Table 2. Mechanisms of CDC strips involved multi-pathways and multi-targets.

Mechanisms of CDC strips	Pathways and targets
Organ & tissue-based (e.g., vascular-specific)	Lifestyles risk factors (Table 1):
	→ Immunity function (–)
	→ Acute or chronic inflammation
	→ Vascular endothelial cells (VEC) injure
	→ Vascular injure
	→ AS or stiff or rupture
	→ Ischemia or oxygen not enough
	→ Microcirculation dysfunction
	→ Organ or tissue injure
	→ NCDs (CVD, DM, cancer, even CDC strips)
	→ Others
Cell-based	Internal or external stimuli → inflammation
	Cells including: TAM, mast cells, dendritic cells, NK cells, neutrophils, eosinophils and lymphocytes
	Cytokines, chemokines, transcription factors, etc: (+)
	Including: ROS & RNS, MMP, TNF, IL-1, I-L6, IL-8, IFNs, NF-κB, etc.
	Enzymes, such as COX-2, LOX-5, PLA2, etc.
	Biomarkers, such as vitamin D, Vit E and Vit C levels, hs-CRP, MAU, Hcy, Homocysteine, CA125, CA19-9, and CA153, etc.
	Signals, such as SMAD, STAT3, AMPK, etc.
	Apoptosis
	Telomerase
	(+) CSC and (–) adults SC (46)
	Others, such as eicosanoid, kinins, etc.
Gene-based	A positive family history
	Genetic variants
	Gene mutation
	DNA repair
	DNA methylation
	Micro-RNA
	Others: P53, Bcl-2, etc.

Lifestyles risk factors (showed in Table 1) mean “Bad SEED”; genetic risk factors mean “bad soil”. The shared “Bad SEED”+/– “bad soil” leading to “internal environment injure, abnormal, or unbalance” [e.g., (+) CSC and/or (–) adults SC?] may explain the mechanisms of CDC strips involved multi-pathways and multi-targets. Here, - means decrease or inactivate; + means increase or activate. TAM, tumor-associated macrophages; NK, natural killer; ROS, reactive oxygen; RNS, nitrogen species; MMP, matrix metalloproteinase; TNFα, tumor necrosis factor α; CVD, cardiovascular disorder; DM, diabetes mellitus; CRP, C-reactive protein; NcDs, non-communicable diseases; interleukins (IL-1, IL-6, IL-8), interferon (IFNs), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), lipooxygenase-5 (LOX-5), phospholipase A2 (PLA2), transcription factors nuclear factor κB (NF-κB); STAT3, signal transducers and activators of transcription-3; CSC, cancer stem cell.