Oral diseases concern almost every individual and are a serious health risk to the popula-tion.The restorative treatment of tooth and jaw defects is an important means to achieve oral function and support the appearance of the contour.Based on the principle of"learning from the nature",Deng Xu-liang's group of Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology has proposed a new concept of"microstructural biomimetic design and tissue adaptation of tooth/jaw materials"to address the worldwide problems of difficulty in treating dentine hypersensitivity,poor prognosis of restoration of tooth defects,and vertical bone augmentation of alveolar bone after tooth loss.The group has broken through the bottle-neck of multi-stage biomimetic technology from the design of microscopic features to the enhancement of macroscopic effects,and invented key technologies such as crystalline/amorphous multi-level assembly,ion-transportation blocking,and multi-physical properties of the micro-environment reconstruction,etc.The group also pioneered the cationic-hydrogel desensitizer,digital stump and core integrated restora-tions,and developed new crown and bridge restorative materials,gradient functionalisation guided tissue regeneration membrane,and electrically responsive alveolar bone augmentation restorative membranes,etc.These products have established new clinical strategies for tooth/jaw defect repair and achieved inno-vative results.In conclusion,the research results of our group have strongly supported the theoretical im-provement of stomatology,developed the technical system of oral hard tissue restoration,innovated the clinical treatment strategy,and led the progress of the stomatology industry.

Circadian rhythms are self-sustaining oscillations within biological systems that play key roles in a diverse multitude of physiological processes.The circadian clock mechanisms in brain and peripheral tissues can oscillate independently or be synchronized/disrupted by external stimuli.Dental enamel is a type of mineralized tissue that forms the exterior surface of the tooth crown.Incremental Retzius lines are readily observable microstructures of mature tooth enamel that indicate the regulation of amelogenesis by circadian rhythms.Teeth enamel is formed by enamel-forming cells known as ameloblasts,which are regulated and orchestrated by the circadian clock during amelogenesis.This review will first examine the key roles of the circadian clock in regulating ameloblasts and amelogenesis.Several physiological processes are involved,including gene expression,cell morphology,metabolic changes,matrix deposition,ion transportation,and mineralization.Next,the potential detrimental effects of circadian rhythm disruption on enamel formation are discussed.Circadian rhythm disruption can directly lead to Enamel Hypoplasia,which might also be a potential causative mechanism of amelogenesis imperfecta.Finally,future research trajectory in this field is extrapolated.It is hoped that this review will inspire more intensive research efforts and provide relevant cues in formulating novel therapeutic strategies for preventing tooth enamel developmental abnormalities.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and risk stratification of 182 patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE), and to investigate the correlation of neutrophil (N)/lymphocyte (L) ratio (NLR) and risk stratification/prognosis.Methods:The clinical data of 182 APE patients admitted to Peking University People’s Hospital from January 2015 to March 2021 were retrospectively collected, including age, sex, symptoms and signs, blood pressure, blood gas analysis, blood routine parameters, cardiac biomarkers, coagulation parameters, and right ventricular imaging parameters. The patients were divided into groups according to the risk stratification at admission and prognosis in hospital. χ2 test, t test or nonparametric test were used to analyze the differences in clinical characteristics, blood routine parameters, blood gas analysis, coagulation parameters and other parameters between the groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to study the independent risk factors for the prognosis of APE. Results:Among the 182 patients, 79 were male and 103 were female, 23 were in the high-risk group, 51 were in the intermediate-high-risk group, 46 were in the intermediate-low risk group, and 62 were in the low-risk group. There were 27 deaths and 155 survivors. The respiratory rate of the high/intermediate-high-risk group was significantly higher than that of the low/intermediate-low-risk group. Compared with the other three groups, pH, oxygen partial pressure (PO 2) and blood oxygen saturation (SO 2) in the high-risk group were significantly lower ( both P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in WBC, N, and NLR levels between the high/intermediate-high-risk group and low/intermediate-low-risk group ( both P<0.05). However there were no significant differences in PLT, PLT/MPV, PLT/PDW, and coagulation related parameters PT, FIB, APTT and D-D between groups (all P > 0.05). MPV and PDW were only significantly different between the low-risk group, intermediate-low-risk group and high-risk group ( both P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that NLR ( OR=1.179,95% CI:1.029-1.410, P=0.039) and PH ( OR=1.156,95% CI:1.031-1.522, P=0.041) were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. The ROC curve was used to analyze the predictive value of NLR for in-hospital mortality. When the cutoff value of NLR was 8.38, the AUC of NLR was 0.824 (95% CI: 0.829-0.913), the corresponding sensitivity was 0.831, and the specificity was 0.887. Conclusions:NLR is correlated with risk stratification and prognosis of APE, and is an independent risk factor for poor prognosis.

【Objective】 To explore the clinical characteristics and risk factors of renal function deterioration in children with renal dysplasia and chronic kidney disease (CKD), so as to provide a basis for the diagnosis, treatment, and management. 【Methods】 The clinical data of children with renal dysplasia complicated with CKD treated in the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University during 2012 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including the gender, age of diagnosis, growth index, concomitant malformation and complications. According to the diagnostic criteria and staging standard of KDIGO2020 guidelines, patients with disease deteriorated to CKD stage 4-5 were enrolled into the regression group. Factors affecting the deterioration of renal function were determined with Cox regression analysis. 【Results】 A total of 122 children were involved, including 66 (54.1%) with CKD stag 4-5. There were more boys than girls. Bilateral and unilateral renal dysplasia occurred in 88 (72.13%) and 34 (27.87%) cases, respectively, and 64 (52.46%) cases were complicated with other urinary diseases. There were significant differences in weight, height and body mass index (BMI) among patients with CKD stage 1-5 (P<0.01). The age of onset of CKD <10 years, BMI lower than the 3rd percentile of the same sex and age, bilateral renal dysplasia, and one or more complications of congenital renal and urinary tract abnormalities (CAKUT) were the risk factors of deterioration of renal function (P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 Renal dysplasia complicated with CKD are more common in boys, with high incidence of bilateral renal dysplasia. Bilateral renal dysplasia, age of onset of CKD <10 years, BMI lower than 3% and complications are important influencing factors of renal dysplasia in children with CKD.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for the majority of cases. Patients with NSCLC have achieved great survival benefits from immunotherapies targeting immune checkpoints. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are frequently used for palliation of cancer-associated symptoms, as supportive care for non-cancer-associated symptoms, and for management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). The aim of this study was to clarify the safety and prognostic significance of glucocorticoid use in advanced patients with NSCLC treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). METHODS: The study searched publications from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China Biology Medicine disc, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, and Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database up to March 1st, 2022, and conducted a meta-analysis to assess the effects of glucocorticoid use on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in NSCLC patients treated with ICIs through the available data. The study calculated the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: This study included data from 25 literatures that were mainly retrospective, with 8713 patients included. Patients taking GCs had a higher risk for tumor progression and death compared with those not taking GCs (PFS: HR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.33-1.86, P <0.001; OS: HR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.41-1.88, P <0.001). GCs used for cancer-associated symptoms caused an obviously negative effect on both PFS and OS (PFS: HR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.32-2.29, P <0.001; OS: HR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.52-2.04, P <0.001). However, GCs used for irAEs management did not negatively affect prognosis (PFS: HR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.46-1.00, P = 0.050; OS: HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.34-0.83, P = 0.005), and GCs used for non-cancer-associated indications had no effect on prognosis (PFS: HR = 0.92, 95%CI: 0.63-1.32, P = 0.640; OS: HR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.59-1.41, P = 0.680). CONCLUSIONS In advanced NSCLC patients treated with ICIs, the use of GCs for palliation of cancer-associated symptoms may result in a worse PFS and OS, indicating that they increase the risk of tumor progression and death. But, in NSCLC patients treated with ICIs, the use of GCs for the management of irAEs may be safe, and the use of GCs for the treatment of non-cancer-associated symptoms may not affect the ICIs' survival benefits. Therefore, it is necessary to be careful and evaluate indications rationally before administering GCs in individualized clinical management.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies

Macrophages are important cells of the immune system. Tumor-associated macrophages are enriched macrophages near tumor cells or tissues. Their role is mainly to promote the construction of tumor inflammatory microenvironment and inhibit tumor immune response. Cell co-culture system is a symbiotic culture system formed by mimicking the internal environment of the body in vitro. The co-culture condition is relatively consistent with the environment in vivo, enabling better information exchange and material exchange between cells, which is a supplement to the monolayer cell culture and animal experiments. Tumor-associated macrophages and tumor cells co-exist in the tumor microenvironment. Thus, constructing a co-culture system for tumor-associated macrophages and tumor cells would be conducive to studying the antitumor effect of tumor-associated macrophages and developing new immunotherapy drugs. The co-culture system would provide a new direction for treating malignant tumors. This article mainly reviewed the co-culture patterns of macrophages and the antitumor effects of different phenotypes of macrophages, and highlighted the importance of using immunotherapy to treat malignant tumors in the tumor microenvironment.

The high neurogenic potential of dental and oral-derived stem cells due to their embryonic neural crest origin, coupled with their ready accessibility and easy isolation from clinical waste, make these ideal cell sources for neuroregeneration therapy. Nevertheless, these cells also have high propensity to differentiate into the osteo-odontogenic lineage. One strategy to enhance neurogenesis of these cells may be to recapitulate the natural physiological electrical microenvironment of neural tissues via electroactive or electroconductive tissue engineering scaffolds. Nevertheless, to date, there had been hardly any such studies on these cells. Most relevant scientific information comes from neurogenesis of other mesenchymal stem/stromal cell lineages (particularly bone marrow and adipose tissue) cultured on electroactive and electroconductive scaffolds, which will therefore be the focus of this review. Although there are larger number of similar studies on neural cell lines (i.e. PC12), neural stem/progenitor cells, and pluripotent stem cells, the scientific data from such studies are much less relevant and less translatable to dental and oral-derived stem cells, which are of the mesenchymal lineage. Much extrapolation work is needed to validate that electroactive and electroconductive scaffolds can indeed promote neurogenesis of dental and oral-derived stem cells, which would thus facilitate clinical applications in neuroregeneration therapy.
Cell Differentiation ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Neural Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Neurogenesis ; Tissue Scaffolds

Objective:To investigate the effects of hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3/4A protein on proliferation, apoptosis and division of human hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7721 cells.Methods:The recombinant plasmid pLV-Green-NS3/4A and pLV-puro-NS3/4A were produced by homologous recombination method, and then the cells were divided into pLV-Green-NS3/4A or pLV-puro-NS3/4A transfection group and their corresponding control group (transfected with empty vector). The expression of recombinant protein was detected by immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting. Methyl thiazol tetrazolium (MTT) method was used to detect cell proliferation, DAPI staining was used to detect cell apoptosis, and immunofluorescence was used to analyze cell devision.Results:The growth state of SMMC-7721 cells in the pLV-Green-NS3/4A transfection group was worse than that in the corresponding empty vector control group. Compared with the corresponding empty vector control group, the proliferation activity of SMMC-7721 cells in the pLV-Green-NS3/4A transfection group on the 3rd and 4th day was inhibited (both P < 0.05). The apoptosis rates of cells in the pLV-Green-NS3/4A transfection group and the corresponding empty vector control group were (20.3±3.5)% and (5.3±1.5)%, and the difference was statistically significant ( t = -8.57, P < 0.001). Compared with the corresponding empty vector control group, the cells in the pLV-puro-NS3/4A transfection group had more multipolar spindles, and the multipolar division rates of the two groups were (2.33±0.58)% and (6.01±0.99)%, and the difference was statistically significant ( t = -5.50, P = 0.005). Conclusions:HCV NS3/4A can inhibit the proliferation, promote the apoptosis and multipolar division of human hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7721 cells.

With the appearance of the disadvantages of traditional tumor treatment, immunotherapy has entered people′s horizons as modern emerging treatment strategies, among which plant polysaccharides have received much more attention due to their antitumor activity and significant immunomodulatory effects. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), as a component of tumor microenvironment, are important factors affecting tumors, and the regulation of TAMs by plant polysaccharides is one of the effective immunotherapy to treat tumor. In this review, we mainly described the regulation of TAMs by plant polysaccharides and the underlying mechanisms, and then gave an outlook on the research interests and the development of plant polysaccharides as immune adjuvants, aiming to provide reference for the study of plant polysaccharides in the immunotherapy for tumors.

OBJECTIVES: Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) prosthetic vessel replacement is one of the most complex operations in the field of cardiovascular surgery. The key to success of this operation is to prevent and avoid ischemia of important organs while repairing TAAA. This study aims to summarize and analyze the effect of prosthetic vessel replacement under left heart bypass in the treatment of TAAA. METHODS: Data of 15 patients with TAAA who underwent prosthetic vessel replacement under left heart bypass in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University were retrospectively analyzed. According to Crawford classification, there were 2 cases of type I, 8 cases of type II, 3 cases of type III, and 2 cases of type V. There were 14 cases of selective operation and 1 case of emergency operation. All operations were performed under left heart bypass, and cerebrospinal fluid drainage was performed before operation. Left heart bypass was established by intubation of left inferior pulmonary vein and distal abdominal aorta or left femoral artery. The thoracoabdominal aorta was replaced segment by segment. After aortic dissection, the kidneys were perfused with cold crystalloid renal protective solution, and the celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery were perfused with warm blood. RESULTS: One patient with TAAA after aortic dissection of type A died. During the operation, straight blood vessels were used to repair TAAA, and the celiac artery branches were trimmed into island shape and anastomosed with prosthetic vessels. After the operation, massive bleeding occurred at the anastomotic stoma, then anaphylactic reaction occurred during massive blood transfusion, resulting in death. One patient suffered from paraplegia due to ischemic injury of spinal cord. The other patients recovered well and were discharged. The postoperative ventilation time was (16.5±13.8) h and the postoperative hospital stay was (10±4) d. The amount of red blood cell transfusion was (13±9) U. The patients were followed up for 2 months to 2 years, and the recovery was satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS The effect of prosthetic vessel replacement under left heart bypass in the treatment of TAAA is good, which is worthy of clinical promotion.
Aneurysm, Dissecting/surgery* ; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic/surgery* ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation ; Heart Bypass, Left ; Humans ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome