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Abstract Background Many studies have focused on prophylactic therapy for post-endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of esophageal strictures. However, various strategies cannot prevent the occurrence of postoperative strictures after extensive ESD. Postoperative strictures often inevitably occur, and endoscopic dilation is still a temporarily effective therapy. Methods This study included patients with post-ESD refractory esophageal strictures (RESs) from January 2014 to November 2019. Clinical effectiveness was assessed using univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression. Hierarchical linear models were used to identify factors that predicted the dysphagia-free period. Results A total of 50 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and entered the study. Twenty-seven (54%) patients had a history of prophylactic oral steroid therapy. Forty-six patients (92%) underwent ≥ 75% circumferential resection, including 32 (64%) cases involving entire circumferential ESD. The mean dysphagia-free period of 50 patients was 2.9 months (95% CI 2.3–3.5). The dysphagia-free period had a linear growth trend over time, increasing by 6.9 days per endoscopic therapy, and the estimated last dysphagia-free period was 85.9 days. Old and female patients had shorter dysphagia-free periods compared with young and male patients. Endoscopic therapy success was achieved in 30 (60%) patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that circumferential lesions (OR 6.106, 95% CI 1.013–36.785, P = 0.048) were significant predictive factors for poor clinical outcome. Conclusion Endoscopic dilation seemed effective in patients with post-ESD RESs by increasing the dysphagia-free period. After approximately 10 continuous dilations, 60% of patients achieved endoscopic success, and the remission rate of obstruction was increased. Prophylactic oral steroid therapy could reduce the occurrence of RESs. However, once a RES had occurred, prophylactic steroid therapy could not reduce the frequency of dilations or change the long-term outcomes. Trial registration: This study was prospectively registered and approved by the Ethics Committee of West China Hospital of Sichuan University (IRB number: ChiCTR-ONN-17012382) on 2015.

Xenotransplantation has the potential to solve the shortfall of human organ donors. Genetically modified pigs have been considered as potential animal donors for human xenotransplantation and have been widely used in preclinical research. The genetic modifications aim to prevent the major species-specific barriers, which include humoral and cellular immune responses, and physiological incompatibilities such as complement and coagulation dysfunctions. Genetically modified pigs can be created by deleting several pig genes related to the synthesis of various pig specific antigens or by inserting human complement‐ and coagulation‐regulatory transgenes. Finally, in order to reduce the risk of infection, genes related to porcine endogenous retroviruses can be knocked down. In this review, we focus on genetically modified pigs and comprehensively summarize the immunological mechanism of xenograft rejection and recent progress in preclinical and clinical studies. Overall, both genetically engineered pig-based xenografts and technological breakthroughs in the biomedical field provide a promising foundation for pig-to-human xenotransplantation in the future.

A one-step cobaltous chloride (CoCl2) molten salt method was employed to prepare multilayer MXene-Ti3C2/Co materials with further ultrasonic treatment to acquire single-layer MXene-Ti3C2/Co nanosheets (NSs). MXene-Ti3C2/Co NSs were characterized, and their enzyme-like activities were investigated. Under the catalysis of MXene-Ti3C2/Co NSs, 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) could be oxidized by H2O2, with the color changing from colorless to blue. The affinity of MXene-Ti3C2/Co NSs to H2O2 and TMB was better than that of nanozymes reported in previous studies. The MXene-Ti3C2/Co NSs were used for the colorimetric determination of H2O2/glucose, with limits of detection (LODs) of 0.033 mM and 1.7 μM, respectively. MXene-Ti3C2/Co NSs embedded in sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel were used to construct a sensor platform. The digital pictures combined with a smartphone-installed app (color recognizer) could be used to analyze RGB values for colorimetric detection of glucose in beverages. This point-of-care testing platform has the advantages of cost-effectiveness and good transferability, with the potential to realize quick, intelligent and on-site detection.

Foot ulcers can be caused by a variety of causes, and identifying the causes is essential for treatment and prognosis. Pyoderma gangrenosum is an uncommon neutrophilic dermatosis that often accompanied by systemic diseases. The initial lesions of pyoderma gangrenosum is inflammatory papules or pustules, which rapidly progress to painful ulcers. Pyoderma gangrenosum are easily confused with local infectious diseases and diabetic feet, but the treatment options are completely different. Therefore, early and rapid diagnosis is crucial. This article reported on the diagnosis and treatment of a patient with pyoderma gangrenosum in association with Crohn's disease presenting as a giant foot ulcer, and reviewed the literature to improve clinicians' understanding of the disease and reduce misdiagnosis and mistreatment.