1.Research progress and clinical challenges in immunosuppressive regimens for xenotransplantation
Yu ZHANG ; Kun WANG ; Xuyuan ZHU ; Yuxiang CHEN ; Tao LI ; Xiaojie MA ; Hongtao JIANG
Organ Transplantation 2026;17(1):28-35
As a pivotal strategy to alleviate the shortage of organ donors, xenotransplantation has achieved remarkable advances in both pre-clinical and clinical studies in recent years, driven by continuous optimization of gene modification techniques and immunosuppressive regimens. Nevertheless, clinical translation still confronts formidable challenges, including rejection and heightened infection risks, which severely compromise long-term graft survival. Consequently, the role of immunosuppressive regimens in xenotransplantation has become increasingly prominent. This article summarizes the mechanisms underlying xenogeneic immune rejection, the latest developments in immunosuppressive regimens, cutting-edge strategies for inducing immune tolerance and the major hurdles facing clinical xenotransplantation. It delves into potential optimization strategies and directions for future clinical research, aiming to offer theoretical insights and practical guidance for the safe and effective application of clinical xenotransplantation.
2.Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure Based on AMPK Signaling Pathway
Kun LIAN ; Lichong MENG ; Xueqin WANG ; Yubin ZHANG ; Lin LI ; Xuhui TANG ; Zhixi HU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):139-148
Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a group of complex clinical syndromes caused by abnormal changes in the structure and/or function of the heart due to various reasons, resulting in disorders of ventricular contraction and/or diastole. CHF is a condition where primary diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension and pulmonary heart disease recur frequently and persist for a long time, presenting blood stasis in meridians and collaterals, stagnation of water and dampness, and accumulation of Qi in collaterals. Its pathogenesis is complex and may involve myocardial energy metabolism disorders, oxidative stress responses, myocardial cell apoptosis, autophagy, inflammatory responses, etc. According to the theory of restraining hyperactivity to acquire harmony, we believe that under normal circumstances, the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway functions normally, maintaining human physiological activities and energy metabolism. Under pathological conditions, the AMPK signaling pathway is abnormal, causing energy metabolism disorders, inflammatory responses, and myocardial fibrosis. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can regulate the AMPK signaling pathway through multiple mechanisms, targets, and effects, effectively curbing the occurrence and development of CHF. It has gradually become a research hotspot in the prevention and treatment of this disease. Guided by the theory of TCM, our research group, through literature review, summarized the relationship between the AMPK pathway and CHF and reviewed the research progress in the prevention and control of CHF with TCM active ingredients, TCM compound prescriptions, and Chinese patent medicines via regulating the AMPK pathway. The review aims to clarify the mechanism and targets of TCM in the treatment of CHF by regulating the AMPK pathway and guide the clinical treatment and drug development for CHF.
3.Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure Based on Thinking of Five Differentiation
Kun LIAN ; Lichong MENG ; Manting YI ; Lin LI ; Fei WANG ; Siyuan HU ; Zhixi HU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):160-168
Chronic heart failure (CHF) refers to a clinical syndrome in which the function or structure of the heart is changed due to damage to the original myocardium, resulting in reduced pumping and/or filling functions of the heart. In recent years, the mechanisms, pathways, and targets of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of CHF have been continuously confirmed, and the application of TCM theories in guiding the syndrome differentiation and precise treatment of CHF is currently a research hotspot. On the basis of the syndrome differentiation and treatment in TCM, Professor LI Candong innovatively proposed the thinking of five differentiation: Disease differentiation, syndrome differentiation, pathogenesis differentiation, symptom differentiation, and individual differentiation. This article explores the clinical diagnosis and treatment of CHF from this thinking, emphasizing comprehensive syndrome differentiation, objective analysis, dynamic assessment, and individualized treatment. In terms of diagnosis, the first is to identify the disease name, cause, location, severity, and type of CHF, determine the type and its evolution, and clarify the process of transmission and transformation between deficiency and excess. Secondly, it is necessary to distinguish the authenticity, severity, primary and secondary, urgency and complexity of CHF syndromes, providing scientific guidance for syndrome differentiation and treatment. Thirdly, according to the symptoms and the principles of deficiency and excess, the physician should identify the core pathogenesis of CHF from the perspectives of Qi, blood, Yin, Yang, deficiency, stasis, phlegm, water, and toxins. Fourthly, from the macro, meso and micro levels, the physician should carefully distinguish the presence or absence, severity, authenticity, and completeness of the symptoms to guide the diagnosis and treatment process of CHF. Finally, personalized medication for CHF should be promoted based on the patient's gender, age, constitution, and living habits. In terms of treatment, based on the thinking of five differentiation, we propose that the treatment of CHF should integrate the disease and syndrome, clarify the pathogenesis, and apply precise treatment. The treatment should be people-oriented, staged, and typed, and the medication should be adjusted according to symptoms. This diagnostic and therapeutic approach is based on the holistic concept and syndrome differentiation and treatment, and combines the three causes for appropriate treatment, providing new ideas and insights for the diagnosis and treatment of CHF.
4.From Gene Expression to Transcriptome-wide Association Study: Development and Comparison of Methodology
Kun FANG ; Guozhuang LI ; Linting WANG ; Qing LI ; Kexin XU ; Lina ZHAO ; Zhihong WU ; Jianguo ZHANG ; Nan WU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(1):223-229
Over the past two decades, genome-wide association study(GWAS) has identified numerous genetic variants and loci associated with heritable diseases. With the gradual maturation and saturation of GWAS methodologies, transcriptome-wide association study(TWAS) offers a novel perspective by linkinggenetic phenotypes to gene expression levels. By integrating TWAS with other multi-omics analyses, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of heritable diseases. This article provides an overview of recent groundbreaking and representative TWAS methods and tools, analyzes their strengths and limitations, and discusses future trends in TWAS development.
5.Predictive modle for violence risk in hospitalized schizophrenia patients based on support vector machine
Huan LIU ; Peifang SHI ; Kun ZHANG ; Li KANG ; Yan ZHANG ; Long NA ; Binhong WANG ; Meiqing HE
Sichuan Mental Health 2026;39(1):27-35
BackgroundThe violent aggressive behaviors of patients with schizophrenia usually have the characteristics of suddenness, unpredictability, high severity, and great difficulty in prevention. Early identification and accurate assessment of their risk of violent aggression have significant clinical significance. ObjectiveTo construct a predictive model for the violence risk in hospitalized patients with schizophrenia, to identify the key factors influencing the occurrence of violent behavior in these patients, so as to provide references for clinical precise quantitative assessment and early intervention. MethodsA total of 200 patients with schizophrenia who were hospitalized at Taiyuan Psychiatric Hospital from March 2022 to September 2024 and met the diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Diseases, eleventh edition (ICD-11) were collected to form the modeling cohort. They were randomly divided into a training set (n=140) and a test set (n=60) at a ratio of 7∶3. Based on the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression algorithm, the feature variables were screened and dimension-reduced. The support vector machine (SVM) from machine learning was selected for model training and prediction. The discrimination efficacy of the model was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, F1 value, and Brier value. ResultsLASSO regression screening identified 16 feature variables. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between prior violent behavior frequency and clinical psychiatric symptom scores (r=0.580, P<0.01), a positive correlation between hospitalization compliance and current disease status (r=0.550, P=0.003), and a positive correlation between educational level and family per capita monthly income (r=0.367, P<0.01). The SVM model achieved an AUC of 0.853, accuracy of 0.800, precision of 0.810, sensitivity of 0.895, specificity of 0.636, F1 value of 0.850, and Brier value of 0.168. ConclusionThe SVM model has a relatively high level of applicability and overall predictive performance in the assessment of violent risk in schizophrenia patients, which is helpful for the early identification of violent risks in such patients. [Funded by Specialized Research Project for Enhancing the Competence of Health Professionals in Taiyuan City (number, Y2023006)]
6.Diagnosis and treatment of 281 elderly patients with pulmonary ground-glass opacity: A retrospective study in a single center
Lei SU ; Yi ZHANG ; Yan GAO ; Bing WEI ; Tengteng WANG ; Yuanbo LI ; Kun QIAN ; Peilong ZHANG ; Leiming WANG ; Xiuqin WEI
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(01):94-99
Objective To explore the diagnosis and treatment strategies for elderly patients with ground-glass opacity (GGO). Methods The imaging features and postoperative pathological findings of the elderly patients with pulmonary GGO receiving surgery in our hospital from 2017 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into an elderly patient group and a non-elderly patient group based on their age. Results Finally 575 patients were included in the study. There were 281 elderly patients, including 83 males and 198 females, with an average age of (67.0±5.3) years. There were 294 non-elderly patients, including 88 males and 206 females, with an average age of (49.1±7.3) years. Compared with the non-elderly patients, elderly GGO patients showed the following distinct clinical features: long observation time for lesions (P=0.001), high proportion of rough edges of GGO (P<0.001), significant pleural signs (P<0.001) and bronchial signs (P<0.001), and high proportion of type Ⅱ-Ⅳ GGO (P<0.001), lobectomy type (P=0.013), and invasive lesions reported in postoperative pathology (P<0.001). There was no statistical difference in the average hospital stay between the two groups (P=0.106). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that GGO diameter and GGO type were the main factors affecting the operation. Observation time, GGO diameter, GGO type and pleural signs were the main influencing factors for postoperative pathological infiltrative lesions. The cut-off value of GGO diameter in predicting infiltrating lesions was 10.5 mm in the elderly patients group. Conclusion The size and type of GGO are important factors in predicting invasive lesions and selecting surgical methods. Elderly patients with radiographic manifestations of type Ⅱ-Ⅳ GGO lesions with a diameter greater than 10.5 mm should be closely followed up.
7.Textual Research on Historical Evolution and Key Information of Classical Famous Formula of Da Qinjiaotang
Na LI ; Jianying BAI ; Fuping LI ; Xiufen ZHANG ; Di LU ; Yishuo BAI ; Cuixiang WANG ; Kun SU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):201-211
Da Qinjiaotang is the 54th formula of the 100 formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Classical Formulas (the first batch) ,and it originated from the Collection of Writings on the Mechanism of Disease, Suitability of Qi, and Safeguarding of Life Discussed in Plain Questions. Da Qinjiaotang is composed of Gentiana macrophylla, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Ligusticum chuanxiong, Angelica sinensis, Paeonia lactiflora, Asari Radix et Rhizoma, Notopterygium incisum, Saposhnikoviae Radix, Scutellariae Radix, Gypsum, Angelica dahurica, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Rehmanniae Radix, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, Poria, and Angelicae Pubescentis Radix. It is a classical formula for treating strokes. Da Qinjiaotang is widely used in modern clinical practices for treating ischemic stroke, peripheral facial paralysis, cervical spondylosis, rheumatic arthritis, neurodermatitis, and other multisystem diseases. Therefore, following the Principles of Textual Research on the Key Information of Ancient Classical Famous Formulas, the authors collected the ancient Chinese medical literature of Da Qinjiaotang by the method of bibliometrics and screened out 177 valid data, involving 100 ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine. Based on the historical evolution, composition, dosage, method of preparation, and preparation of the original medicinal materials of Da Qinjiaotang, a systematic study was carried out. It was found that among the 175 records of the main diseases and syndromes, stroke (144) was the most, accounting for 82.29% of the total diseases and syndromes. Later generations mostly followed the practice of LIU Wansu in using Da Qinjiaotang to treat stroke caused by "weak blood and inability to nourish tendon", featuring "hands and feet cannot move, stiff tongue hinders speaking", as well as other symptoms, such as slant of the mouth, hemiplegia, numbness of the limbs, paroxysmal pain, and acerbic syncope. The treatment scope was expanded, covering tendon dryness, clonic convulsion, spasm syndrome, and arthralgia syndrome. At the same time, it was found that there was a controversy between "internal wind" and "external wind" in the treatment of stroke by Da Qinjiaotang. LIU Wansu thought that stroke was caused by internal factors, created the theory of "hot stroke", and used Da Qinjiaotang to treat "internal wind". Many doctors in later generations focused on treating the "external wind" of "internal deficiency and evil". There were 76 valid data on the composition of drugs, 59 of which had doses for each drug. It was suggested to use the modern conversion dosage of the original formula, with 41.30 g per dose. The drug should be boiled in 600 mL water until 300 mL, decocted once, and taken in a warm state after removing the dregs anytime. Through the analysis and study of the ancient books about Da Qinjiaotang, the paper clarified its historical evolution and confirmed its key information, so as to provide the ancient literature evidence for the research and development of the classical famous formula Daqinjiaotan and its better clinical application.
8.Textual Research on Historical Evolution and Key Information of Classical Famous Formula of Da Qinjiaotang
Na LI ; Jianying BAI ; Fuping LI ; Xiufen ZHANG ; Di LU ; Yishuo BAI ; Cuixiang WANG ; Kun SU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):201-211
Da Qinjiaotang is the 54th formula of the 100 formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Classical Formulas (the first batch) ,and it originated from the Collection of Writings on the Mechanism of Disease, Suitability of Qi, and Safeguarding of Life Discussed in Plain Questions. Da Qinjiaotang is composed of Gentiana macrophylla, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Ligusticum chuanxiong, Angelica sinensis, Paeonia lactiflora, Asari Radix et Rhizoma, Notopterygium incisum, Saposhnikoviae Radix, Scutellariae Radix, Gypsum, Angelica dahurica, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Rehmanniae Radix, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, Poria, and Angelicae Pubescentis Radix. It is a classical formula for treating strokes. Da Qinjiaotang is widely used in modern clinical practices for treating ischemic stroke, peripheral facial paralysis, cervical spondylosis, rheumatic arthritis, neurodermatitis, and other multisystem diseases. Therefore, following the Principles of Textual Research on the Key Information of Ancient Classical Famous Formulas, the authors collected the ancient Chinese medical literature of Da Qinjiaotang by the method of bibliometrics and screened out 177 valid data, involving 100 ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine. Based on the historical evolution, composition, dosage, method of preparation, and preparation of the original medicinal materials of Da Qinjiaotang, a systematic study was carried out. It was found that among the 175 records of the main diseases and syndromes, stroke (144) was the most, accounting for 82.29% of the total diseases and syndromes. Later generations mostly followed the practice of LIU Wansu in using Da Qinjiaotang to treat stroke caused by "weak blood and inability to nourish tendon", featuring "hands and feet cannot move, stiff tongue hinders speaking", as well as other symptoms, such as slant of the mouth, hemiplegia, numbness of the limbs, paroxysmal pain, and acerbic syncope. The treatment scope was expanded, covering tendon dryness, clonic convulsion, spasm syndrome, and arthralgia syndrome. At the same time, it was found that there was a controversy between "internal wind" and "external wind" in the treatment of stroke by Da Qinjiaotang. LIU Wansu thought that stroke was caused by internal factors, created the theory of "hot stroke", and used Da Qinjiaotang to treat "internal wind". Many doctors in later generations focused on treating the "external wind" of "internal deficiency and evil". There were 76 valid data on the composition of drugs, 59 of which had doses for each drug. It was suggested to use the modern conversion dosage of the original formula, with 41.30 g per dose. The drug should be boiled in 600 mL water until 300 mL, decocted once, and taken in a warm state after removing the dregs anytime. Through the analysis and study of the ancient books about Da Qinjiaotang, the paper clarified its historical evolution and confirmed its key information, so as to provide the ancient literature evidence for the research and development of the classical famous formula Daqinjiaotan and its better clinical application.
9.Premature Aging Prevention and Treatment Guided by Essence-Qi-Spirit Theory of Qiluo Doctrine: A Review
Chuanyuan JI ; Hongrong LI ; Jiameng HAO ; Dandong WANG ; Yucong MA ; Kun MA ; Cong WEI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(2):279-285
The theoretical basis of premature aging originates from The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic. The etiology of premature aging is complex, and the disease mechanism is based on deficiency. The treatment for premature aging is based on tonicity. The essence-Qi-spirit theory of Qiluo doctrine summarizes that "essence is the origin of life, Qi is the driving force of life, and spirit is the embodiment of life", which is the law of life. The theory puts forward the core disease mechanism of aging, which states that "deficiency of kidney essence is the root of aging, deficiency of primordial Qi is the key to aging, impairment of soma and spirit is the manifestation of aging". The theory also proposes the treatment of "tonifying kidney and supplementing essence, harmonizing Yin and Yang, warming and supporting primordial Qi, and nourishing soma and spirit" and the representative anti-aging drugs. The article unfolds from the perspective of the concepts of natural life span, premature senility before fifty, decline, and aging and also explains the origins and connotations of premature aging. The article explains the disease mechanism of premature aging under the guidance of the essence-Qi-spirit theory of Qiluo doctrine, which is "early deprivation of kidney essence, deficiency of primordial Qi, accumulation of deficiencies into impairment, and decline and impairment of soma and spirit", summarizes the progress of modern medical research on the treatment of premature aging and representative drugs, and finds that Bazi Bushen capsules have a precise therapeutic effect on the overall premature aging, systematic functional decline, and related diseases. The study provides theoretical basis and new ideas to solve the problems of premature aging and geriatric diseases.
10.Epidural fibrous scar formation in rabbits following autologous ligamentum flavum intervention
Debao ZHANG ; Peng WANG ; Kun LI ; Shaojie ZHANG ; Zhijun LI ; Shuwen LI ; Yimin WU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(6):1168-1175
BACKGROUND:It has been proved clinically that adhesion of fibrous scar with the dura mater or nerve root after lumbar operation is an important factor for postoperative symptoms,such as postoperative pain and numbness. OBJECTIVE:To verify the inhibitory effect of autologous ligamentum flavum on the formation of epidural fibrous scar after lumbar surgery and explore the possible molecular biological mechanism. METHODS:Forty-eight Japanese white rabbits(6-8 months old)were randomly divided into three groups:a ligamentum flavum preservation group,a ligamentum flavum non-preservation group,and an autologous fat reposition group.A lumbar laminectomy model was established in all the three groups of rabbits,and rabbit epidural tissues were collected at 3 and 6 weeks after modeling.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe histological changes and the number and density of fibroblasts,VG staining was used to observe the percentage of collagen fiber area,and immunohistochemistry was used to observe the expression of transforming growth factor β1 and Smad3 proteins. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Hematoxylin-eosin staining results revealed that fibroblasts in the ligamentum flavum preservation group were few and loosely arranged,while the cells in the ligamentum flavum non-preservation and autologous fat reposition groups were more numerous and closely arranged.The number density of fibroblasts in the ligamentum flavum preservation group was lower than that in the ligamentum flavum non-preservation and autologous fat reposition groups at 3 and 6 weeks after surgery(P<0.05);however,there was no significant difference between the latter two groups.VG staining results showed that the collagen fibers in the ligamentum flavum preservation group were sparse and distributed unevenly,while a lot of red collagen fibers were gathered in the ligamentum flavum non-preservation and autologous fat reposition groups.The area percentage of collagen fibers in the ligamentum flavum preservation group was lower than that in the ligamentum flavum non-preservation and autologous fat reposition groups at 3 and 6 weeks after surgery(P<0.05),but there was no significant difference between the latter two groups.The results of immunohistochemistry showed that the degree of positive staining of retained histone the ligamentum flavum preservation group was significantly lower than that of the other two groups.The absorbance value of transforming growth factor β1 and Smad3 in the ligamentum flavum preservation group was significantly lower than that in the other two groups at 3 and 6 weeks after surgery(P<0.05),but there was no significant difference between the latter two groups.To conclude,there are different degrees of epidural fibrous scar formation after lumbar surgery.If the ligamentum flavum is preserved,it can help to reduce the number of epidural fibroblasts as well as the formation of collagen fibers,thus reducing the adhesion of the fibrous scar tissue to the dural sac and nerve root.The mechanism is not only a purely mechanical blockade,but also to reduce the formation of epidural fibrous scar by interfering with the transforming growth factor β1/Smad3 signaling pathway.

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