This article reviews the bioinspired design and characterization techniques of the different types of micro/nanomotors and their biomedical applications in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of urinary malignancy. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the predominant RCC subtype, accounting for 70–80% of RCC. In recent years, miRNAs have been found to be closely associated with the outcome of the patients with ccRCC. In this review, we summarize recent advances in research exploring the role of miRNAs in predicting prognosis in patients with ccRCC.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which can cause inflammation of the intestinal tract. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory disease of the sacroiliac joints. Many studies have found that some UC patients progress to AS. In this study, we conducted a literature search and meta-analysis to investigate the prevalence of AS among UC patients during follow-up. Methods: The studies related to the AS among patients with UC were obtained from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases since its inception-December 2022. The literature was screened strictly according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Forest plots were used to detect the overall incidence of AS in UC and to compare the risk ratios for the development of AS in the UC. The heterogeneity of studies was assessed using I² statistical methods. Results: 1) 17 studies with 98704 UC patients were included. 2)700 UC patients developed AS during follow-up (1.66%, 95% CI: 0.89–2.62%). Human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) was reported in 3 studies. HLA-B27 positivity was significantly higher than the incidence of HLA-B27 negativity in AS patients (68.29% vs 31.71%, P < 0.0001). There was significantly increased risk of AS development in HLA-B27 positive IBD patients (RR: 22.17, 95% CI: 11.79–41.66, P < 0.0001). 3)The definite follow-up time was reported in 12 studies (range: 0.3–40 years). After follow-up for ≥5 years, the incidence of AS among patients with UC was 1.75% (95% CI: 0.62–3.37%). Meanwhile, after follow-up for <5 years, the incidence of AS among patients with UC was 1.41% (95% CI: 0.65–2.37%) which was significant. Conclusion: Patients with UC are more likely to develop AS in the future. Furthermore, the IBD patients are at a higher risk of AS who have positive HLA-B27. The incidence of AS increased with longer follow-up time.

Objective: To investigate the effect of Ursolic acid (UA) on liver cancer cells through cell experiments, in order to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. Method: By adding z-vad-fmk apoptosis inhibitor and ROS inhibitor NAC, CCK8, cell apoptosis, Western blot experiments, mitochondrial membrane potential detection, and ROS flow cytometry were conducted. Compared with the positive drug sorafenib, the inhibitory effect of UA on liver cancer cells and its promotion of apoptosis were studied. The results of CCK8 confirmed that when UA was at its optimal concentration, its inhibitory effect on liver cancer cell viability was greater than that of sorafenib; Through cell apoptosis experiments, it can be observed that under fluorescence microscopy, the fluorescence intensity in the UA+HepG2 group is significantly stronger than that in the sorafenib+HepG2 group; Western blot experiments showed that the relative expression levels of proteins in HepG2 were almost equal between the HepG2+UA and sorafenib+HepG2 groups; through ROS experiments, it was found that when the reactive oxygen species in the HepG2+UA group were lower than those in the sorafenib+HepG2 group, it indicated that the former had a stronger effect of UA on HepG2. Conclusion: UA has a significant inhibitory effect on proliferation and promotes apoptosis in liver cancer cells.

Intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) has been used to treat locally advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (LA‐NSCLC) disseminated to primary gross tumor volume (pGTV) and mediastinal lymph nodes (LNs). However, it is challenging to deliver definitive doses to the pGTV and regional LNs without exceeding the tolerance of the organs at risk (OAR). Iodine‐125 (I‐125) brachytherapy has recently been applied in clinical practice for the treatment of malignant tumors. Its merits include a higher dose to the primary tumor lesion and lower dose surrounding the tumor mass. Using brachytherapy in these settings may maximize the dose delivered to the pGTV while minimizing the dose delivered to the OAR. I‐125 brachytherapy combined with IMRT for the treatment of LA‐NSCLC has rarely been reported. Here we report a patient with peripheral squamous cell carcinoma of the lung who received I‐125 brachytherapy for pulmonary lung lesions and IMRT for metastatic mediastinal LNs. The patient received 16 months of follow‐up care with no evidence of complications or disease recurrence. Moreover, we compared brachytherapy plus IMRT to theoretically planned IMRT dosimetry to evaluate the merits of each approach. This treatment modality resulted in a higher target dose escalation and lower doses delivered to the OAR.