1.Strategies of HIV-1 Vaccines Based on mRNA Platforms
Pei LIU ; Zhong-Yue FANG ; Xin-Xin CHEN ; Shao-Wei LI ; Ying GU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(4):826-839
Since its emergence in the 1980s, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has caused a global pandemic, posing a severe threat to human life and health as well as social development. Although pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) effectively curbs HIV transmission and antiretroviral therapy (ART) significantly extends the lifespan of patients, vaccines remain a pivotal tool for blocking transmission and ending the pandemic. The high genetic variability of HIV-1, the glycan shield of its envelope glycoproteins, and the long-term persistence of latent reservoirs have repeatedly led to bottlenecks in traditional vaccine strategies. In recent years, mRNA technology has offered a novel approach to addressing these challenges, leveraging advantages such as sequence programmability, short production cycles, native conformational expression of antigens, and self-adjuvant effects. In recent years, mRNA vaccine technology has emerged as a transformative solution to longstanding vaccinology challenges, characterized by its sequence programmability, rapid production cycles, native conformational antigen expression, and intrinsic self-adjuvanting properties. Unlike traditional platforms reliant on pathogen culture or recombinant proteins, mRNA vaccines can be expeditiously designed and updated based solely on viral genomic sequences. Lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated mRNA facilitates endogenous antigen expression and presentation, simultaneously eliciting potent humoral and cellular immune responses. Within this landscape, self-amplifying mRNA (saRNA) further extends in vivo antigen expression to enhance the persistence of immune responses. Moreover, the LNP delivery system not only protects mRNA from degradation and mediates endosomal escape but also synergizes with mRNA to optimize immune activation via self-adjuvant effects. Importantly, mRNA platforms circumvent the pre-existing immunity associated with viral vectors and the genomic integration risks of DNA vaccines, positioning them as a cornerstone for global pandemic preparedness. This review systematically delineates recent advances in mRNA technology for HIV-1 vaccine development, focusing on four pivotal research frontiers. First, mRNA innovations building upon the RV144 trial optimize antigens through codon modification and multivalent designs to induce more durable and broad-spectrum immunity. Second, particulate mRNA vaccine strategies, utilizing virus-like particles (VLPs) and ferritin nanoparticles, achieve in situ antigen self-assembly, significantly enhancing B cell activation and reducing infection risks in non-human primate models. Third, germline-targeting mRNA vaccines address the low-affinity barrier of broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAp) precursors, efficiently activating rare precursor B cells and promoting affinity maturation. Fourth, therapeutic mRNA vaccines offer unique advantages for an HIV functional cure; combining immunogens with mRNA-encoded adjuvants potentiates cellular immunity, while LNP-mediated “shock-and-kill” strategies specifically activate latent reservoirs to guide immune clearance. Comparative analyses with traditional platforms reveal that mRNA technology redefines antigen production and presentation, simulating chronic infection through sustained expression and enabling dual-pathway presentation via endogenous synthesis. Furthermore, we explore the mechanistic innovations of mRNA vaccines in inducing bNAps: sustained in vivo production prolongs the activation window for precursor B cells and maintains germinal center (GC) reactions; endogenously expressed antigens adopt native conformations to expose conserved epitopes; and self-adjuvanting effects modulate the functions of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and follicular helper T cells (Tfh), driving somatic hypermutation and affinity maturation. We also address critical clinical translation challenges, including immune durability, adaptability to special populations, and large-scale LNP manufacturing, while proposing targeted optimization strategies. In conclusion, this review establishes a theoretical framework for utilizing mRNA technology to overcome HIV-1 immune escape, transitioning from a descriptive paradigm to a problem-solving-based synthesis of evidence. By integrating preclinical and early clinical data, we bridge the gap between basic design and translational verification. mRNA technology is poised to become a central pillar inHIV-1 prevention and therapy, providing a robust toolset to achieve the global goal of ending the AIDS pandemic and offering a blueprint for vaccine development against other recalcitrant infectious diseases.
2.Olfactory Receptors Expressed in The Intestine and Their Functions
Pei-Wen YANG ; Meng-Meng YUAN ; Ying ZHOU ; Peng LI ; Gui-Hong QI ; Ying YANG ; Zhong-Yi MAO ; Meng-Sha ZHOU ; Xiao-Shuang MAO ; Jian-Ping XIE ; Yi-Nan YANG ; Shi-Hao SUN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):534-549
Olfactory receptors (ORs) form the largest superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Traditionally recognized for their role in the nasal olfactory epithelium, where they mediate the sense of smell, accumulating evidence has firmly established their ectopic expression in non-olfactory tissues, including the intestine, lungs, and kidneys. The intestine, as the primary site for nutrient digestion and absorption, harbors a highly complex chemical environment. To adapt to this environment, the gut employs a sophisticated network of “chemosensors” to monitor luminal contents and maintain homeostasis. Among these sensors, intestinal ORs have emerged as crucial functional components, serving as a molecular bridge that connects environmental chemical signals—such as food-derived odorants—to specific physiological responses. This discovery has significantly deepened our understanding of how dietary flavors and compounds influence intestinal physiology at the molecular level. This review systematically summarizes the expression profiles, ligand classification, and biological functions of ORs within the gastrointestinal tract. Studies indicate that intestinal ORs exhibit distinct spatial distribution patterns across different gut segments and display cell-type specificity, particularly within enterocytes and enteroendocrine cells. These receptors function as versatile sensors capable of recognizing a wide variety of ligands, including exogenous dietary components, gut microbiota metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, and endogenous small molecules like azelaic acid. Upon activation by specific ligands, intestinal ORs trigger intracellular signaling cascades, primarily involving the AC-cAMP-PKA pathway or calcium influx channels. A major focus of this review is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which these receptors regulate the secretion of gut hormones. Activation of specific ORs in enteroendocrine cells has been shown to stimulate the release of hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), peptide YY (PYY), and serotonin (5-HT), thereby modulating systemic energy metabolism, glucose homeostasis, and gastrointestinal motility. Furthermore, the review addresses the critical roles of ORs in immune regulation and pathology. Evidence suggests that specific ORs contribute to the maintenance of intestinal immune homeostasis and may offer protection against inflammation. Beyond their involvement in inflammatory responses, ORs such as Olfr78 have been shown to regulate the differentiation and function of intestinal endocrine cells. Similarly, Olfr544 has been demonstrated to alleviate intestinal inflammation by remodeling the gut microbiome and metabolome. These findings collectively suggest that specific ORs hold promise as therapeutic targets for mitigating intestinal inflammation and maintaining gut homeostasis. Additionally, the review explores the emerging role of ORs in cancer. Although OR expression is often downregulated in tumor tissues compared to normal mucosa, activation of specific ORs by certain ligands can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and migration and induce apoptosis via pathways such as MEK/ERK and p38 MAPK. Conversely, other receptors, such as OR7C1, may serve as biomarkers for cancer-initiating cells. In conclusion, intestinal ORs represent a vital component of the gut’s sensory network. The review also discusses the translational potential of these findings. By elucidating the precise pairing relationships between dietary components and specific ORs, novel therapeutic strategies could be developed. Intestinal ORs may thus emerge as promising targets for nutritional and pharmacological interventions in metabolic diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, and malignancies.
3.Correlation of the interaction between uric acid and inflammatory factors and hyperuricemia in overweight/obese patients
Zengyun YUAN ; Yuan LIU ; Xin LIU ; Guangquan LI ; Pei ZHONG ; Yuanting YING ; Xuezhi YANG
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2026;37(1):171-174
Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the interaction of uric acid and inflammatory factors and hyperuricemia in overweight/obese patients. Methods The personnel with hyperuricemia who underwent physical examination in our hospital from September 2021 to September 2022 were selected as the study subjects, and they were divided into 100 cases of overweight group and 90 cases of obese group according to the BMI index; 120 cases of healthy and non-hyperuricemic personnel were randomly selected as the control group; venous blood of the three groups was collected in 5 mL after 8 h of fasting, and were tested respectively for serum uric acid, lipid indexes and inflammatory factors: IL-6, IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-10. Results Glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL were significantly higher in the obese group versus the overweight group (P<0.001), while HDL was significantly lower than the control group (P<0.001), and these changes were more pronounced in the obese group (P<0.001).The Pearson correlation coefficient pointed out that the levels of serum uric acid in patients with hyperuricosuric acid were significantly associated with the pro-inflammatory factors IL- 6, IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α were significantly positively correlated (P<0.001), whereas they were significantly negatively correlated with the anti-inflammatory factors IL-4, IL-10 (P<0.001). Conclusion High uric acid levels in overweight/obese patients can cause enhanced inflammatory responses and reduced expression levels of anti-inflammatory factors, and the interaction between uric acid and pro-inflammatory factors aggravates the condition of patients with hyperuricemia.
4.Machine learning-based characterization of dynamic brain functional network connectivity in patients with first-episode schizophrenia
Pei LIU ; Yangyang LIU ; Ningning DING ; Shuaiqi ZHANG ; Zixuan LIU ; Zhaoxi ZHONG ; Yuchun LI ; Haisan ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Psychiatry 2025;58(6):470-479
Objective:Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), we explored the changes in dynamic functional network connections (dFNC) in the brains of patients with first-episode schizophrenia (SZ) and evaluated the potential clinical value of dFNC changes in combination with a machine learning model.Methods:Clinical data of 50 patients with schizophrenia (schizophrenia group), 29 males and 21 females, aged 18-47 (28.3±7.2) years, who attended the psychiatric department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College from January 2022 to August 2023, were retrospectively included. In the same period, 50 healthy controls matched for age and education (healthy control group) were recruited, of which 24 were male and 26 were female, aged 18-48 (28.0±6.9) years. The rs-fMRI imaging data were acquired for each subject. The dFNC cluster analysis was performed based on independent component analysis, and the differences between groups with different state FNC matrices were statistically analyzed. The dataset samples were divided into a training set (35 SZ patients and 35 healthy controls) and a validation set (15 SZ patients and 15 healthy controls) in a 7∶3 ratio. A machine learning classification model was constructed based on the dFNC matri. The performance of the model for distinguishing between schizophrenia and healthy controls was assessed by five-fold cross-validation using accuracy (ACC), recall (REC), F1 score, and area under curve (AUC) metrics of the working characteristics of the subjects.Results:Five network functional connectivity states were obtained by dFNC cluster analysis. Patients with first SZ showed a wide range of high connectivity and low connectivity changes on the neural dynamic functional networks, as shown by increased dynamic connectivity within the visual network (VIS) in state 1 (weak connectivity); The dynamic connectivity between executive control network (ECN) and VIS, frontal parietal network (FPN) and VIS decreases at state 3 (strong connectivity); The dynamic connectivity between default mode network (DMN) and FPN, DMN and ventral attention network (VAN) decreases at state 4 (weak connectivity). The machine learning results show that the classification model constructed by the dFNC matrix combined with SVM in state 3 (strongly connected) in the validation set obtains the best classification results (ACC=0.938; REC=0.938; F1=0.937; AUC=0.984), and the overall average classification ACC of the five states reaches 0.751, and AUC reaches 0.784.Conclusion:Patients with first-episode SZ have some brain functional network connectivity abnormalities, and a machine learning model based on dFNC features has high classification performance in distinguishing first-episode SZ from HC.
5.Telpegfilgrastim for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in breast cancer: A multicenter, randomized, phase 3 study.
