1.Optimized lipid nanoparticles enable effective CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing in dendritic cells for enhanced immunotherapy.
Kuirong MAO ; Huizhu TAN ; Xiuxiu CONG ; Ji LIU ; Yanbao XIN ; Jialiang WANG ; Meng GUAN ; Jiaxuan LI ; Ge ZHU ; Xiandi MENG ; Guojiao LIN ; Haorui WANG ; Jing HAN ; Ming WANG ; Yong-Guang YANG ; Tianmeng SUN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(1):642-656
Immunotherapy has emerged as a revolutionary approach to treat immune-related diseases. Dendritic cells (DCs) play a pivotal role in orchestrating immune responses, making them an attractive target for immunotherapeutic interventions. Modulation of gene expression in DCs using genome editing techniques, such as the CRISPR-Cas system, is important for regulating DC functions. However, the precise delivery of CRISPR-based therapies to DCs has posed a significant challenge. While lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have been extensively studied for gene editing in tumor cells, their potential application in DCs has remained relatively unexplored. This study investigates the important role of cholesterol in regulating the efficiency of BAMEA-O16B lipid-assisted nanoparticles (BLANs) as carriers of CRISPR/Cas9 for gene editing in DCs. Remarkably, BLANs with low cholesterol density exhibit exceptional mRNA uptake, improved endosomal escape, and efficient single-guide RNA release capabilities. Administration of BLANmCas9/gPD-L1 results in substantial PD-L1 gene knockout in conventional dendritic cells (cDCs), accompanied by heightened cDC1 activation, T cell stimulation, and significant suppression of tumor growth. The study underscores the pivotal role of cholesterol density within LNPs, revealing potent influence on gene editing efficacy within DCs. This strategy holds immense promise for the field of cancer immunotherapy, offering a novel avenue for treating immune-related diseases.
2.Inhibition of WAC alleviates the chondrocyte proinflammatory secretory phenotype and cartilage degradation via H2BK120ub1 and H3K27me3 coregulation.
Peitao XU ; Guiwen YE ; Xiaojun XU ; Zhidong LIU ; Wenhui YU ; Guan ZHENG ; Zepeng SU ; Jiajie LIN ; Yunshu CHE ; Yipeng ZENG ; Zhikun LI ; Pei FENG ; Qian CAO ; Zhongyu XIE ; Yanfeng WU ; Huiyong SHEN ; Jinteng LI
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(8):4064-4077
Several types of arthritis share the common feature that the generation of inflammatory mediators leads to joint cartilage degradation. However, the shared mechanism is largely unknown. H2BK120ub1 was reportedly involved in various inflammatory diseases but its role in the shared mechanism in inflammatory joint conditions remains elusive. The present study demonstrated that levels of cartilage degradation, H2BK120ub1, and its regulator WW domain-containing adapter protein with coiled-coil (WAC) were increased in cartilage in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) patients as well as in experimental RA and OA mice. By regulating H2BK120ub1 and H3K27me3, WAC regulated the secretion of inflammatory and cartilage-degrading factors. WAC influenced the level of H3K27me3 by regulating nuclear entry of the H3K27 demethylase KDM6B, and acted as a key factor of the crosstalk between H2BK120ub1 and H3K27me3. The cartilage-specific knockout of WAC demonstrated the ability to alleviate cartilage degradation in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and collagenase-induced osteoarthritis (CIOA) mice. Through molecular docking and dynamic simulation, doxercalciferol was found to inhibit WAC and the development of cartilage degradation in the CIA and CIOA models. Our study demonstrated that WAC is a key factor of cartilage degradation in arthritis, and targeting WAC by doxercalciferol could be a viable therapeutic strategy for treating cartilage destruction in several types of arthritis.
3.Clinical management of thrombocytopenia in cirrhosis
Jianping LI ; Ying TAN ; Hang SUN ; Ganqiu LIN ; Binbin CHEN ; Yue WU ; Zhiwei XIE ; Yaping WANG ; Aiqi LU ; Yujuan GUAN
Chinese Journal of Hepatology 2024;32(6):489-492
Thrombocytopenia is one of the common complications of cirrhotic patients, which can induce an increasing bleeding risk and closely correlate with bleeding following invasive procedures. Consequently, how to respond to thrombocytopenia is crucial for improving the prognosis of patients with cirrhosis. This article reviews the main mechanisms of cirrhosis concurrent with thrombocytopenia, as well as the corresponding clinical management strategies.
4.A phase Ⅱ clinical study of the efficacy and safety of antaitasvir phosphate combined with yiqibuvir for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in adults
Lai WEI ; Hongxin PIAO ; Jinglan JIN ; Shufen YUAN ; Xuan AN ; Jia SHANG ; Wenhua ZHANG ; Jiabao CHANG ; Tong SUN ; Yujuan GUAN ; Bo NING ; Jing ZHU ; Wentao GUO ; Qingwei HE ; Lin LUO ; Yulei ZHUANG ; Hongming XIE ; Yingjun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Hepatology 2024;32(7):637-642
Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of antaitasvir phosphate 100 mg or 200 mg combined with yiqibuvir for 12 weeks in patients with various genotypes of chronic hepatitis C, without cirrhosis or compensated stage cirrhosis.Methods:Patients with chronic hepatitis C (without cirrhosis or compensated stage cirrhosis) were randomly assigned to the antaitasvir phosphate 100 mg+yiqibuvir 600 mg group (100 mg group) or the antaitasvir phosphate 200 mg+yiqibuvir 600 mg group (200 mg group) in a 1∶1 ratio. The drugs were continuously administered once a day for 12 weeks and observed for 24 weeks after drug withdrawal. The drug safety profile was assessed concurrently with the observation of the sustained virological response (SVR12) in the two patient groups 12 weeks following the drug cessation. The intention-to-treat concept was used to define as closely as possible a full analysis set, including all randomized cases who received the experimental drug at least once. The safety set was collected from all subjects who received the experimental drug at least once (regardless of whether they participated in the randomization group) in this study. All efficacy endpoints and safety profile data were summarized using descriptive statistics. The primary efficacy endpoint was SVR12. The primary analysis was performed on a full analysis set. The frequency and proportion of cases were calculated in the experimental drug group (antaitasvir phosphate capsules combined with yiqibuvir tablets) that achieved "HCV RNA
5.Postmortem Diffusion of Aconitum Alkaloids and Their Metabolites in Rabbits
Jia-Hao LIANG ; Ming CHENG ; Xiao-Jun LU ; Yan-Hua SHI ; Yun SUN ; Qing-Lin GUAN ; Tao WANG ; Meng HU ; Ke-Ming YUN ; Hai-Yan CUI
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2024;40(2):186-191
Objective To explore the postmortem diffusion rule of Aconitum alkaloids and their metabo-lites in poisoned rabbits,and to provide a reference for identifying the antemortem poisoning or post-mortem poisoning of Aconitum alkaloids.Methods Twenty-four rabbits were sacrificed by tracheal clamps.After 1 hour,the rabbits were administered with aconitine LD50 in decocting aconite root powder by intragastric administration.Then,they were placed supine and stored at 25℃.The biological samples from 3 randomly selected rabbits were collected including heart blood,peripheral blood,urine,heart,liver,spleen,lung and kidney tissues at 0 h,4 h,8 h,12 h,24 h,48 h,72 h and 96 h after intragastric administration,respectively.Aconitum alkaloids and their metabolites in the biological samples were ana-lyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS).Results At 4 h after intragastric administration,Aconitum alkaloids and their metabolites could be detected in heart blood,peripheral blood and major organs,and the contents of them changed dynamically with the preservation time.The contents of Aconitum alkaloids and their metabolites were higher in the spleen,liver and lung,especially in the spleen which was closer to the stomach.The average mass fraction of benzoylmesaconine metabolized in rabbit spleen was the highest at 48 h after intragastric administration.In contrast,the contents of Aconitum alkaloids and their metabolites in kidney were all lower.Aconi-tum alkaloids and their metabolites were not detected in urine.Conclusion Aconitum alkaloids and their metabolites have postmortem diffusion in poisoned rabbits,diffusing from high-content organs(stomach)to other major organs and tissues as well as the heart blood.The main mechanism is the dispersion along the concentration gradient,while urine is not affected by postmortem diffusion,which can be used as the basis for the identification of antemortem and postmortem Aconitum alkaloids poisoning.
6.A novel TNKS/USP25 inhibitor blocks the Wnt pathway to overcome multi-drug resistance in TNKS-overexpressing colorectal cancer.
Hongrui ZHU ; Yamin GAO ; Liyun LIU ; Mengyu TAO ; Xiao LIN ; Yijia CHENG ; Yaoyao SHEN ; Haitao XUE ; Li GUAN ; Huimin ZHAO ; Li LIU ; Shuping WANG ; Fan YANG ; Yongjun ZHOU ; Hongze LIAO ; Fan SUN ; Houwen LIN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2024;14(1):207-222
Modulating Tankyrases (TNKS), interactions with USP25 to promote TNKS degradation, rather than inhibiting their enzymatic activities, is emerging as an alternative/specific approach to inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Here, we identified UAT-B, a novel neoantimycin analog isolated from Streptomyces conglobatus, as a small-molecule inhibitor of TNKS-USP25 protein-protein interaction (PPI) to overcome multi-drug resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC). The disruption of TNKS-USP25 complex formation by UAT-B led to a significant decrease in TNKS levels, triggering cell apoptosis through modulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Importantly, UAT-B successfully inhibited the CRC cells growth that harbored high TNKS levels, as demonstrated in various in vitro and in vivo studies utilizing cell line-based and patient-derived xenografts, as well as APCmin/+ spontaneous CRC models. Collectively, these findings suggest that targeting the TNKS-USP25 PPI using a small-molecule inhibitor represents a compelling therapeutic strategy for CRC treatment, and UAT-B emerges as a promising candidate for further preclinical and clinical investigations.
7.Quantitative diagnosis of early acute compartment syndrome using two-dimensional shear wave elastography in a rabbit model
Jun ZHANG ; Kunlong DUAN ; Junci WEI ; Wanfu ZHANG ; Huihui ZHOU ; Lin SANG ; Yuanyuan SUN ; Xue GONG ; Hao GUAN ; Ming YU
Ultrasonography 2024;43(5):345-353
Purpose:
This study explored the association of the elasticity modulus and shear wave velocity (SWV) of the tibialis anterior muscle, as measured by two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE), with the intracompartmental pressure (ICP) determined using the Whitesides method in a New Zealand rabbit model of acute compartment syndrome (ACS). Additionally, it evaluated the viability of 2D-SWE as a noninvasive, quantitative tool for the early detection of ACS.
Methods:
An ACS model was established through direct external compression by applying pressure bandaging to the lower legs of 15 New Zealand rabbits using neonatal blood pressure cuffs. Another five animals represented a non-modeled control group. To measure the elasticity modulus and SWV of the tibialis anterior muscles, 2D-SWE was employed. Blood oxygen saturation, serum creatine kinase (CK), and myoglobin levels were monitored. Subsequently, the anterior tibial compartment was dissected, and the tibialis anterior was removed for hematoxylin and eosin staining to assess muscle injury.
Results:
The elasticity modulus and SWV of the tibialis anterior muscle increased with compression duration, as did serum CK and myoglobin levels. ICP was strongly positively correlated with these parameters, particularly mean velocity (r=0.942, P<0.001) and CK (r=0.942, P<0.001). Blood oxygen saturation was negatively correlated with ICP (r=-0.887, P<0.001). Histological analysis indicated progressive muscle cell swelling over time, with damage transitioning from reversible to irreversible and culminating in necrosis.
Conclusion
In a rabbit ACS model, ICP was strongly positively correlated with muscle elasticity modulus/SWV. Consequently, 2D-SWE may represent a novel tool for assessing early-phase ACS.
8.Discrete element modeling and breakage behavior analysis of oral solid dosage form particles
Lin-xiu LUO ; Tian-bing GUAN ; An-qi LUO ; Zeng LIU ; Yu-ting WANG ; Yan-ling JIANG ; Zheng LU ; Jing-cao TANG ; Shuang-kou CHEN ; Hui-min SUN ; Chuan-yun DAI
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(4):1057-1066
The breakage pattern of unit particles during the production of oral solid dosage forms (OSD) is closely related to the quality of intermediate or final products. To accurately characterize the particles and study the evolution law of particle breakage, the Bonding model of the discrete element method (DEM) was used to investigate the breakage patterns of model parameters, particle shape and process conditions (loading mode and loading rate) on the dynamic breakage, force-time curve, breakage rate, maximum breakage size ratio and fracture strength of particles. The results showed that the particle breakage force was positively correlated with normal strength and bonded disk scale, negatively correlated with normal stiffness per unit area and tangential stiffness per unit area, and weakly correlated with tangential strength. The particle breakage rate was negatively correlated with the aspect ratio of the particles, and the maximum breakage size ratio was positively correlated with the aspect ratio of the particles; among the three loading modes, the breakage rate of compression breakage model was the largest, the breakage rate of shear breakage model was the second largest, and the breakage rate of wear breakage model was the smallest; the maximum breakage size ratio was positively correlated with the loading rate, the loading mode and the loading rate had no mutual influence on particle breakage rate, but had mutual influence on the maximum breakage size ratio. The research results will provide a theoretical basis for the shift of OSD from batch manufacturing to advanced manufacturing.
9.Liquid chromatography-based bioanalytical technologies for nucleic acid drugs
Shumeng SUN ; Lin LIN ; Daizhou ZHANG ; Xin LI ; Yongxia GUAN ; Kai CHEN
China Pharmacy 2024;35(23):2959-2964
There are three types of bioanalytical methods for nucleic acid drugs, including ligand binding assay, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and liquid chromatography-based bioanalytical technologies. Although the first two assays have high sensitivity, they have poor selectivity and can not differentiate between intact and truncated metabolites. Liquid chromatography- based bioanalytical technologies which are less sensitive, offer high selectivity for the identification of intact and truncated metabolites. They have broad application prospects in both preclinical and clinical investigations of therapeutic nucleic acid drugs. This paper provides a critical review on the characteristics of these technologies and their application to analyze nucleic acid drugs, including high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV), high performance liquid chromatography- fluorescence (HPLC-FL), liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), liquid chromatography-high resolution- mass spectrometry, microflow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (microflow LC-MS/MS) and hybridization liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Although these technologies have high sensitivity except for HPLC-UV, they still have some shortcomings, such as suitable probes need to be designed for HPLC-FL, standard substance for LC-MS/MS, and high cost for microflow LC-MS/MS. In addition, the development of some related strategies or technologies (e.g. non-specific adsorption strategy, sample pretreatment) which can improve the sensitivity, has hastened the development of liquid chromatography-based bioanalytical technologies for nucleic acid drugs.
10.Uyghur Medicine Yangxin Dawayimixike Honey Paste (养心达瓦依米西克蜜膏) in Treatment of 279 Cases Stable Angina Pectoris Patients with Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis Syndrome:A Multi-center,Double-blind,Positive-controlled Randomized Clinical Trial
Binghua JIANG ; Lihua FAN ; Xiaofeng WANG ; Yingmin SONG ; Yanlai ZHANG ; Songyan QIAO ; Jing DONG ; Lihua JIN ; Yanping DING ; MAINISHA·MAIMAITI ; Jixian ZHAO ; Dongsheng GAO ; Qiuping ZHAO ; Lingxia GUAN ; Hongbin SUN ; Meise LIN ; Hengliang WANG ; Jun LI
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;65(21):2225-2233
ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy and safety of Uyghur medicine Yangxin Dawayimixike Honey Paste (养心达瓦依米西克蜜膏, YDMHP) in the treatment of stable angina pectoris (SAP) of qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome. MethodsA randomized , double-blind, positive-controlled,multi-center clinical trial was conducted, in which 370 patients with SAP of qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome were randomly divided into treatment group(279 cases)and control group(91cases)at a ratio of 3∶1. The treatment group was orally administered with YDMHP, 3 g each time, and placebo of Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule (血府逐瘀胶囊), 2.4 g each time, while the control group was treated with Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule, 2.4 g each time, and placebo of YDMHP, 3 g each time, both twice a day for a course of 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the effect of angina pectoris symptom. The secondary outcomes include single angina symptom scores such as number of attacks, duration of attacks, pain intensity and usae of nitroglycerin scores, the total angina symptom score before and after the treatment, the usage of nitroglycerin, the exercise duration in treadmill exercise test (TET) and the Duck treadmill score among patients,the scores of Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) on five dimensions including physical limitations, anginal stability, anginal frequency, treatment satisfaction, and disease perception, and efficacy of TCM syndrome and of each single TCM symptom after treatment. The safety were evaluated by examine blood routine, urine routine, liver and kidney function, fasting blood sugar, electrocardiogram, adverse events. ResultsThe total effective rate of angina symptom in the treatment group was 71.69% (200/279), significantly higher than 51.64% (47/91) in the control group (P<0.01). The curative and markedly effective rate of TCM syndrome in the treatment group was 53.05% (148/279), which was significantly higher than 25.27% (23/91) in the control group (P<0.01). After treatment, scores of the number as well as duration of angina attacks and pain severity, the total score of angina symptoms, and the usage of nitroglycerin significantly decreased in both groups, and more changes were seen in the treatment group than in the control group; the scores of physical limitations, anginal stability, anginal frequency, treatment satisfaction, and disease perception in both groups significantly increased, and more improvement were shown in the experimental group regarding the anginal stability, anginal frequency and treatment satisfaction (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The effects of chest pain, chest tightness, palpitation, shortness of breath and fatigue in experimental group were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the exercise duration of treadmill test and Duke score among patients between the two groups either before or after treatment (P>0.05). Adverse events occurred in 66 cases (23.66%) of the experimental group and 16 cases (17.58%) of the control group, with no statistical significance between the two groups (P>0.05). ConclusionThe Uyghur medicine YDMHP can effectively improve symptoms of angina pectoris, reduce the number, duration, and intensity of attacks, decrease the dosage of nitrogly-cerin and improve the individual TCM symptoms and has good safety in the treatment of SAP patients of qi stagnation and blood stasis.

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