Harnessing nanomaterials for copper-induced cell death.

Copper (Cu), an essential micronutrient with redox properties, plays a pivotal role in a wide array of pathological and physiological processes across virtually all cell types. Maintaining an optimal copper concentration is critical for cellular survival: insufficient copper levels disrupt respiration and metabolism, while excess copper compromises cell viability, potentially leading to cell death. Similarly, in the context of cancer, copper exhibits a dual role: appropriate amount of copper can promote tumor progression and be an accomplice, yet beyond befitting level, copper can bring about multiple types of cell death, including autophagy, apoptosis, ferroptosis, immunogenic cell death, pyroptosis, and cuproptosis. These forms of cell death are beneficial against cancer progression; however, achieving precise copper regulation within tumors remains a significant challenge in the pursuit of effective cancer therapies. The emergence of nanodrug delivery systems, distinguished by their precise targeting, controlled release, high payload capacity, and the ability to co-deliver multiple agents, has revitalized interest in exploiting copper's precise regulatory capabilities. Nevertheless, there remains a dearth of comprehensive review of copper's bidirectional effects on tumorigenesis and the role of copper-based nanomaterials in modulating tumor progression. This paper aims to address this gap by elucidating the complex role in cancer biology and highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target. Through an exploration of copper's dualistic nature and the application of nanotechnology, this review seeks to offer novel insights and guide future research in advancing cancer treatment.

A phenocopy signature of TP53 loss predicts response to chemotherapy.

In preclinical studies, p53 loss of function impacts chemotherapy response, but this has not been consistently validated clinically. We trained a TP53-loss phenocopy gene expression signature from pan-cancer clinical samples in the TCGA. In vitro, the TP53-loss phenocopy signature predicted chemotherapy response across cancer types. In a clinical dataset of 3003 breast cancer samples treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the TP53-loss phenocopy samples were 56% more likely to have a pathologic complete response (pCR), with a significant association between TP53-loss phenocopy and pCR in both ER positive and ER negative tumors. In an independent clinical validation in the I-SPY2 trial (N = 987), we confirmed the association with neoadjuvant chemotherapy pCR and found higher rates of chemoimmunotherapy response in TP53-loss phenocopy tumors compared to non-TP53-loss phenocopy tumors (64% vs. 28%). The TP53-loss phenocopy signature predicts chemotherapy response across cancer types in vitro, and in a proof-of-concept clinical validation is associated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy response across multiple clinical breast cancer cohorts.

Bifunctional fluorine doped Ru/RuO2 clusters with dynamic electron modification and strong metal-support interaction boost proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer.

The sluggish kinetics and inherent instability over the Ru/RuO2 clusters are still enormous challenges in proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzer. Herein, we innovatively report synergistic modulation of dynamic electron modification and strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) to activate and stabilize bifunctional fluorine doped Ru/RuO2 clusters anchored on carbon nanotube (CNT), thus achieving efficient and stable acidic overall water splitting. Theoretical and experimental studies found that surface metal-fluorine modification layer could dynamically regulate the interfacial electronic environment to stabilize and activate multiple active Ru species; and the SMSI between Ru/RuO2 cluster and CNT maintains stable electronic environment for dynamic electron modification and avoids migrating or shedding of active species in acidic environment. Therefore, the PEM electrolyzer assembled with optimal F5.5-Ru/RuO2@CNT can operate stably for 100 h at a high current density of 100 mA cm-2, which is the first time that bifunctional Ru-based nanocatalysts applied to PEM device at a high current density.

Genomic analysis and mechanisms exploration of a stress tolerance and high-yield pullulan producing strain.

Pullulan is a kind of natural polymer, which is widely used in medicine and food because of its solubility, plasticity, edible, non-toxicity and good biocompatibility. It is of great significance to improve the yield of pullulan by genetic modification of microorganisms. It was previously reported that Aureobasidium melanogenum TN3-1 isolated from honey-comb could produce high-yield of pullulan, but the molecular mechanisms of its production of pullulan had not been completely solved. In this study, the reported strains of Aureobasidium spp. were further compared and analyzed at genome level. It was found that genome duplication and genome genetic variations might be the crucial factors for the high yield of pullulan and stress resistance. This particular phenotype may be the result of adaptive evolution, which can adapt to its environment through genetic variation and adaptive selection. In addition, the TN3-1 strain has a large genome, and the special regulatory sequences of its specific genes and promoters may ensure a unique characteristics. This study is a supplement of the previous studies, and provides basic data for the research of microbial genome modification in food and healthcare applications.

Association between Metabolic Syndrome and Musculoskeletal Status: A Cross-Sectional Study of NHANES.

Objective: The metabolic effects of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on musculoskeletal metabolism are controversial. This study explored the effect of MetS on bone mineral density (BMD) and muscle quality index (MQI). Methods: Data from the NHANES database from 2011 to 2014 were extracted, and nonpregnant participants aged 45-59 years were included. The included data were first weighted by complex sampling, and then, the effect of MetS on BMD and MQI was analyzed using multifactorial linear regression. We then performed a stratified analysis by gender and BMI classification. Moreover, a mediation analysis of MetS on BMD was conducted, with MQI as a mediating variable. A propensity score matching analysis method with a complex sampling design was additionally performed to verify the stability of the results. Results: A total of 1943 participants were eventually included. After adjusting for covariates, the results of linear regression show that MetS is associated with elevated pelvic BMD (beta = 0.03; 95% CI = 0.01, 0.06; P=0.02) and reduced MQI, especially arm MQI (beta = -1.02; 95% CI = -1.27, -0.77; P < 0.0001). MetS is more associated with BMD in women, MQI in normal or heavyweight, and BMD in lightweight, according to stratified analysis. MQI explains the indirect effect of MetS on BMD (beta = 0.007; 95% CI = 0.003, 0.010). Conclusion: This study provides evidence that MetS elevates BMD and reduces MQI, and further, that there is a mediating effect of MQI on elevated BMD.

Characterization of a ferroptosis-related gene signature predicting survival and immunotherapeutic response in lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and drug resistance represents the main obstacle responsible for the poor mortality and prognosis. Here, to identify a novel gene signature for predicting survival and drug response, we jointly investigated RNA sequencing data of lung adenocarcinoma patients from TCGA and GEO databases, and identified a ferroptosis-related gene signature. The signature was validated in the validation set and two external cohorts. The high-risk group had a reduced survival than the low-risk group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the established gene signature was associated with tumor mutation burden, microsatellite instability, and response to immune checkpoint blockade. In addition, four candidate oncogenes (RRM2, SLC2A1, DDIT4, and VDAC2) were identified to be candidate oncogenes using in silico and wet experiments, which could serve as potential therapeutic targets. Collectively, this study developed a novel ferroptosis-related gene signature for predicting prognosis and drug response, and identified four candidate oncogenes for lung adenocarcinoma.

Clinical and pathogen features of COVID-19-associated infections during an Omicron strain outbreak in Guangzhou, China.

Although the Omicron variant has been associated with greater transmissibility and tropism of the upper respiratory tract, the clinical and pathogenic features of patients infected with the Omicron variant during an outbreak in China have been unclear. Adults with COVID-19 were retrospectively enrolled from seven medical centers in Guangzhou, China, and clinical information and specimens ( BALF, sputum, and throat swabs) from participants were collected. Conventional detection methods, metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS), and other methods were used to detect pathogens in lower respiratory tract samples. From December 2022 to January 2023, we enrolled 836 patients with COVID-19, among which 56.7% patients had severe/critical illness. About 91.4% of patients were infected with the Omicron strain (BA.5.2). The detection rate of possible co-infection pathogens was 53.4% by mNGS, including Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.3%), Aspergillus fumigatus (12.2%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.8%). The co-infection rate was 19.5%, with common pathogens being Streptococcus pneumoniae (11.5%), Haemophilus influenzae (9.2%), and Adenovirus (6.9%). The superinfection rate was 75.4%, with common pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniae (26.1%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (19.4%). Klebsiella pneumoniae (27.1%% vs 6.1%, P < 0.001), Aspergillus fumigatus (19.6% vs 5.3%, P = 0.001), Acinetobacter baumannii (18.7% vs 4.4%, P = 0.001), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16.8% vs 7.0%, P = 0.024), Staphylococcus aureus (14.0% vs 5.3%, P = 0.027), and Streptococcus pneumoniae (0.9% vs 10.5%, P = 0.002) were more common in severe cases. Co-infection and superinfection of bacteria and fungi are common in patients with severe pneumonia associated with Omicron variant infection. Sequencing methods may aid in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of pathogens. IMPORTANCE: Our study has analyzed the clinical characteristics and pathogen spectrum of the lower respiratory tract associated with co-infection or superinfection in Guangzhou during the outbreak of the Omicron strain, particularly after the relaxation of the epidemic prevention and control strategy in China. This study will likely prompt further research into the specific issue, which will benefit clinical practice.

Adaptive physiological and metabolic alterations in Staphylococcus aureus evolution under vancomycin exposure.

Staphylococcus aureus can develop antibiotic resistance and evade immune responses, causing infections in different body sites. However, the metabolic changes underlying this process are poorly understood. A variant strain, C1V, was derived from the parental strain C1 by exposing it to increasing concentrations of vancomycin in vitro. C1V exhibited a vancomycin-intermediate phenotype and physiological changes compared to C1. It showed higher survival rates than C1 when phagocytosed by Raw264.7 cells. Metabolomics analysis identified significant metabolic differences pre- and post-induction (C1 + SC1 vs. C1V + SC1V: 201 metabolites) as well as pre- and post-phagocytosis (C1 vs. SC1: 50 metabolites; C1V vs. SC1V: 95 metabolites). The variant strain had distinct morphological characteristics, decreased adhesion ability, impaired virulence, and enhanced resistance to phagocytosis compared to the parental strain. Differential metabolites may contribute to S. aureus ' resistance to antibiotics and phagocytosis, offering insights into potential strategies for altering vancomycin nonsusceptibility and enhancing phagocyte killing by manipulating bacterial metabolism.

Clinical cell-surface targets in metastatic and primary solid cancers.

Therapies against cell-surface targets (CSTs) represent an emerging treatment class in solid malignancies. However, high-throughput investigations of CST expression across cancer types have been reliant on data sets of mostly primary tumors, despite therapeutic use most commonly in metastatic disease. We identified a total of 818 clinical trials of CST therapies with 78 CSTs. We assembled a data set spanning RNA-seq and microarrays in 7,927 benign samples, 16,866 primary tumor samples, and 6,124 metastatic tumor samples. We also utilized single-cell RNA-seq data from 36 benign tissues and 558 primary and metastatic tumor samples, and matched RNA versus protein expression in 29 benign tissue samples, 1,075 tumor samples, and 942 cell lines. High RNA expression accurately predicted high protein expression across CST therapies in benign tissues, tumor samples, and cell lines. We compared metastatic versus primary tumor expression, identified potential opportunities for repositioning, and matched cell lines to tumor types based on CST and global RNA expression. We evaluated single-cell heterogeneity across tumors, and identified rare normal cell subpopulations that may contribute to toxicity. Finally, we identified combinations of CST therapies for which bispecific approaches could improve tumor specificity. This study helps better define the landscape of CST expression in metastatic and primary cancers.

Peroxymonosulfate-assisted photocatalysis system enhanced magnetic Fe3O4@P-C3N4 treatment of tetracycline wastewater: Multi-pathways mediated electrons migration to generate reactive species.

Photocatalytic wastewater purification is essential for environmental remediation, but rapid carrier recombination and limited oxidative capacity hinder progress. This study proposes an innovative strategy by integrating homogeneous and heterogeneous electron acceptors into a g-C3N4-based photocatalytic system, significantly enhancing the multipath utilization of photogenerated electrons. A novel Fe3O4@P-C3N4 was developed to activate an advanced peroxymonosulfate-assisted photocatalysis (PAP) system, achieving complete degradation and significant mineralization of tetracycline (TC) in real water environments, outperforming others reported in the last five years. Phytic acid, as a key precursor, modifies the hollow tubular morphology and introduces phosphorus (P) heteroatoms as electronic trapping centers, enhancing the visible light response and carrier separation, thereby promoting the Fe2+/Fe3+ cycle and the formation of reactive species. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations pinpointed TC's vulnerable sites and synergically identified reactive species, revealing almost non-toxic degradation processes. Moreover, the recyclable magnetic Fe3O4@P-C3N4/PAP system demonstrates practical application potential and leaching stability in cyclic and continuous testing. This study offers unique insights into the strategic design of photocatalysts and catalytic environments, potentially advancing practical wastewater remediation.

Returning from the afterlife? Sotorasib treatment for advanced KRAS mutant lung cancer: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is increasing in incidence worldwide, and targeted therapies are developing at a rapid pace. Furthermore, the KRAS specific gene is strongly associated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC who have tested positive for the KRAS G12C mutation and have progressed after at least one systemic treatment are treated with sotorasib. CASE SUMMARY: In this study, we report on an advanced NSCLC with a KRAS G12C mutation. The histological diagnosis indicates stage IVB left lung adenocarcinoma with pelvic and bone metastases, identified as cT4N2bM1c. Using circulating tumor DNA analysis, it was possible to determine the mutation abundance of the KRAS gene exon 2, c.34G>Tp.G12C, which was 32.3%. The patient was advised to take sotorasib as part of their treatment. The imaging data were compared before and after treatment. Furthermore, clinical reassessments and regular serial blood testing were conducted. We found that the patient's clinical symptoms significantly improved after receiving sotorasib medication, and there were no notable side effects, such as liver toxicity, during the treatment. CONCLUSION: Sotorasib has shown promising clinical efficacy in patients with the KRAS G12c mutation and has no apparent toxic side effects.

Clinicopathological and molecular features of tubo-ovarian carcinosarcomas: a series of 51 cases.

Objective: Tubo-ovarian carcinosarcomas are rare, extremely aggressive malignant tumors that contain both carcinomatous and sarcomatous components. Due to the disease's rarity, developing an effective treatment strategy for ovarian carcinosarcomas has been challenging. A study was conducted to investigate the clinicopathologic and molecular features of this rare disease. Methods: We enrolled all patients diagnosed with tubo-ovarian carcinosarcomas from January 2007 to December 2022. The clinical and pathological data were gathered from medical records. Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted to calculate OS and PFS. The Log-rank test and Cox regression model were utilized to explore the relationship between clinicopathological parameters and survival. Patients with cancer tissues available had sequencing with a 242-gene panel done to investigate the mutational landscape and signature of the disease. Results: In total, 65% of the patients were diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer. The median PFS and OS of this cohort were 27 and 40 months, respectively, and there was no significant difference in survival between the homologous and heterologous components of sarcoma. Unexpectedly, staging did not have effects on prognosis. All patients had surgical attempts, and suboptimal debulking status was correlated with poorer PFS and OS. MSI was identified in 0% with low Tumor mutation burden (TMB) indicating a poor response to immunotherapy. Low HER2 expression is controversial, according to previous reports, and gives us limited choices with this rare and aggressive disease. We surprisingly found the homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-positive status was identified in 64% of OCS, which is significantly higher than UCS and other types of epithelial ovarian cancer. The fact that all patients in our cohort who received olaparib as maintenance therapy had survived over 30 months and two had no evidence of recurrence at the latest follow-up might further validate the role of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) in the management of OCS. Conclusion: OCS patients seemed to respond to carboplatin/paclitaxel with optimal PFS and OS. Cytoreduction with no residuals proved to be the sole independent prognostic factor. WES should be done to assess the prognosis and assist with the targeted therapy, especially the HRD test, which might help select potential patients who benefit from PARPi.

Molinostrongylus longmenensis n. sp. (Strongylida: Molineidae) in the bat Scotophilus kuhlii (Leach; Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from China.

A new species of nematode, Molinostrongylus longmenensis n.sp., parasite of the genus Molinostrongylus, is described based on specimens recovered from the small intestine of Scotophilus kuhlii Leach, 1822 (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in Longmen County, Guangdong Province, China. To date, 135 species of bat-parasitic nematodes have been reported worldwide. Overall, 13 species belonging to seven genera in three families have been described in China. The new species is characterized by the presence of three ventral and three dorsal longitudinal cuticular ridges perpendicular to the body surface, which appear posterior to the cephalic vesicle and extend to the caudal bursa in males and the posterior end in females. The female tail has two medium-sized subventral conical processes of equal length, as well as one large dorsal conical process, and one thin spine, lateral alae that extend to the position of the vulva, with a fin-like ending. In addition, the new species was also characterized using molecular approaches, such as sequencing and analyzing the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) of the ribosomal DNA.

Spinal PTP1B Regulated NMDA Receptor-mediated Nociceptive Transmission and Peripheral Inflammation-induced Pain Sensitization.

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) catalyze the dephosphorylation of several pain-related substrates in spinal cord dorsal horn and are critically involved in the modification of pain transmission. The current study demonstrated that protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), a unique endoplasmic reticulum-resident member of PTP family, displayed an activity-dependent increase in its protein expression and synaptic localization in spinal dorsal horn of adult male rats. PTP1B interacted with the Src Homology 3 (SH3) domain of Synapse-Associated Protein 102 (SAP102), one of the postsynaptic scaffolding proteins that anchored PTP1B at postsynaptic sites. The SAP102-tethered PTP1B augmented the synaptic transmission mediated specifically by GluN2B subunit-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype glutamate receptors. Interference with PTP1B activity or disruption of its interaction with SAP102 attenuated GluN2B-mediated nociceptive transmission and ameliorated pain sensitization induced by intraplantar injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant. These data suggested that the activity-dependent synaptic redistribution of PTP1B served as an important mechanism regulating GluN2B receptor activity and that manipulation of PTP1B synaptic targeting might represent an effective approach for the treatment of chronic inflammatory pain.

[Effects of Film Mulching on Soil Quality, Garlic Yield, and Garlic Quality].

To determine the optimal film management technique for garlic planting, this study aimed to investigate the effects of various film cover methods on soil quality and garlic yield in garlic cropping systems. To achieve these goals, trials with different film cover methods were conducted at the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Nanjing. To investigate the impact of changes in soil quality and garlic yield, we set up four treatments： no film treatment （CK）, black polyethylene film treatment （HPE）, black poly（butylene- adipate-co-terephthalate） （PBAT） with straw composite film treatment （HSJ）, and white PBAT film treatment （BJ） in a garlic cropping system. Our results indicated that specific mulch coverings had a positive effect on both soil quality and garlic yield. The film cover treatments resulted in significant changes in soil physicochemical properties and bacterial and fungal biomasses and indirectly improved soil quality. Compared to that under the no film treatment, the BJ treatment boosted soil quality by 70%, with the most significant impact, followed by that under the HPE and HSJ treatments, with improvements of 52% and 36%. Random forest modeling indicated that soil organic matter and total nitrogen were the most important factors influencing soil quality. The different film covers significantly increased the diameter of garlic bulbs and single quality. The HSJ treatment exhibited the most significant increase in garlic yield, with 46%, 19%, and 6% improvement compared to that in the CK, HPE, and BJ treatments, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that soil quality under film cover was significantly correlated with the starch content of garlic bulbs, garlic diameter, and single quality. This study highlights that selecting the appropriate mulch film aids in the production of garlic and helps to develop farmland that produces both high-quality and high-yield crops.

Role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in gastric cancer metastasis: A comprehensive review.

One of the greatest frequent types of malignancy is gastric cancer (GC). Metastasis, an essential feature of stomach cancer, results in a high rate of mortality and a poor prognosis. However, metastasis biological procedures are not well recognized. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have a role in numerous gene regulation pathways via epigenetic modification as well as transcriptional and post-transcriptional control. LncRNAs have a role in a variety of disorders, such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, and cancer. LncRNAs are substantially related to GC incidence, progression, metastasis and drug resistance. Several research released information on the molecular processes of lncRNAs in GC pathogenesis. By interacting with a gene's promoter or enhancer region to influence gene expression, lncRNAs can operate as an oncogene or a tumor suppressor. This review includes the lncRNAs associated with metastasis of GC, which may give insights into the processes as well as potential clues for GC predicting and tracking.

SNORA5A regulates tumor-associated macrophage M1/M2 phenotypes via TRAF3IP3 in breast cancer.

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) have robust potential functions and therapeutic value in breast cancer. Herein, we investigated the role SNORA5A in breast cancer. Samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were reviewed. The transcription matrix and clinical information were analyzed using R software and validated in clinical tissue samples. SNORA5A was significantly down-regulated in breast cancer, and high expression of SNORA5A correlated with a favorable prognosis. High expression of SNORA5A induced a high concentration of tumor-associated macrophages M1 and a low concentration of tumor-associated macrophages M2. Moreover, SNORA5A were clustered in terms related to cancer and immune functions. Possible downstream molecules of SNORA5A were identified, among which TRAF3IP3 was positively correlated with M1 and negatively correlated with M2. The function of TRAF3IP3 in tumor inhibition and its relationship with macrophages in clinical tissue samples were in accordance with bioinformatics analysis results. SNORA5A could regulate macrophage phenotypes through TRAF3IP3 and serves as a potential prognostic marker for breast cancer patients.

Comparison of the biomechanical effects of the post-core crown, endocrown and inlay crown after deep margin elevation and its clinical significance.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare and evaluate the stress distribution of maxillary first premolar residual crowns restored with post-core crowns, endocrowns and inlay crowns after deep margin elevation, to explore the fitting restoration for residual crowns using finite element analysis. METHODS: A healthy complete right maxillary first premolar from a male adult was scanned by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). The finite element model of the tooth was established by reverse engineering software such as Mimics, Geomagic and Hypermesh. On this basis, the residual crown model after deep margin elevation was made, and the experimental group models were divided into three groups, those restored with post core crowns, endocrowns and inlay crowns. Vertical and oblique static loads were applied to the experimental models to simulate the force on the tooth during mastication (the loading position was located in the central fossa of the occipital surface, and the load was 100 N) using Abaqus software. RESULTS: The peak value and distribution of von Mises stress in each part of the experimental model were observed. After deep margin elevation, the peak dentin von Mises stresses were lower than the tensile strength of normal dentin in the post-core crown, endocrown, and inlay crown groups; the lowest stress results were found in the post-core crown group for the dentin, restoration, enamel, and deep margin elevation (DME) layers under vertical and oblique loading. In terms of stress distribution clouds, the peak stresses in the dentin tissue were located in the apical 1/3 of the root after postcore crown restorations for both loads, while stress concentrations were evident in the cervical and root areas after endocrown and inlay crown restorations; regardless of the load and restoration method, the corresponding stress concentration areas appeared at the junction of the DME and dentin tissue at the loading site of the restorations; CONCLUSIONS: Post-core crowns, endocrowns and inlay crowns can be used to restore residual crowns after deep margin elevation, and post-core crowns can better protect the residual tooth tissue.

PET/CT Recognition of Costal Cartilage Infection After Breast Implant Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative infection of breast implants can lead to implant removal and other complications. This study aimed to investigate the presence of costal cartilage infection following breast implant surgery and the diagnostic role of PET/CT in identifying this rare complication. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study included 16 patients with persistent infections after breast implant removal surgery. Patients underwent PET/CT scans before surgery, and surgical plans were made based on PET/CT findings. Surgical procedures were guided by PET/CT, and specimens were collected for pathological examination and microbiological culture. Follow-up assessments were performed at 1, 3, and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Among the 16 patients, 11 were diagnosed with costal cartilage infection, whereas 5 had subcutaneous soft tissue infections. PET/CT accurately identified costal cartilage infection in all cases and localized the infected costal cartilage in the majority of cases. Microbiological culture results showed various pathogens. All patients were cured with one or staged surgery. CONCLUSION: Costal cartilage infection following breast implant surgery is a significant concern. PET/CT plays a crucial role in the accurate diagnosis and localization of infected costal cartilage, aiding in appropriate surgical management. Patients should be closely monitored for the possibility of costal cartilage infection when experiencing persistent symptoms after breast implant surgery.