Quantum cascade laser thermal therapy guided by FDOCT

We demonstrate Fourier domain optical coherenc tomography （FDOCT） monitoring and guiding of quantum cascade laser （QCL） therapy. The laser therapy is performed with a 6.1-tim mid-IR QCL and it involves both tissue coagulation or ablation. FDOCT allows real-time monitoring that minimize unnecessary damage to the surrounding tissues. We perform lipid phantom tissue ablation, chicken egg yolk coagulation, and tissue and blood vessel coagulation on chicken embryo to validate the FDOCT guiding quantum cascade laser therapy.

Extrahepatic metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma to the paravertebral muscle:A case report

Identification of extrahepatic metastases(EHM) of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) has been paradoxically increasing due to an increase in the survival of HCC patients. However, metastasis of HCC to the skeletal muscle tissue is extremely rare. We describe a unique case of HCC metastasizing to the paravertebral muscle. A 55-year-old man with a history of hepatitis B cirrhosis underwent partial liver resection with complete removal of HCC. Three months later, a computed tomography(CT) scan showed intrahepatic recurrence. The tumors were treated with yttrium-90 microspheres, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, and sorafenib. Six months later, a CT scan showed an enhancing lesion of the left paravertebral muscle that on biopsy were consistent with metastatic HCC. The tumor was treated with stereotactic hypo-fractionated imageguided radiation therapy(SHFRT). A follow-up scan 3 mo post-radiotherapy revealed a stable appearance of the paravertebral muscle metastasis. Because of the progression in the intrahepatic tumors, the patient was treated with capecitabine, which was changed to dasatinib 6 mo later. The patient passed away three years after the primary surgical resection. Management of EHM poses an extreme challenge. This is the first case of HCC with EHM to the paravertebral muscle in which stability of disease was achieved using SHFRT. This case highlights the importance of early detection of hepatitis B viral infection and initiation of anti-viral therapy to decrease recurrence of HCC and prevent EHM.

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)often present with underlying liver disease and significant comorbidities,limiting treatment tolerance.With the development of improved toxicity models and highly conformal radiation delivery systems,external beam radiotherapy has become a valuable treatment option for liver cancer.Using cutting edge technology,stereotactic ablative radiotherapy(SABR)allows for the delivery of ablative doses in few fractions while sparing uninvolved liver tissue.This approach permits dose escalation and precise tumor targeting with minimal risk of radiation induced liver disease.This review clarifies SABR's role alongside liver-directed treatments such as radiofrequency ablation,transarterial radioembolization,and transarterial chemoembolization in the management of HCC.It also examines the promising potential of SABR combined with immunotherapy to treat advanced HCC.

^(64)Cu radiolabeled nanomaterials for positron emission tomography(PET)imaging

The prevalence of positron emission tomography(PET)imaging has advanced biomedical applications for its ultrahigh sensitivity,deep tissue penetration and quantitative visualization of diseases in vivo.^(64)Cu with ideal half-life and decay characteristics has been designed as radioactive probes for disease diagnosis.The currently reported ^(64)Cu-labeled nanomaterials have the advantages of long circulation time in serum,good biocompatibility and mature preparation methods,and have been used in vivo PET imaging,biodistribution and pharmacokinetic monitoring,and imaging guided therapy.At the same time,suitable carrier characteristics and radiolabeling strategies are particularly important in the ^(64)Cu PET imaging process.In this review,we summarize different imaging probe designs and ^(64)Cu radiolabeling strategies,as well as their eventual applications in biomedicine.The potential challenges and prospects of ^(64)Cu labeled nanomaterials are also described,which provides broad prospects for radiolabeling strategies and further applications.

transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for the treatment and investigation of Phantom Limb Pain (PLP)

Phantom limb pain(PLP)is a complex medical condition that is often difficult to treat,and thus can become detrimental to patients’quality of life.No standardized clinical treatments exist and there is no conclusive understanding of the underlying mechanisms causing it.Noninvasive brain stimulation(NIBS)has been used to find correlations between changes in brain activity and various brain conditions,including neurological disease,mental illnesses,and brain disorders.Studies have also shown that NIBS can be effective in alleviating pain.Here,we examined the literature on a particular type of NIBS,known as transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS),and its application to the treatment of PLP.We first discuss the current hypotheses on the working mech-anism of tDCS and then we examine published evidence of its efficacy to treat PLP.We conclude this article by discussing how tDCS alone,and in combination with brain imaging techniques such as electroencephalography(EEG)and magnetic resonance imagining,could be applied to further investigate the mechanisms underlying PLP.