Immunoblockade therapy based on PD-1 checkpoint has shown remarkable progress in various tumors, but its effectiveness in glioma patients is still lacking. Thus, it is in urgent need to uncover an ideal signature for glioma.

This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of combining spleen‑nourishing and qi‑tonifying therapy with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‑1)/programmed death‑ligand 1 (PD‑L1) inhibitors in patients with stage IIIB-IV non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to develop a survival prediction model based on progression‑free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) frequently develops acquired resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), necessitating innovative strategies to remodel the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). This study engineered an inhalable pH-responsive nano-liposome co-delivering Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) and Polyphyllin VII (Pol VII) (AS-IV/Pol VII-Lipo) to overcome anti-PD-1 resistance via spatiotemporal-controlled dual-drug delivery. AS-IV/Pol VII-Lipo (1:1 mass ratio) exhibited optimal physicochemical properties: high drug loading and pH-triggered release. Nebulized inhalation achieved 3.4-fold higher lung accumulation than oral administration. Suppressed orthotopic LLC-Luc tumor growth by 54% and reduced exhausted CD8⁺ T cells while increasing cytotoxic CD8⁺Granzyme B⁺ T cells. Combination therapy further inhibited tumor metastasis and elevated survival. Transcriptomics (RNA-seq) identified suppression of IL-2/STAT5/BLIMP1 pathway and T-cell exhaustion genes. AS-IV/Pol VII-Lipo reprograms the immunosuppressive TME through three synergistic mechanisms: (1) enhanced lung-targeted drug delivery via inhalation; (2) reversal T-cell exhaustion through IL-2/STAT5/BLIMP1 pathway inhibition; (3) synergizing with αPD-1 therapy to overcome ICI resistance. This inhalable nanoplatform presents a promising clinical strategy for NSCLC patients with acquired immunotherapyresistance.

Advances in nanomedicine have spurred interest in antibody-conjugated carbon nanotubes for targeted cancer therapy. CD133, a marker enriched in chemoresistant cancer stem cells, presents a strategic target for precision drug delivery. This study explores functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as dual-action platforms for enhanced doxorubicin (DXR) delivery and CD133-specific targeting.

Western blotting is a fundamental technique for protein detection and quantification, with critical dependence on antibody for its sensitivity and specificity. Antibody solutions are frequently reused to conserve the limited stock and compensate for their high cost. However, storing antibody solutions is often challenged by protein aggregation and loss of immunoreactivity, especially when skim milk is added. Recent advancements in Western blot include microfluidic techniques which minimize antibody consumption. To facilitate these techniques, a storage strategy is needed for diluted antibody solutions to properly preserve their immunoreactivity.

With its increasing prevalence, diabetes continues to be a major global health concern. Insulin resistance and elevated blood glucose levels are the results of type 1 diabetes (T1D), an autoimmune disease that destroys pancreatic β cells. The underlying immune-mediated harm cannot be prevented or reversed despite a variety of therapy approaches. Recent advancements in immunotherapy are positioned as a viable option for treating T1D. A genetically modified T cell that recognizes and destroys disease-specific targets is used in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Its targeting of the CD19 and BCMA antigens led to a breakthrough in hematologic malignancies. The present knowledge of CAR-T treatment in T1D is expanded upon by this review. However, there are still a number of important obstacles that limit clinical application, including safety, effectiveness, and technological problems. The main achievements of CAR-T cell treatment for T1D will be discussed in this paper, along with the present challenges and potential future paths for customized CAR-T cell therapies. By combining existing knowledge with uncharted territory, this review aims to stimulate more research and innovation in the field, perhaps leading to a paradigm shift in the treatment of diabetes.

Membrane-bound vesicles called apoptotic bodies (ApoBDs) formed during apoptosis are being recognized as non-invasive biomarkers for neurological diseases like dementia and ischemic stroke. Centrifugation-based isolation of these vesicles from blood was suggested in a recent paper by Serrano-Heras et al. (2020), which asserted their use for clinical diagnosis. This initial study provides a foundational methodology for ApoBD diagnostics. Albeit, centrifugation parameters employed present technical challenges that require optimization to ensure the purity and reproducibility of ApoBD preparations for clinical utility.

Gastric cancer (GC) remains a formidable global health issue with limited therapeutic options. ShenXia KuanZhong Decoction (SXKZD), a classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, is used to manage GC; however, its anti-tumor mechanisms remain poorly understood.

Magnesium homeostasis is critical for cellular growth and metabolism, yet its pan-cancer implications remain poorly characterized. This study aims to comprehensively analyze magnesium homeostasis across 33 cancer types, exploring its role in tumorigenesis, immune regulation, and therapeutic potential. Key magnesium homeostasis-related genes (e.g., ANK3, CNNM2) were significantly downregulated in most tumors, correlating with improved prognosis. Magnesium homeostasis scores (MHS) were reduced in cancers and linked to lower tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), immune dysfunction, and checkpoint gene expression. Single-cell sequencing revealed elevated MHS in CD8 + T cells, suggesting immune modulation roles.

Targeted therapy resistance represents a significant clinical challenge in cancer treatment. Rap2B, a member of the Ras superfamily of small GTPases, is frequently overexpressed in various cancers and has been implicated in promoting tumor progression and therapy resistance. However, the role and underlying mechanisms of Rap2B in cetuximab resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain to be elucidated. This study aims to investigate Rap2B expression patterns in CRC models and explore the mechanisms by which Rap2B mediates cetuximab resistance.

Understanding the role of causal genes of prostate cancer (PrCa) can reveal key biological pathways and identify potential targets for treatment.

Organotypic long-term cultivation of vascularized retina explants is a major challenge for application in drug development, drug screening, diagnostics and future personalized medicine. With this background, an assay and protocol for organotypic culture of vascularized retina explants in vitro with optimum tissue integrity preservation is developed and demonstrated.

Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 (SOCS3) is a critical regulator of cytokine signaling, primarily acting through the Janus Kinase (JAK)/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) pathway. It plays a significant role in the development and progression of various malignancies. Abnormal expression of SOCS3 in cancer cells is linked to dysregulated cell growth, migration, and apoptosis, driven by cytokines and hormones. This aberrant expression makes SOCS3 a potential biomarker for tumor diagnosis, prognosis, and gene therapy. Targeting SOCS3 may offer innovative strategies for cancer treatment. This review provides a comprehensive overview of SOCS3's molecular structure, its biological functions in tumors, underlying molecular mechanisms, and therapeutic strategies targeting SOCS3.

Western blot is one of the most routinely conducted biochemical assays due to its technical ease and relatively low cost. The use of antibody is at the center of Western blot assay, providing great sensitivity and specificity. However, challenges can be posed when using a rare antibody stock. There have been efforts to improve the Western blot procedure to minimize the use of antibody, but these methods require specialized devices.

The mouse fetal intrauterine wound healing model is crucial and commonly used for investigating mechanisms and evaluating potential therapies for scarless skin regeneration compared to fibrotic healing. However, traditional intrauterine surgery remains technically challenging and understudied, which is associated with high maternal mortality and pregnancy loss, prompting us to refine the surgical protocol. Here, we report how the choice of surgical and mating procedure impact outcomes obtained.

We report a rare case of long-term survival in a 59-year-old male patient diagnosed with stage IIIB lung adenocarcinoma. Despite disease progression following initial chemotherapy, the patient achieved prolonged survival through a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This case highlights the potential for extended survival in advanced lung cancer with multimodal treatment approaches.

Gastric cancer (GCa) is a common malignancy where the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway and lncRNAs are key to proliferation and metastasis. This study aimed to identify lncRNAs regulating the EMT pathway as therapeutic and diagnostic targets in GCa.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) serve as the “seeds” of tumor metastasis, and the clustering of CTCs is critically associated with tumor metastasis and the mortality of lung cancer patients. Inhibiting the survival of CTC clusters represents a pivotal strategy for anti-lung cancer metastasis therapy. This study is designed to explore the impact and underlying mechanism of lung cancer CTC clusters in mediating resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), thereby offering novel insights into anti-lung cancer metastasis treatment.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound particles crucial for intercellular communication and serve as promising biomarkers for diseases, including cancer. Isolating and characterizing specific EV subpopulations, particularly those in plasma/serum, enhances biomarker precision and supports targeted therapies. Cancer-derived EVs often express unique surface markers, enabling distinction from other EVs. Accurate sorting of tumor-associated EVs provides insights into cancer progression, metastasis, and treatment response.

The HumanMethylationEPIC v2.0 BeadChip (EPIC v2.0) microarray is a widely used tool for genome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) analysis, designed for high-quality human DNA with a recommended input of 250 ng. However, in clinical and forensic settings, DNA samples may be of low quality and/or quantity (highly fragmented and/or available in low amounts). This study assessed the performance of the EPIC v2.0 on DNA samples with various combinations of average DNA fragment size (350, 230, 165, and 95 bp) and DNA input amount (100, 50, 20, and 10 ng), compared to a paired control sample analyzed under optimal conditions (high-quality DNA and 250 ng DNA input).