fluorouracil + salicylic acid (Actikerall / LAS41005 / ADP18998)

Real-time LC-OCT monitoring of scalp hypertrophic actinic keratosis clearance following cryotherapy, laser, and 5-fluorouracil therapy.

Bortone Giulio G, Coppolelli Vincenzo V, Gargano Luca L, Svara Francesca F et al.

Assessment of treatment response in hypertrophic actinic keratoses (hAKs) remains largely dependent on clinical examination and dermoscopy, although apparent clearance may not reflect complete resolution of imaging features associated with residual disease. Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) enables non-invasive, longitudinal visualization of epidermal, dermal-epidermal junction, and superficial dermal changes at near-cellular resolution. To characterize LC-OCT response patterns in scalp hAKs treated with ablative CO2 laser, cryotherapy, or topical 0.5% 5-fluorouracil/10% salicylic acid, and to evaluate the potential role of LC-OCT in identifying persistent imaging features suggestive of incomplete treatment response requiring retreatment or treatment escalation. This retrospective study included 150 scalp hAKs classified at baseline as KIN 2-3 and PRO II-III, allocated to CO2 laser, cryotherapy, or topical 5-FU/SA groups. LC-OCT images acquired during routine follow-up were evaluated at baseline and post-treatment time points for stratum corneum thickness, epidermal thickness, keratinocyte atypia, PRO score, dermal-epidermal junction undulation index, intercellular edema, vascular pattern, and modality-specific structural changes. Treatment response was assessed according to LC-OCT-defined imaging criteria rather than histopathological confirmation. Cryotherapy produced early sub-epidermal blistering, followed by partial imaging response requiring repeated sessions in 40% of lesions. CO2 laser induced immediate epidermal ablation, rapid re-epithelialization, and complete response after retreatment in residual cases, with long-term LC-OCT evidence of dermal collagen remodeling. Topical 5-FU/SA showed heterogeneous responses; 65% of lesions, mainly KIN 3/PRO III, required escalation to a physical modality. LC-OCT enables non-invasive monitoring of treatment-related hAKs modifications and may identify persistent imaging abnormalities despite apparent clinical resolution, supporting individualized sequential treatment strategies.

A C-repeat binding factor-salicylic acid (CBF-SA) module links wound-induced evaporative cooling to tissue repair in plants.

Balem Joseph Michael JM, Tan Chenjiao C, Dias Nathália Cássia Ferreira NCF, Arnold Mariah M et al.

Repairing damaged tissues is essential for the survival of all organisms. In plants, tissue injury rapidly triggers defense and repair programs. However, the molecular mechanisms linking early injury cues to the later stage of wound repair remain unclear. Here, we show that wounding of Arabidopsis leaves induces localized low temperature at the injury site, likely caused by evaporative cooling, which is accompanied by an activation of cold-responsive genes. Using thermal imaging combined with computer vision and deep learning, we developed a workflow to monitor the dynamics of wound healing in a quantitative, non-invasive, and real-time manner. Mechanistically, we show that C-repeat Binding Factor (CBF) transcription factors are required for the activation of the injury-associated cold response and downstream salicylic acid (SA) signaling. Our findings suggest that the CBF-SA pathway acts coordinately to promote lignin and callose deposition, thereby facilitating wound repair. Together, these findings reveal a link between a wound-induced biophysical cue and the tissue repair program.

Correction to: More than a defense: salicylic acid's secret role in fruit color.

Comparative Effectiveness of Induction Chemotherapy Regimens in Pediatric and Adolescent Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Retrospective IPTW Analysis.

Xie Rui-Ling RL, Zou Ye-Hao YH, Chen Zi-Xuan ZX, Zhang Ling-Ling LL et al.

Induction chemotherapy (IC) is a first-line treatment for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). However, data on the efficacy and safety of different IC regimens in pediatric patients remain scarce, as this group is often excluded from clinical trials. This retrospective study analyzed pediatric NPC patients (age ≤ 21 years) who received IC between 2006 and 2022. To balance confounding factors, inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied. Among 493 included patients, the median follow-up was 69 months. Before adjustment, the taxane-plus-platinum (TP) group showed significantly shorter distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) than the non-TP group, who received TP plus 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine (TPF/C), platium plus 5-fluorouracil (PF) or gemcitabine plus platium (GP), (p = 0.032). Similar results were observed after IPTW adjustment. And overall survival and progression-free survival did not differ significantly between TP group and non-TP group. Conversely, the non-TP regimen was associated with a higher incidence of any grade toxicities (92.0% vs. 98.4%; p = 0.002). Subgroup analysis revealed that TP-based IC was associated with worse DMFS in patients aged ≤ 14 years, those with EBV-DNA ≤ 4000 copies/mL, and those with N3 stage disease. For pediatric LA-NPC, a non-TP IC regimen was associated with superior DMFS compared to a TP regimen, despite a higher rate of toxicities. The potential disadvantage of TP in younger/high-risk patients is hypothesis-generating and requires validation.