1.Genetic disease diagnosis and treatment in Shanghai: Survey and countermeasures for clinical genetics specialist training.
Xiaoju HUANG ; Lin HAN ; Li CAO ; Taosheng HUANG ; Duan MA ; Jian WANG ; Wenjuan QIU ; Fanyi ZENG ; Luming SUN ; Chenming XU ; Songchang CHEN ; Xinyu KUANG ; Hong TIAN
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2026;43(4):241-247
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the current status of clinical genetics specialization development and the diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities for hereditary diseases across medical institutions in Shanghai, and to assess the necessity and feasibility of establishing training bases for clinical genetics specialists.
METHODS:
By employing a cross-sectional survey design, the Clinical Genetics Committee of Shanghai Medical Association has conducted questionnaire surveys from March to April 2025 across 54 healthcare institutions in Shanghai (including 33 tertiary hospitals and 21 secondary hospitals). The survey involved administrative departments and medical personnel from 15 clinical specialties. The survey has covered current genetic disease diagnosis and treatment practices, relevant and specialised disease types, genetic department establishment, testing capabilities, personnel teams, and training requirements.
RESULTS:
The results revealed that 78.0% of clinical departments surveyed had treated patients with hereditary disorders. Shanghai possesses diagnostic and therapeutic expertise for over 95% of hereditary diseases listed in its rare disease catalogue, reflecting both the practical clinical demand for such conditions and the city's overall diagnostic and therapeutic strengths in this field. Nevertheless, significant disparities exist in the development of genetics departments across different tiers of healthcare institutions. Resources for genetic testing capabilities (including molecular, cellular, and biochemical testing) are also unevenly distributed across different tiers of hospitals. The survey further revealed that only 26.0% of departments believe that their current physician structure fully meets the diagnostic and treatment demands. Over 90% of departments consider standard training for clinical genetic specialists necessary, with 74.0% expressing willingness to participate in establishing training bases. Based on above findings and thorough deliberation, the Clinical Genetics Committee of the Shanghai Medical Association proposes advancing specialist training and discipline development through establishing a standard training system. The committee has drafted a three-year training protocol featuring a "joint training"-centered model, recommending a pilot-first, dynamically optimized strategy for steadily advancing training base development.
CONCLUSION
Shanghai faces substantial demand for genetic disease diagnosis and treatment, yet exhibits shortcomings in clinical genetics specialization development, resource allocation, and talent pipeline cultivation. To establish a standard training system holds significant practical importance and is underpinned by a broad demand.
Humans
;
China
;
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Genetic Diseases, Inborn/genetics*
;
Cross-Sectional Studies
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Genetics, Medical/education*
;
Genetic Testing
2.Development of brush ionization probe mass spectrometry for convenient on-site detection of traditional Chinese medicine
Junxian WU ; Chaofa WEI ; Ceyu MIAO ; Jiaquan XU ; Xiang LI ; Li ZHOU ; Shuanglong WANG ; Liping KANG ; Zidong QIU
Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;4(1):81-86
Objective: To develop a convenient, direct, and highly sensitive method for screening trace chemical additives in complex Chinese patent medicines, thereby addressing core technological bottlenecks in pharmaceutical analysis and quality control. Methods: A brush ionization probe device was independently designed and constructed, and an efficient detection method was established through systematic optimization of key parameters. Twenty-three Chinese patent medicine samples, representing 6 dosage forms (capsules, tablets, pills, granules, powders, and liquid preparations), were analyzed using 10 common chemical additives as target analytes. Results: All samples were successfully analyzed without complex pretreatment, and 5 chemical additives were detected in 7 Chinese patent medicines. The brush ionization probe device exhibited cost-effectiveness (~0.2 USD per probe), operational simplicity, rapid analysis (~10s per sample), high efficiency, and minimal reagent consumption (~10 μL per sample). Conclusion: This advancement is expected to provide an innovative scientific tool for improving the generality and convenience of on-site quality control, while promoting technological progress in disciplines such as pharmacology and traditional Chinese medicine.
3.Preparation and hydrolytic activity analysis of dual-catalytic-triad PETase
Qiudong SU ; Xining YAO ; Feng QIU ; Feng WANG ; Shuang ZHANG ; Ke XU ; Shengli BI ; Yanhai WANG
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(3):546-551
ObjectiveTo prepare a recombinant PETase with a dual-catalytic-triad and to evaluate its efficiency in the biodegradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). MethodsBased on the crystal structure of wild-type PETase, point mutations (T88H/L117D) were introduced via site-directed mutagenesis. The recombinant protein was prepared using prokaryotic expression and chromatography purification techniques. The enzymatic hydrolysis of the mutant PETase was assessed by relatively quantifying the products mono (2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (MHET) and terephthalic acid (TPA). ResultsBoth wild-type and mutant PETases accumulated as inclusion bodies, accounting for approximately 20% of the total bacterial protein. After solubilization in urea, the proteins were eluted at 300 mmol/L imidazole during affinity chromatography purification, with concentrations of 1.824 and 1.833 mg/mL and purities of 83.11% and 84.32%, respectively. Subsequent anion-exchange chromatography yielded highly pure enzymes in the 200 mmol/L NaCl fraction: 2.776 mg/mL (96.86% purity) for the wild type and 1.967 mg/mL (95.13% purity) for the mutant. Following refolding, the final concentrations were 0.484 mg/mL for the wild type and 0.991 mg/mL for the mutant. Hydrolysis assays revealed that the mutant released MHET and TPA at (237.67±17.00)% and (197.33±12.01)% of the wild-type levels, respectively. ConclusionThe T88H/L117D dual-catalytic-triad PETase is successfully prepared and it significantly enhanced PET-degrading activity, thus, it′s a promising biocatalyst for PET bioremediation.
4.Evaluation of CARIFS Score and Negative Antigen Conversion Rate of Qingxuan Daozhi Formula in Treatment of Influenza in Children (Heat Accumulation in Lung and Stomach Syndrome):A Multi-center Randomized Controlled Clinical Study
Jing WANG ; Liqun WU ; Tiegang LIU ; Yongning CAO ; Jing QIU ; Jing LI ; Huaqing TAN ; Ying ZHANG ; Xulei GOU ; Jia WANG ; Jing LI ; Haipeng CHEN ; Xueying QIN ; Yuanshuo TIAN ; Yang WANG ; Chen BAI ; Zhendong WANG ; Qianqian LI ; He YU ; Xueyan MA ; Fei DONG ; Lin JIANG ; Yingqi XU ; Jianping LIU ; Xiaohong GU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(13):188-196
ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the syndrome improvement and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children (heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome). MethodsThrough a multi-center randomized controlled methodology design,confirmed influenza cases were collected from October 2022 to April 2023 in the pediatrics department of eight hospitals,such as Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. A total of 180 children with influenza and heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome conforming to the standard were recruited through the clinic. The sick children meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into groups by a block-randomized method. The children in the experimental group were treated with Qingxuan Daozhi formula for five days,and those in the control group were treated with Oseltamivir Phosphate Granules for five days. The primary efficacy indicator was the negative conversion rate of influenza antigen detection. Secondary efficacy indicators were the Canadian acute respiratory illness and flu scale (CARIFS) and the incidence of complications,severe cases, and critical cases. Follow-up observation was conducted on the day of enrollment,48 hours after medication,72 hours after medication, and (6+1) d after medication. ResultsOne hundred and eighty participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (90 cases) or the control group (90 cases). All participants were followed up during the study. Comparison of influenza antigen detection results in the primary efficacy indicators showed that the average time of negative influenza antigen conversion in the experimental group was (5.29±1.25) d,and that in the control group was (5.40±1.68) d,without a statistically significant difference. After five days of intervention,52 cases in the experimental group and 51 cases in the control group converted to negative,without a statistically significant difference. CARIFS score results in the secondary efficacy indicators showed that during 72 hours after intervention,there were statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in three dimensions, including headache,muscle soreness, and the need for extra care (P<0.05). On the (6+1) days after the intervention,the differences in both the experimental group and the control group were statistically significant in 10 dimensions, including sore throat,bad sleep,uncomfortable feeling,poor spirit and fatigue,crying more than usual,the need for extra care,symptom,function,influence on parents,and total score (P<0.05). The comparison results within the group in the dimensional scores of symptom, function, and influence on parents,as well as the CARIFS total score showed that with the delay of follow-up time,scores of both groups decreased significantly,with a statistically significant difference (P<0.01). Inter-group comparison results showed that the mean score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group at the time of enrollment. With the progress of intervention,the score of the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group. At the end of follow-up,the mean score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group,with no statistically significant difference. In terms of the incidence of complications,severe cases, and critical cases, there were no complications,severe cases, and critical cases in the two groups,without a statistically significant difference. ConclusionThe symptom improvement effect and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children (heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome) are not inferior to Oseltamivir Phosphate granules, and children's acceptance is better. It can be more widely used in clinical treatment of influenza in children (heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome).
5.Single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis reveals that an immune cell-related signature could predict clinical outcomes for microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer patients receiving immunotherapy.
Shijin YUAN ; Yan XIA ; Guangwei DAI ; Shun RAO ; Rongrong HU ; Yuzhen GAO ; Qing QIU ; Chenghao WU ; Sai QIAO ; Yinghua XU ; Xinyou XIE ; Haizhou LOU ; Xian WANG ; Jun ZHANG
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2025;26(4):371-392
Recent data suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor (VEGFRi) can enhance the anti-tumor activity of the anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) antibody in colorectal cancer (CRC) with microsatellite stability (MSS). However, the comparison between this combination and standard third-line VEGFRi treatment is not performed, and reliable biomarkers are still lacking. We retrospectively enrolled MSS CRC patients receiving anti-PD-1 antibody plus VEGFRi (combination group, n=54) or VEGFRi alone (VEGFRi group, n=32), and their efficacy and safety were evaluated. We additionally examined the immune characteristics of the MSS CRC tumor microenvironment (TME) through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic data, and an MSS CRC immune cell-related signature (MCICRS) that can be used to predict the clinical outcomes of MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was developed and validated in our in-house cohort. Compared with VEGFRi alone, the combination of anti-PD-1 antibody and VEGFRi exhibited a prolonged survival benefit (median progression-free survival: 4.4 vs. 2.0 months, P=0.0024; median overall survival: 10.2 vs. 5.2 months, P=0.0038) and a similar adverse event incidence. Through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis, we determined ten MSS CRC-enriched immune cell types and their spatial distribution, including naive CD4+ T, regulatory CD4+ T, CD4+ Th17, exhausted CD8+ T, cytotoxic CD8+ T, proliferated CD8+ T, natural killer (NK) cells, plasma, and classical and intermediate monocytes. Based on a systemic meta-analysis and ten machine learning algorithms, we obtained MCICRS, an independent risk factor for the prognosis of MSS CRC patients. Further analyses demonstrated that the low-MCICRS group presented a higher immune cell infiltration and immune-related pathway activation, and hence a significant relation with the superior efficacy of pan-cancer immunotherapy. More importantly, the predictive value of MCICRS in MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was also validated with an in-house cohort. Anti-PD-1 antibody combined with VEGFRi presented an improved clinical benefit in MSS CRC with manageable toxicity. MCICRS could serve as a robust and promising tool to predict clinical outcomes for individual MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy.
Humans
;
Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Immunotherapy
;
Middle Aged
;
Aged
;
Tumor Microenvironment/immunology*
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Microsatellite Instability
;
Transcriptome
;
Single-Cell Analysis
;
Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/immunology*
;
Gene Expression Profiling
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Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use*
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Adult
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Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor/antagonists & inhibitors*
6.Intrathyroid thymic carcinoma: report of a case.
Xiaolong LAI ; Zhenju XU ; Ce WU ; Xiaoya WANG ; Xueyan ZHOU ; Jie QIU
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(1):87-90
Objective: Intrathyroid thymic carcinoma(ITTC) is a rare thyroid tumor that lacks typical clinical manifestations and imaging features, making preoperative diagnosis challenging.The primary treatment for ITTC is radical surgery; however, the effectiveness of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy post-surgery is not well-established. This paper presents a case of ITTC , analyzing the clinical data and correlating it with the literature to explore the clinical manifestations, diagnostic approach, treatment, and prognosis of ITTC.
Humans
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Prognosis
;
Thymoma
;
Thymus Neoplasms/diagnosis*
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Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology*
7.Expert consensus on the application of nasal cavity filling substances in nasal surgery patients(2025, Shanghai).
Keqing ZHAO ; Shaoqing YU ; Hongquan WEI ; Chenjie YU ; Guangke WANG ; Shijie QIU ; Yanjun WANG ; Hongtao ZHEN ; Yucheng YANG ; Yurong GU ; Tao GUO ; Feng LIU ; Meiping LU ; Bin SUN ; Yanli YANG ; Yuzhu WAN ; Cuida MENG ; Yanan SUN ; Yi ZHAO ; Qun LI ; An LI ; Luo BA ; Linli TIAN ; Guodong YU ; Xin FENG ; Wen LIU ; Yongtuan LI ; Jian WU ; De HUAI ; Dongsheng GU ; Hanqiang LU ; Xinyi SHI ; Huiping YE ; Yan JIANG ; Weitian ZHANG ; Yu XU ; Zhenxiao HUANG ; Huabin LI
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(4):285-291
This consensus will introduce the characteristics of fillers used in the surgical cavities of domestic nasal surgery patients based on relevant literature and expert opinions. It will also provide recommendations for the selection of cavity fillers for different nasal diseases, with chronic sinusitis as a representative example.
Humans
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Nasal Cavity/surgery*
;
Nasal Surgical Procedures
;
China
;
Consensus
;
Sinusitis/surgery*
;
Dermal Fillers
8.Free fatty acid receptor-4 regulates T-cell-mediated allogeneic reaction through activating an aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway.
Maxwell DUAH ; Fei ZHENG ; Jingyi SHEN ; Yan XU ; Shuo CAO ; Zhiling YAN ; Qiu LAN ; Ying WANG ; Kailin XU ; Bin PAN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(1):224-238
Targeting T-cell is a strategy to control allogeneic response disorders, such as acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) which is an important cause of therapy-failure after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplants. Free fatty acid receptor-4 (FFAR4) is a regulator of obesity but its role in T-cell and allogeneic reactions is unknown. Here, we found knockout of Ffar4 in donor T-cells in a mouse allograft model increased acute GVHD whereas the natural FFAR4 ligands and the synthetic FFAR4 agonists decreased it. FFAR4 agonist-mediated anti-acute GVHD effects depended on FFAR4-expression in donor T-cells. The FFAR4 agonist CpdA suppressed donor T-cell-mediated alloreaction by activating an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway. CpdA recruited β-Arrestin2 to FFAR4 which facilitated nuclear translocation of AhR and upregulation of IL-22. The CpdA-mediated anti-acute GVHD effect was absent in mice receiving Ahr-knockout or Il22-knockout T-cells. Recipient-expressing Ffar4 was also important for the anti-acute GVHD effect of CpdA which inhibited activation of antigen presenting cells. Importantly, CpdA decreased acute GVHD in obese mice, an effect also depended on Ffar4-expression in donor T-cells and recipients. Our study shows the immunoregulatory effect of FFAR4 in T-cell, and targeting FFAR4 might be a relative option for controlling allogeneic reactions in obese patients.
9.A novel anti-ischemic stroke candidate drug AAPB with dual effects of neuroprotection and cerebral blood flow improvement.
Jianbing WU ; Duorui JI ; Weijie JIAO ; Jian JIA ; Jiayi ZHU ; Taijun HANG ; Xijing CHEN ; Yang DING ; Yuwen XU ; Xinglong CHANG ; Liang LI ; Qiu LIU ; Yumei CAO ; Yan ZHONG ; Xia SUN ; Qingming GUO ; Tuanjie WANG ; Zhenzhong WANG ; Ya LING ; Wei XIAO ; Zhangjian HUANG ; Yihua ZHANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(2):1070-1083
Ischemic stroke (IS) is a globally life-threatening disease. Presently, few therapeutic medicines are available for treating IS, and rt-PA is the only drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US. In fact, many agents showing excellent neuroprotection but no blood flow-improving activity in animals have not achieved ideal clinical efficacy, while thrombolytic drugs only improving blood flow without neuroprotection have limited their wider application. To address these challenges and meet the huge unmet clinical need, we have designed and identified a novel compound AAPB with dual effects of neuroprotection and cerebral blood flow improvement. AAPB significantly reduced cerebral infarction and neural function deficit in tMCAO rats, pMCAO rats, and IS rhesus monkeys, as well as displayed exceptional safety profiles and excellent pharmacokinetic properties in rats and dogs. AAPB has now entered phase I of clinical trials fighting IS in China.
10.Natural killer cell-derived granzyme B as a therapeutic target for alleviating graft injury during liver transplantation.
Kai WANG ; Zhoucheng WANG ; Xin SHAO ; Lijun MENG ; Chuanjun LIU ; Nasha QIU ; Wenwen GE ; Yutong CHEN ; Xiao TANG ; Xiaodong WANG ; Zhengxing LIAN ; Ruhong ZHOU ; Shusen ZHENG ; Xiaohui FAN ; Xiao XU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(10):5277-5293
Liver transplantation (LT) has become a standard treatment for end-stage liver diseases, and graft injury is intricately associated with poor prognosis. Granzyme B (GZMB) plays a vital role in natural killer (NK) cell biology, but whether NK-derived GZMB affects graft injury remains elusive. Through the analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing data obtained from human LT grafts and the isolation of lymphocytes from mouse livers following ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), we demonstrated that 2NK cells with high expression of GZMB are enriched in patients and mice. Both systemically and liver-targeted depletion of NK cells led to a notable reduction in GZMB+ cell infiltration, subsequently resulting in diminished graft injury. Notably, the reconstitution of Il2rg -/- Rag2 -/- mice with purified Gzmb-KO NK cells demonstrated superior outcomes compared to those with wild-type NK cells. Crucially, global knockout of GZMB and pharmacological inhibition exhibited remarkable improvements in liver function in both mouse IRI and rat LT models. Moreover, a phosphorylated derivative of FDA-approved vidarabine was identified as an effective inhibitor of mouse GZMB activity by molecular dynamics, which could provide a potential avenue for therapeutic intervention. Therefore, targeting NK cell-derived GZMB during the LT process suggests potential therapeutic strategies to improve post-transplant outcomes.

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