1.Yttrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy on liver cancer: the past, the present, and the future
Jingqin MA ; Linhong ZHANG ; Minjie YANG ; Jiabin CAI ; Ying FANG ; Rong LIU ; Xudong QU ; Lingxiao LIU ; Zhiping YAN
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2025;32(1):3-8
Yttrium-90 selective internal radiation therapy (90Y-SIRT) is a treatment technique that delivers radioactive microspheres precisely to the arterial vascular bed of neoplasms, utilizing beta radiation to administer a high local dose of radiation to the neoplasm tissues. This technology has demonstrated significant efficacy in patients with unresectable pirmary liver cancers and liver metastases. This article systematically reviews the development history and clinical application status of 90Y-SIRT in the treatment of liver cancer, and looks forward to future development directions.
2.Identification of natural product-based drug combination (NPDC) using artificial intelligence.
Tianle NIU ; Yimiao ZHU ; Minjie MOU ; Tingting FU ; Hao YANG ; Huaicheng SUN ; Yuxuan LIU ; Feng ZHU ; Yang ZHANG ; Yanxing LIU
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2025;23(11):1377-1390
Natural product-based drug combinations (NPDCs) present distinctive advantages in treating complex diseases. While high-throughput screening (HTS) and conventional computational methods have partially accelerated synergistic drug combination discovery, their applications remain constrained by experimental data fragmentation, high costs, and extensive combinatorial space. Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI), encompassing traditional machine learning and deep learning algorithms, have been extensively applied in NPDC identification. Through the integration of multi-source heterogeneous data and autonomous feature extraction, prediction accuracy has markedly improved, offering a robust technical approach for novel NPDC discovery. This review comprehensively examines recent advances in AI-driven NPDC prediction, presents relevant data resources and algorithmic frameworks, and evaluates current limitations and future prospects. AI methodologies are anticipated to substantially expedite NPDC discovery and inform experimental validation.
Artificial Intelligence
;
Biological Products/chemistry*
;
Humans
;
Drug Combinations
;
Drug Discovery/methods*
;
Machine Learning
;
Algorithms
3.Ferroptosis contributes to immunosuppression.
Nina HE ; Dun YUAN ; Minjie LUO ; Qing XU ; Zhongchi WEN ; Ziqin WANG ; Jie ZHAO ; Ying LIU
Frontiers of Medicine 2025;19(1):1-22
As a novel form of cell death, ferroptosis is mainly regulated by the accumulation of soluble iron ions in the cytoplasm and the production of lipid peroxides and is closely associated with several diseases, including acute kidney injury, ischemic reperfusion injury, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. The term "immunosuppression" refers to various factors that can directly harm immune cells' structure and function and affect the synthesis, release, and biological activity of immune molecules, leading to the insufficient response of the immune system to antigen production, failure to successfully resist the invasion of foreign pathogens, and even organ damage and metabolic disorders. An immunosuppressive phase commonly occurs in the progression of many ferroptosis-related diseases, and ferroptosis can directly inhibit immune cell function. However, the relationship between ferroptosis and immunosuppression has not yet been published due to their complicated interactions in various diseases. Therefore, this review deeply discusses the contribution of ferroptosis to immunosuppression in specific cases. In addition to offering new therapeutic targets for ferroptosis-related diseases, the findings will help clarify the issues on how ferroptosis contributes to immunosuppression.
Ferroptosis/immunology*
;
Humans
;
Immune Tolerance/immunology*
;
Animals
;
Immunosuppression Therapy
;
Iron/metabolism*
;
Neoplasms/immunology*
4.Discovery of selective HDAC6 inhibitors driven by artificial intelligence and molecular dynamics simulation approaches.
Xingang LIU ; Hao YANG ; Xinyu LIU ; Minjie MOU ; Jie LIU ; Wenying YAN ; Tianle NIU ; Ziyang ZHANG ; He SHI ; Xiangdong SU ; Xuedong LI ; Yang ZHANG ; Qingzhong JIA
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(8):101338-101338
Increasing evidence showed that histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) dysfunction is directly associated with the onset and progression of various diseases, especially cancers, making the development of HDAC6-targeted anti-tumor agents a research hotspot. In this study, artificial intelligence (AI) technology and molecular simulation strategies were fully integrated to construct an efficient and precise drug screening pipeline, which combined Voting strategy based on compound-protein interaction (CPI) prediction models, cascade molecular docking, and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. The biological potential of the screened compounds was further evaluated through enzymatic and cellular activity assays. Among the identified compounds, Cmpd.18 exhibited more potent HDAC6 enzyme inhibitory activity (IC50 = 5.41 nM) than that of tubastatin A (TubA) (IC50 = 15.11 nM), along with a favorable subtype selectivity profile (selectivity index ≈ 117.23 for HDAC1), which was further verified by the Western blot analysis. Additionally, Cmpd.18 induced G2/M phase arrest and promoted apoptosis in HCT-116 cells, exerting desirable antiproliferative activity (IC50 = 2.59 μM). Furthermore, based on long-term MD simulation trajectory, the key residues facilitating Cmpd.18's binding were identified by decomposition free energy analysis, thereby elucidating its binding mechanism. Moreover, the representative conformation analysis also indicated that Cmpd.18 could stably bind to the active pocket in an effective conformation, thus demonstrating the potential for in-depth research of the 2-(2-phenoxyethyl)pyridazin-3(2H)-one scaffold.
5.Screening and characterization of camelid-derived nanobodies against hemoglobin.
Ning ZHONG ; Wenhui LEI ; Zuying LIU ; Xiaoxiao XIE ; Lingjing ZHANG ; Tengchuan JIN ; Minjie CAO ; Yulei CHEN
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(4):1515-1534
Hemoglobin, the principal protein in red blood cells, is crucial for oxygen transport in the bloodstream. The quantification of hemoglobin concentration is indispensable in medical diagnostics and health management, which encompass the diagnosis of anemia and the screening of various blood disorders. Immunological methods, based on antigen-antibody interactions, are distinguished by their high sensitivity and accuracy. Consequently, it is necessary to develop hemoglobin-specific antibodies characterized by high specificity and affinity to enhance detection accuracy. In this study, we immunized a Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) with human hemoglobin and subsequently constructed a nanobody library. Utilizing a solid-phase screening method, we selected nanobodies and evaluated the binding activity of the screened nanobodies to hemoglobin. Initially, human hemoglobin was used to immunize a Bactrian camel. Following four immunization sessions, blood was withdrawn from the jugular vein, and a nanobody library with a capacity of 2.85×108 colony forming units (CFU) was generated. Subsequently, ten hemoglobin-specific nanobody sequences were identified through three rounds of adsorption-elution-enrichment assays, and these nanobodies were subjected to eukaryotic expression. Finally, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and biolayer interferometry were employed to evaluate the stability, binding activity, and specificity of these nanobodies. The results demonstrated that the nanobodies maintained robust binding activity within the temperature range of 20-40 ℃ and exhibited the highest binding activity at pH 7.0. Furthermore, the nanobodies were capable of tolerating a 10% methanol solution. Notably, among the nanobodies tested, VHH-12 displayed the highest binding activity to hemoglobin, with a half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of 10.63 nmol/L and a equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) of 2.94×10-7 mol/L. VHH-12 exhibited no cross-reactivity with a panel of eight proteins, such as ovalbumin and bovine serum albumin, while demonstrating partial cross-reactivity with hemoglobin derived from porcine, goat, rabbit, and bovine sources. In this study, a hemoglobin-specific high-affinity nanobody was successfully isolated, demonstrating potential applications in disease diagnosis and health monitoring.
Animals
;
Camelus/immunology*
;
Single-Domain Antibodies/immunology*
;
Hemoglobins/immunology*
;
Humans
;
Peptide Library
6.Kidney transplantation from donors with Marfan syndrome: report of 2 cases and literature review
Meng ZHANG ; Yibin WANG ; Yuchen WANG ; Rumin LIU ; Ziyan YAN ; Renfei XIA ; Wenli ZENG ; Jialiang HUI ; Minjie ZHOU ; Jian XU ; Yun MIAO
Organ Transplantation 2024;15(2):257-262
Objective To investigate the feasibility and clinical experience of kidney transplantation from donors with Marfan syndrome (MFS). Methods Clinical data of 2 recipients undergoing kidney transplantation from the same MFS patient were retrospectively analyzed and literature review of 2 cases was conducted. Characteristics and clinical diagnosis and treatment of kidney transplantation from MFS patients were summarized. Results The Remuzzi scores of the left and right donor kidneys of the MFS patient during time-zero biopsy were 1 and 2. No significant difference was observed in the renal arteriole wall compared with other donors of brain death and cardiac death. Two recipients who received kidney transplantation from the MFS patient suffered from postoperative delayed graft function. After short-term hemodialysis, the graft function of the recipients received the left and right kidney began to gradually recover at postoperative 10 d and 20 d. After discharge, serum creatinine level of the recipient received the left kidney was ranged from 80 to 90 μmol/L, whereas that of the recipient received the right kidney kept declining, and the lowest serum creatinine level was 232 μmol/L before the submission date (at postoperative 43 d). Through literature review, two cases successfully undergoing kidney transplantation from the same MFS donor were reported. Both two recipients experienced delayed graft function, and then renal function was restored to normal. Until the publication date, 1 recipient has survived for 6 years, and the other recipient died of de novo cerebrovascular disease at postoperative 2 years. Conclusions MFS patients may serve as an acceptable source of kidney donors. However, the willingness and general conditions of the recipients should be carefully evaluated before kidney transplantation. Intraoperatively, potential risk of tear of renal arterial media should be properly treated. Extensive attention should be paid to the incidence of postoperative complications.
