Rare neurological diseases account for over one-third of the diseases included in the first and second batches of China′s Rare Disease Catalogue. They are generally characterized by high disability rates, heavy care burdens, and prominent unmet clinical treatment needs. In recent years, China has been continuously improving medication accessibility for patients with rare neurological diseases by optimizing the review and approval pathways for rare disease drugs, implementing dynamic medical insurance access, and providing policy support for scientific research. However, challenges remain, including weak independent research and development (R&D) capacity and insufficient translation of high-quality research achievements into clinical practice. Based on the supply gap of clinical treatment resources for rare neurological diseases in China and the overall landscape of global R&D pipelines, this paper summarizes and discusses the current status, characteristics, and future directions of drug development for rare neurological diseases in China.

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoen-cephalopathy (CADASIL) is caused by NOTCH3 gene variants and is predominantly characterized by cerebral small vessel disease. Previous studies have suggested that CADASIL may also involve the macrovascular system. This study aimed to explore the association between rare NOTCH3 variants and macrovascular lesions.

This article reports a rare case of autoinflammatory disease presenting initially with skin induration and swelling after trauma as the initial manifestation, followed by progressive limb weakness. The patient was a middle-aged female who developed skin induration and swelling after trauma, which gradually progressed to limb weakness, dysarthria and bilateral facial paralysis, accompanied by livedo reticularis of the lower extremities, diffuse skin induration of the limbs, and beaded subcutaneous nodules in the right upper limb. The patient had a susceptibility to infection since childhood and a history of chronic livedo reticularis. Skin pathological examination revealed panniculitis. A comprehensive etiological screening for special infections and autoimmune diseases was completed with an unremarkable results, and whole-exome sequencing showed no abnormal findings. Following a multidisciplinary discussion combined with RNA sequencing results, the patient was diagnosed with an autoinflammatory disease, with a suspected type Ⅰ interferonopathy. Treatment with tofacitinib resulted in gradual improvement of clinical symptoms. This case highlights the importance of detailed medical history collection, systematic physical examination and multidisciplinary collaborative diagnosis and treatment, and underscores the pivotal role of molecular diagnosis in the confirmation of rare diseases. It can provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and management of similar rare cases.

Objective To explore the characteristics and temporal trends of renal cancer burden among Chinese adolescents and young adults(AYA), and predict its future epidemic situation, so as to provide evidence for formulating public health policies and reducing the disease burden.Methods Epidemiological data of renal cancer in Chinese AYA(15-39 years)from 1990 to 2021 were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease(GBD)2021 database. The current status and trends of renal cancer in this population were analyzed. The incidence and mortality trends of renal cancer in AYA over the next 15 years was predicted with ARIMA model. The impacts of smoking and body mass index(BMI)on the disease burden were evaluated. Results In 2021, the incidence(1.12/100000), prevalence(8.61/100000), mortality(0.19/100000), and disability-adjusted life years(DALYs)(11.37/100000 person-years)of renal cancer in Chinese AYA were significantly higher than those in 1990 and above the global average. All burden indicators and their increases were higher in males than in females, and the burden accelerated after 30 years of age. The incidence rose steadily from 2003 to 2021(APC=3.95), while the mortality increased significantly from 2013 to 2021(APC=2.40). The burden attributed to high BMI continued to rise, and the smoking-attributable fraction in males first increased then decreased. ARIMA predicted that the incidence of renal cancer in Chinese AYA males would accelerate, while the mortality in both genders would stabilize. Conclusion The burden of renal cancer in Chinese AYA shows a significant upward trend. Males and people over 30 years old are key targets for prevention and control. Strengthening the management of risk factors(smoking, high BMI)and promoting early diagnosis and treatment are essential to reduce the disease burden.

Objective To screen the aging-related genes associated with prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), construct a prognostic model to optimize risk stratification, explore the underlying mechanisms, and provide reference for individualized diagnosis and treatment of this disease.Methods RNA sequencing data, clinical data, and aging-related genes of ccRCC were obtained from databases.After differentially expressed genes were screened, a prognostic model was constructed using Cox regression.The performance of the model was evaluated with Kaplan-Meier curves and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and validated with clinical features.Key genes were verified with immunohistochemistry.Results A total of 70 differentially expressed genes were identified, including IFI16, PECAM1, and ABCB1 as key genes, and a model formula was constructed.Internal and external validations showed that the survival rate of the high-risk group was significantly lower, with the area under the ROC curve (AUC)＞0.6.The risk score was correlated with clinical features.IFI16 was highly expressed in cancer tissues and associated with poor prognosis.Conclusion The prognostic model constructed in this study has good performance.Integrating clinical features, it can improve the accuracy of prognosis assessment of ccRCC.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognosis of primary autoimmune cerebellar ataxia (PACA) patients with autoantibodies.Methods:Patients from the Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (from March 2013 to December 2023) who met the modified diagnostic criteria of PACA were collected. Cell based assay and tissue based assay were used to detect anti-cerebellar antibodies. The clinical features, results of neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid examinations and the prognosis of the patients were analyzed. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score≤2 at the last follow-up was defined as a favorable prognosis. Exacerbation of cerebellar ataxia after clinical improvement or stabilization for at least 2 months was defined as relapse.Results:A total of 20 patients were included, including 7 males. The onset age was 48.4 (22.8, 59.3) years. Gait ataxia was the most common cerebellar symptom. Extracerebellar neurological abnormalities included pyramidal sign, peripheral neuropathy/radiculopathy and diplopia. Elevated cerebrospinal fluid white blood cells and positive specific oligoclonal bands were observed in 4/16 and 7/15 of patients, respectively. The brain magnetic resonance imaging examination of the patients showed that 8 patients had no obvious abnormalities, 9 patients showed cerebellar atrophy, and 3 patients showed abnormal signals in the brain or cerebellum. A total of 9 different anti-cerebellar antibodies were detected in the patient′s serum and (or) cerebrospinal fluid, with the most common being anti-Homer-3 antibodies ( n=7). After immunotherapy, 13/17 of patients improved. After 37.5 (21.0, 93.0) months of follow-up, the median mRS score of the patients was 3, and 8 patients (8/20) achieved good prognosis and 6 patients experienced disease recurrence. Conclusions:The clinical manifestations of PACA patients have certain heterogeneity, and positive anti-neuroantibodies and meeting PACA diagnostic criteria are the main basis for diagnosing the disease. Immunotherapy is effective for most patients, but there is still a considerable proportion of patients who have not achieved a good long-term functional prognosis.

Since its establishment in 2016, the National Rare Diseases Registry System of China (NRDRS) has accumulated valuable case data and bio-specimen for basic and clinical research on rare diseases in China. However, the emerging challenges in clinical diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases make it unable for data and resource platform to fully meet the diversified needs. Under this backdrop, we have developed a protocol to optimize and upgrade the system based on the core functions of the NRDRS platform. The goal is to leverage intelligent digital technologies to transform NRDRS into a new platform integrating multimodal data and auxiliary diagnostic and treatment functions. It is specified as the development and construction of "one platform and four intelligent tools." Currently, we have upgraded and developed NRDRS platform, intelligent tool for genotype-phenotype analysis of rare diseases, AI-assisted diagnostic tool for rare diseases, remote multidisciplinary diagnosis and teaching tool for rare diseases, drug screening and validation tool for rare diseases. The next step will focus on the promotion of the application of these tools in clinical settings in order to address the issue of severe imbalance in the allocation of resources for the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases. This article provides an overview of the digital and intelligent upgrades of the NRDRS, the trials in applications in clinical settings, and direction in the future.

To develop a milestone-based evaluation system for the core "knowledge and skills" competency of neurology residents that is tailored to China's medical context, so as to provide precise guidance for their training and assessment.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel gastrointestinal mucosal elevation gel in vivo porcine model. Methods Eight healthy white pigs were selected, which were uesd to bump height evaluation (n=2) and safety evaluation (n=6). The sample (alimentary canal mucosa bump gel sample) and the control sample (disposable endoscopic submucosal filler of alimentary canal) were respectively injected into the submucosa of pig gastric antrum and gastric body. In the evaluation of elevation height, the morphology, persistence, and clinical safety of mucosal elevation were observed and recorded immediately and 30 minutes after injection. In safety evaluation, endoscopic mucosal resection was performed after injection, and the mucosal protrusion shape, product efficacy, and clinical safety were observed and recorded at immediate and 7-day time points. After observation, all animals were euthanized and tissue samples were collected and excised for histopathological evaluation. Results In elevation height evaluation, sample group showed a steep elevation immediately after surgery, exhibiting a more pronounced elevation morphology compared to control group (P=0.019). Only two (25%) sites of the elevation showed slight collapse in 30 minutes after surgery, and the durability notably increased compared to control group (8 all collapsed, P＜0.001). In safety evaluation, the average trauma area of sample group was 1.77 mm², which was significantly lower than control group (2.65 mm², P＜0.001). There was no statistical difference among average injection dose per unit area, surgical time per unit area, and en bloc resection rate. Sample group showed mild ulcers and only 1 (12.5%) site of mild bleeding at immediate time point after surgery. No bleeding, perforation, ulcer or edema was observed in sample group 7 days after surgery, and no statistical difference was identified compared to control group. Histopathological evaluation found that the gastric antrum and body tissues exhibited moderate injury and mild edema at immediate time point, accompanied by mild inflammatory cellular infiltration. At 7-day time point, gastric antrum tissues demonstrated moderate injury, mild edema and mild inflammatory cellular infiltration, with 1 (12.5%) site of tissues infected, while in gastric body tissues, no bleeding was observed, whereas moderate injury and mild edema were evident, accompanied by mild inflammatory cellular infiltration and 3 (37.5%) sites of tissues infected, all of which were not statistically different from control group. Conclusion The novel gastrointestinal mucosal elevation gel exhibited steep elevation morphology, long-lasting elevation height, and favorable efficacy and safety in preclinical animal trials, showing enormous clinical application potential.

As an important strategy in antiviral drug development, nucleoside analogs (NAs) have attracted considerable attention due to their unique mechanisms of action and favorable safety profile. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in the mechanisms of action of NAs, focusing on the following four aspects: (1) Targeting viral polymerases, inhibiting viral replication through mechanisms such as non-absolute termination, delayed chain termination and induction of viral RNA mutations in addition to classical chain termination, which has been newly discovered; (2) Regulating RNA methylation modifications—for instance, competitively inhibiting methyltransferases, which significantly reduces viral replication efficiency; (3) Depleting nucleotide pools—by affecting host cell purine nucleotide synthesis pathways, thereby indirectly inhibiting viral replication; and (4) Immunomodulatory functions—including activation of the STING pathway to promote interferon production. Furthermore, this review systematically discusses the breakthrough progress in prodrug technologies for addressing key clinical challenges such as drug resistance and off-target toxicity of NAs. These advances provide crucial technical support for the clinical translation of NAs. These advances provide key technical support for the clinical translation of NAs. This review clarifies the multi-target action rules of NAs and provides a theoretical framework for the design of next-generation broad-spectrum antiviral agents.