Impact of film thickness in laser-induced periodic structures on amorphous Si films.

We report self-organized periodic nanostructures on amorphous silicon thin films by femtosecond laser-induced oxidation. The dependence of structural periodicity on the thickness of silicon films and the substrate materials is investigated. The results reveal that when silicon film is 200 nm, the period of self-organized nanostructures is close to the laser wavelength and is insensitive to the substrates. In contrast, when the silicon film is 50 nm, the period of nanostructures is much shorter than the laser wavelength, and is dependent on the substrates. Furthermore, we demonstrate that, for the thick silicon films, quasi-cylindrical waves dominate the formation of periodic nanostructures, while for the thin silicon films, the formation originates from slab waveguide modes. Finite-difference time-domain method-based numerical simulations support the experimental discoveries.

Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem overexpressing microRNA-124-3p inhibit DLBCL progression by downregulating the NFATc1/cMYC pathway.

BACKGROUND: Exosomes play important roles in intercellular communication by delivering microRNAs (miRNAs) that mediate tumor initiation and development, including those in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). To date, however, limited studies on the inhibitory effect of exosomes derived from human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) on DLBCL progression have been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of hBMSC exosomes carrying microRNA-124-3p in the development of DLBCL. METHODS: Microarray-based expression analysis was adopted to identify differentially expressed genes and regulatory miRNAs, which revealed the candidate NFATc1. Next, the binding affinity between miR-124-3p and NFATc1 was detected by luciferase activity assays. The mechanism underlying NFATc1 regulation was investigated using lentiviral transfections. Subsequently, DLBCL cells were cocultured with exosomes derived from hBMSCs transfected with a miR-124-3p mimic or control. Proliferation and apoptosis were measured in vitro. Finally, the effects of hBMSC-miR-124-3p on tumor growth were investigated in vivo. RESULTS: MiR-124-3p was expressed at low levels, while NFATc1 was highly expressed in DLBCL cells. MiR-124-3p specifically targeted and negatively regulated the expression of NFATc1 in DLBCL cells, upregulated miR-124-3p-inhibited DLBCL cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis. The miR-124-3p derived from hBMSCs inhibits tumor growth both in vivo and in vitro via downregulation of the NFATc1/cMYC pathway. CONCLUSION: Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell overexpressing microRNA-124-3p represses the development of DLBCL through the downregulation of NFATc1.

Advances in the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma (Review).

Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is a unique B­cell lymphoproliferative malignancy that has a critical pathogenesis characterized by a sparse population of Hodgkin and Reed­Sternberg cells surrounded by numerous dysfunctional immune cells. Although systemic chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy, has significantly improved the prognosis of the majority of patients with HL, a subset of patients remains refractory to first­line therapy or relapse after achieving an initial response. With the increased understanding of the biology and microenvironment of HL, novel strategies with notable efficacy and manageable toxicity, including targeted therapies, immunotherapy and cell therapy have emerged. The present review summarizes the progress made in developing novel therapies for HL and discusses future research directions in HL therapy.

High-speed laser writing of structural colors for full-color inkless printing.

It is a formidable challenge to simultaneously achieve wide-gamut, high-resolution, high-speed while low-cost manufacturability, long-term stability, and viewing-angle independence in structural colors for practical applications. The conventional nanofabrication techniques fail to match the requirement in low-cost, large-scale and flexible manufacturing. Processing by pulsed lasers can achieve high throughput while suffering from a narrow gamut of ~15% sRGB or angle-dependent colors. Here, we demonstrate an all-in-one solution for ultrafast laser-produced structural colors on ultrathin hybrid films that comprise an absorbent dielectric TiAlN layer coating on a metallic TiN layer. Under laser irradiation, the absorption behaviours of the TiAlN-TiN hybrid films are tailored by photothermal-induced oxidation on the topmost TiAlN. The oxidized films exhibit double-resonance absorption, which is due to the non-trivial phase shifts both at the oxide-TiAlN interface, and at the TiAlN-TiN interface. By varying the accumulated laser fluence to modulate the oxidation depth, angle-robust structural colors with unprecedented large-gamut of ~90% sRGB are obtained. The highest printing speed reaches 10 cm2/s and the highest resolution exceeds 10000 dpi. The durability of the laser-printed colors is confirmed by fastness examination, including salt spray, double-85, light bleaching, and adhesion tests. These features render our technique to be competitive for industrial applications.

Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis triggered by peripheral T-cell lymphoma: An unusual case report.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a severe syndrome of pathological immune activation caused by activated macrophages and cytotoxic T cells. We report a 65-year-old male Chinese patient with typical HLH features caused by peripheral T-cell lymphoma and then received chemotherapy. However, though the patient's symptoms and signs improved much, his liver function, especially bilirubin, worsened which could be caused by overwhelming cytokines production. Therefore, plasmapheresis was conducted two times and then his liver function significantly recovered. The patient got temporary remission and good quality of life for nearly 2 months but died because of disease progression. In conclusion, as HLH is associated with multiorgan failure, high rates of morbidity and mortality, there are three points to be mentioned. First, it is critical that HLH should be screened as early as possible and initiate effective therapies. Second, plasmapheresis could be a useful method to eliminate excess cytokines production and improve liver function. Third, organs support and nutrient supply are also necessary and important.

Safety of chidamide plus rituximab in elderly patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma in China: a multicenter, single-arm, phase II study.

