Neutrophils are the most abundant myeloid-derived eukaryotic cells in human blood with increasingly recognized as important regulators of cancer progression. However, the functional importance of tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) is often overlooked due to their short-lived, terminally differentiated, non-proliferative properties. In recent years, a wealth of evidences obtained from experimental tumor models and cancer patients had indicated that TANs had obvious heterogeneity in morphology and function, and TANs had dual functions of pro- and anti-tumor in cancer patients. This review provides an adequate overview of the heterogeneity and distinct roles of neutrophils.
Liver transplantation plays a pivotal role in the field of treating end-stage liver diseases. It is currently the only treatment method that can effectively save patients’ lives and has been fully verified as effective in clinical practice. However, the problem of postoperative infection has become one of the key factors impeding the favorable prognosis of patients. Among them, donor-derived infections, due to their uniqueness and complexity, are gradually becoming a research hotspot in both clinical and scientific research fields. Through a systematic and comprehensive analysis of a large number of existing studies, we deeply analyzed the overall current situation of infections after liver transplantation, clarified the specific types of donor-derived infections and their respective characteristics. On this basis, the potential risks of such infections were thoroughly explored, and preventive strategies such as the prophylactic use of antibiotics and vaccination were put forward in a targeted manner, aiming to improve the prognosis of patients after liver transplantation to the greatest extent and enhance the quality of life of patients.
Liver transplantation is a complex medical procedure with extremely high technical requirements. It demands rigorous expertises from the transplant surgeons, particularly in the vascular and biliary reconstruction using microsurgical techniques. In China, organ transplantation training started relatively late, and current training for liver transplantation surgeons faces deficiencies in the practical opportunities, simulation training combined with hands-on experience, and scientific evaluation standards, etc. Improving the teaching quality primarily depends on addressing challenges in microsurgical training. Therefore, it is imperative to establish a systematic and standardized microsurgical training system. The Liver Transplant Center of West China Hospital, Sichuan University, had proposed a comprehensive microsurgical training program that integrated various training methods, including non-biological models, virtual reality systems, biological models, and clinical mentorship, alongside objective evaluation criteria to ensure trainees acquire essential microsurgical skills for liver transplantation. By implementing a phased and progressive training approach, combining theoretical knowledge with practical application, and adhering to standardized operational protocols and assessment mechanisms, this program effectively enhances surgeons’ technical proficiency and decision-making abilities. This innovative solution addresses critical challenges in current training, driving the implementation and continuous improvement of liver transplantation training systems.
Living donor liver transplantation is one of the main solutions to the organ supply-demand discrepancy at present. However, there was a risk of the recipient developing small-for-size syndrome due to insufficient graft volume, while an excessively large graft volume for donation might lead to postoperative liver failure for the donor. In this context, the dual-graft liver transplantation had emerged, which could minimize the volume of liver resection from the each donor to ensure the donor’s safety and provide the adequate volume of liver for the recipient. Yet, this procedure is less commonly performed in our country. In order to promote the steady implementation of dual-graft liver transplantation in China and serve as an important supplement to the donor pool, the West China Hospital of Sichuan University organized relevant experts and draw on the mature experiences of advanced countries in the field of transplantation jointly formulated the “Expert consensus on dual-graft liver transplantation”. The consensus had been developed around aspects such as donor evaluation and selection, surgical methods, and postoperative complications.