Yuankai SHI ; Qingyuan ZHANG ; Junsheng WANG ; Zhong OUYANG ; Tienan YI ; Jiazhuan MEI ; Xinshuai WANG ; Zhidong PEI ; Tao SUN ; Junheng BAI ; Shundong CANG ; Yarong LI ; Guohong FU ; Tianjiang MA ; Huaqiu SHI ; Jinping LIU ; Xiaojia WANG ; Hongrui NIU ; Yanzhen GUO ; Shengyu ZHOU ; Li SUN
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(4):496-498
6.Associations of Genetic Risk and Physical Activity with Incident Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Large Prospective Cohort Study.
Jin YANG ; Xiao Lin WANG ; Wen Fang ZHONG ; Jian GAO ; Huan CHEN ; Pei Liang CHEN ; Qing Mei HUANG ; Yi Xin ZHANG ; Fang Fei YOU ; Chuan LI ; Wei Qi SONG ; Dong SHEN ; Jiao Jiao REN ; Dan LIU ; Zhi Hao LI ; Chen MAO
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(10):1194-1204
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the relationship between physical activity and genetic risk and their combined effects on the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
METHODS:
This prospective cohort study included 318,085 biobank participants from the UK. Physical activity was assessed using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The participants were stratified into low-, intermediate-, and high-genetic-risk groups based on their polygenic risk scores. Multivariate Cox regression models and multiplicative interaction analyses were used.
RESULTS:
During a median follow-up period of 13 years, 9,209 participants were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For low genetic risk, compared to low physical activity, the hazard ratios ( HRs) for moderate and high physical activity were 0.853 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: 0.748-0.972) and 0.831 (95% CI: 0.727-0.950), respectively. For intermediate genetic risk, the HRs were 0.829 (95% CI: 0.758-0.905) and 0.835 (95% CI: 0.764-0.914), respectively. For participants with high genetic risk, the HRs were 0.809 (95% CI: 0.746-0.877) and 0.818 (95% CI: 0.754-0.888), respectively. A significant interaction was observed between genetic risk and physical activity.
CONCLUSION
Moderate or high levels of physical activity were associated with a lower risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease across all genetic risk groups, highlighting the need to tailor activity interventions for genetically susceptible individuals.
Humans
;
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/epidemiology*
;
Exercise
;
Male
;
Female
;
Middle Aged
;
Prospective Studies
;
Aged
;
Genetic Predisposition to Disease
;
Risk Factors
;
United Kingdom/epidemiology*
;
Incidence
;
Adult
7.Exploration on the acceptability of routine biochemical test results for serum samples with varying degrees of chylous high triglyceride
Xi ZHANG ; Qing YANG ; Tao KANG ; Ge LI ; Zhiyang WANG ; Li ZHANG ; Xue WANG ; Pei LI ; Kan ZHONG ; Yanguo TAN
International Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2025;46(7):780-785
Objective To explore the acceptability of routine biochemical test results for serum samples with varying degrees of chylous high triglyceride(TG).Methods Blood samples of 69 patients with different degrees of lipids were collected,including 33 patients with mild to moderate lipids(1.7 mmol/L≤TG<5.6 mmol/L)and 36 patients with severe lipids(TG≥5.6 mmol/L).Twenty-nine biochemical tests were detected before and after high-speed centrifugation.The result acceptability before high speed centrifugation of serum was compared with the results after high speed centrifugation as the gold standard[TG and total cholesterol(TC)before centrifugation].The acceptable criteria were subject to the following three conditions at the same time.Firstly,correlation coefficient(R2)was greater than or equal to 0.95.Secondly,the slope of linear re-gression equation was 1.00±0.05.Thirdly,for the same index,the number of samples whose result bias be-fore and after centrifugation was less than 1/2 total allowable error(TEa)in more than 90%of the total sam-ple numbers.Results Firstly,in the mild to moderate lipemia group,22 tests met the criteria,7 tests did not,including total protein(TP),albumin(ALB),TG,aspartate aminotransferase(AST),carbon dioxide(CO2),α-L-fucosidase(AFU),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)(bias<10%),and the coincidence rate was 75.9%.In the severe lipemia group,12 tests met the criteria,17 tests did not,including pre-albumin(PA),AFU,γ-glu-tamyltransferase(γ-GT),LDH,AST,TC,direct bilirubin(DBIL),CO2,5'-nucleotidase(5'-NT),small and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(sd-LDL-C),high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),adenosine deaminase(ADA),cystatin C(CysC),glycosylated albumin(GA),total bilirubin(TBIL)(bias>10%),the coincidence rate was 41.4%,and there was a statistically sig-nificant difference in the coincidence rate between the two groups(P<0.05).Secondly,there was no statisti-cally significant difference in the acceptability of results between continuous monitoring method and endpoint method detection methods(P>0.05).Conclusion Most test results of direct determination with mild or moderate lipemia samples are acceptable,and the bias of unacceptable tests is small(<10%),so it is recom-mended to issue a test report without further sample treatment.However,due to the large number of unacceptable tests and larger bias(>10%),severe lipemia samples should be determined after high-speed centrifugation.
8.Research of injury mapping relationship of lumbar spine in reclined occupants between anthropomorphic test devices and human body model.
Yu LIU ; Jing FEI ; Xin-Ming WAN ; Pei-Feng WANG ; Zhen LI ; Xiao-Ting YANG ; Lin-Wei ZHANG ; Zhong-Hao BAI
Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2025;28(2):130-137
PURPOSE:
To judge the injury mode and injury severity of the real human body through the measured values of anthropomorphic test devices (ATD) injury indices, the mapping relationship of lumbar injury between ATD and human body model (HBM) was explored.
METHODS:
Through the ATD model and HBM simulation, the mapping relationship of lumbar injury between the 2 subjects was explored. The sled environment consisted of a semi-rigid seat with an adjustable seatback angle and a 3-point seat belt system with a seatback-mounted D-ring. Three seatback recline states of 25°, 45°, and 65° were designed, and the seat pan angle was maintained at 15°. A 23 g, 47 km/h pulse was used. The validity of the finite element model of the sled was verified by the comparison of ATD simulation and test results. ATD model was the test device for human occupant restraint for autonomous vehicles (THOR-AV) dummy model and HBM was the total human model for safety (THUMS) v6.1. The posture of the 2 models was adjusted to adapt to the 3 seat states. The lumbar response of THOR-AV and the mechanical and biomechanical data on L1 - L5 vertebrae of THUMS were output, and the response relationship between THOR-AV and THUMS was descriptive statistically analyzed.
RESULTS:
Both THOR-AV and THUMS were submarined in the 65° seatback angle case. With the change of seatback angle, the lumbar spine axial compression force (Fz) of THOR-AV and THUMS changed in the similar trend. The maximum Fz ratio of THOR-AV to THUMS at 25° and 45° seatback angle cases were 1.6 and 1.7. The flexion moment (My) and the time when the maximum My occurred in the 2 subjects were very different. In particular, the form of moment experienced by the L1 - L5 vertebrae of THUMS also changed. The changing trend of My measured by THOR-AV over time can reflect the changing trend of maximum stress of L1 and L2 of THUMS.
CONCLUSION
The Fz of ATD and HBM presents a certain proportional relationship, and there is a mapping relationship between the 2 subjects on Fz. The mapping function can be further clarified by applying more pulses and adopting more seatback angles. It is difficult to map My directly because they are very different in ATD and HBM. The My of ATD and stress of HBM lumbar showed a similar change trend over time, and there may be a hidden mapping relationship.
Humans
;
Lumbar Vertebrae/injuries*
;
Finite Element Analysis
;
Biomechanical Phenomena
;
Manikins
;
Spinal Injuries/physiopathology*
9.Curative Efficacy Analysis of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia with ASXL1 Mutation.
Ya-Jie SHI ; Xin-Sheng XIE ; Zhong-Xing JIANG ; Ding-Ming WAN ; Rong GUO ; Tao LI ; Xia ZHANG ; Xue LI ; Yu-Pei ZHANG ; Yue SU
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(3):720-725
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the efficacy and apoptosis of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with ASXL1 mutation.
METHODS:
The clinical data of 80 AML patients with ASXL1 mutation treated in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical characteristics of the patients were summarized, and the therapeutic effect and prognostic factors of allo-HSCT for the patients were analyzed.
RESULTS:
Among the 80 patients, 38 were males and 42 were females, and the median age was 39(14-65) years. There were 17 patients in low-risk group, 25 patients in medium-risk group and 38 patients in high-risk group. ASXL1 mutation co-occurred with many other gene mutations, and the frequent mutated genes were TET2 (71.25%), NRAS (18.75%), DNMT3A (16.25%), NPM1 (15.00%), CEBPA (13.75%). Among medium and high-risk patients, 29 underwent allo-HSCT, while 34 received chemotherapy. The 2-year overall survival (OS) rate and disease-free survival (DFS) rate of the allo-HSCT group were 72.4% and 70.2%, while those of the chemotherapy group were 44.1% and 34.0%, respectively. The statistical analysis showed significant differences between the two groups (both P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that age at transplantation >50- years and occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease after transplantation were poor prognostic factors for OS and DFS in transplantation patients.
CONCLUSION
Allo-HSCT can improve the prognosis of AML patients with ASXL1 mutation.
Humans
;
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/therapy*
;
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
;
Female
;
Male
;
Middle Aged
;
Mutation
;
Adult
;
Repressor Proteins/genetics*
;
Adolescent
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Aged
;
Nucleophosmin
;
Young Adult
;
Transplantation, Homologous
;
Prognosis
;
Survival Rate
10.Role of CHMP4C in gastric cancer development through regulating necroptosis and its action mechanism
Qi-ning GUO ; Ya-ping LI ; Li PEI ; Long-chen YU ; Zheng-dong LUO ; Rui ZHAO ; Zhong-fang NIU ; Xin ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Current Advances in General Surgery 2025;28(2):125-133
Objective:Exploring the role and mechanism of CHMP4C in regulating necroptosis during gastric can-cer development and progression.Method:The expression of CHMP4C in pan-cancer was analyzed by bioinformatics methods,and the expression of CHMP4C was detected in human normal gastric epithelial cells and GC cell lines by RT-qPCR and Western blot.Overexpression or knockdown of CHMP4C was performed in GC cell lines,and the effects of CHMP4C on the growth and proliferation of GC cells were detected using CCK-8 and clone formation assays.The CCK-8 experiment and Hoechst/PI double staining experiment were used to detect the changes in GC cell mortality and PI positive cell ratio after treatment with the necroptsis inducer TSZ or inhibitor necrostatin-1(Nec-1).Western blot assay was used to detect the protein and phosphorylation levels of RIPK1,RIPK3,and MLKL in GC cells.Result:CHMP4C was upregulated in GC tissues and cells.The CCK-8 and clone formation experiments showed that overex-pression of CHMP4C significantly improved the proliferation ability and colony formation efficiency of GC cells,while knockdown of CHMP4C significantly weakened GC cells.Moreover,the results of CCK-8 and Hoechst 33342/PI double staining experiments showed that upregulated CHMP4C could inhibit TSZ induced GC cell death;Nec-1 can reverse the decrease in GC cell viability caused by CHMP4C knockdown.Western blot experiment showed that the levels of p-RIPK1,p-RIPK3,and p-MLKL were significantly decreased in overexpressing cells,while they were increased in knockdown cells.After treatment with Nec-1,the expression levels of these three proteins decreased in knockdown cells.Conclusion:CHMP4C may promote GC progression by negatively regulating necroptosis through inhibiting the phosphorylation of the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL signaling pathway,suggesting that it is expected to be a potential target for GC therapy.


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