1.Lysosomes as Regulators of Cancer Stemness and Drug Resistance
Fa-Xiao ZHOU ; Di-Ping YU ; Si-Qi TAN ; Hong-Yu DUAN ; Xiao-Ming WU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(4):951-967
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a distinct subpopulation of cells characterized by self-renewal capacity, differentiation potential, and critical roles in driving tumor progression, therapeutic resistance, recurrence, and maintenance of the tumor microenvironment. Targeting CSCs has emerged as a pivotal direction in cancer research, offering novel strategies to overcome drug resistance and prevent metastasis and relapse. Lysosomes, traditionally recognized as central organelles for intracellular degradation and recycling, are indispensable for cellular homeostasis. Dysregulation of lysosomal function is intimately linked to various diseases, including cancer. In tumors, aberrant lysosomal activity can promote malignant progression through mechanisms such as altering metabolic pathways, enhancing lysosomal exocytosis, modulating drug resistance, and interfering with autophagy-lysosomal pathways. Recent studies have underscored the involvement of lysosomes in regulating CSC properties. This review synthesizes findings on lysosomal regulation of CSCs through the following aspects. (1) Lysosomes exert complex and critical bidirectional control over CSC stemness maintenance through three degradation pathways that are dependent on their degradative function. (i) The lysophagy pathway. This pathway exhibits dual roles. Activation can sustain CSC functions; for instance, in glioblastoma, hypoxia upregulates Gal-8 via the STAT3/HIF1α signaling axis to induce autophagy, supporting stem cell survival. In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, degradation of GSK3β activates the Wnt pathway, enhancing stemness. Conversely, this pathway can suppress stemness by degrading stemness-related proteins such as BMI-1 and OCT4A, thereby impairing CSC self-renewal capacity. (ii) Mitophagy pathway. In non-small cell lung cancer stem cells, mitophagy-related mechanisms, such as the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) activating the TLR9-Notch1-AMPK signaling axis, have been shown to promote CSC proliferation. (iii) Autophagosome-dependent lysosomal degradation pathway. This pathway directly regulates stemness-related proteins in a bidirectional manner. Enhanced degradative function can promote CSC properties, exemplified by the degradation of NUMB to activate Notch signaling. Conversely, attenuated degradative function can also enhance stemness by stabilizing oncoproteins (e.g., protecting Frizzled-1 from degradation to sustain Wnt signaling) or preventing the degradation of tumor suppressors (e.g., inhibiting Notch degradation). (2) Constituent proteins of lysosomes, including membrane proteins and luminal acid hydrolases, participate in regulating CSC stemness. Regarding membrane proteins, LAMP2A facilitates chaperone-mediated autophagy to maintain stemness in glioblastoma and ovarian cancer. V-ATPase, by maintaining an acidic luminal environment, promotes proliferation and drug resistance in glioma stem cells. Among hydrolases, cathepsins B and L are highly expressed in pancreatic and ovarian cancers and correlate with poor prognosis. Furthermore, targeting lysosomes to induce lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) triggers lysosome-mediated cell death, presenting a potential therapeutic strategy for eradicating CSCs.(3) The acidic luminal environment, single-membrane structure, and the presence of transmembrane transporters (e.g., ABCA3) enable lysosomes to passively trap or actively uptake and sequester chemotherapeutic drugs. Subsequent drug extrusion via exocytosis confers drug resistance. In CSCs, this lysosome-mediated drug sequestration, often cooperating with autophagy, establishes multimodal drug resistance. Therefore, targeting lysosomal function represents a potential strategy to overcome therapy resistance. The central role of lysosomes in regulating CSC stemness and resistance positions them as highly promising therapeutic targets. Strategies aimed at disrupting lysosomal function to selectively eliminate CSCs include: inhibiting the lysosome-autophagy system using agents like IITZ or lovastatin; inducing lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) with compounds such as hexamethylene amiloride to compromise membrane stability; and disrupting the acidic luminal environment using drugs like siramesine or the K/H transport compound 2. In conclusion, lysosomes critically regulate CSC stemness maintenance and drug resistance through degradative pathways, membrane protein functions, luminal hydrolase activities, and drug sequestration mechanisms. This redefines the lysosome from a traditional “waste disposal unit” to a “signal integration center” in CSCs. The duality and context-dependency of lysosomal function in CSCs offer novel insights into the heterogeneity observed across different tumors. Targeting lysosomal vulnerabilities—such as inducing LMP, disrupting acidity, or blocking autophagic flux—provides a strategy to bypass canonical CSC resistance mechanisms and directly trigger cell death. This establishes the lysosome as a key target to overcome CSC-mediated therapy resistance, paving the way for developing diverse candidate drugs and innovative combination therapies in oncology.
2.Olfactory Receptors Expressed in The Intestine and Their Functions
Pei-Wen YANG ; Meng-Meng YUAN ; Ying ZHOU ; Peng LI ; Gui-Hong QI ; Ying YANG ; Zhong-Yi MAO ; Meng-Sha ZHOU ; Xiao-Shuang MAO ; Jian-Ping XIE ; Yi-Nan YANG ; Shi-Hao SUN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):534-549
Olfactory receptors (ORs) form the largest superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Traditionally recognized for their role in the nasal olfactory epithelium, where they mediate the sense of smell, accumulating evidence has firmly established their ectopic expression in non-olfactory tissues, including the intestine, lungs, and kidneys. The intestine, as the primary site for nutrient digestion and absorption, harbors a highly complex chemical environment. To adapt to this environment, the gut employs a sophisticated network of “chemosensors” to monitor luminal contents and maintain homeostasis. Among these sensors, intestinal ORs have emerged as crucial functional components, serving as a molecular bridge that connects environmental chemical signals—such as food-derived odorants—to specific physiological responses. This discovery has significantly deepened our understanding of how dietary flavors and compounds influence intestinal physiology at the molecular level. This review systematically summarizes the expression profiles, ligand classification, and biological functions of ORs within the gastrointestinal tract. Studies indicate that intestinal ORs exhibit distinct spatial distribution patterns across different gut segments and display cell-type specificity, particularly within enterocytes and enteroendocrine cells. These receptors function as versatile sensors capable of recognizing a wide variety of ligands, including exogenous dietary components, gut microbiota metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, and endogenous small molecules like azelaic acid. Upon activation by specific ligands, intestinal ORs trigger intracellular signaling cascades, primarily involving the AC-cAMP-PKA pathway or calcium influx channels. A major focus of this review is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which these receptors regulate the secretion of gut hormones. Activation of specific ORs in enteroendocrine cells has been shown to stimulate the release of hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), peptide YY (PYY), and serotonin (5-HT), thereby modulating systemic energy metabolism, glucose homeostasis, and gastrointestinal motility. Furthermore, the review addresses the critical roles of ORs in immune regulation and pathology. Evidence suggests that specific ORs contribute to the maintenance of intestinal immune homeostasis and may offer protection against inflammation. Beyond their involvement in inflammatory responses, ORs such as Olfr78 have been shown to regulate the differentiation and function of intestinal endocrine cells. Similarly, Olfr544 has been demonstrated to alleviate intestinal inflammation by remodeling the gut microbiome and metabolome. These findings collectively suggest that specific ORs hold promise as therapeutic targets for mitigating intestinal inflammation and maintaining gut homeostasis. Additionally, the review explores the emerging role of ORs in cancer. Although OR expression is often downregulated in tumor tissues compared to normal mucosa, activation of specific ORs by certain ligands can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and migration and induce apoptosis via pathways such as MEK/ERK and p38 MAPK. Conversely, other receptors, such as OR7C1, may serve as biomarkers for cancer-initiating cells. In conclusion, intestinal ORs represent a vital component of the gut’s sensory network. The review also discusses the translational potential of these findings. By elucidating the precise pairing relationships between dietary components and specific ORs, novel therapeutic strategies could be developed. Intestinal ORs may thus emerge as promising targets for nutritional and pharmacological interventions in metabolic diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, and malignancies.
3.Protective effects and mechanisms of luteolin on vascular injury induced by polystyrene microplastics
Deyu ZHU ; Qi HUANG ; Xiao LIANG ; Zhuangzhuang WEI ; Xinyu BAO ; Ping MA ; Yang WU ; Cuiyu BAO
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(3):432-438
ObjectiveTo explore the vascular endothelial injury in male mice caused by exposure to polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) and the intervention effect of luteolin on vascular remodeling. Additionally, to investigate the mechanism through the oxidative system and metabolomics. MethodsThirty-two C57BL/6 mice (6-8 weeks old) were randomly divided into the saline group (saline group), the 0.1 mg/kg PS-MPs exposure group (0.1PS-MPs group), the 1 mg/kg PS-MPs exposure group (1PS-MPs group), and the 1 mg/kg PS-MPs + luteolin treatment group (1PS-MPs + Lut group), with 8 mice in each group. After 8 weeks of intervention, the body weight, blood pressure, aortic organ coefficient, and aortic histopathological changes of mice in each group were detected; the total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) lipid metabolism-related indicators in the aorta of mice were detected; the reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) oxidative stress-related indicators were detected; the endothelin (ET-1), nitric oxide (NO), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1/CD106), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1/CD54) endothelial function-related indicators and serum metabolomics were detected. ResultsCompared to the saline group, exposure to PS-MPs resulted in pathological thickening of the mouse aorta, increased aortic organ coefficient, and elevated blood pressure. Lipid metabolism-related indicators, including TC and TG, were elevated, while HDL-C was reduced, indicating lipid metabolism disorder in mice. