Although gas-filled microbubbles with high echogenicity are widely applied in clinical ultrasonography, the micron scale particle size impedes their use in the treatment of solid tumors, which are accessible to object...Although gas-filled microbubbles with high echogenicity are widely applied in clinical ultrasonography, the micron scale particle size impedes their use in the treatment of solid tumors, which are accessible to objects less than several hundred nanometers. We herein propose an unusual approach involving a pH-induced core-shell micelle-to-vesicle transition to prepare ultrasound-sensitive polymeric nanospheres （polymersomes in structure） possessing multiple features, including nanosize, monodispersity, and incorporation of a phase- transitional imaging agent into the aqueous lumen. These features are not achievable via the conventional double-emulsion method for polymersome preparation. The nanospheres were constructed based on a novel triblock copolymer with dual pH sensitivity. The liquid-to-gas phase transition of the imaging agent induced by external low-frequency ultrasound may destroy the nanospheres for a rapid drug release, with simultaneous tissue-penetrating drug delivery inside a tumor. These effects may provide new opportunities for the development of an effective cancer therapy with few adverse effects.展开更多
Background and objective:Noninvasive non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)assessment is a clinical challenge to the management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.We aim to develop diagnostic models based on sequential...Background and objective:Noninvasive non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)assessment is a clinical challenge to the management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.We aim to develop diagnostic models based on sequential ultrasound molecular imaging(USMI)for the noninvasive identification of NASH in mouse models.Methods:Animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of South China Agricultural University.Forty-nine C57BL/6 mice were divided into normal control,non-alcoholic fatty liver,NASH,and hepatitis groups.Sequential USMI was implemented using CD36-targeted microbubbles(MBs-CD36)and intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)-targeted microbubbles(MBs-ICAM-1)to visualize hepatic steatosis and inflammation.The targeting signal of USMI was quantified as the normalized intensity difference(NID)with the destruction-replenishment method.Correlation analysis was conducted between the NID-MBs-CD36 and pathological steatosis score and between the NID-MBsICAM-1 and pathological inflammation score.Finally,diagnostic models combining NID-MBs-CD36 with NID-MBs-ICAM-1 were established for NASH diagnosis.Results:MBs-CD36 and MBs-ICAM-1 were successfully prepared and used for sequential USMI in all mice.NID-MBs-CD36 values increased with the progression of steatosis,while NID-MBs-ICAM-1 values increased in parallel with the progression of inflammation.A strong positive correlation was identified between NID-MBs-CD36 and pathological steatosis grade(r_(s)=0.9078,P<0.0001)and between NIDMBs-ICAM-1 and pathological inflammation grade(r_(s)=0.9071,P<0.0001).Among various sequential USMI-based diagnostic models,the serial testing model showed high diagnostic performance in detecting NASH,with 95%sensitivity,97%specificity,95%positive predictive values,97%negative predictive values,and 96%accuracy.Conclusions:Sequential USMI using MBs-CD36 and MBs-ICAM-1 allows noninvasive grading of hepatic steatosis and inflammation.Sequential USMI-based diagnostic models hold great potential in the noninvasive identification of NASH.展开更多
To the Editor:Thermal ablation(TA)techniques have been widely used for the management of benign thyroid nodules(BTNs)and have been suggested as an alternative to surgery in some authoritative guidelines.[1]In theory,T...To the Editor:Thermal ablation(TA)techniques have been widely used for the management of benign thyroid nodules(BTNs)and have been suggested as an alternative to surgery in some authoritative guidelines.[1]In theory,TA causes follicle destruction in the BTNs and a large release of the thyroid hormone stored in the follicles into the bloodstream;then,a dramatic change in thyroid function may occur.However,for euthyroid patients,researchers believe that TA treatment can preserve thyroid function and that these patients rarely develop thyroid dysfunction in the long term.[2]Nevertheless,for patients with preexisting thyrotoxicosis,whether the release of thyroid hormone causes thyroid storm(TS)and how their thyroid function changes after TA are unknown.Therefore,we retrospectively summarized these cases of patients with subclinical or overt thyrotoxicosis before TA in our institute,aiming to provide more information about the effects of TA on these patients with pre-existing thyrotoxicosis.展开更多
基金This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China （No. 2015CB755500）, the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Nos. U1401242, 51225305, and 81430038）, the Natural Science Foundation of the Guangdong Province （No. 2014A030312018）, the Guangdong Innovative and Entrepreneurial Research Team Program （No. 2013S086）, and the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund （No. 096/2015/A3）.
