1.Strategic Optimization of CHO Cell Expression Platforms for Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing
Rui-Ming ZHANG ; Meng-Lin LI ; Hong-Wei ZHU ; Xing-Xiao ZHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):327-341
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most established and versatile mammalian expression system for the large-scale production of recombinant therapeutic proteins, owing to their genetic stability, adaptability to serum-free suspension culture, and ability to perform human-like post-translational modifications. More than 70% of biologics approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rely on CHO-based production platforms, underscoring their central role in modern biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Despite these advantages, CHO systems continue to face three persistent bottlenecks that limit their potential for high-yield, reproducible, and cost-efficient production: excessive metabolic burden during high-density culture, heterogeneity of glycosylation patterns, and progressive loss of long-term expression stability. This review provides an integrated analysis of recent advances addressing these challenges and proposes a forward-looking framework for constructing intelligent and sustainable CHO cell factories. In terms of metabolic regulation, excessive lactate and ammonia accumulation disrupts energy balance and reduces recombinant protein synthesis efficiency. Optimization of culture parameters such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, osmolarity, and glucose feeding can effectively alleviate metabolic stress, while supplementation with modulators including sodium butyrate, baicalein, and S-adenosylmethionine promotes specific productivity (qP) by modulating apoptosis and chromatin structure. Furthermore, genetic engineering strategies—such as overexpression of MPC1/2, HSP27, and SIRT6 or knockout of Bax, Apaf1, and IGF-1R—have demonstrated significant improvements in cell viability and product yield. The combination of multi-omics metabolic modeling with artificial intelligence (AI)-based prediction offers new opportunities for building self-regulating CHO systems capable of dynamic adaptation to environmental stress. Regarding glycosylation uniformity, which determines therapeutic efficacy and immunogenicity, gene editing-based glycoengineering (e.g., FUT8 knockdown or ST6Gal1 overexpression) has enabled the humanization of CHO glycan profiles, minimizing non-human sugar residues and enhancing drug stability. Process-level strategies such as galactose or manganese co-feeding and fine control of temperature or osmolarity further allow rational regulation of glycosyltransferase activity. Additionally, in vitro chemoenzymatic remodeling provides a complementary route to construct human-type glycans with defined structures, though industrial applications remain constrained by cost and scalability. The integration of model-driven process design and AI feedback control is expected to enable real-time prediction and correction of glycosylation deviations, ensuring batch-to-batch consistency in continuous biomanufacturing. Long-term expression stability, another critical challenge, is often impaired by promoter silencing, chromatin condensation, and random genomic integration. Molecular optimization—such as the use of improved promoters (CMV, EF-1α, or CHO endogenous promoters), Kozak and signal peptide refinement, and incorporation of chromatin-opening elements (UCOE, MAR, STAR)—helps maintain durable transcriptional activity, while site-specific integration systems including Cre/loxP, Flp/FRT, φC31, and CRISPR/Cas9 can enable single-copy, position-independent gene insertion at genomic safe-harbor loci, ensuring stable, predictable expression. Collectively, this review highlights a paradigm shift in CHO system optimization driven by the convergence of genome editing, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence. The transition from empirical optimization to rational, data-driven design will facilitate the development of programmable CHO platforms capable of autonomous regulation of metabolic flux, glycosylation fidelity, and transcriptional activity. Such intelligent cell factories are expected to accelerate the transformation from laboratory-scale research to industrial-scale, high-consistency, and economically sustainable biopharmaceutical manufacturing, thereby supporting the next generation of efficient and customizable biologics manufacturing.
2.Strategic Optimization of CHO Cell Expression Platforms for Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing
Rui-Ming ZHANG ; Meng-Lin LI ; Hong-Wei ZHU ; Xing-Xiao ZHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):327-341
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most established and versatile mammalian expression system for the large-scale production of recombinant therapeutic proteins, owing to their genetic stability, adaptability to serum-free suspension culture, and ability to perform human-like post-translational modifications. More than 70% of biologics approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rely on CHO-based production platforms, underscoring their central role in modern biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Despite these advantages, CHO systems continue to face three persistent bottlenecks that limit their potential for high-yield, reproducible, and cost-efficient production: excessive metabolic burden during high-density culture, heterogeneity of glycosylation patterns, and progressive loss of long-term expression stability. This review provides an integrated analysis of recent advances addressing these challenges and proposes a forward-looking framework for constructing intelligent and sustainable CHO cell factories. In terms of metabolic regulation, excessive lactate and ammonia accumulation disrupts energy balance and reduces recombinant protein synthesis efficiency. Optimization of culture parameters such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, osmolarity, and glucose feeding can effectively alleviate metabolic stress, while supplementation with modulators including sodium butyrate, baicalein, and S-adenosylmethionine promotes specific productivity (qP) by modulating apoptosis and chromatin structure. Furthermore, genetic engineering strategies—such as overexpression of MPC1/2, HSP27, and SIRT6 or knockout of Bax, Apaf1, and IGF-1R—have demonstrated significant improvements in cell viability and product yield. The combination of multi-omics metabolic modeling with artificial intelligence (AI)-based prediction offers new opportunities for building self-regulating CHO systems capable of dynamic adaptation to environmental stress. Regarding glycosylation uniformity, which determines therapeutic efficacy and immunogenicity, gene editing-based glycoengineering (e.g., FUT8 knockdown or ST6Gal1 overexpression) has enabled the humanization of CHO glycan profiles, minimizing non-human sugar residues and enhancing drug stability. Process-level strategies such as galactose or manganese co-feeding and fine control of temperature or osmolarity further allow rational regulation of glycosyltransferase activity. Additionally, in vitro chemoenzymatic remodeling provides a complementary route to construct human-type glycans with defined structures, though industrial applications remain constrained by cost and scalability. The integration of model-driven process design and AI feedback control is expected to enable real-time prediction and correction of glycosylation deviations, ensuring batch-to-batch consistency in continuous biomanufacturing. Long-term expression stability, another critical challenge, is often impaired by promoter silencing, chromatin condensation, and random genomic integration. Molecular optimization—such as the use of improved promoters (CMV, EF-1α, or CHO endogenous promoters), Kozak and signal peptide refinement, and incorporation of chromatin-opening elements (UCOE, MAR, STAR)—helps maintain durable transcriptional activity, while site-specific integration systems including Cre/loxP, Flp/FRT, φC31, and CRISPR/Cas9 can enable single-copy, position-independent gene insertion at genomic safe-harbor loci, ensuring stable, predictable expression. Collectively, this review highlights a paradigm shift in CHO system optimization driven by the convergence of genome editing, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence. The transition from empirical optimization to rational, data-driven design will facilitate the development of programmable CHO platforms capable of autonomous regulation of metabolic flux, glycosylation fidelity, and transcriptional activity. Such intelligent cell factories are expected to accelerate the transformation from laboratory-scale research to industrial-scale, high-consistency, and economically sustainable biopharmaceutical manufacturing, thereby supporting the next generation of efficient and customizable biologics manufacturing.
3.Conflicts Between the Application of Artificial Intelligence and the Inheritance of Traditional Chinese Medicine Academic Thought and the Corresponding Strategies
Jinxiao LIANG ; Rui LI ; Ruixia ZHAO ; Hongyan CUI ; Xing YANG ; Xuehan WANG ; Rui REN ; Zhongqi JIANG ; Mingyi SHAO
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(19):2037-2041
Under the current upsurge of cross-disciplinary research between artificial intelligence (AI) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the inheritance of academic thought in TCM is confronted with the deep-seated predicament of cognitive paradigm dislocation. The existing AI model is based on the classical reasoning mode of formal logic and statistical probability, which is difficult to adapt to the nonlinear and holistic cognitive logic of TCM with image-based thinking and syndrome-differentiated treatment as the core, resulting in systematic misreading and loss of the core essence in digital inheritance. Based on this, this paper proposes to construct a new cognitive model oriented towards the context of TCM. Its essence is not to have AI imitate the thinking of TCM, but to establish an auxiliary understanding framework based on semantic mapping and relational reasoning. It is advocated that the role of AI should be reconstructed from a knowledge substitute to a clinical interactor, and its application boundary in the inheritance of TCM wisdom should be clarified. By establishing the theoretical framework and practical path of human-computer collaboration, this paper aims to provide a scientific basis for realizing the deep integration of AI technology and the academic thought in TCM.
4.Conflicts Between the Application of Artificial Intelligence and the Inheritance of Traditional Chinese Medicine Academic Thought and the Corresponding Strategies
Jinxiao LIANG ; Rui LI ; Ruixia ZHAO ; Hongyan CUI ; Xing YANG ; Xuehan WANG ; Rui REN ; Zhongqi JIANG ; Mingyi SHAO
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(19):2037-2041
Under the current upsurge of cross-disciplinary research between artificial intelligence (AI) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the inheritance of academic thought in TCM is confronted with the deep-seated predicament of cognitive paradigm dislocation. The existing AI model is based on the classical reasoning mode of formal logic and statistical probability, which is difficult to adapt to the nonlinear and holistic cognitive logic of TCM with image-based thinking and syndrome-differentiated treatment as the core, resulting in systematic misreading and loss of the core essence in digital inheritance. Based on this, this paper proposes to construct a new cognitive model oriented towards the context of TCM. Its essence is not to have AI imitate the thinking of TCM, but to establish an auxiliary understanding framework based on semantic mapping and relational reasoning. It is advocated that the role of AI should be reconstructed from a knowledge substitute to a clinical interactor, and its application boundary in the inheritance of TCM wisdom should be clarified. By establishing the theoretical framework and practical path of human-computer collaboration, this paper aims to provide a scientific basis for realizing the deep integration of AI technology and the academic thought in TCM.
5.Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevents and Treats Ulcerative Colitis via TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway: A Review
Xi CUI ; Wenke DU ; Xing SHEN ; Cuicui LIU ; Rui ZHAI ; Hanghang LI ; Shuxun SHI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(21):284-294
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease primarily affecting the colon and rectum. With a rising incidence, UC has aroused an increasingly serious public health concern. The etiology and pathogenesis of UC are complex, involving genetic susceptibility, intestinal barrier dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and environmental factors such as diet, smoking, and infection. Current UC therapies face limitations including persistent drug resistance, multiple side effects, and compromised immune function, necessitating the exploration of novel intervention strategies. In recent years, with the continuous advancement of research into UC mechanisms, the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway has been revealved as one of the classical pathways involved in inflammation. Being crucial for maintaining intestinal homeostasis, this pathway regulates inflammatory and immune responses by controlling gene transcription, thereby playing a significant role in the occurrence and progression of UC. However, systematic summarization within this field remains lacking. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) possesses unique advantages through its multi-target, multi-pathway, and multi-mechanism approaches, being capable of curbing the pathological progression of UC by targeting key molecules in the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. This paper systematically summarizes the mechanisms by which TLR4/NF-κB-related pathways regulate UC, primarily encompassing inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, immune balance, and gut microbiota. It reviews single herbs (e.g., Rosa roxburghii root and Saposhnikoviae Radix), active components (e.g., resveratrol, Tripterygium glycosides, and gypenosides), herbal extracts (e.g., Zingiberis Rhizoma extract and Taraxaci Herba extract), and compound formulas for clearing heat and removing dampness, invigorating the spleen and warming the kidneys, clearing heat and detoxifying, harmonizing the liver and spleen, and treating cold and heat in complexity (e.g., Huaihua Powder, Shenling Baizhu Powder, and Jiedu Huayu Formula). The aim is to fully leverage the advantages of TCM in UC treatment and provide novel insights for clinical and pharmacological research on UC.
6.Traditional Chinese Medicine Prevents and Treats Ulcerative Colitis via TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway: A Review
Xi CUI ; Wenke DU ; Xing SHEN ; Cuicui LIU ; Rui ZHAI ; Hanghang LI ; Shuxun SHI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(21):284-294
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease primarily affecting the colon and rectum. With a rising incidence, UC has aroused an increasingly serious public health concern. The etiology and pathogenesis of UC are complex, involving genetic susceptibility, intestinal barrier dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and environmental factors such as diet, smoking, and infection. Current UC therapies face limitations including persistent drug resistance, multiple side effects, and compromised immune function, necessitating the exploration of novel intervention strategies. In recent years, with the continuous advancement of research into UC mechanisms, the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway has been revealved as one of the classical pathways involved in inflammation. Being crucial for maintaining intestinal homeostasis, this pathway regulates inflammatory and immune responses by controlling gene transcription, thereby playing a significant role in the occurrence and progression of UC. However, systematic summarization within this field remains lacking. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) possesses unique advantages through its multi-target, multi-pathway, and multi-mechanism approaches, being capable of curbing the pathological progression of UC by targeting key molecules in the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. This paper systematically summarizes the mechanisms by which TLR4/NF-κB-related pathways regulate UC, primarily encompassing inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, immune balance, and gut microbiota. It reviews single herbs (e.g., Rosa roxburghii root and Saposhnikoviae Radix), active components (e.g., resveratrol, Tripterygium glycosides, and gypenosides), herbal extracts (e.g., Zingiberis Rhizoma extract and Taraxaci Herba extract), and compound formulas for clearing heat and removing dampness, invigorating the spleen and warming the kidneys, clearing heat and detoxifying, harmonizing the liver and spleen, and treating cold and heat in complexity (e.g., Huaihua Powder, Shenling Baizhu Powder, and Jiedu Huayu Formula). The aim is to fully leverage the advantages of TCM in UC treatment and provide novel insights for clinical and pharmacological research on UC.
7.Effects of esculin combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on the repair of spinal cord injury in rats
Wei-ming YANG ; Chao-lun LIANG ; Ling CHEN ; Jin-jin LI ; Si-lu LIU ; Kun-rui ZHENG ; Dian-weng XIE ; Xing LI
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(5):1486-1493
AIM To investigate the promotional effects of esculin combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BM-MSCs)transplantation on the repair of spinal cord injury(SCI)in rats.METHODS The rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group,the model group,the esculin group for gavage of 20 mg/kg esculin,the BM-MSCs group for tail vein injection of 1 mL of 1×106/mL BM-MSCs,and the combinaiton treatment group.The SCI rat model was established using Allen's method,followed by the 14 days consecutive corresponding drug administration starting from the 2nd day after modeling.On days 3,7 and 14 of drug administration,the rats had their hind limbs motor function evaluated by the BBB scoring;and their footprint experiment conducted on the 14th day after modeling.After 14 days of administration,the rats had their morphological changes of spinal cord tissue observed with HE staining and Nissl staining;their activities of SOD and GSH,and level of MDA in spinal cord tissue detected by kits;their expressions of MAP2,GAP43 and GFAP in spinal cord tissue detected by immunofluorescence;and their expressions of NQO-1,Nrf-2,Bcl-2 and Bax proteins in spinal cord tissue detected by Western blot.RESULTS Compared with the model group,the groups interved with esculin,or BM-MSCs,or the combination treatment showed improvements in hind limb function and spinal cord tissue morphology(P<0.05);decreased MDA levels(P<0.05);increased SOD and GSH activities(P<0.05);increased MAP2 and GAP43 fluorescence intensity(P<0.05);decreased GFAP fluorescence intensity(P<0.05);increased NQO-1,Nrf-2 and Bcl-2 protein expressions(P<0.05);and decreased Bax protein expression(P<0.05).And the combination treatment group was observed with an even better effects(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The combination of esculin and BM-MSCs transplantation can effectively improve the spinal cord tissue damage and hind limb function in SCI rats.This effect may be achieved by activating the Nrf-2/NQO-1 signaling pathway to inhibit oxidative stress response,thereby reducing neuronal apoptosis,blocking glial scar formation,and promoting stem cell differentiation to rebuild neurons.
8.Role of Gold Nanorods Functionalized by Nucleic Acid Nanostructures Carrying Doxorubicin in Synergistic Anti-Cancer Therapy.
Hao WU ; Huang Shui MA ; Xing Han WU ; Qiang SUN ; Lin FENG ; Rui Fang JIANG ; Yan Hong LI ; Quan SHI
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(4):403-415
OBJECTIVE:
Cancer remains a significant global health challenge, necessitating the development of effective treatment approaches. Developing synergistic therapy can provide a highly promising strategy for anti-cancer treatment through combining the benefits of various mechanisms.
METHODS:
In this study, we developed a synergistic strategy for chemo-photothermal therapy by constructing nanocomposites using gold nanorods (GNRs) and tetrahedral framework nucleic acids (tFNA) loaded with the anti-tumor drug doxorubicin (DOX).
RESULTS:
Our in vitro studies have systematically clarified the anti-cancer behaviors of tFNA-DOX@GNR nanocomposites, characterized by their enhanced cellular uptake and proficient lysosomal escape capabilities. It was found that the key role of tFNA-DOX@GNR nanocomposites in tumor ablation is primarily due to their capacity to induce cytotoxicity in tumor cells via a photothermal effect, which generates instantaneous high temperatures. This mechanism introduces various responses in tumor cells, facilitated by the thermal effect and the integrated chemotherapeutic action of DOX. These reactions include the induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress, characterized by elevated reactive oxygen species levels, the promotion of apoptotic cell death, and the suppression of tumor cell proliferation.
CONCLUSION
This work exhibits the potential of synergistic therapy utilizing nanocomposites for cancer treatment and offers a promising avenue for future therapeutic strategies.
Doxorubicin/chemistry*
;
Gold/chemistry*
;
Nanotubes/chemistry*
;
Humans
;
Nanocomposites/chemistry*
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Nucleic Acids/chemistry*
;
Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/pharmacology*
;
Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage*
9.Kitchen Ventilation Attenuate the Association of Solid Fuel Use with Sarcopenia: A Cross-Sectional and Prospective Study.
Ying Hao YUCHI ; Wei LIAO ; Jia QIU ; Rui Ying LI ; Ning KANG ; Xiao Tian LIU ; Wen Qian HUO ; Zhen Xing MAO ; Jian HOU ; Lei ZHANG ; Chong Jian WANG
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(4):511-515
10.Expert consensus on pre-hospital emergency management of heatstroke(2024 edition)
Tao WANG ; Yue ZHAO ; Meng WANG ; Hai-Yan ZHU ; Chen LI ; Yu-Jian CHEN ; Qin-Rui XING ; Qing SONG
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2025;50(3):245-253
Heatstroke,especially in high-temperature and high-humidity environments,is a life-threatening acute heat-injury disease that seriously endangers human health.Timely and effective on-site treatment is crucial for patients'survival and prognosis.Early recognition,rapid assessment,and on-site cooling are the core of pre-hospital treatment of heatstroke.Currently,there is a lack of standardized application procedures for pre-hospital emergency care of heatstroke.Therefore,the"Expert Consensus on Pre-hospital Emergency Management of Heatstroke(2024 edition)"was initiated by the Expert Group on Heatstroke Prevention of the People's Liberation Army and developed in collaboration with experts from local pre-hospital emergency care,emergency departments,and intensive care units.This consensus focuses on heatstroke prevention,on-site and ambulance-based treatment,and early emergency room interventions,and puts forward 10 evidence-based recommendations,aiming to provide a reference for scientific and standardized pre-hospital emergency care of heatstroke.

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