The global research of artificial intelligence in lung cancer: a 20-year bibliometric analysis.

Background: Lung cancer (LC) is the second-highest incidence and the first-highest mortality cancer worldwide. Early screening and precise treatment of LC have been the research hotspots in this field. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has advantages in many aspects of LC and widely used such as LC early diagnosis, LC differential classification, treatment and prognosis prediction. Objective: This study aims to analyze and visualize the research history, current status, current hotspots, and development trends of artificial intelligence in the field of lung cancer using bibliometric methods, and predict future research directions and cutting-edge hotspots. Results: A total of 2931 articles published between 2003 and 2023 were included, contributed by 15,848 authors from 92 countries/regions. Among them, China (40%) with 1173 papers,USA (24.80%) with 727 papers and the India(10.2%) with 299 papers have made outstanding contributions in this field, accounting for 75% of the total publications. The primary research institutions were Shanghai Jiaotong University(n=66),Chinese Academy of Sciences (n=63) and Harvard Medical School (n=52).Professor Qian Wei(n=20) from Northeastern University in China were ranked first in the top 10 authors while Armato SG(n=458 citations) was the most co-cited authors. Frontiers in Oncology(121 publications; IF 2022,4.7; Q2) was the most published journal. while Radiology (3003 citations; IF 2022, 19.7; Q1) was the most co-cited journal. different countries and institutions should further strengthen cooperation between each other. The most common keywords were lung cancer, classification, cancer, machine learning and deep learning. Meanwhile, The most cited papers was Nicolas Coudray et al.2018.NAT MED(1196 Total Citations). Conclusions: Research related to AI in lung cancer has significant application prospects, and the number of scholars dedicated to AI-related research on lung cancer is continually growing. It is foreseeable that non-invasive diagnosis and precise minimally invasive treatment through deep learning and machine learning will remain a central focus in the future. Simultaneously, there is a need to enhance collaboration not only among various countries and institutions but also between high-quality medical and industrial entities.

Is cryoablation still suitable for advanced non-small cell lung cancer after failure of first-line chemotherapy? A multicenter, prospective, randomized-controlled trial of eighty-seven patients.

The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of cryoablation treatment in advanced NSCLC patients who had failed first-line chemotherapy. Eighty-seven patients from ten hospitals in China were enrolled into the study, forty-four patients received cryoablation treatment plus basic treatment (experimental group), and forty-three patients had basic treatment alone (control group). Follow-up was performed once every three months until the end of the study or the death of the patient. The primary endpoints were overall and post-intervention survival; secondary endpoints included tumor markers, solid tumor efficacy, and symptom changes before and after treatment. There was no significant difference in median OS between the two groups of patients (9.0 months vs 11.2 months, P = 0.583). The disease control rate (DCR) and living quality of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. In terms of OS, indiscriminate use of cryoablation for such patients was not beneficial, though it could improve symptoms of patients. Cryoablation had a significant effect on selected advanced NSCLC patients after the failure of first-line chemotherapy.

LiTFSI-Free Hole Transport Materials for Robust Perovskite Solar Cells and Modules with High Efficiencies.

Lithium bis(trifluoromethane) sulfonamide (LiTFSI) and oxygen-doped organic semiconductors have been frequently used to achieve record power conversion efficiencies of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, this conventional doping process is time-consuming and leads to poor device stability due to the incorporation of Li ions. Herein, aiming to accelerate the doping process and remove the Li ions, we report an alternative p-doping process by mixing a new small-molecule organic semiconductor, N2,N2,N7,N7-tetrakis (4-methoxyphenyl)-9-(4-(octyloxy) phenyl)-9H carbazole-2,7-diamine (labeled OH44) and its preoxidized form OH44+(TFSI-). With this method, a champion efficiency of 21.8% has been achieved for small-area PSCs, which is superior to the state-of-the-art EH44 and comparable with LiTFSI and oxygen-doped spiro-OMeTAD. Moreover, the stability of OH44-based PSCs is improved compared with those of EH44, maintaining more than 85% of its initial efficiency after aging in an ambient condition without encapsulation for 1000 h. In addition, we achieved efficiencies of 14.7 and 12.6% for the solar modules measured with a metal mask of 12.0 and 48.0 cm2, respectively, which demonstrated the scalability of this method.

Application of Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory to Adaptive Streaming for Internet of Autonomous Vehicles.

It is expected that interconnected networks of autonomous vehicles, especially during peak traffic, will face congestion challenges. Moreover, the existing literature lacks discussions on integrating next-generation wireless communication technologies into connected vehicular networks. Hence, this paper introduces a tailored bandwidth management algorithm for streaming applications of autonomous vehicle passengers. It leverages cutting-edge 6G wireless technology to create a network with high-speed transmission and broad coverage, ensuring smooth streaming application performance. The key features of bandwidth allocation for diverse streaming applications in this work include bandwidth relay and pre-loading of video clips assisted by vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Through simulations, this research effectively showcases the algorithm's ability to fulfill the bandwidth needs of diverse streaming applications for autonomous vehicle passengers. Specifically, during periods of peak user bandwidth demand, it notably increases the bandwidth accessible for streaming applications. On average, users experience a substantial 55% improvement in the bandwidth they can access. This validation affirms the viability and promise of the proposed approach in efficiently managing the intricate complexities of bandwidth allocation issues for streaming services within the connected autonomous vehicular networks.

Identifying prognostic genes related PANoptosis in lung adenocarcinoma and developing prediction model based on bioinformatics analysis.

Cell death-related genes indicate prognosis in cancer patients. PANoptosis is a newly observed form of cell death that researchers have linked to cancer cell death and antitumor immunity. Even so, its significance in lung adenocarcinomas (LUADs) has yet to be elucidated. We extracted and analyzed data on mRNA gene expression and clinical information from public databases in a systematic manner. These data were utilized to construct a reliable risk prediction model for six regulators of PANoptosis. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database validated six genes with risk characteristics. The prognosis of LUAD patients could be accurately estimated by the six-gene-based model: NLR family CARD domain-containing protein 4 (NLRC4), FAS-associated death domain protein (FADD), Tumor necrosis factor receptor type 1-associated DEATH domain protein (TRADD), Receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), Proline-serine-threonine phosphatase-interacting protein 2 (PSTPIP2), and Mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL). Group of higher risk and Cluster 2 indicated a poor prognosis as well as the reduced expression of immune infiltrate molecules and human leukocyte antigen. Distinct expression of PANoptosis-related genes (PRGs) in lung cancer cells was verified using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Furthermore, we evaluated the relationship between PRGs and somatic mutations, tumor immune dysfunction exclusion, tumor stemness indices, and immune infiltration. Using the risk signature, we conducted analyses including nomogram construction, stratification, prediction of small-molecule drug response, somatic mutations, and chemotherapeutic response.

An Adaptive Bandwidth Management Algorithm for Next-Generation Vehicular Networks.

The popularity of video services such as video call or video on-demand has made it impossible for people to live without them in their daily lives. It can be anticipated that the explosive growth of vehicular communication owing to the widespread use of in-vehicle video infotainment applications in the future will result in increasing fragmentation and congestion of the wireless transmission spectrum. Accordingly, effective bandwidth management algorithms are demanded to achieve efficient communication and stable scalability in next-generation vehicular networks. To the best of our current knowledge, a noticeable gap remains in the existing literature regarding the application of the latest advancements in network communication technologies. Specifically, this gap is evident in the lack of exploration regarding how cutting-edge technologies can be effectively employed to optimize bandwidth allocation, especially in the realm of video service applications within the forthcoming vehicular networks. In light of this void, this paper presents a seamless integration of cutting-edge 6G communication technologies, such as terahertz (THz) and visible light communication (VLC), with the existing 5G millimeter-wave and sub-6 GHz base stations. This integration facilitates the creation of a network environment characterized by high transmission rates and extensive coverage. Our primary aim is to ensure the uninterrupted playback of real-time video applications for vehicle users. These video applications encompass video conferencing, live video, and on-demand video services. The outcomes of our simulations convincingly indicate that the proposed strategy adeptly addresses the challenge of bandwidth competition among vehicle users. Moreover, it notably boosts the efficient utilization of bandwidth from less crowded base stations, optimizes the fulfillment of bandwidth prerequisites for various video applications, and elevates the overall video quality experienced by users. Consequently, our findings serve as a successful validation of the practicality and effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

Suppressing Excess Lead Iodide Aggregation and Reducing N-Type Doping at Perovskite/HTL Interface for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells.

Excess lead iodide (PbI2 ) aggregation at the charge carrier transport interface leads to energy loss and acts as unstable origins in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Here, a strategy is reported to modulate the interfacial excess PbI2 by introducing π-conjugated small-molecule semiconductors 4,4'-cyclohexylbis[N,N-bis(4-methylphenyl)aniline] (TAPC) into perovskite films through an antisolvent addition method. The coordination of TAPC to PbI units through the electron-donating triphenylamine groups and π-Pb2+ interactions allows for a compact perovskite film with reduced excess PbI2 aggregates. Besides, preferred energy level alignment is achieved due to the suppressed n-type doping effect at the hole transport layer (HTL) interfaces. As a result, the TAPC-modified PSC based on Cs0.05 (FA0.85 MA0.15 )0.95 Pb(I0.85 Br0.15 )3 triple-cation perovskite achieved an improved PCE from 18.37% to 20.68% and retained ≈90% of the initial efficiency after 30 days of aging under ambient conditions. Moreover, the TAPC-modified device based on FA0.95 MA0.05 PbI2.85 Br0.15 perovskite produced an improved efficiency of 23.15% compared to the control (21.19%). These results provide an effective strategy for improving the performance of PbI2 -rich PSCs.

Liquid Metal Nanoplatform Based Autologous Cancer Vaccines.

Therapeutic cancer vaccines have been vigorously sought to bolster host adaptive immunity against metastatic cancers, but tumor heterogeneity, ineffective antigen utilization, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment hinder their clinical applications. Autologous antigen adsorbability and stimulus-release carrier coupling with immunoadjuvant capacity are urgent for personalized cancer vaccines. Here, we propose a perspective strategy of using a multipotent gallium-based liquid metal (LM) nanoplatform for personalized in situ cancer vaccines (ISCVs). The antigen-capturing and immunostimulatory LM nanoplatform can not only effectively destroy orthotopic tumors to generate multifarious autologous antigens upon external energy stimulation (photothermal/photodynamic effect) but also capture and transport antigens into dendritic cells (DCs) to enhance antigen utilization (adequate DCs uptake, antigen-endo/lysosomal escape) and facilitate DCs activation (mimic alum immunoadjuvant capacity), which ultimately awaken systemic antitumor immunity (expand cytotoxic T lymphocytes and modulate tumor microenvironment). With immune checkpoint blockade (anti-PD-L1) to further relieve the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, the positive tumoricidal immunity feedback loop was established to effectively eliminate orthotopic tumors, inhibit abscopal tumor growth, relapse, and metastasis as well as tumor-specific prevention. Collectively, this study demonstrates the potential of a multipotent LM nanoplatform for personalized ISCVs, which will open frontier exploration of LM-based immunostimulatory biomaterials and may encourage further investigation of precise individualized immunotherapy.

A Mission-Oriented Flight Path and Charging Mechanism for Internet of Drones.

In addition to traditional battery exchange services and stationary charging stations, researchers have proposed wireless charging technology, such as decentralized laser charging or drone-to-drone charging in flight, to provide power to drones with insufficient battery electricity. However, the charging methods presented in the literature will inevitably cause drones to wait in line for charging during peak hours and disrupt their scheduled trips when the number of drones grows rapidly in the future. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no integrated solutions for drone flight path and charging planning to alleviate charging congestion, taking into account the different mission characteristics of drones and the charging cost considerations of drone operators. Accordingly, this paper provides adaptive charging options to help drone operators to solve the above-mentioned problems. Drones on ordinary missions can use conventional battery swap services, wired charging stations, or electromagnetic wireless charging stations to recharge their batteries as usual, whereas drones on time-critical missions can choose drone-to-drone wireless charging or decentralized laser charging deployed along the fight paths to charge the batteries of drones in flight. Notably, since fixed-wing drones have larger wing areas to install solar panels, they can also use solar energy to charge during flight if the weather is clear. The simulation results exhibited that the proposed work reduced the power load of the power grid during peak hours, met the charging needs of each individual drone during flight, and cut down the charging costs of drone operators. As a result, an all-win situation for drone operators, drone customers, and power grid operators was achieved.

Autologous-cancer-cryoablation-mediated nanovaccine augments systematic immunotherapy.

Cancer vaccines developed from autologous tumors hold tremendous promise for individualized cancer immunotherapy. Cryoablation-induced in situ autologous antigens are capable of activating systemic immunity with low damage. However, the dissipation of cancer fragments after cryoablation induces poor immunogenicity and short-time maintenance of immunological memory. To solve this challenge, a nanovaccine with functional grippers is proposed to largely enhance the in situ grasping of tumor fragments, combined with an immune adjuvant to further strengthen the immune-therapeutic effect. Herein, maleimide-modified Pluronic F127-chitosan nanoparticles encapsulating Astragalus polysaccharide (AMNPs) are developed. The AMNPs can capture multifarious and immunogenic tumor antigens generated through cryoablation, specifically target lymph nodes and facilitate lysosome escape to activate remote dendritic cells, and modulate T cell differentiation through cross-presentation, thereby breaking the immunosuppressive microenvironment to achieve durable and robust tumor-specific immunity. In the bilateral Lewis lung cancer tumor model, AMNP-mediated cryoablation can significantly regress primary tumors (with a tumor growth inhibition rate of 100%, and a recurrence rate of 0% (30 days) and 16.67% (60 days)), inhibit untreated abscopal tumor growth (a decrease of about 3.84-fold compared with the saline group), and ultimately improve the long-term survival rate (83.33%). Collectively, the development of a lymph-node-targeted in situ cancer-cryoablation-mediated nanovaccine provides a promising approach for personalized cancer immunotherapy against metastatic cancers.

Expression pattern, tumor immune landscape, and prognostic value of N7­methylguanosine regulators in bladder urothelial carcinoma.

N7-Methylguanosine (m7G) modification is important in post-transcriptional regulation. dysregulation of m7G RNA modification has been reported to be markedly associated with cancer. However, its importance in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) remains poorly characterized. The present study systematically analyzed mRNA gene expression data and clinical information from The Cancer Genome Atlas and further constructed robust risk signatures for the four regulators of m7G RNA modification (nudix hydrolase 11, gem nuclear organelle-associated protein 5, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit D and cytoplasmic FMR1 interacting protein 1). The differential expression and cell function of m7G-related genes in bladder cancer cells were verified by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assays. The four-gene-based model could accurately predict the prognosis of BLCA. Nomogram-based clinical decisions had a higher net benefit compared with that of individual predictors. Through immune infiltration analysis, it was found that immune cell infiltration affected the prognosis of patients with BLCA. Finally, the present study identified potential therapeutics that differ between high and low-risk groups based on four genes. In summary, the current findings revealed an essential role for m7G RNA modification regulators in BLCA, and developed risk signatures as promising prognostic markers in patients with BLCA.

Evolution of m6A-related genes in insects and the function of METTL3 in silkworm embryonic development.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) plays a key role in many biological processes. However, the function and evolutionary relationship of m6A-related genes in insects remain largely unknown. Here we analysed the phylogeny of m6A-related genes among 207 insect species and found that m6A-related genes are evolutionarily conserved in insects. Subcellular localization experiments of m6A-related proteins in BmN cells confirmed that BmYTHDF3 was localized in the cytoplasm, BmMETTL3, BmMETTL14, and BmYTHDC were localized in the nucleus, and FL2D was localized to both the nucleus and cytoplasm. We examined the expression patterns of m6A-related genes during the embryonic development of Bombyx mori. To elucidate the function of BmMETTL3 during the embryonic stage, RNA sequencing was performed to measure changes in gene expression in silkworm eggs after BmMETTL3 knockdown, as well as in BmN cells overexpressing BmMETTL3. The global transcriptional pattern showed that knockdown of BmMETTL3 affected multiple cellular processes, including oxidoreductase activity, transcription regulator activity, and the cation binding. In addition, transcriptomic data revealed that many observed DEGs were associated with fundamental metabolic processes, including carbon metabolism, purine metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, and the citrate cycle. Interestingly, we found that knockdown of BmMETTL3 significantly affected Wnt and Toll/Imd pathways in embryos. Taken together, these results suggest that BmMETTL3 plays an essential role in the embryonic development of B. mori, and deepen our understanding of the function of m6A-related genes in insects.

Synthesis of Functionalized Thiazolidin-2-imine and Oxazolidin-2-one Derivatives from p-Quinamines via [3 + 2] Annulation of Isothiocyanates and CO2.

An efficient and environmentally friendly synthetic approach to prepare thiazolidine-2-imine and oxazolidine-2-one derivatives has been developed. Thiazolidine-2-imines are synthesized in good to excellent yields by [3 + 2] annulation of p-quinamines with isothiocyanates under catalyst- and solvent-free conditions. Oxazolidine-2-ones are produced in good to excellent yields via [3 + 2] annulation of p-quinamines with CO2 using triethylenediamine (DABCO) as an organocatalyst. Furthermore, this strategy can be performed on a gram scale and tolerate a wide range of functional groups.

Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Update and New Challenges.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a serious threat to the health of older adults. Despite the significant progress in immunotherapy, effective treatments for NSCLC remain limited. The development of tumors indicates failure in immune surveillance and the successful immune escape of tumor cells. Research on the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) revealed these opposing immune processes and contributed to the discovery of new methods to suppress the immune escape and restore the immune surveillance functions. This paper aimed to provide updates on the current findings regarding the relevance of TIME in NSCLC treatment. It also aimed to introduce the TIME, immune editing, cancer immunotherapy, and new challenges. Based on the clinical data, the combination of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is suitable for patients with NSCLC who are not eligible to undergo surgery. Combined ICI therapy after epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy should be considered in patients with EGFR mutations. Chemoradiotherapy may increase the density of CD8+ lymphocytes, which is significantly associated with better prognosis. For older patients and those with advanced-stage disease, regional tumor treatments, such as stereotactic radiation therapy and percutaneous cryoablation, may be more suitable, but further studies are needed to confirm this. In conclusion, restoring immune surveillance is as important as removing cancerous tissues; further studies that include the use of combined treatment methods, individualized treatment plans, and immunonutrition are warranted.

Development and Validation of a Prognostic Model to Predict Overall Survival for Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Population-Based Study From the SEER Database and the Chinese Multicenter Lung Cancer Database.

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of our study was to determine prognostic risk factors and establish a novel nomogram for lung adenocarcinoma patients. Methods: This retrospective cohort study is based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and the Chinese multicenter lung cancer database. We selected 22,368 eligible LUAD patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 from the SEER database and screened them based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Subsequently, the patients were randomly divided into the training cohort (n = 15,657) and the testing cohort (n = 6711), with a ratio of 7:3. Meanwhile, 736 eligible LUAD patients from the Chinese multicenter lung cancer database diagnosed between 2011 and 2021 were considered as the validation cohort. Results: We established a nomogram based on each independent prognostic factor analysis for 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) . For the training cohort, the area under the curves (AUCs) for predicting the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 0.806, 0.856, and 0.886. For the testing cohort, AUCs for predicting the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 0.804, 0.849, and 0.873. For the validation cohort, AUCs for predicting the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 0.86, 0.874, and 0.861. The calibration curves were observed to be closer to the ideal 45° dotted line with regard to 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS in the training cohort, the testing cohort, and the validation cohort. The decision curve analysis (DCA) plots indicated that the established nomogram had greater net benefits in comparison with the Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) staging system for predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS of lung adenocarcinoma patients. The Kaplan-Meier curves indicated that patients' survival in the low-risk group was better than that in the high-risk group (P < .001). Conclusion: The nomogram performed very well with excellent predictive ability in both the US population and the Chinese population.

Clinical practice guidelines on image-guided thermal ablation of primary and metastatic lung tumors (2022 edition).

The main contents of the Clinical Practice Guidelines on Image-Guided Thermal Ablation (IGTA) of Primary and Metastatic Lung Tumors (2022 Edition) include the following: epidemiology of primary and metastatic lung tumors; the concepts of the IGTA and common technical features; procedures, indications, contraindications, outcomes evaluation, and related complications of IGTA on primary and metastatic lung tumors; and limitations and future development.

Qi-Tai-Suan, an oleanolic acid derivative, ameliorates ischemic heart failure via suppression of cardiac apoptosis, inflammation and fibrosis.

Although anti-thrombotic therapy has been successful for prevention of deaths from acute myocardial infarction (MI), by far, there are few preventive and therapeutic options for ischemic heart failure (IHF) after MI. Qi-Tai-Suan (QTS) is an oleanolic acid (OA) derivative which once underwent a clinical trial for treating hepatitis. In this study, we investigated the potential cardioprotective effect of QTS on IHF. IHF mouse model was constructed by coronary artery ligation in male C57BL/6J mice, and the protective effects of QTS on IHF were examined by echocardiography measurement, histological and TUNEL analysis, etc. We found that QTS exhibited promising cardioprotective effect on IHF. QTS treatment significantly improved cardiac function of IHF mice and the symptoms of heart failure. Notably, QTS had much better oral bioavailability (F = 41.91%) in mice than its parent drug OA, and took effects mainly as its original form. Mechanistically, QTS ameliorated ischemic heart failure likely through suppression of cardiac apoptosis, inflammation and fibrosis. Taken together, QTS holds great promise as a preventive and therapeutic agent for ischemic heart failure and related diseases.

Integrated Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification to Explore the Molecular Mechanism of Hedysarum Multijugum Maxim-Curcumae Rhizoma Herb Pair for Treating Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: Hedysarum Multijugum Maxim-Curcumae Rhizoma (HMMCR), a well-known herb pair in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been widely used for the treatment of various cancers. However, the active components of HMMCR and the underlying mechanism of HMMCR for non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) remain unclear. Methods: Active ingredients of HMMCR were detected by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). On this basis, potential targets of HMMCR were obtained from SwissTargetPrediction database. NSCLC-related targets were collected from four public databases (GeneCards, OMIM, TTD, and PharmGkb). The drug ingredients-disease targets network was visualized. The hub targets between HMMCR and NSCLC were further analyzed by protein-protein interaction (PPI), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. Subsequently, the results predicted by network pharmacology were further validated via in vitro experiments. Results: A total of 181 compounds were identified from the aqueous extract of HMMCR. Through network analysis, a compound-target network including 153 active ingredients of HMMCR and 756 HMMCR-NSCLC co-targets was conducted; 6 crucial compounds and 62 hub targets were further identified. The results of KEGG enrichment analysis showed that PI3K/Akt signaling pathway may be the critical pathway of HMMCR in the treatment of NSCLC. The in vitro experiments indicated that HMMCR inhibits the proliferation and migration of NSCLC cells via inactivation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, consistent with the results predicted by network pharmacology. Conclusion: Integrating LC-ESI-MS/MS, network pharmacology approach, and in vitro experiments, this study shows that HMMCR has vital therapeutic effect on NSCLC through multi-compound, multi-target, and multi-pathway, which provides a rationale for using HMMCR for the treatment of NSCLC.

Untargeted metabolomics profiling in a mouse model of lung cancer treated with thermal ablation.

Thermal ablation is widely used in the treatment of lung cancer and is beneficial for the overall survival of patients in clinic. However, there is barely a priority in which ablation system should be chosen under different periods of tumor progression in lung cancer. The present study investigated different modes of thermal ablation systems in mice with transplanted Lewis lung carcinoma tumors and their various biological effects in local regions using untargeted metabolomics. The results showed that thermal ablation could significantly suppress tumor growth and the differentially expressed metabolites of tumors after ablation relative to untreated tumors concentrated on organic compounds, organic acids and derivatives, nucleosides, nucleotides, and lipids. The upregulated metabolites indicated an inflammatory reaction in the ablation groups at an early stage after ablation. Steroid hormone and tryptophan metabolism, which are associated with immune responses, were modulated after both cryoablation and hyperthermal ablation. Characteristically, the results also indicated that cryoablation suppressed glucose oxidation and carbohydrate metabolism of tumor, while hyperthermal ablation suppressed lipid metabolism of tumor. In conclusion, thermal ablation could inhibit tumor growth under either freezing or heating modes with characteristic different biological effects on tumors.

Prognostic significance of pyroptosis-related factors in lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Numerous studies have revealed that the abnormal expression of pyroptosis-related genes is closely related to the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD); however, a comprehensive analysis has yet to be conducted. This study aimed to reveal the influence of pyroptosis-related genes on the prognosis of LUAD and establish a prognostic model based on those genes, in order to evaluate the prognosis of LUAD. Methods: The data of tumor and normal samples were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Differential analysis was used to identify pyroptosis-related genes (obtained from the GeneCards database) that were differentially expressed (DE) in TCGA database. Univariate and stepwise multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to screen feature genes related to LUAD overall survival (OS) and construct gene signature. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was then performed to reveal potential functions related to gene signature. Finally, the Cell-type Identification by Estimating Relative Subsets of RNA Transcripts (CIBERSORT) algorithm was used to reveal distinctions in each cell-subtype groups in the immune landscape of LUAD. Results: Overall, 26 DE genes (DEGs) associated with pyroptosis were obtained. Among them, 4 (MKI67, BTK, MST1, and TUBB6) were selected as prognostic genes and a 4-gene signature with a good prognostic performance in the TCGA and GEO was constructed. The gene signature was shown to be an independent prognostic factor of LUAD in subsequent analysis. Functional enrichment indicated that the 4-gene signature may participate in the tumorigenesis and development of LUAD through various pathways related to tumor progression to play a prognostic role in LUAD. Additionally, the results of the immune landscape indicated that the 4-gene signature may affect the prognosis of LUAD via cooperating with changes in the immune microenvironment. Conclusions: The key biomarkers and pathways identified in this study would deepen the comprehension of the molecular mechanism of pyroptosis in LUAD. More importantly, the 4-gene signature may serve as a novel potential prognostic model for LUAD.