Quantum dots (QDs), nanoscale semiconductor crystals, have emerged as a revolutionary class of nanomaterials with unique optical and electrochemical properties, making them highly promising for applications in disease diagnosis and treatment. Their tunable emission spectra, long-term photostability, high quantum yield, and excellent charge carrier mobility enable precise control over light emission and efficient charge utilization, which are critical for biomedical applications. This article provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in the use of quantum dots for disease diagnosis and therapy, highlighting their potential and the challenges involved in clinical translation. Quantum dots can be classified based on their elemental composition and structural configuration. For instance, IB-IIIA-VIA group quantum dots and core-shell structured quantum dots are among the most widely studied types. These classifications are essential for understanding their diverse functionalities and applications. In disease diagnosis, quantum dots have demonstrated remarkable potential due to their high brightness, photostability, and ability to provide precise biomarker detection. They are extensively used in bioimaging technologies, enabling high-resolution imaging of cells, tissues, and even individual biomolecules. As fluorescent markers, quantum dots facilitate cell tracking, biosensing, and the detection of diseases such as cancer, bacterial and viral infections, and immune-related disorders. Their ability to provide real-time, in vivo tracking of cellular processes has opened new avenues for early and accurate disease detection. In the realm of disease treatment, quantum dots serve as versatile nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery. Their nanoscale size and surface modifiability allow them to transport therapeutic agents to specific sites, improving drug bioavailability and reducing off-target effects. Additionally, quantum dots have shown promise as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT). When exposed to specific wavelengths of light, quantum dots interact with oxygen molecules to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can selectively destroy malignant cells, vascular lesions, and microbial infections. This targeted approach minimizes damage to healthy tissues, making PDT a promising strategy for treating complex diseases. Despite these advancements, the translation of quantum dots from research to clinical application faces significant challenges. Issues such as toxicity, stability, and scalability in industrial production remain major obstacles. The potential toxicity of quantum dots, particularly to vital organs, has raised concerns about their long-term safety. Researchers are actively exploring strategies to mitigate these risks, including surface modification, coating, and encapsulation techniques, which can enhance biocompatibility and reduce toxicity. Furthermore, improving the stability of quantum dots under physiological conditions is crucial for their effective use in biomedical applications. Advances in surface engineering and the development of novel encapsulation methods have shown promise in addressing these stability concerns. Industrial production of quantum dots also presents challenges, particularly in achieving consistent quality and scalability. Recent innovations in synthesis techniques and manufacturing processes are paving the way for large-scale production, which is essential for their widespread adoption in clinical settings. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the latest research progress in quantum dot applications, including drug delivery, bioimaging, biosensing, photodynamic therapy, and pathogen detection. It also discusses the multiple barriers hindering their clinical use and explores potential solutions to overcome these challenges. The review concludes with a forward-looking perspective on the future directions of quantum dot research, emphasizing the need for further studies on toxicity mitigation, stability enhancement, and scalable production. By addressing these critical issues, quantum dots can realize their full potential as transformative tools in disease diagnosis and treatment, ultimately improving patient outcomes and advancing biomedical science.

Dormant tumor cells constitute a population of cancer cells that reside in a non-proliferative or low-proliferative state, typically arrested in the G0/G1 phase and exhibiting minimal mitotic activity. These cells are commonly observed across multiple cancer types, including breast, lung, and ovarian cancers, and represent a central cellular component of minimal residual disease (MRD) following surgical resection of the primary tumor. Dormant cells are closely associated with long-term clinical latency and late-stage relapse. Due to their quiescent nature, dormant cells are intrinsically resistant to conventional therapies—such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy—that preferentially target rapidly dividing cells. In addition, they display enhanced anti-apoptotic capacity and immune evasion, rendering them particularly difficult to eradicate. More critically, in response to microenvironmental changes or activation of specific signaling pathways, dormant cells can re-enter the cell cycle and initiate metastatic outgrowth or tumor recurrence. This ability to escape dormancy underscores their clinical threat and positions their effective detection and elimination as a major challenge in contemporary cancer treatment. Hypoxia, a hallmark of the solid tumor microenvironment, has been widely recognized as a potent inducer of tumor cell dormancy. However, the molecular mechanisms by which tumor cells sense and respond to hypoxic stress—initiating the transition into dormancy—remain poorly defined. In particular, the lack of a systems-level understanding of the dynamic and multifactorial regulatory landscape has impeded the identification of actionable targets and constrained the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Accumulating evidence indicates that hypoxia-induced dormancy tumor cells are accompanied by a suite of adaptive phenotypes, including cell cycle arrest, global suppression of protein synthesis, metabolic reprogramming, autophagy activation, resistance to apoptosis, immune evasion, and therapy tolerance. These changes are orchestrated by multiple converging signaling pathways—such as PI3K-AKT-mTOR, Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK, and AMPK—that together constitute a highly dynamic and interconnected regulatory network. While individual pathways have been studied in depth, most investigations remain reductionist and fail to capture the temporal progression and network-level coordination underlying dormancy transitions. Systems biology offers a powerful framework to address this complexity. By integrating high-throughput multi-omics data—such as transcriptomics and proteomics—researchers can reconstruct global regulatory networks encompassing the key signaling axes involved in dormancy regulation. These networks facilitate the identification of core regulatory modules and elucidate functional interactions among key effectors. When combined with dynamic modeling approaches—such as ordinary differential equations—these frameworks enable the simulation of temporal behaviors of critical signaling nodes, including phosphorylated AMPK (p-AMPK), phosphorylated S6 (p-S6), and the p38/ERK activity ratio, providing insights into how their dynamic changes govern transitions between proliferation and dormancy. Beyond mapping trajectories from proliferation to dormancy and from shallow to deep dormancy, such dynamic regulatory models support topological analyses to identify central hubs and molecular switches. Key factors—such as NR2F1, mTORC1, ULK1, HIF-1α, and DYRK1A—have emerged as pivotal nodes within these networks and represent promising therapeutic targets. Constructing an integrative, systems-level regulatory framework—anchored in multi-pathway coordination, omics-layer integration, and dynamic modeling—is thus essential for decoding the architecture and progression of tumor dormancy. Such a framework not only advances mechanistic understanding but also lays the foundation for precision therapies targeting dormant tumor cells during the MRD phase, addressing a critical unmet need in cancer management.

OBJECTIVE: To provide the experience and demonstration for the transformation of acupuncture-moxibustion techniques standards from Chinese national standards to international standards. METHODS: Questionnaire research, literature research, semi-structured interviews and expert consultation were used. RESULTS: The safety of acupuncture-moxibustion techniques was evaluated through literature research, and based on the results of the questionnaire survey, expert interviews, and expert consultation, 11 main bodies and structure of the former Chinese national standard, Technical Benchmark of Acupuncture and Moxibustion: General Rules for Drafting, were adjusted and optimized in accordance with the requirements of international standard (including the language, normative references, purpose, scope, applicable environment, target population, work team, terms and definitions, general principles and basic requirements, structural elements and text structure, and compilation process); and the first international standard, World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societis (WFAS) Technical Benchmark of Acupuncture and Moxibustion: General Rules for Drafting was formulated to specify the general rules for drafting. CONCLUSION The 3 key questions, "international compatibility", "technical operability" and "safety" should be solved technically on the basis of explicit international requirements. It is the core technical issue during transforming the national standards of technical benchmark of acupuncture and moxibustion into international standards.
Moxibustion/methods* ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Humans ; Translational Research, Biomedical/standards* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; China ; Benchmarking/standards*

The etiology of tumors is complex and influenced by multiple factors, including the host and environmental conditions. Allergy is primarily driven by the immune response of helper T cell 2 (Th2). Research has shown that the Th2 immune response is closely related to tumors, which is specifically manifested through Th2 antibodies, allergy-related effector cells and mediators within the tumors, as well as tumor immune-related functions. This internal interaction mechanism will increase the complexity and challenges associated with the clinical diagnosis and treatment of tumors and allergy. The formation of allergic constitution is shaped by both congenital and acquired factors, and its physical state is closely linked to the occurrence and progression of allergic diseases. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the relationship between tumors and allergic reactions from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitution theory. Based on the four basic principles of the TCM constitution, including endowment inheritance theory, environment constraint theory, body-spirit composition theory, and life process theory, this exploration will focus on four aspects: genetic factors and internal disease causes, inflammatory environments and functional regulation, psychological disorders and emotional pathogenesis, as well as age structure and disease risk. Furthermore, from the perspective of constitution-disease relation of chronic disease prevention, this paper will discuss the significant importance of adjusting allergic constitution to improve both subjective symptoms and objective indicators of allergic reactions in tumor patients.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prevalence and burden of headache disorders in China and its provinces from 1990 to 2021. METHODS: Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021, the number of prevalent cases, prevalence rate, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and age-standardized DALY rates were analyzed by sex, age group, and province for headache disorders and their subtypes (migraine and tension-type headache [TTH]) between 1990 and 2021. Percentage changes during this period were also estimated. RESULTS: In 2021, approximately 426 million individuals in China were affected by headache disorders, with an age-standardized prevalence rate of 27,582.61/100,000. The age-standardized DALY rate for all headache disorders was 487.15/100,000. Between 1990 and 2021, the number of prevalent cases increased by 37.78%, while the prevalence of all headache disorders, migraine, and TTH increased by 6.92%, 7.57%, and 7.86%, respectively. The highest prevalence was observed in the 30-34 age group (39,520.60/100,000). Migraine accounted for a larger proportion of DALYs attributable to headache disorders, whereas TTH has a greater impact on its prevalence. In 2021, the highest age-standardized DALY rates for headache disorders were observed in Heilongjiang (617.85/100,000) and Shanghai (542.86/100,000). CONCLUSION The prevalence of headache disorders is increasing in China. Effective health education, improve diagnosis and treatment are essential, particularly for middle-aged working populations and women of childbearing age.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Female ; Male ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Aged ; Child ; Headache Disorders/epidemiology* ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Child, Preschool ; Cost of Illness ; Infant ; Aged, 80 and over

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

Human alphaherpesvirus 2 (HSV-2) is the main pathogen resulting human genital herpes, which poses a major threat to the socio-economic development, while there is no effective vaccine. In this study, we developed a novel lipopolyplex (LPP)-delivered mRNA vaccine expressing the HSV-2 envelope glycoprotein gD and evaluated its immunogenicity in mice. The mRNA vaccine was prepared from the genetically modified gD mRNA synthesized in vitro combined with the LPP delivery platform and it was named gD-ORI mRNA. The expression of gD antigen in the mRNA vaccine was validated in vitro by Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence assay, then the immune responses induced by this mRNA vaccine in mice were evaluated. The immunization with gD mRNA alone induced strong humoral and cellular immune responses in mice. Robust and long-lasting gD-specific IgG antibodies were detected in the mouse serum after booster immunization with gD-ORI mRNA. The immunized mice exhibited a Th1/Th2 balanced IgG response and robust neutralizing antibodies against HSV-2, and a clear dose-response relationship was observed. The gD-specific IgG antibodies were maintained in mice for a long time, up to 18 weeks post-booster immunization. At the same time, multifunctional gD-specific CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in vaccinated mice were detected by intracellular cytokine staining (ICS). This novel gD-expressing mRNA vaccine delivered by LPP induces strong and long-lasting immune responses in mice post booster immunization and has a promising prospect for development and application. This study provides scientific evidence and reference for the development of a new mRNA vaccine for HSV-2.
Animals ; Herpesvirus 2, Human/genetics* ; Viral Envelope Proteins/genetics* ; Mice ; Herpes Genitalis/immunology* ; RNA, Messenger/immunology* ; Female ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Antibodies, Viral/blood* ; mRNA Vaccines/immunology* ; Antibodies, Neutralizing/blood* ; Humans

Objective To analyze the correlation between serum circular RNA-ATAD1(circ-ATAD1)and microRNA-140-3p(miR-140-3p)expression and the prognosis of cervical cancer patients.Methods From March 2018 to March 2020,a total of 146 patients with cervical cancer(study group),146 patients with benign uterine lesions(benign uterine lesions group),and 146 healthy people who underwent the physical examina-tion(control group)in Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated TCM-WM·Hebei were selected as the research sub-jects.Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect serum levels of miR-140-3p and circ-ATAD1.The Kap-lan-Meier method was used to analyze the correlation between serum circ-ATAD1 and miR-140-3p expression and the prognosis of cervical cancer patients.Multivariate Cox regression model was used to analyze the influ-encing factors of prognosis of cervical cancer patients.Results The serum circ-ATAD1 level in the study group was significantly higher than those in the control group and benign uterine lesion group(P＜0.05),and miR-140-3p was significantly lower than those in the control group and benign uterine lesion group(P＜0.05).The proportions of patients with low expression of miR-140-3p and high expression of circ-ATD1 in the cervical cancer patients with vaginal infiltration,lymph node metastasis,and FIGOstage Ⅲ-Ⅳ were higher than those in the cervical cancer patients with no vaginal infiltration,no lymph node metastasis,and FIGO stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ(P＜0.05).The 3-year survival rate of cervical cancer patients with high circ-ATD1 expression was lower than that of patients with low circ-ATD1 expression(30.14％vs.64.38％,P＜0.001).The 3-year survival rate of cervical cancer patients with high miR-140-3p expression was higher than that of patients with low miR-140-3p expression(61.64％vs.32.88％,P＜0.001).FIGO stage,circ-ATAD1,lymph node metas-tasis and miR-140-3p were factors affecting the prognosis of cervical cancer patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion The serum level of circ-ATAD1 in patients with cervical cancer is significantly increased and the level of miR-140-3p is significantly decreased,the two are closely related to lymph node metastasis and FIGO stage in patients with cervical cancer,and are influencing factors for the prognosis of cervical cancer patients.

Objective To comparatively analyze the clinical characteristics of primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia(PBMAH)and adrenal cortisol-producing Adenoma(CPA),and enhance the understanding of two diseases.Methods The clinical data of 85 PBMAH patients(PBMAH group)and 195 CPA patients(CPA group)diagnosed at Department of Endocrinology,the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital,from September 2014 to August 2024 were retrospectively analyzed.The demographic characteristics,comorbidities,biochemical indicators,adrenocorticotropic hormone-cortisol(ACTH-F)levels,and adrenal imaging features and treatment conditions were compared between the two groups.Results(1)General characteristics:Compared with CPA group,PBMAH group had older age at diagnosis and a higher proportion of male patients.(2)Clinical characteristics:Compared with CPA group,PBMAH group had a longer disease duration,a higher proportion of subclinical Cushing's syndrome(CS),and a higher proportion of hypertension,impaired glucose tolerance/diabetes,bone mass reduction or osteoporosis,with higher serum potassium levels,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).(3)Hormone levels:Both PBMAH and CPA groups showed ACTH-F rhythm disorder,significantly increased cortisol levels and suppressed ACTH.Compared with PBMAH group,CPA group had stronger autonomous cortisol secretion ability,manifested by increased midnight serum cortisol(F0:00),16:00 serum cortisol(F16:00),24-hour urinary free cortisol(24 h UFC)levels and lower 8:00 serum ACTH(ACTH8:00)and 16:00 serum ACTH(ACTH16:00)(P<0.01).After low-dose dexamethasone suppression test(LDDST),CPA group showed lower suppression rates of ACTH and cortisol,and higher proportions of paradoxical elevation in serum cortisol and 24 h UFC compared with PBMAH(P<0.01).Conclusions PBMAH has a longer disease course and higher proportions of comorbid metabolic disorders than CPA,mostly manifested as subclinical Cushing's syndrome.CPA has stronger autonomous cortisol secretion ability,with cortisol less likely to be suppressed after LDDST and more obvious paradoxical elevation of cortisol and 24 h UFC.