1.Effect and safety of a conditioning regimen with chidamide and BEAM for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in lymphoma
Yuanli GONG ; Siying PAN ; Tongyao XING ; Hua YIN ; Haorui SHEN ; Li WANG ; Jinhua LIANG ; Jianyong LI ; Wei XU
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2025;64(12):1211-1217
Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Chi-BEAM regimen (chidamide combined with carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan) followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients with high-risk or relapsed/refractory lymphoma.Methods:This retrospective case series included 78 patients with newly treated high-risk or relapsed/refractory lymphoma who underwent ASCT with the Chi-BEAM conditioning regimen in the Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Province Hospital), from June 2021 to May 2024. Descriptive statistics were employed to evaluate clinical characteristics, efficacy, and adverse events. The Kaplan-Meier method was applied to calculate cumulative progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates.Results:The median age of the 78 evaluable patients was 47 years (range 16-68), with 8 patients (10.3%) aged ≥60 years. At the first post-transplant assessment (3 months), the objective response rate was 94.9% (74/78). The median follow-up was 20.1 months (range 2.9-44.9). The median PFS time was 20.1 months (range 1.6-45.1), with a 2-year cumulative PFS rate of 81.8%. The median OS time was 20.6 months (range 3.1-45.1), with a cumulative 2-year OS rate of 93.2%. The regimen was well-tolerated; mild-to-moderate hypocalcemia within 1 week post-infusion and transient mild erythrocyturia on the infusion day were the primary adverse reactions.Conclusion:The Chi-BEAM regimen combined with ASCT demonstrates both safety and clinical benefit in patients with high-risk or relapsed/refractory lymphoma.
2.Discussion on the mechanism of Erchen Pingwei formula treating obesity with insulin resistance based on network pharmacology and molecular docking
China Modern Doctor 2025;63(27):46-52
Objective To investigate the potential mechanism of Erchen Pingwei formula in treating obesity with insulin resistance(IR)by using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology.Methods The main active ingredients and their potential target proteins were obtained from Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology database and analysis platform and Swiss Target Prediction databases,therapeutic target database,online Mendelian inheritance in man database and genecards databases were used to screen the disease targets related to IR and obesity,and Venny mapping tool was used to screen the intersection of herbal formula and disease targets,and Cytoscape 3.10.0 software was used to construct protein-protein interaction(PPI)network diagrams.Gene Ontology(GO)enrichment,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analysis on the intersection targets were conducted by using DAVID database,molecular docking and visualization analysis were carried out by Autodock and Pymol.Results 136 active ingredients and 236 active targets of Erchen Pingwei formula were retrieved,with 2527 IR active targets,1598 obesity active targets,and 91 drug-disease intersecting targets.GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that quercetin,kaempferol,and naringenin were the main active ingredients of Erchen Pingwei formula,through the regulation of protein kinase B,interleukin-6,tumor protein p53,peroxisome proliferator activated receptor,estrogen receptor α and other core targets,affecting lipid and atherosclerosis,insulin resistance,advanced glycation end product-receptor signaling pathway,and playing a therapeutic role in obesity.Conclusion Erchen Pingwei formula treats obesity with IR via a multi-component,multi-target,and multi-pathway mechanism.
3.Ubiquitinome profiling of cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-2 deficient cells under heat shock
Yi CHEN ; Yingwei GE ; Lijie ZHOU ; Siying WANG ; Lingqiang ZHANG
Military Medical Sciences 2025;49(8):561-568
Objective To profile ubiquitination in cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-2(CASP2)deficient cells under heat shock and investigate the role of CASP2 in stress response.Methods Ubiquitination levels in subcellular fractions of control and C ASP2 knockout(KO)cells were detected via Western blotting.After 2 hours of heat shock treatment,Soluble Ⅱ and Pellet fractions were collected from both control and CASP2 KO cells for ubiquitinome analysis.Anti-di-glycine remnant(K-ε-GG)antibody-based proteomic analysis was performed to identify differentially ubiquitinated proteins and associated key signaling pathways.Proteins that displayed significantly upregulated ubiquitination in CASP2 KO cells under heat shock were subjected to His-tag pull-down assays to find out whether CASP2 regulated the ubiquitination of these proteins.Results Under heat shock,CASP2 KO cells displayed significantly higher accumulation of overloaded ubiquitinated conjugates in the Pellet fraction compared to controls.Ubiquitinomics analysis revealed substantial alterations in protein ubiquitination patterns following CASP2 KO.One hundred proteins exhibited significantly elevated ubiquitination levels while 36 proteins had their ubiquitination reduced relative to controls.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis indicated that hyper-ubiquitinated proteins were primarily associated with Huntington disease,Alzheimer disease,bile secretion,carbon metabolism and autophagy.His-tag pull-down assays combined with Western blotting revealed increased ubiquitination of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide reduced-ubiquinone oxidoreductase 1 beta subcomplex subunit 3(NDUFB3)and autophagy-related protein 9A(ATG9A)in CASP2 KO cells under heat shock.Conclusion Overloaded ubiquitinated conjugates are accumulated due to CASP2 deficiency during heat shock.CASP2 modulates ubiquitination levels through multiple signaling pathways.
4.Deubiquitinase OTUD3 suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma by modulating gut-liver axis metabolic reprogramming
Yubing ZHANG ; Hongchang LI ; Siying WANG ; Lingqiang ZHANG
Military Medical Sciences 2025;49(8):589-597
Objective To investigate how deubiquitinase OTU domain-containing protein 3(OTUD3)suppresses the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma via gut-liver axis metabolic remodeling and microbiome dynamics.Methods A total of 24 male 2-week-old littermate C57BL/6J mice(12 wild-type and 12 Otud3-/-)were divided into two differential genotype groups before 6 mice from each group were randomly chosen to receive intraperitoneal injections of N-nitrosodieth-ylamine(DEN)for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)induction.The mice were divided into four groups(n=6/group):Otud3+/+control(WT CON),Otud3-/-control(KO CON),Otud3+/+DEN-induced HCC(WT DEN),and Otud3-/-DEN-induced HCC(KO DEN).At 40 weeks of age,liver tissues were collected for metabolomic profiling,and fecal samples were obtained for 16S rRNA sequencing.Results Multivariate analyses,including principal component analysis(PCA),partial least squares-discriminant analysis(PLS-DA),sparse partial least squares-discriminant analysis(sPLS-DA),and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OrthoPLS-DA),demonstrated complete intergroup separability.Fifty-four differential metabolites were identified between the WT DEN and KO DEN groups through metabolomic profiling,with gut-liver axis-associated pathways such as cholesterol metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis revealed by KEGG pathway analysis.Microbiome analysis indicated an upregulation of Bacteroides at the genus level in the KO DEN group compared to WT DEN.Pearson correlation analysis highlighted amino acids and derivatives as predominant metabolite classes and revealed Bacteroidetes and Firmicutesas the dominant gut microbial phyla.Conclusion OTUD3 suppresses HCC progression by modulating gut-liver axis metabolism,potentially mediated by elevated betaine and increased abundance of Odoribacter,Alistipes,and Lachnoclostridium.
5.SV2A inhibits AIF/CyPA nuclear translocation and mitochondrial damage to alleviate apoptosis of hippocampal neurons in drug-resistant epilepsy rats
Mianmian REN ; Chen LI ; Siying REN ; Guofeng WU ; Likun WANG
Chinese Journal of Neuromedicine 2025;24(10):973-985
Objective:To investigate the regulatory role and mechanism of synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) in apoptosis of drug-resistant epilepsy neurons.Methods:One hundred and fifty specific pathogen-free (SPF) Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly numbered; 20 rats were selected as a normal control group (NC group), and the remaining 130 rats were subjected to chronic epilepsy models of lithium-pilocarpine. Phenobarbital and phenytoin sodium for 2 weeks were given to these rats after modeling; fanally, 94 rats with chronic epilepsy were divided into a drug-resistant group (phenobarbital and phenytoin sodium-resistant epilepsy [PRE] group, reduction in episodes<50%, n= 55) and a drug-sensitive group (phenobarbital and phenytoin sodium-sensitive epilepsy [PSE] group, reduction in episodes by≥50%, n=38). Rats in the PRE group were further randomly divided into 5 groups, namely a up-regulated-SV2A PRE group (UPRE group), a down-regulated-SV2A PRE group (DPRE group), a up-regulated-SV2A control group (UPRC group), a down-regulated-SV2A control group (DPRC group), and a non-transfected PRE group; different types of lentivirus were given to the first 4 groups via stereotactic brain injection. Ten days after lentiviral transfection, virus detection was performed; and 2 weeks after lentiviral transfection, occurrence of epileptic seizures was observed, and after that, rats were sacrificed and the hippocampal tissues were collected for subsequent experiments. Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of SV2A, cyclophilin A (CyPA), apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) in the cell nucleus or mitochondria; coimmunoprecipitation experiment was performed to observe the interaction among SV2A, CyPA and AIF proteins; immunofluorescent co-staining was used to observe the CyPA/AIF localization; mitochondrial damage was detected by electron microscopy; ATP content in the hippocampal tissues was detected by luciferase method, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHDG) expression was detected by immunofluorescent staining, and neuronal apoptosis rate was calculated by double staining with neuron-specific nuclear protein (NeuN) and TUNEL. Results:(1) Confocal microscopy revealed that the hippocampal tissues in the 4 transfected groups showed green fluorescence inherent to the lentivirus, indicating successful viral infection. Compared with the UPRC group, the UPRE group had significantly reduced frequency of epileptic seizures and seizure duration ( P<0.05). (2) Western blotting showed that, in mitochondria, the UPRE group had significantly higher expressions of SV2A (0.475± 0.105 vs. 0.136±0.043), CyPA (0.473±0.041 vs. 0.175±0.047), AIF (0.443±0.058 vs. 0.131±0.037), and SOD2 (0.457±0.037 vs. 0.152±0.038) compared with the UPRC group ( P<0.05); the DPRE group had significantly decreased expressions of SV2A (0.038±0.013 vs. 0.184±0.047), CyPA (0.041±0.010 vs. 0.214±0.040), AIF (0.040±0.019 vs. 0.175±0.046), and SOD2 (0.043±0.017 vs. 0.187±0.039) compared with the DPRC group ( P<0.05). In the cell nucleus, the UPRE group had significantly lower expressions of AIF (0.336±0.084 vs. 0.649±0.209) and CyPA (0.331±0.086 vs. 0.620±0.162) compared with the UPRC group ( P<0.05); the DPRE group had statistically higher expressions of AIF (0.771± 0.180 vs. 0.519±0.144) and CyPA (0.738±0.223 vs. 0.488±0.091) compared with the DPRC group ( P< 0.05). (3) Co-immunoprecipitation experiment results showed that the bidirectional precipitation results of SV2A and AIF, SV2A and CyPA, and AIF and CyPA were all positive, suggesting existence of interactions. (4) Immunofluorescent co-staining showed that the fluorescence changes of CyPA and AIF were consistent. (5) Electron microscopy showed that mitochondria in the NC group had intact structure; mitochondria in the UPRE group, UPRC group, DPRC group and DPRE group showed swelling and cristae fragmentation; among them, injury in the UPRE group was relatively less severe than that in the UPRC group, while that in the DPRC group was more severe than that in the DPRE group. (6) Compared with the UPRC group, the UPRE group had statistically higher ATP content ( P<0.05); compared with the DPRC group, the DPRE group had significantly lower ATP content ( P<0.05).(7) Immunofluorescent staining results showed that the UPRE group had significantly lower 8-OHDG expression than the UPRC group ( P<0.05); compared with the DPRC group, the DPRE group had statistically higher 8-OHDG expression ( P<0.05). (8) The UPRE group had significantly lower NeuN-TUNEL double staining positive rate than the UPRC group ( P<0.05); compared with the DPRC group, the DPRE group had significantly higher NeuN-TUNEL double staining positive rate ( P<0.05). Conclusion:SV2A can play a role in the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons in rats with drug-resistant epilepsy by regulating the nuclear translocation of AIF/CyPA and mitochondrial damage.
