Objective:To investigate whether changes in CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) parameters before and after balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) are correlated with treatment effects in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted, including patients with CTEPH who underwent BPA treatment at Beijing Anzhen Hospital from November 2021 to Febbruary 2024. Clinical data and CTPA parameters were analyzed before the initial BPA session and at least 6 months after the final BPA session. Clinical data included WHO functional class, 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), and plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels. The CTPA parameters included the widest diameter of the pulmonary artery diameter (dPA), ascending aorta diameter (dAA), the widest transverse diameter of the right atrium (dRA), the widest short-axis diameter of the right ventricle (dRV), the widest short-axis diameter of the left ventricle (dLV), and the diameter of right ventricular free wall thickness(dRVW). Multiple linear regression was applied to identify variables associated with the decrease in mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) among the CTPA parameters.Results:All CTEPH patients underwent a total of 115 BPA treatments. Postoperatively, the WHO functional class of the patients improved compared to preoperative levels ( χ2=5.01, P<0.001), 6MWD improved ( t=4.50, P<0.001), and NT-proBNP levels decreased ( Z=4.47, P<0.001). Hemodynamic parameters, including mPAP, pulmonary vascular resistance, cardiac output, and cardiac index, were significantly improved postoperatively (all P<0.001). CTPA-related parameters, including dPA, dRA, dRV, dRVW, dPA/dAA, dRV/dLV, and dRA/dPA, significantly decreased compared to preoperative values (all P<0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the decrease in dPA ( β=0.314, P=0.037) and dRA ( β=0.334, P=0.046) were significantly correlated with the improvement in mPAP. Conclusions:Exercise tolerance, hemodynamics, and CTPA parameters in patients with CTEPH significantly improved after BPA treatment. The decrease in dPA and dRA were significantly correlated with the improvement in mPAP, suggesting that CTPA is a potentially novel, objective, effective, and noninvasive method for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of BPA.

?Colorectal cancer treatment has entered the immunotherapy era. While immunotherapy has markedly improved outcomes for microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) patients, the majority of microsatellite stable (MSS) cases remain unresponsive to immune monotherapy, leading to distinct "cold" and "hot" tumor response states. Transforming "cold tumors" into "hot tumors" is a pivotal research focus. Drug repurposing combined with immunotherapy emerges as a novel strategy that enhances efficacy and reduces adverse effects by repurposing existing drugs, while addressing comorbidities. This approach offers cost-effective and rapid clinical translation. This review systematically explores the potential and challenges of this synergistic approach. In the future, efforts can be focused on initiating prospective studies among the neoadjuvant treatment population, improving drug delivery approaches with the help of materials science, and identifying immune-favorable subgroups. Additionally, considering the characteristics of comorbidity between chronic diseases and colorectal cancer against the backdrop of China's aging society, large-scale multicenter retrospective analyses should be conducted to screen drugs, clarify the interactions between chronic disease medications and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This aims to provide more precise combined treatment guidance for colorectal cancer patients, especially those with comorbid chronic diseases, and help achieve the goals of organ preservation and quality of life improvement for more patients.

?Colorectal cancer treatment has entered the immunotherapy era. While immunotherapy has markedly improved outcomes for microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) patients, the majority of microsatellite stable (MSS) cases remain unresponsive to immune monotherapy, leading to distinct "cold" and "hot" tumor response states. Transforming "cold tumors" into "hot tumors" is a pivotal research focus. Drug repurposing combined with immunotherapy emerges as a novel strategy that enhances efficacy and reduces adverse effects by repurposing existing drugs, while addressing comorbidities. This approach offers cost-effective and rapid clinical translation. This review systematically explores the potential and challenges of this synergistic approach. In the future, efforts can be focused on initiating prospective studies among the neoadjuvant treatment population, improving drug delivery approaches with the help of materials science, and identifying immune-favorable subgroups. Additionally, considering the characteristics of comorbidity between chronic diseases and colorectal cancer against the backdrop of China's aging society, large-scale multicenter retrospective analyses should be conducted to screen drugs, clarify the interactions between chronic disease medications and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This aims to provide more precise combined treatment guidance for colorectal cancer patients, especially those with comorbid chronic diseases, and help achieve the goals of organ preservation and quality of life improvement for more patients.

Objective:To investigate whether changes in CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) parameters before and after balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) are correlated with treatment effects in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted, including patients with CTEPH who underwent BPA treatment at Beijing Anzhen Hospital from November 2021 to Febbruary 2024. Clinical data and CTPA parameters were analyzed before the initial BPA session and at least 6 months after the final BPA session. Clinical data included WHO functional class, 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), and plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels. The CTPA parameters included the widest diameter of the pulmonary artery diameter (dPA), ascending aorta diameter (dAA), the widest transverse diameter of the right atrium (dRA), the widest short-axis diameter of the right ventricle (dRV), the widest short-axis diameter of the left ventricle (dLV), and the diameter of right ventricular free wall thickness(dRVW). Multiple linear regression was applied to identify variables associated with the decrease in mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) among the CTPA parameters.Results:All CTEPH patients underwent a total of 115 BPA treatments. Postoperatively, the WHO functional class of the patients improved compared to preoperative levels ( χ2=5.01, P<0.001), 6MWD improved ( t=4.50, P<0.001), and NT-proBNP levels decreased ( Z=4.47, P<0.001). Hemodynamic parameters, including mPAP, pulmonary vascular resistance, cardiac output, and cardiac index, were significantly improved postoperatively (all P<0.001). CTPA-related parameters, including dPA, dRA, dRV, dRVW, dPA/dAA, dRV/dLV, and dRA/dPA, significantly decreased compared to preoperative values (all P<0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the decrease in dPA ( β=0.314, P=0.037) and dRA ( β=0.334, P=0.046) were significantly correlated with the improvement in mPAP. Conclusions:Exercise tolerance, hemodynamics, and CTPA parameters in patients with CTEPH significantly improved after BPA treatment. The decrease in dPA and dRA were significantly correlated with the improvement in mPAP, suggesting that CTPA is a potentially novel, objective, effective, and noninvasive method for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of BPA.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of chidamide combined with curcumin in the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) .Methods:Human CTCL cell lines HH and HuT-78 were cultured in vitro and treated with gradient concentrations of chidamide (0.4, 0.8, 1.6, 3.2, and 6.4 μmol/L) and curcumin (1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 μmol/L) alone or in combination, and the combination index (CI) of chidamide and curcumin for HH and HuT-78 cells was evaluated. Cultured HH/HuT-78 cells were divided into chidamide group (treated with 0.4 μmol/L chidamide), curcumin group (treated with 10 μmol/L curcumin), combination group (treated with 0.4 μmol/L chidamide + 10 μmol/L curcumin), and solvent control group (treated with dimethyl sulfoxide) ; after 48-hour treatment, the MTS assay was performed to evaluate the cell viability, flow cytometry to detect cell apoptosis and analyze cell cycle, and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis were conducted to determine the mRNA and protein expression of apoptosis-related genes nuclear factor (NF) -κB p65, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and caspase-3, respectively. A tumor-bearing mouse model was established with HH cells in immunodeficient mice. These tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: chidamide group (gavaged with 10 mg/kg chidamide), curcumin group (gavaged with 100 mg/kg curcumin), combination group, and solvent control group. The treatment was administered daily for 12 days, and body weight and tumor size were measured. On day 13, these mice were sacrificed, and tumor tissues were collected. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was performed to detect apoptosis of tumor cells, and RT-PCR and Western blot analysis were conducted to determine the expression of apoptosis-related genes and proteins. Differences among multiple groups were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance, and multiple comparisons were performed using least significant difference- t test. Results:The CI values of chidamide (0.4 - 6.4 μmol/L) combined with curcumin (1.25 - 20 μmol/L) were all < 1, indicating a synergistic effect. After 48-hour treatment, the proliferation rates of HH and HuT-78 cells were significantly lower in the combination groups than in the chidamide groups and curcumin groups (all P < 0.05) ; HH and HuT-78 cells both showed significantly increased apoptosis rates in the combination groups compared with the chidamide groups, curcumin groups and control groups (HH cells: 70.47% ± 7.87% vs. 31.95% ± 9.43%, 37.23% ± 10.74%, 11.76% ± 5.65%, all P < 0.001; HuT-78 cells: 28.31% ± 1.70% vs. 21.29% ± 3.61%, 18.74% ± 1.82%, 3.18% ± 1.00%, all P < 0.001) ; in both HH and HuT-78 cells, the combination groups exhibited significantly increased caspase-3 mRNA expression and cleaved protein levels (all P < 0.05), but significantly decreased mRNA and protein expression of NF-κB p65 and Bcl-2 compared with the control groups, chidamide groups, and curcumin groups (all P < 0.05). On day 13 in the in vivo experiment, the tumor volume was significantly lower in the combination group (107.00 ± 43.10 mm 3) than in the control group (1 833.00 ± 281.20 mm 3), chidamide group (453.30 ± 91.71 mm 3), and curcumin group (548.50 ± 90.72 mm 3, all P < 0.05) ; the apoptosis level of tumor cells detected by TUNEL staining was significantly higher in the combination group than in the chidamide group, curcumin group, and control group (all P < 0.05) ; compared with the chidamide group, curcumin group, and control group, the combination group showed significantly increased expression of caspase-3 mRNA and cleaved caspase-3 protein (all P < 0.05), but significantly decreased mRNA and protein expression of NF-κB p65 and Bcl-2 (all P < 0.05). During the treatment period, there was no significant difference in the body weight of mice among the 4 groups ( P < 0.05) ; after sacrifice of the mice, no abnormalities were found in histopathological manifestations of their resected visceral tissues, blood routine test results, or liver and kidney function indicators. Conclusion:The combination of chidamide and curcumin had a synergistic antitumor effect on CTCL, which may be related to the inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of tumor cell apoptosis.

In the 21st century,surgery has entered the 4.0 era,also known as the era of surgical intelligence.As technology continues to improve and advance,robotic surgery has become an important direction of development in the field of minimally invasive surgery.With significant technical advantages such as high-definition 3D stereoscopic vision and the elimination of physiological tremors,robotic surgery is increasingly being applied in the field of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery,gradually becoming the primary surgical approach in this domain.Compared to traditional open surgery and laparoscopic surgical techniques,robotic hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery demonstrates notable advantages in terms of precision and safety.It not only reduces intraoperative blood loss but also shortens postoperative hospitalization,thereby accelerating patient recovery.The authors'center is one of the largest robotic hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery centers in the world.Since 2011,it has pioneered robotic hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery and successfully performed nearly 10 000 cases,gaining a wealth of surgical experience.During this period,the authors'team established a complete robotic hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery system.This article summarizes the latest research developments in the field of robotic hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery at home and abroad,combining the rich clinical experience of the authors'center,to provide an in-depth review of the progress and and emerging surgical techniques in robotic pancreatic surgery,liver surgery,and biliary surgery,and also offer an outlook on future trends in robotic hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery.

Objective To investigate the expression level of HNRNP A1 in colorectal cancer(CRC)and its prognostic implications.Methods We investigated HNRNP A1 expression level in CRC using HPA,TIMER,and GEPIA databases and analyzed its association with Ki-67 and VEGFA expressions.Kaplan-Meier Plotter database was used to analyze the correlation of HNRNP A1 mRNA levels with the survival rates of CRC patients.Pathway enrichment analysis was performed for predicting the biological roles of HNRNP A1 in CRC progression.Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to examine the protein levels of HNRNP A1 in CRC versus adjacent tissues,and TIMER was used for assessing its expression in the infiltrating immune cells.In RKO/Caco2 cells,the effects of lentivirus-mediated knockdown of HNRNP A1 on cell proliferation and migration were observed,and the inhibitory effect of VPC-80051(a HNRNP A1 inhibitor)on cell proliferation was evaluated to assess its potential as a therapeutic agent.Results HNRNP A1 was significantly overexpressed in CRC tissues and correlated with a poor prognosis of the patients.HNRNP A1 expression level was correlated with the infiltrating immune cells in CRC microenvironment and positively correlated with MKI67 and VEGFA expressions in CRC.A high HNRNP A1 expression predicted a in survival and progression-free survival of CRC patients and was involved in multiple biological processes related with CRC progression.In RKO/Caco2 cells,HNRNP A1 knockdown significantly suppressed cell proliferation and migration,and treatment with VPC-80051 also effectively inhibited CRC cell proliferation.Immunohistochemical study demonstrated a close correlation of HNRNP A1 overexpression with tumor stage of CRC.Conclusion HNRNP A1 is overexpressed in CRC tissues to modulate cell proliferation and migration and is correlated with a poorer prognosis.VPC-80051 can effectively inhibit CRC cell proliferation,suggesting the potential of HNRNP A1 as a therapeutic target for CRC.

Objective:To report the long-term outcomes of Chinese rectal cancer patients after adopting a Watch and Wait (W&W) strategy following neoadjuvant therapy (NAT).Methods:This multicenter, cross-sectional study was based on real-world data. The study cohort comprised rectal cancer patients who had achieved complete or near complete clinical responses (cCRs, near-cCRs) after NAT and were thereafter managed by a W&W approach, as well as a few patients who had achieved good responses after NAT and had then undergone local excision for confirmation of pathological complete response. All participants had been followed up for ≥2 years. Patients with distant metastases at baseline or who opted for observation while living with the tumor were excluded. Data of eligible patients were retrospectively collected from the Chinese Wait-and-Watch Data Collaboration Group database. These included baseline characteristics, type of NAT, pre-treatment imaging results, evaluation of post-NAT efficacy, salvage measures, and treatment outcomes. We herein report the long-term outcomes of Chinese rectal cancer patients after NAT and W&W and the differences between the cCR and near-cCR groups.Results:Clinical data of 318 rectal cancer patients who had undergone W&W for over 2 years and been followed up were collected from eight medical centers (Peking University Cancer Hospital, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Liaoning Cancer Hospital, the First Hospital of Jilin University, and Yunnan Cancer Hospital.) The participants comprised 221 men (69.4%) and 107 women (30.6%) of median age 60 (26-86) years. The median distance between tumor and anal verge was 3.4 (0-10.4) cm. Of these patients, 291 and 27 had achieved cCR or near-cCR, respectively, after NAT. The median duration of follow-up was 48.4 (10.2-110.3) months. The 5-year cumulative overall survival rate was 92.4% (95%CI: 86.8%-95.7%), 5-year cumulative disease-specific survival (CSS) rate 96.6% (95%CI: 92.2%-98.5%), 5-year cumulative organ-preserving disease-free survival rate 86.6% (95%CI: 81.0%-90.7%), and 5-year organ preservation rate 85.3% (95%CI: 80.3%-89.1%). The overall 5-year local recurrence and distant metastasis rates were 18.5% (95%CI: 14.9%-20.8%) and 8.2% (95%CI: 5.4%-12.5%), respectively. Most local recurrences (82.1%, 46/56) occurred within 2 years, and 91.0% (51/56) occurred within 3 years, the median time to recurrence being 11.7 (2.5-66.6) months. Most (91.1%, 51/56) local recurrences occurred within the intestinal lumen. Distant metastases developed in 23 patients; 60.9% (14/23) occurred within 2 years and 73.9% (17/23) within 3 years, the median time to distant metastasis being 21.9 (2.6-90.3) months. Common sites included lung (15/23, 65.2%), liver (6/23, 26.1%), and bone (7/23, 30.4%) The metastases involved single organs in 17 patients and multiple organs in six. There were no significant differences in overall, cumulative disease-specific, or organ-preserving disease-free survival or rate of metastases between the two groups (all P>0.05). The 5-year local recurrence rate was higher in the near-cCR than in the cCR group (41.6% vs. 16.4%, P<0.01), with a lower organ preservation rate (69.2% vs. 88.0%, P<0.001). The success rates of salvage after local recurrence and distant metastasis were 82.1% (46/56) and 13.0% (3/23), respectively. Conclusion:Rectal cancer patients who achieve cCR or near-cCR after NAT and undergo W&W have favorable oncological outcomes and a high rate of organ preservation. Local recurrence and distant metastasis during W&W follow certain patterns, with a relatively high salvage rate for local recurrence. Our findings highlight the importance of close follow-up and timely intervention during the W&W process.

High quality bowel preparation is a necessary part of preoperative preparation for colorectal surgery and one of the keys to the success of surgery, which directly affects the quality of intraoperative procedures and postoperative recovery of patients. Conventional intestinal preparation mainly includes three aspects: preoperative dietary control, intestinal cleansing and prophylactic use of antibiotics. With the development of evidence-based medicine, the concepts and methods of bowel preparation have also changed. Long fasting is no longer advocated before surgery, and the traditional mechanical bowel preparation are also challenged. This article summarizes the application and research progress of different intestinal preparation methods before colorectal surgery, aiming to provide reference for clinical work of colorectal surgeons.

Background::Although some well-established oncogenes are involved in cancer initiation and progression such as prostate cancer (PCa), the long tail of cancer genes remains to be defined. Goosecoid ( GSC) has been implicated in cancer development. However, the comprehensive biological role of GSC in pan-cancer, specifically in PCa, remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of GSC in PCa development. Methods::We performed a systematic bioinformatics exploration of GSC using datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Genotype-Tissue Expression, Gene Expression Omnibus, German Cancer Research Center, and our in-house cohorts. First, we evaluated the expression of GSC and its association with patient prognosis, and identified GSC-relevant genetic alterations in cancers. Further, we focused on the clinical characterization and prognostic analysis of GSC in PCa. To understand the transcriptional regulation of GSC by E2F transcription factor 1 ( E2F1), we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Functional experiments were conducted to validate the effect of GSC on the tumor cellular phenotype and sensitivity to trametinib. Results::GSC expression was elevated in various tumors and significantly correlated with patient prognosis. The alterations of GSC contribute to the progression of various tumors especially in PCa. Patients with PCa and high GSC expression exhibited worse progression-free survival and biochemical recurrence outcomes. Further, GSC upregulation in patients with PCa was mostly accompanied with higher Gleason score, advanced tumor stage, lymph node metastasis, and elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Mechanistically, the transcription factor, E2F1, stimulates GSC by binding to its promoter region. Detailed experiments further demonstrated that GSC acted as an oncogene and influenced the response of PCa cells to trametinib treatment. Conclusions::GSC was highly overexpressed and strongly correlated with patient prognosis in PCa. We found that GSC, regulated by E2F1, acted as an oncogene and impeded the therapeutic efficacy of trametinib in PCa.