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Journal of Child Health Care : For... Dec 2023Newborns with hyperbilirubinemia have traditionally received phototherapy in hospital. Hospital stays for infants, however, may negatively affect parent-infant bonding...
Newborns with hyperbilirubinemia have traditionally received phototherapy in hospital. Hospital stays for infants, however, may negatively affect parent-infant bonding and induce anxiety and feelings of powerlessness in mothers. This study examined parent's experiences of providing phototherapy to their neonates at home instead. A descriptive qualitative study based on 15 interviews (8 mothers and 7 fathers) with parents of 8 children who had been randomised to home phototherapy was conducted during spring 2018 in Örebro county, Sweden. Inductive content analysis was used. The overall experience of home phototherapy was positive, and five categories were identified describing their experiences: continuing life at home, adjusting to having a newborn, feeling secure, experiencing parenthood and accessing information. The findings support the use of home phototherapy. Parents felt secure at home with their infants and emphasised the importance of clear information and round-the-clock access to hospital staff.
Topics: Infant; Female; Child; Infant, Newborn; Humans; Parents; Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal; Mothers; Length of Stay; Phototherapy
PubMed: 35341337
DOI: 10.1177/13674935221082404 -
European Review For Medical and... Dec 2023Phototherapy is a convenient and effective treatment alternative for a range of skin diseases. However, a major challenge in patient adherence to phototherapy may be the...
OBJECTIVE
Phototherapy is a convenient and effective treatment alternative for a range of skin diseases. However, a major challenge in patient adherence to phototherapy may be the necessity of visiting a phototherapy center regularly over an extended period of time. The aims of this study were (i) to investigate the adherence rate to phototherapy and (ii) to determine factors associated with adherence to narrow-band ultraviolet B phototherapy (nbUVB) treatment.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
A retrospective review of patient records who underwent nbUVB phototherapy between January 1, 2018, and March 31, 2023, was performed. Patient records were reviewed for age, gender, skin type, diagnosis, type of phototherapy applied, duration of treatment, total number of sessions, presence of side effects, reasons for discontinuation of treatment, and perceived benefits of treatment.
RESULTS
Of a total of 729 patients undergoing phototherapy, 281 (38.5%) discontinued treatment before completing 20 sessions. In particular, younger patients and those who experienced fewer side effects tended to discontinue treatment prematurely. The most common reason for discontinuing treatment was difficulty in visiting the hospital regularly.
CONCLUSIONS
The patient's compliance with phototherapy was 61.5%. These results indicate that phototherapy is still one of the preferred treatment methods, although many new treatment agents have been developed in dermatology in recent years. Identifying and addressing factors that affect patient adherence will certainly help increase the effectiveness of treatment.
Topics: Humans; Phototherapy; Ultraviolet Therapy; Skin Diseases; Treatment Outcome; Treatment Adherence and Compliance
PubMed: 38095378
DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202312_34568 -
Journal of Nanobiotechnology Sep 2023Near-infrared (NIR) organic small molecule dyes (OSMDs) are effective photothermal agents for photothermal therapy (PTT) due to their advantages of low cost and... (Review)
Review
Near-infrared (NIR) organic small molecule dyes (OSMDs) are effective photothermal agents for photothermal therapy (PTT) due to their advantages of low cost and toxicity, good biodegradation, and strong NIR absorption over a wide wavelength range. Nevertheless, OSMDs have limited applicability in PTT due to their low photothermal conversion efficiency and inadequate destruction of tumor regions that are nonirradiated by NIR light. However, they can also act as photosensitizers (PSs) to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can be further eradicated by using ROS-related therapies to address the above limitations of PTT. In this review, the synergistic mechanism, composition, and properties of photodynamic therapy (PDT)-PTT nanoplatforms were comprehensively discussed. In addition, some specific strategies for further improving the combined PTT and PDT based on OSMDs for cancer to completely eradicate cancer cells were outlined. These strategies include performing image-guided co-therapy, enhancing tumor infiltration, increasing HO or O in the tumor microenvironment, and loading anticancer drugs onto nanoplatforms to enable combined therapy with phototherapy and chemotherapy. Meanwhile, the intriguing prospects and challenges of this treatment modality were also summarized with a focus on the future trends of its clinical application.
Topics: Humans; Photochemotherapy; Photothermal Therapy; Reactive Oxygen Species; Hydrogen Peroxide; Phototherapy; Photosensitizing Agents; Neoplasms; Coloring Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Nanoparticles; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 37759287
DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-02111-x -
Advanced Science (Weinheim,... Jul 2023Advanced liver cancer is the most fatal malignant cancer, and the clinical outcomes of treatment are not very satisfactory due to the complexity and heterogeneity of the...
Advanced liver cancer is the most fatal malignant cancer, and the clinical outcomes of treatment are not very satisfactory due to the complexity and heterogeneity of the tumor. Combination therapy can efficiently enhance tumor treatment by stimulating multiple pathways and regulating the tumor immune microenvironment. Nanodrug delivery systems have become attractive candidates for combined strategies for liver cancer treatment. This study reports a nano ultrasound contrast agent (arsenic trioxide (ATO)/PFH NPs@Au-cRGD) to integrate diagnosis and treatment for efficient ultrasound imaging and liver cancer therapy. This nanodrug delivery system promotes tumor-associated antigens release through ATO-induced ferroptosis and photothermal-induced immunogenic cell death, enhancing the synergistic effects of ATO and photothermal therapy in human Huh7 and mouse Hepa1-6 cells. This drug delivery system successfully activates the antitumor immune response and promotes macrophage M1 polarization in tumor microenvironment with low side effects in subcutaneous and orthotopic liver cancer. Furthermore, tumor metastasis is inhibited and long-term immunological memory is also established in orthotopic liver cancer when the nanodrug delivery system is combined with anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunotherapy. This safe nanodrug delivery system can enhance antitumor therapy, inhibit lung metastasis, and achieve visual assessment of therapeutic efficacy, providing substantial potential in clinic applications for liver cancer.
Topics: Mice; Humans; Animals; Contrast Media; Photothermal Therapy; Phototherapy; Hyperthermia, Induced; Mice, Inbred Strains; Ultrasonography; Liver Neoplasms; Immunotherapy; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 37162268
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202300878 -
Scientific Reports Jul 2023We assessed the effectiveness of light-guided-tip intense pulsed light (IPL) with meibomian gland expression (MGX) in chalazion treatment. Ninety-five eyes with...
We assessed the effectiveness of light-guided-tip intense pulsed light (IPL) with meibomian gland expression (MGX) in chalazion treatment. Ninety-five eyes with chalazion received a light-guided-tip IPL-MGX treatment (IPL-MGX group), and another 95 eyes with chalazion received incision with curettage treatment (Control group). Prior to IPL or incision, as well as 1 month after the final treatment, data were gathered pertaining to the lesion location and size, hyperemia, lesions regression or recurrence, and a comprehensive ophthalmic examination. The total size of the chalazia in the IPL-MGX group was significantly reduced after the final treatment, with an average resolution rate of 70.5%, which is comparable to excision surgery. A significant decrease in chalazion recurrence rate was apparent after treatment in the IPL-MGX group compared with control. Moreover, the IPL-MGX demonstrated significant advancements throughout noninvasive tear film breakup time (NIBUT) as well as meibum grade in comparison to baseline and those in the the Control group. The use of IPL-MGX was found to be an efficient therapy for reducing the size and recurring frequency of chalazia, as well as for improving the meibomian gland function. It may be considered as a first-line treatment for cases of primary or recurrent chalazia with inflammation.
Topics: Humans; Chalazion; Meibomian Glands; Phototherapy; Intense Pulsed Light Therapy; Tears; Ascomycota; Dry Eye Syndromes
PubMed: 37524772
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39332-x -
Drug Delivery Dec 2023Conventional treatments for tumors were frequently accompanied by drawbacks and side effects. It might be useful to use the revolutionary microneedle technology which...
Conventional treatments for tumors were frequently accompanied by drawbacks and side effects. It might be useful to use the revolutionary microneedle technology which combines photothermal therapy with tumor immunotherapy. In this study, we created a microneedle drug delivery system with mercapto-modified gold nanorods and immune checkpoint blocker anti-PD-1 polypeptide. With good mechanical strength, the microneedle system can efficiently penetrate the skin and deliver drugs. When inserted into human skin, anti-PD-1 peptides and gold nanorods can be released, boosting the capacity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes to destroy tumor cells. Additionally, the elimination of the tumor is aided by the production of heat while being exposed to near-infrared light. This microneedle drug delivery system can enhance the immunological reaction and prolong the survival time of mice. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that the system has mild toxic and side effects on normal tissues and can effectively inhibit the growth of tumors, indicating a bright prospect for the treatment of cancers.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Mice; Photothermal Therapy; Immunotherapy; Antineoplastic Agents; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Drug Delivery Systems; Gold
PubMed: 37439010
DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2023.2232950 -
Nature Communications Sep 2023Tumor metastases are considered the leading cause of cancer-associated deaths. While clinically applied drugs have demonstrated to efficiently remove the primary tumor,...
