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.

Aim To investigate the therapeutic effects of corylifol A(CYA)on Lewis lung carcinoma(LLC)cachexia mice and its ameliorating effects on myotube atrophy induced by LLC cell-conditioned medium(LLC CM)in vitro,and to explore the mechanisms.Methods The cancer cachexia was induced by subcu-taneous inoculation of LLC cells to C57BL/6J mice.The effects of CYA(10,20 mg·kg-1·d-1,i.p.)on the cachexia symptoms and survival time of cachexia mice were observed.The effects of 2.5 or 5 μmol·L-1 CYA on myotube atrophy of C2C12 induced by LLC CM were observed.The effects of CYA on its pos-sible target the serine/threonine-protein kinase TAO1(TAOK1)and downstream signaling pathways were detected using Western blot.The influence of TAOK1 knockout on the ameliorating effects of CYA on myo-tube atrophy was observed.Results CYA could sig-nificantly prolong the survival time of tumor-bearing mice and ameliorate the muscle atrophy associated with LLC.The effects of CYA on myotube atrophy are relat-ed to its regulation of TAOK1.The effects of CYA could be reduced by knockout of TAOK1.Conclusions CYA improves the survival of LLC cachexia mice and ameliorates the related skeletal muscle atrophy.The mechanism of CYA is related to its inhibition on TAOK1 and downstream signaling pathways.

Aim To investigate the effects of the fangchinoline derivative LYY-32 on the biological prop-erties of the BLM642-1290 DNA helicase,in order to lay a foundation for further research on its antitumor activity.Methods Fluorescence polarization assay,malachite green-phosphate and ammonium molybdate colorime-try,and fluorescein-labeled DNA gel electrophoresis experiments were conducted to study the effects of fangchinoline derivative LYY-32 on the DNA binding activity,ATPase activity,and DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase.The effects of LYY-32 on the DNA unwinding activity of DNA helicase in cells were studied using fluorescent techniques and time-lapse microscopy.Ultraviolet spectral scanning was used to investigate the effects of LYY-32 on the confor-mation of the BLM642-1290 DNA helicase.Results At a concentration of 10 μmol·L-1,the inhibition rate of LYY-32 on BLM642-1290 DNA helicase binding to dsDNA was 53.17％.At a concentration of 5 μmol·L-1,the inhibition rate of LYY-32 on BLM642-1290 DNA helicase binding to ssDNA was 88.49％.The inhibition rate of LYY-32 on the ATPase activity of BLM642-1290 DNA he-licase was 89.3％at a concentration of 50 μmol·L-1.When the concentration of LYY-32 exceeded 5μmol·L-1,its inhibition rate on the DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase was 100％.LYY-32 also significantly inhibited the DNA unwinding ac-tivity of DNA helicase in cells.However,LYY-32 had no effect on the conformation of BLM642-1290 DNA heli-case.Conclusion The DNA binding activity,AT-Pase activity,and DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase could be significantly inhibi-ted by the fangchinoline derivative LYY-32.

Objective To explore the relationship between insulin resistance and idiopathic central precocious puberty(ICPP)in girls and the diagnostic value of insulin resistance.Methods Clinical data of 245 girls aged 4 to 7.5 years with low luteinizing hormone(LH)levels(0.2-0.83 IU/L),normal body weight(body mass index standard deviation score between-2 and+2),and early breast development who visited the Department of Pediatric Endocrinology,Henan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2022 to March 2025 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Central Precocious Puberty(2022),patients were assigned to an ICPP group(n=123)or a control group(n=122).Correlations between the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)and selected indices were assessed.Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between HOMA-IR and ICPP,and the diagnostic performance of various indices for ICPP was evaluated.Results HOMA-IR was higher in the ICPP group than in the control group(P<0.001)and was positively correlated with LH peak(rs=0.467,P<0.05)and the LH peak/FSH peak ratio(rs=0.444,P<0.05).The multivariable logistic regression model including age,BMI,and basal LH showed that HOMA-IR was closely associated with ICPP(OR=2.756,95%CI:1.940-3.913).Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve for basal LH,HOMA-IR,and their combination in diagnosing ICPP were 0.735,0.735,and 0.805,respectively(P<0.05),and the combined model had a greater area under the curve than either basal LH or HOMA-IR alone(both P<0.05).Conclusions HOMA-IR is closely associated with ICPP in girls with low LH and normal body weight,and combining HOMA-IR with basal LH improves early identification and diagnostic efficiency in this population.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of cornea guttata in patients with age-related cataract.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted.A total of 1 472 patients aged 50-89 years with complete medical records, who were diagnosed with age-related cataract and to undergo surgery, were enrolled at Peking University People's Hospital from August 2018 to July 2019.The presence of guttata was determined according to the specular microscopy images and the overall prevalence of guttata was calculated, as well as the prevalence rates of different gender, eye, and age distribution.Patients were divided into a guttata group (96 cases 130 eyes) and a non-guttata group (1 376 cases 2 814 eyes), and the differences in general information between groups were compared.The corneal endothelial cell density (CD), coefficient of variation of cell size (CV), fraction of hexagonal cells (6A), axial length (AL), white to white (WTW), anterior chamber depth, and corneal vertex thickness were compared between the two groups, and only the right eye of the patient with both eyes affected was included for analysis.The risk factors of guttata were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression.Differences in influencing factors among different guttata grades were compared, and the differences in biometric parameters of each eye in both eyes of guttata patients were compared.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki, and the study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Peking University People's Hospital (No.2023PHB198-001).Results:Of the 1 472 patients, 96(6.52%) patients had cornea guttata.The prevalence rate of guttata in males was 4.04%, which was significantly lower than 8.20% in females ( χ2=10.058, P=0.002).The average age of patients in the guttata group was (71.19±8.57) years old, with 24 males and 72 females, including 62 patients with monocular guttata and 39 patients with isolated guttata.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that female (odds ratio [ OR]=2.124, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.306-3.455), greater AL ( OR=1.201, 95% CI: 1.083-1.332), shallow anterior chamber depth ( OR=0.439, 95% CI: 0.252-0.766), and greater corneal vertex thickness ( OR=1.008, 95% CI: 1.001-1.015) were risk factors for guttata.There were statistically significant differences in the proportion of monocular guttata and biocular guttata among different grades groups, and between isolated guttata and non-isolated guttata ( χ2=25.492, 15.362; both P<0.05).Differences in CD and corneal vertex thickness among different grades groups were statistically significant ( F=3.264, 5.784; both P<0.05).The CD was significanty higher and the corneal vertex thickness was significantly thinner in the grade 1 than in the grade ≥3 (both P<0.017).There was no statistically significant difference in binocular CD, CV, 6A, AL, WTW, anterior chamber depth, and corneal vertex thickness between both eyes of monocular or binocular guttata patients (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The risk factors of guttata include female, long AL, shallow anterior chamber depth, and thick corneal vertex thickness.The guttata grade of monocular guttata and isolated guttata patients is lower.With the increase of grade, the corneal vertex thickness increases.There is no difference in ocular structure between both eyes of guttata patients.

Aim To investigate the protective effect of Gualou Guizhi granules(GLGZG)on neuronal injury induced by LPS-activated microglia based on Notch signaling pathway.Methods LPS-activated microglia were co-cultured with neurons to construct neuron inju-ry models,and the cells were divided into the control group,model group,Notch inhibitor(DAPT)group,GLGZG(50,100,200 mg·L-1)group,DAPT+100 mg·L-1GLGZG group.After intervention,the activity of HT22 cells was detected by CCK-8 method,and rel-ative mRNA expression was detected by real-time PCR.The relative protein expression was detected by Western blot.Results Compared with the model group,after GLGZG intervention,the cell activity was significantly improved,GLGZG decreased IL-6,IL-12,Bax,Notch 1,caspase-3,Delta-1,NICD,RBPSUH,HES1 expression,and increased Bcl-2 expression(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the NICD,RBPSUH and HES1 mRNA and protein expressions significantly decreased after DAPT treatment(P＜0.05),and there was no superposition effect with GLG-ZG.Conclusion GLGZG may play a neuroprotective role by inhibiting inflammatory factors and apoptosis,and inhibiting Notch signaling pathway.

This study was aimed at studying the drug resistance,serotypes,and molecular characteristics of Vibrio parahaemo-lyticus(VP)in Suzhou,to provide basic data for the prevention and control of VP-related diseases.Drug susceptibility testing of 177 VP strains isolated from Suzhou City in 2023 was performed with the microbroth dilution method.Virulence genes,serotypes,and multi-locus sequence typing(MLST)were analyzed on the basis of whole genome sequencing results.The drug resistance rate of 177 VP strains was highest against cefazolin(100.00%),followed by ampicillin(77.97%),and polymyxine E(63.84%),and the multiple drug resistance rate was 53.67%.In clinical isolates,O10∶K4(37.41%)was the most abundant serotype,and was followed by O3∶K6(28.78%),and ST3 was the dominant ST type.The main virulence genes of clinical isolates were tlh+,tdh+,and trh-(79.86%),whereas the virulence genes in food isolates were all tlh+,tdh-,and trh-.Strains of the same serotype clustered together in the SNP phylogenetic tree.The environmental isolates showed no obvious dominant serotype or ST type.In Suzhou,VP has a high proportion of multi-drug resistance,the clinical isolates have prevalent serotypes and ST types,and most isolates carried virulence genes;there-fore,monitoring should be strengthened.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of inspiratory muscle training(IMT)combined with external diaphragm pacing(EDP)in elderly patients with chronic heart failure(CHF).Methods 147 patients with CHF admitted to the Department of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from March 2024 to October 2024 were selected,of which 38 patients were in the conventional drug therapy group(standard care group),52 patients were in the conventional drug therapy+EDP therapy(dual therapy group),and 57 patients were in the conventional drug therapy+EDP therapy+IMT therapy(triple therapy group).Com-parative analyses were performed for maximum inspiratory pressure(MIP),maximum expiratory pressure(MEP),handgrip strength,6-minute walk distance(6MWD),modified Medical Research Council(mMRC)scores,resting heart rate,and blood pressure before treatment and 4 weeks post-intervention.Results After treatment,The dual therapy group demonstrated higher MIP,6MWD,and lower mMRC scores than the standard care group(P<0.05).The triple therapy group exhibited superior improvements in MIP,MEP,handgrip strength,6MWD,and lower mMRC scores compared to both standard care and dual therapy groups(P<0.05),with additional benefits including lower resting systolic blood pressure versus dual therapy group(P<0.05)and reduced resting heart rate compared to standard care group(P<0.05).Conclusion The combined IMT and EDP significantly enhances respiratory and upper limb muscle strength in CHF patients,effectively improves cardiopulmonary function,alleviates dys-pnea,and reduces resting heart rate and blood pressure,thus improving the quality of life.It is worthy of clinical promotion and application.