1.Identification of potential therapeutic targets for hair color and hair shaft abnormalities by integrating human plasma proteomics
Guangdi LI ; Guiwen ZHOU ; Yichen WANG ; Xiao XU ; Minliang CHEN
Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery 2025;41(5):482-491
Objective:To identify potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of hair color and hair shaft abnormalities, providing novel insights and approaches for managing related conditions.Methods:Using the pQTL data from large-scale proteomics studies, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (TwoSampleMR) was conducted to preliminarily identify potential drug therapeutic targets. Subsequently, sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate potential confounding factors such as heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy, and a leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was conducted by eliminating each single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) one by one. Finally, co-localization analysis was carried out to explore whether there are shared genetic variants between the identified plasma proteins and traits.Results:The proteomic data used in this study included 4, 907 pQTLs, while the genetic data related to hair pigmentation and shaft abnormalities comprised 124 cases and 432, 686 controls. After Mendelian randomization screening, six candidate protein genes were identified: HLA-DQA2, CTSB, KIR2DS2, SVEP1, HOMER2, and HOMER1. Sensitivity analyses revealed no evidence of heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy among these proteins. Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis indicated that no single SNP significantly influenced the overall result. Notably, HOMER2 was supported by colocalization analysis with strong evidence, suggesting its potential role in regulating genetic mechanisms underlying hair pigmentation and shaft health.Conclusions:This study identified six potential therapeutic targets for hair pigmentation and shaft abnormalities, with HOMER2 showing stronger evidence. These findings provide novel directions for the treatment of hair color and hair shaft abnormalities.
2.Major signaling pathways involved in skin wound repair by mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes
Yichen WANG ; Hongfan DING ; Jide JIN ; Minliang CHEN ; Xiao XU
Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery 2025;41(3):307-318
The skin is one of the most vital organs in the human body, and skin wounds caused by various factors can severely impact patients’ physical and mental health. Among the therapeutic strategies for skin wound repair, mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSC-Exos) have emerged as a promising biological therapy, attracting significant attention in related research. As critical mediators of stem cell biological effects, MSC-Exos fuse with target cells and transfer bioactive proteins and nucleic acids from stem cells into recipient cells. These exosomes modulate inflammatory responses, promote cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis, and regulate extracellular matrix remodeling, thereby accelerating wound healing. In recent years, studies on the mechanisms by which exosomes promote skin wound repair have advanced and refined continuously. This article summarized the key signaling pathways through which MSC-Exos participate in skin wound repair, aiming to enhance the understanding of their roles in facilitating wound healing.
3.Identification of potential therapeutic targets for hair color and hair shaft abnormalities by integrating human plasma proteomics
Guangdi LI ; Guiwen ZHOU ; Yichen WANG ; Xiao XU ; Minliang CHEN
Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery 2025;41(7):734-743
Objective:To identify potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of hair color and hair shaft abnormalities, thereby offering innovative insights and strategies for the management of the associated conditions.Methods:Using the protein quantitative trait locus(pQTL) data derived from extensive proteomics studies, a two-sample Mendelian randomization was conducted to preliminarily identify potential drug therapeutic targets. Following this, sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate potential confounding factors, including heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. A leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was also conducted, systematically excluding each single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) to evaluate their individual impact. Additionally, co-localization analysis was carried out to determine the presence of shared genetic variants between the identified plasma proteins and the relevant traits.Results:The proteomic data analyzed in this investigation encompassed 4 907 pQTLs, while the genetic data pertaining to hair pigmentation and shaft abnormalities included 124 cases and 432 686 controls. Through the Mendelian randomization screening, six candidate protein genes were identified: HLA-DQA2, CTSB, KIR2DS2, SVEP1, HOMER2, and HOMER1. Sensitivity analyses revealed no evidence of heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy among these proteins. The leave-one-out sensitivity analysis demonstrated that no single SNP significantly affected the overall findings. Notably, HOMER2 was substantiated by co-localization analysis, which provided robust evidence of its potential role in regulating the genetic mechanisms associated with hair pigmentation and shaft integrity.Conclusion:This study successfully identified six potential therapeutic targets for hair pigmentation and shaft abnormalities, with HOMER2 exhibiting the most compelling evidence. These findings pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches in the treatment of hair color and hair shaft disorders.
4.Clinical efficacy of microplasma radiofrequency combined with oral traditional Chinese medicine Babao Dan capsule in the treatment of hypertrophic scar
Ruiqi BAI ; Yichen WANG ; Guiwen ZHOU ; Peixuan ZHANG ; Qiang FU ; Minliang CHEN ; Yang YU
Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery 2025;41(4):366-373
Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of microplasma radiofrequency combined with oral traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Babao Dan capsule to improve damp-heat TCM constitution in the treatment of hypertrophic scar.Methods:A prospective randomized controlled trial method was used to recruit patients diagnosed with damp-heat TCM constitution and suffering from hypertrophic scar who admitted to the Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from March to July 2024. All patients were randomly divided into microplasma radiofrequency combined with TCM treatment group (combination group), microplasma radiofrequency (RF) treatment group (RF group), and oral TCM treatment group (TCM group). Both the combination group and the RF group were treated with a microplasma radiofrequency instrument. Transverse, longitudinal and oblique scar grinding were performed three times with 90 W power, and regular scabs appeared in the treatment area as the treatment end point. After RF treatment in the combination group and the TCM group, Babao Dan capsule was taken with regular warm water, 0.6 g each time, 3 times/day, for 3 months. The Vancouver scar scale (VSS) score (higher score indicating more severe scar), visual analogue scale (VAS) of scar pain and itch (higher score indicating more severe symptom), and TCM constitution score (higher score indicating more severe moist heat constitution) were compared before treatment and 3 months after the first treatment. SPSS 26.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Measurement data conforming to normal distribution were expressed as Mean±SD, ANOVA was used for comparison among groups, and LSD- t method was used for pair comparison between groups. Paired sample t test was used before and after treatment in the same group. Counting data were expressed as cases (%), and the χ2 test was used for inter-group comparison. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:A total of 60 patients were included, 20 in each group. There were no significant differences in gender distribution, disease course, scar area and distribution among the three groups ( P>0.05), indicating comparability. Before treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in VSS, VAS and TCM physique scores among the 3 groups ( P>0.05). After treatment, VAS scores in the 3 groups, VSS scores in combination group and RF group, TCM physique scores in combination group and TCM group were improved compared with those before treatment, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The VSS score of the combination group was significantly lower than that of the RF group and the TCM group ( P<0.05), but there was no statistical significance between the RF group and the TCM group ( P>0.05). The pruritus VAS score of the combination group was significantly lower than that of TCM group and RF group ( P<0.05), but there was no statistical significance between RF group and TCM group ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in pain VAS scores among the three groups after treatment ( P>0.05). The TCM physique scores of the combination group and TCM group were significantly lower than those of the RF group ( P<0.01), but there was no statistical significance between the combination group and TCM group ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Microplasma radiofrequency combined with oral Babao Dan capsule can effectively improve the VSS score, pain and pruritus of hypertrophic scars in patients with damp-heat constitution, and the effect is better than that of radiofrequency or TCM alone.
5.Major signaling pathways involved in skin wound repair by mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes
Yichen WANG ; Hongfan DING ; Jide JIN ; Minliang CHEN ; Xiao XU
Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery 2025;41(3):307-318
The skin is one of the most vital organs in the human body, and skin wounds caused by various factors can severely impact patients’ physical and mental health. Among the therapeutic strategies for skin wound repair, mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSC-Exos) have emerged as a promising biological therapy, attracting significant attention in related research. As critical mediators of stem cell biological effects, MSC-Exos fuse with target cells and transfer bioactive proteins and nucleic acids from stem cells into recipient cells. These exosomes modulate inflammatory responses, promote cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis, and regulate extracellular matrix remodeling, thereby accelerating wound healing. In recent years, studies on the mechanisms by which exosomes promote skin wound repair have advanced and refined continuously. This article summarized the key signaling pathways through which MSC-Exos participate in skin wound repair, aiming to enhance the understanding of their roles in facilitating wound healing.
6.Identification of potential therapeutic targets for hair color and hair shaft abnormalities by integrating human plasma proteomics
Guangdi LI ; Guiwen ZHOU ; Yichen WANG ; Xiao XU ; Minliang CHEN
Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery 2025;41(7):734-743
Objective:To identify potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of hair color and hair shaft abnormalities, thereby offering innovative insights and strategies for the management of the associated conditions.Methods:Using the protein quantitative trait locus(pQTL) data derived from extensive proteomics studies, a two-sample Mendelian randomization was conducted to preliminarily identify potential drug therapeutic targets. Following this, sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate potential confounding factors, including heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy. A leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was also conducted, systematically excluding each single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) to evaluate their individual impact. Additionally, co-localization analysis was carried out to determine the presence of shared genetic variants between the identified plasma proteins and the relevant traits.Results:The proteomic data analyzed in this investigation encompassed 4 907 pQTLs, while the genetic data pertaining to hair pigmentation and shaft abnormalities included 124 cases and 432 686 controls. Through the Mendelian randomization screening, six candidate protein genes were identified: HLA-DQA2, CTSB, KIR2DS2, SVEP1, HOMER2, and HOMER1. Sensitivity analyses revealed no evidence of heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy among these proteins. The leave-one-out sensitivity analysis demonstrated that no single SNP significantly affected the overall findings. Notably, HOMER2 was substantiated by co-localization analysis, which provided robust evidence of its potential role in regulating the genetic mechanisms associated with hair pigmentation and shaft integrity.Conclusion:This study successfully identified six potential therapeutic targets for hair pigmentation and shaft abnormalities, with HOMER2 exhibiting the most compelling evidence. These findings pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches in the treatment of hair color and hair shaft disorders.
7.Identification of potential therapeutic targets for hair color and hair shaft abnormalities by integrating human plasma proteomics
Guangdi LI ; Guiwen ZHOU ; Yichen WANG ; Xiao XU ; Minliang CHEN
Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery 2025;41(5):482-491
Objective:To identify potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of hair color and hair shaft abnormalities, providing novel insights and approaches for managing related conditions.Methods:Using the pQTL data from large-scale proteomics studies, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (TwoSampleMR) was conducted to preliminarily identify potential drug therapeutic targets. Subsequently, sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate potential confounding factors such as heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy, and a leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was conducted by eliminating each single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) one by one. Finally, co-localization analysis was carried out to explore whether there are shared genetic variants between the identified plasma proteins and traits.Results:The proteomic data used in this study included 4, 907 pQTLs, while the genetic data related to hair pigmentation and shaft abnormalities comprised 124 cases and 432, 686 controls. After Mendelian randomization screening, six candidate protein genes were identified: HLA-DQA2, CTSB, KIR2DS2, SVEP1, HOMER2, and HOMER1. Sensitivity analyses revealed no evidence of heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy among these proteins. Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis indicated that no single SNP significantly influenced the overall result. Notably, HOMER2 was supported by colocalization analysis with strong evidence, suggesting its potential role in regulating genetic mechanisms underlying hair pigmentation and shaft health.Conclusions:This study identified six potential therapeutic targets for hair pigmentation and shaft abnormalities, with HOMER2 showing stronger evidence. These findings provide novel directions for the treatment of hair color and hair shaft abnormalities.
8.Clinical efficacy of microplasma radiofrequency combined with oral traditional Chinese medicine Babao Dan capsule in the treatment of hypertrophic scar
Ruiqi BAI ; Yichen WANG ; Guiwen ZHOU ; Peixuan ZHANG ; Qiang FU ; Minliang CHEN ; Yang YU
Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery 2025;41(4):366-373
Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of microplasma radiofrequency combined with oral traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Babao Dan capsule to improve damp-heat TCM constitution in the treatment of hypertrophic scar.Methods:A prospective randomized controlled trial method was used to recruit patients diagnosed with damp-heat TCM constitution and suffering from hypertrophic scar who admitted to the Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from March to July 2024. All patients were randomly divided into microplasma radiofrequency combined with TCM treatment group (combination group), microplasma radiofrequency (RF) treatment group (RF group), and oral TCM treatment group (TCM group). Both the combination group and the RF group were treated with a microplasma radiofrequency instrument. Transverse, longitudinal and oblique scar grinding were performed three times with 90 W power, and regular scabs appeared in the treatment area as the treatment end point. After RF treatment in the combination group and the TCM group, Babao Dan capsule was taken with regular warm water, 0.6 g each time, 3 times/day, for 3 months. The Vancouver scar scale (VSS) score (higher score indicating more severe scar), visual analogue scale (VAS) of scar pain and itch (higher score indicating more severe symptom), and TCM constitution score (higher score indicating more severe moist heat constitution) were compared before treatment and 3 months after the first treatment. SPSS 26.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Measurement data conforming to normal distribution were expressed as Mean±SD, ANOVA was used for comparison among groups, and LSD- t method was used for pair comparison between groups. Paired sample t test was used before and after treatment in the same group. Counting data were expressed as cases (%), and the χ2 test was used for inter-group comparison. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:A total of 60 patients were included, 20 in each group. There were no significant differences in gender distribution, disease course, scar area and distribution among the three groups ( P>0.05), indicating comparability. Before treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in VSS, VAS and TCM physique scores among the 3 groups ( P>0.05). After treatment, VAS scores in the 3 groups, VSS scores in combination group and RF group, TCM physique scores in combination group and TCM group were improved compared with those before treatment, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The VSS score of the combination group was significantly lower than that of the RF group and the TCM group ( P<0.05), but there was no statistical significance between the RF group and the TCM group ( P>0.05). The pruritus VAS score of the combination group was significantly lower than that of TCM group and RF group ( P<0.05), but there was no statistical significance between RF group and TCM group ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in pain VAS scores among the three groups after treatment ( P>0.05). The TCM physique scores of the combination group and TCM group were significantly lower than those of the RF group ( P<0.01), but there was no statistical significance between the combination group and TCM group ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Microplasma radiofrequency combined with oral Babao Dan capsule can effectively improve the VSS score, pain and pruritus of hypertrophic scars in patients with damp-heat constitution, and the effect is better than that of radiofrequency or TCM alone.
9.Comparisons of the efficacy of drug injections for the treatment of keloid: a network meta-analysis
Hongfan DING ; Xiao XU ; Shiyi LI ; Yichen WANG ; Qian WU ; Ruiqi BAI ; Guiwen ZHOU ; Qiang FU ; Yue LIU ; Minliang CHEN
Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery 2023;39(12):1311-1323
Objective:To conduct a network meta-analysis comparing the efficacy and safety of various drug injections for treating keloids.Methods:The search terms of "triamcinolone acetonide, 5-fluorouracil, verapamil, botulinum toxin, platelet rich plasma, keloid, scar, drug injection" were retrieved in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI and Wanfang database to obtain the publicly published randomized controlled trials comparing single or combined drug injection for treating keloid from January 2010 to February 2023. The outcome index was the effective proportion of treatment, incidence proportion of adverse reactions, and recurrence proportion. NoteExpress, RevMan 5.4, and Stata 16.0 statistical software were utilized to perform a network meta-analysis of eligible studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria.Results:A total of 1 679 patients were enrolled in 21 studies that evaluated nine treatment modalities: triamcinolone (TAC), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), botulinum toxin type A (BTA), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), Verapamil, BTA+ 5-FU, TAC+ 5-FU, TAC+ BTA, and TAC+ PRP. The network diagram revealed that there were 36 pairwise comparisons among the 9 treatment measures, with direct comparisons in 13 of them. The funnel plot demonstrated a symmetrical distribution of effect size points, and both Beggs test and Eggers test yielded P values greater than 0.05, indicating a low likelihood of publication bias. Nine treatment measures formed five closed loops with good consistency. The result of the network meta-analysis indicated that BTA+ 5-FU was more effective than TAC, 5-FU, or PRP alone; TAC+ 5-FU was more effective than TAC, 5-FU, or PRP alone; TAC+ BTA was more effective than TAC, 5-FU, BTA, or PRP alone; Verapamil was more effective than 5-FU and BTA was more effective than 5-FU. All result were found to be statistically significant ( P<0.05). A surface under the cumulative ranking area (SUCRA) map was generated, displaying the efficacy ranking and corresponding SUCRA values for each treatment: BTA+ 5-FU (85.6%)>TAC+ 5-FU (84.8%)>BTA+ TAC (76.7%)>Verapamil (48.9%)>BTA (45.0%)>TAC+ PRP (43.8%)>PRP (32.1%)>TAC (24.7%)>5-FU(8.3%). In terms of recurrence rate, the incidence of recurrence was higher with 5-FU compared to BTA or TAC+ 5-FU, and the incidence of recurrence was higher with TAC compared to TAC+ 5-FU; these differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). A SUCRA map was generated with the ranking and SUCRA value for each treatment as follows: 5-FU (80.4%)>TAC (73.5%)>Verapamil (65.7%)>TAC+ BTA (52.5%)>PRP (34.8%)>BTA+ 5-FU (33.7%)>TAC+ 5-FU (30.2%)>BTA (29.3%). The qualitative analysis revealed a significantly lower incidence of systemic and local adverse reactions following combined drug injection compared to single drug injection. Conclusion:In the treatment of keloids using drug injection, combination therapy utilizing multiple drugs has demonstrated superior efficacy, lower recurrence rates, and fewer adverse reactions in comparison to single-drug therapy. Notably, the utilization of BAT, 5-FU, and TAC in combination may yield the most favorable outcomes.
10.Comparisons of the efficacy of drug injections for the treatment of keloid: a network meta-analysis
Hongfan DING ; Xiao XU ; Shiyi LI ; Yichen WANG ; Qian WU ; Ruiqi BAI ; Guiwen ZHOU ; Qiang FU ; Yue LIU ; Minliang CHEN
Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery 2023;39(12):1311-1323
Objective:To conduct a network meta-analysis comparing the efficacy and safety of various drug injections for treating keloids.Methods:The search terms of "triamcinolone acetonide, 5-fluorouracil, verapamil, botulinum toxin, platelet rich plasma, keloid, scar, drug injection" were retrieved in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI and Wanfang database to obtain the publicly published randomized controlled trials comparing single or combined drug injection for treating keloid from January 2010 to February 2023. The outcome index was the effective proportion of treatment, incidence proportion of adverse reactions, and recurrence proportion. NoteExpress, RevMan 5.4, and Stata 16.0 statistical software were utilized to perform a network meta-analysis of eligible studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria.Results:A total of 1 679 patients were enrolled in 21 studies that evaluated nine treatment modalities: triamcinolone (TAC), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), botulinum toxin type A (BTA), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), Verapamil, BTA+ 5-FU, TAC+ 5-FU, TAC+ BTA, and TAC+ PRP. The network diagram revealed that there were 36 pairwise comparisons among the 9 treatment measures, with direct comparisons in 13 of them. The funnel plot demonstrated a symmetrical distribution of effect size points, and both Beggs test and Eggers test yielded P values greater than 0.05, indicating a low likelihood of publication bias. Nine treatment measures formed five closed loops with good consistency. The result of the network meta-analysis indicated that BTA+ 5-FU was more effective than TAC, 5-FU, or PRP alone; TAC+ 5-FU was more effective than TAC, 5-FU, or PRP alone; TAC+ BTA was more effective than TAC, 5-FU, BTA, or PRP alone; Verapamil was more effective than 5-FU and BTA was more effective than 5-FU. All result were found to be statistically significant ( P<0.05). A surface under the cumulative ranking area (SUCRA) map was generated, displaying the efficacy ranking and corresponding SUCRA values for each treatment: BTA+ 5-FU (85.6%)>TAC+ 5-FU (84.8%)>BTA+ TAC (76.7%)>Verapamil (48.9%)>BTA (45.0%)>TAC+ PRP (43.8%)>PRP (32.1%)>TAC (24.7%)>5-FU(8.3%). In terms of recurrence rate, the incidence of recurrence was higher with 5-FU compared to BTA or TAC+ 5-FU, and the incidence of recurrence was higher with TAC compared to TAC+ 5-FU; these differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). A SUCRA map was generated with the ranking and SUCRA value for each treatment as follows: 5-FU (80.4%)>TAC (73.5%)>Verapamil (65.7%)>TAC+ BTA (52.5%)>PRP (34.8%)>BTA+ 5-FU (33.7%)>TAC+ 5-FU (30.2%)>BTA (29.3%). The qualitative analysis revealed a significantly lower incidence of systemic and local adverse reactions following combined drug injection compared to single drug injection. Conclusion:In the treatment of keloids using drug injection, combination therapy utilizing multiple drugs has demonstrated superior efficacy, lower recurrence rates, and fewer adverse reactions in comparison to single-drug therapy. Notably, the utilization of BAT, 5-FU, and TAC in combination may yield the most favorable outcomes.

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