文摘Although gas-filled microbubbles with high echogenicity are widely applied in clinical ultrasonography, the micron scale particle size impedes their use in the treatment of solid tumors, which are accessible to objects less than several hundred nanometers. We herein propose an unusual approach involving a pH-induced core-shell micelle-to-vesicle transition to prepare ultrasound-sensitive polymeric nanospheres （polymersomes in structure） possessing multiple features, including nanosize, monodispersity, and incorporation of a phase- transitional imaging agent into the aqueous lumen. These features are not achievable via the conventional double-emulsion method for polymersome preparation. The nanospheres were constructed based on a novel triblock copolymer with dual pH sensitivity. The liquid-to-gas phase transition of the imaging agent induced by external low-frequency ultrasound may destroy the nanospheres for a rapid drug release, with simultaneous tissue-penetrating drug delivery inside a tumor. These effects may provide new opportunities for the development of an effective cancer therapy with few adverse effects.
基金the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangzhou,China(No.2023A03J0216)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82272021)the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province,China(No.2021A1515010635)and the Major Talents Programme of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University(No.P02445).
文摘Background and objective:Noninvasive non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)assessment is a clinical challenge to the management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.We aim to develop diagnostic models based on sequential ultrasound molecular imaging(USMI)for the noninvasive identification of NASH in mouse models.Methods:Animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of South China Agricultural University.Forty-nine C57BL/6 mice were divided into normal control,non-alcoholic fatty liver,NASH,and hepatitis groups.Sequential USMI was implemented using CD36-targeted microbubbles(MBs-CD36)and intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)-targeted microbubbles(MBs-ICAM-1)to visualize hepatic steatosis and inflammation.The targeting signal of USMI was quantified as the normalized intensity difference(NID)with the destruction-replenishment method.Correlation analysis was conducted between the NID-MBs-CD36 and pathological steatosis score and between the NID-MBsICAM-1 and pathological inflammation score.Finally,diagnostic models combining NID-MBs-CD36 with NID-MBs-ICAM-1 were established for NASH diagnosis.Results:MBs-CD36 and MBs-ICAM-1 were successfully prepared and used for sequential USMI in all mice.NID-MBs-CD36 values increased with the progression of steatosis,while NID-MBs-ICAM-1 values increased in parallel with the progression of inflammation.A strong positive correlation was identified between NID-MBs-CD36 and pathological steatosis grade(r_(s)=0.9078,P<0.0001)and between NIDMBs-ICAM-1 and pathological inflammation grade(r_(s)=0.9071,P<0.0001).Among various sequential USMI-based diagnostic models,the serial testing model showed high diagnostic performance in detecting NASH,with 95%sensitivity,97%specificity,95%positive predictive values,97%negative predictive values,and 96%accuracy.Conclusions:Sequential USMI using MBs-CD36 and MBs-ICAM-1 allows noninvasive grading of hepatic steatosis and inflammation.Sequential USMI-based diagnostic models hold great potential in the noninvasive identification of NASH.
文摘To the Editor:Thermal ablation(TA)techniques have been widely used for the management of benign thyroid nodules(BTNs)and have been suggested as an alternative to surgery in some authoritative guidelines.[1]In theory,TA causes follicle destruction in the BTNs and a large release of the thyroid hormone stored in the follicles into the bloodstream;then,a dramatic change in thyroid function may occur.However,for euthyroid patients,researchers believe that TA treatment can preserve thyroid function and that these patients rarely develop thyroid dysfunction in the long term.[2]Nevertheless,for patients with preexisting thyrotoxicosis,whether the release of thyroid hormone causes thyroid storm(TS)and how their thyroid function changes after TA are unknown.Therefore,we retrospectively summarized these cases of patients with subclinical or overt thyrotoxicosis before TA in our institute,aiming to provide more information about the effects of TA on these patients with pre-existing thyrotoxicosis.
