Hui Chang

Radiation-induced vaginal injury is an underrecognized complication of cervical cancer radiotherapy and evolves through a pathological continuum involving epithelial depletion, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, microvascular dysfunction, extracellular-matrix remodeling, fibrosis, loss of tissue compliance, and vaginal stenosis. Current management remains largely supportive and is constrained by short local residence, limited anatomical adaptability, variable adherence, and insufficient control of radiation-specific tissue damage. This Mini-Review examines polymeric biomaterials for the prevention and repair of radiation-induced vaginal injury from a pathobiology–material–function perspective. Three complementary strategies are discussed: local polymeric formulations and mucoadhesive hydrogels for mucosal protection and sustained delivery; personalized dilators, stents, and adaptive devices for maintaining vaginal patency; and regenerative scaffolds and tissue-engineered constructs for restoring epithelial, vascular, stromal, and smooth-muscle compartments. Conventional hyaluronic-acid formulations have progressed furthest clinically, whereas responsive hydrogels, shape-adaptive devices, extracellular-matrix-derived materials, and cell- or exosome-based scaffolds remain predominantly preclinical. Importantly, much of the evidence derives from acute irradiation models, non-irradiated reconstruction studies, or engineering prototypes and therefore does not yet demonstrate durable reversal of chronic fibrosis or stenosis. Future development should prioritize stage-specific multifunctional interventions, fractionated irradiation models, standardized structural and functional outcomes, and rigorous oncological safety assessment. Acellular hydrogels, cell-free hybrid scaffolds, and removable drug-eluting devices may offer the most practical near-term translational routes.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection plays an important role in cervical cancer. HPV is classified within the Papillomaviridae family and is a non‑enveloped, small DNA virus. HPV infection can be classified into two distinct scenarios: i) With or without integration into the host chromosomes. Detection of its infection can be useful in the study of cervical lesions. In the present review, the structural and functional features of HPV, HPV typing, infection and transmission mode, the risk factors for cervical susceptibility to infection and HPV detection methods are described in detail. The development of HPV detection methods may have far‑reaching significance in the prevention and treatment of cervical disease. This review summarizes the advantages and limitations of each HPV detection method.

The way that males and females react to environmental exposures and negative impacts on their neurological systems is often different. Although previous research has examined the cognitively impairing effects of solitary metal exposures, the relationship between metal mixtures and cognitive function, particularly when considering an individual’s sex, remains elusive. This study aimed to investigate the sex differences in the association between multiple metal combinations and cognitive function in older Americans. This research employed the 2011–2014 NHANES survey of elderly Americans. The association between five mixed metals and four cognitive tests (the animal fluency test (AFT), the digit symbol substitution test (DSST), the instant recall test (IRT), and the delayed recall test (DRT)) were investigated with generalized linear regression model (GLM), Bayesian kernel machine regression model (BKMR), weighted quantile sum regression model (WQS), and quantile g-computation regression model (Qgcomp). A total of 1833 people, including 883 males and 950 females, enrolled in this cross-sectional study. We discovered that blood lead and blood cadmium were negatively associated with cognitive performance, while blood selenium demonstrated a positive association with cognitive function in older people. The negative relationship of heavy metal combinations on cognitive function might be somewhat reduced or even reversed via selenium. The IRT, AFT, and DSST are three of the four cognitive tests where men had more dramatic positive or negative results. There was a sex-specific connection between blood metal ratios and cognitive function among older Americans, as evidenced by the more significant relationship between mixed metals and cognitive performance in men (either positively or negatively). These results emphasize the impacts of ambient heavy metal exposure on cognitive function by employing sex-specific methods.