Oral health is closely related to facial aesthetics, mastication, pronunciation, and systemic diseases. Flexible sensors can improve current deficiencies in clinical diagnosis and treatment through oral health monitoring. This paper reviews the research on and application of flexible sensors in oral health monitoring in recent years, providing a reference for the further development of flexible sensors in the oral field. The structural basis of flexible sensors includes a flexible substrate, stretchable electrodes, and an active layer, and each part is designed through material selection to adapt to the oral environment. The sensing mechanisms of sensors involve electricity, optics, electrochemistry, and immunology, among which electro-chemical, biological, and optical sensors are particularly prominent in the oral field. The monitored signals include physical signals such as orthodontic force, bite force, respiratory humidity, and implant temperature; chemical signals such as saliva metabolites and oral gases; and biological signals such as periodontal disease and oral cancer markers. At present, flexible sensors still face many challenges in this special oral environment. Future research directions include improving the biocompatibility, moisture resistance, and flexible fitting ability of sensors in the oral cavity; using temperature-insensitive materials and protective films to improve stability; and introducing artificial receptors and sensor arrays to improve factors such as selectivity. In addition, multi-disciplinary cooperation is crucial for breaking through current bottlenecks and achieving more accurate disease diagnosis and health monitoring. In the field of stomatology, finding specific biomarkers related to corresponding oral diseases is the key to sensor health monitoring. Through these efforts, flexible sensors are expected to gain more extensive applications in the field of oral health monitoring.

Increasing evidence shows that the early lesions of Parkinson's disease (PD) originate from gut, and correction of microbiota dysbiosis is a promising therapy for PD. FLZ is a neuroprotective agent on PD, which has been validated capable of alleviating microbiota dysbiosis in PD mice. However, the detailed mechanisms still need elucidated. Through metabolomics and 16S rRNA analysis, we identified glycoursodeoxycholic acid (GUDCA) was the most affected differential microbial metabolite by FLZ treatment, which was specially and negatively regulated by Clostridium innocuum, a differential microbiota with the strongest correlation to GUDCA production, through inhibiting bile salt hydrolase (BSH) enzyme. The protection of GUDCA on colon and brain were also clarified in PD models, showing that it could activate Nrf2 pathway, further validating that FLZ protected dopaminergic neurons through promoting GUDCA production. Our study uncovered that FLZ improved PD through microbiota-gut-brain axis, and also gave insights into modulation of microbial metabolites may serve as an important strategy for treating PD.

Although enteric glial cell (EGC) abnormal activation is reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), and inhibition of EGC gliosis alleviated gut and dopaminergic neuronal dysfunction was verified in our previous study, the potential role of gut microbiota on EGC function in PD still need to be addressed. In the present study, fecal microbiota transplantation revealed that EGC function was regulated by gut microbiota. By employing 16S rRNA and metabolomic analysis, we identified that 3-indolepropionic acid (IPA) was the most affected differential microbial metabolite that regulated EGC gliosis. The protective effects of IPA on PD were validated in rotenone-stimulated EGCs and rotenone (30 mg/kg i.g. for 4 weeks)-induced PD mice, as indicated by decreased inflammation, improved intestinal and brain barrier as well as dopaminergic neuronal function. Mechanistic study showed that IPA targeted pregnane X receptor (PXR) in EGCs, and inhibition of IL-13Rα1 involved cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway, leading to inactivation of downstream JAK1-STAT6 pathway. Our data not only provided evidence that EGC gliosis was critical in spreading intestinal damage to brain, but also highlighted the potential role of microbial metabolite IPA in alleviating PD pathological damages through gut-brain axis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) poses a severe global health challenge with high incidence and mortality rates. USP37 has been identified as the bona fide deubiquitinase of SND1, playing a critical role in stabilizing SND1, thereby augmenting its oncogenic potential. The interaction between USP37 and SND1 was confirmed through extensive proteomics, ubiquitinomics, and interactomics, underscoring their synergistic effects on CRC proliferation and metastasis. Additionally, CDK1 has emerged as a pivotal regulator of USP37, phosphorylating it at threonine 631 rather than serine 628, enhancing its deubiquitinase activity, and consequently stabilizing SND1 to drive CRC malignancy further. Histological analyses of human CRC samples linked the upregulation of CDK1 and USP37 with increased SND1 levels and poor patient prognosis. High-throughput virtual screening and subsequent experimental validation identified Dacarbazine as a pharmacological inhibitor of USP37, and its inhibition disrupted SND1 stability, hindering CRC cell proliferation and metastasis. This study reveals a novel and promising molecular mechanism driving CRC progression through the CDK1-USP37-SND1 axis, highlighting the clinical importance of targeting this pathway to improve patient outcomes.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2025.02.029.].

Abstract: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), whose pathogenesis remains elusive, is a group of autoimmune diseases characterized by chronic, progressive, and lifelong inflammation of the digestive tract. The pathogenesis of IBD remains elusive. Although a number of drugs have been developed to treat IBD, their effects are merely anti-inflammatory. In addition, current treatments for IBD are easily susceptible to resistance in clinical practice. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been reported to have the ability to migrate to the site of inflammation, with potent immunoregulatory effects, and to rebalance the immune microenvironment and restore the integrity of the epithelial barrier with significant value of application, particularly for patients who are refractory to classic medicines. In this paper, we reviewed the clinical applications, mechanisms and engineerable properties of MSC products and their exosomes to provide some reference for the use of MSCs and their exosomes in the treatment of IBD.

Background Shoemaking industry workers are prone to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) due to long-term awkward postures during the work process. There is little research on the prevalence and influencing factors of WMSDs in the knee region of this industry, and it should be taken seriously. Objective To estimate the prevalence of work-related knee pain among shoemaking workers and analyze the related influencing factors. Methods A total of 6982 shoemaking workers were selected from 26 shoemaking factories in Guangdong, Hubei, Fujian, Chongqing, Shandong, Zhejiang, and Jingxi by convenience sampling. Prevalence of work-related knee pain in past year, demographic characteristics, occupational related factors, and work posture were collected by a cross-sectional survey using the electronic version of Musculoskeletal Disorder Questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors that may lead to work-related knee pain. Results This survey collected 6982 valid questionnaires with a recovery rate of 98.3%. The prevalence of work-related knee pain of shoemaking workers in the past 12 months was 13.0% (908/6982). According to the results of logistic regression analysis, compared with workers with less than 5 years of service, workers with 5-10 years of service (OR=1.21, 95%CI: 1.02, 1.45) and more than 10 years (1.53, 95%CI: 1.27, 1.83) showed a higher risk of knee WMSDs; sometimes, often and very frequent (reference : rarely or never) long-term standing (OR=1.33, 95%CI: 1.08, 1.64; OR=2.67, 95%CI: 2.10, 3.39; OR=2.75, 95%CI: 2.08, 3.63) and sometimes, often and very frequent (reference: rarely or never) long-term squatting or kneeling (OR=1.80, 95%CI: 1.47, 2.21; OR=2.43, 95%CI: 1.58, 3.75; OR=3.22, 95%CI: 1.66, 6.24) increased the risk of knee pain: long-term bending (OR=1.59, 95%CI: 1.34, 1.89) and often repeated movement of lower limbs and ankles (OR=1.48, 95%CI: 1.25, 1.75) were also risk factors for knee WMSDs among shoemaking industry workers (P<0.05). Adequate rest time (OR=0.58, 95%CI: 0.49, 0.68) and able to stretch or change leg posture (OR=0.75, 95%CI: 0.64, 0.88) reduced the risk of knee WMSDs (P<0.05). Conclusion In the shoemaking industry, length of service and awkward postures are risk factors for knee pain. The shoemaking enterprises should ensure that workers have sufficient rest time, reduce long-term standing, squatting, kneeling, and bending postures, as well as lower limbs repetition in order to reduce the occurrence of knee WMSDs of workers.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of autologous hair follicle stem cell transplantation for hair restoration in patients with alopecia. Methods Ten patients with alopecia, including five with androgenic alopecia and five with seborrheic alopecia, were selected from November 2022 to May 2023. They were treated with autologous hair follicle stem cell transplantation. Data before treatment were used as the control group, and data after treatment were used as the study group. Follow-up was conducted for 3 to 8 months. The FPF scoring system was designed to collect data and evaluate the treatment effect. Results Nine patients had an improvement score of ≥7 points, and one patient had an improvement score of 2 points, with a treatment excellence rate of 90% (9/10). Compared with the total score of (2.81±0.92) points in the control group, the total score of the study group was (9.00±2.21) points, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion Autologous hair follicle stem cell transplantation for hair restoration is safe and effective, and has a broad range of indications.

{L-End}Objective To investigate the current status and influencing factors of leg work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in shipbuilding workers. {L-End}Methods A total of 3 393 shipbuilding workers from Guangdong Province, Liaoning Province, Shandong Province, and Beijing City were selected as the research subjects using the convenience sampling method. The Chinese Version of the Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire was used to investigate the prevalence of leg WMSDs in the past year. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of leg WMSDs. {L-End}Results The prevalence of leg WMSDs in the research subjects was 11.3% (382/3 393). The result of multivariate logistic regression showed that the risk of leg WMSDs was higher in workers with a length of service >10 years than those with a length of service <5 years (P<0.05). Workers with frequent used of vibration tools at work had higher the risk of leg WMSDs (all P<0.05). Workers who did the same work every day, had insufficient rest time, had a shortage of department staff, and those who often repeated the same leg movements had a higher risk of leg WMSDs (all P<0.05). The risk of leg WMSDs in workers who sometimes stand for a long time was lower than that in workers who rarely stand for a long time (P<0.01). {L-End}Conclusion Length of service, rarely long-standing work, use of vibration tools at work, daily engagement in the same work, in-adequate rest time, shortage of department staff, and frequent repetition of the same leg movements are all influencing factors for leg WMSDs in shipbuilding workers.

Gluconobacter oxydans are widely used in industrial due to its ability of oxidizing carbohydrate rapidly. However, the limited gene manipulation methods and less of efficient gene editing tools impose restrictions on its application in industrial production. In recent years, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) system has been widely used in genome editing and transcriptional regulation which improves the efficiency of genome editing greatly. Here we constructed a CRISPR/dCpf1-mediated gene transcriptional repression system, the expression of a nuclease inactivation Cpf1 protein (dCpf1) in Gluconobacter oxydans together with a 19 nt direct repeats showed effective repression in gene transcription. This system in single gene repression had strong effect and the relative repression level had been increased to 97.9%. While it could be applied in multiplex gene repression which showed strong repression ability at the same time. Furthermore, this system was used in the metabolic pathway of L-sorbose and the regulatory of respiratory chain. The development of CRISPR transcriptional repression system effectively covered the shortage of current gene regulation methods in G. oxydans and provided an efficient gene manipulation tool for metabolic engineering modification in G. oxydans.
CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics* ; Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/genetics* ; Gene Editing ; Gene Expression ; Gluconobacter oxydans/genetics* ; Metabolic Engineering