Distinct from the complementary inhibition mechanism through binding to the target with three-dimensional conformation of small molecule inhibitors, targeted protein degradation technology takes tremendous advantage of endogenous protein degradation pathway inside cells to degrade plenty of “undruggable” target proteins, which provides a novel route for the treatment of many serious diseases, mainly including proteolysis-targeting chimeras, lysosome-targeting chimeras, autophagy-targeting chimeras, antibody-based proteolysis-targeting chimeras, etc. Unlike proteolysis-targeting chimeras first found in 2001, which rely on ubiquitin-proteasome system to mainly degrade intracellular proteins of interest, lysosome-targeting chimeras identified in 2020, which was act as the fastly developing technology, utilize cellular lysosomal pathway through endocytosis mediated by lysosome-targeting receptor to degrade both extracellular and membrane proteins. As an emerging biomedical technology, nucleic acid-driven lysosome-targeting chimeras utilize nucleic acids as certain components of chimera molecule to replace with ligand to lysosome-targeting receptor or protein of interest, exhibiting broad application prospects and potential clinical value in disease treatment and drug development. This review mainly introduced present progress of nucleic acid-driven lysosome-targeting chimeras technology, including its basic composition, its advantages compared with antibody or glycopeptide-based lysosome-targeting chimeras, and focused on its chief application, in terms of the type of lysosome-targeting receptors. Most research about the development of nucleic acid-driven lysosome-targeting chimeras focused on those which utilized cation-independent mannose-6-phosphonate receptor as the lysosome-targeting receptor. Both mannose-6-phosphonate-modified glycopeptide and nucleic aptamer targeting cation-independent mannose-6-phosphonate receptor, even double-stranded DNA molecule moiety can be taken advantage as the ligand to lysosome-targeting receptor. The same as classical lysosome-targeting chimeras, asialoglycoprotein receptor can also be used for advance of nucleic acid-driven lysosome-targeting chimeras. Another new-found lysosome-targeting receptor, scavenger receptor, can bind dendritic DNA molecules to mediate cellular internalization of complex and lysosomal degradation of target protein, suggesting the successful application of scavenger receptor-mediated nucleic acid-driven lysosome-targeting chimeras. In addition, this review briefly overviewed the history of lysosome-targeting chimeras, including first-generation and second-generation lysosome-targeting chimeras through cation-independent mannose-6-phosphonate receptor-mediated and asialoglycoprotein receptor-mediated endocytosis respectively, so that a clear timeline can be presented for the advance of chimera technique. Meantime, current deficiency and challenge of lysosome-targeting chimeras was also mentioned to give some direction for deep progress of lysosome-targeting chimeras. Finally, according to faulty lysosomal degradation efficiency, more cellular mechanism where lysosome-targeting chimeras perform degradation of protein of interest need to be deeply explored. In view of current progress and direction of nucleic acid-driven lysosome-targeting chimeras, we discussed its current challenges and development direction in the future. Stability of natural nucleic acid molecule and optimized chimera construction have a great influence on the biological function of lysosome-targeting chimeras. Discovery of novel lysosome-targeting receptors and nucleic aptamer with higher affinity to the target will greatly facilitate profound advance of chimera technique. In summary, nucleic acid-driven lysosome-targeting chimeras have many superiorities, such as lower immunogenicity, expedient synthesis of chimera molecules and so on, in contrast to classical lysosome-targeting chimeras, making it more valuable. Also, the chimera technology provides new ideas and methods for biomedical research, drug development and clinical treatment, and can be used more widely through further research and optimization.

