Gene therapy, harnessing the power of CRISPR-Cas9 and/or DNAzyme systems, stands as a pivotal approach in cancer therapy, enabling the meticulous manipulation of genes pivotal to tumorigenesis and immunity. However, the pursuit of precise gene therapy encounters formidable hurdles. Herein, a near-infrared upconversion theranostic nanomachine is devised and tailors for CRISPR-Cas9/DNAzyme systems mediate precise gene therapy. An ingenious logic DNAzyme system consists of Chain 1 (C1)/Chain 2 (C2) and endogenous lncRNA is designed. We employ manganese modified upconversion nanoparticles for carrying ultraviolet-responsive C1-PC linker-C2 (C₂P) chain and Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP), with outermost coats with hyaluronic acid. Upon reaching tumor microenvironment (TME), the released Mn²⁺ ions orchestrate a trifecta: facilitating endosomal escape, activating cGAS-STING signaling, and enabling T1-magnetic resonance imaging. Under near-infrared irradiation, Cas9 RNP/C₂P complex dissociates, releasing Cas9 RNP into the nucleus to perform gene editing of Ptpn2, while C1/C2 chains self-assemble with endogenous lncRNA to form a functional DNAzyme system, targeting PD-L1 mRNA for gene silencing. This strategy remodels the TME by activating cGAS-STING signaling and dual immune checkpoints blockade, thus realizing tumor elimination. Our theranostic nanomachine armed with the CRISPR-Cas9/DNAzyme logic systems, represents a resourceful and promising strategy for advancing cancer systemic immunotherapy and precise gene therapy.

Under the background of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with 15 national ministries and commissions, has formulated the Implementation Plan on Establishing a Carbon Footprint Management System, and it is urgent for traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) pharmaceutical enterprises to carry out research on carbon footprint accounting methods of related products. Based on the life cycle assessment(LCA) theory, taking mulberry leaf extract produced by a certain enterprise as an example, this study analyzed the carbon footprint of TCM extracts during the life cycle. The results show that for every 1 kg of product produced, the carbon emissions from the stages of raw material acquisition, transportation, and extract production are-20.569, 1.205, and 173.577 kgCO_2eq(CO_2 equivalent), respectively. The carbon footprint of the product is 154.213 kgCO_2eq·kg~(-1). In addition, the carbon emission is the highest in the production stage, in which the consumption of ethanol solvents makes the greatest contribution to the carbon footprint, accounting for 25.71%, more than one-fourth of the total carbon footprint. The second contribution was from the treatment process of TCM residues, accounting for 19.67%, closely followed by wastewater treatment(17.71%), the consumption of hot steam(17.43%), and drinking water(16.90%). The consumption of electric power and packaging materials has a smaller carbon emission of 2.58%. In particular, the carbon emission caused by the consumption of packaging materials is only 0.04%, which is negligible. The results of the study are expected to provide a reference for TCM enterprises to carry out research on the carbon footprint of products, offer ideas for collaborative innovation in reducing pollution and carbon emissions throughout the entire industry chain of TCM, and develop new quality productivity of modern TCM industry based on green and low-carbon manufacturing.
Morus/chemistry* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry* ; Carbon Footprint ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Plant Extracts/analysis* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

At present, the cause of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) in China has entered a new period of high-quality development. How to strengthen the foundation for the TCM industry from the source is an important issue that deserves the attention of the authorities, industry, and academia. This study systematically analyzed the regulatory system of TCM raw materials and preparations. The study took the TCM industry chain and the product life cycle as a clue and focused on the dimensions of TCM resource protection and plant cultivation(farming), production and quality supervision of TCM raw materials and preparations, and their market access and distribution. It analyzed the current situation of the regulation of TCM raw materials and preparations under the regulatory system of drugs, discussed the main problems, and put forward corresponding suggestions. The results can provide an important reference value for the subsequent improvement of the regulatory system of drugs and the construction of a prominent regulatory system of drugs in accordance with TCM characteristics.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/economics* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; China ; Quality Control ; Humans ; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry*

Microbial communities such as those residing in the human gut are highly diverse and complex, and many with important implications for health and diseases. The effects and functions of these microbial communities are determined not only by their species compositions and diversities but also by the dynamic intra- and inter-cellular states at the transcriptional level. Powerful and scalable technologies capable of acquiring single-microbe-resolution RNA sequencing information in order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of complex microbial communities together with their hosts are therefore utterly needed. Here we report the development and utilization of a droplet-based smRNA-seq (single-microbe RNA sequencing) method capable of identifying large species varieties in human samples, which we name smRandom-seq2. Together with a triple-module computational pipeline designed for the bacteria and bacteriophage sequencing data by smRandom-seq2 in four human gut samples, we established a single-cell level bacterial transcriptional landscape of human gut microbiome, which included 29,742 single microbes and 329 unique species. Distinct adaptive response states among species in Prevotella and Roseburia genera and intrinsic adaptive strategy heterogeneity in Phascolarctobacterium succinatutens were uncovered. Additionally, we identified hundreds of novel host-phage transcriptional activity associations in the human gut microbiome. Our results indicated that smRandom-seq2 is a high-throughput and high-resolution smRNA-seq technique that is highly adaptable to complex microbial communities in real-world situations and promises new perspectives in the understanding of human microbiomes.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/genetics* ; Bacteriophages/physiology* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Sequence Analysis, RNA/methods* ; Bacteria/virology*

Ovulatory disorders are mainly characterized by abnormal follicular maturation or ovulation， with complex etiologies and a lack of effective prevention and treatment methods. Autophagy dysfunction is closely related to the generation and progression of ovulatory disorders. This article systematically elucidates the mechanisms of TCM on follicular development and ovulatory disorders from the perspective of autophagy. It also reviews relevant studies on how TCM regulates autophagy to influence follicular development and improve ovulatory disorders. The findings reveal that TCM monomers/active ingredients （leonurine， total flavonoids from Eucommia ulmoides， alpinetin， icariin， etc.） and compound formulas （including Cangfu daotan decoction， Guishen yugong decoction， Zhuluan decoction， Yishen yangluan formula， Guishen pill， etc.） improve the follicular microenvironment， regulate sex hormone levels， and reduce follicular atresia by regulating autophagy-related genes and signaling pathways such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin and AMP-activated protein kinase. These actions thereby promote normal follicular development and ovulation， and delay ovarian aging. Most research in this field is based on cellular and animal experiments， often focusing on a single signaling pathway or factor. Some studies fail to fully reflect the individualized treatment characteristics of TCM that emphasize “syndrome differentiation and treatment”， highlighting the urgent need for further investigation.

Dryness is an important concept in the theory of traditional Chinese medicine， which is closely related to the transformation of the body， etiology and pathogenesis. As one of the medicinal properties of Chinese materia medica， there are various types of Chinese materia medica with dryness. Atractylodis Rhizoma（AR） is a representative medicine with warm and dry properties， which has the function of drying dampness and strengthening the spleen. Due to its strong dryness， it can cause certain adverse reactions. In clinical practice， stir-fried AR with bran is often used as medicine. The dryness of AR is closely related to its efficacy， but the underlying mechanism of the relationship between dryness and efficacy is still unclear. At present， the research on dryness Chinese materia medica has been increasing year by year， but there are still problems such as insufficient systematic research， insufficient in-depth research and lack of research on the mechanism of dryness effect， which limit the breakthrough of the theory of processing for slowing down dryness， and hinder the precise application of dryness Chinese materia medica in clinical practice. Therefore， this article comprehensively reviewed the differences in dryness characterization indicators of different Chinese materia medica by searching domestic and foreign literature， focusing on the relevant research on dryness of AR. A systematic summary and induction were made from the characterization indicators， research techniques of dryness markers， the influence of processing on dryness of AR， and the application mining of dryness of AR. The results showed that the dryness characteristics of AR mainly included the upregulation of macroscopic indicators such as water intake， urine output and whole blood viscosity， as well as energy metabolism indicators， the downregulation of water metabolism indicators， and pathological changes such as submandibular gland acinar atrophy. Based on the changes of dryness and component content of AR after processing， it is determined that the main dryness components of AR may be volatile components such as β-eudesmol and atractylon. Due to its dryness， AR is mainly used to treat diseases such as spleen deficiency， rheumatism and edema. However， the current understanding of the correlation between dryness and efficacy of AR is still insufficient， and there are still many bottlenecks in understanding and explaining its dryness. In the future， systematic evaluation and characterization should be carried out to find the common mechanism of AR exerting dryness and efficacy， providing reference for the rational clinical use.

Aim To analyze the differences in plasma biomarkers and metabolic pathways between Atractylodes chinensis and Atractylodes coreana after intervention in spleen deficiency rats, and discuss the spleen strengthening mechanism of the two from a non targeted metabolomics perspective. Methods A spleen deficiency model was established in SD rats using a composite factor method of improper diet, excessive fatigue, and bitter cold diarrhea. To determine the content of gastrointestinal and immunological indicators, UHPLC-QE-MS technology was used, combined with principal component analysis (PC A) and orthogonal projections to latent structures-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) methods to search for biomarkers in plasma of spleen deficiency rats, and metabolic pathways were induced using the Pathway database. Results After administration of Atractylodes chinensis and Atractylodes coreana, various indicators in plasma of spleen deficiency rats showed varying degrees of regression. Metabolomics analysis showed that Atractylodes chinensis and Atractylodes coreana respectively recalled 70 and 82 plasma differential metabolites. Atractylodes chinensis mainly regulated two metabolic pathways : "Glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, and "Thiamine metabolism". Atractylodes coreana mainly regulated five metabolic pathways, "Glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism", "Thiamine metabolism, "Pyrimidine metabolism", "Butanoate metabolism", and "Riboflavin metabolism". Conclusions Both Atractylodes chinensis and Atractylodes coreana have certain regulatory effects on spleen deficiency rats, and their mechanism of action may be related to regulating metabolic pathways such as "Glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, and "Thiamine metabolism"in spleen deficiency.

Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycosides are one of the most commonly used Tripterygium wilfordii preparations， which have anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating effects. Their unique therapeutic effect on some autoimmune diseases and kidney diseases is almost irreplaceable by other similar drugs， but the possible reproductive damage is the bottleneck that hinders their clinical application. In clinical use， female patients often suffer from menstrual cycle disorders， decreased menstrual flow， even amenorrhea， infertility， and other symptoms， and the main toxic mechanism lies in damaging the reproductive and endocrine functions of the ovary and inhibiting the growth and development of follicles. Therefore， it is particularly necessary to understand the toxic and side effects of Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycosides on female reproduction and master the detoxification methods during clinical use. However， there is no clear solution to these problems. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine， "kidney governs reproduction"， and the relationship between kidney Yin， kidney essence， and female ovum is close. Therefore， by considering that the damage to the reproductive system caused by Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycosides belongs to the category of kidney deficiency， Yin damage， and essence deficiency， the "strengthening kidney Yin" method is proposed. It points out that the reproductive toxicity damage of Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycosides on the female can be effectively alleviated by tonifying kidney and Yin essence in clinical use. The relevant research on traditional Chinese medicine， classical prescription， test prescription， and acupuncture is summarized to verify the necessity of the "strengthening kidney Yin" method， so as to provide a theoretical basis for the safe and rational clinical use of Tripterygium wilfordii.

ObjectiveTo explore the evolution principles of symptoms including deficiency， phlegm and blood stasis， and of the functional near-infrared spectroscopy （fNIRS） cerebral hemodynamic characteristics at various stages in patients of Alzheimer's disease. MethodsA total of 497 patients with complaint of memory loss were included， and were divided into subjective cognitive decline （SCD） group （198 participants）， mild cognitive impairment （MCI） group （228 participants） and dementia （AD） group （71 participants）. Neuropsychological evaluation， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome investigation， and fNIRS data collection of prefrontal cortex were performed in each group. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the distribution of TCM syndromes and the difference of TCM syndrome scores in each group； logistic regression was used to analyze the influence of TCM syndromes on the incidence of the patients； association rules were used to analyze the TCM syndromes of the patients； the hemodynamic characteristics of fNIRS in the prefrontal cortex of each group were compared. ResultsKidney essence deficiency syndrome was the dominant syndrome in all stages of AD. There were statistically significant differences in the distribution frequency of kidney essence deficiency， phlegm turbidity obstructing orifices， blood stasis obstructing collaterals， qi and blood deficiency， heat toxin in the interior， and fu-organ stagnation and turbidity retention syndromes among the three groups （P＜0.01）， and the scores of kidney essence deficiency syndrome among the three groups were statistically significant （P＜0.01）. Logistic regression analysis showed that kidney essence deficiency， and qi and blood deficiency syndromes were the main risk factors for the SCD group （P＜0.05）， phlegm turbidity obstructing orifices syndrome was the main risk factor for the MCI group （P＜0.05）， and heat toxin in the interior， and fu-organ stagnation and turbidity retention syndromes were the main risk factors for the AD group （P＜0.05）. The association rule analysis showed that the combination of kidney essence deficiency plus phlegm turbidity obstructing orifices had the highest support （33.33%） in the SCD group， and the combination of kidney essence deficiency plus blood stasis obstructing collaterals had the highest support （32.90% and 52.13%） in both the MCI and AD group. The prefrontal fNIRS results showed that the mean ∆HbO₂ concentration in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex （LDLPFC） decreased sequentially among the three groups （P＜0.05）， and the mean ∆HbO₂ concentration in the LDLPFC was negatively correlated with the MoCA score among the three groups （r = -0.142， P＜0.05）. Further analysis showed that the mean ∆HbO₂ concentration in the LDLPFC of patients with kidney essence deficiency syndrome were statistically significant differences among the three groups （P＜0.05）. ConclusionKidney deficiency is the basis of the pathogenesis of AD， and the key brain area damaged is the LDLPFC. Turbid pathogens such as phlegm and blood stasis are the pathological factors that aggravate the disease， and the syndromes of AD show the evolution law of deficiency and excess as “kidney deficiency→phlegm turbidity→blood stasis→turbid toxin”. The changes in prefrontal hemodynamics based on fNIRS are consistent with the changes in the characteristics of symptoms， which can be used to assess the degree of cognitive impairment in AD patients.