Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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The cellular process responsible for the degradation of cytosolic proteins and subcellular organelles in lysosomes was termed "autophagy." This process occurs at a basal level in most tissues as part of tissue homeostasis that redounds to the regular turnover of components inside cytoplasm. The breakthrough in the autophagy field is the identification of key players in the autophagy pathway, compounded under the name "autophagy-related genes" (ATG) encoding for autophagy effector proteins. Generally, the function of autophagy can be classified into two divisions: intracellular clearance of defective macromolecules and organelles and generation of degradation products. ⋯ Autophagy has been viewed as a remarkable mechanism for maintaining homeostasis, ensuring the adequate function and survival of long-lived stem cells. In addition, authophagy also plays a remarkable role in protecting stem cells against cellular stress when the stem cell regenerative capacity is harmed in aging and cellular degeneration. Understanding the under-explored mechanisms of MSC actions and expanding the spectrum of their clinical applications may improve the utility of the MSC-based therapeutic approach in the future.
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by partial or complete airway blockage during sleep. Nocturnal nasal obstruction usually leads to mouth breathing while sleeping, which worsens sleep apnea by aggravating tongue base and lateral pharyngeal wall collapse. The pathogenesis of OSA is multifactorial, and the precipitating factors vary significantly among individuals. ⋯ A combination of nasal surgery and multilevel pharyngeal surgery may result in better prognosis. Nasal surgery can significantly reduce the therapeutic pressure and improve the CPAP compliance of patients undergoing CPAP therapy. In conclusion, multimodality treatment and holistic care for OSA should involve nasal surgery for optimizing treatment outcomes.
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Since the publication of the 2015 Taiwan Stroke Society Blood Pressure for Treatment and Prevention of Stroke Guideline (2015 TSS BP Guideline), several new clinical studies have addressed whether a stricter blood pressure (BP) target would be effective for stroke prevention. ⋯ The BP target for most stroke patients with hypertension is <130/80 mm Hg.
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The antiepidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody cetuximab and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are the current front-line treatment for recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC). However, understanding of the efficacy of cetuximab-containing regimens in patients who fail ICI treatments is limited. In this study, we present the efficacy of cetuximab-based regimens in heavily pretreated R/M HNSCC patients after progression to ICIs. ⋯ A cetuximab-based regimen is still an effective and tolerable treatment for R/M HNSCC after progression on ICIs. Future prospective studies are needed to identify better treatments for previously ICI-treated or heavily treated R/M HNSCC patients.