1.Development and validation of PhenoRAG: A visualization tool for automated human phenotype ontology term annotation based on large language models and retrieval-augmented generation technology.
Wei ZHONG ; Yousheng YAN ; Kai YANG ; Yan LIU ; Xinyu FU ; Zhengyang YAO ; Chenghong YIN
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2026;43(1):36-43
OBJECTIVE:
To develop a user-friendly visualization application for the automatic annotation of Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) terms based on large language models and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) technology, and to validate its performance in an authoritative case dataset.
METHODS:
By integrating the domestic open-source large language model DeepSeek-V3 with RAG technology, an interactive web application was deployed on the Streamlit cloud platform. Using only the latest official HPO dataset as the data source, the lightweight sentence-embedding model BAAI/bge-small-en-v1.5 was employed to construct a FAISS vector index. During the online phase, a four-step closed-loop process is automatically completed: multilingual translation, phenotype phrase extraction, RAG candidate retrieval, term mapping, and official database validation. 121 English case reports publicly released by BMJ Case Reports and Oxford Medical Case Reports (with a gold-standard HPO set of 1 794 terms) were selected for application validation. Precision, recall, and F1 score were calculated and compared horizontally with traditional dictionary tools, standalone large language models, and the similar application "RAG-HPO". Finally, replace the model with the more advanced ChatGPT-5 and evaluate its performance on the newly extracted dataset.
RESULTS:
An HPO term automatic annotation visualization application named PhenoRAG, based on large language models and RAG technology, was successfully developed. Users can access it directly via a web link. Across the 112 cases, a total of 2 150 HPO terms were generated; 2,064 (96.0%) were fully validated by the official database, with a hallucination rate of 1.3% and an HPO ID-name mismatch rate of 2.7%. After deduplication, 1,906 terms remained for testing. The overall precision was 63.65%, recall was 67.34%, and F1 was 65.44%, significantly outperforming traditional annotation tools (F1: 0.45-0.49, P < 0.001). Although PhenoRAG's F1 was lower than that of RAG-HPO (F1 = 0.78, P < 0.001), which relies on a manually constructed synonym database of 54 000 entries plus the HPO dataset, it requires no additional dictionary maintenance and can be used without any background in computer programming. Moreover, after switching to the GPT-5 model, PhenoRAG exhibited no hallucination rate on the new dataset, and its F1 score significantly increased (P = 0.038).
CONCLUSION
Without constructing a synonym database, the PhenoRAG achieved high-accuracy automatic mapping from clinical text to standard HPO terms. It features a low usage threshold, free access, and a Chinese-language interface, and can directly serve rare disease diagnosis, genetic counseling, and research scenarios in China and worldwide, warranting further clinical promotion and multicenter validation.
Humans
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Phenotype
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Biological Ontologies
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Language
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Software
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Large Language Models
2.Acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase 2-mediated acetyl-coenzyme A accumulation promotes mitophagy and tumor growth via increased H3K27ac in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma
Shan LI ; Jie HU ; Yihan YAN ; Xinrui LIU ; Xiao DONG ; Huijun LIANG ; Xin TANG ; Junji TAO ; Rong ZHANG ; Yuan HU ; Ailong HUANG ; Kai WANG ; Ni TANG
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2026;32(2):661-682
Background/Aims:
Acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) is one of the most essential metabolites in cell metabolism but its function and concentration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain elusive and controversial.
Methods:
A comprehensive analysis of acetyl-CoA levels and acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) expression across a range of samples, including patient specimens from both hepatitis B virus (HBV) positive and HBV negative HCC individuals, HBV-transgenic mouse HCC models, and multiple cell lines. Furthermore, to evaluate the functional significance of ACSS2 in HBV-related HCC, we implemented both genetic and pharmacological inhibition strategies targeting ACSS2. Molecular mechanism and mitophagy assessment were revealed by cleavage under target and tagmentation sequencing, RNA sequencing, bioinformatic analyses, transmission electron microscopy and JC-1 staining.
Results:
Our study revealed a distinct metabolic signature of HBV-related HCC, marked by elevated acetyl-CoA, which was driven by ACSS2. ACSS2 was upregulated by the carbohydrate response element-binding protein in HBV-related HCC. Furthermore, ACSS2 improved tumor cell proliferation, an effect that was dependent on its enzymatic activity. Mechanistically, ACSS2-induced acetyl-CoA accumulation activated voltage-dependent anion channels 1 transcription through increased H3K27ac occupancy, which subsequently promoted mitophagy and HBV-related HCC tumorigenesis. Notably, targeting ACSS2 by depletion or inhibition with a catalytic inhibitor significantly suppressed tumor growth.
Conclusions
These findings not only illustrate the interplay between metabolic reprogramming, epigenetic modification, and tumorigenesis in the context of HBV infection, but also highlight ACSS2 as a novel metabolic vulnerability in HBV-related HCC. Therefore, targeting ACSS2 could be a novel strategy against HBV-related HCC.
3.Pre-operative risk assessment of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence in liver transplant recipients by non-invasive detection of pre-existing genetic lesions
Suqin YANG ; Sunbin LING ; Jianhua LI ; Yan WANG ; Jiapei WANG ; Qiwei HUANG ; Fanming LIU ; Yiqi ZHUANG ; Yingyu ZHENG ; Rui WANG ; Zhe YANG ; Xiaoping ZHENG ; Kai WANG ; Zhikun LIU ; Jun CHEN ; Jianguo WANG ; Haiyang XIE ; Lin ZHOU ; Leiming CHEN ; Guoqiang CAO ; Dandan CHEN ; Junfang JI ; Bin ZHAO ; Chao JIANG ; Di LU ; Xuyong WEI ; Hangjin JIANG ; Qiaonan SHAN ; Hengbo SHI ; Yong-Zhen XU ; Shusen ZHENG ; Zhengxin WANG ; Shengda LIN ; Xiao XU
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2026;32(2):884-903
Background/Aims:
Liver transplantation (LT) following total hepatectomy is a life-saving treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HCC recurrence after LT hinders the effectiveness of the procedure. The objective of this study is to develop a pre-operative risk stratification model based on a liquid biopsy.
Methods:
We conducted a comprehensive multi-omics study of 260 HCC patients from three centers, including clinical data, low-coverage whole-genome sequencing of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from plasma, as well as whole-exome, single-nucleus RNA, and spatial transcriptomics from matched tumor and non-tumor tissues.
Results:
We identified cfDNA-derived copy number alteration (CNA) signatures associated with post-transplant recurrence. By integrating cfDNA-derived CNA profiles with single-cell transcriptomic data, we traced recurrence-associated cfDNA to a distinct subpopulation of malignant cells within the primary tumor. These cells were embedded in a pro-metastatic microenvironment of specialized endothelial subtypes and cancer-associated fibroblasts. Notably, most recurrence-associated lesions were detectable in cfDNA prior to liver transplantation (LT). Building on these insights, we developed the ZJU Criteria based on CNA fragments and tumor markers, a pre-LT risk prediction tool that integrates conventional clinical factors with cfDNA-derived CNA signatures, and validated it using internal and independent external cohorts.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that post-transplant recurrence commonly originates from advanced subclones that emerge late during tumor evolution. The ZJU Criteria provides an accurate, non-invasive strategy that significantly improves pre-LT risk stratification and clinical decision-making for patients with HCC.
4.Research on the Current Situation and Influencing Factors of Digitalized Medical and Health Service Space for the Elderly from the Perspective of Healthy Aging
Qiaoqiao REN ; Kai ZHENG ; Chaoyi CHEN ; Zeyu YAN ; Yanhua HAO
Chinese Hospital Management 2025;45(7):38-42
Objective To study the current situation and influencing factors of the digitalized medical and health service space for the elderly,it provides a reference for solving the dilemma of digital medical treatment for the elderly,sharing the dividend of digital medical development,and achieving the goal of healthy aging.Methods Using stratified cluster sampling method,a questionnaire survey was conducted among the elderly in Jiamusi City and Daqing City of Heilongjiang Province in August 2024,and 800 valid questionnaires were collected.Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of the spatial level of digitalized medical and health services for the elderly.Results The score of digitalized medical and health service space for the elderly was(2.05±1.90).The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that digital health literacy,long-term residence and digital literacy were the main influencing factors of digitalized medical and health service space for the elderly the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion The government,hospitals,enterprises,society,families and other multi-subjects should pay attention to the integration of digitalized medical and health service space for the elderly,and cooperate with the improvement of the digital ability of the elderly by creating an external digital medical environment,so as to reduce the occurrence of adverse outcomes in the digitalized medical and health service space of the elderly,eliminate the dilemma of digital medical treatment for the elderly,improve the medical well-being of the elderly in the digital society,and promote healthy aging.
5.Research progress on the role and mechanisms of microglia in inflammatory diseases of central nervous system
Kai YU ; Zhewei SHUAI ; Hongjun HUANG ; Yan LUO
Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University(Medical Science) 2025;45(5):630-638
Microglia are the resident immune cells in the central nervous system(CNS),and play a dual role in maintaining brain homeostasis and mediating neuroprotection.Under normal conditions,microglia maintain brain homeostasis by monitoring environmental changes.When nerve damage or certain pathological stimuli occur,microglia are rapidly activated and initiate a series of complex immune responses to induce neuroinflammation.This proper activation of microglia can protect the brain by inhibiting or clearing various pathogens,but excessive neuroinflammation can lead to neuronal damage and even death.This imbalance of inflammatory response is one of the core features of pathological development of many CNS inflammatory diseases,such as Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson's disease,sepsis-associated encephalopathy,and ischemic strokes.In recent years,with the rapid development of frontier biotechnology such as single-cell sequencing,proteinomics and gene editing,important progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanism by which microglia participate in CNS inflammatory diseases,especially in the activation of inflammatory corpuscles,epigenetic modifications,and metabolic reprogramming.However,due to the heterogeneity and duality of microglia under different pathological conditions,therapeutic methods targeting microglia have not yet been widely used in clinical practice.In summary,this article takes microglia as the starting point and introduces the molecular mechanisms of their involvement in the occurrence and development of CNS inflammatory diseases and its targeted regulatory treatment strategy,aiming to provide theoretical reference for the subsequent precise regulation of microglia function and the development of more targeted therapeutic drugs.
6.Expert consensus on integrated diagnosis and treatment techniques for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma
Wei SHANG ; Haoyue XU ; Zongxuan HE ; Xiaoying LI ; Haijun LU ; Xiaohong ZHAN ; Dapeng HAO ; Yan SUN ; Wei GUO ; Zhangui TANG ; Guoxin REN ; Zhijun SUN ; Jian MENG ; Jie ZHANG ; Jichen LI ; Yue HE ; Chunjie LI ; Jianhua WEI ; Lizheng QIN ; Yaowu YANG ; Qing XI ; Wei WU ; Kai YANG ; Bing HAN ; Lingxue BU ; Shuangyi WANG ; Kai SONG ; Jiaqi ZHU ; Hongyu HAN ; Yu KONG ; Jieying LI ; Man HU ; Mingjin XU ; Moyi SUN
Journal of Practical Stomatology 2025;41(6):725-736
In recent decades,the incidence of human papillomavirus(HPV)-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma(OPSCC)has shown a marked increase.Significant changes have also occurred in the OPSCC diagnosis and treatment paradigm.Deter-mining HPV status prior to treatment is now essential,and radiotherapy/chemotherapy,immunotherapy,and minimally invasive surgical techniques have progressively emerged as key modalities for managing OPSCC.However,alongside these paradigm shifts,a comprehen-sive technical consensus guiding the entire diagnostic and therapeutic process for OPSCC patients is currently lacking.Given China's large population base and the rising incidence of OPSCC,an expert panel convened to develop a clinical technical consensus on OPSCC diagno-sis and management tailored to China's specific context.This consensus aims to further enhance and standardize understanding of OPSCC management techniques among relevant healthcare professionals.
7.Role and Mechanisms of Mechanical Stress-Induced Oxidative Stress in Vascular Remodeling
Ziqi SHANG ; Zhijie YAN ; Yingxin QI ; Kai HUANG
Journal of Medical Biomechanics 2025;40(3):760-767
The incidence of vascular diseases is extremely high and mechanical stress plays an important role in vascular remodeling.Reactive oxygen species(ROS)at physiological levels modulate cell signaling while excessive ROS trigger oxidative stress and induce injury.The types of mechanical stresses in the vascular system and the sources of ROS are summarized.Besides,the roles and mechanisms of mechanical stress-induced oxidative stress in vascular diseases are discussed.This review will facilitate a deeper understanding of vascular activity and disease development at the molecular level,provide potential targets for treating vascular diseases.In addition,there are still research gaps on the mechanism of oxidative stress induced by mechanical stress in vascular diseases.Therefore,the potential research direction of mechanical stress-induced oxidative stress in the vascular system is also predicted,with the aim to promote the development of mechanobiology to a certain extent.
8.Anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects and mechanism of total flavonoids of hawthorn leaves on rat intestinal epithelial cells
Kai WANG ; Pei LIU ; Kexin QI ; Jingyi WANG ; Chenlu SUN ; Danning SHI ; Hongyue CHEN ; Daoling HE ; Yan ZHU ; Ling GAN
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(7):1450-1457
This study aims to investigate the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of total flavonoids of hawthorn leaves(TFHL)on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced inflammatory injury in rat intestinal epithelial(IEC-6)cells,as well as the underlying mechanisms.An in vitro inflam-mation model was first established by treating IEC-6 cells with lipopolysaccharide(LPS).IEC-6 cells were then incubated with three concentrations of TFHL for 24 h prior to a further 24 h LPS treatment.RT-qPCR was used to quantify mRNA levels of the inflammatory genes COX-2 and iN-OS,while Western blotting was used to assess protein levels of the apoptotic markers Bax,cleaved Caspase-3,Bcl-2,and the JNK/p-JNK signaling pathway.Finally,cells were pretreated with TFHL and/or the JNK inhibitor SP600125 for 24 h before LPS exposure for 24 h,in order to evaluate the combined effects of TFHL and SP600125 on LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine expression and apoptotic protein levels in IEC-6 cells.The results showed that,compared with the LPS group,the mRNA level of COX-2 and iNOS in the 2.5,5.0,10.0 mg/L TFHL group and the Bax and Caspase-3 protein levels decreased significantly(P<0.01),and the Bcl-2 protein level was significantly higher(P<0.01),p-JNK protein level and p-JNK/JNK ratio decreased significantly(P<0.01);compared with the LPS group,the COX-2 and iNOS mRNA levels of the TFHL+LPS group de-creased significantly(P<0.01),Bax,and Caspase-3 protein levels decreased significantly(P<0.01),and the level of Bcl-2 protein increased significantly(P<0.05);compared with the LPS group,the COX-2 and iNOS mRNA levels of the TFHL+SP600125 group decreased significantly(P<0.01),Bax and Caspase-3 protein levels decreased significantly(P<0.01),and Bcl-2 protein level increased significantly(P<0.01).These findings indicate that TFHL exerts anti-inflammato-ry and anti-apoptotic effects in LPS-challenged IEC-6 cells by inhibiting the JNK signaling path-way.
9.Latent profile analysis and influencing factors of body image among patients with head and neck cancer
Ping XU ; Rong YAN ; Miaomiao ZHANG ; Wenhui LIU ; Kai JIANG
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(2):215-222
Objective To explore the potential profile of body image and its influencing factors among head and neck cancer patients.Methods Convenience sampling was employed to investigate 335 head and neck cancer patients in a tertiary hospital in Shandong Province from October 2023 to May 2024.Data was collected using the patient's general information questionnaire,Body Image Scale,Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire,Perceived Social Support Scale,Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity based on the Patient-Reported Outcome Measures.Latent profile analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to explore distinct profiles and influencing factor of body image in head and neck patients.Results A total of 335 valid questionnaires were collected in this study,and 95.4%of the valid questionnaires were included.Body image of patients with head and neck cancer could be divided into 3 latent profiles:body emotional stability(41.5%),body cognitive dissatisfaction(33.7%)and social behavior avoidance(24.8%).Age,location of cancer onset,stage of cancer,surgical treatment,medical coping style(facing coping,yielding coping),social support and economic toxicity were the factors influencing the latent profiles of body image in patients with head and neck cancer(P<0.05).Conclusion There is heterogeneity in body image of patients with head and neck cancer.Medical staff should implement targeted management strategies based on the influencing factors of different profiles to reduce the body image disorders in patients with head and neck cancer,and to promote patients to better return to society.
10.Determination of Three Stereoisomers in Baloxavir Marboxil by Reversed-phase HPLC
Kai SHI ; Kai YAN ; Ting SUN ; Xue FENG ; Fugang ZHOU ; Yuxia HE ; Xueli LIU ; Jialiang ZHU
Herald of Medicine 2025;44(4):633-638
Objective To establish a reversed-phase HPLC method for determining three stereoisomers in baloxavir marboxil and provide a basis for the quality specification of baloxavir marboxil.Methods The chromatographic column was CHIRALPAK IC-3(4.6 mm × 150 mm,3 μm),The mobile phase was acetonitrile-0.1%formic acid aqueous solution-isopropanol(35:50:15).The column temperature was 40 ℃.The flow rate was 0.5 mL·min-1.The injection volume was 10 μL.The detection wavelength was 259 nm.Result The isomer peaks were completely separated from the principal component peak.The detection limits for stereoisomers 1,2 and 3 were 0.024 7,0.038 7,0.038 1 μg·mL-1 respectively.The quantitation limits for stereoisomers 1,2 and 3 were 0.049 4,0.077 3,0.076 1 μg·mL-1 respectively.There were good linear relationships between the concentrations and peak area within the ranges of the study,and the linearity concentration ranges of stereoisomers 1,2 and 3 were 0.049 5-0.989 0 μg·mL-1,0.051 6-1.031 0 μg·mL-1,0.050 8-1.015 0 μg·mL-1 respectively.The linear correlation coefficients were 0.999 4.The recovery was 92.28%-103.90%.The sample solution was stable in 48 h at room temperature.Conclusion The method is accurate and reliable for determining stereoisomers in baloxavir marboxil,and provide a guideline of quality standards of baloxavir marboxil and safety evalution.

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