6.Interaction between immune microenvironment and bone aging and treatment strategies
Jianxu WANG ; Zihao DONG ; Zishuai HUANG ; Siying LI ; Guang YANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(30):6509-6519
BACKGROUND:Bone microenvironment is also rich in various immune cells and cytokines,which are closely related to bone cells and form an interactive network.Therefore,bone aging is not only caused by the senescence of osteocytes,but also accelerated by age-related changes in the immune system.OBJECTIVE:To review the age-related changes of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,osteoblasts,osteoclasts,and immune cells in the bone microenvironment,emphasize the key role of the immune microenvironment in bone aging,and the potential of immunotherapy in the treatment of bone aging.METHODS:We searched PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure for articles on the interaction between bone cell senescence and immune cell senescence using"osteocytes,bone aging,immune microenvironment,immune cells,cytokines,immunosenescence,immunotherapy"as Chinese and English search terms.According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,128 articles were finally included in the review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Bone aging is a common pathological condition in the elderly,characterized by the interaction of multiple biological processes,among which immune factors play a key role.The cells,molecules,and signaling pathways in the immune microenvironment together constitute a complex network,and the imbalance of this network will accelerate the process of bone aging.The combination of anti-cellular aging and immunotherapy may bring new methods for the treatment of bone aging diseases,including the removal of senescent cells,targeted drugs for senescence-related secretory phenotypes,targeted therapy of inflammatory cytokines,immune cell regulation therapy,stem cell therapy,and molecular therapy.To more effectively and reasonably remove senescent cells,a deeper understanding of the mechanism of senescent cells is needed,which will help to identify senescent cells more accurately.Immunotherapy shows great potential and prospects in the treatment of bone aging,but there are some potential risks.It is believed that with the advancement of science and technology,people can more accurately understand the genetic information and immune status of the human body and develop more personalized immunotherapy plans.
7.Analysis of FBN1 gene variants in 15 patients with suspected Marfan syndrome and the auxiliary diagnostic value of WES
Jiashan LI ; Tengying GAO ; Fang WANG ; Yingchao ZHOU ; Siying LIANG ; Yan MIAO ; Shuo LI
Chinese Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism 2025;41(7):552-560
Objective:To investigate the genetic etiology of 15 patients with suspected Marfan syndrome(MFS).Methods:Fifteen patients clinically suspected of having MFS who attended the Women and Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University between January 2020 and August 2024 were enrolled. Amniotic fluid samples from fetuses and EDTA-anticoagulated peripheral blood samples from the patients and their family members were collected. Genomic DNA was extracted and subjected to whole exome sequencing(WES). Variants identified in positive cases were further validated by Sanger sequencing. The pathogenicity of the detected variants was assessed according to the guidelines and supplemental criteria of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics(ACMG).Results:All 15 patients were found to carry variants in the FBN1 gene, including 9 pathogenic variants, 5 likely pathogenic variants, and 1 variant of uncertain significance(VUS). Notably, eight novel pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants not previously reported in the literature were identified: c. 213G>C, c. 469G>T, c. 3337+ 2dup, c. 4087+ 1G>T, c. 7331_7334dup, c. 8146del, c. 8227dup, and c. 8425_8426insG. According to the revised Ghent criteria(2010), only 2 patients could be clinically diagnosed with MFS prior to WES. However, after incorporating WES-derived molecular evidence, 8 patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for MFS.Conclusion:The combination of WES and clinical phenotype assessment can substantially improve the diagnostic yield for MFS. Furthermore, the identification of these novel FBN1 variants expands the mutational spectrum of the gene and provides valuable evidence for future genetic counselling, prenatal diagnosis, and pathogenicity interpretation of neighboring variants.
8.BIRC5 Is a Potential Biomarker Associated with Immune System Infiltration in Glioma
Xitong YANG ; Yuanyuan ZHANG ; Fuhui DUAN ; Siying LI ; Guangming WANG
Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society 2025;68(2):184-201
Objective:
: Baculovirus inhibitory of apoptosis repeat-containing 5 (BIRC5) is critically implicated in various types of tumors. However, the specific mechanisms by which it operates in glioma are yet to be fully understood.
Methods:
: The data sourced from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus were merged and analyzed using the R software to investigate the relationship between BIRC5 expression and prognosis and diagnosis outcomes. This exploration was conducted utilizing various biological information repositories. The correlation between BIRC5 and immunity was obtained based on TIMER and TISIDB databases.
Results:
: Gliomas displayed a markedly elevated level of BIRC5 expression compared to adjacent tissues. Patients with glioma who exhibit elevated levels of BIRC5 experience poorer prognoses and shorter survival times. Subgroup classification further revealed that heightened expression of BIRC5 led to diminished overall survival. Analysis of logistic regression and COX indicated that expression of BIRC5 serves as a risk factor in glioma development. Functional enrichment pathways showed that the 72 hub genes related to BIRC5 were mainly closely related to nuclear division, spindle, tubulin binding, and cell cycle in glioma patients. BBIRC5 methylation suggested that BIRC5 might influence the immune response regulation and the tumor microenvironment within gliomas. BIRC5 is associated with many chemicals. Additionally, studies conducted using cell experiments and pathological sections have consistently shown that BIRC5 expression is higher in tumor cells compared to normal cells and tissues.
Conclusion
: BIRC5 holds promise as a valuable tool in the diagnosis, prognosis, and management of gliomas.
9.BIRC5 Is a Potential Biomarker Associated with Immune System Infiltration in Glioma
Xitong YANG ; Yuanyuan ZHANG ; Fuhui DUAN ; Siying LI ; Guangming WANG
Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society 2025;68(2):184-201
Objective:
: Baculovirus inhibitory of apoptosis repeat-containing 5 (BIRC5) is critically implicated in various types of tumors. However, the specific mechanisms by which it operates in glioma are yet to be fully understood.
Methods:
: The data sourced from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus were merged and analyzed using the R software to investigate the relationship between BIRC5 expression and prognosis and diagnosis outcomes. This exploration was conducted utilizing various biological information repositories. The correlation between BIRC5 and immunity was obtained based on TIMER and TISIDB databases.
Results:
: Gliomas displayed a markedly elevated level of BIRC5 expression compared to adjacent tissues. Patients with glioma who exhibit elevated levels of BIRC5 experience poorer prognoses and shorter survival times. Subgroup classification further revealed that heightened expression of BIRC5 led to diminished overall survival. Analysis of logistic regression and COX indicated that expression of BIRC5 serves as a risk factor in glioma development. Functional enrichment pathways showed that the 72 hub genes related to BIRC5 were mainly closely related to nuclear division, spindle, tubulin binding, and cell cycle in glioma patients. BBIRC5 methylation suggested that BIRC5 might influence the immune response regulation and the tumor microenvironment within gliomas. BIRC5 is associated with many chemicals. Additionally, studies conducted using cell experiments and pathological sections have consistently shown that BIRC5 expression is higher in tumor cells compared to normal cells and tissues.
Conclusion
: BIRC5 holds promise as a valuable tool in the diagnosis, prognosis, and management of gliomas.
10.Hyssopus cuspidatus extract inhibited OVA-sensitized allergic asthma through PI3K/JNK/P38 signaling pathway and lipid homeostasis regulation.
Yali ZHANG ; Huiming PENG ; Jingjing LI ; Pan LV ; Mengru ZHANG ; Xu WANG ; Siyu WANG ; Siying ZHU ; Jiankang LU ; Xuepeng FAN ; Jinbo FANG
Chinese Herbal Medicines 2025;17(3):539-547
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the effect and mechanism of Hyssopus cuspidatus Boriss. extract (HCE) in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma.
METHODS:
Components identification of HCE was conducted using ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry. Mice were sensitized with OVA to establish asthmatic model, and dexamethasone was used as positive control. Respiratory reactivity, white cells counting in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and peripheral blood, cytokine level measurement in serum and lung tissue, and histologic examination were performed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of HCE on asthma. Network pharmacology approach was used for mechanism prediction. Western blotting and untargeted lipidomics method were applied for mechanism validation.
RESULTS:
Fifty-two compounds were identified in HCE, predominantly terpenoids and flavonoids. HCE markedly reduced airway resistance, the eosinophil infiltration in lung tissues, and the levels of immunoglobulin E, interleukin-4, interleukin-5, and interleukin-13. Network pharmacology analysis suggested phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 Mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) may be key proteins of HCE in the treatment of allergic asthma. Western blot results indicated that the levels of phosphorylated PI3K, JNK, and P38 were downregulated in HCE-treated group. Moreover, HCE significantly upregulated the levels of ceramide and sphingomyelin and downregulated the level of phosphatidylcholine.
CONCLUSION
HCE inhibited allergic asthma via PI3K/JNK/P38 signaling pathway and lipid homeostasis regulation.

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