Alternative Therapy Methods Research Articles

Impact of Advanced High-Power Pain Threshold Static Ultrasound and Muscle Energy Technique on Pain Thresholds and Functional Improvement in Myofascial Trigger Points

bands and hypersensitive Trigger Points (TrPs), contributing to musculoskeletal pain. The objective of this study is to investigate and assess the effectiveness of Advanced High-Power Pain Threshold Static Ultrasound (AHPPTSU) and Muscle Energy Technique (MET) in altering pain thresholds and enhancing functional outcomes in individuals with myofascial trigger points. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial involving 86 individuals with TrPs in the upper trapezius muscle, the participants were divided into experimental and control groups. 33 males and 53 females, underwent six sessions of treatment over two weeks. A repeated measure Analysis of variance was used to compare baseline values and altered values at 1 and 2 weeks. Results: The study demonstrated that the Pressure Pain Threshold (PPT) and the Neck Pain Disability Index (NPDI) score, showed a significant improvements in participants receiving AHPPTUS in experimental group compared to the other group. Experimental group showed a significantly greater improvement in PPT (p=0.001) and both groups experienced a significant enhancement in function. However, when comparing the two groups, experimental group showed a significantly greater improvement (p=0.001). Importantly, no adverse effects were reported in either group. Conclusion: In the treatment of myofascial trigger point, AHPPTSU can be considered as an alternative therapy method, which is more effective than previously used High-Power Pain Threshold Static Ultrasound (HPPTSU) therapy and it also shortens the total treatment protocol to 2 weeks.

Communication in Health Care Services: An Overview of the Legal Position of Informed Consent

The principle of informed consent requires physicians to communicate with patients before administering medical treatment. The information provided by physicians serves as a guide or consideration for patients when making an informed decision and gives the physician permission to proceed with the medical intervention. The obligation of physicians to communicate effectively has been regulated in Articles 35 and 45 of Law No. 29 of 2004 concerning Medical Practice and further strengthened by the Regulation of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia No. 290/ Menkes/ Per/ III/ 2008 concerning Approval of Medical Measures. Effective communicationin health care services cannot be exaggerated when it comes to providing medical care. Before the administration of medical treatment, the patient had already been informed of his condition, the probability of recovery, the potential risks associated with treatment and alternative therapy methods to ensure that patients were well informed about the disease and procedures that would be performed by physicians. Efficient communication between patients and healthcare providers is crucial to preventing medical malpractice.

Effects of physical activity on self-efficacy of patients with bronchial asthma

Introduction: Due to higher exposures to fine dust, increased smoking and prevalence of obesity and stress, an increase in the diagnosis of bronchial asthma can be expected, which requires adequate, scientifically tested, alternative therapy methods. The current study investigated the effects of regular physical training on general and disease-specific self-efficacy. Materials and Methods: Overall 82 participants with mild to moderate medicated asthma (63% female, mean age = 41.88 ± 10.43 years) took part in the study. They were randomly divided into three groups: (1) no intervention, (2) progressive muscle relaxation and (3) physical activity intervention. Intervention lasted ten weeks with two units of physical activity or relaxation per week, each lasting 60min. Self-efficacy was measured using the German scales of general and COPD self-efficacy scales. Results: Analysis showed positive influence of group assignment and basic values on general self-efficacy with significant differences between physical activity intervention and control group (p < .001). Conclusions: The present study underlies positive effects of physical activity on the subjective well-being of patients with bronchial asthma. Therefore, it is advisable to consider physical activity as an important component in the treatment of patients with bronchial asthma.

Complementary and Alternative Treatment Methods Used by Infertile Women in Turkiye: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: This study aims to determine the complementary and alternative therapy (CAM) methods used among infertile women in Turkiye, the prevalence of their use and the factors affecting their use. Method: The sample of the descriptive and cross-sectional study consisted of 142 women who applied to the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Centre of a public hospital and volunteered to participate in the study. The data were collected with "Personal Information Form" and "Complementary and Alternative Medicine Approaches Scale (CAMAS)". Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis Test were used in the evaluation of the data. Results: While the average age of the women who contributed to the study was found to be 29.77±4.83 years. When the CAM methods used by women are examined, they are mostly prayer (88.0%), prayer (namaz) (78.2%), vow (25.4%), visit to the tomb (24.6%), amulet (20.4%), black pepper (17.6%), ginseng (15.5%), astralagus (13.4%), going to a teacher and having yourself read (13.4%), shark cartilage (13.4%), turtle blood (13.4%), lead casting (4.2%), reiki (2.8%), bioenergy (2.1%) and hypnosis it was determined to be (1.4%). When the mean scores in the CAMAS subscales were examined, it was determined that the highest score was body-mind approaches (40.46±17.37). Conclusion: In line with the research findings, it was determined that the use of CAM was common among infertile women in Turkiye and the most frequently used approaches were spiritual and herbal methods. Health professionals need to evaluate infertile women about their use of CAM methods and inform women about these methods.

