1.The Application Status and Trends of Data-Intelligence Technology in the Diagnosis of Lysosomal Storage Diseases
Xinyu DU ; Shengfeng WANG ; Jing XIE ; Jian GUO ; Shuyang ZHANG
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2025;4(1):112-121
To summarize the applications of data-intelligence technology in diagnosing lysosomal storage disease(LSD), analyze their opportunities and challenges in clinical practice as well as their development trends, and provide insights and recommendations for advancing digitally driven auxiliary diagnostic technologies. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, Wanfang Database, and VIP. The studies focusing on the application of digital-intelligence technologies in LSD diagnosis were included. A qualitative analysis was performed, categorizing and summarizing research based on the types of digital-intelligence technologies employed, and exploring future development trends. The analysis revealed that digital-intelligence technologies, particularly in areas such as big data storage and management, data mining and analytics, machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision, held significant potential for early screening and diagnosis of LSD. These technologies facilitated the identification of potential patients, discovery of new biomarkers, quantitative analysis of symptoms, and elucidation of gene-disease relationships, ultimately enhancing diagnostic efficiency and accuracy. Digital-intelli-gence technologies present promising prospects for advancing LSD diagnostic research and improving diagnostic precision. Future efforts should focus on developing a comprehensive, multidimensional diagnosis system and diagnostic technologies under the guidance of the DI-HEALTH theoretical framework, in the hope of paving the way for further development of digitally assisted diagnostic solutions.
2.Current Situation, Trend, and Opportunity of Applying Blockchain to the Supply Chain of Orphan Drugs
Wenyan LI ; Yile YOU ; Jindong WU ; Xinrui LI ; Yunyun JIANG ; Shengfeng WANG
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2025;4(1):14-21
The exploration and pilot studies of applying blockchain to drug supply chain show great potential in promoting information sharing, collaboration competence among the actors, regulatory efficiency, and etc. In the future, with the help of blockchain, the optimization of the entire supply chain for orphan drugs is expected to be realized. However, there is no such exploration in China at present. This paper systematically sorts out the whole process of supply chain for orphan drugs and the existing problems of the chain. The article concludes that at present, blockchain is mainly used in the " circulation" and " use" of the drug supply chain. It helps to improve the traceability of drugs, to cope with the problem of counterfeit drugs, to enable actors of the drug supply chain to form a collaborative network in optimizing resource allocation, and to improve the operation and supervision efficiency of the supply chain. In the future, the application faces challenges such as high costs in system conversion, lack of personnel awareness, and incomplete supporting systems. Based on the three dimensions of technology, practice, and research, this paper also looks into the future and suggests for the future use of blockchain in the supply chain of orphan drugs by constructing a practice model, the so called DI-GIVE (Digital, Intelligence, Government′s supervision, Innovation, Views of variety, Evaluation-based) hoping to innovate the supply chain of orphan drugs and to ensure the drug use for the patients with rare diseases in China.
3.The Current Status and Prospects of the Application of Digital Technology in the Field of Pharmacovigilance of Rare Diseases
Ying CAO ; Xinru LIU ; Shengfeng WANG ; Lin ZHUO
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2025;4(1):22-29
To summarize the current status in the application of digital and intelligent technologies in the field of pharmacovigilance and to provide reference to the selection and development of methods for pharmacovigilance of rare diseases. Searched five major databases-CNKI, WANFANG, VIP, PubMed, and Embase, selected and the data of application of digital technology in the field of drug vigilance for rare diseases, extracted relevant information and conducted a systematic review. The application of digital technology in drug surveillance has not yet been used in the special field of rare diseases. Relevant case studies are insufficient. Two major challenges need to be addressed. One is the insufficient data sources and the other is technical limitations. Based on the characteristics of drugs for rare diseases, this paper identifies data sources and intelligent technologies suitable for the field of drug vigilance for rare disease, proposes direction for potential development in the future, and makes targeted suggestions.
4.Using Digital Intelligence in Promoting Mechanism for Medical Care Insurance for Rare Diseases: Concepts and Applications
Xinyu YANG ; Yuzheng ZHANG ; Shengfeng WANG ; Wudong GUO
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2025;4(1):30-38
Our study aims at systematically summarizing and evaluating the applications of digital intelligence technologies in the field of rare disease medical care insurance now and in the future and at constructing a conceptual framework for the digital powered mechanism for the medical care insurance for rare diseases. By using Chinese keywords of " rare disease" " medical insurance"" artificial intelligence"" prediction model"" machine learning"" big data"" algorithm" and their English equivalents, we searched the databases of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP, collected relevant literature, and decided the criteria of inclusion and exclusion. The finding of our study shows that medical care insurance mechanism of rare disease in China faces significant challenges in drug accessbility and the funding sustainability. Meanwhile, our study shows that the digital intelligence technologies have broad potential in applications-in financing, accessbility, payment, and supervision. Specifically, dynamic simulation models and big data analysis can make precise prediction of the demand for funding of medical care insurance. The machine learning algorithms improve the dynamic evaluation of drug safety and cost-effectiveness. The personalized payment models enhance the efficiency in identifying the cohort with high expenditure so as to alleviate fund expenditure pressures. The intelligent monitoring technologies can accurately detect the abnormal behaviors in funds of medical care insurance. These technologies provide systematic and scientific solutions for improving the medical care mechanism for rare diseases. Even though further investigation is needed, the digital intelligence technologies have shown remarkable potential in enhancing the flexibility, efficiency, and sustainability of the medical care insurance system and a promising future in meeting the needs of patients with rare diseases.
5.The Progress of Research on Data Sharing of Rare Diseases Driven by Digital Intelligence
Yiwu GU ; Qiaorui WEN ; Qikai LIU ; Mengchun GONG ; Shengfeng WANG
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2025;4(1):61-69
In recent years, the rapid development of digital intelligence has provided a new path for rare disease data sharing and injected new power into the progress of research of rare diseases. This research is aimed at summarizing and consolidating relevant literatures on data sharing driven by digital intelligence (DI) in China and abroad, and constructing a local theoretical framework of DI-driven data sharing for rare diseases based on the status of rare diseases in China. Searching PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP database, we obtain a total of 214 representative literatures. Through literature review, we find that DI technologies have played important roles in different aspects of rare disease data sharing. China, the United States, and Europe have formed their own DI-driven data sharing systems for rare disease. From the theory of " Information Commons", we analyze the gap between China′s current situation and the goal of a " Rare Disease Data Commons". Based on the analysis, we put forward the idea of framework of " DI-STARS". China should develop the Data Sharing system making DI as the core of the system. Meanwhile, China should strengthen the data standardization system, create an innovation-encouraging environment, and build a bridge between different platforms. Using the DI-STARS theory, China will be able to build the " Rare Disease Data Commons" so that the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases will be enhanced in China to meet the patients′ needs.
6.MAFLD or MASLD: Which better represents the prognosis of the steatotic liver population: Letter to the editor on “Evolutionary changes in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: A nationwide cohort study”
Ying WANG ; Shengfeng WANG ; Xiude FAN ; Jiajun ZHAO ; Yongfeng SONG
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(2):e128-e133
7.MAFLD or MASLD: Which better represents the prognosis of the steatotic liver population: Letter to the editor on “Evolutionary changes in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: A nationwide cohort study”
Ying WANG ; Shengfeng WANG ; Xiude FAN ; Jiajun ZHAO ; Yongfeng SONG
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(2):e128-e133
8.MAFLD or MASLD: Which better represents the prognosis of the steatotic liver population: Letter to the editor on “Evolutionary changes in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: A nationwide cohort study”
Ying WANG ; Shengfeng WANG ; Xiude FAN ; Jiajun ZHAO ; Yongfeng SONG
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(2):e128-e133
9.An infant with leukemia complicated by Pneumocystisjirovecii pneumonia: A case report and literature review.
Zhijuan ZHANG ; Hong ZHENG ; Shengfeng WANG ; Shan ZHU ; Minghua YANG
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences) 2025;50(6):1106-1112
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is an opportunistic pulmonary infection that commonly occurs in immunocompromised children. We report a case of infantile leukemia complicated by PJP and review the relevant literature. A summary and analysis of 10 infantile leukemia patients with PJP infection (9 cases reported in the literature and 1 case from our center) showed that PJP mostly occurred in the early stages of chemotherapy (80%, 8/10). The main clinical manifestations were dyspnea (100%, 10/10) and hypoxemia (50%, 5/10), while pulmonary imaging findings lacked specificity. In most cases (50%, 5/10), diagnosis was established by identifying pathogens in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid under microscopy. In our case, diagnosis was confirmed using targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Treatment with intravenous sulfamethoxazole complex was administered in 8 patients, all of whom eventually recovered. PJP may occur in the early stages of chemotherapy for infantile leukemia, thus early prevention is necessary. tNGS facilitates early diagnosis of PJP, and sulfamethoxazole complex remains an effective therapeutic option.
Humans
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Infant
;
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/microbiology*
;
Immunocompromised Host
;
Leukemia/complications*
;
Pneumocystis carinii/isolation & purification*
;
Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/diagnosis*
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Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination/therapeutic use*
10.Endoscopic transcanal labyrinthectomy for intractable Meniere's disease: first experience.
Tao WANG ; Lancheng HUANG ; Yadan DENG ; Shengfeng SONG ; Qinyue LAO
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(12):1182-1187
Objective:To describe a novel approach for intractable Meniere's disease exclusively through a transcanal endoscopic ear surgery(TEES). Methods:This retrospective chart review included patients with intractable Menière's disease who underwent endoscopic transcanal labyrinthectomy in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Guangxi Hospital Division, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, between February 2023 and October 2024. The first 70-year-old woman and the other 67-year-old woman, who underwent multiple conservative treatment and chemical labyrinthectomy during outpatient and hospitalization, had frequent vertigo, tinnitus and severe sensorineural deafness. The TEES approach provided a wide exposure of the oval window. The incus and the stapes were removed, expanded the oval window. The perilymph was suctioned, The saccule, utricule, macula utriculi and macula sacculi were removed. The ampulla tissue of the three semicircular canal were destroyed with the right-angle crochet. The oval window was obliterated using the perichondrium of the tragal cartilage and cartilage. Results:Two patients underwent endoscopic transcanal labyrinthectomy, and no intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed. Vertigo was controlled in 2 patients during the follow-up of 6 to 12 months. Two patients complained of total hearing loss after surgery. Conclusion:Even though this study presents a limited number of cases, endoscopic transcanal labyrinthectomy is a promising, safe, and effective procedure in selected cases. Additional studies are needed to determine the risk-benefit profile of this technique.
Humans
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Aged
;
Female
;
Meniere Disease/surgery*
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Endoscopy/methods*
;
Otologic Surgical Procedures/methods*
;
Ear, Inner/surgery*
;
Treatment Outcome

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