Immunogenic cell death inducers for cancer therapy: An emerging focus on natural products.

BACKGROUND: Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is a specific form of regulated cell death induced by a variety of stressors. During ICD, the dying cancer cells release damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which promote dendritic cell maturation and tumor antigen presentation, subsequently triggering a T-cell-mediated anti-tumor immune response. In recent years, a growing number of studies have demonstrated the potential of natural products to induce ICD and enhance tumor cell immunogenicity. Moreover, there is an increasing interest in identifying new ICD inducers from natural products. PURPOSE: This study aimed to emphasize the potential of natural products and their derivatives as ICD inducers to promote research on using natural products in cancer therapy and provide ideas for future novel immunotherapies based on ICD induction. METHOD: This review included a thorough search of the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases to identify natural products with ICD-inducing capabilities. A comprehensive search for clinical trials on natural ICD inducers was also conducted using ClinicalTrials.gov, as well as the approved patents using the Espacenet and CNKI Patent Database. RESULTS: Natural compounds that induce ICD can be categorized into several groups, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, and alkaloids. Natural products can induce the release of DAMPs by triggering endoplasmic reticulum stress, activation of autophagy-related pathways, and reactive oxygen species generation, etc. Ultimately, they activate anti-tumor immune response and improve the efficacy of cancer treatments. CONCLUSION: A growing number of ICD inducers from natural products with promising anti-cancer potential have been identified. The detailed information presented in this review will contribute to the further development of natural ICD inducers and cancer treatment strategies based on ICD-induced responses.

Effect of Abdominal Compression on Total Single-Balloon Enteroscopy Rate: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether abdominal compression significantly increased the total enteroscopy rate in single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE). METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent SBE at 2 hospitals were prospectively included between June 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021. They were randomly divided into an abdominal compression group and a non-abdominal compression group with use of sealed envelopes generated by a computer. Total enteroscopy rates were compared between the groups. RESULTS: The study included 200 patients. The total enteroscopy rates were 73% and 16% in the abdominal compression and non-abdominal compression groups, respectively (relative risk, 13.55; 95% CI, 6.79 to 27.00; P<.001). The total enteroscopy rate was higher in the 70 patients who were identified to have undergone no previous abdominal surgery or small intestinal stenosis than in the 32 patients who had undergone such procedures in the abdominal compression group (84% vs 47%; relative risk, 6.08; 95% CI, 2.36 to 15.67; P<.001). Relevant positive findings were not significantly different between the groups (58% vs 45%; P=.07). Binary logistic regression analysis found abdominal compression to be associated with a better total enteroscopy rate (odds ratio, 16.68; 95% CI, 7.92 to 35.15; P<.001), and the presence of previous abdominal surgery or small intestinal stenosis was associated with difficulty in completing the total enteroscopy procedure (odds ratio, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.12 to 0.58; P<.01). CONCLUSION: Abdominal compression significantly increased the total enteroscopy rate in SBE. Complete total enteroscopy may be challenging in patients with a history of abdominal surgery or small intestinal stenosis.

Preparation and characterization of biodegradable poly(D,L-lactide) and surface-modified bioactive glass composites as bone repair materials.

In order to improve filler dispersion and phase compatibility between poly(D,L-lactide) (PDLLA) and inorganic bioactive glass (BG) particles, and to enhance the mechanical properties of PDLLA/BG composites, the silane coupling agent 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH570) was used to modify the surface of BG particles (represented by KBG). The structure and properties of PDLLA/BG and PDLLA/KBG composites were investigated by mechanical property testing and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This study demonstrated that the Guth and Gold models can be combined to predict the Young's modulus of the composites. The Pukanszky modulus showed that the interaction parameter B of PDLLA/KBG composites was higher than that of the PDLLA/BG, which indicates that there is a higher interfacial interaction between the PDLLA and KBG. The composites were incubated in simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37 degrees C to study the in vitro degradation and bioactivity of the composites and to detect bone-like apatite formation on their surfaces.