Hui Wang

Despite advances in systemic therapies, metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains largely incurable, underscoring persistent gaps in our understanding of metastatic progression and therapeutic resistance. Emerging evidence suggests that gut and tumor-associated microbial communities may contribute to metastatic progression by shaping organ-specific niches, disrupting intestinal and vascular barriers, remodeling immune and stromal microenvironments, and altering host–microbial metabolism. This review synthesizes current evidence on the involvement of gut and intratumoral microbial communities in colorectal cancer metastasis, with emphasis on liver, lung, lymphatic, and peritoneal metastatic patterns; microbial translocation and barrier dysfunction; microbiome–tumor microenvironment interactions; and metabolic pathways such as bile acid, short-chain fatty acid, and tryptophan metabolism. Furthermore, distinct microbial signatures have been associated with responses to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies, supporting their potential value as candidate biomarkers for treatment stratification and prognosis, particularly when interpreted alongside treatment exposure and longitudinal microbiome dynamics. Finally, we discuss microbiome-targeted interventions as emerging adjunctive strategies that may help modulate treatment response, while emphasizing the need for standardized, longitudinal, and mechanistically validated studies before clinical translation in mCRC.

The oncologic safety of laparoscopic-assisted surgery for synchronous colorectal cancer (SCRC), a distinct high-risk subgroup, remains under-investigated.

Abdominal wall exhibits a complex anisotropic architecture with region-specific mechanical gradients, essential for maintaining biomechanical integrity during physiological deformations. However, most clinical patches possess isotropic structures and fail to meet the mechanical anisotropy requirements of abdominal wall. Herein, inspired by the hierarchical structure of abdominal wall, an innovative ultrasound-responsive Janus patch (JPLCL/ZnO) is designed by constructing a poly (2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC) coating on the top surface of a fibrous anisotropic patch (PLCL/ZnO) via multi-channel electrospinning and in situ photocuring technologies. By adjusting fiber orientation, our patch achieves tunable anisotropy ratios (1–14), matching the mechanical gradients of abdominal wall (1–9). The PMPC-coated side prevents tissue adhesion, while the anisotropic PLCL/ZnO side promotes directional cell growth and tissue regeneration under ultrasound stimulation. Moving toward clinical translation, we developed a large mammal defect model in pigs with abdominal wall resection. By integrating excellent mechanical anisotropy, pro-healing, anti-adhesion, and immune regulation properties, our JPLCL/ZnO patch demonstrates a significant advancement for abdominal wall defect repair. Graphical Abstract

In situ therapies show significant promise for the treatment of unresectable tumors that lack tumor supply vessels. However, it remains a tremendous challenge to achieve precise delivery and sustained release of anti‐tumor agents with synergistic anti‐tumor efficacy. Here, a novel in situ injectable hydrogel (denoted as CFe/βCP+Cis hydrogel) has been designed by integrating β‐CD‐ g ‐PEGMA (βCP) molecular brush hydrogel with functional carbon nanozyme (CFe) and cisplatin. The reversible gel network of βCP hydrogel and the rigid nanoscale architecture of CFe endow CFe/βCP+Cis hydrogel with properties conducive to injectability and long‐term retention (more than 63 days). CFe and cisplatin mixed in hydrogel are both gradually released into the tumor tissue, facilitating the synergistic anti‐tumor efficacy via ferroptosis and cytotoxicity. In addition, CFe/βCP hydrogel can reduce the M2‐like/M1‐like ratio of macrophages and promote the infiltration of CD8 ⁺ T cells in the tumor microenvironment to enhance anti‐tumor immunity. As a result, the CFe/βCP+Cis hydrogel demonstrates significant potential for precise and sustained tumor treatment through chemodynamic therapy, chemotherapy, immunoregulation, and long‐term retention properties.

Background and Aims: The relationship between gut microbiota and biological treatment response in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains incompletely understood. We sought to characterize microbial signatures associated with clinical remission and develop a prediction model for clinical remission. Methods: We analyzed 16 S rRNA gene sequencing data from two independent public cohorts ( n = 231) treated with biologics (infliximab: n = 23; adalimumab: n = 22; ustekinumab: n = 186). Microbial diversity and taxonomic compositions were compared between the remission and non‐remission groups. Random Forest algorithm was employed to construct a prediction model using differential genera and clinical features, with performance evaluated through cross‐validation. The model was further validated in a local cohort ( n = 29). Results: Significant differences in alpha and beta diversity were observed between the remission and non‐remission groups ( p < 0.05). MaAsLin2 analysis identified 25 differentially abundant genera ( p < 0.05). Among these, we selected the top 10 genera with highest importance scores ( Parabacteroides_B_862066 , Agathobaculum , Ruminococcus_E , Sutterella , Clostridium_R_135822 , Hominilimicola , Onthenecus , Butyricimonas , Bariatricus , Hominenteromicrobium ) to build the Random Forest model, notably all enriched in remission patients. The model demonstrated robust predictive performance for clinical remission (AUC: 0.895), which was further validated in the local cohort (AUC: 0.750). Conclusion: There is a relationship between gut microbial signatures and biological treatment outcomes in IBD patients. A predictive model based on gut microbiota composition may help stratify patients for treatment response. Further investigation of microbiome modulation strategies may enhance therapeutic efficacy.

Exudate management and cell activity enhancement are vital to complicated wound healing. However, current exudate management dressings indiscriminately remove exudate, which is detrimental to cell activity enhancement. Herein, a novel class of electroactive bilayer (cMO/PVA) dressing is developed by constructing manganese oxide nanoneedle‐clusters decorated commercial carbon cloth (MO), in situ casting polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel, and finally charging. Benefitting from the hierarchical nanoneedle‐cluster structure of MO, abundant active sites are sufficiently exposed to achieve high area‐specific capacitances (e.g., 1881.3 mF cm⁻²), thereby establishing the long‐lasting electric field for cMO/PVA dressing. Such a unique cMO/PVA dressing can realize extraordinary selective sorption toward noxious substances over nutrient substances during exudate management. Meanwhile, its long‐term electrical stimulation therapy can promote cell proliferation and migration and enhance antibacterial property. As a result, our multifunctional cMO/PVA dressing can rapidly repair full‐thickness wounds in type II diabetic rats, offering an advanced strategy for the treatment of complicated wounds.

Background: Limited research exists on colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with bladder invasion, with survival outcomes post-cystectomy underexplored and a debate between partial and total cystectomy ongoing. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of pathological bladder invasion on the long-term tumour prognosis of patients with clinically diagnosed bladder invasion in CRC after cystectomy. Design: Retrospective, cohort study. Methods: Our study involving 105 CRC patients with bladder invasion who had partial or total cystectomy from 2012 to 2020 collected surgical and pathological data. Groups were divided by pathological bladder invasion presence and compared for 3-year overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates. Multiphoton imaging assessed collagen features in some samples. Results: Pathological bladder invasion was confirmed in 50 patients (48%). Of 94 who had partial cystectomy, 41 were in the bladder invasion (+) group. The 3-year OS and RFS rates were 62.97% and 57.35% for the bladder invasion (+) group, and 77.16% and 58.68% for the bladder invasion (−) group, with no significant differences in recurrence rates between groups ( p > 0.05). There are also no significant differences in 3-year local recurrence and intravesical recurrence rates between the two groups (18.62% vs 25.83%, 7.73% vs 11.82%, p > 0.05). Distant metastasis was identified as an independent risk factor for OS and RFS by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Of the 24 samples that underwent multi-photon imaging, 142 collagen features extracted did not show statistical differences. Conclusion: Pathological bladder invasion impacts CRC patients’ post-cystectomy survival may be less than what clinical practice implies. Partial cystectomy in cases with pathological bladder invasion might offer similar survival rates to total cystectomy. Trial registration: ChiCTR2300077861.

Approximately 25% of patients with stage III colorectal cancer experience liver metastasis after radical resection; however, there is currently a lack of m