Qualitätsentwicklung im Gesundheitswesen: Sind wir schon so weit,wie wir wollten?

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz -     

Nanotherapy: New Approach for Impeding Hepatic Cancer Microenvironment via Targeting Multiple Molecular Pathways

Objective: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) microenvironment has been recognized as a key contributor for cancer progression, metastasis, and drug resistance. The crosstalk between tumor cells, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and the chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) signaling networks mediates immunoinhibitory impact and facilitates tumor angiogenesis. The current investigation aimed at exploring the potent anti-cancer activity of the newly designed nano-based anti-cancer therapy comprising anti-VEGF drug, avastin (AV), and CCR2 antagonist (CR) to counteract HCC and tracking its mode of action in vivo. Methods: The prepared AV, CR, and AVCR nanoprototypes were characterized by nanoscale characterization techniques in our previous work. Here, they are applied for unearthing their anti-cancer properties / mechanisms in hepatic cancer-induced rats via analyzing protein levels and genetic expression of the elements incorporated in the angiogenesis, apoptosis, and metastasis signalling pathways. Results: The present results revealed a significant down-regulation in the angiogenesis, survival and metastasis indices along with up-regulation in the pro-apoptotic mediators upon treatment of hepatic cancer-bearing rats with the novel synthesized nanomaterials when compared with the untreated counterparts. We showed across HCC model that anti-VEGF in combination with CCR2 antagonism therapy leads to sensitization and enhanced tumor response over anti-VEGF or CCR2 antagonism monotherapy, particularly in its nanoscale formulation. Conclusion: The present approach provides new mechanistic insights into the powerful anti-hepatic cancer advantage of the novel nanoprototypes which is correlated with modulating critical signal transduction pathways implicated in tumor microenviroment such as angiogenesis, apoptosis and metastasis. This research work presents a substantial foundation for future studies focused on prohibiting cancer progression and recovery by targeting tumor microenviroment.     

慢性疼痛中枢调控网络的研究现状与思考＊

慢性疼痛是一种复杂的身心疾病，包括躯体痛觉异常、认知障碍、负性情绪等多个方面的改变，同时伴随着神经系统的功能以及结构的改变。本文将对慢性疼痛与下行疼痛调节通路、疼痛情感-认知调控网络以及中脑边缘奖赏网络的相关性，以及针刺镇痛的中枢机制相关研究文献进行综述，旨在探讨下行疼痛调节通路、疼痛情感-认知调控网络以及中脑边缘奖赏网络在慢痛发生机制中的作用，为临床治疗慢性疼痛类疾病提供更优势的治疗方案。     

基于CiteSpace的足三里穴研究可视化分析＊

目的 围绕足三里穴（ST36）进行文献可视化分析，探索近20年来有关足三里穴的研究进程、热点以及未来发展趋势。方法 以中国知网（CNKI）为数据来源，利用citespace软件对检索出的2000年1月至2021年11月收录的基础研究和临床研究文献分别进行可视化分析，绘制关键词、作者、机构相关图谱。结果 基础研究纳入1030篇文献，得到9个关键词聚类，电针中心度最高（0.53），发文量最多的作者是胡森（22篇），发文量最大的机构是北京中医药大学针灸推拿学院（23篇）。临床研究纳入2067篇文献，得到9个关键词聚类，穴位注射和针刺中心度最高（0.27），发文量最多的作者是张波（7篇），发文量最大的机构是浙江中医药大学附属第一医院（8篇）。结论 足三里穴在基础和临床的研究重点、热点和趋势不一致。并且在基础研究和临床研究之间，针刺镇痛、电针疗法、胃肠功能这三个内容是同步的，而关于代谢组学、穴位注射、温针灸和揿针的内容则是脱节的。     

Functional estrogen receptor signal transduction pathway activity and antihormonal therapy response in low-grade ovarian carcinoma

Background

Advanced low-grade ovarian carcinoma (LGOC) is difficult to treat. In several studies, high estrogen receptor (ER) protein expression was observed in patients with LGOC, which suggests that antihormonal therapy (AHT) is a treatment option. However, only a subgroup of patients respond to AHT, and this response cannot be adequately predicted by currently used immunohistochemistry (IHC). A possible explanation is that IHC only takes the ligand, but not the activity, of the whole signal transduction pathway (STP) into account. Therefore, in this study, the authors assessed whether functional STP activity can be an alternative tool to predict response to AHT in LGOC.

Methods

Tumor tissue samples were obtained from patients with primary or recurrent LGOC who subsequently received AHT. Histoscores of ER and progesterone receptor (PR) were determined. In addition, STP activity of the ER STP and of six other STPs known to play a role in ovarian cancer was assessed and compared with the STP activity of healthy postmenopausal fallopian tube epithelium.

Results

Patients who had normal ER STP activity had a progression-free survival (PFS) of 16.1 months. This was significantly shorter in patients who had low and very high ER STP activity, with a median PFS of 6.0 and 2.1 months, respectively (p < .001). Unlike ER histoscores, PR histoscores were strongly correlated to the ER STP activity and thus to PFS.

Conclusions

Aberrant low and very high functional ER STP activity and low PR histoscores in patients with LGOC indicate decreased response to AHT. ER IHC is not representative of functional ER STP activity and is not related to PFS.