The development of combination immunotherapy based on the mediation of regulatory mechanisms of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is promising. However, a deep understanding of tumor immunology must involve the systemic tumor immune environment (STIE) which was merely illustrated previously. Here, we aim to review recent advances in single-cell transcriptomics and spatial transcriptomics for the studies of STIE, TIME, and their interactions, which may reveal heterogeneity in immunotherapy responses as well as the dynamic changes essential for the treatment effect. We review the evidence from preclinical and clinical studies related to TIME, STIE, and their significance on overall survival, through different immunomodulatory pathways, such as metabolic and neuro-immunological pathways. We also evaluate the significance of the STIE, TIME, and their interactions as well as changes after local radiotherapy and systemic immunotherapy or combined immunotherapy. We focus our review on the evidence of lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, aiming to reshape STIE and TIME to enhance immunotherapy efficacy.
Introduction There are over 3.81 billion worldwide active social media (SoMe) users. SoMe are ubiquitous in medical education, with roles across undergraduate programmes, including professionalism, blended learning, well being and mentoring. Previous systematic reviews took place before recent explosions in SoMe popularity and revealed a paucity of high‐quality empirical studies assessing its effectiveness in medical education. This review aimed to synthesise evidence regarding SoMe interventions in undergraduate medical education, to identify features associated with positive and negative outcomes. Methods Authors searched 31 key terms through seven databases, in addition to references, citation and hand searching, between 16 June and 16 July 2020. Studies describing SoMe interventions and research on exposure to existing SoMe were included. Title, abstract and full paper screening were undertaken independently by two reviewers. Included papers were assessed for methodological quality using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) and/or the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) instrument. Extracted data were synthesised using narrative synthesis. Results 112 studies from 26 countries met inclusion criteria. Methodological quality of included studies had not significantly improved since 2013. Engagement and satisfaction with SoMe platforms in medical education are described. Students felt SoMe flattened hierarchies and improved communication with educators. SoMe use was associated with improvement in objective knowledge assessment scores and self‐reported clinical and professional performance, however evidence for long term knowledge retention was limited. SoMe use was occasionally linked to adverse impacts upon mental and physical health. Professionalism was heavily investigated and considered important, though generally negative correlations between SoMe use and medical professionalism may exist. Conclusions Social media is enjoyable for students who may improve short term knowledge retention and can aid communication between learners and educators. However, higher‐quality study is required to identify longer‐term impact upon knowledge and skills, provide clarification on professionalism standards and protect against harms.
Objective. As technology continues to improve, it plays an increasingly vital role in the practice of medicine. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of the implementation of virtual reality (VR) in a rheumatology clinic as a platform to administer guided meditation and biofeedback as a means of reducing chronic pain.Methods. Twenty participants were recruited from a rheumatology clinic. These participants included adults with physician-diagnosed autoimmune disorders who were on a stable regimen of medication and had a score of at least 5 on the pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for a minimum of 4 days during the prior 30 days. VAS, part of most composite outcome measurements in rheumatology, is an instrument used to assess pain that consists of a straight line with the endpoints ranging from "no pain at all" and "pain as bad as it could be." Patients were randomized into two groups that differed in the order in which they experienced the two VR modules. One module consisted of a guided meditation (GM) environment, whereas the other module consisted of a respiratory biofeedback (BFD) environment. Data on pain and anxiety levels were gathered before, during, and after the two modules.Results. The three most common diagnoses among participants were rheumatoid arthiritis (RA), lupus, and fibromyalgia. There was a significant reduction in VAS scores after BFD and GM (P values = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively). There was a significant reduction in Facial Anxiety Scale after the GM compared with the BFD (P values = 0.02 and 0.08, respectively).Conclusion. This novel study demonstrated that VR could be a feasible solution for the management of pain and anxiety in rheumatology patients. Further trials with varying treatment exposures and durations are required to solidify the viability of VR as a treatment option in rheumatology clinics.
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