7.Toxic effects of sodium hypochlorite as disinfectants on human bronchial epithelial cells
Jiawei LI ; Jiangzheng LIU ; Xiaojie GUO ; Yongmei TU ; Minjie SHI ; Wenli LI ; Jinsuo LU
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2024;41(7):822-827
Background There are a variety of microorganisms in ambient air, and susceptible people can be infected once contact with pathogenic microorganisms in the environment. In order to avoid the spread of pathogenic bacteria, disinfection is the simplest and most effective way of killing pathogenic bacteria in the environment to block the contact between pathogenic bacteria and humans. Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) is the most widely used disinfectant, but its safety in ambient air disinfection is not clear yet. Objective To establish a model of bronchial epithelial cell (BEAS-2B) injury induced by NaClO, and to explore the mechanism of the toxic effect of NaClO disinfectants on BEAS-2B. Methods Cells were treated with concentration gradients of 0, 25, 50,100, 200, and 400 μmol·L−1 of the diluted NaClO (100 mmol·L−1) standard solution, respectively, and cell activity was measured by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay after 15 and 30 min. Cells treated with 0, 25, and 50 μmol·L−1 NaClO were selected to observe the cell morphology under an inverted microscope, apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry Annexin V FITC / PI double staining to determine the final experimental concentration. The morphology of organelles such as mitochondria was observed under a transmission electron microscope. Mitochondrial membrane potential of the cells was detected by JC-1 staining. Intracellular Ca2+ concentration was measured with a Fluo-4 AM fluorescent probe. Total cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected with a 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) fluorescent probe, cell mitochondrial ROS with a dihydroethidium (DHE) fluorescent probe, and lipid peroxidation intermediate malondialdehyde (MDA) with a commercial kit. Results Compared with 0 μmol·L−1, NaClO treatment group, cell morphology did not change a lot after 25 μmol·L−1 NaClO treatment for 30 min, and the cells began to wrinkle and become round after 30 min treatment with 50 μmol·L−1 NaClO, showing about 70% of normal cell viability (P<0.01). So 30 min 50 μmol·L−1 NaClO treatment was selected for the subsequent experiment. The experimental results found that compared with the 0 μmol·L−1 NaClO treatment group, the number of apoptotic cells increased (P<0.05), the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased (P<0.01), the intracellular Ca2+ concentration increased (P<0.05), the cellular ROS level increased (P<0.05), the mitochondrial ROS level increased (P<0.01), and the MDA content increased (P<0.01) in the NaClO treatment group.. Conclusion The study has successfully established a model of BEAS-2B injury induced by NaClO, and found that NaClO can lead to cell damage by inducing apoptosis and oxidative stress in BEAS-2B cells. According to the results, there are two possible reasons. First, NaClO solves in water to form hypochlorous acid (HClO) which is oxidative and increases the intracellular ROS level after entering cells, leading to cellular oxidative stress. Second, HClO enters cells to directly attack the mitochondrial membrane, resulting in the imbalance of potential inside and outside the mitochondrial membrane, and apoptosis caused by Ca2+ efflux.
8.Tricuspid Valve Geometry of Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension:a Three-dimensional Transthoracic Echocardiography Study
Yawen WANG ; Lili NIU ; Bingyang LIU ; Minjie LU ; Changming XIONG ; Ning HAN ; Hao WANG ; Weichun WU ; Zhenhui ZHU
Chinese Circulation Journal 2024;39(2):171-176
Objectives:To evaluate the tricuspid valve(TV)geometric remodeling in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension(IPAH)by three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. Methods:Two-dimensional and three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography were performed in 30 IPAH patients and 15 healthy controls,and the geometry parameters of TV were obtained by four-dimensional auto tricuspid valve quantitative(4D Auto-TVQ)in the right ventricular-focused apical view.Pulmonary arterial hypertension was determined by right heart catheterization within 48 hours of echocardiography. Results:The 4-chamber diameter,tricuspid annular(TA)perimeter,TA area,maximal tenting height,coaptation point height and tenting volume were larger in IPAH patients than those in healthy controls(all P<0.05),2-chamber diameter was similar between two groups.In IPAH group,maximal tenting height and coaptation point height were moderately correlated with right ventricular end-diastolic volume(r=0.710,r=0.515,both P<0.05),while TA perimeter,4-chamber diameter and TA area were moderately correlated with right atrial end-systolic volume(r=0.712,r=0.558,r=0.545,all P<0.05). Conclusions:IPAH patients have larger maximal tenting height,coaptation point height and tenting volume,TA enlargement is mainly visible in 4-chamber diameter.TV tenting height is associated with right ventricular volume,but TA size is associated with right atrial volume in IPAH patients.
