Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent and aggressive form of primary brain malignancy in adults. Despite continuous advancements in standard treatment modalities, the prognosis for patients remains extremely poor, with a median survival of less than two years. In recent years, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has achieved revolutionary success in hematologic malignancies, marking a significant breakthrough in the field of immunotherapy. However, the successful application of CAR-T therapy to GBM still faces dual challenges: antigen heterogeneity and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. This review systematically summarizes these challenges encountered in CAR-T therapy for GBM and the innovative strategies currently under development to address these challenges, providing insights for the future clinical translation of CAR-T therapy in GBM.

Recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy have highlighted glypican-3 (GPC3) as a prominent target for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, approximately 10% to 30% of HCC patients exhibit low or absent GPC3 expression on the surface of tumor cells, which limits the feasibility of GPC3-targeted therapies. Consequently, it is essential for patients to undergo pre-diagnostic assessments of GPC3 expression in tumor cells to evaluate their suitability for GPC3-directed therapy. Although various methods have been developed to specifically detect GPC3 as a biomarker for treatment and prognosis, the diagnostic approaches currently employed in clinical studies remain relatively limited. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the clinical development of GPC3-targeted therapeutics, clinical trials in GPC3-positive HCC, and current methods for detecting GPC3 expression, highlighting their advantages and limitations. Furthermore, we explore the potential of integrating targeted therapy with various GPC3 detection modalities tailored to different pathological stages. This integration not only provides insights into the selection of effective methods for detecting GPC3 expression but also has the potential to significantly improve the clinical outcomes of patients with liver cancer. By simultaneously assessing the advantages and disadvantages of these methods, this review aims to establish a theoretical foundation for the clinical selection of appropriate GPC3 detection strategies for targeted therapy.

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a disorder with various etiologies. Although the causes leading to this disruptive condition are well documented in published ALF cohorts, there is significant concern among patients who experience ALF with indeterminate causes, an issue requiring thorough analysis. This review aimed to analyze cohort studies on ALF with a focus on unknown causes leading to classification as indeterminate ALF. The analysis revealed that, among 67 worldwide adult and pediatric ALF cohorts, indeterminate causes of ALF ranged from 2% to 100%, with an average of 30%. Among the 13 pediatric ALF cohorts, the corresponding range was 22% to 100%, with an average of 47%, while among the 55 adult ALF cohorts, the range was 2% to 78%, with an average of 26%. The percentage values were higher in pediatric cohorts due to the higher incidence of rare genetic causes compared to adult patients. Notably, higher rates of indeterminate causes were found in cohorts studied before the availability of diagnostic serologic screening parameters and polymerase chain reaction techniques for various hepatitis virus infections. Patients with indeterminate ALF may not have received a specific treatment that, if effective, could have helped prevent liver transplantation. It is concluded that, in future cases, all efforts must be undertaken to clearly establish the cause of severe liver injury, enabling effective therapy when available and helping reduce the risk of progression to ALF and the need for liver transplantation.

Gastroschisis is the most common form of congenital paramedian or lateral anterior abdominal wall defect, characterized by the herniation of viscera. The evolution in the management of gastroschisis, from zero-to-hero performance (from uniform fatality to nearly 95% survival over the last six decades), is a spectacular success story in neonatal surgery. This review aims to address the embryopathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis, and surgical management of gastroschisis. Based on the literature and our experimental and clinical research, it is evident that gastroschisis is formed by raised intra-luminal and intra-abdominal pressure in combination with potential weak points. Young mothers who struggle to meet their macro- and micronutrient requirements can suffer stress to the psycho-neuro-endocrine-target organ axis. This can place a burden on the placenta, especially if exacerbated by smoking, alcohol, drugs, and other toxins. This burden on the mother's axis can lead to fetal distress and a similar burden on the same axis in the fetus. Ultimately, if distress in the fetal axis stimulates a "fight or flight" response via the sacral parasympathetic nervous system, consequent colorectal secreto-motility disorder of the hindgut and of the small left colon can result in partial functional obstruction of the hindgut. If pressure is thus built up on the proximal colon and on an intact ileocecal valve, leading to a blind loop obstruction, sufficient force can be created to herniate the bowel through a defect at any of three key points of weakness in the abdominal wall. The most vulnerable of these is in the right paraumbilical region, the next is in any spaces between the costochondral junctions and the muscle attachments, and the third is through neurovascular gaps in the linea semilunaris. If the ileocecal valve then becomes incompetent, variants of gastroschisis may occur. The fetus, particularly the peritoneum, always has a tendency to heal defects quickly, but this can result in secondary events in the eviscerated bowel, causing both closing and closed gastroschisis with vanishing organs. Recent technological advances in pre-formed silastic silo innovation, prenatal diagnosis and monitoring for closing gastroschisis, perinatal management, percutaneous central long lines, and innovative minimally invasive bedside procedures have all made significant contributions.

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted university students, presenting multifaceted challenges including the abrupt transition to virtual learning and significant disruptions to emotional well-being and dietary habits. This study aimed to investigate the dietary and nutritional characteristics associated with academic stress among Mexican university students during the COVID-19 lockdown.

This cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 114 university students in Mexico. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire assessing dietary patterns, nutritional intake, and academic stress levels. Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection.

Among study participants (n = 114), 57.8% experienced moderate academic stress, while 25.7% reported high academic stress during the COVID-19 lockdown. Notably, 13.5% of students demonstrated food cravings that were significantly associated with increased consumption of red and fatty meats (P = 0.030) and sausages (P = 0.017). A negative virtual education experience was associated with food cravings towards high-calorie and saturated-fat foods (P = 0.014), as well as elevated academic stress levels (P = 0.009). Furthermore, high academic stress levels were positively associated with food cravings (P = 0.020), particularly towards carbohydrate-rich foods (P = 0.037).

The COVID-19 lockdown substantially disrupted the dietary habits and nutritional status of university students, with academic stress serving as a significant mediating factor.