Prediction of the Epidemic of COVID-19 Based on Quarantined Surveillance in China

Backgroud and ObjectiveTo predict the epidemic of COVID-19 based on quarantined surveillance from real world in China by modified SEIR model different from the previous simply mathematical model. Design and MethodsWe forecasted the epidemic of COVID-19 based on current clinical and epidemiological data and built a modified SEIR model to consider both the infectivity during incubation period and the influence on the epidemic from strict quarantined measures. ResultsThe peak time of the curve for the infected newly diagnosed as COVID-19 should substantially present on Feb. 5, 2020 (in non-Hubei areas) and Feb. 19, 2020 (in Hubei). It is estimated that the peak of the curve of the cumulative confirmed cases will appear in non-Hubei areas on Mar. 3, 2020 and in Hubei province on Mar. 10, 2020, and the total number of the patients diagnosed as COVID-19 is 18,000 in non-Hubei areas and 78,000-96,000 in Hubei. The Chinese COVID-19 epidemic can be completetly controlled in May, 2020. ConclusionsCOVID-19 is only a local outbreak in Hubei Province, China. It can be probably avoided the pandemic of global SARS-CoV-2 cases rise with the great efforts by Chinese government and its people.

Targeting Immune Checkpoints in Lung Cancer: Current Landscape and Future Prospects.

Lung cancer is the most prevalent and deadly cancer worldwide. Immune checkpoint therapy, which targets regulatory pathways in T cells to boost anti-tumor immune response, has revolutionized lung cancer treatment paradigms. Inhibitors of the most established immune checkpoints such as programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in the management of lung cancer. Despite the pronounced survival benefits that have been seen with immune checkpoint inhibitors, not all lung cancer patients respond to single-agent immunotherapy due to the complexity of the immune microenvironment and tumor resistance. Alternative immune checkpoints beyond PD-1/PD-L1 must be sought so that more patients can benefit from immune checkpoint therapy. Additionally, novel combination strategies of immunotherapy and conventional treatments (e.g., chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy) have shown promise in some clinical trials. Meanwhile, identification of predictive biomarkers is pivotal in selecting eligible patients for immunotherapy and to guide individualized clinical decision-making. The future of immune checkpoint therapy in lung cancer is not devoid of challenges, and more prospective clinical studies are awaited to translate our understanding from bench to bedside.