Table_1_Induction chemoimmunotherapy may improve outcomes of chemoradiotherapy in patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC.docx

BackgroundCurrently, the value of induction chemoimmunotherapy before chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been explored. This study was designed to explore the efficacy and safety of induction chemoimmunotherapy in patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC.MethodsUnresectable stage III NSCLC patients who received CRT with or without induction chemoimmunotherapy between August 2014 and December 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed from the initiation of treatment and estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The potential factors affecting PFS and OS were analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression models. One-to-one propensity score matching (PSM) was used to further minimize confounding.ResultsA total of 279 consecutive patients were enrolled, with 53 (19.0%) receiving induction chemoimmunotherapy followed by CRT (I-CRT group), and the remaining 226 (81.0%) receiving CRT alone (CRT group). After PSM, the median PFS was 24.8 months in the I-CRT group vs. 13.3 months in the CRT group (P=0.035). The median OS was not reached (NR) vs. 36.6 months ((P=0.142). The incidence of treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) was similar in both groups, except that the incidence of hematological toxicity was higher in the I-CRT group (77.1% vs. 58.3%, P=0.049). Compared to induction chemotherapy, induction chemoimmunotherapy demonstrated a superior objective response rate (60.4% vs. 22.2%, PConclusionInduction chemoimmunotherapy is safe and may improve outcomes of CRT in patients with unresectable stage III NSCLC. Moreover, induction chemoimmunotherapy may further improve treatment response and survival outcomes compared to induction chemotherapy before cCRT.</p

Formation of Anisotropic Liquid Crystalline Nanoparticles via Polymerization-Induced Hierarchical Self-Assembly

Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) containing liquid crystalline (LC) mesogens with tunable anisotropic morphologies have applications in various fields, but their preparation typically suffers from tedious and low-throughput approaches. Here we present an efficient route to the preparation of anisotropic morphologies of azobenzene-containing block copolymers (BCPs) at high solids content via a polymerization-induced hierarchical self-assembly in ethanol. Various anisotropic NPs, including cuboids, short belts, lamellae, and ellipsoidal vesicles, have been obtained in a remarkably broad range of BCP compositions. The NPs exhibit a smectic phase with ordered stripes when observed under TEM. This internal LC ordering plays a significant role on the formation of these intriguing anisotropic morphologies. Morphological transitions from anisotropic to isotropic spheres can be obtained upon UV illumination due to the photoresponsive properties of the azobenzene mesogens. This work significantly expands the scope of accessible morphologies in PISA and suggests that the under explored LC BCPs may have an impactful role in the PISA field

Responses of <i>Phanerochaete chrysosporium</i> to Toxic Pollutants: Physiological Flux, Oxidative Stress, and Detoxification

The white-rot fungus <i>Phanerochaete chrysosporium</i> has been widely used for the treatment of waste streams containing heavy metals and toxic organic pollutants. The development of fungal-based treatment technologies requires detailed knowledge of the relationship between bulk water quality and the physiological responses of fungi. A noninvasive microtest technique was used to quantify real-time changes in proton, oxygen, and cadmium ion fluxes following the exposure of <i>P. chrysosporium</i> to environmental toxic (2,4-dichlorophenol and cadmium). Significant changes in H⁺ and O₂ flux occurred after exposure to 10 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenol and 0.1 mM cadmium. Cd²⁺ flux decreased with time. Reactive oxygen species formation and antioxidant levels increased after cadmium treatment. Superoxide dismutase activity correlated well with malondialdehyde levels (r² = 0.964) at low cadmium concentrations. However, this correlation diminished and malondialdehyde levels significantly increased at the highest cadmium concentration tested. Real-time microscale signatures of H⁺, O₂, and Cd²⁺ fluxes coupled with oxidative stress analysis can improve our understanding of the physiological responses of <i>P. chrysosporium</i> to toxic pollutants and provide useful information for the development of fungal-based technologies to improve the treatment of wastes cocontaminated with heavy metals and organic pollutants