Chronic constipation refers to a reduction in the frequency of bowel movements and difficulty in defecation lasting for more than 6 months, with a comprehensive incidence rate of 15% in the population. Chronic constipation is a significant health concern that greatly affects the quality of life of patients and results in substantial healthcare resource consumption. Current common treatment strategies include lifestyle modifications, pharmacological therapy, biofeedback therapy, enemas, and surgical procedures, but the effectiveness of these approaches remains limited. Colonic electrical stimulation therapy is a newly proposed treatment strategy in recent years, which involves the application of external electrical current to correct abnormal physiological activities related to defecation. This article provides an overview of the mechanisms, efficacy, and factors influencing the use of colonic electrical stimulation in the treatment of chronic constipation, as well as a summary of the advantages of colonic electrical stimulation and possible challenges for future development.

Chronic constipation refers to a reduction in the frequency of bowel movements and difficulty in defecation lasting for more than 6 months, with a comprehensive incidence rate of 15% in the population. Chronic constipation is a significant health concern that greatly affects the quality of life of patients and results in substantial healthcare resource consumption. Current common treatment strategies include lifestyle modifications, pharmacological therapy, biofeedback therapy, enemas, and surgical procedures, but the effectiveness of these approaches remains limited. Colonic electrical stimulation therapy is a newly proposed treatment strategy in recent years, which involves the application of external electrical current to correct abnormal physiological activities related to defecation. This article provides an overview of the mechanisms, efficacy, and factors influencing the use of colonic electrical stimulation in the treatment of chronic constipation, as well as a summary of the advantages of colonic electrical stimulation and possible challenges for future development.

Endothelial cells that form the inner layers of both blood and lymphatic vessels are important components of the vascular system and are involved in the pathogenesis of vascular and lymphatic diseases. Angiopoietin (Ang)-Tie axis in endothelial cells is the second endothelium-specific ligand-receptor signaling system necessary for embryonic cardiovascular and lymphatic development in addition to the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor pathway. The Ang-Tie axis also maintains vascular homeostasis by regulating postnatal angiogenesis, vessel remodeling, vascular permeability, and inflammation. Therefore, the dysfunction of this system leads to many vascular and lymphatic diseases. In light of the recent advances on the role of the Ang-Tie axis in vascular and lymphatic system-related diseases, this review summarizes the functions of the Ang-Tie axis in inflammation-induced vascular permeability, vascular remodeling, ocular angiogenesis, shear stress response, atherosclerosis, tumor angiogenesis, and metastasis. Moreover, this review summarizes the relevant therapeutic antibodies, recombinant proteins, and small molecular drugs associated with the Ang-Tie axis.
Angiopoietins ; Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Humans ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Lymphatic System/metabolism* ; Receptor, TIE-2/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Ischemic stroke is a major health crisis causing high mortality and morbidity. The key treatment relies on the rapid intervention to dissolve thrombus, to reduce bleeding side effect and re-canalize clotted blood vessels using clot lysis drugs. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is the only FDA-approved drug for ischemic stroke, but it has many limitations in clinical use. In recent years, the development of thrombolytic drugs and treatment strategies based on tPA has been progressed rapidly. Here we review the recent progress in this field, including the contributions from us and others, to promote the future development of novel thrombolytic drugs.
Brain Ischemia/drug therapy* ; Fibrinolytic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Research/trends* ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Thrombolytic Therapy/trends* ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator/therapeutic use*