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Stem cell-based therapies show promise for clinically addressing circumferential tracheal defects (CTD) through tissue engineering. However, creating a tissue-engineered tracheal tube possesses a healthy cartilage matrix and intact tube structure remains a challenge. A solution lies in the use of an injectable hydrogel with shape adaptability and chondrogenic capacity, serving as a practical and dependable platform for tubular tracheal cartilage regeneration. In this study, we developed an injectable hydrogel using modified natural polymers-hydrazide-grafted gelatin (Gelatin-ADH) and aldehyde-modified hyaluronic acid with sulfated groups (HA-CHO-SO 3 ) via Schiff Base interaction. Additionally, aldehyde-modified β-cyclodextrin (β-CD-CHO) was introduced into the network during hydrogel formation. The negative sulfated groups and hydrophobic cavities of β-cyclodextrin facilitated the efficient encapsulation and sustained release of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and kartogenin (KGN) within our hydrogel. This synergistically promoted the chondrogenesis of loaded bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs). Subsequently, we employed this TGF-β1, KGN, and BMSCs loaded hydrogel to form a cartilage ring. This ring was then assembled into an engineered tracheal cartilage tube using our previously reported ring-to-tube strategy. Our results demonstrated that the engineered tracheal cartilage tube effectively repaired CTD in a rabbit model. Hence, this study introduces a novel hydrogel with significant clinical application potential for tracheal tissue engineering., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Kidney stones, a common urinary system ailment, often necessitate surgical intervention. Endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery (ECIRS) and multi-channel percutaneous nephron lithotripsy (MPCNL) are key modalities for treating complex renal stones, prompting the need for a comparative analysis to enhance clinical decision-making., Methods: Patients undergoing surgical treatment for complex kidney stones from April 2018 to April 2022 were divided into the control (MPCNL) and observation (ECIRS) groups. Propensity score matching was used to balance baseline data, and t -tests and chi-square tests were employed to compare the perioperative indicators between the two groups., Results: A total of 210 patients were enrolled in this study for pre-observational comparison, and they were divided into the control group (110 patients) and observation group (100 patients). Following matching, each group comprised 85 patients. Pre-observational comparison revealed significant differences between the groups in age, disease duration, and stone diameter ( p < 0.05). However, after matching, baseline data comparison showed no statistically significant differences ( p > 0.05). Surgery-related parameters, including operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative activity duration and hospital stay, did not significantly differ between the groups ( p > 0.05). The observation group exhibited a significantly higher stone retention-free rate after initial treatment compared with the control group ( p < 0.05), although overall stone clearance rates did not significantly differ between the groups ( p > 0.05). We found no significant differences in perioperative complications between the two groups ( p > 0.05). Moreover, the observation group experienced significantly lower postoperative pain levels at 6, 24 and 48 h compared with the control group ( p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Conclusively, ECIRS and MPCNL are viable options for treating complex renal calculi, with similar operation times, complication rates and stone clearance rates. ECIRS may offer advantages including lower postoperative pain and higher initial stone clearance rates than MPCNL. However, large-scale studies with long follow-up times are needed for validation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Objective: The NLRP3 inflammasome plays a dual role in the occurrence and development of tumors, and its role in lung cancer remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the impact of NLRP3 inflammasome activation on the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells., Methods: Data from the GEPIA, TCGA, and HPA databases were utilized to analyze the expression of NLRP3 in lung adenocarcinoma and its microenvironment. GO/KEGG enrichment analysis and GSEA analysis were employed to annotate the functions of differentially expressed genes related to NLRP3. The impact of NLRP3 inflammasome activation on the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells was further investigated by CCK-8 assay and scratch assay. The effects of blocking NLRP3 inflammasome activation with IL-1RA and IL-18BP on the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells were further assessed. Survival analysis was conducted to analyze the impact of NLRP3 expression on the prognosis of patients with lung adenocarcinoma., Results: The expression of NLRP3 in lung cancer was lower than in normal tissues, with notably higher expression observed in macrophages compared to other cells. Patients with higher NLRP3 expression exhibit increased infiltration of M2 macrophages. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome using LPS+ATP promotes the proliferation and migration of A549 cells. Simultaneous use of IL-1RA and IL-18BP reverses the promoting effect of NLRP3 inflammasome activation on cell proliferation and migration. Survival analysis results indicate that patients with high NLRP3 expression have a poorer prognosis compared to those with low NLRP3 expression (Hazzard Ratio =1.44; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.21-1.71)., Conclusions: The activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome promotes the proliferation and migration of A549 cells through secretion of IL-1β and IL-18, potentially influencing patient prognosis. Simultaneously blocking IL-1β and IL-18 can reverse the pro-proliferative and migration-promoting effects.