Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) globally, representing a major global health burden with limited disease-modifying therapies. Podocyte injury serves as the core pathological hallmark of DN, and conventional treatments targeting metabolic disorders or hemodynamic abnormalities fail to reverse the progressive decline of renal function. Accumulating evidence over the past decade has established that high glucose-induced podocyte pyroptosis—a pro-inflammatory form of programmed cell death—is a key driving force in DN progression. Its core molecular mechanism hinges on the activation of the TXNIP-NLRP3 inflammasome axis. Under sustained hyperglycemic conditions, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated via pathways including the polyol pathway, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Concurrently, methylglyoxal (a glucose metabolite) mediates post-translational modification of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP). These events collectively trigger the dissociation of TXNIP from thioredoxin (TRX), a redox-regulating protein. The free TXNIP then translocates to the mitochondria, where it binds to The NACHT, LRR, and PYD domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) and promotes inflammasome assembly. This assembly activates cysteine-aspartic acid protease 1 (caspase-1), which cleaves Gasdermin D (GSDMD) to generate its N-terminal fragment (GSDMD-NT). GSDMD-NT oligomerizes to form membrane pores, leading to podocyte swelling, rupture, and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18). These cytokines amplify local inflammatory responses, induce mesangial cell proliferation, and accelerate extracellular matrix deposition, ultimately exacerbating glomerulosclerosis. MCC950, a highly selective NLRP3 inhibitor, exerts its therapeutic effects through a multi-layered mechanism: it binds to the NACHT domain (NAIP, CIITA, HET-E and TP1 domain) of NLRP3 with nanomolar affinity, forming hydrogen bonds with key residues (Lys-42 and Asp-166) within the ATP-hydrolysis pocket to block ATP hydrolysis, thereby locking NLRP3 in an inactive conformational state. Additionally, MCC950 interferes with the protein-protein interaction between TXNIP and NLRP3 and regulates mitochondrial homeostasis to reduce ROS production. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that MCC950 dose-dependently reduces proteinuria, restores the expression of podocyte-specific markers (nephrin and Wilms tumor 1 protein, WT1), and alleviates podocyte foot process fusion and glomerulosclerosis in both streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetic models (characterized by absolute insulin deficiency) and db/db type 2 diabetic models (driven by insulin resistance). However, discrepancies in therapeutic outcomes exist across different models—some studies report exacerbated renal inflammation and fibrosis in STZ-induced models—which may stem from differences in disease pathogenesis, intervention timing (early vs. mid-stage disease), and dosing duration. Despite its promising preclinical efficacy, MCC950 faces significant translational challenges, including low oral bioavailability, insufficient podocyte targeting, potential hepatotoxicity, and drug-drug interactions with statins (commonly prescribed to diabetic patients for cardiovascular risk management). Furthermore, off-target effects such as the inhibition of carbonic anhydrase 2 have been identified, raising concerns about its safety profile. Nevertheless, its unique mechanism of action—directly blocking podocyte pyroptosis by targeting the TXNIP-NLRP3 axis—endows it with substantial translational value. In the future, strategies to overcome these barriers are expected to advance its clinical application: targeted delivery via nanocarriers (e.g., PLGA-PEG nanoparticles or nephrin antibody-conjugated systems) to enhance renal accumulation and podocyte specificity; precise patient stratification based on biomarkers such as serum IL-18 and renal TXNIP/NLRP3 expression to identify “inflammatory-phenotype” DN patients most likely to benefit; and combination therapy with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors—whose metabolic benefits synergize with MCC950’s anti-inflammatory effects. These approaches hold great potential to break through clinical translation bottlenecks, offering a novel, precise anti-inflammatory treatment option for DN and addressing an unmet clinical need for therapies targeting the inflammatory underpinnings of the disease.

Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) globally, representing a major global health burden with limited disease-modifying therapies. Podocyte injury serves as the core pathological hallmark of DN, and conventional treatments targeting metabolic disorders or hemodynamic abnormalities fail to reverse the progressive decline of renal function. Accumulating evidence over the past decade has established that high glucose-induced podocyte pyroptosis—a pro-inflammatory form of programmed cell death—is a key driving force in DN progression. Its core molecular mechanism hinges on the activation of the TXNIP-NLRP3 inflammasome axis. Under sustained hyperglycemic conditions, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated via pathways including the polyol pathway, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Concurrently, methylglyoxal (a glucose metabolite) mediates post-translational modification of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP). These events collectively trigger the dissociation of TXNIP from thioredoxin (TRX), a redox-regulating protein. The free TXNIP then translocates to the mitochondria, where it binds to The NACHT, LRR, and PYD domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) and promotes inflammasome assembly. This assembly activates cysteine-aspartic acid protease 1 (caspase-1), which cleaves Gasdermin D (GSDMD) to generate its N-terminal fragment (GSDMD-NT). GSDMD-NT oligomerizes to form membrane pores, leading to podocyte swelling, rupture, and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18). These cytokines amplify local inflammatory responses, induce mesangial cell proliferation, and accelerate extracellular matrix deposition, ultimately exacerbating glomerulosclerosis. MCC950, a highly selective NLRP3 inhibitor, exerts its therapeutic effects through a multi-layered mechanism: it binds to the NACHT domain (NAIP, CIITA, HET-E and TP1 domain) of NLRP3 with nanomolar affinity, forming hydrogen bonds with key residues (Lys-42 and Asp-166) within the ATP-hydrolysis pocket to block ATP hydrolysis, thereby locking NLRP3 in an inactive conformational state. Additionally, MCC950 interferes with the protein-protein interaction between TXNIP and NLRP3 and regulates mitochondrial homeostasis to reduce ROS production. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that MCC950 dose-dependently reduces proteinuria, restores the expression of podocyte-specific markers (nephrin and Wilms tumor 1 protein, WT1), and alleviates podocyte foot process fusion and glomerulosclerosis in both streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetic models (characterized by absolute insulin deficiency) and db/db type 2 diabetic models (driven by insulin resistance). However, discrepancies in therapeutic outcomes exist across different models—some studies report exacerbated renal inflammation and fibrosis in STZ-induced models—which may stem from differences in disease pathogenesis, intervention timing (early vs. mid-stage disease), and dosing duration. Despite its promising preclinical efficacy, MCC950 faces significant translational challenges, including low oral bioavailability, insufficient podocyte targeting, potential hepatotoxicity, and drug-drug interactions with statins (commonly prescribed to diabetic patients for cardiovascular risk management). Furthermore, off-target effects such as the inhibition of carbonic anhydrase 2 have been identified, raising concerns about its safety profile. Nevertheless, its unique mechanism of action—directly blocking podocyte pyroptosis by targeting the TXNIP-NLRP3 axis—endows it with substantial translational value. In the future, strategies to overcome these barriers are expected to advance its clinical application: targeted delivery via nanocarriers (e.g., PLGA-PEG nanoparticles or nephrin antibody-conjugated systems) to enhance renal accumulation and podocyte specificity; precise patient stratification based on biomarkers such as serum IL-18 and renal TXNIP/NLRP3 expression to identify “inflammatory-phenotype” DN patients most likely to benefit; and combination therapy with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors—whose metabolic benefits synergize with MCC950’s anti-inflammatory effects. These approaches hold great potential to break through clinical translation bottlenecks, offering a novel, precise anti-inflammatory treatment option for DN and addressing an unmet clinical need for therapies targeting the inflammatory underpinnings of the disease.

BACKGROUND:Neuregulin 1 has been shown to be characterized in cell proliferation,differentiation,and vascular growth.Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells are important seed cells in the field of tissue engineering,and have been shown to be involved in tissue repair and regeneration. OBJECTIVE:To construct human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing neuregulin 1 and investigate their proliferation and migration abilities,as well as their effects on wound healing. METHODS:(1)Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells were in vitro isolated and cultured and identified.(2)A lentivirus overexpressing neuregulin 1 was constructed.Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells were divided into empty group,neuregulin 1 group,and control group,and transfected with empty lentivirus and lentivirus overexpressing neuregulin 1,or not transfected,respectively.(3)Edu assay was used to detect the proliferation ability of the cells of each group,and Transwell assay was used to detect the migration ability of the cells.(4)The C57 BL/6 mouse trauma models were constructed and randomly divided into control group,empty group,neuregulin 1 group,with 8 mice in each group.Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells transfected with empty lentivirus or lentivirus overexpressing neuregulin-1 were uniformly injected with 1 mL at multiple local wound sites.The control group was injected with an equal amount of saline.(5)The healing of the trauma was observed at 1,7,and 14 days after model establishment.Histological changes of the healing of the trauma were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The expression of CD31 on the trauma was observed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing neuregulin-1 were successfully constructed.The mRNA and protein expression of intracellular neuregulin 1 was significantly up-regulated compared with the empty group(P<0.05).(2)The overexpression of neuregulin 1 promoted the migratory ability(P<0.01)and proliferative ability of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells(P<0.05).(3)Human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing neuregulin 1 promoted wound healing in mice(P<0.05)and wound angiogenesis(P<0.05).The results showed that overexpression of neuregulin 1 resulted in an increase in the proliferative and migratory capacities of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells,significantly promoting wound healing and angiogenesis.

Human alphaherpesvirus 2 (HSV-2) is the main pathogen resulting human genital herpes, which poses a major threat to the socio-economic development, while there is no effective vaccine. In this study, we developed a novel lipopolyplex (LPP)-delivered mRNA vaccine expressing the HSV-2 envelope glycoprotein gD and evaluated its immunogenicity in mice. The mRNA vaccine was prepared from the genetically modified gD mRNA synthesized in vitro combined with the LPP delivery platform and it was named gD-ORI mRNA. The expression of gD antigen in the mRNA vaccine was validated in vitro by Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence assay, then the immune responses induced by this mRNA vaccine in mice were evaluated. The immunization with gD mRNA alone induced strong humoral and cellular immune responses in mice. Robust and long-lasting gD-specific IgG antibodies were detected in the mouse serum after booster immunization with gD-ORI mRNA. The immunized mice exhibited a Th1/Th2 balanced IgG response and robust neutralizing antibodies against HSV-2, and a clear dose-response relationship was observed. The gD-specific IgG antibodies were maintained in mice for a long time, up to 18 weeks post-booster immunization. At the same time, multifunctional gD-specific CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in vaccinated mice were detected by intracellular cytokine staining (ICS). This novel gD-expressing mRNA vaccine delivered by LPP induces strong and long-lasting immune responses in mice post booster immunization and has a promising prospect for development and application. This study provides scientific evidence and reference for the development of a new mRNA vaccine for HSV-2.
Animals ; Herpesvirus 2, Human/genetics* ; Viral Envelope Proteins/genetics* ; Mice ; Herpes Genitalis/immunology* ; RNA, Messenger/immunology* ; Female ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Antibodies, Viral/blood* ; mRNA Vaccines/immunology* ; Antibodies, Neutralizing/blood* ; Humans

Objective: To review the current development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the field of transfusion medicine. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in the Clarivate Web of Science Database from inception to December 2024 for literature related to AI and transfusion. A total of 4 775 publications were identified. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 133 original studies were ultimately included and analyzed using a narrative synthesis approach. Results: Research on AI in transfusion has surged since 2020 (accounting for 77% of all publications), with China ranking second globally in publication volume. Among the included studies, 69.2% focused on predicting individual transfusion needs, followed by inventory management (8.3%), diagnosis and prediction of adverse transfusion reactions (6.0%), factors influencing transfusion outcomes (5.3%), blood group identification (5.3%), blood quality testing (4.5%), and precise blood volume measurement (1.5%). Additionally, 4.5% of the studies were published in journals with an impact factor greater than 10; 19.5% developed software or applications; 31.5% were multi-center studies; 48.1% utilized decision tree methods, while 31.5% employed neural network approaches; and 14.2% conducted external validation of the algorithms. Conclusion: AI demonstrates significant potential in transfusion risk prediction, decision support, and blood management. However, challenges remain, including limited model generalizability, insufficient algorithm interpretability, and barriers to clinical translation. The deep integration of AI with transfusion medicine will accelerate the advent of precision transfusion era, maximizing blood resource utilization, reducing waste, and ensuring transfusion safety.

Objective To investigate the differences in personality traits between the patients with anx-ious depression(AND)and non-anxious depression(NAD)in order to provide the possible basis for early find of the patients with AND.Methods A total of 572 adult patients with depression visiting in the psychiatric outpatient department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2022 to December 2022 were selected to conduct the questionnaire survey.General demographic questionnaire,Self-rating Depression Scale(SDS),Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale(GAD-7)and Minnesota Multiphasic Per-sonality Inventory(MMPI)were collected and analyzed.The patients with GAD-7 total score ≥5 points served as the AND group(n=499)and those with GAD total score＜5 points served as the NAD group(n=73).The correlation between the general demographic questionnaire,SDS and GAD-7 with MMPI was ana-lyzed.Results There were statistically significant differences in the place of residence,number of children in a family,education years,MMPI total score and high score proportions of psychopathy,athopia,hysteria,depres-sion,hypochondriasis,paranoea,schizophrenia,social introversion and hypomania dimensions between the two groups(P＜0.05).The SDS and GAD-7 scores in the AND group were higher than those in the NAD group(P＜0.05).The MMPI total score,athopia,hysteria,depression,hypochondriasis,paranoea,schizophrenia,so-cial introversion and hypomania were positively correlated with SDS and GAD-7(P＜0.05).Conclusion The patients with depression accompanied by anxiety symptom could be early identified by the MMPI testing results.

This work was aimed at analyzing the protein characteristics of Coiled-Coil Domain-Containing Protein 115(CCDC115)and using Ccdc115-deficient mouse monocyte-macrophage leukemia cells(RAW264.7)to explore the influence of CCDC115 on the intracellular survival of Salmonella Typhimurium.Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to examine the fundamental attributes of CCDC115,which was determined to be an unstable protein consisting of two α-helices and an intervening disordered re-gion,devoid of any transmembrane structural domains.A RAW264.7-Ccdc115-KO cell line was successfully established with CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology.To elucidate the effects of CCDC115 on the intracellular survival of Salmonella Typhimurium,we infected RAW264.7 cells with Salmonella Typhimurium.The expression of CCDC115 was found to be upregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels post-infection,according to RT-qPCR and western blot analysis.Via counting of colony-forming units(CFU),the proliferation rate of Salmonella Typhimurium within RAW264.7-Ccdc115-KO cells was found to be 1.5-fold higher than that in RAW264.7 cells.Acidification imaging studies indicated that,whereas Salmonella Typhimurium phagosomes underwent acidifi-cation in RAW264.7 cells,this process was absent in RAW264.7-Ccdc115-KO cells.In conclusion,the study successfully estab-lished a RAW264.7-Ccdc115-KO cell line and demonstrated that the expression of CCDC115 is elevated during Salmonella Ty-phimurium infection,thus potentially inhibiting the intracellular survival of Salmonella Typhimurium by facilitating phagosome acidifi-cation.This study lay a theoretical foundation for functional studies of CCDC115 and the investigation of mechanisms regulating the survival of intracellular Salmonella Typhimurium.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic value of image enhancement endoscopy (IEE) for sinonasal malignant tumors.Methods:Patients with nasal neoplasms at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at Beijing Tongren Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021 were examined using white light endoscopy (WLE) and IEE. Targeted biopsy was performed after image collection, and the images were analyzed by two blinded observers. Pathological diagnosis was compared with endoscopic findings. Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated, and P<0.05 was statistically significant. Kappa(k) was employed to assess consistency between endoscopic and histopathological diagnoses. The vascular patterns of sinonasal malignancy were compared with Ni endoscopic classification.Results:This study ultimately included 193 patients with nasal tumors, and 41 cases (21.24%, 41/193) were comfirmed histopathologically with sinonasal malignancies. WLE correctly diagnosed 18 cases (43.90%, 18/41), while IEE diagnosed 28 cases (68.29%, 28/41). Among the 41 malignancies, 28 cases (68.29%, 28/41) showed patchy/punctate patterns and tortuous vessels (Ni type Ⅴ). All 14 squamous epithelium-derived malignancies (34.15%, 14/41) had Ni type Ⅴ vessels. Of 27 non-squamous malignancies, 14 cases (34.15%, 14/41) were Ni type Ⅴ, 7 cases (17.07%, 7/41) were false negatives, 6 cases (14.63%, 6/41) that their vessels were obscured by necrotic tissue. Compared to WLE, IEE had higher sensitivity (80.00% vs 51.42%), specificity (98.68% vs 96.69%), PPV (93.33% vs 78.26%), NPV (95.51% vs 89.57%), diagnostic consistency (95.16% vs 88.17%), and κ value (0.832 vs 0.554). Conclusions:IEE improves the endoscopic diagnosis of sinonasal malignancies. Ni type Ⅴ is suitable for the diagnosis of malignant tumors of squamous epithelial malignant tumors.

Objective:To explore the expression level of Porphyromonas gingivalis, downstream of tyrosine kinase 3 (DOK3) and tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) in the tumor immunomicroenvironment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and the correlation with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients.Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted. The clinical data of 200 OSCC patients with Porphyromonas gingivalis-positive confirmed by 16S rDNA sequencing technology in the First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University between June 2008 and June 2020 were collected. The tumor tissues and the corresponding adjacent normal mucosal tissues of 6 OSCC patients (including 3 cases with Porphyromonas gingivalis -positive and 3 cases with Porphyromonas gingivalis-negative) were selected for high-throughput sequencing to screen differentially co-expressed genes. Immunohistochemistry method was used to detect the expressions of Porphyromonas gingivalis, DOK3, and CD206 (a TAM marker). The median H score of OSCC tissues was used as the threshold to categorize the expression level of Porphyromonas gingivalis, DOK3 and CD206 into low-expression (H score < threshold) and high-expression (H score ≥ threshold) groups. The overall survival (OS) analysis was conducted by using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test was employed.Results:The high-throughput sequencing results revealed that DOK3 is a differentially co-expressed gene among normal oral mucosa, Porphyromonas gingivalis-positive, and Porphyromonas gingivalis-negative OSCC. In 200 patients with Porphyromonas gingivalis-positive OSCC, 139 exhibited high expression of Porphyromonas gingivalis (H score ≥ 7 points), while 61 showed low expression (H score < 7 points). There were statistically significant differences in the expression levels of Porphyromonas gingivalis in patients with different survival status, pathological T stage, pathological N stage, clinical stage, tumor diameter, degree of tumor differentiation and recurrence (all P < 0.05). Among the 139 OSCC patients with high expression of Porphyromonas gingivalis, 92 cases showed high expression of DOK3 (H score ≥ 6 points) and 47 showed low expression (H score < 6 points); 78 cases exhibited high expression of CD206 (H score ≥ 6 points), while 61 showed low expression (H score < 6 points). There were statistically significant differences in the DOK3 expression level in the high expression of Porphyromonas gingivalis OSCC patients with different age, survival status, pathological T stage, pathological N stage, and recurrence (all P < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the CD206 expression level in the high expression of Porphyromonas gingivalis OSCC patients with different pathological T stage, clinical stage, and degree of tumor differentiation (all P < 0.05). The expression of Porphyromonas gingivalis was positively correlated with the expressions of DOK3 and CD206 (both P < 0.01). At the last follow-up on April 6th, 2024, the median follow-up time was 45 months (3 to 106 month range). The median OS time of the 200 patients was 2 429 d, and the 3-year OS rate was 63.9%. The OS of OSCC patients with high expressions of Porphyromonas gingivalis, DOK3, and CD206 was worse than that in those with low expressions (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:The high expression levels of Porphyromonas gingivalis, DOK3, and TAM are associated with a poor prognosis of OSCC patients, suggesting their potential as key biomarkers for prognostic evaluation.