The efficacy and safety of combined ipilimumab and nivolumab versus ipilimumab in patients with Stage III/IV unresectable melanoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: In this meta-analysis, we compared the clinical efficacy and safety of ipilimumab/nivolumab combination therapy with those of ipilimumab monotherapy for stage III/IV unresectable melanoma. Materials and Methods: A search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reported by relevant studies conducted up to May 2021 was performed in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases. Literature screening, data extraction, and quality evaluation were conducted independently by two researchers. The target parameters were complete response (CR), partial response (PR), objective response rate (ORR), time to progression (TTP), overall survival (OS), adverse events (AEs), and AEs in each organ system. Results: Ten articles reporting the results of three RCTs, including 790 subjects, were evaluated. In the pooled results, the CR (risk ratio [RR] = 4.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] [2.73, 7.33]), PR (RR = 2.82, 95% CI [2.09, 3.81]), and ORR (RR=3.31, 95%CI[2.60, 4.20]) were statistically different between the two treatment groups. The CR, PR, and ORR in the combination therapy group were 22.00% (90/409), 36.43% (149/409), and 58.44% (239/409), respectively, versus 4.97% (18/362), 12.98% (47/362), and 17.96% (65/362), respectively, in the monotherapy group. There were significant differences in TTP and OS between the two groups (TTP: hazard ratio [HR] = 0.41, 95% CI [0.35, 0.49]; OS: HR = 0.55, 95% CI [0.45, 0.67]). PFS and OS were longer in the combination therapy group than in the monotherapy group. The incidence of treatment-related AEs (TRAEs) and AEs leading to death (RR = 1.00, 95% CI [0.97, 1.02]; RR = 2.28, 95% CI [0.54, 9.55], respectively) was not significantly different, but the incidence of Grade 3-4 AEs and AEs leading to discontinuation was higher in the combination therapy group than in the monotherapy group (RR = 1.81, 95% CI [1.15, 2.86]); RR = 2.66, 95% CI [2.02, 3.52], respectively). Conclusions: Ipilimumab/nivolumab combination therapy was more effective than ipilimumab monotherapy for patients with stage III/IV unresectable melanoma. Although the incidence of TRAEs did not differ between the two groups, the severity of cases (Grade 3-4 AEs and AEs leading to discontinuation) was lower in the monotherapy group than in the combination therapy group. Additional high-quality studies are needed to verify the efficacy and safety of this drug combination, determine the optimal dosage, and explore additional potential drug combinations.

Potential Molecular Mechanisms of Zhibai Dihuang Wan in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Based on Network Biology.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a refractory autoimmune disease. Zhibai Dihuang Wan (ZDW) has frequently been used for treating SLE in China and been proved to have a prominent role in decreasing SLE patients' morality rate. However, the active substances in ZDW and the molecular mechanisms of ZDW in SLE remain unclear. This study identified the bioactive compounds and delineated the molecular targets and potential pathways of ZDW by using a network biology approach. First, we collected putative targets of ZDW based on TCMSP, GeneCards, and STITCH databases and built a network containing the interactions between the putative targets of ZDW and known therapeutic targets of SLE. Then, the key hubs were imported to DAVID Bioinformatics Resources 6.7 to perform gene ontology biological process (GOBP) and pathway enrichment analysis. A total of 95 nodes including 73 putative targets of ZDW were determined as major hubs in terms of their node degree. The results of GOBP and pathway enrichment analysis indicated that putative targets of ZDW mostly were involved in various pathways associated with inflammatory response and apoptosis. More importantly, eleven putative targets of ZDW (CASP3, BCL2, BAX, CYCS, NFKB1, NFKBIA, IL-6, IL-1ß, PTGS2, CCL2, and TNF-α) were recognized as active factors involved in the main biological functions of treatment, implying the underlying mechanisms of ZDW acting on SLE. This study provides novel insights into the mechanisms of ZDW in SLE, from the molecular level to the pathway level.