1.Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras——A Novel Strategy for Targeted Therapy in Osteosarcoma
Yu-Yang LI ; Ren-Shuai ZHANG ; Jing-Rui LI
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(9):1243-1245
Osteosarcoma is a highly aggressive primary bone tumor that predominantly affects children and adolescents.Conventional treatment modalities are often hindered by issues such as high recurrence rates and the development of drug resistance.Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras(PROTACs)represent an innovative therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma,which are designed to selectively degrade pathogenic proteins.This article offers a comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms underlying PROTACs,their tar-geted applications in osteosarcoma—including bromodomain and ultra-terminal domain targeting—and the associated challenges,such as delivery efficiency and off-target toxicity.Additionally,it suggests optimi-zation strategies for bone-targeted delivery(such as using DNA nanoflowers as carriers)and combination therapies(like targeted therapy and chemotherapy),informed by recent research findings,thereby provi-ding a theoretical framework for clinical translation.
2.Effects of data-centric multi-task learning with larger patch sizes on pulmonary nodule segmentation performance
Jian LIU ; Zheng ZHANG ; Bing NIU ; Shuai KANG ; Juan REN ; Lei WANG ; Kai XU
Chinese Journal of Medical Physics 2025;42(10):1306-1320
Given the lack of annotations for key lung organs and tissues in existing public datasets,this study collected 863 cases of chest CT scan images and constructed the first comprehensive dataset containing annotations of pulmonary vessels,airways,and nodules using a semi-automated method that combines computer vision algorithms with manual corrections by radiologists.On this basis,a lung nodule segmentation model based on multi-task learning is proposed.By incorporating annotations of pulmonary vessels(pulmonary arteries and veins)and the trachea to enhance model's ability to learn lung features,the proposed model reduces the false discovery rate in lung nodule detection,and improves generalization ability.Additionally,the use of larger image patches further optimizes model performance.The trained VAAN_128 model achieves the best performance,with a Dice coefficient of 0.694 and a false discovery rate of 0.210 for lung nodule segmentation.Moreover,it simultaneously provides accurate segmentation results of pulmonary vessels and the trachea,assisting in the formulation of more precise diagnosis and treatment plans.Based on the VAAN_128 model,a software system for navigation and localization in biopsy procedures is developed.In clinical practice,this system can assist physicians in accurately locating lung nodules,distinguishing critical tissues,and improving preoperative planning efficiency.This provides precise and efficient technical support for early diagnosis and disease monitoring of lung diseases,and is of great significance for path planning in clinical navigation system and future lung imaging research.
3.Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras——A Novel Strategy for Targeted Therapy in Osteosarcoma
Yu-Yang LI ; Ren-Shuai ZHANG ; Jing-Rui LI
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(9):1243-1245
Osteosarcoma is a highly aggressive primary bone tumor that predominantly affects children and adolescents.Conventional treatment modalities are often hindered by issues such as high recurrence rates and the development of drug resistance.Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras(PROTACs)represent an innovative therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma,which are designed to selectively degrade pathogenic proteins.This article offers a comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms underlying PROTACs,their tar-geted applications in osteosarcoma—including bromodomain and ultra-terminal domain targeting—and the associated challenges,such as delivery efficiency and off-target toxicity.Additionally,it suggests optimi-zation strategies for bone-targeted delivery(such as using DNA nanoflowers as carriers)and combination therapies(like targeted therapy and chemotherapy),informed by recent research findings,thereby provi-ding a theoretical framework for clinical translation.
4.Effects of data-centric multi-task learning with larger patch sizes on pulmonary nodule segmentation performance
Jian LIU ; Zheng ZHANG ; Bing NIU ; Shuai KANG ; Juan REN ; Lei WANG ; Kai XU
Chinese Journal of Medical Physics 2025;42(10):1306-1320
Given the lack of annotations for key lung organs and tissues in existing public datasets,this study collected 863 cases of chest CT scan images and constructed the first comprehensive dataset containing annotations of pulmonary vessels,airways,and nodules using a semi-automated method that combines computer vision algorithms with manual corrections by radiologists.On this basis,a lung nodule segmentation model based on multi-task learning is proposed.By incorporating annotations of pulmonary vessels(pulmonary arteries and veins)and the trachea to enhance model's ability to learn lung features,the proposed model reduces the false discovery rate in lung nodule detection,and improves generalization ability.Additionally,the use of larger image patches further optimizes model performance.The trained VAAN_128 model achieves the best performance,with a Dice coefficient of 0.694 and a false discovery rate of 0.210 for lung nodule segmentation.Moreover,it simultaneously provides accurate segmentation results of pulmonary vessels and the trachea,assisting in the formulation of more precise diagnosis and treatment plans.Based on the VAAN_128 model,a software system for navigation and localization in biopsy procedures is developed.In clinical practice,this system can assist physicians in accurately locating lung nodules,distinguishing critical tissues,and improving preoperative planning efficiency.This provides precise and efficient technical support for early diagnosis and disease monitoring of lung diseases,and is of great significance for path planning in clinical navigation system and future lung imaging research.
5.Research progress on the application of digital therapeutics in the management of inflammatory bowel disease
Yan QIU ; Shuai YIN ; Tingting ZHANG ; Ping HAN ; Yujia XU ; Jingjing REN
Chinese Journal of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 2025;09(6):479-482
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic and recurrent intestinal inflammatory disease, which not only affects the digestive tract, but also involves extraintestinal organs and tissues such as joints and eyes, and ultimately endangers human health and affects the quality of life of patients. With the development of information technology, there is an increasing application of digital therapeutics in the management of IBD. This article aims to comprehensively analyze the characteristics, use, and challenges of digital therapeutics in the management of IBD, and explore its potential to improve treatment adherence, disease surveillance, and improve patients' quality of life.
6.A survey of radiodiagnosis and radiotherapy resources in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Shuai ZHANG ; Yi REN ; Tingjie SHI ; Ribala HA
Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection 2025;45(4):334-340
Objective:To understand the current status of radiodiagnosis and radiotherapy resources through the basic information investigation of this-like institutions in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.Methods:Employing the uniform questionaries designed for the Radiation Protection Monitoring Project for the region, a survey was conducted on all the radiodiagnosis and radiotherapy institutions in the Region (excluding dental clinics and military hospitals). The contents of the survey mainly included the number of institutions, the number of staff, the number of items of radiological equipment, and data analysis and comparison with the data in 2019.Results:A total of 1 266 radiodiagnosis and radiotherapy institutions in the region, with 555 in Mengxi area and 711 in Mengdong area; 8 848 radiological staff members, slightly more in Mengxi area than in Mengdong area; 2 705 items of radiological equipment including 1 560 items of DR equipment; 33 radiotherapy institutions with 40 medical electron linear accelerators; 19 clinical nuclear medicine institutions, with 35 items of nuclear medicine equipment, and a total of 15 744 items of various protective equipment.Conclusions:A rapid development have been seen in medical radiological resources. However, the problems of relatively concentrated medical resources and equitable development among various areas in the regionhave become increasingly prominent.
7.A multicenter clinical study on intramedullary vancomycin injection for preventing periprosthetic joint infection in total knee arthroplasty
Te LIU ; Jun FU ; Shiguang LAI ; Zhuo ZHANG ; Chi XU ; Lei GENG ; Yang LUO ; Peng REN ; Xin ZHI ; Quanbo JI ; Heng ZHANG ; Runkai ZHAO ; Haichao REN ; Ye TAO ; Qingyuan ZHENG ; Zeyu FENG ; Jianfeng YANG ; Yiming WANG ; Pengcheng LI ; Shuai LIU ; Wei CHAI ; Xiang LI ; Huiwu LI ; Xiaogang ZHANG ; Baochao JI ; Xianzhe LIU ; Xinzhan MAO ; Jianbing MA ; Xiangxiang SUN ; Jiying CHEN ; Yonggang ZHOU ; Jinliang WANG ; Weijun WANG ; Guoqiang ZHANG ; Ming NI
Chinese Journal of Orthopaedics 2025;45(12):803-811
Objective:To explore the safety and efficacy of intraosseous regional administration (IORA) of vancomycin for preventing infection in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods:A total of 124 patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing TKA between February 2024 and May 2024 at nine hospitals were enrolled. Preoperative infection prophylaxis involved either IORA (0.5 g vancomycin administered via intraosseous regional infusion before incision) or intravenous infusion (1 g vancomycin via peripheral vein). The IORA group included 15 males and 47 females with a median age of 66.5 years (range, 60.0-70.0 years), while the intravenous group included 14 males and 48 females with a median age of 66.0 years (range, 61.8-70.3 years) years. Intraoperative samples were collected including fat and synovium tissues after incision, before prosthesis placement, and after tourniquet release; distal femoral cancellous bone during femoral osteotomy; proximal tibial cancellous bone during tibial osteotomy; proximal intercondylar cancellous bone before prosthesis placement; and peripheral blood from non-infused arms at surgery initiation and after tourniquet release. Vancomycin concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Vital sign changes were recorded from admission to 5~10 minutes post-IORA (IORA group) or post-incision (intravenous group). Follow-ups were conducted on postoperative day 1 and 3, and at 1 and 3 months, to document complications including IORA-related adverse events, periprosthetic joint infections, surgical site infections, red man syndrome, acute kidney injury, deep vein thrombosis and so on.Results:Vancomycin concentrations in bone, fat, and synovial tissue samples were significantly higher in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05), while vancomycin concentrations in blood samples were significantly lower in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05). Only 7.3%(41/558) of tissue samples in the IORA group had vancomycin concentrations below 2.0 μg/g (the minimum inhibitory concentration of vancomycin against coagulase-negative staphylococcus), compared to 59.3%(331/558) in the intravenous group (χ 2=11.285, P<0.001). In the intravenous group, 16.9%(21/124) of blood samples had vancomycin concentrations exceeding 15.0 mg/L (the threshold associated with a significantly increased risk of nephrotoxicity), while all concentrations in the IORA group were below this threshold, the difference was statistically significant (χ 2=22.943, P<0.001). There were no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05) in vital signs changes before and after vancomycin administration between the two groups. Two patients in the intravenous group experienced incision exudate, while no other related complications occurred in either group. Conclusions:Compared to the traditional intravenous infusion of 1 g vancomycin, intraosseous injection of a low dose (0.5 g) of vancomycin achieves higher local tissue concentrations in the knee joint with a lower incidence of adverse reactions and is safe for infection prophylaxis. Despite guidelines not recommending the routine use of vancomycin for preventing infection after primary TKA, intraosseous injection of 0.5 g vancomycin may be considered intraoperatively for primary TKA in the following scenarios: patients in medical institutions with a high prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, patients with potential preoperative MRSA colonization, or patients with cephalosporin allergy.
8.Right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection for palliative treatment of pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect in children: A single-center retrospective study
Shuai ZHANG ; Jianrui MA ; Hailong QIU ; Xinjian YAN ; Wen XIE ; Qiushi REN ; Juemin YU ; Tianyu CHEN ; Yong ZHANG ; Xiaohua LI ; Furong LIU ; Shusheng WEN ; Jian ZHUANG ; Qiang GAO ; Jianzheng CEN
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(03):366-371
Objective To compare the benefits and drawbacks of primary patch expansion versus pericardial tube right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection in patients diagnosed with pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (PA/VSD). Methods A retrospective study was conducted on patients diagnosed with PA/VSD who underwent primary right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection surgery at our center between 2010 and 2020. Patients were categorized into two groups based on the type of right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection: a pericardial tube group and a patch expansion group. Clinical data and imaging findings were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 51 patients were included in the study, comprising 31 males and 20 females, with a median age of 12.57 (4.57, 49.67) months. The pericardial tube group included 19 patients with a median age of 17.17 (7.33, 49.67) months, while the patch expansion group consisted of 32 patients with a median age of 8.58 (3.57, 52.72) months. In both groups, the diameter of pulmonary artery, McGoon index, and Nakata index significantly increased after treatment (P<0.001). However, the pericardial tube group exhibited a longer extracorporeal circulation time (P<0.001). The reoperation rate was notably high, with 74.51% of patients requiring further surgical intervention, including 26 (81.25%) patients in the patch expansion group and 12 (63.16%) patients in the pericardial tube group. No statistical differences were observed in long-term cure rates or mortality between the two groups (P>0.005). Conclusion In patients with PA/VSD, both patch expansion and pericardial tube right ventricular-pulmonary artery connection serve as effective initial palliative treatment strategies that promote pulmonary vessel development and provide a favorable foundation for subsequent radical operations. However, compared to the pericardial tube approach, the patch expansion technique is simpler to perform and preserves some intrinsic potential for pulmonary artery development, making it the preferred procedure.
9.Development and validation of nomogram models for poor short-term response to recombinant human growth hormone treatment in children with short stature
Xuyang GONG ; Mengxing PAN ; Qianshuai LI ; Shuai ZHU ; Xinjing LIU ; Tianfang WANG ; Xulong LI ; Yanshuang CUI ; Yijing XIE ; Yi SONG ; Linlin ZHAO ; Jinqin WANG ; Yawei ZHANG ; Na XU ; Qiao REN ; Linqi DIAO ; Guijun QIN ; Yanyan ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism 2025;41(6):467-475
Objective:To develop and validate clinical predictive models for identifying poor short-term response to recombinant human growth hormone(rhGH) treatment in children with short stature.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 118 children diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency or idiopathic short stature who were treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and two other hospitals between January 1, 2020, and January 1, 2024. A poor response to rhGH was defined as a height increase of less than 0.2 standard deviation score(SDS) after 6 months of rhGH treatment. LASSO regression was used to identify predictive variables from baseline and follow-up data. Two logistic regression models were conducted: Model A(incorporating baseline variables only) and model B(incorporating both baseline and follow-up variables), and nomograms were created for visualization. External data and internal resampling were used for dual validation of the models, and their performance was compared.Results:A total of 118 children with short stature were included. Six baseline predictive variables(diagnosis, initial height SDS, bone age, bone age-chronological age difference, rhGH dose, and gender) and one follow-up variable(height SDS after 3 months of rhGH treatment) were identified. Area under the curve values for Model A and Model B were 0.753(95% CI 0.696-0.811) and 0.930(95% CI 0.891-0.975), respectively. Calibration curves, decision curve analysis, and other evaluation metrics demonstrated good discrimination and clinical utility for both models. Model B, incorporating the 3-month follow-up variable, showed superior predictive performance compared to Model A. Conclusions:The clinical prediction models developed in this study(Model A and Model B) are practical and reliable tools for quantitatively, conveniently, and intuitively identifying children with short stature at risk of poor response to rhGH treatment.
10.Analysis of clinical features and prognostic factors of focal cerebral arteriopathy in children
Xiuwei ZHUO ; Zemou YU ; Lingbing MENG ; Ji ZHOU ; Weihua ZHANG ; Changhong REN ; Shuai GONG ; Lifang DAI ; Xinying YANG ; Shen ZHANG ; Ming LIU ; Hua CHENG ; Xiaojuan TIAN ; Jiuwei LI
Chinese Journal of Pediatrics 2025;63(2):174-179
Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of focal cerebral arteriopathy (FCA) in children, and to analyze its influencing factor of prognosis.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Clinical data from 40 children with FCA who were hospitalized at the Department of Neurology, Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University, from September 2015 to August 2024 were collected. A centralized follow-up was conducted in October 2024 via outpatient clinics or the internet. The pediatric stroke outcome measure (PSOM) was used to evaluate their outcomes. Based on the PSOM, the children were further divided into a group with normal neurological function and another group with abnormal neurological function. Differences between groups were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher exact test. Univariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the influencing factors for neurological outcomes in children with FCA. Results:A total of 40 children were included, with 20 males and 20 females, and the onset age of 9.2 (6.8, 12.5) years. Among them, 12 cases (30%) had a history of varicella within 1 year before onset. There were 23 cases (58%) presenting with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or recurrent fluctuating symptoms of onset, while 3 cases (8%) developed progressive stroke within the first month of onset. The M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery was the most commonly affected vascular site, with a total of 16 cases (40%). Arterial occlusion occurred in 8 cases (20%). Lumbar puncture was completed in 36 children, and white blood cell counts in cerebrospinal fluid was increased in 6 cases. All 23 patients who completed magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (VWI) showed circular enhancement of the arterial wall. A total of 28 patients (70%) received antiplatelet or anticoagulation therapy, and 16 patients (40%) received hormone therapy. At admission, the pediatric National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (PedNIHSS) score was 6.0 (2.0, 8.8) points, which decreased to 0.5 (0, 3.0) points at discharge. The follow-up duration was 1.6 (0.8, 4.9) years, with 1 case lost to follow-up. There was 1 case presenting with recurrence course manifesting as TIA. Among the 39 cases who completed the follow-up, 23 cases (59%) were assessed as neurologically normal by PSOM, while 16 cases (41%) were assessed as neurologically abnormal. Among the 29 cases who completed the imaging review, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) review in 23 cases indicated stability or improvement in the original arterial stenosis, with 6 cases experiencing transient worsening of arterial stenosis early in the disease course (within 2 months), which later improved. Arterial stenosis progression occurred in 6 cases at the final review of 29 cases who completed the imaging review, with 1 case developing progressive cerebral arteriopathy. The proportion of patients with headache, altered consciousness, and aphasia in the abnormal neurological function group, as well as the PedNISS scores at admission and discharge, were all higher than those in the normal neurological function group (all P<0.05). Univariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that only a PedNISS score>6 points at onset was an influencing factor for abnormal neurological function ( OR=20.58, 95% CI 3.93-107.70, P<0.001). Conclusions:Childhood FCA often presents with fluctuating onset, and the proximal segment of the middle cerebral artery is frequently affected. Progression of arterial stenosis is common within 2 months of the disease course, but clinical progression and new ischemic lesions are uncommon. Most patients have a favorable long-term prognosis. PedNIHSS score>6 points at admission is related to abnormal neurological function outcomes.

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