Objective:To observe the tumor control and the degree of radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) between FLASH irradiation and conventional dose rate (CONV) irradiation, and compare the changes in plasma proteomic profiles of mice following whole-lung FLASH and CONV irradiation using proteomics method.Methods:A mouse model with metastatic lung cancer was established. After whole-lung irradiation, changes in normal lung capacity were monitored using CT scans. Then, a RILI model was constructed to examine pathological alterations in lung tissues following whole-lung CONV and FLASH irradiation. Plasma samples were collected from mice receiving whole-lung CONV irradiation ( n = 5) and whole-lung FLASH irradiation ( n = 5), followed by comparison with samples from the control group of healthy mice (also referred to as the healthy control group). These plasma samples were analyzed using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ)-based proteomics, followed by the screening and identification of differentially expressed proteins using high-throughput bioinformatics. Moreover, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was conducted to identify hub genes using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Results:Whole-lung FLASH and CONV irradiation produced consistent tumor control, with the former significantly reducing RILI compared to the latter. A total of 609 proteins were identified through proteomic analysis. Among them, 89 differentially expressed proteins were detected in the whole-lung FLASH group. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis indicated that up-regulated genes were primarily associated with stress and inflammatory responses, whereas down-regulated genes were related to ATP metabolism and angiogenesis regulation. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that up-regulated genes were predominantly enriched in unfolded protein response pathways, while down-regulated genes were mainly involved in metabolic pathways and oxidative phosphorylation. Integrated PPI analysis and subsequent validation via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed four key genes.Conclusions:Compared to the whole-lung CONV irradiation, whole-lung FLASH irradiation reduces the RILI of normal lung tissues while maintaining equivalent tumor control in metastatic lung cancer. Proteomic analysis of differentially expressed proteins in plasma after whole-lung FLASH and CONV irradiation provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the FLASH effect.

Objective:To conduct a comparative analysis of the oxygen depletion and oxygen effect of FLASH irradiation and conventional irradiation by direct measurement of oxygen content.Methods:The oxygen content in different tissues and organs of mice was measured using a phosphorescent probe. A subcutaneous xenograft tumor model in mice was established, to receive electron-beam irradiation at different doses and dose rates. The oxygen depletion of tumor and normal tissue was analyzed, and tumor control was evaluated. The oxygen depletion of conventional irradiation and FLASH irradiation was further analyzed using an in vitro model. The survival fraction (SF) of normal cells after conventional irradiation and FLASH irradiation was calculated using colony formation assay under different partial pressures of oxygen, and the data were fitted to the oxygen enhancement ratio (OER) curve. Results:The mean oxygen content of subcutaneous xenograft tumor in mice was 1.28%, suggesting hypoxia. The mean oxygen content of normal tissue ranged from 3.51% to 6.53%, suggesting physioxia. In animal experiments, oxygen depletion was not observed during conventional irradiation. High-dose-rate (20 Gy/s) and ultra-high-dose-rate (FLASH, 40 Gy/s) irradiation produced oxygen depletion. During FLASH irradiation, with the increase of oxygen content, the oxygen depletion was 0.1-0.2 mm Hg/Gy for tumor tissue and 0.19-0.21 mm Hg/Gy for skin tissue, which tended to stabilize. FLASH irradiation maintained equivalent tumor control compared to conventional irradiation. The tumoricidal effect was significantly enhanced with the increase of oxygen content in the tissue ( t=3.46, P<0.01). In in vitro experiments, the mean oxygen depletion rate was about 0.16 mm Hg/Gy for conventional irradiation and 0.16-0.18 mm Hg/Gy for FLASH irradiation, which did not change significantly with the increase of oxygen content. FLASH irradiation was associated with an oxygen effect. When the partial pressure of oxygen decreased from physioxia to hypoxia, the OER value significantly reduced. Conclusions:Normal tissues and organs are in physioxia, which exhibits a lower oxygen content than that in the air. FLASH irradiation can consume a proportion of oxygen, producing an oxygen effect. When oxygen content decreases, the oxygen depletion rate slows down after FLASH irradiation.

Paclitaxel (PTX), a valuable natural product derived from Taxus species, exhibits remarkable anti-cancer properties. It penetrates nanopores in microtubule walls, interacting with tubulin on the lumen surface and disrupting microtubule dynamics, thereby inducing cytotoxic effects in cancer cells. PTX and its derivatives have gained approval for treating various diseases due to their low toxicity, high efficiency, and broad-spectrum application. The widespread success and expanding applications of PTX have led to increased demand, raising concerns about accessibility. Consequently, researchers globally have focused on developing alternative production methods and applying nanocarriers in PTX delivery systems to enhance bioavailability. This review examines the challenges and advancements in PTX sourcing, production, physicochemical properties, anti-cancer mechanisms, clinical applications, trials, and chemo-immunotherapy. It aims to provide a comprehensive reference for the rational development and effective utilization of PTX.
Humans ; Paclitaxel/pharmacology* ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology* ; Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Animals ; Taxus/chemistry*

Objective:To observe the tumor control and the degree of radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) between FLASH irradiation and conventional dose rate (CONV) irradiation, and compare the changes in plasma proteomic profiles of mice following whole-lung FLASH and CONV irradiation using proteomics method.Methods:A mouse model with metastatic lung cancer was established. After whole-lung irradiation, changes in normal lung capacity were monitored using CT scans. Then, a RILI model was constructed to examine pathological alterations in lung tissues following whole-lung CONV and FLASH irradiation. Plasma samples were collected from mice receiving whole-lung CONV irradiation ( n = 5) and whole-lung FLASH irradiation ( n = 5), followed by comparison with samples from the control group of healthy mice (also referred to as the healthy control group). These plasma samples were analyzed using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ)-based proteomics, followed by the screening and identification of differentially expressed proteins using high-throughput bioinformatics. Moreover, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was conducted to identify hub genes using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Results:Whole-lung FLASH and CONV irradiation produced consistent tumor control, with the former significantly reducing RILI compared to the latter. A total of 609 proteins were identified through proteomic analysis. Among them, 89 differentially expressed proteins were detected in the whole-lung FLASH group. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis indicated that up-regulated genes were primarily associated with stress and inflammatory responses, whereas down-regulated genes were related to ATP metabolism and angiogenesis regulation. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that up-regulated genes were predominantly enriched in unfolded protein response pathways, while down-regulated genes were mainly involved in metabolic pathways and oxidative phosphorylation. Integrated PPI analysis and subsequent validation via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed four key genes.Conclusions:Compared to the whole-lung CONV irradiation, whole-lung FLASH irradiation reduces the RILI of normal lung tissues while maintaining equivalent tumor control in metastatic lung cancer. Proteomic analysis of differentially expressed proteins in plasma after whole-lung FLASH and CONV irradiation provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the FLASH effect.

Objective:To conduct a comparative analysis of the oxygen depletion and oxygen effect of FLASH irradiation and conventional irradiation by direct measurement of oxygen content.Methods:The oxygen content in different tissues and organs of mice was measured using a phosphorescent probe. A subcutaneous xenograft tumor model in mice was established, to receive electron-beam irradiation at different doses and dose rates. The oxygen depletion of tumor and normal tissue was analyzed, and tumor control was evaluated. The oxygen depletion of conventional irradiation and FLASH irradiation was further analyzed using an in vitro model. The survival fraction (SF) of normal cells after conventional irradiation and FLASH irradiation was calculated using colony formation assay under different partial pressures of oxygen, and the data were fitted to the oxygen enhancement ratio (OER) curve. Results:The mean oxygen content of subcutaneous xenograft tumor in mice was 1.28%, suggesting hypoxia. The mean oxygen content of normal tissue ranged from 3.51% to 6.53%, suggesting physioxia. In animal experiments, oxygen depletion was not observed during conventional irradiation. High-dose-rate (20 Gy/s) and ultra-high-dose-rate (FLASH, 40 Gy/s) irradiation produced oxygen depletion. During FLASH irradiation, with the increase of oxygen content, the oxygen depletion was 0.1-0.2 mm Hg/Gy for tumor tissue and 0.19-0.21 mm Hg/Gy for skin tissue, which tended to stabilize. FLASH irradiation maintained equivalent tumor control compared to conventional irradiation. The tumoricidal effect was significantly enhanced with the increase of oxygen content in the tissue ( t=3.46, P<0.01). In in vitro experiments, the mean oxygen depletion rate was about 0.16 mm Hg/Gy for conventional irradiation and 0.16-0.18 mm Hg/Gy for FLASH irradiation, which did not change significantly with the increase of oxygen content. FLASH irradiation was associated with an oxygen effect. When the partial pressure of oxygen decreased from physioxia to hypoxia, the OER value significantly reduced. Conclusions:Normal tissues and organs are in physioxia, which exhibits a lower oxygen content than that in the air. FLASH irradiation can consume a proportion of oxygen, producing an oxygen effect. When oxygen content decreases, the oxygen depletion rate slows down after FLASH irradiation.

Objective:To explore the characteristic pathological manifestations of non-HLA antibodies after kidney transplantation (KT) and examine the differences of MFT values of non-HLA antibodies in different pathological manifestations.Methods:The study was conducted on KT recipients at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from February 2021 to June 2023 with unexplained elevated serum creatinine. Patients undergoing pathological puncture and concurrent HLA antibody testing were included, focusing on those with DSA (MFI>4 000) and non-HLA antibody negativity. According to the detection results of non-HLA and HLA antibodies, they were assigned into two groups of non-HLA antibody positive (45 cases) and HLA-DSA positive (28 cases). Both non-HLA and HLA antibodies were detected by luminex single antigen microbeads, χ2, t or Mann-Whitney U nonparametric tests were utilized for examining the inter-group differences in pathological manifestations. The recipients with positive non-HLA antibodies were grouped according to the differential pathological features[microvascular inflammation group (22 cases) and non-microvascular inflammation group (23 cases), interstitial fibrosis group (39 cases) and non-interstitial fibrosis (9 cases) ]. MFI values of non-HLA antibodies were standardized and heat map was generated with R language ComplexHeatmap package. The differences of response values of non-HLA antibodies with different pathological manifestations were examined by rank-sum test. Results:The positive rates of microvascular inflammation were 48.9% (22/45) and 82.1% (23/28) in HLA-DSA positive and non-HLA antibody positive groups with statistical significance ( χ2=8.073, P=0.006). The positive rates of interstitial fibrosis in two groups were 80.8% (36/45) and 53.6% (15/28) and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=5.726, P=0.021). The relative levels of anti-arachnotoxin receptor 1 (Latrophilin 1, LPHN1), keratin 8 (KRT8), keratin 18 (KRT18) and Sjogren's syndrome antigen B (SSB) were higher in microvascular inflammation group than those in non-microvascular inflammation group. The differences were statistically significant [559.50 (262.00, 801.25) vs 285.00 (183.00, 460.00), P=0.024; 504.50 (369.5, 725.25) vs 317.00 (231.50, 458.00), P=0.014; 672.50 (454.50, 969.50) vs 399.00 (246.50, 772.50), P=0.030; 967.50 (482.00, 2 066.50) vs 399.00 (246.50, 772.50), P=0.033]. The relative levels of anti-cyclic citrullinate peptide (CCP), colony-stimulating factor 2 (CSF2), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1) and collagen Ⅳ antibody were higher in interstitial fibrosis group than those in non-interstitial fibrosis group with statistical significance [100.00 (79.88, 167.50) vs 64.50 (37.00, 89.00), P=0.016; 146.25 (93.38, 244.75) vs 87.00 (66.00, 105.00), P=0.041; 132.50 (106.38, 229.50) vs 95.00 (55.00, 125.00), P=0.037; 432.50 (280.75, 653.75) vs 208.00 (192.00, 301.00), P=0.028]. Conclusions:As compared with HLA-DSA, the characteristic pathological manifestations of non-HLA antibodies post-KT include a lower incidence of microvascular inflammation and a higher incidence of interstitial fibrosis. For non-HLA antibody response values of characteristic pathological manifestations, the expressions of different non-HLA antibodies vary statistically.

Objective:To conduct a comparative analysis of the radiation damage to zebrafish embryos and the associated biological mechanism after ultra-high dose rate (FLASH) and conventional dose rate irradiation.Methods:Zebrafish embryos at 4 h post-fertilization were exposed to conventional and FLASH irradiation (9 MeV electron beam). The mortality and hatchability of zebrafish after radiation exposure were recorded. Larvae at 96 h post-irradiation underwent morphological scoring, testing of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and analysis of changes in oxidative stress indicators.Results:Electron beam irradiation at doses of 2-12 Gy exerted subtle effects on the mortality and hatchability of zebrafish embryos. However, single high-dose irradiation (≥ 6 Gy) could lead to developmental malformation of larvae, with conventional irradiation showing the most significant effects ( t = 0.87-9.75, P < 0.05). In contrast, after FLASH irradiation (≥ 6 Gy), the ROS levels in zebrafish and its oxidative stress indicators including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly reduced ( t = 0.42-15.19, P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in ROS levels in incubating solutions after conventional and FLASH irradiation ( P > 0.05). Conclusions:Compared to conventional irradiation, FLASH irradiation can reduce radiation damage to zebrafish embryos, and this is in a dose-dependent manner. The two irradiation modes lead to different oxidative stress levels in zebrafish, which might be a significant factor in the reduction of radiation damage with FLASH irradiation.

FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) has garnered considerable attention globally in recent years. Compared to conventional radiotherapy, FLASH-RT can deliver the total radiation dose to the target volume in an extremely short time, reducing the radiation-induced damage to normal tissue while maintaining similar anti-tumor effects. FLASH-RT has been in the clinical trial stage, with several clinical research result being reported. Based on the collected global clinical research result of FLASH-RT in recent years, this study systematically reviewed FLASH-RT′s safety, radiation-related side effects, treatment efficacy, opportunities, and challenges in clinical trials.

Objective:To investigate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cine sequences in determining the range of tumor motion in radiotherapy, providing a basis for the precise delineation of the target volume in motion for radiation therapy.Methods:A modified chest motion phantom was placed in a MRI scanner, and a water-filled sphere was used to simulate a tumor. True fast imaging with steady precession (TrueFISP) MRI cine sequences from Siemens were used to capture the two-dimensional motion images of the simulated tumor. The phantom experiments were divided into three modes: head-foot motion mode, rotation motion mode, and actual respiratory waveform mode. In the head-foot motion mode, respiratory motion period (3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 s), amplitude (5, 10 and 15 mm), and respiratory waveform of the simulated tumor (sin and cos4) were set, resulting in a total of 36 motion combinations. In the rotation motion mode, a cos4 waveform was used for respiration, with respiratory periods of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 s, head-foot motion set amplitudes of 5, 10 and 15 mm, and anterior-posterior (AP) and left-right (LR) motion set amplitudes in three combinations ([2.5, 2.5] mm, [2.5, 5.0] mm, [5.0, 5.0] mm), resulting in a total of 54 motion combinations. In the actual respiratory waveform mode, respiratory waveforms of 5 randomly selected patients from Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University were obtained. Under each motion combination, TrueFISP cine images (30 frames, with an acquisition time of 11 s per frame) were obtained. The code was used to automatically identify the two-dimensional coordinates of the center of the simulated tumor in each image, and sin and cos4 functions were separately employed to fit the tumor position in the motion direction, thereby obtaining the fitted motion period and amplitude. The difference between the maximum and minimum values of the tumor's center coordinates in the head-to-foot direction is taken as the range of movement, referred to as the calculated amplitude. For the actual respiratory waveform, the distance between the measured maximum and minimum positions is used to calculate the amplitude.Results:In the head-foot motion mode, the fitted amplitudes of both sin and cos4 waveforms deviated from the set amplitudes by 0-0.51 mm, with relative deviations of 0%-4.2%. The deviation range between the calculated amplitudes and the set amplitudes of the two waveforms were 0.08-0.94 mm, with relative deviations of 1.1%-6.3%. In the rotation motion mode, the fitted amplitudes deviated from the set amplitudes by 0-0.61 mm, with relative deviations of 0%-6.2%. And the deviation range between the calculated amplitudes and the set amplitudes were 0.16-0.94 mm, with relative deviations of 0%-6.3%. In the actual respiratory waveform motion mode, the deviation range between the calculated amplitudes and the set amplitudes were 0.10-0.48 mm, with relative deviations of 2.2%-8.6%.Conclusion:TrueFISP cine sequences show minimal deviations in determining the range of tumor head-foot motion and effectively captures the tumor's movement state, thereby providing important support for the precise definition of the tumor movement target area during radiotherapy .

Cycloaddition Reaction ; Molecular Structure ; Alkadienes