BACKGROUND: Patients over 65 years old with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or follicular lymphoma (FL) relapse or being refractory to rituximab-associated chemotherapy have limited treatment options. Chidamide has the ability to enhance the sensitivity of rituximab-resistant tumors in vivo has been confirmed. We aimed to assess the activity and safety profile of chidamide plus rituximab in elderly Chinese patients with recurrent or refractory B-cell lymphoma. METHODS: In this prospective, single-arm phase II trial, we enrolled patients from three hospitals in China with histopathological diagnoses of DLBCL and FL who had relapsed or were refractory to previous lines of rituximab-associated chemotherapy. Patients were given chidamide (10 mg on days 1-6 and 8-14) and rituximab (375 mg/m2 on day 7). The treatments were repeated every 21 days. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR). The secondary endpoints included the disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were enrolled and commenced treatment between November 12, 2018, and December 24, 2020. As of March 20, 2021, two patients (15.4%) were still receiving treatment. The median follow-up was 13.4 months. The ORR was 40% for the DLBCL cohort (n=10), and 100% for the FL cohort (n=3). DLBCL patients had a median PFS (mPFS) of 2.6 months (0.9-31.2 months) and a median OS (mOS) of 16.7 months (2.3-13.6 months). Neither mPFS nor mOS was reached in the FL cohort. The most frequent treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were leukopenia (38.5%), neutropenia (30.8%), lymphopenia (30.8%), thrombocytopenia (30.8%), fatigue (38.5%), and hyperuricemia (30.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Chidamide plus rituximab is clinically effective with an acceptable toxicity profile in elderly patients over 65 years old with relapsed or refractory DLBCL and FL. Further investigation is ongoing.

Effective remission of chidamide on treatment of advanced mycosis fungoides: An unusual case report.

Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome are the most common types of primary cutaneous T cell lymphoma, which primarily involves skin without curative treatment. We report a case of a 29-year-old female Chinese patient, who developed multiple cutaneous lesions gradually for 5 years. However, the patient could not tolerate pruritus and ulceration of cutaneous lesions, so she was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with advanced MF based on clinical manifestation, laboratory, and image results. Then she received four cycles of COPE regimen (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisolone, and etoposide). Although the skin lesions shrinked and sense of pruritus alleviated quickly after the chemotherapy, the effective remission duration was not satisfactory. Therefore, the patient received gemcitabine and thalidomide for three cycles subsequently. Still the remission duration was not long lasting. After that, she took chidamide orally two times a week. By the time of 7 weeks, the patches almost diminished and the patient did not feel itching for almost 6 months. And, she did not have any adverse effect and had a better quality of life than the period of chemotherapy.

Richter's syndrome of the central nervous system diagnosed concurrently with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Central nervous system (CNS) infiltration of Richter's syndrome (RS) is rare and only a few cases were discussed. Of these published cases, either they were accompanied with lymph node involvement or with a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). To our knowledge, this is the first published case of RS of the brain and meninges diagnosed concurrently with CLL in the absence of any evidence of lymphoma outside of the CNS. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 67-year-old female presented with slurred speech, headache, and left-sided hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed an irregular lesion 30 mm in diameter in the right parietal lobe. The mass was totally removed and pathology revealed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of non-germinal center type by Hans' classification. The patient's leukocyte count was 12.1 × 109/L (76.9% lymphocytes), and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of blood revealed a clonal B-cell population (36.75% leukocytes) corresponding to the immunological CLL profile (Matutes score of 5/5). Bone marrow (BM) aspiration and biopsy also indicated CLL. The analysis of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (IGH) and kappa chain gene (IGK) in the patient's BM and CNS tissue indicated that the DLBCL of the brain was derived from the CLL clone. DIAGNOSES: RS of the CNS diagnosed concurrently with CLL. INTERVENTIONS: The patient received intravenous chemotherapy (6.0 g methotrexate) and intrathecal chemotherapy (10 mg methotrexate, 50 mg cytarabine, 5 mg dexamethasone). OUTCOMES: The patient returned to our department with left-sided hemiparesis and headache 2 weeks after the chemotherapy. Repeat MRI showed progression of the brain lesion. Her general condition deteriorated significantly with confusion and high fever, and she died within a few days at only 10 weeks after the onset of symptoms. LESSONS: The survival of CNS-RS patients is very poor and and is always complicated with multiple and different genetic alterations. Because of chemotherapy insensitivity, a multidisciplinary treatment including surgery and radiotherapy together with novel agents may be an option to improving patient outcomes.

Critical involvement of the α(1,2)-fucosyltransferase in multidrug resistance of human chronic myeloid leukemia.

The fucosyltransferases are key enzymes in cell surface antigen synthesis during multidrug resistance (MDR) development. The aim of the present study was to analyze the alteration of α(1,2)-fucosyltransferase involved in MDR development in human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). FUT1 was overexpressed in three CML/MDR cell lines and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of CML patients. However, no significant changes of FUT2 were observed. The altered levels of FUT1 had a significant impact on the phenotypic variation of MDR of K562 and K562/ADR cells, the activity of EGFR/MAPK pathway and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression. Blocking the EGFR/MAPK pathway by its specific inhibitor PD153035 or EGFR small interfering RNA (siRNA) resulted in the reduced MDR of K562/ADR cells. This study indicated that α(1,2)-fucosyltransferase involved in the development of MDR of CML cells probably through FUT1 regulated the activity of EGFR/MAPK signaling pathway and the expression of P-gp.