BACKGROUND:Exosomes,as a type of extracellular vesicle,have become a key medium for cell-to-cell communication due to their nanoscale size and enrichment of various bioactive substances.The study of exosome secretion regulation not only has important scientific value,but also has broad application prospects in clinical practice,and is of great significance for promoting medical progress and improving human health.OBJECTIVE:To review the biological characteristics,biological functions,biogenesis process and biochemical regulation mechanism of exosomes,and to explore the application prospects of exosomes in disease diagnosis,treatment and vaccine development,so as to provide theoretical basis and reference for basic research and clinical transformation of exosomes.METHODS:The first author searched PubMed and CNKI databases in October 2024 for relevant literature published from January 2010 to October 2024.Key words were"exosomes,biological functions,biogenesis,secretion or release,regulatory mechanisms,application prospects"in Chinese and English.Finally,92 articles were included for analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The secretion level of exosomes can be regulated through physical or biochemical means.Exosomes show broad application prospects in the fields of disease diagnosis,treatment,and vaccine development,and may play a key role in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases as well as cancer.This review provides valuable information for the clinical translation and application research of exosomes,helping to promote future progress in exosome research and application.

BACKGROUND:Exosomes,as a type of extracellular vesicle,have become a key medium for cell-to-cell communication due to their nanoscale size and enrichment of various bioactive substances.The study of exosome secretion regulation not only has important scientific value,but also has broad application prospects in clinical practice,and is of great significance for promoting medical progress and improving human health.OBJECTIVE:To review the biological characteristics,biological functions,biogenesis process and biochemical regulation mechanism of exosomes,and to explore the application prospects of exosomes in disease diagnosis,treatment and vaccine development,so as to provide theoretical basis and reference for basic research and clinical transformation of exosomes.METHODS:The first author searched PubMed and CNKI databases in October 2024 for relevant literature published from January 2010 to October 2024.Key words were"exosomes,biological functions,biogenesis,secretion or release,regulatory mechanisms,application prospects"in Chinese and English.Finally,92 articles were included for analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The secretion level of exosomes can be regulated through physical or biochemical means.Exosomes show broad application prospects in the fields of disease diagnosis,treatment,and vaccine development,and may play a key role in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases as well as cancer.This review provides valuable information for the clinical translation and application research of exosomes,helping to promote future progress in exosome research and application.

Large language models (LLMs) offer a modern approach to help inherit traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This article discussed the progress of LLM applications in TCM and proposed future development directions by reviewing the existing research. We have found that LLMs and related technologies have excellent applications and performance in the management of TCM knowledge and data. They are often applied in information extraction, knowledge graph construction, and data standardization processing. However, data quality and security issues need to be given more attention. In clinical diagnosis and treatment, LLMs can imitate the thinking of TCM by disassembling and reconstructing its diagnostic process and can achieve functions such as prescription recommendation and question and answer (Q&A). However, this approach involves LLMs making inferences and predictions based on existing corpora and thus may not flexibly handle complex environments and tasks. Moreover, the current evaluation criteria for TCM LLMs can be summarized into 3 categories: general evaluation metrics, technical framework evaluation, and evaluation criteria for the characteristics of TCM (such as consistency rates of prescriptions and diagnostic suggestions). However, the lack of a unified and standardized evaluation system hinders the clinical application of TCM LLMs. The future progress of TCM LLMs should focus on the 3 aforementioned critical aspects to achieve technological breakthroughs. In addition, we are promoting the research on vertical TCM LLMs and application terminals. We believe this will bring new ideas to the research on TCM LLMs.

Quality control (QC) of biospecimens from oral and maxillofacial tumors patients constitutes a critical foundation for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and precision medicine research of these diseases. Biospecimen quality directly governs the discovery and validation of disease biomarkers, the elucidation of pathogenesis, and the efficacy of clinical translation. QC spans the entire biospecimen lifecycle—encompassing collection, processing, storage, transportation, and utilization. Its primary objectives are to ensure sample integrity, reliability, traceability, and consistency, thereby guaranteeing the robustness of research data; the accuracy of molecular subtyping, biomarker identification, and treatment response prediction; and the precision of clinical decision-making. However, current QC frameworks for these biospecimens remain underdeveloped. Drawing on domestic and international technical standards, regulatory guidelines, and recent research advances, this paper elaborates on the importance of implementing a QC management system throughout the biospecimen lifecycle. It focuses on QC methodologies tailored to diverse biospecimen types, examining how standardized sampling procedures, regulated preprocessing workflows, and optimized long-term storage conditions influence sample quality. We aim to provide concrete guidance and a transferable paradigm for establishing standardized QC protocols and an informatics-enabled traceability system specific to oral and maxillofacial tumors. Such efforts are intended to enhance the research value and clinical utility of these biospecimens, furnishing reliable sample resources and technical support for the development of precision diagnostics and therapeutics. Furthermore, we advocate for a dual-track “QC plus Ethics” management framework within biobanks. This approach would reinforce ethical and legal safeguards, establishing a robust barrier to support safe scientific innovation and clinical translation.

Objective To evaluate the performance of lightweight Chinese large language models (LLMs) in answering specialized lung cancer questions, and to explore the impact of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) on model performance. Methods Eleven lightweight Chinese LLMs with parameter sizes ranging from 7B to 32B were included. A lung cancer-specific evaluation dataset consisting of 200 questions [100 A1-type (basic knowledge) and 100 A2-type (clinical case) questions], constructed based on clinical guidelines and thoracic surgery textbooks, was used for assessment. Model performance was evaluated under two conditions (with and without RAG). Accuracy was used to assess model performance, and response latency was recorded to reflect inference efficiency. An accuracy–latency scatter plot was constructed for descriptive analysis of overall model performance. Results All models successfully completed the evaluation. With the introduction of RAG, the overall average accuracy improved from 61.68% to 76.36%. Smaller models demonstrated the most significant improvement (e.g., the accuracy of DeepSeek-7B increased from 32.50% to 60.00%, P<0.001). The average response latency increased from 12.58 s to 13.80 s. The Qwen3 series showed the best overall performance, and Qwen3-32B achieved the highest accuracy under both conditions (76.50% and 84.00%, respectively). After RAG integration, performance differences among model families were markedly reduced. Based on the accuracy-latency trade-off, Qwen3-32B achieved the best balance between accuracy and response latency under the baseline condition, whereas Qwen3-14B demonstrated superior overall performance in terms of accuracy, latency, and computational cost after RAG integration. Conclusion The integration of RAG technology improves the ability of lightweight Chinese LLMs to answer specialized lung cancer questions. Under the dual practical constraints of limited computational resources and medical data security requirements, the "lightweight model+RAG" technical framework may represent a promising deployment solution.

The " liver disease affecting to the spleen" theory first appeared in Nanjing and was further elaborated in Jingui Yaolue. This theory encapsulates the traditional Chinese medicine principles of the " unity of the five viscera" and the " preventive treatment of disease" . The theory emphasizes that the spleen is the pivotal point where depression may progress from a functional disorder to an organic disease. The liver governs the emotions and qi flow, whereas the spleen is responsible for qi, blood, and body. In the early stages of the disease, emotional disorders and qi flow disorders primarily affect the liver, manifesting as depression or low mood. As the condition progresses, the liver (Wood) overacts on the spleen (Earth), disrupting liver and spleen functions and causing qi and blood disharmony. This stage is marked by fatigue and psychomotor retardation. Prolonged illness depletes qi and blood, eventually involving all five viscera, disrupting the harmony of the five spirits, and affecting both body and spirit. At this advanced phase, intense emotional distress or agitation often arises, accompanied by a heightened risk of suicide. The disease progression follows a dynamic " qi-blood-spirit" pattern, in which depression begins in the liver, characterized by qi stagnation, then affects the spleen, involving blood disharmony. In later stages, the disease eventually affects all viscera, with profound effects on both physical and mental health. Treatment strategies should align with the disease stage. Early intervention should focus on regulating the flow of qi, treating the liver, and strengthening the spleen. In the middle stages, qi and blood should be harmonized while promoting the harmonized functions of the liver and spleen. In the later stages, treatment should harmonize the five viscera to restore balance between body and spirit. Guided by this theory, integrating modern medical understanding of the progression of depression from emotional to somatic symptoms and adopting a stage-based approach to treatment in clinical practice can yield effective therapeutic outcomes for managing depression and related disorders.

Objective To investigate the expression changes of iron autophagy-mitochondrial ferric ion transport protein families(SFXNs)in acute kidney injury(AKI)and chronic kidney disease(CKD)mouse models induced by cisplatin(Cis)and ischemia reperfusion(IR).Methods C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group(control),Cis-AKI group,Cis-CKD group,sham-operated group(sham),IR-AKI group,and IR-CKD group.Serum and kidney tissue samples were collected from mice.Serum creatinine(Cr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN)levels were detected.Pathological changes in renal tissues were observed by HE staining.Western blot was used to detect the expression of renal SFXNs and kidney injury related proteins.Results Compared with the control or sham group,the levels of BUN and Cr in the serum of the model group were significantly increased(P＜0.05),the renal tissue showed significant pathological damage,with the kidney injury molecule-1(KIM-1),neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin(NGAL),and pro-apoptotic protein Bax significantly upregulated(P＜0.05),while the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was significantly downregulated(P＜0.05).Compared to the control or sham group,the Cis-AKI group showed a significant downregulation of SFXN4(P＜0.05);The SFXN4 and SFXN5 subtypes were significantly downregulated in the IR-AKI group and Cis-CKD group(P＜0.05);All five subtypes of SFXN in the IR-CKD group were significantly downregulated(P＜0.05).Conclusions Cis or IR in-duces renal tissue damage and tubular mitochondrial injury in mice and affects the expression of SFXN family pro-teins,suggesting their potential role in renal injury of animal models.

Objective To explore the causal relationship between breast cancer and free fatty acid receptor 4(FFAR4)by using two-sample Mendelian randomization.Methods By using Genome-wide Association Studies and expression quantitative trait locus(eQTL)data,single nucleotide polymorphism sites closely related to breast cancer and FFAR4 were extracted.Causal effect values were calculated by using five methods:inverse variance weighting(IVW),MR-Egger,weighted median,simple mode and weighted mode.Cochran Q tests were used to detect heterogeneity,MR-Egger intercept tests and MR-PRESSO tests were used to assess level multiplicity,and the hold-out method was employed for sensitivity analysis to ensure robustness of the results.Additionally,Bayesian co-location analysis was used to evaluate whether FFAR4 expression shares the same causal genetic variant with breast cancer in given genomic region.Results A total of 12 eQTLs closely related to FFAR4 expression levels were included in this study.The results of IVW analysis showed that increased FFAR4 expression levels increased the risk of overall breast cancer,Luminal A,Luminal B/HER2-negative,and HER2-enhanced subtypes of breast cancer.The co-location analysis showed that the posterior probability of FFAR4 expression level and total breast cancer shared causal variation was 0.889.Conclusion There may be a causal relationship between FFAR4 expression and breast cancer.

[Purpose]To analyze the epidemiology and disease burden of gastric cancer in China,Japan and Republic of Korea from 1990 to 2021 and to predict changing trends from 2022 to 2031.[Methods]Data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease(GBD)database.Age-stan-dardized incidence rate(ASIR),age-standardized mortality rate(ASMR),crude incidence rate(CIR),crude mortality rate(CMR),and disability-adjusted life years(DALY)rate for China,Japan and Republic of Korea from 1990 to 2021 were analyzed.Joinpoint regression software was used to analyze trends and calculate annual percentage changes.The autoregressive integrated moving average(ARIMA)model was applied to predict incidence and mortality from 2022 to 2031.[Results]In 2021,China had 611 799 new gastric cancer cases and 445 013 deaths,with an ASIR of 29.05/105 and an ASMR of 21.51/105,both significantly higher than those in Japan and Republic of Korea.Among men in China,both the ASIR(44.48/105)and ASMR(32.61/105)were the highest among the three countries,exceeding those in Japan(38.77/105,20.26/105)and Re-public of Korea(38.98/105,20.50/105).Among women,China had the highest number of new cases,but its ASIR(15.23/105)was slightly lower than Republic of Korea's(15.57/105)and higher than Japan's(14.66/105).However,China's ASMR among women(12.02/105)remained significantly higher than Japan's(7.64/105)and Republic of Korea's(8.08/105).From 1990 to 2021,ASIR,ASMR and DALY rates for gastric cancer declined in all three countries,but the reduction in China was significantly smaller than that in Japan and Republic of Korea,with Republic of Korea showing the steepest declines across all indicators.ARIMA model predictions indicated significant differences in disease burden among the three countries from 2022 to 2031.ASIR is projected to continue declining in China and Republic of Korea,reaching 22.87/105 and 12.45/105,respectively by 2031,while in Japan it is predicted to rise to 26.55/105.ASMR is projected to decline in all three countries,reaching 13.71/105(China),10.44/105(Japan),and 9.08/105(Republic of Korea)in 2031.[Conclusion]Among China,Japan and Republic of Korea,China had the highest ASIR and ASMR of gastric cancer in 2021.Moreover,from 1990 to 2021,the reductions in ASIR,ASMR and DALY rates for gastric cancer were the smallest in China compared to Japan and Republic of Korea.These findings suggest that the disease burden of gastric cancer remains substantial in China,high-lighting the need for increased efforts in gastric cancer screening and early diagnosis and treatment.

Objective To investigate the status quo of work performance appraisal,sense of salary fairness and salary satisfaction of traditional Chinese Medical(TCM)doctors,and to explore the effect of performance appraisal on salary satisfaction and the mediating effect ofsense of salary fairness between them.Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among 412 TCM doctors selected from 1 1 public hospitals of different categories and grades in Zhejiang Province.Descriptive analysis,analysis of variance and structural equation model were used to analyze the data.Results The scores of Chinese Medicine characteristics(3.41),sense of salary fairness(3.15)and salary satisfaction(3.07)in the work performance appraisal of TCM doctors were between average(3)and better(4).The work performance appraisal of TCMdoctors had a positive effect on pay equity(β=0.714,P＜0.001),the sense of salary fairness of TCM doctors completely mediated(β=0.618,P＜0.001)the effect of TCM characteristics on salary satisfaction(β=0.084,P＞0.05).Conclusion It is suggested that the performance appraisal of TCM doctors should be improved and a fair and reasonable performance salary system should be established,and then enhance their salary satisfaction.