1.Rescuing lysosomal/autophagic defects via nanoapproach: implications for lysosomal/autophagic defect-related diseases.
Xiaodan HUANG ; Yue FANG ; Jie SONG ; Yuanjing HAO ; Yuanyuan CAI ; Pengfei WEI ; Na ZHANG
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2025;26(9):813-842
The dysfunction of the lysosome and autophagy-lysosome system serves as a driving force for neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic disorders, inflammatory conditions, and other related diseases, closely influencing their onset and progression. Therefore, restoring the function of the lysosome or autophagy-lysosome system has become an increasingly crucial therapeutic strategy in disease management. In this review, we will introduce the lysosomal biogenesis, structure, and function, as well as the biological process of the autophagy-lysosome system. Various diseases closely associated with lysosomal/autophagic dysfunction are also reviewed, emphasizing the significance of targeting the function of the lysosome or autophagy-lysosome system in disease treatment. Finally, we focus on engineered nanomaterials that have the capabilities to restore the function of the lysosome or autophagy-lysosome system, and summarize different strategies and methods for achieving this goal. This review aims to elucidate the latest progress in the field of nanomedicine for lysosomal/autophagic defect-related diseases and inspire the development of innovative and clinically valuable nanomedicines.
Humans
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Lysosomes/physiology*
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Autophagy/physiology*
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Nanomedicine/methods*
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Neurodegenerative Diseases/therapy*
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Animals
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Nanostructures
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Lysosomal Storage Diseases/therapy*
2.Real-world efficacy and safety of azvudine in hospitalized older patients with COVID-19 during the omicron wave in China: A retrospective cohort study.
Yuanchao ZHU ; Fei ZHAO ; Yubing ZHU ; Xingang LI ; Deshi DONG ; Bolin ZHU ; Jianchun LI ; Xin HU ; Zinan ZHAO ; Wenfeng XU ; Yang JV ; Dandan WANG ; Yingming ZHENG ; Yiwen DONG ; Lu LI ; Shilei YANG ; Zhiyuan TENG ; Ling LU ; Jingwei ZHU ; Linzhe DU ; Yunxin LIU ; Lechuan JIA ; Qiujv ZHANG ; Hui MA ; Ana ZHAO ; Hongliu JIANG ; Xin XU ; Jinli WANG ; Xuping QIAN ; Wei ZHANG ; Tingting ZHENG ; Chunxia YANG ; Xuguang CHEN ; Kun LIU ; Huanhuan JIANG ; Dongxiang QU ; Jia SONG ; Hua CHENG ; Wenfang SUN ; Hanqiu ZHAN ; Xiao LI ; Yafeng WANG ; Aixia WANG ; Li LIU ; Lihua YANG ; Nan ZHANG ; Shumin CHEN ; Jingjing MA ; Wei LIU ; Xiaoxiang DU ; Meiqin ZHENG ; Liyan WAN ; Guangqing DU ; Hangmei LIU ; Pengfei JIN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(1):123-132
Debates persist regarding the efficacy and safety of azvudine, particularly its real-world outcomes. This study involved patients aged ≥60 years who were admitted to 25 hospitals in mainland China with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 1, 2022, and February 28, 2023. Efficacy outcomes were all-cause mortality during hospitalization, the proportion of patients discharged with recovery, time to nucleic acid-negative conversion (T NANC), time to symptom improvement (T SI), and time of hospital stay (T HS). Safety was also assessed. Among the 5884 participants identified, 1999 received azvudine, and 1999 matched controls were included after exclusion and propensity score matching. Azvudine recipients exhibited lower all-cause mortality compared with controls in the overall population (13.3% vs. 17.1%, RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.90; P = 0.001) and in the severe subgroup (25.7% vs. 33.7%; RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.88; P < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients discharged with recovery, and a shorter T NANC were associated with azvudine recipients, especially in the severe subgroup. The incidence of adverse events in azvudine recipients was comparable to that in the control group (2.3% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.170). In conclusion, azvudine showed efficacy and safety in older patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron wave in China.
3.Transcranial temporal interference stimulation precisely targets deep brain regions to regulate eye movements.
Mo WANG ; Sixian SONG ; Dan LI ; Guangchao ZHAO ; Yu LUO ; Yi TIAN ; Jiajia ZHANG ; Quanying LIU ; Pengfei WEI
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(8):1390-1402
Transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) is a novel non-invasive neuromodulation technique with the potential to precisely target deep brain structures. This study explores the neural and behavioral effects of tTIS on the superior colliculus (SC), a region involved in eye movement control, in mice. Computational modeling revealed that tTIS delivers more focused stimulation to the SC than traditional transcranial alternating current stimulation. In vivo experiments, including Ca2+ signal recordings and eye movement tracking, showed that tTIS effectively modulates SC neural activity and induces eye movements. A significant correlation was found between stimulation frequency and saccade frequency, suggesting direct tTIS-induced modulation of SC activity. These results demonstrate the precision of tTIS in targeting deep brain regions and regulating eye movements, highlighting its potential for neuroscientific research and therapeutic applications.
Animals
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Superior Colliculi/physiology*
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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation/methods*
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Eye Movements/physiology*
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Male
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
4.Innovation and development of stent retrievers in acute ischemic stroke.
Nan ZHANG ; Hongye XU ; Hongjian ZHANG ; Hongyu MA ; Weilong HUA ; Minghao SONG ; Yongxin ZHANG ; Jianmin LIU ; Lei ZHANG ; Xiaoxi ZHANG ; Pengfei YANG
Frontiers of Medicine 2025;19(5):789-806
Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a cerebrovascular disease characterized by high morbidity, disability, and mortality, posing a significant threat to human health. Endovascular treatment has now been established as a key method for AIS management, in which stent retrievers that can mechanically remove blood clots play a key role in this technique. In recent years, stent retrievers have evolved in complexity and functionality to improve the ability of clot removing and surgical safety. However, the present instruments still have limitations on treatment efficiency, vascular adaptability, and operational precision, posing an urgent need for innovation in the design of stent retrievers. This paper systematically reviewed the structural features and working principles of AIS stent retrievers from the perspective of efficacy evaluation metrics, historical development, recent advancements in stent retrieval technology, and future prospects.
Humans
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Ischemic Stroke/surgery*
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Stents
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Endovascular Procedures/methods*
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Thrombectomy/methods*
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Device Removal/methods*
5.Artificial intelligence iterative reconstruction for improving image quality of 80 kVp low-dose CT enterography for Crohn disease
Rui GUO ; Wanhui ZHOU ; Pengzhi HU ; Song PENG ; Qi LIANG ; Pengfei RONG
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging Technology 2025;41(4):535-538
Objective To observe the value of artificial intelligence iterative reconstruction(AIIR)for improving image quality of 80 kVp low-dose CT enterography(CTE)for Crohn disease(CD).Methods Totally 59 patients with CD who underwent 80 kVp low-dose CTE were retrospectively enrolled,and CTE images were reconstructed with hybrid iterative reconstruction(HIR)(HIR group)and AIIR(AIIR group),respectively.Then subjective and objective scores of image quality were evaluated and compared between groups,and the value of AIIR was analyzed.Results Compared with HIR group,AIIR group clearly displayed the intestinal wall,intestinal lumen,mesenteric vessels and peri-intestinal soft tissue,and displayed typical CD signs more obviously,with higher subjective scores of imaging quality(all P<0.001).The standard deviation(SD)was lower,while signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)of intestinal walls without disease,SNR and contrast-to-noise ratio(CNR)of diseased intestinal walls in AIIR group were all higher than those in HIR group(all P<0.001).The effective dose of 80 kVp CTE examination was(2.82±0.54)mSv.Conclusion AIIR was helpful for improving image quality of 80 kVp low-dose CTE for CD.
6.Efficacy and influencing factors of antiviral therapy for hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B in children
Pengfei XU ; Yufeng ZHANG ; Xiaoyan WANG ; Ruiqing LIU ; Le YAN ; Nan JIA ; He SONG ; Huiling DENG
Chinese Pediatric Emergency Medicine 2025;32(6):464-469
Objective:To investigate the efficacy of antiviral therapy and influencing factors of hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg) negative conversion for hepatitis B e antigen(HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B(CHB) in children.Methods:The clinical data of 38 children with CHB who received antiviral treatment in Children's Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2019 to August 2024 were collected.All patients were treated with interferon alpha monotherapy or combined with nucleoside analogues for 48 weeks.The patients were divided into HBsAg negative group and HBsAg non-negative group according to the therapeutic results at 48 weeks.Multivariate Logistic regression were used to identify influencing factors of HBsAg negative conversion at 48 weeks.The receiver operator characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive value of each factor to HBsAg negative conversion.Results:The alanine aminotransferase normalization rate,hepatitis B virus DNA negative rate,HBeAg negative rate and HBsAg negative rate were 76.3%,94.7%,39.5% and 47.4%,respectively at 48 weeks.There were 18 cases in HBsAg negative group and 20 cases in HBsAg non-negative group.There were statistical significant differences in age and HBsAg decline level at 12 and 24 weeks of antiviral treatment between HBsAg negative group and HBsAg non-negative group( P<0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age and HBsAg decline level at 12 and 24 weeks of antiviral treatment were independent predictors of HBsAg negative conversion at 48 weeks( OR=0.664,95% CI 0.473-0.932, P=0.018; OR=8.719,95% CI 1.920-39.604, P=0.005; OR=6.182,95% CI 2.083-18.347, P=0.001).The area under the curve of age and HBsAg decline level at 12 and 24 weeks were 0.737(95% CI 0.576-0.899, P=0.012),0.847(95% CI 0.725-0.969, P<0.001)and 0.939(95% CI 0.811-0.991, P<0.001),respectively.When the age was less than 4.625 years,the sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of HBsAg negative conversion at 48 weeks were 83.3%,65.0%,68.2% and 81.3%,respectively.A decrease in HBsAg level of >1.07 lg IU/mL at 12 weeks of treatment had a sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,and negative predictive value of 72.2%,90.0%,86.7%,and 78.3%,respectively,for predicting HBsAg seroclearance at 48 weeks.A reduction in HBsAg of >1.92 lg IU/mL at 24 weeks of treatment showed a sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,and negative predictive value of 83.3%,90.0%,88.2%,and 85.7%,respectively,in predicting HBsAg seroclearance at 48 weeks. Conclusion:The children with CHB have a higher rate of HBsAg negative conversion after antiviral therapy at 48 weeks.Age and HBsAg decline level at 12 and 24 weeks of antiviral treatment can serve as early predictors for HBsAg negative conversion in children with CHB.
7.Efficacy and safety of first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemotherapy in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
Qiu ZONG ; Qin LI ; Pengfei SONG
Journal of Chinese Physician 2025;27(7):1040-1044
Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of first-line immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ESCLC).Methods:Clinical data of 109 ESCLC patients admitted to the First People′s Hospital of Lianyungang from January 2019 to December 2023 were retrospectively collected. According to different treatment methods, patients were divided into the immunochemotherapy group (first-line treatment with ICIs combined with chemotherapy) and the chemotherapy group (chemotherapy alone). Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis of patients with different treatment methods, and a Cox regression model was established to analyze the factors affecting the prognosis of ESCLC patients.Results:A total of 109 patients were included, with 43 cases (39.4%) in the immunochemotherapy group and 66 cases (60.6%) in the chemotherapy group. At the first efficacy evaluation, there were no significant differences in objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) between the two groups (all P>0.05). There were no significant differences in the proportions of grade 3-4 myelosuppression and radiation pneumonia between the two groups (all P> 0.05), and only 2 cases (4.7%) in the immunochemotherapy group had severe immune-related adverse events (irAE). The overall survival (OS) of the immunochemotherapy group was longer than that of the chemotherapy group (13.6 months vs 11.5 months, P=0.024), but the median progression-free survival (PFS) showed no significant difference compared to the chemotherapy group (8.4 months vs 6.0 months, P=0.068). Among patients without liver or brain metastasis, the OS of the immunochemotherapy group was longer than that of the chemotherapy group (19.3 months vs 12.1 months, P=0.017), while among patients with liver or brain metastasis, there was no significant difference in OS between the two groups ( P>0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that male gender ( HR=0.284, 95% CI: 0.133-0.605, P=0.001), first-line ICIs treatment ( HR=0.607, 95% CI: 0.372-0.988, P=0.045), and chest radiotherapy ( HR=0.538, 95% CI: 0.307-0.942, P=0.030) were independent protective factors for the prognosis of ESCLC patients, and liver metastasis ( HR=1.907, 95% CI: 1.191-3.053, P=0.007) was an independent risk factor. Conclusions:First-line ICIs combined with chemotherapy can significantly prolong the OS of ESCLC patients with good safety. Patients without liver or brain metastasis benefit more significantly from immunotherapy.
8.Effects of multiple Nsp proteins on SARS-CoV-2 polymerase activity
Mingxin CHENG ; Pengfei ZHU ; Fang YAN ; Fang SONG ; Xuefeng WANG ; Tiecheng WANG ; Xianzhu XIA ; Yuwei GAO ; Fang YAN
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(8):1665-1671
The novel coronavirus(severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2,SARS-CoV-2),classified as a single-stranded RNA virus,replicates and transcribes its genome through the action of an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase,which is itself comprised of numerous non-structural pro-teins(non-structural proteins,Nsps).The present study delineates the development of a detection system founded on a bicistronic reporter plasmid in conjunction with an array of Nsp plasmids,ai-ming to investigate the influence of SARS-CoV-2 Nsps on the virus's replication and expression profiles.Specifically,a bicistronic reporter gene plasmid along with twelve distinct Nsp plasmids(encompassing Nsp3C-Flag,Nsp4,Nsp6-Nsp10,Nsp12-Nsp16)were meticulously constructed via molecular cloning techniques.The successful expression of these Nsps was subsequently confirmed through Western blot analysis.Initially,the activity of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase was assessed by co-transfection of the reporter plasmid with Nsp12,in the presence of its auxiliary fac-tors Nsp7 and Nsp8,with careful regulation of the co-transfection ratio,culturing temperature,and the timing of activity determination for the triad of Nsp plasmids.The normalized NLuc fluorescein value,in reference to the FLuc fluorescein value of the housekeeping gene,served as a metric for determining the polymerase activity.Building upon this foundation,the co-transfection concentra-tions of Nsp9-16 were fine-tuned,followed by the incremental addition of varying doses of Nsp3C,Nsp4,and Nsp6,to further elucidate the activity of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase(RdRp).The findings indicated that upon transfection with varying ratios of Nsp7,Nsp8,and Nsp12 at a propor-tion of 1∶8∶24,the polymerase activity was markedly elevated compared to the control group,with a statistical significance level(P<0.001).Furthermore,in the absence of Nsp3,Nsp4,and Nsp6,the inclusion of Nsp10-16 substantially augmented the activity of the RdRp,particularly in scenarios where Nsp9 was not introduced,achieving statistical significance(P<0.001).In the pres-ence of Nsp3 and Nsp4,the RdRp activity was augmented further upon the addition of Nsp9,reac-hing a level of significance(P<0.05).The data imply that Nsp9 is capable of enhancing the RdRp activity of SARS-CoV-2 exclusively in the context of Nsp3 and Nsp4 coexistence,suggesting that the stimulatory influence of Nsp9 on viral replication may be contingent upon the formation of double-membrane vesicles.
9.Based on the anchor analysis of network pharmacology,the mechanism and role of emodin in the treatment of liver injury were investigated
Guang TIAN ; Shiyuan QIN ; Chengwen SONG ; Zhengfei TAN ; Bendong FU ; Pengfei YI ; Luyuan PENG
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(9):1965-1976
To screen potential drugs for the treatment of acute Liver Injury(ALI)through network pharmacology and mitochondrial dynamics,and to investigate their actions and mechanisms.Based on the commonly utilized Liver Pure Tablets and Liver-Protecting Capsules in the market,a com-ponent library of liver disease drugs was screened and established.Pharmacological anchoring anal-ysis was carried out.Potential liver disease therapeutic drugs were screened out through molecular docking,and feedback verification was performed using animal experiments.Acute liver injury mouse models were established through excessive induction with acetaminophen(APAP),and the histopathological changes of liver tissues were examined.The protective effect of the drug on ALI was evaluated by detecting alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase(CAT),glutathione(GSH),and malondialdehyde(MDA)using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).qRT-PCR was employed to detect peroxi-some proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha(PPARG1A),mitofusin 1(MFN1),mitofusin 2(MFN2),dynamin-related protein 1(DRP1),optic atrophy 1 protein(OP A1),Steroid receptor coactivator(SRC),and advanced glycosylation end-product specific re-ceptor(AGER)to explore the protective mechanism of the drug on ALI.The result showed that Network pharmacology identified a total of 662 intersection targets of three types of prescription drugs and ALI.Eventually,72 core targets were screened out.Pathway enrichment analysis indi-cates that the potential mechanism might be associated with the lipid and atherosclerosis signaling pathways.The results of the relevant molecular docking indicate that the most likely optimal drug might be emodin(EMO).EMO ameliorated the pathological damage in mice with acute liver inju-ry,significantly decreased the contents of transferase factors ALT and AST,simultaneously in-creased the contents of antioxidant enzymes CAT,GSH and SOD,and reduced the content of oxi-dative metabolic end product MDA.It also upregulated the mRNA expression levels of MFN1、MFN2,OPA1,DRP1,SRC and PPARGC1A proteins in liver tissue,and inhibited the mRNA ex-pression level of AGER protein.The drug EMO,jointly screened out by network pharmacology through anchoring and molecular docking,might promote mitochondrial fusion metabolism,allevi-ate liver oxidative stress,and improve liver injury in ALI mice via the Lipid and atherosclerosis pathway.
10.Effects of multiple Nsp proteins on SARS-CoV-2 polymerase activity
Mingxin CHENG ; Pengfei ZHU ; Fang YAN ; Fang SONG ; Xuefeng WANG ; Tiecheng WANG ; Xianzhu XIA ; Yuwei GAO ; Fang YAN
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(8):1665-1671
The novel coronavirus(severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2,SARS-CoV-2),classified as a single-stranded RNA virus,replicates and transcribes its genome through the action of an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase,which is itself comprised of numerous non-structural pro-teins(non-structural proteins,Nsps).The present study delineates the development of a detection system founded on a bicistronic reporter plasmid in conjunction with an array of Nsp plasmids,ai-ming to investigate the influence of SARS-CoV-2 Nsps on the virus's replication and expression profiles.Specifically,a bicistronic reporter gene plasmid along with twelve distinct Nsp plasmids(encompassing Nsp3C-Flag,Nsp4,Nsp6-Nsp10,Nsp12-Nsp16)were meticulously constructed via molecular cloning techniques.The successful expression of these Nsps was subsequently confirmed through Western blot analysis.Initially,the activity of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase was assessed by co-transfection of the reporter plasmid with Nsp12,in the presence of its auxiliary fac-tors Nsp7 and Nsp8,with careful regulation of the co-transfection ratio,culturing temperature,and the timing of activity determination for the triad of Nsp plasmids.The normalized NLuc fluorescein value,in reference to the FLuc fluorescein value of the housekeeping gene,served as a metric for determining the polymerase activity.Building upon this foundation,the co-transfection concentra-tions of Nsp9-16 were fine-tuned,followed by the incremental addition of varying doses of Nsp3C,Nsp4,and Nsp6,to further elucidate the activity of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase(RdRp).The findings indicated that upon transfection with varying ratios of Nsp7,Nsp8,and Nsp12 at a propor-tion of 1∶8∶24,the polymerase activity was markedly elevated compared to the control group,with a statistical significance level(P<0.001).Furthermore,in the absence of Nsp3,Nsp4,and Nsp6,the inclusion of Nsp10-16 substantially augmented the activity of the RdRp,particularly in scenarios where Nsp9 was not introduced,achieving statistical significance(P<0.001).In the pres-ence of Nsp3 and Nsp4,the RdRp activity was augmented further upon the addition of Nsp9,reac-hing a level of significance(P<0.05).The data imply that Nsp9 is capable of enhancing the RdRp activity of SARS-CoV-2 exclusively in the context of Nsp3 and Nsp4 coexistence,suggesting that the stimulatory influence of Nsp9 on viral replication may be contingent upon the formation of double-membrane vesicles.

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