Sun Yat-sen University

About: Sun Yat-sen University is a education organization based out in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 115149 authors who have published 113763 publications receiving 2286465 citations. The organization is also known as: Zhongshan University & SYSU.

Sintilimab plus a bevacizumab biosimilar (IBI305) versus sorafenib in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (ORIENT-32): a randomised, open-label, phase 2-3 study.

Abstract: Summary Background China has a high burden of hepatocellular carcinoma, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the main causative factor. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma have a poor prognosis and a substantial unmet clinical need. The phase 2–3 ORIENT-32 study aimed to assess sintilimab (a PD-1 inhibitor) plus IBI305, a bevacizumab biosimilar, versus sorafenib as a first-line treatment for unresectable HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods This randomised, open-label, phase 2–3 study was done at 50 clinical sites in China. Patients aged 18 years or older with histologically or cytologically diagnosed or clinically confirmed unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma, no previous systemic treatment, and a baseline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1 were eligible for inclusion. In the phase 2 part of the study, patients received intravenous sintilimab (200 mg every 3 weeks) plus intravenous IBI305 (15 mg/kg every 3 weeks). In the phase 3 part, patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive either sintilimab plus IBI305 (sintilimab–bevacizumab biosimilar group) or sorafenib (400 mg orally twice daily; sorafenib group), until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Randomisation was done using permuted block randomisation, with a block size of six, via an interactive web response system, and stratified by macrovascular invasion or extrahepatic metastasis, baseline α-fetoprotein, and ECOG performance status. The primary endpoint of the phase 2 part of the study was safety, assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of study drug. The co-primary endpoints of the phase 3 part of the study were overall survival and independent radiological review committee (IRRC)-assessed progression-free survival according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1 in the intention-to-treat population. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03794440 . The study is closed to new participants and follow-up is ongoing for long-term outcomes. Findings Between Feb 11, 2019 and Jan 15, 2020, we enrolled 595 patients: 24 were enrolled directly into the phase 2 safety run-in and 571 were randomly assigned to sintilimab–bevacizumab biosimilar (n=380) or sorafenib (n=191). In the phase 2 part of the trial, 24 patients received at least one dose of the study drug, with an objective response rate of 25·0% (95% CI 9·8–46·7). Based on the preliminary safety and activity data of the phase 2 part, in which grade 3 or worse treatment-related adverse events occurred in seven (29%) of 24 patients, the randomised phase 3 part was started. At data cutoff (Aug 15, 2020), the median follow-up was 10·0 months (IQR 8·5–11·7) in the sintilimab–bevacizumab biosimilar group and 10·0 months (8·4–11·7) in the sorafenib group. Patients in the sintilimab–bevacizumab biosimilar group had a significantly longer IRRC-assessed median progression-free survival (4·6 months [95% CI 4·1–5·7]) than did patients in the sorafenib group (2·8 months [2·7–3·2]; stratified hazard ratio [HR] 0·56, 95% CI 0·46–0·70; p Interpretation Sintilimab plus IBI305 showed a significant overall survival and progression-free survival benefit versus sorafenib in the first-line setting for Chinese patients with unresectable, HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma, with an acceptable safety profile. This combination regimen could provide a novel treatment option for such patients. Funding Innovent Biologics. Translation For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Two-Dimensional Antimonene-Based Photonic Nanomedicine for Cancer Theranostics.

Abstract: Antimonene (AM) is a recently described two-dimensional (2D) elemental layered material. In this study, a novel photonic drug-delivery platform based on 2D PEGylated AM nanosheets (NSs) is developed. The platform's multiple advantages include: i) excellent photothermal properties, ii) high drug-loading capacity, iii) spatiotemporally controlled drug release triggered by near-infrared (NIR) light and moderate acidic pH, iv) superior accumulation at tumor sites, v) deep tumor penetration by both extrinsic stimuli (i.e., NIR light) and intrinsic stimuli (i.e., pH), vi) excellent multimodal-imaging properties, and vii) significant inhibition of tumor growth with no observable side effects and potential degradability, thus addressing several key limitations of cancer nanomedicines. The intracellular fate of the prepared NSs is also revealed for the first time, providing deep insights that improve cellular-level understanding of the nano-bio interactions of AM-based NSs and other emerging 2D nanomaterials. To the best of knowledge, this is the first report on 2D AM-based photonic drug-delivery platforms, possibly marking an exciting jumping-off point for research into the application of 2D AM nanomaterials in cancer theranostics.

A review on heavy metal contamination in the soil worldwide: Situation, impact and remediation techniques

Abstract: Heavy metals in the soil refers to some significant heavy metals of biological toxicity, including mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and arsenic (As), etc. With the development of the global economy, both type and content of heavy metals in the soil caused by human activities have gradually increased in recent years, which have resulted in serious environment deterioration. In present study we compared and analyzed soil contamination of heavy metals in various cities/countries, and reviewed background, impact and remediation methods of soil heavy metal contamination worldwide.

The cost of Alzheimer's disease in China and re-estimation of costs worldwide

Abstract: Introduction The socioeconomic costs of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in China and its impact on global economic burden remain uncertain. Methods We collected data from 3098 patients with AD in 81 representative centers across China and estimated AD costs for individual patient and total patients in China in 2015. Based on this data, we re-estimated the worldwide costs of AD. Results The annual socioeconomic cost per patient was US $19,144.36, and total costs were US $167.74 billion in 2015. The annual total costs are predicted to reach US $507.49 billion in 2030 and US $1.89 trillion in 2050. Based on our results, the global estimates of costs for dementia were US $957.56 billion in 2015, and will be US $2.54 trillion in 2030, and US $9.12 trillion in 2050, much more than the predictions by the World Alzheimer Report 2015. Discussion China bears a heavy burden of AD costs, which greatly change the estimates of AD cost worldwide.

A Novel Top-Down Synthesis of Ultrathin 2D Boron Nanosheets for Multimodal Imaging-Guided Cancer Therapy.

Abstract: Single atom nonmetal 2D nanomaterials have shown considerable potential in cancer nanomedicines, owing to their intriguing properties and biocompatibility. Herein, ultrathin boron nanosheets (B NSs) are prepared through a novel top-down approach by coupling thermal oxidation etching and liquid exfoliation technologies, with controlled nanoscale thickness. Based on the PEGylated B NSs, a new photonic drug delivery platform is developed, which exhibits multiple promising features for cancer therapy and imaging, including: i) efficient NIR-light-to-heat conversion with a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 42.5%, ii) high drug-loading capacity and triggered drug release by NIR light and moderate acidic pH, iii) strong accumulation at tumor sites, iv) multimodal imaging properties (photoacoustic, photothermal, and fluorescence imaging), and v) complete tumor ablation and excellent biocompatibility. As far as it is known, this is the first report on the top-down fabrication of ultrathin 2D B NSs by the combined thermal oxidation etching and liquid exfoliation, as well as their application as a multimodal imaging-guided drug delivery platform. The newly prepared B NSs are also expected to provide a robust and useful 2D nanoplatform for various biomedical applications.