A growing body of research points out that gut microbiota plays a key role in tumor immunotherapy. By optimizing the composition of intestinal microbiota, it is possible to effectively improve immunotherapy resistance and enhance its therapeutic effect. This article comprehensively analyzes the mechanism of intestinal microbiota influencing tumor immunotherapy resistance, expounds the current strategies for targeted regulation of intestinal microbiota, such as traditional Chinese medicine and plant components, fecal microbiota transplantation, probiotics, prebiotics and dietary therapy, and explores the potential mechanisms of these strategies to improve patients' resistance to tumor immunotherapy. At the same time, the article also briefly discusses the prospects and challenges of targeting intestinal microbiota to improve tumor immunotherapy resistance, which provides a reference for related research to help the strategy research of reversing tumor immunotherapy resistance.

Objective To observe the curative effect of comprehensive traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)therapy for the treatment of refractory sudden hearing loss(i.e.,suffering sudden hearing loss more than 2 weeks),and to analyze the factors that may affect the prognosis.Methods A retrospective analysis was carried out in 405 hospitalized patients with refractory sudden hearing loss who were treated in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology,the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from 2005 to 2022.The patients were all treated by comprehensive TCM therapy including oral administration of Chinese medicine,acupuncture,acupoint seed-pressing application after individualized syndrome differentiation.The overall clinical efficacy was evaluated,and the difference of efficacy in the patients with various courses of disease,degrees of deafness,types of hearing curve,concomitant symptoms and TCM syndrome types,having or not having previous treatment history was analyzed.Results For the 405 patients with refractory sudden hearing loss,the cure rate was 5.7％and the total effective rate was 28.1％.Among the 405 patients,the best efficacy was achieved in the patients with mild hearing loss,low-frequency decline type of hearing curve,and having no previous treatment history,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).There was no significant difference in the efficacy of patients with different courses of disease,with or without concomitant symptoms,or with various syndrome types(P＞0.05).Conclusion The comprehensive TCM therapy has a certain effect on refractory sudden hearing loss.Patients with poor efficacy after conventional western medicine can still benefit from the comprehensive TCM therapy.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of brexpiprazole in treating acute schizophrenia.Methods Patients with schizophrenia were randomly divided into treatment group and control group.The treatment group was given brexpiprozole 2-4 mg·d-1 orally and the control group was given aripiprazole 10-20 mg·d-1orally,both were treated for 6 weeks.Clinical efficacy of the two groups,the response rate at endpoint,the changes from baseline to endpoint of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS),Clinical Global Impression-Improvement(CGI-S),Personal and Social Performance scale(PSP),PANSS Positive syndrome subscale,PANSS negative syndrome subscale were compared.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events in two groups were compared.Results There were 184 patients in treatment group and 186 patients in control group.After treatment,the response rates of treatment group and control group were 79.50％(140 cases/184 cases)and 82.40％(150 cases/186 cases),the scores of CGI-I of treatment group and control group were(2.00±1.20)and(1.90±1.01),with no significant difference(all P＞0.05).From baseline to Week 6,the mean change of PANSS total score wese(-30.70±16.96)points in treatment group and(-32.20±17.00)points in control group,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).The changes of CGI-S scores in treatment group and control group were(-2.00±1.27)and(-1.90±1.22)points,PSP scores were(18.80±14.77)and(19.20±14.55)points,PANSS positive syndrome scores were(-10.30±5.93)and(-10.80±5.81)points,PANSS negative syndrome scores were(-6.80±5.98)and(-7.30±5.15)points,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of treatment-related adverse events between the two group(69.00％vs.64.50％,P＞0.05).Conclusion The non-inferiority of Brexpiprazole to aripiprazole was established,with comparable efficacy and acceptability.

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), a fatal heart disease characterized by fibroadipocytic replacement of cardiac myocytes, accounts for 20% of sudden cardiac death and lacks effective treatment. It is often caused by mutations in desmosome proteins, with Desmoglein-2 (DSG2) mutations as a common etiology. However, the mechanism underlying the accumulation of fibrofatty in ACM remains unknown, which impedes the development of curative treatment. Here we investigated the fat accumulation and the underlying mechanism in a mouse model of ACM induced by cardiac-specific knockout of Dsg2 (CS-Dsg2 ^-/-). Heart failure and cardiac lipid accumulation were observed in CS-Dsg2 ^-/- mice. We demonstrated that these phenotypes were caused by decline of fatty acid (FA) β-oxidation resulted from impaired mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Rapamycin worsened while overexpression of mTOR and 4EBP1 rescued the FA β-oxidation pathway in CS-Dsg2 ^-/- mice. Reactivation of PPARα by fenofibrate or AAV9-Pparα significantly alleviated the lipid accumulation and restored cardiac function. Our results suggest that impaired mTOR-4EBP1-PPARα-dependent FA β-oxidation contributes to myocardial lipid accumulation in ACM and PPARα may be a potential target for curative treatment of ACM.

Objective: To analyze the genetic landscape of 52 fusion genes in patients with de novo acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and to investigate the characteristics of other laboratory results. Methods: The fusion gene expression was retrospectively analyzed in the 1 994 patients with de novo ALL diagnosed from September 2016 to December 2020. In addition, their mutational, immunophenotypical and karyotypical profiles were investigated. Results: In the 1 994 patients with ALL, the median age was 12 years (from 15 days to 89 years). In the panel of targeted genes, 15 different types of fusion genes were detected in 884 patients (44.33%) and demonstrated a Power law distribution. The frequency of detectable fusion genes in B-cell ALL was significantly higher than that in T-cell ALL (48.48% vs 18.71%), and fusion genes were almost exclusively expressed in B-cell ALL or T-cell ALL. The number of fusion genes showed peaks at<1 year, 3-5 years and 35-44 years, respectively. More fusion genes were identified in children than in adults. MLL-FG was most frequently seen in infants and TEL-AML1 was most commonly seen in children, while BCR-ABL1 was dominant in adults. The majority of fusion gene mutations involved signaling pathway and the most frequent mutations were observed in NRAS and KRAS genes. The expression of early-stage B-cell antigens varied in B-cell ALL patients. The complex karyotypes were more common in BCR-ABL1 positive patients than others. Conclusion: The distribution of fusion genes in ALL patients differs by ages and cell lineages. It also corresponds to various gene mutations, immunophenotypes, and karyotypes.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Gene Expression ; Genes, ras ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Middle Aged ; Oncogene Fusion ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/metabolism* ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

In this study, dexamethasone (DXMS) and captopril (CAP) were co-loaded into poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles with a surface coating of a phospholipid bilayer, and then the core-shell nanoparticles were modified with polyethylene glycol and integrin α8 antibody to obtain immunoliposome-nanoparticle hybrids (DXMS/CAP@PLGA-ILs). The role of nanoparticles on the renal targeting, anti-inflammatory effects, and macrophage differentiation were investigated. The results showed that the particle size of the nanoparticles was 115.9 ± 2.89 nm, and the core-shell structure could be observed under an electron microscope. The drug loading capacity of DXMS and CAP was 5.72% ± 0.37% and 7.51% ± 0.07%, respectively. The results of in vitro experiments showed that DXMS/CAP@PLGA-ILs could reduce the secretion of specific cytokines and the mRNA expression of markers in M2-type macrophages, thus promoting the differentiation of M2-type macrophages in the direction of unpolarized macrophages. In vivo experiments in mice showed that DXMS/CAP@PLGA-ILs had a significant renal targeting effect, which could restore the renal index, serum creatinine, and urea nitrogen levels of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis in mice. Moreover, DXMS/CAP@PLGA-ILs could reduce both the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and the mRNA expression levels of M1 and M2 macrophage markers in the kidney. All the animal experiments were in accordance with the regulations of Animal Ethics Committee of Sichuan Agricultural University. In conclusion, renal-targeting DXMS/CAP@PLGA-ILs could effectively regulate the polarization of macrophages and had an "anti-inflammatory/anti-fibrosis" therapeutic effect, providing a new strategy and basis for the targeted therapy of glomerulonephritis.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupoint application of gel plaster on quality of sleep and life in patients with insomnia. METHODS: A total of 63 patients with insomnia were randomized into a gel plaster group (32 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a placebo plaster group (31 cases). Acupoint application of gel plaster was applied at Yintang (GV 29) and Yongquan (KI 1) in the gel plaster group, placebo plaster was applied at the same acupoints in the placebo plaster group. The treatment was given from bedtime to early moming of the next day, 5 days were as one course, with 2-day interval, totally 4 courses were required in the both groups. Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and Flinders fatigue scale were used to evaluate the sleep quality and fatigue level of the patients in the both groups before and after treatment and at 2 weeks of follow-up. The variations of insomnia TCM syndrome score and the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) score before and after treatment were observed. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the scores of PSQI, ESS and FFS after treatment and at follow-up were decreased in the both groups ( CONCLUSION Acupoint application of gel plaster can effectively improve the quality of sleep and life in patients with insomnia.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Sleep ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To compare accuracy of anterior cervical pedicle screws between assist of rapid prototyping 3D guide plate and free-hand insertion, and evaluate the safety of two methods. METHODS: Eight adult cervical cadaver specimens after formaldehyde immersion, including 4 males and 4 females, aged 32 to 65(40.3±5.6) years old. After X-ray examination to exclude bone damage and deformity, 4 of them (3D guide plate group) randomly selected were for CT scan to obtain DICOM format data, and the data was imported into Mimics software for model, designed the ideal entry point and nail path for anterior cervicaltranspedicular screw (ATPS). After obtaining the personalized guide plate of the nail channel, it was exported as STL data, and the individual guide plate was printed by rapid prototyping and 3D printing technology. In turn, with the assistance of 3D guide plates, one-to-one personalized ATPS screws were placed on the four lower cervical cadaver specimens. Another 4 (free-hand group) lower cervical cadaver specimens were implanted with ATPS screws using free-hand technique. All specimens were performed CT thin-layer scanning and three-dimensional reconstruction after operation. The Tomasino method was used to evaluate the safety of the screws on the CT cross-sectional and sagittal images, to determine whether there was a cortical puncture of the lower and inner edges of the pedicle. According to the CT rating results, gradeⅠandⅡwere safe, and grade Ⅲ- Ⅴ were dangerous.And the accuracy of screws was recorded and analyzed between two groups. RESULTS: Two screws were inserted in each segment from C CONCLUSION The 3D printing rapid prototyping guide plate assisted insertion of the anterior cervical pedicle screw can significantly improve the accuracy and safety, and provide a theoretical basis for further clinical application.
Adult ; Aged ; Bone Plates ; Cervical Vertebrae/surgery* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pedicle Screws ; Printing, Three-Dimensional

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome, hypercoagulability, hypertension, and multiorgan dysfunction. Effective antivirals with safe clinical profile are urgently needed to improve the overall prognosis. In an analysis of a randomly collected cohort of 124 patients with COVID-19, we found that hypercoagulability as indicated by elevated concentrations of D-dimers was associated with disease severity. By virtual screening of a U.S. FDA approved drug library, we identified an anticoagulation agent dipyridamole (DIP) , which suppressed SARS-CoV-2 replication . In a proof-of-concept trial involving 31 patients with COVID-19, DIP supplementation was associated with significantly decreased concentrations of D-dimers ( < 0.05), increased lymphocyte and platelet recovery in the circulation, and markedly improved clinical outcomes in comparison to the control patients. In particular, all 8 of the DIP-treated severely ill patients showed remarkable improvement: 7 patients (87.5%) achieved clinical cure and were discharged from the hospitals while the remaining 1 patient (12.5%) was in clinical remission.

Humans with chronic psychological stress are prone to develop multiple disorders of body function including impairment of immune system. Chronic psychological stress has been reported to have negative effects on body immune system. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been clearly demonstrated. All immune cells are derived from hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in the bone marrow, including myeloid cells which comprise the innate immunity as a pivotal component. In this study, to explore the effects of chronic psychological stress on HSC and myeloid cells, different repeated restraint sessions were applied, including long-term mild restraint in which mice were individually subjected to a 2 h restraint session twice daily (morning and afternoon/between 9:00 and 17:00) for 4 weeks, and short-term vigorous restraint in which mice were individually subjected to a 16 h restraint session (from 17:00 to 9:00 next day) for 5 days. At the end of restraint, mice were sacrificed and the total cell numbers in the bone marrow and peripheral blood were measured by cell counting. The proportions and absolute numbers of HSC (LinCD117Sca1CD150CD48) and myeloid cells (CD11bLy6C) were detected by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis. Proliferation of HSC was measured by BrdU incorporation assay. The results indicated that the absolute number of HSC was increased upon long-term mild restraint, but was decreased upon short-term vigorous restraint with impaired proliferation. Both long-term mild restraint and short-term vigorous restraint led to the accumulation of CD11bLy6C cells in the bone marrow as well as in the peripheral blood, as indicated by the absolute cell numbers. Taken together, long-term chronic stress led to increased ratio and absolute number of HSC in mice, while short-term stress had opposite effects, which suggests that stress-induced accumulation of CD11bLy6C myeloid cells might not result from increased number of HSC.
Animals ; Antigens, Ly ; metabolism ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; CD11b Antigen ; metabolism ; Cell Proliferation ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Restraint, Physical ; Stress, Psychological