Robust Multi-contrast MRI Medical Image Translation via Knowledge Distillation and Adversarial Attack.

Medical image translation is of great value but is very difficult due to the requirement with style change of noise pattern and anatomy invariance of image content. Various deep learning methods like the mainstream GAN, Transformer and Diffusion models have been developed to learn the multi-modal mapping to obtain the translated images, but the results from the generator are still far from being perfect for medical images. In this paper, we propose a robust multi-contrast translation framework for MRI medical images with knowledge distillation and adversarial attack, which can be integrated with any generator.

Integrated lncRNA and mRNA analysis reveals the immune modulatory mechanisms of antimicrobial peptide BSN-37 in mouse peritoneal macrophages.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) possess vaccine adjuvant activity; however, their specific targets and molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood, which hinders their clinical application. This study aimed to elucidate the key targets and pathways through which the antimicrobial peptide BSN-37 modulates immune responses in macrophages, providing evidence for its potential clinical translation. In this investigation, Balb/c mice were administered BSN-37 for 12 h, after which total RNA was extracted from peritoneal macrophages to assess the mRNA expression levels of cytokines and key molecules on the cell surface, followed by transcriptomic sequencing.

Prevalence and influencing factors of pruritus in maintenance hemodialysis patients in China: a meta-analysis.

Objective: To explore the prevalence and influencing factors of Chronic Kidney Disease-associated Pruritus (CKD-aP) among maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients in China through a meta-analysis.

Methods: A systematic computerized search was conducted across ten databases, including CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, PubMed, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library, to identify studies on the prevalence and influencing factors of pruritus among Chinese hemodialysis patients up to January 2025. Two independent graduate students conducted literature screening, data extraction, and bias risk assessment for the included studies.

Self-management assessment tools for people with hypertension: a scoping review.

Background: This is a scoping review of the evidence for the use of the Patient Self-Management Assessment Tool for Hypertension (PAT) in people with hypertension. This review examines the content features, reliability, and validity of the PAT for people with Hypertension, as well as contextual and environmental evidence for the tool implementation in clinical practice.

Objective: To synthesize and evaluate the self-management assessment tools available for people with hypertensive, and to guide healthcare professionals in selecting appropriate tools.

PD-1 promotes tumor evasion via deregulating CD8 T cell function.

Background: The programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) is an immune checkpoint that mediates immune evasion of tumors. Alternative splicing (AS) such as intron retention (IR) plays a crucial role in the immune-related gene processing and its function. However, it is not clear whether encoding PD-1 exists as an IR splicing isoform and what underlying function of such isoform plays in tumor evasion.

Complement C3 of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles promotes metastasis of RCC via recruitment of immunosuppressive myeloid cells.

Heterogeneous roles of complement C3 have been implicated in tumor metastasis and are highly context dependent. However, the underlying mechanisms linking C3 to tumor metastasis remain elusive in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Here, we demonstrate that C3 of RCC cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) contributes to metastasis via polarizing tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) into the immunosuppressive phenotype and recruiting polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs).

PD-L2 of tumor-derived exosomes mediates the immune escape of cancer cells via the impaired T cell function.

The function of PD-1/PD-L1 axis have been intensively studied for immune escape of various cancers. However, the underlying function of PD-L2 remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that PD-L2 is majorly expressed in exosomes with surface localization by clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) cells.

The associations of the triglyceride-glucose index and its combination with blood pressure on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in hypertension: a national study.

The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a reliable surrogate biomarker of insulin resistance (IR), is highlighted recently as related to cardiac disorders. However, the associations of the TyG index and its combination with blood pressure (BP) on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in hypertension remain unclear. In this study, we included 9,635 hypertension patients from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2018.

A splicing isoform of PD-1 promotes tumor progression as a potential immune checkpoint.

The immune checkpoint receptor, programmed cell death 1 (PD-1, encoded by PDCD1), mediates the immune escape of cancer, but whether PD-1 splicing isoforms contribute to this process is still unclear. Here, we identify an alternative splicing isoform of human PD-1, which carries a 28-base pairs extension retained from 5' region of intron 2 (PD-1^28), is expressed in peripheral T cells and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. PD-1^28 expression is induced on T cells upon activation and is regulated by an RNA binding protein, TAF15.

N-methyladenosine enhances the expression of TGF-β-SMAD signaling family to inhibit cell growth and promote cell metastasis.

TGF-β-SMAD signaling pathway plays an important role in the progression of various cancers. However, posttranscriptional regulation such as N-methyladenosine (mA) of TGF-β-SMAD signaling axis remains incompletely understood. Here, we reveal that insulin like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) is low expression as well as associated with poor prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients and inhibits proliferation as well as promotes metastasis of ccRCC cells.

RUNX1::ETO and CBFβ::MYH11 converge on aberrant activation of BCAT1 to confer a therapeutic vulnerability in core-binding factor-acute myeloid leukaemia.

Effectively targeting transcription factors in therapeutic interventions remains challenging, especially in core-binding factor-acute myeloid leukaemia (CBF-AML) characterized by RUNX1::ETO and CBFβ::MYH11 fusions. However, recent studies have drawn attention towards aberrant amino acid metabolisms as actionable therapeutic targets. Here, by integrating the expression profile and genetic makeup in AML cohort, we found higher BCAT1 expression in CBF-AML patients compared with other subtypes.

Systematic characterization of the HOXA9 downstream targets in MLL-r leukemia by noncoding CRISPR screens.

Accumulating evidence indicates that HOXA9 dysregulation is necessary and sufficient for leukemic transformation and maintenance. However, it remains largely unknown how HOXA9, as a homeobox transcriptional factor, binds to noncoding regulatory sequences and controls the downstream genes. Here, we conduct dropout CRISPR screens against 229 HOXA9-bound peaks identified by ChIP-seq.

Hypoxia inhibits HUNK kinase activity to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Hypoxia is a common hallmark of cancer and plays a crucial role in promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Hormonally Upregulated Neu-associated Kinase (HUNK) regulates EMT through its kinase activity. However, whether hypoxia is involved in HUNK-mediated EMT is incompletely understood.

ETV6 represses inflammatory response genes and regulates HSPC function during stress hematopoiesis in mice.

ETS variant 6 (ETV6) encodes a transcriptional repressor expressed in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), where it is required for adult hematopoiesis. Heterozygous pathogenic germline ETV6 variants are associated with thrombocytopenia 5 (T5), a poorly understood genetic condition resulting in thrombocytopenia and predisposition to hematologic malignancies. To elucidate how germline ETV6 variants affect HSPCs and contribute to disease, we generated a mouse model harboring an Etv6R355X loss-of-function variant, equivalent to the T5-associated variant ETV6R359X.

PAX5 epigenetically orchestrates CD58 transcription and modulates blinatumomab response in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Blinatumomab is an efficacious immunotherapeutic agent in B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). However, the pharmacogenomic basis of leukemia response to blinatumomab is unclear. Using genome-wide CRISPR, we comprehensively identified leukemia intrinsic factors of blinatumomab sensitivity, i.

influences B-cell development and function in mouse.

There is growing evidence for an inherited basis of susceptibility to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Genomewide association studies by us and others have identified non-coding acute lymphoblastic leukemia risk variants at the ARID5B gene locus, but the molecular mechanisms linking ARID5B to normal and malignant hematopoiesis remain largely unknown. Using a Vav1-driven transgenic mouse model, we characterized the role of Arid5b in hematopoiesis in vivo.

NUDT15 polymorphism influences the metabolism and therapeutic effects of acyclovir and ganciclovir.

Nucleobase and nucleoside analogs (NNA) are widely used as anti-viral and anti-cancer agents, and NNA phosphorylation is essential for the activity of this class of drugs. Recently, diphosphatase NUDT15 was linked to thiopurine metabolism with NUDT15 polymorphism associated with drug toxicity in patients. Profiling NNA drugs, we identify acyclovir (ACV) and ganciclovir (GCV) as two new NNAs metabolized by NUDT15.

Germline RUNX1 variation and predisposition to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Genetic alterations in the RUNX1 gene are associated with benign and malignant blood disorders, particularly of megakaryocyte and myeloid lineages. The role of RUNX1 in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is less clear, particularly how germline genetic variation influences the predisposition to this type of leukemia. Sequencing 4,836 children with B-ALL and 1,354 cases of T-ALL, we identified 31 and 18 germline RUNX1 variants, respectively.

Phase 1 study of bendamustine in combination with clofarabine, etoposide, and dexamethasone in pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory hematologic malignancies.

Background: A phase 1 study was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose of bendamustine when given in combination with clofarabine, etoposide, and dexamethasone daily for 5 days in children and adolescents with relapsed or refractory hematologic malignancies.

Methods: Patients younger than 22 years with second or greater relapsed or refractory acute leukemia or lymphoma after 2 or more prior regimens were eligible. With the rolling 6 design, participants received escalating doses of bendamustine (30, 40, or 60 mg/m /d) in combination with clofarabine (40 mg/m ), etoposide (100 mg/m ), and dexamethasone (8 mg/m ) daily for 5 days.

Efficacy of Sodium Tanshinone IIA Sulfonate in Patients with Non-ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Results from a Multicentre, Controlled, Randomized Trial.

Background: Sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate (STS) has been widely used by Chinese medicine practitioners for chronic cardiovascular diseases. However, its direct clinical efficacy in patients with acute coronary syndrome following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been reported yet. The present trial aimed to investigate potential cardioprotection of STS in patients undergoing PCI for non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS).