Frontiers of medicine
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In recent years, studying the role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in many pathological inflammatory conditions has become a very active research area. Although the role of MDSCs in cancer is relatively well established, their role in non-cancerous pathological conditions remains in its infancy resulting in much confusion. ⋯ The following topics will be specifically focused upon: (1) definition and characterization of MDSCs; (2) whether all MDSC populations consist of immature cells; (3) technical issues in MDSC isolation, estimation and characterization; (4) the origin of MDSCs and their anatomical distribution in health and disease; (5) mediators of MDSC expansion and accumulation; (6) factors that determine the expansion of one MDSC population over the other; (7) the Yin and Yang roles of MDSCs. Moreover, the functions of MDSCs will be addressed throughout the text.
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Frontiers of medicine · Oct 2020
ReviewNeurological manifestations of patients with COVID-19: potential routes of SARS-CoV-2 neuroinvasion from the periphery to the brain.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused a global pandemic in only 3 months. In addition to major respiratory distress, characteristic neurological manifestations are also described, indicating that SARS-CoV-2 may be an underestimated opportunistic pathogen of the brain. ⋯ In some immune-compromised individuals, the virus may invade the brain through multiple routes, such as the vasculature and peripheral nerves. Therefore, in addition to drug treatments, such as pharmaceuticals and traditional Chinese medicine, non-pharmaceutical precautions, including facemasks and hand hygiene, are critically important.
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Frontiers of medicine · Apr 2020
ReviewAdvances in COVID-19: the virus, the pathogenesis, and evidence-based control and therapeutic strategies.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early December 2019, 81 174 confirmed cases and 3242 deaths have been reported in China as of March 19, 2020. The Chinese people and government have contributed huge efforts to combat this disease, resulting in significant improvement of the situation, with 58 new cases (34 were imported cases) and 11 new deaths reported on March 19, 2020. ⋯ Here, we review the recent advances in COVID-19, including the insights in the virus, the responses of the host cells, the cytokine release syndrome, and the therapeutic approaches to inhibit the virus and alleviate the cytokine storm. By sharing knowledge and deepening our understanding of the virus and the disease pathogenesis, we believe that the community can efficiently develop effective vaccines and drugs, and the mankind will eventually win this battle against this pandemic.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has posed a significant threat to global health. It caused a total of 80 868 confirmed cases and 3101 deaths in Chinese mainland until March 8, 2020. This novel virus spread mainly through respiratory droplets and close contact. ⋯ Pathological findings showed representative features of acute respiratory distress syndrome and involvement of multiple organs. Apart from supportive care, no specific treatment has been established for COVID-19. The efficacy of some promising antivirals, convalescent plasma transfusion, and tocilizumab needs to be investigated by ongoing clinical trials.
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Frontiers of medicine · Apr 2019
ReviewPhysiological effects of weightlessness: countermeasure system development for a long-term Chinese manned spaceflight.
The Chinese space station will be built around 2020. As a national space laboratory, it will offer unique opportunities for studying the physiological effects of weightlessness and the efficacy of the countermeasures against such effects. ⋯ To emphasize the need of the Chinese space program to implement its own program for developing countermeasures, we reviewed the literature on the negative physiological effects of weightlessness, the challenges of completing missions, the development of countermeasure devices, the establishment of countermeasure programs, and the efficacy of the countermeasure techniques in American and Russian manned spaceflights. In addition, a brief overview was provided on the Chinese research and development on countermeasures to discuss the current status and goals of the development of countermeasures against physiological problems associated with weightlessness.