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Background: In the general population, primary human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is advocated for cervical cancer (CC) screening. HPV E6/E7 mRNA (Aptima HPV, AHPV) assays have garnered considerable traction due to their higher specificity when compared with HPV DNA assays. Here, we investigated age-specific primary AHPV screening assays and different triage strategies versus cytology to identify the best approach. Methods: Between April 2018 and December 2021, we recruited female participants from 34 communities across Liaoning province and Qingdao City, China. Primary cervical screening protocols included liquid-based cytology (LBC) and AHPV assays, with females positive for any assays undergoing colposcopy. Genotyping (AHPV-GT) was conducted on all HPV-positive samples. Our primary outcomes were the identification of age-specific detection rates, colposcopy referral rates, and sensitivity and specificity values for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or worse (HSIL+). AHPV and different triage strategy performances were also examined across different age cohorts. Results: Our investigation included 9911 eligible females. Age-specific abnormal cytology rates were in the 6.1%-8.0% range, and were highest in 45-54-year olds. When compared with 35-44-or 45-54-year olds, HPV prevalence was highest in 55-64-year olds (12.2% or 11.6% vs.14.1%, P = 0.048 and P = 0.002, respectively). In 35-44-year olds, AHPV sensitivity for detecting HSIL+ was 96.6 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 89.7-100) - significantly higher than LBC sensitivity (65.5 [95% CI: 48.3-82.8], P < 0.001). When compared with LBC, HSIL+ detection rates by AHPV-GT using reflex LBC triage increased by 31.5% (9.6‰ vs. 7.3‰), and colposcopy referral rates decreased by 16.4% (5.1% vs. 6.1%). In 45-54-year olds, HSIL+ detection rates for AHPV-GT using reflex LBC triage were lower than LBC rates (6.2‰ vs. 6.6‰). In 55-64-year olds, AHPV sensitivity (97.2 [95% CI: 91.7-100.0]) was higher than LBC sensitivity (66.7 [95% CI: 50.0-80.6], P = 0.003). The area under the curve (AUC) value was not significantly different between AHPV-GT with reflex LBC triage and LBC (0.845 [95% CI: 0.771-0.920] vs. 0.812 [95% CI: 0.734-0.891], P = 0.236). Conclusions: Primary AHPV screening using different triage strategies were different across different age cohorts. Thus, AHPV may be an appropriate primary screening method for 35-44 and 55-64 year old females, while AHPV-GT with reflex LBC triage may be more apt for 35-44 year old females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether N6‐Methyladenosine (m6A)‐ and ferroptosis‐related genes act on immune responses to regulate glioma progression remains unanswered. Data of glioma and corresponding normal brain tissues were fetched from the TCGA database and GTEx. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified for GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. The FerrDb database was based to yield ferroptosis‐related DEGs. Hub genes were then screened out using the cytoHubba database and validated in clinical samples. Immune cells infiltrating into the glioma tissues were analysed using the CIBERSORT R script. The association of gene signature underlying the m6A‐related ferroptosis with tumour‐infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoints in low‐grade gliomas was analysed. Of 6298 DEGs enriched in mRNA modifications, 144 were ferroptosis‐related; NFE2L2 and METTL16 showed the strongest positive correlation. METTL16 knockdown inhibited the migrative and invasive abilities of glioma cells and induced ferroptosis in vitro. NFE2L2 was enriched in the anti‐m6A antibody. Moreover, METTL16 knockdown reduced the mRNA stability and level of NFE2L2 (both p < 0.05). Proportions of CD8+ T lymphocytes, activated mast cells and M2 macrophages differed between low‐grade gliomas and normal tissues. METTL16 expression was negatively correlated with CD8+ T lymphocytes, while that of NFE2L2 was positively correlated with M2 macrophages and immune checkpoints in low‐grade gliomas. Gene signatures involved in the m6A‐related ferroptosis in gliomas were identified via bioinformatic analyses. NFE2L2 interacted with METTL16 to regulate the immune response in low‐grade gliomas, and both molecules may be novel therapeutic targets for gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few years, the study of plant-derived nanovesicles (PDNVs) has emerged as a hot topic of discussion and research in the scientific community. This remarkable interest stems from their potential role in facilitating intercellular communication and their unique ability to deliver biologically active components, including proteins, lipids, and miRNAs, to recipient cells. This fascinating ability to act as a molecular courier has opened up an entirely new dimension in our understanding of plant biology. The field of research focusing on the potential applications of PDNVs is still in its nascent stages. However, it has already started gaining traction due to the growing interest in its possible use in various branches of biotechnology and medicine. Their unique properties and versatile applications offer promising future research and development prospects in these fields. Despite the significant progress in our understanding, many unanswered questions and mysteries surround the mechanisms by which PDNVs function and their potential applications. There is a dire need for further extensive research to elucidate these mechanisms and explore the full potential of these fascinating vesicles. As the technology at our disposal advances and our understanding of PDNVs deepens, it is beyond doubt that PDNVs will continue to be a subject of intense research in anti-aging therapeutics. This comprehensive review is designed to delve into the fascinating and multifaceted world of PDNV-based research, particularly focusing on how these nanovesicles can be applied to anti-aging therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant gliomas occur more often in adults and may affect any part of the central nervous system (CNS). Although their results could be better, surgical excision, postoperative radiation and chemotherapy, and electric field therapy are today's mainstays of glioma care. However, bacteria can also exert antitumor effects via mechanisms such as immune regulation and bacterial toxins to promote apoptosis, inhibit angiogenesis, and rely on their natural characteristics to target the tumor microenvironment of hypoxia, low pH, high permeability, and immunosuppression. Tumor-targeted bacteria expressing anticancer medications will go to the cancer site, colonize the tumor, and then produce the therapeutic chemicals that kill the cancer cells. Targeting bacteria in cancer treatment has promising prospects. Rapid advances have been made in the study of bacterial treatment of tumors, including using bacterial outer membrane vesicles to load chemotherapy drugs or combine with nanomaterials to fight tumors, as well as the emergence of bacteria combined with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and photothermal/photodynamic therapy. In this study, we look back at the previous years of research on bacteria-mediated glioma treatment and move forward to where we think it is headed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze and review the progress of glucose metabolism-based molecular imaging in detecting tumors to guide clinicians for new management strategies. Summary: When metabolic abnormalities occur, termed the Warburg effect, it simultaneously enables excessive cell proliferation and inhibits cell apoptosis. Molecular imaging technology combines molecular biology and cell probe technology to visualize, characterize, and quantify processes at cellular and subcellular levels in vivo. Modern instruments, including molecular biochemistry, data processing, nanotechnology, and image processing, use molecular probes to perform real-time, non-invasive imaging of molecular and cellular events in living organisms. Conclusion: Molecular imaging is a non-invasive method for live detection, dynamic observation, and quantitative assessment of tumor glucose metabolism. It enables in-depth examination of the connection between the tumor microenvironment and tumor growth, providing a reliable assessment technique for scientific and clinical research. This new technique will facilitate the translation of fundamental research into clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The different human papillomavirus (HPV) strains cause warts in various regions of the body. However, considering that the status and genotype distribution of HPV infection in women in Shenyang remain unknown, herein, we investigated the epidemiological characteristics of high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) infection in women in Shenyang, as well as the current state of HPV infection in Shenyang, to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer. From December 2018 to December 2021, 6,432 urban and rural women from the Liaoning Cancer Hospital and the Sujiatun Women and Infants' Hospital were assessed via the Thinprep cytology test (TCT) and HRHPV detection. Of the 5,961 women enrolled, 739 were HPV positive (12.40%) and 562 were TCT positive (9.43%). Statistical analyses identified the following HPV risk factors: high school education or lower [OR = 1.426 (1.199-1.696), p < 0.001], age at first sexual encounter ≤ 19 years [OR = 1.496 (1.008-2.220), p = 0.046], and number of sexual partners > 1 [OR = 1.382 (1.081-1.768), p = 0.010], atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and above [OR = 10.788 (8.912-13.060), p < 0.001], non-condom-based contraception [OR = 1.437 (1.103-1.871), p = 0.007], nationalities other than Han [OR = 1.690 (1.187-2.406), p = 0.004], rural residence [OR = 1.210 (1.031-1.419), p = 0.020]. Compared to the HPV infection rate of women aged 56-65, that in women aged 35-45 [OR = 0.687 (0.549-0.860), p = 0.001] and 46-55 [OR = 0.740 (0.622-0.879), p = 0.001] decreased significantly. To conclude, risk factors of HPV infection among female patients include high school age and below, initial sexual encounter at age ≤ 19 years, number of sexual partners > 1, ASCUS and above, non-condom contraception, nationalities other than Han nationality and rural population. Collectively, this study provides insights for the improved prevention and treatment of cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Cervical cancer screening is very important in the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer. In China, the cervical screening strategy needs to be improved. To explore a suitable cervical screening strategy in China, we evaluated the performance of the human papillomavirus (HPV) E6/E7 mRNA (Aptima HPV (AHPV)) assay in primary screening and different triage strategies for women undergoing routine cervical screening. Methods: A total of 10,002 women aged 35 to 65 years of age were recruited in Liaoning Province and Qingdao City, China. Specimens were tested by liquidbased cytology (LBC) and the AHPV assay, and women who tested positive on any test were referred for colposcopy. Genotyping was performed on all highrisk HPV (HR-HPV)-positive samples. Test characteristics were calculated based on histological review. Results: We identified 109 women with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion or worse (HSIL+), including six with cervical cancer. The sensitivity of AHPV was clearly higher than that of LBC (92.7 [95% CI: 87.2, 97.2] vs. 67.9 [95% CI: 59.6, 76.1], p < 0.001). The specificity of AHPV was 93.0 (95% CI: 92.5, 93.5), which was lower than that of LBC (95.2 [95% CI: 94.8, 95.6], p < 0.001). There was no statistical difference between the positive predictive value of AHPV and LBC (13.5 [95% CI: 11.2, 16.2] vs. 14.3 [95% CI: 11.4, 17.6], p = 0.695). The difference of area under the curve (AUC) values between the AHPV test (0.928 [95% CI: 0.904, 0.953]) and LBC test (0.815 [95% CI: 0.771, 0.860]) in detecting HSIL+ was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Finally, among the three triage strategies, both the sensitivity (73.4 [95% CI: 65.1, 81.7]) and AUC (0.851 [95% CI: 0.809, 0.892]) of AHPV genotyping with reflex LBC triage were the greatest. Conclusion: In summary, the AHPV assay is both specific and sensitive for detecting HSIL+ and may be suitable for use in primary cervical cancer screening in China. AHPV genotyping with reflex LBC triage may be a feasible triage strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LncRNA SRA1 plays important roles in several types of human diseases. The present study aimed to explore the role of SRA1 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). In the present study, we showed that plasma SRA1 was down-regulated in human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative CSCC patients but not in HPV-positive CSCC patients compared with healthy females. Down-regulated SRA1 distinguished HPV-negative CSCC patients from HPV-positive CSCC patients and healthy females. In HPV-negative CSCC patients, miR-9 was up-regulated and inversely correlated with SRA1. In HPV-negative CSCC cells, SRA1 overexpression caused the down-regulated miR-9, while miR-9 overexpression failed to affect SRA1.Moreover, SRA1 overexpression caused decreased, while miR-9 overexpression caused increased proliferation, migration and invasion rates of cancer cells. In addition, miR-9 overexpression attenuated the effects of SRA1 overexpression. Therefore, SRA1 is down-regulated in HPV-negative CSCC and regulates cancer cell behaviors possibly by down-regulating miR-9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma is the most common malignant tumor of the central nervous system, and it is characterized by high relapse and fatality rates and poor prognosis. Bufalin is one of the main ingredients of Chan-su, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) extracted from toad venom. Previous studies revealed that bufalin exerted inhibitory effects on a variety of tumor cells. To demonstrate the inhibitory effect of bufalin on glioma cells and glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) and discuss the underlying mechanism, the proliferation of glioma cells was detected by MTT and colony formation assays following treatment with bufalin. In addition, we investigated whether bufalin inhibits or kills GSCs using flow cytometry, Western blotting, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis (RT-PCR). Finally, we investigated whether bufalin could improve the therapeutic effect of temozolomide (TMZ) and discussed the underlying mechanism. Taken together, our data demonstrated that bufalin inhibits glioma cell growth and proliferation, inhibits GSC proliferation, and kills GSCs. Bufalin was found to induce the apoptosis of GSCs by upregulating the expression of the apoptotic proteins cleaved caspase 3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and by downregulating the expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase, which is a marker of telomerase activity. Bufalin also improved the inhibitory effect of TMZ on GSCs by activating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. These results suggest that bufalin damages GSCs, induces apoptosis, and enhances the sensitivity of GSCs to TMZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gliomatosis cerebri (GC) is a rare glial neoplasm, characterized by extensive diffuse brain infiltration and relative preservation of the underlying architecture. In the present case report, a patient with type 2 GC, which mimicked the clinicoradiological course of acute viral encephalitis, is presented. A 56-year-old male presented with fever, dizziness, headache and numbness in the right extremities three days prior to admission to hospital. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed mild pleocytosis. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed hyperintensity on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images in the left frontal, temporal, insular lobes and in the left thalamus. No signal enhancement was observed following gadolinium administration. The patient was diagnosed with acute viral encephalitis of unknown cause and received a 10-day course of acyclovir, intravenously. At the follow-up three months later, the patient had personality changes and memory deterioration. The results from the follow-up MRI revealed no remarkable changes. At the follow-up six months after presentation, the patient had expressive aphasia and severe headaches. Subsequently, the patient had two tonic-clonic seizure onsets. The results from the MRI showed an increase in lesion size, more edema around the lesion and irregular enhancement in the left frontal lobe. However, the lesions in the left temporal and insular lobes and in the left thalamus were nearly unchanged. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) showed elevated choline (Cho)/creatine (Cr) and Cho/N-acetylaspartate (NAA) ratios, as well as decreased NAA/Cr ratios. Surgery was performed and the neuropathological diagnosis of WHO grade III astrocytoma was confirmed. Thus, it is important to pay attention to the differential diagnoses of GC and acute viral encephalitis in patients who have widespread MRI lesions. A brain biopsy is recommended for a diagnosis in this case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]