Sonodynamic Therapy: Advances and Challenges in Clinical Translation

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) consists of the synergetic interaction between ultrasound and a chemical agent. In SDT, the cytotoxicity is triggered by ultrasonic stimuli, notably through cavitation. The unique features of SDT are relevant in the clinical context more than ever: the need for efficacy, accuracy, and safety while being noninvasive and preserving the patient's quality of life. However, despite the promising results of this technique, only a few clinical reports describe the use of SDT. The objective of this article is to provide an extensive overview of the clinical and preclinical research conducted in vivo on SDT, to identify the limitations, and to detail the developed strategies to overcome them.     

A randomized study on the effect of modified behavioral activation treatment for depressive symptoms in rural left-behind elderly

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a modified behavioral activation treatment (MBAT) intervention on reducing depressive symptoms in rural left-behind elderly.

Method: This is a randomized study registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-IOR-17011289). Eighty rural left-behind elderly people who had a Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) score between 11 and 25 were randomly assigned to the intervention (n?=?40) and control group (n?=?40). The intervention group received both MBAT and regular treatment for 8 weeks while the control group received regular treatment. Both groups were assessed with the GDS, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 3 months post-intervention.

Results: There were a total of 73 participants that completed the intervention. The scores of GDS and BAI decreased significantly, but the scores of OHQ increased significantly in the intervention group after 8 sessions of MBAT (P?<?.01). The reduction in depression symptoms after the intervention was maintained at the 3-month follow-up. Significant differences in GDS, BAI, and OHQ scores were observed between the intervention group and the control group (P?<?.01).

Conclusion: MBAT produced a significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms than regular care in rural left-behind elderly.

Clinical or methodological significance of this article: A modified behavioral activation (BA) psychotherapy can significantly reduce the recurrence and seriousness of depression symptoms in the left-behind elderly with mild to moderate depression. This study also suggests that further study of the MBAT as an intervention will provide a direction for the management of mental health in rural left-behind elders.     

Generalized,severe epidermolysis bullosa simplex caused by a Keratin 5 p.E477K mutation

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) is a skin fragility disorder resulting from mutations of structural proteins in the epidermis. We provide a brief report of long‐term survival and reproduction in a mother with EBS due to keratin 5 (KRT5) c.1429G > A (p.E477K) mutation, which causes a particularly severe form of the disease.