1.A computational medicine framework integrating multi-omics, systems biology, and artificial neural networks for Alzheimer's disease therapeutic discovery.
Yisheng YANG ; Yizhu DIAO ; Lulu JIANG ; Fanlu LI ; Liye CHEN ; Ming NI ; Zheng WANG ; Hai FANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(9):4411-4426
The translation of genetic findings from genome-wide association studies into actionable therapeutics persists as a critical challenge in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research. Here, we present PI4AD, a computational medicine framework that integrates multi-omics data, systems biology, and artificial neural networks for therapeutic discovery. This framework leverages multi-omic and network evidence to deliver three core functionalities: clinical target prioritisation; self-organising prioritisation map construction, distinguishing AD-specific targets from those linked to neuropsychiatric disorders; and pathway crosstalk-informed therapeutic discovery. PI4AD successfully recovers clinically validated targets like APP and ESR1, confirming its prioritisation efficacy. Its artificial neural network component identifies disease-specific molecular signatures, while pathway crosstalk analysis reveals critical nodal genes (e.g., HRAS and MAPK1), drug repurposing candidates, and clinically relevant network modules. By validating targets, elucidating disease-specific therapeutic potentials, and exploring crosstalk mechanisms, PI4AD bridges genetic insights with pathway-level biology, establishing a systems genetics foundation for rational therapeutic development. Importantly, its emphasis on Ras-centred pathways-implicated in synaptic dysfunction and neuroinflammation-provides a strategy to disrupt AD progression, complementing conventional amyloid/tau-focused paradigms, with the future potential to redefine treatment strategies in conjunction with mRNA therapeutics and thereby advance translational medicine in neurodegeneration.
2.Development and immunogenicity evaluation in mice of a novel mRNA vaccine expressing herpes simplex virus type 2 envelope glycoprotein gD.
Jialuo BING ; Liye JIN ; Yao DENG ; Shucai SUN ; Xiaotian HAN ; Xueting CHENG ; Zhenyong QI ; Tangqi WANG ; Ruiwen HAN ; Desheng ZHAI ; Wenjie TAN
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(8):3241-3251
Human alphaherpesvirus 2 (HSV-2) is the main pathogen resulting human genital herpes, which poses a major threat to the socio-economic development, while there is no effective vaccine. In this study, we developed a novel lipopolyplex (LPP)-delivered mRNA vaccine expressing the HSV-2 envelope glycoprotein gD and evaluated its immunogenicity in mice. The mRNA vaccine was prepared from the genetically modified gD mRNA synthesized in vitro combined with the LPP delivery platform and it was named gD-ORI mRNA. The expression of gD antigen in the mRNA vaccine was validated in vitro by Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence assay, then the immune responses induced by this mRNA vaccine in mice were evaluated. The immunization with gD mRNA alone induced strong humoral and cellular immune responses in mice. Robust and long-lasting gD-specific IgG antibodies were detected in the mouse serum after booster immunization with gD-ORI mRNA. The immunized mice exhibited a Th1/Th2 balanced IgG response and robust neutralizing antibodies against HSV-2, and a clear dose-response relationship was observed. The gD-specific IgG antibodies were maintained in mice for a long time, up to 18 weeks post-booster immunization. At the same time, multifunctional gD-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in vaccinated mice were detected by intracellular cytokine staining (ICS). This novel gD-expressing mRNA vaccine delivered by LPP induces strong and long-lasting immune responses in mice post booster immunization and has a promising prospect for development and application. This study provides scientific evidence and reference for the development of a new mRNA vaccine for HSV-2.
Animals
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Herpesvirus 2, Human/genetics*
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Viral Envelope Proteins/genetics*
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Mice
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Herpes Genitalis/immunology*
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RNA, Messenger/immunology*
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Female
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Mice, Inbred BALB C
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Antibodies, Viral/blood*
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mRNA Vaccines/immunology*
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Antibodies, Neutralizing/blood*
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Humans
3.Application of diffusion of innovation theory combined with multidisciplinary collaboration in patients with severe pneumonia complicated by heart failure
Jinyu SONG ; Hongqiu HUO ; Liming SUN ; Liye WANG ; Liangxia CAO ; Yunjia DAI ; Baojing FENG
Journal of Clinical Medicine in Practice 2025;29(6):34-38,50
Objective To explore the effectiveness of the diffusion of innovation theory in com-bination with multidisciplinary nursing collaboration in intervention for patients with severe pneumonia complicated by heart failure.Methods A total of 120 patients with severe pneumonia complicated by heart failure admitted between April 2021 and April 2024 were enrolled and randomly divided into observation group(n=60)and control group(n=60)using a random black-and-white ball method.The control group received conventional nursing intervention,while the observation group received an intervention model combining the diffusion of innovations theory with multidisciplinary collaboration on top of the conventional nursing.Rehabilitation outcomes(time to control of pulmonary inflammation,time to resolution of cough and expectoration,length of hospital stay)and post-intervention cardiac function[left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left ventricular end-systolic volume(LVESV)]were compared between the two groups.The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire(MLHFQ)was used to assess quality of life,and the Self-Care Heart Failure Index(SCHFI)was used to evaluate self-care behaviors.Complications were compared between the two groups,and cost-effectiveness was analyzed(patient medical expenses and re-hospitalization rates).Results The observation group had shorter time to resolution of cough and expectoration,control of pulmonary inflammation,and length of hospital stay compared with the control group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).After intervention,LVEF increased in both groups compared with pre-intervention lev-els,and was higher in the observation group than in the control group,with a statistically significant difference(P<0.05);ESV decreased in both groups compared with pre-intervention levels,and was lower in the observation group than in the control group,with a statistically significant difference(P<0.05).After intervention,physiological,emotional,and social functioning scores in the MLHFQ decreased in both groups compared with pre-intervention levels,and were lower in the ob-servation group than in the control group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).After intervention,scores for self-care maintenance,self-care management,and self-care confidence in the SCHFI increased in both groups,and were higher in the observation group than in the control group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion The combination of the diffusion of innovations theory and multidisciplinary collaboration nursing model can accelerate the rehabilitation process in patients with severe pneumonia complicated by heart fail-ure,improve their quality of life,and effectively enhance their self-care abilities.
4.Association between pubertal timing and depressive symptoms among high school students in Suzhou City
HU Jiale, ZHANG Liye, LING Ruizhe, HAN Di, WANG Xi, HU Jia, SHEN Hui
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(10):1469-1473
Objective:
To investigate the relationship between pubertal timing and depressive symptoms among high school students in Suzhou, so as to provide scientific evidence for promoting adolescents mental health.
Methods:
From October 2023 to January 2024, 3 369 students were selected from 20 high schools in Suzhou using stratified cluster random sampling method. Physical examinations and questionnaire surveys were conducted. The Preece & Baines growth Model 1 was used to calculate the age at take off of height velocity (ATO) and age at peak height velocity (APHV), categorizing students into three groups: early pubertal timing group (< P 15 ), ontime group ( P 15 - P 85 ), and delayed group (> P 85 ). Binary Logistic regression was used to analyze its association with depressive symptoms.
Results:
The ATO for male and female high school students in Suzhou was (9.35±1.23) and ( 8.12 ±1.52) years old, respectively. The mean APHV was (12.35±0.74) years old for boys and (10.91±0.82) years old for girls. The overall prevalence of depressive symptoms was 34.22%, with no statistically significant gender difference ( χ 2=0.42, P =0.52). Significant differences in depressive symptom prevalence were observed across grade levels, breakfast frequency, weekly days of moderate to vigorous physical activity, daily sleep duration, history of school bullying, and the presence of Internet addiction ( χ 2=5.03-69.21, all P < 0.05 ). After adjusting for age, body mass index, region, boarding status, breakfast frequency, weekly moderate to vigorous physical activity days, sleep duration, campus bullying, and presence of Internet addiction, Logistic regression analysis revealed that when ATO was used to evaluate pubertal timing, the risk of depressive symptoms in the delayed group of boys was 1.65 times that of the on time group (95% CI =1.24-2.19); when APHV was used to evaluate pubertal timing, the risks of depressive symptoms in the early pubertal timing group and delayed group of boys were 1.43 times (95% CI =1.07-1.91) and 1.41 times (95% CI =1.05-1.88) of that of the on time group, respectively (all P <0.05). No statistically significant associations were found among females (all P > 0.05 ).
Conclusion
The prevalence of depressive symptoms among high school students in Suzhou is relatively high, and both early and delayed puberty timing in boys are associated with depressive symptoms.
5.Relationship between changes in classroom lighting environment and refractive progression among primary and secondary school students
HAN Di, LING Ruizhe, ZHANG Liye, WANG Yuehong, BAO Xinyu, SHEN Hui, HU Jia
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(11):1549-1553
Objective:
To analyze the changes in classroom lighting environment of schools in Suzhou and their impact on refractive progression among primary and secondary school students, so as to provide the basis for accurate provention and control of myopia.
Methods:
A baseline investigation was conducted in October 2022 by using a stratified cluster random sampling method to recruit primary and secondary school students from Suzhou. A follow up visit was performed in October 2023. A total of 12 302 students and 360 classrooms that participated in both surveys were included analysis. The visual acuity progression over one year and classroom lighting conditions were assessed. Group comparisons were performed by using the Wilcoxon or Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum, and Chi-square tests. Multivariate Logistic regression was employed to identify the major factors influencing refractive changes.
Results:
The compliance rate of average illuminance on classroom blackboard surface increased from 72.22% to 75.28%, while the compliance rate of average illuminance on desks decreased from 89.44% to 87.22%, the overall myopia rate among students rose from 59.63% to 66.99% from 2022 to 2023. The average annual progression of equivalent spherical power(SE) in the right eye of students was -0.25(-0.75,0.06)D. Significant statistical differences were observed in the annual mean changes across different school levels, regions, baseline refractive statuses, and classroom lighting environment change groups ( Z/H =316.59, -8.27, 38.80 , 51.01, all P <0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that pre myopia, low myopia, junior high school, senior high school, vocational high school, and improved classroom lighting environment were protective factors of reducing the risk of rapid progression in refractive error ( OR =0.58, 0.69, 0.81, 0.50, 0.28, 0.82, all P <0.05). Conversely, female students and rural students had higher risks of rapid myopia progression ( OR =1.09, 1.42, both P <0.05).
Conclusions
Over one year follow up, the complance rate of classroom lighting indicators in Suzhou remaines stable, while students refractive status shows a trend toward myopia. Improving classroom lighting environment can reduce the risk of rapid myopia progression.
6.Ferrostatin-1 attenuates inflammatory response to hypoxic lung injury at plateau by inhibiting ferroptosis in lung epithelial cells
Haoran GUO ; Ting LIU ; Liye WANG ; Zhiyun HAO ; Chengbin WANG ; Chi WANG ; Mianyang LI
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(12):1261-1275
Objective To investigate the protective effects of ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1(Fer-1)on high-altitude hypoxic lung injury and explore novel preventive strategies for high-altitude hypoxia-induced lung injury.Methods ①Eighteen SPF male Wistar rats(5~6 weeks old,210~230 g)were randomly divided into 3 groups(n=6):normoxic control,hypoxic lung injury,and Fer-1 pretreatment groups.A hypobaric chamber was used to establish a rat model of high-altitude hypoxic lung injury.Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)was employed to compare pulmonary protein profiles between normoxic and hypoxic groups,followed by bioinformatics analysis of pathways enriched with differentially expressed proteins(DEPs).Histopathological changes and lung injury scores were assessed with HE staining.ELISA was used to quantify the inflammatory cytokines,flow cytometry and immunofluorescence assay were employed to measure the production of reactive oxygen species(ROS),and spectrophotometry was utilized to determine the contents of Fe2?,glutathione(GSH),malondialdehyde(MDA),and superoxide dismutase(SOD)to evaluate oxidative stress and detect ferroptosis-related markers.② Human bronchial epithelial cells(bronchial epithelium transformed with Ad12-SV40,BEAS-2B)and macrophages induced by tumor human peripheral blood monocytes-1(THP-1)cells were placed in a low oxygen conditions for 48 h to establish a cellular model of hypoxic lung injury,on which Fer-1 was administered as a preventive group.Ferroptosis markers in BEAS-2B cells and inflammatory cytokine secretion in macrophages were analyzed.Results ①Proteomics identified 2 962 proteins,with 357 DEPs(199 up-regulated,158 down-regulated).Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analysis showed ferroptosis as the most enriched pathway.Hypoxic lung injury resulted in elevated ROS,MDA,Fe2?,and inflammatory cytokines(P<0.05),reduced SOD,GSH,solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11),glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4),and ferritin heavy chain 1(FTH1),and increased acyl-coa synthetase long chain family member 4(ACSL4)(P<0.05).Fer-1 pretreatment significantly mitigated oxidative stress(ROS,MDA,SOD,GSH;P<0.05),up-regulated SLC7A11 and FTH1,down-regulated ACSL4(P<0.05),and reduced inflammation(P<0.05).②In cellular models,Fer-1 increased SLC7A11,GPX4,FTH1,GSH,and SOD(P<0.05),declined ROS(P<0.05),and suppressed macrophage inflammatory cytokines(P<0.05).Conclusion Fer-1 alleviates high-altitude hypoxic lung injury by inhibiting ferroptosis in pulmonary epithelial cells and attenuating macrophage-driven inflammation,providing experimental evidence for novel therapeutic strategies.
7.Asiaticoside alleviates ferroptosis in myelodysplastic syndrome by activating SMAD7
Liye WANG ; Qing CHANG ; Tengteng DONG ; Ting LIU ; Chi WANG ; Mianyang LI
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(12):1319-1331
Objective To investigate the relationship of aberrant SMAD family member 7(SMAD7)signaling pathway and ferroptosis in myelodysplastic syndromes(MDS)and evaluate the effect of asiaticoside(AC)-modulating SMAD7 up-regulation to suppress ferroptosis in MDS cell lines.Methods Publicly available MDS-related datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between MDS patients and healthy controls.These DEGs were cross-referenced with ferroptosis-associated genes from the Ferroptosis Database(FerrDb)to identify potential ferroptosis-related targets in MDS.Bone marrow mononuclear cells(BMMNCs)were isolated from 18 MDS patients freshly diagnosed in the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospitaland and from 16 healthy donors during October 2022 and November 2024.RT-qPCR was employed to detect the expression of SMAD7 and ferroptosis-related genes.Immunomagnetic bead sorting was applied to purify CD33+cells,and then qPCR and Western blotting were utilized to measure the expression of SMAD7 and ferroptosis-related biomarkers at mRNA and protein levels.Human normal bone marrow cells(HS-5)and MDS cell lines(MUTZ-1,SKM-1)were treated with gradient concentrations of AC(SMAD7 activator)and ferrostatin-1(Fer-1,ferroptosis inhibitor),and SMAD7 overexpression plasmids were transfected into MDS cells.qPCR and Western blotting were utilized to measure the expression of SMAD7 and ferroptosis-related biomarkers at mRNA and protein levels,and the contents of glutathione(GSH),malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD),and reactive oxygen species(ROS)were detected.Flow cytometry of CD11b+was performed to measure cellular differentiation.Results ①Bioinformatics analysis revealed significant down-regulation of SMAD7 in MDS patients,correlating with ferroptosis activation.Compared to the healthy controls,MDS patients exhibited decreased SMAD7 expression(P<0.05),reduced levels of negative regulators of ferroptosis,glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)and ferritin heavy chain(FTH1)(P<0.05),and elevated expression of its positive regulator transferrin receptor protein 1(TFRC)(P<0.05).Consistent with this,when compared with the normal human bone marrow stromal cell line HS-5,the MDS cell lines MUTZ-1 and SKM-1 exhibited declined expression of SMAD7,GPX4,and FTH1,alongside elevated expression of TFRC(P<0.05).② Treatment with gradient concentrations of the ferroptosis inhibitors ferrostatin-1(Fer-1),the expression levels of GPX4 and FTH1 in MDS cell lines were significantly upregulated in a concentration-dependent manner(P<0.05),while TFRC was markedly downregulated(P<0.05).Additionally,GSH content and SOD activity were enhanced,whereas ROS levels and MDA content were significantly reduced(P<0.05).These results suggest that Fer-1 effectively suppresses ferroptosis in MDS cells.③SMAD7 overexpression led to up-regulation of GPX4 and FTH1 ih MDS cell lines,while downregulation of TFRC,improved anti-oxidative ability and reduced ferroptosis,with enhanced CD11b+expression and myeloid differentiation.④ Following AC treatment,the expression levels of GPX4 and FTH1 in MDS cell lines were significantly upregulated in a concentration-dependent manner(P<0.05),whereas the downregulation of TFRC did not reach statistical significance.Additionally,AC treatment effectively enhanced the antioxidant capacity of the cells,increased the proportion of CD11b+cells(P<0.05),and facilitated cellular differentiation.Conclusion AC activates SMAD7 in MDS cell lines,up-regulating GPX4 and FTH1 while suppressing TFRC expression.This mechanism alleviates oxidative damage and lipid peroxidation,thereby inhibiting ferroptosis in MDS cells.Concurrently,SMAD7 activation promotes cellular differentiation.
8.Self-made reverse leveling device for assisting CT-guided puncture:Phantom experiment
Feng WANG ; Jianyuan QUAN ; Jun LI ; Junjie ZHANG ; Liqin ZHANG ; Liye LIU
Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy 2025;22(7):477-480
Objective To observe the effect of the self-made reverse leveling device for assisting CT-guided puncture of phantom.Methods The reverse leveling device was made using protractor base,leveling bubble,puncture needle fixator,protractor and protractor pointer,and a puncture phantom was self-made with 18K foam plastic.Using a random function to set the puncture angle,3 physicians performed each 50 punctures at different angles respectively on the puncture phantom without assistance(control group)or under assistance of the self-made reverse leveling device(experimental group),and the absolute values of the errors in angles of puncture needle at head-foot and left-right directions measured on CT among 3 physicians were observed and compared between groups.Taken the absolute values of puncture angle errors at head-foot and left-right directions both≤3° as criteria of qualified puncture,the puncture qualification rates were calculated and compared between groups.Results There was no significant difference of the absolute values of puncture angle error at head-foot or left-right direction with or without assistance among 3 physicians(all P>0.05).In experimental group,the absolute values of puncture angle error at head-foot and left-right directions were all lower than(both P<0.001),while the puncture qualification rate was higher than those in control group(52.00%[78/150]vs.4.67%[7/150],χ2=82.752,P<0.001).Conclusion The self-made reverse leveling device could improve the accuracy of CT-guided puncture of phantom.
9.Self-made reverse leveling device for assisting CT-guided puncture:Phantom experiment
Feng WANG ; Jianyuan QUAN ; Jun LI ; Junjie ZHANG ; Liqin ZHANG ; Liye LIU
Chinese Journal of Interventional Imaging and Therapy 2025;22(7):477-480
Objective To observe the effect of the self-made reverse leveling device for assisting CT-guided puncture of phantom.Methods The reverse leveling device was made using protractor base,leveling bubble,puncture needle fixator,protractor and protractor pointer,and a puncture phantom was self-made with 18K foam plastic.Using a random function to set the puncture angle,3 physicians performed each 50 punctures at different angles respectively on the puncture phantom without assistance(control group)or under assistance of the self-made reverse leveling device(experimental group),and the absolute values of the errors in angles of puncture needle at head-foot and left-right directions measured on CT among 3 physicians were observed and compared between groups.Taken the absolute values of puncture angle errors at head-foot and left-right directions both≤3° as criteria of qualified puncture,the puncture qualification rates were calculated and compared between groups.Results There was no significant difference of the absolute values of puncture angle error at head-foot or left-right direction with or without assistance among 3 physicians(all P>0.05).In experimental group,the absolute values of puncture angle error at head-foot and left-right directions were all lower than(both P<0.001),while the puncture qualification rate was higher than those in control group(52.00%[78/150]vs.4.67%[7/150],χ2=82.752,P<0.001).Conclusion The self-made reverse leveling device could improve the accuracy of CT-guided puncture of phantom.
10.Reconstructing head and abdominal CT images with improved marching cubes algorithm
Liye WANG ; Peng LU ; Longquan JIN ; Ruimin HE
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging Technology 2025;41(7):1139-1143
Objective To observe the value of improved marching cubes(MC)algorithm based on Monte Carlo sampling and multi-feature analysis for reconstructing head and abdominal CT images.Methods Totally 69 head axial CT images from one patient with glioma and 108 abdominal axial CT images from another patient with liver cancer were retrospectively enrolled,while 98 head axial CT images of males in visible human project dataset were included.Monte Carlo sampling and multi-feature analysis were introduced into MC algorithm.Monte Carlo sampling was used to simulate the uncertainty of voxel values and estimate the probability of voxels belonging to the isosurface,and dynamic thresholds were generated through combining gradient,curvature,local variance and distance term features of voxels.Then head and abdominal CT images were reconstructed with improved MC algorithm,which were compared with those reconstructed with traditional MC and probabilistic MC(PMC)algorithms.Results Compared with traditional MC and PMC algorithms,improved MC algorithm had lower mean square error,higher signal-to-noise ratio,peak signal-to-noise ratio and computation time for reconstructing head and abdominal CT images without significant difference of Dice similarity coefficient nor recall rate,which could keep the structural loss rate and morphological change rate at low level.Conclusion Improved MC algorithm based on Monte Carlo sampling and multi-feature analysis could significantly improve the robustness and edge accuracy for reconstructing head and abdominal CT images,but the computational efficiency and preservation of head structural details still needed to be optimized.


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