1.Research Progress on the Regulation of Third-generation EGFR-TKIs Resistance in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer by Redox Homeostasis.
Ting LUO ; Chen FANG ; Feng QIU
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2025;28(7):521-532
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ranks among the most lethal malignancies worldwide. The clinical application of epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) have successfully revolutionized the treatment paradigm for EGFR-mutant NSCLC, significantly prolonging progression-free survival and establishing EGFR-TKIs as the standard first-line therapy for advanced lung adenocarcinoma. However, acquired resistance remains a major obstacle to sustained clinical benefit, with mechanisms that are highly heterogeneous. A phenomenon of "oxidative stress compensation" is commonly observed in EGFR-TKIs-resistant cells, where in redox homeostasis, through the precise regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and elimination, plays a pivotal role in maintaining the balance between tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis. This review aims to innovatively construct a theoretical framework describing how dynamic redox regulation influences resistance to third-generation EGFR-TKIs. It focuses on the multifaceted roles of ROS in both EGFR-dependent and EGFR-independent resistance mechanisms, and further explores therapeutic strategies that target ROS kinetic thresholds and antioxidant systems. These insights not only propose an innovative "metabolic checkpoint" regulatory pathway to overcome acquired resistance to third-generation EGFR-TKIs, but also lay a molecular foundation for developing the redox biomarker-based dynamic therapeutic decision-making systems, thereby facilitating a shift in NSCLC therapy from single-target inhibition toward multi-dimensional metabolic remodeling in the context of precision medicine.
.
Humans
;
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/genetics*
;
ErbB Receptors/genetics*
;
Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects*
;
Lung Neoplasms/genetics*
;
Oxidation-Reduction/drug effects*
;
Homeostasis/drug effects*
;
Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use*
;
Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism*
;
Animals
2.A Case of Endometrial Metastasis in Lung Adenocarcinoma after EGFR-TKIs Treatment Failure and Literature Review.
Fangqian SHEN ; Zuling HU ; Hua YANG ; Puyu LIU ; Yuju BAI ; Jianguo ZHOU ; Hu MA
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2025;28(7):551-557
The incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer remain high, making it the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. In women, the predominant histological subtype is lung adenocarcinoma, commonly associated with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, and EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) can significantly improve patient prognosis. Metastasis of primary lung cancer to the endometrium is extremely rare and is often misdiagnosed as a primary reproductive system tumor, and its occurrence indicates poor prognosis. This article reports a case of an advanced lung adenocarcinoma patient with EGFR mutation, who developed abnormal vaginal bleeding after EGFR-TKIs treatment failure, and biopsy confirmed endometrial metastasis. A review of similar cases is also presented.
.
Humans
;
Female
;
ErbB Receptors/metabolism*
;
Endometrial Neoplasms/genetics*
;
Lung Neoplasms/genetics*
;
Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use*
;
Adenocarcinoma of Lung/drug therapy*
;
Treatment Failure
;
Middle Aged
;
Adenocarcinoma/genetics*
3.Role and Mechanism of Hyaluronic Acid-modified Milk Exosomes in Reversing Pemetrexed Resistance in Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells.
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2025;28(9):658-666
BACKGROUND:
Lung cancer currently ranks first globally in both incidence and mortality. Pemetrexed (PMX) serves as a first-line treatment for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), but the patients often develop drug resistance during therapy. Milk exosome (mEXO) have the advantages of low immunogenicity, high tissue affinity, and low cost, and mEXO itself has anti-tumor effects. Hyaluronan (HA) naturally bind to CD44, a receptor which is highly expressed in LUAD tissues. This study aims to construct hyaluronan-modified milk exosome (HA-mEXO) and preliminarily investigate their molecular mechanisms for reversing PMX resistance through cellular experiments.
METHODS:
Exosomes were extracted from milk using high-speed centrifugation, and HA-mEXO was constructed. PMX-resistant A549 and PC-9 cell lines were treated with mEXO and HA-mEXO, respectively. CCK-8 assays, colony formation assays, Transwell assays, and flow cytometry were performed to evaluate proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis phenotypes in the treated resistant cell lines. Finally, transcriptomic sequencing, analysis, and cellular functional recovery experiments were conducted to investigate the mechanism by which HA-mEXO reverses PMX resistance in LUAD cells.
RESULTS:
The expression of CD44 in A549 and PC-9 LUAD drug-resistant cell lines was significantly higher than that in parental cells, and the uptake rate of HA-mEXO by drug-resistant cell lines was significantly higher than that of mEXO. Compared to the mEXO group, HA-mEXO-treated A549 and PC-9 resistant cells exhibited significantly reduced half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for PMX, markedly diminished clonogenic, migratory, and invasive capabilities, and a significantly increased proportion of apoptotic cells. Western blot analysis revealed that, compared to parental cells, A549 and PC-9 drug-resistant cells exhibited downregulated ZNF516 expression and upregulated ABCC5 expression. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that HA-mEXO treatment downregulated ABCC5 expression in A549 and PC-9 drug-resistant cells compared to the PBS group, whereas co-treatment with HA-mEXO and ZNF516 knockdown showed no significant change in ABCC5 expression.
CONCLUSIONS
HA-mEXO carrying ZNF516 suppress ABCC5 expression, thereby enhancing the sensitivity of A549 and PC-9 LAUD drug-resistant cells to PMX.
Humans
;
Hyaluronic Acid/chemistry*
;
Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects*
;
Exosomes/chemistry*
;
Adenocarcinoma of Lung/genetics*
;
Pemetrexed/pharmacology*
;
Animals
;
Lung Neoplasms/pathology*
;
Milk/chemistry*
;
Cell Proliferation/drug effects*
;
Apoptosis/drug effects*
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Hyaluronan Receptors/metabolism*
4.Bear Bile Powder Ameliorates LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury by Inhibiting CD14 Pathway and Improving Intestinal Flora: Exploration of "Fei (Lung)-Dachang (Large Intestine) Interaction" Theory.
Long CHENG ; Hui-Ling TIAN ; Hong-Yuan LEI ; Ying-Zhou WANG ; Ma-Jing JIAO ; Yun-Hui LIANG ; Zhi-Zheng WU ; Xu-Kun DENG ; Yong-Shen REN
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(9):821-829
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the effect of bear bile powder (BBP) on acute lung injury (ALI) and the underlying mechanism.
METHODS:
The chemical constituents of BBP were analyzed by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). After 7 days of adaptive feeding, 50 mice were randomly divided into 5 groups by a random number table (n=10): normal control (NC), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), dexamethasone (Dex), low-, and high-dose BBP groups. The dosing cycle was 9 days. On the 12th and 14th days, 20 µL of Staphylococcus aureus solution (bacterial concentration of 1 × 10-7 CFU/mL) was given by nasal drip after 1 h of intragastric administration, and the mice in the NC group was given the same dose of phosphated buffered saline (PBS) solution. On the 16th day, after 1 h intragastric administration, 100 µL of LPS solution (1 mg/mL) was given by tracheal intubation, and the same dose of PBS solution was given to the NC group. Lung tissue was obtained to measure the myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, the lung wet/dry weight ratio and expressions of CD14 and other related proteins. The lower lobe of the right lung was obtained for pathological examination. The concentrations of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-6, tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α ) and IL-1β in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, and the number of neutrophils was counted. The colonic contents of the mice were analyzed by 16 sRNA technique and the contents of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were measured by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS).
RESULTS:
UPLC-MS revealed that the chemical components of BBP samples were mainly tauroursodeoxycholic acid and taurochenodeoxycholic acid sodium salt. BBP reduced the activity of MPO, concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, and inhibited the expression of CD14 protein, thus suppressing the activation of NF-κB pathway (P<0.05). The lung histopathological results indicated that BBP significantly reduced the degree of neutrophil infiltration, cell shedding, necrosis, and alveolar cavity depression. Moreover, BBP effectively regulated the composition of the intestinal microflora and increased the production of SCFAs, which contributed to its treatment effect (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
BBP alleviates lung injury in ALI mouse through inhibiting activation of NF-κB pathway and decreasing expression of CD14 protein. BBP may promote recovery of ALI by improving the structure of intestinal flora and enhancing metabolic function of intestinal flora.
Animals
;
Acute Lung Injury/pathology*
;
Lipopolysaccharides
;
Ursidae
;
Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects*
;
Bile/chemistry*
;
Lipopolysaccharide Receptors/metabolism*
;
Powders
;
Male
;
Lung/drug effects*
;
Mice
;
Peroxidase/metabolism*
;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
;
Cytokines/metabolism*
5.Mechanism of Asperosaponin VI Related to EGFR/MMP9/AKT/PI3K Pathway in Treatment of Rheumtoid Arthritis.
Jin-Fang LUO ; Yang YU ; Jian-Xin LIU
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(2):131-141
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the mechanism of action of asperosaponin VI (AVI) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and validate it in ex vivo experiments using network pharmacology and molecular docking methods.
METHODS:
The predicted targets of AVI were obtained from PharmMaper, UniProt and SwissTarget Prediction platforms, the disease targets were collected from Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, Therapeutic Target Database and GeneCards databases, the intersection targets of AVI and RA were obtained from Venny 2.1.0, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was obtained from STRING database, which was analyzed by Cytoscape software and screened to obtain the core targets. Cytoscape software was used to analyze PPI network and screen the core targets. Based on the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery database, Gene Ontology functional and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis were performed, and Cytoscape software was used to construct the "Disease-Pathway-Target-Drug" network, which was finally verified by molecular docking and animal experiments.
RESULTS:
Network pharmacological studies showed that AVI was able to modulate 289 targets, with 102 targets for the potential treatment of RA, with the core pathway being the AKT/PI3K signaling pathway, and the core targets being the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9). Molecular docking results showed that AVI could produce strong binding with both of the 2 core targets. In vitro cellular experiments showed that AVI reduced nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1 β levels (P<0.05) and inhibited cyclooxygenase-2, nitric oxide synthase, EGFR, MMP9, phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (p-PI3K), and phosphorylated serine-threonine kinase (p-AKT) proteins (P<0.05). The results of in vivo studies showed that AVI improved RA score and foot swelling thickness and decreased TNF-α, IL-6, p-PI3K and p-AKT levels in RA rats (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
AVI exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-RA effects which might be related to the EGFR/MMP9/AKT/PI3K pathway.
Saponins/chemistry*
;
ErbB Receptors/metabolism*
;
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism*
;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
;
Molecular Docking Simulation
;
Animals
;
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy*
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
;
Matrix Metalloproteinase 9/metabolism*
;
Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects*
;
Humans
;
Network Pharmacology
;
Male
;
Rats
6.Analgesic Effect of Dehydrocorydaline on Chronic Constriction Injury-Induced Neuropathic Pain via Alleviating Neuroinflammation.
Bai-Ling HOU ; Chen-Chen WANG ; Ying LIANG ; Ming JIANG ; Yu-E SUN ; Yu-Lin HUANG ; Zheng-Liang MA
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(6):499-505
OBJECTIVE:
To illustrate the role of dehydrocorydaline (DHC) in chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain and the underlying mechanism.
METHODS:
C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 3 groups by using a random number table, including sham group (sham operation), CCI group [intrathecal injection of 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)], and CCI+DHC group (intrathecal injection of DHC), 8 mice in each group. A CCI mouse model was conducted to induce neuropathic pain through ligating the right common sciatic nerve. On day 14 after CCI modeling or sham operation, mice were intrathecal injected with 5 µL of 10% DMSO or 10 mg/kg DHC (5 µL) into the 5th to 6th lumbar intervertebral space (L5-L6). Pregnant ICR mice were sacrificed for isolating primary spinal neurons on day 14 of embryo development for in vitro experiment. Pain behaviors were evaluated by measuring the paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT) of mice. Immunofluorescence was used to observe the activation of astrocytes and microglia in mouse spinal cord. Protein expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), phosphorylation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 2B (p-NR2B), and NR2B in the spinal cord or primary spinal neurons were detected by Western blot.
RESULTS:
In CCI-induced neuropathic pain model, mice presented significantly decreased PWMT, activation of glial cells, overexpressions of iNOS, TNF-α, IL-6, and higher p-NR2B/NR2B ratio in the spinal cord (P<0.05 or P<0.01), which were all reversed by a single intrathecal injection of DHC (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The p-NR2B/NR2B ratio in primary spinal neurons were also inhibited after DHC treatment (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
An intrathecal injection of DHC relieved CCI-induced neuropathic pain in mice by inhibiting the neuroinflammation and neuron hyperactivity.
Animals
;
Neuralgia/etiology*
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Analgesics/pharmacology*
;
Neuroinflammatory Diseases/pathology*
;
Constriction
;
Male
;
Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/metabolism*
;
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/metabolism*
;
Mice, Inbred ICR
;
Microglia/pathology*
;
Spinal Cord/drug effects*
;
Female
;
Mice
;
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*
;
Disease Models, Animal
;
Constriction, Pathologic/complications*
;
Interleukin-6/metabolism*
;
Astrocytes/metabolism*
;
Chronic Disease
;
Neurons/metabolism*
7.Beneficial Effects of Dendrobium officinale Extract on Insomnia Rats Induced by Strong Light and Noise via Regulating GABA and GABAA Receptors.
Heng-Pu ZHOU ; Jie SU ; Ke-Jian WEI ; Su-Xiang WU ; Jing-Jing YU ; Yi-Kang YU ; Zhuang-Wei NIU ; Xiao-Hu JIN ; Mei-Qiu YAN ; Su-Hong CHEN ; Gui-Yuan LYU
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(6):490-498
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of Dendrobium officinale (Tiepi Shihu) extract (DOE) on insomnia.
METHODS:
Forty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=7 per group): normal control, model control, melatonin (MT, 40 mg/kg), and 3-dose DOE (0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 g/kg) groups. Rats were raised in a strong-light (10,000 LUX) and -noise (>80 db) environment (12 h/d) for 16 weeks to induce insomnia, and from week 10 to week 16, MT and DOE were correspondingly administered to rats. The behavior tests including sodium pentobarbital-induced sleep experiment, sucrose preference test, and autonomous activity test were used to evaluate changes in sleep and emotions of rats. The metabolic-related indicators such as blood pressure, blood viscosity, blood glucose, and uric acid in rats were measured. The pathological changes in the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) region of rat brain were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin staining and Nissl staining. Additionally, the sleep-related factors gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (GA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Finally, we screened potential sleep-improving receptors of DOE using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array and validated the results with quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS:
DOE significantly improved rats' sleep and mood, increased the sodium pentobarbital-induced sleep time and sucrose preference index, and reduced autonomic activity times (P<0.05 or P<0.01). DOE also had a good effect on metabolic abnormalities, significantly reducing triglyceride, blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood viscosity indicators (P<0.05 or P<0.01). DOE significantly increased the GABA content in hippocampus and reduced the GA/GABA ratio and IL-6 level (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In addition, DOE improved the pathological changes such as the disorder of cell arrangement in the hippocampus and the decrease of Nissel bodies. Seven differential genes were screened by PCR array, and the GABAA receptors (Gabra5, Gabra6, Gabrq) were selected for verification. The results showed that DOE could up-regulate their expressions (P<0.05 or P<0.01).
CONCLUSION
DOE demonstrated remarkable potential for improving insomnia, which may be through regulating GABAA receptors expressions and GA/GABA ratio.
Animals
;
Dendrobium/chemistry*
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Male
;
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/blood*
;
Plant Extracts/therapeutic use*
;
Receptors, GABA-A/metabolism*
;
Noise/adverse effects*
;
Light/adverse effects*
;
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/metabolism*
;
Sleep/drug effects*
;
Rats
;
Receptors, GABA/metabolism*
8.Sini Powder Alleviates Stress Response and Suppresses Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development by Restoring Gut Microbiota.
Si MEI ; Zhe DENG ; Fan-Ying MENG ; Qian-Qian GUO ; He-Yun TAO ; Lin ZHANG ; Chang XI ; Qing ZHOU ; Xue-Fei TIAN
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(9):802-811
OBJECTIVES:
To explore the underlying pharmacological mechanisms and its potential effects of Chinese medicine herbal formula Sini Powder (SNP) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
METHODS:
The active components of SNP and their in vivo distribution were identified using ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Construction of component-target-disease networks, protein-protein interaction network, Gene Ontology function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis, and molecular docking were employed to analyze the active components and anti-HCC mechanisms of SNP. Cell viability assay and wound healing assay were utilized to confirm the effect of SNP-containing serum (2.5%, 5.0%, 10%, 20%, and 40%), isoprenaline or propranolol (both 10, 100, and 1,000 µ mol/L) on proliferation and migration of HepG 2 or Huh7 cells. Meanwhile, the effect of isoprenaline or propranolol on the β 2 adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) mRNA expression on HepG2 cells were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription (RT-qPCR). Mice with subcutaneous tumors were either subjected to chronic restraint stress (CRS) followed by SNP administration (364 mg/mL) or directly treated with SNP (364 mg/mL). These two parallel experiments were performed to validate the effects of SNP on stress responses. Stress-related proteins and hormones were quantified using RT-qPCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunohistochemistry. Metagenomic sequencing was performed to confirm the influence of SNP on the gut microbiota in the tumor-bearing CRS mice.
RESULTS:
The distribution of the 12 active components of SNP was confirmed in various tissues and feces. Network pharmacology analysis confirmed the anti-HCC effects of the 5 active components. The potential anti-HCC mechanisms of SNP may involve the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (SRC) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathways. SNP-containing serum inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 and Huh7 cells at concentrations of 2.5% and 5.0%, respectively, after 24 h of treatment. Furthermore, SNP suppressed tumor progression in tumor-bearing mice exposed to CRS. SNP treatment also downregulated the expressions of stress-related proteins and pro-inflammatory cytokines, primarily by modulating the gut microbiota. Specifically, the abundance of Alistipes and Prevotella, which belong to the phylum Bacteroidetes, increased in the SNP-treated group, whereas Lachnospira, in the phylum Firmicutes, decreased.
CONCLUSION
SNP can combat HCC by alleviating stress responses through the regulation of gut microbiota.
Animals
;
Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects*
;
Liver Neoplasms/microbiology*
;
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/microbiology*
;
Humans
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
;
Powders
;
Cell Proliferation/drug effects*
;
Mice
;
Molecular Docking Simulation
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Hep G2 Cells
;
Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2/genetics*
;
Stress, Physiological/drug effects*
;
Cell Movement/drug effects*
;
Male
;
Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects*
;
Cell Survival/drug effects*
;
Proto-Oncogene Mas
9.Effect of astragaloside IV on osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in osteoporotic rats via regulation of miR-21 and inhibition of the Notch signaling pathway.
Jingjing XIAO ; Xiaolan LIU ; Jianying HUANG ; Ben DOU
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences) 2025;50(7):1126-1136
OBJECTIVES:
The core pathology of osteoporosis lies in bone resorption exceeding bone formation; thus, promoting osteogenesis is a key therapeutic strategy. The osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) forms the biological basis of bone formation. Astragaloside IV (A-IV), a major active component of Astragalus membranaceus, is known to enhance osteogenesis, but its precise molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of A-IV on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs from osteoporotic rats and to elucidate its molecular mechanism through the regulation of microRNA-21 (miR-21) and Notch2 expression.
METHODS:
After 1 week of adaptive feeding, mature female SD rats were randomly divided into a sham-operated (Sham) group (n=4) and an ovariectomized (OVX) group (n=8) to establish an osteoporosis model. Twelve weeks after surgery, BMSCs were isolated from femoral bone marrow and cultured. Cells were divided into a S-BMSCs group (from Sham), an O-BMSCs group (from OVX), and an A-BMSCs group (from OVX-derived BMSCs treated with A-IV). S-BMSCs and O-BMSCs were induced for osteogenic differentiation using osteogenic induction medium, whereas A-BMSCs were treated with A-IV before induction. Flow cytometry was used to identify mesenchymal stem cell surface markers (CD29) and hematopoietic stem cell marker (CD34) to confirm BMSC characteristics. Cell proliferation was assessed using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Alizarin red staining was performed to quantify calcium nodule formation, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assays were used to evaluate osteogenic differentiation. Real-time reverse transcription PCR (real-time RT-PCR) was used to detect changes in osteogenic-related genes, runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and osteopontin (OPN), as well as miR-21 expression. Western blotting was performed to assess Runx2, OPN, and Notch2 protein expression.
RESULTS:
Flow cytometry confirmed that O-BMSCs retained the phenotypic characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells. A-IV significantly enhanced the proliferation of BMSCs from osteoporotic rats (P<0.05), increased ALP activity, and upregulated the mRNA and protein expression of Runx2 and OPN (P<0.05). Bioinformatic and experimental analyses demonstrated that miR-21 directly targeted Notch2. A-IV treatment increased miR-21 expression while suppressing Notch2 protein expression and inhibiting activation of the Notch signaling pathway (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Astragaloside IV promotes the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs derived from osteoporotic rats by upregulating miR-21 expression and inhibiting the key Notch signaling protein Notch2, thereby relieving the Notch2-mediated suppression of osteogenesis.
Animals
;
Triterpenes/pharmacology*
;
Saponins/pharmacology*
;
Osteogenesis/drug effects*
;
MicroRNAs/metabolism*
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Female
;
Cell Differentiation/drug effects*
;
Mesenchymal Stem Cells/drug effects*
;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
;
Osteoporosis/pathology*
;
Rats
;
Cells, Cultured
;
Receptor, Notch2/metabolism*
;
Receptors, Notch/metabolism*
;
Ovariectomy
;
Cell Proliferation/drug effects*
10.Single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis reveals that an immune cell-related signature could predict clinical outcomes for microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer patients receiving immunotherapy.
Shijin YUAN ; Yan XIA ; Guangwei DAI ; Shun RAO ; Rongrong HU ; Yuzhen GAO ; Qing QIU ; Chenghao WU ; Sai QIAO ; Yinghua XU ; Xinyou XIE ; Haizhou LOU ; Xian WANG ; Jun ZHANG
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2025;26(4):371-392
Recent data suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor (VEGFRi) can enhance the anti-tumor activity of the anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) antibody in colorectal cancer (CRC) with microsatellite stability (MSS). However, the comparison between this combination and standard third-line VEGFRi treatment is not performed, and reliable biomarkers are still lacking. We retrospectively enrolled MSS CRC patients receiving anti-PD-1 antibody plus VEGFRi (combination group, n=54) or VEGFRi alone (VEGFRi group, n=32), and their efficacy and safety were evaluated. We additionally examined the immune characteristics of the MSS CRC tumor microenvironment (TME) through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic data, and an MSS CRC immune cell-related signature (MCICRS) that can be used to predict the clinical outcomes of MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was developed and validated in our in-house cohort. Compared with VEGFRi alone, the combination of anti-PD-1 antibody and VEGFRi exhibited a prolonged survival benefit (median progression-free survival: 4.4 vs. 2.0 months, P=0.0024; median overall survival: 10.2 vs. 5.2 months, P=0.0038) and a similar adverse event incidence. Through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis, we determined ten MSS CRC-enriched immune cell types and their spatial distribution, including naive CD4+ T, regulatory CD4+ T, CD4+ Th17, exhausted CD8+ T, cytotoxic CD8+ T, proliferated CD8+ T, natural killer (NK) cells, plasma, and classical and intermediate monocytes. Based on a systemic meta-analysis and ten machine learning algorithms, we obtained MCICRS, an independent risk factor for the prognosis of MSS CRC patients. Further analyses demonstrated that the low-MCICRS group presented a higher immune cell infiltration and immune-related pathway activation, and hence a significant relation with the superior efficacy of pan-cancer immunotherapy. More importantly, the predictive value of MCICRS in MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was also validated with an in-house cohort. Anti-PD-1 antibody combined with VEGFRi presented an improved clinical benefit in MSS CRC with manageable toxicity. MCICRS could serve as a robust and promising tool to predict clinical outcomes for individual MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy.
Humans
;
Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Immunotherapy
;
Middle Aged
;
Aged
;
Tumor Microenvironment/immunology*
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Microsatellite Instability
;
Transcriptome
;
Single-Cell Analysis
;
Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/immunology*
;
Gene Expression Profiling
;
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use*
;
Adult
;
Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor/antagonists & inhibitors*

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