The debate still rages on for the usefulness of ureteral access sheath (UAS). Therefore, a meta-analysis to discuss the effects of applying UAS during ureteroscopy was performed. The protocol for the review is available on PROSPERO (CRD42017052327). A literature search was conducted up to November, 2017 using the Web of science, PUBMED, EMBASE and Cochrane Library. The quality of articles was assessed by the Jadad scale and Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS). Egger’s test and the trim-and-fill method were used to evaluate publication bias. Effect sizes were calculated by pooled odds ratio (ORs) and mean differences (MDs). Sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses were performed to explore the origin of heterogeneity. Eight trials with a total of 3099 patients and 3127 procedures were identified. Results showed no significant difference in stone-free rate (SFR) (OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.52–1.33, P = 0.45), intraoperative complications (OR = 1.16, 95% CI 0.81–7.69, P = 0.88), operative time (MD = 4.09, 95% CI -15.08–23.26, P = 0.68) and hospitalization duration (MD = -0.13, 95% CI -0.32–0.06, P = 0.18). However, the incidence of postoperative complications was higher in UAS group (OR = 1.46, 95% CI 1.06–2.00, P = 0.02). Evidence from meta-analysis indicated that the use of UAS during ureteroscopy did not manifest advantages. However, given the intrinsic restrictions of the quality of selected articles, more randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are warranted to update the findings of this analysis.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), one of the most common and intractable microvascular complications of diabetes, is the main cause of terminal renal disease globally. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is a kind of miRNA early identified in human circulation and tissues. Mounting studies have demonstrated that miR-21 plays an important role in the development and progression of DN. This collaborative review aimed to present a first attempt to capture the current evidence on the relationship between miR-21 and DN. After a systematic search, 29 relevant studies were included for comprehensively and thoroughly reviewing. All these eligible studies reported that miR-21 was up-regulated in DN, whether in serum or renal tissues of human or animal models. MiR-21 exhibited its pathogenic roles in DN by forming a complex network with targeted genes (e.g. MMP-9, Smad7, TIMP3, Cdk6, FOXO1, IMP3, and MMP2) and the signaling cascades (e.g. Akt/TORC1 signaling axis, TGF-β/NF-κB signaling pathways, TGF-β/SMAD pathway, CADM1/STAT3 signaling, and AGE-RAGE regulatory cascade), which resulted in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, extracellular matrix deposition, cytoskeletal remodeling, inflammation, and fibrosis. This review highlights that miR-21 is a pivotal pathogenic factor in the development of DN. It may serve as an attractive potential diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarker for DN in clinical practice after further confirmation of the clinicopathological features and molecular mechanisms of miR-21-mediated DN.

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Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of non-apoptotic cell death, is believed to strongly contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple cancers. Recently, the positive association between ferroptosis and urologic malignancies has drawn considerable attention, while a comprehensive review focused on this issue is absent. Based on this review, ferroptosis has been implicated in the development and therapeutic responses of prostate cancer, kidney cancer, and bladder cancer. Mechanistically, a large number of biomolecules and tumor-associated signaling pathways, including DECR1, PANX2, HSPB1, ACOT8, SUV39H1, NCOA4, PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling, VHL/HIF-2α pathway, and Hippo/TAZ signaling pathway, have been reported to regulate ferroptosis in urologic cancers. Ferroptosis inducers, such as erastin, ART, CPNPs, and quinazolinyl-arylurea derivatives, exert potential therapeutic effects per se and/or enhance the anticancer response of other anticancer drugs in urologic oncology. A better understanding of ferroptosis may provide a promising way to treat therapy-resistant urologic cancers.

MicroRNA-21 (miR-21), one of the early mammalian miRNAs identified, has been detected to be upregulated in multiple biological processes. Increasing evidence has demonstrated the potential values of miR-21 in cutaneous damage and skin wound healing, but lack of a review article to summarize the current evidence on this issue. Based on this review, relevant studies demonstrated that miR-21 played an essential role in wound healing by constituting a complex network with its targeted genes (i.e., PTEN, RECK. SPRY1/2, NF-κB, and TIMP3) and the cascaded signaling pathways (i.e., MAPK/ERK, PI3K/Akt, Wnt/β-catenin/MMP-7, and TGF-β/Smad7-Smad2/3). The treatment effectiveness developed by miR-21 might be associated with the promotion of the fibroblast differentiation, the improvement of angiogenesis, anti-inflammatory, enhancement of the collagen synthesis, and the re-epithelialization of the wound. Currently, miRNA nanocarrier systems have been developed, supporting the feasibility clinical feasibility of such miR-21-based therapy. After further investigations, miR-21 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for wound healing.