Research progress of immunotherapy for advanced head and neck cancer

Head and neck cancer accounts for about one-fifth of all malignant tumors, and the incidence is increasing year by year. The overall mortality rate was high and the 5-year survival rate was low. At present, the combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy is the main treatment in clinical practice, but the treatment of recurrent or metastatic advanced head and neck cancer is still a challenge. With the rise of immunotherapy, more and more studies on immune checkpoint inhibitors have been conducted. This review summarizes the mechanism, clinical application and safety of immunotherapy for advanced head and neck cancer.

[Value of transnasal high-flow oxygen therapy and noninvasive ventilation in the management of acute respiratory distress syndrome]

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is one of the most common syndromes in the intensive care unit, with a high mortality and morbidity. Refractory hypoxia is the typical feature of ARDS, and improving hypoxia is the key to the treatment of ARDS. Due to the rapid progression of ARDS, invasive ventilation is usually used to improve hypoxia. But in recent years, with the extending of the understanding of ARDS and the development of non-invasive oxygen therapy, high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) and non-invasive ventilation (NIV) are gradually used in ARDS. Therefore, we reviewed the role of HFNO and NIV in ARDS in this paper.

Identifying immune-related prognostic biomarkers in osteosarcoma: Development and validation of the tumor immune microenvironment risk model based on analysis of TCGA

OBJECTIVE

Osteosarcoma is a rare and aggressive malignancy with limited effective therapeutic options. This study aimed to identify immune-related prognostic biomarkers and develop a prognostic model for osteosarcoma.

METHODS

We performed integrated analysis of transcriptomic data and immune cell infiltration profiles of 84 osteosarcoma samples from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the prognostic value of the TIMErisk model. We also performed functional annotation and pathway enrichment analyses to explore the potential mechanisms underlying the TIMErisk model.

RESULTS

We identified a seven-gene TIMErisk model (C2, APBB1IP, BST2, TRPV2, CCL5, GBP1, and F13A1) that was independently associated with overall survival of osteosarcoma patients. The TIMErisk model showed significant associations with immune cell infiltration and immunosuppressive gene expression. In addition, the TIMErisk model was associated with drug sensitivity, and we found that several immune checkpoint genes were significantly differentially expressed between high- and low-TIMErisk groups. Functional annotation and pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the TIMErisk model was associated with multiple immune-related pathways, including antigen processing and presentation, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and T cell receptor signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

Our study identified a novel TIME-based prognostic model for osteosarcoma that incorporates immune-related genes and can be used to predict patient prognosis and response to immunotherapy. Our findings highlight the importance of the TIME microenvironment in osteosarcoma progression and suggest that immune-related biomarkers may have clinical significance in the management of osteosarcoma.

Solution-Processed Metal Oxide Thin-Film Transistor at Low Temperature via A Combination Strategy of H2 O2 -Inducement Technique and Infrared Irradiation Annealing

Solution processing has emerged as a promising technique for the fabrication of oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs), offering advantages such as low cost, high throughput, and exceptional compositional control. However, achieving reasonable electrical properties typically demands high annealing temperatures in the fabrication process. In addressing this challenge, a novel combination strategy is proposed that involves integrating the H2 O2 inducement technique with infrared (IR) irradiation annealing. The study investigates the effects of precursors and IR irradiation annealing temperatures on the electrical properties of In2 O3 TFTs. It is found that H2 O2 can help accelerate the decomposition of organic residues, while IR irradiation annealing could enhance the film densification. By employing the proposed strategy, metal oxide TFTs consisting of a Zr-Al-O dielectric fabricated at 230 °C and an In2 O3 channel layer fabricated at 185 °C demonstrated high performance with field-effect mobility = 31.7 cm2  V-1 ·s-1 , threshold voltage = 1.3 V, subthreshold swing = 0.13 V per decade, and on-to-off current ratio = 1.1 × 105 . This work demonstrates the proposed combinational strategy is a general method to fabricate not only metal oxide semiconductors but also dielectrics.

Association between patterns of biological rhythm and self-harm: evidence from the baoxing youth mental health (BYMH) cohort

BACKGROUND

Self-harm, a severe mental health concern among children and adolescents, has varying global prevalence rates. Previous studies have suggested potential associations between specific behavioral aspects of biological rhythm and self-harm risk in these populations.

OBJECTIVE

Our study aimed to elucidate the relationship between biological rhythm patterns and the propensity of self-harm among Chinese children and adolescents using the Baoxing Youth Mental Health (BYMH) cohort.

METHODS

We included 1883 Chinese children and adolescents from the BYMH cohort. The self-report questions used to assess biological rhythm and self-harm. We applied Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to distinguish patterns of biological rhythms. Logistic regression models were conducted to estimate the associations between biological rhythm, as well as biological rhythm patterns and risk of self-harm.

RESULTS

Of the participants, 35.0% reported experiencing lifetime self-harm. PCA revealed six significantly predominant biological rhythm patterns. Elevated risks of self-harm were linked with unhealthy eating practices, daytime tiredness, and unhealthy bedtime snacking. Conversely, patterns emphasizing physical exercise, family meals for breakfast, and nutritious diet exhibited decreased self-harm propensities. These trends persisted across varied self-harm attributes, including type, recency, and frequency of self-harm.

CONCLUSIONS

This study underscores the critical impact of biological rhythms on self-harm risks among Chinese youth. Targeted lifestyle interventions, focusing on improved sleep and dietary habits, could serve as potent preventive measures. Our findings lay the groundwork for future longitudinal studies to further probe these associations, fostering the creation of tailored interventions to curb self-harm and enhance mental well-being in younger populations.

[Current status and challenges of endovascular repair for Stanford type A aortic dissection]

Type A aortic dissection (TAAD) is characterized by acute onset, high mortality and high surgical risks.Although open surgery has been the first-line treatment for TAAD in current guidelines, 10% to 30% of them will accept conservative treatment due to the high risk of open surgery.In recent years, with the rapid progress of endovascular technology and the innovations of various devices, endovascular repair for TAAD has shown encouraging preliminary results.Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has become the first-line treatment for complicated type B aortic dissection (TABD).By sealing the primary entry tear and promoting the remodeling of the false lumen, TEVAR is more minimally invasive and efficient compared to open repair.Compared with TBAD, TEVAR for TAAD is not fully elucidated.The primary entry tear is located in the ascending aorta, which has different pathophysiology characteristics from that in TBAD.More suitable and safe stent-graft and delivery system are needed. In terms of technology, the selection of proximal and distal landing zone and intraoperative brain protection are still the key and difficult problems. At the same time, there is a lack of mature programs in the treatment of the aortic root and the reconstruction of the aortic arch branches.

[Chinese expert consensus on neoadjuvant therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (2023 edition)]

Recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after surgery is a major factor affecting the efficacy of the treatment of patients. Neoadjuvant treatment is an effective therapeutic method to reduce postoperative recurrence and prolong patient survival. However,there is no generally accepted neoadjuvant treatment regimen that has been proven to be effective so far. Recently,with the progress in systemic antitumor therapies,represented by targeted molecular agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors,and the improvement in local regional therapies,these treatment approaches have shown promising efficacy and safety in the field of neoadjuvant treatment for HCC. Under the organizational leadership of Committee of Digestive Surgery of Chinese Research Hospital Association and Committee of Liver Cancer of Chinese Anti-Cancer Association,Alliance of Chinese Expert Consensus on Neoadjuvant Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma has discussed and revised several times and finally formulated the Chinese expert consensus on neoadjuvant therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (2023 edition). This consensus aimed to review the Chinese characteristics of the diagnosis and treatment of HCC,to provide specific guidance and suggestions for preoperative treatment strategies for HCC,and further promote the management of the clinical pathway for neoadjuvant treatment of HCC.

[Progress and reflection of conversion therapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer]

With the improvement of nonsurgical treatment in pancreatic cancer, the increasing accuracy of subclassification of anatomy, and the continuous refinement of surgical resection techniques, more and more locally advanced pancreatic cancer(LAPC) patients have the opportunity to undergo conversion surgery and achieve survival benefits,which has attracted the attention of scholars in this field. Despite the numerous prospective clinical studies conducted, there is still a lack of high-level evidence-based medical evidence in terms of conversion treatment strategies, efficacy evaluation, surgical timing and survival prognosis, and there are not yet specific quantitative standards and guiding principles for conversion treatment for these patients in clinical practice, and the indications for surgical resection rely more on the experience of each center or surgeon, lacking consistency. Therefore,the indicators for the evaluation of the efficacy of conversion treatment in patients with LAPC were summarized to reflect on the different modes of conversion treatment and clinical outcomes currently being explored, expecting to provide more accurate recommendations and guidance for the clinic.

Limited role for hyperammonemia in the progression of diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether hyperammonemia has a direct impact on steatohepatitis in mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD).

METHODS

Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into two groups receiving either chow diet or HFD. After 12-week NASH modeling, hyperammonemia was induced by intragastric administration of ammonium chloride solution (NH4 Cl) or liver-specific carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (Cps1) knockdown. In vitro experiments were performed in HepG2 cells induced by free fatty acid (FFA) and NH4 Cl.

RESULTS

NH4 Cl administration led to increased levels of plasma and hepatic ammonia in NASH mice. NH4 Cl-induced hyperammonemia did not influence liver histological changes in mice fed with HFD; however, elevated plasma cholesterol level, and an increasing trend of liver lipid content were observed. No significant effect of hyperammonemia on hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in NASH mice was found. In vitro cell experiments showed that NH4 Cl treatment failed to increase the lipid droplet content and the expressions of de novo lipogenesis genes in HepG2 cells induced by FFA. The knockdown of Cps1 in HFD-fed mice resulted in elevated plasma ammonia levels but did not cause histological change in the liver.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed a limited role of ammonia in aggravating the progression of NASH. Further studies are needed to clarify the role and mechanism of ammonia in NASH development.