Viruses constitute a significant group of pathogens that have caused numerous fatalities and substantial economic losses in recent years, particularly with the emergence of coronaviruses. While the impact of SARS-CoV-2 appears to be diminishing in daily life, only a limited number of drugs have received approval or emergency use authorization for its treatment. Given the high mutation rate of viral genomes, host-directed agents (HDAs) have emerged as a preferred choice due to their broad applicability and lasting effectiveness. In contrast to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), HDAs offer several advantages, including broad-spectrum antiviral activities, potential efficacy against future emerging viruses, and a lower likelihood of inducing drug resistance. In our review article, we have synthesized known host-directed antiviral targets that span diverse cellular pathways and mechanisms, shedding light on the intricate interplay between host cells and viruses. Additionally, we have provided a brief overview of the development of HDAs based on these targets. We aim for this comprehensive analysis to offer valuable perspectives and insights that can guide future antiviral research and drug development efforts.

The regulatory processes in developmental biology research are significantly influenced by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). However, the dynamics of lncRNA expression during human tooth development remain poorly understood. In this research, we examined the lncRNAs present in the dental epithelium (DE) and dental mesenchyme (DM) at the late bud, cap, and early bell stages of human fetal tooth development through bulk RNA sequencing. Developmental regulators co-expressed with neighboring lncRNAs were significantly enriched in odontogenesis. Specific lncRNAs expressed in the DE and DM, such as PANCR, MIR205HG, DLX6-AS1, and DNM3OS, were identified through a combination of bulk RNA sequencing and single-cell analysis. Further subcluster analysis revealed lncRNAs specifically expressed in important regions of the tooth germ, such as the inner enamel epithelium and coronal dental papilla (CDP). Functionally, we demonstrated that CDP-specific DLX6-AS1 enhanced odontoblastic differentiation in human tooth germ mesenchymal cells and dental pulp stem cells. These findings suggest that lncRNAs could serve as valuable cell markers for tooth development and potential therapeutic targets for tooth regeneration.
Humans ; RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism* ; Odontogenesis/genetics* ; Tooth Germ/embryology* ; Cell Differentiation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Mesoderm/metabolism* ; Tooth/embryology* ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Dental Pulp/cytology*

Identification of disease-specific cell subtypes (DSCSs) has profound implications for understanding disease mechanisms, preoperative diagnosis, and precision therapy. However, achieving unified annotation of DSCSs in heterogeneous single-cell datasets remains a challenge. In this study, we developed the gPRINT algorithm (generalized approach for cell subtype identification with single cell's voicePRINT). Inspired by the principles of speech recognition in noisy environments, gPRINT transforms gene position and gene expression information into voiceprints based on ordered and clustered gene expression phenomena, obtaining unique "gene print" patterns for each cell. Then, we integrated neural networks to mitigate the impact of background noise on cell identity label mapping. We demonstrated the reproducibility of gPRINT across different donors, single-cell sequencing platforms, and disease subtypes, and its utility for automatic cell subtype annotation across datasets. Moreover, gPRINT achieved higher annotation accuracy of 98.37% when externally validated based on the same tissue, surpassing other algorithms. Furthermore, this approach has been applied to fibrosis-associated diseases in multiple tissues throughout the body, as well as to the annotation of fibroblast subtypes in a single tissue, tendon, where fibrosis is prevalent. We successfully achieved automatic prediction of tendinopathy-specific cell subtypes, key targets, and related drugs. In summary, gPRINT provides an automated and unified approach for identifying DSCSs across datasets, facilitating the elucidation of specific cell subtypes under different disease states and providing a powerful tool for exploring therapeutic targets in diseases.
Humans ; Algorithms ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Databases, Genetic ; Molecular Sequence Annotation

Objective:To investigate the value of serum miR-145 and matrixmetallo proteinase-2 (MMP-2) levels in predicting pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer.Methods:125 patients with triple-negative breast cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the Hospital from Jan. 2022 to Dec. 2023 were prospectively included as the study objects, and 130 healthy people matching the age of the case group who underwent physical examination in our hospital during the same period were included as the healthy control group. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the serum miR-145 level of all subjects. Serum MMP-2 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, patients were evaluated according to Miller-Payne (MP) grading criteria and divided into pCR group and non-PCR group.Results:The serum miR-145 level in patients with tertiary breast cancer was 1.49±0.27, which was significantly lower than that in healthy control group (2.79±0.49), with statistical significance ( t=20.33, P<0.001). The serum MMP-2 level in triple negative breast cancer patients was (153.07±38.36) ng/mL, which was significantly higher than that in healthy control group (84.38±12.63) ng/mL, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=26.13, P<0.001). After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the serum miR-145 level in non-PCR patients before treatment was 1.36±0.21, which was significantly lower than that in pCR group (1.74±0.20), with statistical significance ( t=9.93, P<0.001). After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the serum MMP-2 level in non-PCR patients before treatment was (169.57±30.45) ng/mL, which was significantly higher than that in pCR group (121.61±31.79) ng/mL, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=8.24, P<0.001). Pearson correlation analysis showed that there was a significant negative correlation between serum miR-145 and MMP-2 levels in patients with triple-negative breast cancer before treatment ( r=-0.47, P<0.001). ROC curve analysis results showed that serum miR-145 and MMP-2 levels before treatment predicted the sensitivity and specificity of pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer were 82.9% and 74.4%, 45.1% and 99.8%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer were 84.1% and 88.4%, respectively. Conclusion:Serum miR-145 and MMP-2 levels are related to the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with triple-negative breast cancer, and the combined application of the two has certain predictive value.

Objective To analyze the factors related to early allograft dysfunction(EAD)after liver transplantation and to construct a predictive model.Methods A total of 375 patients who underwent liver transplantation in our hospital from December 2008 to December 2021 were collected,including 90 patients with EAD and 266 patients without EAD.Thirty items of baseline data for the 2 groups were compared and analyzed.Aftergrouping in a ratio of 7∶3,univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used in the training set to evaluate the factors related to EAD and construct a nomogram.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,decision curve analysis(DCA),sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value,Kappa value and other indicators were used to evaluate the model performance.Results The incidence of EAD after liver transplantation was 24%.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative tumor recurrence history(OR=3.15,95%CI:1.28～7.77,P=0.013)and operation time(OR=1.22,95%CI:1.04～1.42,P=0.015)were related to the occurrence of EAD after surgery.After predicting the outcome according to the cut-off point of 0.519 identified by the Youden index,the model performance in the both training set and validation set was acceptable.DCA suggested the model has good clinical applicability.Conclusion The risk factors for EAD after liver transplantation are preoperative tumor recurrence history and operation time,and the established model has predictive effect on prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the status quo of intravenous (IV) infusion device selection among hospitalized children and provide direction for improving practices related to the selection of infusion devices.Methods:A total of 1 306 hospitalized children undergoing IV infusion treatment in 11 clinical departments of Children's Hospital of Fudan University in June 2021 were selected by convenience sampling. A self-developed data collection form for the selection of IV infusion devices in hospitalized children and criteria for the appropriateness of IV infusion device selection were used to survey and evaluate the appropriateness of IV infusion device selection among these children.Results:IV infusion devices were found to have been appropriately selected in 1 137 of the 1 306 children, while these devices were inappropriately selected in 169 children. The inappropriate selection was primarily due to the improper choice of peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVC), with 155 cases involving the administration of non-peripheral compatible medications through PIVC. No significant statistical difference was found in the appropriateness of IV infusion device selection between the infant group and the child and adolescent group ( P>0.05). Significant differences were observed in the appropriateness of IV infusion device selection based on different physicochemical properties of medications and the duration of therapy ( P<0.01) . Conclusions:The standardization of IV infusion device selection among hospitalized children needs improvement. It is urgent to apply evidence from the Clinical Practice Evidence- Based Guidelines for Pediatric Intravenous Therapy regarding recommendations for IV infusion device selection, to initiate evidence application projects, and to standardize the selection of IV infusion devices.

Objective:To construct a program for improving care ability of caregivers for children with home enteral tube feeding (HETF) based on timing theory, and explore its preliminary effects.Methods:Based on the framework of timing theory and literature review, intervention measures to improve the care ability of caregivers for children with HETF were extracted and summarized to form a preliminary program draft. Fourteen caregivers with experience in caring for children with HETF were subjected to qualitative interviews to supplement the content of the program, and the program was revised through expert meetings to form the final draft. Non-synchronous control method was adopted, and 89 children with HETF and 89 caregivers of them admitted to the Children's Hospital of Fudan University from March 2022 to February 2023 were continuously included as study subjects. The children and their caregivers included from March to August 2022 were in control group ( n=42), and the children and their caregivers included from September 2022 to February 2023 were in intervention group ( n=47), and the plan was preliminarily applied. Family Caregiver Task Inventory (FCTI) was used to evaluate the impact of the program on improving caregiver care ability. Age specific body weight z-values, height specific body weight z-values, and complications were used to evaluate the impact of the program on the growth and development of children and the incidence of tube feeding complications. The data was collected at the time of enrollment and one, two, and three months after discharge. Results:There were 66 children who completed the whole study, including 33 children in the control group and the intervention group, and 33 caregivers in each group. The application results showed that the total score of FCTI in the intervention group decreased from (25.91±2.94) at enrollment to (5.85±2.60) at three months after discharge, while the total score of FCTI in the control group decreased from (26.12±4.34) at enrollment to (12.52±3.60) at three months after discharge, and the total score of FCTI in both groups decreased over time. At one, two, and three months after discharge, the total FCTI score of the intervention group was lower than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). At three months after discharge, the incidence of complications in children with HETF in the intervention group was lower than that in the control group with a statistical difference ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:The program for improving care ability of caregivers for children with HETF based on timing theory is scientific and provides basis for the management of home tube feeding of children.

Myocardial dysfunction is the most serious complication of sepsis. Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction (SMD) is often associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction, but its pathophysiological significance remains unclear. The present study found that patients with SMD had higher plasma gastrin concentrations than those without SMD. In mice, knockdown of the gastrin receptor, cholecystokinin B receptor (Cckbr), aggravated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cardiac dysfunction and increased inflammation in the heart, whereas the intravenous administration of gastrin ameliorated SMD and cardiac injury. Macrophage infiltration plays a significant role in SMD because depletion of macrophages by the intravenous injection of clodronate liposomes, 48 h prior to LPS administration, alleviated LPS-induced cardiac injury in Cckbr-deficient mice. The intravenous injection of bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) overexpressing Cckbr reduced LPS-induced myocardial dysfunction. Furthermore, gastrin treatment inhibited toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression through the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPAR-α) signaling pathway in BMMs. Thus, our findings provide insights into the mechanism of the protective role of gastrin/CCKBR in SMD, which could be used to develop new treatment modalities for SMD.

Peripheral bacterial infections without impaired blood-brain barrier integrity have been attributed to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Peripheral infection promotes innate immune training in microglia and exacerbates neuroinflammation. However, how changes in the peripheral environment mediate microglial training and exacerbation of infection-related PD is unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that GSDMD activation was enhanced in the spleen but not in the CNS of mice primed with low-dose LPS. GSDMD in peripheral myeloid cells promoted microglial immune training, thus exacerbating neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration during PD in an IL-1R-dependent manner. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of GSDMD alleviated the symptoms of PD in experimental PD models. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that GSDMD-induced pyroptosis in myeloid cells initiates neuroinflammation by regulating microglial training during infection-related PD. Based on these findings, GSDMD may serve as a therapeutic target for patients with PD.

Malnutrition secondary to dysphagia in stroke patients can hinder the recovery process of patients. Enteral nutrition therapy is an effective method to improve the nutritional status of patients. However, there is still no uniform regulation in China, which can not guide medical staff to effectively implement enteral nutrition therapy. This article reviews the recent advances in enteral nutrition management in stroke patients abroad, including screening for malnutrition in stroke patients, timing and methods of enteral nutrition therapy, potential risks and precautions for treatment, in order to provide enteral nutrition for stroke patients in China. Provide a reference for treatment and management.