Tumor metastases are considered the leading cause of cancer-associated deaths. While clinically applied drugs have demonstrated to efficiently remove the primary tumor, metastases remain poorly accessible. To overcome this limitation, herein, the development of a theranostic nanomaterial by incorporating a chromophore for imaging and a photosensitizer for treatment of metastatic tumor sites is presented. The mechanism of action reveals that the nanoparticles are able to intervene by local generation of cellular damage through photodynamic therapy as well as by systemic induction of an immune response by immunotherapy upon inhibition of the mTOR signaling pathway which is of crucial importance for tumor onset, progression and metastatic spreading. The nanomaterial is able to strongly reduce the volume of the primary tumor as well as eradicates tumor metastases in a metastatic breast cancer and a multi-drug resistant patient-derived hepatocellular carcinoma models in female mice.
Topics: Female; Animals; Mice; Precision Medicine; Signal Transduction; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; Immunotherapy; Photochemotherapy; Liver Neoplasms
PubMed: 37660174
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40826-5 -
Polydopamine nanomaterials and their potential applications in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.Drug Delivery Dec 2023The conventional treatment methods used for the management of autoimmune diseases (ADs) have limited efficacy and also exhibit significant side effects. Thus,... (Review)
Review
The conventional treatment methods used for the management of autoimmune diseases (ADs) have limited efficacy and also exhibit significant side effects. Thus, identification of novel strategies to improve the efficacy and safety of ADs treatment is urgently required. Overactivated immune response and oxidative stress are common characteristics associated with ADs. Polydopamine (PDA), as a polymer material with good antioxidant and photothermal conversion properties, has displayed useful application potential against ADs. In addition, PDA possesses good biosafety, simple preparation, and easy functionalization, which is conducive for the pharmacological development of PDA nanomaterials with clinical transformation prospects. Here, we have first reviewed the preparation of PDA, the different functional integration strategies of PDA-based biomaterials, and their potential applications in ADs. Next, the mechanism of action of PDA in ADs has been elaborated in detail. Finally, the application opportunities and challenges linked with PDA nanomaterials for ADs treatment are discussed. This review is contributed to design reasonable and effective PDA nanomaterials for the diagnosis and treatment of ADs.
Topics: Nanostructures; Indoles; Polymers; Phototherapy
PubMed: 38069584
DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2023.2289846 -
Cornea Oct 2023Customized photorefractive keratectomy with minimal tissue ablation combined with corneal cross-linking seems to be a long-term safe and effective strategy for...
Customized photorefractive keratectomy with minimal tissue ablation combined with corneal cross-linking seems to be a long-term safe and effective strategy for anatomical and visual management of keratoconus, postsurgical ectasia, and other ectasia management. Multiple published studies, many with long-term follow-up, have supported the Athens Protocol and its various forms as a means to manage corneal ectatic disorders, which not only stabilize corneal shapes but also improve functional vision.
Topics: Humans; Keratoconus; Photorefractive Keratectomy; Corneal Cross-Linking; Dilatation, Pathologic
PubMed: 37669421
DOI: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000003320 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2023Nanotechnology-enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT) and immunotherapy are emerging as exciting cancer therapeutic methods with significant potential for improving patient... (Review)
Review
Nanotechnology-enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT) and immunotherapy are emerging as exciting cancer therapeutic methods with significant potential for improving patient outcomes. By combining these approaches, synergistic effects have been observed in preclinical studies, resulting in enhanced immune responses to cancer and the capacity to conquer the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Despite challenges such as addressing treatment limitations and developing personalized cancer treatment strategies, the integration of nanotechnology-enabled PDT and immunotherapy, along with advanced photosensitizers (PSs), represents an exciting new avenue in cancer treatment. Continued research, development, and collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and regulatory agencies are crucial for further advancements and the successful implementation of these promising therapies, ultimately benefiting cancer patients worldwide.
Topics: Humans; Photosensitizing Agents; Photochemotherapy; Neoplasms; Immunotherapy; Nanotechnology; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 37860012
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1219785