Cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality, necessitating the development of advanced therapeutic strategies with enhanced efficacy and reduced systemic toxicity. Among promising bioactive agents, lactoferrin (LF)—a multifunctional iron-binding glycoprotein abundantly found in mammalian milk and exocrine secretions—has garnered significant interest for its potent and multifaceted anti-cancer properties. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the current understanding of LF’s role in oncology, encompassing its structural biology, diverse mechanisms of action, and groundbreaking advancements in its application through nano-engineering. LF exerts anti-tumor effects through multiple pathways, including extracellular action, intracellular action, and immune regulation. It demonstrates a remarkable affinity for cancer cell membranes, binding to overexpressed anionic components such as glycosaminoglycans and sialic acids, as well as to specific receptors including the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP-1). This selective binding facilitates targeted uptake. Upon internalization, LF orchestrates a direct assault by inducing cell-cycle arrest in phases such as G0/G1 or S phase through the modulation of key regulators including cyclins, CDKs, and p53. Furthermore, it promotes programmed cell death via apoptotic pathways, involving caspase activation and downregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins such as survivin. A more recently elucidated mechanism is the induction of ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death characterized by overwhelming lipid peroxidation. Beyond direct cytotoxicity, LF acts as a potent immunomodulator. It enhances natural killer (NK) cell activity, modulates T-lymphocyte populations, and crucially reprograms tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) from a pro-tumor M2 state to an anti-tumor M1 state, thereby reversing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). The translation of LF’s potential has been significantly accelerated by nanotechnology. The inherent biocompatibility and natural tumor-targeting capabilities of LF make it an ideal platform for sophisticated drug-delivery systems. This review details various fabrication strategies for LF-based nanoparticles (NPs), including self-assembly, sol-in-oil emulsion, and electrostatic nanocomplexes, among others. Research demonstrates that nano-formulations not only protect LF from degradation but also enhance its bioactivity and anti-cancer potency. More importantly, LF NPs serve as versatile carriers for a wide array of therapeutic agents, including conventional chemotherapeutics, natural compounds, and imaging agents. These engineered systems enable synergistic therapy and facilitate site-specific delivery. Notably, the ability of LF to bind to receptors on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been leveraged to develop nano-systems for glioblastoma treatment. Other innovative designs utilize LF to modulate the TME—for instance, by alleviating tumor hypoxia to sensitize cells to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Despite compelling pre-clinical evidence, the clinical translation of LF and its nano-formulations remains nascent. While early-phase trials have established a favorable safety profile for recombinant human LF, larger Phase III studies have yielded mixed results, underscoring the complexity of its action in humans. Key challenges include enhancing drug targeting, optimizing loading efficiency, ensuring batch-to-batch reproducibility, and achieving deep tumor penetration. Future research must focus on the rational design of next-generation LF-NPs. This entails developing standardized manufacturing protocols, engineering “smart” stimuli-responsive systems for targeted drug release in the TME, and constructing multi-targeting platforms. A concerted interdisciplinary effort is paramount to bridge the gap between bench and bedside. In conclusion, LF, particularly in its nano-engineered forms, represents a highly promising and versatile agent in the oncological arsenal, holding immense potential for precise and effective cancer therapy.

