Next-generation sequencing identified that RET variation associates with lymph node metastasis and the immune microenvironment in thyroid papillary carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To date, although most thyroid carcinoma (THCA) achieves an excellent prognosis, some patients experience a rapid progression episode, even with differentiated THCA. Nodal metastasis is an unfavorable predictor. Exploring the underlying mechanism may bring a deep insight into THCA. METHODS: A total of 108 THCA from Chinese patients with next-generation sequencing (NGS) were recruited. It was used to explore the gene alteration spectrum of THCA and identify gene alterations related to nodal metastasis in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The Cancer Genome Atlas THCA cohort was further studied to elucidate the relationship between specific gene alterations and tumor microenvironment. A pathway enrichment analysis was used to explore the underlying mechanism. RESULTS: Gene alteration was frequent in THCA. BRAF, RET, POLE, ATM, and BRCA1 were the five most common altered genes. RET variation was positively related to nodal metastasis in PTC. RET variation is associated with immune cell infiltration levels, including CD8 naïve, CD4 T and CD8 T cells, etc. Moreover, Step 3 and Step 4 of the cancer immunity cycle (CIC) were activated, whereas Step 6 was suppressed in PTC with RET variation. A pathway enrichment analysis showed that RET variation was associated with several immune-related pathways. CONCLUSION: RET variation is positively related to nodal metastasis in Chinese PTC, and anti-tumor immune response may play a role in nodal metastasis triggered by RET variation.

A risk stratification system developed to predict contralateral incidental malignant foci in early papillary thyroid carcinoma preoperatively.

BACKGROUND: In clinical practice, contralateral incidental malignant foci (CIMFs) can be found in some early (cT1N0M0) papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) on postoperative pathological examination. To screen out the patients with high risk of CIMF preoperatively would help in determining the extent of thyroid surgery. METHODS: From October 2016 to February 2021, 332 patients diagnosed with early (cT1N0M0) PTC who underwent total thyroidectomy were included and randomly allocated into a training dataset (n = 233) and a test dataset (n = 99). Demographic and clinicopathological features were recorded and analyzed using logistic regression analysis. A coefficient-based nomogram was developed and validated. RESULTS: Logistic regression analyses revealed that the predictive model including BRAF V600E mutation, multifocality and margin of the contralateral nodule achieved the best diagnostic performance. The nomogram showed good discrimination, with AUCs of 0.795 (95 % CI, 0.736-0.853) for the training set and 0.726 (95 % CI, 0.609-0.843) for the test set. The calibration curve of the nomogram presented good agreement. CONCLUSION: The risk stratification system can be used to quantify the probability of CIMF and may assist in helping the patients choose total thyroidectomy or thyroid lobectomy with early (cT1N0M0) PTC.

Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing Contributes to the Early Diagnosis of Mixed Infections in Central Nervous System.

Central nervous system (CNS) infections represent a challenge due to the complexities associated with their diagnosis and treatment, resulting in a high incidence rate and mortality. Here, we presented a case of CNS mixed infection involving Candida and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), successfully diagnosed through macrogenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in China. A comprehensive review and discussion of previously reported cases were also provided. Our study emphasizes the critical role of early pathogen identification facilitated by mNGS, underscoring its significance. Notably, the integration of mNGS with traditional methods significantly enhances the diagnostic accuracy of CNS infections. This integrated approach has the potential to provide valuable insights for clinical practice, facilitating early diagnosis, allowing for treatment adjustments, and ultimately, improving the prognosis for patients with CNS infections.

ARID2, a rare cause of Coffin-Siris syndrome: A novel microdeletion at 12q12q13.11 causing severe short stature and literature review.

Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS) 6 is caused by heterozygous pathogenic variants in the AT-rich interaction domain 2 (ARID2) gene on 12q12. Currently, only 26 cases with both detailed clinical and genetic information have been documented in the literature. Microdeletions of the entire ARID2 gene are rare. In this study, we report a 5-year-7-month-old Chinese female who underwent whole-exome sequencing to discover that she had a de novo 1.563 Mb heterozygous copy number loss at 12q12q13.11, involving an entire deletion of ARID2. The female had severe short stature with obvious dysmorphic facial features, global developmental delay and hypoplastic fingers and toes. Her growth hormone level was normal, with reduced IGF-1 and increased CA19-9 levels. After a review of the 27 patients with ARID2 deficiency, a significant positive correlation was observed between age and height standard deviation score (SDS) (r = 0.71, p = 0.0002), suggesting a possibility of growth catch-up. This study expands the genetic and phenotypic spectrum of CCS6 and provides a decision-making reference for growth hormone therapy.

Polymorphisms of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 and alcohol dehydrogenase 1B on the malignant transformation of vocal cord leukoplakia: A Chinese cohort.

Severe dysplasia of vocal cord leukoplakia (VCL) is more likely to occur in laryngeal carcinoma. Alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase are both important enzymes in alcohol metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the incidence rate of malignant transformation in patients with VCL and the role of drinking habits and ALDH2 and ADH1B genetic polymorphisms in the malignant transformation of VCL. From January 2007 to January 2017, 136 cases of VCL were included in this retrospective analysis. Information on medical history, alcohol and tobacco consumption habits, ALDH2 and ADH1B genotypes, gastroesophageal reflux, and clinical pathological characteristics of VCL was collected. As a result, patients had a median follow-up of 9.6 years (interquartile range: 7.5-12.5 years). Twenty-three of 136 VCL patients finally developed laryngeal carcinoma, resulting in a cumulative malignant transformation rate of 16.9%. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the independent risk factors for the malignant transformation of VCL included age over 60 years (hazard ratio [HR]: 13.872, p < 0.001), ALDH2 *2 allele status (HR: 9.694, p < 0.001), alcohol (HR: 10.011, p < 0.001) and tobacco (HR: 8.869, p < 0.001) exposure after operation, and drinking frequency (HR: 2.178, p = 0.016). Therefore, among patients over 60 years old, an ALDH2-inactivating mutation and excessive ethanol and tobacco consumption are potential contributors to the malignant transformation of VCL.

[Identification of a novel missense NIPBL variant in a juvenile with severe type of Cornelia de Lange syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To detect pathogenic variant in a juvenile with severe type Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS). METHODS: A 12-year-old female presented with comprehensive developmental retardation and deformity of lower limbs. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood sample of the patient. Whole exome sequencing was performed to identify pathogenic variants. Putative variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. The impact of variants was predicted and validated by bioinformatic analysis. RESULTS: A de novo missense variant, c.1507A>G (p. Lys503Glu), was found in the NIPBL gene of the proband. The variant was unreported previously and predicted to be pathogenic by PolyPhen-2, MutationTaster and SIFT. Using HomoloGene system, the 503 loci in the NIPBL protein are highly conserved. The change of amino acid (Glu), locating in 503 locus, was found to cause the Neuromodulin_N superfamily domain destroyed, resulting in severe damage to the function of NIPBL protein. CONCLUSION: The de novo missense variant c.1507A>G (p. Lys503Glu) of the NIPBL gene probably underlies the disease in this patient.

[Identification of a novel de novo variant of CSNK2A1 gene in a boy with Okur-Chung neurodevelopmental syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze pathogenic variant of CSNK2A1 gene in a boy with Okur-Chung neurodevelopmental syndrome (OCNS). METHODS: The 8-year-old boy presented with growth retardation, intellectual disability and spells of breath holding. With genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood samples of the patient and his parents, whole exome sequencing was carried out. Putative pathogenic variants were verified with Sanger sequencing. The nature and impact of detected variants were predicted through bioinformatic analysis. RESULTS: A novel de novo missense variant c.149A>G (p.Tyr50Cys) of the CSNK2A1 gene was identified, which was unreported previously. The variant was predicted to be pathogenic by PolyPhen-2, Mutation Taster and SIFT software. Based on a HomoloGene system, 50 loci within the CK2alpha protein are highly conserved. The change of amino acid (Cys) at position 50 has destroyed the ATP binding loop domain, causing serious damage to its function. As predicted by a Swiss PDB viewer, the variant can significantly alter the spatial structure of CK2alpha, resulting in loss of protein function. CONCLUSION: The patient's condition may be attributed to the novel de novo missense variant c.149A>G (p.Tyr50Cys) of the CSNK2A1 gene.

Somatic alterations of TP53, ERBB2, PIK3CA and CCND1 are associated with chemosensitivity for breast cancers.

The correlation of genetic alterations with response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has not been fully revealed. In this study, we enrolled 247 breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline-taxane-based NAC treatment. A next generation sequencing (NGS) panel containing 36 hotspot breast cancer-related genes was used in this study. Two different standards for the extent of pathologic complete response (pCR), ypT0/isypN0 and ypT0/is, were used as indicators for NAC treatment. TP53 mutation (n = 149, 60.3%), PIK3CA mutation (n = 109, 44.1%) and MYC amplification (n = 95, 38.5%) were frequently detected in enrolled cases. TP53 mutation (P = 0.019 for ypT0/isypN0 and P = 0.003 for ypT0/is) and ERBB2 amplification (P < 0.001 for both ypT0/isypN0 and ypT0/is) were related to higher pCR rates. PIK3CA mutation (P = 0.040 for ypT0/isypN0) and CCND2 amplification (P = 0.042 for ypT0/is) showed reduced sensitivity to NAC. Patients with MAPK pathway alteration had low pCR rates (P = 0.043 for ypT0/is). Patients with TP53 mutation (-) PIK3CA mutation (-) ERBB2 amplification (+) CCND1 amplification (-), TP53 mutation (+) PIK3CA mutation (-) ERBB2 amplification (+) CCND1 amplification (-) or TP53 mutation (+) PIK3CA mutation (+) ERBB2 amplification (+) CCND1 amplification (-)had significantly higher pCR rates (P < 0.05 for ypT0/isypN0 and ypT0/is) than wild type genotype tumors. Some cancer genetic alterations as well as pathway alterations were associated with chemosensitivity to NAC treatment. Our study may shed light on the molecular characteristics of breast cancer for prediction of NAC expectations when breast cancer is first diagnosed by biopsy.

Antiresorptive Agents are More Effective in Preventing Titanium Particle-Induced Calvarial Osteolysis in Ovariectomized Mice Than Anabolic Agents in Short-Term Administration.

Aseptic loosening due to wear particle-induced osteolysis is the main cause of arthroplasty failure and the influence of postmenopausal osteoporosis and anti-osteoporosis treatment on Titanium (Ti) particle-induced osteolysis remains unclear. 66 C57BL/6J female mice were used in this study. Ovariectomy (OVX) was performed to induce osteopenia mice and confirmed by micro-CT. The Ti particle-induced mouse calvaria osteolysis model was established subsequently and both OVX and Sham-OVX mice were divided into four groups, respectively: Ti (-) group, Ti group, Ti + zoledronic acid (ZOL) group (50ug/kg, local administration, single dose) and Ti + teriparatide (TPTD) group (40ug/kg/d, subcutaneous injection*14d). Mice calvarias were collected for micro-CT and histomorphometric analysis 2 weeks after particle induction. 8 weeks after bilateral OVX, significantly reduced BMD and microstructure parameters in both proximal tibia and calvaria were observed in OVX mice when comparing with Sham-OVX mice. OVX mice in Ti group had not only markly decreased BMD and BV/TV, but also significantly increased total porosity, eroded surface area and osteoclast numbers when comparing with Sham-OVX mice. Shown by Two-way ANOVA analysis, the interaction terms between OVX and Ti implantation on micro-CT and histomorphometry parameters didn't reach significant difference. As illustrated by micro-CT and histological analysis, ZOL treatment markedly inhibited Ti particle-induced osteolysis in OVX mice and Sham-OVX mice, and there were significant differences when comparing to both Ti and Ti+TPTD group. The combination of osteoporosis and Ti particle implantation result in aggravated bone resorption, accompanied with increased osteoclasts and excessive inflammation response. ZOL was more effective in preventing Ti particle-induced osteolysis in both OVX mice and Sham-OVX mice than TPTD in short-term administration. ZOL exert the protective effects on Ti particle-induced bone loss via the suppression of osteoclasts.

CCL18/PITPNM3 enhances migration, invasion, and EMT through the NF-κB signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Chemokine ligand 18 (CCL18) has been associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis. Here, we demonstrated a novel mechanism through which CCL18 enhances cell migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC. (1) Using immunohistochemistry, we analyzed the expression of PITPNM3, a molecule that correlated with CCL18 signaling, in 149 HCC tissue specimens. The results showed that PITPNM3 expression is highly associated with tumor metastasis and differentiation; (2) in vitro experiments showed that CCL18 enhances cell migration, invasion, and EMT in PITPNM3((+)) HCC cells but not in PITPNM3((-)) cells. Silencing of PITPNM3 by short interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibited the induction of cell migration, invasion, and EMT by CCL18; (3) Cell migration, invasion, and EMT induced by CCL18 accompanied with the phosphorylation of IKK and IKBα as well as p65 nuclear translocation in PITPNM3((+)) HCC cells, but not in the cells that PITPNM3 is silenced with siRNA, implying that the activation of NF-κB signaling is involved in the action of CCL18/PITPNM3. These results suggest that CCL18 enhances HCC cell migration, invasion, and EMT through the expression of PITPNM3 and the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Repurposing the antipsychotic trifluoperazine as an antimetastasis agent.

Because cancer cell invasion is a critical determinant of metastasis, targeting invasion is a viable approach to prevent metastasis. Utilizing a novel three-dimensional high-throughput invasion assay, we screened a National Cancer Institute compound library and discovered compounds demonstrating inhibitory effects on cancer cell invasion. One hit, trifluoperazine, suppresses invasion of human cancer cell lines while displaying a limited cytotoxicity profile. This inhibition is due to the interference with cancer cell migratory ability but not proteolytic activity. Treatment of cancer cells with trifluoperazine significantly reduces angiogenesis and prevents cancer cell invasion through a chorioallantoic basement membrane. Mechanistically, treatment results in decreased phosphorylated AKT (Ser(473) and Thr(308)) and ß-catenin (Ser(552)). Lack of phosphorylation of Ser(552) of ß-catenin prevents ß-catenin nuclear relocation, resulting in decreased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, likely mediated through dopamine receptor D2. Taken together, we demonstrated that trifluoperazine is responsible for reducing the angiogenic and invasive potential of aggressive cancer cells through dopamine receptor D2 to modulate the ß-catenin pathway and propose that trifluoperazine may be used as an antimetastasis chemotherapeutic.

Phospho-NSAIDs have enhanced efficacy in mice lacking plasma carboxylesterase: implications for their clinical pharmacology.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the metabolism, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of phospho-NSAIDs in Ces1c-knockout mice. METHODS: Hydrolysis of phospho-NSAIDs by Ces1c was investigated using Ces1c-overexpressing cells. The rate of phospho-NSAID hydrolysis was compared between wild-type, Ces1c+/- and Ces1c-/- mouse plasma in vitro, and the effect of plasma Ces1c on the cytotoxicity of phospho-NSAIDs was evaluated. Pharmacokinetics of phospho-sulindac was examined in wild-type and Ces1c-/- mice. The impact of Ces1c on the efficacy of phospho-sulindac was investigated using lung and pancreatic cancer models in vivo. RESULTS: Phospho-NSAIDs were extensively hydrolyzed in Ces1c-overexpressing cells. Phospho-NSAID hydrolysis in wild-type mouse plasma was 6-530-fold higher than that in the plasma of Ces1c-/- mice. Ces1c-expressing wild-type mouse serum attenuated the in vitro cytotoxicity of phospho-NSAIDs towards cancer cells. Pharmacokinetic studies of phospho-sulindac using wild-type and Ces1c-/- mice demonstrated 2-fold less inactivation of phospho-sulindac in the latter. Phospho-sulindac was 2-fold more efficacious in inhibiting the growth of lung and pancreatic carcinoma in Ces1c -/- mice, as compared to wild-type mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that intact phospho-NSAIDs are the pharmacologically active entities and phospho-NSAIDs are expected to be more efficacious in humans than in rodents due to their differential expression of carboxylesterases.

VPAC1 overexpression is associated with poor differentiation in colon cancer.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a neurotransmitter that primarily functions as a vasodilator. VIP plays its role through binding to its receptors known as VIP/pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide receptors (VPACs). In this study, we examined the expression of VPAC1 in human colon cancer tissues, analyzed the relationship between VPAC1 expression and cancer malignancy, and explored the possible mechanisms using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence double staining. The results showed that (1) poorly differentiated colon cancers have significantly higher VPAC1 expression than well-differentiated colon cancers do (p < 0.01); (2) phospho-epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression/activation in the cytoplasm of cancer cells is related to VPAC1 overexpression; (3) blood vessels surrounding colon cancer have significantly more VPAC1-positive than normal colon mucosa does; (4) tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) of colon cancer have a higher level of VPAC1 expression than macrophages in normal colon mucosa do. These data suggest that VPAC1 overexpression is associated with poorer differentiation of colon cancer, which is likely caused by subsequent EGFR activation in cancer cells. In addition, VPAC1 overexpression in both blood vessels and macrophages in tumors may also play an important role in the development of aggressive cancer.

Phospho-aspirin (MDC-22) inhibits breast cancer in preclinical animal models: an effect mediated by EGFR inhibition, p53 acetylation and oxidative stress.

BACKGROUND: The anticancer properties of aspirin are restricted by its gastrointestinal toxicity and its limited efficacy. Therefore, we synthesized phospho-aspirin (PA-2; MDC-22), a novel derivative of aspirin, and evaluated its chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive efficacy in preclinical models of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHODS: Efficacy of PA-2 was evaluated in human breast cancer cells in vitro, and in orthotopic and subcutaneous TNBC xenografts in nude mice. Mechanistic studies were also carried out to elucidate the mechanism of action of PA-2. RESULTS: PA-2 inhibited the growth of TNBC cells in vitro more potently than aspirin. Treatment of established subcutaneous TNBC xenografts (MDA-MB-231 and BT-20) with PA-2 induced a strong growth inhibitory effect, resulting in tumor stasis (79% and 90% inhibition, respectively). PA-2, but not aspirin, significantly prevented the development of orthotopic MDA-MB-231 xenografts (62% inhibition). Mechanistically, PA-2: 1) inhibited the activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and suppressed its downstream signaling cascades, including PI3K/AKT/mTOR and STAT3; 2) induced acetylation of p53 at multiple lysine residues and enhanced its DNA binding activity, leading to cell cycle arrest; and 3) induced oxidative stress by suppressing the thioredoxin system, consequently inhibiting the activation of the redox sensitive transcription factor NF-κB. These molecular alterations were observed in vitro and in vivo, demonstrating their relevance to the anticancer effect of PA-2. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that PA-2 possesses potent chemotherapeutic efficacy against TNBC, and is also effective in its chemoprevention, warranting further evaluation as an anticancer agent.

HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS-1 SUSCEPTIBILITY AS A RISK FACTOR FOR SEPSIS, WITH CYTOMEGALOVIRUS SUSCEPTIBILITY ELEVATING SEVERITY: INSIGHTS FROM A BIDIRECTIONAL MENDELIAN RANDOMIZATION STUDY.

ABSTRACT: Objective: We conducted a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) study to investigate the causal relationships between herpes viruses and sepsis. Methods: Publicly available genome-wide association study data were used. Four viruses, HSV-1, HSV-2, EBV, and CMV, were selected, with serum positivity and levels of antibody in serum as the herpes virus data. Results: In forward MR, susceptibility to HSV-1 was a risk factor for sepsis. The susceptibility to CMV showed a severity-dependent effect on sepsis and was a risk factor for the 28-day mortality from sepsis, and was also a risk factor for 28-day sepsis mortality in critical care admission. The EBV EA-D antibody level after EBV infection was a protective factor for 28-day sepsis mortality in critical care admission, and CMV pp28 antibody level was a risk factor for 28-day sepsis mortality in critical care admission. No statistically significant causal relationships between HSV-2 and sepsis were found. No exposures having statistically significant association with sepsis critical care admission as an outcome were found. In reverse MR, the sepsis critical care admission group manifested a decrease in CMV pp52 antibody levels. No causal relationships with statistical significance between sepsis exposure and other herpes virus outcomes were found. Conclusion: Our study identifies HSV-1 susceptibility as a sepsis risk, with CMV susceptibility elevating severity. Varied effects of EBV and CMV antibodies on sepsis severity are noted. Severe sepsis results in a decline in CMV antibody levels. Our results help prognostic and predictive enrichment and offer valuable information for precision sepsis treatment.

Deep learning models for thyroid nodules diagnosis of fine-needle aspiration biopsy: a retrospective, prospective, multicentre study in China.

BACKGROUND: Accurately distinguishing between malignant and benign thyroid nodules through fine-needle aspiration cytopathology is crucial for appropriate therapeutic intervention. However, cytopathologic diagnosis is time consuming and hindered by the shortage of experienced cytopathologists. Reliable assistive tools could improve cytopathologic diagnosis efficiency and accuracy. We aimed to develop and test an artificial intelligence (AI)-assistive system for thyroid cytopathologic diagnosis according to the Thyroid Bethesda Reporting System. METHODS: 11 254 whole-slide images (WSIs) from 4037 patients were used to train deep learning models. Among the selected WSIs, cell level was manually annotated by cytopathologists according to The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC) guidelines of the second edition (2017 version). A retrospective dataset of 5638 WSIs of 2914 patients from four medical centres was used for validation. 469 patients were recruited for the prospective study of the performance of AI models and their 537 thyroid nodule samples were used. Cohorts for training and validation were enrolled between Jan 1, 2016, and Aug 1, 2022, and the prospective dataset was recruited between Aug 1, 2022, and Jan 1, 2023. The performance of our AI models was estimated as the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC), sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. The primary outcomes were the prediction sensitivity and specificity of the model to assist cyto-diagnosis of thyroid nodules. FINDINGS: The AUROC of TBSRTC III+ (which distinguishes benign from TBSRTC classes III, IV, V, and VI) was 0·930 (95% CI 0·921-0·939) for Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (SYSMH) internal validation and 0·944 (0·929 - 0·959), 0·939 (0·924-0·955), 0·971 (0·938-1·000) for The First People's Hospital of Foshan (FPHF), Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute (SCHI), and The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (TAHGMU) medical centres, respectively. The AUROC of TBSRTC V+ (which distinguishes benign from TBSRTC classes V and VI) was 0·990 (95% CI 0·986-0·995) for SYSMH internal validation and 0·988 (0·980-0·995), 0·965 (0·953-0·977), and 0·991 (0·972-1·000) for FPHF, SCHI, and TAHGMU medical centres, respectively. For the prospective study at SYSMH, the AUROC of TBSRTC III+ and TBSRTC V+ was 0·977 and 0·981, respectively. With the assistance of AI, the specificity of junior cytopathologists was boosted from 0·887 (95% CI 0·8440-0·922) to 0·993 (0·974-0·999) and the accuracy was improved from 0·877 (0·846-0·904) to 0·948 (0·926-0·965). 186 atypia of undetermined significance samples from 186 patients with BRAF mutation information were collected; 43 of them harbour the BRAFV600E mutation. 91% (39/43) of BRAFV600E-positive atypia of undetermined significance samples were identified as malignant by the AI models. INTERPRETATION: In this study, we developed an AI-assisted model named the Thyroid Patch-Oriented WSI Ensemble Recognition (ThyroPower) system, which facilitates rapid and robust cyto-diagnosis of thyroid nodules, potentially enhancing the diagnostic capabilities of cytopathologists. Moreover, it serves as a potential solution to mitigate the scarcity of cytopathologists. FUNDING: Guangdong Science and Technology Department. TRANSLATION: For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Artificial intelligence enables precision diagnosis of cervical cytology grades and cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is a significant global health issue, its prevalence and prognosis highlighting the importance of early screening for effective prevention. This research aimed to create and validate an artificial intelligence cervical cancer screening (AICCS) system for grading cervical cytology. The AICCS system was trained and validated using various datasets, including retrospective, prospective, and randomized observational trial data, involving a total of 16,056 participants. It utilized two artificial intelligence (AI) models: one for detecting cells at the patch-level and another for classifying whole-slide image (WSIs). The AICCS consistently showed high accuracy in predicting cytology grades across different datasets. In the prospective assessment, it achieved an area under curve (AUC) of 0.947, a sensitivity of 0.946, a specificity of 0.890, and an accuracy of 0.892. Remarkably, the randomized observational trial revealed that the AICCS-assisted cytopathologists had a significantly higher AUC, specificity, and accuracy than cytopathologists alone, with a notable 13.3% enhancement in sensitivity. Thus, AICCS holds promise as an additional tool for accurate and efficient cervical cancer screening.

Development and validation of an artificial intelligence-based model for detecting urothelial carcinoma using urine cytology images: a multicentre, diagnostic study with prospective validation.

Background: Urine cytology is an important non-invasive examination for urothelial carcinoma (UC) diagnosis and follow-up. We aimed to explore whether artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance the sensitivity of urine cytology and help avoid unnecessary endoscopy. Methods: In this multicentre diagnostic study, consecutive patients who underwent liquid-based urine cytology examinations at four hospitals in China were included for model development and validation. Patients who declined surgery and lacked associated histopathology results, those diagnosed with rare subtype tumours of the urinary tract, or had low-quality images were excluded from the study. All liquid-based cytology slides were scanned into whole-slide images (WSIs) at 40 × magnification and the WSI-labels were derived from the corresponding histopathology results. The Precision Urine Cytology AI Solution (PUCAS) was composed of three distinct stages (patch extraction, features extraction, and classification diagnosis) and was trained to identify important WSI features associated with UC diagnosis. The diagnostic sensitivity was mainly used to validate the performance of PUCAS in retrospective and prospective validation cohorts. This study is registered with the ChiCTR, ChiCTR2300073192. Findings: Between January 1, 2018 and October 31, 2022, 2641 patients were retrospectively recruited in the training cohort, and 2335 in retrospective validation cohorts; 400 eligible patients were enrolled in the prospective validation cohort between July 7, 2023 and September 15, 2023. The sensitivity of PUCAS ranged from 0.922 (95% CI: 0.811-0.978) to 1.000 (0.782-1.000) in retrospective validation cohorts, and was 0.896 (0.837-0.939) in prospective validation cohort. The PUCAS model also exhibited a good performance in detecting malignancy within atypical urothelial cells cases, with a sensitivity of over 0.84. In the recurrence detection scenario, PUCAS could reduce 57.5% of endoscopy use with a negative predictive value of 96.4%. Interpretation: PUCAS may help to improve the sensitivity of urine cytology, reduce misdiagnoses of UC, avoid unnecessary endoscopy, and reduce the clinical burden in resource-limited areas. The further validation in other countries is needed. Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China; Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China; the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars; the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province; the National Key Research and Development Programme of China; Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Centre for Urological Diseases.

The anticancer effect of phospho-tyrosol-indomethacin (MPI-621), a novel phosphoderivative of indomethacin: in vitro and in vivo studies.

We have synthesized a novel derivative of indomethacin, phospho-tyrosol-indomethacin (PTI; MPI-621), and evaluated its anticancer efficacy in vitro and in vivo. PTI inhibited the growth of human colon, breast and lung cancer cell lines 6-30-fold more potently than indomethacin. In vivo, in contrast to indomethacin that was unable to inhibit colon cancer xenograft growth, PTI inhibited the growth of colon (69% at 10mg/kg/day, P < 0.01) and lung (91% at 15mg/kg/day, P < 0.01) subcutaneous cancer xenografts in immunodeficient mice, suppressing cell proliferation by 33% and inducing apoptosis by 75% (P < 0.05, for both). Regarding its pharmacokinetics in mice, after a single intraperitoneal injection of PTI, its plasma levels reached the maximum concentration (Cmax = 46 µM) at 2h (Tmax) and became undetectable at 4h. Indomethacin is the major metabolite of PTI, with plasma Cmax = 378 µM and Tmax = 2.5h; it became undetectable 24h postadministration. The cellular uptake of PTI (50-200 µM) at 6h was about 200-fold greater than that of indomethacin. Regarding its safety, PTI had no significant genotoxicity, showed less gastrointestinal toxicity than indomethacin and presented no cardiac toxicity. Mechanistically, PTI suppressed prostaglandin E2 production in A549 human lung cancer cells and strongly inhibited nuclear factor-κB activation in A549 xenografts. These findings indicate that PTI merits further evaluation as an anticancer agent.

Phosphosulindac (OXT-328) selectively targets breast cancer stem cells in vitro and in human breast cancer xenografts.

Pharmacological targeting of breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) is highly promising for the treatment of breast cancer, as the small population of CSCs appears responsible for tumor initiation and progression and also for resistance to conventional treatment. Here we report that the novel phosphosulindac (OXT-328, PS) selectively and effectively eliminates breast CSCs both in vitro and in vivo. PS reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in various breast CSCs. Breast CSCs are resistant to conventional cancer drugs but are sensitive to PS. Long-term treatment of mixtures of cultured breast CSCs and breast cancer cells with PS preferentially eliminated the CSCs. PS impaired the ability of CSCs to form mammospheres and markedly suppressed the expression of CSC-related genes. More importantly, PS prevented by half (p = .06) the formation of tumors initiated by CSCs in immunodeficient mice, and inhibited by 83% (p < .05) the growth of already formed breast cancer xenografts, reducing the proportion of CSCs in them. PS suppressed the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway by stimulating the degradation of ß-catenin and its relocalization to the cell membrane and also blocked the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the generation of breast CSCs. These results indicate that PS has a strong inhibitory effect against breast cancer, acting, at least in part, by targeting CSCs through a signaling mechanism involving Wnt signaling.