Cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality, necessitating the development of advanced therapeutic strategies with enhanced efficacy and reduced systemic toxicity. Among promising bioactive agents, lactoferrin (LF)—a multifunctional iron-binding glycoprotein abundantly found in mammalian milk and exocrine secretions—has garnered significant interest for its potent and multifaceted anti-cancer properties. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the current understanding of LF’s role in oncology, encompassing its structural biology, diverse mechanisms of action, and groundbreaking advancements in its application through nano-engineering. LF exerts anti-tumor effects through multiple pathways, including extracellular action, intracellular action, and immune regulation. It demonstrates a remarkable affinity for cancer cell membranes, binding to overexpressed anionic components such as glycosaminoglycans and sialic acids, as well as to specific receptors including the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP-1). This selective binding facilitates targeted uptake. Upon internalization, LF orchestrates a direct assault by inducing cell-cycle arrest in phases such as G0/G1 or S phase through the modulation of key regulators including cyclins, CDKs, and p53. Furthermore, it promotes programmed cell death via apoptotic pathways, involving caspase activation and downregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins such as survivin. A more recently elucidated mechanism is the induction of ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death characterized by overwhelming lipid peroxidation. Beyond direct cytotoxicity, LF acts as a potent immunomodulator. It enhances natural killer (NK) cell activity, modulates T-lymphocyte populations, and crucially reprograms tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) from a pro-tumor M2 state to an anti-tumor M1 state, thereby reversing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). The translation of LF’s potential has been significantly accelerated by nanotechnology. The inherent biocompatibility and natural tumor-targeting capabilities of LF make it an ideal platform for sophisticated drug-delivery systems. This review details various fabrication strategies for LF-based nanoparticles (NPs), including self-assembly, sol-in-oil emulsion, and electrostatic nanocomplexes, among others. Research demonstrates that nano-formulations not only protect LF from degradation but also enhance its bioactivity and anti-cancer potency. More importantly, LF NPs serve as versatile carriers for a wide array of therapeutic agents, including conventional chemotherapeutics, natural compounds, and imaging agents. These engineered systems enable synergistic therapy and facilitate site-specific delivery. Notably, the ability of LF to bind to receptors on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been leveraged to develop nano-systems for glioblastoma treatment. Other innovative designs utilize LF to modulate the TME—for instance, by alleviating tumor hypoxia to sensitize cells to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Despite compelling pre-clinical evidence, the clinical translation of LF and its nano-formulations remains nascent. While early-phase trials have established a favorable safety profile for recombinant human LF, larger Phase III studies have yielded mixed results, underscoring the complexity of its action in humans. Key challenges include enhancing drug targeting, optimizing loading efficiency, ensuring batch-to-batch reproducibility, and achieving deep tumor penetration. Future research must focus on the rational design of next-generation LF-NPs. This entails developing standardized manufacturing protocols, engineering “smart” stimuli-responsive systems for targeted drug release in the TME, and constructing multi-targeting platforms. A concerted interdisciplinary effort is paramount to bridge the gap between bench and bedside. In conclusion, LF, particularly in its nano-engineered forms, represents a highly promising and versatile agent in the oncological arsenal, holding immense potential for precise and effective cancer therapy.

Cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality, necessitating the development of advanced therapeutic strategies with enhanced efficacy and reduced systemic toxicity. Among promising bioactive agents, lactoferrin (LF)—a multifunctional iron-binding glycoprotein abundantly found in mammalian milk and exocrine secretions—has garnered significant interest for its potent and multifaceted anti-cancer properties. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the current understanding of LF’s role in oncology, encompassing its structural biology, diverse mechanisms of action, and groundbreaking advancements in its application through nano-engineering. LF exerts anti-tumor effects through multiple pathways, including extracellular action, intracellular action, and immune regulation. It demonstrates a remarkable affinity for cancer cell membranes, binding to overexpressed anionic components such as glycosaminoglycans and sialic acids, as well as to specific receptors including the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP-1). This selective binding facilitates targeted uptake. Upon internalization, LF orchestrates a direct assault by inducing cell-cycle arrest in phases such as G0/G1 or S phase through the modulation of key regulators including cyclins, CDKs, and p53. Furthermore, it promotes programmed cell death via apoptotic pathways, involving caspase activation and downregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins such as survivin. A more recently elucidated mechanism is the induction of ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death characterized by overwhelming lipid peroxidation. Beyond direct cytotoxicity, LF acts as a potent immunomodulator. It enhances natural killer (NK) cell activity, modulates T-lymphocyte populations, and crucially reprograms tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) from a pro-tumor M2 state to an anti-tumor M1 state, thereby reversing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). The translation of LF’s potential has been significantly accelerated by nanotechnology. The inherent biocompatibility and natural tumor-targeting capabilities of LF make it an ideal platform for sophisticated drug-delivery systems. This review details various fabrication strategies for LF-based nanoparticles (NPs), including self-assembly, sol-in-oil emulsion, and electrostatic nanocomplexes, among others. Research demonstrates that nano-formulations not only protect LF from degradation but also enhance its bioactivity and anti-cancer potency. More importantly, LF NPs serve as versatile carriers for a wide array of therapeutic agents, including conventional chemotherapeutics, natural compounds, and imaging agents. These engineered systems enable synergistic therapy and facilitate site-specific delivery. Notably, the ability of LF to bind to receptors on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been leveraged to develop nano-systems for glioblastoma treatment. Other innovative designs utilize LF to modulate the TME—for instance, by alleviating tumor hypoxia to sensitize cells to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Despite compelling pre-clinical evidence, the clinical translation of LF and its nano-formulations remains nascent. While early-phase trials have established a favorable safety profile for recombinant human LF, larger Phase III studies have yielded mixed results, underscoring the complexity of its action in humans. Key challenges include enhancing drug targeting, optimizing loading efficiency, ensuring batch-to-batch reproducibility, and achieving deep tumor penetration. Future research must focus on the rational design of next-generation LF-NPs. This entails developing standardized manufacturing protocols, engineering “smart” stimuli-responsive systems for targeted drug release in the TME, and constructing multi-targeting platforms. A concerted interdisciplinary effort is paramount to bridge the gap between bench and bedside. In conclusion, LF, particularly in its nano-engineered forms, represents a highly promising and versatile agent in the oncological arsenal, holding immense potential for precise and effective cancer therapy.

The Type III Secretion System (T3SS) serves as a pivotal virulence apparatus for numerous Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, enabling them to infect both animal and plant hosts. Functioning as a molecular syringe, the T3SS directly translocates bacterial effector proteins from the bacterial cytoplasm into the interior of eukaryotic host cells. These effectors are central weapons that precisely manipulate a wide spectrum of host cellular physiological processes, ranging from cytoskeletal dynamics to immune signaling, to establish a favorable niche for bacterial survival and proliferation. Among the diverse arsenal of T3SS effectors, the YopJ family constitutes a critical group of virulence factors. Members of this family are characterized by a conserved catalytic triad structure—a hallmark of the CE clan of cysteine proteases that has been evolutionarily repurposed to confer acetyltransferase activity. A defining and intriguing feature of these enzymes is their stringent dependence on a host-derived eukaryotic cofactor, inositol hexakisphosphate (IP₆), for allosteric activation. This requirement acts as a sophisticated molecular safeguard, ensuring enzymatic activity only within the appropriate host environment, thereby preventing detrimental effects on the bacterium itself. While seminal studies on individual members such as Yersinia’s YopJ and Salmonella’s AvrA have provided deep mechanistic insights, a systematic and integrative understanding of the structure-function relationships across the entire family remains fragmented. Key questions persist regarding how a conserved catalytic core has diverged to recognize distinct host substrates in different kingdoms of life. To address this gap, this article provides a systematic review of the YopJ family, focusing on three interconnected aspects: their structural features, their catalytic mechanism, and their divergent immunosuppressive strategies in animal versus plant hosts. By conducting a comparative analysis of the sequences and resolved three-dimensional structures of three representative members (e.g., HopZ1a, PopP2, AvrA), we elucidate regions of significant variation embedded within the conserved core catalytic architecture. These variable regions, often involving surface loops and substrate-binding interfaces, are crucial determinants of target specificity and functional specialization. The functional divergence of this effector family is most apparent when comparing their modes of action in different hosts. In animal hosts, YopJ-family effectors primarily sabotage innate immune signaling pathways. They achieve this by acetylating key serine and threonine residues within the activation loops of critical kinases in the MAPK and NF‑κB pathways. This post-translational modification blocks the phosphorylation and subsequent activation of these kinases, leading to potent suppression of inflammatory cytokine production. Conversely, in plant hosts, the strategy broadens to dismantle the two-tiered plant immune system. YopJ homologs target a more diverse set of substrates, including immune-associated receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases (RLCKs), microtubule networks via tubulin acetylation (which disrupts cellular trafficking and signaling), and transcription factors central to defense gene regulation. This multi-target approach effectively suppresses both Pattern-Triggered Immunity (PTI) and Effector-Triggered Immunity (ETI). In conclusion, this synthesis aims to deepen the mechanistic understanding of YopJ family-mediated pathogenesis by integrating structural biology with cellular function across host kingdoms. Elucidating the precise molecular basis for substrate selection—how conserved platforms achieve target diversity—is a major frontier. Furthermore, this knowledge provides a vital theoretical foundation for developing novel anti-virulence strategies. Targeting the conserved IP₆-binding pocket or the catalytic acetyltransferase activity itself represents a promising avenue for designing broad-spectrum inhibitors that could disarm this critical family of bacterial effectors, potentially offering new therapeutic approaches against a range of pathogenic bacteria.

