To analyze the disease burden, temporal trends, and attributable risk factors of early-onset female breast cancer (EOBC) in China and globally from 1990 to 2021.

Objective:To explore the genetic and clinical characteristics of Guizhou patients with enlarged vestibular aqueduct（EVA） syndrome through combined SLC26A4 variant analysis and clinical phenotype analysis. Methods:Seventy-two EVA patients underwent comprehensive genetic testing using a multiplex PCR-based deafness gene panel and next-generation sequencing（NGS）. The audiological and temporal bone imaging characteristics were compared across mutation subtypes. Results:A total of 27 pathogenic loci of SLC26A4 were detected in 72 patients, including c.919-2A>G in 79.2%（57/72）. A novel deletion（c.1703_1707+6del） was discovered. Among 65 cases, truncated mutations were 89.2%（58/65）, 52.3%（34/65）, 28（43.1%） and 7（10.8%）. No significant differences were observed in the midpoint diameter of the vestibular aqueduct and the incidence of incomplete partitioning typeⅡ（IP-Ⅱ） of the cochlea among the three groups of patients. Moreover, there was no difference in the midpoint diameter of different vestibular pipes or the combination with IP-Ⅱ. Conclusion:The most common mutation site of SLC26A4 in EVA patients in Guizhou is c.919-2A>G, though genotype-phenotype correlations remain elusive. The detection of 27 mutation sites and the discovery of new mutation sites suggested the precise diagnostic significance of NGS technology in EVA patients in Guizhou.
Humans ; Sulfate Transporters ; Vestibular Aqueduct/abnormalities* ; Mutation ; Membrane Transport Proteins/genetics* ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/genetics* ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Adolescent ; Child, Preschool ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Phenotype ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing

Obesity usually exacerbates the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (ITME), hindering CD8⁺ T cell infiltration and function, which further represents a significant barrier to the efficacy of immunotherapy. Herein, a multifunctional liposomal system (CR-Lip) for encapsulating celastrol (CEL) was utilized to remodel obesity-related ITME and improve cancer immunotherapy, wherein Ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) was detected interspersed in the phospholipid bilayer and its glycosyl exposed on the surface of the liposome. CR-Lip had a relatively uniform size (116.5 nm), facilitating favorable tumor tissue accumulation through the interaction between Rg3 and glucose transporter 1 overexpressed in obese tumor cells. Upon reaching the tumor region, CR-Lip was found to induce the immunogenic cell death (ICD) of HFD tumor cells. Notably, the level of PHD3 in HFD tumor cells was effectively boosted by CR-Lip to effectively block metabolic reprogramming and increase the availability of major free fatty acids fuel sources. In vivo, experiments studies revealed that the easy-obtained nano platform stimulated enhanced the production of various cytokines in tumor tissues, DC maturation, CD8⁺ T-cell infiltration, and synergistic anticancer therapeutic potency with aPD-1 (tumor inhibition rate = 82.1%) towards obesity-related melanoma. Consequently, this study presented an efficacious approach to tumor immunotherapy in obese mice by encompassing tumor eradication, inducing ICD, and reprogramming metabolism. Furthermore, it offered a unique insight into a valuable attempt at the immunotherapy of obesity-associated related tumors.

Chemotherapy is currently the mainstay of systemic management for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but chemoresistance significantly impacts patient outcomes. Our research indicates that Doxorubicin (Dox)-resistant TNBC cells exhibit increased glycolysis and ATP generation compared to their parental cells, with this metabolic shift contributing to chemoresistance. We discovered that ALKBH3, an m¹A demethylase enzyme, is crucial in regulating the enhanced glycolysis in Dox-resistant TNBC cells. Knocking down ALKBH3 reduced ATP generation, glucose consumption, and lactate production, implicating its involvement in mediating glycolysis. Further investigation revealed that aldolase A (ALDOA), a key enzyme in glycolysis, is a downstream target of ALKBH3. ALKBH3 regulates ALDOA mRNA stability through m¹A demethylation at the 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR). This methylation negatively affects ALDOA mRNA stability by recruiting the YTHDF2/PAN2-PAN3 complex, leading to mRNA degradation. The ALKBH3/ALDOA axis promotes Dox resistance both in vitro and in vivo. Clinical analysis demonstrated that ALKBH3 and ALDOA are upregulated in breast cancer tissues, and higher expression of these proteins is associated with reduced overall survival in TNBC patients. Our study highlights the role of the ALKBH3/ALDOA axis in contributing to Dox resistance in TNBC cells through regulation of ALDOA mRNA stability and glycolysis.

Traditional development of small protein scaffolds has relied on display technologies and mutation-based engineering, which limit sequence and functional diversity, thereby constraining their therapeutic and application potential. Protein design tools have significantly advanced the creation of novel protein sequences, structures, and functions. However, further improvements in design strategies are still needed to more efficiently optimize the functional performance of protein-based drugs and enhance their druggability. Here, we extended an evolution-based design protocol to create a novel minibinder, BindHer, against the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). It not only exhibits super stability and binding selectivity but also demonstrates remarkable properties in tissue specificity. Radiolabeling experiments with ^99mTc, ⁶⁸Ga, and ¹⁸F revealed that BindHer efficiently targets tumors in HER2-positive breast cancer mouse models, with minimal nonspecific liver absorption, outperforming scaffolds designed through traditional engineering. These findings highlight a new rational approach to automated protein design, offering significant potential for large-scale applications in therapeutic mini-protein development.

Extensive epigenetic reprogramming involves in memory CD8+ T-cell differentiation. The elaborate epigenetic rewiring underlying the heterogeneous functional states of CD8+ T cells remains hidden. Here, we profile single-cell chromatin accessibility and map enhancer-promoter interactomes to characterize the differentiation trajectory of memory CD8+ T cells. We reveal that under distinct epigenetic regulations, the early activated CD8+ T cells divergently originated for short-lived effector and memory precursor effector cells. We also uncover a defined epigenetic rewiring leading to the conversion from effector memory to central memory cells during memory formation. Additionally, we illustrate chromatin regulatory mechanisms underlying long-lasting versus transient transcription regulation during memory differentiation. Finally, we confirm the essential roles of Sox4 and Nrf2 in developing memory precursor effector and effector memory cells, respectively, and validate cell state-specific enhancers in regulating Il7r using CRISPR-Cas9. Our data pave the way for understanding the mechanism underlying epigenetic memory formation in CD8+ T-cell differentiation.
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism* ; Cell Differentiation ; Chromatin/immunology* ; Animals ; Mice ; Immunologic Memory ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; SOXC Transcription Factors/immunology* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/immunology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; Enhancer Elements, Genetic

Prostate cancer is the most prevalent malignant tumor among men, ranking first in incidence and second in mortality globally. Novel hormone therapies (NHT) targeting the androgen receptor (AR) pathway have become the standard of care for metastatic prostate cancer. This review offers a comprehensive overview of NHT, including abiraterone, enzalutamide, apalutamide, darolutamide, and rezvilutamide, which have demonstrated efficacy in delaying disease progression and improving patient survival and quality of life. Nevertheless, resistance to NHT remains a critical challenge. The mechanisms underlying resistance are complex, involving AR gene amplification, mutations, splice variants, increased intratumoral androgens, and AR-independent pathways such as the glucocorticoid receptor, neuroendocrine differentiation, DNA repair defects, autophagy, immune evasion, and activation of alternative signaling pathways. This review discusses these resistance mechanisms and examines strategies to counteract them, including sequential treatment with novel AR-targeted drugs, chemotherapy, poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors, radionuclide therapy, bipolar androgen therapy, and approaches targeting specific resistance pathways. Future research should prioritize elucidating the molecular basis of NHT resistance, optimizing existing therapeutic strategies, and developing more effective combination regimens. Additionally, advanced sequencing technologies and resistance research models should be leveraged to identify novel therapeutic targets and improve drug delivery efficiencies. These advancements hold the potential to overcome NHT resistance and significantly enhance the management and prognosis of patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common gynecological malignant tumors in China. Given their lack of obviously early symptoms, more than half of patients with cervical cancer are diagnosed in the middle and late stages of this malignancy, resulting in poor prognosis. Finding new therapeutic targets is the current research direction. Metabolomics, as a new omics technology, is expected to provide new targets for tumor precision diagnosis and treatment through the analysis of the changes and potential mechanisms of metabolites in tumor occurrence and development by chromatography, mass spectrometry, and other technologies. Herein, we review the research methods of metabolomics; metabolic characteristics of cervical cancer; and progress of the research on metabolomics in cervical cancer diagnosis, curative effect prediction, and prognosis evaluation to provide new ideas for the precise diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer.

Objective:To investigate the influence of inner cell mass and trophectoderm cytoplasmic strings during blastocyst expan-sion on embryonic development and pregnancy outcome.Methods:A retrospective cohort analysis was performed for the clinical data of patients who received pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy(PGT-A)and underwent single blastocyst transplantation in our hospital from June 2019 to December 2021.A total of 530 patients were enrolled,and genetic testing was performed for 2132 blasto-cysts.According to the presence or absence of cytoplasmic strings during blastocyst expansion,the blastocysts were divided into cyto-plasmic strings(+)group with 534 blastocysts and cytoplasmic strings(-)group with 1598 blastocysts,and quality and PGT-A results were compared between the two groups.After the transfer of euploid blastocysts,pregnancy outcome was compared between the 115 blastocysts with cytoplasmic strings and the 415 blastocysts without cytoplasmic strings.Results:The rates of cytoplasmic strings(+)in the high-,average-,and low-quality blastocyst groups were 30.19%,24.62%,and 12.63%,respectively.The correlation analysis showed a correlation coefficient of-0.115(P<0.001)between embryo quality and the rate of cytoplasmic strings(+).There was no sig-nificant difference in euploidy rate between the two groups(45.3%vs.44.6%).There were no significant differences between the euploid blastocysts with cytoplasmic strings and those without cytoplasmic strings in implantation rate(72.17%vs.66.02%,P=0.213),miscarriage rate(14.46%vs.12.77%,P=0.691),and live birth rate(61.74%vs.57.59%,P=0.424).Conclusion:The presence of cyto-plasmic strings is associated with the morphological quality of blas-tocysts,while it has no impact on embryo ploidy or clinical outcome after euploid embryo transfer.Further research is needed to confirm the impact of cytoplasmic strings on embryonic development.

Objective To explore the experiences of children with Crohn's disease and their parents regarding the exclusion diet,and to provide a basis for formulating personalized dietary guidance programs.Methods A total of 12 children with Crohn's disease and their parents,hospitalized in the Department of Gastroenterology at a tertiary children's hospital in Guangzhou from June to December 2023,were selected as research subjects using objective sampling.Semi-structured interviews were conducted,and the data were analyzed and refined using Colaizzi's seven-step analysis method.Results Totally 3 themes and 14 sub-themes were extracted.①Lack of cognition and trust in Crohn's disease exclusion diet(unfamiliarity with the contents of the diet,misunderstanding of the diet's preparation,inadequate response to daily exclusion diet practices,parents' distrust in the exclusion diet).②The practical challenges of the Crohn's disease exclusion diet(the challenge of personal dietary preferences,the challenge of family meal preparation,the challenge of school feeding,food intolerance,feelings of monotony and weariness following the exclusion diet).③Innovations in practicing the Crohn's disease exclusion diet(managing taste fatigue,managing visual fatigue,innovative cooking methods,prioritizing exclusive enteral nutrition followed by the exclusion diet,overcoming the desire for universal food).Conclusion Children with Crohn's disease and their parents exhibit insufficient cognition and trust in the exclusion diet and face various challenges in practice.Clinical medical staff should adopt personalized coping strategies tailored to the specific circumstances of each child.