Neuropathic pain markedly impairs quality of life and imposes a substantial socioeconomic burden, while available treatments often provide only partial relief and are limited by safety concerns. The Neuropathic Pain Special Interest Group of the International Association for the Study of Pain (NeuPSIG-IASP) first published pharmacologic recommendations in 2007, followed by a major update in 2015 and a new guideline in 2025. This narrative review specifically compares the 2015 and 2025 NeuPSIG-IASP guidelines, outlining key methodological changes and therapeutic shifts. The 2025 guideline is based on a larger, more rigorous meta-analysis, maintains α2δ-ligands (adds mirogabalin), serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, and tricyclic antidepressants as first-line drugs, downgrades tramadol into the opioid third-line group. It also introduces high-frequency motor-cortex repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as a weakly recommended third-line option and discusses implications for Korean clinical practice.

This case describes a male with a history of type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) who had a concomitant branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm under long-term surveillance. During follow-up, new high-risk radiologic features developed within the pancreatic cyst, raising concern for malignant transformation and ultimately leading to surgical resection. However, final histopathologic examination revealed recurrent type 1 AIP rather than malignant progression of branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, a finding that represents an uncommon and diagnostically challenging manifestation. This case suggests that when new imaging changes are observed during surveillance of pancreatic cystic lesions, clinicians should consider not only malignant transformation but also the possibility of recurrence or coexistence of underlying diseases such as AIP.

Autophagy is a conserved catabolic process that degrades proteins and damaged organelles to maintain cellular homeostasis, and its role in cancer depends on stage and context. Farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase 1 (FDFT1) is an essential enzyme in the sterol branch of the mevalonate pathway, but its functions in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and in the regulation of autophagy remain poorly understood. In this study, we show that FDFT1 acts as a negative regulator of autophagy in HCC cells. Loss of FDFT1 led to increased autophagosome formation and fusion with lysosomes, whereas its overexpression suppressed both basal and induced autophagy. These changes were associated with AMPK–ULK1 signaling, suggesting that FDFT1 influences a central pathway controlling autophagy. Our findings connect cholesterol metabolism with autophagy regulation and tumor growth, highlighting FDFT1 as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target in liver cancer.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration and significant depression. However, the mechanisms linking depression to AD pathology remain unclear. Here, we investigated whether Notch2 signaling mediates depressionlike behaviors in presenilin-2 (PS2) N141I mutant mice, an early-onset AD model. PS2 wild-type (WT) and mutant (MT) mice aged 12-15 months were subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) for 4 weeks, followed by sucrose preference, tail-hanging, and forced swimming tests. Behavioral assessments showed that UCMS exacerbated anhedonia and immobility only in PS2 MT mice. Molecular analysis revealed concomitant increases in plasma corticosterone, hippocampal γ-secretase activity, and Notch2 expression, and elevated total and phosphorylated glucocorticoid receptor levels in PS2 MT-UCMS mice. Gene expression profiling of human hippocampal datasets confirmed upregulation of NOTCH2 in Alzheimer’s disease and depression.Pharmacological inhibition of γ-secretase and Notch signaling with DAPT normalizes depressive behavior, reduces corticosterone release, attenuates GR phosphorylation, and inhibits Notch2 signaling in PS2 MT mice. These findings identify Notch2 as a pivotal mediator linking chronic stress to molecular changes associated with depression and AD, and suggest that targeting Notch2 signaling may provide therapeutic benefits for comorbid mood and neurodegenerative disorders.

Purpose: The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) creates an immunosuppressive environment, but the effects of anticancer treatment on TREM2 and the tumor microenvironment (TME) are not well established. This study investigates the impact of chemotherapy on TREM2-expressing macrophages within the lung adenocarcinoma TME. Materials and Methods: Using single-cell RNA sequencing datasets of paired normal-appearing lung tissue (NL) and tumor (Tu), human and mouse lung cancer tissue, and THP-1 cells, we observed the effects of anticancer drugs on them. Results: Myeloid cells (MY) were the second-most abundant non-epithelial component in the Tu, though less prevalent than in NL. Specific MY subclusters abundant in Tu showed overexpression of TREM2. In lung cancer-induced Kras-G12D mice, M2 proportion increased in Tu compared to NL; cisplatin increased TREM2+ M2 proportion in Tu. TREM2+ cells in Tu showed interactions with cell clusters showing characteristics of interstitial macrophage such as mo-lineage, mono-Mc, and CD163/LGMN cells via FN:CD44 and MIF:CD74+CXCR4, suggesting that they influence the recruitment of those cells to Tu and TME reshape. In M0-state THP-1 cells, cisplatin and osimertinib treatments induced polarization towards M1 and M2 states and increased TREM2 expression. Cisplatin promoted uptake of phosphatidylserine-coated latex beads by M0 cells, whereas osimertinib reduced uptake by polarized macrophages. These findings suggest anticancer treatments impact the lung immune microenvironment by altering the TREM2+ cells. Conclusion Given TREM2’s central inhibitory role in the tumor immune environment, effects of chemotherapeutic agents should be considered in developing TREM2-targeting therapies.

Purpose: Older cancer patients face unique challenges due to age-related physiological changes, increasing their vulnerability to treatment-related toxicities. Geriatric assessment (GA) is a validated tool for optimizing care, yet there is no consensus on integrating geriatric interventions into oncology. This study evaluates the feasibility of a tailored onco-geriatric intervention model incorporating the KG-7 screening tool. Materials and Methods: This prospective study included 30 patients aged ≥ 70 years with solid tumors undergoing adjuvant or palliative chemotherapy. Patients scoring ≤ 5 of KG-7 were eligible. Tailored interventions incorporating KG-7 included polypharmacy, functional status, mobility, nutrition, cognition, emotional well-being, insomnia, social support, and medical problem. KG-7, GA, and quality of life (QoL) were followed at 12 weeks. Results: Participants (median age, 79.5 years) had colon (43.3%), pancreatic (23.3%), or gastric cancer (23.3%). At baseline, most patients showed independent activities of daily living (100%)/instrumental activities of daily living (90%). However, 93.3% had abnormal GA. Particularly, 86.7% were either malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. The most frequently identified intervention needs included polypharmacy (70.0%), nutritional support (60.0%), and emotional well-being (50.0%) with high adherence (100.0%, 88.9%, and 46.7%, respectively). At 12 weeks, KG-7 scores improved in 43.8% of patients, and 69.2% of GA domains were improved. QoL analysis revealed modest improvement in Global Health Status (mean difference, 6.3; p=0.176). One-year survival rates were 92.3% and 79.4% for adjuvant and palliative groups, respectively. Conclusion The onco-geriatric intervention model incorporating KG-7 demonstrated high feasibility and potential to enhance clinical outcomes. Future studies should validate this approach in randomized trials to optimize care for older cancer patients.

Purpose: The male predominance in the incidence of gastric cancer (GC) is established; however, sex differences in the prognosis of GC remain controversial. As such, this study analyzed the prognosis of patients with GC based on age and sex. Materials and Methods: Data from 14,739 patients diagnosed with GC at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between 2003 and 2023 were analyzed. Baseline characteristics, histological types of GC, overall and GC-specific survival rates (age and stage stratification), and associated risk factors were analyzed. Results: Females were significantly younger (p < 0.001) and exhibited more gastric body cancers (p < 0.001) and tumors with diffuse-type or poorly differentiated histology (p < 0.001) than males. Females exhibited an advantage over males in terms of overall survival (p=0.004), but not in GC-specific survival. However, age stratification revealed significant sex differences, that females < 50 years of age exhibited survival disadvantages (p < 0.001); however, this trend was reversed with age, and females > 60 years exhibited survival advantages (p < 0.001) for both overall and GC-specific survival. This may be explained by the lower ratio of diffuse-type GC as females age. Furthermore, in the analysis according to stage, females with stage IV disease exhibited significant survival disadvantages, with significantly younger age and a higher proportion of diffuse-type GC which exhibits aggressive features, resulting in poorer survival than in males. Conclusion Age and stage stratification revealed significant differences in survival between the sexes, which can be helpful for public health strategies.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the role of hepatic resection in patients with objective responses after combined transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiotherapy (RT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with macroscopic vascular invasion (MVI). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the patients treated with combined TACE and RT for HCC with MVI between 2010 and 2015. Some of the patients with objective responses underwent hepatic resection or liver transplantation; to investigate the impact of surgery, patients with objective responses who did not undergo surgery were selected as the control group. Survival outcomes were compared using a propensity score–based stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting method. Results: Out of the 170 patients with objective responses after combined TACE and RT, 41 patients underwent surgery, including eight liver transplantations. The unweighted surgery group was younger and had a higher proportion of solitary tumors and unilateral vascular involvement. After adjustment, the 3-year overall survival (OS) rates were 61.0% and 28.6% in the surgery and non-surgery groups, respectively. The most important prognostic factor for OS was surgery (adjusted Cox hazard ratio [HR], 0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17 to 0.46; p < 0.001). Complete response after TACE and RT (vs. partial response) was also a significant prognostic factor for OS (adjusted HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.27 to 0.61; p < 0.001). There was no surgical mortality. Four patients (9.8%) required additional surgery due to bleeding or graft failure. Conclusion Hepatic resection was significantly associated with improved OS in patients who showed objective responses after receiving combined TACE and RT for HCC with MVI.

Metaverse-based mental health interventions have recently emerged as an extension of telepsychiatry, digital therapeutics (DTx), and virtual reality (VR)–based treatments for children and adolescents. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote psychological assessment and intervention, raising critical questions regarding their clinical validity, developmental appropriateness, and long-term applicability in youth populations. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that remote assessments and internet-based interventions can achieve clinical outcomes comparable to face-to-face approaches in selected domains, particularly anxiety, depression, and social communication difficulties. In parallel, immersive technologies such as VR and metaverse-based platforms have been applied to exposure-based interventions, social skills training, and emotion regulation in controlled and repeatable environments. This narrative review examined 48 empirical and review studies on telepsychiatry, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy, DTx, VR, and metaverse-based interventions for children and adolescents. Neurobiological mechanisms relevant to fear extinction, executive function, emotion regulation, and social cognition were critically reviewed. In addition, real-world implementation experiences from a hospital-based Wee Center in Korea were integrated to evaluate feasibility within school-linked mental health services. The findings suggested that metaverse-based counseling should not be conceptualized as a stand-alone replacement for face-to-face treatment, but rather as a complementary, hybrid platform linking remote screening, structured digital intervention, and in-person clinical care. While current evidence supported feasibility and conditional clinical utility, further longitudinal, controlled, and cost-effectiveness studies were required to establish its role in pediatric mental health.

Objective: To explain process of developing basic veterinary clinical performance guidelines, based on frequently observable clinical manifestations, thereby supporting competencybased veterinary education in Korea. Methods: A structured review of learning outcomes established by Korean Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (KAVMC) was conducted by a planning committee including veterinary educators, practitioners, and advisory members. Owner-oriented descriptions were used to frame each performance task, and each was mapped to corresponding learning outcomes. These tasks were aligned with learning outcomes recommended by the KAVMC to support the development of communication, clinical reasoning, and performance-related competencies among veterinary students, thereby enhancing day-one clinical readiness. Results: In total, 63 clinical manifestations for a guidebook format that can be used for clinical education were identified and categorized by organ systems that are described in language understandable to animal owners. Conclusions and Relevance: The basic veterinary clinical performance guidelines based on common clinical manifestations would serve as a vital component in veterinary education to reinforce core graduation competencies.