Comparison of the Differences between Two-Photon Excitation, Upconversion, and Conventional Photodynamic Therapy on Cancers in In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive treatment for several diseases. It combines light energy with a photosensitizer (PS) to destroy the targeted cells or tissues. A PS itself is a non-toxic substance, but it becomes toxic to the target cells through the activation of light at a specific wavelength. There are some limitations of PDT, although it has been used in clinical studies for a long time. Two-photon excitation (TPE) and upconversion (UC) for PDT have been recently developed. A TPE nanoparticle-based PS combines the advantages of TPE and nanotechnology that has emerged as an attractive therapeutic agent for near-infrared red (NIR) light-excited PDT, whilst UC is also used for the NIR light-triggered drug release, activation of ‘caged’ imaging, or therapeutic molecules during PDT process for the diagnosis, imaging, and treatment of cancers. Methods: Nine electronic databases were searched, including WanFang Data, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Springer Link, SciFinder, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), without any language constraints. TPE and UCNP were evaluated to determine if they had different effects from PDT on cancers. All eligible studies were analyzed and summarized in this review. Results: TPE-PDT and UCNP-PDT have a high cell or tissue penetration ability through the excitation of NIR light to activate PS molecules. This is much better than the conventional PDT induced by visible or ultraviolet (UV) light. These studies showed a greater PDT efficacy, which was determined by enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduced cell viability, as well as inhibited abnormal cell growth for the treatment of cancers. Conclusions: Conventional PDT involves Type I and Type II reactions for the generation of ROS in the treatment of cancer cells, but there are some limitations. Recently, TPE-PDT and UCNP-PDT have been developed to overcome these problems with the help of nanotechnology in in vitro and in vivo studies

A mini-review of traditional Chinese medicines on liver diseases

Introduction: Currently, around 2 million deaths per year are attributed to liver disorders worldwide. There are many traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) and natural products used for preventing and combating liver disorders in China, such as “Celastrol”, “Astragalus”, and “Curcumin”. This mini-review aims to discuss the (i) TCM theory, (ii) pharmacology mechanisms, and (iii) toxicology of the commonly used TCMs, such as “Celastrol”, “Astragalus”, “Curcumin” in the treatment of liver diseases, and further (iv) describe the help of modern “Nanotechnology” with these TCMs in future development for curing liver diseases. Methods: Nine electronic databases were searched between 2012 and 2022, including WanFang Data, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Springer Link, SciFinder, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), without regard to language constraints. The searched keywords include “Celastrol + liver diseases”, “Astragalus + liver disease” ''Curcumin + liver diseases'', etc. All eligible studies are analyzed and summarized in this review. Results: Celastrol, Astragalus, and Curcumin were reported to be effective Chinese herbals for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases through cyclic adenylate monophosphate (cAMP)–protein kinase A (PKA)–nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), miR-712-PPAR-γ-PI3K/AKT-GLUT4, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways. Nanoformulations could improve physiochemical features and enhance the efficacy of Chinese herbs. Conclusion: Celastrol, Astragalus, and Curcumin as commonly used TCMs for the treatment of liver diseases possess a wide extent of pharmacological functions, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer properties. Nanoformulations of Chinese herbs show great promise in the development of traditional Chinese medicines for treating liver diseases

“Qigong” Mind-Body Exercise for Elderly Care

Letter to Editor on “Qigong” Mind-Body Exercise for Elderly Care by Siu Kan Law, Dawn Ching Tung Au, Albert Wing Nang Leung, Chuan Shan Xu.&nbsp

"TaiChi" Exercise for Elderly Care

Letter to Editor titled "TaiChi" Exercise for Elderly Car

Elderly for Dementia - “Mahjong”

Short Commentary titled: Elderly for Dementia - “Mahjong

Efficacy of abdominal acupuncture for neck pain: A randomized controlled trial.

This study aims to provide evidence regarding the clinical efficacy of abdominal acupuncture for neck pain.This randomized, patient and assessor-blind, sham-controlled trial was conducted at a Chinese medicine center in Hong Kong between November 2014 and March 2016. A total of 154 eligible participants (age range, 18-65 years) with neck pain were randomly assigned to receive abdominal (n = 77) or non-penetrating sham abdominal (sham group; n = 77) acupuncture. Each participant was administered treatment over six sessions by Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioners, in accordance with a standardized protocol. The primary outcome was mean improvement in neck pain disability scores evaluated by the Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ). Secondary outcomes included intensity of neck pain and health-related quality-of-life measures. The outcomes were assessed at baseline and at 2 and 6 weeks from baseline. Patients in the abdominal acupuncture group received additional follow-up evaluation at 14 weeks from baseline. Outcomes were evaluated by intention-to-treat analysis.All participants provided informed consent for treatment and follow-up evaluation. Patients who received abdominal acupuncture exhibited greater improvement in NPQ scores than those who received sham treatment at both 2 and 6 weeks from baseline (intergroup mean differences, -5.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], -9.48 to -2.03; P = 0.008 and -8.65; 95% CI, -12.13 to -5.16; P < 0.001, respectively). The improvement in NPQ scores in the abdominal acupuncture group was even more significant at 14 weeks from baseline. Patients in the abdominal acupuncture group also exhibited significantly greater improvements in intensity of neck pain and a few quality-of-life measures than those in the sham abdominal acupuncture group, without any serious adverse events.These findings suggest that abdominal acupuncture is an effective alternative treatment for neck pain.Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR-TRC-14004932

Primary and secondary outcome measures.

<p>Primary and secondary outcome measures.</p

Baseline characteristics of the participants.

<p>Baseline characteristics of the participants.</p

Blinding assessment findings.

<p>Blinding assessment findings.</p

Mean Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) scores in both groups over time.

<p>Groups A and S, patients treated by abdominal and sham abdominal acupuncture, respectively. Data are expressed as mean values and 95% confidence intervals.</p