Rheumatoid arthritis （RA） is a common chronic systemic autoimmune disease with synovitis as the main manifestation， which often causes joint swelling and pain or even deformity. It is considered to be an incurable lifelong disease. Although the current Western medicine treatment can alleviate the progression of the disease， it has the clinical limitations of liver injury， cardiovascular complications， and other adverse reactions， along with easy recurrence. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has a long history and has the advantages of individualized treatment and fewer adverse reactions. It can effectively relieve the symptoms of joint swelling and pain in RA patients and slow down the progression of bone destruction， which has attracted wide concern in the medical community. Janus kinase （JAK）/signal transducer and activator of transcription （STAT） signaling pathway is an important intracellular pathway involved in cell proliferation， differentiation， apoptosis， immune regulation， and other biological behaviors， and plays an important role in the pathophysiological process of RA. In recent years， many studies have confirmed that TCM monomers and compounds can inhibit inflammation and angiogenesis by regulating the JAK/STAT signaling pathway， induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes （FLS）， regulate immune response， and thus exert an effect in the treatment of RA. However， there is still a lack of comprehensive and systematic induction and overview. Therefore， by searching the relevant literature in China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI） and PubMed databases from 2009 to 2024， this study described the mechanism of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway in the occurrence and development of RA and summarized the research progress of TCM monomers and compounds in regulating the JAK/STAT signaling pathway in RA intervention. The study aims to provide new ideas and strategies for the clinical treatment of RA with TCM and the research and development of new drugs.

Parkinson's disease （PD） is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor impairments， with its pathological mechanisms involving multiple processes such as the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and the abnormal aggregation of α-synuclein. Current Western medical treatments face challenges including diminished long-term efficacy and motor complications. In recent years， Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） has demonstrated advantages in the prevention and treatment of PD through its systematic regulatory capabilities， featuring multi-component， multi-target， and multi-pathway approaches.This article systematically reviews the roles of seven key signaling pathways-NF-κB， AMPK/mTOR， PI3K/Akt， MAPKs， Nrf2/ARE， Wnt/β-catenin， and BDNF/TrkB-in the pathological process of PD and the regulatory mechanisms of TCM. Research indicates that active ingredients of Chinese herbs and compound formulations can synergistically modulate these pathways， exerting comprehensive effects in inhibiting neuroinflammation， alleviating oxidative stress， promoting autophagy to clear abnormal proteins， and enhancing neurotrophic support. These signaling pathways form a complex regulatory network through crosstalk among key nodal molecules， constituting an intricate regulatory system in PD pathology. The multi-target intervention characteristics of TCM align well with this network-based regulatory requirement， achieving integrated anti-inflammatory， antioxidant， autophagy-regulating， and neurorestorative effects through synergistic multi-pathway modulation. This article systematically outlines the mechanisms of TCM in the coordinated regulation of multiple pathways， providing a theoretical basis for elucidating the pathological process of PD and the intervention mechanisms of TCM， while also offering new perspectives and directions for modern research on TCM in the prevention and treatment of PD.

ObjectivePancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) exhibits a limited response to current treatments due to its dense fibrotic stroma and highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In recent years, advancements in cellular immunotherapy, particularly chimeric antigen receptor macrophage (CAR-M) therapy, have offered new hope for pancreatic cancer treatment. Although CAR-M therapy demonstrates dual potential in directly killing tumor cells and remodeling the immune microenvironment, it still faces challenges such as complex in vitro preparation processes and low in vivo targeting and delivery efficiency. Therefore, developing strategies for efficient and targeted in vivo delivery of CAR genes has become crucial for overcoming current therapeutic limitations. This study aims to develop an orally administrable nano-gene delivery system for the targeted delivery of CAR genes to pancreatic tumor sites. MethodsCore nano-gene particles (PNP/pCAR) were constructed by loading plasmid DNA encoding CAR (pCAR) with cationic polypeptides (PNP). Subsequently, PNP/pCAR was surface-modified with β-glucan to prepare the targeted nanoparticles (βGlus-PNP/pCAR). The loading efficiency of PNP for pCAR was quantitatively assessed by gel retardation assay. The particle size, Zeta potential, morphology, and storage stability of PNP/pCAR were characterized using a Malvern particle size analyzer and transmission electron microscopy. At the cellular level, RAW 264.7 macrophages were selected. The cytotoxicity of PNP/pCAR was evaluated using the CCK-8 assay. The cellular uptake efficiency and lysosomal escape ability of the nanoparticles were assessed via flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Transfection efficiency was quantitatively evaluated by detecting the expression of the reporter gene GFP using flow cytometry. At the in vivo level, an orthotopic pancreatic cancer mouse model was established. Cy7-labeled βGlus-PNP/pCAR nanoparticles were administered orally, and the fluorescence distribution in mice was dynamically monitored at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 h post-administration using a small animal in vivo imaging system. Forty-eight hours after oral gavage, the mice were euthanized, and pancreatic tumor tissues were collected for further analysis of intratumoral fluorescence signals using the imaging system. Additionally, βGlus-PNP/pCAR-GFP nanoparticles loaded with the reporter gene (GFP) were administered orally. Forty-eight hours post-administration, pancreatic tumor tissues were harvested to prepare frozen sections, and GFP expression was observed and analyzed under a fluorescence microscope. ResultsThe PNP carrier exhibited a high loading capacity for pCAR. The successfully prepared PNP/pCAR nanoparticles were regular spheres with a hydrodynamic diameter of approximately (120±10) nm and a Zeta potential of about +(6±1) mV. They maintained good structural stability after incubation in PBS buffer for 7 d. Cell experiments demonstrated that PNP/pCAR exhibited no significant cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells while being efficiently internalized and effectively escaping lysosomal degradation. The transfection positive rate of PNP/pCAR-GFP in RAW 264.7 cells reached (25±3)%, surpassing that of Lipofectamine 2000-loaded pCAR-GFP (Lipo/pCAR-GFP), which was (20±1)%.In vivo experiments revealed that, compared to unmodified PNP/pCAR, βGlus-PNP/pCAR exhibited strongerin situ pancreatic tumor targeting ability after oral administration. Furthermore, oral administration of βGlus-PNP/pCAR-GFP resulted in significant GFP protein expression detectable within pancreatic tumor tissues. ConclusionThis study successfully constructed and validated an orally administrable, pancreatic cancer-targeting polypeptide-based nano-gene delivery system. It provides an important technological foundation in delivery systems and experimental basis for the subsequent development of in situ CAR-M-based therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer.

ObjectivePancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) exhibits a limited response to current treatments due to its dense fibrotic stroma and highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In recent years, advancements in cellular immunotherapy, particularly chimeric antigen receptor macrophage (CAR-M) therapy, have offered new hope for pancreatic cancer treatment. Although CAR-M therapy demonstrates dual potential in directly killing tumor cells and remodeling the immune microenvironment, it still faces challenges such as complex in vitro preparation processes and low in vivo targeting and delivery efficiency. Therefore, developing strategies for efficient and targeted in vivo delivery of CAR genes has become crucial for overcoming current therapeutic limitations. This study aims to develop an orally administrable nano-gene delivery system for the targeted delivery of CAR genes to pancreatic tumor sites. MethodsCore nano-gene particles (PNP/pCAR) were constructed by loading plasmid DNA encoding CAR (pCAR) with cationic polypeptides (PNP). Subsequently, PNP/pCAR was surface-modified with β-glucan to prepare the targeted nanoparticles (βGlus-PNP/pCAR). The loading efficiency of PNP for pCAR was quantitatively assessed by gel retardation assay. The particle size, Zeta potential, morphology, and storage stability of PNP/pCAR were characterized using a Malvern particle size analyzer and transmission electron microscopy. At the cellular level, RAW 264.7 macrophages were selected. The cytotoxicity of PNP/pCAR was evaluated using the CCK-8 assay. The cellular uptake efficiency and lysosomal escape ability of the nanoparticles were assessed via flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Transfection efficiency was quantitatively evaluated by detecting the expression of the reporter gene GFP using flow cytometry. At the in vivo level, an orthotopic pancreatic cancer mouse model was established. Cy7-labeled βGlus-PNP/pCAR nanoparticles were administered orally, and the fluorescence distribution in mice was dynamically monitored at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 h post-administration using a small animal in vivo imaging system. Forty-eight hours after oral gavage, the mice were euthanized, and pancreatic tumor tissues were collected for further analysis of intratumoral fluorescence signals using the imaging system. Additionally, βGlus-PNP/pCAR-GFP nanoparticles loaded with the reporter gene (GFP) were administered orally. Forty-eight hours post-administration, pancreatic tumor tissues were harvested to prepare frozen sections, and GFP expression was observed and analyzed under a fluorescence microscope. ResultsThe PNP carrier exhibited a high loading capacity for pCAR. The successfully prepared PNP/pCAR nanoparticles were regular spheres with a hydrodynamic diameter of approximately (120±10) nm and a Zeta potential of about +(6±1) mV. They maintained good structural stability after incubation in PBS buffer for 7 d. Cell experiments demonstrated that PNP/pCAR exhibited no significant cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells while being efficiently internalized and effectively escaping lysosomal degradation. The transfection positive rate of PNP/pCAR-GFP in RAW 264.7 cells reached (25±3)%, surpassing that of Lipofectamine 2000-loaded pCAR-GFP (Lipo/pCAR-GFP), which was (20±1)%.In vivo experiments revealed that, compared to unmodified PNP/pCAR, βGlus-PNP/pCAR exhibited strongerin situ pancreatic tumor targeting ability after oral administration. Furthermore, oral administration of βGlus-PNP/pCAR-GFP resulted in significant GFP protein expression detectable within pancreatic tumor tissues. ConclusionThis study successfully constructed and validated an orally administrable, pancreatic cancer-targeting polypeptide-based nano-gene delivery system. It provides an important technological foundation in delivery systems and experimental basis for the subsequent development of in situ CAR-M-based therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer.

ObjectiveTo investigate the risk factors for atherosclerosis （AS） in rheumatoid arthritis （RA） patients and its correlation with traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted， enrolling 16,082 RA patients from 122 medical centers nationwide. Patient demographics， disease assessment data including disease activity （DAS-28）， tender joint count （TJC）， swollen joint count （SJC）， patient's global assessment （PGA）， evaluator's global assessment （EGA）， and visual analogue scale （VAS）， major clinical symptoms including insomnia， loss of appetite， irritability， and fatigue， and laboratory indicators including blood routine， inflammatory markers， liver and kidney function， metabolic indices， and coagulation markers were collected through questionnaire. Based on the four examinations in TCM， patients were classified into eight TCM syndromes， which were wind-damp obstruction， cold-damp obstruction， damp-heat obstruction， phlegm-stasis obstruction， blood stasis obstructing the collaterals， qi-blood deficiency， liver-kidney insufficiency， and qi-yin deficiency. Patients who experienced AS events were included in the event group （564 cases）， while those without AS events were included in the non-event group （15,518 cases）. Intergroup difference tests were used to screen potential risk factors， and binary logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the correlation between TCM syndromes and rheumatoid arthritis with atherosclerosis （RA-AS）. ResultsCompared to the non-event group， patients in the event group had longer disease duration， higher body weight， and older age （P＜0.05）， and showed significantly higher DAS28， TJC， SJC， PGA， EGA， VAS， ESR， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， triglycerides （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， and D-dimer levels， and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， with more severe symptoms of insomnia， irritability， and fatigue （P＜0.05）. Damp-heat obstruction syndrome was the most prevalent in both groups， with a higher proportion in the event group （393/564， 69.68%） than in the non-event group （4578/15,518， 29.50%） showing significant difference （P＜0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that patients with damp-heat obstruction syndrome had a 5.326-fold higher risk of developing RA-AS compared to those without this syndrome （OR=5.326， 95%CI 4.517 to 7.089， P＜0.001）. ConclusionThe occurrence of RA-AS is associated with TCM syndromes， disease activity， inflammatory markers and lipid metabolic indices， and damp-heat obstruction syndrome is an independent risk factor for RA-AS.