9.Effect of Licoflavone A on Proliferation and Glycolysis of Gastric Cancer Cells Under Hypoxic Conditions
Huancheng DONG ; Yun SU ; Hongxia GONG ; Wangjie CAO ; Minjie YUAN ; Yongqi LIU ; Yong HUANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(13):120-127
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of licoflavone A on the proliferation and glycolysis of gastric cancer cells in the hypoxic environment. MethodHuman gastric cancer AGS cells were classified into five groups: Normoxia, hypoxia, and low-, medium-, and high-dose (25, 50, 100 μmol·L-1, respectively) licoflavone A. The cells in other groups except the normoxia group were cultured in the environment with 5% O2 for 48 h. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assay were employed to examine the proliferation of AGS cells. Cell migration was detected by the scratch assay. The protein and mRNA levels of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α), glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), and hexokinase Ⅱ (HK2) in AGS cells were measured by Western blotting and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR), respectively. The corresponding kits were used to determine glucose uptake and HK activity. ResultThe CCK-8 results showed that compared with the hypoxia group, the high- and medium-dose licoflavone A groups showed decreased proliferation rate of AGS cells at the time point of 24 h (P<0.01) and all the licoflavone A groups demonstrated decreased proliferation rate at the time point of 48 h (P<0.01). Compared with the normoxia group, the hypoxia group showed increased number of clone formation of AGS cells (P<0.01), which was decreased after the treatment with licoflavone A at high, medium, and low doses (P<0.01). Compared with the normoxia group, the hypoxia group showed increased migration of AGS cells (P<0.01), which was attenuated by the high, medium, and low doses of licoflavone A (P<0.01). Compared with the normoxia group, the hypoxia group showed up-regulated mRNA levels of GLUT1, LDHA, PKM2, and HK2 (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with those in the hypoxia group, the mRNA levels of GLUT1, LDHA, PKM2, and HK2 in the high-dose licoflavone A group, GLUT1, LDHA, and HK2 in the medium-dose licoflavone A group, and HK2 in the low-dose licoflavone A group were down-regulated (P<0.05, P<0.01). The protein levels of HIF-1α, GLUT1, LDHA, PKM2, and HK2 in the hypoxia group were higher than those in the normoxia group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with those in the hypoxia group, the protein levels of HIF-1α, GLUT1, LDHA, PKM2, and HK2 in the high-dose licoflavone A group and HK2 in the medium- and low-dose licoflavone A groups were down-regulated (P<0.05, P<0.01). The glucose uptake and HK activity were elevated in the hypoxia group compared with those in the normoxia group (P<0.01). Compared with the hypoxia group, high-dose licoflavone A decreased the glucose uptake and HK activity, and medium-dose licoflavone A decreased the HK activity (P<0.01). ConclusionLicoflavone A inhibits the proliferation of AGS cells under hypoxic conditions by regulating glycolysis in gastric cancer.
10.The clinical application of metal supported multi-sided versus ordinary ultra-fine drainage tube in the uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic lower pulmonary lobectomy: A retrospective cohort study
Zhiwei HAN ; Peng YUE ; Minjie MA ; Lixin LIU ; Wenteng HU ; Qiong LI ; Biao HAN
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2024;31(07):980-984
Objective To investigate the clinical effect of metal supported multi-sided versus ordinary ultra-fine drainage tube in the uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lower pulmonary lobectomy. Methods From January 2021 to June 2022, the clinical data of patients who underwent uniportal VATS lower lobectomy in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. According to the different types of ultra-fine drainage tubes used in the surgery, the patients were divided into an experimental group (using multi-sided hole 10F ultra-fine drainage tubes with metal support) and a control group (using ordinary 12F ultra-fine drainage tubes). The clinical data of the two groups were compared. Results A total of 190 patients were enrolled, including 108 males and 82 females. There were 90 patients in the experimental group aged 56.60±10.14 years; and 100 patients in the control group aged 57.07±11.04 years. The incidences of postoperative lung infection and pleural effusion in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). The postoperative visual analogue scale score, the need to adjust the chest drainage tube after the surgery, the need for chest puncture after the surgery, the time of postoperative chest tube removal, and the hospitalization cost were statistically different (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the length of postoperative hospital stay or the incidences of postoperative lung leakage, arrhythmia, and atelectasis complications (P>0.05). Conclusion Compared with the ordinary ultra-fine drainage tubes, multi-sided hole ultra-fine drainage tubes with metal support can reduce the incidences of lung infection and pleural effusion complications after the uniportal VATS lower lobectomy, reduce the pain and economic burden, which can be applied in the uniportal VATS lower lobectomy.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail