1.Emerging role of proteomics in advancing diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of liver cancer
Yunyang Xu ; Jiarui Li ; Xingyu Luo ; Ze Xiang ; Zhe Yang ; Xuyong Wei ; Xiao Xu ; Jian Chen
Liver Research 2026;10(2):121-132
Liver cancer (LC) remains one of the most prevalent tumors globally. Despite considerable advancements in its clinical treatment in recent years, the global burden of this disease is projected to increase. According to World Health Organization statistics, the number of LC deaths worldwide in 2022 was 760,000, ranking third among all cancers. Therefore, there is an urgent need to delve deeper into the realms of LC diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Proteomics, as an emerging technology leveraging mass spectrometry (MS)-based protein identification, liquid chromatography separation, and bioinformatics-driven data integration, enables the systematic characterization of proteome dynamics to address critical challenges in LC research. These challenges include the discovery of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets. By scrutinizing the expression of specific proteins in both normal and cancerous tissues through high-throughput protein microarrays, researchers can uncover novel biomarkers. The use of these biomarkers alone or in combination with established ones holds the potential to significantly advance the fields of LC diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. In general, the application of proteomics has significantly promoted the development of LC research. In this review, we summarized the latest advancements in the application of proteomics in LC, with a particular focus on diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. We also concluded selected protein markers, aiming to offer guidance for further applications and present additional therapeutic targets for LC.
2.Yifei Zhuji Formula Reverses Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer by Regulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway
Jiarui LI ; Na ZHANG ; Xuefang LIU ; Qi WANG ; Di ZHAO ; Suxiang FENG ; Zijiang YANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(23):92-104
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Yifei Zhuji formula (YFZJF) on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through regulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. MethodsThe Lewis lung carcinoma mouse model and human lung adenocarcinoma PC-9 cell model were used in this study. In the animal experiments, 60 C57BL/6 mice were randomized into a blank group and a Lewis lung carcinoma modeling group. The modeled mice were further randomized into model, low-, medium-, and high-dose (7.475, 14.95, 29.9 g·kg-1·d-1, respectively) YFZJF, and cisplatin groups, with 10 mice in each group. Mice in YFZJF groups were administrated with YFZJF at different doses by gavage, and those in the cisplatin group received intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin at 6 mg·kg-1. Mice in the blank group and model group were administrated with equal volumes of normal saline by gavage every day. All the groups were treated for 14 consecutive days, and samples were collected for analysis after completion of treatment. Changes in body mass, tumor volume, and tumor mass were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed to observe pathological changes in the lung tissue. Immunohistochemistry, Real-time PCR, and Western blot were employed to determine the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (Ki-67), PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway-related molecules, and EMT-related molecules in the tumor tissue. In the cell experiments, human lung adenocarcinoma PC-9 cells were allocated into control, YFZJF-containing serum, and cisplatin groups, which were treated with 20% blank rat serum, 20% YFZJF-containing rat serum, and 5.4 μmol·L-1 cisplatin for 48 h, respectively. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was adopted to detect cell proliferation and determine drug concentration. Cell scratch assay and Transwell assay were employed to evaluate cell migration and invasion. Immunofluorescence staining and Real-time PCR were used to analyze changes in expression of EMT markers. ResultsCompared with those in the model group, the tumor volume and tumor mass were reduced in the high-dose YFZJF group (P<0.01). Immunohistochemical results showed that compared with the model group, the medium- and high-dose YFZJF groups exhibited reduced Ki-67 expression in the tumor tissue (P<0.01). HE staining results showed that YFZJF alleviated the pathological injury of the lung tissue to different degrees. Real-time PCR results in the tumor tissue showed that compared with the model group, the high-dose YFZJF group displayed downregulated mRNA levels of protein kinase B1 (Akt1) and N-cadherin (P<0.05), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase p85 regulatory subunit (p85) (P<0.01), mTOR (P<0.01), and Vimentin (P<0.01), and an upregulated mRNA level of E-cadherin (P<0.01). Western blot results showed that compared with the model group, the high-dose YFZJF group exhibited downregulated protein levels of phosphorylated (p)-PI3K/PI3K, p-Akt/Akt, p-mTOR/mTOR, Vimentin, and N-cadherin (P<0.01), and an upregulated protein level of E-cadherin (P<0.01) in the tumor tissue. The cell experiment results showed that compared with the blank serum group, YFZJF-containing serum inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PC-9 cells (P<0.05, P<0.01). Immunofluorescence results showed that compared with the control group, YFZJF-containing serum downregulated the protein levels of N-cadherin and Vimentin and upregulated the protein level of E-cadherin (P<0.01). Real-time PCR results showed that compared with the control group, YFZJF-containing serum upregulated the mRNA level of E-cadherin (P<0.05) and downregulated the mRNA levels of N-cadherin, Vimentin, P85, Akt1, and mTOR (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionYFZJF can significantly inhibit the progression of non-small cell lung cancer and reduce the migration and invasion of tumor cells by inhibiting the abnormal activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and reversing EMT.
3.Impact of Antibody Immune Response and Immune Cells on Osteoporosis and Fractures
Kangkang OU ; Jiarui CHEN ; Jichong ZHU ; Weiming TAN ; Cheng WEI ; Guiyu LI ; Yingying QIN ; Chong LIU
Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery 2025;17(3):530-545
Background:
The immune system plays a critical role in the development and progression of osteoporosis and fractures. However, the causal relationships between antibody immune responses, immune cells, and these bone conditions remain unclear. This study aimed to explore these relationships using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.
Methods:
We collected complete blood count data from patients with fractures and healthy individuals and analyzed their differences. Then, we conducted a 2-sample, 2-step MR analysis to investigate the causal effects of antibody immune responses on osteoporosis and fractures, using inverse-variance weighted (IVW) as the primary method. We also explored whether immune cells mediate the pathway between antibodies and osteoporosis or fractures. Finally, we analyzed the functions and expression levels of key genes involved.
Results:
Overall, the fracture group exhibited increased white blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count, absolute monocyte count, platelet count, and their respective proportions, while absolute lymphocyte count, absolute eosinophil count, absolute basophil count, red blood cell count, and their proportions were decreased. We identified 44 causal relationships between antibodies and osteoporosis or fractures, with 7 supported by multiple MR methods, and 5 showing odds ratios significantly deviating from 1 in the IVW analysis. Epstein-Barr virus-related antibodies had a notable impact on osteoporosis and fractures. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene family, particularly HLA-DPB1, emerged as a significant risk factor. However, immune cells were not found to mediate these effects.
Conclusions
This study elucidated the causal relationships between antibody immune responses, immune cells, and osteoporosis or fractures. The HLA gene family plays a crucial role in the interaction between antibodies and these bone conditions, with HLA-DPB1 identified as a key risk gene. Immune cells do not serve as mediators in this process. These findings provide valuable insights for future research.
4.Application of Zebrafish in Quality Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Jiaqi LI ; Xiaolu CHEN ; Jiarui WU ; Xiaoyu TAO ; Qiqi FAN ; Shengyun DAI ; Chongjun ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):58-70
As a new type of model organism, zebrafish is gradually gaining prominence in the field of scientific research. The unique biological characteristics and advantages of zebrafish make them play an increasingly important role in the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine. Compared with other common experimental animals, zebrafish have a fast reproductive and growth speed and high embryo transparency, making them an ideal model for evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine. This provides a new perspective and method for research on traditional Chinese medicine. With the growing global interest in traditional Chinese medicine, it has become crucial to find scientific and accurate methods to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine. The introduction of the zebrafish model has brought new breakthroughs in the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine. To further promote the application of zebrafish in evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine, this article systematically searched and sorted out the previous studies related to the application of zebrafish for this purpose since 2023. The commonly used disease models and indicators of zebrafish in evaluating the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as the mechanism of zebrafish in exploring the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine, were primarily reviewed. The application of zebrafish in evaluating the safety of traditional Chinese medicine and the typical examples in ensuring the quality of traditional Chinese medicine were demonstrated. The limitations encountered by zebrafish models in evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine were highlighted. The resolution of these problems will help further improve the accuracy and reliability of zebrafish in evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine. The article discussed the evaluation of effectiveness, safety, and quality control of zebrafish applied in traditional Chinese medicine, so as to provide a reference for establishing standards for traditional Chinese medicine and promoting its modernization in the future.
5.Hepatotoxicity and Anti-osteoporotic Mechanism of Evodiamine
Jiaqi LI ; Xiaolu CHEN ; Xiaoyu TAO ; Shan LU ; Qiqi FAN ; Jiarui WU ; Chongjun ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):79-86
ObjectiveBased on the zebrafish model, the hepatotoxicity and anti-osteoporotic activity of evodiamine (EVO) were studied. The mechanism of EVO in treating osteoporosis was explored by using network pharmacology and real-time polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR). MethodsThree days after fertilization (3 dpf), zebrafish were randomly selected and exposed to different concentrations of EVO solution for 96 hours. The mortality rate of zebrafish at different concentrations was calculated at the exposure endpoint, and a "dose-toxicity" curve was drawn. The 10% lethal concentration (LC10) was calculated. Liver phenotype, acridine orange staining, and pathological tissue sections of liver-transgenic zebrafish [CZ16 (gz15Tg.Tg (fabp 10a: ds Red; ela31: EGFP))] were used to confirm hepatotoxicity of EVO. On this basis, prednisolone was used to create a model of osteoporosis in zebrafish. The skull development, area of the skull stained by alizarin red, and cumulative optical density were used as indicators to evaluate the anti-osteoporotic activity of EVO in a safe dose. Based on network pharmacology, the mechanism of action of EVO in the treatment of osteoporosis was predicted and verified through Real-time PCR. ResultsThe LC10 of EVO on zebrafish (7 dpf) was determined to be 0.4 mg·L-1. Compared with the control group, sublethal concentrations (
6.Threshold of kurtosis on occupational hearing loss associated with non-steady noise
Yang LI ; Haiying LIU ; Linjie WU ; Jinzhe LI ; Jiarui XIN ; Hua ZOU ; Xin SUN ; Wei QIU ; Changyan YU ; Meibian ZHANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(7):779-785
Background Kurtosis reflecting noise's temporal structure is an effective metric for evaluating noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), and its threshold is still unclear. Objective To explore the energy range of kurtosis and the threshold of NIHL induced by kurtosis in this energy rangeMethods Using cross-sectional design,
7.Adjustment terms and coefficients of nonlinear regression-based kurtosis-adjusted equivalent sound level method
Jinzhe LI ; Anke ZENG ; Jiarui XIN ; Yang LI ; Linjie WU ; Haiying LIU ; Yan YE ; Meibian ZHANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(7):786-792
Background Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a prevalent occupational health problem in workplace settings, with non-steady noise exposure being particularly widespread. Although kurtosis-adjusted equivalent sound level (
8.Roles of A- and C-weighted kurtosis adjustment for equivalent sound level in evaluating occupational hearing loss
Haiying LIU ; Linjie WU ; Yang LI ; Jinzhe LI ; Jiarui XIN ; Hua ZOU ; Wei QIU ; Tong SHEN ; Meibian ZHANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(7):793-799
Background Temporal kurtosis (without frequency weighting, i.e., Z-weighted kurtosis) can evaluate noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). However, few studies have considered the function of frequency weighting (A- or C-weighted) kurtosis on NIHL. Objective To study the significance of A- and C-weighted kurtosis adjustment for equivalent sound level (L'EX,8 h) in evaluating occupational hearing loss. Methods A cross-sectional survey was used to select 973 noise-exposed workers in seven industries as the subjects. The noise exposure of all workers was assessed by distributions of A-, C-, and Z-weighted kurtosis (e.g., KA, KC, and KZ) and respective adjusted equivalent sound level (e.g., L'EX,8 h-KA, L'EX,8 h-KC, and L'EX,8 h-KZ). The significance of A- and C-weighted kurtosis in evaluating NIHL was evaluated by correlations between three types of L'EX,8 h and NIHL, and improvement of noise-induced permanent threshold shift (NIPTS) underestimation predicted by the ISO prediction model (Acoustics—Estimation of noise-induced hearing loss, ISO 1999-2013). Results The median KA, KC, and KZ were 68.33, 28.22, and 19.82, respectively. The binary logistic regression showed that LEX, 8 h-KA, LEX, 8 h-KC, and L'EX, 8 h-KZ were risk factors for NIHL (OR>1, P<0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that when the outcome variable was noise-induced hearing impairment (NIHI), the areas under the curves corresponding to L'EX,8 h-KA, L'EX,8 h-KC, and L'EX,8 h-KZ were 0.625, 0.628, and 0.625, respectively. When the outcome variable was high-frequency noise-induced hearing loss (HFNIHL), the areas under the curves corresponding to L'EX,8 h-KA, L'EX, 8 h-KC, and L'EX,8 h-KZ were 0.624, 0.623, and 0.622, respectively (P<0.05). The order of underestimation improvement values predicted by L'EX,8 h for NIPTS1234 was: L'EX,8 h-KA (4.68 dB HL)>L'EX,8 h-KC (4.38 dB HL)>L'EX,8 h-KZ (4.28 dB HL) (P<0.001). The order of underestimation improvement values predicted by L'EX,8 h-K for NIPTS346 was: L'EX,8 h-KA (7.20 dB HL)>L'EX,8 h-KC (6.83 dB HL)>L'EX,8 h-KZ (6.71 dB HL) (P<0.001). Conclusion The adjustment of A- and C-weighted kurtosis to equivalent sound level LEX,8 h can effectively improve the accuracy of the ISO 1999 prediction model in NIPTS prediction, and compared with the C-weighted, the A-weighted kurtosis can improve the result of the ISO 1999 prediction model in terms of underestimating NIPTS.
9.The deception risks and ethical regulation of social robots in medical companionship application
Wei LI ; Jiarui WANG ; Xinfang CHEN
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(9):1177-1183
Social robots play an important role in the field of medical companionship, providing services such as companion communication, drug monitoring, and rehabilitation guidance for the elderly and other subjects. However, social robots also pose the risk of deceiving medical users. Although certain forms of social robots’ deception can be used for therapeutic purposes, unethical deception can have adverse consequences for patients, doctors, and even society. These risks include causing patients to develop attachment disorders, violating their privacy, endangering their health, and even undermining the credibility of the healthcare system. Faced with the deception problem of social robots, starting from relational theory, medical artificial intelligence developers can conduct ethical regulation from the following two paths. First, social robots should be ethically programmed, including embedding programs for limiting benevolent lies, implementing informed consent principles, and ensuring information accuracy. Second, the deceptive behaviors of social robots should be controlled, requiring developers to take full-process supervision responsibility, design medical social robots that can supervise each other, and participate in formulating quality standards and evidence mechanisms for deception issues.
10.Effect of miR-34a-5p on hippocampal neuron apoptosis in rats with temporal lobe epilepsy and its mechanism
Jiarui LI ; Zhenlin YANG ; Fan GAO ; Jingjing GUO ; Jinzi LI
Journal of Jilin University(Medicine Edition) 2025;51(4):939-947
Objective:To discuss the effect of microRNA-34a-5p(miR-34a-5p)on the neuron apoptosis in hippocampus tissue of the rats with temporal lobe epilepsy,and to clarify its mechanism.Methods:Fifty-two male SD rats were randomly divided into control group,model group,miR-34a-5p inhibitor group,and inhibitor negative control group,and there were 13 rats in each group.The PONEMAH 6.X experimental animal telemetry platform was used to record the electroencephalogram(EEG)of the rats in various groups;real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)was used to detect the expression levels of miR-34a-5p in hippocampus tissue of the rats in various groups;HE staining was used to observe the morphology of hippocampus tissue of the rats in various groups;TUNEL method was used to detect the apoptotic rates of neurons in hippocampus tissue of the rats in various groups;immunohistochemistry method was used to determine the positive expression rates of CDK6,p-Rb,and E2F1 proteins in hippocampus tissue of the rats in various group;Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of cyclin-dependent protein kinase 6(CDK6),phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein(p-Rb),and E2F transcription factor 1(E2F1)proteins in hippocampus tissue of the rats in various groups.Results:No abnormalities were observed in the rats in control group;the rats in model group,miR-34a-5p inhibitor group,and inhibitor negative control group exhibited varying degrees of drooling,trembling,bloody tears,staring,chewing tremors,followed by nodding and blinking,and finally forelimb convulsions,standing upright,and falling.Compared with control group,the total duration of epileptic seizures of the rats in model group was significantly prolonged(P<0.01);compared with model group,the total duration of epileptic seizures of the rats in miR-34a-5p inhibitor group was shortened(P<0.01);compared with miR-34a-5p inhibitor group,the total duration of epileptic seizures of the rats in inhibitor negative control group was prolonged(P<0.01).The RT-qPCR results showed that compared with control group,the expression level of miR-34a-5p in hippocampus tissue of the rats in model group was increased(P<0.01);compared with model group,the expression level of miR-34a-5p in hippocampus tissue of the rats in miR-34a-5p inhibitor group was increased(P<0.05);compared with miR-34a-5p inhibitor group,the expression level of miR-34a-5p in hippocampus tissue of the rats in inhibitor negative control group was increased(P<0.01).The HE staining results showed that compared with control group,the cell arrangement in model group was disordered;compared with model group,the cell arrangement in miR-34a-5p inhibitor group was orderly;compared with miR-34a-5p inhibitor group,the cell morphology in inhibitor negative control group was irregular.The TUNEL staining results showed that compared with control group,the apoptotic rate of neurons in CA1 region of hippocampus tissue of the rats in model group was increased(P<0.01);compared with model group,the apoptotic rate of neurons in CA1 region of hippocampus tissue of the rats in miR-34a-5p inhibitor group was decreased(P<0.05);compared with miR-34a-5p inhibitor group,the apoptotic rate of neurons in CA1 region of hippocampus tissue of the rats in inhibitor negative control group was increased(P<0.05).The immunohistochemistry results showed that compared with control group,the positive expression rates of CDK6,p-Rb and E2F1 proteins in hippocampus tissue of the rats model group were increased(P<0.05 or P<0.01);compared with model group,the positive expression rates of CDK6,p-Rb and E2F1 proteins in hippocampus tissue of the rats in miR-34a-5p inhibitor group were decreased(P<0.05);compared with miR-34a-5p inhibitor group,the positive expression rates of CDK6,p-Rb and E2F1 proteins in hippocampus tissue of the rats in inhibitor negative group were increased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).The Western blotting results showed that compared with control group,the expression levels of CDK6,p-Rb,and E2F1 proteins in hippocampus tissue of the rats in model group were increased(P<0.01);compared with model group,the expression levels of CDK6,p-Rb,and E2F1 proteins in hippocampus tissue of the rats in miR-34a-5p inhibitor group were decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01);compared with miR-34a-5p antagomir group,the expression levels of CDK6,p-Rb,and E2F1 proteins in hippocampus tissue of the rats in inhibitor negative control group were increased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Conclusion:The expression of miR-34a-5p is upregulated in the hippocampal tissue of temporal lobe epilepsy rats,and hippocampal neuron apoptosis is increased.Inhibition of miR-34a-5p expression can reduce the hippocampal neuron apoptotic rate,and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of CDK6,p-Rb,and E2F1 protein expressions in the hippocampus tissue by miR-34a-5p.


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail