1.A Systematic Strategy for Discovering First-in-class Anti-fibrotic Drugs from Traditional Chinese Medicine
Wen HUANG ; Guang XIN ; Sanyin ZHANG ; Tao WANG ; Wei CHEN ; Zeliang WEI ; Qilong ZHOU ; Ke LI ; Dan SUN ; Kui YU ; Shilin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(10):296-307
Pulmonary fibrosis(PF) is a progressive and life-threatening disease with limited therapeutic options, highlighting the urgent need for innovative drug discovery strategies. To address this challenge, the authors propose the formula-originated rational intelligent screening&translation(FIRST), a systematic framework for developing anti-fibrotic monomers derived from classical traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). The strategy integrates three key dimensions, including tissue-oriented intelligent screening of active compounds, structural optimization based on drug-target spatial interactions and plant biosynthetic pathways, and cross-scale validation of drug. We further highlight its applications in discovering tissue-oriented novel drugs from clinically validated TCM, the development and mechanistic elucidation of anti-fibrotic therapeutics, as well as the clinical translation and secondary development of candidate drugs. This strategy paves the way for first-in-class, formula-derived monomeric drugs with defined structures, clarified mechanisms, and proven safety, offering a transformative avenue to meet the urgent therapeutic needs of PF and setting a new paradigm for TCM-based drug innovation.
2.A Systematic Strategy for Discovering First-in-class Anti-fibrotic Drugs from Traditional Chinese Medicine
Wen HUANG ; Guang XIN ; Sanyin ZHANG ; Tao WANG ; Wei CHEN ; Zeliang WEI ; Qilong ZHOU ; Ke LI ; Dan SUN ; Kui YU ; Shilin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(10):296-307
Pulmonary fibrosis(PF) is a progressive and life-threatening disease with limited therapeutic options, highlighting the urgent need for innovative drug discovery strategies. To address this challenge, the authors propose the formula-originated rational intelligent screening&translation(FIRST), a systematic framework for developing anti-fibrotic monomers derived from classical traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). The strategy integrates three key dimensions, including tissue-oriented intelligent screening of active compounds, structural optimization based on drug-target spatial interactions and plant biosynthetic pathways, and cross-scale validation of drug. We further highlight its applications in discovering tissue-oriented novel drugs from clinically validated TCM, the development and mechanistic elucidation of anti-fibrotic therapeutics, as well as the clinical translation and secondary development of candidate drugs. This strategy paves the way for first-in-class, formula-derived monomeric drugs with defined structures, clarified mechanisms, and proven safety, offering a transformative avenue to meet the urgent therapeutic needs of PF and setting a new paradigm for TCM-based drug innovation.
3.From Cathartic Colon to Cathartic-dependent Constipation: Diagnostic-therapeutic Strategies from Integrative Medicine Perspective
Youcheng HE ; Fengru JIANG ; Yanru WANG ; Minghan HUANG ; Yue WU ; Chunyu ZHOU ; Lian MO ; Lifeng WEI ; Keyi PAN ; Shuyu CAI ; Jianye YUAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(11):162-172
Both cathartic colon (CC) and cathartic-dependent constipation (CDC) are caused by the abuse of stimulant laxatives, while their concepts are not completely the same.Starting from the disease name of CC, this article traced the origin and evolution of the concept of CC, summarizes and compared the similarities and differences between CC, CDC, and slow transit constipation (STC), and called for strict differentiation among the three.Furthermore, this article explored the specific contents of Western medicine clinical subtypes and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome differentiation of CDC and delved into the TCM pathogenesis of CDC according to both literature and clinical practice.The relationship between clinical subtypes and TCM syndromes was established, and the syndrome characteristics of CDC of different clinical subtypes and TCM syndromes were summarized.The recommended prescriptions for corresponding syndromes were listed.A systematic CDC diagnosis and treatment approach of "clinical subtypes-syndrome differentiation-syndrome characteristics-recommended prescriptions" was thus formed.Additionally, the paper provides an overview of current research on CDC in both Western medicine and TCM contexts, identifies future research directions, and suggests research pathways for refining and advancing CDC studies.
4.Association between triglyceride glucose-body mass index and new-onset metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease
Xiaohong XIANG ; Yang LI ; Bo LI ; Mei WEI ; Zhongfang ZHOU ; Suqiong HUANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(4):840-847
ObjectiveTo investigate the association between serum fasting triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI) and new-onset metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) within 10 years. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the data of individuals who underwent physical examination in The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University in 2013, 2018, and 2023 and were not diagnosed with MAFLD in 2013, and a total of 1 340 valid subjects were enrolled according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The gbmt package in R 4.3.0 was used to construct the dynamic change trajectory model of TyG-BMI, and four different TyG-BMI trajectory groups were determined, i.e., the low-level group (n=352), the medium-level group (n=517), the high-level group (n=314), and the extremely high-level group (n=157). The data on general information and blood biochemical parameters were collected from all subjects and were then compared between groups. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups, and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data with heterogeneity of variance between multiple groups. The Cox regression analysis was used to investigate the association between different TyG-BMI trajectories and the risk of MAFLD, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the value of TyG-BMI in the diagnosis of MAFLD. ResultsThe cumulative incidence rate of MAFLD increased with the increase in the level of TyG-BMI trajectory, with a cumulative incidence rate of 4.83% in the low-level group, 29.98% in the medium-level group, 61.15% in the high-level group, and 83.44% in the extremely high-level group (P<0.001), and the cumulative incidence rate of MAFLD in men was significantly higher than that in women (51.34% vs 20.67%, P<0.001). The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that increases in the levels of TyG-BMI trajectory, uric acid, diastolic blood pressure, hemoglobin, and alanine aminotransferase were independent risk factors for the onset of MAFLD (all P<0.05), while the increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was an independent protective factor against MAFLD (P<0.001). After adjustment for confounding factors, the medium-, high-, and extremely high-level groups had a hazard ratio of 4.430 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.660 — 7.377, P<0.001), 6.937 (95%CI: 4.110 — 11.708, P<0.001), and 7.989 (95%CI: 4.616 — 13.827, P<0.001), respectively. The ROC curve analysis showed that TyG-BMI had the highest diagnostic value, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.859 (95%CI: 0.840 — 0.879), a sensitivity of 79.8%, and a specificity of 76.3%. ConclusionThe risk of MAFLD increases with the increase in the level of TyG-BMI trajectory, and TyG-BMI can be used as a predictive indicator for MAFLD.
5.The impact of the Guangzhou voluntary blood donation privilege certificate on blood donation behavior
Minxin HUANG ; Yang ZHANG ; Liqiao ZHOU ; Jian OU-YANG ; Wei SU ; Manyu HUANG ; Weifeng LUO
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2026;39(6):768-775
Objective: To evaluate the causal effects and population heterogeneity of Guangzhou′s Voluntary Blood Donation Privilege Certificate Policy on blood donation behavior, and to provide empirical evidence for optimizing blood management policies. Methods: Using an interrupted time series (ITS) design, we analyzed 30 quarters of blood collection data from Guangzhou Blood Center (from July 2018 to December 2025). Taking the third quarter of 2021 as the intervention node, we constructed ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models incorporating level and trend effects, and conducted stratified analyses by gender, age group, previous donation frequency, and per-donation volume. Results: The tiered incentive policy demonstrated significant heterogeneous effects. Apheresis donations showed sustained growth, with 2 units of component blood exhibiting a significant trend effect (β=304.58, P<0.001); high-frequency donors (11+ times) demonstrated sustained growth trends in apheresis donations. For whole blood, immediate effects were significant for donors with 1-2 previous donations (β=4 537.55, P<0.001) and 3-10 previous donations (β=2 159.69, P<0.05); high-frequency donors (11-30 times) showed sustained growth trends (P<0.01). Stratified by per-donation volume, 400 mL whole blood demonstrated a significant immediate effect (β=4 391.01, P<0.1), while 200 mL whole blood showed a significant declining trend (β=-893.24, P<0.01). Conclusion: The tiered incentive policy effectively enhanced blood donation participation while maintaining the donors’ altruistic motivations. Young and middle-aged adults primarily drove apheresis donations. The policy demonstrated immediate incentive effects on low-frequency whole blood donors and long-term retention effects on high-frequency donors. Per-donation volume showed an "upward migration" trend, optimizing the blood collection structure. Differentiated outreach, conversion and retention strategies are recommended to further strengthen blood supply security.
6.Pre-operative risk assessment of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence in liver transplant recipients by non-invasive detection of pre-existing genetic lesions
Suqin YANG ; Sunbin LING ; Jianhua LI ; Yan WANG ; Jiapei WANG ; Qiwei HUANG ; Fanming LIU ; Yiqi ZHUANG ; Yingyu ZHENG ; Rui WANG ; Zhe YANG ; Xiaoping ZHENG ; Kai WANG ; Zhikun LIU ; Jun CHEN ; Jianguo WANG ; Haiyang XIE ; Lin ZHOU ; Leiming CHEN ; Guoqiang CAO ; Dandan CHEN ; Junfang JI ; Bin ZHAO ; Chao JIANG ; Di LU ; Xuyong WEI ; Hangjin JIANG ; Qiaonan SHAN ; Hengbo SHI ; Yong-Zhen XU ; Shusen ZHENG ; Zhengxin WANG ; Shengda LIN ; Xiao XU
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2026;32(2):884-903
Background/Aims:
Liver transplantation (LT) following total hepatectomy is a life-saving treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HCC recurrence after LT hinders the effectiveness of the procedure. The objective of this study is to develop a pre-operative risk stratification model based on a liquid biopsy.
Methods:
We conducted a comprehensive multi-omics study of 260 HCC patients from three centers, including clinical data, low-coverage whole-genome sequencing of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from plasma, as well as whole-exome, single-nucleus RNA, and spatial transcriptomics from matched tumor and non-tumor tissues.
Results:
We identified cfDNA-derived copy number alteration (CNA) signatures associated with post-transplant recurrence. By integrating cfDNA-derived CNA profiles with single-cell transcriptomic data, we traced recurrence-associated cfDNA to a distinct subpopulation of malignant cells within the primary tumor. These cells were embedded in a pro-metastatic microenvironment of specialized endothelial subtypes and cancer-associated fibroblasts. Notably, most recurrence-associated lesions were detectable in cfDNA prior to liver transplantation (LT). Building on these insights, we developed the ZJU Criteria based on CNA fragments and tumor markers, a pre-LT risk prediction tool that integrates conventional clinical factors with cfDNA-derived CNA signatures, and validated it using internal and independent external cohorts.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that post-transplant recurrence commonly originates from advanced subclones that emerge late during tumor evolution. The ZJU Criteria provides an accurate, non-invasive strategy that significantly improves pre-LT risk stratification and clinical decision-making for patients with HCC.
7.Impact of long working hours on insomnia, anxiety, and depression symptoms among employees of eight manufacturing enterprises in Shenzhen
Yingping XIANG ; Juntao HE ; Zihuang XIE ; Wei ZHOU ; Yeen HUANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(6):717-723
Background Long working hours are a risk factor for occupational health, particularly in labor-intensive sectors such as manufacturing. Prolonged working hours may have adverse effects on the sleep and mental health of employees. Objective To investigate the impact of long working hours on insomnia, anxiety, and depression symptoms among manufacturing industry employees and provide scientific evidence for relevant occupational health interventions. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted involving
8.Analysis of prognostic risk factors for chronic active antibody-mediated rejection after kidney transplantation
Yu HUI ; Hao JIANG ; Zheng ZHOU ; Linkun HU ; Liangliang WANG ; Hao PAN ; Xuedong WEI ; Yuhua HUANG ; Jianquan HOU
Organ Transplantation 2025;16(4):565-573
Objective To investigate the independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of chronic active antibody-mediated rejection (caAMR) after kidney transplantation. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 61 patients who underwent renal biopsy and were diagnosed with caAMR. The patients were divided into caAMR group (n=41) and caAMR+TCMR group (n=20) based on the presence or absence of concurrent acute T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR). The patients were followed up for 3 years. The value of 24-hour urinary protein and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at the time of biopsy in predicting graft loss was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The independent risk factors affecting caAMR prognosis were analyzed using the LASSO-Cox regression model. The correlation between grouping, outcomes, and Banff scores was compared using Spearman rank correlation matrix analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate the renal allograft survival rates of each subgroup. Results The 3-year renal allograft survival rates for the caAMR group and the caAMR+TCMR group were 83% and 79%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for predicting 3-year renal allograft loss was 0.83 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70-0.97] for eGFR and 0.78 (95% CI 0.61-0.96) for 24-hour urinary protein at the time of biopsy. LASSO-Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that eGFR≤25.23 mL/(min·1.73 m²) and the presence of donor-specific antibody (DSA) against human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I might be independent risk factors affecting renal allograft prognosis, with hazard ratios of 7.67 (95% CI 2.18-27.02) and 5.13 (95% CI 1.33-19.80), respectively. A strong correlation was found between the Banff chronic lesion indicators of renal interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (P<0.05). Conclusions The presence of HLA class I DSA and eGFR≤25.23 mL/(min·1.73 m²) at the time of biopsy may be independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of caAMR.
9.Construction of a Disease-Syndrome Integrated Diagnosis and Treatment System for Gastric "Inflammation-Cancer" Transformation Based on Multi-Modal Phenotypic Modeling
Hao LI ; Huiyao ZHANG ; Wei BAI ; Tingting ZHOU ; Guodong HUANG ; Xianjun RAO ; Yang YANG ; Lijun BAI ; Wei WEI
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(5):458-463
By analyzing the current application of multi-modal data in the diagnosis of gastric "inflammation-cancer" transformation, this study explored the feasibility and strategies for constructing a disease-syndrome integrated diagnosis and treatment system. Based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) phenomics, we proposed utilizing multi-modal data from literature research, cross-sectional studies, and cohort follow-ups, combined with artificial intelligence technology, to establish a multi-dimensional diagnostic and treatment index system. This approach aims to uncover the complex pathogenesis and transformation patterns of gastric "inflammation-cancer" progression. Additionally, by dynamically collecting TCM four-diagnostic information and modern medical diagnostic information through a long-term follow-up system, we developed three major modules including information extraction, multi-modal phenotypic modeling, and information output, to make it enable real-world clinical data-driven long-term follow-up and treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis. This system can provide technical support for clinical diagnosis, treatment evaluation, and research, while also offering insights and methods for intelligent TCM diagnosis.
10.Differentiation and Treatment of Lipid Turbidity Disease Based on Theory of "Spleen Ascending and Stomach Descending"
Yun HUANG ; Wenyu ZHU ; Wei SONG ; Xiaobo ZHANG ; Xin ZHOU ; Lele YANG ; Tao SHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(3):244-252
Lipid turbidity disease is a metabolic disease featuring lipid metabolism disorders caused by many factors such as social environment, diet, and lifestyle, which is closely related to many diseases in modern medicine, such as hyperlipidemia, obesity, fatty liver, atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, with a wide range of influence and far-reaching harm. According to the Huangdi Neijing, lipid turbidity disease reflects the pathological change of the body's physiologic grease. Grease is the thick part of body fluids, which has the function of nourishing, and it is the initial state and source of important substances in the human body such as brain, marrow, essence, and blood. Once the grease of the human body is abnormal, it can lead to lipid turbidity disease. The Huangdi Neijing also points out the physiological relationship between the transportation and transformation of body fluids and the rise and fall of the spleen and stomach, which can deduce the pathological relationship between the occurrence of lipid turbidity disease and the abnormal rise and fall of the spleen and stomach functions. Lipid turbidity disease is caused by overconsumption of fatty and sweet foods or insufficient spleen and stomach endowments, leading to disorders of the function of promoting clear and reducing turbidity in the spleen and stomach. This leads to the transformation of thick grease in body fluids into lipid turbidity, which accumulates in the body's meridians, blood vessels, skin pores, and organs, forming various forms of metabolic diseases. The research team believed that the pathological basis of lipid turbidity disease was the abnormal rise and fall of the spleen and stomach and the obstruction of the transfer of grease. According to the different locations where lipid turbidity stays, it was divided into four common pathogenesis types: ''inability to distinguish between the clear and turbid, turbid stagnation in the Ying blood'', ''spleen not rising clear, turbid accumulation in the vessels'', ''spleen dysfunction, lipid retention in the pores'', ''spleen failure to transportation and transformation, and grease accumulation in the liver''. According to the pathogenesis, it could be divided into four common syndromes, namely, turbid stagnation in the Ying blood, turbid accumulation in the vessels, lipid retention in the pores, and grease accumulation in the liver, and the corresponding prescriptions were given for syndrome differentiation and treatment, so as to guide clinical differentiation and treatment of the lipid turbidity disease.

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