Recent progress in application of nanovaccines for enhancing mucosal immune responses

Mucosal vaccines that stimulate both mucosal and systemic immune responses are desirable, as they could prevent the invading pathogens at their initial infection sites in a convenient and user-friendly way. Nanovaccines are receiving increasing attention for mucosal vaccination due to their merits in overcoming mucosal immune barriers and in enhancing immunogenicity of the encapsulated antigens. Herein, we summarized several nanovaccine strategies that have been reported for enhancing mucosal immune responses, including designing nanovaccines that have superior mucoadhesion and mucus penetration capacity, designing nanovaccines with better targeting efficiency to M cells or antigen-presenting cells, and co-delivering adjuvants by using nanovaccines. The reported applications of mucosal nanovaccines were also briefly discussed, including prevention of infectious diseases, and treatment of tumors and autoimmune diseases. Future research progresses in mucosal nanovaccines may promote the clinical translation and application of mucosal vaccines.

Discovery of a first-in-class ANXA3 degrader for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a nasty disease with extremely high malignancy and poor prognosis. Annexin A3 (ANXA3) is a potential prognosis biomarker, displaying an excellent correlation of ANXA3 overexpression with patients' poor prognosis. Silencing the expression of ANXA3 effectively inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of TNBC, suggesting that ANXA3 can be a promising therapeutic target to treat TNBC. Herein, we report a first-in-class ANXA3-targeted small molecule (R)-SL18, which demonstrated excellent anti-proliferative and anti-invasive activities to TNBC cells. (R)-SL18 directly bound to ANXA3 and increased its ubiquitination, thereby inducing ANXA3 degradation with moderate family selectivity. Importantly, (R)-SL18 showed a safe and effective therapeutic potency in a high ANXA3-expressing TNBC patient-derived xenograft model. Furthermore, (R)-SL18 could reduce the β-catenin level, and accordingly inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in TNBC cells. Collectively, our data suggested that targeting degradation of ANXA3 by (R)-SL18 possesses the potential to treat TNBC.

Single-shot AAV-vectored vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 with fast and long-lasting immunity

Due to the insufficient long-term protection and significant efficacy reduction to new variants of current COVID-19 vaccines, the epidemic prevention and control are still challenging. Here, we employ a capsid and antigen structure engineering (CASE) strategy to manufacture an adeno-associated viral serotype 6-based vaccine (S663V-RBD), which expresses trimeric receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike protein fused with a biological adjuvant RS09. Impressively, the engineered S663V-RBD could rapidly induce a satisfactory RBD-specific IgG titer within 2 weeks and maintain the titer for more than 4 months. Compared to the licensed BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm, China), a single-dose S663V-RBD induced more endurable and robust immune responses in mice and elicited superior neutralizing antibodies against three typical SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses including wild type, C.37 (Lambda) and B.1.617.2 (Delta). More interestingly, the intramuscular injection of S663V-RBD could overcome pre-existing immunity against the capsid. Given its effectiveness, the CASE-based S663V-RBD may provide a new solution for the current and next pandemic.

A study and analysis of eye lens dose levels of medical staff during interventional cardiology procedures / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To analyze the eye lens equivalent dose levels of doctors during interventional cardiology procedures and identify related influential factors. Methods Twenty interventional specialists were selected from a cardiovascular specialty hospital. The cumulative equivalent doses to their eye lens during operations were monitored, and equipment-related parameters (fluoroscopy time, dose area product value [DAP], and entrance skin dose[ESD]), operation types, and operators’ positions were recorded. Results The annual equivalent doses to the eye lens of seven doctors exceeded 20 mSv. There was a linear correlation between the weekly number of operations and the equivalent dose to the eye lens (R2 = 0.457, P = 0.001). The mean eye lens equivalent dose per operation was 17.1 μSv, showing linear correlations with fluoroscopy time, DAP values, and ESD values (R2 = 0.427, 0.206, and 0.237, respectively, P < 0.05). The fluoroscopy time, DAP value, ESD value, and eye lens equivalent dose during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were significantly higher than those during coronary angiography (t = −3.226, −3.108, −3.061, and −2.667, respectively, P < 0.03). Conclusion The annual equivalent doses to the eye lens are relatively high in interventional radiologists, some of whom may have values higher than the latest dose limit (20 mSv) suggested by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Attention should be paid to operators performing PCI, and the workload optimization is necessary in practical operations to avoid unnecessary fluoroscopy time and reduce the eye lens doses of the operators.