Pemeriksaan Kesehatan dan Sosialisasi Penggunaan Kinesiotaping

The main aim of this activity is to increase public awareness regarding the importance of health and introduce kinesiotaping as an alternative therapy method to treat various musculoskeletal problems. Health checks include checking blood pressure, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, as well as general health consultations, giving the public the opportunity to get medical advice directly from health workers. In addition, socialization of the use of kinesiotaping is carried out through demonstrations of installation techniques and practical applications to reduce muscle pain and improve joint function. The results of the activity showed a positive response from the public who felt more aware of the importance of maintaining health and understanding the benefits of kinesiotaping. This activity also succeeded in strengthening relations between the university and the local community, with the hope of continuing to improve health education in the future.

Bioengineering Skin Substitutes for Wound Management-Perspectives and Challenges.

Non-healing wounds and skin losses constitute significant challenges for modern medicine and pharmacology. Conventional methods of wound treatment are effective in basic healthcare; however, they are insufficient in managing chronic wound and large skin defects, so novel, alternative methods of therapy are sought. Among the potentially innovative procedures, the use of skin substitutes may be a promising therapeutic method. Skin substitutes are a heterogeneous group of materials that are used to heal and close wounds and temporarily or permanently fulfill the functions of the skin. Classification can be based on the structure or type (biological and synthetic). Simple constructs (class I) have been widely researched over the years, and can be used in burns and ulcers. More complex substitutes (class II and III) are still studied, but these may be utilized in patients with deep skin defects. In addition, 3D bioprinting is a rapidly developing method used to create advanced skin constructs and their appendages. The aforementioned therapies represent an opportunity for treating patients with diabetic foot ulcers or deep skin burns. Despite these significant developments, further clinical trials are needed to allow the use skin substitutes in the personalized treatment of chronic wounds.

Contact X-ray brachytherapy (CXB) as a salvage treatment for rectal cancer patients who developed local tumor re-growth after watch-and-wait approach.

A watch-and-wait approach is an alternative to surgery for rectal cancer patients who have achieved a clinical complete response (cCR) following neoadjuvant (chemo)radiotherapy. However, approximately 25-38% of patients experience subsequent local tumor re-growth that requires salvage surgery. We evaluated the effectiveness of contact X-ray brachytherapy (CXB) as an alternative method of salvage therapy for those patients who were either unfit for or refused surgery. Oncological outcomes, tolerability, and feasibility of subsequent surgery for local treatment failure following CXB were reported. From 2009-2021, all patients treated with CXB as salvage therapy for local rectal cancer re-growth after watch-and-wait approach at our center were analyzed. Contact X-ray brachytherapy as a salvage treatment (range, 90-110 Gy) was offered to 56 patients who experienced tumor re-growth following (chemo)radiation and watch-and-wait protocol. Median age was 76 (IQR = 66-83) years. Most patients (82%) had early-stage re-growth (ycT1/ycT2, ycN0), and 18% had more advanced stages (ycT3/ycT4, ycN0). After a median of 37-month follow-up (IQR = 19-53), 48% of patients who had early-stage re-growth achieved a sustained complete remission after CXB compared with 20% of those who had more advanced tumor stages. Disease-free and overall survivals for the whole cohort were 69% and 100% at 1-year, 51% and 82% at 3-year, and 51% and 65% at 5-years. CXB effectively controlled local re-growth-related symptoms. Mild post-CXB side effects occurred in 18% of cases. All (100%) eight patients who developed further local relapse, and 29% of those who had residual disease post-CXB salvage were successfully managed with subsequent surgery. Contact X-ray brachytherapy offers a new treatment option for patients in this situation whose other therapy options are not suitable for or refused initial surgery. Early local tumor re-growth responded best with minimal treatment-related toxicity and excellent symptom control. Disease-free and overall survival rates were acceptable, and delaying surgical salvage for local re-growth did not compromise patients' eventual long-term outcomes.

Tuina therapy promotes behavioral improvement and brain plasticity in rats with peripheral nerve injury and repair.

Tuina is currently one of the popular complementary and alternative methods of rehabilitation therapy. Tuina can improve patients' pain and mobility function. However, the underlying physiological mechanism remains largely unknown, which might limit its further popularization in clinical practice. The aim of this study is to explore the short-term and long-term changes in brain functional activity following Tuina intervention for peripheral nerve injury repair. A total of 16 rats were equally divided into the intervention group and the control group. Rats in the intervention group received Tuina therapy applying on the gastrocnemius muscle of the right side for 4 months following sciatic nerve transection and immediate repair, while the control group received nerve transection and repair only. The block-design functional magnetic resonance imaging scan was applied in both groups at 1 and 4 months after the surgery. During the scan, both the injured and intact hindpaw was electrically stimulated according to a "boxcar" paradigm. When stimulating the intact hindpaw, the intervention group exhibited significantly lower activation in the somatosensory area, limbic/paralimbic areas, pain-regulation areas, and basal ganglia compared to the control group, with only the prefrontal area showing higher activation. After 4 months of sciatic nerve injury, the control group exhibited decreased motor cortex activity compared to the activity observed at 1 month, and the intervention group demonstrated stronger bilateral motor cortex activity compared to the control group. Tuina therapy on the gastrocnemius muscle of rats with sciatic nerve injury can effectively alleviate pain and maintain the motor function of the affected limb. In addition, Tuina therapy reduced the activation level of pain-related brain regions and inhibited the decreased activity of the motor cortex caused by nerve injury, reflecting the impact of peripheral stimulation on brain plasticity.

New trends in the regenerative therapy of vitiligo. Literature review

Vitiligo is the most common acquired skin depigmentation disorder characterized by progressive loss of pigmentation caused by the destruction of functional melanocytes in the epidermis. The pathogenesis consists in the interaction of genetic components, metabolic factors associated with cellular oxidative stress, adhesion of melanocytes to the epithelium and autoimmunity, which culminate in aggression against melanocytes. To date, the treatment of vitiligo, according to Russian and European clinical guidelines, consists in the appointment of various drug and non-drug methods: the use of topical and systemic glucocorticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, azathioprine, phototherapy, both in the form of monotherapy and their combination.
 In recent years, in connection with the development of cellular technologies, alternative methods of therapy based on the transplantation of autologous cultured and non-cultured melanocytes have become widespread in the treatment of vitiligo. The most promising options for vitiligo cell therapy are methods based not only on the transplantation of ready-made cellular structures, but also on the replacement of damaged cells with a transplant of pluropotent progenitor stem cells or their immature committed structures.
 This article is of an overview nature. The aim of the review is to update information on promising new treatments for vitiligo. A literature review was conducted using the PubMed, Cochrane Library, CyberLeninka and Internet databases to study clinical and preclinical data on the possibility of using innovative methods of regenerative medicine in patients with vitiligo.
 This review is addressed to medical researchers interested in the treatment of vitiligo.

Guanidines: Synthesis of Novel Histamine H3R Antagonists with Additional Breast Anticancer Activity and Cholinesterases Inhibitory Effect.

This study examines the properties of novel guanidines, designed and synthesized as histamine H3R antagonists/inverse agonists with additional pharmacological targets. We evaluated their potential against two targets viz., inhibition of MDA-MB-231, and MCF-7 breast cancer cells viability and inhibition of AChE/BuChE. ADS10310 showed micromolar cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells, combined with nanomolar affinity at hH3R, and may represent a promising target for the development of an alternative method of cancer therapy. Some of the newly synthesized compounds showed moderate inhibition of BuChE in the single-digit micromolar concentration ranges. H3R antagonist with additional AChE/BuChE inhibitory effect might improve cognitive functions in Alzheimer's disease. For ADS10310, several in vitro ADME-Tox parameters were evaluated and indicated that it is a metabolically stable compound with weak hepatotoxic activity and can be accepted for further studies.

Effect of Hypericin-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy on the Secretion of Soluble TNF Receptors by Oral Cancer Cells.

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cancer of the head and neck region. In addition to the classic surgical treatment method, alternative therapy methods are sought. One such method is photodynamic therapy (PDT). In addition to the direct cytotoxic effect, it is essential to determine the effect of PDT on persistent tumor cells. The study used the SCC-25 oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell line and the HGF-1 healthy gingival fibroblast line. A compound of natural origin-hypericin (HY)-was used as a photosensitizer (PS) at concentrations of 0-1 µM. After two hours of incubation with the PS, the cells were irradiated with light doses of 0-20 J/cm2. The 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) test was used to determine sublethal doses of PDT. Cell supernatants subjected to sublethal PDT were assessed for soluble tumor necrosis alpha receptors (sTNF-R1, sTNF-R2). The phototoxic effect was observed starting with a light dose of 5 J/cm2 and amplified with the increase in HY concentration and light dose. A statistically significant increase in sTNF-R1 secretion by SCC-25 cells was demonstrated after the PDT with 0.5 µM HY and irradiation with 2 J/cm2 (sTNF-R1 concentration = 189.19 pg/mL ± 2.60) compared to the control without HY and irradiated with the same dose of light (sTNF-R1 concentration = 108.94 pg/mL ± 0.99). The baseline production of sTNF-R1 was lower for HGF-1 than for SCC-25, and secretion was not affected by the PDT. The PDT had no effect on the sTNF-R2 production in the SCC-25 or HGF-1 lines.

Effect of Robot Assistive Therapy on Hand Functional Ability in Stroke Patients: Meta-Analysis

Background: Stroke is a neurological deficit disease caused by bleeding or blockage of blood vessels in the brain which can cause disability or death. Vascular injuries cause various neurological disorders, motor disorders and functional disorders of the hands which are very necessary to carry out daily activities. Robot Assistive Therapy as a breakthrough in stroke rehabilitation technology can be used as an alternative therapy method for post-stroke rehabilitation. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the use of robotic assistive therapy and conventional therapy on the functional abilities of stroke patients' hands. Subjects and Method: This study used a systematic review and meta-analysis design using the PRISMA flowchart guidelines and the PICO model (Population = Stroke patients. Intervention = Robot Assistive Therapy. Comparison = Conventional therapy. Outcome = Hand functional ability). The article search process was carried out using databases from PubMed, Science Direct, AJOT, Springer Link, and Google Scholar. The keywords used are “Robot Assistive Therapy” AND “stroke” AND “hand function” AND “randomized controlled trial” AND “Fugl Meyer Assessment”. The inclusion criteria in this study were full-text articles using the Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) design from 2012 to 2022. The corresponding articles were then critically reviewed and analyzed using RevMan 5.3 software. Results: A meta-analysis was conducted on 9 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from Belgium, Italy, Japan, Germany, Lithuania and Switzerland with a total sample of 537 stroke patients. The results of the meta-analysis showed that there was no difference in effectiveness between the use of robot assistive therapy and conventional therapy in improving the functional abilities of stroke patients' hands (SMD= -0.02; 95% CI= -0.42 to 0.38; p= 0.930). Conclusion: There is no difference in effectiveness between the use of assistive therapy robots and conventional therapy in improving the functional abilities of stroke patients' hands. Keywords: robot assistive therapy, stroke, hand functional abilities, meta-analysis Correspondence: Haris Sutopo, Masters Program in Public Health, Universitas Sebelas Maret. Jl. Ir Sutami 36A, Surakarta 57126, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia. Email: hartop4wd@gmail.com. Telepon: +628155010610.

Depression and Its Phytopharmacotherapy-A Narrative Review.

Depression is a mental health disorder that develops as a result of complex psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrinological disturbances. This disease presents with mood disturbances, persistent sadness, loss of interest and impaired cognition, which causes distress to the patient and significantly affects the ability to function and have a satisfying family, social and professional life. Depression requires comprehensive management, including pharmacological treatment. Because pharmacotherapy of depression is a long-term process associated with the risk of numerous adverse drug effects, much attention is paid to alternative therapy methods, including phytopharmacotherapy, especially in treating mild or moderate depression. Preclinical studies and previous clinical studies confirm the antidepressant activity of active compounds in plants, such as St. John's wort, saffron crocus, lemon balm and lavender, or less known in European ethnopharmacology, roseroot, ginkgo, Korean ginseng, borage, brahmi, mimosa tree and magnolia bark. The active compounds in these plants exert antidepressive effects in similar mechanisms to those found in synthetic antidepressants. The description of phytopharmacodynamics includes inhibiting monoamine reuptake and monoamine oxidase activity and complex, agonistic or antagonistic effects on multiple central nervous system (CNS) receptors. Moreover, it is noteworthy that the anti-inflammatory effect is also important to the antidepressant activity of the plants mentioned above in light of the hypothesis that immunological disorders of the CNS are a significant pathogenetic factor of depression. This narrative review results from a traditional, non-systematic literature review. It briefly discusses the pathophysiology, symptomatology and treatment of depression, with a particular focus on the role of phytopharmacology in its treatment. It provides the mechanisms of action revealed in experimental studies of active ingredients isolated from herbal antidepressants and presents the results of selected clinical studies confirming their antidepressant effectiveness.

Антибактериальная активность экспериментального коктейля бактериофагов против патогенной микробиоты наружных слуховых проходов собак и кошек

Otitis externa is a common pathological condition of small pets requiring antimicrobial therapy. Widespread unjustified use of antibiotics exacerbates the existing problem of antibiotic resistance, and the number of isolates with multidrug resistance (MDR) is increasing. In this regard, an actual task is to search and evaluate alternative methods of antimicrobial therapy, for example, bacteriophages. In this study, the antibacterial activity of an experimental bacteriophage-based drug was evaluated against current participants in the etiopathogenesis of otitis externa in dogs and cats: Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. Coagulans, Staphylococcus hyicus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus canis, Enterococcus faecalis. The bacteriophage-based drug showed expressed antibacterial efficacy in vitro. When diluted 128 times, the cocktail of bacteriophages stably lysed test cultures of bacteria. There is a need for constant search and expansion of the number of virulent strains of bacteriophages to create an experimental means for the treatment of external otitis externa in dogs and cats, nevertheless, due to the positive results of the studies conducted, the actual potential of bacteriophages as an alternative to antibiotic therapy for pathologies of the external auditory canal in small pets is confirmed.

Alternative methods of therapy for comorbid sleep disorders as a method of choice in adult patients with epilepsy

Systematization and generalization of data from domestic and foreign literature on alternative methods of treatment of sleep disorders in epilepsy. The search for data from domestic and foreign literary sources was carried out in the electronic databases Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, eLibrary, CyberLeninka, Google Scholar. The data of modern randomized trials, meta-analyzes on the effectiveness of various non-traditional methods as a method of choice for epilepsy with comorbid sleep disorders have been analyzed. Complementary (alternative) treatments have many advantages over the classical pharmacotherapy of sleep disorders in epilepsy, in the form of non-invasiveness, low incidence of side-effects, ease of use, and lack of a dose-dependent effect. Of course, the targets of most of the above methods are not focused and not very specific, and the sample size is too small to obtain impartial and meaningful clinical conclusions, but this once again emphasizes the urgent need for large-scale clinical trials, which is necessary to develop evidence-based treatments for comorbid sleep disorders in epilepsy.

Popular Complementary and Alternative Therapy Methods in Different Conditions

Complementary and alternative therapies (CAM) are methods for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases based on various cultural beliefs and experiences that are not currently considered part of modern medicine. In recent years, the integration of CAM applications into healthcare systems all over the world has led to an increase in their use and frequency, and it has also increased the necessity and expectation of evidence-based practices. In this review, it was aimed to examine the alternative treatment methods that are frequently used in different conditions, their mechanisms of action, and their application within the framework of scientific evidence. For this purpose, popularly used complementary and alternative therapies for musculoskeletal conditions (dry needling, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, dry cupping), neurological conditions (acupuncture, reflexology), and other conditions such as cancer and metabolic diseases (yoga) were examined.

DIFFERENCES IN THE EFFECTS OF AEROBIC, RESISTANCE, AND COMBINATION EXERCISE TYPES WITH MODERATE-INTENSITY ON SERUM SEROTONIN LEVELS IN OBESE WOMEN

This study aims to compare the different effects of moderate-intensity exercise on serum serotonin levels in obese women aged 20-24 years with aerobic, resistance, and combination types of exercise intervention. This research is a field experimental with a pre-test post-test control group design to see an increase in serum serotonin levels. The intervention will be carried out chronically for four weeks. A total of 24 women who met the inclusion criteria were divided into four groups, namely control, aerobic, resistance, and combination groups and tested with moderate intensity exercise. Blood tests were taken before and after the exercise intervention were given to measure the changes in serum serotonin levels. The samples acquired were examined by SPSS version 16. The results of aerobic (2067.59±83.53 ng/mL to 2335.89±77.32 ng/mL), resistance (2067.59±123.99 ng/mL to 2513.57±173.04 ng/mL), and combination (2066.40±104.34 ng/mL to 2725.77±67.16 ng/ mL) exercise for four weeks with moderate intensity showed that the three groups experienced an increase in serum serotonin levels after the intervention. These results concludes the three types of exercise, especially combination of aerobic and resistance exercises, may be used as an alternative indirect therapy method and prevention of obesity.

Fucoidan, as an immunostimulator promotes M1 macrophage differentiation and enhances the chemotherapeutic sensitivity of capecitabine in colon cancer

Chemotherapy resistance is one of the most critical challenges in colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. The occurrence and development of chemotherapy resistance closely related to the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). As the most important immunosuppressive immune cells infiltrating into the TIME, macrophages are essential for chemotherapy resistance in CRC treatment. In this study, we found that a kind of fucoidan (FPS1M) induced macrophages differentiation to the M1 phenotype, and this transformation promoted cancer cells apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. TNFα is a key mediator of FPS1M-induced tumorcidal activity of macrophages. Mechanistically, as a stimulator of TLR4, FPS1M enhanced macrophages glycolysis and regulated macrophages differentiation to the M1 phenotype by the activation of TLR4 mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling axis. In addition, FPS1M improved the immunosuppressed tumor microenvironment by increasing the infiltration of M1 macrophages in tumor tissue, which was conducive to improving the sensitivity of tumor to chemotherapy. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that FPS1M has the great potential to be used in tumor immunotherapy. The results also suggested that the combination of FPS1M with capecitabine is an alternative therapy method for colon cancer.

Design and Gene Delivery Application of Polymeric Materials in Cancer Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy has offered an alternative therapy method for cancer patients with metastatic tumors or who are not suitable for surgical resection. Different from traditional surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, immunotherapy mainly restores the activity of the body’s own immune cells silenced in the tumor microenvironment to achieve anticancer therapy. Gene therapy which corrects abnormal expression of immune cells in tumor microenvironment by delivering exogenous genes to specific immune cells, is the most widely studied immunotherapy. Although most available gene delivery vectors are still viral vectors, the further application of viral vectors is still limited by the immunogenicity and mutagenesis. Based on this, cationic polymeric gene vectors with high flexibility, high feasibility, low cost and high safety have been widely used in gene delivery. The structural variability of polymers allows specific chemical modifications to be incorporated into polymer scaffolds to improve their physicochemical properties for more stable loading of genes or more targeted delivery to specific cells. In this review, we have summarized the structural characteristics and application potential in cancer immunotherapy of these polymeric gene vectors based on poly(L-lysine), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), polyethyleneimine, poly(amidoamine) and hydrogel system.

Acupuncture Treatment Decreased Temporal Variability of Dynamic Functional Connectivity in Chronic Tinnitus.

Acupuncture is recommended for the relief of chronic tinnitus in traditional Chinese medicine, but the underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. The human brain is a dynamic system, and it’s unclear about acupuncture’s effects on the dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) of chronic tinnitus. Therefore, this study based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) investigates abnormal DFC in chronic tinnitus patients and the neural activity change evoked by acupuncture treatment for tinnitus. In this study, 17 chronic tinnitus patients and 22 age- and sex-matched normal subjects were recruited, and their tinnitus-related scales and hearing levels were collected. The fMRI data were measured before and after acupuncture, and then sliding-window and k-means clustering methods were used to calculate DFC and perform clustering analysis, respectively. We found that, compared with the normal subjects, chronic tinnitus patients had higher temporal variability of DFC between the supplementary motor area and medial part of the superior frontal gyrus, and it positively correlated with hearing loss. Clustering analysis showed higher transition probability (TP) between connection states in chronic tinnitus patients, and it was positively correlated with tinnitus severity. Furthermore, the findings showed that acupuncture treatment might improve tinnitus. DFC between the posterior cingulate gyrus and angular gyrus in chronic tinnitus patients after acupuncture showed significantly decreased, and it positively correlated with the improvement of tinnitus. Clustering analysis showed that acupuncture treatment might promote chronic tinnitus patients under lower DFC state, and it also positively correlated with the improvement of tinnitus. This study suggests that acupuncture as an alternative therapy method might decrease the tinnitus severity by decreasing the time variability of DFC in chronic tinnitus patients.