GFH018 and Toripalimab Combination Therapy for Previously Treated Recurrent or Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Results from a Phase Ib/II Study.

Purpose: GFH018 is a novel TGF-β type I receptor inhibitor, which has been shown to potentiate the antitumor effect of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of GFH018 plus toripalimab in patients with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Patients And Methods: This phase Ib/II study included patients with specific solid tumors who had failed at least one prior line of standard therapy.

Chemotherapy May Influence Esophageal Lugol Chromoendoscopy Severity: A Retrospective Cohort Study and Literature Review.

Lugol chromoendoscopy is widely used for screening esophageal squamous cell neoplasms (ESCNs) and evaluating dissection margins during endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). However, morphological variations may arise following treatment for synchronous cancers. This study aimed to assess the impact of chemotherapy on Lugol chromoendoscopy findings during both screening and ESD.

Investigating the Pulmonary Host Response of Infection-Associated Pneumonia by Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing.

For investigating the host response in associated pneumonia, we analyzed the host genetic sequences obtained from metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). The samples for mNGS were bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) collected from the lungs of patients infected with and from patients without bacterial infections. BALF samples from patients with pneumonia were collected from the lungs of patients infected with with New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM, before treatment), A.

Biomarker potential of nuclear Nrf2 activation in the ABC subtype of diffuse large B‑cell lymphoma.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive B-cell lymphoma characterized by distinct subtypes and heterogeneous treatment outcomes. Oxidative stress and the dysregulation of related regulatory genes are prevalent in DLBCL, prompting an investigation into the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) signaling pathway and associated genes. The present study assessed pathological specimens and clinical data from 43 newly diagnosed patients with DLBCL, comparing the associations and correlations between the expression of Nrf2, Keap1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3β (LC3B) and nitrotyrosine and the activated B-cell (ABC) and germinal center B-cell (GCB) subtypes of DLBCL using immunohistochemistry and digital image analysis software.

Chromatin Remodeling-Related PRDM1 Increases Stomach Cancer Proliferation and Is Counteracted by Bromodomain Inhibitor.

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are some of the main public health threats to the world. Even though surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy are available for their treatments, these approaches provide limited success in reducing mortality, making the identification of additional therapeutic targets mandatory. Chromatin remodeling in cancer has long been studied and related therapeutics are widely used, although less is known about factors with prognostic and therapeutic potential in such areas as gastrointestinal cancers.

Prognostic mutation signature would serve as a potential prognostic predictor in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

The present study aimed to elucidate the prognostic mutation signature (PMS) associated with long-term survival in a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cohort. All data including derivation and validation cohorts were retrospectively retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and whole-exome sequencing (WES) data. The Lasso Cox regression analysis was used to construct the PMS based on WES data, and the PMS was determined using the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC).

Neuron-derived neurotensin promotes pancreatic cancer invasiveness and gemcitabine resistance via the NTSR1/Akt pathway.

Perineural invasion and neurogenesis are frequently observed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and link to poor outcome. However, how neural factors affect PDAC prognosis and the underlying mechanism as well as counteracting therapeutic are still unclear. systematic analysis was performed with PROGgene to identify potential neural factor and its receptor in pancreatic cancer.

Clinical outcomes of cetuximab-based treatment for distant metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A real-world study using Taiwan Head Neck Society registry database.

Background: For R/M HNSCC, the differences in prognosis and treatment options between distant metastasis (DM) and locoregional recurrence, especially in the DM group, remain unclear.

Methods: From the Taiwan Head Neck Society registry database, patients who were diagnosed with R/M HNSCC and received cetuximab-based frontline therapy were collected for analysis.

Results: Among the enrolled patients, 59.

Cetuximab Treatment beyond Progression in Patients with Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Nationwide Population-Based Study (THNS-2021-08).

Background: Little is known regarding the association of cetuximab treatment beyond progression (TBP) with survival among patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC). Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are now considered as first-line treatment, not all patients are suitable for ICIs.

Objective: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective study to evaluate the role of cetuximab TBP in patients with R/M HNSCC after failure of first-line cetuximab-containing chemotherapy.

The Prognosis Performance of a Neutrophil- and Lymphocyte-Associated Gene Mutation Score in a Head and Neck Cancer Cohort.

The treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) is multimodal, and chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is a critical component. However, the availability of predictive or prognostic markers in patients with HNSCC is limited. Inflammation is a well-documented factor in cancer, and several parameters have been studied, with the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) being the most promising.

High G9a Expression in DLBCL and Its Inhibition by Niclosamide to Induce Autophagy as a Therapeutic Approach.

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a malignant lymphoid tumor disease that is characterized by heterogeneity, but current treatment does not benefit all patients, which highlights the need to identify oncogenic genes and appropriate drugs. G9a is a histone methyltransferase that catalyzes histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation to regulate gene function and expression in various cancers.

Methods: TCGA and GTEx data were analyzed using the GEPIA2 platform.

Growth Regulated Oncogene-α Upregulates TNF-α and COX-2 and Activates NOD1/RIPK2 mediated-MAPK Pathway in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

The long-term prognosis and survival rate of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are poor, although the identification of specific biomarkers that reveal its nature and aggressiveness has improved it. Growth-related oncogene alpha (Groα) and NOD1 (nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 1) can be used as prognosis markers to identify subgroups of HNSCC patients with low survival rates and as potential therapeutic targets for HNSCC patients. However, the mechanism associated with the Groα-mediated NOD pathway in HNSCC progression remains unclear.

The role of the genomic mutation signature and tumor mutation burden on relapse risk prediction in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma after concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Personalized genetic profiling has focused on improving treatment efficacy and predicting risk stratification by identifying mutated genes and selecting targeted agents according to genetic testing. Therefore, we evaluated the role of genetic profiling and tumor mutation burden (TMB) using next-generation sequencing in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC). The relapse mutation signature (RMS) and chromatin remodeling mutation signature (CRMS) were explored to predict the risk of relapse in patients with HNSC treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with platinum-based chemotherapy.

Prevention and management of esophageal stricture after esophageal ESD: 10 years of experience in a single medical center.

Background/purpose: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure to deal with local early esophageal neoplasm, although post-ESD esophageal stricture is a major delayed complication of esophageal ESD greatly influencing the patient's quality of life. This retrospective study was conducted to analyze the esophageal stricture after esophageal ESD while determining further treatment and outcome of stricture management.

Methods: From 2009 to 2021, we reviewed all patients who underwent ESD for esophageal squamous cell neoplasia in Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital.

Skp2-mediated Zeb1 expression facilitates cancer migration by a ubiquitination-independent pathway.

Aims: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) constitutes one of the most dismal malignancies worldwide. Despite multidisciplinary involvement in interventions involving surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, most pancreatic cancer patients eventually develop distant metastasis. S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2) plays an important role in cell-cycle regulation in pancreatic cancer.

Clustering of Chromatin Remodeling Enzymes Predicts Prognosis and Clinical Benefit of Therapeutic Strategy in Pancreatic Cancer.

In recent years, translational research and pharmacological targeting of epigenetic modifications have become the focus of personalized therapy for patients with pancreatic cancer. Preclinical and clinical trials targeting post-translational modifications have been evaluated as monotherapy or in combination with standard chemotherapy. In this study, we selected 43 genes from seven families of chromatin-modifying enzymes and investigated the influences of epigenetic modifications and their interactions on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) using hierarchical clustering analysis.

Emodin Ameliorates the Efficacy of Carfilzomib in Multiple Myeloma Cells via Apoptosis and Autophagy.

Background: Carfilzomib, the proteasome inhibitor, can increase the overall survival rate of multiple myeloma (MM) patients undergoing targeted therapy. However, relapse and toxicity present great challenges for such treatment, so an urgent need for effective combination therapy is necessary. Emodin is a natural chemical compound that inhibits the proliferation of various cancers and can effectively combine with other treatments.

Growth regulated oncogene-α contribute to EMT/MMPs pathway by binding its receptors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common malignant tumor of the head and neck and generally detected in the late stages when the cancer has advanced, and therefore has a poor prognosis and survival rate. A high expression of growth-related oncogene alpha (Groα) is associated with tumor metastasis and invasion and the poor survival rate of patients. Microarray reveals that Groα exhibits a cancer-specific response in HNSCC.

Comparison of a novel lateral-flow device to galactomannan assay at different time periods for detections of invasive aspergillosis.

Purpose: To compare a lateral-flow device (LFD) method to the galactomannan assay (GM) for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis (IA).

Methods: First, 20 GM-positive serum samples stored for two years were retested with both the GM and LFD assays. Second, 153 serum samples from 91 immunocompromised patients suspected of having IA were tested prospectively, including 56 hematologic malignancies and 35 chronic illnesses with steroid therapy.

Revisit of the Association between Cytomegalovirus Infection and Invasive Fungal Infection after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Real-World Analysis from a High CMV Seroprevalence Area.

Infection is a major complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) especially cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and invasive fungal infection (IFI). Taiwan is a high CMV seroprevalence area. Our study aimed to evaluate the incidence, risk factors, the impact on survival of CMV infection (including reactivation and disease) and the association of CMV infection and IFI in recipients after allo-HSCT during the first 100 days after transplantation.

The Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Transplant-Ineligible Myeloma Patients with Bortezomib plus Thalidomide plus Dexamethasone (VTD) or Bortezomib plus Melphalan plus Prednisolone (VMP) Treatment in Southern Taiwan.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of treating transplant-ineligible myeloma patients with either a bortezomib plus thalidomide plus dexamethasone (VTD) or a bortezomib plus melphalan plus prednisolone (VMP) treatment in Taiwan.

Methods: Newly diagnosed, transplant-ineligible myeloma patients with VTD or VMP therapy were enrolled from two medical centers in southern Taiwan. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were used as the measurement unit of the effectiveness evaluation, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was used for comparison between the two groups.

Induction of Th1 and Th2 in the protection against SARS-CoV-2 through mucosal delivery of an adenovirus vaccine expressing an engineered spike protein.

A series of recombinant human type 5 adenoviruses that express the full-length or membrane-truncated spike protein (S) of SARS-CoV-2 (AdCoV2-S or AdCoV2-SdTM, respectively) was tested the efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 via intranasal (i.n.) or subcutaneous (s.