Interpretation of presynaptic dopaminergic PET imaging results / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Presynaptic dopaminergic PET imaging is a useful method for the diagnosis of parkinsonism. Based on the expert consensus on operation and clinical application of dopamine transporter brain PET imaging technology published in 2020, this paper further recommends the relevant elements of result interpretation of presynaptic dopaminergic PET imaging.

18F-FDG hybrid PET/MR radiomics based on different segmentation methods for distinguishing Parkinson′s disease from multiple system atrophy / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To explore the impact of different segmentation methods on differential diagnostic efficiency of 18F-FDG PET/MR radiomics to distinguish Parkinson′s disease (PD) from multiple system atrophy (MSA). Methods:From December 2017 to June 2019, 90 patients (60 with PD and 30 with MSA; 37 males, 53 females; age (55.8±9.5) years) who underwent 18F-FDG PET/MR in Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology were retrospectively collected. Patients were randomized to training set and validation set in a ratio of 7∶3. The bilateral putamina and caudate nuclei, as the ROIs, were segmented by automatic segmentation of brain regions based on anatomical automatic labeling (AAL) template and manual segmentation using ITK-SNAP software. A total of 1 172 radiomics features were extracted from T 1 weighted imaging (WI) and 18F-FDG PET images. The minimal redundancy maximal relevance (mRMR) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm were used for features selection and radiomics signatures (Radscore) construction, with 10-fold cross-validation for preventing overfitting. The diagnostic performance of the models was assessed by ROC curve analysis, and the differences between models were calculated by Delong test. Results:There were 63 cases in training set (42 PD, 21 MSA) and 27 cases in validation set (18 PD, 9 MSA). The Radscore values were significantly different between the PD group and the MSA group in all training set and validation set of radiomics models ( 18F-FDG_Radscore and T 1WI_Radscore) based on automatic or manual segmentation methods ( z values: from -5.15 to -2.83, all P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that AUCs of 18F-FDG_Radscore and T 1WI_Radscore based on automatic segmentation in training and validation sets were 0.848, 0.840 and 0.892, 0.877, while AUCs were 0.900, 0.883 and 0.895, 0.870 based on manual segmentation. There were no significant differences in training and validation sets between Radiomics models based on different segmentation methods ( z values: 0.04-0.77, all P>0.05). Conclusions:The 18F-FDG PET/MR radiomics models based on different segmentation methods achieve promising diagnostic efficacy for distinguishing PD from MSA. The radiomics analysis based on automatic segmentation shows greater potential and practical value in the differential diagnosis of PD and MSA in view of the advantages including time-saving, labor-saving, and high repeatability.

Changes of thickness and area of ligamenta flavum after lateral lumbar interbody fusion / 中华骨科杂志

