1.The Role of FASN in Tumors and Its Targeted Therapy
Wen-Jing JIANG ; Ruo-Xi ZHANG ; Yu-Qing TAI ; Ya-Wen SUN ; Xi-Yu ZHANG ; Xiao LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(4):920-935
Malignant tumors represent a major threat to global health. Conventional anti-tumor pharmacotherapy often encounters challenges such as drug resistance, highlighting an urgent need for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Fatty acid synthase (FASN), the key enzyme catalyzing de novo fatty acid synthesis, is subject to precise regulation at multiple levels, including transcriptional control, various post-translational modifications such as ubiquitination and phosphorylation, as well as modulation by diverse signaling pathways. Recent studies have revealed that FASN is aberrantly overexpressed in various malignant tumors and is closely associated with tumor progression and poor patient prognosis. FASN is a homodimer composed of seven functional domains that catalyzes the NADPH-dependent condensation of acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA to generate saturated fatty acids, primarily palmitic acid. Its stability is regulated by multiple ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinating enzymes. Additionally, FASN is subject to upstream regulation via neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated 8 (Nedd8) modification and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, thereby establishing a metabolic-signaling positive feedback loop. As a core executor of metabolic reprogramming, FASN promotes tumorigenesis through dual mechanisms. First, its fatty acid synthesis product, palmitate, participates in membrane phospholipid synthesis, lipid raft formation, and protein palmitoylation, thereby activating several key oncogenic signaling pathways, including PI3K/AKT/mTOR, wingless-type MMTV integration site family member (Wnt)/β‑catenin, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)/matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), leading to tumor development and progression. Second, FASN plays a pivotal role in modulating the anti-tumor functions of immune cells and remodeling the tumor immune microenvironment. Specifically, FASN enhances immune checkpoint inhibition by inducing programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) palmitoylation, suppresses the activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells, and promotes the polarization of M2-type macrophages, consequently facilitating tumor immune evasion and malignant progression. Precisely due to its significant overexpression in tumor cells, its critical functional role, and its differential expression compared to normal cells, FASN has emerged as a highly promising target for anti-tumor drug development. Highly selective small-molecule inhibitors, notably represented by TVB-2640, have advanced to clinical trial stages and demonstrated favorable anti-tumor activity. Furthermore, the combination of FASN inhibitors with other chemotherapeutic agents or targeted drugs can overcome the limitations of monotherapy through synergistic effects or by resensitizing tumor cells to conventional drugs, achieving a “1+1>2” therapeutic outcome. With the advancement of modern traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), numerous active ingredients derived from TCM have been confirmed to exert anti-tumor effects by modulating FASN-related pathways. This integrated approach leverages the precision of Western medicine while simultaneously harnessing the holistic regulatory benefits of TCM to alleviate the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Despite the promising prospects of FASN-targeted therapies, challenges remain, including tumor cell metabolic plasticity, tumor context-dependent responses, and heterogeneity. This review systematically summarizes the molecular structure, physiological functions, and mechanisms of FASN in tumorigenesis, as well as recent advances in targeted therapies. Future directions—including the precise identification of responsive patient populations using spatial transcriptomics, the development of novel combination regimens, and the active exploration of integrative strategies combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine—will facilitate the clinical translation of FASN-targeted therapies and open new avenues for improving the quality of life and prognosis of cancer patients.
2.Wisdom Inheritance of Distinguished Physicians' Experience Through Integration of Multimodal Data and AIGC: A Case Study on Experience in Diagnosis and Treatment of Lung Cancer with Phlegm-dampness and Blood Stasis Syndrome by Distinguished Traditional Chinese Medicine Physicians of Sichuan School
Yang YU ; Yadong MU ; Wenping LIU ; Chongcheng XI ; Li ZHANG ; Yan GAO ; Cen JIANG ; Quansheng FENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(14):14-25
Lung cancer, with persistently high incidence and mortality rates, remains a significant global health challenge. By taking the study on the experience in diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer with phlegm-dampness and blood stasis syndrome by distinguished traditional Chinese medicine physicians of the Sichuan School as an example, the diagnosis and treatment system for lung cancer with phlegm-dampness and blood stasis syndrome, which was formed in response to the humid and foggy environment of the Sichuan Basin, possesses unique value. However, traditional inheritance modes face challenges such as fragmentation, lack of standardization, and insufficient quantification, which hinder the promotion and application of this experience. This research focused on how to leverage multimodal data and artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC) to achieve precise analysis, intelligent inheritance, and clinical innovation of the experience in diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer with phlegm-dampness and blood stasis syndrome by distinguished traditional Chinese medicine physicians of the Sichuan School. By integrating multimodal data (encompassing four diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine, modern medical imaging, clinical laboratory tests, molecular biology, and regional environmental information), a precise diagnosis and treatment system integrating macro and micro perspectives for the "disease, syndrome, and pathogenesis" was constructed. The research yielded the following results: (1) In precise syndrome differentiation, the objective quantification of the phlegm-dampness and blood stasis syndrome was achieved. By constructing a "four diagnostic methods, imaging, and molecule" correlation model, the study revealed intrinsic links between tongue and pulse parameters and the tumor microenvironment, as well as between regional climatic factors and syndrome characteristics, enabling real-time dynamic monitoring of efficacy. (2) In elucidating patterns, the study systematically explored the syndrome differentiation thoughts of Sichuan School physicians, such as the timing of purgation and tonification. A "pathogenesis, syndrome complex, and prescriptions and herb" network model was constructed, which accurately elucidated the synergistic action mechanisms of core herb pairs and quantified the dynamic compatibility patterns of reinforcing healthy Qi and eliminating pathogenic factors. (3) In intelligent empowerment, an auxiliary system integrating intelligent syndrome differentiation, treatment plan generation, and efficacy evaluation was built. This system can fuse regional characteristics with individual data, dynamically generate and optimize personalized prescriptions aligned with the experience of Sichuan School, and predict efficacy trends and potential adverse reactions. The integration of multimodal data and AIGC can effectively facilitate the structured inheritance and clinical translation of distinguished physicians' experience. The established intelligent diagnosis and treatment model integrating traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine demonstrates clear potential in prolonging patients' progression-free survival, alleviating symptoms, and reducing adverse reactions to treatment. This study provides a referential methodological framework for the traditional Chinese medicine experience in diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, especially the empirical inheritance and modernized development of regional academic schools. It contributes to advancing clinical diagnosis and treatment toward greater precision and personalization.
3.The SMAD-Pathway Mediates HMGB1-Induced Proliferation and Metastatic Progression in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells
De-De LIAN ; Xue Mei LI ; Yu-Xi JIA ; Ming-Wei ZHOU ; Xiang-Ru CHEN ; Yang-Yang TIAN ; Min LI ; Ming-Hui SUN ; Ye ZHAO ; Hong-Jun LI ; Qing-Ling ZHANG
Annals of Dermatology 2026;38(1):51-58
Background:
High-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) is a chromatin-binding protein involved in arthritis, ischemia, sepsis, atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative disorders, meningitis, and cancer. HMGB1 exhibits dual roles in cancer, acting as either a tumor suppressor or oncoprotein depending on context.
Objective:
This research aimed to elucidate HMGB1’s functional significance in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC).
Methods:
We overexpressed HMGB1 in cSCC cell lines using recombinant adenovirus and examined its effects on cell proliferation, colony formation, and cell migration.
Results:
Immunohistochemical analysis revealed elevated HMGB1 expression levels in cSCC tissue relative to normal epidermis. To assess the influence of HMGB1, we employed recombinant adenoviruses expressing HMGB1 to transduce SCC cell lines (SCC12 and SCC13). Enhanced HMGB1 expression significantly promoted cellular proliferation and colony formation capacity.Notably, HMGB1 overexpression elevated the levels of proliferation regulators, including P63, SOX2, CDK4 and CDK6. Furthermore, HMGB1 overexpression substantially enhanced tumor invasiveness, accompanied by upregulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarkers. Mechanistically, overexpression of HMGB1 enhanced transforming growth factor-β signaling by increasing phosphorylation of SMAD2/3, the key mediators of EMT.
Conclusion
These data imply that HMGB1 acts as a tumor-promoting factor in cSCC.
4.Expert consensus on the application of artificial intelligence in lung cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment (2026 edition)
Wenzhao ZHONG ; Haibo WANG ; Yi HU ; Hao ZHANG ; Jigang DAI ; Junqiang FAN ; Guibin QIAO ; Fan YANG ; Jian HU ; Fengwei TAN ; Xuening YANG ; Qiang PU ; Zihao CHEN ; Hongxia TIAN ; Lunxu LIU ; Hecheng LI ; Xiaolong YAN ; Zongyang YU ; Zhenbin QIU ; Yihua SUN ; Jing HU ; Yuhang SHI ; Zhifei GUO ; Peng ZHANG ; Kezhong CHEN ; Shugeng GAO ; Yilong WU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2026;33(06):848-856
With the continuous deepening of the concept of precision diagnosis and treatment for lung cancer, how to achieve higher efficiency and accuracy in the screening, diagnosis, and treatment pathways in clinical practice has become an important issue that urgently needs to be overcome. The current clinical difficulty lies in the fact that despite continuous advancements in imaging and molecular diagnostic technologies, there are still limitations in manual efficiency and subjective experience when it comes to massive data analysis and multi-scale feature extraction. Artificial intelligence (AI), especially algorithm systems based on deep learning, is an innovative technology capable of deeply empowering medical big data. This method utilizes algorithms such as convolutional neural networks, combined with radiomics, pathomics, and multi-modal data fusion analysis, demonstrating immense potential in early precise detection and benign-malignant differentiation of pulmonary nodules, digital pathological subtype recognition and non-invasive prediction of driver genes, precise 3D surgical planning and automatic delineation of radiotherapy target volumes, as well as dynamic risk warning during follow-up. This innovative technology provides a brand-new solution for realizing intelligent and individualized lung cancer diagnosis and treatment models. This consensus, based on the latest evidence from evidence-based medicine and combined with the development trends in the AI field and real-world clinical needs, was ultimately formed by gathering the consensus opinions of multidisciplinary experts in radiology, pathology, thoracic surgery, and other fields. The main content covers the application specifications of AI in the three core scenarios of lung cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment, the technical standards for data collection and algorithm validation, as well as the ethical and regulatory challenges faced at the current stage. It aims to clarify the applicable boundaries of AI as a clinical auxiliary decision support tool, providing scientific guidance and standardized exploration directions for peers currently engaged in or planning to carry out AI-assisted clinical diagnosis, treatment, and translation of lung cancer.
5.The first record of Anopheles messeae (Diptera: Culicidae) parasitized by water mites in China
Xue-ru CHEN ; Wen-zhen YAO ; Yu-hao LI ; Gui-chang LI ; Tao MENG ; Qun-ling FENG ; Xin-hui LIU ; Li-hong QIAO ; Xiang-ting WU ; Xue-feng ZHANG ; Cheng-lin LI ; Xue-cheng DONG ; Da-wei WANG ; Xiao-yan SI ; Yu-hong GUO
Acta Parasitologica et Medica Entomologica Sinica 2026;33(1):53-57
Objective This study reports on the obligatory parasitism of water mites Arrenurus sp. on Anopheles messeae at the Manzhouli Port, Inner Mongolia, China. Methods Duing July 2024, a survey on the mosquito diversity was conducted at the Manzhouli Port. Captured mosquitoes and their ectoparasites were identified to species level. Results A total of 1840 adult mosquitoes were collected, representing species from three genera: Culex(Cx. modestus, Cx. pipiens pallens), Aedes(Ae. dorsalis, Ae. flavidorsalis, Ae. flavescens), and Anopheles (An. messeae). Among all the mosqutioes specimens,3 out of 150 captured An. messeae were found to carry ectoparasitic mites, with number of 2,4,27 mites separately. Morphological and molecular identification reached the same result as water mites(Hydrachnidiae, Hydracrina). COI gene sequence showed 94% similarity with the closest species Arrenurus truncatellus. Conlusions Literature review suggests water mites are host-specific parasitism of mosquito species and herein with the first record of Arrenurus sp. parasiting on An. Messeae in the most high-latitude region globally.
6.Expert consensus on basic public services for vision health management of primary and secondary school students
YANG Lihua , WU Xi, TAO Shuman, YAO Jun, WU Fengbo, LIU Fangli, MA Yinghua, FENG Zhanchun, SUN Renbiao, LIU Dongru, CHEN Qiusheng, CHEN Jie, YU Yizhen, ZHANG Mingchang, WU Xiaoyan, DU Yukai, LI Xiaoqing, LI Li, WU Xixi, JIN Xiaoqin, XU Ting, WU Mengjia, TANG Jia, Society of Student Vision Health Management of Chinese Health Association, Vision Health Branch of Chinese Association for Student Nutrition & ; Health Promotion
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(8):1069-1074
Abstract
To clarify the service targets, service contents, and safeguard mechanisms of the basic public service program for student vision health management, the study grounded in the current status of child and adolescent myopia prevention and control in China and integrated with the practical experience and innovative practices of Wuhan National Demonstration Area for Student Vision Health Management, takes education as the main thread and schools as the base, consolidating resources from multiple stakeholders including education administrative departments, schools, families, and professional technical service institutions. Centering on four core components—vision health education, monitoring and record keeping, risk prevention and control, and dynamic management, the study constructs a multi tiered basic public service system for vision health management of primary and secondary school students. It further proposes the use of an intelligent management platform and a "three tier color coded early warning" mechanism (red, yellow, blue) to prevent and control student myopia at the source, providing schools with replicable and operable implementation pathways to enhance the level of student vision health management.
7.Severity Assessment Parameters and Diagnostic Technologies of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Zhuo-Zhi FU ; Ya-Cen WU ; Mei-Xi LI ; Ping-Ping YIN ; Hai-Jun LIN ; Fu ZHANG ; Yu-Xiang YANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):147-161
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an increasingly widespread sleep-breathing disordered disease, and is an independent risk factor for many high-risk chronic diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, arrhythmias and diabetes, which is potentially fatal. The key to the prevention and treatment of OSA is early diagnosis and treatment, so the assessment and diagnostic technologies of OSA have become a research hotspot. This paper reviews the research progresses of severity assessment parameters and diagnostic technologies of OSA, and discusses their future development trends. In terms of severity assessment parameters of OSA, apnea hypopnea index (AHI), as the gold standard, together with the percentage of duration of apnea hypopnea (AH%), lowest oxygen saturation (LSpO2), heart rate variability (HRV), oxygen desaturation index (ODI) and the emerging biomarkers, constitute a multi-dimensional evaluation system. Specifically, the AHI, which measures the frequency of sleep respiratory events per hour, does not fully reflect the patients’ overall sleep quality or the extent of their daytime functional impairments. To address this limitation, the AH%, which measures the proportion of the entire sleep cycle affected by apneas and hypopneas, deepens our understanding of the impact on sleep quality. The LSpO2 plays a critical role in highlighting the potential severe hypoxic episodes during sleep, while the HRV offers a different perspective by analyzing the fluctuations in heart rate thereby revealing the activity of the autonomic nervous system. The ODI provides a direct and objective measure of patients’ nocturnal oxygenation stability by calculating the number of desaturation events per hour, and the biomarkers offers novel insights into the diagnosis and management of OSA, and fosters the development of more precise and tailored OSA therapeutic strategies. In terms of diagnostic techniques of OSA, the standardized questionnaire and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) is a simple and effective method for preliminary screening of OSA, and the polysomnography (PSG) which is based on recording multiple physiological signals stands for gold standard, but it has limitations of complex operations, high costs and inconvenience. As a convenient alternative, the home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) allows patients to monitor their sleep with simplified equipment in the comfort of their own homes, and the cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC) offers a minimal version that simply analyzes the electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. As an emerging diagnostic technology of OSA, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) adeptly pinpoint respiratory incidents and expose delicate physiological changes, thus casting new light on the diagnostic approach to OSA. In addition, imaging examination utilizes detailed visual representations of the airway’s structure and assists in recognizing structural abnormalities that may result in obstructed airways, while sound monitoring technology records and analyzes snoring and breathing sounds to detect the condition subtly, and thus further expands our medical diagnostic toolkit. As for the future development directions, it can be predicted that interdisciplinary integrated researches, the construction of personalized diagnosis and treatment models, and the popularization of high-tech in clinical applications will become the development trends in the field of OSA evaluation and diagnosis.
8.Development and evaluation of the clinical standard operating procedure for dust mite nasal allergen challenge
Yu ZHANG ; Yu SONG ; Xu ZHANG ; Jingyun LI ; Lin XI ; Yuan ZHANG ; Luo ZHANG
Chinese Archives of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 2025;32(8):480-485
OBJECTIVE To establish standardized operating procedures,result interpretation guidelines,and clinical application protocols for dust mite-nasal allergen challenge(NAC),and to systematically evaluate its operational reliability and safety.METHODS Patients with positive serum-specific IgE(sIgE)against mites and healthy controls were enrolled between January 2023 and December 2024.Demographic and clinical information was systematically collected.A standardized mite allergen extract was utilized to prepare the challenge solution for all participants.Bilateral synchronous nasal spray challenges were conducted using progressively increasing concentrations(1 000,3 000,10 000,and 30 000 BU/ml).During the challenge,total nasal symptom scores,visual analogue scale,acoustic rhinometry,active anterior rhinomanometry,and four-phase rhinomanometry were assessed,and all evaluation data and diagnostic outcomes were documented accordingly.RESULTS Compared to the baseline measurements,both subjective symptom scores and objective evaluation indicators in patients demonstrated statistically significant changes following NAC(P≤0.001).Among these patients,40 individuals(81.6%)exhibited a positive response to the dust mite-NAC.All healthy control subjects showed negative results in the test.CONCLUSION This study established standardized operating procedures and clinical application guidelines for the dust mite-NAC.These encompass indications,contraindications,preparation of stimulation solutions,procedural steps,operational standards,criteria for positive results,and pre-/post-examination precautions,thereby providing a clinically actionable framework for dust mite-NAC implementation.
9.Study on Influence of Endogenous Derivatives on Chemical Sensing Performance of Carbon Dots
Ying-Xi QIN ; Yu WANG ; Li-Hua YANG ; Zi-Wei LIU ; Ai-Miao QIN ; Liang FENG
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(1):94-103
The blue fluorescent carbon dots(TMCDs)and cyan fluorescent carbon dots(TMCDs-H2O)were synthesized fromm-phenylenediamine and tricarballylic acid through air-assisted melting polymerization and one-step hydrothermal method,respectively.Air purging could effectively inhibit the side reactions and reduce the derivative structures in the carbon dots product.The structure and morphology of these two materials were systematically characterized using liquid nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy(NMR),mass spectrometry(MS),and transmission electron microscopy.Compared to TMCDs-H2O((3.12±0.63)nm),TMCDs showed a smaller average particle size(approximately(1.85±0.02)nm).The NMR and MS analysis revealed that although the main structure of both types of carbon dots was similar,TMCDs exhibited a simpler structure with higher degree of polymerization.These results suggested that supramolecular interactions might introduce numerous small molecule derivatives into TMCDs-H2O particles,resulting in lower polymerization degree,multiple substructures,and larger particle size characteristics for this material.When employed as chemical sensors for metal ion detection,in the linear range of 1×10-5-5×10-4 mol/L,the detection limits of Fe3+by TMCDs and TMCDs-H2O were 3.3×10-6 mol/L and 3.8×10-6 mol/L,respectively.The experimental results demonstrated that the recoveries of CDs and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer(ICP-OES)were similarity,whereas TMCDs displayed a considerable relative standard deviation.This study demonstrated that endogenously derived structures in CDs could enhance the performance of metal ion sensing.
10.Fast Screening of 10 Kinds of Illegal Aphrodisiac Drugs in Foods by Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry
Xi ZENG ; Yu WANG ; Ying-Li CHEN ; Tian-Tian ZHAO ; Zhen-Lin XU ; Heng-Xin ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(3):441-450,中插3-中插5
A matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF MS)method was developed for simultaneous analysis of 10 kinds of aphrodisiac drugs,including sildenafil,acetildenafil,nor-acetildenafil,homosildenafil,lodenafil carbonate,sildlenafil dimer impurity,vardenafil dimer,hydroxyacetildenafil,N-desmethylsildenafil and udenafil.By using different matrices(α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid(HCCA)and sinapic acid(SA)),the effects of solvents,amount of matrices,laser intensity and spotting methods on the peak strength and signal intensity of MALDI-TOF MS for the aphrodisiac drugs were investigated.As a result,SA was chosen as the matrix,and then dispersed in methanol-water(50∶50,V/V),and spotted by matrix firstly and sample secondly approach with the reflect linear positive mode and laser power of 60%.Under optimal conditions,the proposed MALDI-TOF MS method could obtain stable signal,high intensity and well-repeated mass spectrometric results.The results of method validation showed a linear range from 10 to 100 ng/mL,and the regression coefficients(r)were all above 0.985.The limits of detection(LOD)were 0.1-1.0 ng/mL,and the recoveries were in the range of 72.9%-109.9%for health wine,soft capsule and instant coffee samples,while the relative standard deviations(RSDs)ranged from 0.7%to 11.3%(n=3).The test results of 10 kinds of aphrodisiac drugs by MALDI-TOF MS were in accordance with the results of high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.This method exhibited high sensitivity,high accuracy,good anti-interference ability,low chemical solvents consumption and environmentally friendliness,and could be used to detect drugs without standards.The developed MALDI-TOF MS method could realize the non-target screening and detection of 10 kinds of illegally added aphrodisiac drugs in foods.


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail