Chicken anemia virus VP1 negatively regulates type I interferon via targeting interferon regulatory factor 7 of the DNA-sensing pathway

The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway plays a vital role in sensing viral DNA in the cytosol, stimulating type I interferon (IFN) production and triggering the innate immune response against DNA virus infection. However, viruses have evolved effective inhibitors to impede this sensing pathway. Chicken anemia virus (CAV), a nonenveloped ssDNA virus, is a ubiquitous pathogen causing great economic losses to the poultry industry globally. CAV infection is reported to downregulate type I IFN induction. However, whether the cGAS-STING signal axis is used by CAV to regulate type I IFN remains unclear. Our results demonstrate that CAV infection significantly elevates the expression of cGAS and STING at the mRNA level, whereas IFN-β levels are reduced. Furthermore, IFN-β activation was completely blocked by the structural protein VP1 of CAV in interferon stimulatory DNA (ISD) or STING-stimulated cells. VP1 was further confirmed as an inhibitor by interacting with interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) by binding its C-terminal 143-492 aa region. IRF7 dimerization induced by TANK binding kinase 1 (TBK1) could be inhibited by VP1 in a dose-dependent manner. Together, our study demonstrates that CAV VP1 is an effective inhibitor that interacts with IRF7 and antagonizes cGAS-STING pathway-mediated IFN-β activation. These findings reveal a new mechanism of immune evasion by CAV.

Investigation of chemoresistance to first-line chemotherapy and its possible association with autophagy in high-risk neuroblastoma

High-risk neuroblastoma (NB) is sensitive to chemotherapy but susceptible to chemoresistance. In this study, we aimed to analyze the incidence of chemoresistance in high-risk NB patients and to explore the role of autophagy in NB chemoresistance. We retrospectively analyzed the incidence of changing the chemotherapy regimen due to disease stabilization or disease progression during induction chemotherapy in high-risk NB patients, which was expressed as the chemoresistance rate. The autophagy levels were probed in tumor cells exposed to first-line chemotherapy agents. The sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapy agents and apoptosis rate were observed after inhibiting autophagy by transfection of shRNA or chloroquine (CQ). This study included 247 patients with high-risk NB. The chemoresistance rates of patients treated with cyclophosphamide + adriamycin + vincristine (CAV) alternating with etoposide + cisplatin (EP) (Group 1) and CAV alternating with etoposide + ifosfamide + cisplatin (VIP) (Group 2) was 61.5% and 39.9% (P = 0.0009), respectively. Group 2 had better survival rates than group 1. After exposure to cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, and etoposide, the autophagy-related proteins LC3-I, LC3-II, and Beclin-1 were upregulated, and the incidence of autophagy vesicle formation and the expression of P62 were increased. Chemotherapeutic agents combined with CQ significantly increased the chemotherapeutic sensitivity of tumor cells and increased the cell apoptosis. The downregulated expression of Beclin-1 increased the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutics. Our results suggest that increasing the chemotherapy intensity can overcome resistance to NB. Inhibition of autophagy is beneficial to increase the sensitivity of NB to chemotherapy agents.

The effect of rifampin on the pharmacokinetics of famitinib in healthy subjects

Background

Famitinib is an oral, small-molecule, multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor under clinical investigation for the treatment of solid tumors. As famitinib is metabolized mainly by cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4), the study was conducted to investigate the effect of potent CYP3A4 inducer rifampin on the pharmacokinetics of famitinb.

Methods

This single-center, single-arm and fixed-sequence drug–drug interaction study enrolled 21healthy Chinese male subjects. Subjects received a single oral dose of famitinib 25 mg on days 1 and 16 and repeated administration of oral rifampin 600 mg once daily on days 10–23. Blood samples were collected and plasma concentrations of famitinib were measured by validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using noncompartmental analysis and safety was assessed.

Results

In the presence of rifampin, the famitinib geometric mean maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC0–∞) decreased by 48% and 69%, respectively, and the mean elimination half-life was shortened from 33.9 to 18.2 h. The geometric mean ratio (GMR) of famitinib Cmax and AUC0–∞ and their 90% CI were 0.52 (0.50, 0.54) and 0.31 (0.29, 0.33). Single dose of famitinib 25 mg was well tolerated and eight subjects (38.1%) reported treatment emergent adverse events, which were all grade 1–2 in severity.

Conclusion

Co-administration of rifampin considerably reduces plasma concentration of famitinb due to CYP3A4 induction. Concomitant administration of famitinib and strong CYP3A4 inducers should be avoided, whereas when simultaneous use with inducers of CYP3A4, dose adjustment of famitinb is recommended.

Clinical trial registration number

NCT04494659 (July 31, 2020).

Novel TrueVue series of 3D echocardiography: Revealing the pathological morphology of congenital heart disease

Aims: This study explored the advantages and limitations of novel series of three-dimensional (3D) echocardiographic techniques and summarized their application methods for congenital heart diseases (CHDs).

Method and result: Two-dimensional (2D), traditional 3D echocardiography, and TrueVue plus light and/or Glass novel 3D technologies were performed on 62 patients with CHD, and a clinical survey was designed to judge whether the novel 3D images were more helpful for understanding the cardiac condition and guide treatment than traditional 3D images. TrueVue increased the visual resolution and simulated the true texture of cardiac tissue, significantly improving the display ability of abnormal anatomical structures in CHDs. TrueVue Glass displayed the blood channel and the internal structure of cardiac cavity more intuitively, indicating a new observation aspect not shown by conventional echocardiography. The clinical survey results showed that the new 3D imaging methods effectively increased the diagnostic confidence of echocardiographers, enabled surgeons to better understand the details of lesions, promoted efficient communication, and improved the confidence of both doctors and patients in treatment.

Conclusion: The combined application of TrueVue, TrueVue Light, and TrueVue Glass more closely simulated real anatomical features, showed more comprehensive and subtle blood flow in the lumen, not only increased the visual effect but also provided more useful diagnostic information, improved the accuracy of evaluation and treatment of CHD when compared to traditional imaging techniques, indicating that this combined application has significant clinical value.

Cellulose-Based Cryogel Microspheres with Nanoporous and Controllable Wrinkled Morphologies for Rapid Hemostasis

First-aid hemostatic agents for acute bleeding can save lives in emergency situations. However, rapid hemostasis remains challenging when uncontrolled hemorrhage occurs on lethal noncompressible and irregular wounds. Herein, cellulose-based cryogel microspheres with deliberately customized micromorphologies for ultrafast water transportation and diffusion, including the shark skin riblet-inspired wrinkled surface with low fluid drag and the hydrophilic nanoporous 3D networks, are developed to deal with the acute noncompressible bleeding within seconds. These cryogel microspheres can rapidly absorb a large amount of blood over 6 times their own weight in 10 s and form a robust barrier to seal a bleeding wound without applying pressure. Remarkably, massive bleeding from a cardiac penetrating hole is effectively stopped using the microspheres within 20 s and no blood leakage is observed after 30 min. Additionally, these microspheres could be readily removed without rebleeding and capillary thrombus, which is highly favorable to rapid hemostasis in emergency rescue.

Co-doped Fe-MIL-100 as an adsorbent for tetracycline removal from aqueous solution

In the study, Fe-MIL-100 was modified by adding Co²⁺ in the synthesis process; Co/Fe-MIL-100 was successfully synthesized and used to adsorb tetracycline. The addition of Co²⁺ increased the thermal stability of Fe-MIL-100 without changing the crystal structure. It was found that Co/Fe-MIL-100 exhibited satisfactory performance in tetracycline removal, the tetracycline removal efficiency reached almost 100% in the initial concentration range of 10-40 mg/L, and it still reached 82.38% under the condition of 60 mg/L tetracycline. Besides, the factors of tetracycline concentration, pH and inorganic anion on removal efficiency were explored. The coexistence of inorganic anion decreased the adsorption capacity of tetracycline due to the competitive adsorption. CO₃^2- had a more obvious inhibition effect on the adsorption efficiency of tetracycline than Cl^-. The fitting correlation coefficient of Langmuir model was higher and the kinetics better fitted by pseudo-second-order, respectively. As a result of its high removal efficiency and excellent recycling performance, it has great potential in application fields such as removing tetracycline from wastewater.

[Clinical research progress and implications of therapeutic vaccines for cervical cancer and precancerous lesions: a qualitative systematic review]

Objective: To systematically summarize and analyze the clinical research progress of therapeutic vaccines for cervical cancer or precancerous lesions. Methods: English databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane library, Proquest, and ClinicalTrails.gov) and Chinese databases (SinoMed, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP Database) were systematically searched to collect literature on therapeutic vaccines for cervical cancer or precancerous lesions from inception to February 18, 2021. After screening, we evaluated the risk of bias of included studies, and combed the basic information of the literature, research designs, information of vaccines, study patients, outcome indicators and so on, qualitatively summarized the clinical research progress. Results: A total of 71 studies were included in this systematic review, including 14 random controlled trials, 15 quasi-random controlled trials, 4 cohort studies, 1 case-control study, 34 case series studies and 3 case reports. The study patients included women aged 15~79 with cervical cancer or precancerous lesions in 18 countries from 1989 to 2021. On the one hand, there were 40 studies on therapeutic vaccines for cervical precancerous lesions (22 867 participants), involving 21 kinds of vaccines in 6 categories. Results showed 3 marketed vaccines (Cervarix, Gardasil, Gardasil 9) as adjuvant immunotherapies were significant effective in preventing the recurrence of precancerous lesions compared with the conization only. In addition, MVA E2 vaccine had been in phase Ⅲ clinical trials as a specific therapeutic vaccine, with relative literature showing it could eliminate most high-grade precancerous lesions. Therapeutic vaccines for precancerous lesions all showed good safety. On the other hand, there were 31 studies on therapeutic vaccines for cervical cancer (781 participants), involving 19 kinds of vaccines in 7categories, with none had been marketed. 25 studies were with no control group, showing the vaccines could effectively eliminate solid tumors, prevent recurrence, and prolong the median survival time. However, the vaccines effectiveness couldn't be statistically calculated due to the lack of a control group. As for the safety of therapeutic vaccines for cervical cancer, 9 studies showed that patients experienced serious adverse events after treatments, where 7 studies reported that serious adverse events occurred in patients couldn't be ruled out as the results of therapeutic vaccines. Conclusions: The literature review shows that the literature evidence for the therapeutic vaccines for cervical precancerous lesions is relatively mature compared with the therapeutic vaccines for cervical cancer. The four kinds of vaccines on the market are all therapeutic vaccines for precancerous lesions, but they are generally used as vaginal infection treatments or adjuvant immunotherapies for cervical precancerous lesions, not used for the specific treatments of cervical precancerous lesions. Other specific therapeutic vaccines are in the early stage of clinical trials, mainly phase Ⅰ/Ⅱ clinical trials with small sample size. The effectiveness and safety data are limited, and further research is still needed.

Formation and nature of non-extractable residues of emerging organic contaminants in humic acids catalyzed by laccase

Formation of non-extractable residues (NERs) is the major fate of most environmental organic contaminants in soil, however, there is no direct evidence yet to support the assumed physical entrapment of NERs (i.e., type I NERs) inside soil humic substances. Here, we used ¹⁴C-radiotracer and silylation techniques to analyze NERs of six emerging and traditional organic contaminants formed in a suspension of humic acids (HA) under catalysis of the oxidative enzyme laccase. Laccase induced formation of both type I and covalently bound NERs (i.e., type II NERs) of bisphenol A, bisphenol F, and tetrabromobisphenol A to a large extent, and of bisphenol S (BPS) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) to a less extent, while no induction for phenanthrene. The type I NERs were formed supposedly owing to laccase-induced alteration of primary (active groups) and secondary (conformation) structure of humic supramolecules, contributing surprisingly to large extents (23.5%-65.7%) to the total NERs, particularly for BPS and SMX, which both were otherwise not transformed by laccase catalysis. Electron-withdrawing sulfonyl group and bromine substitution significantly decreased amount and kinetics of NER formation, respectively. This study provides the first direct evidence for the formation of type I NERs in humic substances and implies a "Trojan horse" effect of such NERs in the environment.

Transnasal Endoscopic and Transoral Approaches in the Biopsies of Ventral Atlas and Axis Vertebrae: A Comprehensive Retrospective Study for Preprocedural Scheme, Biopsy Procedure, Core Technique Analysis, Diagnostic Yield and Clinical Outcome

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to describe and analyze the transoral and transnasal approaches for pathologies of the ventral atlas and axis vertebrae, which are considered technically challenging regions for diagnostic biopsy.

METHODS

A series of transnasal endoscopic approach (TNA) and transoral approach (TOA) biopsies for the pathologies of the first and second cervical vertebrae were conducted and retrospectively analyzed from July 2014 to May 2021. The depth of the biopsy trajectory was measured on computed tomography images for all nine patients (eight males and one female with an average age of 58.11 ± 11.60 years), as were the coronal, sagittal, and vertical biopsy safe ranges. The characteristics of each lesion, including radiographic features, blood supply, and destruction of anterior or posterior vertebral body edges, were evaluated to guide the biopsy. Four biopsy core techniques (BCTs), including "lesion perforating", "aspiration", "cutting-and-scraping" and "biopsy forceps utilization" were elaborated in this study. The biopsy procedures and periprocedural precautions were demonstrated. Patient demographics, clinical data, lesion characteristics, diagnostic yield, and complications were recorded for each case.

RESULTS

Eight TOA biopsies for the axis vertebral body and one TNA biopsy for the atlas anterior arch were successfully performed and yielded adequate pathologies. All biopsies were organized based on the preprocedural radiographic measurements, which showed that the average length of biopsy trajectory and coronal, sagittal, and vertical safe biopsy ranges were 85.00 ± 5.88, 20.63 ± 4.75, 16.25 ± 1.49, and 24.63 ± 2.26 mm, respectively, and these corresponding data were 95, 36, 9, and 26 mm in the TNA patient. Six osteolytic lesions (66.7%), one osteoblastic lesion (11.1%), and two mixed lesions (22.2%) were observed, among which seven lesions had a rich blood supply. Biopsy forceps and core needles were utilized to obtain samples in six and three patients, respectively. All the TNA and TOA biopsies were performed with cooperative application of multiple BCTs under compound anatomic and stereotactic navigations. Intraprocedural or postprocedural complications occurred in no patients who underwent the biopsy in the follow-up period (1-39 months). No significant differences were found between the preprocedural and postprocedural blood indexes and visual analogue scale scores.

CONCLUSION

With a sophisticated preprocedural arrangement, cooperative application of BCTs, and careful periprocedural precautions, transnasal endoscopic and transoral biopsies are two feasible, efficient, and well-tolerated procedures that achieve satisfactory diagnostic yield, complication rate, and clinical outcome.

Phase I study of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in combination with cyclophosphamide and vincristine in pediatric patients with relapsed/refractory sarcoma and other malignant solid tumors

11519

Background: Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) was found to have improved toxicity profile, especially with regards to reduced cardiotoxicity. The objectives of this study were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of PLD in combination with cyclophosphamide and vincristine (PCV regimen) and describe the toxicities and response of this regimen. Methods: This was an open-label, single-center, single-arm phase I study utilizing a “3 + 3” design. The primary endpoint was the MTD of PLD, and the secondary endpoints included safety, objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and progression-free survival (PFS). Efficacy was evaluated using RECIST 1.1. PFS was defined as the time from treatment until disease progression or death. This study included cohort A and cohort B. Three dose levels were studied in cohort A, PLD 30 mg/m2 (L1), 40 mg/m2 (L2) or 50 mg/m2 (L3) d1 + cyclophosphamide and mesna at 1 g/m2/d d1-2 + vincristine 1.5 mg/m2/d (≯2mg) d1 every 3 weeks. As the endpoint of the study could not be reached, we changed the dose of cyclophosphamide and mesna to 1.5 g/m2/d d1 in cohort B. Results: Eleven in cohort A and 34 in cohort B were enrolled, the median age was 6 years (range 1-15). Forty-three patients were eligible and evaluable for toxicity, and 35 (77.8%) patients were evaluable for response. Diagnoses were rhabdomyosarcoma (n = 29, 64.4%), Ewing's sarcoma (n = 4), and others. The median number of prior regimens was 2 (range 1-5). The most common adverse event (AE) was grade 3 or grade 4 neutropenia with a proportion of 90.9% and 65.5% in cohort A and cohort B, respectively. There was no significant difference in ORR (60% vs. 48%) and DCR (90% vs. 88%) between the two cohorts. The ORR (60% vs. 0, P = 0.019) and DCR (96.7% vs. 40%, P = 0.006) were significantly higher in Group 1 (rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, Wilm's tumor, fibrosarcoma, undifferentiated sarcoma) compared with Group 2 (neuroblastoma, osteosarcoma, embryonal sarcoma, epithelioid sarcoma, extrarenal rhabdoid tumor). The 12-month PFS of Group 1 was also better than Group 2 (79% vs. 60%, P = 0.041). Conclusions: The PCV regimen demonstrated an acceptable toxicity profile and promising clinical efficacy in pediatric patients with R/R rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, Wilm's tumor, fibrosarcoma, and undifferentiated sarcoma. Increasing the dose of cyclophosphamide did not improve the efficacy, but increased the toxicity. The RP2D for future studies is PLD 30 mg/m2/d for one day. Clinical trial information: NCT04213612. [Table: see text]

A novel calibration strategy based on isotopic distribution for high-throughput quantitative analysis of pesticides and veterinary drugs using LC-HRMS

Preparation of calibration curves is a critical step for large-scale quantification. However, this procedure is time-consuming, labor intensive. Herein, a novel isotopologue multipoint calibration (IMC) strategy, was proposed and demonstrated for the simultaneous quantitation of 120 pesticides and 83 veterinary drugs in surface water samples using Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS). In this strategy, the natural isotopic distribution was used to generate external calibration curves, eliminating the need of analyst's adjustment and many sets of chemical standard solutions required in external calibration curves. Additionally, this strategy was comprehensively validated, and the results indicated this strategy had better performance in both accuracy and precision, fully meeting the requirements for the quantitative analysis. Interestingly, for the samples with high concentration beyond the upper limit of quantitation, the IMC strategy could avoid samples dilution by monitoring the less abundant isotopic channels. Furthermore, the IMC method was successfully applied in the surface water samples collected from Anhui province, China. Among which, sulfamethoxazole and imidacoprid were the main contributors. In conclusion, we present a promising LC-HRMS strategy for the accurate quantitation of small molecules, which has a potential application in food and environmental analysis.

[Strengthening the Reporting of Pharmacogenetic Studies (STROPS) guideline]

Pharmacogenetic studies are designed to investigate the associations between genetic variation and treatment response for a particular drug in terms of both efficacy and adverse events and have high sample size requirements. To improve the quality of pharmacogenetic studies and facilitate the Meta-analyses to investigate statistically significant associations, Strengthening the Reporting of Pharmacogenetic Studies (STROPS) guideline was developed in 2020 based on the Strengthening the Reporting of Genetic Association Studies (STREGA) statement. The objective of this article is to present a brief introduction to the STROPS guideline and an interpretation of the key points in some items with examples for the better understanding and application.

Vitrification by transient vacuum flashing spray cooling of liquid nitrogen

BACKGROUND

The transient vacuum flashing spray cooling of liquid nitrogen (LN₂) on a microstructured surface can provide ultra-fast cooling rate and may improve cell survival rates.

OBJECTIVE

To utilize flashing spray cooling of LN₂ instead of film boiling to improve further cell vitrification.

METHOD

This study analyzed the effects of the three key parameters (flow rate of liquid nitrogen, ambient pressure, and spray distance) on the cooling process by experimentation.

RESULTS

The experimental results showed that the vacuum flashing spray cooling of LN₂ can gain higher cooling rates than that achieved by film boiling in conventional vitrification methods. The three parameters all affected the vacuum flash evaporation spray cooling of LN2, and their effect trends were not monotonous but followed a parabolic trend that increased and then decreased. That is, the three parameters all have optimum values to the cooling process.

CONCLUSION

Vacuum flash evaporation spray cooling can develop the ultra-fast cooling rates needed to enhance cell vitrification. doi.org/10.54680/fr22310110212.

Lipid Metabolism Regulation Based on Nanotechnology for Enhancement of Tumor Immunity

The hallmarks of cancer include dysregulated metabolism and immune evasion. As a basic way of metabolism, lipid metabolism is reprogrammed for the rapid energy and nutrient supply in the occurrence and development of tumors. Lipid metabolism alterations that occur in the tumor microenvironment (TME) affect the antitumor responses of immune cells and cause immune evasion. Therefore, targeting lipid metabolism in the TME for enhancing the antitumor effect of immune cells is a promising direction for cancer treatment. Cancer nanomedicine has great potential in regulating tumor metabolism and tumor immunity. This review summarizes the nanotechnology-based strategies for lipid metabolism regulation in the TME for enhanced anticancer immune responses.

Pharmacokinetics, Tissue Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion of a Novel COX-2 Inhibitor, Vitacoxib, in Rats

The objectives of this study were to elucidate absorption, tissue distribution, excretion, and metabolism of vitacoxib, a novel selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, in Wistar rats. Vitacoxib was detected in most tissues within 15 min, suggesting that it was well distributed. Moreover, it could cross the intestinal barrier. Vitacoxib was mainly eliminated as two metabolites. Nine proposed metabolites of vitacoxib were found in the plasma, bile, urine, and feces of rats. Two main metabolites, 4-(4-chloro-1-(5-(methyl-sulfonyl) pyridin-2-yl)-1H-imidazol-5-yl) phenyl methanol (M1) and 4-(4-chloro-1-(5-(methyl-sulfonyl) pyridin-2-yl)-1H-imidazol-5-yl) benzoic acid (M2), were identified in rat feces and urine. Further, the authentic standards of M1 and M2 were synthesized to confirm their structures. The carboxylic acid derivative was the major metabolite of vitacoxib excreted in the urine and feces. Hydroxylation of the aromatic methyl group of vitacoxib and additional oxidation of the hydroxymethyl metabolite to a carboxylic acid metabolite were the proposed metabolic pathways. Vitacoxib displayed a high AUC_last (4895.73 ± 604.34 ng·h/ml), long half-life (4.25 ± 0.30 h), slow absorption (T_max, 5.00 ± 2.00 h), and wide tissue distribution in rats. Our findings provide significant information for the further development and investigation of vitacoxib as an effective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent, and highly its potential for use future in a clinical setting.

PPFIA4 promotes castration-resistant prostate cancer by enhancing mitochondrial metabolism through MTHFD2

Background

The development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains a major obstacle in the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). Dysregulated mitochondrial function has been linked to the initiation and progression of diverse human cancers. Deciphering the novel molecular mechanisms underlying mitochondrial function may provide important insights for developing novel therapeutics for CRPC.

Methods

We investigate the expression of the protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type F polypeptide interacting protein alpha 4 (PPFIA4) using public datasets and tumor specimens from PCa cases by immunohistochemistry. Gain- and loss-of-function studies are performed in PCa cell lines and mouse models of subcutaneous xenograft to characterize the role of PPFIA4 in CRPC. Gene expression regulation is evaluated by a series of molecular and biochemical experiments in PCa cell lines. The therapeutic effects of methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) inhibitor combined enzalutamide are assessed using in vitro functional assays and in vivo mouse models.

Results

We show that the increase of PPFIA4 exacerbates aggressive phenotype resembling CRPC. A fraction of PPFIA4 localizes to mitochondria and interacts with MTHFD2, a key enzyme for one-carbon metabolism. Androgen deprivation increases the translocation of PPFIA4 into mitochondria and increases the interaction between PPFIA4 and MTHFD2, which result in the elevation of tyrosine phosphorylated MTHFD2. Consequently, the levels of NADPH synthesis increase, resulting in protection against androgen deprivation-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as promotion of tumor growth. Clinically, PPFIA4 expression is significantly increased in CRPC tissues compared with localized PCa ones. Importantly, an MTHFD2 inhibitor, DS18561882, combined with enzalutamide can significantly inhibit CRPC cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo.

Conclusion

Overall, our findings reveal a PPFIA4-MTHFD2 complex in mitochondria that links androgen deprivation to mitochondrial metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction, which suggest a potential strategy to inhibit CRPC progression.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-022-02331-3.

Vincristine, Irinotecan, and Temozolomide in Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Neuroblastoma

Purpose

The combination of irinotecan, temozolomide and vincristine has been proposed as an effective salvage regimen for some pediatric malignancies. Thus, we sought to evaluate this combination for patients with relapsed and refractory neuroblastoma (NB).

Patients and Methods

In this retrospective study, forty-six patients with relapsed or refractory NB were treated with the combination of vincristine (1.5 mg/m² i.v. day 1), irinotecan (50 mg/m²/day i.v. days 1–5) and temozolomide (100 mg/m²/day p.o. days 1–5) (VIT) during the period 2011–2019. All toxicities were documented.

Results

A total of 251 cycles (median 6 cycles/patient) were administered. A complete response (CR) was achieved in 5 patients, partial response (PR) in 27 patients, stable disease (SD) in 8 patients, and progression disease (PD) in 6 patients, with an overall objective response rate (CR+PR) of 69.6%. Eighteen patients developed diarrhea with Grade 3 or less. Grade 1-2 hematologic toxicity occurred in 10 patients. Grade 3-4 hematologic toxicity developed in 32 patients. VIT was an effective regimen for different metastatic sites. UGT1A*28 genotyping performed in 7 patients revealed wild type. Diarrhea occurred in 4 of them.

Conclusion

The shorter, 5-day VIT regimen is an active and well-tolerated salvage regimen in relapse/refractory NB.

Long non-coding RNA TTTY15 sponges miR-520a-3p to exacerbate neural apoptosis induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion via targeting IRF9 in vivo and in vitro

BACKGROUND

Studies have proven that as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital roles in regulating RNA transcripts in ischemic stroke. It has been reported that TTTY15, a lncRNA, is dysregulated in cardiomyocytes after ischemic injury. We intended to explore the potential regulating mechanism of TTTY15 in ischemic stroke.

METHODS

TTTY15 and miR-520a-3p levels in vivo were measured in the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) model. Cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. To manifest TTTY15 functions in I/R injury, Neuro 2a (N2a) cells were exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) and treated with si-NC, pcDNA3.1-NC, si-TTTY15 or pcDNA3.1-TTTY15.

RESULTS

TTTY15 expression was elevated and miR-520a-3p expression was declined in mouse brains exposed to I/R and in N2a cells exposed to OGD/R. Bioinformatics analyses predicted the binding sites of miR-520a-3p in the 3'-UTRs of interferon regulatory factor 9 (IRF9) and TTTY15. Luciferase reporter assay exhibited that TTTY15 bound to miR-520a-3p directly and IRF9 was targeted by miR-520a-3p. MiR-520a-3p overexpression diminished N2a cell apoptosis caused by OGD/R. TTTY15 overexpression antagonized the inhibitory impacts of miR-520a-3p on IRF9 expression and apoptosis after OGD/R, while TTTY15 knockdown enhanced the inhibitory impacts of miR-520a-3p. Additionally, TTTY15 knockdown alleviated brain damages and neurological deficits induced by I/R in vivo. Our results revealed that TTTY15 modulated IRF9 via acting as a ceRNA for miR-520a-3p.

CONCLUSION

The study revealed the roles of TTTY15/miR-520a-3p/IRF9 signaling pathway in regulating cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

The Efficacy and Safety of Anlotinib in Pediatric Patients With Refractory or Recurrent Solid Tumors

Objective: Refractory or recurrent pediatric solid tumors lack effective treatments, and are associated with dismal outcomes. Hence, there is an urgent need for a novel therapeutic strategy. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib, a novel oral multi-kinase angiogenesis inhibitor, in pediatric patients with refractory or recurrent solid tumors.

Methods: This single-institutional, observational retrospective study was conducted in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, China. Refractory or recurrent pediatric solid tumor patients treated with anlotinib between 2018 and 2020 were evaluated.

Results: Forty-one and 30 patients were enrolled to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib, respectively. There was partial response in five patients, stable disease in 22 patients, no patient with complete response, with an objective response ratio of 12.2% (5/41; 95% CI 1.7-22.7). The disease control rate was 65.9% (27/41; 95% CI 50.7-81) and the median progression-free survival was 2.87 months (95% CI 0.86-4.88). The incidence rates of any grade and grade 3–4 adverse events were 80% (24/30) and 23.3% (7/30), respectively. Bleeding (20%, 6/30), hand-foot syndrome (16.7%, 5/30), and diarrhea (13.3%, 4/30) were the most common adverse events. Grade 3–4 adverse events included hypertension, hand-foot syndrome, diarrhea, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. There were no adverse events-related deaths.

Conclusion: For heavily pretreated pediatric solid tumors, anlotinib monotherapy and its combination with chemotherapy may be an effective treatment option with tolerable adverse events. It is necessary to monitor blood pressure when using anlotinib in children.

Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence, Self-Acceptance, and Positive Coping Styles Among Chinese Psychiatric Nurses in Shandong

Background

Nurses are facing increasing pressure due to the progressing of society, broadening of nursing service connotation, and increasing of the masses’ demand for medical treatment. Psychiatric nurses face suicides, violence, and lost along with other accidents involving patients with mental disorders under higher psychological pressure. A coping style, which is affected by individual emotions and cognition, is an essential psychological resource that allows individuals to regulate stress. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between self-acceptance and the positive coping style of psychiatric nurses, and investigate the mediating role of emotional intelligence.

Methods

A total of 813 psychiatric nurses from six natural regions in Shandong Province were investigated using the Self-Acceptance Questionnaire (SAQ), Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), and self-compiled general information questionnaire.

Results

The total EIS score of psychiatric nurses was 3.848 ± 0.459. The highest score was for others’ emotional management (4.071 ± 0.548) and the lowest was for emotion perception (3.684 ± 0.483). EIS and positive coping style were statistically significant based on age, work experience, professional title, education level, and gender (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). Self-acceptance was statistically significant only for professional titles (F = 3.258, p = 0.021). Self-acceptance and emotional intelligence were positively correlated with positive coping style (r = 0.361, p < 0.01; r = 0.492, p < 0.01, respectively). The factors were also positively correlated with each other (r = 0.316, p < 0.01). Self-emotion management, others’ emotional management, emotion perception, self-acceptance, and education level jointly predicted positive coping styles (R² = 0.305, F = 60.476, p = 0.000). Emotional intelligence partially mediated the relationship between self-acceptance and positive coping styles, with a mediating effect of 16.3%.

Conclusion

Emotional intelligence and self-acceptance can promote positive coping styles and improve psychiatric nurses’ mental health.

[How to report adaptive design randomized trials-A interpretation of international reporting guideline ACE]

Concerns has been raised in improving the quality of adaptive design randomized trials reports. Based on the CONSORT 2010 (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials), The Adaptive designs CONSORT Extension (ACE) has developed items and reporting specifications for adaptive design trials. This paper presents a brief explanation of the extension and new items of ACE and introduces the applications of ACE checklist with examples.

[Artificial intelligence-based literature data warehouse for vaccine safety]

Objective: To establish a sustainable updated literature data warehouse for global vaccine safety assessment, and provide data support for evidence-based vaccine safety assessment. Methods: Semi-automated construction and updating of a literature data warehouse were achieved through the continuous integration of standard operating steps of evidence-based reviews with artificial intelligence technologies. Following the standard procedure of a systematic literature review, the literatures about vaccine safety assessment published before November 29, 2020 were retrieved from 9 databases including OVID, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrails.org in English and Wanfang, CNKI, VIP, and SinoMed in Chinese. Literatures were screened for two rounds in a semi-automatic manner (by artificial intelligence literature processing system and manual work) according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Furthermore, the literatures were classified according to the types of vaccines and adverse events. The updating strategy was established, and the literature data warehouse was updated regularly. Experts were organized to select specific vaccine safety topics and carry out special demonstration studies. Results: More than 0.41 million articles were retrieved. According to the inclusion/exclusion criteria, 23 304 articles were included after two rounds of screening. At present, we have selected and completed three prior topics as demonstration studies, including the systematic review of "DPT (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus) vaccine and encephalopathy/encephalitis", and the classified management of literatures about allergic purpura and brachial plexus neuritis. Conclusions: The sustainable updated literature data warehouse of vaccine safety can provide high-quality research data for vaccine safety research, including evidence support for immunization related policy-making and adjustment and vaccine safety-related methodological research or clinical tool development; and further demonstration studies can provide references for building a new methodological framework system for timely and efficient completion of the evidence-based assessment of vaccine safety.

Background ions into exclusion list: A new strategy to enhance the efficiency of DDA data collection for high-throughput screening of chemical contaminations in food

Foods contaminated with hazardous compounds, could pose potential risks for human health. To date, there is still a big challenge in accurate identification. In this study, a novel data-dependent acquisition (DDA) approach, based on a combination of inclusion list and exclusion list, was proposed to acquire more effective MS/MS spectra. This strategy was successfully applied in a large-scale screening survey to detect 50 mycotoxins in oats, 155 veterinary drugs in dairy milk, and 200 pesticides in tomatoes. Compared with traditional acquisition modes, this new strategy has higher detection rate, particularly at ultra-low concentration by eliminating background influence, thereby generating the MS/MS spectra for more potential hazardous materials instead of matrix interference. Additionally, the obtained MS/MS spectra are simpler and more likely to be traced back than DIA. Moreover, this new strategy would be more comprehensively applied in food safety monitoring with the improvement of HRMS and post-acquisition techniques.