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.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.
5.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.
6.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.
7.Comparison of local debridement versus En bloc osteotomy for chronic osteomyelitis of the tibia
Changzheng YAN ; Dongxu TANG ; Hao SONG ; Yanfei LUO ; Kai CHEN ; Liu YANG ; Jiang DENG ; Shiqiang RUAN
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2025;41(23):3645-3651
Objective To compare of the efficacy of two distinct debridement techniques in membrane induction therapy for chronic tibial osteomyelitis.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 52 patients with Cierny-Mader type IV A/B chronic tibial osteomyelitis who were treated at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University between July 2016 and December 2023.Five patients were diagnosed and treated before 2020,while 47 were managed from 2020 onward.Patients were divided into two groups:a local debridement group(n=28)and an en bloc osteotomy group(n=24).Perioperative outcomes—including operative time,incision length,intraoperative blood loss,and length of hospital stay—were assessed,along with clinical efficacy at 6 months,12 months,and final follow-up.Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Hospital for Special Surgery(HSS)knee score,the American Orthopaedic Foot&Ankle Society(AOFAS)ankle-hindfoot score,joint range of motion(knee flexion-extension and ankle plantarflexion-dorsiflexion),recurrence rate,and the Paley classification for infectious bone defects.Results The local debridement group exhibited significantly less intraoperative blood loss(P<0.05),shorter operative time(P<0.05),and reduced hospital stay(P<0.05),as well as higher AOFAS and HSS scores at both 6 and 12 months postoperatively(P<0.05).In contrast,the osteotomy group demonstrated superior Paley classification outcomes at 6 months,12 months,and final follow-up(P<0.05),along with lower rates of infection recurrence.Longitudinal analysis indicated significant improvements in AOFAS scores,HSS scores,and joint mobility over time in both groups(P<0.05).However,no statistically significant differences were observed between groups in terms of functional scores or joint mobility parameters at final follow-up(P>0.05).Conclusion En bloc osteotomy combined with the induced membrane technique(Masquelet technique)enables more comprehensive debridement,minimizes the necessity for repeated surgical interventions,reduces postoperative complications,lowers the risk of recurrence,and promotes enhanced bone healing.
8.Study on intestinal protection and mechanism of magnolol in neonatal rats with necrotizing enterocolitis
Hai-yan FENG ; Yue ZHANG ; Mao XU ; Kai-qi TAN ; Yi WANG ; Zhuo-lin CHEN ; Yu-fei CHEN ; Shao-xuan CHEN ; Yang ZHAO ; Cui LIU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(9):1728-1735
Aim To investigate the intestinal protection and possible mechanism of magnolol(MG)in newborn rats with necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC).Methods The rats were randomly divided into control group(Ctrl group),model group(NEC group)and treatment group(MG group).The NEC model was induced by hypoxia,cold stimulation,deep formula milk and LPS intragastric administration in 7-day-old rats for four days.They were killed after five days of treatment with MG(20 mg·kg-1).HE staining was used to observe the intestinal pathological injury.Western blot was used to detect the expressions of IL-1 β,TNF-α,NL-RP3,ASC,caspase-1 and tight junction protein in the distal ileum of rats.Colon contents were collected for 16S rDNA sequencing to understand the gut microbio-ta.Results MG improved the body mass and intesti-nal injury of NEC neonatal rats.The expressions of in-testinal IL-1β,TNF-α,NLRP3,ASC and caspase-1 proteins were down-regulated,and the expressions of Claudin,Occludin and ZO-1 proteins were up-regula-ted.16S rDNA showed that MG increased the diversity of intestinal flora,and at the phylum level,MG in-creased the abundance of firmicutes and bacteroides in NEC model,and decreased the abundance of pro-teobacteria.At the genus level,MG treatment in-creased the abundance of Lactobacillus,unclassified_Muribaculaceae,Racteroides,but decreased the abun-dance of Escherichia_Shigella,Rodentibacter and Fuso-bacterium.Conclusion MG intervention can protect the intestinal tract of NEC rats by potentially improving barrier function,and regulating the intestinal microbiota through the NLRP3/ASC/caspase-1 signaling pathway.
9.Study on intestinal protection and mechanism of magnolol in neonatal rats with necrotizing enterocolitis
Hai-yan FENG ; Yue ZHANG ; Mao XU ; Kai-qi TAN ; Yi WANG ; Zhuo-lin CHEN ; Yu-fei CHEN ; Shao-xuan CHEN ; Yang ZHAO ; Cui LIU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(9):1728-1735
Aim To investigate the intestinal protection and possible mechanism of magnolol(MG)in newborn rats with necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC).Methods The rats were randomly divided into control group(Ctrl group),model group(NEC group)and treatment group(MG group).The NEC model was induced by hypoxia,cold stimulation,deep formula milk and LPS intragastric administration in 7-day-old rats for four days.They were killed after five days of treatment with MG(20 mg·kg-1).HE staining was used to observe the intestinal pathological injury.Western blot was used to detect the expressions of IL-1 β,TNF-α,NL-RP3,ASC,caspase-1 and tight junction protein in the distal ileum of rats.Colon contents were collected for 16S rDNA sequencing to understand the gut microbio-ta.Results MG improved the body mass and intesti-nal injury of NEC neonatal rats.The expressions of in-testinal IL-1β,TNF-α,NLRP3,ASC and caspase-1 proteins were down-regulated,and the expressions of Claudin,Occludin and ZO-1 proteins were up-regula-ted.16S rDNA showed that MG increased the diversity of intestinal flora,and at the phylum level,MG in-creased the abundance of firmicutes and bacteroides in NEC model,and decreased the abundance of pro-teobacteria.At the genus level,MG treatment in-creased the abundance of Lactobacillus,unclassified_Muribaculaceae,Racteroides,but decreased the abun-dance of Escherichia_Shigella,Rodentibacter and Fuso-bacterium.Conclusion MG intervention can protect the intestinal tract of NEC rats by potentially improving barrier function,and regulating the intestinal microbiota through the NLRP3/ASC/caspase-1 signaling pathway.
10.Interpretation of the Standard Establishment Approach and Compilation Rationale for Metallic Pharmaceutical Packaging Standard Development in the 2025 Edition of the Pharmacopeia of the People's Republic of China
Fangfang ZHANG ; Rong CAI ; Wanling LAN ; Lei CHEN ; Lin YAO ; Hao DING ; Weiyi LU ; Yaju ZHOU ; Fenglan ZHANG ; Yuan LIU ; Kai XU ; Liang CHANG ; Yan LIU ; Feifei JIA ; Ying LI ; Yan JIANG ; Dandan WANG ; Shengli WU ; Yong SHEN ; Xiangwei XU ; Yanggege LYU
Herald of Medicine 2025;44(11):1745-1751
To analyze the standard establishment approach and compilation rationale for metallic pharmaceutical packaging standard development in the 2025 edition of the Pharmacopeia of the People's Republic of China.This article systematically explained the background and process of establishing the guiding principles for metallic materials and containers used in pharmaceutical packaging in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia through basic information,relevant domestic and international standards,the establishment of key quality attributes of metallic pharmaceutical packaging materials,and the construction of metallic pharmaceutical packaging material standards.The newly established guidelines,the Pharmacopeia of the People's Republic of China 9625,prioritized product critical quality attributes(CQAs)and real-world applicability.This dual emphasis on rigidity and adaptability enhances drug safety,meets the regulatory requirements,and promotes the globalization and scientific advancement of China's pharmaceutical packaging industry.

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