1.Reconceptualizing Critical Illness in Cancer Through the Lens of Host Unregulated Response
Yun CHU ; Shiyi GONG ; Xin DING ; Hua ZHAO ; Huan CHEN ; Qing ZHANG ; Xiaoting WANG
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(1):1-9
Onco-critical care has emerged as an important subspecialty at the intersection of critical care medicine and oncology, attracting increasing attention in recent years. With continuous innovations in cancer therapies, patient survival has improved significantly; however, the incidence of associated critical complications has also increased. The reasons for cancer patients requiring intensive care unit admission are diverse and can be broadly categorized into three groups: progression of the underlying malignancy, treatment-related complications, and coexisting classical critical illnesses. Traditional critical care concepts and practices face limitations in addressing the multidimensional and heterogeneous challenges of onco-critical care. Based on the core mechanism of critical illness development—host/organ unregulated response (HOUR)—this article systematically elaborates on how this framework advances understanding and clinical practice into onco-critical care, with emphasis on its manifestations in neuroendocrine, immune-inflammatory, and coagulation-metabolic pathways. The review summarizes recent advances in clinical assessment and phenotyping systems for onco-critical illness and discusses a multidisciplinary, integrated management strategy centered on the "Disease Control, Host Response Modulation, Organ Support" triad. Finally, major challenges and future directions in this field are outlined. By integrating existing evidence and theoretical insights, this review aims to provide new perspectives and a theoretical foundation for the clinical management of onco-critical illness, thereby promoting its evolution toward precision and standardization.
2.Study on the effect and mechanism of Qiwei dongqingye powder against bronchial asthma based on transcriptomics
Jiacheng JIN ; Wenyan CHEN ; Xin LI ; Qing XU ; Hangyu WANG ; Ke ZHANG ; Pinghua SUN ; Jinhui WANG
China Pharmacy 2026;37(5):595-601
OBJECTIVE To investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Qiwei dongqingye powder (QDP) on bronchial asthma in mice. METHODS The mice were divided into blank group (normal saline), model group (normal saline), dexamethasone group (2 mg/kg), and QDP low-, medium-, and high-dose groups (200, 400, 800 mg/kg), with 14 mice in each group. Except for the blank group, mice in all other groups were given ovalbumin via intraperitoneal injection followed by aerosol inhalation to induce a bronchial asthma model. During the modeling process, mice in each group were administered corresponding drug solutions or normal saline intragastrically/intraperitoneally. After the last medication, the number of cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of the mice was observed and counted; the pathological changes of the bronchus and lung tissue were observed; the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the lung tissue of the mice were determined, and the level of interleukin-17 (IL-17) in the BALF and serum was determined. Transcriptomics was employed to predict and validate the mechanism of action of QDP against bronchial asthma. RESULTS Compared with the model group, the total cell count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, and macrophage counts in the BALF of the QDP high-dose group were all significantly reduced ( P <0.05); the levels of MDA and NO in the lung tissue, and the levels of IL-17 in the BALF and serum were all decreased significantly ( P <0.05); the levels of T-SOD and GSH-Px were significantly increased ( P <0.05); the arrangement of lung tissue cells tended to normalize, with reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells and decreased exfoliation of bronchial simple columnar epithelial cells. The transcriptomic results revealed that the differentially expressed genes were B-cell receptor signaling pathway, nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, ferroptosis signaling pathway, and others. Further validation revealed that, compared with the model group, the expression levels of NF-κB p65 and chemokine ligand 20, as well as the phosphorylation level of NF-κB inhibitor protein α, were significantly decreased in the lung tissues of the mice in all QDP groups ( P <0.05). Conversely, the protein expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) were significantly increased ( P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS QDP can effectively alleviate bronchial asthma by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway, activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, regulating oxidative stress, and reducing inflammatory responses.
3.Psychological Stress-induced Immune Dysregulation: The Key Factor Undermining Aerobic Exercise’s Antagonism Against Tumor Progression
Xin ZHOU ; Hua ZHANG ; Jing-Jing LIU ; Hui-Xin PAN ; Jing ZHANG ; Qing-Lu WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1656-1671
Cancer is one of the most lethal and burdensome diseases worldwide. Its progression not only causes irreversible damage to the body, but also imposes a substantial psychological burden on patients due to its complex prognosis. Immune imbalance, a hallmark of the tumor microenvironment (TME), accelerates tumor invasion and metastasis by impairing the function of effector immune cells, promoting the abnormal infiltration of immunosuppressive cells, and disrupting cytokine homeostasis, thereby constituting a major barrier to the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Compared with conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy, aerobic exercise has shown considerable potential in antagonizing tumor progression through relatively mild but effective immunomodulatory mechanisms. On the one hand, regular aerobic exercise enhances the number and activity of key effector immune cells, such as CD8+ T cells, thereby strengthening their ability to recognize and eliminate tumor cells and alleviate immune imbalance. On the other hand, aerobic exercise promotes tumor vascular normalization, improves vascular maturity, and stimulates the secretion of irisin and other anti-inflammatory myokines, thereby remodeling the TME and relieving its immunosuppressive state to delay tumor progression. However, psychological stress following a cancer diagnosis can not only act as an independent disruptive factor that exacerbates immune imbalance within the TME, but also amplify the effects of other detrimental factors, such as reduced treatment adherence, thereby further weakening the antagonistic effect of aerobic exercise on tumor growth. Psychological stress, as a chronic stressor, promotes the excessive secretion of emotion-related hormones, including glucocorticoids (GCs) and norepinephrine (NE), which further suppress the activation and effector functions of antitumor immune cells such as CD8+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, while facilitating the recruitment of protumor immune cells such as regulatory T cells (Tregs). These changes ultimately disrupt immune homeostasis in the TME, promote tumor immune evasion, accelerate tumor invasion and metastasis, and offset the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise on tumor control. In addition, psychological stress induces hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and abnormal excitation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), thereby maintaining elevated levels of GCs, NE, and related stress hormones, suppressing inflammatory chemokine expression and immune cell recruitment, and further disturbing immune homeostasis in the TME, which accelerates tumor progression. More importantly, prolonged psychological stress can also disrupt the homeostasis of central neurotransmitters, such as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and glutamate (Glu). This not only directly inhibits the activation and effector functions of antitumor immune cells and promotes the establishment of an immunosuppressive microenvironment, but also impairs cellular energy metabolism and continuously provides energy for tumor cells through metabolic reprogramming, thereby sustaining rapid tumor growth and adaptation to a hostile TME. Ultimately, these alterations contribute to the dysregulation of “neuro-endocrine-immune” axis and weaken the protective effect of aerobic exercise against tumor progression. Therefore, this review focuses on the interaction between psychological stress and the “neuro-endocrine-immune” axis, with particular emphasis on the mechanisms by which psychological stress induces immune imbalance and weakens the antagonistic effect of aerobic exercise on tumor progression. We further highlight the important role of psychological stress in tumor progression and propose that combining psychotropic interventions, aerobic exercise, and clinical antitumor immunotherapy may help restore the tumor-killing capacity of the immune system. Such a multimodal strategy may exert synergistic effects at multiple levels, including psychological stress relief, neuroendocrine regulation, and reconstruction of immune homeostasis, thereby providing new perspectives for identifying therapeutic targets in solid tumors, enhancing the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy, and improving patient prognosis.
4.Advances in bladder cancer treatment:chemicobiology-driven innovative therapeutic strategies
Huiyu CHEN ; Xin WANG ; Qing ZHANG ; Ran XIE ; Hongqian GUO
Journal of Modern Urology 2025;30(10):895-902
This article highlights the limitations of traditional treatment methods for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer and the multi-dimensional exploration of emerging strategies.It firsty reviews the history and challenges of BCG immunotherapy,pointing out its bottlenecks in efficacy,tolerance,and supply,and focuses on its chemicobiological modifications,such as the optimization of nanoparticle drug delivery systems and immune-active components.Subsequently,it summarizes the development of various new treatment approaches,including gene therapy,photodynamic/sonodynamic therapy,chemodynamic therapy,and proteolysis-targeting chimeras for targeted protein degradation strategies.It particularly emphasizes the enhancement of drug delivery efficiency and targeting in the bladder through nanotechnology,aptamer-mediated systems,and biomimetic carriers.The treatment of bladder cancer is gradually transforming from local and single-mode to precise,synergistic,and low-toxicity directions,with chemicobiological means playing a core role in driving this transformation.Interdisciplinary integration provides a broad space and new hope for the treatment of bladder cancer.
5.Survival advantage of first-line chemoimmunotherapy combined with radiotherapy for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A propensity score matching analysis
Peixin FENG ; Qing HOU ; Ningning YAO ; Wenjuan ZHANG ; Bochen SUN ; Wenxia NIU ; Anqi ZHAO ; Wenlu CHEN ; Baixue WU ; Yuying ZHOU ; Yiwen ZHANG ; Yu LIANG ; Xin CAO ; Wei BAI ; Jianting LIU ; Shuangping ZHANG ; Jianzhong CAO
Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection 2025;45(8):766-773
Objective:To investigate the efficacy of radiotherapy in patients with advanced esophageal cancer receiving first-line chemoimmunotherapy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 137 patients with Stage Ⅳ esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated at our hospital from January 2018 to May 2023. These patients were divided into two groups: a group treated with first-line chemoimmunotherapy combined with radiotherapy (chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group, n = 43) and a group treated with only chemoimmunotherapy ( n = 94). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied to balance baseline characteristics between the groups. With overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) as study endpoints, the survival data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test, and the Cox regression method. Results:Before calibration, the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group significantly outperformed the sole chemoimmunotherapy group in median PFS (13.6 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.501, 95% CI: 0.309-0.811, P = 0.005). After calibration using the COX proportional-hazards model for age, gender, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, smoking history, T/N/M stage, and tumor location, the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group still had significant advantages in PFS (14.7 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.441, 95% CI: 0.261-0.745, P = 0.002). IPTW analysis further confirmed this trend (13.9 months vs. 7.0 months; HR: 0.492, 95% CI: 0.304-0.795, P < 0.001). Specifically, the median OS of the chemoimmunotherapy + radiotherapy group demonstrated significant improvement in all analyses: pre-calibration (29.5 months vs. 18.0 months; HR: 0.507, 95% CI: 0.297-0.867, P = 0.013), after calibration using the Cox model (27.5 months vs. 16.7 months; HR: 0.470, 95% CI: 0.266-0.830, P = 0.009), and after calibration using IPTW (29.5 months vs. 16.9 months; HR: 0.448, 95% CI: 0.262-0.764, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The combination of radiotherapy and first-line chemoimmunotherapy can significantly improve survival outcomes of patients with advanced ESCC, suggesting its potential as a standard treatment strategy.
6.RICH1 regulates myocardial fibrosis through TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway
Lu-xuan WAN ; Ying-qing HU ; Yuan-yuan LIU ; Yong-song TANG ; Jun-yi HUANG ; Zi-xuan ZHANG ; Xiao-xiao MAO ; Xin-wen NIE ; Zhan-hong REN
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(11):2089-2096
Aim To reveal the mechanism of CIP4 homologs protein 1(RICH1)are involved in the regu-lation of myocardial fibrosis.Methods Mouse cardiac fibroblasts(MCFs)cells were treated with transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β1)to induce the formation of a myocardial fibrosis cell model;the level of the target protein was detected by Western blotting;and the RICH1 gene was detected by transfection of the cells with plasmid.The RICH1 gene was overexpressed(RICH 1 OE)using plasmid transfection;the RICH1 gene was silenced using siRNA fragment(siRICH1);and the expression levels of myocardial fibrosis marker genes,such as Col1 a1,Col3 a1,and Acta2,were de-tected using RT-qPCR.Results RICH1 was signifi-cantly down-regulated in TGF-β1-treated MCFs;the expression levels of myocardial fibrosis marker genes,such as Col1 a1,Col3a1,and Acta2,were down-regu-lated in the RICH1 OE+TGF-β1 group;and in the siRICH1+TGF-β1 group,myocardial fibrosis marker genes,such as Col1 a1,Col3a1 and Acta2 were up-regulated at the expression level;phosphorylated SMAD2(p-SMAD2)and phosphorylated SMAD3(p-SMAD3)levels were down-regulated in the siRICH1 OE+TGF-β1 group.p-SMAD2 and P-SMAD3 levels were upregulated in the siRICH1+TGF-β1 group.Conclusion RICH1 inhibits TGF-β1-induced myo-cardial fibrosis;RICH1 inhibits TGF-β1-induced myo-cardial fibrosis by negatively regulating the SMAD2/3 signaling pathway.
7.Diagnostic and treatment strategies for testicular torsion
Qing-song MENG ; Wan-ze ZHANG ; Ming ZHANG ; Jiang-hua JIA ; Xin WANG ; Wan-li MA ; Yao-hua WANG ; Ya-xuan WANG ; Jin-chun QI
National Journal of Andrology 2025;31(3):222-225
Objective:To investigate the differences between high-frequency ultrasound-guided manual detorsion combined with surgery(MD+S)and surgery alone in the treatment of testicular torsion,and to provide some new evidence for the timely diagno-sis and treatment of the disease.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 134 cases of unilateral testicular torsion within 48 hours treated in our hospital by MD+S or by surgery alone from January 2015 to May 2022.We statistically analyzed the age distribution,and duration and degrees of testicular torsion,followed by comparison between the two groups.Results:In the 134 ca-ses,the median age of onset was 15(13-19)years old,the median onset-to-visit time was 15(8-25)hours,and the median de-gree of torsion was 360°(180°-1080°).Of the total number of patients,21 underwent testicular excision and the other 113 were treated with the testis preserved,with no statistically significant difference in age distribution between the two groups(P>0.05),and a higher rate of testis resection in those with longer duration and greater angle of torsion(P<0.05).Totally,33 of the patients were assigned to the MD+S group and 101 to the surgery alone group.According to the actual clinical conditions and excluding those with torsion time longer than 24 hours and torsion angle greater than 720 °,28 of the patients underwent ultrasound-guided MD+S(with 1 case of testis resection,3.6%),and 68 received surgery alone(with 7 cases of testis resection,10.3%).The rate of testis resection was higher in the surgery alone than that in the MD+S group,but with no statistically significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05),which was considered to be related to the small sample size in this study.Conclusion:The popularization of testicular torsion knowledge can shorten the onset-to-visit time,and reasonable manual detorsion before emergency surgery can reduce the rate of testis resection.
8.Risk factors associated with hemodynamic instability in carotid artery stenting:a systematic review and meta-analysis
La-ting ZHANG ; Xiao-qing WANG ; Lin HAN ; Xin-hui LIANG ; Yao JIA ; Li-juan GAO ; Xue JIANG
Chinese Journal of Interventional Cardiology 2025;33(4):201-214
Objective To investigate the risk factors of hemodynamic instability after carotid artery stenting by meta-analysis.Methods Ten databases were searched:PubMed,ProQuest,ScienceDirect,Embase,Cochrane Library,Web of Science,China Knowledge Network,Wanfang Data,VIP Information Database,and China Biomedical Database.The search date was from inception until 2 February 2024,and meta-analysis was performed using Stata 16.0 statistical software.Results A total of 27 studies with 4199 subjects and 22 influencing factors were included.The studies showed a 37.4%(95%CI 30.3%-44.8%)incidence of haemodynamic instability after carotid stenting,Meta-analysis determined that age>60 years(P<0.001),hypertension(P<0.001),calcified plaque(P<0.001),stenosis>70%(P=0.008),eccentric plaque(P=0.002),distance from the largest stenosis to the carotid bifurcation≤ 10 mm(P<0.001),stenosis involvement of the balloon or bifurcation(P<0.001),balloon post-dilation(P=0.003),open-loop stenting(P<0.001),dilated balloon diameter≥5 mm(P=0.002),repeat balloon dilation(P=0.011)and balloon dilation pressure≥8 atm(P<0.001)are risk factors for intraoperative and postoperative haemodynamic instability in patients undergoing carotid artery stenting surgery.Statin use was a protective factor(P<0.001).Conclusions Medical staff working in the clinic should assess the patient's condition preoperatively,identify risk factors that may lead to haemodynamic instability,and avoid unnecessary intraoperative stimulation of patients who are already in a high-risk state.Reduce postoperative clinical complications in patients with carotid artery stenosis and improve patient recovery.
9.Therapeutic Efficacy of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction Combined with Monosialotetrahexosyl Ganglioside in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury and Its Effect on Neuritin and Neurofilament Light Chain Protein
Ning ZHANG ; Xin ZHAO ; Ye HONG ; Qing LI
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;42(3):606-613
Objective To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction combined with monosialotetrahexosyl ganglioside(GM1)in the treatment of spinal cord injury(SCI)and to observe its effect on neuritin and neurofilament light chain protein(NFL).Methods A retrospective study was carried out in 100 cases of SCI patients.The patients admitted to Baoji Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Baoji People's Hospital from February 2022 to May 2024 were divided into a control group and a study group according to the treatment method,with 50 patients in each group.The control group was given GM1 combined with methylprednisolone,and the study group was given Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction combined with GM1.The course of treatment covered three weeks.Before and after the treatment,the two groups were observed in the changes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,American Spinal Injury Association(ASIA)scores for evaluating the degree of spinal cord injury,Modified Ashworth Spasticity Scale(MASS)and Manual Muscle Testing(MMT)scores for assessing muscle tone and muscle strength,scores of Functional Ambulation Category Scale(FAC)and Lower-Extremity Motor Subscale(LEMS)of ASIA for assessing lower extremity motor function,and serum levels of neuron-specific enolase(NSE),glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP),nerve growth factor(NGF),S100B protein(S100B),Neuritin,and NFL.After treatment,the clinical efficacy and the incidence of complications in the two groups were compared.Results(1)After three weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the study group was 90.00%(45/50)and that of the control group was 74.00%(37/50),and the intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the clinical efficacy of the study group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P<0.05).(2)After treatment,the two groups presented a decrease in the scores of TCM symptoms of limb numbness,limb paralysis,dysuria,irregular defecation,pale complexion,swelling and pain at injured spot,palpitation and spontaneous sweating,and shortness of breath and fatigue when compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the decrease of the scores in the study group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.01).(3)After treatment,the evaluation of ASIA scores for the degree of spinal cord injury showed that the motor function,tactile and pain scores in the two group were increased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the increase in the study group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.01).(4)After treatment,MASS and MMT scores for assessing muscle tone and muscle strength in the two groups were increased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the increase in the study group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.01).(5)After treatment,the FAC score and LEMS scores for assessing lower extremity motor function in the two groups were increased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the increase in the study group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.01).(6)After treatment,the serum levels of NSE,GFAP,NGF,S100B,Neuritin,and NFL in the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the decrease in the study group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.01).(7)The incidence of complications in the study group was 6.00%(3/50),and that in the control group was 16.00(8/50),the comparison between the two groups showed that the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).Conclusion Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction combined with GM1 exerts remarkable efficacy in treating patients with SCI,and is effective on relieving clinical symptoms,reducing the degree of spinal cord injury,enhancing the motor function of the lower extremitiess,and improving the muscle strength and tone.Its therapeutic mechanism may be related to the improvement of the expression level of serum factors such as Neuritin and NFL.
10.Effects of fangchinoline derivative LYY-32 on biological properties of BLM DNA helicase
Wang-ming ZHANG ; Qin-ying FENG ; Xiao-yu SONG ; Xin-zhong ZHOU ; Juan LU ; Wan-qing XIE ; Zhi-wen LAI ; Wei-dong PAN ; Jie-lin LIU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(9):1680-1686
Aim To investigate the effects of the fangchinoline derivative LYY-32 on the biological prop-erties of the BLM642-1290 DNA helicase,in order to lay a foundation for further research on its antitumor activity.Methods Fluorescence polarization assay,malachite green-phosphate and ammonium molybdate colorime-try,and fluorescein-labeled DNA gel electrophoresis experiments were conducted to study the effects of fangchinoline derivative LYY-32 on the DNA binding activity,ATPase activity,and DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase.The effects of LYY-32 on the DNA unwinding activity of DNA helicase in cells were studied using fluorescent techniques and time-lapse microscopy.Ultraviolet spectral scanning was used to investigate the effects of LYY-32 on the confor-mation of the BLM642-1290 DNA helicase.Results At a concentration of 10 μmol·L-1,the inhibition rate of LYY-32 on BLM642-1290 DNA helicase binding to dsDNA was 53.17%.At a concentration of 5 μmol·L-1,the inhibition rate of LYY-32 on BLM642-1290 DNA helicase binding to ssDNA was 88.49%.The inhibition rate of LYY-32 on the ATPase activity of BLM642-1290 DNA he-licase was 89.3%at a concentration of 50 μmol·L-1.When the concentration of LYY-32 exceeded 5μmol·L-1,its inhibition rate on the DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase was 100%.LYY-32 also significantly inhibited the DNA unwinding ac-tivity of DNA helicase in cells.However,LYY-32 had no effect on the conformation of BLM642-1290 DNA heli-case.Conclusion The DNA binding activity,AT-Pase activity,and DNA unwinding activity of BLM642-1290 DNA helicase could be significantly inhibi-ted by the fangchinoline derivative LYY-32.

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