Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of lung cancer and one of the main causes of cancer-related deaths. In the past decade, with the widespread use of computed tomography (CT) in routine screening for lung cancer, the incidence of LUAD presenting as small pulmonary nodules radiologically, has increased remarkably. The mechanisms of the occurrence and progression of LUADs are complex, and the prognoses of patients with LUAD vary significantly. Although significant progress has been made in targeted therapy and immunotherapy for LUADs in recent years, the drug resistance of tumor cells has not been effectively overcome, which limits the benefits of patients. With the accomplishment of the Human Genome Project, sequencing-based genomic and transcriptomics have come into the field of clinical and scientific researches. Single-cell sequencing, as a new type of sequencing method that has captured increasing attention recently, can perform specific analysis of cell populations at single-cell level, which can reveal the unique changes of each cell type. Single-cell sequencing can also provide accurate assessment on heterogeneous stromal cells and cancer cells, which is helpful to reveal the complexity of molecular compositions and differences between non- and malignant tissues. To sum up, it is an urgent need for clinicians and basic scientists to deeply understand the pathogenesis and development of LUAD, the heterogeneity of tumor microenvironment (TME) and the mechanism of drug resistance formation through single-cell sequencing, so as to discover new therapeutic targets. In this paper, we reviewed and summarized the application and progress in single-cell sequencing of LUADs.
.

[Objective[ To analyze the main syndrome types, medication rules, and core prescription characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of metabolism-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and to predict the anti-MAFLD mechanism of core formula, so as to provide references for the clinical application of TCM and the development of new drugs. [Methods] Literature research on TCM in treating MAFLD was retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and Wanfang Database since the establishment of the database to July 2022. Excel 2019 and Chinese Medicine Inheritance Computing Platform (V3.0) were used for frequency analysis, association rule analysis, and cluster analysis of effective prescriptions. The key components, targets, and action pathways of anti-MAFLD core formulas were predicted by network pharmacology. Finally, the interactions between the obtained core components and their core targets were verified reversely by molecular docking technology. [Results] A total of 218 articles were screened and selected, including 352 prescriptions, involving 270 traditional Chinese herbs. The drugs were used a total of 3 901 times, and a total of 10 915 cases were collected, among which the prevalence rate was higher in males. The main types of TCM syndrome included intermingled phlegm and blood stasis syndrome, liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome, and damp-heat in liver and gallbladder syndrome, among which Shanzha (Crataegi Fructus), Danshen (Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma), Fuling (Poria), Zexie (Alismatis Rhizoma), Chaihu (Bupleuri Radix), and Baizhu (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma) were the most frequently used. The properties of Chinese medicine primarily encompassed thermal characteristics, with a predominant emphasis on cold and warm; the flavors of herbs were predominantly characterized by bitterness and sweetness, while the majority exhibited tropism towards the spleen and liver meridians. The drugs were primarily classified based on their efficacy in tonifying deficiencies, promoting diuresis and moistening, enhancing blood circulation and removing blood stasisheat-clearing, etc. The association rules were employed to derive a set of 20 core drug pairs, while cluster analysis was utilized to identify three distinct groups of core drug combinations. Network pharmacological showed that the main components of the core formula “Shanzha (Crataegi Fructus) - Danshen (Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma) - Zexie (Alismatis Rhizoma) - Chaihu (Bupleuri Radix) - Fuling (Poria)” in the treatment of MAFLD were quercetin, apigenin, puerarin, luteolin, ursolic acid, kaempferol, tanshinone IIA, emodin, paeonol, etc., which involved RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (AKT1), cellular tumor antigen p53 (TP53), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), peroxisome proliferative activated receptor gamma (PPARG), and other key targets. The molecular docking results showed that the core components had good binding to lipid and atherosclerosis, and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathway-associated proteins. [Conclusion] The main principles of TCM for the treatment of MAFLD involve soothing the liver and strengthening the spleen, eliminating phlegm and dampness, clearing heat and dampness, as well as promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. The core formula may exert anti-MAFLD effects mediated through multiple components, targets, and signaling pathways. This study establishes a theoretical foundation for the clinical application of TCM in the treatment of MAFLD, and serves as a reference for further exploration of new drugs against MAFLD.