Dynamic intracellular exchange of nanomaterials' protein corona perturbs proteostasis and remodels cell metabolism.

The nanomaterial­protein "corona" is a dynamic entity providing a synthetic­natural interface mediating cellular uptake and subcellular distribution of nanomaterials in biological systems. As nanomaterials are central to the safe-by-design of future nanomedicines and the practice of nanosafety, understanding and delineating the biological and toxicological signatures of the ubiquitous nanomaterial­protein corona are precursors to the continued development of nano­bio science and engineering. However, despite well over a decade of extensive research, the dynamics of intracellular release or exchange of the blood protein corona from nanomaterials following their cellular internalization remains unclear, and the biological footprints of the nanoparticle­protein corona traversing cellular compartments are even less well understood. To address this crucial bottleneck, the current work screened evolution of the intracellular protein corona along the endocytotic pathway from blood via lysosomes to cytoplasm in cancer cells. Intercellular proteins, including pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), and chaperones, displaced some of the initially adsorbed blood proteins from the nanoparticle surface, which perturbed proteostasis and subsequently incited chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) to disrupt the key cellular metabolism pathway, including glycolysis and lipid metabolism. Since proteostasis is key to the sustainability of cell function, its collapse and the resulting CMA overdrive spell subsequent cell death and aging. Our findings shed light on the consequences of the transport of extracellular proteins by nanoparticles on cell metabolism.

Dual Regulatory Role of Penicillium oxalicum SL2 in Soil: Phosphorus Solubilization and Pb Stabilization.

The mechanisms of the P. oxalicum SL2-mediated microbial community on phosphorus solubilization and Pb stabilization were investigated through a 90-day soil experiment. In the treatments inoculated with P. oxalicum SL2, the amount of P. oxalicum SL2-GFP remained at 77.8%-138.6% of the initial inoculation amount after 90 days, and the available phosphorus (AP) content increased 21.7%-40.8% while EDTA-Pb decreased 29.9%-43.2% compared with CK treatment. SEM-EDS results showed that P. oxalicum SL2 changed the agglomeration degree of microaggregates and promoted the combination of Pb with C and O elements. These phenomena were enhanced when applied with Ca3(PO4)2. Microbial community analysis showed that P. oxalicum SL2 improved soil microbial activity, in which the fungi absolute abundance increased about 15 times within 90 days. Correlation analyses and a partial least-squares path model showed that the activation of Penicillium, Ascobolus, Humicola, and Spizellomyces in a fungal community increased the content of oxalate and AP, which directly decreased EDTA-Pb content, while the change of Bacillus, Ramlibacter, Gemmatimonas, and Candidatus Solibacter in the bacterial community regulated Fe/Mn/S/N cycle-related functions, thus promoting the conversion of Pb to oxidizable state. Our findings highlight that P. oxalicum SL2 enhanced the microbial-induced phosphate precipitation process by activating soil microbial communities and regulating their ecological functions.

Loss of NDUFS1 promotes gastric cancer progression by activating the mitochondrial ROS-HIF1α-FBLN5 signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggested that NDUFS1 has an important role in human cancers; however, the effects of NDUFS1 on gastric cancer (GC) are still not fully understood. METHODS: We confirmed that NDUFS1 is downregulated in GC cells through western blot immunohistochemistry and bioinformation analysis. The effect of NDUFS1 on GC was studied by CCK-8, colony formation, transwell assay in vitro and Mouse xenograft assay in vivo. Expression and subcellular localization of NDUFS1 and the content of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) was observed by confocal reflectance microscopy. RESULTS: Reduced expression of NDUFS1 was found in GC tissues and cell lines. Also, NDUFS1 overexpression inhibited GC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro as well as growth and metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, NDUFS1 reduction led to the activation of the mROS-hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) signaling pathway. We further clarified that NDUFS1 reduction upregulated the expression of fibulin 5 (FBLN5), a transcriptional target of HIF1α, through activation of mROS-HIF1α signaling in GC cells. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that NDUFS1 downregulation promotes GC progression by activating an mROS-HIF1α-FBLN5 signaling pathway.

Identification and validation of crucial lnc-TRIM28-14 and hub genes promoting gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis (GCPM) is an important cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a key role in the regulation of GCPM, but the underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated. METHODS: High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on four groups of clinical specimens (non-metastatic gastric cancer primary tumor, adjacent normal gastric mucosal tissue, gastric cancer primary tumor with peritoneal metastasis and adjacent normal gastric mucosal tissue). After sequencing, many lncRNAs and mRNAs were screened for further Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA). GCPM-related hub lncRNAs and genes were identified by cytoHubba and validated by Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. GO, KEGG and GSEA showed GCPM-related pathways. Correlation analysis revealed the potential relationship between hub lncRNAs and genes. RESULTS: By analyzing lncRNA expression data by WGCNA, we found that blue module was highly correlated with GCPM (r = 0.44, p = 0.04) and six lncRNAs involved in this module (DNM3OS, lnc-MFAP2-53, lnc-PPIAL4C-4, lnc-RFNG-1, lnc-TRIM28-14 and lnc-YARS2-4) were identified. We then performed qRT-PCR validation of gastric cancer specimens and found that the expression of lnc-RFNG-1 and lnc-TRIM28-14 was significantly increased in gastric cancer tissues with peritoneal metastasis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed shorter overall survival time (OS) for gastric cancer patients with high expression of lnc-TRIM28-14. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis showed that lnc-TRIM28-14 could improve the sensitivity and specificity of GCPM diagnosis. In addition, we identified three key mRNAs (CD93, COL3A1 and COL4A1) associated with gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis through WGCNA analysis and clinical specimen validation. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between lnc-TRIM28-14 and the expression of CD93 and COL4A1 in gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis, suggesting a regulatory relationship between them. Subsequent GO, KEGG and GSEA analysis suggested that ECM-receptor interaction and focal adhesion were the hub pathways of GCPM. CONCLUSION: In summary, lnc-RFNG-1, lnc-TRIM28-14, CD93, COL3A1 and COL4A1 could be novel tumor biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for GCPM.

Chemical and Biophysical Signatures of the Protein Corona in Nanomedicine.

An inconvenient hurdle in the practice of nanomedicine is the protein corona, a spontaneous collection of biomolecular species by nanoparticles in living systems. The protein corona is dynamic in composition and may entail improved water suspendability and compromised delivery and targeting to the nanoparticles. How much of this nonspecific protein ensemble is determined by the chemistry of the nanoparticle core and its surface functionalization, and how much of this entity is dictated by the biological environments that vary spatiotemporally in vivo? How do we "live with" and exploit the protein corona without significantly sacrificing the efficacy of nanomedicines in diagnosing and curing human diseases? This article discusses the chemical and biophysical signatures of the protein corona and ponders challenges ahead for the field of nanomedicine.

The Underlying Function and Structural Organization of the Intracellular Protein Corona on Graphdiyne Oxide Nanosheet for Local Immunomodulation.

Nanomaterial-biology interaction is the critical step in the fate of biomedical nanomedicines, influencing the consequent biological outcomes. Herein, we present two-dimensional carbon-based nanomaterials-graphdiyne oxide (GDYO) nanosheets that interact with an intracellular protein corona consisting of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), inducing the reeducation of immunosuppressive macrophages. The interaction at the GDYO-STAT3 interface, driven by structure matching, hydrogen bonding, and salt bridges, simultaneously triggers the immune response in the tumor microenvironment, facilitating cancer immunotherapy. For the first time, our data reveal an interaction mechanism between the nanoparticle-protein interfaces inevitably formed inside the cells that determines the macrophage phenotype. Our results suggest that GDYO nanosheets could be applied for local immunomodulation due to their function and structural organization of the intracellular protein corona occurred inside macrophages.

Colonization of Penicillium oxalicum SL2 in Pb-contaminated paddy soil and its immobilization effect on soil Pb.

Penicillium oxalicum SL2 (SL2) is a previously screened Pb-tolerant fungus that can promote crops growth. The relationship between SL2 colonization and Pb immobilization was studied to provide a theoretical basis for microbial remediation of Pb-contaminated paddy soil. In this study, green fluorescent protein (GFP) labeled SL2 was inoculated into different Pb-contaminated paddy soils (S1-S6). The Pb extracted from the soil by HNO3, EDTA and CaCl2 were used to characterize the available Pb. The results showed that the colonization of SL2 was divided into lag phase (0-7 days), growth phase (7-30 days), and mortality phase (30-90 days). SL2 colonized well in sandy soils rich in clay and total phosphorus with initial pH of 4.5-7.0. In addition, SL2 increased soil pH and decreased soil Eh, which was beneficial to immobilize Pb. In different soils, the highest percentages of CaCl2-Pb, EDTA-Pb, and HNO3-Pb immobilized by SL2 were 34.34%-40.53%, 17.05%-20.11%, and 7.39%-15.62%, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the percentages of CaCl2-Pb and EDTA-Pb immobilized by SL2 were significantly positively correlated with the number of SL2 during the growth phase. SL2 mainly immobilized Pb in the growth phase and a higher peak number of SL2 was beneficial to the immobilization of Pb.

Precision Nanomedicine Development Based on Specific Opsonization of Human Cancer Patient-Personalized Protein Coronas.

When a nanomedicine is administrated into the human body, biomolecules in biological fluids, particularly proteins, form a layer on the surface of the nanoparticle known as a "personalized protein corona". An understanding of the formation and behavior of the personalized protein corona not only benefits the nanotherapy treatment efficacy but also can aid in disease diagnosis. Here we used Gd@C82(OH)22 nanoparticles, a nanomedicine effective against several types of cancer, as a model nanomedicine to investigate the natural protein fingerprint of the personalized protein corona formed in 10 human lung squamous cell carcinoma patients. Our analysis revealed a specific biomarker, complement component C1q, in lung cancer personalized protein coronas, abundantly bound to Gd@C82(OH)22 NPs. This binding altered the secondary structure of C1q protein and led to the activation of an innate immune response, which could be exploited for cancer immune therapy. On the basis of this finding, we provide a new strategy for the development of precision nanomedicine derived from opsonization of a unique protein fingerprint within patients. This approach overcomes the common pitfall of protein corona formation and exploits the corona proteins to generate a precision nanomedicine and diagnostic tool.

A Comparative Study of Two Radiomics-Based Blood Flow Modes with Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System in Predicting Malignancy of Thyroid Nodules and Reducing Unnecessary Fine-Needle Aspiration Rate.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare superb microvascular imaging (SMI)-based radiomics methods, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)-based radiomics methods to the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR TI-RADS) for classifying thyroid nodules (TNs) and reducing unnecessary fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled a dataset of 472 pathologically confirmed TNs. Radiomics characteristics were extracted from B-mode ultrasound (BMUS), SMI, and CEUS images, respectively. After eliminating redundant features, four radiomics scores (Rad-scores) were constructed. Using multivariable logistic regression analysis, four radiomics prediction models incorporating Rad-score and corresponding US features were constructed and validated in terms of discrimination, calibration, decision curve analysis, and unnecessary FNAB rate. RESULTS: The diagnostic performance of the BMUS + SMI radiomics method was better than ACR TI-RADS (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.875 vs. 0.689 for the training cohort, 0.879 vs. 0.728 for the validation cohort) (P < 0.05), and comparable with BMUS + CEUS radiomics method (AUC: 0.875 vs. 0.878 for the training cohort, 0.879 vs. 0.865 for the validation cohort) (P > 0.05). Decision curve analysis showed that the BMUS+SMI radiomics method could achieve higher net benefits than the BMUS radiomics method and ACR TI-RADS when the threshold probability was between 0.13 and 0.88 in the entire cohort. When applying the BMUS+SMI radiomics method, the unnecessary FNAB rate reduced from 43.4% to 13.9% in the training cohort and from 45.6% to 18.0% in the validation cohorts in comparison to ACR TI-RADS. CONCLUSION: The dual-modal SMI-based radiomics method is convenient and economical and can be an alternative to the dual-modal CEUS-based radiomics method in helping radiologists select the optimal clinical strategy for TN management.

Penicillium oxalicum SL2-enhanced nanoscale zero-valent iron effectively reduces Cr(VI) and shifts soil microbiota.

Most current researches focus solely on reducing soil chromium availability. It is difficult to reduce soil Cr(VI) concentration below 5.0 mg kg-1 using single remediation technology. This study introduced a sustainable soil Cr(VI) reduction and stabilization system, Penicillium oxalicum SL2-nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI), and investigated its effect on Cr(VI) reduction efficiency and microbial ecology. Results showed that P. oxalicum SL2-nZVI effectively reduced soil total Cr(VI) concentration from 187.1 to 3.4 mg kg-1 within 180 d, and remained relatively stable at 360 d. The growth curve of P. oxalicum SL2 and microbial community results indicated that γ-ray irradiation shortened the adaptation time of P. oxalicum SL2 and facilitated its colonization in soil. P. oxalicum SL2 colonization activated nZVI and its derivatives, and increased soil iron bioavailability. After restoration, the negative effect of Cr(VI) on soil microorganisms was markedly alleviated. Cr(VI), Fe(II), bioavailable Cr/Fe, Eh, EC and urease (SUE) were the key environmental factors of soil microbiota. Notably, Penicillium significantly stimulated the growth of urease-positive bacteria, Arthrobacter, Pseudarthrobacter, and Microvirga, synergistically reducing soil chromium availability. The combination of P. oxalicum SL2 and nZVI is expected to form a green, economical and long-lasting Cr(VI) reduction stabilization strategy.

Dual-modal radiomics nomogram based on contrast-enhanced ultrasound to improve differential diagnostic accuracy and reduce unnecessary biopsy rate in ACR TI-RADS 4-5 thyroid nodules.

BACKGROUND: American College of Radiology (ACR) Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS, TR) 4 and 5 thyroid nodules (TNs) demonstrate much more complicated and overlapping risk characteristics than TR1-3 and have a rather wide range of malignancy possibilities (> 5%), which may cause overdiagnosis or misdiagnosis. This study was designed to establish and validate a dual-modal ultrasound (US) radiomics nomogram integrating B-mode ultrasound (BMUS) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging to improve differential diagnostic accuracy and reduce unnecessary fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) rates in TR 4-5 TNs. METHODS: A retrospective dataset of 312 pathologically confirmed TR4-5 TNs from 269 patients was collected for our study. Data were randomly divided into a training dataset of 219 TNs and a validation dataset of 93 TNs. Radiomics characteristics were derived from the BMUS and CEUS images. After feature reduction, the BMUS and CEUS radiomics scores (Rad-score) were built. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted incorporating both Rad-scores and clinical/US data, and a radiomics nomogram was subsequently developed. The performance of the radiomics nomogram was evaluated using calibration, discrimination, and clinical usefulness, and the unnecessary FNAB rate was also calculated. RESULTS: BMUS Rad-score, CEUS Rad-score, age, shape, margin, and enhancement direction were significant independent predictors associated with malignant TR4-5 TNs. The radiomics nomogram involving the six variables exhibited excellent calibration and discrimination in the training and validation cohorts, with an AUC of 0.873 (95% CI, 0.821-0.925) and 0.851 (95% CI, 0.764-0.938), respectively. The marked improvements in the net reclassification index and integrated discriminatory improvement suggested that the BMUS and CEUS Rad-scores could be valuable indicators for distinguishing benign from malignant TR4-5 TNs. Decision curve analysis demonstrated that our developed radiomics nomogram was an instrumental tool for clinical decision-making. Using the radiomics nomogram, the unnecessary FNAB rate decreased from 35.3 to 14.5% in the training cohort and from 41.5 to 17.7% in the validation cohorts compared with ACR TI-RADS. CONCLUSION: The dual-modal US radiomics nomogram revealed superior discrimination accuracy and considerably decreased unnecessary FNAB rates in benign and malignant TR4-5 TNs. It could guide further examination or treatment options.

Significance and implications of nanoparticle-biological corona fingerprints in diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutics for diverse disorders.

Upon entering a biological environment, the surface of nanoparticles (NPs) is rapidly coated by various biomolecules (typically proteins), herein referred to as the biological corona fingerprint, representing a rich source of biological information that can guide the development of diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutics for diverse disorders. Although the number of studies has been increasing and considerable technological success has been achieved over the past few years, the main obstacles in this field stem from the complexities and heterogeneity of disease biology due to an incomplete understanding of nano-bio interactions and the challenges regarding the chemistry, manufacturing, and controls required for clinical translation. This minireview highlights the progress, challenges, and opportunities in nano-biological corona fingerprinting for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutics, and offers suggestions for more effective nano-therapeutics by capitalizing on our growing understanding of tumor biology and nano-bio interactions. Encouragingly, the current understanding of biological fingerprints could favor the development of optimal delivery systems that use the NP-biological interaction rationale and computational analyses to guide more desirable nanomedicine designs and delivery strategies.

A narrative review on the applications of intracavitary contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in pediatric lower genitourinary anomalies.

Purpose: We mainly aimed to perform a narrative review of clinical applications of the three intracavitary contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) including contrast-enhanced voiding urosonography (ceVUS), contrast-enhanced retrograde urethrosonography (ceRUG), and contrast-enhanced genitosonography (ceGS) in pediatric lower genitourinary anomalies. Method: A literature search in the PubMed and Web of Science databases was conducted up to 1 July 2022 on all studies published in English using the search terms "contrast-enhanced voiding urosonography", "contrast-enhanced retrograde urethrosonography", and "contrast-enhanced genitosonography". Trials were limited to pediatric subjects (ages ≤18 years) with no time restrictions. The inclusion criteria were studies on ceVUS, ceRUG, and ceGS to evaluate pediatric lower genitourinary anomalies. Two independent authors summarized the included articles. Results: Finally, a total of 48 original articles and 6 case reports or case series were included, of which 50 (93%) were only relevant to ceVUS, 3 (5%) articles involved ceGS, while only one (2%) article involved ceRUG, and 87% of the applications of ceVUS were focused on vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). We also searched 24 related reviews, of which 20 involved ceVUS in diagnosing VUR and 4 involved ceRUG and ceGS for other lower genitourinary anomalies. Conclusion: Intracavitary CEUS including ceVUS, ceRUG, and ceGS in pediatrics has many advantages over other radiological examinations in diagnosing lower genitourinary anomalies. Although ceVUS is widely used in detecting VUR, ceRUG and ceGS have also become promising techniques for evaluating the urethral pathologies and urogenital sinus.

The feasibility and satisfaction study of 5G-based robotic teleultrasound diagnostic system in health check-ups.

Objective: Regular check-up with ultrasound in underserved rural and/or remote areas is hampered due to the limited availability of sonologists and ultrasound devices. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and satisfaction of health check-ups with a 5G-based robotic teleultrasound diagnostic system. Methods: In this prospective study, sonologists from two hospitals manipulated the telerobotic ultrasound system to perform teleultrasound check-ups of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, bladder, prostate (male), uterus and ovaries (female) for the subjects. The feasibility and satisfaction of health check-ups with a 5G-based robotic teleultrasound diagnostic system were evaluated in terms of examination results, examination duration, and satisfaction questionnaire survey. Results: A total of 546 subjects were included with the most frequently diagnosed being abdominal disorders (n = 343) and male reproductive illnesses (n = 97), of which fatty liver (n = 204) and prostatic calcification (n = 54) were the most. The median teleultrasound examination duration (interquartile range) for men and women was 9 (9-11) min and 9 (7-11) min (p = 0.236), respectively. All the subjects were satisfied with this new type of telerobotic ultrasound check-ups and 96% reported no fear of the robotic arm during the examination. Conclusion: The 5G-based teleultrasound robotic diagnostic system in health check-ups is feasible and satisfactory, indicating that this teleultrasound robot system may have significant application value in underserved rural and/or remote areas to mitigate disparity in achieving health equity.

CST1 inhibits ferroptosis and promotes gastric cancer metastasis by regulating GPX4 protein stability via OTUB1.

Metastasis is an important factor contributing to poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer; yet, the molecular mechanism leading to this cell behavior is still not well understood. In this study, we explored the role of cysteine protease inhibitor SN (Cystatin SN, CST1) in promoting gastric cancer metastasis. We hypothesized that CST1 could regulate gastric cancer progression by regulating GPX4 and ferroptosis. Whole transcriptome sequencing suggested that the expression of CST1 was significantly increased in metastatic cancer, and high CST1 expression was correlated with a worse prognosis. Our data further confirmed that the overexpression of CST1 may significantly promote the migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells in vitro and enhance liver, lung, and peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer in nude mice. Meanwhile, high expression of CST1 promoted the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of gastric cancer cells. Mechanistically, a co-immunoprecipitation experiment combined with mass spectrometry analysis confirmed that CST1 could interact with GPX4, a key protein regulating ferroptosis. CST1 relieves GPX4 ubiquitination modification by recruiting OTUB1, improving GPX4 protein stability and reducing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby inhibiting ferroptosis and, in turn, promoting gastric cancer metastasis. Moreover, clinical data suggested that CST1 is significantly increased in peripheral blood and ascites of gastric cancer patients with metastasis; multivariate Cox regression model analysis showed that CST1 was an independent risk factor for the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Overall, our results elucidated a critical pathway through which high CST1 expression protects gastric cancer cells from undergoing ferroptosis, thus promoting its progression and metastasis. CST1 may be used as a new oncological marker and potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer metastasis.

Association between diagnostic efficacy of acoustic radiation force impulse for benign and malignant thyroid nodules and the presence or absence of non-papillary thyroid cancer: A meta-analysis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) for benign and malignant thyroid nodules in the presence and absence of non-papillary thyroid cancer (NPTC) and to determine the cut-off values of Shear Wave Velocity (SWV) for the highest diagnostic efficacy of Virtual Touch Quantification (VTQ) and Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging and Quantification (VTIQ). Methods: The diagnostic accuracy of ARFI for benign and malignant thyroid nodules was assessed by pooling sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC) in each group in the presence and absence of both non-papillary thyroid glands, using histology and cytology as the gold standard. All included studies were divided into two groups according to VTQ and VTIQ, and each group was ranked according to the magnitude of the SWV cutoff value to determine the SWV cutoff interval with the highest diagnostic efficacy for VTQ and VTIQ. Results: A total of 57 studies were collected on the evaluation of ARFI for the diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. The results showed that the presence of non-papillary thyroid carcinoma led to differences in the specificity of VTIQ for the identification of benign and malignant thyroid nodules, and the differences were statistically significant. In addition, the diagnostic efficacy of VTQ was best when the cutoff value of SWV was in the interval of 2.48-2.55 m/s, and the diagnostic efficacy of VTIQ was best when the cutoff value of SWV was in the interval of 3.01-3.15 m/s. Conclusion: VTQ and VTIQ have a high diagnostic value for benign and malignant thyroid nodules; however, when the malignant nodules in the study contain non-papillary thyroid carcinoma occupying the thyroid gland, the findings should be viewed in a comprehensive manner.

Corrigendum: Association between diagnostic efficacy of acoustic radiation force impulse for benign and malignant thyroid nodules and the presence or absence of non-papillary thyroid cancer: A meta-analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1007464.].

Tailoring bismuth-based nanoparticles for enhanced radiosensitivity in cancer therapy.

Achieving a complete response to cancer treatment is a severe challenge, and has puzzled humans for a long time. Fortunately, radiotherapy (RT) gives rise to a common clinical treatment method, during which the usage of radiosensitizers is essential. Among preclinical radiosensitizers, bismuth-based nanoparticles (Bi-based NPs) are widely explored in cancer diagnosis and treatment, because they share favourable properties, such as low toxicity, strong X-ray absorption and facile preparation. However, pure Bi alone cannot achieve both efficient and safe RT outcomes, mainly due to poor targeting of tumor sites, long retention-induced systemic toxicity and immune resistance. This work provides an overview of recent advances and developments in Bi-based NPs that are tailored to enhance radiosensitivity. For the fabrication process, surface modification of Bi-based NPs is essential to achieve tumor-targeted delivery and penetration. Moreover, the incorporation of other elements, such as Fe ions, can increase diagnostic accuracy with optimal theranostic efficacy. Meanwhile, the structure-activity relationship can also be manipulated to maximize the chemotherapeutic drug loading capability of Bi-based NPs, to enhance X-ray attenuation by means of a large surface area or to achieve safer metabolic routes with rapid clearance from the human body. In addition, Bi-based NPs exhibit synergistic antitumor potential when combined with diverse therapies, such as photothermal therapy (PTT) and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). To summarize, the latest research on Bi-based NPs as radiosensitizers is described in the review, including both their advantages and disadvantages for improving treatment, thus providing a useful guide for future clinical application.

Tailoring Aggregation Extent of Photosensitizers to Boost Phototherapy Potency for Eliciting Systemic Antitumor Immunity.

Phototherapy is effective for triggering the immunogenic cell death (ICD) effect. However, its efficacy is limited by low 1 O2  generation and photothermal conversion efficacy due to two irreconcilable obstacles, namely the aggregation-caused-quenching (ACQ) effect and photobleaching. In this work, a discretely integrated nanofabrication (DIN) platform (Pt-ICG/PES) is developed by facile coordination coassembly of cisplatin (Pt), photosensitizer molecules (indocyanine green (ICG)), and polymeric spacer (p(MEO2 MA-co-OEGMA)-b-pSS (PES)). By controlling the ICG/PES feeding ratio, the aggregation of ICG can be easily tailored using PES as an isolator to balance the ACQ effect and photobleaching, thereby maximizing the phototherapy potency of Pt-ICG/PES. With the optimized ratio of each component, Pt-ICG/PES integrates the complementarity of photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, and chemotherapeutics to magnify the ICD effect, exerting a synergistic antitumor immunity-promoting effect. Additionally, temperature-sensitive PES enables photothermally guided drug delivery. In a tumor-bearing mouse model, Pt-ICG/PES elicits effective release of danger-associated molecular patterns, dendritic cell maturation, cytotoxic T lymphocytes activation, cytokine secretion, M2 macrophage repolarization, and distal tumor suppression, confirming the excellent in situ tumor ICD effect as well as robust systematic antitumor immunity. Ultimately, a versatile DIN strategy is developed to optimize the phototherapeutic efficacy for improving antitumor effects and strengthening systemic antitumor immunity.

Risk Factors and Timing of Additional Surgery after Noncurative ESD for Early Gastric Cancer.

Background: Patients with early gastric cancer undergoing noncurative endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) have a risk of tumor recurrence and metastasis, and some patients need additional surgery. The purpose of this study was to explore the risk factors of cancer residue and lymph node (LN) metastasis after noncurative ESD for early gastric cancer and to compare the short outcome of early and delayed additional surgery. Methods: The clinicopathological characteristics of 30 early gastric cancer patients who received noncurative ESD and additional surgery were studied retrospectively. Multivariable regression was utilized to examine the independent risk factors for residual cancer and LN metastasis. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the multivariable model's predictive performance. Furthermore, the perioperative safety and radical tumor performance of early surgery (≤30 days, n = 11), delayed surgery (>30 days, n = 11) after ESD, and upfront surgery (n = 59) were compared. Results: Multivariable regression showed that diffuse type of Lauren classification, submucosal invasion, and positive human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) were risk factors for residual cancer. Undifferentiated carcinoma, vascular invasion, and positive vertical margin were risk factors for LN metastasis. The area under the curve (AUC) of the multifactor model predicting cancer residue and LN metastasis was 0.761 and 0.792, respectively. The early surgery group experienced higher intraoperative blood loss and a longer operation time than the delayed surgery and upfront surgery groups. There was no significant difference in the number of LN dissections, LN metastasis rate, and postoperative complications among the three groups. Conclusion: Diffuse type of Lauren classification, submucosal invasion, and positive HER-2 are risk factors for residual cancer, while undifferentiated carcinoma, vascular invasion, and positive vertical margin are risk factors for LN metastasis. Delayed additional surgery after ESD (>30 days) has higher intraoperative safety, without affecting the radical resection in early gastric cancer patients.