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Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are key enzymes in epigenetics and promising targets for anticancer therapy. Although several drugs targeting HDAC have been approved for the treatment of tumors, their clinical use has been limited by their deleterious side effects and poor efficacy. Herein, we discover four potent HDAC inhibitors through pharmacophore model screening and molecular docking. These compounds are able to bind HDACs 1, 3, and 6 with nanomolar affinity. Among them, compound 3 shows greater inhibitory effect on HDACs 1, 3, and 6 than that of vorinostat (SAHA). Evaluation of anticancer activity indicates that compound 3 significantly inhibits the growth of solid cancer cells including HGC‐27, AGS, MDA‐MB‐231, A549, MCF‐7, and H460 cells. In vivo anticancer study suggests that compound 3 can also markedly inhibit the growth of HGC‐27 cells‐derived xenograft, with no observable toxicity. These findings suggest that compound 3 may be as a potential HDAC‐targeting inhibitor for solid tumor therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer‐related deaths worldwide, has high morbidity rates. Video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) as day surgery makes surgical treatment ideally in time with the same quality of medical care. This study aimed to assess the safety of stage I NSCLC patients who underwent VATS at a day surgery center. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics and tumor features of VATS patients at a single center, West China Hospital, from June 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020. Patients fulfilled all inclusion criteria, did not meet any exclusion criteria and underwent wedge resection, segmentectomy, or lobectomy with systematic lymph node dissection. Results: The median patient age was 43 (range, 19–67) years. Of the 209 patients, most were women. A total of 108 (51.7%) patients underwent segmentectomy, 87 (41.6%) lobectomy, and 14 (6.7%) wedge resection with systematic lymph node dissection. According to the AJCC/UICC eighth edition of lung cancer stage grouping, stages IA, IA1, IA2, and IA3 were 195 (93.3%), 122 (58.4%), 50 (23.9%), and one (0.5%), respectively. A total of 36 (17.2%) patients were stage 0. Adenocarcinoma was predominantly the postoperative pathological diagnosis, as only 14 (6.7%) were benign. A total of 201 (96.17%) patients were discharged without a chest tube. The most common chief complaints were cough, incisional pain, and shortness of breath. No severe complications or life‐threatening emergencies were observed. Conclusions: The day surgery mode of VATS for stage I NSCLC is safe and feasible, which makes surgical treatment ideally in time for stage I NSCLC patients with the same quality of medical care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the persistence and the worldwide shortage of organs from both the deceased and living donors for clinical transplantation, pig organs or tissues hold immense promises for the patients on the waiting list, and xenotransplantation is deemed as one of the solutions to the organ shortage crisis. Indeed, the emerging gene editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas9, have led to tremendous progress in the generation of genetically modified pigs to overcome many barriers associated. Method: We presented a description of the xenotransplantation regulations in China and the related products. Result: Several groups in China have successfully generated transgenic pigs with the elimination of immune rejection or coagulation‐related genes, and both pre‐clinical and clinical studies have been reported. However, the pre‐clinical evaluation and clinical application of porcine xenotransplantation raises ethical and regulatory considerations. Herein, in this review, we will summarize and discuss the progress in xenotransplantation in China and xenotransplantation‐related products from the regulatory perspective. Conclusion: There has been remarkable progress in both the genetically modified pigs and pre‐clinical studies in China, and China will be the first country to successfully fulfill the xenotransplantation from pig organ to human in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main obstacle to organ transplantation is the shortage of organs from deceased individuals. Especially in China, the ratio of patients on the waiting list versus the transplant recipients is 30:1. Therefore, there is an urgent need for organ donors. Genetically modified pig organs have proved to be a new source for xenotransplantation, and Chinese scientists have made considerable progress in this area during recent years. In this paper, we review four important aspects of the xenotransplantation field in China. First, a large variety of genetically modified pigs have been generated by Chinese scientists: all these genetically modified pigs and the purpose of these modifications will be summarized. Second, the preclinical research in pig‐to‐nonhuman primate xenotransplantation is outlined. The survival time and major biochemical parameters for the xenografts are summarized. Third, regarding the bench‐to‐bed approach, more suitable organs have been developed for xenotransplantation in humans, and in particular, pig islet transplantation into diabetic patients as well as pig‐to‐human cornea and skin transplantation. Fourth, we briefly address the regulations and prospects for recruiting xenotransplantation experts in China. Based on recent progress, we anticipate that genetically modified pigs will offer suitable organs for the treatment of end‐stage organ diseases in humans in the near future. Given the recent influx of world‐renowned scientists in xenotransplantation to China, our country will definitely become one of the major centers of xenotransplantation research and development in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organ shortage crisis affects most of the world today. In Asia, rates of deceased organ donation are extremely low due to sociocultural factors. In this context, implementing new organ donation policies is not enough; xenotransplantation remains the most promising way to solve the organ crisis. Most of the early research on xenotransplantation was conducted in the US and Europe. Today, however, Asia has caught up on its Western counterparts partly due to the increasing demand for organ transplants. Given the growing influence of countries such as China, South Korea, and Japan in xenotransplantation, this article provides the reader with an essential global understanding of the scientific and ethical issues currently at stake. Furthermore, it sheds light on the beliefs and values that shape the response of the Asian public to both organ donation and xenotransplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover image is based on the Review Promising potentials of Tibetan macaques in xenotransplantation by Hanrui Zheng et al., DOI: 10.1111/xen.12489. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pig‐to‐human organ transplantation provides an alternative for critical shortage of human organs worldwide. Genetically modified pigs are promising donors for xenotransplantation as they show many anatomical and physiological similarities to humans. However, immunological rejection including hyperacute rejection (HAR), acute humoral xenograft rejection (AHXR), immune cell–mediated rejection, and other barriers associated with xenotransplantation must be overcome with various strategies for the genetic modification of pigs. In this review, we summarize the outcomes of genetically modified and cloned pigs achieved by Chinese scientists to resolve the above‐mentioned problems in xenotransplantation. It is now possible to knockout several porcine genes associated with the expression of sugar residues, antigens for (naturally) existing antibodies in humans, including GGTA1, CMAH, and β4GalNT2, and thereby preventing the antigen‐antibody response. Moreover, insertion of human complement‐ and coagulation‐regulatory transgenes, such as CD46, CD55, CD59, and hTBM, can further overcome effects of the humoral immune response and coagulation dysfunction, while expression of regulatory factors of immune responses can inhibit the adaptive immune rejection. Furthermore, transgenic strategies have been developed by Chinese scientists to reduce the potential risk of infections by endogenous porcine retroviruses (PERVs). Breeding of multi‐gene low‐immunogenicity pigs in China is also presented in this review. Lastly, we will briefly mention the preclinical studies on pig‐to‐non‐human primate xenotransplantation conducted in several centers in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organ transplantation is a crucial medical procedure, as it is often the only treatment for patients suffering from end‐stage organ failure. Unfortunately, the shortage of donor organs limits the number of patients whose lives can be saved. Carrying out research on xenotransplantation with the aim of eventually replacing human organ transplants with those of animals is very promising, as it could effectively bridge the shortfall in donor organs. Thanks to the success of cloned pigs and to the emergence of gene‐editing techniques, genetically modified pigs have come to be considered ideal animal donors for human xenotransplantation and have been widely used in basic research. Such research focuses on pig‐to‐nonhuman primates transplantation, as the recipients are suitable for preclinical studies because both their genes and organ sizes are similar to those of humans. Chinese transplantation scientists have carried out several experiments on Tibetan macaques, including successful preclinical transplants of material from genetically modified pigs, as well as research on such topics as intraocular pressure, Parkinson's disease, advanced cancer, islet transplantation, and liver transplantation. This article reviews basic and applied research on Tibetan macaques in xenotransplantation, as well as the issues of immune rejection and ethical concerns. We aim to demonstrate the various advantages of Tibetan macaques as transplant recipients compared to other nonhuman primate species and to provide a perspective for the future establishment of Tibetan macaques as principal recipients in preclinical studies of xenotransplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]