Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a tumor characterized by immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and poor prognosis. Its complex immune evasion mechanisms are primarily related to T cell dysfunction and the suppression of anti-tumor immune responses. Immunotherapy aims to modulate the patient’s immune system to recognize and eliminate tumor cells, thereby achieving therapeutic goals. Studies have demonstrated that the TME plays a pivotal role in HNSCC pathogenesis, facilitating tumorigenesis, progression, and therapy resistance, ultimately contributing to adverse clinical outcomes. Advances in technology have deepened understanding of the TME, paving the way for novel therapeutic interventions in HNSCC. This review comprehensively summarizes the efficacy and safety of TME-targeted immunotherapies, integrating evidence from published clinical trials, while proposing insights for future research to develop more effective therapeutic strategies.

Human carboxylesterase 2A (hCES2A) plays pivotal roles in prodrug activation and hydrolytic metabolism of ester-bearing chemicals. Targeted inhibition of intestinal hCES2A represents a feasible strategy to mitigate irinotecan-triggered gut toxicity (ITGT), but the orally active, selective, and efficacious hCES2A inhibitors are rarely reported. Here, a novel drug-like hCES2A inhibitor was developed via three rounds of structure-based drug design (SBDD) and structural optimization. Initially, donepezil was identified as a moderate hCES2A inhibitor from 2000 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs. Following two rounds of SBDD and structural optimization, a donepezil derivative (B7) was identified as a strong reversible hCES2A inhibitor. Subsequently, nine B7 carbamates were rationally designed, synthesized and biologically assayed. Among all synthesized carbamates, C3 showed the most potent time-dependent inhibition on hCES2A (IC₅₀ = 0.56 nmol/L), excellent specificity and favorable drug-like properties. C3 could covalently modify the catalytic serine of hCES2A with high selectivity, while this agent also showed favorable safety profiles, high intestinal exposure, and impressive effects for ameliorating ITGT in both human intestinal organoids and tumor-bearing mice. Collectively, this study showcases a rational strategy for developing drug-like and serine-targeting covalent inhibitors against target serine hydrolase(s), while C3 emerges as a promising orally active drug candidate for ameliorating ITGT.

Objective:To investigate the dynamic characteristics of human papillomavirus (HPV) genomic integration during cervical lesion progression and the clinical value of HPV integration detection in stratify HPV-positive women, and to explore its molecular mechanisms in cervical carcinogenesis.Methods:A prospective cohort study was designed to enroll high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) positive women who underwent cervical cancer screening in Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University Medical School and Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital from July 2022 to July 2024. Cervical exfoliated cells samples were collected, and HPV whole genome targeted capture and high-throughput sequencing technology were used. The HPV integration patterns, host gene functional region distribution and pathway enrichment characteristics of 157 samples with different cervical lesions grades were analyzed, including 31 cases of normal cervix, 40 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) Ⅰ, 32 cases of CIN Ⅱ, 42 cases of CIN Ⅲ, and 12 cases of cervical cancer.Results:HR-HPV integration was detected in 80.2% (126/157) of the 157 HR-HPV positive samples. The incidence of HR-HPV integration in cervical cancer patients was 12/12, which was higher than that in normal women (77%, 24/31). The incidence of HPV16 integration was significantly higher in high-grade lesions, and the incidence of HPV16 integration was 43% (18/42) in CIN Ⅲ patients and 8/12 in cervical cancer patients ( P<0.001). A total of 14 438 integration events were detected in 126 samples with HPV integration. The integration sites were mainly distributed in the host intergenic region (51.0%, 7 359/14 438) and intronic region (38.1%, 5 494/14 438), and the integration frequency of viral L1 gene was the highest (28.4%, 4 498/16 781). Functional enrichment analysis showed that HPV integration-related host genes were significantly enriched in transport of small molecules,cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-protein kinase G (PKG) signaling pathway, and purine ribonucleotide biosynthetic process, which synergistically drove carcinogenesis through multiple mechanisms. Conclusions:HPV integration events are significantly associated with the progression of cervical lesions. HPV integrated detection based on cervical exfoliated cells is expected to optimize the current screening strategy, reduce excessive intervention of HPV positive women and facilitate their accurate triage management.

