels and high protein expression have a worse prognosis.The constructed nomogram based on MAPK4 can accurately predict the 1-,3-,and 5-year survival rates of patients.Compared with that in normal cervical tissues,MAPK4 protein expre-ssion was up-regulated in tumors.MAP-K4 knockdown substantially inhibited the proliferation,colony formation,mig-ration,and invasion of CSCC ME180 and SiHa cells.SLC3A2 is a downs-tream effector molecule of MAPK4.Overexpression SLC3A2 can weaken the inhibitory effect of MAPK4 knockdown on cell proliferation,colony formation,migration,and invasion.Conclusion MAPK4 is a candidate prognostic biomarker for patients with CSCC.MAPK4 positively regulates SLC3A2 protein expression and accelerates tumor progression,making it a potential molecular therapeutic target for patients with CSCC.

Objective:To systematically review the profile of lymph node dissection (LND) for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) in China.Methods:Using the key words "intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma" "intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma" "lymph node dissection" "lymphadenec-tomy" "lymph node metastasis", the databases including China Zhiwang, Wanfang, Weipu, Sinomed, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library were systematically searched. Cohort studies or randomized controlled clinical trials with intraoperative LND documentation and with analysis on the clinicopathologic characteristics or prognostic influences on patients with ICC were included into this meta-analysis from the date of database creation to April 20, 2022. The risk of bias in non-randomized controlled trials was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. A meta-analysis of preoperative imaging lymph node enlargement rates, LND rates, and pathological lymph node metastasis rates were performed using R software.Results:Thirty-three relevant studies that met the systematic evaluation criteria were included, all of which were retrospective cohort studies. All these publications were of medium to high quality. Patients’ enrollment ranged from 1993 to 2020. Patients were enrolled from 20 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities with a total of 39 medical centers and 4 278 patients. The meta-analysis indicated that the LND rate, preoperative imaging lymph node enlargement rate, pathological lymph node metastasis rate were 47.8%(95% CI: 41.3%-54.3%), 18.5%(95% CI: 7.5%-29.6%) and 51.2%(95% CI: 43.8%-58.6%), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed the LND rate was 36.0%(95% CI: 27.0%-45.0%) in studies with a median year of enrollment before 2010, 48.3% (95% CI: 38.1%-58.6%) in studies from 2010 to 2017, and 53.3%(95% CI: 43.3%-63.2%) in studies after 2017. The LND rates were statistically different in the studies in the different periods of patient enrollment ( P=0.032). Conclusion:The meta-analysis indicated that the overall LND rate for ICC in China was not high but showed an increasing tendency.