Schwann cell-derived exosomes promote lung cancer progression via miRNA-21-5p.

Schwann cells (SCs), the primary glial cells of the peripheral nervous system, which have been identified in many solid tumors, play an important role in cancer development and progression by shaping the tumor immunoenvironment and supporting the development of metastases. Using different cellular, molecular, and genetic approaches with integrated bioinformatics analysis and functional assays, we revealed the role of human SC-derived exosomal miRNAs in lung cancer progression in vitro and in vivo. We found that exosomal miRNA-21 from SCs up-regulated the proliferation, motility, and invasiveness of human lung cancer cells in vitro, which requires functional Rab small GTPases Rab27A and Rab27B in SCs for exosome release. We also revealed that SC exosomal miRNA-21-5p regulated the functional activation of tumor cells by targeting metalloprotease inhibitor RECK in tumor cells. Integrated bioinformatic analyses showed that hsa-miRNA-21-5p is associated with poor prognosis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma and can promote lung cancer progression through multiple signaling pathways including the MAPK, PI3K/Akt, and TNF signaling. Furthermore, in mouse xenograft models, SC exosomes and SC exosomal hsa-miRNA-21-5p augmented human lung cancer cell growth and lymph node metastasis in vivo. Together our data revealed, for the first time, that SC-secreted exosomes and exosomal miRNA-21-5p promoted the proliferation, motility, and spreading of human lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Thus, exosomal miRNA-21 may play an oncogenic role in SC-accelerated progression of lung cancer and this pathway may serve as a new therapeutic target for further evaluation.

Safety and efficacy of multi-target TKI combined with nivolumab in check-point inhibitor-refractory patients with advanced NSCLC: a prospective, single-arm, two-stage study.

BACKGROUND: Resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) represents a major unmet medical need in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibition may reverse a suppressive microenvironment and recover sensitivity to subsequent ICIs. METHODS: This phase Ib/IIa, single-arm study, comprised dose-finding (Part A) and expansion (Part B) cohorts. Patients with ICIs-refractory NSCLC were enrolled to receive anlotinib (a multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor) orally (from days 1 to 14 in a 21-day cycle) and nivolumab (360 mg every 3 weeks, intravenously) on a 21-day treatment cycle. The first 21-day treatment cycle was a safety observation period (phase Ib) followed by a phase II expansion cohort. The primary objectives were recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D, part A), safety (part B), and objective response rate (ORR, part B), respectively. RESULTS: Between November 2020 and March 2022, 34 patients were screened, and 21 eligible patients were enrolled (6 patients in Part A). The RP2D of anlotinib is 12 mg/day orally (14 days on and 7 days off) and nivolumab (360 mg every 3 weeks). Adverse events (AEs) of any cause and treatment-related AEs (TRAEs) were reported in all treated patients. Two patients (9.5%) experienced grade 3 TRAE. No grade 4 or higher AEs were observed. Serious AEs were reported in 4 patients. Six patients experienced anlotinib interruption and 4 patients experienced nivolumab interruption due to TRAEs. ORR and disease control rate (DCR) was 19.0% and 76.2%, respectively. Median PFS and OS were 7.4 months (95% CI, 4.3-NE) and 15.2 months (95% CI, 12.1-NE), respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that anlotinib combined with nivolumab shows manageable safety and promising efficacy signals. Further studies are warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04507906 August 11, 2020.

IL13Rα2-targeted third-generation CAR-T cells with CD28 transmembrane domain mediate the best anti-glioblastoma efficacy.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T (CAR-T) cell therapy has been proven to be a powerful tool for the treatment of cancer, however, the limits are obvious, especially for solid tumors. Therefore, constantly optimizing the structure of CAR to improve its therapeutic effect is necessary. In this study, we generated three different third-generation CARs targeting IL13Rα2, with the same scFv, but different transmembrane domains (TMDs) from CD4, CD8 or CD28 (IL13-CD4TM-28.BB.ζ, IL13-CD8TM-28.BB.ζ and IL13-CD28TM-28.BB.ζ). CARs were transduced into primary T cells using retroviruses. The anti-GBM efficacy of CAR-T cells was monitored by flow cytometry and real-time cell analysis (RTCA) in vitro and examined in two xenograft mouse models. The differentially expressed genes related to different anti-GBM activity were screened by high throughput RNA sequencing. We observed that T cells transduced with these three CARs have similar anti-tumor activity when co-cultured with U373 cells which expressed higher IL13Rα2 but exhibited different anti-tumor activity when co-cultured with U251 cells that expressed lower IL13Rα2. All the three groups of CAR-T cells can be activated by U373 cells, but only IL13-CD28TM-28.BB.ζ CAR-T cells could be activated and expressed increased IFN-γ after co-culturing with U251 cells. IL13-CD28TM-28.BB.ζ CAR-T cells exhibited the best anti-tumor activity in xenograft mouse models which can infiltrate into the tumors. The superior anti-tumor efficacy of IL13-CD28TM-28.BB.ζ CAR-T cells was partially owing to differentially expressed extracellular assembly, extracellular matrix, cell migration and adhesion-related genes which contribute to the lower activation threshold, increased cell proliferation, and elevated migration capacity.

Cytochrome P450 26A1 regulates the clusters and killing activity of NK cells during the peri-implantation period.

Cytochrome P450 26A1 (CYP26A1) plays a vital role in early pregnancy in mice. Our previous studies have found that CYP26A1 affects embryo implantation by modulating natural killer (NK) cells, and that there is a novel population of CYP26A1+ NK cells in the uteri of pregnant mice. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CYP26A1 on the subsets and killing activity of NK cells. Through single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we identified four NK cell subsets in the uterus, namely, conventional NK (cNK), tissue-resident NK (trNK) 1 and 2, and proliferating trNK (trNKp). The two most variable subpopulations after uterine knockdown of CYP26A1 were trNKp and trNK2 cells. CYP26A1 knockdown significantly downregulated the expression of the NK cell function-related genes Cd44, Cd160, Vegfc, and Slamf6 in trNK2 cells, and Klra17 and Ogn in trNKp cells. Both RNA-seq and cytotoxicity assays confirmed that CYP26A1+ NK cells had low cytotoxicity. These results indicate that CYP26A1 may affect the immune microenvironment at the maternal-foetal interface by regulating the activity of NK cells.

Co-expression IL-15 receptor alpha with IL-15 reduces toxicity via limiting IL-15 systemic exposure during CAR-T immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy is a powerful adoptive immunotherapy against both B-cell malignancies and some types of solid tumors. Interleukin (IL) -15 is an important immune stimulator that may provide ideal long-term persistent CAR-T cells. However, higher base line or peak serum IL-15 levels are also related to severe toxicity, such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS), graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and neurotoxicity. METHODS: We successfully constructed CD19 specific armored CAR-T cells overexpressing IL-I5 and IL-15 receptor alpha (IL-15Ra). In vitro cell differentiation and viability were monitored by flow cytometry, and an in vivo xenograft mouse models was used to evaluate the anti-tumor efficiency and liver damage of CAR-T cells. RESULTS: CAR-T cells overexpressing IL-15 alone demonstrated enhanced viability, retarded exhaustion in vitro and superior tumor-inhibitory effects in vivo. However, these tumor-free mice had lower survival rates, with serious liver injuries, as a possible result of toxicity. As expected, CAR-T cells overexpressing IL-15 combined with IL-15Ra had reduced CD132 expression and released fewer cytokines (IFNγ, IL-2 and IL-15) in vitro, as well as had the tendency to improve mouse survival via repressing the growth of tumor cells and keeping livers healthier compared to CAR-IL-15 T cells. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated the importance of IL-15 in enhancing T cells persistence and IL-15Ra in reducing the adverse effects of IL-15, with superior tumor retardation during CAR-T therapy. This study paves the way for the rapid exploitation of IL-15 in adoptive cell therapy in the future.

Rationale and design of a phase II trial of dacomitinib in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with uncommon epidermal growth factor receptor mutations: a prospective and single arm study (DANCE study).

BACKGROUND: Dacomitinib is a second-generation, irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI). ARCHER-1050 showed that this agent can improve progression-free survival and overall survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with sensitive EGFR mutation compared to gefitinib. However, it is unclear whether dacomitinib is effective in patients with sensitizing uncommon EGFR mutations in exon 18-21. The aim of this study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of dacomitinib in these patients. METHODS: This is a single arm, prospective, open label and phase II trial. Sample size will be calculated by a minimax two-stage design method based on the following parameters: α = 0.075, 1-ß = 0.9, P0 = 0.20, P1 = 0.45 and a dropout rate of 10%. A total of 30 eligible patients will be included. Patients will receive continuous oral therapy with dacomitinib (45 mg/day) until disease progression, withdrawal of consent, or unacceptable toxicity, whichever occurs first. The primary endpoint is objective response rate (ORR) per RECIST version 1.1, as assessed by investigators' review. The second endpoint is disease control rate (DCR), PFS, OS, and safety. DISCUSSION: We conduct a single arm, phase II study to investigate the safety and efficacy of dacomitinib in advanced NSCLC patients with sensitizing uncommon EGFR mutations. The results of the DANCE study will provide new data regarding efficacy and safety of these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04504071.

A novel Cytochrome P450 26A1 expressing NK cell subset at the mouse maternal-foetal interface.

Cyp26a1 had important roles in mouse embryo implantation and was highly expressed in some of NK cells at the human maternal-foetal interface in early pregnancy. However, the regulatory effect of Cyp26a1 on NK cells remains poorly understood. Through qPCR and flow cytometric assays, we found that Cyp26a1 was expressed by mouse uterine NK cells but not spleen NK cells during the peri-implantation period and there was a group of NK cells that highly expressed Cyp26a1, that is Cyp26a1+ NK cell subset. single cell-population transcriptome sequencing on Cyp26a1+ NK and Cyp26a1- NK cell subsets was performed. We found that there were 3957 differentially expressed genes in the Cyp26a1+ NK cell subset with a cut-off of fold change ≥2 and FDR < 0.01, 2509 genes were up-regulated and 1448 genes were down-regulated in Cyp26a1+ NK cell subset. Moreover, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction signalling pathway and natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity signalling pathway were enriched according to KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. We further found that the expression of Gzma and Klrg1 was significantly increased and Fcgr4 was significantly decreased when inhibiting Cyp26a1. Our experimental results show that there is a novel NK cell subset of Cyp26a1+ NK cells in mouse uterus and Cyp26a1 can regulate the gene expression of Gzma, Klrg1 and Fcgr4 in the Cyp26a1+ NK cells.

Investigating efficacy of "microbiota modulation of the gut-lung Axis" combined with chemotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC: study protocol for a multicenter, prospective, double blind, placebo controlled, randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Most NSCLCs metastasised out of the lungs at the time of diagnosis and cannot be surgically removed . Cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs have become the main treatment in recent decades, especially in patients with NSCLC without EGFR, ALK, and ROS gene mutations. The prognosis of lung cancer is poor, and the overall 5-year survival rate is only 9-13%. Therefore the treatment of advanced NSCLC remains a significant medical need. Recent studies have shown a significant relationship between the gut-lung axis microecology and malignant tumors. Intestinal probiotics are likely to play a role in inhibiting tumorigenesis through "intestinal-pulmonary axis microecological regulation". This study will seek to investigate the efficacy of "Microbiota modulation of the Gut-Lung Axis" combined with chemotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. METHODS: The research is a multicenter, prospective, double blind, placebo controlled, randomized trial. Based on the theoretical basis of "intestinal and lung axis microecological adjustment", combined with traditional platinum-containing two-drug chemotherapy, the efficacy of the new therapy on patients with advanced NSCLC was observed. Collect the basic information of the patient, and study the effect of platinum-based combined chemotherapy on the diversity of intestinal flora in patients with lung cancer after receiving chemotherapy treatment, feces before and after chemotherapy, and the status and extent of adverse reactions during chemotherapy . A total of 180 subjects were included, divided into a control group (platinum-containing dual-drug chemotherapy) and an intervention group (platinum-containing dual-drug chemotherapy combined with Bifico), and were randomly assigned to the group 1:1. DISCUSSION: As a result, intestinal-pulmonary microecological balance could become a new target for the treatment of lung cancer. This study explores the combination of intestinal microecological regulation and chemotherapy to provide new treatment strategies and basis for lung cancer patients. It can help prolong the survival time of lung cancer patients and improve the quality of life, thereby generating huge economic and social benefits. The results can be promoted and applied to units engaged in the treatment of lung cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03642548, date: August 22, 2018, the first version protocol. The URL of trial registry record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03642548?term=NCT03642548&draw=2&rank=1 .

Cytochrome P450 26A1 modulates uterine dendritic cells in mice early pregnancy.

Cytochrome P450 26A1 (CYP26A1) plays important roles in the mice peri-implantation period. Inhibiting its expression or function leads to pregnancy failure. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms involved, especially the relationship between CYP26A1 and immune cells. In this study, using Cyp26a1-specific antisense morpholigos (Cyp26a1-MO) knockdown mice model and pCR3.1-Cyp26a1 vaccine mice model, we found that the number of uterine CD45+ CD11c+ MHCIIlo-hi F4/80- dendritic cells (DCs) was significantly decreased in the treated mice. The percentage of mature DCs (CD86hi ) was obviously lower and the percentage of immature DCs (CD86lo ) was remarkably higher in uterine DCs in the treatment group than that of the control group. Further experiments found that ID2, a transcription factor associated with DCs development, and CD86, a DC mature marker molecule, were both significantly reduced in mice uteri in the treated group. In vitro, ID2 and CD86 also decreased in bone marrow-derived DCs under Cyp26a1-MO treatment. These findings provide novel information that CYP26A1 might affect the embryo implantation via modulating the differentiation and maturation of uterine DCs.

Erlotinib as Neoadjuvant Therapy in Stage IIIA (N2) EGFR Mutation-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Prospective, Single-Arm, Phase II Study.

LESSONS LEARNED: The findings of this prospective, single-arm, phase II study showed that neoadjuvant erlotinib was well tolerated and might improve the radical resection rate in patients with stage IIIA-N2 epidermal growth factor receptor mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Erlotinib shows promise as a neoadjuvant therapy option in this patient population.Next-generation sequencing may be useful for predicting outcomes with preoperative tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with NSCLC.Large-scale randomized controlled trials investigating the role of TKIs in perioperative therapy, combining neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatments to enhance personalized therapy for patients in this precision medicine era, are warranted. BACKGROUND: Information on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) as neoadjuvant therapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is scarce. We evaluated whether neoadjuvant erlotinib improves operability and survival in patients with stage IIIA-N2 EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, single-arm, phase II study. Patients received erlotinib 150 mg per day for 56 days in the neoadjuvant period. The primary endpoint was the radical resection rate. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were included in the final analysis. After erlotinib treatment, 14 patients underwent surgery. The radical resection rate was 68.4% (13/19) with a 21.1% (4/19) rate of pathological downstaging. The objective response rate was 42.1%; 89.5% (17/19) of patients achieved disease control, with a 10.3-month median disease-free survival among patients who underwent surgery. Among all 19 patients who received neoadjuvant therapy, median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival were 11.2 and 51.6 months, respectively. Adverse events (AEs) occurred in 36.8% (7/19) of patients, with the most common AE being rash (26.3%); 15.8% experienced grade 3/4 AEs. Quality of life (QoL) improvements were observed after treatment with erlotinib for almost all QoL assessments. Effects of TP53 mutation on prognosis were evaluated in eight patients with adequate tissue samples. Next-generation sequencing revealed that most patients had a TP53 gene mutation (7/8) in addition to an EGFR mutation. No TP53 mutation, or very low abundance, was associated with longer PFS (36 and 38 months, respectively), whereas high abundance was associated with short PFS (8 months). CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant erlotinib was well tolerated and may improve the radical resection rate in this patient population. Next-generation sequencing may predict outcomes with preoperative TKIs.

An integrative proteome analysis of different seedling organs in tolerant and sensitive wheat cultivars under drought stress and recovery.

Roots, leaves, and intermediate sections between roots and leaves (ISRL) of wheat seedlings show different physiological functions at the protein level. We performed the first integrative proteomic analysis of different tissues of the drought-tolerant wheat cultivar Hanxuan 10 (HX-10) and drought-sensitive cultivar Chinese Spring (CS) during a simulated drought and recovery. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the roots (122), ISRLs (146), and leaves (163) showed significant changes in expression in response to drought stress and recovery. Numerous DEPs associated with cell defense and detoxifications were significantly regulated in roots and ISRLs, while in leaves, DEPs related to photosynthesis showed significant changes in expression. A significantly larger number of DEPs related to stress defense were upregulated in HX-10 than in CS. Expression of six HSPs potentially related to drought tolerance was significantly upregulated under drought conditions, and these proteins were involved in a complex protein-protein interaction network. Further phosphorylation analysis showed that the phosphorylation levels of HSP60, HSP90, and HOP were upregulated in HX-10 under drought stress. We present an overview of metabolic pathways in wheat seedlings based on abscisic acid signaling and important protein expression patterns.

Large-scale phosphoproteome analysis in seedling leaves of Brachypodium distachyon L.

BACKGROUND: Protein phosphorylation is one of the most important post-translational modifications involved in the regulation of plant growth and development as well as diverse stress response. As a member of the Poaceae, Brachypodium distachyon L. is a new model plant for wheat and barley as well as several potential biofuel grasses such as switchgrass. Vegetative growth is vital for biomass accumulation of plants, but knowledge regarding the role of protein phosphorylation modification during vegetative growth, especially in biofuel plants, is far from comprehensive. RESULTS: In this study, we carried out the first large-scale phosphoproteome analysis of seedling leaves in Brachypodium accession Bd21 using TiO2 microcolumns combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and MaxQuant software. A total of 1470 phosphorylation sites in 950 phosphoproteins were identified, and these phosphoproteins were implicated in various molecular functions and basic cellular processes by gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. Among the 950 phosphoproteins identified, 127 contained 3 to 8 phosphorylation sites. Conservation analysis showed that 93.4% of the 950 phosphoproteins had phosphorylation orthologs in other plant species. Motif-X analysis of the phosphorylation sites identified 13 significantly enriched phosphorylation motifs, of which 3 were novel phosphorylation motifs. Meanwhile, there were 91 phosphoproteins with both multiple phosphorylation sites and multiple phosphorylation motifs. In addition, we identified 58 phosphorylated transcription factors across 21 families and found out 6 significantly over-represented transcription factor families (C3H, Trihelix, CAMTA, TALE, MYB_related and CPP). Eighty-four protein kinases (PKs), 8 protein phosphatases (PPs) and 6 CESAs were recognized as phosphoproteins. CONCLUSIONS: Through a large-scale bioinformatics analysis of the phosphorylation data in seedling leaves, a complicated PKs- and PPs- centered network related to rapid vegetative growth was deciphered in B. distachyon. We revealed a MAPK cascade network that might play the crucial roles during the phosphorylation signal transduction in leaf growth and development. The phosphoproteins and phosphosites identified from our study expanded our knowledge of protein phosphorylation modification in plants, especially in monocots.

Deletion of the low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit allele Glu-A3a of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) significantly reduces dough strength and breadmaking quality.

