Prognostic Significance of SOCS3 in Patients With Solid Tumors: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: The identification of reliable biomarkers for predicting disease recurrence and the survival of patients with cancer is of great importance. Numerous previous studies have revealed that the abnormal expression of the suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) was associated with patient outcomes. However, these results were inconsistent. The aim of the present study was to assess the prognostic value of SOCS3 in patients with solid tumors. Methods: Studies focusing on the prognostic value of SOCS3 in solid tumors were searched for in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. We included studies that compared disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival based on different levels of SOCS3. Other outcomes (e.g., Edmondson grading, tumor size, tumor vascular invasion, lymph node invasion, and distant metastasis) were also considered. The hazard ratio (HR)/risk ratio (RR) and corresponding 95% CI were determined. Results: Twelve studies with 1,551 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis demonstrated that the higher expression of SOCS3 was significantly associated with better disease-free survival (HR:0.36, 95% CI:0.17-0.77, P < 0.001) and overall survival (HR:0.45, 95% CI:0.32-0.62, P < 0.001) compared with low expression. Moreover, SOCS3 expression was closely correlated with the Edmondson grading [odds ratio (OR):0.77, 95% CI:0.61-0.98, P = 0.033], vascular invasion (OR:0.63, 95% CI:0.52-0.78, P < 0.001), and distant metastasis (OR:0.73, 95% CI:0.51-1.03, P = 0.076). However, the levels of SOCS3 were not significantly associated with tumor size (OR:0.85, 95% CI:0.71-1.03, P = 0.090) and lymph node invasion (OR:0.73, 95% CI:0.51-1.03, P = 0.076). Conclusion: Increased SOCS3 expression in tumor mass was associated with better DFS and OS, suggesting it might be a novel and reliable biomarker for predicting the risk of cancer recurrence and mortality.

Dissolving microneedles integrated with pH-responsive micelles containing AIEgen with ultra-photostability for enhancing melanoma photothermal therapy.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) based on aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) is very promising for superficial tumor therapy due to the superior photostability and photothermal conversion efficiency of AIEgens. However, the systemic administration of AIEgen remains challenging, mainly because of solubility dissatisfaction and biodistribution. Here, a dissolving microneedle (MN) system loaded with AIEgen (NIR950) was developed for topical administration to treat malignant skin tumor melanoma. Firstly, NIR950-loaded polymeric micelles (NIR950@PMs) were prepared via a nanoprecipitation method to increase the drug solubility. Then, micelles were concentrated on needle tips of MN (NIR950@PMs@MN) by a two-step molding method. NIR950@PMs showed no distinct decline in emission intensity under continuous laser irradiation for an hour. Moreover, the pH-responsive micelles can be protonated in an acidic tumor microenvironment to facilitate the intracellular uptake. By virtue of dissolving MN, NIR950@PMs could rapidly accumulate at the tumor site and reach a suitable temperature for killing cancer cells under laser irradiation. With only single administration and one-time laser irradiation, the NIR950@PMs@MN could notably eliminate melanoma tumors with a low dose of NIR950. Overall, this dissolving MN system loaded with NIR950 showed remarkable photostability and also achieved a valid photothermal effect, which indicate great potential for clinical superficial tumor therapy.

Contribution to the echinococcosis control programme in China by NIPD-CTDR.

As a zoonotic parasitosis caused by the parasitism of Echinococcus larvae, echinococcosis imposes serious disease and economic burdens on human beings and society, and is thus a global public health issue. Its complex life history, wide distribution, the combined influence of various epidemic factors, coupled with the unique natural environment, customs, and religious beliefs in endemic areas, pose a huge challenge to the national echinococcosis control programme in China. Accurate early detection and confirmation of diagnosis of echinococcosis, the use of effective drugs, real-time surveillance of the infection status of populations and various hosts, controlling the source of infection, and blocking the route of transmission are of enormous significance for control. In this paper, the work by NIPD-CTDR on the prevention and control of echinococcosis in China is reviewed, with a view to providing reference for the further promotion of the national echinococcosis control programme.

Lead selenide nanoparticles-induced oxidative damage of kidney in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of lead selenide nanoparticles (nano PbSe) on kidney in rats. METHOD: Specific pathogen free SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (8 rats/group), and injected with of 0mg/kg (control group), 10mg/kg (low dose group), 20mg/kg (middle dose group), or 30mg/kg (high dose group) nano PbSe respectively. Seven weeks after injection, the serum was taken from rats for the detection of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr) and uric acid (UA). Superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) levels were detected using renal tissue homogenate. Pathological examination was performed on kidney sections. RESULTS: The levels of BUN and Cr in three exposure groups were significantly increased compared with those of control group. Levels of UA in middle dose and high dose group were higher than those in the control group. Levels of SOD, GSH-Px and T-AOC in three exposure groups were markedly decreased compared with those in the control group. Levels of MDA in three exposure groups were higher than those in the control group. Pathological changes at different levels of kidneys were observed, and the damage was more serious with the increase of concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Nano PbSe can lead to oxidative damage to the kidney, with the toxicity positively correlates to the dosage.