Objective:To investigate the changes of thickness and area of the ligamentum flavum after lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) for lumbar degenerative diseases.Methods:From 2019 to 2021, a total of 54 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases who underwent LLIF combined with percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation were retrospectively analyzed. There were 9 males and 45 females, aged 59.46±6.91 years (range, 45-76 years), followed up for 14.69±6.87 months (range, 12-33 months). The disc height (DH), midsagittal canal diameter (CD), dural sac axial cross-sectional area (DCSA), ligamentum flavum area (LFA) and ligamentum flavum thickness (LFT) before and after surgery and at the last follow-up were evaluated and compared. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between the amount of change in the DCSA and LFA in the immediate postoperative period and at the last follow-up, as well as the correlation between the two and the amount of change in the DH. The data of patients at the last follow-up of 12 months after operation were extracted. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate the changes in DCSA and LFA at the last follow-up and the visual analogue scale (VAS) of low back pain and leg pain and Oswestry disability index (ODI) at 1 year after surgery.Results:All patients were followed up for 14.69±6.87 months (range, 12-33 months). The differences in DH ( F=354.93, P<0.001), sagittal CD ( F=44.78, P<0.001) and DCSA ( F=130.97, P<0.001) before, immediately after surgery and at the last follow-up were statistically significant. The DH, sagittal CD, and DCSA immediate after surgery and last follow-up were higher than those before surgery ( P<0.05). The differences in LFA ( F=51.59, P<0.001) and bilateral LFT ( F=53.49, P<0.001; F=50.53, P<0.001) before and after surgery and at the last follow-up were statistically significant, and both LFA and bilateral LFT at immediate after surgery and last follow-up were smaller than those before surgery ( P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the change of DH immediately after surgery was moderately correlated with the change of DCSA ( r=0.57, P<0.001), and was strongly correlated with the change of LFA ( r=0.65, P<0.001). The change of DH at the last follow-up was moderately correlated with the change of DCSA ( r=0.43, P<0.001), and was weakly correlated with the change of LFA ( r=0.25, P=0.042). The differences in VAS-leg ( F=199.51, P<0.001), VAS-low back ( F=233.90, P<0.001), and ODI ( F=199.17, P<0.001) were statistically significant in patients before operation, 3 months after operation and 12 months after operation. There was no correlation between the changes of DCSA and LFA at the last follow-up and the changes of VAS and ODI at 1 year after operation ( P>0.05). Conclusion:LFA and LFT decrease and DCSA increase in patients with lumbar degenerative diseases after LLIF. LFA and LFT gradually decrease with time, and VAS and ODI are significantly improved compared with those before surgery. The DH loss caused by a certain degree of cage subsidence after surgery does not affect the clinical efficacy. There is no correlation between the improvement of DCSA and LFA and the improvement of clinical symptoms.

Nanoparticles with rough surface improve the therapeutic effect of photothermal immunotherapy against melanoma

Photothermal therapy has been intensively investigated for treating cancer in recent years. However, the long-term therapeutic outcome remains unsatisfying due to the frequently occurred metastasis and recurrence. To address this challenge, immunotherapy has been combined with photothermal therapy to activate anti-tumor immunity and relieve the immunosuppressive microenvironment within tumor sites. Here, we engineered silica-based core‒shell nanoparticles (JQ-1@PSNs-R), in which silica cores were coated with the photothermal agent polydopamine, and a bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) inhibitor JQ-1 was loaded in the polydopamine layer to combine photothermal and immune therapy for tumor elimination. Importantly, to improve the therapeutic effect, we increased the surface roughness of the nanoparticles by hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching during the fabrication process, and found that the internalization of JQ-1@PSNs-R was significantly improved, leading to a strengthened photothermal killing effect as well as the increased intracellular delivery of JQ-1. In the animal studies, the multifunctional nanoparticles with rough surfaces effectively eradicated melanoma via photothermal therapy, successfully activated tumor-specific immune responses against residual tumor cells, and further prevented tumor metastasis and recurrence. Our results indicated that JQ-1@PSNs-R could serve as an innovative and effective strategy for combined cancer therapy.

Preliminary experiences and curative outcomes of robot-assisted kidney transplantation / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective:To summarize the preliminary experiences of utilizing complete peritoneal externalization for donation after cardiac death (DCD) robot-assisted kidney transplantation (RAKT) and observe the effect of RAKT versus open kidney transplantation (KT) under the same donor kidney during the same period.Methods:From February 2019 to July 2020, 40 patients scheduled for kidney transplantation were divided into two groups of robot ( n=20) and open surgery ( n=20). Donor for DCD had the same blood type. Preoperative data, intraoperative findings and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Results:No significant inter-group difference existed in age, body mass index (BMI) or dialysis time. Both groups completed operations successfully. As compared with open group, operative duration, blocking time, venous anastomotic time and ureteral anastomosis time were longer in robot group. And the incidences of lymphatic fistula/cyst was higher in robot group than that in open group. Robot group was superior to open group in terms of hospitalization time, ventilation time, pain disappearance time and time to ambulate. No statistically significant inter-group difference existed in iliac vascular separation time, arterial anastomotic time, volume of blood loss and postoperative recovery of renal transplant function.Conclusions:RAKT is both safe and feasible at advanced surgical centers. Early evidence indicates that RAKT can accelerate the recovery of patients and achieve the same renal function recovery as open surgery. As surgeons become more proficient in RAKT technology, operative duration will be gradually shortened.

Network Meta-analysis of 14 oral Chinese patent medicines combined with Azithromycin in treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children / 中国中药杂志

To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of 14 oral Chinese patent medicines combined with Azithromycin in the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children with network Meta-analysis. Computer retrieval was performed for such databases as CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, CBM, PubMed, EMbase and Cochrane Library to screen out randomized controlled trials of oral Chinese patent medicines combined with Azithromycin in the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children from the time of database establishment to September 2020. The included studies were evaluated by the Cochrane Risk Assessment tool. Stata 14.0 and Review Manager 5.3 software were used for data statistical analysis. A total of 60 RCTs were included in this study, involving 14 oral Chinese patent medicines. The efficacy ranking based on network Meta-analysis was as follows:(1)in terms of total effective rate, top five Chinese patent medicines in surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA) were Xiao'er Xiaoji Zhike Oral Liquid, Xiao'er Chiqiao Qingre Granules, Xiao'er Feike Granules, Pudilan Xiaoyan Oral Liquid and Lanqin Oral Liquid;(2)in terms of antifebrile time, top five Chinese patent medicines in SUCRA were Huaiqihuang Granules, Xiao'er Magan Granules, Xiao'er Kechuanling Granules/Oral Liquid, Shuanghuang-lian Oral Liquid for children and Xiao'er Xiaoji Zhike Oral Liquid;(3)in terms of cough disappearance time, top five Chinese patent medicines in SUCRA were Xiao'er Magan Granules, Huaiqihuang Granules, Xiao'er Chiqiao Qingre Granules, Xiao'er Feire Kechuan Oral Liquid and Xiao'er Kechuanling Granules/Oral Liquid;(4)in terms of rale disappearance time, top five Chinese patent medicines in SUCRA were Xiao'er Magan Granules, Huaiqihuang Granules, Xiao'er Feire Kechuan Oral Liquid, Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid for children and Yupingfeng Granules. The results showed that on the basis of the use of Azithromycin, combined administration with oral Chinese patent medicines could improve the overall clinical efficacy in the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children. However, due to the large differences in the quality and the number of included studies among various therapeutic measures, the ranking results of SUCRA of Chinese patent medicines need to be verified by high-quality multi-center, large-sample, randomized double-blind trials in the future.

Nanomedicines for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: State of art and potential therapeutic strategies

Increasing understanding of the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has remarkably promoted the development of effective therapeutic regimens of RA. Nevertheless, the inadequate response to current therapies in a proportion of patients, the systemic toxicity accompanied by long-term administration or distribution in non-targeted sites and the comprised efficacy caused by undesirable bioavailability, are still unsettled problems lying across the full remission of RA. So far, these existing limitations have inspired comprehensive academic researches on nanomedicines for RA treatment. A variety of versatile nanocarriers with controllable physicochemical properties, tailorable drug release pattern or active targeting ability were fabricated to enhance the drug delivery efficiency in RA treatment. This review aims to provide an up-to-date progress regarding to RA treatment using nanomedicines in the last 5 years and concisely discuss the potential application of several newly emerged therapeutic strategies such as inducing the antigen-specific tolerance, pro-resolving therapy or regulating the immunometabolism for RA treatments.

Protection management and procedures of nuclear medicine imaging during novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) infection epidemic period / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

At the end of December 2019, acute respiratory infectious diseases caused by a new type of coronavirus were prevalent in Wuhan and other cities of China. Different from radiology examinations, the protocols of nuclear medical imaging examinations are complicated, in which more workplaces and staff are needed, resulting more complex management of patients and higher protection requirements. Combined with the characteristics of SPECT and PET imaging procedures, this paper puts forward some suggestions on the protective process of imaging examinations for patients with confirmed or suspected noval coronavirus infec- tion. The main purpose is to protect medical staff from virus infection, effectively reduce the risk of virus transmission during the examination process, and ensure the medical quality and safety.

Protection management and procedures of nuclear medicine imaging during novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) infection epidemic period / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

At the end of December 2019, acute respiratory infectious diseases caused by a new type of coronavirus were prevalent in Wuhan and other cities of China. Different from radiology examinations, the protocols of nuclear medical imaging examinations are complicated, in which more workplaces and staff are needed, resulting more complex management of patients and higher protection requirements. Combined with the characteristics of SPECT and PET imaging procedures, this paper puts forward some suggestions on the protective process of imaging examinations for patients with confirmed or suspected novel coronavirus infection. The main purpose is to protect medical staff from virus infection, effectively reduce the risk of virus transmission during the examination process, and ensure the medical quality and safety.

A kidney donor with brain death from wild mushroom poisoning: a case report and literature review / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective:To report a pediatric organ donor with brain death due to wild mushroom poisoning to examine whether or not brain death caused by mushroom poisoning might become a potential organ donor and how to evaluate donated organs.Methods:Strict clinical observations, laboratory tests and biopsy were performed for potential donor.Results:This donor's clinical changes were consistent with toxic hepatitis. Gross morphology, laboratory examinations and pathological biopsy of two kidneys were generally normal during organ acquisition. Two kidneys were assigned to two adult recipients and liver was discarded. After a follow-up period of 6 months, one recipient recovered well while another gradually recovered after delayed graft function.Conclusions:This extraordinary case provides some references for selecting potential donors of mushroom poisoning. When the donor's relevant laboratory tests are normal, there is no pathological contraindication, sufficient time is available for estimating the type of mushroom poisoning, observing the trends of organ damage and waiting for the toxin clearance, donor with brain death from wild mushroom poisoning may donate organ.

Study of statistical parametric mapping aided semi-quantitative analysis of 11C-PIB PET imaging acquired by hybrid PET/MR and its clinical application / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To explore the feasibility of statistical parametric mapping (SPM) aided semi-quantitative analysis in 11C-Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) β-amyloid (Aβ) PET imaging acquired by hybrid PET/MR, and evaluate its possibility in assisting the diagnosis or differential diagnosis for cognitive impairment. Methods:From January 2018 to September 2019, 13 Alzheimer′s disease (AD) patients (4 males, 9 females; age (59.2±5.8) years) and 10 vascular cognitive disorders (VCD) patients (9 males, 1 female; age (59.5±11.5) years) who underwent 11C-PIB PET/MR in PET center of Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology were retrospectively analyzed. The standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) of eight key brain regions (cerebral white matter, striatum, thalamus, posterior cingulate gyrus, frontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, lateral temporal cortex and occipital cortex) to cerebellum cortex were obtained by manual delineation and SPM-aided semi-automatic segmentation with the help of synchronous three-dimensional T 1 weighted imaging (3D T 1WI). Pearson correlation analysis was carried out on the SUVR obtained by the two methods. Independent-sample t test and paired t test were used to analyze the data. Results:There was no significant difference between AD group and VCD group in age and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score (19.7±4.7 vs 21.7±3.8; t values: 0.095 and 1.098, both P>0.05). Except thalamus( r=0.179, P=0.413), there were good correlations between SUVR obtained by segmentation and delineation in the other 7 key regions ( r values: 0.678-0.893, all P<0.05). The SUVR of 8 key regions obtained by the two methods in AD group was significantly higher than that in VCD group (1.519-2.055 vs 1.105-1.618; t values: 2.799-11.582, all P<0.01). The SUVR of striatum (1.942±0.205), posterior cingulate gyrus (1.915±0.249), frontal lobe (1.983±0.264), parietal lobe (2.008±0.296) and temporal cortex (1.931±0.254) in AD group was significantly higher than that of cerebral white matter (1.746±0.192; t values: 3.793-6.992, all P<0.01). But in VCD group, there was no region with the SUVR higher than that of cerebral white matter. Conclusions:Hybrid PET/MR can acquire the PET and MRI images synchronously, which can realize the accurate brain segmentation and obtain the semi-quantitative data of key brain regions aided by SPM. The method can analyze the characteristics and differences of amyloid imaging in AD and VCD, which is expected to provide an accurate imaging analysis method for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of cognitive disorders.

Protection management and procedures of nuclear medicine imaging during novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) infection epidemic period / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

At the end of December 2019,acute respiratory infectious diseases caused by a new type of coronavirus were prevalent in Wuhan and other cities of China.Different from radiology examinations,the protocols of nuclear medical imaging examinations are complicated,in which more workplaces and staff are needed,resulting more complex management of patients and higher protection requirements.Combined with the characteristics of SPECT and PET imaging procedures,this paper puts forward some suggestions on the protective process of imaging examinations for patients with confirmed or suspected novel coronavirus infection.The main purpose is to protect medical staff from virus infection,effectively reduce the risk of virus transmission during the examination process,and ensure the medical quality and safety.

Highly pathogenic coronaviruses: thrusting vaccine development in the spotlight

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) has caused major public health crises. There have been more than 4,400,000 reported cases of COVID-2019 and more than 300,000 reported deaths to date (16/05/2020). SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 have attracted widespread global attention due to their high infectivity and pathogenicity. To date, there is no specific treatment proven effective against these viral infectious diseases. Vaccination is considered one of the most effective strategies to prevent viral infections. Therefore, the development of effective vaccines against highly pathogenic coronaviruses is essential. In this review, we will briefly describe coronavirus vaccine design targets, summarize recent advances in the development of coronavirus vaccines, and highlight current adjuvants for improving the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines.

Correlation and differential diagnostic value of 18F-FDG imaging and arterial spin labeling cerebral perfusion imaging acquired by synchronous PET/MR in Parkinsonism / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective@#To discuss the correlation between 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) imaging and arterial spin labeling perfusion weighted imaging (ASL-PWI) using synchronous PET/MR, and explore the feasibility of 18F-FDG PET and ASL for differential diagnosis in Parkinsonism (PS).@*Methods@#A retrospective analysis was performed in 24 patients with Parkinson′s disease (PD), 10 patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) and 6 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) who all underwent 18F-FDG PET/MR imaging from October 2017 to December 2018 (15 males, 25 females, age: 34-77 years). Synchronously acquired data, including MRI T1, 18F-FDG PET and three dimensional (3D) ASL-PWI were extracted. T1 structure image was used to register with standard brain template, and the personalized brain template of each patient was obtained. Then, the templates were matched to the corresponding PET and ASL-PWI images, and the mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) and mean cerebral blood flow (CBFmean) of each brain region could be extracted. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between SUVmean and CBFmean of the whole brain and the regions of interest (ROI; caudate nucleus, putamen, midbrain, pons and cerebellum). One-way analysis of variance and least significant difference t test were used to evaluate the characteristics of SUVmean and CBFmean in different diagnostic groups. The diagnostic values of SUVmean and CBFmean in different ROI were evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.@*Results@#A total of 2 800 pairs of SUVmean and CBFmean were obtained from 40 cases in 3 groups. The overall correlation between them was good (r=0.468, P<0.01). There were also significant correlations between SUVmean and CBFmean in caudate nucleus, putamen, pons and cerebellum (r values: 0.346-0.492, all P<0.05). The CBFmean of cerebellum in MSA group was significantly lower than that in PD group ((36.92±11.35) vs (47.92±10.75) ml·100 g-1·min-1; F=4.817, t=2.675, P<0.05). Compared to the PSP group, CBFmean in caudate nucleus was higher in PD group ((30.02±3.51) vs (40.21±8.13) ml·100 g-1·min-1; F=5.393, t=2.969, P<0.05). The similar results were obtained for SUVmean. To differentiate PD with MSA, CBFmean of cerebellum possessed the highest diagnostic efficiency, with the area under ROC curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity reaching 0.792, 83.3% and 70.0% respectively. To differentiate PSP with PD or MSA, CBFmean in caudate nucleus had the highest diagnostic efficiency, and the AUC were 0.903 and 0.933 respectively.@*Conclusions@#In patients with PD, MSA and PSP, the level of 18F-FDG glucose metabolism is in good agreement with the ASL cerebral blood flow perfusion obtained by synchronous PET/MR. The distribution characteristics of specific ROI in both PET and MR imaging can be helpful to the differential diagnosis of PS.

Neutrophil-mimicking therapeutic nanoparticles for targeted chemotherapy of pancreatic carcinoma

Due to the critical correlation between inflammation and carcinogenesis, a therapeutic candidate with anti-inflammatory activity may find application in cancer therapy. Here, we report the therapeutic efficacy of celastrol as a promising candidate compound for treatment of pancreatic carcinoma naïve neutrophil membrane-coated poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether--poly(lactic--glycolic acid) (PEG-PLGA) nanoparticles. Neutrophil membrane-coated nanoparticles (NNPs) are well demonstrated to overcome the blood pancreas barrier to achieve pancreas-specific drug delivery . Using tumor-bearing mice xenograft model, NNPs showed selective accumulations at the tumor site following systemic administration as compared to nanoparticles without neutrophil membrane coating. In both orthotopic and ectopic tumor models, celastrol-loaded NNPs demonstrated greatly enhanced tumor inhibition which significantly prolonged the survival of tumor bearing mice and minimizing liver metastases. Overall, these results suggest that celastrol-loaded NNPs represent a viable and effective treatment option for pancreatic carcinoma.

Correlation and differential diagnostic value of 18F-FDG imaging and arterial spin labeling cerebral perfusion imaging acquired by synchronous PET/MR in Parkinsonism / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective To discuss the correlation between 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) imaging and arterial spin labeling perfusion weighted imaging (ASL-PWI) using synchronous PET/MR,and explore the feasibility of 18F-FDG PET and ASL for differential diagnosis in Parkinsonism (PS).Methods A retrospective analysis was performed in 24 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD),10 patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) and 6 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) who all underwent 18 F-FDG PET/MR imaging from October 2017 to December 2018 (15 males,25 females,age:34-77 years).Synchronously acquired data,including MRI T1,18F-FDG PET and three dimensional (3D) ASL-PWI were extracted.T1 structure image was used to register with standard brain template,and the personalized brain template of each patient was obtained.Then,the templates were matched to the corresponding PET and ASL-PWI images,and the mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean) and mean cerebral blood flow (CBFmean) of each brain region could be extracted.Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between SUVmean and CBF of the whole brain and the regions of interest (ROI;caudate nucleus,putamen,midbrain,pons and cerebellum).One-way analysis of variance and least significant difference t test were used to evaluate the characteristics of SUVmean and CBFmean in different diagnostic groups.The diagnostic values of SUVmean and CBF in different ROI were evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Results A total of 2 800 pairs of SUVmean and CBFmean were obtained from 40 cases in 3 groups.The overall correlation between them was good (r=0.468,P＜0.01).There were also significantcorrelations between SUVmean and CBFmean in caudate nucleus,putamen,pons and cerebellum (r values:0.346-0.492,all P＜0.05).The CBFmean of cerebellum in MSA group was significantly lower than that in PD group ((36.92±11.35) vs (47.92±10.75) ml · 100 g-1 · min-1;F=4.817,t=2.675,P＜0.05).Compared to the PSP group,CBF in caudate nucleus was higher in P D group ((30.02± 3.51) vs (40.21±8.13) ml · 100 g-1 · min-1;F=5.393,t=2.969,P＜0.05).The similar results were obtained for SUVmean.To differentiate PD with MSA,CBFmean of cerebellum possessed the highest diagnostic efficiency,with the area under ROC curve (AUC),sensitivity and specificity reaching 0.792,83.3％ and 70.0％ respectively.To differentiate PSP with PD or MSA,CBF in caudate nucleus had the highest diagnostic efficiency,and the AUC were 0.903 and 0.933 respectively.Conclusions In patients with PD,MSA and PSP,the level of 18F-FDG glucose metabolism is in good agreement with the ASL cerebral blood flow perfusion obtained by synchronous PET/MR.The distribution characteristics of specific ROI in both PET and MR imaging can be helpful to the differential diagnosis of PS.