1.tRF Prospect: tRNA-derived Fragment Target Prediction Based on Neural Network Learning
Dai-Xi REN ; Jian-Yong YI ; Yong-Zhen MO ; Mei YANG ; Wei XIONG ; Zhao-Yang ZENG ; Lei SHI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2428-2438
ObjectiveTransfer RNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are a recently characterized and rapidly expanding class of small non-coding RNAs, typically ranging from 13 to 50 nucleotides in length. They are derived from mature or precursor tRNA molecules through specific cleavage events and have been implicated in a wide range of cellular processes. Increasing evidence indicates that tRFs play important regulatory roles in gene expression, primarily by interacting with target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) to induce transcript degradation, in a manner partially analogous to microRNAs (miRNAs). However, despite their emerging biological relevance and potential roles in disease mechanisms, there remains a significant lack of computational tools capable of systematically predicting the interaction landscape between tRFs and their target mRNAs. Existing databases often rely on limited interaction features and lack the flexibility to accommodate novel or user-defined tRF sequences. The primary goal of this study was to develop a machine learning based prediction algorithm that enables high-throughput, accurate identification of tRF:mRNA binding events, thereby facilitating the functional analysis of tRF regulatory networks. MethodsWe began by assembling a manually curated dataset of 38 687 experimentally verified tRF:mRNA interaction pairs and extracting seven biologically informed features for each pair: (1) AU content of the binding site, (2) site pairing status, (3) binding region location, (4) number of binding sites per mRNA, (5) length of the longest consecutive complementary stretch, (6) total binding region length, and (7) seed sequence complementarity. Using this dataset and feature set, we trained 4 distinct machine learning classifiers—logistic regression, random forest, decision tree, and a multilayer perceptron (MLP)—to compare their ability to discriminate true interactions from non-interactions. Each model’s performance was evaluated using overall accuracy, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and the corresponding area under the ROC curve (AUC). The MLP consistently achieved the highest AUC among the four, and was therefore selected as the backbone of our prediction framework, which we named tRF Prospect. For biological validation, we retrieved 3 high-throughput RNA-seq datasets from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) in which individual tRFs were overexpressed: AS-tDR-007333 (GSE184690), tRF-3004b (GSE197091), and tRF-20-S998LO9D (GSE208381). Differential expression analysis of each dataset identified genes downregulated upon tRF overexpression, which we designated as putative targets. We then compared the predictions generated by tRF Prospect against those from three established tools—tRFTar, tRForest, and tRFTarget—by quantifying the number of predicted targets for each tRF and assessing concordance with the experimentally derived gene sets. ResultsThe proposed algorithm achieved high predictive accuracy, with an AUC of 0.934. Functional validation was conducted using transcriptome-wide RNA-seq datasets from cells overexpressing specific tRFs, confirming the model’s ability to accurately predict biologically relevant downregulation of mRNA targets. When benchmarked against established tools such as tRFTar, tRForest, and tRFTarget, tRF Prospect consistently demonstrated superior performance, both in terms of predictive precision and sensitivity, as well as in identifying a higher number of true-positive interactions. Moreover, unlike static databases that are limited to precomputed results, tRF Prospect supports real-time prediction for any user-defined tRF sequence, enhancing its applicability in exploratory and hypothesis-driven research. ConclusionThis study introduces tRF Prospect as a powerful and flexible computational tool for investigating tRF:mRNA interactions. By leveraging the predictive strength of deep learning and incorporating a broad spectrum of interaction-relevant features, it addresses key limitations of existing platforms. Specifically, tRF Prospect: (1) expands the range of detectable tRF and target types; (2) improves prediction accuracy through multilayer perceptron model; and (3) allows for dynamic, user-driven analysis beyond database constraints. Although the current version emphasizes miRNA-like repression mechanisms and faces challenges in accurately capturing 5'UTR-associated binding events, it nonetheless provides a critical foundation for future studies aiming to unravel the complex roles of tRFs in gene regulation, cellular function, and disease pathogenesis.
2.Clinical application of single-balloon and double-balloon enteroscopy in pediatric small bowel diseases: a retrospective study of 576 cases.
Can-Lin LI ; Jie-Yu YOU ; Yan-Hong LUO ; Hong-Juan OU-YANG ; Li LIU ; Wen-Ting ZHANG ; Jia-Qi DUAN ; Na JIANG ; Mei-Zheng ZHAN ; Chen-Xi LIU ; Juan ZHOU ; Ling-Zhi YUAN ; Hong-Mei ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(7):822-828
OBJECTIVES:
To evaluate the effectiveness of single-balloon and double-balloon enteroscopy in diagnosing pediatric small bowel diseases and assess the diagnostic efficacy of computed tomography enterography (CTE) for small bowel diseases using enteroscopy as the reference standard.
METHODS:
Clinical data from 576 children who underwent enteroscopy at Hunan Children's Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023 were retrospectively collected. The children were categorized based on enteroscopy type into the single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) group (n=457) and double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) group (n=119), and the clinical data were compared between the two groups. The sensitivity and specificity of CTE for diagnosing small bowel diseases were evaluated using enteroscopy results as the standard.
RESULTS:
Among the 576 children, small bowel lesions were detected by enteroscopy in 274 children (47.6%).There was no significant difference in lesion detection rates or complication rates between the SBE and DBE groups (P>0.05), but the DBE group had deeper insertion, longer procedure time, and higher complete small bowel examination rate (P<0.05). The complication rate during enteroscopy was 4.3% (25/576), with 18 cases (3.1%) of mild complications and 7 cases (1.2%) of severe complications, which improved with symptomatic treatment, surgical, or endoscopic intervention. Among the 412 children who underwent CTE, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases were 44.4% and 71.3%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
SBE and DBE have similar diagnostic efficacy for pediatric small bowel diseases, but DBE is preferred for suspected deep small bowel lesions and comprehensive small bowel examination. Enteroscopy in children demonstrates relatively good overall safety. CTE demonstrates relatively low sensitivity but comparatively high specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases.
Retrospective Studies
;
Treatment Outcome
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Double-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data*
;
Single-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data*
;
Humans
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Male
;
Female
;
Child
;
Operative Time
;
Tomography, X-Ray Computed/statistics & numerical data*
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Sensitivity and Specificity
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Intestine, Small/surgery*
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Intestinal Diseases/surgery*
3.Epidemiological distribution characteristics and transmission patterns of Campylobacter in a Shandong broiler slaughterhouse
Shuai MIAO ; Xiu-mei HUANG ; Lin WANG ; Jun-hui LIU ; Jian-mei ZHAO ; Yu-bin GAO ; Shi-ping SONG ; Si-yu ZHANG ; Na LIU ; Ge ZHAO ; Xi-yue ZHANG ; Jun-wei WANG ; Juan WANG ; Zhi-na QU
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(6):583-591
This research investigated the contamination level,distribution of drug-resistant strains,and molecular epidemiologi-cal characteristics of Campylobacter,and further explored transmission pathways and prevention strategies.Cecum,chicken carcass,chicken product,and environmental samples,as well as swabs from workers'hands,were collected from a slaughterhouse in a large broiler group in the Jiaodong area between August 2023 and July 2024.Quantitative contamination assessment of Campylobacter in chicken carcasses and chicken products was performed.After microbial mass spectrometry identification,the representative strains of different links were selected for drug resistance testing and whole genome sequencing(WGS).On the basis of the sequencing results,the resistance genes,virulence genes,multilocus sequence typing(MLST),and phylogenetic characteristics of representative strains were analyzed.Homology comparisons were performed between isolates and strains from patients with diarrhea in the NCBI database.A total of 297 Campylobacter strains were isolated from 806 samples,and the overall detection rate was 36.85%.The detection rate of Campylobacter was highest in the evisceration process(47.33%),followed by the cutting process(35.64%).Overall,the Campylo-bacter detection rate first increased,then decreased,and subsequently increased.Drug sensitivity testing revealed that 90 isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin,and 94.97%of isolates were resistant to tetracycline.WGS showed that both Campylo-bacter jejuni(C.jejuni)and Campylobacter coli(C.coli)carried many drug resistance and virulence genes.ST-14176 of C.jejuni was isolated for the first time herein.The predominant ST-8261 strain of C.jejuni and ST-860,ST-829,and ST-1586 strains of C.coli are known to cause human diarrhea.LOS expression genes associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome(GBS)were detected in both C.jejuni isolates from the slaughter chain and patients with GBS.Some strains exhibited close genetic relatedness to human-derived Campylo-bacter strains from the NCBI database.The detection rate of Campylobacter in the slaughterhouse first increased,then decreased,and subsequently increased,and the quantitative contamination level of each link was similar to the detection rate.Quantitative analysis of chicken carcasses/products revealed that the average bacterial load was highest in eviscerated carcasses(102.80 cfu/g),and the high-est amount of Campylobacter in chicken products reached 451.80 cfu/g.Abundant drug resistance genes and virulence genes were iden-tified,and the drug resistance genes were highly correlated with the drug resistance rate.Therefore,surveillance intensity and control measures for Campylobacter in slaughter processes should be strengthened.
4.Effects of GGH genetic polymorphisms on serum concentrations and chemotherapy toxicities of methotrexate in children with intracranial tumors
Dan-qi ZHAO ; Zheng-yuan SHI ; Xi-qiao XU ; Shu-mei WANG
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2025;41(2):183-187
Objective To investigate the effects of γ-glutamyl hydrolase(GGH)rs11545078 C>T polymorphisms on serum concentrations,chemotherapy toxicities of methotrexate(MTX),and prognosis in children with intracranial tumors.Methods Peripheral blood samples were obtained from children with intracranial tumors to extract genome DNA.Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry was used to detect the genotypes of GGH rs11545078 C>T polymorphisms.Fluorescence polarization immunoassay was employed to determine the serum concentrations of MTX.The incidences of toxicities,relapse,and metastasis were recorded after chemotherapy with MTX.The associations of GGH rs11545078 C>T polymorphisms with concentration-to-dose ratios(C/D ratios),chemotherapy toxicities of MTX,relapse,and metastasis of tumors were analyzed.Results A total of 75 children were included in the present study.The frequencies of rs11545078 CC and CT genotypes were 82.67%and 17.33%,respectively.The frequencies of C and T alleles were 91.33%and 8.67%,respectively.There were no statistically significant differences for these frequencies among the children with intracranial tumors,the children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia,and the health population in Beijing.Children with the CC genotype had higher median C/D ratios of MTX in 24 and 42 h(25.19 and 0.14 μmol·L-1 per g·m-2,respectively),higher metastasis rates(46.77%),and lower relapse rates(17.74%)than those in CT genotype carriers(22.01 and 0.11 μmol·L-1 per g·m-2,38.46%,and 30.77%,respectively),and the differences were no statistically significant(all P>0.05).The incidences of gastrointestinal disorders(76.92%)in children with the CT genotype were significantly higher than those in CC genotype carriers(45.16%,P<0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the incidences of other adverse events between patients with the CC genotype and patients with the CT genotype(all P>0.05).Conclusion GGH rs11545078 CT might be a risk factor for gastrointestinal disorders in children with intracranial tumors treated with MTX.
5.Preliminary investigation into the role of Sneathia Sanguinegens in unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion
Fu-ju ZHAO ; Xian-yang HU ; Lu LIU ; Xi-xi HUANG ; Fei-fei WANG ; Jing GAO ; Mei-rong DU ; Chun-mei YING
Fudan University Journal of Medical Sciences 2025;52(1):99-106,138
Objective To investigate the role of Sneathia sanguinegens(S.sanguinegens)in the development of unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA).Methods A case-control study was conducted to analyze the vaginal flora characteristics of 65 patients with URSA and 18 healthy controls through 16S rRNA gene sequencing.Toxicity profile of S.sanguinegens on human cervical cancer cells(ME-180),human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)and human placental choriocarcinoma cells(JEG-3)was analyzed at the cellular level to assess the mechanism of it in adverse pregnancy outcomes.And S.sanguinegens was used to infect C57BL/6J mice to explore the toxic effect on living organisms.Results The relative abundance of Sneathia was increased in patients with URSA compared with healthy controls.It was positively correlated with the number of miscarriages,and was attributed to S.sanguinegens.We also found that S.sanguinegens damaged ME-180,JEG-3 and HUVEC cells.The degree of cellular damage was related to the level of S.sanguinegens added.Intravenous infection with S.sanguinegens caused inflammatory damage in several organs and extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen.Conclusion S.sanguinegens is closely related to URSA and should be emphasized in patients with high vaginal bacterial load.
6.Engineered MSCs-EV for repairing cartilage damage with a focus on delivery of curcumin
Xiao-ming DU ; Yu-lin MA ; Xue-qing DUAN ; Zhao-xi YANG ; Xian-zhe ZHANG ; Jin-ming ZHANG ; Yi-mei HU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(7):1222-1226
Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)play a crucial role in tissue repair and regeneration,and the extracellular vesicle(EV)released by them holds great promise for applications in clinical biomarkers,vaccines,and drug delivery.However,MSCs-derived EV(MSCs-EV)face challenges such as low pro-duction yield,poor retention,and targeted delivery issues.There-fore,engineering MSCs-EV to enhance their performance and en-able visual research has become a hot topic.Curcumin(CUR),an active component in traditional chinese medicine,exhibits pharmacological effects but has limited bioavailability.Using MSCs-EV as a carrier for CUR delivery can address its solubility and bioavailability challenges.This article reviews the drug loading methods,engineering strategies of MSCs-EV,and their important applications in the delivery and treatment of CUR for cartilage injury diseases.It provides a basis for the clinical ap-plication of engineered MSCs-EV in CUR delivery for cartilage repair,offering potential solutions to the challenges in cartilage tissue repair.
7.MiR-330-5p targets OY-TES-1 to inhibit the migration of glioblastoma
Guo LIANG ; Zhen-kai ZHAO ; Zhao-yue ZENG ; Qing-mei ZHANG ; Wei-xia NONG ; Xiao-xun XIE ; Xi-sheng LI
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2025;34(2):98-103
Objective To explore the targeted regulatory relationship of miR-330-5p on OY-TES-1 in glioblastoma and the effect of miR-330-5p/OY-TES-1 axis on the migration ability of glioblastoma.Methods Bioinformatics analysis was performed to analyze the expression level of miR-330-5p in patients with glioblastoma and its influence on prognosis and survival of patients.The glioblastoma cells U251 were divided into miR-330-5p minics group,minics-NC group,and miR-330-5p+OY-TES-1 overexpression group(miR-330-5p minics+pcDNA3.1-OY-TES-1).The effect of miR-330-5p on the activity of OY-TES-1 3'UTR region was detected by double luciferase reporter gene experiment.The expression of OY-TES-1 mRNA was detected by qRT-PCR.The effect of miR-330-5p/OY-TES-1 axis on the migration ability of glioblastoma cells was detected by Transwell migration assay.Results The expression of miR-330-5p in glioblastoma tissue was significantly lower than those in non-tumor brain tissue and low-grade glioma tissue(P<0.05).The survival time of glioblastoma patients with high expression of miR-330-5p was significantly longer than that of patients with low expression of miR-330-5p(P<0.05).After overexpression of miR-330-5p,the activity of OY-TES-1 3'UTR region was decreased(P<0.05).Compared with minics-NC group,the expression levels of OY-TES-1 mRNA of U251 and U87MG cells in miR-330-5p minics group were significantly decreased(P<0.01).Compared with minics-NC group,the numbers of migrating cells in miR-330-5p minics group and miR-330-5p+OY-TES-1 overexpression group were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with miR-330-5p minics group,the number of migrating cells in miR-330-5p+OY-TES-1 overexpression group was significantly increased(P<0.01).Conclusion MiR-330-5p targets OY-TES-1 to inhibit the migration of glioblastoma.
8.Epidemiological distribution characteristics and transmission patterns of Campylobacter in a Shandong broiler slaughterhouse
Shuai MIAO ; Xiu-mei HUANG ; Lin WANG ; Jun-hui LIU ; Jian-mei ZHAO ; Yu-bin GAO ; Shi-ping SONG ; Si-yu ZHANG ; Na LIU ; Ge ZHAO ; Xi-yue ZHANG ; Jun-wei WANG ; Juan WANG ; Zhi-na QU
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(6):583-591
This research investigated the contamination level,distribution of drug-resistant strains,and molecular epidemiologi-cal characteristics of Campylobacter,and further explored transmission pathways and prevention strategies.Cecum,chicken carcass,chicken product,and environmental samples,as well as swabs from workers'hands,were collected from a slaughterhouse in a large broiler group in the Jiaodong area between August 2023 and July 2024.Quantitative contamination assessment of Campylobacter in chicken carcasses and chicken products was performed.After microbial mass spectrometry identification,the representative strains of different links were selected for drug resistance testing and whole genome sequencing(WGS).On the basis of the sequencing results,the resistance genes,virulence genes,multilocus sequence typing(MLST),and phylogenetic characteristics of representative strains were analyzed.Homology comparisons were performed between isolates and strains from patients with diarrhea in the NCBI database.A total of 297 Campylobacter strains were isolated from 806 samples,and the overall detection rate was 36.85%.The detection rate of Campylobacter was highest in the evisceration process(47.33%),followed by the cutting process(35.64%).Overall,the Campylo-bacter detection rate first increased,then decreased,and subsequently increased.Drug sensitivity testing revealed that 90 isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin,and 94.97%of isolates were resistant to tetracycline.WGS showed that both Campylo-bacter jejuni(C.jejuni)and Campylobacter coli(C.coli)carried many drug resistance and virulence genes.ST-14176 of C.jejuni was isolated for the first time herein.The predominant ST-8261 strain of C.jejuni and ST-860,ST-829,and ST-1586 strains of C.coli are known to cause human diarrhea.LOS expression genes associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome(GBS)were detected in both C.jejuni isolates from the slaughter chain and patients with GBS.Some strains exhibited close genetic relatedness to human-derived Campylo-bacter strains from the NCBI database.The detection rate of Campylobacter in the slaughterhouse first increased,then decreased,and subsequently increased,and the quantitative contamination level of each link was similar to the detection rate.Quantitative analysis of chicken carcasses/products revealed that the average bacterial load was highest in eviscerated carcasses(102.80 cfu/g),and the high-est amount of Campylobacter in chicken products reached 451.80 cfu/g.Abundant drug resistance genes and virulence genes were iden-tified,and the drug resistance genes were highly correlated with the drug resistance rate.Therefore,surveillance intensity and control measures for Campylobacter in slaughter processes should be strengthened.
9.Effects of GGH genetic polymorphisms on serum concentrations and chemotherapy toxicities of methotrexate in children with intracranial tumors
Dan-qi ZHAO ; Zheng-yuan SHI ; Xi-qiao XU ; Shu-mei WANG
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2025;41(2):183-187
Objective To investigate the effects of γ-glutamyl hydrolase(GGH)rs11545078 C>T polymorphisms on serum concentrations,chemotherapy toxicities of methotrexate(MTX),and prognosis in children with intracranial tumors.Methods Peripheral blood samples were obtained from children with intracranial tumors to extract genome DNA.Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry was used to detect the genotypes of GGH rs11545078 C>T polymorphisms.Fluorescence polarization immunoassay was employed to determine the serum concentrations of MTX.The incidences of toxicities,relapse,and metastasis were recorded after chemotherapy with MTX.The associations of GGH rs11545078 C>T polymorphisms with concentration-to-dose ratios(C/D ratios),chemotherapy toxicities of MTX,relapse,and metastasis of tumors were analyzed.Results A total of 75 children were included in the present study.The frequencies of rs11545078 CC and CT genotypes were 82.67%and 17.33%,respectively.The frequencies of C and T alleles were 91.33%and 8.67%,respectively.There were no statistically significant differences for these frequencies among the children with intracranial tumors,the children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia,and the health population in Beijing.Children with the CC genotype had higher median C/D ratios of MTX in 24 and 42 h(25.19 and 0.14 μmol·L-1 per g·m-2,respectively),higher metastasis rates(46.77%),and lower relapse rates(17.74%)than those in CT genotype carriers(22.01 and 0.11 μmol·L-1 per g·m-2,38.46%,and 30.77%,respectively),and the differences were no statistically significant(all P>0.05).The incidences of gastrointestinal disorders(76.92%)in children with the CT genotype were significantly higher than those in CC genotype carriers(45.16%,P<0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the incidences of other adverse events between patients with the CC genotype and patients with the CT genotype(all P>0.05).Conclusion GGH rs11545078 CT might be a risk factor for gastrointestinal disorders in children with intracranial tumors treated with MTX.
10.Preliminary investigation into the role of Sneathia Sanguinegens in unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion
Fu-ju ZHAO ; Xian-yang HU ; Lu LIU ; Xi-xi HUANG ; Fei-fei WANG ; Jing GAO ; Mei-rong DU ; Chun-mei YING
Fudan University Journal of Medical Sciences 2025;52(1):99-106,138
Objective To investigate the role of Sneathia sanguinegens(S.sanguinegens)in the development of unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA).Methods A case-control study was conducted to analyze the vaginal flora characteristics of 65 patients with URSA and 18 healthy controls through 16S rRNA gene sequencing.Toxicity profile of S.sanguinegens on human cervical cancer cells(ME-180),human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)and human placental choriocarcinoma cells(JEG-3)was analyzed at the cellular level to assess the mechanism of it in adverse pregnancy outcomes.And S.sanguinegens was used to infect C57BL/6J mice to explore the toxic effect on living organisms.Results The relative abundance of Sneathia was increased in patients with URSA compared with healthy controls.It was positively correlated with the number of miscarriages,and was attributed to S.sanguinegens.We also found that S.sanguinegens damaged ME-180,JEG-3 and HUVEC cells.The degree of cellular damage was related to the level of S.sanguinegens added.Intravenous infection with S.sanguinegens caused inflammatory damage in several organs and extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen.Conclusion S.sanguinegens is closely related to URSA and should be emphasized in patients with high vaginal bacterial load.

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