Objective:To investigate the dynamic characteristics of human papillomavirus (HPV) genomic integration during cervical lesion progression and the clinical value of HPV integration detection in stratify HPV-positive women, and to explore its molecular mechanisms in cervical carcinogenesis.Methods:A prospective cohort study was designed to enroll high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) positive women who underwent cervical cancer screening in Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University Medical School and Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital from July 2022 to July 2024. Cervical exfoliated cells samples were collected, and HPV whole genome targeted capture and high-throughput sequencing technology were used. The HPV integration patterns, host gene functional region distribution and pathway enrichment characteristics of 157 samples with different cervical lesions grades were analyzed, including 31 cases of normal cervix, 40 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) Ⅰ, 32 cases of CIN Ⅱ, 42 cases of CIN Ⅲ, and 12 cases of cervical cancer.Results:HR-HPV integration was detected in 80.2% (126/157) of the 157 HR-HPV positive samples. The incidence of HR-HPV integration in cervical cancer patients was 12/12, which was higher than that in normal women (77%, 24/31). The incidence of HPV16 integration was significantly higher in high-grade lesions, and the incidence of HPV16 integration was 43% (18/42) in CIN Ⅲ patients and 8/12 in cervical cancer patients ( P<0.001). A total of 14 438 integration events were detected in 126 samples with HPV integration. The integration sites were mainly distributed in the host intergenic region (51.0%, 7 359/14 438) and intronic region (38.1%, 5 494/14 438), and the integration frequency of viral L1 gene was the highest (28.4%, 4 498/16 781). Functional enrichment analysis showed that HPV integration-related host genes were significantly enriched in transport of small molecules,cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-protein kinase G (PKG) signaling pathway, and purine ribonucleotide biosynthetic process, which synergistically drove carcinogenesis through multiple mechanisms. Conclusions:HPV integration events are significantly associated with the progression of cervical lesions. HPV integrated detection based on cervical exfoliated cells is expected to optimize the current screening strategy, reduce excessive intervention of HPV positive women and facilitate their accurate triage management.

OBJECTIVE To identify the key genes associated with lymph node metastasis in head and neck squamous carcinoma(HNSCC)and construct a prognostic model based on The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database.METHODS Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between tumor tissues and normal tissues in the HNSCC dataset in the TCGA database were screened by R software,and gene modules related to lymph node metastasis were screened by weighted gene co-expression network(weighted gene co-expression network analysis,WGCNA).Prognostic risk models were constructed by univariate cox regression and Lasso regression analyses.Survival analyses and ROC curves were performed to verify the Reliability of prognostic models.CIBERSORT,TIMER and ESTIMATE algorithms analysed the differences in the tumor micro environment(TME)of different risk groups.RESULTS There were 2 565 DEGs screened,and a set of gene modules highly correlated with disease prognosis and lymph node metastasis were obtained by WGCNA analysis,and correlation analysis verified that the expression of genes in this gene module was highly correlated with lymph node metastasis.Univariate cox regression and Lasso regression were used to identify 6 key prognostic genes:CDKN2A,CCNE2,KNSTRN,AURKA,KPNA2,and ORC1.A prognostic model was constructed based on the 6 genes,and survival analysis showed that the prognosis of the high-risk group was significantly worse than that of the low-risk group(P<0.0001).The ROC curves demonstrated the good predictive performance of this prognostic model.CIBERSORT analyses revealed differences in the immune microenvironment of tumors in different risk groups.CONCLUSION The 6 key prognostic genes screened were helpful in predicting the prognosis of HNSCC patients and were closely associated with the immune microenvironment of HNSCC,suggesting that they may serve as potential therapeutic targets.

Objective To observe MRI features of H3K27M mutant type and wild type astrocyte differentiated diffuse midline glioma(DMG)in spinal cord.Methods Totally 91 patients with astrocyte differentiation diffuse midline glioma(DMG)in spinal cord confirmed by pathology were retrospectively enrolled and divided into mutant group(n=44)and wild group(n=47)according to H3K27M status.Clinical and MRI manifestations were compared between groups,and logistic regression analysis was used to screen the impact factors of H3K27M mutation.Results The incidence of peritumoral edema and spinal cord cavity in mutant group were lower than those in wild group(both P＜0.05),while no significant difference of other parameters was found between groups(all P＞0.05).All clinical and MRI parameters were included in logistic regression analysis,and the result showed that they were not influencing factors of H3K27M mutation(all P＞0.05).Conclusion The incidence of peritumoral edema and spinal cord cavity in spinal cord H3K27M mutant type astrocyte differentiated DMG were lower than those of wild type,yet not sufficient to be regarded as impact factors for predicting H3K27M mutation of DMG.

Objective:To analyze the factors influencing prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) after surgical resection.Methods:The clinical data of patients diagnosed with ICC and who underwent surgical resection from December 2015 to December 2019 at the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Of 39 patients who were included in this study, there were 23 males and 16 females, with age of (54.1±7.2) years old. The body mass index, hepatitis B virus infection status, tumor diameter, degree of differentiation, microvascular tumor thrombus, lymph node metastasis, and serum levels of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) were analyzed as risk factors affecting postoperative recurrence and survival.Results:The median times to recurrence were significantly better in patients with a tumour length <5 cm (11 vs. 5 months), patients without microvascular tumor thrombus (54 vs. 6 months) and patients without lymph node metastasis (8 vs. 5 months) (all P<0.05). The median survival of patients with CA19-9≥100 U/ml was significantly shorter than that of patients with CA19-9<100 U/ml, (9 vs. 27 months, P<0.05). Tumor diameter>5 cm, microvascular tumor thrombus, lymph node metastasis, and CA19-9 ≥100 U/ml are risk factors affecting the recurrence time after ICC resection, CA19-9 ≥100 U/ml is a risk factor affecting survival time after ICC resection. Conclusion:Tumor diameter, microvascular tumor thrombus, lymph node metastasis and CA19-9 can be used to estimate the risk of ICC recurrence, and CA19-9 level can be used to estimate postoperative survival of ICC patients after resection.

Objective:To explore the effects of hyperbaric oxygen-assisted hemoperfusion on renal function and immune inflammatory cytokines in patients with end-stage diabetic nephropathy (ESDN).Methods:A total of 92 patients with ESDN admitted to the Department of Nephrology of the Second People’s Hospital of Lianyungang from June 2016 to December 2017 were randomly divided into control group ( n=46) and observation group ( n=46). The control group was given conventional treatment and the combination of hemodialysis with hemoperfusion, while the observation group was treated with hyperbaric oxygen on the basis of the treatments of the control group. The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), 24-hour urinary protein (24 h Upro), blood urea nitrogen, creatinine (Cr), uric acid and albumin (ALB), and the contents of immune inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-17 (IL-17), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Results:After treatment, the levels of FBG, renal function indicators, and the contents of immune inflammatory cytokines in the two groups were significantly improved in comparison with those before treatment ( P<0.05). The levels of Cr, 24 h Upro, and ALB in the observation group were (482.54±166.46) μmol/L, (1 095.34±154.78) mg, and (33.04±3.91) g/L, respectively, which were significantly better than those in the control group ( P<0.05). The improvements in IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, MCP-1, and hs-CRP contents in the observation group were significantly better than those in the control group ( P<0.05). The incidences of complications such as hypoglycemia, hypoxemia, hypotension, infection, and cardio-cerebrovascular events in the observation group were also significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Hyperbaric oxygen-assisted hemoperfusion can effectively inhibit vascular endothelial injury due to inflammatory irritation and restore renal microvascular circulation to improve renal function by reducing the contents of IL-6, IL-17, MCP-1, and hs-CRP, and increasing IL-10 content in ESDN patients.

Objective:To explore the effects of hyperbaric oxygen-assisted hemoperfusion on renal function and immune inflammatory cytokines in patients with end-stage diabetic nephropathy (ESDN).Methods:A total of 92 patients with ESDN admitted to the Department of Nephrology of the Second People’s Hospital of Lianyungang from June 2016 to December 2017 were randomly divided into control group ( n=46) and observation group ( n=46). The control group was given conventional treatment and the combination of hemodialysis with hemoperfusion, while the observation group was treated with hyperbaric oxygen on the basis of the treatments of the control group. The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), 24-hour urinary protein (24 h Upro), blood urea nitrogen, creatinine (Cr), uric acid and albumin (ALB), and the contents of immune inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-17 (IL-17), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Results:After treatment, the levels of FBG, renal function indicators, and the contents of immune inflammatory cytokines in the two groups were significantly improved in comparison with those before treatment ( P<0.05). The levels of Cr, 24 h Upro, and ALB in the observation group were (482.54±166.46) μmol/L, (1 095.34±154.78) mg, and (33.04±3.91) g/L, respectively, which were significantly better than those in the control group ( P<0.05). The improvements in IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, MCP-1, and hs-CRP contents in the observation group were significantly better than those in the control group ( P<0.05). The incidences of complications such as hypoglycemia, hypoxemia, hypotension, infection, and cardio-cerebrovascular events in the observation group were also significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Hyperbaric oxygen-assisted hemoperfusion can effectively inhibit vascular endothelial injury due to inflammatory irritation and restore renal microvascular circulation to improve renal function by reducing the contents of IL-6, IL-17, MCP-1, and hs-CRP, and increasing IL-10 content in ESDN patients.

Objective To explore the effect of mechanical stimulation on polarity of macrophages. Methods RAW264.7 cells were stimulated with tensile stretch at various amplitude and time, then cell viability was assessed with cell count kit-8 (CCK-8) for determining the stimulation parameters. RAW264.7 cells were induced to M1 type, then tensile stretch at 10% amplitude and 2 Hz was applied to M1 cells. CCK-8 and flow cytometry were used to detect the effects of tensile stretch on cell activity and apoptosis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the effect of tensile stretch on M1 type macrophage related gene expression. Results After stimulation for 3 hours, tensile stretch at 15% or 20% amplitude and 2 Hz significantly inhibited cell viability (P<0.05), while tensile stretch at 10% amplitude and 2 Hz did not inhibit the viability of RAW264.7 cells (P>0.05). Tensile stretch at 10% amplitude and 2 Hz neither inhibited viability nor cause apoptosis of M1 type macrophages. The expression of inflammation-related genes including interleukin-1β(IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) of M1 type macrophages was significantly down-regulated with tensile stretch at 10% amplitude and 2 Hz (P＜0.05). Conclusions Mechanical stimulation at 10% amplitude and 2 Hz can inhibit M1 type macrophages and promote the polarization from M1 to M2. Mechanical stimulation may become a method for treating inflammation-related diseases.