Objective To systematically evaluate the risk factors for persistent cough after lung resection, providing a theoretical basis for preventing persistent postoperative cough. Methods The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMbase, PubMed, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Wanfang, CNKI, and VIP databases were searched for studies related to risk factors for persistent cough after lung resection. The search period was from database inception to March 30, 2023. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and performed quality assessment. RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. Results A total of 17 articles with 3 698 patients were included. Meta-analysis results showed that females [OR=3.10, 95%CI (1.99, 4.81), P<0.001], age [OR=1.72, 95%CI (1.33, 2.21), P<0.001], right-sided lung surgery [OR=2.36, 95%CI (1.80, 3.10), P<0.001], lobectomy [OR=3.40, 95%CI (2.47, 4.68), P<0.001], upper lobectomy [OR=8.19, 95%CI (3.87, 17.36), P<0.001], lymph node dissection [OR=3.59, 95%CI (2.72, 4.72), P<0.001], bronchial stump closure method [OR=5.19, 95%CI (1.79, 16.07), P=0.002], and postoperative gastric acid reflux [OR=6.24, 95%CI (3.27, 11.91), P<0.001] were risk factors for persistent cough after lung resection, while smoking history was a protective factor against postoperative cough [OR=0.59, 95%CI (0.45, 0.77), P<0.001]. In addition, the quality of life score of patients with postoperative cough decreased compared with that before surgery [MD=1.50, 95%CI (0.14, 2.86), P=0.03]. Conclusion Current evidence suggests that females, age, right-sided lung surgery, lobectomy, upper lobectomy, lymph node dissection, bronchial stump closure method (stapler closure), and postoperative gastric acid reflux are independent risk factors for persistent postoperative cough in lung resection patients, while smoking history may be a protective factor against postoperative cough. This provides evidence-based information for clinical medical staff on how to prevent and reduce persistent postoperative cough in patients and improve their quality of life in the future.

The Compilation Instructions for Expert Consensus on Clinical Application of Dieda Huoxue capsules systematically expound the development methods and evidence-based basis of this consensus. In view of the weak clinical application evidence and ambiguous indications of Dieda Huoxue capsules， the Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Wangjing Hospital took the lead and collaborated with 33 experts from 28 medical institutions nationwide. They strictly followed the World Health Organization （WHO） guideline-making norms and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment， Development and Evaluations （GRADE） evidence-grading system and completed the compilation through multidisciplinary cooperation. The workflow included constructing clinical questions （19 items were screened by the nominal group technique）， retrieving evidence （from Chinese and English databases and grey literature）， assessing safety （integrating drug monitoring data and clinical investigations）， and forming recommendations and consensus suggestions （3 recommendations were reached via the GRADE grid method， and 16 consensus suggestions were reached by the majority vote rule）. The results indicate that the consensus clearly states that this medicine （Dieda Huoxue capsules） is applicable to conditions like traumatic injury， blood stasis-induced pain， and sudden lumbar sprains. The recommended dose is 6 capsules each time， twice a day. Combining oral administration with external application can enhance the efficacy， and elderly patients should take the medicine at intervals. Safety monitoring suggests that it should be used with caution in people with a bleeding tendency and those with an allergic constitution. The compilation process involved three rounds of reviews by internal and external experts. Literature analysis， the Delphi method， and clinical applicability tests were employed to ensure methodological rigor. The compilation instructions comprehensively present key aspects such as project approval and registration， conflict-of-interest statements， and evidence evaluation through 12 appendices， providing methodological support for the clinical translation of the consensus. In the future， it will be continuously improved through a dynamic revision mechanism.

Objective To study the relationship between serum visfatin, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and disease severity of coronary heart disease (CHD) in elderly patients (≥90 years old). Methods One hundred and two elderly patients (≥90 years old) with CHD who received coronary CT angiography (CTA) were selected from January 2020 to June 2024. In addition, thirty-five elderly patients (≥90 years old) without CHD who underwent coronary CTA during the same period were included in the control group. The CHD patients were divided into mild group, moderate group and severe group by CT-SYNTAX score. The clinical data and levels of serum visfatin and NLR were compared, and the correlation and diagnostic value of the above levels with disease severity of CHD in elderly patients were analyzed. Results Serum visfatin and NLR were manifested as severe group>moderate group>mild group>control group (P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis found that serum visfatin and NLR were moderately positively correlated with CT-SYNTAX score (r=0.574, 0.482, P<0.001). Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve indicated that the area under the curve (AUC) of combination of serum visfatin and NLR in diagnosing severe lesion in elderly patients (≥90 years old) with CHD was 0.882, which was higher than that of visfatin or NLR alone, and its 95%CI was 0.803-0.938. Conclusion There is a certain correlation between serum visfatin, NLR and disease severity of CHD in elderly patients. The combination of the above indicators has a higher predictive value on severe lesion.

Objective To track and evaluate the implementation and application of the occupational health standard Radiation shielding requirements for radiotherapy room—Part 4: Radiotherapy room of ²⁵²Cf neutron afterloading (GBZ/T 201.4-2015) by radiation health technical service agencies, medical institutions, health supervision agencies, and radiotherapy facility design units, and to provide a scientific basis for the further revision and implementation of this standard. Methods Following the Guideline for health standards tracking evaluation (WS/T 536-2017) and the project implementation plan, relevant practitioners were randomly selected for a questionnaire survey. The survey primarily focused on their awareness, standard training, application, and revision suggestions of GBZ/T 201.4-2015. The results were summarized and analyzed. Results A total of 168 evaluation questionnaires were collected from relevant practitioners in 28 provinces. Only 31.6% of the respondents reported being “well familiar” or “ familiar” with the standard, 27.4% of the respondents believed that the standard was widely used, and 45.2% of the respondents believed that the standard could meet the needs of their work. Only 14.9% of the respondents had received relevant training on the standard, more than half of the respondents had not applied the standard within the past 10 years, and 45.2% of the respondents believed that the standard "needs to be revised". Conclusion Due to the small number of californium-252 neutron afterloading radiotherapy devices in operation on the market, the overall awareness of the standard is low, suggesting that relevant authorities need to strengthen training and publicity of the standard, and that certain sections of the standard need to be revised or merged.

INTRODUCTION: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) avoids the complications of general anaesthesia, reduces length of hospitalisation and reduces morbidity from surgery. As such, it is a strong alternative treatment for patients with comorbidities who are not surgical candidates. However, to our knowledge, there have only been 1 systematic review and 3 combined systematic review and meta-analyses on this topic to date. This systematic review and meta-analysis seeks to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RFA in the treatment of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with longer follow-up durations. METHOD: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant studies published from 1990 to 2021; 13 studies with a total of 1366 patients were included. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and Sandelowski et al.'s approach1 to "negotiated consensual validation" were used to achieve consensus on the final list of articles to be included. All authors then assessed each study using a rating scheme modified from the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. RESULTS: Pooled volume reduction rates (VRRs) from 1 to 48 months after RFA, complete disappearance rates (CDR) and complications were assessed. Pooled mean VRRs were 96.59 (95% confidence interval [CI] 91.05-102.13, I2=0%) at 12 months2-6 and 99.31 (95% CI 93.74-104.88, I2=not applicable) at 48 months.2,5 Five studies showed an eventual CDR of 100%.2,4,7-9 No life-threatening complications were recorded. The most common complications included pain, transient voice hoarseness, fever and less commonly, first-degree burn. CONCLUSION RFA may be an effective and safe alternative to treating PTC. Larger clinical trials with longer follow-up are needed to further evaluate the effectiveness of RFA in treating PTC.
Humans ; Radiofrequency Ablation/methods* ; Thyroid Cancer, Papillary/surgery* ; Thyroid Neoplasms/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Postoperative Complications/etiology*