1.Distribution of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes in 2 027 Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Jianing JIAN ; Yulong CHEN ; Ruohan LI ; Runze GUO ; Yaling ZHANG ; Yuling ZHENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(15):173-181
ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics and distribution of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes in the patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). MethodsAn electronic questionnaire was developed to collect the general data and four examination information of ESCC patients treated in 10 areas with high incidence of esophageal cancer in China from June 2020 to March 2021. Multiple analyses including frequency analysis, factor analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis were performed to analyze the potential syndrome elements, disease location, and common syndromes of ESCC. ResultsA total of 2 027 patients with ESCC were included. Statistical analysis was performed on 113 symptoms, physical signs, 33 tongue manifestation variables, and 23 pulse manifestation variables of the patients’ four examination information. Factor analysis was performed on 55 variables with frequency>10%, extracting 19 common factors. According to clinical experience and expert opinions, the main lesions of patients with ESCC were in the spleen and stomach, and the main syndrome elements were Qi stagnation, blood stasis, phlegm, dampness, and Qi deficiency, with the syndrome element combination of phlegm obstruction + Qi stagnation + blood stasis being the most common. The syndromes can be classified into four categories of liver-stomach disharmony + combined phlegm and Qi obstruction, kidney-spleen dysfunction + combined phlegm and stasis, spleen-kidney Yang deficiency + obstinate phlegm and blood stasis, and liver-kidney Yin deficiency + obstinate phlegm and blood stasis. The main syndrome of ESCC was liver-stomach disharmony + combined phlegm and Qi obstruction in the early stage, liver-spleen dysfunction + combined phlegm and stasis in the middle stage, and spleen-kidney Yang deficiency + obstinate phlegm and blood stasis in the late stage. ConclusionESCC mainly has main pathological features of internal deficiency and external excess and combined deficiency and excess, with the key syndrome elements being phlegm obstruction, Qi stagnation, and blood stasis. The main disease locations are in the spleen and stomach, involving the liver, kidney, chest and diaphragm, heart, and lung. The main syndrome is liver-stomach disharmony + combined phlegm and Qi obstruction. In clinical practice, it is necessary to grasp the pathogenesis dynamics of the disease and use prescriptions according to patients’ syndromes.
2.Immunoregulatory mechanisms in the aging microenvironment: Targeting the senescence-associated secretory phenotype for cancer immunotherapy.
Haojun WANG ; Yang YU ; Runze LI ; Huiru ZHANG ; Zhe-Sheng CHEN ; Changgang SUN ; Jing ZHUANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(9):4476-4496
The aging microenvironment, as a key driver of tumorigenesis and progression, plays a critical role in tumor immune regulation through one of its core features-the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). SASP consists of a variety of interleukins, chemokines, proteases, and growth factors. It initially induces surrounding cells to enter a state of senescence through paracrine mechanisms, thereby creating a sustained inflammatory stimulus and signal amplification effect within the tissue microenvironment. Furthermore, these secreted factors activate key signaling pathways such as NF-κB, cGAS-STING, and mTOR, which regulate the expression of immune-related molecules (such as PD-L1) and promote the recruitment of immunosuppressive cells, including regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. This process ultimately contributes to the formation of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, the article explores potential anti-tumor immunotherapy strategies targeting SASP and its associated molecular mechanisms, including approaches to inhibit SASP secretion or eliminate senescent cells. Although these strategies have shown promise in certain tumor models, the high heterogeneity among tumor types may result in varied responses to SASP-targeted therapies. This highlights the need for further research into adaptive stratification and personalized treatment approaches. Targeting immune regulatory mechanisms in the aging microenvironment-particularly SASP-holds great potential for advancing future anti-tumor therapies.
3.BiFC and FACS-based CRISPR screening revealed that QKI promotes PABPN1 LLPS in colorectal cancer cells.
Mengxia LI ; Zhijie HU ; Yingye HUANG ; Yuting HAN ; Cheng LIANG ; Yuchi LIU ; Runze WU ; Xin LU ; Ke DENG ; Susu LIU ; Xin OU ; Yuwei LI ; Chao LIU ; Xuening LI ; Jingting LIANG ; Yonggui FU ; Anlong XU
Protein & Cell 2025;16(7):557-574
Protein liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), a pivotal phenomenon intricately linked to cellular processes, is regulated by various other proteins. However, there is still a lack of high-throughput methods for screening protein regulators of LLPS in target proteins. Here, we developed a CRISPR/Cas9-based screening method to identify protein phase separation regulators by integrating bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Using this newly developed method, we screened the RNA-binding proteins that regulate PABPN1 phase separation and identified the tumor suppressor QKI as a promoter of PABPN1 phase separation. Furthermore, QKI exhibits decreased expression levels and diminished nuclear localization in colorectal cancer cells, resulting in reduced PABPN1 phase separation, which, in turn, promotes alternative polyadenylation (APA), cell proliferation, and migration in colorectal cancer.
Humans
;
Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics*
;
RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics*
;
Poly(A)-Binding Protein I/genetics*
;
CRISPR-Cas Systems
;
Flow Cytometry
;
Cell Proliferation
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Cell Movement
4.Effect of Liangxue Tuizi Formula (凉血退紫方) on RAF/MEK/ERK Pathway in Skin Tissue and Serum NETs Biomarkers in Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Model Rats with Blood Heat Syndrome
Yingying JIANG ; Manxiang YANG ; Zhenhua YUAN ; Leying XI ; Mingyang CAI ; Diya MA ; Yifan LI ; Yuhang NIU ; Runze LIU ; Jiawen CAO ; Xilin CHEN ; Xianqing REN
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(23):2475-2483
ObjectiveTo investigate the potential mechanism of Liangxue Tuizi Formula (凉血退紫方, LXTZF) in treating Henoch-Schönlein Purpura (HSP) by examining its regulatory effect on neutrophil extracellular trap (NETs) dysregulation via the rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma kinase (RAF)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy Wistar rats were randomly allocated into a blank control group (n=14) and a modeling group (n=56). Rats in the modelling group underwent an eight-week modelling period to establish HSP rat models with blood-heat syndrome via modified ovalbumin (OVA) induction method combined with oral administration of heat-property Chinese herbal medicine. Fifty successfully modeled rats were subsequently randomly divided into five groups (n=10 per group), model group, compound glycyrrhizin group, LXTZF group, RAF inhibitor group, and LXTZF + RAF agonist group. Additionally, 10 rats were selected from the original blank control group for the final experiment. From the 11th week of modelling, rats in the blank control group and the model group received 1 ml/(100 g·d) ultrapure water via oral administration, in addition to 0.5 ml/(kg·d) 0.9% sodium chloride solution via intraperitoneal injection. The LXTZF group and the compound glycyrrhizin group received 7.5 g/(kg·d) LXTZF granule suspension via gavage, 13.5 mg/(kg·d) compound glycyrrhizin suspension via gavage, respectively. The RAF inhibitor group received 1 mg/(kg·d) GW5074 suspension via intraperitoneal injection and ultrapure water via oral administration; the LXTZF + RAF agonist group received 7.5 g/(kg·d) LXTZF granule suspension via gavage and 1 mg/(kg·d) paclitaxel suspension via intraperitoneal injection. All administrations were performed once daily for 4 weeks. After intervention, skin tissue histopathology was examined by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, immunoglobulin A (IgA) deposition was assessed via immunofluorescence, serum levels of neutrophil elastase (NE), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), serum myeloperoxidase (MPO) level was determined by a colorimetric assay; the mRNA expression levels of RAF, MEK, and ERK in skin tissue were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR); and the protein expression of RAF, MEK, ERK, as well as phosphorylated MEK (p-MEK) and phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK), were analyzed by Western Blot. ResultsSkin tissue in the blank control group rats remained normal, whereas the model group exhibited neutrophil infiltration and haemorrhage with red blood cell rupture. In all drug intervention groups, neutrophil infiltration and haemorrhagic exudation reduced markedly, with LXTZF group demonstrating the most pronounced improvement. Compared with the blank control group, rats in the model group exhibited enhanced IgA fluorescence intensity in skin tissue, elevated serum levels of NE, MPO, TNF-α and VCAM-1, increased mRNA expression of RAF, MEK, ERK1 and ERK2, as well as heightened RAF protein levels and p-MEK/MEK and p-ERK/ERK ratios (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the drug intervention groups exhibited reduced IgA fluorescence intensity in skin tissue, along with decreased serum levels of NE, MPO, TNF-α, and VCAM-1 (P<0.05). In LXTZF group and RAF inhibition groups, reduced mRNA expression of RAF, MEK, ERK1, and ERK2 was observed in rat skin tissue, alongside decreased RAF protein levels and reduced p-MEK/MEK and p-ERK/ERK ratios (P<0.05). Compared with LXTZF + RAF agonist group, the compound glycyrrhizin group, LXTZF group, and RAF inhibitior group exhibited reduced IgA fluorescence intensity in skin tissue, decreased serum NE, MPO, TNF-α, and VCAM-1 levels, and decreased MEK mRNA expression and p-MEK/MEK ratio (P<0.05). ConclusionThe potential mechanism by which LXTZF treats Henoch-Schönlein purpura with blood heat syndrome may involve blocking the RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway in skin tissue, and suppressing excessive formation of NETs, thereby reducing IgA deposition in dermal microvessels and attenuating systemic inflammatory responses.
5.Epidemic Characteristics and Spatio-Temporal Patterns of HFRS in Qingdao City,China,2010-2022
Li YING ; Lu RUNZE ; Dong LIYAN ; Sun LITAO ; Zhang ZONGYI ; Zhao YATING ; Duan QING ; Zhang LIJIE ; Jiang FACHUN ; Jia JING ; Ma HUILAI
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2024;37(9):1015-1029
Objective This study investigated the epidemic characteristics and spatio-temporal dynamics of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Qingdao City,China. Methods Information was collected on HFRS cases in Qingdao City from 2010 to 2022. Descriptive epidemiologic,seasonal decomposition,spatial autocorrelation,and spatio-temporal cluster analyses were performed. Results A total of 2,220 patients with HFRS were reported over the study period,with an average annual incidence of 1.89/100,000 and a case fatality rate of 2.52%. The male:female ratio was 2.8:1. 75.3% of patients were aged between 16 and 60 years old,75.3% of patients were farmers,and 11.6% had both "three red" and "three pain" symptoms. The HFRS epidemic showed two-peak seasonality:the primary fall-winter peak and the minor spring peak. The HFRS epidemic presented highly spatially heterogeneous,street/township-level hot spots that were mostly distributed in Huangdao,Pingdu,and Jiaozhou. The spatio-temporal cluster analysis revealed three cluster areas in Qingdao City that were located in the south of Huangdao District during the fall-winter peak. Conclusion The distribution of HFRS in Qingdao exhibited periodic,seasonal,and regional characteristics,with high spatial clustering heterogeneity. The typical symptoms of "three red" and"three pain" in patients with HFRS were not obvious.
6.Initial Stability of Acetabular Cup with Voronoi Polyhedral Porous Structure
Yali YI ; Runze YU ; Jinming ZHANG ; Jiao LI ; Liping CHAI ; Herong JIN
Journal of Medical Biomechanics 2024;39(3):428-434
Objective To analyze the differences in the initial stability of an acetabular cup with a Voronoi polyhedral porous structure and a solid acetabular cup and to explore the impact of the Voronoi polyhedral porous layer on the initial stability of the acetabular cup,as well as its role in preventing loosening and dislocation.Methods Voronoi polyhedral porous scaffold structures with 60%and 70%porosities were designed using the Grasshopper software.Specimens of porous acetabular cups with 60%and 70%porosities and solid acetabular cups were manufactured using selective laser melting technology.Lever tests on the acetabular cups were conducted using polyurethane block models under identical conditions,and the maximum lever-out moment,angular displacement,and interface stiffness of the three groups of specimens were analyzed and compared.Results Under the condition of no significant differences in the compression force,for porous acetabular cups with porosities of 60%and 70%,the maximum lever-out moment increased by 278.82%and 320.56%,the angular displacement increased by 194.04%and 269.23%,respectively,and the interface stiffness increased by 18.58%and 7.88%,respectively,compared with that of solid acetabular cups.After the lever-out tests were completed,significant wear was observed within the polyurethane block hemisphere cavity using the porous acetabular cups.Conclusions The initial stability indicators of acetabular cups with a Voronoi polyhedral porous structure were higher than those of solid acetabular cups,indicating that the Voronoi polyhedral porous layer can enhance the initial stability of the acetabular cup.These results provide a reference for designing and selecting acetabular components.
7.Analysis on safety of TCM combined with abemaciclib and endocrine therapy for the treatment of HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer
Yipang ZHAO ; Runze ZHANG ; Yifan LI ; Xin LIU ; Shuhan ZHANG ; Qing ZHANG
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;46(7):839-845
Objective:To observe the toxic and side effects of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment combined with abemaciclib and endocrine drugs in the treatment of hormone receptor ( HR ) positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 ( HER2 ) negative advanced breast cancer and the dose of abemaciclib under the influence of toxic and side effects.Methods:Patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer who received TCM combined with abemaciclib and endocrine therapy in Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University from March 2021 to February 2023 were selected, and the relevant data of East Asian population in MONARCH 2 and MONARCH 3 of abemaciclib random phase Ⅲ clinical study were extracted for retrospective cohort study. The TCM exposure cohort was divided into 20 cases of TCM + abemaciclib + fulvestrant group (EXP 1) and 22 cases of TCM + abemaciclib + aromatase inhibitor (AI) group (EXP 2). The East Asian populations in MONARCH 2 and 3 were non-exposed cohorts, which were divided into NEXP 1 group ( 146 cases ) and NEXP 2 group (102 cases). The safety analysis of the 2 cohorts was carried out, and the reduction and termination of abemaciclib taken by patients under the influence of toxic and side effects were counted.Results:①There were significant differences in CTCAE any grade, grade 2 ( χ2 values were 8.11, 4.59, respectively ) between EXP 1 group and NEXP 1 group, as well as in CTCAE any grade ( χ2=18.57) between EXP 2 group and NEXP 2 group compare the incidence rate of diarrhoea ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). There was significant differences in CTCAE ≥ grade 2 EXP 1 group compare the incidence rate of diarrhoea ( χ2=5.56, P=0.02). The incidence of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia in EXP 1 was [ 5 cases (27.78%) ] and in EXP 2 was [ 2 cases (13.33%)]. There were 65 cases (44.52%) in NEXP 1 and 30 cases (29.41%) in NEXP 2, and the exposed cohort were lower than those in the non-exposed cohort. The increase of GPT, GOT and SCr in the exposed cohort were lower than those in the non-exposed cohort. ② Compared with the non-exposed cohort, the first occurrence time of diarrhea and neutropenia was prolonged and the duration was shortened in the exposed cohort. ③ The patients in the exposed cohort were less likely to take abemaciclib reduction and discontinuation due to diarrhea, neutropenia, impaired liver function, and elevated SCr than those in the non-exposed cohort. Conclusion:TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment combined with abemaciclib and endocrine drugs is safe in the treatment of HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer, which can effectively prevent and treat the toxic and side effects caused by abemaciclib, and reduce the drug reduction and discontinuation.
8.Transfer learning enhanced graph neural network for aldehyde oxidase metabolism prediction and its experimental application.
Jiacheng XIONG ; Rongrong CUI ; Zhaojun LI ; Wei ZHANG ; Runze ZHANG ; Zunyun FU ; Xiaohong LIU ; Zhenghao LI ; Kaixian CHEN ; Mingyue ZHENG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2024;14(2):623-634
Aldehyde oxidase (AOX) is a molybdoenzyme that is primarily expressed in the liver and is involved in the metabolism of drugs and other xenobiotics. AOX-mediated metabolism can result in unexpected outcomes, such as the production of toxic metabolites and high metabolic clearance, which can lead to the clinical failure of novel therapeutic agents. Computational models can assist medicinal chemists in rapidly evaluating the AOX metabolic risk of compounds during the early phases of drug discovery and provide valuable clues for manipulating AOX-mediated metabolism liability. In this study, we developed a novel graph neural network called AOMP for predicting AOX-mediated metabolism. AOMP integrated the tasks of metabolic substrate/non-substrate classification and metabolic site prediction, while utilizing transfer learning from 13C nuclear magnetic resonance data to enhance its performance on both tasks. AOMP significantly outperformed the benchmark methods in both cross-validation and external testing. Using AOMP, we systematically assessed the AOX-mediated metabolism of common fragments in kinase inhibitors and successfully identified four new scaffolds with AOX metabolism liability, which were validated through in vitro experiments. Furthermore, for the convenience of the community, we established the first online service for AOX metabolism prediction based on AOMP, which is freely available at https://aomp.alphama.com.cn.
9.Recent advance in endovascular treatment of vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia
Runze GE ; Xin FENG ; Xifeng LI ; Xin ZHANG ; Shixing SU ; Chi HUANG ; Jiwan HUANG ; Chuanzhi DUAN
Chinese Journal of Neuromedicine 2024;23(2):197-201
Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia is a rare and challenging disorder. Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia is closely related to enzyme action and hemodynamic changes, and is characterized by ischemic stroke, neurological compression symptoms, hydrocephalus, and other clinical symptoms. With development of interventional techniques and materials in recent years, endovascular treatment of vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia has become the focus. This article summarizes the current endovascular treatment of vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia, aiming to provide references for clinicians.
10.LI Haisong's Experience in Treating Spermatorrhea based on the View of "Spirit Controlling Essence and Qi"
Runze WANG ; Kecheng LI ; Jisheng WANG ; Liang HAN ; Yexin CHEN ; Sheng HUANG ; Bin WANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;65(11):1109-1114
This paper summarized Professor LI Haisong's clinical experience in treating spermatorrhea based on the view of "spirit controlling essence and qi". It is emphasized that the heart spirit has the function of controlling the essence and qi of the human body, believing the frenetic stirring of heart spirit and the insecurity of essence gate are the core pathogenesis of spermatorrhea, LI advocates to regulate the heart spirit first and take into account of the zang-fu organs, essence and qi simultaneously for the treatment. Treatment should be performed according the clinical syndromes differentiatied. For those with heart spirit failing to nourish syndrome, it is recommended to supplement heart qi, nourish spirit and consolidate essence with self-made Yangxin Mijing Formula (养心秘精方). In case of heart fire hyperactivity, the method of clearing heart heat and draining fire, calming spirit and consolidating essence should be used, and self-made Xiexin Gujing Formula (泻心固精方) is recommended. For heart-liver qi constraint, it is advised to soothe the liver and calm heart, calm the mind and regulate essence with self-made Jieyu Anshen Tiaojing Formula (解郁安神调精方) which is a modifcation to Chaihu Shugan Powder (柴胡疏肝散). In terms of deficiency of both heart and liver, the treatment principle is supplementing spleen and nourishing heart, calming the mind and controlling essence, for which self-made Xinpi Tongtiao Shejing Formula (心脾同调摄精方) modified from Guipi Decoction (归脾汤) can be used. For deficiency of both heart and kidney, it is better to nourish the kidney and calm heart, calm the mind and consolidate essence with self-made Xinshen Liangzi Tianjing Formula (心肾两滋填精方) that modified from Shuilu Erxian Elixir (水陆二仙丹) and Wuzi Yanzong Pill (五子衍宗丸). Prescriptions are used to treat the root by harmonizing the zang-fu organs, nourish the spirit by regulating qi and blood, and calm the mind by taking special medi-cinals, and they should be flexibly modified according to the disease.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail