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Pathania AS. Immune Microenvironment in Childhood Cancers: Characteristics and Therapeutic Challenges. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2201. [PMID: 38927907 PMCID: PMC11201451 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16122201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The tumor immune microenvironment is pivotal in cancer initiation, advancement, and regulation. Its molecular and cellular composition is critical throughout the disease, as it can influence the balance between suppressive and cytotoxic immune responses within the tumor's vicinity. Studies on the tumor immune microenvironment have enriched our understanding of the intricate interplay between tumors and their immunological surroundings in various human cancers. These studies illuminate the role of significant components of the immune microenvironment, which have not been extensively explored in pediatric tumors before and may influence the responsiveness or resistance to therapeutic agents. Our deepening understanding of the pediatric tumor immune microenvironment is helping to overcome challenges related to the effectiveness of existing therapeutic strategies, including immunotherapies. Although in the early stages, targeted therapies that modulate the tumor immune microenvironment of pediatric solid tumors hold promise for improved outcomes. Focusing on various aspects of tumor immune biology in pediatric patients presents a therapeutic opportunity that could improve treatment outcomes. This review offers a comprehensive examination of recent literature concerning profiling the immune microenvironment in various pediatric tumors. It seeks to condense research findings on characterizing the immune microenvironment in pediatric tumors and its impact on tumor development, metastasis, and response to therapeutic modalities. It covers the immune microenvironment's role in tumor development, interactions with tumor cells, and its impact on the tumor's response to immunotherapy. The review also discusses challenges targeting the immune microenvironment for pediatric cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anup Singh Pathania
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
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Xu HH, Xie YY, Jun-Gan, Yang Z, Han QY. Dynamic changes of soluble HLA-G and cytokine plasma levels in cervical cancer patients: potential role in cancer progression and immunotherapy. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2022:10.1007/s00432-022-04331-4. [PMID: 36053326 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-022-04331-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Chronic inflammation has been proven to be an important factor in carcinogenesis. Cytokines are the central mediators in the inflammatory microenvironment, and their release may be influenced by soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G). The aim of this study was to monitor the dynamic process of these soluble factors in patients with cervical cancer at Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, trying to understand their relationship with diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. METHODS We quantified plasma levels of sHLA-G and 12 cytokines using ELISA and flow cytometry, respectively, in the peripheral blood of patients with cervical cancer divided into three groups: preoperation, postoperation and clinical relapse. Healthy women were used as the control group. Data were analysed by non-parametric tests, receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and Kaplan-Meier plotter (log-rank test). RESULTS In this study, our findings showed that preoperation plasma levels of sHLA-G and the cytokines IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ in cervical cancer patients had a good discriminatory effect between cervical cancer patients and healthy women. It should be noted that plasma levels of sHLA-G, IL-6, and IL-10 were significantly decreased within 30 days after radical hysterectomy (P < 0.05). A positive correlation was observed between IL-6 and IL-10, IL-8 and IL-17 levels preoperatively. In contrast, sHLA-G levels were negatively correlated with IL-10 but not with other cytokines. An increased survival rate in patients with cervical cancer was associated with IL-5 < 1.70 pg/mL, IL-17 < 2.30 pg/mL, and IFN-α < 2.26 pg/mL preoperatively. In addition, our findings showed that the levels of cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p70, IL-17, and IFN-γ may be related to 5-year relapse rates and/or the metastasis of cervical cancer. CONCLUSION The current findings enhance our understanding of the dynamic process (preoperation, postoperation and clinical relapse) of sHLA-G and these cytokines in the plasma of patients with cervical cancer from diagnosis to prognosis. These biomarkers may play a potential therapeutic target role of such dynamic changes in the immunotherapy for cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Hui Xu
- Medical Research Center, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China. .,Key Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Techniques and Rapid Rehabilitation of Digestive System Tumor of Zhejiang Province, Linhai, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
| | - You-You Xie
- Radiotherapy Department, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun-Gan
- Medical Research Center, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi Yang
- Medical Research Center, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiu-Yue Han
- Biological Resource Center, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
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Almeida RS, Gomes TT, Araújo FS, de Oliveira SAV, Santos JF, Donadi EA, Lucena-Silva N. Differentially Expressed Bone Marrow microRNAs Are Associated With Soluble HLA-G Bone Marrow Levels in Childhood Leukemia. Front Genet 2022; 13:871972. [PMID: 35774498 PMCID: PMC9237524 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.871972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
