Urethral carcinoma after skin substitution urethral reconstruction.

Urethral cancer after urethral reconstruction is an under-recognized, uncommon disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The survival rates of patients with carcinoma of the bulbar urethra are as low as 20%-30%. Stricture recurrence and unrecognized malignant changes present prior to reconstruction are major risk factors for urethral cancer. Skin substitution urethroplasty is subjected to higher rates of recurrence, which lends to the potential for carcinogenesis. We present a case of a 59-year-old male who underwent multi-stage skin substitution urethroplasty who developed urethral carcinoma 20 years later.

Double Z-Rhombic Plasty for Repair of Scalp Defects.

BACKGROUND: The closure of scalp wounds presents with reconstructive challenges due to the poor tissue elasticity. It is not uncommon to require skin grafts for definitive closure, even when large flaps are employed. Herein, we present a novel method for the direct closure of small- to medium-sized wounds defects. It is a modified bilateral rhomboid flap, which enables tension-free closure in many areas of scalp. METHODS: All patients treated with this technique between January 2018 and January 2023 were reviewed. Demographics, complications, and outcomes were reviewed. RESULTS: One hundred forty patients have been operated with this technique. All have been cases of skin tumors. The full flap survival was 97.14%, and they did not present any major local complications, avoiding in all cases the use of skin autografts. Four patients (2.86%) had partial necrosis in the edges of the flap, all managed with topical wound care with good healing and no need of secondary procedures. CONCLUSIONS: This flap is safe and easy to perform when there is skin laxity in the scalp. It can save many skin grafts, simplifying the closure of this area, which can be a first-choice technique on scalp reconstruction.

Subdermal dissection technique for pure skin SCIA and ALT perforator flaps in burns and trauma defects: Clinical experience.

BACKGROUND: The pure skin perforator (PSP) flap is gaining popularity for its remarkable thinness. The subdermal dissection technique was recently introduced, allowing for a quicker elevation of a PSP flap. In this report, we present our two-year experience utilizing subdermal dissection for harvesting PSP flaps. METHODS: All patients who had undergone PSP flap reconstruction at our hospital from February 2021 to February 2023 were included. Demographic data, intraoperative variables, flap characteristics, and postoperative outcomes were collected. Surgical planning involved locating the perforator using ultrasound and harvesting the flap using the subdermal dissection technique. RESULTS: A total of 26 PSP flap reconstructions were conducted on 24 patients aged between 15 and 86 years. The flaps were based on perforators issuing from the superficial circumflex iliac artery in 24 cases, and from the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery in 2 cases. Flap sizes ranged from 3 × 1.5 cm to 19 × 6 cm, with a mean thickness of 3.48 mm. The average time for flap harvest was 131.92 min. Postoperatively, we observed four cases of partial necrosis, 1 total flap loss, and 2 instances of vascular thrombosis at the anastomosis site. The flaps exhibited good pliability without contracture, and no debulking procedures were required during the follow-up period (minimum 6 months, range 6-24; mean 9.4615). CONCLUSION: The subdermal dissection technique is a safe and efficient approach for elevating PSP flaps. Our initial experience with this technique has been encouraging, and it currently serves as our preferred reconstructive option for defects requiring thin reconstruction.

Sharp-Line Near-Infrared Emission from Tetrahedron-Occupied Ni2+ in Ca2GeO4.

As far as we are concerned, the phenomenon of Ni2+ luminescence in tetrahedral coordination has not been reported. For the first time, a new NIR phosphor Ca2GeO4:Ni2+ is developed in this work. It is found that the NIR emission from this phosphor is a sharp peak attributed to the unusual Ni2+-occupied GeO4 site in the lattice, instead of the conventional broadband luminescence of Ni2+ in the octahedrally coordinated site. Crystal-field analysis has been applied, and the parameters Dq, B, and Δ are calculated to reveal the relationship between the emission profile and the crystal field strength. The optimal Ni2+ doping concentration is found to be 1%. Ca2GeO4:Ni2+ provides an efficient sharp-line (fwhm = 16 nm) emission centered at 1164 nm which originates from the 1T2 → 3T1 transition with an internal quantum efficiency of 23.1% and a decay lifetime of about 300 µs. This work could provide some new insights to explore novel NIR luminescent materials based on transition-metal elements.

Achieving Ultra-Wideband NIR-II Emission in Cr3+-Doped Li(Sc,In)(Si,Ge)O4 Phosphors Based on Host Composition Engineering.

Realizing ultra-wideband and tunable near-infrared (NIR) emission remains a great challenge in NIR phosphor development. The luminescence of most reported NIR phosphors exhibits a peak wavelength shorter than 1000 nm and the corresponding FWHM is <200 nm. Here, a series of Cr3+-activated Li(Sc,In)(Si,Ge)O4 phosphors with ultra-wideband and tunable NIR-II emission are successfully developed based on the host composition engineering strategy. Significant spectral engineering in the NIR-II region is achieved with a peak wavelength changing from 1110 to 1253 nm. The olivine host structure could provide Cr3+ activator a highly distorted octahedral site with very weak crystal field strength, which results in NIR-II ultra-wideband emission with FWHM > 300 nm. A detailed discussion on the relationship between structural variation, crystal field splitting, and NIR luminescence has been applied. As far as we know, it is the first report about Cr3+ NIR luminescence engineering in such a long wavelength and wide range. The application of these NIR-II phosphors is demonstrated in intensity-based luminescent thermometry with a relative sensitivity of >2.0% K-1 in the physiological temperature range.

High Dielectric Poly(vinylidene fluoride)-Based Polymer Enables Uniform Lithium-Ion Transport in Solid-State Ionogel Electrolytes.

Ionic liquids (ILs)-incorporated solid-state polymer electrolytes (iono-SPEs) have high ionic conductivities but show non-uniform Li+ transport in different phases. This work greatly promotes Li+ transport in polymer phases by employing a poly (vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE), PTC] as the framework of ILs to prepare iono-SPEs. Unlike PVDF, PTC with suitable polarity shows weaker adsorption energy on IL cations, reducing their possibility of occupying Li+ -hopping sites. The significantly higher dielectric constant of PTC than PVDF facilitates the dissociation of Li-anions clusters. These two factors motivate Li+ transport along PTC chains, narrowing the difference in Li+ transport among varied phases. The LiFePO4 /PTC iono-SPE/Li cells cycle steadily with capacity retention of 91.5 % after 1000 cycles at 1 C and 25 °C. This work paves a new way to induce uniform Li+ flux in iono-SPEs through polarity and dielectric design of polymer matrix.

Novel Caspase-1 inhibitor CZL80 improves neurological function in mice after progressive ischemic stroke within a long therapeutic time-window.

Progressive ischemic stroke (PIS) is featured by progressive neurological dysfunction after ischemia. Ischemia-evoked neuroinflammation is implicated in the progressive brain injury after cerebral ischemia, while Caspase-1, an active component of inflammasome, exaggerates ischemic brain injury. Current Caspase-1 inhibitors are inadequate in safety and druggability. Here, we investigated the efficacy of CZL80, a novel Caspase-1 inhibitor, in mice with PIS. Mice and Caspase-1-/- mice were subjected to photothrombotic (PT)-induced cerebral ischemia. CZL80 (10, 30 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.p.) was administered for one week after PT onset. The transient and the progressive neurological dysfunction (as foot faults in the grid-walking task and forelimb symmetry in the cylinder task) was assessed on Day1 and Day4-7, respectively, after PT onset. Treatment with CZL80 (30 mg/kg) during Day1-7 significantly reduced the progressive, but not the transient neurological dysfunction. Furthermore, we showed that CZL80 administered on Day4-7, when the progressive neurological dysfunction occurred, produced significant beneficial effects against PIS, suggesting an extended therapeutic time-window. CZL80 administration could improve the neurological function even as late as Day43 after PT. In Caspase-1-/- mice with PIS, the beneficial effects of CZL80 were abolished. We found that Caspase-1 was upregulated during Day4-7 after PT and predominantly located in activated microglia, which was coincided with the progressive neurological deficits, and attenuated by CZL80. We showed that CZL80 administration did not reduce the infarct volume, but significantly suppressed microglia activation in the peri-infarct cortex, suggesting the involvement of microglial inflammasome in the pathology of PIS. Taken together, this study demonstrates that Caspase-1 is required for the progressive neurological dysfunction in PIS. CZL80 is a promising drug to promote the neurological recovery in PIS by inhibiting Caspase-1 within a long therapeutic time-window.

Label-Free Ratiometric Upconversion Nanoprobe for Spatiotemporal pH Mapping in Living Cells.

Sensing and imaging pH inside living cells are of paramount importance for better penetrating cellular functions and disease diagnostics. Herein, we engineered an original pH sensor by a simple one-step self-assembly of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)ylated phospholipid (DSPE-PEG) and a phenol red small molecule on the surface of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) to form a phospholipid monolayer for sensing and imaging the change of intracellular pH. The sensor showed excellent reversibility and rapid response to the pH variations. Furthermore, this pH sensing system could measure spatial and temporal pH changes during endocytosis and interrogate the pH fluctuations inside cells under external stimuli. Our experimental results revealed that the pH sensor was able to map spatial and temporal pH fluctuations inside living cells, showing its potential application in diagnostics and pH-related study of cell biology.

Cytomegalovirus reactivation in immunocompetent mechanical ventilation patients: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation is associated with adverse prognoses of critically ill patients. However, the epidemiology and predictors of CMV reactivation in immunocompetent patients receiving mechanical ventilation (MV) are not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology and predictors of CMV reactivation in immunocompetent patients requiring MV. METHODS: A single-center, prospective observational study (conducted from June 30, 2017 to July 01, 2018) with a follow-up of 90 days (September 29, 2018) that included 71 CMV-seropositive immunocompetent patients with MV at a 37-bed university hospital general intensive care unit (ICU) in China. Routine detection of CMV DNAemia was performed once a week for 28 days (Days 1, 7, 14, 21, and 28). CMV serology, laboratory findings, and clinical data were obtained during hospitalization. RESULTS: Among 71 patients, 13 (18.3%) showed CMV reactivation within 28 days in the ICU. The median time to reactivation was 7 days. CMV reactivation was related to various factors, including body mass index (BMI), sepsis, N-terminal pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and hemoglobin (Hb) levels (P < 0.05). In the multivariate regression model, BMI, Hb level, and sepsis were independently associated with CMV reactivation patients (P < 0.05). Moreover, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of BMI, Hb, and BMI combined with Hb was 0.69, 0.70, and 0.76, respectively. The duration of MV, hospitalization expense, length of ICU stay, and 90 day all-cause mortality rate in patients with CMV reactivation was significantly higher than in those without CMV reactivation (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Among immunocompetent patients with MV, the incidence of CMV reactivation was 18.3%. CMV reactivation was associated with several adverse prognoses. BMI, Hb, and sepsis were independent risk factors for CMV reactivation. BMI and Hb may predict CMV reactivation.

Nocturia and electrocardiographic abnormalities among patients at an inner-city cardiology clinic.

AIMS: Nocturia has been increasingly recognized as a potential manifestation of cardiovascular disease. However, the relationship between nocturia and electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities has not been studied. This study aims to characterize the diagnostic utility of nocturia in identifying left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), left atrial enlargement (LAE), and prolonged QTc on ECG. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of nocturnal voiding frequency and contemporaneous ECG data from consecutive patients evaluated at a university-based outpatient cardiology clinic. Three sets of three incremental binary multiple logistic regression models controlling for (1) age, (2) sex and race, and (3) body mass index, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and diuretic utilization were performed to determine whether nocturia was predictive of LVH, LAE, and prolonged QTc. RESULTS: Included patients (n = 143, 77.6% nocturia) were predominantly African-American (89.5%), female (74.1%), and obese (61.5%), of whom 44.1%, 41.3%, and 27.3% had LVH, LAE, and prolonged QTc, respectively. Older age, African-American race, obesity, hypertension, diuretic use, LVH, and LAE were significantly associated with nocturia on univariate analysis. No significant differences were observed in the strength of associations between nocturia and LVH, LAE, or QTc prolongation based on age. Nocturia independently predicted LVH in Models I-III (odds ratios [ORs], 2.99-3.20; relative risks [RRs], 1.18 for all, p ≤ .046) and LAE in Models I-III (ORs, 4.24-4.72; RRs, 1.21 for all, p ≤ .015). No significant associations were observed between nocturia and prolonged QTc. CONCLUSIONS: Nocturia may be a risk marker for underlying structural cardiac abnormalities.

Ultrahigh-Energy-Transfer Efficiency and Efficient Mn2+ Red Emission Realized by Structural Confinement in Ca9LiMn(PO4)7:Eu2+,Tb3+ Phosphor.

Structural confinement on Eu2+-Mn2+ optical centers is an effective strategy to boost Mn2+ red emission. On the basis of the Ca9LiMn(PO4)7 (CLMP) host with a compact Eu2+-Mn2+ distance of ∼3.5 Å, a pure and intense Mn2+ red emission without seeing Eu2+ emission is realized, indicating that an ultrahigh energy transfer (ET) could be induced by a structural confinement effect. It is found that the Mn2+ emission intensity and quantum efficiency could be further improved by a Tb3+ bridging effect, which offers extra energy levels to reduce the energetic mismatch between the excited states of Eu2+ and Mn2+. The optimal sample CLMP:0.02Eu2+,0.90Tb3+ shows a promising performance in terms of high color purity (93.9%), high quantum efficiency (QE = 51.2%), and good thermal stability (70% of the room-temperature value at 373 K). All of the results demonstrate that CLMP:Eu2+,Tb3+ phosphor is a promising red-light-emitting-diode phosphor, and the structural confinement effect should be developed as a general strategy to enhance the ET efficiency for a pure and efficient emission.

Time of peak nocturnal diuresis rate between men with secondary nocturnal polyuria versus nocturnal polyuria syndrome.

AIM: Compare the circadian trajectory of diuresis between nocturnal polyuria (NP) patients with versus without identifiable contributory comorbidities. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of frequency-volume charts from male patients with clinically-significant nocturia (≥2 nocturnal voids) and NP (defined by nocturnal urine production [NUP] ≥90 mL/hour or nocturnal polyuria index [NPi] ≥0.33). Patients with NP and chronic kidney disease, congestive heart failure, and/or undertreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were deemed to have secondary NP. Nocturnal polyuria syndrome (NPS) was defined as NP without edema, loop diuretic use, or the aforementioned conditions. Patients with diabetes insipidus or OSA with appropriate continuous positive airway pressure utilization were excluded. The timing and volumes of nocturnal voids were used to derive "early" and "late" nocturnal diuresis rates (mL/hour of urine produced before and after the first nocturnal awakening, respectively). The likelihood of an early peak nocturnal diuresis rate (ie, early >late nocturnal diuresis rate) was compared between patients with NPS versus secondary NP using both a crude and adjusted odds ratio. RESULTS: The likelihood of an early peak nocturnal diuresis rate in patients with NPS compared with secondary NP was 2.58 (1.05-6.31) at NUP ≥ 90 mL/hour and 1.96 (0.87-4.42) at NPi ≥ 0.33 on crude analysis, and 2.44 (0.96-6.24) and 1.93 (0.83-4.48) after adjustment, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A peak early nocturnal diuresis rate was significantly more likely in patients with NPS at NUP ≥ 90 mL/hour, with similar odds ratios at NPi ≥ 0.33 and following adjustment. Delineating nocturic patients by NP subgroup may facilitate more individualized management. PATIENT SUMMARY: Many people have to wake up to urinate because they produce too much urine at night-a condition known as "nocturnal polyuria." Nocturnal polyuria might be caused by drinking too much fluid, other behavioral factors, or conditions that make your body hold on to too much fluid, like heart disease, kidney disease, and sleep apnea. In cases of nocturnal polyuria where no clear cause can be identified, it is thought that patients may suffer from a deficiency in nighttime vasopressin, a hormone that plays a key role in how much urine you produce. In this study, we compared the pattern of nighttime urine production in patients with different causes of nocturnal polyuria, which may lead to more personalized treatment options for patients with this condition.

Correlation between the efficacy of stem cell therapy for osteonecrosis of the femoral head and cell viability.

BACKGROUND: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a common disease that greatly affects the quality of life of patients. Repair of the necrotic area is key to successful treatment. Currently, the combination of stem cell transplantation and decompression is used clinically to promote the repair of necrotic areas based on the characteristics of stem cells. However, a considerable number of patients do not achieve a satisfactory outcome in terms of repair of the femoral head necrotic area, and it is very important to determine the reasons for the poor curative effect. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between stem cell viability and the repair efficacy of stem cell therapy combined with core decompression for early-stage ONFH. METHODS: A total of 30 patients with idiopathic ONFH underwent core decompression combined with autologous stem cell transplantation. The Harris hip score (HHS) and difference in necrosis area before and after surgery were measured. The mean repair ratio was set as the threshold to divide the patients into group A (ratio above the mean) and group B (ratio below the mean). The ultrastructure, proliferative capacity, and multidirectional differentiation ability were compared between the groups. RESULTS: At 9 months after surgery, the HHS and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings improved by varying degrees. Based on the mean repair ratio of (62.2 ± 27.0)%, the threshold for dividing the patients into groups A and B was set to 62.2%. Better repair (group A) was associated with more rapid proliferation and a healthier ultrastructure. The cells in group A showed stronger specific staining signifying osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation; alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, an indicator of osteogenic differentiation, was higher in group A than in group B (OD, 2.39 ± 0.44 and 1.85 ± 0.52; p <  0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The quality of implanted stem cells is closely related to treatment efficacy and determines whether the defective self-repair in the necrotic area can be corrected to enhance repair and thus achieve the desired therapeutic outcome. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial registration number: ChiCTR-ORC-17011698 (retrospectively registered at 2017-06-19).

Tumor Extracellular pH-Driven Cancer-Selective Artificial Receptor-Mediated Tumor-Targeted Fluorescence Imaging.

Biomarker receptors on cancer cells can sense and recruit extracellular ligands and ligand-conjugated imaging agents/drugs, providing a critical basis upon which to develop an active tumor-targeting strategy. However, such a strategy can be confounded by both the limited number of cancer biomarker receptors and the inherent heterogeneity of cancer cells. Therefore, we herein report a simple strategy to deploy an exogenous physical label on the surface of cancer cells as an artificial receptor (AR) for active tumor targeting. It can be driven by the tumor extracellular acidic microenvironment to insert into the plasma membrane of cancer cells. Our studies demonstrated that an AR could efficiently sense and recruit the extracellular imaging agent Cy5-streptavidin conjugate to cancer cells, cancer cell spheroids, and an in vivo tumor. Based on the easy synthesis and chemical modification diversity of the peptide, our AR holds promise as a novel tumor-targeted strategy.

Comparison of nocturia etiology in black and white male patients.

INTRODUCTION: Much of what is known about the etiology of nocturia (i.e., nocturnal polyuria [NP], small bladder capacity [SBC], etc.) at the population level stems from the Krimpen study, which enrolled aging males from a homogenous municipality in the Netherlands. Given the higher prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia and overactive bladder in black versus white males in population research, we aim to test the hypothesis that black males seeking treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are more likely to have nocturia owing to SBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 24 hour frequency-volume charts (FVCs) completed by males seeking treatment for LUTS at a Veterans Affairs urology clinic from 2008-2016. Patients were included if they were ≥ 18 years, identified as either Caucasian or African American, and had a complete baseline FVC showing ≥ 1 nocturnal void. Patients were stratified by race and classified as having nocturia owing to SBC (defined by a maximum voided volume < 200 mL or a nocturnal bladder capacity index > 1.3); NP (defined by a nocturnal polyuria index > 0.33); 'mixed' (SBC + NP); or 'other' (neither SBC nor NP). RESULTS: Between white and black patients, 28 (24%) versus 28 (26%) had NP, 32 (27%) versus 33 (30%) had SBC, and 35 (30%) versus 30 (28%) had mixed nocturia. Overall, there was no difference in distribution of underlying etiology by race (p = 0.51). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate no difference in the etiology of nocturia between black and white males. Accordingly, race should not play a role in the evaluation of patients seeking treatment for nocturia.

Highly Controllable and Robust 2D Spin-Orbit Coupling for Quantum Gases.

We report the realization of a robust and highly controllable two-dimensional (2D) spin-orbit (SO) coupling with a topological nontrivial band structure. By applying a retro-reflected 2D optical lattice, phase tunable Raman couplings are formed into the antisymmetric Raman lattice structure, and generate the 2D SO coupling with precise inversion and C_{4} symmetries, leading to considerably enlarged topological regions. The lifetime of the 2D SO coupled Bose-Einstein condensate reaches several seconds, which enables exploring fine-tuning interaction effects. These essential advantages of the present new realization open the door to explore exotic quantum many-body effects and nonequilibrium dynamics with novel topology.

Genetically Encoded Fluorescent RNA Sensor for Ratiometric Imaging of MicroRNA in Living Tumor Cells.

Light-up RNA aptamers are valuable tools for fluorescence imaging of RNA in living cells and thus for elucidating RNA functions and dynamics. However, no light-up RNA sensor has been reported for imaging of microRNAs (miRs) in mammalian cells. We report a novel genetically encoded RNA sensor for fluorescent imaging of miRs in living tumor cells using a light-up RNA aptamer that binds to sulforhodamine and separates it from a conjugated contact quencher. On the basis of the structural switching mechanism for molecular beacon, we show that the RNA sensor activates high-contrast fluorescence from the sulforhodamine-quencher conjugate when its stem-loop responsive motif hybridizes with target miR. The RNA sensor can be stably expressed within a designed tRNA scaffold in tumor cells and deliver light-up response to miR target. We also realize the RNA sensor for dual-emission, ratiometric imaging by coexpression of RNA sensor with GFP, enabling quantitative studies of target miR in living cells. Our design may provide a new paradigm for developing robust, sensitive light-up RNA sensors for RNA imaging applications.

Opinion evolution in different social acquaintance networks.

Social acquaintance networks influenced by social culture and social policy have a great impact on public opinion evolution in daily life. Based on the differences between socio-culture and social policy, three different social acquaintance networks (kinship-priority acquaintance network, independence-priority acquaintance network, and hybrid acquaintance network) incorporating heredity proportion ph and variation proportion pv are proposed in this paper. Numerical experiments are conducted to investigate network topology and different phenomena during opinion evolution, using the Deffuant model. We found that in kinship-priority acquaintance networks, similar to the Chinese traditional acquaintance networks, opinions always achieve fragmentation, resulting in the formation of multiple large clusters and many small clusters due to the fact that individuals believe more in their relatives and live in a relatively closed environment. In independence-priority acquaintance networks, similar to Western acquaintance networks, the results are similar to those in the kinship-priority acquaintance network. In hybrid acquaintance networks, similar to the Chinese modern acquaintance networks, only a few clusters are formed indicating that in modern China, opinions are more likely to reach consensus on a large scale. These results are similar to the opinion evolution phenomena in modern society, proving the rationality and applicability of network models combined with social culture and policy. We also found a threshold curve pv+2ph=2.05 in the results for the final opinion clusters and evolution time. Above the threshold curve, opinions could easily reach consensus. Based on the above experimental results, a culture-policy-driven mechanism for the opinion dynamic is worth promoting in this paper, that is, opinion dynamics can be driven by different social cultures and policies through the influence of heredity and variation in interpersonal relationship networks. This finding is of great significance for predicting opinion evolution under different acquaintance networks and formulating reasonable policies based on cultural characteristics to guide public opinion.

Graphene oxide-peptide nanoassembly as a general approach for monitoring the activity of histone deacetylases.

A novel fluorescent sensor using graphene oxide (GO)-peptide nanoassembly is developed for histone deacetylases (HDACs) based on deacetylation mediated cleavage of substrate peptides, which provides a simple, cost-effective platform for monitoring the activity of HDACs.

Association of human papillomavirus with Fanconi anemia promotes carcinogenesis in Fanconi anemia patients.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare recessive disorder associated with chromosomal fragility. FA patients are at very high risk of cancers, especially head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas caused by infection of human papillomaviruses (HPVs). By integrating into the host genome, HPV oncogenes E6 and E7 drive the genomic instability to promote DNA damage and gene mutations necessary for carcinogenesis in FA patients. Furthermore, E6 and E7 oncoproteins not only inhibit p53 and retinoblastoma but also impair the FANC/BRCA signaling pathway to prevent DNA damage repair and alter multiple signals including cell-cycle checkpoints, telomere function, cell proliferation, and interference of the host immune system leading to cancer development in FA patients. In this review, we summarize recent advances in unraveling the molecular mechanisms of FA susceptibility to HPV-induced cancers, which facilitate rational preventive and therapeutic strategies.