Under the background of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with 15 national ministries and commissions, has formulated the Implementation Plan on Establishing a Carbon Footprint Management System, and it is urgent for traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) pharmaceutical enterprises to carry out research on carbon footprint accounting methods of related products. Based on the life cycle assessment(LCA) theory, taking mulberry leaf extract produced by a certain enterprise as an example, this study analyzed the carbon footprint of TCM extracts during the life cycle. The results show that for every 1 kg of product produced, the carbon emissions from the stages of raw material acquisition, transportation, and extract production are-20.569, 1.205, and 173.577 kgCO_2eq(CO_2 equivalent), respectively. The carbon footprint of the product is 154.213 kgCO_2eq·kg~(-1). In addition, the carbon emission is the highest in the production stage, in which the consumption of ethanol solvents makes the greatest contribution to the carbon footprint, accounting for 25.71%, more than one-fourth of the total carbon footprint. The second contribution was from the treatment process of TCM residues, accounting for 19.67%, closely followed by wastewater treatment(17.71%), the consumption of hot steam(17.43%), and drinking water(16.90%). The consumption of electric power and packaging materials has a smaller carbon emission of 2.58%. In particular, the carbon emission caused by the consumption of packaging materials is only 0.04%, which is negligible. The results of the study are expected to provide a reference for TCM enterprises to carry out research on the carbon footprint of products, offer ideas for collaborative innovation in reducing pollution and carbon emissions throughout the entire industry chain of TCM, and develop new quality productivity of modern TCM industry based on green and low-carbon manufacturing.
Morus/chemistry* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry* ; Carbon Footprint ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Plant Extracts/analysis* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Aromatic immunity in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is the medical knowledge accumulated in the process of people's struggling with diseases. It plays an important role in plague prevention, disease treatment, health preservation, and rehabilitation, and has profound TCM basic theoretical support and abundant modern scientific evidence. With the in-depth promotion of the Healthy China initiative and the succession of health needs in the post-COVID-19 era, how to practice the health concept of aromatic immunity in TCM and develop its health service resources with high quality has become an important proposition to be discussed urgently. This paper summarizes the cognitive process, puts forward the basic concept, discusses the scientific connotation and clinical application value, and looks forward to the future development trend of aromatic immunity in TCM, aiming to provide guidance for the development of great health products and promote the application of aromatic immunity in TCM in serving people's health.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Humans ; COVID-19/immunology* ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; SARS-CoV-2

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease that affects the vision of elderly individuals worldwide. Although current therapeutics have shown effectiveness against AMD, some patients may remain unresponsive and continue to experience disease progression. Therefore, in-depth knowledge of the mechanism underlying AMD pathogenesis is urgently required to identify potential drug targets for AMD treatment. Recently, studies have suggested that dysfunction of mitochondria can lead to the aggregation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)/stimulator of interferon genes (STING) innate immunity pathways, ultimately resulting in sterile inflammation and cell death in various cells, such as cardiomyocytes and macrophages. Therefore, combining strategies targeting mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammatory mediators may hold great potential in facilitating AMD management. Notably, emerging evidence indicates that natural products targeting mitochondrial quality control (MQC) and the cGAS/STING innate immunity pathways exhibit promise in treating AMD. Here, we summarize phytochemicals that could directly or indirectly influence the MQC and the cGAS/STING innate immunity pathways, as well as their interconnected mediators, which have the potential to mitigate oxidative stress and suppress excessive inflammatory responses, thereby hoping to offer new insights into therapeutic interventions for AMD treatment.

CD8⁺ T cell-based immune-therapeutics, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell therapies (tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), T cell receptor-engineered T cells (TCR-T), chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T)), have achieved significant successes and prolonged patient survival to varying extents and even achieved cure in some cases. However, immunotherapy resistance and tumor insusceptibility frequently occur, leading to treatment failure. Recent evidences have highlighted the ponderance of tumor cells metabolic reprogramming in establishing an immunosuppressive milieu through the secretion of harmful metabolites, immune-inhibitory cytokines, and alteration of gene expression, which suppress the activity of immune cells, particularly CD8⁺ T cells to evade immune surveillance. Therefore, targeting tumor cell metabolic adaptations to reshape the immune microenvironment holds promise as an immunomodulatory strategy to facilitate immunotherapy. Here, we summarize recent advances in the crosstalk between immunotherapy and tumor reprogramming, focusing on the regulatory mechanisms underlying tumor cell glucose metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and lipid metabolism in influencing CD8⁺ T cells to provide promising metabolic targets or combinational strategies for immunotherapy.

Hepatic fibrosis is the common key pathological link of various chronic liver diseases and can progress to malignant diseases such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma； however， there is still a lack of effective targeted therapeutic drugs at present. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has a marked clinical effect in the prevention and treatment of hepatic fibrosis， yet its precise clinical application and global promotion are greatly limited by the complex components of compound prescriptions and unclear mechanism of action. In recent years， multimodal high-throughput omics technology has achieved rapid development， providing strong technical support for elaborating on the scientific connotation of TCM in the treatment of complex diseases due to its advantages of systematic profiling， big-data analytics， and precise target prediction. In particular， integrated transcriptomic， proteomic， and metabolomic strategies comprehensively elucidate key signaling networks， cellular phenotypic transitions， and extracellular matrix metabolic homeostasis modulated by TCM compounds and monomers and assist in the screening and assessment of effective component groups and novel biomarkers. This article systematically reviews the advances in basic research on TCM prevention and treatment of hepatic fibrosis based on multi-omics technologies in the past five years， summarizes the “drug-target-pathway-phenotype” regulatory network， and elaborates on the core mechanisms of TCM in regulating hepatic stellate cell activation and reversing hepatic fibrosis. Future studies should further delve into the interdisciplinary integration and dynamic analytical methodologies of multi-omics technologies， precisely identify the core regulatory target networks modulated by TCM， and systematically unravel the scientific connotation of compatibility rule in compound prescriptions， in order to provide a theoretical basis for developing efficient targeted drugs for hepatic fibrosis and individualized diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Objective To investigate the effect of recombinant human lactoferrin(rhLF)on fracture healing in rat models with femur fracture and the proliferation of rat primary osteoblasts.Methods Male rats were randomly di-vided into 3 groups:simple fracture group(SF group),collagen film-treated group(CF group)and rhLF-com-pound collagen lamination film-treated group(CLF group).The fracture healing was observed by X-ray image and histological microscopy with HE and Masson staining.The newborn SD rats with osteoblasts were treated with differ-ent concentrations of rhLF,and osteoblast proliferation was detected by MTT method.Results The bone scabs in the CLF group were significantly larger than those in the SF and CF groups at 1,2,and 3 weeks postoperatively(P＜0.05).There was no difference in the comparison between the groups at 4th week.The proliferation of cartilag-inous and sclerotic bone scabs in the CLF group was more pronounced and showed the appearance of mature trabec-ulae and lamellar bone with a high degree of maturation of the bone scabs.The groups with 100 mg/L and 500 mg/L rhLF showed a significant decrease in A value for rat primary osteoblasts cultured in vitro as compared with the control group(P＜0.05).The A value increased significantly at the first day(P＜0.05).The concentration of rhLF increased at the fifth and tenth days.Conclusions rhLF has an accelerating effect on fracture healing which is manifested by fast scab formation,large volume and high maturity.The rhLF can promote the proliferation of os-teoblasts cultured in vitro,and the effect is mainly manifested in the rapid proliferation stage of osteoblasts.

Objective: To compare the characteristics of children's pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) cases reported from 2019 to 2021 before and during the implementation of the Action Plan to Stop Tuberculosis. Methods: Based on the reported incidence data and population data of child pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) notified to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Tuberculosis Information Management System (TBIMS) from 2019 to 2021, the population information and clinically relevant information in different years were compared. Results: From 2019 to 2021, the reported cases of PTB in children were 363, 664 and 655, respectively. The number of reported cases increased significantly. The median age of the cases in children increased from 10.4 years in 2019 to 11.7 years in 2021 (P=0.005) over a three-year period. The etiological positive rate increased significantly from 11.6% (42/363) in 2019 to 32.2% (211/655) in 2021 (P<0.001). The positive rate of molecular testing increased most significantly, which became the main means of etiological detection and accounted for 16.7% (7/42), 62.0% (57/92) and 75.4% (159/211) of the children with positive etiological results, respectively. The resistance rates of isoniazid and rifampicin were analyzed in children with PTB who underwent drug sensitivity tests. The results showed that the resistance rates of isoniazid and/or rifampicin were 2/9, 3.9% (2/51) and 6.7% (11/163), respectively, with an average of 6.7% (15/223) over three years. The median patients' delay was 27 (12, 49) days in 2019. It was reduced to 19 (10, 37) days in 2020 and 15 (7, 34) days in 2021, both significantly lower than 2019 (P=0.009 and 0.000 2, respectively). Conclusion: From 2019 to 2021, the reported numbers of children with PTB and children with positive etiological results increase significantly in Liangshan Prefecture, while the diagnosis delay of patients significantly reduces.
Humans ; Child ; Rifampin/therapeutic use* ; Isoniazid/therapeutic use* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/drug therapy* ; Tuberculosis ; China/epidemiology*

Autologous ozonized blood transfusion(AOBT) is a therapy of re-transfusion of 100-200 mL of autologous blood after shaking and agitation with appropriate amount of oxygen-ozone in vitro. The oxidation of blood through the strong oxidation of ozone can enhance the non-specific immune response of the body, regulate the internal environment and promote health. This therapy has been increasingly applied in clinical practice, while no unified standard for the operation process in terms of ozone concentration, treatment frequency and treatment course had been established. This operation process of AOBT is primarily explored in order to standardize the operation process and ensure its safety and efficacy.

Objective:To compare the clinical curative effect of roxadustat and recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) on non-dialysis stage 3 to 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) combined with renal anemia (RA).Methods:A total of 108 patients with non-dialysis stage 3 to 5 CKD and RA admitted to Jiangbei Branch of Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University were prospectively enrolled between January 2020 and October 2022. According to random number table method, they were divided into group A and group B, 54 cases in each group. The group A was treated with roxadustat and polysaccharide-iron complex (PIC) for 3 months, while group B was treated with rhEPO and PIC for 3 months. The clinical curative effect, levels of hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell count (RBC), hematocrit (Hct), serum ferritin (SF), transferrin saturation (TSAT), transferrin (TRF), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr) and β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) before and after treatment, and the incidence of adverse reactions during treatment in the two groups were compared.Results:The total response rate of treatment in group A was significantly higher than that in group B: 87.04% (47/54) vs. 70.37% (38/54), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). After treatment, levels of RBC, Hb and Hct in group A were significantly higher than those in group B: (3.47 ± 0.59) × 10 12/L vs. (2.60 ± 0.51) × 10 12/L, (110.45 ± 12.97) g/L vs. (93.64 ± 10.58) g/L, 0.358 ± 0.054 vs. 0.303 ± 0.043, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The levels of TSAT, SF and TRF in group A were significantly higher than those in group B: (35.17 ± 3.65)% vs. (29.82 ± 3.10)%, (286.74 ± 17.23) μg/L vs. (243.16 ± 15.49) μg/L, (2.76 ± 0.45) g/L vs. (2.40 ± 0.32) g/L, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The levels of BUN, Scr and β2-MG in group A were significantly lower than those in group B: (3.98 ± 0.41) mmol/L vs. (4.36 ± 0.54) mmol/L, (62.57 ± 7.89) μmol/L vs. (80.34 ± 9.65) μmol/L, (1.50 ± 0.42) μg/L vs. (1.99 ± 0.58) μg/L, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). During treatment, incidence of adverse reactions in group A was significantly lower than that in group B: 11.11% (6/54) vs. 25.93% (14/54), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with rhEPO, roxadustat has better curative effect, which can effectively relieve anemia and improve iron metabolism in patients with non-dialysis stage 3 to 5 CKD and RA, with good safety.