The dysregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 12(CDK12),which may result from genomic alterations or modulation by upstream effectors,is implicated in cancer oncogenesis and progression.CDK12 over-expression or activation is sufficient to induce tumor initiation,recurrence,and therapeutic resistance.However,CDK12 may also exert tumor-suppressive functions in a context-dependent manner.Therefore,caution is warranted when targeting CDK12 in future clinical trials.A comprehensive elucidation of the dual roles and underlying mechanisms of CDK12 in carcinogenesis is urgently needed to advance pre-cision oncology.This review provides an overview of the current understanding of the dysregulation and biological roles of CDK12 in cancer.Subsequently,we systematically summarize the functions and mechanisms of the oncogenic and tumor-suppressive roles of CDK12 in different contexts.Finally,we discuss the potential of CDK12 as a novel therapeutic target and its implications in clinical oncology,offering insights into future directions for innovative cancer treatment strategies.

To explore the effect of Macleaya cordata extract(MCE)on growth performance and serum biochemistry of Sichuan White Geese,and to analyze its mechanism of action by network pharmacology and molecular docking technology combined with animal experiments verification.A total of 90 1-day-old healthy goslings were randomly divided into 5 groups with 18 goslings per group after 5 d of adaptive feeding.The control group(CON)was fed with basal diet,the antibiotic group(CTC)was supplemented with 450 mg/kg chlortetracycline premix,and the low MCE group(MCEL),medium MCE group(MCEM)and high MCE group(MCEH)were supple-mented with 200,300 and 400 mg/kg MCE,respectively.The experimental period was 21 d.On the basis of the above experiments,Network pharmacology and molecular docking technology were used to predict the core targets and signaling pathways of MCE to promote geese growth from the levels of antioxidant,immune and apoptosis,and the expression levels of the core target genes were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.The results showed that compared with the CON group,MCE supplementation could increase the average daily weight gain,decrease the ratio of feed to gain,significantly increase the contents of serum GH,T3,T4,TP and ALB(P＜0.05),and significantly decrease the contents of serum AST and TG(P＜0.05).Network pharmacology analysis predicted 2 active ingredient and 237 active ingredient targets,and concluded that the mechanism of MCE promoting the growth of Sichuan White Geese may be related to the role of 5 key targets such as SRC,HSP90AA1,CASP3,ESR1 and MAPK14,and the action of MAPK,apop-tosis and other signaling pathways.Molecular docking results showed that the active ingredients of sanguinarine and chelerythrine in MCE could act through MAPK14.The validation results of core targets showed that MCE could significantly reduce the mRNA expression levels of CytC,CASP2,CASP3 and CASP9 in spleen(P＜0.05)and significantly increase the mRNA expression levels of Mcl-1(P＜0.05).These results indicated that MCE could promote the growth performance of Si-chuan White Geese by regulating apoptosis,promoting the secretion of serum growth-related hor-mones and improving biochemical indicators.

To explore the effect of Macleaya cordata extract(MCE)on growth performance and serum biochemistry of Sichuan White Geese,and to analyze its mechanism of action by network pharmacology and molecular docking technology combined with animal experiments verification.A total of 90 1-day-old healthy goslings were randomly divided into 5 groups with 18 goslings per group after 5 d of adaptive feeding.The control group(CON)was fed with basal diet,the antibiotic group(CTC)was supplemented with 450 mg/kg chlortetracycline premix,and the low MCE group(MCEL),medium MCE group(MCEM)and high MCE group(MCEH)were supple-mented with 200,300 and 400 mg/kg MCE,respectively.The experimental period was 21 d.On the basis of the above experiments,Network pharmacology and molecular docking technology were used to predict the core targets and signaling pathways of MCE to promote geese growth from the levels of antioxidant,immune and apoptosis,and the expression levels of the core target genes were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.The results showed that compared with the CON group,MCE supplementation could increase the average daily weight gain,decrease the ratio of feed to gain,significantly increase the contents of serum GH,T3,T4,TP and ALB(P＜0.05),and significantly decrease the contents of serum AST and TG(P＜0.05).Network pharmacology analysis predicted 2 active ingredient and 237 active ingredient targets,and concluded that the mechanism of MCE promoting the growth of Sichuan White Geese may be related to the role of 5 key targets such as SRC,HSP90AA1,CASP3,ESR1 and MAPK14,and the action of MAPK,apop-tosis and other signaling pathways.Molecular docking results showed that the active ingredients of sanguinarine and chelerythrine in MCE could act through MAPK14.The validation results of core targets showed that MCE could significantly reduce the mRNA expression levels of CytC,CASP2,CASP3 and CASP9 in spleen(P＜0.05)and significantly increase the mRNA expression levels of Mcl-1(P＜0.05).These results indicated that MCE could promote the growth performance of Si-chuan White Geese by regulating apoptosis,promoting the secretion of serum growth-related hor-mones and improving biochemical indicators.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the horizontal transfer mechanisms and genetic evolutionary characteristics of virulence genes in hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae(HvKP)and resistance genes in carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae(CRKP).METHODS The donor strain was a CRKP strain harboring both VIM and KPC resist-ance genes.The positive control was a CRKP strain containing blaIMP-4.The recipient strain was Escherichia coli J53.The horizontal transfer capability of the resistance genes was verified by plasmid conjugation assay.Fifty HvKP strains were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University from 2017 to 2021 and conjuga-ted with the plasmids of five CRKP strains which could mediate the transmission of drug resistance genes.The conjugants were screened by selective medium containing meropenem,and polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was used to detect the resistance and virulence genes in the conjugation-successful strains.The lethality of conjugants was verified by Galleria mellonella larval assays.RESULTS The donor CRKP strain had the ability to mediate re-sistance gene transmission.Its blaKPC gene was successfully transferred to E.coli J53,but the transference of the VIM gene failed.Five CRKP strains with the ability to mediate resistance gene transmission were screened,of which one strain carried both VIM and KPC resistance genes,and the other four strains carried the IMP-4 resist-ance gene.Only one CRKP strain with the blaIMP-4 resistance gene was successfully conjugated with HvKP,carry-ing both virulence genes(aerobactin and RmpA)and the blaIMP-4 resistance gene,with positive wire drawing test result.The Galleria mellonella larvae test showed that the conjugation-successful strain caused the death of all lar-vae within 24 hours.CONCLUSIONS In the hospital environment,CRKP and HvKP can form"superbugs"with both drug resistance and high virulence through plasmid conjugation,posing a severe challenge to clinical an-ti-infection treatment.It is necessary to strengthen the prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections.

Lactic acid (LA) accumulation in tumor microenvironments (TME) has been implicated in immune suppression and tumor progress. Diverse roles of LA have been elucidated, including microenvironmental pH regulation, signal transduction, post-translational modification, and metabolic remodeling. This review summarizes LA functions within TME, focusing on the effects on tumor cells, immune cells, and stromal cells. Reducing LA levels is a potential strategy to attack cancer, which inevitably affects the physiological functions of normal tissues. Alternatively, transporting LA into the mitochondria as an energy source for immune cells is intriguing. We underscore the significance of LA in both tumor biology and immunology, proposing the burning of LA as a potential therapeutic approach to enhance antitumor immune responses.
Humans ; Tumor Microenvironment/immunology* ; Neoplasms/therapy* ; Lactic Acid/immunology* ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Animals ; Signal Transduction

The dysregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12), which may result from genomic alterations or modulation by upstream effectors, is implicated in cancer oncogenesis and progression. CDK12 overexpression or activation is sufficient to induce tumor initiation, recurrence, and therapeutic resistance. However, CDK12 may also exert tumor-suppressive functions in a context-dependent manner. Therefore, caution is warranted when targeting CDK12 in future clinical trials. A comprehensive elucidation of the dual roles and underlying mechanisms of CDK12 in carcinogenesis is urgently needed to advance precision oncology. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of the dysregulation and biological roles of CDK12 in cancer. Subsequently, we systematically summarize the functions and mechanisms of the oncogenic and tumor-suppressive roles of CDK12 in different contexts. Finally, we discuss the potential of CDK12 as a novel therapeutic target and its implications in clinical oncology, offering insights into future directions for innovative cancer treatment strategies.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the horizontal transfer mechanisms and genetic evolutionary characteristics of virulence genes in hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae(HvKP)and resistance genes in carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae(CRKP).METHODS The donor strain was a CRKP strain harboring both VIM and KPC resist-ance genes.The positive control was a CRKP strain containing blaIMP-4.The recipient strain was Escherichia coli J53.The horizontal transfer capability of the resistance genes was verified by plasmid conjugation assay.Fifty HvKP strains were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University from 2017 to 2021 and conjuga-ted with the plasmids of five CRKP strains which could mediate the transmission of drug resistance genes.The conjugants were screened by selective medium containing meropenem,and polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was used to detect the resistance and virulence genes in the conjugation-successful strains.The lethality of conjugants was verified by Galleria mellonella larval assays.RESULTS The donor CRKP strain had the ability to mediate re-sistance gene transmission.Its blaKPC gene was successfully transferred to E.coli J53,but the transference of the VIM gene failed.Five CRKP strains with the ability to mediate resistance gene transmission were screened,of which one strain carried both VIM and KPC resistance genes,and the other four strains carried the IMP-4 resist-ance gene.Only one CRKP strain with the blaIMP-4 resistance gene was successfully conjugated with HvKP,carry-ing both virulence genes(aerobactin and RmpA)and the blaIMP-4 resistance gene,with positive wire drawing test result.The Galleria mellonella larvae test showed that the conjugation-successful strain caused the death of all lar-vae within 24 hours.CONCLUSIONS In the hospital environment,CRKP and HvKP can form"superbugs"with both drug resistance and high virulence through plasmid conjugation,posing a severe challenge to clinical an-ti-infection treatment.It is necessary to strengthen the prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections.

Background Studies on the relationships of environmental noise exposure with negative emotions and sleep quality have long been reported. Self-perceived noise intensity is not only related to environmental noise exposure, but also reflects an individual's susceptibility to noise; however, few studies on self-perceived noise intensity, negative emotions, and sleep quality have been reported, and it is not clear whether negative emotions play a mediating role in the relationship between self-perceived noise intensity and sleep quality. Objective To analyze the mediating role of negative emotions (anxiety, depression, and stress) in the relationship between self-perceived noise intensity and sleep quality in noise-exposed workers, and to provide a scientific basis for addressing psychological problems and sleep quality induced by noise exposure. Methods Stratified cluster sampling was used to select noise-exposed workers from a large equipment manufacturing plant in Chengdu from May to June 2023, and demographic characteristics were investigated using a self-designed general information questionnaire; self-perceived noise intensity was reported by the study subjects as the noise intensity of their workplaces; sleep quality was synthesized from three indicators: night sleep duration, self-perceived sleep quality, and sleep-related symptoms; the Anxiety-Depression-Stress Scale (DASS-21 scale) was used to evaluate anxiety, depression, and stress of a worker. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the pathways of negative emotions (anxiety, depression, and stress) between self-perceived noise intensity and sleep quality. Results The positive rates of negative emotions were 33.1% (anxiety symptoms, 215/649), 26.0% (depression symptoms, 169/649), and 14.0% (stress symptoms, 91/649), respectively in a total of 649 noise-exposed workers. Self-perceived noise intensity was positively correlated with sleep quality score (r=0.218, P<0.001) and negative emotions (anxiety, depression, and stress) (r=0.167, 0.145, 0.167, P<0.001); sleep quality score was positively correlated with negative emotions (anxiety, depression, and stress) (r=0.512, 0.447, 0.513, P<0.001). The results of path analysis showed that the negative emotions (anxiety, depression, and stress) partially mediated between self-perceived noise intensity and sleep quality (β=0.123，P<0.001). Self-perceived noise intensity was positively correlated with negative emotions and sleep quality, and there was a path of self-perceived noise intensity → negative emotion → sleep quality (P<0.001), and the mediating effect accounted for 42.71%. Conclusion The positive rates of anxiety, depression, and stress are high among the noise-receiving workers in this manufacturing industry, and negative emotions characterized by anxiety, depression, and stress partially mediate the relationship between self-perceived noise intensity and sleep quality.

Recent progress in targeted metabolic therapy of cancer has been limited by the considerable toxicity associated with such drugs. To address this challenge, we developed a smart theranostic prodrug system that combines a fluorophore and an anticancer drug, specifically 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine (DON), using a thioketal linkage (TK). This system enables imaging, chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and on-demand drug release upon radiation exposure. The optimized prodrug, DON-TK-BM3, incorporating cyanine dyes as the fluorophore, displayed potent reactive oxygen species release and efficient tumor cell killing. Unlike the parent drug DON, DON-TK-BM3 exhibited no toxicity toward normal cells. Moreover, DON-TK-BM3 demonstrated high tumor accumulation and reduced side effects, including gastrointestinal toxicity, in mice. This study provides a practical strategy for designing prodrugs of metabolic inhibitors with significant toxicity stemming from their lack of tissue selectivity.

Objective To analyze the seroepidemiology characteristics of Epstein-Barr virus(EBV)infection in children in Shenyang.Methods From June 2022 to May 2023,serum was collected from 12 083 children at Shengjing hospital of China Medical University.Serum capsid antigen(VCA)-IgM,VCA-IgG,EBV nuclear antigen-IgG(EBNA-IgG),and early antigen-IgG(EA-IgG)antibodies were detected using the LIAISION chemiluminescence immunoassay.EBV-DNA was detected using real-time PCR.Differences in antibody positivity rates between sexes,ages,and seasons of onset were compared.Results In 12 083 patients,the positive rates of VCA-IgM,VCA-IgG,EBNA-IgG,and EA-IgG were 9.95％(1 202/12 083),50.57％(6 110/12 083),46.03％(5 562/12 083)and 4.93％(596/12 083).The positive rates of VCA-IgM and EA-IgG were lower in male patients(9.09％and 4.44％,respectively)than in female patients(11.10％,5.60％;all P＜0.05).The differences in the positive rates for VCA-IgM,VCA-IgG,EBNA-IgG,and EA-IgG antibodies in children of different ages were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Differences in the positive rates of VCA-IgG,EBNA-IgG,and EA-IgG antibodies were statistically significant when compared between seasons(all P＜0.05).Fourteen EBV antibody-positive combinations were detected,of which the main combination was VCA-IgG and EBNA-IgG double-positive,with a total of 4 741 cases(39.24％).Of the 3 712 children who underwent EBV-DNA detection testing,3 034(81.73％)were EBV-DNA-negative and 678(18.27％)were EBV-DNA-posi-tive.VCA-IgG and EBNA-IgG double positivity was the most common in EBV-DNA-negative and EBV-DNA-positive children,accounting for 983(26.48％)and 194 cases(5.23％),respectively.Conclusion Both VCA-IgG and EBNA-IgG antibodies are main positive in children with EBV infection in Shenyang.The positive rate of EBV antibodies is lower in boys than in girls.The positive rates of EBV anti-bodies differ in children of different ages and seasons of onset.