Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common clinical emergency of the abdomen with increasing incidence and lack of effective treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine, as a treasure of the Chinese people, has been used in the treatment of AP for decades with favorable therapeutic effects. Currently, clinical trials and experimental studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine has the effects of inhibiting pancreatic enzyme activity, anti-inflammation, promoting gastrointestinal dynamics, as well as delaying the progress of AP, improving clinical symptoms, reducing related complications, and reducing the mortality rate. Therefore, traditional Chinese medicine has considerable clinic value in treating AP. Based on the related research progress and clinical practice of our team, the authors summarized the targets and mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in treating AP.
ObjectiveTo summarize the role of circular RNA (circRNAs) in thyroid papillary carcinoma (PTC) and the emphasis of future research.MethodRelevant literatures in recent years about the biological function of circRNA and its role in PTC were reviewed.ResultscircRNAs had abnormal expression in PTC tissues. Besides, by working as miRNA sponges or interacting with RNA-binding proteins, circRNAs regulated the expression of proteins that were associated with cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis, which could affect the biological characteristics of tumor cells.ConclusioncircRNAs are expected to be the biomarkers for early diagnosis of PTC or potential targets for PTC therapy and provid therapeutic bases to prevent PTC.
ObjectiveTo compare the current status of clinical studies regarding lung cancer between China and the United States in 2019, and to indicate the weakness, trend and future development direction of clinical studies drug treatment in China.MethodsThe data of lung cancer clinical studies from January 1st to November 30th, 2019 in China and the United States were retrieved and analyzed through Informa pharmaprojects database.ResultsThe United States was superior on the number of projects (128 vs. 156) and research institutions (743 vs. 2 250). Compared with the United State, there were more phase Ⅲ confirmatory researches (19.5% vs. 10.3%), bioequivalent drug researches (3.1% vs. 0%), and researches initiated by academic institutions (39.8% vs. 28.1%) in China. The United States exhibited advantages in phaseⅠ andⅠ/Ⅱstudies (25.8% vs. 60.3%), immunodrugs (49.2% vs. 60.3%), primary tested drug ratio (61.7% vs. 93.6%), targets abundance (32.9% vs. 69.6%), and chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T, 0.7% vs. 7.1%).ConclusionCompared with the United States, China should pay more attention to innovative drug investigations in early phase of clinical studies, especially novel immune agents, vaccines, and CAR-T.
Objective To summarize the role of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in the occurrence and progression of various sorts of liver injury. Methods Literatures on the structures, property of molecular biology and function of NF-κB, as well as its relationships with liver injury were collected and reviewed. Results NF-κB was an important nuclear factor existed in cells widely distributed in most cell types. The activation of NF-κB was induced by various sorts of liver injury. The activated NF-κB could affect the liver injury by regulating cytokines, adhesion molecules, and activating factor involving in immunologic reaction, inflammatory reaction and the apoptosis. Conclusion NF-κB plays an important role during the occurrence and progression of liver injury, and may become a new target in the treatment of liver injury.
With the surged prevalence of myopia, the pathogenic mechanism underlying myopia has attracted attention. At present, it is generally believed in the flied that the reduced blood perfusion in the choroid is crucial for myopigenesis. Then, in the process of myopigenesis, how are the blurred visual signals transmitted to the choroidal blood vessels through the retina and retinal pigment epithelium, leading to the reduced choroidal blood perfusion. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning this process remain elusive. In recent years, the theory of scleral hypoxia has attracted much attention. Popular signaling molecules in current research include dopamine, epidermal growth factor, retinoic acid, cholinergic molecules and adenosine, etc. These factors are likely to participate in signal transduction in retina and RPE, thus causing changes in choroidal blood flow and affecting the occurrence and development of myopia. Therefore, these signaling factors and their downstream pathways may provide new ideas for the prevention and control of myopia targets.
The human gut microbiota regulates many host pathophysiological processes including metabolic, inflammatory, immune and cellular responses. In recent years, the incidence and mortality of lung cancer have increased rapidly, which is one of the biggest challenges in the field of cancer treatment today, especially in non-small cell lung cancer. Animal models and clinical studies have found that the gut microbiota of non-small cell lung cancer patients is significantly changed compared with the healthy people. The gut microbiota and metabolites can not only play a pro-cancer or tumor suppressor role by regulating immune, inflammatory responses and so on, but also be related with radiotherapy and chemotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer and the resistance of immunotherapy. Therefore, gut microbiota and related metabolites can be both potential markers for early diagnosis and prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and novel therapeutic targets for targeted drugs. This study will review the latest research progress of effect of gut microbiota on non-small cell lung cancer, and provide a new diagnosis and treatment ideas for non-small cell lung cancer.
Objective To summarize the progress in related basic research of molecular targeted therapy in pancreatic cancer. Method The relevant literatures on oncogenes, epigenome, tumour microenvironment and immunotherapy in recent years at home and abroad were reviewed. ResultsIn basic research, molecularly targeted drugs had shown some efficacy in the treatment of progression of pancreatic cancer, however, in clinical trials, more satisfactory results were not achieved. Conclusion Molecularly targeted therapies for pancreatic cancer are still at a preliminary stage of exploration, and basic research has not yet been effectively translated clinically, which requires further exploration efforts in subsequent studies to provide a more solid and reliable basis for precise treatment of pancreatic cancer and achieve better clinical benefits.
Objective To summarize the advance in targeted therapy for radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAIR-DTC). Method The literatures relevant to the targeted therapy for RAIR-DTC were reviewed and summarized. Results Targeted therapy for RAIR-DTC mainly included multi-kinase inhibitors suppressing angiogenesis and mutation-specific kinase inhibitors targeting specific mutations. Representative multi-kinase inhibitors such as sorafenib and lenvatinib, which significantly prolonged progression-free survival, had been approved to put into clinical use, though there were shortcomings such as adverse effects and resistance. Mutation-specific kinase inhibitors acted on targets such as RET, mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway respectively, with relatively small side effects, most of which had only been applied in clinical trials up to now. Conclusions Targeted therapy for RAIR-DTC has made rapid progress in recent years, filling the gap in treatment for RAIR-DTC. Further explorations and investigations are needed to establish a more effect and safer treatment mode.