1.A Systematic Strategy for Discovering First-in-class Anti-fibrotic Drugs from Traditional Chinese Medicine
Wen HUANG ; Guang XIN ; Sanyin ZHANG ; Tao WANG ; Wei CHEN ; Zeliang WEI ; Qilong ZHOU ; Ke LI ; Dan SUN ; Kui YU ; Shilin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(10):296-307
Pulmonary fibrosis(PF) is a progressive and life-threatening disease with limited therapeutic options, highlighting the urgent need for innovative drug discovery strategies. To address this challenge, the authors propose the formula-originated rational intelligent screening&translation(FIRST), a systematic framework for developing anti-fibrotic monomers derived from classical traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). The strategy integrates three key dimensions, including tissue-oriented intelligent screening of active compounds, structural optimization based on drug-target spatial interactions and plant biosynthetic pathways, and cross-scale validation of drug. We further highlight its applications in discovering tissue-oriented novel drugs from clinically validated TCM, the development and mechanistic elucidation of anti-fibrotic therapeutics, as well as the clinical translation and secondary development of candidate drugs. This strategy paves the way for first-in-class, formula-derived monomeric drugs with defined structures, clarified mechanisms, and proven safety, offering a transformative avenue to meet the urgent therapeutic needs of PF and setting a new paradigm for TCM-based drug innovation.
2.A Systematic Strategy for Discovering First-in-class Anti-fibrotic Drugs from Traditional Chinese Medicine
Wen HUANG ; Guang XIN ; Sanyin ZHANG ; Tao WANG ; Wei CHEN ; Zeliang WEI ; Qilong ZHOU ; Ke LI ; Dan SUN ; Kui YU ; Shilin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(10):296-307
Pulmonary fibrosis(PF) is a progressive and life-threatening disease with limited therapeutic options, highlighting the urgent need for innovative drug discovery strategies. To address this challenge, the authors propose the formula-originated rational intelligent screening&translation(FIRST), a systematic framework for developing anti-fibrotic monomers derived from classical traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). The strategy integrates three key dimensions, including tissue-oriented intelligent screening of active compounds, structural optimization based on drug-target spatial interactions and plant biosynthetic pathways, and cross-scale validation of drug. We further highlight its applications in discovering tissue-oriented novel drugs from clinically validated TCM, the development and mechanistic elucidation of anti-fibrotic therapeutics, as well as the clinical translation and secondary development of candidate drugs. This strategy paves the way for first-in-class, formula-derived monomeric drugs with defined structures, clarified mechanisms, and proven safety, offering a transformative avenue to meet the urgent therapeutic needs of PF and setting a new paradigm for TCM-based drug innovation.
3.Allogeneic lung transplantation in miniature pigs and postoperative monitoring
Yaobo ZHAO ; Ullah SALMAN ; Kaiyan BAO ; Hua KUI ; Taiyun WEI ; Hongfang ZHAO ; Xiaoting TAO ; Xinzhong NING ; Yong LIU ; Guimei ZHANG ; He XIAO ; Jiaoxiang WANG ; Chang YANG ; Feiyan ZHU ; Kaixiang XU ; Kun QIAO ; Hongjiang WEI
Organ Transplantation 2026;17(1):95-105
Objective To explore the feasibility and reference value of allogeneic lung transplantation and postoperative monitoring in miniature pigs for lung transplantation research. Methods Two miniature pigs (R1 and R2) underwent left lung allogeneic transplantation. Complement-dependent cytotoxicity tests and blood cross-matching were performed before surgery. The main operative times and partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2) after opening the pulmonary artery were recorded during surgery. Postoperatively, routine blood tests, biochemical blood indicators and inflammatory factors were detected, and pathological examinations of multiple organs were conducted. Results The complement-dependent cytotoxicity test showed that the survival rate of lymphocytes between donors and recipients was 42.5%-47.3%, and no agglutination reaction occurred in the cross-matching. The first warm ischemia times of D1 and D2 were 17 min and 10 min, respectively, and the cold ischemia times were 246 min and 216 min, respectively. Ultimately, R1 and R2 survived for 1.5 h and 104 h, respectively. Postoperatively, in R1, albumin (ALB) and globulin (GLB) decreased, and alanine aminotransferase increased; in R2, ALB, GLB and aspartate aminotransferase all increased. Urea nitrogen and serum creatinine increased in both recipients. Pathological results showed that in R1, the transplanted lung had partial consolidation with inflammatory cell infiltration, and multiple organs were congested and damaged. In R2, the transplanted lung had severe necrosis with fibrosis, and multiple organs had mild to moderate damage. The expression levels of interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 increased in the transplanted lungs. Conclusions The allogeneic lung transplantation model in miniature pigs may systematically evaluate immunological compatibility, intraoperative function and postoperative organ damage. The data obtained may provide technical references for subsequent lung transplantation research.
5.Sex‑specific trends and demographic vs. epidemiologic drivers of alcohol‑related cirrhosis in United States, 2021–2040: Letter to the editor on "Sex disparities in alcohol-associated liver disease and subtype differences in alcohol-attributable cancers in the United States"
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2026;32(2):e155-e157
6.Effects of sesquiterpene lactones from Ixeris sonchifolia on bone metabolism and lipid metabolism in ApoE-/-mice
Kui-mao WANG ; Xin PANG ; Jia-hao LYU ; Jian LIU ; Yang HU ; Yu-jie ZHU ; Li-hong HU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(8):1492-1499
Aim To investigate the effects of Ixerin Z,a sesquiterpene lactone from Ixeris sonchifolia,on bone-lipid metabolic imbalance in ApoE-/-mice and to elu-cidate its molecular mechanisms.Methods A mouse model of ApoE-/-was induced using a high-fat diet,followed by eight weeks of Ixerin Z administration at doses of 1 and 10 mg·kg-1.Serum markers related to bone-lipid metabolism and inflammatory cytokines were quantified.Bone mineral density,biomechanical prop-erties,bone tissue morphology,and bone microstructure changes were analyzed.Computational molecular doc-king was performed to identify potential target proteins of Ixerin Z,and its regulatory effects on bone-lipid me-tabolism were investigated.Results Treatment with Ixerin Z markedly decreased the serum levels of total cholesterol,triglycerides,TNF-α,and IL-1β in ApoE-/-mice.It significantly improved bone mineral density,enhanced biomechanical strength,restored tra-becular structure,and reduced fat accumulation in bone tissue.Investigations revealed that Ixerin Z activated PPARα,thereby promoting fatty acid β-oxidation in bone tissue,and stimulating the Wnt/β-Catenin signa-ling pathway to facilitate bone formation.Furthermore,Ixerin Z suppressed the OPG/RANKL/NF-κB signaling pathway,leading to reduced bone resorption,independ-ent of PPARα activation.Conclusions Ixerin Z dem-onstrates potent therapeutic effects on bone-lipid meta-bolic imbalance in ApoE-/-mice.The mechanism in-volves activating PPARα to promote fatty acid β-oxida-tion in bone tissue,activating PPARα/Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway to promote bone formation,and in-hibiting OPG/RANKL/NF-κB signaling pathway to re-duce bone resorption.
7.Qingluo Yin inhibits synovial angiogenesis induced by adjuvant in ar-thritis rats by regulating HIF-1α/VEGF pathway
Peipei WANG ; Linkun PAN ; Kui YANG ; Dandan FENG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2025;30(3):366-373
AIM:To investigate the involvement of HIF-1α/VEGF regulation in its anti-angiogenesis effects using adjuvant-induced arthritis(AIA)rats.METHODS:AIA rats were orally treated by QLY ex-tract for 24 days.After sacrifice,the joints were subjected to histological examination,while the blood was used in ELISA or biochemical tests.In ad-dition,HUVEC cells were treated by QLY in vitro.MTT,wound-healing and tube-formation experi-ments were then performed.Expression of some relevant proteins in cells were investigated.RE-SULTS:Compared to the healthy controls,obvious synovial invasion and angiogenesis occurred in AIA rats.Blood levels of HIF-1α,VEGF,PDGF,and TGF-β1 were increased,while the ratio of MDA/SOD was decreased a lot.After QLY treatment,all these ab-normalities were attenuated.In vitro experiments,QLY showed notable potentials in inhibiting prolifer-ation,migration and tube-constructing abilities of HUVEC cells.Furthermore,it suppressed the ex-pression of p-MEK/MEK and p-ERK/ERK.CONCLU-SION:QLY can reduce the pathological functions of vascular endothelial cells by inhibiting HIF-1α/VEGF,and it consequently eased AIA-related abnor-mal angiogenesis in AIA rats'joints.
8.Study on risk factors of colorectal adenomatous polyps and construction and validation of prediction model
Kui DONG ; Jie WU ; Jing YAN ; Haitao LIU ; Jun WANG ; Guan'en QIAO
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2025;41(6):838-845
Objective To identify risk factors for colorectal adenomatous polyps using logistic regression analysis,construct a prediction model based on these identified factors,and subsequently evaluate the performance of the model.Methods Encompassed 1,023 patients who underwent large intestine polyp resection at the First Hospital of Handan between January 2017 and January 2022.Among these patients,676 had adenomatous polyps(adenomatous polyp group)and 347 had non-adenomatous polyps(non-adenomatous polyp group).We collected data on basic information,medical history,colonoscopy results,and polyp pathology.By comparing the two groups,we identified significant differences in various indicators,which were selected as candidate factors for model construction.Patients were randomly divided into a training set and a validation set at an 8∶2 ratio.Using the training set data,we constructed a risk prediction model and developed a nomogram using R Studio software to visually present the model.Finally,we internally validated the model using the validation set.The model's discrimination ability was evaluated using the ROC curve,its accuracy was assessed via the calibration curve,and its clinical utility was evaluated through decision curve analysis(DCA).Results Significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of age,drinking habits,family history of colorectal cancer,hyperlipid-emia,history of cholecystectomy,HP infection,and history of appendectomy(P<0.05).These variables were included in the model construction.A total of 818 participants were randomly assigned to the training set,while 205 were allocated to the validation set.Multivariate logistic regression analysis on the training set confirmed that age(OR=1.021,95%CI:1.006~1.036,P=0.006),alcohol consumption(OR=3.440,95%CI:2.251~5.257,P<0.001),first-degree relatives with colorectal cancer(OR=3.775,95%CI:1.881~7.577,P<0.001),hyperlipidemia(OR=3.428,95%CI:2.443~4.808,P<0.001),history of cholecystectomy(OR=3.916,95%CI:1.756~8.735,P<0.001),Helicobacter pylori(HP)infection(OR=3.292,95%CI:2.309~4.693,P<0.001),and history of appendectomy(OR=3.819,95%CI:2.002~7.286,P<0.001)were independent risk factors for adenomatous polyps.Consequently,a prediction model for large intestine adenomatous polyps was developed using the formula P=1/(1+e-Y),where Y=0.020×age+1.328×first-degree relatives with colorectal cancer+1.235×alcohol consumption+1.232×hyperlipidemia+1.365×cholecystectomy+1.192×HP infection+1.340×appendectomy-1.995.The model demonstrated good performance with AUC values of 0.763(95%CI:0.729~0.797)for the training set and 0.769(95%CI:0.644~0.787)for the validation set.The calibration curve indicated a good fit,and decision curve analysis showed that the model could achieve positive net benefit across a wide range of threshold probabilities,confirming its clinical utility.Conclusions Age,alcohol consumption,a family history of colorectal cancer in first-degree relatives,hyperlipidemia,cholecystectomy,HP infection,and appendectomy were identified as independent risk factors for adenomatous polyps.A prediction model incorporating these risk factors holds significant practical value for predicting the occurrence of colorectal adenomatous polyps.
9.Molecular Biological Analysis of ABO Blood Group Ael and Bel Subtype.
Xin LIU ; Ying XIE ; Shu-Ling DONG ; Shu-Ya WANG ; Yong-Kui KONG
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(5):1422-1428
OBJECTIVE:
The molecular biology of alleles of ABO blood group Ael and Bel subtype from two samples was analyzed to explore the effect of mutations on the structure of glycosyltransferase.
METHODS:
The ABO phenotypes were identified by serological techniques, then exons 6 and 7 of ABO gene were amplified and sequenced, combined with haplotype analysis to determine the genotypes. Finally, homology modeling of the mutated A/B glycosyltransferase were conducted by Modeller software and the effect of mutations on the spatial structure was analyzed by PyMol software.
RESULTS:
The serological phenotypes of the two samples were Ael and Bel, and their genotypes were ABO*AW.37/ABO*O.01.01 and ABO*BEL.03/ABO*O.01.01, respectively. The three-dimensional structure modeling of the protein showed that, compared to the wild-type glycosyltransferase, two hydrogen bonds between the side chain of p.Glu314 and surrounding amino acid disappeared in the p.Lys314Glu mutant GTA; the hydrogen bonds between the side chain of p.Trp168 and surrounding amino acid also disappeared, and the hydrogen bond between the main chain of p.Trp168 and p.Gly165 was shortened to 3.3 Å in the p.Arg168Trp mutant GTB.
CONCLUSION
Mutations in exon 7 of ABO gene c.940A>G and c.502C>T are keys to the formation of AW.37 and BEL.03 alleles, resulting in decreased expression of A and B antigens, respectively.
ABO Blood-Group System/classification*
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Humans
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Genotype
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Mutation
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Alleles
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Glycosyltransferases/genetics*
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Exons
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Haplotypes
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Phenotype
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Models, Molecular
10.Research Progress on Immunosenescence in Elderly Patients with Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and Its Immunotherapy.
Na WANG ; Yaning LUO ; Haoyu LU ; Siyuan CUI ; Kui ZHAO ; Fanming KONG
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2025;28(7):542-550
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related incidence and mortality worldwide. Among its histological subtypes, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for the majority of cases, representing the predominant pathological type. Notably, in the elderly population, NSCLC continues to be a major contributor to cancer-related deaths. With the global ageing population, immunosenescence has emerged as a key factor influencing the occurrence, progression, and the efficacy of immunotherapy of NSCLC. Immunosenescence refers to the age-related decline in immune system function, which manifests as alterations in both the quantity and functionality of immune cells. These include thymic involution, T cell exhaustion, epigenetic modifications, weakened immune responses, and a chronic low-grade inflammatory state. This review comprehensively analyzes the role of immunosenescence in elderly patients with advanced NSCLC and proposes potential therapeutic strategies to intervene in the immunosenescence process. By targeting immunosenescence, these strategies aim to inhibit the progression of NSCLC and improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy.
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Humans
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/genetics*
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Immunotherapy
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Lung Neoplasms/genetics*
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Immunosenescence
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