OBJECTIVE: To summarize the gene therapy strategies for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and related research progress. METHODS: The recent literature on gene therapy for NF1 at home and abroad was reviewed. The structure and function of the NF1 gene and its mutations were analyzed, and the current status as well as future prospects of the transgenic therapy and gene editing strategies were summarized. RESULTS: NF1 is an autosomal dominantly inherited tumor predisposition syndrome caused by mutations in the NF1 tumor suppressor gene, which impair the function of the neurofibromin and lead to the disease. It has complex clinical manifestations and is not yet curable. Gene therapy strategies for NF1 are still in the research and development stage. Existing studies on the transgenic therapy for NF1 have mainly focused on the construction and expression of the GTPase-activating protein-related domain in cells that lack of functional neurofibromin, confirming the feasibility of the transgenic therapy for NF1. Future research may focus on split adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene delivery, oversized AAV gene delivery, and the development of new vectors for targeted delivery of full-length NF1 cDNA. In addition, the gene editing tools of the new generation have great potential to treat monogenic genetic diseases such as NF1, but need to be further validated in terms of efficiency and safety. CONCLUSION Gene therapy, including both the transgenic therapy and gene editing, is expected to become an important new therapeutic approach for NF1 patients.
Humans ; Neurofibromatosis 1/pathology* ; Neurofibromin 1/metabolism* ; GTPase-Activating Proteins ; Mutation ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genetic Therapy

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) at sensitized acupoints could reduce sympathetic-sensory coupling (SSC) and neurogenic inflammatory response by interfering with 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)ergic neural pathways to relieve colitis and somatic referred pain, and explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Rats were treated with 5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) solution for 7 days to establish a colitis model. Twelve rats were randomly divided into the control and model groups according to a random number table (n=6). According to the "Research on Rat Acupoint Atlas", sensitized acupoints and non-sensitized acupoints were determined. Rats were randomly divided into the control, model, Zusanli-EA (ST 36), Dachangshu-EA (BL 25), and Xinshu (BL 15) groups (n=6), as well as the control, model, EA, and EA + GR113808 (a 5-HT inhibitor) groups (n=6). The rats in the control group received no treatment. Acupuncture was administered on 2 days after modeling using the stimulation pavameters: 1 mA, 2 Hz, for 30 min, with sparse and dense waves, for 14 consecutive days. GR113808 was injected into the tail vein at 5 mg/kg before EA for 10 min for 7 consecutive days. Mechanical sensitivity was assessed with von Frey filaments. Body weight and disease activity index (DAI) scores of rats were determined. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to observe colon histopathology. SSC was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect 5-HT and substance P (SP) expressions. The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in skin tissue and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) protein levels in DRG were detected by Western blot. The levels of hyaluronic acid (HA), bradykinin (BK), prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) in skin tissue, 5-HT, tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1), serotonin transporters (SERT), 5-HT 3 receptor (5-HT3R), and 5-HT 4 receptor (5-HT4R) in colon tissue were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: BL 25 and ST 36 acupoints were determined as sensitized acupoints, and BL 15 acupoint was used as a non-sensitized acupoint. EA at sensitized acupoints improved the DAI score, increased mechanical withdrawal thresholds, and alleviated colonic pathological damage of rats. EA at sensitized acupoints reduced SSC structures and decreased TH and CGRP expression levels (P<0.05). Furthermore, EA at sensitized acupoints reduced BK, PGI2, 5-HT, 5-HT3R and TPH1 levels, and increased HA, 5-HT4R and SERT levels in colitis rats (P<0.05). GR113808 treatment diminished the protective effect of EA at sensitized acupoints in colitis rats (P<0.05). CONCLUSION EA at sensitized acupoints alleviated DSS-induced somatic referred pain in colitis rats by interfering with 5-HTergic neural pathway, and reducing SSC inflammatory response.
Rats ; Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serotonin ; Acupuncture Points ; Pain, Referred ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; Signal Transduction ; Colitis/therapy* ; Indoles ; Sulfonamides

Tumor progression is closely related to tumor tissue metabolism and reshaping of the microenvironment. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), a representative hypoxic tumor, has a heterogeneous internal metabolic environment. To clarify the relationship between different metabolic regions and the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) in OSCC, Single cell (SC) and spatial transcriptomics (ST) sequencing of OSCC tissues were performed. The proportion of TME in the ST data was obtained through SPOTlight deconvolution using SC and GSE103322 data. The metabolic activity of each spot was calculated using scMetabolism, and k-means clustering was used to classify all spots into hyper-, normal-, or hypometabolic regions. CD4T cell infiltration and TGF-β expression is higher in the hypermetabolic regions than in the others. Through CellPhoneDB and NicheNet cell-cell communication analysis, it was found that in the hypermetabolic region, fibroblasts can utilize the lactate produced by glycolysis of epithelial cells to transform into inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblasts (iCAFs), and the increased expression of HIF1A in iCAFs promotes the transcriptional expression of CXCL12. The secretion of CXCL12 recruits regulatory T cells (Tregs), leading to Treg infiltration and increased TGF-β secretion in the microenvironment and promotes the formation of a tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. This study delineates the coordinate work axis of epithelial cells-iCAFs-Tregs in OSCC using SC, ST and TCGA bulk data, and highlights potential targets for therapy.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism* ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck ; Mouth Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Immunosuppression Therapy ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Tumor Microenvironment

Objective:This study aims to analyze the threshold changes in distortion product otoacoustic emissions（DPOAE） and auditory brainstem response（ABR） in adult Otof-/- mice before and after gene therapy, evaluating its effectiveness and exploring methods for assessing hearing recovery post-treatment. Methods:At the age of 4 weeks, adult Otof-/- mice received an inner ear injection of a therapeutic agent containing intein-mediated recombination of the OTOF gene, delivered via dual AAV vectors through the round window membrane（RWM）. Immunofluorescence staining assessed the proportion of inner ear hair cells with restored otoferlin expression and the number of synapses.Statistical analysis was performed to compare the DPOAE and ABR thresholds before and after the treatment. Results:AAV-PHP. eB demonstrates high transduction efficiency in inner ear hair cells. The therapeutic regimen corrected hearing loss in adult Otof-/- mice without impacting auditory function in wild-type mice. The changes in DPOAE and ABR thresholds after gene therapy are significantly correlated at 16 kHz. Post-treatment,a slight increase in DPOAE was observeds,followed by a recovery trend at 2 months post-treatment. Conclusion:Gene therapy significantly restored hearing in adult Otof-/- mice, though the surgical delivery may cause transient hearing damage. Precise and gentle surgical techniques are essential to maximize gene therapy's efficacy.
Mice ; Animals ; Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous/physiology* ; Hearing/physiology* ; Ear, Inner ; Hearing Loss/therapy* ; Genetic Therapy ; Auditory Threshold/physiology* ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem/physiology* ; Membrane Proteins

Humans ; Child ; Communicable Diseases/therapy* ; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques ; Genetic Testing

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical and prognostic characteristics of primary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with 11q23/KMT2A rearrangements. METHODS: Clinical data of 90 patients with primary AML and 11q23/KMT2A rearrangements were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: By karyotyping analysis, 80 of the 90 patients had translocations involving 11q23/KMT2A, with t(9;11)(p22;q23), t(6;11)(q27;q23), t(10;11)(p12;q23) and t(11;19)(q23;p13) being the most common ones, while 10 cases were found to have non-translocation abnormalities. The overall complete remission (CR) rate was 75.6%, and patients with t(6;11) had lower CR rate compared with non-t(6;11) patients (47.1% vs. 82.2%, P = 0.005). After a median follow-up of 24.5 months, the patients receiving allo-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) had significantly higher 3-year overall survival (OS) (80.3% vs. 16.6%, P < 0.001) and 3-year event-free survival (EFS) (73.5% vs. 16.3%, P < 0.001) compared with non-transplant patients. Patients with t(6;11) had the lowest 3-year OS (11.8% vs. 56.0%, P < 0.001) and 3-year EFS (5.9% vs. 53.8%, P < 0.001) compared with other type of abnormalities. No significant difference was noted in the survival between patients with t(9;11) and non-t(9;11) regardless whether they had received HSCT. CONCLUSION The clinical characteristics of primary AML with 11q23/KMT2A rearrangements are heterogeneous. Patients did not receive HSCT had poorer survival, particularly with the presence of t(6;11). Allo-HSCT could significantly improve the survival of such patients.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/therapy* ; Translocation, Genetic ; Gene Rearrangement ; Prognosis

Hemophilia A(HA) is an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder caused by mutations in coagulation factor VIII. Nowadays, exogenous coagulation factor replacement therapy is the main treatment. With the continuous development of gene therapy, new research directions have been provided for the treatment of hemophilia A. CRISPR-Cas9 technology was applied to select suitable target sites, and mediate the targeted knock-in and efficient expression of exogenous B-domain-deleted FⅧ variant gene through corresponding vectors for the treatment of hemophilia A.CRISPR-Cas9 technology is an emerging gene editing tool with great efficiency, safety and effectiveness, and has been widely used in hemophilia gene therapy research. This paper reviews the vector selection, construction of therapeutic genes, gene editing technology and selection of expression target sites for hemophilia A gene therapy at this stage.
Humans ; Hemophilia A/therapy* ; CRISPR-Cas Systems ; Hemophilia B/therapy* ; Gene Editing ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors

Pancreatic cancer, notorious for its late diagnosis and aggressive progression, poses a substantial challenge owing to scarce treatment alternatives. This review endeavors to furnish a holistic insight into pancreatic cancer, encompassing its epidemiology, genomic characterization, risk factors, diagnosis, therapeutic strategies, and treatment resistance mechanisms. We delve into identifying risk factors, including genetic predisposition and environmental exposures, and explore recent research advancements in precursor lesions and molecular subtypes of pancreatic cancer. Additionally, we highlight the development and application of multi-omics approaches in pancreatic cancer research and discuss the latest combinations of pancreatic cancer biomarkers and their efficacy. We also dissect the primary mechanisms underlying treatment resistance in this malignancy, illustrating the latest therapeutic options and advancements in the field. Conclusively, we accentuate the urgent demand for more extensive research to enhance the prognosis for pancreatic cancer patients.
Humans ; Pancreatic Neoplasms/therapy* ; Prognosis ; Pancreas/pathology* ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genomics

This study investigated the neuroprotective effects and underlying mechanism of Liujing Toutong Tablets(LJTT) on a rat model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion(pMCAO). The pMCAO model was established using the suture method. Eighty-four male SPF-grade SD rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, a nimodipine group(0.020 g·kg~(-1)), and high-, medium-, and low-dose LJTT groups(2.8, 1.4, and 0.7 g·kg~(-1)). The Longa score, adhesive removal test and laser speckle contrast imaging technique were used to evaluate the degree of neurological functional impairment and changes in local cerebral blood flow. The survival and mortality of rats in each group were recorded daily. After seven days of continuous administration following the model induction, the rats in each group were euthanized, and brain tissue and blood samples were collected for corresponding parameter measurements. Nissl staining was used to examine pathological changes in brain tissue neurons. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α), interleukin-6(IL-6), IL-1β, vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP), beta-endorphin(β-EP), and endogenous nitric oxide(NO) in rat serum were measured using specific assay kits. The entropy weight method was used to analyze the weights of various indicators. The protein expression levels of nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB), inhibitor kappaB alpha(IκBα), phosphorylated IκBα(p-IκBα), and phosphorylated inhibitor of NF-κB kinase alpha(p-IKKα) in brain tissue were determined using Western blot. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expression of chemokine-like factor 1(CKLF1) and C-C chemokine receptor 5(CCR5) in rat brain tissue. Compared with the sham operation group, the model group showed significantly higher neurological functional impairment scores, prolonged adhesive removal time, decreased cerebral blood flow, increased neuronal damage, reduced survival rate, significantly increased levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, CGRP, and NO in serum, significantly decreased levels of VEGF and β-EP, significantly increased expression levels of NF-κB p65, p-IκBα/IκBα, and p-IKKα in rat brain tissue, and significantly upregulated protein expression of CKLF1 and CCR5. Compared with the model group, the high-dose LJTT group significantly improved the neurological functional score of pMCAO rats after oral administration for 7 days. LJTT at all doses significantly reduced adhesive removal time and restored cerebral blood flow. The high-and medium-dose LJTT groups significantly improved neuronal damage. The LJTT groups at all doses showed reduced levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, CGRP, and NO in rat serum, increased VEGF and β-EP levels, and significantly decreased expression levels of NF-κB p65, p-IκBα/IκBα, p-IKKα, and CCR5 protein in rat brain tissue. The entropy weight analysis revealed that CGRP and β-EP were significantly affected during the model induction, and LJTT exhibited a strong effect in reducing the release of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-1β. LJTT may exert a neuroprotective effect on rats with permanent cerebral ischemia by reducing neuroinflammatory damage, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway and the regulation of the CKLF1/CCR5 axis. Additionally, LJTT may exert certain analgesic effects by reducing CGRP and NO levels and increasing β-EP levels.
Rats ; Male ; Animals ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha/metabolism* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/genetics* ; I-kappa B Kinase/pharmacology* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/pharmacology* ; Interleukin-6/genetics* ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide/pharmacology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; Brain Ischemia/drug therapy* ; Tablets

Rhein, which is one of the main active components of Rheum palmatum, has a range of pharmacological activities such as the regulation of the metabolism of glucose and lipids, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-fibrosis, etc. Epigenetics refers to the heritable variation of gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. It is involved in the emergence and development of inflammation, renal fibrosis, diabetes, cancer, atherosclerosis, and other diseases, thus becoming a new strategy for the treatment of many di-seases. A series of studies have shown that epigenetic modification may be a common molecular mechanism of various pharmacological effects of rhein. This paper summarized the effects of rhein on the regulation of epigenetic modification and its underlying mechanisms, which involve the regulation of DNA methylation, protein acetylation, and RNA methylation, so as to provide a basis for the development and application of rhein.
Humans ; Anthraquinones/pharmacology* ; DNA Methylation ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Fibrosis