As workplace smoking restrictions spread, smoking in the home is becoming the predominant source of exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) among children and other non-smokers in the household. This study explored issues around children's exposure to SHS. Focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDI) were conducted among 31 Chinese households in urban Shanghai, China. All FGDs/IDIs were audio recorded and analysed thematically. The findings suggest that there are gaps in knowledge of the health consequences of smoking and SHS among the participants. Although there was a lack of knowledge about the health risk of exposure to SHS, most were willing to protect their child from the SHS exposure. In 16/31 households, families had partial home-smoking restrictions; there were no complete restrictions in any of the smokers' homes. Many families do not openly discuss smoking or smoking restrictions at home. Barriers to adopting a smoke-free home included the social acceptability of smoking (22/31), hosting social gatherings at home, which would involve smoking (12/31), authoritative attitudes of the husband or father-in-law (10/31), and difficulties with visitors who smoke (7/31). Most (28/31) participants stated they would accept a counselling intervention to reduce SHS exposure to children and suggested various measures to implement it. The findings from this intervention have implications for designing intervention strategies to reduce SHS exposure at home among children in China.

Traditional drug safety assessment often fails to predict complications in humans, especially when the drug targets the immune system. Here, we show the unprecedented capability of two human Organs-on-Chips to evaluate the safety profile of T-cell bispecific antibodies (TCBs) targeting tumor antigens. Although promising for cancer immunotherapy, TCBs are associated with an on-target, off-tumor risk due to low levels of expression of tumor antigens in healthy tissues. We leveraged in vivo target expression and toxicity data of TCBs targeting folate receptor 1 (FOLR1) or carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) to design and validate human immunocompetent Organs-on-Chips safety platforms. We discovered that the Lung-Chip and Intestine-Chip could reproduce and predict target-dependent TCB safety liabilities, based on sensitivity to key determinants thereof, such as target expression and antibody affinity. These novel tools broaden the research options available for mechanistic understandings of engineered therapeutic antibodies and assessing safety in tissues susceptible to adverse events.

As the epidemiological and clinical burden of brain metastases continues to grow, advances in neurosurgical care are imperative. From standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences to functional neuroimaging, preoperative workups for metastatic disease allow high-resolution detection of lesions and at-risk structures, facilitating safe and effective surgical planning. Minimally invasive neurosurgical approaches, including keyhole craniotomies and tubular retractors, optimize the preservation of normal parenchyma without compromising extent of resection. Supramarginal surgery has pushed the boundaries of achieving complete removal of metastases without recurrence, especially in eloquent regions when paired with intraoperative neuromonitoring. Brachytherapy has highlighted the potential of locally delivering therapeutic agents to the resection cavity with high rates of local control. Neuronavigation has become a cornerstone of operative workflow, while intraoperative ultrasound (iUS) and intraoperative brain mapping generate real-time renderings of the brain unaffected by brain shift. Endoscopes, exoscopes, and fluorescent-guided surgery enable increasingly high-definition visualizations of metastatic lesions that were previously difficult to achieve. Pushed forward by these multidisciplinary innovations, neurosurgery has never been a safer, more effective treatment for patients with brain metastases.

Traditional drug safety assessment often fails to predict complications in humans, especially when the drug targets the immune system. Here, we show the unprecedented capability of two Organs-on-Chips to evaluate the safety profile of T-cell bispecific antibodies (TCBs) targeting tumor antigens. Although promising for cancer immunotherapy, TCBs are associated with an on-target, off-tumor risk due to low levels of expression of tumor antigens in healthy tissues. We leveraged in vivo target expression and toxicity data of TCBs targeting folate receptor 1 (FOLR1) or carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) to design and validate human immunocompetent Organs-on-Chips safety platforms. We discovered that the Lung-Chip and Intestine-Chip could reproduce and predict target-dependent TCB safety liabilities, based on sensitivity to key determinants thereof, such as target expression and antibody affinity. These novel tools broaden the research options available for mechanistic understandings of engineered therapeutic antibodies and assessing safety in tissues susceptible to adverse events.

BackgroundMagnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is United States Food and Drug Administration approved for the treatment of tremor‐dominant Parkinson's disease (TdPD), but only limited studies have been described in practice.ObjectivesTo report the largest prospective experience of unilateral MRgFUS thalamotomy for the treatment of medically refractory TdPD.MethodsClinical outcomes of 48 patients with medically refractory TdPD who underwent MRgFUS thalamotomy were evaluated. Tremor outcomes were assessed using the Fahn‐Tolosa‐Marin scale and adverse effects were categorized using a structured questionnaire and clinical exam at 1 month (n = 44), 3 months (n = 34), 1 year (n = 22), 2 years (n = 5), and 3 years (n = 2). Patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging <24 hours post‐procedure.ResultsSignificant tremor control persisted at all follow‐ups (P < 0.001). All side effects were mild. At 3 months, these included gait imbalance (38.24%), sensory deficits (26.47%), motor weakness (17.65%), dysgeusia (5.88%), and dysarthria (5.88%), with some persisting at 1 year.ConclusionsMRgFUS thalamotomy is an effective treatment for sustained tremor control in patients with TdPD. © 2023 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.