With the continuous deepening of the concept of precision diagnosis and treatment for lung cancer, how to achieve higher efficiency and accuracy in the screening, diagnosis, and treatment pathways in clinical practice has become an important issue that urgently needs to be overcome. The current clinical difficulty lies in the fact that despite continuous advancements in imaging and molecular diagnostic technologies, there are still limitations in manual efficiency and subjective experience when it comes to massive data analysis and multi-scale feature extraction. Artificial intelligence (AI), especially algorithm systems based on deep learning, is an innovative technology capable of deeply empowering medical big data. This method utilizes algorithms such as convolutional neural networks, combined with radiomics, pathomics, and multi-modal data fusion analysis, demonstrating immense potential in early precise detection and benign-malignant differentiation of pulmonary nodules, digital pathological subtype recognition and non-invasive prediction of driver genes, precise 3D surgical planning and automatic delineation of radiotherapy target volumes, as well as dynamic risk warning during follow-up. This innovative technology provides a brand-new solution for realizing intelligent and individualized lung cancer diagnosis and treatment models. This consensus, based on the latest evidence from evidence-based medicine and combined with the development trends in the AI field and real-world clinical needs, was ultimately formed by gathering the consensus opinions of multidisciplinary experts in radiology, pathology, thoracic surgery, and other fields. The main content covers the application specifications of AI in the three core scenarios of lung cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment, the technical standards for data collection and algorithm validation, as well as the ethical and regulatory challenges faced at the current stage. It aims to clarify the applicable boundaries of AI as a clinical auxiliary decision support tool, providing scientific guidance and standardized exploration directions for peers currently engaged in or planning to carry out AI-assisted clinical diagnosis, treatment, and translation of lung cancer.

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods The clinical data of patients with stage ⅡA-ⅢB NSCLC who underwent surgical treatment after receiving neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone at the First People’s Hospital of Jining between April 2021 and January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the preoperative neoadjuvant regimens, the patients were divided into a combined group and a chemotherapy group, and the clinical data of the two groups were compared. Results A total of 66 patients were included, including 61 males and 5 females. There were 53 patients in the combined group with a mean age of (63.40±6.80) years, and 13 patients in the chemotherapy group with a mean age of (58.62±8.30) years. There was a statistical difference in age between the two groups (P＜0.001), while no statistical difference was observed in other baseline data (P>0.05). The major pathological response rates in the combined group and the chemotherapy group were 54.7% and 23.1%, respectively (P=0.041), and the pathological complete response rates were 39.6% and 0.0%, respectively (P=0.006). The operative time in the combined group was shorter (P=0.039). There were no statistical differences between the two groups in intraoperative blood loss, duration of postoperative tube carrying, incidence of postoperative complications, overall survival, or event-free survival (P>0.05). Conclusion Surgical treatment following neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy is safe and feasible, and its long-term efficacy requires further follow-up for confirmation.

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant sintilimab combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with locally advanced resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods Clinical data were collected from patients with locally advanced resectable ESCC who received neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy followed by surgical treatment at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Jining No.1 People's Hospital from April 2020 to April 2022. The endpoints included major pathological response (MPR), pathological complete response (pCR), R0 resection rate, safety, and postoperative survival. Results A total of 43 patients with ESCC who received at least one cycle of neoadjuvant immunotherapy before surgery were included. Among them, there were 31 males and 12 females with a median age of 65 years (interquartile range: 58-69). All patients successfully completed the surgery without any surgical delays. The pCR rate was 14.0% (6/43), the MPR rate was 58.1% (25/43), and the R0 resection rate was 97.7% (42/43). Patients exhibited reliable safety during neoadjuvant therapy and postoperatively. The 2-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were 90.7% and 81.4%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank test revealed lower recurrence rates and better survival in the MPR patients compared to the non-MPR patients. Conclusion The combination of neoadjuvant sintilimab and chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with locally advanced resectable ESCC has demonstrated significant clinical efficacy, while also being safe and reliable.

Laboratory animal science is an emerging interdisciplinary field supporting life science and medical research, and a key component of talent cultivation and technological innovation in medical colleges. Currently, this field faces challenges such as a significant imbalance between talent supply and demand and a weak systematic training system. To respond to national strategies and societal needs, Shandong First Medical University established the School of Laboratory Animal through industry-education integration during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. The school is based on The Medical Laboratory Technology major, cultivates application-oriented, interdisciplinary professionals in laboratory animal science, and has constructed a three-in-one training system integrating "course learning–scientific research–industry practice". Specific measures for talent cultivation include: optimizing the general education, professional courses, and intensive practical modules in the talent training program, and establishing the "Yellow River Class" integrating industry and education; implementing an undergraduate mentor system, and conducting scientific research training based on The Model Animal Research and Development Engineering Laboratory; collaborating with bases across the entire industrial chain of laboratory animal production, research, application, and quality control, appointing industry mentors, and strengthening practical teaching. Practice has shown that this system has been remarkably effective: a total of 320 undergraduate students have been enrolled since 2020; the employment rate of undergraduate graduates for two consecutive cohorts has reached 100%, and the postgraduate enrollment rate has exceeded 50%; undergraduate students have won numerous national and provincial awards in academic competitions, and have obtained multiple patents and published papers. In the future, the school will further integrate the advantages of medicine, agriculture, and science, optimize the depth and breadth of courses, strengthen the construction of faculty and teaching materials, and improve the undergraduate-master's integrated training mechanism. This article can provide a reference for the training of professionals in laboratory animal science and related biomedical fields in medical colleges.

While programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors have yielded breakthroughs in tumor therapy, their efficacy is constrained by the heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment and multiple immunosuppressive pathways. In recent years, research has revealed that transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) synergistically drives tumor cell immune escape with PD-L1 via pathways such as metabolic reprogramming, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and SOX family factors. Currently, various PD-L1/TGF-β bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) have exhibited promising therapeutic potential in early-phase clinical trials, yet they still confront challenges related to toxicity and drug resistance. This article systematically reviews the mechanisms by which PD-L1 and TGF-β synergistically regulate tumor immune escape, summarizes the clinical research progress of bsAbs, and discusses strategies for novel drug design and biomarker development, with the aim of offering new insights for the development of combined tumor immunotherapy strategies.

Objective To investigate the expression characteristics, prognostic value, and correlation with immune infiltration of vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor 2 (VIPR2) in esophageal adenocarcinoma (ESAD). Methods Transcriptome data of 80 ESAD and 10 normal tissues were retrieved from the TCGA database. Immune-related differential genes were identified by integrating the ImmPort database. Cox regression analysis was applied to evaluate the prognostic significance of VIPR2. GSVA and ssGSEA were employed to assess the association between VIPR2 and immune-cell infiltration. Functional enrichment was performed using GO, KEGG, and GSEA. Results VIPR2 expression was significantly downregulated in ESAD tissues (P<0.05). High VIPR2 expression was associated with prolonged overall survival (HR=0.246, P=0.047), serving as an independent prognostic factor. Fifteen immune-cell types, including CD8⁺ T cells, NK cells, and dendritic cells, showed significantly higher infiltration in the VIPR2-high group, whereas Th17-cell abundance was decreased (P<0.05). Enrichment analyses revealed that VIPR2 participated in multiple tumor-immune pathways and was positively correlated with PD-1 and CTLA-4 expression (P<0.01). Conclusion VIPR2 may serve as a potential biomarker in the prognostic assessment and could modulate the tumor-immune microenvironment in ESAD.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is the predominant pathological contributor to chronic low back pain, a pervasive musculoskeletal condition affecting over 630 million people globally and imposing tremendous socioeconomic and public health burdens. The etiopathogenesis of IVDD is remarkably complex and multifactorial, involving intricate crosstalk among chronic inflammatory responses, extracellular matrix (ECM) catabolism, cellular senescence, aberrant programmed cell death (including apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis), mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative damage. Compelling evidence indicates that the inflammatory microenvironment acts as a decisive driving force throughout the entire degenerative course of IVDD. Among the diverse inflammatory mediators, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) serve as core pro-inflammatory cytokines that initiate and perpetuate the degenerative cascade. These two pivotal cytokines collectively activate an array of canonical intracellular signaling pathways, including nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) cascade. Such interconnected signaling networks trigger a self-reinforcing positive feedback loop, which exacerbates inflammatory reactions, disrupts the anabolic-catabolic homeostasis of the ECM, promotes oxidative stress and mitochondrial injury, induces multiple forms of disc cell death, and ultimately leads to progressive structural collapse and functional deterioration of the intervertebral disc. Conventional therapeutic strategies, dominated by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and surgical interventions, are limited by systemic adverse reactions, suboptimal long-term efficacy, and the risk of adjacent segment degeneration. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) exhibits prominent advantages in the prevention and treatment of IVDD by virtue of its holistic regulation, syndrome differentiation, and multi-component, multi-target, multi-pathway pharmacological properties. This review systematically elucidates the molecular mechanisms by which inflammation-associated signaling pathways modulate disc cell fate and ECM metabolic homeostasis, and comprehensively summarizes the experimental progress over the past five years on TCM monomers and compound formulas for intervening in IVDD. Accumulating studies have confirmed that numerous natural active ingredients isolated from herbal medicines (ferulic acid, mangiferin, paeonol, astragaloside IV) and representative TCM compound prescriptions (Bushen Huoxue Formula, Shensuitongzhi Formula, Fuzi Decoction) exert synergistic protective effects by coordinately targeting core signaling hubs. These TCM agents demonstrate potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-pyroptotic, anti-ferroptotic, ECM-protective, and autophagy-regulating bioactivities, thereby effectively decelerating the pathological progression of IVDD. Despite remarkable progress, current investigations are still confronted by several critical limitations. Most studies are restricted to validating the regulatory effects of single TCM components on individual signaling pathways, leaving the systematic, dynamic, and synergistic mechanisms of TCM compound formulas within multi-pathway regulatory networks largely unexplored. Furthermore, clinical translation of TCM is severely hampered by the lack of efficient targeted drug delivery systems, unclear pharmacokinetic profiles, suboptimal local bioavailability, and incomplete long-term safety assessments. Therefore, future research should adopt an interdisciplinary paradigm integrating multi-omics technologies, artificial intelligence, organoid models, and organ-on-chip systems to systematically decipher the scientific basis of TCM against IVDD. Concurrently, the development of intelligent, site-specific delivery systems (hydrogels, nanoparticles, exosome-based carriers) is urgently needed to enhance the local accumulation and sustained release of TCM ingredients. By deepening mechanistic exploration and accelerating translational research, TCM is expected to evolve into safe, effective, and personalized precision therapeutic regimens for IVDD, offering novel and reliable solutions for the clinical management of chronic low back pain.

ObjectiveTo investigate the functional role and underlying molecular mechanisms of fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase （FAH） in the progression of glioblastoma （GBM）. MethodsDifferential expression analysis was performed on the TCGA-GBM， GSE4290， and GSE116520 datasets. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis （WGCNA） was used to identify key modules， and Cox regression and risk modeling were used to screen prognostic genes. Immune infiltration analysis of prognostic genes was carried out by using single-cell RNA sequencing panels. The clinical expression signature of FAH in GBM was analyzed in the TCGA and HPA databases. The functional role of FAH was validated by in vitro and in vivo experiments， and pathway analysis was performed to explore the underlying mechanisms. ResultsA total of 152 overlapping genes were identified across the three GBM datasets （P<0.05）. WGCNA revealed that the turquoise module was most strongly associated with tumor purity， stromal score， immune score， and ESTIMATE score （P<0.001）. Compared with normal tissues， three prognostic genes （CTSD， FAH， and THBD） were upregulated in GBM and correlated with immune infiltration （P<0.05）. FAH mRNA and protein levels were elevated in GBM tissues relative to normal tissues， and its expression was significantly associated with age stratification and TP53 mutation （P<0.05）. CCK-8 assay results showed that， compared with the shNC group， the proliferative activity of GBM cells in the shFAH group was reduced （P<0.001）. Transwell migration and invasion assays demonstrated that， relative to the shNC group， the numbers of migrated and invaded cells in the shFAH group decreased （P<0.05）. Western blot analysis revealed that the protein expression levels of PI3K， p-AKT， and p-mTOR in the shFAH group decreased compared with those in the shNC group （P<0.05）. In vivo subcutaneous xenograft experiments further confirmed that tumor volume and weight significantly decreased in the shFAH group compared with the shNC group （P<0.001）. ConclusionFAH promotes GBM progression by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for GBM.

ObjectiveTo explore the clinical application value of CIE 1976 L*a*b*（Lab） color space in the differential diagnosis of early esophageal cancer and non-cancerous lesions. MethodsWe selected the endoscopic images of patients with esophageal lesions confirmed by pathology who underwent white light imaging endoscopy （WLI） and narrow band imaging endoscopy （NBI）. Five regions of interest （ROI） were selected respectively from the mucosa of the lesion area and the mucosa of the surrounding normal area for labeling. The Lab color space parameters were extracted and counted， and the color difference values（ΔE*）were calculated. ResultsA total of 213 eligible patients were included for analysis in the study. In WLI and NBI modes， there were differences in mucosal color between the early esophageal cancer group and the non-cancer group （P<0.05）. Compared with WLI mode， NBI mode could significantly increase the color difference between early esophageal cancer and non-cancerous lesions （P<0.05）. The lightness component value （L* value） of the early esophageal cancer lesion area was lower than that of the non-cancerous lesion area， and this color difference was more significant in the NBI mode （P<0.05）. In WLI mode， there was no significant difference in yellow-blue component value （b* value） between the mucosa of early esophageal cancer and non-cancerous lesions. However， in the NBI mode， the b* value of the mucosa in the non-cancerous lesion area was higher than that in the early esophageal cancer lesion area （P<0.05）. On the red-green axis， the mucosa of the early esophageal cancer and non-cancerous lesions was red in WLI mode and green in NBI mode. There was no significant difference in red-green component value （a* value） between the two groups. ConclusionThere are color differences between early esophageal cancer and non-cancerous lesions under WLI and NBI. The color of early esophageal cancer is darker under WLI， and the color of non-cancerous lesions is yellower under non-magnified NBI mode. Lab color space is helpful to identify early esophageal cancer and non-cancerous lesions.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the syndrome improvement and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome）. MethodsThrough a multi-center randomized controlled methodology design，confirmed influenza cases were collected from October 2022 to April 2023 in the pediatrics department of eight hospitals，such as Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. A total of 180 children with influenza and heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome conforming to the standard were recruited through the clinic. The sick children meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into groups by a block-randomized method. The children in the experimental group were treated with Qingxuan Daozhi formula for five days，and those in the control group were treated with Oseltamivir Phosphate Granules for five days. The primary efficacy indicator was the negative conversion rate of influenza antigen detection. Secondary efficacy indicators were the Canadian acute respiratory illness and flu scale （CARIFS） and the incidence of complications，severe cases， and critical cases. Follow-up observation was conducted on the day of enrollment，48 hours after medication，72 hours after medication， and （6+1） d after medication. ResultsOne hundred and eighty participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group （90 cases） or the control group （90 cases）. All participants were followed up during the study. Comparison of influenza antigen detection results in the primary efficacy indicators showed that the average time of negative influenza antigen conversion in the experimental group was （5.29±1.25） d，and that in the control group was （5.40±1.68） d，without a statistically significant difference. After five days of intervention，52 cases in the experimental group and 51 cases in the control group converted to negative，without a statistically significant difference. CARIFS score results in the secondary efficacy indicators showed that during 72 hours after intervention，there were statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in three dimensions， including headache，muscle soreness， and the need for extra care （P<0.05）. On the （6+1） days after the intervention，the differences in both the experimental group and the control group were statistically significant in 10 dimensions， including sore throat，bad sleep，uncomfortable feeling，poor spirit and fatigue，crying more than usual，the need for extra care，symptom，function，influence on parents，and total score （P<0.05）. The comparison results within the group in the dimensional scores of symptom， function， and influence on parents，as well as the CARIFS total score showed that with the delay of follow-up time，scores of both groups decreased significantly，with a statistically significant difference （P<0.01）. Inter-group comparison results showed that the mean score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group at the time of enrollment. With the progress of intervention，the score of the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group. At the end of follow-up，the mean score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group，with no statistically significant difference. In terms of the incidence of complications，severe cases， and critical cases， there were no complications，severe cases， and critical cases in the two groups，without a statistically significant difference. ConclusionThe symptom improvement effect and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome） are not inferior to Oseltamivir Phosphate granules， and children's acceptance is better. It can be more widely used in clinical treatment of influenza in children （heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome）.