BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of subsequent radiotherapy (RT) following first-line treatment with durvalumab plus chemotherapy in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). METHODS: A total of 122 patients with ES-SCLC from three hospitals during July 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis was performed to address potential confounding factors. The primary focus of our evaluation was to assess the impact of RT on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: After IPTW analysis, 49 patients received durvalumab plus platinum-etoposide (EP) chemotherapy followed by RT (Durva + EP + RT) and 72 patients received immunochemotherapy (Durva + EP). The median OS was 17.2 months vs . 12.3 months (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.17-0.85, P = 0.020), and the median PFS was 8.9 months vs . 5.9 months (HR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.32-0.97, P = 0.030) in Durva + EP + RT and Durva + EP groups, respectively. Thoracic radiation therapy (TRT) resulted in longer OS (17.2 months vs . 14.7 months) and PFS (9.1 months vs . 7.2 months) compared to RT directed to other metastatic sites. Among patients with oligo-metastasis, RT also showed significant benefits, with a median OS of 17.4 months vs . 13.7 months and median PFS of 9.8 months vs . 5.9 months compared to no RT. Continuous durvalumab treatment beyond progression (TBP) prolonged OS compared to patients without TBP, in both the Durva + EP + RT (NA vs . 15.8 months, HR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.14-1.63, P = 0.238) and Durva + EP groups (12.3 months vs . 4.3 months, HR: 0.29, 95% CI: 0.10-0.81, P = 0.018). Grade 3 or 4 adverse events occurred in 13 (26.5%) and 13 (18.1%) patients, respectively, in the two groups; pneumonitis was mostly low-grade. CONCLUSION Addition of RT after first-line immunochemotherapy significantly improved survival outcomes with manageable toxicity in ES-SCLC.
Humans ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma/therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Lung Neoplasms/therapy* ; Aged ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use* ; Adult ; Immunotherapy/methods* ; Aged, 80 and over

Aromatic immunity in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is the medical knowledge accumulated in the process of people's struggling with diseases. It plays an important role in plague prevention, disease treatment, health preservation, and rehabilitation, and has profound TCM basic theoretical support and abundant modern scientific evidence. With the in-depth promotion of the Healthy China initiative and the succession of health needs in the post-COVID-19 era, how to practice the health concept of aromatic immunity in TCM and develop its health service resources with high quality has become an important proposition to be discussed urgently. This paper summarizes the cognitive process, puts forward the basic concept, discusses the scientific connotation and clinical application value, and looks forward to the future development trend of aromatic immunity in TCM, aiming to provide guidance for the development of great health products and promote the application of aromatic immunity in TCM in serving people's health.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Humans ; COVID-19/immunology* ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; SARS-CoV-2

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

ObjectiveHuman Ku70 protein mainly involves the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair of double-stranded DNA breaks (DSB) through its DNA-binding properties, and it is recently reported having an RNA-binding ability. This paper is to explore whether Ku70 has RNA helicase activity and affects miRNA maturation. MethodsRNAs bound to Ku protein were analyzed by RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq) and bioinfomatic anaylsis. The expression relationship between Ku protein and miRNAs was verified by Western blot (WB) and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays. Binding ability of Ku protein to the RNAs was tested by biolayer interferometry (BLI) assay. RNA helicase activity of Ku protein was identified with EMSA assay. The effect of Ku70 regulated miR-124 on neuronal differentiation was performed by morphology analysis, WB and immunofluorescence assays with or without Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. ResultsWe revealed that the Ku70 protein had RNA helicase activity and affected miRNA maturation. Deficiency of Ku70 led to the up-regulation of a large number of mature miRNAs, especially neuronal specific miRNAs like miR-124. The knockdown of Ku70 promoted neuronal differentiation in human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) and SH-SY5Y cells by boosting miR-124 maturation. Importantly, ZIKV infection reduced the expression of Ku70 whereas increased expression of miR-124 in hNPCs, and led to morphologically neuronal differentiation. ConclusionOur study revealed a novel function of Ku70 as an RNA helicase and regulating miRNA maturation. The reduced expression of Ku70 with ZIKV infection increased the expression of miR-124 and led to the premature differentiation of embryonic neural progenitor cells, which might be one of the causes of microcephaly.

ObjectiveTePixD (Tll0078) is a blue light-using flavin (BLUF) photoreceptor protein from Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1. TePixD protein has a conserved Tyr8-Gln50-Met93 triad around the FAD pocket to mediate the proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process. But the detailed light response mechanism needs further study. We aimed to elucidate the structure and biochemical properties of TePixD mutants at key light response sites to analyze the light response process of TePixD. MethodsWe employed X-ray crystallography to resolve the crystal structure of the TePixD Y8F mutant. The side chain of Tyr8 is involved in PCET while Phe8 in mutation loses the function due to the loss of its hydroxyl group. We compared the structure of TePixD Y8F mutation to TePixD wild type (WT) and its homology protein SyPixD Y8F. Using multi-angle light scattering (MALS), we analyzed the oligomerization of multiple TePixD mutations (Y8F, Q50L, W91F, Y8F/W91F, and Q50L/W91F), focusing specifically on mutational sites that are critical residues for the protein’s photo response to dark and light conditions. ResultsWe resolved the crystal structure of TePixD Y8F mutant at a resolution of 2.54 Å and found that it shares a similar overall structure with the TePixD WT but exhibits significant differences from the SyPixD Y8F structure. Biochemical analysis revealed differences in molecular mass and elution profiles between the TePixD mutants and the WT under dark and light conditions, indicating the perturbation on the light-induced conformational change by the mutants. ConclusionOur structure determination and biochemical analyses will add information to reveal the light response mechanism of BLUF proteins.

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors for early tumor recurrence and the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) patients after curative-intent resection.Methods:The retrospective case-control study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 506 patients with GBC in 11 medical centers, including The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University et al, from January 2016 to December 2020 were collected. There were 168 males and 338 females, aged (62±11)years. All patients underwent curative-intent resection of GBC, and they were divided into patients with and without early recurrence based on time to postoperative recurrence. Observation indicators: (1) treatment; (2) follow-up and survival of patients; (3) analysis of influencing factors for early tumor recurrence after curative-intent resection of GBC; (4) efficacy of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Univariate analysis was conducted using the corresponding statistical methods based on data type. Multivariate analysis was conducted using the Logistic regression model with forward method. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw survival curve and calculate survival rate, and Log-Rank test was used for survival analysis. Results:(1) Treatment. Of 506 patients, there were 112 cases with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, and 394 cases without postopera-tive adjuvant chemotherapy. They underwent 5(range, 3-9)cycles of postoperative adjuvant chemo-therapy. (2) Follow-up and survival of patients. All 506 patients underwent postoperative follow-up, with the follow-up time of 55(range, 34-93)months. During the follow-up, there were 248 patients with tumor recurrence, including 158 cases of early recurrence and 90 cases of late recurrence, and there were 258 patients without tumor recurrence. Of 506 patients, 275 cases survived, and 231 cases died of multiple organ failure caused by tumor recurrence and metastasis. The postoperative recurr-ence-free survival time, overall survival time were 52(range,1-93)months, 62(range, 2-93)months. The 1-, 3-, 5-year disease-free survival rates and 1-, 3-, 5-year overall survival rates of the 506 pati-ents were 68.8%, 53.8%, 47.9% and 78.3%, 58.7%, 51.6%, respectively. Results of survival analysis showed that the median overall survival time of 158 patients with postoperative early recurrence and 348 patients without postoperative early recurrence (including 90 cases of late recurrence and 258 cases of no tumor recurrence) were 9(range, 2-73)months and unreached, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=456.15, P<0.05). (3) Analysis of influencing factors for early tumor recurrence after curative-intent resection of GBC. Results of multivariate analysis showed that carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) >5.0 μg/L, poorly differentiated tumor, liver invasion, and tumor N staging as stage N1-N2 were independent risk factors influencing early tumor recurrence after cura-tive-intent resection of GBC ( odds ratio=2.74, 6.20, 1.81, 2.93, 4.82, 95% confidence interval as 1.62-4.64, 1.82-21.12, 1.15-3.08, 1.68-5.09, 1.91-12.18, P<0.05), while postoperative adjuvant chemo-therapy was an independent protect factor ( odds ratio=0.39, 95% confidence interval as 0.21-0.71, P<0.05). (4) Efficacy of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. The median overall survival time of 394 patients without postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and 112 patients with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were 57(range, 2-93)months and unreached, showing a significant differ-ence between them ( χ2=9.38, P<0.05). Of the 158 patients with postoperative early recurrence after curative-intent resection of GBC, 135 cases didn't receive adjuvant chemotherapy and 23 cases received adjuvant chemotherapy, with the overall survival time of 8(range, 2-73)months and 17(range, 8-61)months, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=7.68, P<0.05). Conclusions:CEA >5.0 μg/L, poorly differentiated tumor, liver invasion, and tumor N staging as stage N1-N2 are independent risk factors influencing early tumor recurrence after curative-intent resection of GBC, while postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is an independent protect factor. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy can prolong the overall survival time of patients with post-operative tumor early recurrence.

Objective:To provide a basis for improving the design and implementation of policies for ensuring the supply of pediatric drugs in China.Method:Based on the perspective of pharmaceutical enterprises,reviewed literature and conducts questionnaire surveys to identify the constraints in the development of pediatrict drugs throughout the entire drug lifecycle,and analyzes the constraints'concentration and urgency.Result:The main constraints include:difficulty in conducting clinical trials for children;the current registration and approval rules lack consideration for the specificity of pediatric drugs and specific requirements for application materials;lack of implementation rules and measures in the implementation process of incentive policies for pediatric drug production;The market interest mechanism of pediatric drugs is not yet perfect.Among them,research and development and payment for use are currently relatively concentrated issues.Discussion and suggestions:It is recommended that China fully utilize existing clinical trial data of pediatric and broaden sources,take multiple measures to increase investment in pediatric drug R&D;Develop special guidelines for pediatric drug application and encourage adult drug registration to submit pediatric research plans;Explore the optimization path of pediatrict drug production and supply based on typical cases;Provide more space for pediatric drugs in the rules of drug use and payment.

Objective:To prepare mesenchymal stem cells with antioxidant capacity (AO-MSC ) from human umbilical cords and evaluate its cell biological properties.Methods:In control group,mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) were isolated by digesting human umbilical cord Wharton's Jelly tissues with 0.2％ collagenase Ⅱ,and the released cells were collected and cultured in an animal serum-free culture medium.In AO-MSC group,incompletely collagenase Ⅱ-digested tissue debris were allowed to adhere to flusk flat bottoms and the AO-MSC was harvested by adherent culture. The conventional digestion and culture method was used as control.MSC colony forming ability was evaluated by fibroblast colony forming assay (CFU-F).MSC proliferative capacity was evaluated by CCK-8 assay.The MSC surface markers were detected by using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining.The adipogenic and osteogenic capacity of MSC was evaluated by multi-differentiation in vitro,and the mRNA expression of genes that control adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR );Moreover,the mRNA expression of antioxidant substances such as SOD-1,GSH,GAT,and NQO1 in MSC was also evaluated by RT-qPCR.Results:The AO-MSC isolated by this strategy reached a confluence of 80％-90％ at around 18 days and grew in a swirling pattern.Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining assays showed that CD73,CD29,CD105,CD90 were highly expressed and CD31,CD45,HLA-DR were scarcely expressed in AO-MSC.AO-MSC exhibited stronger self-renewal and differentiation ability compared to MSC.However,the in vitro adipogenic-osteogenic capacity of MSC in the control group was stronger than that of AO-MSC.RT-qPCR assay showed that AO-MSC expressed higher mRNA levels of antioxidant substances compared to MSC.Conclusion:Human AO-MSC is successfully prepared from human umbilical cord without animal serum.

Objective:To investigate the influence of curative-intent resection with textbook outcomes of liver surgery (TOLS) on long-term prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma (GBC).Methods:The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 824 patients with GBC in the national multicenter database of Biliary Surgery Group of Elite Group of Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery, who were admitted to 15 medical centers from January 2014 to January 2021, were collected. There were 285 males and 539 females, aged (62±11)years. According to the evalua-tion criteria of TOLS, patients were divided into those who achieved TOLS and those who did not achieve TOLS. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and com-parison between groups was conducted using the independent sample t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M( Q1, Q3), and comparison between groups was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Comparison of ordinal data were conduc-ted using the Mann-Whitney U test. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rate and draw survival curve, and the Log-rank test was used for survival analysis. The COX stepwise regression model with backward Wald method was used for univariate and multivariate analyses. Results:(1) Achievement of TOLS. Of the 824 patients undergoing curative-intent resection for GBC, there were 510 cases achieving TOLS and 314 cases not achieving TOLS. (2) Follow-up. Of the 824 patients undergoing curative-intent resection for GBC, after excluding 112 deaths within 90 days after discharge, 712 cases were included for the survival analysis. The median follow-up time, median overall survival time and 5-year overall survival rate of the 510 patients achieving TOLS were 22.1(11.4,30.1)months, 47.6(30.6,64.6)months and 47.5%. The median follow-up time, median overall survival time and 5-year overall survival rate of the 202 patients not achieving TOLS were 14.0(6.8,25.5)months, 24.3(20.0,28.6)months and 21.0%. There was a significant difference in overall survival between patients achieving TOLS and patients not achieving TOLS ( χ2=58.491, P<0.05). (3) Analysis of factors influencing prognosis of patients. Results of multivariate analysis showed that TOLS, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA19-9, poorly differentiation of tumor, T2 stage of eighth edition of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging, T3 and T4 stage of eighth edition of AJCC staging, N1 stage of the eighth edition of AJCC staging, N2 stage of the eighth edition of AJCC staging, adjuvant therapy were independent factors influencing overall survival time of patients undergoing curative-intent resection for GBC ( hazard ratio=0.452, 1.479, 1.373, 1.612, 1.455, 1.481, 1.835, 1.978, 0.538, 95% c onfidence interval as 0.352-0.581, 1.141-1.964, 1.052-1.791, 1.259-2.063, 1.102-1.920, 1.022-2.147, 1.380-2.441, 1.342-2.915, 0.382-0.758, P<0.05). Conclusion:Patients under-going curative-intent resection for GBC with TOLS can achieve better long-term prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: To establish an intestinal organoid model that mimic acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) caused intestinal injuries by using aGVHD murine model serum and organoid culture system, and explore the changes of aGVHD intestine in vitro by advantage of organoid technology. METHODS: 20-22 g female C57BL/6 mice and 20-22 g female BALB/c mice were used as donors and recipients for bone marrow transplantation, respectively. Within 4-6 h after receiving a lethal dose (8.0 Gy) of γ ray total body irradiation, a total of 0.25 ml of murine derived bone marrow cells (1×10⁷/mice, n=20) and spleen nucleated cells (5×10⁶/mice, n=20) was infused to establish a mouse model of aGVHD (n=20). The aGVHD mice were anesthetized at the 7th day after transplantation, and the veinal blood was harvested by removing the eyeballs, and the serum was collected by centrifugation. The small intestinal crypts of healthy C57BL/6 mice were harvested and cultivated in 3D culture system that maintaining the growth and proliferation of intestinal stem cells in vitro. In our experiment, 5%, 10%, 20% proportions of aGVHD serum were respectively added into the organoid culture system for 3 days. The formation of small intestinal organoids were observed under an inverted microscope and the morphological characteristics of intestinal organoids in each groups were analyzed. For further evaluation, the aGVHD intestinal organoids were harvested and their pathological changes were observed. Combined with HE staining, intestinal organ morphology evaluation was performed. Combined with Alcian Blue staining, the secretion function of aGVHD intestinal organoids was observed. The distribution and changes of Lgr5⁺ and Clu⁺ intestinal stem cells in intestinal organoids were analyzed under the conditions of 5%, 10% and 20% serum concentrations by immunohistochemical stainings. RESULTS: The results of HE staining showed that the integrity of intestinal organoids in the 5% concentration serum group was better than that in the 10% and 20% groups. The 5% concentration serum group showed the highest number of organoids, the highest germination rate and the lowest pathological score among experimental groups, while the 20% group exhibited severe morphological destruction and almost no germination was observed, and the pathological score was the highest among all groups(t=3.668, 4.334,5.309,P<0.05). The results of Alican blue staining showed that the secretion function of intestinal organoids in serum culture of aGVHD in the 20% group was weaker than that of the 5% group and 10% of the organoids, and there was almost no goblet cells, and mucus was stainned in the 20% aGVHD serum group. The immunohistochemical results showed that the number of Lgr5⁺ cells of intestinal organoids in the 5% group was more than that of the intestinal organoids in the 10% aGVHD serum group and 20% aGVHD serum group. Almost no Clu⁺ cells were observed in the 5% group. The Lgr5⁺ cells in the 20% group were seriously injuried and can not be observed. The proportion of Clu⁺ cells in the 20% group significantly increased. CONCLUSION The concentration of aGVHD serum in the culture system can affect the number and secretion function of intestinal organoids as well as the number of intestinal stem cells in organoids. The higher the serum concentration, the greater the risk of organoid injury, which reveal the characteristics of the formation and functional change of aGVHD intestinal organoids, and provide a novel tool for the study of intestinal injury in aGVHD.
Mice ; Female ; Animals ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Stem Cells ; Organoids