Managing malignant sublingual gland tumors: a single institution experience with 23 patients.

BACKGROUND: Due to the relative rarity of malignant sublingual gland tumors, diagnosing and treating them clinically pose challenges. Hence, there's a need to explore the pathological types, characteristics, treatment methods, and prognosis of primary malignant tumors of the sublingual gland to improve our understanding and management of these rare yet highly malignant conditions. METHODS: This study reviewed cases of primary malignant sublingual gland tumors, analyzing their characteristics. The treatment methods included surgical excision, with additional radiotherapy, or brachytherapy for advanced stages or positive surgical margins. The study also summarized different treatment approaches, including lymph node dissection and soft tissue reconstruction using free flaps such as the anterolateral thigh flap and forearm flap. RESULTS: We have gathered 23 cases of sublingual gland malignancies treated at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, from January 2013 to May 2024. The most common pathological types were adenoid cystic carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma, with rare cases of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma and nonspecific salivary gland clear cell carcinoma. Early diagnosis and surgical intervention were crucial for a favorable prognosis. Marginal mandibulectomy was necessary for cases involving the mandible. Patients with positive preoperative lymph node detection required cervical lymph node dissection. Extensive tissue defects in the floor of the mouth were effectively reconstructed with free flaps to prevent oral-mandibular fistula. CONCLUSION: Surgical excision remains the preferred treatment for malignant sublingual gland tumors. Early diagnosis and comprehensive surgical management are essential for improving prognosis. The study's limitations include a small sample size and short follow-up duration, necessitating further research with larger clinical samples to confirm these findings.

Algorithm for the reconstruction of the parotid region: a single institution experience.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to discuss the characteristics and treatment methods of malignant tumors in the parotid region, as well as the therapeutic effects of immediate free flap reconstruction of soft tissue for postoperative defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on 11 cases of soft tissue flap reconstruction for postoperative defects following the resection of malignant tumors in the parotid region. Statistical analysis was performed based on clinical data. RESULTS: Among the 11 cases of malignant tumors in the parotid region, there were 2 cases of secretory carcinoma (SC) of the salivary gland, 2 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 2 cases of carcinosarcoma, 1 case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), 1 case of epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma (EMC), 1 case of salivary duct carcinoma (SDC), 1 case of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and 1 case of osteosarcoma. Among these cases, 4 were initial diagnoses and 7 were recurrent tumors. The defect repairs involved: 8 cases with anterolateral thigh free flap (ALTF), 2 cases with pectoralis major muscle flaps, and 1 case with forearm flap. The size of the flaps ranged from approximately 1 cm × 3 cm to 7 cm × 15 cm. The recipient vessels included: 4 cases with the facial artery, 4 cases with the superior thyroid artery, and 1 case with the external carotid artery. The ratio of recipient vein anastomosis was: 57% for branches of the internal jugular vein, 29% for the facial vein, and 14% for the external jugular vein. Among the 8 cases that underwent neck lymph node dissection, one case showed lymph node metastasis on pathological examination. In the initial diagnosis cases, 2 cases received postoperative radiotherapy, and 1 case received 125I seed implantation therapeutic treatment after experiencing two recurrences. Postoperative follow-up revealed that 2 cases underwent reoperation due to local tumor recurrence, and there were 2 cases lost to follow-up. The survival outcomes after treatment included: one case of distant metastasis and one case of death from non-cancerous diseases. CONCLUSION: Immediate soft tissue flap reconstruction is an important and valuable option to address postoperative defects in patients afflicted with malignant tumors in the parotid region.

Untangling determinants of gut microbiota and tumor immunologic status through a multi-omics approach in colorectal cancer.

The changes in gut microbiota have been implicated in colorectal cancer (CRC). The interplays between the host and gut microbiota remain largely unclear, and few studies have investigated these interplays using integrative multi-omics data. In this study, large-scale multi-comic datasets, including microbiome, metabolome, bulk transcriptomics and single cell RNA sequencing of CRC patients, were analyzed individually and integrated through advanced bioinformatics methods. We further examined the clinical relevance of these findings in the mice recolonized with microbiota from human. We found that CRC patients had distinct microbiota compositions compared to healthy controls. A machine-learning model was developed with 28 biomarkers for detection of CRC, which had high accuracy and clinical applicability. We identified multiple significant correlations between genera and well-characterized genes, suggesting the potential role of gut microbiota in tumor immunity. Further analysis showed that specific metabolites worked as profound communicators between these genera and tumor immunity. Integrating microbiota and metabolome perspectives, we cataloged gut taxonomic and metabolomic features that represented the key multi-omics signature of CRC. Furthermore, gut microbiota transplanted from CRC patients compromised the response of CRC to immunotherapy. These phenotypes were strongly associated with the alterations in gut microbiota, immune cell infiltration as well as multiple metabolic pathways. The comprehensive interplays across multi-comic data of CRC might explain how gut microbiota influenced tumor immunity. Hence, we proposed that modifying the CRC microbiota using healthy donors might serve as a promising strategy to improve response to immunotherapy.

Host ALDH2 deficiency aggravates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis through gut-liver axis.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the major cause of liver dysfunction. Animal and population studies have shown that mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) is implicated in fatty liver disease. However, the role of ALDH2 in NASH and the underlying mechanisms remains unclear. To address this issue, ALDH2 knockout (ALDH2-/-) mice and wild-type littermate mice were fed a methionine-and choline-deficient (MCD) diet to induce a NASH model. Fecal, serum, and liver samples were collected and analyzed to investigate the impact of the gut microbiota and bile acids on this process. We found that MCD-fed ALDH2-/- mice exhibited increased serum pro-inflammation cytokines, hepatic inflammation and fat accumulation than their wild-type littermates. MCD-fed ALDH2-/- mice exhibited worsened MCD-induced intestinal inflammation and barrier damage, and gut microbiota disorder. Furthermore, mice receiving microbiota from MCD-fed ALDH2-/- mice had increased severity of NASH compared to those receiving microbiota from MCD-fed wild-type mice. Notably, the intestinal Lactobacillus was significantly reduced in MCD-fed ALDH2-/- mice, and gavage with Lactobacillus cocktail significantly improved MCD-induced NASH. Finally, we found that ALDH2-/- mice had reduced levels of bile salt hydrolase and specific bile acids, especially lithocholic acid (LCA), accompanied by downregulated expression of the intestinal FXR-FGF15 pathway. Supplementation of LCA in ALDH2-/- mice upregulated intestinal FXR-FGF15 pathway and alleviated NASH. In summary, ALDH2 plays a critical role in the development of NASH through modulation of gut microbiota and bile acid. The findings suggest that supplementing with Lactobacillus or LCA could be a promising therapeutic approach for treating NASH exacerbated by ALDH2 deficiency.

Microtiter plate-based chemistry and in situ screening: SuFEx-enabled lead discovery of selective AChE inhibitors.

Sulphur fluoride exchange (SuFEx) is a category of click chemistry that enables covalent linking of modular units through sulphur connective hubs. Here, we reported an efficient synthesis and in situ screening method for building a library of sulphonamides on the picomolar scale by SuFEx reaction between a sulphonyl fluoride (RSO2F) core and primary or secondary amines. This biocompatible SuFEx reaction would allow us to rapidly synthesise sulphonamide molecules, and evaluate their ChE inhibitory activity. Compound T14-A24 was identified as a reversible, competitive, and selective AChE inhibitor (Ki = 22 nM). The drug-like evaluation showed that T14-A24 had benign BBB penetration, remarkable neuroprotective effect, and safe toxicological profile. In vivo behavioural study showed that T14-A24 treatment improved the Aß1 - 42-induced cognitive impairment, significantly prevented the effects of Aß1 - 42 toxicity. Therefore, this SuFEx click reaction can accelerate the discovery of lead compounds.

Fluorosulfate-containing pyrazole heterocycles as selective BuChE inhibitors: structure-activity relationship and biological evaluation for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Novel scaffolds are expected to treat Alzheimer's disease, pyrazole-5-fluorosulfates were found as selective BuChE inhibitors. Compounds K1-K26 were assayed for ChE inhibitory activity, amongst them, compound K3 showed potent BuChE and hBuChE inhibition (IC50 = 0.79 µM and 6.59 µM). SAR analysis showed that 1-, 3-, 4-subtituent and 5-fluorosulfate of pyrazole ring affected BuChE inhibitory activity. Molecular docking showed that the fluorosulfate increased the binding affinity of hBuChE through π-sulphur interaction. Compound K3 was a reversible, mixed and non-competitive BuChE inhibitor (Ki = 0.77 µM) and showed remarkable neuroprotection, safe toxicological profile and BBB penetration. In vivo behavioural study showed that K3 treatment improved the Aß1 - 42-induced cognitive impairment, and significantly prevented the effects of Aß1 - 42 toxicity. Therefore, selective BuChE inhibitor K3 has potential to be further developed as AD therapeutics.

miR-506-loaded gelatin nanospheres target PENK and inactivate the ERK/Fos signaling pathway to suppress triple-negative breast cancer aggressiveness.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most malignant subtype of breast cancer. Some microRNAs (miRNAs) were abnormally expressed in TNBC, and they are closely related to the occurrence and progression of TNBC. Here, we found that miR-506 was significantly downregulated in TNBC and relatively lower miR-506 expression predicted a poorer prognosis. Moreover, we found that miR-506 could inhibit MDA-MB-231 cell viability, colony formation, migration, and invasion, and suppress the ERK/Fos oncogenic signaling pathway through upregulating its direct target protein proenkephalin (PENK). Therefore, miR-506 was proposed as a nucleic acid drug for TNBC therapy. However, miRNA is unstable in vivo, which limiting its application as a therapeutic drug via conventional oral or injected therapies. Here, a gelatin nanosphere (GN) delivery system was applied for the first time to load exogenous miRNA. Exogenous miR-506 mimic was loaded on GNs and injected into the in situ TNBC animal model, and the miR-506 could achieve sustained and controlled release. The results confirmed that overexpression of miR-506 and PENK in vivo through loading on GNs inhibited in situ triple-negative breast tumor growth and metastasis significantly in the xenograft model. Moreover, we indicated that the ERK/Fos signaling pathway was intensively inactivated after overexpression of miR-506 and PENK both in vitro and in vivo, which was further validated by the ERK1/2-specific inhibitor SCH772984. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that miR-506-loaded GNs have great potential in anti-TNBC aggressiveness therapy.

MRI-based nomogram estimates the risk of recurrence of primary nonmetastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors after curative resection.

BACKGROUND: Accurate estimation of the recurrence of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors help with prognosis, guide follow-up, and avoid futile treatments. PURPOSE: To investigate whether MRI features could preoperatively estimate the recurrence of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) and to refine a novel prognostic model through developing a nomogram incorporating various MRI features. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: In all, 81 patients with clinicopathologically confirmed nonmetastatic PNETs. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCES: 1.5 T MR, including T1 -weighted, T2 -weighted, and diffusion-weighted imaging sequences. ASSESSMENT: Qualitative and quantitative MRI features of PNET were assessed by three experienced radiologists. STATISTICAL TESTS: Uni- and multivariable analyses for recurrence-free survival (RFS) were evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards model. The MRI-based nomogram was then designed based on multivariable logistic analysis in our study and the performance of the nomogram was validated according to C-index, calibration, and decision curve analyses. RESULTS: MRI features, including tumor size (hazard ratio [HR]: 14.131; P = 0.034), enhancement pattern (HR: 21.821, P = 0.032), and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values (HR: 0.055, P = 0.038) were significant independent predictors of RFS at multivariable analysis. The performance of the nomogram incorporating various MRI features (with a C-index of 0.910) was improved compared with that based on tumor size, enhancement pattern, and ADC alone (with C-index values of 0.672, 0.851, and 0.809, respectively). The calibration curve of the nomogram exhibited perfect consistency between estimation and observation at 0.5, 1, and 2 years after surgery. The decision curve showed that a nomogram incorporating three features had more favorable clinical predictive usefulness than any single feature. DATA CONCLUSION: MRI features can be considered effective recurrence predictors for PNETs after surgery. The preliminary nomogram incorporating various MRI features could assess the risk of recurrence in PNETs and may be used to optimize individual treatment strategies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:397-409.

A real-world study of socioeconomic factors with survival in adults aged 18-64 years with renal cell carcinoma.

Aim: To evaluate the impact of socioeconomic factors (SEFs) on survival of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients. Materials & methods: RCC patients diagnosed between 2007 and 2015 were collected from the SEER database. The crude and multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify the independent prognostic factors and quantity the mortality risks for overall survival (OS). Results: Three SEFs including marital status, insurance status and median household income were identified as prognostic factors for OS. SEF-stage was built based on the three SEFs. Moreover, the SEF-stage 1 had superior OS than SEF-stage 2 within the respective American Joint Committee on Cancer stages. Conclusion: The SEF-stage was an independently prognostic factor for OS in RCC. Incorporation of SEF-stage into the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system might be beneficial for better survival prediction and clinical management. However, further studies were needed to validate these findings in other populations.

Alcohol and HBV synergistically promote hepatic steatosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hepatitis virus and alcohol are the main factors leading to liver damage. Synergy between hepatitis B virus (HBV) and alcohol in promoting liver cell damage and disease progression has been reported. However, the interaction of HBV and ethanol in hepatic steatosis development has not been fully elucidated. METHODS: Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were treated with or without HBV, ethanol, or the combination of HBV and ethanol (HBV+EtOH), followed by a three-week high-fat diet (HFD) regimen. Liver histology, serum biomarkers, and liver triglyceride levels were analysed. Furthermore, a meta-analysis of the effects of alcohol and HBV on hepatic steatosis in populations was performed. RESULTS: Hepatic steatosis was significantly more severe in the HBV+EtOH group than in the other groups. The serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and liver triglyceride levels in the HBV+EtOH group were also significantly higher than those in the other groups. The HBeAg and HBsAg levels in the HBV+EtOH group were significantly higher than those in the pair-fed HBV-infected mice. In addition, the meta-analysis showed that alcohol consumption increased the risk of hepatic steatosis by 43% in HBV-infected patients (pooled risk ratio (RR)=1.43, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol and HBV synergistically promote high-fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis in mice. In addition, alcohol consumption increases the risk of hepatic steatosis in HBV-infected patients.

[Focused low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy for erectile dysfunction: Preliminary observation of 32 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To make a preliminary investigation on the safety and efficacy of focused low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy (LI-ESWT) in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). METHODS: We treated 32 ED patients by focused LI-ESWT with the device of Medispec's ED1000. Before and at 4 and 12 weeks after treatment, we evaluated the erectile function of the patients using the International Index of Erectile Function-erectile function domain (IIEF-EF), Erection Hardness Score (EHS), Sexual Encounter Profile questions 2 and 3 (SEP2 and SEP3), and Global Assessment Questionnaire questions 1 and 2 (GAQ1 and GAQ2), and recorded the incidence rate of adverse events. RESULTS: The patients averaged 30.69 years of age. Compared with the baseline, the mean IIEF-EF score of the patients was significantly increased at 4 and 12 weeks after LI-ESWT (14.94 vs 20.97 and 21.47, P <0.01), and so were the EHS (1.75 vs 2.66 and 2.56, P <0.01) and the "Yes" answers to SEP2 (21.88% vs 68.75% and 71.88%), SEP3 (0 vs 43.75% and 56.25%), GAQ1 (NA vs 81.25% and 71.88%) and GAQ2 (NA vs 65.63% and 68.75%). The total effectiveness rates at 4 weeks and 12 weeks were 75% and 71.88% respectively. One of the patients felt penile shaft pain with mild ecchymosis after LI-ESWT but was recovered without special treatment a week later. CONCLUSIONS: LI-ESWT can significantly improve the erectile function of ED patients with no obvious adverse effects within 12 weeks after treatment.

[8.5/11.5F transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of refractory hematospermia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical application value of 8.5/11.5 F transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of refractory hematospermia. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 78 cases of refractory hematospermia diagnosed and treated by 8.5/11.5 F transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy from June 2012 to June 2014. The patients underwent serum PSA examination, transrectal ultrasonography, seminal vesicle ultrasonography, and pelvis CT or MRI before surgery, and all received transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy under the 8.5/11.5 F rigid ureteroscope. RESULTS: Operations were all successfully accomplished, which revealed abnormal opening of the ejaculatory duct in 5 cases, mucosal inflammatory hyperemia in the prostatic utricle and seminal vesicle in 78, dark red mucilage substance in the seminal vesicle in 34, seminal vesicle stones in 19, small polyp in the seminal vesicle in 2, and ejaculatory duct or seminal vesicle cyst in 4. All the patients received symptomatic treatment during the surgery. After surgery, hematouria was found in 13 cases, which disappeared within 2 weeks, pelvic hematoma in 1 case, which was cured by conservative treatment within 3 months, and epididymitis in 2 cases, which was controlled by anti-infection treatment. Hematospermia recurred in 3 cases during the 1-year postoperative follow-up. CONCLUSION: 8.5/11.5 F transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy, with its advantages of easy operation, wide field of vision, large channel for operation, and few complications, deserves general clinical application in the diagnosis and treatment of refractory hematospermia.

A new approach: Cervical approach for marginal resection of the posterior mandible.

Gingival squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the posterior mandible often requires marginal resection of the mandible in conventional surgery. However, the posterior location of the lesion can limit surgical visibility, which is critical for complete tumor removal and minimizing recurrence. Typically, marginal resection of the posterior mandible is achieved through a midline lower lip incision and mental nerve transection, providing adequate exposure but resulting in nerve damage, lip numbness, and facial scarring. In this paper, we describe a case using a submandibular incision for neck dissection, extending from the mandibular angle to the mental foramen, to fully expose the posterior mandible. The intraoral incision, extending 1 cm beyond the tumor margin, connected with the submandibular incision. Under direct vision, we performed a marginal resection of the mandible, preserving the inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle and the mental nerve, and maintaining at least 1 cm of the inferior mandibular margin. This technique achieved complete tumor removal while preserving mental nerve function and lower lip integrity, reducing surgical difficulty and patient trauma. This approach maintains nerve function and aesthetics as much as possible, with a faster postoperative recovery. In treating gingival SCC of the posterior mandible, it is essential to preserve surrounding healthy tissue and critical anatomical structures, minimizing postoperative complications while ensuring complete tumor resection.

One case of sublingual gland mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a type of marginal zone B-cell lymphoma that occurs outside the lymph nodes in mucosal tissue. It accounts for 6-8 % of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. MALT lymphoma of the salivary gland is a rare disease, with primary tumors in the salivary gland accounting for 2-5 % of salivary gland tumors. The most common site is the parotid gland (80 %), followed by the submandibular gland (14 %), minor salivary glands, and sublingual gland (5 %). Patients with salivary gland MALT lymphoma often have autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. Primary malignant tumors of the sublingual gland account for less than 1 % of cases, and preoperative diagnosis is difficult, often requiring biopsy for confirmation. To our knowledge, there are no reports of MALT lymphoma arising from the sublingual gland. We report a case of MALT lymphoma originating from the sublingual gland in a patient with a history of hypertension, diabetes, cerebral infarction, and non-traumatic numbness of the right lower limb.

Cancer Cell Secreted Legumain Promotes Gastric Cancer Resistance to Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy by Enhancing Macrophage M2 Polarization.

The interaction between cancer cells and immune cells plays critical roles in gastric cancer (GC) progression and immune evasion. Forced legumain (LGMN) is one of the characteristics correlated with poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients. However, the role of gastric-cancer-secreted LGMN (sLGMN) in modulating the tumor immune microenvironment and the biological effect on the immune evasion of gastric cancer remains unclear. In this study, we found that forced expression of sLGMN in gastric cancer serum correlates with increased M2 macrophage infiltration in GC tissues and predicted resistance to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. Mechanistically, gastric cancer cells secrete LGMN via binding to cell surface Integrin αvß3, then activate Integrin αvß3/PI3K (Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate3-kinase)/AKT (serine/threonine kinase)/mTORC2 (mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2) signaling, promote metabolic reprogramming, and polarize macrophages from the M1 to the M2 phenotype. Either blocking LGMN, Integrin αv, or knocking out Integrin αv expression and abolishing the LGMN/Integrin αvß3 interaction significantly inhibits metabolic reprogramming and polarizes macrophages from the M1 to the M2 phenotype. This study reveals a critical molecular crosstalk between gastric cancer cells and macrophages through the sLGMN/Integrinαvß3/PI3K/AKT/mTORC2 axis in promoting gastric cancer immune evasion and resistance to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, indicating that the sLGMN/Integrinαvß3/PI3K/AKT/mTORC2 axis may act as a promising therapeutic target.

Reconstructive strategies following surgical resection of malignant sublingual gland tumors: A single institution experience.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics and treatment modalities of malignant tumors originating from the sublingual gland, as well as evaluate the therapeutic outcomes following free flap reconstruction. METHODS: A retrospective statistical analysis was conducted on the clinical data of nine patients diagnosed with malignant neoplasms tumor of the sublingual gland. RESULTS: Nine case of malignant tumors originated from the sublingual glandular tissue, encompassing eight adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) and a single case of bipartite differentiated carcinoma-a hybrid of epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma. Among the nine patients, four anterolateral thigh flaps were used (three of which were thin flaps), and five forearm flaps were also empoyed. The size of flaps varied, with the lengths ranging from 4 cm to 9 cm, and the widths ranging from 2.5 cm to 6 cm. The vessels chosen for anastomosis were the superior thyroid artery in seven cases, the facial artery in one case, and the lingual artery in one case. Among the eight patients who underwent dissection of cervical lymph nodes, metastasis were found in one case. Two patients underwent adjuvant radiotherapy. Upon postoperative follow-up, there was no recurrence in any of the nine patients . CONCLUSION: The anterolateral thigh perforator flap thinning technique can be employed for postoperative reconstruction of malignant sublingual gland tumors.

[Evaluation of a modified maxillary protraction appliance for the treatment of patients with skeletal Class â ¢ malocclusion associated with crowding].

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy of a modified maxillary protraction appliance in patients of skeletal Class Ⅲ with crowding. METHODS: Forty patients with skeletal Class Ⅲ malocclusion were divided into two groups, with 20 patients in each group. The experimental group had molar in a neutral or distal relationship and applied a modified maxillary protraction appliance, while the control group had molar mesial relationship and applied a conventional maxillary protraction appliance. Lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken before and after treatment in both groups for comparison. SPSS 22.0 software package was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The angle measurements taken before and after treatment showed a significant increase in SNA, ANB, SN-MP and U4-SN(P＜0.01), while SNB decreased(P＜0.01) in both groups. SN-OL changes were statistically different before and after treatment in the experimental group(P＜0.05). The sagittal measurements before and after treatment in both groups showed significant alterations in all(P＜0.05) but the length of the maxillary arch in both groups. For vertical measurements, U1-PP, L1-MP, U4-SN, U6-SN, and ANS-ME all increased (P＜0.05), while the changes of U4-PP and U6-PP in the two groups before and after treatment were statistically different(P＜0.05). Compared with the control group, the experimental group had a significantly increased maxillary arch length, a more remote location at U6, and a less variable molar relationship after treatment(P＜0.01). The two groups showed a variable amount of cephalometric measurements before and after treatment: the experimental group had a significant increase in maxillary arch length, a more remote position at U6, and a smaller change in molar relationship compared to the control group(P＜0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The modified maxillary protraction appliance showed good results for maxillary protraction and pushing the molar distally in patients with skeletal Class Ⅲ with crowding at neutral or distal molar relationship.

NAP1L1 regulates BIRC2 ubiquitination modification via E3 ubiquitin ligase UBR4 and hence determines hepatocellular carcinoma progression.

We have previously shown that nucleosome assembly protein 1-like 1 (NAP1L1) plays an important role in the abnormal proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. However, the effects of NAP1L1 on the malignant behaviour of HCC cells, including cell migration, invasion and apoptosis, remain unclear. Baculoviral IAP repeat-containing 2 (BIRC2) plays a key role in initiating the abnormal proliferation, apoptotic escape and multidrug resistance of HCC cells; however, the mechanisms through which its stability is regulated in HCC remain elusive. Here, we found that knockdown of NAP1L1 inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells and activated apoptotic pathways but did not remarkably affect the migratory and invasive abilities of HCC cells. In addition, knockdown of NAP1L1 did not alter the expression of BIRC2 at the transcriptional level but substantially reduced its expression at the translational level, suggesting that NAP1L1 is involved in the post-translational modification (such as ubiquitination) of BIRC2. Furthermore, BIRC2 was highly expressed in human HCC tissues and promoted the proliferation and apoptotic escape of HCC cells. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay and mass spectrometry revealed that NAP1L1 and BIRC2 did not bind to each other; however, ubiquitin protein ligase E3 component n-recognin 4 (UBR4) was identified as an intermediate molecule associating NAP1L1 with BIRC2. Knockdown of NAP1L1 promoted the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of BIRC2 through the ubiquitin-protein junction of UBR4, which in turn inhibited the proliferation and apoptotic escape of HCC cells and exerted anti-tumour effects. In conclusion, this study reveals a novel mechanism through which NAP1L1 regulates the ubiquitination of BIRC2 through UBR4, thereby determining the progression of HCC. Based on this mechanism, suppression of NAP1L1 may inhibit tumour progression in patients with HCC with high protein expression of NAP1L1 or BIRC2.

Acarbose enhances the efficacy of immunotherapy against solid tumours by modulating the gut microbiota.

The crucial role of gut microbiota in shaping immunotherapy outcomes has prompted investigations into potential modulators. Here we show that oral administration of acarbose significantly increases the anti-tumour response to anti-PD-1 therapy in female tumour-bearing mice. Acarbose modulates the gut microbiota composition and tryptophan metabolism, thereby contributing to changes in chemokine expression and increased T cell infiltration within tumours. We identify CD8+ T cells as pivotal components determining the efficacy of the combined therapy. Further experiments reveal that acarbose promotes CD8+ T cell recruitment through the CXCL10-CXCR3 pathway. Faecal microbiota transplantation and gut microbiota depletion assays indicate that the effects of acarbose are dependent on the gut microbiota. Specifically, acarbose enhances the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy via the tryptophan catabolite indoleacetate, which promotes CXCL10 expression and thus facilitates CD8+ T cell recruitment, sensitizing tumours to anti-PD-1 therapy. The bacterial species Bifidobacterium infantis, which is enriched by acarbose, also improves response to anti-PD-1 therapy. Together, our study endorses the potential combination of acarbose and anti-PD-1 for cancer immunotherapy.

Correction: MiR-4458-loaded gelatin nanospheres target COL11A1 for DDR2/SRC signaling pathway inactivation to suppress the progression of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.

Correction for 'MiR-4458-loaded gelatin nanospheres target COL11A1 for DDR2/SRC signaling pathway inactivation to suppress the progression of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer' by Jie Liu et al., Biomater. Sci., 2022, 10, 4596-4611, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2BM00543C.