1.Zoledronic Acid Inhibits the Growth of ER-Positive Breast Cancer Cells by Inducing Ferroptosis
Shaofei YUAN ; Dejin SHI ; Yiyin XU ; Tao WU ; Shuifeng LIANG ; Dinghao CHEN ; Jiayi WANG ; Guang WU ; Jiawei CAO
Biomolecules & Therapeutics 2026;34(3):608-617
Zoledronic acid (ZA), a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate with established clinical utility in osteoporosis management, exhibits emerging antitumor potential in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its nonapoptotic anticancer effects remain poorly characterized. This study revealed that ZA induced ferroptosis in ER+ breast cancer cells through dual suppression of cystine-glutamate antiporter SLC7A11 and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), key repressors of ferroptosis. Pharmacological inhibition of ferroptosis using Ferrostatin-1 significantly attenuated ZA-induced cytotoxicity, while combinatorial treatment with the GPX4 inhibitor RSL3 synergistically enhanced lipid peroxidation and cell death. Mechanistically, ZA activated the Hippo-YAP signaling pathway, promoting YAP phosphorylation, proteasomal degradation, and cytoplasmic retention, thereby silencing SLC7A11 and GPX4. We established a novel metabolic vulnerability in hormone-responsive malignancies.These findings position ZA as a bifunctional ferroptosis inducer in ER+ breast cancer, offering a promising strategy to overcome endocrine resistance.
2.Bioactive metabolites: A clue to the link between MASLD and CKD?
Wen-Ying CHEN ; Jia-Hui ZHANG ; Li-Li CHEN ; Christopher D. BYRNE ; Giovanni TARGHER ; Liang LUO ; Yan NI ; Ming-Hua ZHENG ; Dan-Qin SUN
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(1):56-73
Metabolites produced as intermediaries or end-products of microbial metabolism provide crucial signals for health and diseases, such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). These metabolites include products of the bacterial metabolism of dietary substrates, modification of host molecules (such as bile acids [BAs], trimethylamine-N-oxide, and short-chain fatty acids), or products directly derived from bacteria. Recent studies have provided new insights into the association between MASLD and the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). Furthermore, alterations in microbiota composition and metabolite profiles, notably altered BAs, have been described in studies investigating the association between MASLD and the risk of CKD. This narrative review discusses alterations of specific classes of metabolites, BAs, fructose, vitamin D, and microbiota composition that may be implicated in the link between MASLD and CKD.
3.Bioactive metabolites: A clue to the link between MASLD and CKD?
Wen-Ying CHEN ; Jia-Hui ZHANG ; Li-Li CHEN ; Christopher D. BYRNE ; Giovanni TARGHER ; Liang LUO ; Yan NI ; Ming-Hua ZHENG ; Dan-Qin SUN
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(1):56-73
Metabolites produced as intermediaries or end-products of microbial metabolism provide crucial signals for health and diseases, such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). These metabolites include products of the bacterial metabolism of dietary substrates, modification of host molecules (such as bile acids [BAs], trimethylamine-N-oxide, and short-chain fatty acids), or products directly derived from bacteria. Recent studies have provided new insights into the association between MASLD and the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). Furthermore, alterations in microbiota composition and metabolite profiles, notably altered BAs, have been described in studies investigating the association between MASLD and the risk of CKD. This narrative review discusses alterations of specific classes of metabolites, BAs, fructose, vitamin D, and microbiota composition that may be implicated in the link between MASLD and CKD.
4.Practice, effectiveness and prospects of standardized management of vaccination clinics in China
Qingsong YU ; Li LI ; Lei CAO ; Jiakai YE ; Yifan SONG ; Zhaonan ZHANG ; Xiaoyu WANG ; Jiayu HE ; Rongna HUANG ; Liang WANG ; Wenzhou YU ; Zundong YIN
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;59(9):1454-1461
As an important setting for the administration of vaccinations, the reasonable setting up and standardized management of vaccination clinics will enhance immunization service quality, public satisfaction, and improve the vaccination rate to protect people′s health. In recent years, various provinces in China are continuously promoting the standardized construction and management of vaccination clinics. However, the level of standardization management remains unbalanced, and the capacity of vaccination services needs to be further improved. This paper reviews the standardized management process of vaccination clinics, summarizes the practice and achievements in various regions, and analyzes the challenges and issues during these processes, to provide reference for improving the standardized management level of vaccination clinics in the future.
5.A longitudinal study of vortioxetine intervention on whole-brain cortical structure in depression patients based on surface-based morphometry
Yingna LI ; Yuhan TONG ; Wenzhou LIANG ; Liying ZHAO ; Zhiren WANG
Chinese Journal of Psychiatry 2025;58(5):347-355
Objective:Using surface-based morphometry (SBM), this study longitudinally tracks dynamic changes in whole-brain cortical morphological parameters in depression patients before and after vortioxetine treatment. Through three-dimensional topological characterization, we investigate the neuroanatomical correlations between cortical structural reorganization and improvements in affective symptoms and cognitive functions.Methods:Prospectively collected clinical data from 22 outpatients with depression (10 males and 12 females, aged 18-50 years, mean age 28.1±9.1) who attended Beijing Huilongguan Hospital clinic from October 2018 to December 2019. An age-matched healthy control group ( n=21; 10 males and 11 females, aged 22-44 years, mean age 30.8±6.6) was recruited concurrently. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAMA), the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD 17), and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) were used to evaluate the severity of depressive symptoms and cognitive function in patients. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) was performed to assess brain structural indices in depression patients before and after vortioxetine treatment, as well as in healthy controls. Whole-brain cortical structure measurements were calculated for all subjects using CAT12 software. Paired-sample t-tests were used to compare changes in cortical structure and clinical scale scores in depression patients before and after treatment, and two-sample t-tests were conducted to compare whole-brain cortical structure differences between patients (pre-and post-treatment) and healthy controls. Multiple regression analysis in SPM 12 was applied to examine the correlation between post-treatment cortical structural indices and clinical and cognitive scale scores in patients. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between changes in whole-brain cortical structure and cognitive function before and after vortioxetine treatment. Results:After vortioxetine treatment, patients with depression exhibited significant reductions in HAMA and HAMD 17 scores, along with significant increases in immediate memory, delayed memory, and total RBANS scores, with statistically significant differences observed ( t=8.43, 12.28, -4.71, -2.41, -3.86 respectively; all P<0.05), while there were no significant changes in visual span, language function, or attention ( P>0.05). Compared to healthy controls, depression patients showed a significantly reduced gyrification index in the right insula/superior temporal gyrus before treatment (28.74±1.20 vs 27.44±1.17; t=4.47, P<0.001), but no significant differences in whole-brain cortical structure were observed before and after treatment or between post-treatment patients and healthy controls ( P>0.05). Correlation analysis indicated that fractal dimension was negatively correlated with HAMA and HAMD 17 scores after treatment, while gyrification index was positively correlated with HAMD 17 ( rpartial=-0.79, -0.83, 0.72; P<0.05). Visual span was positively correlated with fractal dimension ( rpartial=0.78) and negatively correlated with gyrification index ( rpartial=-0.73, P<0.05). Sulcal depth was negatively correlated with attention and RBANS total scores ( rpartial=-0.77, -0.75; P<0.05). Additionally, changes in gyrification index in the left fusiform gyrus were positively correlated with changes in attention ( r=0.51), changes in gyrification index in the left posterior cingulate gyrus were positively correlated with changes in immediate memory ( r=0.58), and changes in sulcal depth in the left superior frontal gyrus were negatively correlated with changes in language ability ( r=-0.79) (both P<0.05). Conclusion:Vortioxetine treatment can improve anxiety and depressive symptoms in depression patients, as well as enhance certain cognitive functions, while also affecting cortical structure in the specific cortical area. Changes in cortical structure after vortioxetine treatment are closely related to clinical symptom improvement and cognitive function changes.
6.Survey on the awareness and clinical application of guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B (2022 edition) among clinicians
Yuanyuan KONG ; Yujie GUO ; Yujuan GUAN ; Xuan LIANG ; Zhongjie HU ; Xiaobo LU ; Mingqin LU ; Yongfeng YANG ; Meifang HAN ; Hong YOU ; Zhiyun YANG ; Jidong JIA
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(6):1068-1074
ObjectiveTo investigate the awareness and clinical practice of guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B (2022 edition) among clinicians. MethodsFrom July 19 to December 31, 2024, a self-designed electronic questionnaire was distributed via the WeChat mini program to collect related data from 1 588 clinicians nationwide, including their awareness and practice based on 18 questions regarding testing and referral, diagnosis and treatment, and follow-up. ResultsAmong all respondents, only 350 clinicians correctly understood all the updated key points of antiviral indications and treatment for special populations in the 2022 edition of guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B, with an overall awareness rate of 22.0%. Only 20% — 40% of the patients with positive HBV DNA and an age of >30 years receive antiviral therapy, while 80% — 100% of the patients with positive HBV DNA and a family history of hepatitis B cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma receive antiviral therapy. The median follow-up rates at 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years were 67.5% 57.5% and 47.5%,respectively, showing a trend of gradual reduction, which might be associated with the influencing factors such as insufficient time for follow-up management by clinicians, insufficient awareness of the disease among patients, and poor adherence to follow-up. ConclusionThere is a gap between the awareness and practice of guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B (2022 edition) among clinicians. It is recommended to further strengthen training and focus on the whole process of “detection, diagnosis, treatment, and management” for patients with chronic hepatitis B in healthcare institutions, in order to promote the implementation of the guidelines.
7.USP25 ameliorates vascular remodeling by deubiquitinating FOXO3 and promoting autophagic degradation of FOXO3.
Yanghao CHEN ; Bozhi YE ; Diyun XU ; Wante LIN ; Zimin FANG ; Xuefeng QU ; Xue HAN ; Wu LUO ; Chen CHEN ; Weijian HUANG ; Hao ZHOU ; Gaojun WU ; Yi WANG ; Guang LIANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(3):1643-1658
Long-term hypertension causes excessive vascular remodeling and leads to adverse cardiovascular events. Balance of ubiquitination and deubiquitination has been linked to several chronic conditions, including pathological vascular remodeling. In this study, we discovered that the expression of ubiquitin-specific protease 25 (USP25) is significantly up-regulated in angiotensin II (Ang II)-challenged mouse aorta. Knockout of Usp25 augments Ang II-induced vascular injury such as fibrosis and endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT). Mechanistically, we found that USP25 interacts directly with Forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) and removes the K63-linked ubiquitin chain on the K258 site of FOXO3. We also showed that this USP25-mediated deubiquitination of FOXO3 increases its binding to light chain 3 beta isoform and autophagosomic-lysosomal degradation of FOXO3. In addition, we further validated the biological function of USP25 by overexpressing USP25 in the mouse aorta with AAV9 vectors. Our studies identified FOXO3 as a new substrate of USP25 and showed that USP25 may be a potential therapeutic target for excessive vascular remodeling-associated diseases.
8.Deubiquitinase USP13 alleviates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity through promoting the autophagy-mediated degradation of STING.
Liming LIN ; Jibo HAN ; Diyun XU ; Zimin FANG ; Bozhi YE ; Jinfu QIAN ; Xue HAN ; Julian MIN ; Xiaohong LONG ; Gaojun WU ; Guang LIANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(5):2545-2558
Doxorubicin (Dox) is an anthracycline drug widely applied in various malignancies. However, the fatal cardiotoxicity induced by Dox limits its clinical application. Post-transcriptional protein modification via ubiquitination/deubiquitination in cardiomyocytes mediates the pathophysiological process in Dox-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). In this study, we aimed to clarify the regulatory role and mechanism of a deubiquitinating enzyme, ubiquitin-specific peptidase 13 (USP13), in DIC. RNA-seq analysis and experimental examinations identified that cardiomyocyte-derived USP13 positively correlated with DIC. Mice with cardiac-specific deletion of USP13 were subjected to Dox modeling. Adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) carrying cTNT promoter was constructed to overexpress USP13 in mouse heart tissues. Cardiomyocyte-specific knockout of USP13 exacerbated DIC, while its overexpression mitigated DIC in mice. Mechanistically, USP13 deubiquitinates the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) and promotes the autolysosome-related degradation of STING, subsequently alleviating cardiomyocyte inflammation and death. Our study suggests that USP13 serves a cardioprotective role in DIC and indicates USP13 as a potential therapeutic target for DIC treatment.
9.Deubiquitinase OTUD6A alleviates acetaminophen-induced liver injury by targeting EZH2 to reduce cell death in hepatocytes.
Yanni ZHAO ; Tianyang JIN ; Tingxin XU ; Yi FANG ; Qingsong ZHENG ; Wu LUO ; Weiwei ZHU ; Yue CHEN ; Jiong WANG ; Yi CHEN ; Wei ZUO ; Lijiang HUANG ; Guang LIANG ; Yi WANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(9):4772-4788
Acetaminophen (APAP) is the primary cause of drug-induced acute liver failure. Ovarian tumor deubiquitinase 6A (OTUD6A), a recently discovered deubiquitinase of the OTU family, has been primarily studied in tumor contexts. However, its role in APAP-induced liver injury (AILI) remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the involvement of OTUD6A in the pathogenesis of AILI. Our findings demonstrated a substantial upregulation of OTUD6A in both the liver tissue and isolated hepatocytes of mice following APAP stimulation. OTUD6A knockout exacerbated APAP-induced inflammation, hepatocyte necrosis, and liver injury, whereas OTUD6A overexpression alleviated these pathologies. Mechanistically, OTUD6A directly interacted with the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and selectively removed K48-linked polyubiquitin chains from EZH2, enhancing its stability. This resulted in increased protein levels of EZH2 and H3K27me3, as well as reduced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and cell death in hepatocytes. Collectively, our research uncovers a novel role for OTUD6A in mitigating APAP-induced liver injury by promoting EZH2 stabilization.
10.Expert consensus on apical microsurgery.
Hanguo WANG ; Xin XU ; Zhuan BIAN ; Jingping LIANG ; Zhi CHEN ; Benxiang HOU ; Lihong QIU ; Wenxia CHEN ; Xi WEI ; Kaijin HU ; Qintao WANG ; Zuhua WANG ; Jiyao LI ; Dingming HUANG ; Xiaoyan WANG ; Zhengwei HUANG ; Liuyan MENG ; Chen ZHANG ; Fangfang XIE ; Di YANG ; Jinhua YU ; Jin ZHAO ; Yihuai PAN ; Shuang PAN ; Deqin YANG ; Weidong NIU ; Qi ZHANG ; Shuli DENG ; Jingzhi MA ; Xiuping MENG ; Jian YANG ; Jiayuan WU ; Yi DU ; Junqi LING ; Lin YUE ; Xuedong ZHOU ; Qing YU
International Journal of Oral Science 2025;17(1):2-2
Apical microsurgery is accurate and minimally invasive, produces few complications, and has a success rate of more than 90%. However, due to the lack of awareness and understanding of apical microsurgery by dental general practitioners and even endodontists, many clinical problems remain to be overcome. The consensus has gathered well-known domestic experts to hold a series of special discussions and reached the consensus. This document specifies the indications, contraindications, preoperative preparations, operational procedures, complication prevention measures, and efficacy evaluation of apical microsurgery and is applicable to dentists who perform apical microsurgery after systematic training.
Microsurgery/standards*
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Humans
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Apicoectomy
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Contraindications, Procedure
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Tooth Apex/diagnostic imaging*
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Postoperative Complications/prevention & control*
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Consensus
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Treatment Outcome

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