Cancer remains a leading cause of global mortality, necessitating the development of advanced therapeutic strategies with enhanced efficacy and reduced systemic toxicity. Among promising bioactive agents, lactoferrin (LF)—a multifunctional iron-binding glycoprotein abundantly found in mammalian milk and exocrine secretions—has garnered significant interest for its potent and multifaceted anti-cancer properties. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the current understanding of LF’s role in oncology, encompassing its structural biology, diverse mechanisms of action, and groundbreaking advancements in its application through nano-engineering. LF exerts anti-tumor effects through multiple pathways, including extracellular action, intracellular action, and immune regulation. It demonstrates a remarkable affinity for cancer cell membranes, binding to overexpressed anionic components such as glycosaminoglycans and sialic acids, as well as to specific receptors including the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP-1). This selective binding facilitates targeted uptake. Upon internalization, LF orchestrates a direct assault by inducing cell-cycle arrest in phases such as G0/G1 or S phase through the modulation of key regulators including cyclins, CDKs, and p53. Furthermore, it promotes programmed cell death via apoptotic pathways, involving caspase activation and downregulation of anti-apoptotic proteins such as survivin. A more recently elucidated mechanism is the induction of ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death characterized by overwhelming lipid peroxidation. Beyond direct cytotoxicity, LF acts as a potent immunomodulator. It enhances natural killer (NK) cell activity, modulates T-lymphocyte populations, and crucially reprograms tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) from a pro-tumor M2 state to an anti-tumor M1 state, thereby reversing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). The translation of LF’s potential has been significantly accelerated by nanotechnology. The inherent biocompatibility and natural tumor-targeting capabilities of LF make it an ideal platform for sophisticated drug-delivery systems. This review details various fabrication strategies for LF-based nanoparticles (NPs), including self-assembly, sol-in-oil emulsion, and electrostatic nanocomplexes, among others. Research demonstrates that nano-formulations not only protect LF from degradation but also enhance its bioactivity and anti-cancer potency. More importantly, LF NPs serve as versatile carriers for a wide array of therapeutic agents, including conventional chemotherapeutics, natural compounds, and imaging agents. These engineered systems enable synergistic therapy and facilitate site-specific delivery. Notably, the ability of LF to bind to receptors on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been leveraged to develop nano-systems for glioblastoma treatment. Other innovative designs utilize LF to modulate the TME—for instance, by alleviating tumor hypoxia to sensitize cells to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Despite compelling pre-clinical evidence, the clinical translation of LF and its nano-formulations remains nascent. While early-phase trials have established a favorable safety profile for recombinant human LF, larger Phase III studies have yielded mixed results, underscoring the complexity of its action in humans. Key challenges include enhancing drug targeting, optimizing loading efficiency, ensuring batch-to-batch reproducibility, and achieving deep tumor penetration. Future research must focus on the rational design of next-generation LF-NPs. This entails developing standardized manufacturing protocols, engineering “smart” stimuli-responsive systems for targeted drug release in the TME, and constructing multi-targeting platforms. A concerted interdisciplinary effort is paramount to bridge the gap between bench and bedside. In conclusion, LF, particularly in its nano-engineered forms, represents a highly promising and versatile agent in the oncological arsenal, holding immense potential for precise and effective cancer therapy.

Objective: To investigate the factors influencing the co-prevalence of allergic rhinitis and obesity among primary and secondary school students in Inner Mongolia, so as to provide a data foundation and theoretical basis for developing targeted intervention measures. Methods: In September and October 2024, a stratified cluster random sampling method was employed to select 139 102 students from 539 schools across 12 leagues/cities and 103 banners/counties in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Participants who were diagnosed with allergic rhinitis by a doctor at least once within one year and had a body mass index ≥ 28 kg/m 2 were considered to have comorbid conditions. Results: The coprevalence rate of allergic rhinitis and obesity among primary and secondary school students in Inner Mongolia was 6.4% (8 931 cases). Lasso-Logistic regression revealed that nonboarding status, higher maternal education, consuming high protein foods ≥1 time daily, occasionally or never eating breakfast, engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity for ≥60 minutes on fewer than half of holidays, and having been exposed to second hand smoke in person within the past seven days were associated with higher odds ratios for co-prevalence of allergic rhinitis and obesity( OR = 1.23 , 1.22-1.63, 1.20, 1.19, 1.38, 1.35); being female, higher grade level, residence in flag/county/district areas, non only child status, never having consumed a full glass of alcohol, non hypertensive status, and households without pets were associated with lower co-prevalence risks ( OR =0.65, 0.67-0.77, 0.81, 0.87, 0.73, 0.41, 0.68) (all P <0.05). The ROC curve indicated an area under the curve of 0.64 for the predictive model, demonstrating satisfactory discriminatory ability. The calibration curve showed consistency between predicted and actual occurrence probabilities. Conclusions The co-prevalence of allergic rhinitis and obesity among primary and secondary school students in Inner Mongolia is closely associated with demographic characteristics, dietary behaviours, and lifestyle habits. Future prevention and control strategies should prioritize these factors to implement targeted interventions.

Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, and its treatment continues to face major challenges such as therapeutic resistance and tumor recurrence. Pyroptosis, a newly characterized form of programmed cell death, induces tumor cell death through gasdermin-mediated membrane pore formation and is accompanied by the release of inflammatory mediators, thereby playing complex roles in lung cancer initiation, progression, and modulation of the tumor microenvironment. Active components and herbal formulas derived from traditional Chinese medicine can modulate pyroptosis-related signaling pathways through multi-target mechanisms, showing potential advantages in inducing lung cancer cell death, inhibiting proliferation and migration, and reversing chemoresistance. This review systematically summarizes relevant studies from domestic and international sources, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of pyroptosis, its roles in lung cancer development and tumor microenvironment remodeling, and the current research progress on traditional Chinese medicine-based interventions targeting pyroptosis, with the aim of providing references for the prevention and treatment of lung cancer using traditional Chinese medicine.

OBJECTIVE To further standardize the technical operations and management processes throughout therapeutic drug monitoring （TDM）， clarify the clinical value of TDM implementation， improve the scientific validity and reliability of monitoring results， and provide a solid reference basis for the formulation and optimization of clinical individualized precision dosing regimens. METHODS The Guidelines for the Management of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring were formulated in accordance with the latest definition of guidelines by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and the standard guideline development methodology of the World Health Organization， and in compliance with the requirements of the appraisal of guidelines for research and evaluation. A modified Delphi method was adopted to establish the research question system； evidence-based medicine research methods were applied to systematically search multiple databases to screen the latest and most comprehensive evidence. Evidence was graded and evaluated based on the evidence grading system of the Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Center， and the grading criteria for recommendation strength from the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine were used to determine the recommendation strength. The recommendation opinions were formed through multidisciplinary expert consensus. RESULTS The Guidelines for the Management of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring cover four core modules， including TDM application indications， technical procedures， result interpretation and clinical application， and quality control， involving 18 primary research questions， 34 secondary research questions， and yield 82 recommendations. CONCLUSIONS The guidelines systematically standardize the key technical links and management requirements of the whole TDM process， provide scientific and operable standardized tools， help improve the standardization level of TDM work， promote the translation of monitoring results into clinical decision-making， and provide strong support for precision personalized medicine and ensuring the safety and rationality of medication use.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism through which Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang ameliorates cognitive impairment in epileptic rats induced by lithium chloride-pilocarpine by regulating the neuroinflammatory reaction mediated by NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） inflammasomes. MethodsSixty male SD rats were randomly allocated into blank， model， carbamazepine （0.125 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang （1.04 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and carbamazepine （0.125 g·kg^-1·d^-1） + Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang （1.04 g·kg^-1·d^-1） groups （n=12）. After the modeling of epilepsy， rats were administrated with corresponding agents by gavage for 12 weeks. At the 6th and 12th week of the intervention， the rats’ hyper-excited behavior was evaluated by the stylus experiment， and at the 12^th week of intervention， the cognitive function was evaluated by Barnes maze. At the same time， the seizure frequency and severity grade （Racine score） were recorded. The serum and hippocampus tissue samples were collected after anesthesia for the following tests. Nissl staining was used to evaluate the degree of neuronal damage in the hippocampal CA1 area. The content of malondialdehyde （MDA） in the hippocampus was determined by the thiobarbituric acid （TBA） method. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-18 （IL-18） were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Immunohistochemical method was adopted to detect the expression of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a card （ASC） in the hippocampus. Western blot was employed to quantitatively analyze the protein levels of NLRP3， cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 （Caspase-1）， and brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） in the hippocampus. ResultsThe model group showed increased stylus scores at the 6th and 12^th week after modeling， a decreased Barnes maze strategy score at the 12^th week， a prolonged incubation period （P<0.05）， elevated serum levels of inflammatory factors （P<0.05）， decreased neurons with scattered arrangement and large gaps in the hippocampus， increased content of MDA in the hippocampus （P<0.05）， an increased positive expression of ASC， and up-regulated protein levels of Caspase-1， NLRP3， and BDNF （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the intervention with Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang for 12 weeks was accompanied by a decreased stylus score， epileptic seizures with a decreased score， a decreased number， and shortened duration， an increased Barnes maze strategy score， shortened escape latency （P<0.01）， declined serum levels of inflammatory factors （P<0.05）， regular morphology of hippocampal neurons， reduced MDA content in the hippocampus （P<0.05）， a decreased positive expression of ASC， and down-regulated protein levels of Caspase-1， NLRP3， and BDNF （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， compared with the carbamazepine group， Banxia Baizhu Tianmatang + carbamazepine showed improved performance in controlling the seizure， improved the cognitive behavior score and morphology of hippocampal neurons， alleviated the oxidative stress products， lowered the levels of inflammatory factors， reduced the positive expression of ASC in the hippocampus， and down-regulated the expression of Caspase-1， NLRP3 and BDNF， with no significant differences. ConclusionBanxia Baizhu Tianmatang may reduce neuroinflammation， control epileptic seizures， and ameliorate cognitive impairment by inhibiting the expression of NLRP3 inflammasomes.

Objective: To evaluate the methodological quality and reporting quality of clinical practice guidelines or expert consensus on blood transfusion and blood use (BTBU) in China (hereinafter referred to as "guidelines/consensus"), providing reference for the development and updating of future BTBU guidelines/consensus. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in Chinese databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, VIP Data-base, relevant guideline release platforms, and professional association websites. BTBU-related guidelines/consensus published between January 2006 and December 2025 were included. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, after completing literature screening and data extraction, three evaluators independently assessed the quality of the included literature using the Scientificity, Transparency, and Applicability of Guidelines Rating Tool (STAR), the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation Ⅱ (AGREE Ⅱ), and the International Practice Guideline Reporting Standards (RIGHT). Results: A total of 29 documents were included, including 5 guidelines, 22 consensus statements, and 2 protocols. The results of the STAR assessment showed that the total score was (21.7±8.8)%. The domain score ratios for registration, research protocol, funding, working group, conflict of interest, clinical question, evidence, consensus method, recommendation, accessibility and other domains were (2.2±12.1)%, 0, (36.7±25.1)%, (18.3±7.6)%, (19.2±15.3)%, (16.6±23.1)%, (15.1±6.3)%, (9.6±21.2)%, (54.3±18.4)%, (31.7±10.4)% and (10.3±31.0)%, respectively. For the AGREE Ⅱ assessment, the methodological quality of 26 articles was rated Grade B and 3 articles Grade C. The results of the RIGHT assessment indicated that the overall reporting rate of all guidelines/consensuses was (65.3±4.0)%. Conclusion: The methodological and reporting quality of current expert guidelines/consensus on BTBU in China still need improvement, and guidelines and consensus should be strictly formulated and standardized according to the standards of STAR, AGREE II and RIGHT.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effect of anterior seat inclination on sit-to-stand (STS) ability and balance function in patients with stroke, as well as brain functional connectivity based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). MethodsFrom January, 2024 to December, 2025, 43 patients with stroke were randomly divided into control group (n = 21) and experimental group (n = 22). The control group received conventional rehabilitation combined with STS training on a flat seat, while the experimental group received conventional rehabilitation plus STS training with a 20° anterior seat inclination, for two weeks. Five-times sit-to-stand test (FTSST) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were assessed before and after training. fNIRS was used to detect changes in cerebral blood oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), primary motor cortex (M1), primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and premotor cortex (PMC), and to analyze functional connectivity strength. ResultsAfter training, FTSST time shortened in both groups (t > 3.469, P < 0.01), and was shorter in the experimental group than in the control group (t = -2.065, P < 0.05); BBS scores increased in both groups (|Z| > 4.019, P < 0.01), and was higher in the experimental group than in the control group (Z = -2.250, P < 0.05). fNIRS showed that after training, the functional connectivity strength between the left M1 and the right PFC increased, as well as between the left M1 and the right S1 in the experimental group (t > 3.311, P < 0.05). ConclusionSTS training with anterior seat inclination can enhance functional connectivity in relevant brain regions, which may contribute to improvements of STS ability and balance function in patients with stroke.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which modified Guishenwan alleviates inflammation in the rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） by regulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）/nuclear factor kappa B （NF-κB） pathway. MethodsAccording to the random number table method， 60 SPF female SD rats were randomized into a normal group （n=10） and a modeling group （n=50）. The normal group received routine feeding， while the modeling group was administrated with letrozole （1 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） by gavage for 21 days for the modeling of PCOS. The successfully modeled rats were randomized into model， diane-35 （0.2 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， high- （16.04 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， medium- （8.02 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， low- （4.01 g·kg^-1·d^-1） dose modified Guishenwan groups. The drug intervention groups were administrated with modified Guishenwan at corresponding doses by gavage， and the normal group and model group were given equal volumes of normal saline. All the groups were continuously treated for 28 days. After treatment， Gram staining of vaginal smears was employed to observe the estrous cycle in each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to determine the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， estradiol （E₂）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， testosterone （T）， and progesterone （PROG） in the plasma， as well as interleukin-1 beta （IL-1β）， tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， and interleukin-10 （IL-10） in the plasma and ovarian tissue. The LH/FSH ratio was calculated. The morphological changes in the ovarian tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of extracellular-regulated protein kinase （ERK）， c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK）， p38 MAPK， NF-κB p65， IκBα， p-JNK， p-ERK， p-p38 MAPK， p-NF-κB p65， and p-IκBα in the ovarian tissue. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the mRNA levels of ERK， JNK， p38 MAPK， NF-κB p65， and IκBα in the ovarian tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group was in the estrus phase， with an increase in the number of ovarian vesicles and decreases in granulosa cells and corpus luteum formation （P<0.05）， and lowered levels of FSH and E₂ and elevated levels of LH， T， and LH/FSH in the plasma （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， high-， medium-， and low-dose modified Guishenwan recovered the estrous cycle， increased the generation of granulosa cells and corpus luteum， reduced the number of vesicles， elevated the levels of FSH and E₂， and lowered the levels LH， T， and LH/FSH （P<0.05， P<0.01） in a dose-dependent manner. High-dose modified Guishenwan demonstrated the best therapeutic effect. Therefore， subsequent experiments for exploring the treatment mechanism were conducted in the normal group， model group， and high-dose modified Guishenwan group. The results showed that compared with the model group， high-dose modified Guishenwan lowered the levels of IL-1β， TNF-α， and IL-10 and elevated the level of IL-10 in the plasma and ovarian tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）， down-regulated the protein levels of p-ERK， p-JNK， p-p38 MAPK， p-NF-κB p65， and p-IκBα， while up-regulating the protein level of IκBα （P<0.01）. At the same time， the mRNA levels of ERK， JNK， p38 MAPK， and NF-κB p65 in the high-dose modified Guishenwan group were down-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionModified Guishenwan can improve the ovarian function in rat model of PCOS induced by letrozole and has anti-inflammatory effects， which may be related to inhibition of the MAPK/NF-κB pathway.

Objective:To investigate the operation of water improvement projects in villages affected by drinking-water-borne endemic arsenic poisoning in Shaanxi Province, the arsenic level in both internal and external environments, the trend of disease development and patient management, and evaluate the effectiveness of prevention and control measures.Methods:From March to December 2023, in accordance with the requirements of the "Notice of the Office of Shaanxi Provincial Health Commission on Issuing the Monitoring Plan for Key Endemic Diseases such as Kashin-Beck Disease" and the "Monitoring Plan for Endemic Fluorosis and Arsenism in Shaanxi Province", all villages affected by drinking-water-borne arsenic disease were monitored. Water arsenic testing was carried out in accordance with the "Standard Test Methods for Drinking Water Inorganic Nonmetallic Indicators" (GB/T 5750.5-2006), and the evaluation of whether water arsenic exceeded the standard was conducted based on the "Sanitary Standards for Drinking Water" (GB 5749-2022). According to the "Diagnosis of Endemic Arsenism" (WS/T 211-2015), the arsenic poisoning status of all population in the disease affected areas was investigated. In 5 villages of 3 monitoring counties, 358 people were randomly selected to determine the urinary arsenic level, and the determination was made according to the "Safety Guideline Value of Urinary Arsenic for Human Population" (WS/T 665-2019). According to the "Notice of the National Health Commission on Issuing the Evaluation Measures for Control and Elimination of Key Endemic Diseases (2019 Edition)", elimination evaluation was conducted.Results:A total of 2 cities, 3 counties, 9 towns, and 13 endemic villages were monitored, with a water improvement rate of 100% (13/13), and all were operating normally. The arsenic level in residents' drinking water was < 0.01 mg/L. A total of 12 688 people were examined, and 338 cases of arsenic poisoning were detected, all of whom were historical cases. There were no new cases of arsenic poisoning or skin cancer patients. The geometric mean of urinary arsenic was 0.026 0 mg/L, which was lower than the safety guideline value of 0.032 mg/L for urinary arsenic in the population. All 338 existing arsenic poisoning patients had received family doctor contract services and implemented follow-up management. The drinking-water-borne endemic arsenic poisoning areas counties in Shaanxi Province have reached the elimination standard.Conclusions:The water improvement project in drinking-water-borne endemic arsenic poisoning areas in Shaanxi Province is operating normally. The arsenic content in both the internal and external environments of the population meets the standard. The condition is stable and no new cases have been detected. Follow up management has been implemented for all current cases. All affected counties have reached the elimination standard.