Objective To analyze the effects of activating transcription factor 3(ATF3)pathway mediated by circSLC8Al on oxidative stress and iron activity of epileptic cells.Methods An epileptic cell model was established using human neuronal-hippocampal cells through Mg2+-free method.The expression levels of circSLC8A1 and ATF3 in healthy control group and model group were detected.Plasmid transfection was used to establish circSLC8A1 knockout group,ATF3 knockout group,circSLC8A1 knockout+ATF3 overexpression group,and ATF3 knockout+circSLC8A1 overexpression group.After 6h transfection,cells were cultured in normal medium for 48h.The cell viability,iron activity,reactive oxygen species(ROS),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)and glutathione(GSH)of the different intervention groups were detected and compared.Results The expression levels of circSLC8A1,ATF3,ROS,LDH and iron activity in model group were significantly higher than those in healthy control group,while cell activity and GSH expression were significantly lower than those in healthy control group(P＜0.05).Knocking out circSLC8A1 can significantly reduce the expression of circSLC8A1 in epileptic model cells,while knocking out ATF3 can significantly reduce the expression of ATF3 in epileptic model cells(P＜0.05).Knocking out circSLC8A1 or ATF3 will increase the cell viability,decrease the iron activity and relieve the oxidative stress in epileptic model cells.Knocking out circSLC8A1 and overexpressing ATF3 can reverse the above trend,but knocking out ATF3 and overexpressing circSLC8A1 will not lead to the above phenomenon.Conclusion circSLC8A1 can influence the cell activity,oxidative stress and iron activity process of epileptic model cells by mediating ATF3 pathway,which provides some reference for the mechanism of epilepsy and its targeted therapy.

Objective To examine the impact of two DRG performance management approaches on the operations of neu-rology and neurosurgery departments.Methods DRG discharge case data were collected from a tertiary hospital in Laibin City between January 2022 and April 2024.The Interrupted Time Series(ITS)was used to analyze the impact of the two types of DRG performance management on financial performance,service capacity and efficiency,patient burden,and profitability of the neurology and neurosurgery departments.Heatmap clustering analysis was employed to compare the changes in disease surplus rates before and after the two management models,and non-parametric tests were conducted to analyze the impact of departmental transfers on hospitalization costs.Results The change in the ITS(Interrupted Time Series)slope coefficient for operational effi-ciency was significant in the neurology department but not in neurosurgery.The change rates of disease surplus in the two depart-ments were classified into five categories,with similar trends observed in diseases with closely related weights.Furthermore,hos-pitalization costs for certain diseases significantly increased following the transfer of patients from one department to the other(P＜0.05).Conclusion Significant differences exist in the impact of different DRG(Diagnosis-Related Group)performance management approaches in the same department,and the same DRG performance management approach has varying effects on dif-ferent departments.Departmental transfer is a key factor influencing hospitalization costs.

Objective:To explore the clinical effect of endoscopic radical thyroidectomy via three-port gasless intermuscular approach.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. The data of 148 patients who underwent radical thyroidectomy at the Fourth General Surgery Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from January to June 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 31 males and 117 females,aging (43.5±9.6) years (range: 21 to 64 years). The surgical method was selected according to the needs and wishes of patients. Among them, 77 cases underwent endoscopic radical thyroidectomy via unilateral three-port gasless intermuscular approach (three-port gasless group),and 71 cases underwent unilateral conventional open radical thyroidectomy(open group). The surgical technique exploration curve of the three-port gasless group was drawn based on the operation time and the number of lymph node dissections,and the technical exploration period and the technical maturity period were divided. The clinical data of the cases in the three-port gasless group and the open group were compared during the technical maturity period. The independent sample t test was used to compare the quantitative data between the two groups, and the χ2 test or Fisher exact probability method was used to compare the categorical data, respectively. Results:According to the technical exploration curve,there were 11 cases in the technical exploration period of the three-port gasless group,and 66 cases in the technical maturity period. In the technical mature period,the injury rate of temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve in the three-port gasless group was 1.5% (1/65),and the number of lymph node dissections was 5.9±3.5(range:0 to 14),which was not statistically significant compared with 4.4% (3/68) and 5.8±3.7(range:0 to 16) in the open group (all P>0.05). In the technical mature period,the operation time of the three-port gasless group was (39.2±6.2)minutes(range:30 to 55 minutes) and the postoperative drainage volume was (57.6±11.8) ml(range:30 to 90 ml),which were lower than those of the open group((67.8±13.9) minutes (range: 30 to 105 minutes) and (82.9±22.4)ml(range:50 to 175 ml)),and the differences were statistically significant ( t=15.303, 8.177, both P>0.05). During the technical maturity period,the postoperative hospital stay in the three-port gasless group was (3.2±0.4)days(range:3 to 4 days), which was not statistically different from that of the open group((3.2±0.4)days(range:3 to 5 days))( P>0.05). The incision satisfaction of patients in the three-port gasless group one month after the operation was higher than that of the control group (100% vs. 62.0%) ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Compared with open surgery,endoscopic radical thyroidectomy via three-port gasless intermuscular approach has certain advantages in terms of operation time, postoperative drainage volume and patient cosmetic satisfaction.

Objective To assess the efficacy and the survival rate of the hip joint following the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head(ONFH)with ultrasound-guided percutaneous intra-articular platelet-rich plasma(PRP)injection in combination with percutaneous silver needle thermalolysis.Methods Fifty-six patients diag-nosed with ARCO(Association Research Circulation Osseous)stage Ⅱ ONFH were randomly allocated into two groups.The first group,designated as the PRP injection combined with silver needle thermalolysis group(Group R,n=28),and the second group,the steroid injection combined with silver needle thermalolysis group(Group S,n=28).Both groups underwent three injections(administered at 4-week intervals)and one session of silver needle thermalolysis.Outcome measures,including the Numerical Rating Scale(NRS)for pain assessment,Harris Hip Score(HHS),daily consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(etoricoxib)and tramadol,progression to ARCO stage Ⅲ,and the rates of surgical intervention,were recorded at baseline,3 days,and 1,3,6,and 12 months after the treatment.Results When compared to the baseline,both groups manifested significant decreases in NRS scores and enhancements in HHS at all follow-up time points(P<0.05).Specifically,Group R demonstrated more favorable outcomes compared to Group S.At 3,6,and 12 months,Group R had lower NRS scores(P<0.01)and more notable improvements in HHS(P<0.01).Additionally,the daily analgesic consumption(etoricoxib and tramadol)in Group R was significantly lower than that in Group S at 3,6,and 12 months(P<0.01).Moreover,Group R exhibited a significantly lower progression rate to ARCO stage III and a lower hip replacement surgery rate(P<0.05).Conclusions Ultrasound-guided intra-articular PRP injection in combination with silver needle therma-lolysis expedites pain alleviation,enhances hip function,reduces analgesic dependence,and retards the progression of ONFH.This approach thus represents a clinically viable option for early-stage intervention.

This study was aimed at investigating the immunoregulatory function of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv3641c gene in modulating host type Ⅰ interferon responses.The shuttle plasmid pMV261 was used to construct Rv3641c overexpression recombinant Mycobacterium smegmatis,and the biological characteristics of the recombinant bacteria were analyzed to explore the effect of Rv3641c on the growth curve,colony morphology and stress resistance of Mycobacterium.Subsequently,RAW264.7 cells were infected with Rv3641c overexpressing Mycobacterium smegmatis,and the transcriptional expression of genes related to the inhibition of type I inter-feron pathway was determined by RT-PCR.The expression level of IFN-βprotein was determined by ELISA,and the intracellular sur-vival level was determined.As a result,the recombinant rMS::pMV261-Rv3641c was successfully constructed.The results of biologi-cal characteristics analysis showed that Rv3641c did not affect the growth of mycobacteria,but significantly changed the colony mor-phology of mycobacteria and improved its resistance to H2O2.The results of recombinant bacteria infection experiments showed that Rv3641c significantly down-regulated the transcription levels of IFN-α,IFN-βand downstream ISGs genes CXCL10,IFIT2 and IL-1β in host cells,and Rv3641c significantly down-regulated the transcription levels of IFN-α,IFN-βand downstream ISGs genes CXCL10,IFIT2 and IL-1βin host cells.The results of intracellular colonization experiments showed that the intracellular mycobacte-ria in the overexpression recombinant bacteria infection group were significantly higher than those in the empty vector group,indicat-ing that Rv3641c could promote the intracellular surviv al of mycobacteria.In summary,the Rv3641c gene of M.tuberculosis can inhibit the host type I interferon response and promote the intracellular survival of M.tuberculosis,which provides a new idea for further explor-ing the immune escape function of M.tuberculosis and the discovery of new targets for anti-tuberculosis drugs.

Aim To investigate the pharmacological mechanism of Ebselenin(Ebselen,EbSe)in the treat-ment of Escherichia coli(E.coli)infection,which had no significant inhibitory effect on Gram-negative bacte-ria,based on previous studies.Methods After EbSe intervention in E.coli infected Raw264.7 cells,the via-bility of Raw264.7 cells was determined by CCK-8 method,the morphology and structure of Raw264.7 cells were observed by electron microscope,and the in-tracellular bacterial load of Raw264.7 cells was calcu-lated by coated plate method.Polarization status of peritoneal macrophages,Raw264.7 intracellular NO and ROS content and intracellular HO-1 expression in Raw264.7 and E.coli acutely infected mice after E.co-li infection by flow cytometry.qPCR was used to detect the expression of related mRNAs in Raw264.7 cells.qPCR was used to detect the intracellular GSH content in Raw264.7 cells by spectrophotometric assay,and the state of cytoskeletal proteins was observed by immuno-fluorescence.Western blot assay was performed to de-tect the intracellular Txnrd1 expression level.Results Microtiter method,CCK-8,and electron microscopy observations showed that EbSe had no effect on the growth of E.coli and Raw264.7 cells in vitro.The re-sults of smear plate counting showed that EbSe reduced the intracellular bacterial load of Raw264.7 in the in-fected group.Flow cytometry results showed that EbSe upregulated the number of M2-type macrophages.The EbSe-treated infected group had reduced intracellular NO and ROS levels and increased GSH levels.The qPCR results showed that the expression of IL-6,IL-1β,and iNOS was decreased,and the expression of HO-1,Txnrd1,and Glut1 was increased in DHB4-in-fected Raw264.7 cells after EbSe treatment.Cytoskel-etal staining showed that the morphology of the EbSe-treated infected cells was similar to that of oxPAPC-in-duced cells.Western blot results showed the expres-sion of Txnrd1 protein in EbSe-treated infected cells in-creased.Conclusion EbSe exerts anti-E.coli acute infection effect by regulating macrophage polarization and inhibiting macrophage excessive inflammatory state.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and safety of intracardiac echocardiography(ICE)combined with total three-dimensional(T3D)technique in zero-fluoroscopy individualized transseptal puncture.Methods:A total of 112 patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent radiofrequency ablation in Yongchuan Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University from April 2021 to March 2024 were enrolled,and according to the method for transseptal puncture,they were randomly divided into ICE+T3D group with 56 patients and ICE group with 56 patients.The two groups were analyzed in terms of baseline data,time to atrial reconstruc-tion,time to coronary sinus electrode placement,frequency of ICE probe adjustment during transseptal puncture,duration of transsep-tal puncture,pretreatment time before ablation,incidence rate of complications,and the duration and dosage of X-ray exposure.Results:There were no significant differences in baseline data between the two groups.Compared with the ICE group,the ICE+T3D group had a significantly lower frequency of ICE probe adjustment during transseptal puncture(1.70±0.63 vs.5.34±1.71,P<0.001)and the duration of transseptal puncture(3.66±1.09 min vs.4.90±1.92 min,P<0.001).Compared with the ICE group,the ICE+T3D group had significantly longer time to atrial reconstruction(22.44±3.13 min vs.12.34±2.12 min,P<0.001)and pretreatment time be-fore ablation(49.41±3.52 min vs.37.65±4.04 min,P<0.001).In the ICE+T3D group,43(76.8%)patients achieved zero radiation during pretreatment before ablation,and 13 patients received X-ray due to the difficulty in catheter placement;compared with the ICE group,the ICE+T3D group had a significantly shorter duration of X-ray exposure(1.68±0.72 min vs.3.14±1.95 min,P=0.010)and a significantly lower dosage of X-ray exposure(6.28±2.78 mGy vs.23.85±21.32 mGy,P=0.004).During the stage of transseptal punc-ture,all patients in the ICE+T3D group achieved zero radiation,while 45 patients(80.4%)in the ICE patients received X-ray.In terms of complications,there were no life-threatening complications such as cardiac tamponade,perforation of the aorta by mistake,and embolization in either group,while there was one case(1.8%)of vascular complications in each group.Conclusions:ICE combined with T3D after integration and improvement is a safe and reliable procedure for zero-fluoroscopy individualized transseptal puncture.