ObjectiveTo investigate a suspected outbreak of healthcare-associated infection with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) in a geriatric emergency ward, and to provide references for the prevention and control of multidrug-resistant bacteria in a hospital in Shanghai. MethodsOn-site epidemiological investigation, combined with environmental hygiene monitoring and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) molecular typing method, were adopted to investigate a suspected outbreak of CRKP infection in the geriatric emergency ward of a hospital from October to November 2022, aiming at finding out factors caused the outbreak before taking corresponding control measures. ResultsA total of 3 cases of healthcare-associated CRKP infection were identified, of which 2 cases were homologous to a previous case of community-associated CRKP infection. What’s more, the 2 cases lived in the same ward with the latter and with adjacent beds, but the third case was non-homologous to the community-associated infection case. A total of 46 samples were collected from the environmental surfaces and the hands of healthcare workers, of which 7 samples tested positive for CRKP and were identical to the strains from the 2 healthcare-associated infection cases and the 1 community-associated infection case, originating from the bedrails, bedside tables, surface of non-invasive ventilator, bed curtains and panels of monitoring equipment, with a detection rate of 15.22%. But none of the 11 samples from the hands of healthcare workers tested positive for CRKP. The outbreak was effectively controlled after taking specific prevention and control measures such as strengthening personnel management, intensifying environmental cleaning and disinfection and strictly enforcing hand hygiene among healthcare workers. Subsequently, no similar new cases were reported during the 14-day follow-up period. ConclusionIncomplete environmental cleaning and disinfection, as well as inadequate enforcement of hand hygiene among heatheare workers may have contributed to the suspected outbreak of CRKP in the geriatric emergency ward. Early warning and timely investigation of suspected outbreaks of multidrug-resistant bacteria are crucial for preventing and controlling such outbreaks in hospitals.

Objective To investigate the reproductive and developmental effects of Clothianidin in rats. Methods Clothianidin was administrated by diet to both parental and first filial (F 1) generations of rats at the dosages of 0, 30.51, 110.84 and 304.26 mg/(kg·d) in females, and 0, 26.45, 92.69 and 279.42 mg/(kg·d) in males. Clothianidin was administered through diet to male and female rats for 8 weeks before mating. Clothianidin was administered to female rats in the parental and F1 generations during mating, gestation and lactation periods. During the test, toxicity performance was observed, reproduction index was calculated, and pathological examination was carried out. Results The body weights of rats in the parent and F1 generations in the high-dose group were lower than those in the control group during pre-mating exposure and at various time points during pregnancy and lactation (P<0.05). The pregnancy rates of parental and F1 generations in the high-dose group were lower than those of the control group (48.57% vs 71.43%, 45.71% vs 80.00%, P＜0. 05). Sperm concentration and sperm motility of the parental generation were lower than those of the control group [(42.55±12.87) vs (53.84±7.65) ×106/ml, (58.94±10.59) vs (65.59±6.03), （P＜0.05）]. Sperm concentration and sperm motility of the F1 generation were lower than those of the control group [(41.64±12.42) vs (53.09±9.48), (55.13±9.19) vs (64.53±6.31), (P＜0.05). Conclusion Exposure to clothianidin has reproductive toxicity to Wistar rats, and the no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) in the two-generation reproductive toxicity test is 92.69 mg/kg·BW for males and 110.84 mg/kg·BW for females in Wistar rats.

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells have reshaped the treatment landscape of hematological malignancies, offering a potentially curative option for patients. Despite these major milestones in the field of immuno-oncology, growing experience with CAR-T cells has also highlighted several limitations of this strategy. The production process of CAR-T cells is complex, time-consuming, and costly, thus leading to poor drug accessibility. The potential carcinogenic risk of viral transfection systems remains a matter of controversy. Treatment-related side effects, such as cytokine release syndrome, can be life-threatening. And the biggest challenge is the inadequate efficacy related to poor infiltration and retention of CAR-T cells in tumor tissues and impaired T cell activation caused by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Innovative strategies are urgently needed to address these problems, and nanomedicine offers good solutions to these challenges. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of recent advancements in the application of nanomaterials to enhance CAR-T cell therapy. We examine the role of innovative nanoparticle-based delivery systems in the production of CAR-T cells, with a particular focus on polymeric delivery systems and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Furthermore, we explore various strategies for delivering immune stimulators, which significantly enhance the efficacy of CAR-T cells by modulating T cell viability and functionality or by reprogramming the immunosuppressive TME. In addition, we discuss several novel therapeutic approaches aimed at mitigating the adverse effects associated with CAR-T therapies. Finally, we offer an integrated perspective on the future challenges and opportunities facing CAR-T therapies.
Humans ; Nanomedicine/methods* ; Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism* ; Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods* ; T-Lymphocytes/immunology* ; Nanoparticles/chemistry* ; Animals

Osteoarthritis (OA) causes chronic pain that significantly impairs quality of life, with current treatments often proving insufficient and accompanied by adverse effects. Recent research has identified the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and its resident macrophages as crucial mediators of chronic OA pain through neuroinflammation driven by macrophage polarization. We present a novel injectable thermo-sensitive hydrogel system, KAF@PLEL, designed to deliver an anti-inflammatory peptide (KAF) specifically to the DRG. This biodegradable hydrogel enables sustained KAF release, promoting the reprogramming of DRG macrophages from pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory phenotypes. Through comprehensive in vitro and in vivo studies, we evaluated the hydrogel's biocompatibility, effects on macrophage polarization, and therapeutic efficacy in chronic OA pain management. The system demonstrated significant capabilities in preserving macrophage mitochondrial function, suppressing neuroinflammation, alleviating chronic OA pain, reducing cartilage degradation, and improving motor function in OA rat models. The sustained-release properties of KAF@PLEL enabled prolonged therapeutic effects while minimizing systemic exposure and side effects. These findings suggest that KAF@PLEL represents a promising therapeutic approach for improving outcomes in OA patients through targeted, sustained treatment.

Immune evasion has made ovarian cancer notorious for its refractory features, making the development of immunotherapy highly appealing to ovarian cancer treatment. The immune-stimulating cytokine IL-12 exhibits excellent antitumor activities. However, IL-12 can induce IFN-γ release and subsequently upregulate PDL-1 expression on tumor cells. Therefore, the tumor-targeting folate-modified delivery system F-DPC is constructed for concurrent delivery of IL-12 encoding gene and small molecular PDL-1 inhibitor (iPDL-1) to reduce immune escape and boost anti-tumor immunity. The physicochemical characteristics, gene transfection efficiency of the F-DPC nanoparticles in ovarian cancer cells are analyzed. The immune-modulation effects of combination therapy on different immune cells are also studied. Results show that compared with non-folate-modified vector, folate-modified F-DPC can improve the targeting of ovarian cancer and enhance the transfection efficiency of pIL-12. The underlying anti-tumor mechanisms include the regulation of T cells proliferation and activation, NK activation, macrophage polarization and DC maturation. The F-DPC/pIL-12/iPDL-1 complexes have shown outstanding antitumor effects and low toxicity in peritoneal model of ovarian cancer in mice. Taken together, our work provides new insights into ovarian cancer immunotherapy. Novel F-DPC/pIL-12/iPDL-1 complexes are revealed to exert prominent anti-tumor effect by modulating tumor immune microenvironment and preventing immune escape and might be a promising treatment option for ovarian cancer treatment.

Objective:To explore the changes in serum levels of miR-499 and miR-362 in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and their relationship with prognosis.Methods:A total of 103 patients with advanced NSCLC at Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences Affiliated Chongming Hospital from January 2020 to October 2021 were selected as the NSCLC group, and 100 healthy volunteers who underwent physical examinations at our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. Fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to determine and compare the levels of serum miR-499 and miR-362 in the two groups, and the relationship between the two indexes and different clinical characteristics of NSCLC patients was analyzed. According to the clinical outcome of 2-year follow-up, the patients were divided into survival group and death group, and the levels of serum miR-499 and miR-362 were compared between the two groups. The predictive value of miR-499 and miR-362 levels on the prognosis of advanced NSCLC patients were analyzed using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves.Results:The serum miR-499 level in the NSCLC group (0.34±0.10) was lower than that in the control group (1.25±0.21), while the miR-362 level (1.13±0.27) was higher than that in the control group (0.63±0.15) ( t=18.26, P<0.001; t=16.32, P<0.001). There were statistically significant differences in serum miR-499 and miR-362 levels among patients with different degrees of differentiation ( t=11.12, P<0.001; t=16.35, P<0.001), TNM staging ( t=13.64, P=0.002; t=8.73, P=0.010) and lymph node metastasis ( t=10.02, P=0.003; t=9.65, P=0.004). The serum miR-499 level in the death group ( n=77) (0.24±0.06) was lower than that in the survival group ( n=26) (0.35±0.09), while the miR-362 level (1.54±0.32) was higher than that in the survival group (1.08±0.21), with statistically significant differences ( t=8.06, P=0.006; t=8.67, P=0.005). ROC curve analysis showed that the sensitivity of miR-499 and miR-362 in predicting the prognosis of advanced NSCLC patients was 73.46% and 75.85%, respectively, with specificity of 64.42% and 65.61%, AUC of 0.739 (95% CI: 0.662-0.805) and 0.743 (95% CI: 0.640-0.793) ; the sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of serum miR-499 combined with miR-362 in predicting the prognosis of advanced NSCLC patients were 87.63%, 85.34%, and 0.875 (95% CI: 0.698-0.897), respectively; the combined prediction of miR-499 and miR-362 for AUC area was higher than the individual prediction ( Z=4.83, P=0.013; Z=5.17, P=0.009) . Conclusion:Advanced NSCLC patients show significant abnormal serum level of miR-499 and miR-362, and as the severity of the disease progressed, the serum level of miR-499 is downregulated more significantly and miR-362 is upregulated more significantly. The combined detection of miR-499 and miR-362 levels has certain predictive value for the prognosis of advanced NSCLC patients.

Objective To investigate the role of high-mobility group AT-hook 2(HMGA2)in osteogenic differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells(ADSCs)and the effect of Hmga2 knockdown for promoting bone defect repair.Methods Bioinformatics studies using the GEO database and Rstudio software identified HMGA2 as a key factor in adipogenic-osteogenic differentiation balance of ADSCs.The protein-protein interaction network of HMGA2 in osteogenic differentiation was mapped using String and visualized with Cytoscape to predict the downstream targets of HMGA2.Primary mouse ADSCs(mADSCs)were transfected with Hmga2 siRNA,and the changes in osteogenic differentiation of the cells were evaluated using alkaline phosphatase staining and Alizarin red S staining.The expressions of osteogenic markers Runt-related transcription factor 2(RUNX2),osteopontin(OPN),and osteocalcein(OCN)in the transfected cells were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blotting.In a mouse model of critical-sized calvarial defects,mADSCs with Hmga2-knockdown were transplanted into the defect,and bone repair was evaluated 6 weeks later using micro-CT scanning and histological staining.Results GEO database analysis showed that HMGA2 expression was upregulated during adipogenic differentiation of ADSCs.Protein-protein interaction network analysis suggested that the potential HMGA2 targets in osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs included SMAD7,CDH1,CDH2,SNAI1,SMAD9,IGF2BP3,and ALDH1A1.In mADSCs,Hmga2 knockdown significantly upregulated the expressions of RUNX2,OPN,and OCN and increased cellular alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium deposition.In a critical-sized calvarial defect model,transplantation of mADSCs with Hmga2 knockdown significantly promoted new bone formation.Conclusion HMGA2 is a crucial regulator of osteogenic differentiation in ADSCs,and Hmga2 knockdown significantly promotes osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs and accelerates ADSCs-mediated bone defect repair in mice.

Objective To investigate the role of high-mobility group AT-hook 2(HMGA2)in osteogenic differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells(ADSCs)and the effect of Hmga2 knockdown for promoting bone defect repair.Methods Bioinformatics studies using the GEO database and Rstudio software identified HMGA2 as a key factor in adipogenic-osteogenic differentiation balance of ADSCs.The protein-protein interaction network of HMGA2 in osteogenic differentiation was mapped using String and visualized with Cytoscape to predict the downstream targets of HMGA2.Primary mouse ADSCs(mADSCs)were transfected with Hmga2 siRNA,and the changes in osteogenic differentiation of the cells were evaluated using alkaline phosphatase staining and Alizarin red S staining.The expressions of osteogenic markers Runt-related transcription factor 2(RUNX2),osteopontin(OPN),and osteocalcein(OCN)in the transfected cells were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blotting.In a mouse model of critical-sized calvarial defects,mADSCs with Hmga2-knockdown were transplanted into the defect,and bone repair was evaluated 6 weeks later using micro-CT scanning and histological staining.Results GEO database analysis showed that HMGA2 expression was upregulated during adipogenic differentiation of ADSCs.Protein-protein interaction network analysis suggested that the potential HMGA2 targets in osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs included SMAD7,CDH1,CDH2,SNAI1,SMAD9,IGF2BP3,and ALDH1A1.In mADSCs,Hmga2 knockdown significantly upregulated the expressions of RUNX2,OPN,and OCN and increased cellular alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium deposition.In a critical-sized calvarial defect model,transplantation of mADSCs with Hmga2 knockdown significantly promoted new bone formation.Conclusion HMGA2 is a crucial regulator of osteogenic differentiation in ADSCs,and Hmga2 knockdown significantly promotes osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs and accelerates ADSCs-mediated bone defect repair in mice.

Objective To monitor the susceptibility of clinical isolates to antimicrobial agents in tertiary hospitals in major regions of China in 2022.Methods Clinical isolates from 58 hospitals in China were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using a unified protocol based on disc diffusion method or automated testing systems.Results were interpreted using the 2022 Clinical &Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints.Results A total of 318 013 clinical isolates were collected from January 1,2022 to December 31,2022,of which 29.5％were gram-positive and 70.5％were gram-negative.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains in Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus epidermidis and other coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species(excluding Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus schleiferi)was 28.3％,76.7％and 77.9％,respectively.Overall,94.0％of MRSA strains were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 90.8％of MRSE strains were susceptible to rifampicin.No vancomycin-resistant strains were found.Enterococcus faecalis showed significantly lower resistance rates to most antimicrobial agents tested than Enterococcus faecium.A few vancomycin-resistant strains were identified in both E.faecalis and E.faecium.The prevalence of penicillin-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae was 94.2％in the isolates from children and 95.7％in the isolates from adults.The resistance rate to carbapenems was lower than 13.1％in most Enterobacterales species except for Klebsiella,21.7％-23.1％of which were resistant to carbapenems.Most Enterobacterales isolates were highly susceptible to tigecycline,colistin and polymyxin B,with resistance rates ranging from 0.1％to 13.3％.The prevalence of meropenem-resistant strains decreased from 23.5％in 2019 to 18.0％in 2022 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and decreased from 79.0％in 2019 to 72.5％in 2022 in Acinetobacter baumannii.Conclusions The resistance of clinical isolates to the commonly used antimicrobial agents is still increasing in tertiary hospitals.However,the prevalence of important carbapenem-resistant organisms such as carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa,and A.baumannii showed a downward trend in recent years.This finding suggests that the strategy of combining antimicrobial resistance surveillance with multidisciplinary concerted action works well in curbing the spread of resistant bacteria.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive drug delivery systems (DDSs) have garnered significant attention in cancer research because of their potential for precise spatiotemporal drug release tailored to high ROS levels within tumors. Despite the challenges posed by ROS distribution heterogeneity and endogenous supply constraints, this review highlights the strategic alliance of ROS-responsive DDSs with photodynamic therapy (PDT), enabling selective drug delivery and leveraging PDT-induced ROS for enhanced therapeutic efficacy. This review delves into the biological importance of ROS in cancer progression and treatment. We elucidate in detail the operational mechanisms of ROS-responsive linkers, including thioether, thioketal, selenide, diselencide, telluride and aryl boronic acids/esters, as well as the latest developments in ROS-responsive nanomedicines that integrate with PDT strategies. These insights are intended to inspire the design of innovative ROS-responsive nanocarriers for enhanced cancer PDT.