HLA-G is a nonclassical histocompatibility class I molecule that plays a role in immune vigilance in cancer and infectious diseases. We previously reported that highly soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) levels in the bone marrow were associated with a high blood cell count in T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a marker associated with a poor prognosis. To understand the posttranscriptional HLA-G gene regulation in leukemia, we evaluated the bone marrow microRNA profile associated with the HLA-G bone marrow mRNA expression and sHLA-G bone marrow levels in children exhibiting acute leukemia (B-ALL, T-ALL, and AML) using massively parallel sequencing. Ten differentially expressed miRNAs were associated with high sHLA-G bone marrow levels, and four of them (hsa-miR-4516, hsa-miR-486-5p, hsa-miR-4488, and hsa-miR-5096) targeted HLA-G, acting at distinct HLA-G gene segments. For qPCR validation, these miRNA expression levels (ΔCt) were correlated with HLA-G5 and RREB1 mRNA expressions and sHLA-G bone marrow levels according to the leukemia subtype. The hsa-miR-4488 and hsa-miR-5096 expression levels were lower in B-ALL than in AML, while that of hsa-miR-486-5p was lower in T-ALL than in AML. In T-ALL, hsa-miR-5096 correlated positively with HLA-G5 and negatively with sHLA-G. In addition, hsa-miR-4516 correlated negatively with sHLA-G levels. In AML, hsa-miR-4516 and hsa-miR-4488 correlated positively with HLA-G5 mRNA, but the HLA-G5 negatively correlated with sHLA-G. Our findings highlight the need to validate the findings of massively parallel sequencing since the experiment generally uses few individuals, and the same type of leukemia can be molecularly quite variable. We showed that miRNA’s milieu in leukemia’s bone marrow environment varies according to the type of leukemia and that the regulation of sHLA-G expression exerted by the same miRNA may act by a distinct mechanism in different types of leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Santos Almeida
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Recife, Brazil
| | - Thailany Thays Gomes
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Recife, Brazil
| | - Felipe Souza Araújo
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Recife, Brazil
| | - Sávio Augusto Vieira de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Recife, Brazil
| | - Jair Figueredo Santos
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Recife, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Antônio Donadi
- Clinical Immunology Division, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Norma Lucena-Silva
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Recife, Brazil
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Pediatric Oncology Service, IMIP Hospital, Recife, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Norma Lucena-Silva,
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Prognostic role of serum cytokines and soluble HLA-G levels in children with leukemia who undergo allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Cytokine 2022; 153:155869. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2022.155869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Pastorczak A, Domka K, Fidyt K, Poprzeczko M, Firczuk M. Mechanisms of Immune Evasion in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1536. [PMID: 33810515 PMCID: PMC8037152 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13071536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) results from a clonal expansion of abnormal lymphoid progenitors of B cell (BCP-ALL) or T cell (T-ALL) origin that invade bone marrow, peripheral blood, and extramedullary sites. Leukemic cells, apart from their oncogene-driven ability to proliferate and avoid differentiation, also change the phenotype and function of innate and adaptive immune cells, leading to escape from the immune surveillance. In this review, we provide an overview of the genetic heterogeneity and treatment of BCP- and T-ALL. We outline the interactions of leukemic cells in the bone marrow microenvironment, mainly with mesenchymal stem cells and immune cells. We describe the mechanisms by which ALL cells escape from immune recognition and elimination by the immune system. We focus on the alterations in ALL cells, such as overexpression of ligands for various inhibitory receptors, including anti-phagocytic receptors on macrophages, NK cell inhibitory receptors, as well as T cell immune checkpoints. In addition, we describe how developing leukemia shapes the bone marrow microenvironment and alters the function of immune cells. Finally, we emphasize that an immunosuppressive microenvironment can reduce the efficacy of chemo- and immunotherapy and provide examples of preclinical studies showing strategies for improving ALL treatment by targeting these immunosuppressive interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Pastorczak
- Department of Pediatrics, Oncology and Hematology, Medical University of Lodz, 91-738 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Krzysztof Domka
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; (K.D.); (K.F.); (M.P.)
- Doctoral School, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Klaudyna Fidyt
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; (K.D.); (K.F.); (M.P.)
- Postgraduate School of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Martyna Poprzeczko
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; (K.D.); (K.F.); (M.P.)
| | - Malgorzata Firczuk
- Department of Immunology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland; (K.D.); (K.F.); (M.P.)
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The Potential of Soluble Human Leukocyte Antigen Molecules for Early Cancer Detection and Therapeutic Vaccine Design. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8040775. [PMID: 33353014 PMCID: PMC7766713 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules are essential for anti-tumor immunity, as they display tumor-derived peptides to drive tumor eradication by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. HLA molecules are primarily studied as peptide-loaded complexes on cell membranes (mHLA) and much less attention is given to their secretion as soluble HLA–peptide complexes (sHLA) into bodily fluids. Yet sHLA levels are altered in various pathologies including cancer, and are thus of high interest as biomarkers. Disconcordance in results across studies, however, hampers interpretation and generalization of the relationship between sHLA levels and cancer presence, thereby impairing its use as a biomarker. Furthermore, the question remains to what extent sHLA complexes exert immunomodulatory effects and whether shifts in sHLA levels contribute to disease or are only a consequence of disease. sHLA complexes can also bear tumor-derived peptides and recent advancements in mass spectrometry now permit closer sHLA peptide cargo analysis. sHLA peptide cargo may represent a “liquid biopsy” that could facilitate the use of sHLA for cancer diagnosis and target identification for therapeutic vaccination. This review aims to outline the contradictory and unexplored aspects of sHLA and to provide direction on how the full potential of sHLA as a quantitative and qualitative biomarker can be exploited.
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Almeida RS, Costa E Silva M, Coutinho LL, Garcia Gomes R, Pedrosa F, Massaro JD, Donadi EA, Lucena-Silva N. MicroRNA expression profiles discriminate childhood T- from B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Hematol Oncol 2018; 37:103-112. [PMID: 30393877 DOI: 10.1002/hon.2567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role on biological and cellular processes; the search for functional markers may be of importance for differential diagnosis, prognosis, and development of new therapeutic regimens. In this context, we evaluated the bone marrow miRNA profile of Brazilian children exhibiting T- or B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL or B-ALL), using massive parallel sequencing, using the HiSeq 2500 platform (Illumina). The differential expression analysis was conducted considering a leave-one-out approach and FDR ≤ 0.05. Machine learning algorithms were applied to search for the disease subset biomarkers. Target prediction, functional enrichment, and classification of biological categories were also performed. Sixteen miRNAs were differentially expressed between T- and B-ALL, of which 10 (miR-708-5p, miR-497-5p, miR-151a-5p, miR-151b, miR-371b-5p, miR-455-5p, miR-195-5p, miR-1266-5p, miR-574-5p, and miR-425-5p) were downregulated and six (miR-450b-5p, miR-450a-5p, miR-542-5p, miR-424-5p, miR-629-5p, and miR-29c-5p) were upregulated in childhood T-ALL. These miRNAs may be used for distinguishing childhood lymphoblastic leukemia subtypes, since it provided the clear separation of patients in these two distinct groups. Six relevant biological pathways were identified according to their role in leukemia, namely, viral carcinogenesis, cell cycle, and B-cell receptor signaling pathways for induced miRNAs and TGF-beta signaling, apoptosis, and NF-kappa B signaling for the repressed miRNAs, of which several miRNA gene targets participate in cell differentiation and hematopoiesis processes. Machine learning analysis pointed out miR-29c-5p expression as the best discriminator between childhood T- and B-ALL, which is involved in calcium signaling, critical for B-cell lymphocyte fate. Further studies are needed to assure the role of the 16 miRNAs and miR-29c-5p on acute lymphoblastic leukemia subtypes and on disease prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Santos Almeida
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Recife, Brazil
| | - Matheus Costa E Silva
- Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Luiz Lehmann Coutinho
- Animal Biotechnology Laboratory, Animal Science Department, University of São Paulo (USP)/Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Renan Garcia Gomes
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Recife, Brazil
| | - Francisco Pedrosa
- Pediatric Oncology, Instituto de Medicina Integral Professor Fernando Figueira (IMIP) Hospital, Recife, Brazil
| | - Juliana Doblas Massaro
- Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Antônio Donadi
- Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Norma Lucena-Silva
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Recife, Brazil.,Pediatric Oncology, Instituto de Medicina Integral Professor Fernando Figueira (IMIP) Hospital, Recife, Brazil
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Li Y, Li Y, Lu W, Li H, Wang Y, Luo H, Wu Y, Dong W, Bai G, Zhang Y. Integrated Network Pharmacology and Metabolomics Analysis of the Therapeutic Effects of Zi Dian Fang on Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:597. [PMID: 29971001 PMCID: PMC6018083 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Current hormone-based treatments for immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) are associated with potentially serious adverse reactions. Zi Dian Fang (ZDF) is a multi-target Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) used to treat both the symptoms and root causes of ITP, with fewer side effects than hormone-based treatments. This study analysis of the therapeutic effects of ZDF on ITP from three aspects: platelet proliferation, immunoregulation, and inflammation. After detection of 52 chemical constituents of ZDF by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS, The main targets and pathways affected by ZDF were screened by network pharmacology and verified by Western blot and ELISA. Meanwhile, metabolomics analysis were applied to a mouse model of ITP to identify and screen endogenous terminal metabolites differentially regulated by ZDF. Integrated network pharmacology and metabolomics analysis of the therapeutic effects of ZDF on ITP may be as follows: ZDF counteracts ITP symptoms mainly by inhibiting Ras/MAPKs (Ras/Mitogen-activated protein kinases) pathway, and the expression of upstream protein (Ras) and downstream protein (p-ERK, p-JNK, p-p38) were inhibited, which affects the content of effect index associated with proliferation (Thrombopoietin, TPO; Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, GM-CSF), inflammation (Tumor necrosis factor-α, TNF-α; Interleukin-6, IL-6), immune (Interleukin-2, IL-2; Interferon-gamma, IFN-γ; Interleukin-4, IL-4), so that the body’s arginine, Δ12-prostaglandin j2 (Δ12-PGJ2), 9-cis-Retinoic Acid, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), oleic acid amide and other 12 endogenous metabolites significantly changes. Considering the established safety profile, the present study suggests ZDF may be a useful alternative to hormone-based therapies for the treatment of ITP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubo Li
- Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yamei Li
- Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenliang Lu
- Tasly Institute, Tasly Pharmaceutical Group, Tianjin, China
| | - Hongbin Li
- Tasly Institute, Tasly Pharmaceutical Group, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuming Wang
- Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Houmin Luo
- Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wu
- Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenying Dong
- Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Gang Bai
- College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanjun Zhang
- Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
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