Immunotherapy and senolytics in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: phase 2 trial results.

Recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy have improved patient outcomes, yet responses to immunotherapy remain moderate. Immunosenescence has been shown to contribute to the development and progression of various diseases; however, its specific role in solid tumors has not been fully delineated. Here we conducted a phase 2 clinical trial involving 51 patients with cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy and applied single-cell RNA as well as TCR and BCR sequencing on tumor and blood samples to elucidate the immune cell perturbations.

In-silico Analysis of a Novel MCR-1.1 Variant on an IncX4 Plasmid Attenuating Colistin Resistance in Multidrug-Resistant ST131.

Introduction: The emergence of mcr-1.1-mediated colistin resistance in poses a significant threat to last-resort antibiotic therapy. This study investigates a novel variant of mcr-1.

Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of human rhinovirus in hospitalized children and adolescents with acute respiratory infections: a longitudinal study in Shenzhen, China (2019-2024).

Background: Human rhinovirus (HRV) is a significant pathogen responsible for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in children and is closely associated with pediatric wheezing. However, its clinical importance remains a subject of debate. This study aims to investigate the epidemiology, clinical characteristics of HRV, and to explore the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on HRV dynamics.

spp. Potentiate the Virulence and Intracellular Invasion of in Chickens.

Coinfection poses severe threats to poultry health, particularly due to the complexity and resilience of multispecies interactions, increasing the difficulty of treatment. spp., a heterotrophic bacterium, heavily relies on extracellular growth factors acquired from other organisms or its surrounding environment.

Nitric Oxide Scavenging Alleviates Scar Pruritus by Inhibiting S-Nitrosylation of Transient Receptor Potential Channels and Limiting Calcium Influx.

Scar pruritus, a common and debilitating symptom in burn patients, significantly impacts quality of life. This study investigates the therapeutic potential of nitric oxide (NO) scavenging in alleviating scar pruritus by targeting the S-nitrosylation (SNO) of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, which play a crucial role in pruritus sensation and transmission. We hypothesized that NO-induced SNO of TRP channels mediates scar pruritus and explored the effects of NO scavengers on pruritus-related features in scar tissue.

Self-assembled transdermal nanogels control scar formation by inhibiting fibroblast proliferation and fibrosis with glycolysis regulation via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Hypertrophic scar (HS) is one of the most common challenges in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery. HS formation is associated with the abnormal activation of fibroblasts. These fibroblasts exhibit excessive proliferative and fibrotic behavior, which can be induced by glycolysis dysregulation.

Mature tertiary lymphoid structures linked to HPV status and anti-PD-1 based chemoimmunotherapy response in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Mature tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are immune aggregates associated with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) responses in various cancers, yet their role in chemoimmunotherapy response in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear. By analyzing TCGA-HNSC transcriptomic data and pathology slides, we identified an immune subtype enriched in TLSs, predominantly in HPV-positive tumors, which correlated with favorable immunotherapy response. Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics further revealed distinct TLS compositions, with mature TLSs enriched in germinal center B cells, follicular helper T cells, and resident memory CD8 T cells, while immature TLSs contained FCRL4+ B cells and peripheral helper T cells.

Finder-I for Locating Anterolateral Thigh Perforators in Head and Neck Reconstruction: A Diagnostic Study.

Background: The localization of perforators in the anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap is important for flap survival. This study aimed to provide surgeons with a more effective instrument, Finder-I, for the perforator locations of ALT flaps.

Methods: Eighty-two patients who underwent head and neck reconstruction were recruited from June 2023 to February 2024.

Near-Infrared-Triggered Nanodroplets for Imaging-Guided Macrophage-Mediated Cancer Immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment; however, solid tumors often evade checkpoint blockade by co-opting tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and creating a hypoxic, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Here, we report a laser-triggered theranostic nanodroplet capable of simultaneously remodeling the tumor microenvironment and visualizing therapeutic responses in real-time. These double-emulsion perfluorocarbon droplets encapsulate clinically translatable components: a toll-like receptor-7/8 agonist and near-infrared indocyanine green dye.

Pan-Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Genetic Factors Associated with the Pathogenicity of Invasive Serotype 19F Streptococcus Pneumoniae.

Background: is a common respiratory pathogen that poses significant health concerns in children, particularly serotype 19F strains that demonstrate high level of invasiveness in China. To investigate the genetic variations associated with high invasiveness of serotype 19F strains isolated from children in Shenzhen.

Methods: We compared the genomic profiles of 42 invasive and 162 noninvasive strains from children's respiratory tracts and employed pan-genome-wide association methods to elucidate the origins of genetic variation.

Model-informed deep-learning photoacoustic reconstruction for low-element linear array.

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT), widely applied using linear array ultrasound transducers for clinical and preclinical imaging, faces significant challenges due to sparse sensor arrangements and limited sensor pitch. These factors often compromise image quality, particularly in devices designed to have fewer sensors to reduce complexity and power consumption, such as wearable systems. Conventional reconstruction methods, including delay-and-sum and iterative model-based techniques, either lack accuracy or are computationally intensive.

Dual-Modal Fast Photoacoustic/Ultrasound Localization Imaging with Sparsity-Constrained Optimization.

Dual-modal imaging, combining photoacoustic (PA) and ultrasound localization (UL) with microbubbles, holds substantial promise across biomedical fields such as oncology, neuroscience, nephrology, and immunology. The combination of PA and UL imaging faces challenges due to acquisition speed mismatches, limiting their combined efficacy. Here, we introduce a protocol that applies sparsity constraint optimization to accelerate dual-modal data acquisition, enabling in vivo super-resolution imaging of vascular and physiological structures at under two seconds per frame.

Insulin/PHMB-grafted sodium alginate hydrogels improve infected wound healing by antibacterial-prompted macrophage inflammatory regulation.

Background: Non-healing chronic wounds with high susceptibility to infection represent a critical challenge in modern healthcare. While growth factors play a pivotal role in regulating chronic wound repair, their therapeutic efficacy is compromised in infected microenvironments. Current wound dressings inadequately address the dual demands of sustained bioactive molecule delivery and robust antimicrobial activity.

Mechanisms of Huhuang decoction in treating diabetic wounds: a network pharmacological and experimental study.

Huhuang (HH) decoction, a composition of seven traditional Chinese medicines, has demonstrated clinical efficacy in wound healing. However, its pharmacological foundation and potential mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms of action of HH decoction in the treatment of diabetic wounds.

Oncogenic and tumor-suppressive roles of Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) in tumor progression.

Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is a member of the lipocalin superfamily with multiple functions and can participate in the transport of a variety of small lipophilic ligands . LCN2 is significantly expressed in various tumors and plays an important role in regulating tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. The specific actions of LCN2 in tumors may vary depending on the particular type of cancer involved.

Label-Free Dual-Modal Photoacoustic/Ultrasound Localization Imaging for Studying Acute Kidney Injury.

Growing evidence suggests a close link between acute kidney injury (AKI) and disruptions in renal microcirculation. However, current non-invasive tools for quantitatively monitoring structural and functional changes in renal microcirculation remain limited, making early diagnosis difficult. To address this challenge, this work introduces a label-free 3D multi-parametric imaging technique that combines photoacoustic and super-resolution ultrasound imaging.

Augmented reality in preoperative anterolateral thigh flap perforators positioning: A pilot diagnostic study.

Background: The anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap is the primary choice for healthy and vascularized soft-tissue coverage for appendicular and axial soft tissue reconstruction, especially in the head and neck regions. Nonetheless, there is substantial anatomic variation in ALT perforators that affect flap integrity, survival rates, and donor-site morbidity. Regardless of the ALT flap type, accurate location of perforators can greatly improve surgical success rates and reduce the risk of secondary surgeries.

Systematic identification and validation of ceRNA-driven regulatory mechanisms in pediatric β-Thalassemia major.

Reactivation of fetal hemoglobin (Hb F, α2γ2) has been demonstrated to be a therapeutic strategy for patients with β-hemoglobinopathies. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression by silencing RNA. Both coding and non-coding RNAs can compete for the same miRNAs, acting as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs).

Rapid Bacterial Identification through Multiplexed Nucleic Acid Detection on a Digital Microfluidic Platform for Enhanced Clinical Intervention against Infections.

Bacterial infections often lead to severe health consequences owing to their ability to infiltrate multiple anatomical sites, including the bloodstream, respiratory tract, and digestive tract, posing substantial diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Consequently, a rapid and versatile detection method capable of identifying a broad spectrum of bacterial pathogens is urgently required to facilitate precise antibiotic prescriptions. Addressing this need, we introduce MiND-DMF (Multibacterial Infection Nucleic Acid Detection on a Digital Microfluidic Platform), a cost-effective digital microfluidic platform tailored for multiplexed bacterial detection.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic measures on hospitalizations and epidemiological patterns of twelve respiratory pathogens in children with acute respiratory infections in southern China.

Objectives: To investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic measures on hospitalizations and the alterations and persistence of the epidemiological patterns of 12 common respiratory pathogens in children during the COVID-19 pandemic and after the cessation of the "zero-COVID-19" policy in southern China.

Methods: Respiratory specimens were collected from hospitalized children with acute respiratory infections at Shenzhen Children's Hospital from January 2020 to June 2024. Twelve common respiratory pathogens were detected using multiplex PCR.

The value of Mentzer index in the diagnosis of children thalassemia minor.

Objective: To explore the effect of the Mentzer Index (MI) in screening for children thalassemia (TT) minor.

Methods: We determined the MI cutoff value of diagnosing TT minor in children by utilizing a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Samples with MI values below this threshold, and no detectable gene mutations or IDA were further analyzed using Sanger sequencing or specific primer GAP-PCR.