1.Association between photoreceptor gene mutation-caused diseases and myopia
Yunqing LIANG ; Jiali LI ; Shanshan LIU ; Xiaohe LU
International Eye Science 2026;26(3):452-457
Myopia has become a significant eye health problem, which is thought to result from the complex interactions of genetic and environmental factors. This review focuses on two types of hereditary retinal diseases caused by mutations in photoreceptor genes, including rod-cone cell dystrophy(retinitis pigmentosa)and cone dysfunction syndromes(achromatopsia, blue cone monochromatism and Bornholm eye disease). It systematically explores the intrinsic connection between these diseases and the myopia phenotype, and elaborates on the core mechanisms by which pathogenic genes such as RPGR and OPN1LW/OPN1MW, which cause defects in ciliary structure and protein transport and interfere with the visual signal pathway, jointly induce choroidal thinning and scleral remodeling, ultimately driving the elongation of axial length and the occurrence of myopia. By tracing the association of photoreceptor gene mutations with myopia, this article provides a new perspective for in-depth understanding of the genetic mechanism of myopia and is of great significance for the development of early risk warning and targeted intervention strategies.
2.Current status of dental caries among primary and middle school students in Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps
CHEN Hui ; MIAO Shanshan ; LIU Xianfeng ; ZHANG Hui
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2026;38(1):102-106
Objective:
To understand the prevalence of dental caries and its influencing factors among primary and middle school students in the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (hereinafter referred to as "the Corps"), so as to provide a reference for formulating targeted prevention strategies and promoting oral health of primary and middle school students.
Methods:
Primary and middle school students in the Corps were selected as survey subjects by a multi-stage stratified random cluster sampling method in September 2023. Basic information and dietary behaviors were collected through questionnaire surveys, and dental caries status was examined by oral health technicians. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of dental caries among primary and middle school students.
Results:
A total of 80 370 primary and middle school students were investigated, including 40 582 males (50.49%) and 39 788 females (49.51%). There were 37 608 primary school students (46.79%), 34 612 junior high school students (43.07%), and 8 150 senior high school students (10.14%). There were 26 669 students with dental caries, with a prevalence rate of 33.18%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of dental caries was higher among female students (OR=1.170, 95%CI: 1.136-1.206), students in suburban counties (OR=1.212, 95%CI: 1.166-1.258), boarding students (OR=1.306, 95%CI: 1.257-1.357), and those with a frequency of fried food intake ≥1 time per day (OR=1.175, 95%CI: 1.084-1.273). Conversely, the risk of dental caries was lower among middle school students (OR=0.542, 95%CI: 0.524-0.560), high school students (OR=0.661, 95%CI: 0.620-0.705), and those with a frequency of vegetable intake ≥1 time per day (1 time per day, OR=0.900, 95%CI: 0.838-0.967), (≥2 time per day, OR=0.879, 95%CI: 0.819-0.944), and those who sometimes ate breakfast (OR=0.907, 95%CI: 0.874-0.942).
Conclusions
The prevalence of dental caries among primary and middle school students in the Corps is relatively high, and is influenced by various factors such as gender, school stage, area, boarding status, and dietary behaviors. It is suggested to strengthen oral health knowledge education among students, conduct regular oral health examinations, and improve the overall level of oral health.
3.Interventional Effect of Active Ingredients of Chinese Medicine and Compound Formulas on Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition in Lung Cancer: A Review
Shanshan SONG ; Min JIANG ; Xinxin LIU ; Bozhen HUANG ; Siyi MA ; Guoyu WANG ; Wanqing WANG ; Luyao WANG ; Liang WANG ; Ruiqing BO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(6):336-346
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and tumor metastasis is a key factor contributing to the mortality of most lung cancer patients. Aberrant activation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a major driver of lung cancer progression and metastasis. EMT is characterized by the loss of apical-basal polarity and intercellular adhesion in highly differentiated, polarized, and organized epithelial cells, which acquire motility, migratory potential, and invasive properties. During this process, cells undergo cytoskeletal remodeling and transform into a mesenchymal phenotype, accompanied by associated changes in cellular markers. The EMT process is highly complex and is tightly regulated by intricate networks involving multiple transcription factors, post-translational controls, epigenetic modifications, and non-coding RNAs. Therefore, therapies targeting the mechanisms of malignant transformation and their associated pathways in lung cancer are of significant clinical importance. In recent years, EMT has attracted increasing attention as a potential target for cancer therapy. Chinese medicine, with its characteristics of multi-target action, low side effects, and good therapeutic efficacy, has demonstrated an important role in anticancer treatment. A series of studies have investigated the role of Chinese medicine in inhibiting EMT in lung cancer. Active ingredients of Chinese medicine, including flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, terpenoids, saccharides, and alkaloids, as well as Chinese medicine compound formulas, have shown significant regulatory effects on EMT. Their mechanisms mainly involve multiple pathways, targets, and links, including signaling pathways, exosomes, microRNAs (miRNAs), and the tumor-associated immune microenvironment. This article summarizes the mechanisms by which EMT promotes malignant tumor progression and reviews the current research on how Chinese medicine active ingredients, monomers, and compound formulas inhibit EMT and suppress lung cancer cell migration and invasion. This study is expected to provide comprehensive theoretical information for basic and translational research on lung cancer.
4.Research on the correlation between Ddit3-Trib3-Akt signaling pathway and spermatogenesis in rats based on the testicular tissue co-culture system
Yan LI ; Shanshan LIU ; Lin GAO ; Lingyi KONG ; Xia YUN ; Yan ZHANG ; Taodi LIU
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(1):91-97
ObjectiveTo verify the association between the Ddit3-Trib3-Akt signaling pathway and rat spermatogenesis by constructing an in vitro co-culture system of testis. MethodsTesticular tissue blocks from 20-25-day-old male rats were placed in an in vitro culture system, and the culture medium was replaced every 2 to 3 days. PCR was used to verify the expression of marker genes of various spermatogenic cells. RNA interference technology was employed to verify the correlation between the Ddit3-Trib3-Akt signaling pathway and rat spermatogenesis. ResultsThe co-culture system could be continuously cultured for more than 2.5 months in vitro. RT-PCR showed that specific marker genes of spermatogonia, spermatocyte and spermoblast were expressed. The RNA and protein expression of Trib3 and Akt changed after the knocking down of Ddit3 and Trib3, respectively. It demonstrated the existence of Ddit3-Trib3-Akt signaling pathway in rat spermatogenesis. ConclusionThe culture time of more than 2.5 months indicates that the culture system can temporarily maintain the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells, and simultaneously maintain and stabilize spermatogenesis in a simple system. The successful validation of the Ddit3-Trib3-Akt signaling pathway also confirms that this culture system can be used to study possible molecular mechanisms of spermatogenesis in vitro.
5.The specific immune response of dendritic cell vaccine pulsed with ALDH1A1 mRNA on nasopharyngeal carcinoma stem cells in vitro
XIE Yunqing ; XU Yangmei ; CHEN Shanshan ; LIN Xiaowei ; LIU Qinying
Chinese Journal of Cancer Biotherapy 2026;33(5):486-493
[摘 要] 目的:探讨乙醛脱氢酶1A1(ALDH1A1)mRNA负载树突状细胞(DC)疫苗体外诱导抗鼻咽癌干细胞免疫反应的能力。方法:体外转录ALDH1A1 mRNA并电转染至人外周血DC,构建ALDH1A1-DC疫苗,转染EGFP mRNA为对照。流式细胞术检测DC表型、淋巴细胞亚群、细胞毒性T 淋巴细胞(CTL)增殖和细胞因子分泌。分选ALDH+和ALDH- C666-1细胞,检测干细胞标志物(CD24、CD133)和干性基因(OCT4、SOX2、Nanog)的表达水平,采用CCK-8法评估ALDH1A1-DC疫苗诱导的特异性免疫杀伤能力。结果:EGFP-DC荧光表达率显著高于未转染DC(P < 0.000 1),ALDH1A1-DC抗原提呈分子HLA-ABC、共刺激分子CD86、CD40和CCR7表达与未转染DC相比显著增强(P = 0.001 3、P = 0.005 9、P = 0.000 4及P = 0.001 9)。与单独淋巴细胞组(T)及空载DC诱导的淋巴细胞组(DC-T)相比,ALDH1A1-DC诱导的CTL比例最高(均P < 0.000 1),分裂指数最高(P = 0.000 2、P = 0.000 3),且CD8+CD69+(P = 0.000 5、P < 0.000 1)和CD8+ IFN-γ+(P = 0.012 6、P = 0.001 9)细胞亚群比例均显著提高。ALDH1A1-DC-T细胞对ALDH+C666-1悬浮细胞球的杀伤效果显著优于ALDH-细胞球(P = 0.001 0),且与其他各组淋巴细胞相比表现出较强的抗ALDH+C666-1悬浮细胞球的免疫效应(P = 0.001 0,P < 0.000 1)。然而,HLA-ABC阻断后其对ALDH+C666-1细胞的特异性杀伤效应显著降低(P < 0.000 1)。结论:mRNA转染DC后可翻译蛋白并促进DC成熟,增强其诱导特异性CTL免疫反应的能力。
6.Intravitreal Conbercept for macular edema secondary to non-ischemic retinal vein occlusion
Min YANG ; Shanshan LI ; Shuang LIU ; Dawei ZHANG
International Eye Science 2026;26(7):1147-1151
AIM:To observe the clinical efficacy of intravitreal injection of conbercept in the treatment of macular edema secondary to non-ischemic retinal vein occlusion(RVO).METHODS: Single center retrospective study. ME patients secondary to non-ischemic RVO admitted to the hospital from January 2023 to March 2024 were selected, and were divided into central retinal vein occlusion(CRVO)group and branch retinal vein occlusion(BRVO)group according to the location of obstruction. All patients were treated with intravitreal injection of conbercept once a month for 3 mo. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), macular foveal thickness(CMT), superficial capillary density(SVD), deep capillary density(DVD), and foveal avascular zone(FAZ)area were recorded before and after treatment(with 3 injections per course)at 1, 3, and 6 mo.RESULTS:This study included a total of 120 ME secondary to non-ischemic RVO patients(128 eyes), who were divided into CRVO group(51 cases, 56 eyes, 31 males, 20 females, mean age 61.39±10.32 y)and BRVO group(69 cases, 72 eyes, 41 males, 28 females, mean age 61.48±10.41 y)based on the location of obstruction. There was no significant difference in general data between the two groups before treatment(both P>0.05). After 1, 3, and 6 mo of treatment, both groups showed improvement in BCVA, CMT, SVD, and DVD compared to before treatment(all P<0.05). BCVA in the BRVO group was better than that in the CRVO group at all time points after treatment(all P<0.05), while there was no difference in CMT, SVD, and DVD between the two groups(all P>0.05); There was no significant difference in FAZ area between the two groups before and after treatment(both P>0.05). Follow up for 6 mo showed no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups of patients(both P>0.05), but there was a significant difference in the recurrence rate(P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The first intravitreal injection of conbercept is effective in treating macular edema caused by non-ischemic CRVO and BRVO, improving visual function, reducing macular edema, and repairing retinal structure and blood flow perfusion. Notably, the recovery of visual function and improvement of capillary density are more significant in BRVO patients.
7.COLEC12high tumor-associated macrophages orchestrate lenvatinib resistance and cancer stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma via paracrine NRG1-HER2/HER3 signaling
Jianxing ZHANG ; Liang QIAO ; Zongfeng WU ; Dinglan ZUO ; Shanshan HUANG ; Shaoru LIU ; Zhenkun HUANG ; Yi ZENG ; Yu LI ; Yichuan YUAN ; Chenwei WANG ; Wei HE ; Jiliang QIU ; Yunfei YUAN ; Yi NIU ; Binkui LI
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2026;32(2):772-786
Background/Aims:
Lenvatinib resistance remains a critical barrier in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapy. However, the underlying mechanisms and strategies for reversing resistance remain incompletely understood.
Methods:
Integrated transcriptomics of lenvatinib-resistant patient tumors and an acquired-resistance murine model identified a novel macrophage subpopulation. Functional validation employed CRISPR-SAM screening, conditioned medium (CM) assays, subcutaneous/orthotopic xenografts, patient-derived organoids (PDOs), and patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Mechanistic studies included ChIP-qPCR, co-immunoprecipitation, and pharmacologic targeting. Clinical relevance was assessed in a retrospective cohort.
Results:
Resistant HCC exhibited significant enrichment of a COLEC12high TAM subset , which correlated with poor survival and treatment response. These TAMs secreted neuregulin-1 (NRG1) , activating HER2/HER3-AKT signaling in tumor cells to drive cancer stemness and lenvatinib resistance. Mechanistically, in TAMs COLEC12 sequestered STAT1 in the cytoplasm, preventing its phosphorylation, and thereby derepressing STAT3-mediated NRG1 transcription. Depletion of NRG1 reversed the stemness phenotypes and resensitized tumors to lenvatinib both in vitro and in vivo. Clinically, high NRG1 expression predicted an inferior lenvatinib response and shorter survival. Crucially, the bispecific anti-HER2/HER3 antibody zenocutuzumab restored lenvatinib efficacy in PDOs, PDXs, and murine models.
Conclusions
Our work establishes the COLEC12high TAM/NRG1 axis as a master regulator of therapeutic resistance and identifies NRG1 as a predictive biomarker, providing a clinically actionable strategy to overcome lenvatinib resistance in HCC.
8.Aberrant fragmentomic features of circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA enable early detection and prognosis prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma
Yang LIU ; Fan PENG ; Siyuan WANG ; Huanmin JIAO ; Kaixiang ZHOU ; Wenjie GUO ; Shanshan GUO ; Miao DANG ; Huanqin ZHANG ; Weizheng ZHOU ; Xu GUO ; Jinliang XING
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(1):196-212
Background/Aims:
Early detection and effective prognosis prediction in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) provide an avenue for survival improvement, yet more effective approaches are greatly needed. We sought to develop the detection and prognosis models with ultra-sensitivity and low cost based on fragmentomic features of circulating cell free mtDNA (ccf-mtDNA).
Methods:
Capture-based mtDNA sequencing was carried out in plasma cell-free DNA samples from 1168 participants, including 571 patients with HCC, 301 patients with chronic hepatitis B or liver cirrhosis (CHB/LC) and 296 healthy controls (HC).
Results:
The systematic analysis revealed significantly aberrant fragmentomic features of ccf-mtDNA in HCC group when compared with CHB/LC and HC groups. Moreover, we constructed a random forest algorithm-based HCC detection model by utilizing ccf-mtDNA fragmentomic features. Both internal and two external validation cohorts demonstrated the excellent capacity of our model in distinguishing early HCC patients from HC and highrisk population with CHB/LC, with AUC exceeding 0.983 and 0.981, sensitivity over 89.6% and 89.61%, and specificity over 98.20% and 95.00%, respectively, greatly surpassing the performance of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and mtDNA copy number. We also developed an HCC prognosis prediction model by LASSO-Cox regression to select 20 fragmentomic features, which exhibited exceptional ability in predicting 1-year, 2-year and 3-year survival (AUC=0.8333, 0.8145 and 0.7958 for validation cohort, respectively).
Conclusions
We have developed and validated a high-performing and low-cost approach in a large clinical cohort based on aberrant ccf-mtDNA fragmentomic features with promising clinical translational application for the early detection and prognosis prediction of HCC patients.
9.Protective effect and mechanism of acteoside in diabetic nephropathy
Dongyan WANG ; Zhaoan GUO ; Jingnan TANG ; Hui LIU ; Shanshan SU
Journal of China Medical University 2025;54(9):769-774,780
Objective To investigate the effects of acteoside in a rat model on of diabetic nephropathy(DN)and high-glucose-induced glomerular mesangial cells(GMCs),focusing on the role of acteoside in the silent information regulator 1(SIRT1)/nuclear factor eryth-roid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)signaling pathway.Methods GMCs were cultured under normal glucose conditions or stimulated with high glucose.Fibrosis,oxidative stress,SIRT1 and Nrf2 protein expression,and mitochondrial structure were assessed in four groups:normal glucose,high glucose,high glucose+acteoside,and high glucose+acteoside+SIRT1 inhibitor(hsa62).DN was induced in rats via intraperitoneal streptozotocin injection,and animals were divided into control,model,and acteoside-treated groups.Pathological kidney changes,blood glucose changes,renal function indices,and protein expression of SIRT1 and Nrf2 were evaluated.Results Compared with controls,DN model rats showed significantly elevated fasting blood glucose,serum creatinine,blood urea nitrogen,and 24-h urinary protein levels of rats in the model group were significantly increased(P<0.01).GMCs exhibited increased fibrosis,oxidative stress,and mitochondrial damage.Acteoside treatment significantly improved all measured parameters(P<0.01);and mitigated mitochondrial injury.In vitro,acteoside reduced high-glucose-induced fibrosis and oxidative stress in GMCs,effects that were reversed by SIRT1 inhibition.Western blotting confirmed upregulation of SIRT1 and Nrf2 expression in both treated rat kidney tissues and GMCs(P<0.01).Conclusion Acteoside alleviates glomerular fibrosis and oxidative stress in DN by activating the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway,suggesting its potential therapeutic agent for DN.
10.Three-dimensional morphological characteristics and clinical significance of the pedicle-isthmus complex of axis
Shanshan LIU ; Qiang TANG ; Yehui LIAO
Chinese Journal of Spine and Spinal Cord 2025;35(3):225-235
Objectives:To analyze the 3D structural characteristics and discuss the clinical significance of pedicle-isthmus complex(PIC)through measuring the anatomical and morphological parameters of normal axis PIC.Methods:The imaging data of 100 patients without high-riding vertebral artery[57 males,43 females,56.1±1.8(18-79)years]undergone CT angiography(CTA)examinations of the cervical spine or neck and admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University between January 2022 and December 2022,and another 28 patients[15 males,13 females,55.5±14.6(18-80)years]undergone posterior C2 pedicle screw fixation and examined with CT scan of the cervical spine during the same period were collected.The original CT data were uploaded to Mimics 21.0 software,and bilateral PICs were segmented from the axis to construct a new coordinate axes with multiplanar reconstruction(MPR)technology.The upper,middle and lower faults of the PIC were cut on the new axes,and the front-most,narrowest and back-most parts of the PIC were determined.The widths of the front-most,narrowest and,back-most parts and inclination angles of the upper,middle and lower faults of PIC were measured on 3D images.Based on whether the PIC was punctured or not,the patients implanted with posterior C2 pedicle screws were divided into punctured group and non-punctured group.Using the axis pedicle screw as reference,the image parameters of screw position were measured,including the height from the screw midpoint to the PIC upper wall,the width of the screw midpoint to the PIC inner wall,and the screw inclination angle.Results:There was no statistical difference between the left and right side of PIC parameters in 100 patients.The width of PIC in males was greater than that in females at all levels,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The results of PIC width from a coronal perspective showed that the overall width of the upper layer was 9.6±1.3mm,the overall width of the middle layer was 9.5±1.4mm,and the overall width of the lower layer was 8.0±1.1mm.There was no statistical difference between the overall width of the upper layer and the middle layer(P=0.41),while the difference between the other layers was statistically significant(P<0.05).The overall width of the PIC from the cross-sectional perspective showed that the overall width of the front-most part was 8.8±1.4mm,the overall width of the narrowest part was 7.2±1.3mm,and the overall width of the back-most part was 11.0±1.5mm,with statistical significance among all layers(P<0.05).The results of PIC inclination showed that the upper layer inclination was 15.1°±8.7°,the middle layer inclination was 19.5°±8.4°,and the lower layer inclination was 26.3°±9.0°,and the differences among all layers were statistically significant(P<0.05).In the 28 patients fixed with posterior C2 pedicle screw,a total of 50 screws were inserted,with 25 screws each in the punctured group and non-punctured group.The distances from the screw midpoint to PIC upper wall[4.4(3.6-5.3)mm]and PIC inner wall[3.3(2.8-3.8)mm]in the non-punctured group was smaller than those in the punctured group[5.1(4.5-6.0)mm and 4.0(3.1-5.4)mm,P<0.05].No statistical differences was found between the two groups in the screw inclination angles[17.6°(10.5°-21.5°)vs 16.9°(9.6°-23.1°),P=0.854].Conclusions:The normal PIC without high riding vertebral artery is wide at top and narrow at bottom in the coronal view,and wide at front and back and thin in the middle in the transverse view.The gradual increase of the internal inclination angle from top to bottom indicates that the 3D structure of PIC is distorted.Analyzing the axis PIC as a whole is helpful to better understand its anatomical morphology and change characteristics,and to guide the selection of safe strategies in implanting axial pedicle screws.


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail