1.USP20 as a super-enhancer-regulated gene drives T-ALL progression via HIF1A deubiquitination.
Ling XU ; Zimu ZHANG ; Juanjuan YU ; Tongting JI ; Jia CHENG ; Xiaodong FEI ; Xinran CHU ; Yanfang TAO ; Yan XU ; Pengju YANG ; Wenyuan LIU ; Gen LI ; Yongping ZHANG ; Yan LI ; Fenli ZHANG ; Ying YANG ; Bi ZHOU ; Yumeng WU ; Zhongling WEI ; Yanling CHEN ; Jianwei WANG ; Di WU ; Xiaolu LI ; Yang YANG ; Guanghui QIAN ; Hongli YIN ; Shuiyan WU ; Shuqi ZHANG ; Dan LIU ; Jun-Jie FAN ; Lei SHI ; Xiaodong WANG ; Shaoyan HU ; Jun LU ; Jian PAN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(9):4751-4771
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a highly aggressive hematologic malignancy with a poor prognosis, despite advancements in treatment. Many patients struggle with relapse or refractory disease. Investigating the role of the super-enhancer (SE) regulated gene ubiquitin-specific protease 20 (USP20) in T-ALL could enhance targeted therapies and improve clinical outcomes. Analysis of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data from six T-ALL cell lines and seven pediatric samples identified USP20 as an SE-regulated driver gene. Utilizing the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and BloodSpot databases, it was found that USP20 is specifically highly expressed in T-ALL. Knocking down USP20 with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) increased apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in T-ALL cells. In vivo studies showed that USP20 knockdown reduced tumor growth and improved survival. The USP20 inhibitor GSK2643943A demonstrated similar anti-tumor effects. Mass spectrometry, RNA-Seq, and immunoprecipitation revealed that USP20 interacted with hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A) and stabilized it by deubiquitination. Cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) results indicated that USP20 co-localized with HIF1A, jointly modulating target genes in T-ALL. This study identifies USP20 as a therapeutic target in T-ALL and suggests GSK2643943A as a potential treatment strategy.
2.Research on Anti-inflammatory Effect of Agrin/Rapsyn on Microglia in Rats with Spinal Cord Injury
Acta Medicinae Universitatis Scientiae et Technologiae Huazhong 2025;54(1):60-66
Objective To investigate the inhibitory effects of aggregation protein(Agrin)and scaffold protein(Rapsyn)on the inflammatory responses of microglia and macrophages in injured spinal cord tissue of SD rats through activation of α4β2 nic-otinic acetylcholine receptor(α4β2 nAChR).Methods A spinal cord injury(SCI)model was established by using 4-week-old SD rats.Microglia was cultured,follo wed by incubation with Agrin and Rapsyn.Flow cytometry was utilized to detect changes in markers such as microglia and macrophages,while Co-IP was employed to detect the interaction between the two proteins.The qRT-PCR and IHC were used to identify changes in inflammatory cell marker expression in the spinal cord tissue of SCI models after lentivirus injection.Results The number of microglia and macrophages increased significantly from Day 1 to Day 14 after SCI(all P<0.01),with the most substantial increase observed from Day 3 to Day 7.The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that in-flammatory microglial cytokine(CD68)and soluble inflammatory cytokines(IL-1β and CCL3)were upregulated after SCI.After injection of lentivirus expressing Agrin and Rapsyn,both A and R groups exhibited a slight reduction in the upregulation of these markers during the observation period of 0-1 week,whereas the A/R group demonstrated a significant reduction in their upregulation(all P<0.01).IHC analysis indicated that the number of labeled microglial cells in the A/R group was notably lower than that in either A group or R group(all P<0.01).Conclusion After SCI,Agrin and Rapsyn activate α4β2 nAChR and has inhibitory effects on microglia and inflammatory macrophages,which may block or slow down the progression of spinal cord injury.
3.Expression of serum microRNA-497 in patients with colorectal cancer and its diagnostic and prognostic values
Mei HUA ; Xiaolu ZHAI ; Chong TANG ; Ying CHEN ; Dian YIN
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2025;41(22):3579-3584
Objective To characterize the expression patterns of serum microRNA-497(miR-497)in patients with colorectal cancer(CRC)and to investigate its associations with clinicopathological characteristics,diagnostic performance,and long-term prognostic outcomes.Methods This study retrospectively analyzed data from 122 patients with CRC admitted to the hospital between March 2020 and March 2022(CRC group),and enrolled 100 healthy individuals undergoing routine physical examinations(healthy control group)for comparison.Serum samples were collected from all participants prior to any surgical intervention,and the expression levels of miR-497 in serum were quantified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).Simulta-neously,the levels of carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)and carbohydrate antigen 199(CA199)were measured.To investigate the association between miR-497 expression and clinicopathological characteristics,we evaluated its diagnostic performance using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.Furthermore,Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to assess its impact on patient prognosis.Results Compared to healthy individuals,CRC patients exhibited significantly lower serum miR-497 expression levels(P<0.001).Notably,miR-497 expression was strongly correlated with TNM stage progression and lymph node metastasis(P<0.001),but showed no significant association with tumor location,patient sex,or age.Diagnostic evaluation using ROC curves demonstrated that miR-497 achieved an AUC of 0.845 for CRC detection,outperforming CEA(AUC=0.748)and CA19-9(AUC=0.702),with DeLong's test confirming the statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed a significantly higher 3-year DFS rate among patients with high miR-497 expression(84.06%)compared to those with low expression(64.58%),with median DFS not reached in the high-expression group versus 36 months in the low-expression group(P=0.015).Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that reduced miR-497 expression(HR=1.923,95%CI:1.184~3.125),advanced TNM stage(HR=2.511,95%CI:1.421~4.437),and lymph node metastasis(HR=1.753,95%CI:1.151~2.664)were independently associated with poorer disease-free survival outcomes.Conclusions Serum miR-497 is downregulated in patients with CRC and is significantly associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis.It demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy and strong potential for prognostic evalua-tion,highlighting its promise as a biomarker for auxiliary diagnosis and outcome prediction in CRC.
4.Research on Anti-inflammatory Effect of Agrin/Rapsyn on Microglia in Rats with Spinal Cord Injury
Acta Medicinae Universitatis Scientiae et Technologiae Huazhong 2025;54(1):60-66
Objective To investigate the inhibitory effects of aggregation protein(Agrin)and scaffold protein(Rapsyn)on the inflammatory responses of microglia and macrophages in injured spinal cord tissue of SD rats through activation of α4β2 nic-otinic acetylcholine receptor(α4β2 nAChR).Methods A spinal cord injury(SCI)model was established by using 4-week-old SD rats.Microglia was cultured,follo wed by incubation with Agrin and Rapsyn.Flow cytometry was utilized to detect changes in markers such as microglia and macrophages,while Co-IP was employed to detect the interaction between the two proteins.The qRT-PCR and IHC were used to identify changes in inflammatory cell marker expression in the spinal cord tissue of SCI models after lentivirus injection.Results The number of microglia and macrophages increased significantly from Day 1 to Day 14 after SCI(all P<0.01),with the most substantial increase observed from Day 3 to Day 7.The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that in-flammatory microglial cytokine(CD68)and soluble inflammatory cytokines(IL-1β and CCL3)were upregulated after SCI.After injection of lentivirus expressing Agrin and Rapsyn,both A and R groups exhibited a slight reduction in the upregulation of these markers during the observation period of 0-1 week,whereas the A/R group demonstrated a significant reduction in their upregulation(all P<0.01).IHC analysis indicated that the number of labeled microglial cells in the A/R group was notably lower than that in either A group or R group(all P<0.01).Conclusion After SCI,Agrin and Rapsyn activate α4β2 nAChR and has inhibitory effects on microglia and inflammatory macrophages,which may block or slow down the progression of spinal cord injury.
5.Expression of serum microRNA-497 in patients with colorectal cancer and its diagnostic and prognostic values
Mei HUA ; Xiaolu ZHAI ; Chong TANG ; Ying CHEN ; Dian YIN
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2025;41(22):3579-3584
Objective To characterize the expression patterns of serum microRNA-497(miR-497)in patients with colorectal cancer(CRC)and to investigate its associations with clinicopathological characteristics,diagnostic performance,and long-term prognostic outcomes.Methods This study retrospectively analyzed data from 122 patients with CRC admitted to the hospital between March 2020 and March 2022(CRC group),and enrolled 100 healthy individuals undergoing routine physical examinations(healthy control group)for comparison.Serum samples were collected from all participants prior to any surgical intervention,and the expression levels of miR-497 in serum were quantified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).Simulta-neously,the levels of carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)and carbohydrate antigen 199(CA199)were measured.To investigate the association between miR-497 expression and clinicopathological characteristics,we evaluated its diagnostic performance using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.Furthermore,Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to assess its impact on patient prognosis.Results Compared to healthy individuals,CRC patients exhibited significantly lower serum miR-497 expression levels(P<0.001).Notably,miR-497 expression was strongly correlated with TNM stage progression and lymph node metastasis(P<0.001),but showed no significant association with tumor location,patient sex,or age.Diagnostic evaluation using ROC curves demonstrated that miR-497 achieved an AUC of 0.845 for CRC detection,outperforming CEA(AUC=0.748)and CA19-9(AUC=0.702),with DeLong's test confirming the statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed a significantly higher 3-year DFS rate among patients with high miR-497 expression(84.06%)compared to those with low expression(64.58%),with median DFS not reached in the high-expression group versus 36 months in the low-expression group(P=0.015).Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that reduced miR-497 expression(HR=1.923,95%CI:1.184~3.125),advanced TNM stage(HR=2.511,95%CI:1.421~4.437),and lymph node metastasis(HR=1.753,95%CI:1.151~2.664)were independently associated with poorer disease-free survival outcomes.Conclusions Serum miR-497 is downregulated in patients with CRC and is significantly associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis.It demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy and strong potential for prognostic evalua-tion,highlighting its promise as a biomarker for auxiliary diagnosis and outcome prediction in CRC.
6.Exploration of radiotherapy as a combined treatment modality with in situ vaccines in the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcomas
Siyi TAN ; Xiaolu WANG ; Qin WANG ; Shiyao DU ; Fangtao YIN ; Yiqi YANG ; Wu SUN ; Juan LIU ; Xia ZHOU ; Baorui LIU ; Rutian LI
Chinese Journal of Cancer Biotherapy 2025;32(4):418-424
Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of radiotherapy as a combined mode with in-situ vaccine for patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma(STS).Methods:The clinical data of 12 patients with advanced STS who received combination therapy mode at the Cancer Center of Gulou Hospital Affiliated to the School of Medicine of Nanjing University between December 2020 and September 2024 were retrospectively analyzed.All 12 patients received combined therapy.The main radiotherapeutic approach was hypofractionated radiotherapy.The targeted therapy mainly involved Anlotinib(in 10 cases)or Apatinib(in 2 cases).Immunotherapy mainly involved PD-1 antibodies.The primary endpoint was disease control rate(DCR),and the secondary endpoints were objective response rate(ORR)and safety.Results:Among the 12 STS patients who received combined treatment,0 cases achieved CR,4 cases achieved PR;7 cases had SD,and 1 case had PD.The ORR was 33%,and the DCR was 91.7%,among which the DCR of the target lesions was 100%.Among the 12 patients,9 patients experienced grade Ⅰ to grade Ⅱ adverse reactions.The most frequently occurring hematological adverse reactions were anemia(6 cases)and abnormal results of liver function tests(3 cases).The most frequently occurring non-hematological adverse reactions were proteinuria(5 cases),hypertension(4 cases),abnormal thyroid function(3 cases),anorexia(3 cases),and nausea and vomiting(2 cases).Only 2 cases had grade Ⅲ hematological toxicity,and 1 case had grade Ⅲpneumothorax.Conclusion:Radiotherapy as a combined therapy mode with in situ vaccine can achieve a higher DCR in advanced soft tissue sarcomas without serious adverse reactions.This combined treatment modality demonstrates good efficacy and safety.
7.Epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus in Hubei Province from 2016 to 2023
Qiangling YIN ; Xiao YU ; Xiang LI ; Bin FANG ; Xiaolu ZHANG ; Mingwei PENG ; Guojun YE ; Linlin LIU
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;58(8):1129-1134
Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) in patients with acute respiratory infection (ARIs) in sentinel hospitals of the Hubei influenza surveillance network from 2016 to 2023.Methods:ARIs samples [including influenza-like cases (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI)] were collected from influenza surveillance sentinel hospitals in Hubei Province from 2016 to 2023, and case information was collected. HRSV virus nucleic acid typing was performed by fluorescence quantitative PCR method, and the data were collated, plotted and analyzed.Results:From 2016 to 2023, 12 779 cases of ILI and 9 166 cases of SARI were collected. The positive rate of HRSV was the highest in<5 years of age group [15.77% (168/1 065)], among which the positive rate was the highest in 2 to 5 years of age group of ILI cases [13.60% (31/228)], and the positive rate was the highest in 0 to 2 years of age group of SARI cases [25.97% (60/231)] (all P values<0.001). The positive rate of HRSV in SARI cases was 2.31%-25.97%, higher than that in ILI cases (0-13.60%) ( P=0.016). HRSV was prevalent in autumn and winter from 2016 to 2020 and in spring in 2023. Alternating epidemics of HRSV virus type A and B in Hubei Province from 2016 to 2023 (dominant epidemics of type B in 2016 and 2020; dominant epidemics of type A in 2017-2019 and 2023). Conclusion:SARI and ILI patients under five years old are the main infection groups of HRSV. The seasonal prevalence characteristics of HRSV in Hubei Province from 2016 to 2023 shift from autumn and winter to spring.
8.Epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus in Hubei Province from 2016 to 2023
Qiangling YIN ; Xiao YU ; Xiang LI ; Bin FANG ; Xiaolu ZHANG ; Mingwei PENG ; Guojun YE ; Linlin LIU
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;58(8):1129-1134
Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) in patients with acute respiratory infection (ARIs) in sentinel hospitals of the Hubei influenza surveillance network from 2016 to 2023.Methods:ARIs samples [including influenza-like cases (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI)] were collected from influenza surveillance sentinel hospitals in Hubei Province from 2016 to 2023, and case information was collected. HRSV virus nucleic acid typing was performed by fluorescence quantitative PCR method, and the data were collated, plotted and analyzed.Results:From 2016 to 2023, 12 779 cases of ILI and 9 166 cases of SARI were collected. The positive rate of HRSV was the highest in<5 years of age group [15.77% (168/1 065)], among which the positive rate was the highest in 2 to 5 years of age group of ILI cases [13.60% (31/228)], and the positive rate was the highest in 0 to 2 years of age group of SARI cases [25.97% (60/231)] (all P values<0.001). The positive rate of HRSV in SARI cases was 2.31%-25.97%, higher than that in ILI cases (0-13.60%) ( P=0.016). HRSV was prevalent in autumn and winter from 2016 to 2020 and in spring in 2023. Alternating epidemics of HRSV virus type A and B in Hubei Province from 2016 to 2023 (dominant epidemics of type B in 2016 and 2020; dominant epidemics of type A in 2017-2019 and 2023). Conclusion:SARI and ILI patients under five years old are the main infection groups of HRSV. The seasonal prevalence characteristics of HRSV in Hubei Province from 2016 to 2023 shift from autumn and winter to spring.
9.Phenotypic characteristics of wild-type plague phage growth in different experimental environments
LI Cunxiang ; QI Zhizhen ; ZHANG Qingwen ; FENG Jianping ; JIN Yong ; ZHAO Haihong ; YIN Kaiye ; ZHAO Xiaolu ; LI Guanghui, ; JIN Xing
China Tropical Medicine 2023;23(7):720-
Abstract: Objective To observe the phenotypic characteristics of 3 wild-type plague phages under different experimental environments, providing scientific evidence for the identification of phage biological characteristics and the study of their interaction with host bacteria in the future. Methods The sensitivity of 3 wild-type plague phages were detected by using liquid culture method, emisolid medium method and micro-liquid culture method based on OmniLog TM microbial identification system. Results The growth result based on LB liquid medium showed that the growth of plague phage 476 for 20-24 hours at both 28 ℃ and 37 ℃was better than that of plague phages 087 and 072204 at 37 ℃, and the growth of plague phages 087 was better than that of plague phages 072204 at 37 ℃. With the attenuated plague bacterium EV76 as the host bacterium, phage 476 was able to form visible plaque on double-layer agar medium for 20-20 hours at both 28 ℃ and 37 ℃, phages 087 and 072204 were only able to form opaque plaque on double-layer agar medium for 20-24 hours at 37 ℃. The growth results based on OmniLogTM system showed that when plague phage was lysed in EV76 strain at 33 ℃, the first row appeared as a straight line with a peak of no more than 100 in the 96-well microplate curve chart. As the phage quantity decreased, the dilution plate appeared with growth curve similar to EV76 strain in turn, and the color of tetrazolium dyes in the experimental wells gradually deepened as the phage number decreased and the host bacteria number increased. Therefore, it indicates that phage 476 was sensitively at both 28 ℃ and 37 ℃, while phage 087 and 072204 were temperature-dependent only at 37 ℃ to attenuated plague bacterium EV76. Conclusions The lysing ability of 3 wild-type plague phages are temperature-dependent, and the growth results are consistent under the three experimental conditions.
10.Applications of neurofeedback training in cognitive rehabilitation
Xiaolu LIU ; Wendong ZHANG ; Shaohua ZHANG ; Peiyuan LYU ; Yu YIN
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2023;32(7):658-663
Cognitive impairment is a common dysfunction after central nervous system disease or injury, which seriously affects the daily life of patients and brings heavy economic burdens to the family and society. Neurofeedback training (NFT) based on electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive method of neuroregulation, which can improve cognitive function and behavior by autonomously adjusting brain function through feedback. This paper reviews the application of EEG signal-based neurofeedback training in cognitive rehabilitation, and discusses the current problems and future development trends in this field, so as to provide new ideas for clinical research and treatment of cognitive disorders.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail