Antibiotic resistance is spreading at a faster rate than new antibiotic agents applied for clinical remedies. It is an urgent need to discover potential compounds to combat multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Marine fungi offer a promising avenue for mining antibiotic-like molecules with chemical diversity. To discover structurally novel and antibiotic metabolites, we screened the in-house marine fungus genome library and found a fungus Stephanonectria keithii LZD-10-1 containing a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) cluster with 18 modules to synthesize a new subfamily of peptaibols with effective eradication against MDR pathogens. Targeting isolation of the cultured fungus afforded six new peptaibols, which exhibit the ability to kill MDR bacteria by targeting bacterial membrane phospholipids, especially phosphatidylglycerol (PG), leading to the dysfunction of bacterial membranes. Furthermore, their efficacies against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in both Galleria mellonella and mouse wound infection models were observed. This study underscores the significance of employing genome-guided approaches to identify untapped marine fungi as potential sources for novel antibiotic candidates with unique scaffolds.

Iron is an essential trace element in the human body, crucial in maintaining normal physiological functions. Recent studies have identified iron ions as a significant factor in initiating the ferroptosis process, a novel mode of programmed cell death characterized by iron overload and lipid peroxide accumulation. The iron metabolism pathway is one of the primary mechanisms regulating ferroptosis, as it maintains iron homeostasis within the cell. Numerous studies have demonstrated that abnormalities in iron metabolism can trigger the Fenton reaction, exacerbating oxidative stress, and leading to cell membrane rupture, cellular dysfunction, and damage to tissue structures. Therefore, regulation of iron metabolism represents a key strategy for ameliorating ferroptosis and offers new insights for treating diseases associated with iron metabolism imbalances. This review first summarizes the mechanisms that regulate iron metabolic pathways in ferroptosis and discusses the connections between the pathogenesis of various diseases and iron metabolism. Next, we introduce natural and synthetic small molecule compounds, hormones, proteins, and new nanomaterials that can affect iron metabolism. Finally, we provide an overview of the challenges faced by iron regulators in clinical translation and a summary and outlook on iron metabolism in ferroptosis, aiming to pave the way for future exploration and optimization of iron metabolism regulation strategies.

In order to better promote the standardization of clinical research data,the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium(CDISC)has established a series of clinical research data standards,and issued the Therapeutic Area(TA)standard for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)in January 2016.This treatment domain standard is used to identify common data standards for clinical research protocols for COPD,to support the integration of clinical trial data from different sources and at different times,thus to promote the secondary analysis of cohort data.This article introduces the structure and content of the standard user guide for the treatment of COPD,in order to help researchers better understand and use the standard in the field of COPD treatment in research design.It is proposed to apply the standard in the field of treatment to standardize the design of clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine for COPD,so as to promote the integration of research data and improve the efficiency of clinical trials.

Objective To investigate the application of organoid technology in colorectal cancer research and analyze the factors influencing the success rate of organoid cultivation. Methods A total of 24 samples of colorectal cancer patients treated at Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital and cultured organoids using specific culture media and Matrigel. The samples were collected within 30 minutes post-excision and stored at 4℃ to minimize contamination and protein degradation. During the cultivation process,the authors recorded instances of bacterial or fungal contamination and the organoid growth,and test for their histological structure and expression of tumor markers. Additionally,by analyzing clinical information from the patients who provided the samples,explore potential factors that may affect the success rate of culturing colorectal cancer organoids. Results A success rate of 70.8％ (17/24) was achieved in the cultivation of organoid. The success rate of organoid culture was significantly different from that of tumor stage (all P<0.05),with significantly higher successful organoid cultivation rate for stage Ⅱ and stage Ⅲ tumor tissues than those for stageⅠand Ⅳ[83.3％ (5/6),90.9％ (10/11) vs. 33.4％ (1/3),25.0％ (1/4)]. Additionally,samples with a Ki-67 positive area proportion of 55％-70％ exhibited the highest success rate (100％). Phenotypic experiments on the organoids indicated that their pathological histological structure and the expression of tumor markers were consistent with those of the primary tissues,suggesting that the organoids retained the histological characteristics of the primary lesions. Conclusions This study successfully established a colorectal cancer organoid model revealing the impact of tumor staging and the proportion of Ki-67 positive areas on the success rate of culture. The organoid model effectively retains the histological characteristics of the primary lesion,providing a powerful in vitro tool for the research and treatment of colorectal cancer.

Background:Following the short-term outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)in December 2022 in China,clinical data on kidney transplant recipients(KTRs)with COVID-19 are lacking.Methods:We conducted a single-center retrospective study to describe the clinical features,complications,and mortality rates of hospitalized KTRs infected with COVID-19 between Dec.16,2022 and Jan.31,2023.The patients were followed up until Mar.31,2023.Results:A total of 324 KTRs with COVID-19 were included.The median age was 49 years.The median time between the onset of symptoms and admission was 13 d.Molnupiravir,azvudine,and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir were administered to 67(20.7%),11(3.4%),and 148(45.7%)patients,respectively.Twenty-nine(9.0%)patients were treated with more than one antiviral agent.Forty-eight(14.8%)patients were treated with tocilizumab and 53(16.4%)patients received baricitinib therapy.The acute kidney injury(AKI)occurred in 81(25.0%)patients and 39(12.0%)patients were admitted to intensive care units.Fungal infections were observed in 55(17.0%)patients.Fifty(15.4%)patients lost their graft.The 28-d mortality rate of patients was 9.0%and 42(13.0%)patients died by the end of follow-up.Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified that cerebrovascular disease,AKI incidence,interleukin(IL)-6 level of>6.8 pg/mL,daily dose of corticosteroids of>50 mg,and fungal infection were all associated with an increased risk of death for hospitalized patients.Conclusions:Our findings demonstrate that hospitalized KTRs with COVID-19 are at high risk of mortality.The administration of immunomodulators or the late application of antiviral drugs does not improve patient survival,while higher doses of corticosteroids may increase the death risk.

Objective To investigate the application of organoid technology in colorectal cancer research and analyze the factors influencing the success rate of organoid cultivation. Methods A total of 24 samples of colorectal cancer patients treated at Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital and cultured organoids using specific culture media and Matrigel. The samples were collected within 30 minutes post-excision and stored at 4℃ to minimize contamination and protein degradation. During the cultivation process,the authors recorded instances of bacterial or fungal contamination and the organoid growth,and test for their histological structure and expression of tumor markers. Additionally,by analyzing clinical information from the patients who provided the samples,explore potential factors that may affect the success rate of culturing colorectal cancer organoids. Results A success rate of 70.8％ (17/24) was achieved in the cultivation of organoid. The success rate of organoid culture was significantly different from that of tumor stage (all P<0.05),with significantly higher successful organoid cultivation rate for stage Ⅱ and stage Ⅲ tumor tissues than those for stageⅠand Ⅳ[83.3％ (5/6),90.9％ (10/11) vs. 33.4％ (1/3),25.0％ (1/4)]. Additionally,samples with a Ki-67 positive area proportion of 55％-70％ exhibited the highest success rate (100％). Phenotypic experiments on the organoids indicated that their pathological histological structure and the expression of tumor markers were consistent with those of the primary tissues,suggesting that the organoids retained the histological characteristics of the primary lesions. Conclusions This study successfully established a colorectal cancer organoid model revealing the impact of tumor staging and the proportion of Ki-67 positive areas on the success rate of culture. The organoid model effectively retains the histological characteristics of the primary lesion,providing a powerful in vitro tool for the research and treatment of colorectal cancer.

Objective:To explore the influencing factors of acute rejection (AR) within one year after pediatric kidney transplantation (KT) and the effect of AR onset time on prognosis.Methods:From January 2011 to October 2021, a total of 112 patients aged under 18 years at the time of transplantation were selected.After excluding 6 of them with early renal non-function caused by non-rejection, 106 cases were examined.There were 63 males and 43 females with the age of 15(12, 16) years.The donors were living related (n=26) and deceased (n=80).According to the presence/absence and onset time of AR, they were assigned into three groups of AR within one year, AR after one year and non-AR.The relevant clinical data of donor/recipient, influencing factors of AR and therapeutic outcomes of AR were retrospectively compared.One-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test was utilized for comparing 1-year renal function after the occurrence of AR among three groups.With graft-function loss as an end-point event of follow-up, the effects of AR within one year and AR after one year on survival rate and function of graft-kidney were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival curve.Results:The median follow-up period of 106 pediatric KT recipients was 35 months.During follow-ups, 19 episodes of AR occurred in 17(16.0%) patients and 89 recipients exhibited no AR episode by the end of follow-up (non-AR group).As for initial AR, 9 episodes of AR occurred within one year (AR within one year group) and 8 episodes of AR after one year (AR after one year group).After anti-rejection treatment, 8 patients (47.1%) achieved full recovery and 6 patients (35.3%) failed to completely normalize and 3 patients (17.6%) developed graft failure.Univariate analysis indicated that, as compared with non-AR group, female recipients, donors aged under 8 years and early postoperative infection with parvovirus B19 were risk factors of AR within one year ( P=0.032, P=0.039, P=0.047).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the incidence rates of AR within one year in patients with donors aged under 8 years and early postoperative parvoviral infection were 14.5%(8/55) and 30.0%(3/10) respectively.They were significantly higher than 2.0%(1/51) and 6.3%(6/96) of patients with donors aged above 8 years and those without parvoviral infection ( P=0.012, P=0.004).With graft-function loss as an end-point event of follow-up, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that 10-year kidney graft survival rate in AR within one year and AR after one year groups were 88.9% and 65.6%.Both were significantly lower than that in non-AR group (98.9%).And the inter-group differences were statistically significant ( χ2=4.286, P=0.038; χ2=7.787, P=0.005).However, no significant difference existed in survival rate between AR within one year and AR after one year groups ( P=0.689).One-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis test indicated that estimated glomerular filtration rates at 3/6/12 months after an onset of AR in AR within one year group were (76.8±51.6), (80.6±56.6) and (85.6±40.2) ml·min -1·1.73 m -2.The values of 3/6 months were lower than (125.3±39.2) and (124.7±38.2) ml·min -1·1.73 m -2 in AR after one year group.And the inter-group differences were statistically significant ( P=0.021, P=0.039).The values of 3/6/12 months were lower than (112.2±34.2), (115.3±33.2) and (117.4±30.2) ml·min -1·1.73 m -2 in non-AR group.And the inter-group differences were also statistically significant ( P=0.019, P=0.020, P=0.020). Conclusions:Female recipients, donors aged under 8 years and early postoperative infection with parvovirus B19 may elevate the risks of AR in children within one year of KT.AR within one year affects the survival rate of graft-kidney and renal function.

There is currently a huge worldwide demand for donor kidneys for organ transplantation. Consequently, numerous marginal donor kidneys, such as kidneys with microthrombi, are used to save patients' lives. While some studies have shown an association between the presence of microthrombi in donor kidneys and an increased risk for delayed graft function (DGF) (McCall et al., 2003; Gao et al., 2019), other studies have demonstrated that microthrombi negatively impact the rate of DGF (Batra et al., 2016; Hansen et al., 2018), but not graft survival rate (McCall et al., 2003; Batra et al., 2016; Gao et al., 2019). In contrast, Hansen et al. (2018) concluded that fibrin thrombi were not only associated with reduced graft function six months post-transplantation but also with increased graft loss within the first year of transplantation. On the other hand, Batra et al. (2016) found no significant differences in the DGF rate or one-year graft function between recipients in diffuse and focal microthrombi groups. To date, however, the overall influence of donor kidney microthrombi and the degree of influence on prognosis remain controversial, necessitating further research.
Humans ; Thrombotic Microangiopathies ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Tissue Donors ; Kidney ; Allografts

Women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) may experience repeated implantation failure (RIF). Under the guidance of "Yu Pei Qi Sun" theory, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) compounds can improve the quality of sperm and eggs of both husband and wife by anti-oxidative stress, improving mitochondrial function and reducing excessive apoptosis before IVF-ET to obtain high-quality embryos; TCM compounds can also promote angiogenesis, anti-oxidative stress, regulation of estrogen and progesterone receptor content, regulate immunity to improve female endometrial receptivity to facilitate embryo implantation; it can also invigorate the spleen and kidney after transplantation and caring for the fetus to help implantation, as well as alleviate the anxiety of patients during transplantation.

We need to consider the macro-AST when the elevated AST activity cannot be explained. A 3-year-old child was found to have an increase in serum AST activity, but no obvious abnormality be found ofter examination. The PEG precipitation assay showed that the activity was 98.7%, which was diagnosed as macro-AST.