BACKGROUND: Low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS), encoded by Glu-3 complex loci in hexaploid wheat, play important roles in the processing quality of wheat flour. To date, the molecular characteristics and effects on dough quality of individual Glu-3 alleles and their encoding proteins have been poorly studied. We used a Glu-A3 deletion line of the Chinese Spring (CS-n) wheat variety to conduct the first comprehensive study on the molecular characteristics and functional properties of the LMW-GS allele Glu-A3a. RESULTS: The Glu-A3a allele at the Glu-A3 locus in CS and its deletion in CS-n were identified and characterized by proteome and molecular marker methods. The deletion of Glu-A3a had no significant influence on plant morphological and yield traits, but significantly reduced the dough strength and breadmaking quality compared to CS. The complete sequence of the Glu-A3a allele was cloned and characterized, which was found to encode a B-subunit with longer repetitive domains and an increased number of α-helices. The Glu-A3a-encoded B-subunit showed a higher expression level and accumulation rate during grain development. These characteristics of the Glu-A3a allele could contribute to achieving superior gluten quality and demonstrate its potential application to wheat quality improvement. Furthermore, an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) marker for the Glu-A3a allele was developed and validated using different bread wheat cultivars, including near-isogenic lines (NILs) and recombinant inbred lines (RILs), which could be used as an effective molecular marker for gluten quality improvement through marker-assisted selection. CONCLUSIONS: This work demonstrated that the LMW-GS allele Glu-A3a encodes a specific LMW-i type B-subunit that significantly affects wheat dough strength and breadmaking quality. The Glu-A3a-encoded B-subunit has a long repetitive domain and more α-helix structures as well as a higher expression level and accumulation rate during grain development, which could facilitate the formation of wheat with a stronger dough structure and superior breadmaking quality.

Telehealth With Comprehensive Live-Fed Real-World Data as a Patient Care Platform for Lung Cancer: Implementation and Evaluation Study.

BACKGROUND: Telehealth has emerged as a popular channel for providing outpatient services in many countries. However, the majority of telehealth systems focus on operational functions and offer only a sectional patient journey at most. Experiences with incorporating longitudinal real-world medical record data into telehealth are valuable but have not been widely shared. The feasibility and usability of such a telehealth platform, with comprehensive, real-world data via a live feed, for cancer patient care are yet to be studied. OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of this study is to understand the feasibility and usability of cancer patient care using a telehealth platform with longitudinal, real-world data via a live feed as a supplement to hospital electronic medical record systems specifically from physician's perspective. METHODS: A telehealth platform was constructed and launched for both physicians and patients. Real-world data were collected and curated using a comprehensive data model. Physician activities on the platform were recorded as system logs and analyzed. In February 2023, a survey was conducted among the platform's registered physicians to assess the specific areas of patient care and to quantify their before and after experiences, including the number of patients managed, time spent, dropout rate, visit rate, and follow-up data. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed on the data sets. RESULTS: Over a period of 15 months, 16,035 unique users (13,888 patients, 1539 friends and family members, and 174 physician groups with 608 individuals) registered on the platform. More than 382,000 messages including text, reminders, and pictures were generated by physicians when communicating with patients. The survey was completed by 78 group leaders (45% of the 174 physician groups). Of the participants, 84% (65.6/78; SD 8.7) reported a positive experience, with efficient communication, remote supervision, quicker response to questions, adverse event prevention, more complete follow-up data, patient risk reduction, cross-organization collaboration, and a reduction in in-person visits. The majority of the participants (59/78, 76% to 76/78, 97.4%) estimated improvements in time spent, number of patients managed, the drop-off rate, and access to medical history, with the average ranging from 57% to 105%. When compared with prior platforms, responses from physicians indicated better experiences in terms of time spent, the drop-off rate, and medical history, while the number of patients managed did not significantly change. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that a telehealth platform, equipped with comprehensive, real-world data via a live feed, is feasible and effective for cancer patient care. It enhances inpatient management by improving time efficiencies, reducing drop-off rates, and providing easy access to medical history. Moreover, it fosters a positive experience in physician-patient interactions.

Lack of association between XRCC3 rs861539 (C > T) polymorphism and lung cancer risks: an update meta-analysis.

X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 3 (XRCC3) belongs to DNA double-strand break repair pathway and XRCC3 rs861539 (C > T) polymorphism has been suspected with lung cancer risk. However, results from previous studies are inconclusive and affected by bias. Electronic databases of PubMed, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and SinoMed were searched. References of relative reviews were also screened. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate the association strength. A number of 18 eligible studies with 6 studies of Asians, 11 of Caucasians, and 1 of African were extracted and analyzed, including 4,896 lung cancer cases and 6,360 controls. No significant correlation between XRCC3 polymorphism and lung cancer risk was observed in homozygote comparison (CC vs. TT; OR=0.877; 95 % CI, 0.659, 1.168), heterozygote comparison (CT vs. TT; OR=0.857; 95 % CI, 0.675, 1.089), dominant model (CC/CT vs. TT; OR=0.862; 95 % CI, 0.663, 1.123), or recessive model (CC vs. CT/TT; OR=1.047; 95 % CI, 0.956, 1.145). Subgroup analyses of ethnicity and controls did not reveal any significant association with lung cancer risk. No publication bias was detected. In this update meta-analysis of 18 studies and 11,256 participants, we find that XRCC3 rs861539 polymorphism does not contribute to lung cancer risk and there is no difference between Asians and Caucasians.

NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) C609T polymorphism and lung cancer risk: a meta-analysis.

No clear consensus has been reached on the NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) gene C609T polymorphism and lung cancer risk. We performed a meta-analysis to summarize the possible association. We conducted a computer retrieval of PubMed and Embase databases prior to May 2013. References of retrieved articles were also screened. The fixed-effects model and the random-effects model were applied for dichotomous outcomes to combine the results of the individual studies. According to the inclusion criteria, 25 articles (32 studies) were finally included. There was no statistical association between C609T polymorphism and lung cancer risk in overall, East Asians, African Americans, or Hispanics. In Caucasians, a significant association was found in allele comparison model (T vs. C) (P = 0.04, OR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.00-1.19, P(heterogeneity) = 0.24, fixed-effects model). In the subgroup of squamous cell carcinoma, a borderline significance could be found in the dominant genetic model (TT + CT vs. CC) (P = 0.05, OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.00-1.43, P(heterogeneity) = 0.65, fixed-effects model). Significant association could also be found in allele comparison (T vs. C) (P = 0.03, OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.01-1.44, P(heterogeneity) = 0.68, fixed-effects model). In the subgroup of small cell lung cancer risk, significant association were found in allele comparison (T vs. C) (P = 0.03, OR = 1.68, 95%CI 1.05-2.68, P(heterogeneity) = 0.10, random-effects model) and in the homozygote comparison (TT vs. CC) (P = 0.02, OR = 2.79, 95% CI 1.14-6.85, P heterogeneity = 0.72, fixed-effects model). No association was observed in adenocarcinoma subgroup. Our study suggested that NQO1 C609T polymorphism might associate with lung cancer risk in Caucasians. This polymorphism might also associate with squamous cell carcinoma and small cell lung cancer risk.

Efficacy and safety evaluation of icotinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of icotinib hydrochloride in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: A total of 89 patients with stage IIIB or IV NSCLC received icotinib at a dose of 125 mg administered 3 times a day. Icotinib treatment was continued until disease progression or development of unacceptable toxicity. RESULTS: A total of 89 patients were assessable. In patients treated with icotinib, the overall response rate (RR) was 36.0% (32/89), and the disease control rate (DCR) was 69.7% (62/89). RR and DCR were significantly improved in patients with adenocarcinoma versus non-adenocarcinoma (P<0.05). The symptom improvement rate was 57.3% (51/89), and the main symptoms improved were cough, pain, chest distress, dyspnea, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status. The main toxic effects were rash [30/89 (33.7%)] and diarrhea [15/89 (16.9%)]. The level of toxicity was typically low. CONCLUSIONS: The use of icotinib hydrochloride in the treatment of advanced NSCLC is efficacious and safe, and its toxic effects are tolerable.

Prognosis of different extrathoracic metastasis patterns in patients with M1c lung adenocarcinoma receiving immunotherapy.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer with extrathoracic metastases is classified as M1c. However, extrathoracic metastases can be further classified into different patterns. The purpose of this study was to analyze the survival differences between different patterns of extrathoracic metastases in patients with stage M1c lung adenocarcinoma after receiving immunotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 160 stage M1c lung adenocarcinoma patients and treated with immunotherapy. The enrolled patients were divided into two groups: those with multiple extrathoracic metastases alone (EM group) and those with simultaneous multiple extrathoracic and intrathoracic metastases (EIM group). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. RESULTS: The median PFS and OS in the whole group were 7.7 months and 25.4 months, respectively. The patients in the EM group show better PFS (13.0 months vs. 5.0 months; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.462, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.317-0.673, P < 0.0001) and OS (35.0 months vs. 18.9 months; HR 0.592, 95% CI 0.380-0.922, P = 0.019) compared with the EIM group. Furthermore, in patients with lung adenocarcinoma with simultaneous extrathoracic and intrathoracic metastases who received immunotherapy, immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy has better PFS and OS than immunotherapy alone. There was no difference between immunotherapy alone or combined with chemotherapy in patients with lung adenocarcinoma with extrathoracic metastasis alone. CONCLUSION: The different patterns of extrathoracic metastasis were related to the efficacy and prognosis of immunotherapy in M1c cohort. In addition, patients with simultaneous extrathoracic and intrathoracic metastases were more recommended to choose immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy rather than immunotherapy alone.

Efficacy and safety analysis of anlotinib combined with PD-1 inhibitors in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors are beneficial for patients with advanced lung cancer. However, the population who will benefit from PD-1 inhibitors is limited, and their efficacy needs to be further improved. Antiangiogenic agents may regulate tumor microenvironment to improve immunotherapy efficacy. This real-world study sought to investigate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib combined with PD-1 inhibitors in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: In total, 42 advanced NSCLC patients were included in this retrospective study. All the patients received anlotinib combined with PD-1 inhibitors from May 2020 to November 2022. The progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and adverse events (AEs) of the patients were evaluated. Results: The patients had an overall median PFS of 5.721 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.365-10.076]. The median PFS and ORRs of the male patients compared to the female patients were 10.553 vs. 4.340 months, and 36.4% vs. 0.0%, respectively (P=0.010 and 0.041). The DCRs for the first-, second-, and third-line therapies were 100%, 83.3%, and 64.3%, respectively (P=0.096). In relation to the pathological types, the ORRs of the sarcoma, squamous, and adenocarcinoma patients were 100.0%, 33.3%, and 18.5%, respectively (P=0.025). The DCRs of patients with the tumor protein 53 (TP53) mutation, other status, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations were 100.0%, 81.5%, and 40.0%, respectively (P=0.020). All-grade AEs occurred in 52.38% of the patients. The grade 3 AEs were hypertension (7.14%), pneumonia (2.38%), and oral mucositis (2.38%). In total, 3 patients discontinued treatment due to anemia, oral mucositis, and pneumonia, respectively. Conclusions: Anlotinib combined with PD-1 inhibitors has potentially good efficacy and a tolerated safety profile in the treatment of advanced NSCLC patients.

The Infection of Healthcare Workers and the Reinfection of Patients by Omicron Variant - Jiangsu Province, China, December 2022 to January 2023.

What is already known about this topic?: Healthcare workers (HCWs) and previously infected patients (PIPs) may experience a wave of epidemic following the modification of the country's coronavirus disease (COVID)-zero policy in China. What is added by this report?: As of early January 2023, the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic among HCWs had effectively subsided, with no statistically significant differences observed in infection rates compared to those of their co-occupants. The proportion of reinfections among PIPs was relatively low, particularly in those with recent infections. What are the implications for public health practice?: Medical and health services have resumed normal operations. For patients who have recently experienced severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, appropriate relaxation of policies may be considered.