Radiotherapy is a crucial treatment modality for head and neck tumors. However, while effectively killing tumor cells, it significantly disrupts the homeostasis of the oral microecology, which is closely associated with various complications such as radiation-induced oral mucositis. Literature review indicates that as radiotherapy doses accumulate and treatment durations extend, the richness and diversity of the oral microbiota show a declining trend, with the genus Streptococcus decreasing most markedly. In contrast, radiotherapy selectively promotes the proliferation of bacterial phyla such as Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, which are rich in opportunistic pathogens. Mechanistically, radiotherapy activates the nuclear factor-kappa B pathway, triggering chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, damaging the epithelial barrier, suppressing local immunity, and causing damage to organs such as the salivary glands. It can also induce systemic diseases via the oral-gut axis, forming a multi-level, interconnected pathogenic network. In terms of interventions, treatment strategies including probiotics and prebiotics have shown promising efficacy against side effects such as radiation-induced oral mucositis. Saliva-based oral microbiota transplantation is an emerging strategy that is expected to become widely utilized for restoring oral microecological balance. Existing interventions provide preliminary pathways for clinical practice, but this field still faces several key scientific questions. The association between oral microecology and systemic diseases remains largely correlative, lacking causal evidence. Furthermore, critical parameters for oral microbiota transplantation, such as donor screening criteria, transplantation protocols, and long-term safety, are not yet well-defined. Therefore, future research should focus on conducting large-scale clinical trials to establish standardized protocols and safety evaluation systems for oral microecological interventions, and explore combined treatment therapies such as probiotics, prebiotics, and microbiota transplantation to advance the development of personalized precision modulation. These will enable more effective management of radiotherapy-induced oral microecological dysbiosis and improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for patients with head and neck tumors.

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) acts as an oncogene in liver cancer, yet its roles and in-depth molecular mechanisms within the liver cancer immune microenvironment remain mostly undefined. Here, we demonstrated that disruption of tumor-intrinsic PRMT5 enhances CD8⁺ T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity both in vivo and in vitro. Further experiments verified that this effect is achieved through downregulation of the inhibitory immune checkpoint molecule, fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL1). Mechanistically, PRMT5 catalyzed symmetric dimethylation of transcription factor 12 (TCF12) at arginine 554 (R554), prompting the binding of TCF12 to FGL1 promoter region, which transcriptionally activated FGL1 in tumor cells. Methylation deficiency at TCF12-R554 residue downregulated FGL1 expression, which promoted CD8⁺ T-cell-mediated antitumor immunity. Notably, combining the PRMT5 methyltransferase inhibitor GSK591 with PD-L1 blockade efficiently inhibited liver cancer growth and improved overall survival in mice. Collectively, our findings reveal the immunosuppressive role and mechanism of PRMT5 in liver cancer and highlight that targeting PRMT5 could boost checkpoint immunotherapy efficacy.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely used in the treatment of various autoimmune and inflammation-related diseases due to their potent immunomodulatory properties. Several studies have demonstrated that MSC-mediated immunomodulation is complex and bidirectional, with the in vivo microenvironment influencing the direction of this modulation. Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), an immunosuppressive factor, has been identified as a key "switch" in the immunomodulatory role of MSCs. In this review, we explore how IDO functions as a critical regulator of MSC immunoregulatory plasticity. We delve into the mechanisms by which changes in IDO expression affect the function of various immune cells, summarize relevant research and clinical advances regarding the role of IDO expression in MSC-based therapies for various diseases, and discuss potential therapeutic strategies that target IDO to enhance the stability of MSC therapeutic effects. This provides a theoretical foundation for optimizing MSCs as safer and more effective clinical therapeutic agents.

Objective:To identify and validate secreted effector proteins of Chlamydia psittaci ( C. psittaci) through bioinformatic prediction and experimental verification, and to characterize their subcellular localization in host cells. Methods:Potential effector proteins were predicted using bioinformatics tools. Candidate effectors were fused to β-lactamase through the constructed expression vectors, and these vectors were transformed into C. psittaci. The secretion of these candidate effectors was evaluated by β-lactamase translocation assays. Eukaryotic expression vectors of confirmed effectors were transfected into host cells to determine their intracellular localization patterns. Results:Bioinformatic analysis identified 29 candidate effector proteins. Experimental validation confirmed the secretion of five effectors, with four exhibiting cytoplasmic localization and one displaying nuclear localization in host cells.Conclusion:This study characterizes five novel C. psittaci secreted effector proteins, providing critical insights for investigating the molecular pathogenesis of psittacosis.

Objective:To identify and validate secreted effector proteins of Chlamydia psittaci ( C. psittaci) through bioinformatic prediction and experimental verification, and to characterize their subcellular localization in host cells. Methods:Potential effector proteins were predicted using bioinformatics tools. Candidate effectors were fused to β-lactamase through the constructed expression vectors, and these vectors were transformed into C. psittaci. The secretion of these candidate effectors was evaluated by β-lactamase translocation assays. Eukaryotic expression vectors of confirmed effectors were transfected into host cells to determine their intracellular localization patterns. Results:Bioinformatic analysis identified 29 candidate effector proteins. Experimental validation confirmed the secretion of five effectors, with four exhibiting cytoplasmic localization and one displaying nuclear localization in host cells.Conclusion:This study characterizes five novel C. psittaci secreted effector proteins, providing critical insights for investigating the molecular pathogenesis of psittacosis.

Objective:To establish a method for detecting the binding affinity of peptides to HLA-B*1301 by HLA molecular reconstitution after weak acid treatment,and its practicality was evaluated.Methods:C1R cells overexpressing HLA-B*1301 were treated with citrate buffer of different pH for different time.After neutralization of pH,cells were resuspended in culture medium con-taining β2m and brefeldin A.Cells were incubated at 37℃with peptide(peptide group)or without peptide(blank control),after addition of anti-HLA antibody,the cells were detected by flow cytometry.Ratio of fluorescence intensity between peptide group and blank control group was used as an index to measure the level of HLA molecular remodeling,and then represented the interactions between peptide and HLA-B*1301 molecule.Results:HLA-polypeptide complex was denatalized and dissociated after being treated with pH3.0 buffer for 1 min,and only HLA heavy chain molecules were retained on the cell surface.The addition of peptides with binding force could significantly improve the level of HLA molecular remodeling,and the binding force of peptides with HLA-B*1301 could be evaluated by this method.Conclusion:HLA molecular reconstitution assay is a simple and reliable method to detect the binding of peptides to HLA-B*1301,which can also provide reference for the study of other low frequency HLA molecular antigen pre-sentation patterns.

In order to promote the development of hair transplantation, particularly the establishment of standards, the Hair Transplantation Expert Group of Plastic and Aesthetic National Medical Quality Control Center invited experts in the field of hair transplantation across China and formed a draft of the Expert Consensus on Standard Terminology for Hair Transplantation based on the collation of relevant literature and monographs. By combining Delphi methodology and consensus meetings, the expert group conducted several rounds of consultations on issues such as follicular unit anatomy, harvesting, dissection, and implantation, ultimately presenting 54 terminologies. This consensus considers the original Chinese and English meanings as well as the professional characteristics of terms used in hair transplantation, highlights the unique features and advantages of hair transplantation, and preserves its essence while promoting innovation, with the hope of providing valuable reference for clinical researchers engaged in hair transplantation both domestically and internationally, and better facilitating the standardization and advancement of the field.

Objective: To characterize clinicopathological characteristics of the non-neoplastic colorectal polyps for accurate diagnosis. Methods: 1 190 cases were collected from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from January 2012 to December 2016 and their clinicopathological characteristics were reviewed. Results: There were 746 males and 444 females patients with male/female ratio of 1.7∶1.0. The average age was 52 and 85.4% (1 016/1 190) of cases were over 40 years old. A total of 1 289 polyps were found in the study cohort including 1 238 inflammatory polyps (96.0%), 47 harmartomatous polyps (3.7%) and 4 other types of polypoid lesions (0.3%). Among 1 249 inflammatory polyps, 1 212 were inflammatory pseudopolyps (97.9%), 15 post-inflammatory polyps (1.2%), 8 inflammatory myoglandular polyps (0.6%), and 3 prolapse-type inflammatory polyps (colitis cystica profunda). Among 47 hamartomatous polyps, there were 39 juvenile polyps (83.0%), 8 Peutz-Jegher polyps (17.0%). Four polypoid lesions of endometriosis. Among 1 289 polyps, 751 polyps were located in sigmoid and rectum (58.3%). 168 polyps were pedunculated (12.9%) and 1 132 polyps were sessile (87.1%). Conclusions For non-neoplastic colorectal polyps, the average age of patients is 40 years. The polyps generally involve the sigmoid colon and rectum. The most common pathological type is inflammatory pseudopolyp and the most common pathological type of hamartomatous polyp is juvenile subtype.

Blood glucose monitoring is an important part and means in the process of diabetes treatment and management. There is a high correlation between glucose concentration in interstitial fluid and glucose concentration in blood. Real-time monitoring of glucose concentration in interstitial fluid has important clinical significance. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is an emerging glucose monitoring technology, which indirectly reflects the blood glucose level of the body through the glucose level in the interstitial fluid, providing continuous and comprehensive information and rules of blood glucose variation over a period of time. There are three main categories of CGM: minimally invasive implantation, non-invasive microtransparency and non-invasive technology. Noninvasive blood glucose monitoring technology is the future development direction, but accuracy and delay of blood glucose will be the biggest challenge to be overcome in clinical application.

Irreversible destruction of bronchi and alveoli can lead to multiple incurable lung diseases. Identifying lung stem/progenitor cells with regenerative capacity and utilizing them to reconstruct functional tissue is one of the biggest hopes to reverse the damage and cure such diseases. Here we showed that a rare population of SOX9 basal cells (BCs) located at airway epithelium rugae can regenerate adult human lung. Human SOX9 BCs can be readily isolated by bronchoscopic brushing and indefinitely expanded in feeder-free condition. Expanded human SOX9 BCs can give rise to alveolar and bronchiolar epithelium after being transplanted into injured mouse lung, with air-blood exchange system reconstructed and recipient's lung function improved. Manipulation of lung microenvironment with Pirfenidone to suppress TGF-β signaling could further boost the transplantation efficiency. Moreover, we conducted the first autologous SOX9 BCs transplantation clinical trial in two bronchiectasis patients. Lung tissue repair and pulmonary function enhancement was observed in patients 3-12 months after cell transplantation. Altogether our current work indicated that functional adult human lung structure can be reconstituted by orthotopic transplantation of tissue-specific stem/progenitor cells, which could be translated into a mature regenerative therapeutic strategy in near future.
Bronchiectasis ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Pulmonary Alveoli ; cytology ; metabolism ; SOX9 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism