1.Photodynamic performance and anti-lung cancer effect of novel chlorin compounds
Yan QIU ; Hao WU ; Yafen DONG ; Ye CHEN ; Jian WANG ; Hui JIN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2026;44(1):39-45
Objective To study the photodynamic performance and the killing effect of photodynamic therapy on lung cancer of novel chlorin compounds 2-(4-(5,15,20-triphenyl-7H,8H-porphyrin-10-yl) phenoxy) acetic acid(D1)and 4-(4-(5,15,20-triphenyl-7H,8H-porphyrin-10-yl) phenoxy) butanoic acid (D2). Methods The ultraviolet visible absorption spectrum and fluorescence spectrum of D1 and D2 were determined. The singlet oxygen generation capacity of D1 and D2 was measured by using DPBF as singlet oxygen capture agent. Fluorescence assay was used to detect the cellular phagocytosis rate of the compounds in A549 cells, and MTT assay was used to detect their dark toxicity and phototoxicity. A nude mouse model of lung cancer was established to investigate the antitumor activity of the compounds mediated photodynamic action in vivo, and the blood concentration of D2 in nude mice, its distribution in tumor tissue and skin tissue were further detected. Results D1 and D2 had strong absorption at 652 nm with the best excitation wavelength at 429 nm and 427 nm, and the optimal emission wavelength was at about 659 nm. They also had a higher singlet oxygen generation rate than the control drug m-THPC. D1 and D2 had no dark toxicity at concentrations below 10 μmol/L, and could be ingested by A549 cells, basically reaching saturation in 18~24 hours. After laser irradiation at 650 nm wavelength, D1 and D2 showed significant antitumor activity in vivo and in vitro (P<0.01). However, D2 could selectively accumulate in tumor tissues after administration, and the optimal treatment time was less than 30 min after administration. Conclusion D2 had excellent photodynamic antitumor activity and could selectively aggregate in tumor tissues, which had the potential to be a candidate drug for photosensitizer and treatment of lung cancer with independent intellectual property rights, and was worth further research.
2.Construction and validation of machine learning predictive models for the risk of metabolic associated fatty liver disease
Linjie QIU ; Haiyan REN ; Yan REN ; Meijie LI ; Chacha ZOU ; Zijing WU ; Jin ZHANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(4):848-855
ObjectiveTo investigate the value of predictive models established based on machine learning methods in predicting the risk of metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and to analyze its key risk factors. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the 50 variables of 2 168 healthy individuals who underwent physical examination in Department of Health Assessment, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, from January 2021 to December 2024, including body composition, past history, and laboratory tests, and according to whether they were diagnosed with MAFLD or not, they were divided into MAFLD group with 265 individuals and non-MAFLD group with 1 903 individuals. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. Randomly split the research data into a training set and a validation set in a 70% to 30% ratio. Predictive factors were screened from the training set data using univariate analysis, LASSO regression, and multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Predictive models were then constructed using seven machine learning methods: Logistic regression, decision tree, random forest (RF), eXtreme gradient boosting, light gradient boosting machine, support vector machine, and artificial neural network. Model performance was evaluated by plotting receiver operating characteristic curve for the validation set and calculating the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and Youden index for each model. Furthermore, the SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) method was used to analyze the contribution of variables in the optimal model. ResultsThe prevalence rate of MAFLD among the 2 168 subjects was 12.22% (265/2 168). Smoking, diastolic blood pressure, phase angle, visceral fat area, muscle fat ratio, waist-to-hip ratio, aspartate aminotransferase, non-HDL-C/HDL-C ratio, triglyceride-glucose index, and gallstones were independent risk factors for MAFLD (all P<0.05). The seven predictive models of support vector machine, eXtreme gradient boosting, decision tree, light gradient boosting machine, artificial neural network, RF, and Logistic regression had an AUC of 0.738, 0.754, 0.757, 0.786, 0.795, 0.796, and 0.815, respectively, in the validation set, among which the RF model had the best discriminatory ability (AUC=0.796, 95% confidence interval: 0.754 — 0.839), with a sensitivity of 81.01%, a specificity of 63.16%, and a Youden index of 44.17%. The SHAP analysis showed that visceral fat area, waist-to-hip ratio, and diastolic blood pressure were the top three predictive factors in terms of importance. ConclusionThe RF model, constructed based on body composition and clinical indicators, has a good performance in predicting the risk of MAFLD, and its interpretability can help to identify high-risk individuals in the early stage in clinical practice.
3.Innovative Development and Cutting-edge Applications of Split Intein Technology
Jin-Qiu GAN ; Xiang-Yu DENG ; Xin-Yan WANG ; Jia-Bin LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1520-1540
Inteins are unique protein insertion sequences capable of self-excision, enabling the covalent ligation of flanking extein peptides via amide bond formation. This process proceeds spontaneously without requiring external enzymes, cofactors, or chemical reagents, granting inteins exceptional biocompatibility and traceless performance in protein engineering applications. Split inteins represent a specialized and versatile subclass whose splicing domains are encoded by two separate gene fragments rather than a single continuous open reading frame. These fragments, known as the N-terminal (IntN) and C-terminal (IntC) split inteins, associate through non-covalent interactions including hydrophobic forces, hydrogen bonds, and van der Waals forces to assemble into an active three-dimensional structure, which then drives efficient extein ligation and enables protein trans-splicing. Protein trans-splicing mediated by split inteins has become a cornerstone for traceless protein ligation owing to its high specificity and irreversibility, fundamentally reshaping strategies for protein modification, assembly, and functional regulation. Compared with traditional chemical ligation methods, split intein systems require no complex chemical derivatization of peptide fragments and can operate efficiently at micromolar concentrations under physiological conditions, thus avoiding structural and functional damage caused by organic reagents. In contrast to enzymatic ligation tools such as sortase, split inteins eliminate the need for additional enzymes or cofactors, simplifying reaction systems, reducing costs, and minimizing non-specific side products. These distinctive advantages render split inteins highly promising for applications in chemical biology, synthetic biology, and biopharmaceutical development. In recent years, deepened mechanistic understanding has established structure-guided rational design as the primary approach to overcoming key limitations of split inteins, including intrinsic aggregation propensity, strict extein sequence dependence, and limited splicing efficiency. Bioinformatic tools have been used to identify aggregation-prone regions in the IntN fragment, and site-directed mutagenesis of hydrophobic residues, relocation of split sites, or removal of misfolding-prone sequences has substantially reduced in vitro aggregation and improved soluble expression and assembly activity. Rational engineering of catalytic residues and adjacent flexible loops has relaxed strict amino acid preferences at extein junctions, enhancing sequence tolerance and reducing the risk of functional impairment in target proteins. Consensus design based on multiple sequence alignments has yielded ultra-fast splicing variants such as Cfa DnaE and Cat-TerL, which exhibit significantly accelerated kinetics and improved tolerance to denaturing conditions. Meanwhile, advances in structural biology have further clarified the conformational dynamics and catalytic mechanisms of splicing, supporting the precise design of high-performance intein modules. On this basis, electrostatic interaction tuning and metagenomic screening have yielded multiple mutually orthogonal split intein pairs, enabling selective multi-fragment protein ligation and providing new routes for the efficient synthesis of large multi-domain functional proteins. With these engineered split inteins offering continuously improved performance and expanded applicability, protein trans-splicing has been widely applied in numerous cutting-edge areas of protein research and biomedicine. In gene delivery, split intein-based systems overcome the packaging limit of adeno-associated viral vectors, enabling the accurate reconstitution of large therapeutic proteins and base editors in target cells, thereby enhancing the efficacy and scope of gene therapy for genetic diseases. In internal protein sequence editing, split inteins mediate precise sequence replacement and modification in flexible regions or loops of target proteins, without the need for complex multi-step ligation and protein refolding involved in traditional protein semisynthesis. In protein-protein interaction studies, intein-mediated splicing covalently captures transient and weak intracellular complexes, enabling sensitive, high-throughput interaction detection and drug screening. In synthetic biology, conditionally controllable splicing systems support the construction of diverse intracellular and cell-surface biological logic gates for the precise regulation of cellular behavior. In mechanistic biochemical research, split inteins enable photocatalytic proximity labeling and site-specific tagging, allowing the preparation of homogeneous protein samples carrying precise post-translational modifications such as ubiquitination and polyglutamylation for chromatin interactome analysis and epigenetic studies. Moreover, covalent trapping strategies using split inteins stabilize transient enzymatic intermediates, providing unprecedented insights into molecular mechanisms such as nucleosome ubiquitination that are difficult to elucidate using conventional methods. This review systematically summarizes key technological advances in split inteins over the past decade, highlighting engineering strategies, mechanistic insights, and the development of orthogonal components. It comprehensively surveys emerging applications at the frontiers of protein research, analyzes current core challenges, and proposes future directions, particularly emphasizing artificial intelligence-driven de novo design and novel splicing pathways to break existing technical bottlenecks. By enabling traceless, efficient, and versatile protein manipulation, split inteins continue to serve as indispensable tools that drive innovation in protein engineering and fundamental life science research.
4.Long-chain acylcoenzyme A synthase 4 regulates effects of fatty acid synthase on malignant biological behavior of esophageal cancer cells and resistance of gefitinib
Qian-hua ZHOU ; Lei JIANG ; Zhang-gui WANG ; Chao RUI ; Yi-min SHI ; Yan-xin FANG ; Qiu-shui JIN
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(6):1108-1115
Aim To investigate the effect of ACSL4 on the malignant biological behavior of esophageal cancer cells and gefitinib resistance by regulating FASN,and to explore the related mechanism.Methods Thirty-five fresh esophageal cancer tissues and adjacent nor-mal tissues,and 30 esophageal cancer tissues with ge-fitinib resistance were collected.The expressions of ACSL4 and FASN were detected by qRT-PCR and im-munohistochemistry.The expression levels of ACSL4 and FASN in human normal esophageal cells HET-1 A,esophageal cancer cell lines ECA109,EC9706,TE-1 and TE-1/GR were detected by qRT-PCR.Cells in each group were constructed by liposome transfection technique,and the drug resistance and proliferation a-bility of cells were detected by cloning and CCK-8 as-say,cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry,cell invasion ability was detected by Transwell,and EMT pathway protein expression was detected by Western blot.Results Compared with adjacent normal tis-sues,the expression of ACSL4 and FASN genes in cancer tissues increased,and there was a positive corre-lation.The expression of ACSL4 significantly increased in ECA109,EC9706 and TE-1 cells compared with HET-1 A cells.With the increase of gefitinib concen-tration,the expression of ACSL4 in TE-1 cells gradually increased,and the expression of ACSL4 in TE-1/GR cells was higher than that of TE-1.Compared with the control group and the si-NC group,the cell proliferation and invasion ability of si-ACSL4 group decreased,the number of apoptosis increased,the expression of E-Cadherin increased,and the expression of N-Cadherin,Vimentin and β-catenin decreased.The response ex-periment showed that compared with the si-ACSL4 group and the si-ACSL4+oe-NC group,the cells in the si-ACSL4+oe-FASN group increased drug resistance,increased proliferation and invasion ability,decreased apoptosis number and decreased expression of E-Cad-herin.The expressions of N-Cadherin,Vimentin and β-catenin increased.Conclusions By down-regulating the expression of FASN,ACSL4 reverses the resistance of esophageal cancer TE-1/GR cells to gefitinib and in-hibits the proliferation,invasion and accelerates apopto-sis of TE-1/GR cells,which may be related to the regu-lation of EMT signaling pathway.
5.Cost-effectiveness and mortality risk impact on elderly health management of essential public health services:A case study in Henan Province
Zhi-ping GUO ; Rong-mei LIU ; Neng-guang DAI ; Yi LI ; Tong JIN ; Qiu-ping ZHAO ; Hao SHI ; Chun-rong BAO ; Yan-qing MIAO
Chinese Journal of Health Policy 2025;18(11):17-24
Objective:To evaluate the cost-effectiveness and impact on mortality of health management services for the elderly aged 65 years and older in national essential public health service project.Methods:Based on the data of county-level medical institutions in Henan Province from 2019 to 2024,the Random Forest Method was used to construct a counterfactual framework to predict the hospitalization expenses under the unmanaged scenario,and then the cost-benefit ratio(BCR)and net income were calculated.Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the effect of health management on all-cause mortality and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease mortality in the elderly.Results:A total of 962 955 elderly patients were included,451 119(46.85%)were included in the management group.The average hospitalization cost of the management group was significantly lower than that of the non-management group(P<0.05).Except for 2020-2021,BCRS in 2019 and 2022-2024 were 6.34,2.05,4.45 and 6.60,respectively.The risk of all-cause death was reduced by 76.96%,and the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular death was reduced by 75.57%in the elderly patients included in the management group compared with those not included in the management group.Suggestions:It is necessary to establish a health outcomes-based evaluation system and promote the transformation and upgrading of the service model from single chronic disease management to"integrated health services with multi-disease management".
6.Formulation and Analysis of the Standard for Medication Error Management
Su SU ; Jin LU ; Ling TAN ; Feng QIU ; Jiancun ZHEN ; Suying YAN
Herald of Medicine 2025;44(3):392-395
To standardize the management of medication errors in medical institutions,the Pharmaceutical Specialized Committee of the Chinese Hospital Association led the formulation of the Pharmacy Management—Adverse Drug Reaction Manage-ment—Medication Error Management.The formulation process referred to national regulations,policies,books,and consensus on medication error management.This article described the development process of this standard and provided an in-depth analysis of its key contents.It aimed to guide and inform medical institutions,helping them thoroughly understand and master the requirements for medication error management.The article enhanced the management of medication errors and ensured the safety and effective-ness of medication.
7.Formulation and Analysis of the Standard for Adverse Drug Reaction Management
Liwei JI ; Suying YAN ; Wei ZHANG ; Feng QIU ; Jin LU ; Jiancun ZHEN ; Ling TAN
Herald of Medicine 2025;44(3):396-399
To standardize the management of adverse drug reactions in medical institutions and ensure medicine safety,based on relevant national regulations,normative documents,international and domestic adverse drug reaction management guide-lines,and expert opinions,the Chinese Hospital Association Pharmaceutical Specialized Committee led the development of the ad-verse drug reaction management standard.This article elaborated on the formulation process of this standard and provides an in-depth analysis of its key contents.It aimed to offer guidance and reference for medical personnel,helping them to thoroughly under-stand and master the management requirements of adverse drug reactions,thereby enhancing the management level of adverse drug reactions and ensuring the safe use of medications for patients.
8.Preliminary study on the relationship between the degree of transverse sinus stenosis and cerebral blood flow in normal adults based on four-dimensional flow MRI
Xu HAN ; Heyu DING ; Chihang DAI ; Xiaoyu QIU ; Yan HUANG ; Ruowei TANG ; Shusheng GONG ; Long JIN ; Zhenghan YANG ; Zhenchang WANG ; Pengfei ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Radiology 2025;59(3):269-276
Objective:To evaluate the relationship between transverse sinus stenosis (TSS) and cerebral blood flow in normal adults based on four-dimensional flow (4D Flow) MRI.Methods:The study was a cross-sectional study. Totally 81 normal volunteers who underwent magnetic resonance venography (MRV) and 4D Flow MRI were prospectively enrolled at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2020 to December 2022. Based on MRV evaluation of transverse sinus dysplasia, the volunteers were divided into a dysplasia group (26 cases) and a non-dysplasia group (55 cases); The area of the stenosis and the normal transverse sinus at the distal end were measured. The degree of TSS and the bilateral average transverse sinus stenosis (BA-TSS) were calculated. TSS was determined using TSS levels of 1/3, 1/2, and 2/3 as thresholds, and was divided into three groups: no TSS group, unilateral TSS group, and bilateral TSS group, with 28, 39, and 14 cases, 37, 37, and 7 cases, and 43, 36, and 2 cases, respectively. Based on 4D Flow MRI, the blood flow of the internal carotid artery, vertebral artery, superior sagittal sinus, straight sinus, and transverse sinus distal and proximal ends were measured. The cerebral blood flow (bilateral internal carotid artery blood flow+bilateral vertebral artery blood flow), venous sinus return blood flow 1 (superior sagittal sinus blood flow+straight sinus blood flow), return blood flow 2 (sum of bilateral transverse sinus distal end blood flow), return blood flow 3 (sum of bilateral transverse sinus proximal end blood flow), and the ratio of return blood flow to cerebral blood flow were calculated. Independent sample t-test was used to compare the differences between the group with and without transverse sinus dysplasia; Single factor analysis of variance was used to compare the differences between the TSS free group, unilateral TSS group, and bilateral TSS group. Based on single factor linear regression, the relationships between BA-TSS and blood flow parameters were analyzed.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in various blood flow parameters between the group with and without transverse sinus dysplasia (all P>0.05). When using 1/3, 1/2, and 2/3 as thresholds, there was no statistically significant difference in various blood flow parameters between the non TSS group, unilateral TSS group, and bilateral TSS group (all P>0.05). BA-TSS was linearly positively correlated with cerebral blood flow (β=0.986, 95% CI 0.108-1.865, P=0.028), but not linearly correlated with return blood flow 1, 2, and 3 (all P>0.05). The degree of BA-TSS was linearly negatively correlated with return blood flow 1/cerebral blood flow (β=-0.001, 95% CI -0.002-0, P=0.009) and return blood flow 2/cerebral blood flow (β=-0.001, 95% CI -0.002-0, P=0.018), but not with return blood flow 3/cerebral blood flow ( P=0.076). Conclusion:The BA-TSS degree in normal adults is positively correlated with cerebral blood inflow and negatively correlated with the proportion of venous sinus outflow.
9.Formulation and Analysis of the Standard for Medication Error Management
Su SU ; Jin LU ; Ling TAN ; Feng QIU ; Jiancun ZHEN ; Suying YAN
Herald of Medicine 2025;44(3):392-395
To standardize the management of medication errors in medical institutions,the Pharmaceutical Specialized Committee of the Chinese Hospital Association led the formulation of the Pharmacy Management—Adverse Drug Reaction Manage-ment—Medication Error Management.The formulation process referred to national regulations,policies,books,and consensus on medication error management.This article described the development process of this standard and provided an in-depth analysis of its key contents.It aimed to guide and inform medical institutions,helping them thoroughly understand and master the requirements for medication error management.The article enhanced the management of medication errors and ensured the safety and effective-ness of medication.
10.Formulation and Analysis of the Standard for Adverse Drug Reaction Management
Liwei JI ; Suying YAN ; Wei ZHANG ; Feng QIU ; Jin LU ; Jiancun ZHEN ; Ling TAN
Herald of Medicine 2025;44(3):396-399
To standardize the management of adverse drug reactions in medical institutions and ensure medicine safety,based on relevant national regulations,normative documents,international and domestic adverse drug reaction management guide-lines,and expert opinions,the Chinese Hospital Association Pharmaceutical Specialized Committee led the development of the ad-verse drug reaction management standard.This article elaborated on the formulation process of this standard and provides an in-depth analysis of its key contents.It aimed to offer guidance and reference for medical personnel,helping them to thoroughly under-stand and master the management requirements of adverse drug reactions,thereby enhancing the management level of adverse drug reactions and ensuring the safe use of medications for patients.

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