Medspeak by CMJ

Targeted anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors offer significant advantages in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with ALK-fusion mutations. 

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Wenzhao Zhong, Vice President and Second-Level Professor at the Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, who presents new evidence from his study exploring the benefits of ALK-targeted induction therapy in stage III NSCLC.

The study by Dr. Zhong and colleagues, published in the Chinese Medical Journal, explores the short-term and long-term benefits of ALK-targeted induction therapy with alectinib and crizotinib in patients with locally advanced NSCLC. The article is titled, “Induction alectinib or crizotinib for stage III NSCLC harboring ALK fusion: A study with 4-year follow-up.”
 
Guest: Dr. Wen-zhao Zhong 
Host: John Lee 

 -------------------------------------

Summary: 

We discuss the benefits of treating patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer using anaplastic lymphoma kinase-targeted induction therapy before surgical removal of tumor, based on evidence from a study published in the Chinese Medical Journal.

How can long-lived naked mole-rats help us develop novel anti-aging therapies?

In this episode, we speak with Professor Zhiyong Mao from the School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, who explains how comparative biology helps to reveal the molecular secrets behind longevity in long-lived animals. We explore how naked mole-rats maintain genomic stability and delay cellular senescence through unusually efficient DNA repair mechanisms, allowing them to preserve health well into old age.

These DNA repair mechanisms are driven by a specialized version of the cGAS protein (cyclic GMP-AMP synthase) found in naked mole-rats and are the focus of a recent editorial by Prof. Mao and collaborators, published in the Chinese Medical Journal. The article is titled, “The longevity code in four letters.”
 
Guest: Professor Zhiyong Mao
Host: John Lee

Can better approaches for suppressing gastric acid improve outcomes in patients with Helicobacter pylori infection?

In this episode, Dr. Zhiqiang Song from the Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University Third Hospital, China, explains how potassium-competitive acid blockers (P-CABs)—therapeutics capable of more sustained gastric acid suppression compared to proton pump inhibitors (PPI)—may represent the future of standard care for H. pylori infection.

A nationwide Phase III trial comparing P-CABs to PPIs in standard treatment regimens for H. pylori infection is the focus of an article by Dr. Song and collaborators published in the Chinese Medical Journal. The article is titled, “Tegoprazan-based versus esomeprazole-based triple therapy plus bismuth for first-line Helicobacter pylori eradication: A nationwide, multicenter, double-blind, double-dummy, randomized controlled trial.” 

Guest: Dr. Zhiqiang Song

Host: John L

Summary: 

We explore the potential benefits of using potassium-competitive acid blockers as an alternative to proton pump inhibitors in the standard eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori.

What makes some stroke cases more severe than others, and what can be done to improve outcomes? In this episode of Medspeak by the Chinese Medical Journal, Dr. Wu Simiao and Dr. Craig S. Anderson discuss their recent study on severe acute ischemic stroke.

Drawing on data from over 4,000 patients in China, they explore why some people with stroke decline quickly, which treatments show the most promise, and how hospitals can better support recovery in patients at high-risk. 

This podcast, based on the study titled “Clinical course, causes of worsening, and outcomes of severe ischemic stroke: A prospective multicenter cohort study,” aims to delve into deep discussions regarding the underexplored domain of stroke, to improve the quality of life.

Host: John L 

Guests: Dr. Wu Simiao and Dr. Craig S. Anderson 

Summary:

In this podcast, we explore the progression of severe ischemic stroke, the impact of key risk factors, and how therapies like endovascular treatment and intravenous thrombolysis affect patient outcomes.

Will the humanized monoclonal antibody CM310 transform treatment outcomes for patients with atopic dermatitis?
 
 In this episode, we speak with Dr. Jianzhong Zhang, Professor at Peking University People’s Hospital, who introduces a breakthrough drug for atopic dermatitis called CM310 and discusses its potential to improve the quality of life for patients living with this chronic skin condition.

In 2024, Dr. Zhang and his collaborators published the results of a pivotal clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of CM310. The article is titled, “Efficacy and safety of CM310 in moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b trial.”

Guest: Dr. Jianzhong Zhang
Host: John L

Summary: 

We explore the potential of a monoclonal antibody drug—named CM310—for treating atopic dermatitis, focusing on the results of a clinical trial conducted in China and published in the Chinese Medical Journal.

Can cardiovascular health (CVH) assessment based on Life’s Essential 8 framework help prevent non-communicable diseases?
 
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Ningjian Wang, Professor at the School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, who explains the American Heart Association’s cardiovascular health framework called ‘Life’s Essential 8’ and its association with the risk of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs).

The potential role of Life’s Essential 8 in preventing NCDs and promoting cardiovascular health is the focus of an article by Dr. Wang and collaborators published in Chinese Medical Journal. The article is titled, “Life's Essential 8 and risk of non-communicable chronic diseases: Outcome-wide analyses.”

Guest: Dr. Ningjian Wang
Host: John L

Summary: 

We explore the link between cardiovascular health assessed using the Life’s Essential 8 framework and the risk of non-communicable diseases, based on evidence from a study published in Chinese Medical Journal

Is mass drug administration effective against trachoma—a devastating infectious disease that causes blindness—in endemic countries?
 
 We speak with Dr. Tao Xiong, Professor in the Department of Pediatrics from West China Second University Hospital at Sichuan University, who attempts to address this question in a recent systematic review of the current evidence, and discusses how mass drug administration may need to be modified according to the endemicity of trachoma in a particular region. 

In this second episode, we discuss this review article by Dr. Xiong and collaborators published recently in the Chinese Medical Journal. The article is titled, “Effectiveness of azithromycin mass drug administration on trachoma: a systematic review”.

Guest: Prof. Tao Xiong
Host: Dr. Laura Moro 

How do environmental factors influence the onset or incidence of diseases that have a strong genetic component? 

We speak with Yongna Yao, Research Intern at the National Office for Maternal and Child Health Surveillance of China, West China Second University Hospital, as she gives us some interesting insights into how the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism in China varies with geography and other factors. 

The discussion is based on her brand-new study published on September 20th, in the 18th 2021 issue of the Chinese Medical Journal. The study is titled “Geographic variations in the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism in China: a retrospective study based on 92 million newborns screened in 2013–2018.”

Guest: Yongna Yao
Host: Michael Mallozzi

How do environmental factors influence the onset or incidence of diseases that have a strong genetic component? 

We speak with Yongna Yao, Research Intern at the National Office for Maternal and Child Health Surveillance of China, West China Second University Hospital, as she gives us some interesting insights into how the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism in China varies with geography and other factors. 

The discussion is based on her brand-new study to be published on September 20th, in the 18th 2021 issue of the Chinese Medical Journal. The study is titled “Geographic variations in the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism in China: a retrospective study based on 92 million newborns screened in 2013–2018.”

Guest: Yongna Yao
Host: Michael Mallozzi