Dental stem cells (DSCs), a distinct subset of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are isolated from dental tissues, such as dental pulp, exfoliated deciduous teeth, periodontal ligament, and apical papilla. They have emerged as a promising source of stem cell therapy for tissue regeneration and autoimmune disorders. The main types of DSCs include dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED), periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), and stem cells from apical papilla (SCAP). Each type exhibits distinct advantages: easy access via minimally invasive procedures, multi-lineage differentiation potential, and excellent ethical acceptability. DSCs have demonstrated outstanding clinical efficacy in oral and maxillofacial regeneration, and their long-term safety has been verified. In oral tissue regeneration, DSCs are highly effective in oral tissue regeneration for critical applications such as the restoration of dental pulp vitality and periodontal tissue repair. A defining advantage of DSCs lies in their ability to integrate with host tissues and promote physiological regeneration, which render them a better option for oral tissue regenerative therapies. Beyond oral applications, DSCs also exhibit promising potential in the treatment of systemic diseases, including type Ⅱ diabetes and autoimmune diseases due to their immunomodulatory effects. Moreover, extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from DSCs act as critical mediators for DSCs' paracrine functions. Possessing regulatory properties similar to their parental cells, EVs are extensively utilized in research targeting tissue repair, immunomodulation, and regenerative therapy-offering a "cell-free" strategy to mitigate the limitations associated with cell-based therapies. Despite these advancements, standardizing large-scale manufacturing, maintaining strict quality control, and clarifying the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction of DSCs and their EVs with recipient tissues remain major obstacles to the clinical translation of these treatments into broad clinical use. Addressing these barriers will be critical to enhancing their clinical applicability and therapeutic efficacy. In conclusion, DSCs and their EVs represent a transformative approach in regenerative medicine, and increasing clinical evidence supports their application in oral and systemic diseases. Continuous innovation remains essential to unlocking the widespread clinical potential of DSCs.
Humans ; Dental Pulp/cytology* ; Translational Research, Biomedical ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology* ; Periodontal Ligament/cytology* ; Stem Cells/cytology* ; Regeneration ; Tooth, Deciduous/cytology* ; Cell Differentiation ; Tissue Engineering/methods* ; Regenerative Medicine

Peri-implant diseases are characterized by the resorption of hard tissue and the inflammation of soft tissue. Epigenetics refers to alterations in the expression of genes that are not encoded in the DNA sequence, influencing diverse physiological activities, including immune response, inflammation, and bone metabolism. Epigenetic modifications can lead to tissue-specific gene expression variations among individuals and may initiate or exacerbate inflammation and disease predisposition. However, the impact of these factors on peri-implantitis remains inconclusive. To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive review to investigate the associations between epigenetic mechanisms and peri-implantitis, specifically focusing on DNA methylation and microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs). We searched for relevant literature on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar with keywords including "epigenetics," "peri-implantitis," "DNA methylation," and "microRNA." DNA methylation and miRNAs present a dynamic epigenetic mechanism operating around implants. Epigenetic modifications of genes related to inflammation and osteogenesis provide a new perspective for understanding how local and environmental factors influence the pathogenesis of peri-implantitis. In addition, we assessed the potential application of DNA methylation and miRNAs in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of peri-implantitis, aiming to provide a foundation for future studies to explore potential therapeutic targets and develop more effective management strategies for this condition. These findings also have broader implications for understanding the pathogenesis of other inflammation-related oral diseases like periodontitis.
Peri-Implantitis/genetics* ; Humans ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; DNA Methylation ; MicroRNAs/genetics*

The inherent clinical uncertainties, substantial costs, and small patient cohorts of orphan drugs limit the applicability of randomized controlled trial (RCT)-based health technology assessments (HTAs) in guiding coverage criteria, sustainable financing models, and equitable reimbursement frameworks for medical financial assistance policies for rare diseases.The digital transformation in healthcare system leads to solutions to the challenges in designing the policy by using data-driven decision-making. This article summarizes the decision-making issues in policy design, discusses the current status and trends of digital transformation, and analyzes the important new opportunities for AI-driven policy design for medical financial assistance policies for rare diseases. Decision-making that is digital intelligence driven and using techniques such as big data analytics and real-world research methods will enhance targeting efficiency, improve the quality of financing, and realize the performance-based reimbursement in the medical financial assistance, providing significant value in facilitating the policy reform and development for rare diseases healthcare.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors （ICIs） have shown good efficacy in tumor treatment and have changed the landscape of tumor treatment. However， some patients treated with ICIs have not only failed to achieve the desired therapeutic effect， but also developed an atypical response pattern of abnormally accelerated tumor growth， namely hyperprogressive disease （HPD）. The pathogenesis of HPD is still unclear and it is difficult to diagnose， which poses a challenge for clinical identification and treatment decisions. Exploring the underlying mechanism of HPD is important to improve the effect of immunotherapy. Based on the theory of "Yang deficiency and toxic knot"， this paper discussed the mechanism of HPD in immunotherapy from the perspective of "spleen and kidney Yang deficiency and hefty toxic pathogens". It was concluded that the inactivation of p53 oncogene and immunosuppressive microenvironment were the manifestations of the deficiency of healthy qi in the body and declined yang in the spleen and kidney， serving as an important basis for the occurrence of HPD. Adverse reactions caused by ICIs belong to the category of "drug toxicity". The occurrence and development of murine double minute 2 （MDM2）/murine double minute 4 （MDM4） activation， epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） mutation， and tumor inflammatory microenvironment are the manifestations of the hyperactivity of pathogenic Qi， conflict of cancer toxicity and drug toxicity， and being hefty by virtue of deficiency， which can promote the abnormal proliferation of tumor cells， and they are the core pathogenic elements of HPD and are closely related to disease prognosis. In terms of treatment， under the guidance of the theory of "five views on differentiation and treatment" （time-space view， core view， symptom view， precision view， and disease-before-onset view）， which was summarized according to the clinical practice of this research team， this paper， taking the prevention and treatment of HPD as the entry point， formulated traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） compounds to reinforce healthy Qi and warm Yang and realize the dynamic management of the whole spatiotemporal cycle， and removed toxins and resisted cancer to realize the all-round systemic intervention of the specimen. Additionally， targets were enriched in the macro-clinical manifestations and microscopic pathological changes of HPD to improve the targeting of drug selection and the precision of prevention and treatment， giving full play to the unique therapeutic advantages of TCM， and providing new ideas for the clinical application of TCM in the prevention and treatment of HPD.

BACKGROUND:It was found that moxibustion can inhibit the inflammatory factors in the serum of rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury,resist oxidative stress,inhibit cell apoptosis,and effectively reduce cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of different moxibustion intervention time on the expression levels of nucleotide binding oligomerization domain-like protein 3 inflammasome(NLRP3),cysteine aspartase(caspase-1),apoptosis-related speck-like protein,exfoliatin-D protein,interleukin-1β and interleukin-18 in rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury,and to explore its action mechanism. METHODS:SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group(n=9)and operation group(n=36).The model of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion in the operation group.After successful modeling,the rats in the operation group were further divided into model group,moxibustion 10-minute group,moxibustion 15-minute group and moxibustion 30-minute group,with 9 rats in each group.Rats in the moxibustion 10-minute,15-minute and 30-minute groups were given moxibustion at"Baihui,Dazhui and Zusanli",respectively,once a day for a total of 7 days.The neurological deficits of rats were evaluated by LONGA method.The cerebral infarction was observed by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining.The pathological changes of brain tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The contents of interleukin-1β and interleukin-18 in serum of rats in each group were detected by ELISA.Immunohistochemistry and western blot assay were used to detect the expression levels of NLRP3,caspase-1,apoptosis-related spot-like protein and gasdermin D in the ischemic cortex of rats in each group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the sham operation group,the neurological deficit score of the model group was significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the neurological deficit score of the moxibustion groups was significantly reduced(P<0.01).Compared with the sham operation group,the infarct volume of the model group was significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the infarct volume of the moxibustion groups was significantly reduced(P<0.01);the infarct volume of the rats was smallest in the moxibustion 30-minute group(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the contents of inflammatory factors interleukin-1β and interleukin-18 in the serum of rats in the moxibustion groups were decreased(P<0.01).Compared with the moxibustion 10-minute group,the contents of inflammatory factors in the serum of rats in the moxibustion 30-minute group were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the expression of NLRP3,apoptosis-related spot-like protein,Caspase-1 and gasdermin D protein in the ischemic cortex of the moxibustion groups was significantly decreased(P<0.01).Compared with the moxibustion 10-minute and 15-minute groups,the expression of protein in the moxibustion 30-minute group was significantly decreased(P<0.05).It is concluded that moxibustion at Baihui,Dazhui and Zusanli can reduce cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury,among which moxibustion for 30 minutes has the best effect,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of pyroptosis mediated by NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway.

As an important concept in Chinese medicine theory， "qi sinking" is the inheritance and extension of the thought core of sinking of qi in whole body. This article explored the concept of sinking of pectoral qi， center qi， and kidney qi in the theory of qi sinking， and believed that sinking of pectoral qi， stagnation and sinking of center qi， deficiency and sinking of kidney qi were the core pathogenesis of postoperative injury in malignant tumours. Anchored to the method of reinforcing healthy qi and lifting the sunken， this article recommended to identify pattern and treat by guiding supplement and lifting the sunken. For lung gold impairment， heart yang depletion， and pectoral qi sinking， the treatment is to warm and supplement heart and lung， lift pectoral qi， and restore the respiratory function by modified Shengxian Decoction （升陷汤） plus Guizhi Decoction （桂枝汤）； for spleen depletion and pathways blockage， liver failing to act freely， and center qi stagnation and sinking， the treatment is to warm and supplement center qi， raise yang and lift the sunken， and restore the digestive function by modified Buzhong Yiqi Decoction （补中益气汤）； for source exhausted and essence deficiency， liver qi hiding， and kidney qi deficiency to inward invasion， the treatment is to nourish the kidney and astringe the liver， consolidate the original qi and lift qi， improve the pelvic floor dysfunction， and protect the kidney function by modified Liuwei Dihuang Pill （六味地黄丸） plus Shengma Chaihu Decoction （升麻柴胡汤）. Modification need base on different disease patterns and stages， and new ideas for postoperative traditional Chinese medicine treatment and rehabilitation of malignant tumours were provided.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence and associated risk of cardiovascular event of resistant hypertension in treated outpatients.Methods:This study was a nationwide multi-center prospective cohort study. The participants were treated outpatients enrolled in the China Nationwide Ambulatory and Home Blood Pressure Registry study of 42 hospitals in 19 provinces across the country from August 2009 to October 2017. Apparent resistant hypertension was defined as uncontrolled office blood pressure (≥140/90 mmHg, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) in spite of the use of three antihypertensive drugs or controlled office blood pressure (<140/90 mmHg) with four antihypertensive drugs or more. Subjects diagnosed with uncontrolled office blood pressure were further subdivided as pseudo-resistant hypertension and true resistant hypertension based on 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. The primary endpoint was fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, which was a composite endpoint consisting of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular death, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, myocardial infarction, coronary artery revascularization, unstable angina, heart failure, and coronary artery stenosis≥50% confirmed by coronary angiography. Secondary outcomes included fatal and non-fatal stroke or cardiac events. Patients with controlled office blood pressure after taking only 1 or 2 antihypertensive drugs were included as control. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, log-rank test, and Cox proportional risk model were used to evaluate the risk of apparent refractory hypertension in relation to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular prognosis.Results:A total of 2 782 treated hypertensive patients, aged (58.1±12.3) years were enrolled, including 1 403 (50.4%) men. The prevalence of apparent and true resistant hypertension was 15.1% (420/2 782) and 10.5% (293/2 782), respectively. Among patients with apparent resistant hypertension, during a median of 5 years follow-up, the cumulative incidence rate was 28.2, 11.2 and 19.1 per 1 000 person-years for fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events ( n=58), stroke ( n=24) and cardiac events ( n=40), respectively. The Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test showed that those patients with true resistant hypertension, had the highest cumulative incidence rate of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events, stroke, and cardiac events. Multivariable Cox regression analyses showed that true resistant hypertension was associated with a significantly higher risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events ( HR=1.73, 95% CI 1.17-2.56, P=0.006) and stroke ( HR=2.81, 95% CI 1.53-5.17, P=0.001). Conclusion:Resistant hypertension, especially true resistant hypertension, is associated with a higher risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiac and cerebrovascular events.

Objective:To explore the association between aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) gene polymorphisms and abnormal liver function-induced by acetaminophen (APAP) drugs.Methods:An ALDH2 gene knockout mouse model was constructed using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. The obtained heterozygous mice were mated with opposite sex of heterozygotes. Genomic DNA was extracted from the tail of the offspring mouse. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was used to determine the ALDH2 genotype. APAP was further used to induce acute drug-induced liver injury models in wild-type and ALDH2 knockout mice. Blood and liver tissues of mice were collected for liver function index, HE staining, F4/80 immunohistochemistry, and other detections. The intergroup mean was compared using a one-way ANOVA. The LSD-? t test was used for pairwise comparison. Results:ALDH2 knockout mice were bred successfully. The genotyping of the offspring was segregated into the wild-type (ALDH2 +/+), heterozygous mutant (ALDH2 +/-), and homozygous mutant (ALDH2 -/-), respectively. Biochemical and histological results after APAP modeling showed that the level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin (TBil) was not significantly increased in the blank control group ( P ?

An effective therapeutic regimen for hepatic fibrosis requires a deep understanding of the pathogenesis mechanism. Hepatic fibrosis is characterized by activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs) with an excessive production of extracellular matrix. Although promoted activation of HSCs by M2 macrophages has been demonstrated, the molecular mechanism involved remains ambiguous. Herein, we propose that the vitamin D receptor (VDR) involved in macrophage polarization may regulate the communication between macrophages and HSCs by changing the functions of exosomes. We confirm that activating the VDR can inhibit the effect of M2 macrophages on HSC activation. The exosomes derived from M2 macrophages can promote HSC activation, while stimulating VDR alters the protein profiles and reverses their roles in M2 macrophage exosomes. Smooth muscle cell-associated protein 5 (SMAP-5) was found to be the key effector protein in promoting HSC activation by regulating autophagy flux. Building on these results, we show that a combined treatment of a VDR agonist and a macrophage-targeted exosomal secretion inhibitor achieves an excellent anti-hepatic fibrosis effect. In this study, we aim to elucidate the association between VDR and macrophages in HSC activation. The results contribute to our understanding of the pathogenesis mechanism of hepatic fibrosis, and provide potential therapeutic targets for its treatment.
Humans ; Hepatic Stellate Cells/pathology* ; Receptors, Calcitriol ; Liver Cirrhosis/pathology* ; Macrophages/metabolism*

The bromodomain and extraterminal domain (Bet) family are the regulators of the epigenome and also the pivotal driving factors for the expression of tumor related genes that tumor cells depend on for survival and proliferation. Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (Brd4) is a member of the Bet protein family. Generally, Brd4 identifies acetylated histones and binds to the promoter or enhancer region of target genes to initiate and maintain expression of tumor related genes. Brd4 is closely related to the regulation of multiple transcription factors and chromatin modification and is involved in DNA damage repair and maintenance of telomere function, thus maintaining the survival of tumor cells. This review summarizes the structure and function of Brd4 protein and the application of its inhibitors in tumor research.
Humans ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Nuclear Proteins/metabolism* ; Histones ; Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism* ; Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Protein Domains