1.Resolution Assessment in Super-resolution Optical Microscopy: Adaptive Methods and Recent Advances
San-Hua FANG ; Jing-Yao CHEN ; Dan YANG ; Li LIU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(4):805-825
Optical microscopy is essential for exploring biological and material structures, with resolution determining the level of observable detail. The advent of super-resolution fluorescence microscopy has broken the diffraction limit, achieving nanoscale resolution. However, traditional assessment methods, such as the Rayleigh criterion and point spread function (PSF) width measurement, rely on empirical judgments and diffraction-limited models, rendering them inadequate for modern super-resolution imaging. This review systematically traces the evolution of resolution assessment methodologies, from classical criteria to advanced strategies tailored for various super-resolution modalities. We first discuss Fourier-based quantitative methods. Fourier ring correlation (FRC) and its 3D counterpart, Fourier shell correlation (FSC), objectively determine resolution by evaluating the statistical correlation of two independent image reconstructions in frequency space. These methods offer robustness against noise and provide a global resolution metric, but they require data independence and are computationally intensive. They have become the prevailing standards in electron and super-resolution microscopy. Subsequently, we examine adaptations for specific super-resolution techniques. For single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) techniques such as PALM and STORM, the Fourier image resolution (FIRE) method extends FRC by incorporating a physical model that accounts for localization precision and labeling density. For stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy and other nonlinear techniques, assessment strategies differ. While PSF shrinkage measurements using fluorescent beads are useful for system calibration, evaluating the effective resolution directly on biological samples is more practical. This is typically performed via linewidth analysis of known structures (e.g., microtubules) or edge-spread function measurements, capturing the effects of photobleaching and sample-induced aberrations. A major paradigm shift is parameter-free resolution estimation based on decorrelation analysis. This method analyzes the autocorrelation decay of a single image’s Fourier spectrum to identify the cutoff spatial frequency without requiring dual datasets or user-defined thresholds. Its high efficiency and broad applicability have been validated across widefield, confocal, STED, SIM, and SMLM modalities. Optimized rendering strategies for SMLM data further enhance its accuracy, and it is emerging as a tool for real-time optimization of experimental parameters. The review also addresses the “gold standard” of resolution validation using well-defined nanostructures, such as DNA origami and nuclear pore complexes, which provide ground truth for verifying resolution claims and detecting artifacts. In the era of artificial intelligence, deep learning plays a dual role: it powerfully enhances image resolution but also introduces challenges, as models may generate “hallucinations” or false details. This underscores the need for new validation metrics to verify the physical fidelity of AI-generated content. Finally, we outline future directions: developing unified cross-modality standards, enabling real-time dynamic resolution monitoring for live-cell imaging, creating techniques for generating local resolution maps to capture sample heterogeneity, and integrating intelligent error correction to ensure data veracity. By providing a comprehensive overview of resolution assessment progress and challenges, this review aims to equip researchers with the knowledge to select appropriate tools, thereby fostering rigorous quantitative imaging in the life and material sciences.
2.Evidence-based evaluation and hierarchical management of off-label use of 5-aminolevulinic acid in photodynamic therapy
Jing MA ; Tingting LIU ; Xiaoshuang GOU ; Xue YANG ; Chen LI ; Fang LIU ; Yao LIU
China Pharmacy 2026;37(8):1056-1061
OBJECTIVE To provide reference for medical institutions to establish the record management mode and review rules of off-label use of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in photodynamic therapy based on the level of evidence. METHODS All ALA-containing outpatient prescriptions in the rational drug use system in our hospital from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025 were retrospectively collected. Based on the drug instructions, the current status of off-label use of ALA in photodynamic therapy was identified . The relevant studies in Micromedex, PubMed, CNKI, Wanfang Data and other databases were systematically searched as the relevant evidence-based evidence of ALA off-label use. According to the Off-label Drug Use Filing Standard of the hospital,the evidence-based evaluation method was used to evaluate the evidence-based evidence of ALA off-label use and carry out hierarchical management. RESULTS A total of 1 803 effective prescriptions were included, of which 676 (37.49%) were off-label use, distributed in the dermatology department (564 prescriptions,83.43%) and the plastic surgery department (112 prescriptions,16.57%). All 676 prescriptions were off-indications medication, involving ten types of skin diseases, primarily including moderate to severe acne (39.94%), skin warts (25.44%), Bowen’s disease (11.98%), and others. According to evidence-based evidence,off-label uses such as moderate to severe acne, actinic keratosis, and Bowen’s disease were managed according to the evidence categoryⅠ orⅡ.The uses of extramammary Paget’s disease and rosacea were managed according to the evidence category Ⅲ.The uses of lichen sclerosus and keloids were managed according to the evidence category Ⅳ.The results of evidence-based evaluation showed that 92.01% of off-label use in our hospital had high-level evidence-based support ( evidence category was gradeⅠ-Ⅱ). CONCLUSIONS Off-label uses supported by high-level evidence, such as moderate to severe acne, skin warts, and Bowen’s disease, can be managed under filing category Ⅰ or Ⅱ. For the use of lichen sclerosus and keloids, evidence-based evidence is insufficient and should be strictly restricted.The vast majority of ALA off-label use in our hospital has sufficient evidence-based basis.
3.Systemic comparison of molecular characteristics in different skin fibroblast senescent models.
Xiaokai FANG ; Shan ZHANG ; Mingyang WU ; Yang LUO ; Xingyu CHEN ; Yuan ZHOU ; Yu ZHANG ; Xiaochun LIU ; Xu YAO
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(17):2180-2191
BACKGROUND:
Senescent human skin primary fibroblast (FB) models have been established for studying aging-related, proliferative, and inflammatory skin diseases. The aim of this study was to compare the transcriptome characteristics of human primary dermal FBs from children and the elderly with four senescence models.
METHODS:
Human skin primary FBs were obtained from healthy children (FB-C) and elderly donors (FB-E). Senescence models were generated by ultraviolet B irradiation (FB-UVB), D-galactose stimulation (FB-D-gal), atazanavir treatment (FB-ATV), and replication exhaustion induction (FB-P30). Flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, co-culturing with immune cells, and bulk RNA sequencing were used for systematic comparisons of the models.
RESULTS:
In comparison with FB-C, FB-E showed elevated expression of senescence-related genes related to the skin barrier and extracellular matrix, proinflammatory factors, chemokines, oxidative stress, and complement factors. In comparison with FB-E, FB-UVB and FB-ATV showed higher levels of senescence and expression of the genes related to the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), and their shaped immune microenvironment highly facilitated the activation of downstream immune cells, including T cells, macrophages, and natural killer cells. FB-P30 was most similar to FB-E in terms of general transcriptome features, such as FB migration and proliferation, and aging-related characteristics. FB-D-gal showed the lowest expression levels of senescence-related genes. In comparisons with the single-cell RNA sequencing results, FB-E showed almost complete simulation of the transcriptional spectrum of FBs in elderly patients with atopic dermatitis, followed by FB-P30 and FB-UVB. FB-E and FB-P30 showed higher similarity with the FBs in keloids.
CONCLUSIONS
Each senescent FB model exhibited different characteristics. In addition to showing upregulated expression of natural senescence features, FB-UVB and FB-ATV showed high expression levels of senescence-related genes, including those involved in the SASP, and FB-P30 showed the greatest similarity with FB-E. However, D-galactose-stimulated FBs did not clearly present aging characteristics.
Humans
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Fibroblasts/drug effects*
;
Cellular Senescence/physiology*
;
Skin/metabolism*
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Child
;
Transcriptome/genetics*
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Aged
;
Ultraviolet Rays
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Cells, Cultured
;
Galactose/pharmacology*
4.Intermittent fasting ameliorates rheumatoid arthritis by harassing deregulated synovial fibroblasts.
Lei LI ; Jin DONG ; Yumu ZHANG ; Chen ZHAO ; Wen WEI ; Xueqin GAO ; Yao YU ; Meilin LU ; Qiyuan SUN ; Yuwei CHEN ; Xuehua JIAO ; Jie LU ; Na YUAN ; Yixuan FANG ; Jianrong WANG
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(23):3201-3203
5.Equivalence of SYN008 versus omalizumab in patients with refractory chronic spontaneous urticaria: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, active-controlled phase III study.
Jingyi LI ; Yunsheng LIANG ; Wenli FENG ; Liehua DENG ; Hong FANG ; Chao JI ; Youkun LIN ; Furen ZHANG ; Rushan XIA ; Chunlei ZHANG ; Shuping GUO ; Mao LIN ; Yanling LI ; Shoumin ZHANG ; Xiaojing KANG ; Liuqing CHEN ; Zhiqiang SONG ; Xu YAO ; Chengxin LI ; Xiuping HAN ; Guoxiang GUO ; Qing GUO ; Xinsuo DUAN ; Jie LI ; Juan SU ; Shanshan LI ; Qing SUN ; Juan TAO ; Yangfeng DING ; Danqi DENG ; Fuqiu LI ; Haiyun SUO ; Shunquan WU ; Jingbo QIU ; Hongmei LUO ; Linfeng LI ; Ruoyu LI
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(16):2040-2042
6.Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of prurigo nodularis.
Li ZHANG ; Qingchun DIAO ; Xia DOU ; Hong FANG ; Songmei GENG ; Hao GUO ; Yaolong CHEN ; Chao JI ; Chengxin LI ; Linfeng LI ; Jie LI ; Jingyi LI ; Wei LI ; Zhiming LI ; Yunsheng LIANG ; Jianjun QIAO ; Zhiqiang SONG ; Qing SUN ; Juan TAO ; Fang WANG ; Zhiqiang XIE ; Jinhua XU ; Suling XU ; Hongwei YAN ; Xu YAO ; Jianzhong ZHANG ; Litao ZHANG ; Gang ZHU ; Fei HAO ; Xinghua GAO
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(22):2859-2861
7.Research progress of PANoptosis in cancer.
Yi-Ling LUO ; Liu-Yan CHEN ; Yao-Bin WANG ; Su-Fang ZHOU
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2025;77(2):277-288
PANoptosis is a type of programmed cell death regulated by the PANoptosome with key features of pyroptosis, apoptosis and/or necroptosis. As the most complex programmed cell death, PANoptosis emphasizes the compensatory role among multiple programmed cell deaths, and can regulate malignant phenotypes such as proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells through multiple signaling pathways, thus affecting malignant tumor progression. It has been found that PANoptosis plays a dual role in tumor progression and treatment. Therefore, it is clinically important to understand the molecular mechanisms by which PANoptosis affects tumorigenesis, development and progression. This paper reviews the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis, pyroptosis and necroptosis, and discusses the activation and regulation mechanisms of PANoptosis and PANoptosome as well as the research progress on the role of PANoptosis in tumors, aiming to provide new ideas for cancer treatment and prognostic assessment.
Humans
;
Neoplasms/physiopathology*
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Pyroptosis/physiology*
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Apoptosis/physiology*
;
Necroptosis/physiology*
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Signal Transduction
;
Animals
8.Tetrahydropalmatine acts on α7nAChR to regulate inflammation and polarization of BV2 microglia.
Yan-Jun WANG ; Guo-Liang DAI ; Pei-Yao CHEN ; Hua-Xi HANG ; Xin-Fang BIAN ; Yu-Jie CHEN ; Wen-Zheng JU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(11):3117-3126
Based on the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor(α7nAChR), this study examined how tetrahydropalmatine(THP) affected BV2 microglia exposed to lipopolysaccharide(LPS), aiming to clarify the possible mechanism underlying the anti-depression effect of THP from the perspectives of preventing inflammation and regulating polarization. First, after molecular docking and determination of the content of Corydalis saxicola Bunting total alkaloids, THP was initially identified as a possible anti-depression component. The BV2 microglia model of inflammation was established with LPS. BV2 microglia were allocated into a normal group, a model group, low-and high-dose(20 and 40 μmol·L~(-1), respectively) THP groups, and a THP(20 μmol·L~(-1))+α7nAChR-specific antagonist MLA(1 μmol·L~(-1)) group. The CCK-8 assay was used to screen the safe concentration of THP. A light microscope was used to examine the morphology of the cells. Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to determine the expression of α7nAChR. qRT-PCR was performed to determine the mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS), cluster of differentiation 86(CD86), suppressor of cytokine signaling 3(SOCS3), arginase-1(Arg-1), cluster of differentiation 206(CD206), tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α, interleukin(IL)-6, and IL-1β. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to measure the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in the cell supernatant. The experimental results showed that THP at concentrations of 40 μmol·L~(-1) and below had no effect on BV2 microglia. THP improved the morphology of BV2 microglia, significantly up-regulated the protein level of α7nAChR, significantly down-regulated the mRNA levels of iNOS, CD86, SOCS3, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, significantly up-regulated the mRNA levels of Arg-1 and CD206, and dramatically lowered the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in the cell supernatant. However, the antagonist MLA abolished the above-mentioned ameliorative effects of THP on LPS-treated BV2 microglia. As demonstrated by the aforementioned findings, THP protected LPS-treated BV2 microglia by regulating the M1/M2 polarization and preventing inflammation, which might be connected to the regulation of α7nAChR on BV2 microglia.
Berberine Alkaloids/chemistry*
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alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor/chemistry*
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Microglia/metabolism*
;
Mice
;
Animals
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Cell Line
;
Corydalis/chemistry*
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Humans
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Molecular Docking Simulation
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Inflammation/drug therapy*
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Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/immunology*
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/immunology*
9.Association of Loneliness and Social Isolation with Ischemic Heart Disease: A Bidirectional and Network Mendelian Randomization Study.
Shu Yao SU ; Wan Yue WANG ; Chen Xi YUAN ; Zhen Nan LIN ; Xiang Feng LU ; Fang Chao LIU
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(3):351-364
OBJECTIVE:
Observational studies have shown inconsistent associations of loneliness or social isolation (SI) with ischemic heart disease (IHD), with unknown mediators.
METHODS:
Using data from genome-wide association studies of predominantly European ancestry, we performed a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) study to estimate causal effects of loneliness ( N = 487,647) and SI traits on IHD ( N = 184,305). SI traits included whether individuals lived alone, participated in various types of social activities, and how often they had contact with friends or family ( N = 459,830 to 461,369). A network MR study was conducted to evaluate the mediating roles of 20 candidate mediators, including metabolic, behavioral and psychological factors.
RESULTS:
Loneliness increased IHD risk ( OR= 2.129; 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.380 to 3.285), mediated by body fat percentage, waist-hip ratio, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. For SI traits, only fewer social activities increased IHD risk ( OR= 1.815; 95% CI: 1.189 to 2.772), mediated by hypertension, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting insulin, and smoking cessation. No reverse causality of IHD with loneliness and SI was found.
CONCLUSION
These findings suggested more attention should be paid to individuals who feel lonely and have fewer social activities to prevent IHD, with several mediators as prioritized targets for intervention.
Loneliness/psychology*
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Humans
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Mendelian Randomization Analysis
;
Social Isolation
;
Myocardial Ischemia/etiology*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Middle Aged
;
Genome-Wide Association Study
;
Risk Factors
;
Aged
10.Mining, characterization, and expression of a fructan sucrase for efficient conversion of soybean oligosaccharides.
Bin WANG ; Jingru YING ; Yuanyuan CHEN ; Zemin FANG ; Yazhong XIAO ; Wei FANG ; Dongbang YAO
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(1):333-351
The high content of sucrose and raffinose reduces the prebiotic value of soybean oligosaccharides. Fructan sucrases can catalyze the conversion of sucrose and raffinose to high-value products such as fructooligosaccharides and melibiose. To obtain a fructan sucrase that can efficiently convert soybean oligosaccharides, we first mined the fructan sucrase gene from microorganisms in the coastal areas of Xisha Islands and Bohai Bay and then characterized the enzymatic and catalytic properties of the enzyme. Finally, recombinant extracellular expression of this gene was carried out in Bacillus subtilis. The results showed that a novel fructan sucrase, BhLS 39, was mined from Bacillus halotolerans. With sucrose and raffinose as substrates, BhLS 39 showed the optimal temperatures of 50 ℃ and 55 ℃, optimal pH 5.5 for both, and Kcat/Km ratio of 3.4 and 6.6 L/(mmol·s), respectively. When 400 g/L raffinose was used as the substrate, the melibiose conversion rate was 84.6% after 30 min treatment with 5 U BhLS 39. Furthermore, BhLS 39 catalyzed the conversion of sucrose to produce levan-type-fructooligosaccharide and levan. Then, the recombinant extracellular expression of BhLS 39 in B. subtilis was achieved. The co-expression of the intracellular chaperone DnaK and the extracellular chaperone PrsA increased the extracellular activity of the recombinant BhLS 39 by 5.2 folds to 17 U/mL compared with that of the control strain. BhLS 39 obtained in this study is conducive to improving the quality and economic benefits of soybean oligosaccharides. At the same time, the strategy used here to enhance the extracellular expression of BhLS 39 will also promote the efficient recombinant expression of other proteins in B. subtilis.
Oligosaccharides/metabolism*
;
Glycine max/metabolism*
;
Bacillus subtilis/metabolism*
;
Sucrase/biosynthesis*
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Raffinose/metabolism*
;
Fructans/metabolism*
;
Sucrose/metabolism*
;
Bacillus/genetics*
;
Recombinant Proteins/biosynthesis*
;
Bacterial Proteins/biosynthesis*

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