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Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are considered as the first-line treatment for advanced EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to analyze the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs treatment in patients with advanced NSCLC of different smoking habits. Methods: We conducted a search for meta-analyses and systematic reviews on the PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to address this knowledge gap. Patients were divided into 2 groups: (1) experimental group: treated with EGFR-TKIs or EGFR-TKIs combined with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, antiangiogenesis, radiotherapy and (2) control group: treated with chemotherapy. Progressive-free survival (PFS) and total survival (OS) were adopted for evaluating the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs between experimental group and control group. Results: Eleven studies including 6760 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that smoking (including previous and current smoking) significantly reduces the PFS and OS in comparison to non-smoking group in the treatment of NSCLC with EGFR-TKIs. In addition, EGFR-TKIs combined with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy can reduce the risk of disease progression in smokers. Conclusions: Our study indicated that smoking significantly reduced the PFS and OS in comparison to non-smoking group in the treatment of NSCLC with EGFR-TKIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The activation of STING (stimulator of interferon genes) pathway enhances antitumor immunity in small‐cell lung cancer (SCLC), while the DNA damage induced by non‐cGAMP‐based agonists is a potent inducer of STING activity. Here, we investigate the intrinsic expression of STING in cancer cells and evaluate the value of the combination of ATR and TOP1 inhibitors in enhancing antitumor immunity. Methods: STING expression was assessed at mRNA and protein levels in SCLC and normal lung tissues. Transcriptomic subsets of SCLC were identified based on STING‐related genes. Distinct mutation and immunogenomic profiles of these subsets were determined. The direct antitumor efficacy and the potential of enhancing antitumor immunity of the strategy using the ATR‐TOP1‐inhibitor combination were tested in SCLC cell lines. Results: The intrinsic expression of STING was significantly reduced in SCLC compared to normal lung tissues (p < 0.0001). Three STING‐related SCLC subtypes were identified in which the STING‐high subtype was associated with (1) high immune infiltration, (2) high expression of genes related to MHC and immune checkpoints, and (3) high EMT and ferroptosis score. On the contrary, the STING‐low subtype was enriched with pathways related to DNA damage response (DDR) and cell cycle progression. The association between the DDR pathway activity and the STING‐IFN innate immune response was verified by in vitro experiments in which the inhibition of ATR and TOP1 triggered the expression of genes encoding type I IFN signaling and pro‐inflammatory cytokines/chemokines in a STING‐low SCLC cell line. Conclusion: Our study verifies that activation of the STING‐IFN response by ATR and TOP1 inhibitors might be a therapeutic strategy to improve the response to immune checkpoint therapy in STING‐low SCLC. Furthermore, the combinations of ATR and TOP1 inhibitors can augment tumor inflammation in STING‐low SCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the effects of different Pinelliae Rhizoma products on the intervention of pulmonary fibrosis. Methods Using transforming growth factor p 1(10 µ g / L) induced human embryonic lung fibroblast cell line MRC-5 to establish an in vitro model of pulmonary fibrosis then treated with waterextracts of Pinelliae Rhizoma (PR) or Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum cum Alumine (PRPC A) or Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum cum Zingibereet Alumine (PRPCZEA) or Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum (PRP). The working concentration (PR, PRPC A, PRPCZEA, PRP) equivalent tothe crude herb was 2.1, 4.2, 8.4,16.7 g/L respectively. After 48 hours, the cell activity was detected by CCK-8 method and the collagen content was determined by Sirius red staining method. After screening,the expression of a-SMA protein inmodeltreated with PRwas assessed using Western blot. In vivo, C57BL/6N mice were exposed to bleomycin then treated with water extract of PR (2.5, 5.0, 10.0 g/kg) on day 14. On the 28th day, the lung tissue was observed by he and Masson staining, and the content of hydroxyproline (Hyp) was measured. Results Compared with the control group, 16. 7 g/L of PR or PRPC A inhibited the cell viability of MRC-5 (P <0. 05), while 8. 4 g/L of PR can selectively suppress the cell viability of MRC-5 after TGF-β1 stimulation (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, PR (8.4,16.7 g/L) reduced the synthesis of collagen in MRC-5 cells induced by TGF-β1 (P < 0. 05), but PRPCA, PRPCZEA and PRP groups had no statistically significant difference in inhibitory effects on collagen. Western blotanalysis showed that PR (2.1, 4.2, 8.4 g/L) decreased the expression of a-SMA in MRC-5 cells induced by TGF-β1 compared with the model group (P < 0. 05). In vivo experiments, the bleomycin-treated mice receiving PR (10 g/kg) displayed less collagen deposition in the lung interstitium, less inflammatory infiltration, and more restored alveolar structure compared with mice only receiving bleomycin. PR of 10 g/kg reversed HYP level in lung tissue after bleomycin challenge (P < 0. 05). Conclusion PR reduces cell viability of pathological myofibroblasts induced by TGF-β1, suppresses differentiation of myofibroblasts, and reduces the synthesis of collagen. Administration of PR in vivo decreases ECM deposition and exerts antifibrotic effects. PR may be used to treatpulmonary fibrosis in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A sol–gel-hydrothermal method has been adopted to synthesize the shape-controlled SrTiO3 crystallites. A series of shape evolutions of SrTiO3 crystallites varied gradually from the unfeatured conglomeration through eight-pod star-shaped particles to cubic crystals and have been recorded based on transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations. The faster growth rate along [111] direction in the SrTiO3 lattice resulted in the (111) plane disappearing, while (100) plane remained to form SrTiO3 cubes owing to the relative lower growth rate. The experimental results suggest that the building blocks with desired architecture can be selectively synthesized by programming the growth conditions in the initial synthetic scheme. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to explore the value of CT in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pneumonia, especially for patients who have negative initial results of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Patients with COVID-19 pneumonia from January 19, 2020, to February 20, 2020, were included. All patients underwent chest CT and swab RT-PCR tests within 3 days. Patients were divided into groups with negative (seven patients) and positive (14 patients) initial RT-PCR results. The imaging findings in both groups were recorded and compared. RESULTS. Twenty-one patients with symptoms (nine men, 12 women; age range, 26-90 years) were evaluated. Most of the COVID-19 lesions were located in multiple lobes (67%) in both lungs (72%) in our study. The main CT features were ground-glass opacity (95%) and consolidation (72%) with a subpleural distribution (100%). Otherwise, 33% of patients had other lesions around the bronchovascular bundle. The other CT features included air bronchogram (57%), vascular enlargement (67%), interlobular septal thickening (62%), and pleural effusions (19%). Compared with that in the group with positive initial RT-PCR results, CT of the group with negative initial RT-PCR results was less likely to show pulmonary consolidation ( p < 0.05). CONCLUSION. The less pulmonary consolidation found at CT, the greater is the possibility of negative initial RT-PCR results. Chest CT is important in the screening of patients in whom disease is clinically suspected, especially those who have negative initial RT-PCR results.