1.Innovative strategies for improving CAR-T cell therapy: A nanomedicine perspective.
Mengyao WANG ; Zhengyu YU ; Liping YUAN ; Peipei YANG ; Caixia JING ; Ying QU ; Zhiyong QIAN ; Ting NIU
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(21):2769-2782
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells have reshaped the treatment landscape of hematological malignancies, offering a potentially curative option for patients. Despite these major milestones in the field of immuno-oncology, growing experience with CAR-T cells has also highlighted several limitations of this strategy. The production process of CAR-T cells is complex, time-consuming, and costly, thus leading to poor drug accessibility. The potential carcinogenic risk of viral transfection systems remains a matter of controversy. Treatment-related side effects, such as cytokine release syndrome, can be life-threatening. And the biggest challenge is the inadequate efficacy related to poor infiltration and retention of CAR-T cells in tumor tissues and impaired T cell activation caused by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Innovative strategies are urgently needed to address these problems, and nanomedicine offers good solutions to these challenges. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of recent advancements in the application of nanomaterials to enhance CAR-T cell therapy. We examine the role of innovative nanoparticle-based delivery systems in the production of CAR-T cells, with a particular focus on polymeric delivery systems and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Furthermore, we explore various strategies for delivering immune stimulators, which significantly enhance the efficacy of CAR-T cells by modulating T cell viability and functionality or by reprogramming the immunosuppressive TME. In addition, we discuss several novel therapeutic approaches aimed at mitigating the adverse effects associated with CAR-T therapies. Finally, we offer an integrated perspective on the future challenges and opportunities facing CAR-T therapies.
Humans
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Nanomedicine/methods*
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Receptors, Chimeric Antigen/metabolism*
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Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods*
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T-Lymphocytes/immunology*
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Nanoparticles/chemistry*
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Animals
2.Traditional Chinese herbal medicine in European Union: State of art, challenges, and future perspectives focusing on Italian market.
Anna Rita BILIA ; Rebecca BALLERINI ; Liping QU ; Mei WANG
Chinese Herbal Medicines 2025;17(1):3-18
Traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCM) has been used in China for thousands of years as an integral part of the healthcare system.The use of botanical products deriving from plants from TCM has become very spread and rooted in European Union (EU), generating a manufacturing industry of pronounced size, in particular the segment of food supplements, but recently also medical devices and cosmetics based on plants from TCM, especially in Italy. Only seven Herbal Medicinal Products (HMP) based on plants from TCM are present in EU besides more than 100 monographs on TCM plants are present in the European Pharmacopoeia. Indeed, the number of herbal monographs of European Medicine Agency (EMA) which report the main data on safety and efficacy of medicinal plants from TCM are very limited and this could be a reason for the limited number of HMP based on herbal drugs used in TCM. It is clear that those botanicals based on TCM but not classified as HMP can represent a sort of "borderline" products. Very likely, they are present on the European market because of the simpler authorization when compared with HMP. Some examples of these categories (food supplements and medical devices) containing plants from TCM and marketed in Italy are reported in this review. Consequently, it is urgent the need to clarify their categorization, also fundamental for the consumer protection. It is imperative the establishment of EU quality standards and official registration for Chinese herbal medicinal products, even if they are marketed as food supplements, medicinal devices or cosmetics because the international quality standards International Organization for Standardization Technical Committee 249-Traditional Chinese Medicine (ISO/TC249) can harmonize the quality control and promote the trading internationally. Governmental organizations together with companies producing TCM should work together to accelerate the legislation of laws pertaining to TCM, and generate an environment where TCM does not just continue to exist but truly develop.
3.Study on the Effect and Mechanism of Di'ao Xinxuekang Combined with Simvastatin on Atherosclero-sis Mice
Wei LI ; Luyao LI ; Liping QU ; Honglin LIU ; Mengting LAI ; Ziqian WANG ; Wenjun ZOU
Traditional Chinese Drug Research & Clinical Pharmacology 2024;35(6):798-804
Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of Di'ao Xinxuekang(hereinafter referred to as Xinxuekang)combined with Simvastatin on atherosclerosis(AS)mice.Methods Eight C57BL/6J mice were used as control group,and 32 ApoE-/-mice were randomly divided into model group,Xinxuekang group(160 mg·kg-1),Simvastatin group(1.3 mg·kg-1)and combined treatment group(Xinxuekang 160 mg·kg-1+Simvastatin 1.3 mg·kg-1),with eight mice in each group.The control group was fed with conventional diet,and the other four groups were fed with high-fat diet.At the same time,each administration group was given intragastric administration according to the above dose,and the volume of intragastric administration was 10 mL·kg-1,once a day for 18 weeks.After administration,the levels of serum total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)were detected.Oil red O staining was used to observe the formation of aortic plaque and liver lipid accumulation in mice.Serum PCSK9 level was detected by ELISA.The mRNA and protein expression levels of LDLR,HNF1α and SREBP2 in liver tissues were detected by qRT-PCR and Western Blot.Results(1)Compared with the control group,the levels of serum TC,TG and LDL-C in the model group were significantly increased(P<0.01),and the level of HDL-C was significantly decreased(P<0.01).The percentage of aortic root plaque area,the percentage of total aortic plaque area and the percentage of liver lipid droplet area were significantly increased(P<0.01).The mRNA and protein expression levels of LDLR in liver tissue were significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the serum PCSK9 level was significantly increased(P<0.01).The mRNA and protein expression levels of HNF1α and SREBP2 in liver tissues were significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01).(2)Compared with the model group,the levels of serum TC,TG and LDL-C in the Xinxuekang group and the combined treatment group were significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),and the level of HDL-C was significantly increased(P<0.05).The level of serum LDL-C in Simvastatin group was significantly decreased(P<0.01).The percentage of aortic root plaque area and the percentage of total aortic plaque area in the Xinxuekang group and the combined treatment group were significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),and the percentage of liver lipid droplet area in each administration group was significantly decreased(P<0.01).The protein expression level of LDLR in liver tissue of mice in Xinxuekang group and combined treatment group was significantly increased(P<0.05),the serum PCSK9 level was significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),and the mRNA and protein expression levels of HNF1 α and SREBP2 in liver tissue were significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01).(3)Compared with the Simvastatin group,the serum HDL-C level in the combined treatment group was significantly increased(P<0.05).The percentage of aortic root plaque area and the percentage of liver lipid droplet area were significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01).The protein expression level of LDLR in liver tissue was significantly increased(P<0.01),and the serum PCSK9 level was significantly decreased(P<0.01).The expression levels of HNF1α protein and SREBP2 mRNA in liver tissues were significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Xinxuekang may play a synergistic effect on lipid-lowering and anti-AS effects of Simvastatin by inhibiting the expressions of SREBP2 and HNF1α and regulating the PCSK9/LDLR signaling pathway.
4.Application of Party building-guided quality control circle management in emergency services
Chengquan ZHAI ; Liping WANG ; Shoujing GONG ; Yadong LI ; Jilai QU ; Yugui HAO
Modern Hospital 2024;24(8):1175-1177,1181
Objective To investigate the role of quality control circle management guided by Party building philosophy in improving patient satisfaction in emergency services.Methods Quality control circle management guided by the Party building philosophy was implemented in May 2023.Two groups of 1 000 emergency patients each were selected,one from April to May 2023(pre-implementation)and the other from April to May 2024(post-implementation).The control group and the observation group were compared across several metrics in terms of satisfaction scores,satisfaction rates,120 emergency call response time,3-minute pre-hospital emergency dispatch rates,and average waiting times for emergency observation patients.Results The ob-servation group demonstrated higher satisfaction scores,satisfaction rates,and higher 3-minute pre-hospital emergency dispatch rates compared to the control group.Additionally,the observation group had shorter emergency call response time and average waiting time in the emergency department,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Conclusion The integration of quality control circle management guided by Party construction philosophy in the management of emergency patients has been shown to address operational issues,optimize service processes,and significantly improve patient satisfaction and experience.This method is worthy of broader application and promotion in clinical practice.
5.Gut microbiome-based thiamine metabolism contributes to the protective effect of one acidic polysaccharide from Selaginella uncinata(Desv.)Spring against inflammatory bowel disease
Hui HAOCHEN ; Wang ZHUOYA ; Zhao XUERONG ; Xu LINA ; Yin LIANHONG ; Wang FEIFEI ; Qu LIPING ; Peng JINYONG
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2024;14(2):177-195
Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is a serious disorder,and exploration of active compounds to treat it is necessary.An acidic polysaccharide named SUSP-4 was purified from Selaginella uncinata(Desv.)Spring,which contained galacturonic acid,galactose,xylose,arabinose,and rhamnose with the main chain structure of →4)-α-D-GalAp-(1 → and →6)-β-D-Galp-(1 → and the branched structure of →5)-α-L-Araf-(1 →.Animal experiments showed that compared with Model group,SUSP-4 significantly improved body weight status,disease activity index(DAI),colonic shortening,and histopathological damage,and elevated occludin and zonula occludens protein 1(ZO-1)expression in mice induced by dextran sulfate sodium salt(DSS).16S ribosomal RNA(rRNA)sequencing indicated that SUSP-4 markedly downregulated the level of Akkermansia and Alistipes.Metabolomics results confirmed that SUSP-4 obviously elevated thiamine levels compared with Model mice by adjusting thiamine metabolism,which was further confirmed by a targeted metabolism study.Fecal transplantation experiments showed that SUSP-4 exerted an anti-IBD effect by altering the intestinal flora in mice.A mechanistic study showed that SUSP-4 markedly inhibited macrophage activation by decreasing the levels of phospho-nuclear factor kappa-B(p-NF-κB)and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)and elevating NF-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)levels compared with Model group.In conclusion,SUSP-4 affected thiamine metabolism by regulating Akker-mania and inhibited macrophage activation to adjust NF-κB/Nrf2/COX-2-mediated inflammation and oxidative stress against IBD.This is the first time that plant polysaccharides have been shown to affect thiamine metabolism against IBD,showing great potential for in-depth research and development applications.
6.HU value of chest CT vertebral body in the opportunistic screening of type 2 diabetes mellitus osteoporosis
Liping WANG ; Tianxing LIAN ; Yongrong HU ; Hongsheng YANG ; Zhimou ZENG ; Hao LIU ; Bo QU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;28(6):950-954
BACKGROUND:Some studies have shown that the hounsfield units(HU)value based on lumbar CT can be used to screen osteoporosis.At present,the number of patients with pulmonary infection has increased;the number of patients with pulmonary infection and type 2 diabetes is also increasing,which increases the utilization rate of chest CT. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the role of lumbar 1 vertebral body HU value based on chest CT in the screening of type 2 diabetes mellitus osteoporosis. METHODS:The clinical data of 244 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College from June 2020 to June 2022 were analyzed retrospectively.The bone mineral density was obtained by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.According to WHO's diagnostic criteria for osteoporosis,the subjects were divided into the non-osteoporosis group(n=120)and the osteoporosis group(n=124).The general condition,T value and HU value of lumbar 1 vertebra in chest CT were compared,and the relationship between the HU value and T value of each position was analyzed and the accuracy of type 2 diabetes mellitus osteoporosis was evaluated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There was no significant difference in sex,age,body mass index,glycosylated hemoglobin,mean blood glucose,calcium(Ca),phosphorus(P),time of type 2 diabetes mellitus,history of hypertension and history of hyperlipidemia between the two groups(P>0.05).(2)The HU value was positively correlated with the lowest T value of the hip(r=0.619,P<0.01);the HU value was positively correlated with the hip T value(r=0.584,P<0.01),and the HU value was positively correlated with the femoral neck T value(r=0.641,P<0.01).When the HU value was 98,the prediction of type 2 diabetes mellitus osteoporosis had good accuracy,and the sensitivity was 70.8%.(3)It is concluded that the HU value of the lumbar 1 vertebra based on chest CT examination is of good value for osteoporosis screening in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus,and may be an opportunistic and cost-free supplementary screening method for type 2 diabetes mellitus osteoporosis.
7.Impact of the established healthy canteens and restaurants in Shanghai on usage of oil, salt, and sugar, and on nutritional knowledge and behavior of diners
Shupeng MAI ; Qi SONG ; Zehuan SHI ; Mengying QU ; Liping SHEN ; Wei LU ; Zhuo SUN ; Zhengyuan WANG ; Jiajie ZANG
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2023;35(10):951-955
ObjectiveTo evaluate the changes of the usage of oil, salt, sugar and nutritional knowledge and behavior intervention among diners before and after the establishment of healthy canteens and restaurants in Shanghai. MethodsA comprehensive intervention was conducted through the establishment of healthy canteens and restaurants, encompassing interventions such as oil, salt, and sugar management, improvement of nutritional environment, staffing and training activities, and nutrition labeling guidance. A pre-post self-controlled study design was used to compare changes in oil, salt and sugar usage, as well as diners’ knowledge and behaviors related to nutrition and nutrition labeling, before and after the intervention. ResultsAfter intervention, the total usage of oil, salt, and sugar per meal in the canteens and restaurants decreased by 18.33%, 14.83%, and 13.66%, respectively,and all had statistically significance differences(P<0.001). The awareness rate of "cooking oil intake", "salt intake", and "added sugar intake" among diners increased from 24.07% to 38.04%, 58.52% to 71.28%, and 26.85% to 45.01%, respectively. The awareness rate of "daily food types" and "weekly food types" increased from 43.07% to 56.53% and 49.52% to 64.32%, with significant differences (P<0.001). The rate of understanding the content of nutrition labels increased from 66.91% to 76.90%, the awareness rate of nutrition labels increased from 53.59% to 69.06%, the rate of active reading of nutrition labels among diners increased from 73.38% to 81.23%, and the rate of selecting and purchasing food based on the information of nutrition labels increased from 69.27% to 77.79%, all of which were statistically significant (P<0.001). ConclusionThe comprehensive interventions carried out through the creation of healthy canteens and restaurants have significantly impact on usage of oil, salt, and sugar, as well as on the nutritional knowledge and behaviors of diners.
8.Associations of sugar-sweetened beverages intake frequency with physical growth and glucolipid metabolism among children and adolescents
Liping SHEN ; Zhengyuan WANG ; Zehuan SHI ; Qi SONG ; Mengying QU ; Shupeng MAI ; Wei LU ; Zhuo SUN ; Zhenni ZHU ; Jiajie ZANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2023;40(7):761-768
Background Children and adolescents drink sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) frequently. Research has confirmed that SSBs associate with weight gain and overweight or obesity. However, it is unclear whether high SSBs intake associates with abnormal changes in physical growth and glucolipid metabolism before causing adverse health outcomes such as overweight and obesity. Early identification of associated health risks of overconsumption of SSBs have important public health implications. Objective To investigate the differences in physical growth and glucolipid metabolism between different SSBs intake frequency groups in normal weight children and adolescents aged 6-17 years, and to evaluate the early effects of SSBs intake on physical growth and glycolipid metabolism before causing overweight and obesity, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of childhood overweight and obesity and related chronic diseases, and for the formulation of policies on the control of SSBs consumption. Methods Data were from the Shanghai Diet and Health Survey (SDHS) among primary and secondary school students. The participants were normal weight children and adolescents aged 6-17 years. Propensity scores were calculated according to energy intake and physical activity factors, after stratifying by age and gender. Participants were 1:1 matched with the closest propensity scores in the high-frequency (≥1 time·d−1) and the low-frequency (≤1 time·week−1) SSBs intake groups. The outcome indicators were physical measurements such as height, weight, percent of body fat, and waist circumference, and metabolic indicators such as fasting blood glucose, total triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Food frequency questionnaire was used to collect SSBs consumption in the past three months through face-to-face interview. A paired t-test was used to compare the differences in physical and glycolipid metabolic indicators between the high-frequency intake group and the low-frequency intake group of SSBs. Results A total of 431 pairs were obtained. For children and adolescents in grades 6-9, overall height (difference=2.92 cm, P=0.002), weight (difference=2.53 kg, P=0.003), and waist circumference (difference=1.34 cm, P=0.035) were higher in those who consumed SSBs ≥1 time·d−1 than in those who consumed ≤1 time·week−1. For children and adolescents in grades 10-12, overall weight (difference=2.27 kg, P=0.041) was higher in those who consumed SSBs ≥1 time·d−1 than in those who consumed ≤1 time·week−1. Over 95% of the study subjects reported blood glucose and lipid test results within the normal range; but girls in grades 1-5 who consumed SSBs ≥1 time·d−1 had a higher total cholesterol (difference=0.20 mmol·L−1, P=0.027) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (difference=0.19 mmol·L−1, P=0.010) than those who consumed ≤1 time·week−1; boys in grades 6-9 who consumed SSBs ≥1 time·d−1 had a lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (difference=-0.10 mmol·L−1, P=0.039) than those who consumed ≤1 time·week−1. Conclusion High-frequency intake of SSBs may be associated with higher total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in normal weight children and adolescents in grades 1-5, and higher weight in normal weight children and adolescents in grades 6-12. There is an urgent need to educate children and adolescents about nutritional health, enhance their ability to make healthy food and beverage choices, and take early interventions to control the intake of SSBs in children.
9.Protective effects of dioscin against Parkinson's disease via regulating bile acid metabolism through remodeling gut microbiome/GLP-1 signaling
Zhang MAO ; Haochen HUI ; Xuerong ZHAO ; Lina XU ; Yan QI ; Lianhong YIN ; Liping QU ; Lan HAN ; Jinyong PENG
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2023;13(10):1153-1167
It is necessary to explore potent therapeutic agents via regulating gut microbiota and metabolism to combat Parkinson's disease(PD).Dioscin,a bioactive steroidal saponin,shows various activities.How-ever,its effects and mechanisms against PD are limited.In this study,dioscin dramatically alleviated neuroinflammation and oxidative stress,and restored the disorders of mice induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(MPTP).16 S rDNA sequencing assay demonstrated that dioscin reversed MPTP-induced gut dysbiosis to decrease Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio and the abundances of Enterococcus,Streptococcus,Bacteroides and Lactobacillus genera,which further inhibited bile salt hy-drolase(BSH)activity and blocked bile acid(BA)deconjugation.Fecal microbiome transplantation test showed that the anti-PD effect of dioscin was gut microbiota-dependent.In addition,non-targeted fecal metabolomics assays revealed many differential metabolites in adjusting steroid biosynthesis and pri-mary bile acid biosynthesis.Moreover,targeted bile acid metabolomics assay indicated that dioscin increased the levels of ursodeoxycholic acid,tauroursodeoxycholic acid,taurodeoxycholic acid and β-muricholic acid in feces and serum.In addition,ursodeoxycholic acid administration markedly improved the protective effects of dioscin against PD in mice.Mechanistic test indicated that dioscin significantly up-regulated the levels of takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5(TGR5),glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor(GLP-1R),GLP-1,superoxide dismutase(SOD),and down-regulated NADPH oxidases 2(NOX2)and nu-clear factor-kappaB(NF-κB)levels.Our data indicated that dioscin ameliorated PD phenotype by restoring gut dysbiosis and regulating bile acid-mediated oxidative stress and neuroinflammation via targeting GLP-1 signal in MPTP-induced PD mice,suggesting that the compound should be considered as a prebiotic agent to treat PD in the future.
10. Safety and efficacy of Compound Huangdai Tablets combined with all-trans retinoic acid for treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia: Clinical evidence and potential mechanisms
Qianqian HUANG ; Tao WANG ; Yan XIONG ; Liping QU ; Wenjun ZOU ; Qiaozhi YIN
Chinese Herbal Medicines 2022;14(1):154-165
Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Compound Huangdai Tablets (Realgar-Indigo Naturalis formula, RIF) combined with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) to treat acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Methods: This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42018108118). The relevant literatures on RIF treatment of APL were systematically searched in the following databases: China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP Medical Information System, Chinese Biomedical Database, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and PubMed. The quality of the included studies was evaluated and Review Manager 5.3 software and Stata 13.0 software were used to perform the Meta-analysis. In addition, this study used the method of network pharmacology to conduct a preliminary exploration of the mechanism of RIF on APL. Results: The study included 12 studies involving 775 APL patients. The Meta-analysis showed that there was no significant difference (P 0.05) between the RIF group and the arsenic trioxide (ATO) group for primary outcomes, secondary outcomes apart from liver dysfunction. The incidence of liver dysfunction (P = 0.006) in the RIF group were significantly lower than those in the ATO group. In addition, the cost of maintenance therapy in the RIF group was significantly lower (P 0.05) than the ATO group. Besides, the active ingredients in RIF mainly act on targets proteins such as ACHE, NCOA2, RXRA, and then play a role in the treatment of APL through regulating multiple molecular mechanisms, such as TP53 regulates transcription of cell cycle genes, nuclear receptor transcription pathway. Conclusion: There was no significant difference in efficacy of oral RIF combined with ATRA compared with intravenous ATO combined with ATRA for the treatment of APL. The oral RIF exposed patients to less risk, offered more convenience and had lower prices. RIF can treat APL by multi-target and multi-pathway interventions that inducing apoptosis of APL cells and inhibiting the proliferation of APL cells, and so on. Therefore, oral RIF in the treatment of APL is worthy of further research and development.

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