The success of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells therapy for hematologic malignancies has sparked interest in potential applications for solid tumors. However, unlike the homogeneous, dynamic, and nutrient-rich hematologic environment, CAR-T cells must overcome the complex tumor microenvironment. Ensuring efficient contact with tumor cells remains a primary challenge to enhance the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy. Abnormal tumor angiogenesis, disordered chemokine production, dense extracellular matrix, and stromal cells all act as biological barriers that hinder contact of CAR-T cells with tumor cells. This review summarizes specific strategies to promote vascular normalization, modulate chemokine production, target physical barriers, combine different therapeutic approaches, and innovative cell delivery methods to enhance infiltration of CAR-T cells into solid tumors. These strategies will help to overcome current limitations and enhance the effectiveness of CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) in patients with severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and to study their prognostic value in the acute and subacute phases.Methods:This study is a retrospective case series analysis. Clinical and pathological data of 52 patients with severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis who underwent endovascular treatment in the Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from June 2019 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 20 males and 32 females, with an age of (40.1±13.6) years(range:18 to 66 years). Forty-five healthy physical examinees were included in the control group. High-resolution MRI was used to stage the thrombus, with 11 cases in the acute group, 28 cases in the subacute group, and 13 cases in the chronic group. Thrombus specimens were obtained through endovascular treatment, and the fluorescence intensity of NET in peripheral blood at different time points was analyzed by immunofluorescence contrast,including the double-stranded DNA structure and adhesion protein components (citrolinated histone H3 (CitH3), myeloperoxidase-DNA complex(MPO-DNA), neutrophil elastase (NE)). The NET markers were determined by ELISA. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the NET markers in peripheral blood of patients with severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in the acute and subacute phases and the volume of venous sinus thrombus, the degree of venous sinus recanalization after treatment, and the discharge modified Rankin scale(mRS)score. The accuracy of NET markers in predicting the prognosis of patients with severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis was analyzed by drawing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calculating the area under the curve (AUC).Results:The results of immunofluorescence staining and ELISA showed that no NET structure was formed in the peripheral blood of the control group, while CitH3, MPO-DNA and NE levels in the peripheral blood of CVST patients were increased, among which the acute stage group was the highest, followed by the subacute group, and the chronic group was the lowest. Spearman correlation analysis showed that CitH3, MPO-DNA and NE levels in peripheral blood of patients in acute group and subacute group were positively correlated with thrombus volume and mRS score at discharge ( P<0.05). The levels of CitH3 and MPO-DNA in peripheral blood of patients with complete venous sinus recanalization were lower than those of patients with partial venous sinus recanalization ( P<0.01). ROC curve analysis results showed that MPO-DNA and NE had no predictive ability for the prognosis of CVST patients ( P values were 0.614 and 0.324, respectively), and the AUC of CitH3 was 0.800 (95% CI: 0.638~0.962, P=0.032), the best cut-off value was 13.5 μg/L, the sensitivity was 100%, and the specificity was 58.8%. Conclusions:A large number of NET are formed in patients with severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in acute stage. Patients with severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in acute stage and subacute stage with high peripheral blood NET content has a low rate of complete sinus revascularization and poor neurological function recovery after treatment.

Objective:To construct an ensemble machine learning model for predicting the occurrence of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) after pancreaticoduodenectomy and evaluate its application value.Methods:This is a research on predictive model. Clinical data of 421 patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy in the Department of Pancreatic Surgery,Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College,Huazhong University of Science and Technology from June 2020 to May 2023 were retrospectively collected. There were 241 males (57.2%) and 180 females (42.8%) with an age of (59.7±11.0)years (range: 12 to 85 years).The research objects were divided into training set (315 cases) and test set (106 cases) by stratified random sampling in the ratio of 3∶1. Recursive feature elimination is used to screen features,nine machine learning algorithms are used to model,three groups of models with better fitting ability are selected,and the ensemble model was constructed by Stacking algorithm for model fusion. The model performance was evaluated by various indexes,and the interpretability of the optimal model was analyzed by Shapley Additive Explanations(SHAP) method. The patients in the test set were divided into different risk groups according to the prediction probability (P) of the alternative pancreatic fistula risk score system (a-FRS). The a-FRS score was validated and the predictive efficacy of the model was compared.Results:Among 421 patients,CR-POPF occurred in 84 cases (20.0%). In the test set,the Stacking ensemble model performs best,with the area under the curve (AUC) of the subject′s work characteristic curve being 0.823,the accuracy being 0.83,the F1 score being 0.63,and the Brier score being 0.097. SHAP summary map showed that the top 9 factors affecting CR-POPF after pancreaticoduodenectomy were pancreatic duct diameter,CT value ratio,postoperative serum amylase,IL-6,body mass index,operative time,albumin difference before and after surgery,procalcitonin and IL-10. The effects of each feature on the occurrence of CR-POPF after pancreaticoduodenectomy showed a complex nonlinear relationship. The risk of CR-POPF increased when pancreatic duct diameter<3.5 mm,CT value ratio<0.95,postoperative serum amylase concentration>150 U/L,IL-6 level>280 ng/L,operative time>350 minutes,and albumin decreased by more than 10 g/L. The AUC of a-FRS in the test set was 0.668,and the prediction performance of a-FRS was lower than that of the Stacking ensemble machine learning model.Conclusion:The ensemble machine learning model constructed in this study can predict the occurrence of CR-POPF after pancreaticoduodenectomy,and has the potential to be a tool for personalized diagnosis and treatment after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) in patients with severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and to study their prognostic value in the acute and subacute phases.Methods:This study is a retrospective case series analysis. Clinical and pathological data of 52 patients with severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis who underwent endovascular treatment in the Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital from June 2019 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 20 males and 32 females, with an age of (40.1±13.6) years(range:18 to 66 years). Forty-five healthy physical examinees were included in the control group. High-resolution MRI was used to stage the thrombus, with 11 cases in the acute group, 28 cases in the subacute group, and 13 cases in the chronic group. Thrombus specimens were obtained through endovascular treatment, and the fluorescence intensity of NET in peripheral blood at different time points was analyzed by immunofluorescence contrast,including the double-stranded DNA structure and adhesion protein components (citrolinated histone H3 (CitH3), myeloperoxidase-DNA complex(MPO-DNA), neutrophil elastase (NE)). The NET markers were determined by ELISA. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the NET markers in peripheral blood of patients with severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in the acute and subacute phases and the volume of venous sinus thrombus, the degree of venous sinus recanalization after treatment, and the discharge modified Rankin scale(mRS)score. The accuracy of NET markers in predicting the prognosis of patients with severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis was analyzed by drawing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calculating the area under the curve (AUC).Results:The results of immunofluorescence staining and ELISA showed that no NET structure was formed in the peripheral blood of the control group, while CitH3, MPO-DNA and NE levels in the peripheral blood of CVST patients were increased, among which the acute stage group was the highest, followed by the subacute group, and the chronic group was the lowest. Spearman correlation analysis showed that CitH3, MPO-DNA and NE levels in peripheral blood of patients in acute group and subacute group were positively correlated with thrombus volume and mRS score at discharge ( P<0.05). The levels of CitH3 and MPO-DNA in peripheral blood of patients with complete venous sinus recanalization were lower than those of patients with partial venous sinus recanalization ( P<0.01). ROC curve analysis results showed that MPO-DNA and NE had no predictive ability for the prognosis of CVST patients ( P values were 0.614 and 0.324, respectively), and the AUC of CitH3 was 0.800 (95% CI: 0.638~0.962, P=0.032), the best cut-off value was 13.5 μg/L, the sensitivity was 100%, and the specificity was 58.8%. Conclusions:A large number of NET are formed in patients with severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in acute stage. Patients with severe cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in acute stage and subacute stage with high peripheral blood NET content has a low rate of complete sinus revascularization and poor neurological function recovery after treatment.

Objective:To construct an ensemble machine learning model for predicting the occurrence of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) after pancreaticoduodenectomy and evaluate its application value.Methods:This is a research on predictive model. Clinical data of 421 patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy in the Department of Pancreatic Surgery,Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College,Huazhong University of Science and Technology from June 2020 to May 2023 were retrospectively collected. There were 241 males (57.2%) and 180 females (42.8%) with an age of (59.7±11.0)years (range: 12 to 85 years).The research objects were divided into training set (315 cases) and test set (106 cases) by stratified random sampling in the ratio of 3∶1. Recursive feature elimination is used to screen features,nine machine learning algorithms are used to model,three groups of models with better fitting ability are selected,and the ensemble model was constructed by Stacking algorithm for model fusion. The model performance was evaluated by various indexes,and the interpretability of the optimal model was analyzed by Shapley Additive Explanations(SHAP) method. The patients in the test set were divided into different risk groups according to the prediction probability (P) of the alternative pancreatic fistula risk score system (a-FRS). The a-FRS score was validated and the predictive efficacy of the model was compared.Results:Among 421 patients,CR-POPF occurred in 84 cases (20.0%). In the test set,the Stacking ensemble model performs best,with the area under the curve (AUC) of the subject′s work characteristic curve being 0.823,the accuracy being 0.83,the F1 score being 0.63,and the Brier score being 0.097. SHAP summary map showed that the top 9 factors affecting CR-POPF after pancreaticoduodenectomy were pancreatic duct diameter,CT value ratio,postoperative serum amylase,IL-6,body mass index,operative time,albumin difference before and after surgery,procalcitonin and IL-10. The effects of each feature on the occurrence of CR-POPF after pancreaticoduodenectomy showed a complex nonlinear relationship. The risk of CR-POPF increased when pancreatic duct diameter<3.5 mm,CT value ratio<0.95,postoperative serum amylase concentration>150 U/L,IL-6 level>280 ng/L,operative time>350 minutes,and albumin decreased by more than 10 g/L. The AUC of a-FRS in the test set was 0.668,and the prediction performance of a-FRS was lower than that of the Stacking ensemble machine learning model.Conclusion:The ensemble machine learning model constructed in this study can predict the occurrence of CR-POPF after pancreaticoduodenectomy,and has the potential to be a tool for personalized diagnosis and treatment after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant therapy with trastuzumab and pertuzumab combined with taxane and platinum drugs (TCbHP) regimen for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted. The clinical data of HER2-positive breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant therapy with 21-day TCbHP regimen and completed subsequent surgery in 11 tertiary-level hospitals in Hebei Province from June 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, and the total pathological complete remission (tpCR) rate, the incidence of grade ≥3 adverse events, and the completion rate of the established regimen were statistically analyzed.Results:A total of 78 female patients were included and the median age [ M ( Q1, Q3)] was 54.0 years (48.5 years, 57.5 years). The tpCR rate was 64.1% (50/78). Subgroup analysis showed that the tpCR rate in the HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC)+++ group was higher than that in the HER2 IHC++ and fluorescence in situ hybridization-positive group [68.6% (48/70) vs. 25.0% (2/8)], and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 4.18, P = 0.041); the tpCR rate in the hormone-receptor negative group was higher than that in the hormone-receptor positive group [81.8% (27/33) vs. 51.1% (23/45)], and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 7.80, P = 0.005); the tpCR rate in the albumin-bound paclitaxel group was higher than that in the docetaxel group [72.3% (34/47) vs. 48.3% (14/29)], and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 4.46, P = 0.035). The incidence of ≥ grade 3 adverse reactions was 12.8% (10/78) in 78 patients, and the completion rate of the established regimen was 92.3% (72/78). Conclusions:Neoadjuvant therapy with TCbHP regimen for HER2-positive breast cancer shows a definite efficacy, good safety and tolerance.