BACKGROUND:Many recent studies have shown a close relationship between inflammatory cytokines and osteoporosis and bone mineral density(BMD).However,the causal relationship between inflammatory cytokines and BMD has not been fully revealed. OBJECTIVE:To explore the potential causal relationship between inflammatory cytokines and BMD using a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis. METHODS:The single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with 41 circulating inflammatory cytokines were selected from the open database of genome-wide association studies(GWAS)as instrumental variables.The GWAS data about BMD were from the Genetic Factors for Osteoporosis Consortium,involving a total of 32 735 individuals of European ancestry.Inverse variance weighting was used as the primary analysis to evaluate the causal effect.Weighted median,MR Egger regression,simple mode,and weighted mode methods were used to supplement the explanation.We used the MR-Egger intercept and MR-PRESSO method to conduct a pleiotropy test,the Cochran's Q test was used to determine whether there was heterogeneity in the results,and the leave-one-out method was used to evaluate the stability of the results.In addition,to more accurately assess the causality,the Bonferroni-corrected test was used to identify inflammatory cytokines that have a strong causal relationship with BMD. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)According to the results of the inverse variance weighting method,we found a positive causal relationship between interleukin-8 and lumbar spine BMD[β=0.075,95%confidence interval(CI):0.033-0.117,P=0.000 5),while a negative causal relationship between interleukin-17 and lumbar spine BMD(β=-0.083,95%CI:-0.152 to-0.014,P=0.018).There might be a negative causal relationship between tumor necrosis factor b and femoral neck BMD(β=-0.053,95%CI:-0.088 to-0.018,P=0.003),while a positive causal relationship between basic fibroblast growth factor and femoral neck BMD(β=0.085,95%CI:0.016-0.154,P=0.015).There might be a negative causal relationship between macrophage inflammatory protein-1a and total body BMD(β=-0.056,95%CI:-0.105 to-0.007,P=0.025).There was a negative causal relationship between interleukin-5(β=-0.019,95%CI:-0.031 to-0.006,P=0.004),stromal cell-derived factor-1a(β=-0.022,95%CI:-0.038 to-0.005,P=0.010),hepatocyte growth factor(β=-0.021,95%CI:-0.041 to-0.002,P=0.030),interleukin-4(β=-0.016,95%CI:-0.032 to-0.001,P=0.034)and heel BMD,while a positive causal relationship between nerve growth factor(β=0.019,95%CI:0.002-0.036,P=0.033),granulocyte colony-stimulating factor(β=0.011,95%CI:0.000-0.022,P=0.050),and heel BMD.Meanwhile,after the Bonferroni-corrected test,there was a strong positive causal effect between interleukin-8 and lumbar spine BMD(P=0.000 5).And consistent directional effects for all analyses were observed in MR Egger,weighted median,simple mode,and weighted mode methods.(2)Sensitivity analyses revealed no heterogeneity,pleiotropy,or outliers for the causal effect of circulating inflammatory cytokines on BMD.

OBJECTIVES: To construct a Z-score regression model for coronary artery diameter based on echocardiographic data from children in Sichuan Province and to establish a Z-score calculation formula. METHODS: A total of 744 healthy children who underwent physical examinations at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were selected as the modeling group, while 251 children diagnosed with Kawasaki disease at the same hospital from January 2018 to December 2022 were selected as the validation group. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to analyze the relationships between coronary artery diameter values and age, height, weight, and body surface area. A regression model was constructed using function transformation to identify the optimal regression model and establish the Z-score calculation formula, which was then validated. RESULTS: The Pearson correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficients for the diameters of the left main coronary artery, left anterior descending artery, left circumflex artery, and right coronary artery with body surface area were 0.815, 0.793, 0.704, and 0.802, respectively (P<0.05). Among the constructed regression models, the power function regression model demonstrated the best performance and was therefore chosen as the optimal model for establishing the Z-score calculation formula. Based on this Z-score calculation formula, the detection rate of coronary artery lesions was found to be 21.5% (54/251), which was higher than the detection rate based on absolute values of coronary artery diameter. Notably, in the left anterior descending and left circumflex arteries, the detection rate of coronary artery lesions using this Z-score calculation formula was higher than that of previous classic Z-score calculation formulas. CONCLUSIONS The Z-score calculation formula established based on the power function regression model has a higher detection rate for coronary artery lesions, providing a strong reference for clinicians, particularly in assessing coronary artery lesions in children with Kawasaki disease.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Coronary Artery Disease/diagnostic imaging* ; Infant ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Regression Analysis ; Coronary Vessels/diagnostic imaging* ; Echocardiography ; Adolescent

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.05.019.].

Gene therapy, harnessing the power of CRISPR-Cas9 and/or DNAzyme systems, stands as a pivotal approach in cancer therapy, enabling the meticulous manipulation of genes pivotal to tumorigenesis and immunity. However, the pursuit of precise gene therapy encounters formidable hurdles. Herein, a near-infrared upconversion theranostic nanomachine is devised and tailors for CRISPR-Cas9/DNAzyme systems mediate precise gene therapy. An ingenious logic DNAzyme system consists of Chain 1 (C1)/Chain 2 (C2) and endogenous lncRNA is designed. We employ manganese modified upconversion nanoparticles for carrying ultraviolet-responsive C1-PC linker-C2 (C₂P) chain and Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP), with outermost coats with hyaluronic acid. Upon reaching tumor microenvironment (TME), the released Mn²⁺ ions orchestrate a trifecta: facilitating endosomal escape, activating cGAS-STING signaling, and enabling T1-magnetic resonance imaging. Under near-infrared irradiation, Cas9 RNP/C₂P complex dissociates, releasing Cas9 RNP into the nucleus to perform gene editing of Ptpn2, while C1/C2 chains self-assemble with endogenous lncRNA to form a functional DNAzyme system, targeting PD-L1 mRNA for gene silencing. This strategy remodels the TME by activating cGAS-STING signaling and dual immune checkpoints blockade, thus realizing tumor elimination. Our theranostic nanomachine armed with the CRISPR-Cas9/DNAzyme logic systems, represents a resourceful and promising strategy for advancing cancer systemic immunotherapy and precise gene therapy.

Patients suffering from nerve injury often experience exacerbated pain responses and complain of memory deficits. The dorsal hippocampus (dHPC), a well-defined region responsible for learning and memory, displays maladaptive plasticity upon injury, which is assumed to underlie pain hypersensitivity and cognitive deficits. However, much attention has thus far been paid to intracellular mechanisms of plasticity rather than extracellular alterations that might trigger and facilitate intracellular changes. Emerging evidence has shown that nerve injury alters the microarchitecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and decreases ECM rigidity in the dHPC. Despite this, it remains elusive which element of the ECM in the dHPC is affected and how it contributes to neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits. Laminin, a key element of the ECM, consists of α-, β-, and γ-chains and has been implicated in several pathophysiological processes. Here, we showed that peripheral nerve injury downregulates laminin β1 (LAMB1) in the dHPC. Silencing of hippocampal LAMB1 exacerbates pain sensitivity and induces cognitive dysfunction. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that loss of hippocampal LAMB1 causes dysregulated Src/NR2A signaling cascades via interaction with integrin β1, leading to decreased Ca²⁺ levels in pyramidal neurons, which in turn orchestrates structural and functional plasticity and eventually results in exaggerated pain responses and cognitive deficits. In this study, we shed new light on the functional capability of hippocampal ECM LAMB1 in the modulation of neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits, and reveal a mechanism that conveys extracellular alterations to intracellular plasticity. Moreover, we identified hippocampal LAMB1/integrin β1 signaling as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of neuropathic pain and related memory loss.
Animals ; Laminin/genetics* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Neuralgia/metabolism* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; Male ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/metabolism* ; Extracellular Matrix/metabolism* ; Integrin beta1/metabolism* ; Pyramidal Cells/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVE To investigate the protective effects and potential mechanism of penehyclidine hydrochloride （PHC） on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion （I/R） injury in mice through the macrophage migration inhibitory factor （MIF）/adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK） signaling pathways. METHODS Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into sham operation group， I/R group， I/R+PHC group （PHC 20 μg/kg）， I/R+ISO-1 group （MIF inhibitor 35 mg/kg）， I/R+ PHC+ISO-1 group （with the same dosage as each single drug group）， with 8 mice in each group. Except for the sham operation group， the myocardial I/R injury model was prepared by coronary artery ligation. Thirty minutes before ligation， mice in each drug group were injected with 1 mL of the corresponding drug solution through the tail vein. After 120 min of reperfusion， the levels of cardiac function indexes [heart rate， stroke volume， ejection fraction， cardiac output， left ventricular posterior wall thickness in systole （LVPWs）， left ventricular posterior wall thickness in diastole （LVPWd）]， serum inflammatory factors [interleukin-6 （IL- 6）， IL-10， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）] in mice were detected in each group； the pathological changes and ultrastructure of myocardial tissue were observed， and the protein expressions of B cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， phosphorylated AMPKα （p-AMPKα） and MIF in myocardial tissue were detected. RESULTS Compared with the sham operation group， the myocardial cells in the I/R group were loosely arranged， with severe infiltration of inflammatory cells and obvious mitochondrial damage. Serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α and protein expression of p-AMPKα in myocardial tissue were significantly increased or upregulated， while heart rate， stroke volume， ejection fraction， cardiac output， LVPWd and serum level of IL-10 were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. Compared with the I/R group， the myocardial tissue lesions in the I/R+PHC group were alleviated； serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were decreased significantly， while heart rate， stroke volume， ejection fraction， cardiac output， LVPWs， LVPWd， serum level of IL-10， and protein expressions of Bcl-2， p- AMPKα and MIF in myocardial tissue were significantly increased or upregulated （P＜0.05）. However， myocardial tissue lesions of mice in the I/R+ISO-1 group worsened， with most quantitative indicators significantly deteriorating （P＜0.05）； MIF inhibitor could generally reverse the protective effect of PHC on I/R mice （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS PHC can improve cardiac function， reduce myocardial inflammation， and restore the ultrastructure of myocardial tissue in I/R mice. These effects may be related to the activation of the MIF/AMPK signaling pathway.

Amid ongoing reforms in the healthcare system and the pursuit of high-quality development in public hospi-tals,the significance of party building in leading the standardization of hospital party branches has become increasingly promi-nent.Taking a university's affiliated hospital as an example,this study comprehensively analyzes the current situation of Party building on the standardized construction of party branches within university-affiliated public hospitals using the SWOT method.Meanwhile,this paper proposes targeted strategies by assessing the strengths,weaknesses,opportunities,and challenges of party building leadership.These strategies are intended to refine the framework for the role of Party building in advancing the standard-ized construction of Party branches in university-affiliated public hospitals.

Objective To explore the expression changes of Runt-related transcription factor 3(RUNX3)and junction adhesion molecule A(JAM-A)in cancer tissues of patients with triple-negative breast cancer and their correlation with disease prognosis.Methods Sixty patients with triple-negative breast cancer diagnosed in the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from January 2016 to March 2018 were select-ed as the study objects.Breast cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of patients were collected.Real-time fluores-cence quantitative PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect and compare RUNX3 and JAM-A transcription levels and protein levels in cancer tissues and adjacent tissues.The transcription and pro-tein levels of RUNX3 and JAM-A in cancer tissues of patients with triple-negative breast cancer with different clinicopathological characteristics were compared.The correlation between RUNX3 and JAM-A expression and poor prognosis in patients with triple-negative breast cancer was analyzed by Spearman correlation analy-sis.Results The transcription level of RUNX3 in cancer tissues was significantly lower than that in adjacent tissues,and the transcription level of JAM-A was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues,with statis-tical significance(P＜0.05).The level of RUNX3 protein in cancer tissues of patients with triple-negative breast cancer was significantly lower than that in adjacent tissues,and the level of JAM-A protein was signifi-cantly higher than that in adjacent tissues,with statistical significance(P＜0.05).There were statistically sig-nificant differences in RUNX3 and JAM-A transcription levels in triple-negative breast cancer patients with different tumor maximum diameter,TNM stage and lymph node metastasis(P＜0.05).There were statisti-cally significant differences in RUNX3 and JAM-A protein levels among patients with triple-negative breast cancer with different tumor maximum diameter,TNM stage and lymph node metastasis(P＜0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that RUNX3 transcription and protein levels were negatively correlated with poor prognosis,while JAM-A transcription and protein levels were positively correlated with poor prognosis in pa-tients with triple-negative breast cancer(P＜0.05).Conclusion RUNX3 expression is significantly down-regulated and JAM-A expression is significantly up-regulated in cancer tissues of patients with triple-negative breast cancer,and there is a certain correlation with patient prognosis.RUNX3 and JAM-A may be important regulatory factors in the occurrence and development of triple-negative breast cancer.

Objective:To investigate the expression of RAD18 in colon cancer and its correlation with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA).Methods:The glass slice of colon cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues from patients (73 cases) who underwent surgical treatment at the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from November 2013 to November 2023 were collected.The expression of RAD18 in colon cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues was analyzed in the gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA) database and verified by immunohistochemical staining. The relationship between RAD18 expression and clinicopathological features of colon cancer patients was analyzed. HCT116 and HT29 cells were cultured in vitro, and the control group and transfection group ( transfected with RAD18 shRNA to knock down RAD18 ) were set up. The expression of RAD18 was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western Blot. The effect of RAD18 on colon cancer cell proliferation was explored using clonogenic assays and cell counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays. The correlation between RAD18 and PCNA was investigated by GEPIA and immunohistochemical staining. Results:The GEPIA database analysis showed that the expression of RAD18 in colon cancer tissue ( n = 275) was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues ( n = 349, P < 0.05). RAD18 was expressed at higher levels in colon cancer tissue than that in adjacent normal tissues and was not expressed at high levels in the latter. The expression of RAD18 was closely related to tumor size in the low-expression group and high-expression group of patients ( P = 0.015) but was not related to age ( P = 0.115), gender ( P = 0.665), or tumor differentiation ( P = 0.733). Compared with the control group, the expressions of RAD18 in the transfection group of HCT116 and HT29 cells were both reduced (both P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the clone cell number and absorbance ( A) value of HCT116 and HT29 cells in the transfection group were decreased (all P < 0.05). GEPIA database analysis showed that RAD18 was correlated with PCNA ( R = 0.27, P < 0.05), and the expression level of PCNA was higher in colon cancer tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. Conclusions:RAD18 is expressed at a higher level in colon cancer tissues and may promote colorectal cancer proliferation by affecting PCNA.