Objective To observe the value of artificial intelligence(AI)knowledge graph and image classification for quality control(QC)of chest posterior-anterior position X-ray radiograph(abbreviated as chest film).Methods Totally 9 236 chest films from 595 medical institutions in Anhui province imaging cloud platform were retrospectively enrolled.QC knowledge graph containing 21 classification labels were constructed.Firstly,QC of chest films based on the above knowledge graph were performed by 10 technicians for 2 rounds of single person and 1 round of multi person,and the results were recorded as A,B and C,respectively.Then AI algorithms were used to classify and evaluate based on knowledge graph,and the result was recorded as D.Finally,a QC expert reviewed results C and D to determine the final QC results and taken those as references to analyze the efficiency of the above 4 QC.Results The area under the curve(AUC)of AI algorithm for QC of chest films were all ≥0.780,with an average value of 0.939.The average precision of QC for chest films of A,B,C and D was 81.15％,85.47％,91.65％and 92.21％,respectively.Conclusion AI knowledge graph and image classification technology could be effectively used for QC of chest posterior-anterior position X-ray radiograph.

Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Constipation/therapy* ; Probiotics/therapeutic use* ; Patients

BACKGROUND:Heterotopic ossification is a dynamic growth process.Diverse heterotopic ossification subtypes have diverse etiologies or induction factors,but they exhibit a similar clinical process in the intermediate and later phases of the disease.Acquired heterotopic ossification produced by trauma and other circumstances has a high incidence. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the molecular biological mechanisms linked to the occurrence and progression of acquired heterotopic ossification in recent years. METHODS:The keywords"molecular biology,heterotopic ossification,mechanisms"were searched in CNKI,Wanfang,PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,and Google Scholar databases for articles published from January 2016 to August 2022.Supplementary searches were conducted based on the obtained articles.After the collected literature was screened,131 articles were finally included and summarized. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The occurrence and development of acquired heterotopic ossification is a dynamic process with certain concealment,making diagnosis and treatment of the disease difficult.(2)By reviewing relevant literature,it was found that acquired heterotopic ossification involves signaling pathways such as bone morphogenetic protein,transforming growth factor-β,Hedgehog,Wnt,and mTOR,as well as core factors such as Runx-2,vascular endothelial growth factor,hypoxia-inducing factor,fibroblast growth factor,and Sox9.The core mechanism may be the interaction between different signaling pathways,affecting the body's osteoblast precursor cells,osteoblast microenvironment,and related cytokines,thereby affecting the body's bone metabolism and leading to the occurrence of acquired heterotopic ossification.(3)In the future,it is possible to take the heterotopic ossification-related single-cell osteogenic homeostasis as the research direction,take the osteoblast precursor cells-osteogenic microenvironment-signaling pathways and cytokines as the research elements,explore the characteristics of each element under different temporal and spatial conditions,compare the similarities and differences of the osteogenic homeostasis of different types and individuals,observe the regulatory mechanism of the molecular signaling network of heterotopic ossification from a holistic perspective.It is beneficial to the exploration of new methods for the future clinical prevention and treatment of heterotopic ossification.(4)Meanwhile,the treatment methods represented by traditional Chinese medicine and targeted therapy have become research hotspots in recent years.How to link traditional Chinese medicine with the osteogenic homeostasis in the body and combine it with targeted therapy is also one of the future research directions.(5)At present,the research on acquired heterotopic ossification is still limited to basic experimental research and the clinical prevention and treatment methods still have defects such as uncertain efficacy and obvious side effects.The safety and effectiveness of relevant targeted prevention and treatment drugs in clinical application still need to be verified.Future research should focus on clinical prevention and treatment based on basic experimental research combined with the mechanism of occurrence and development.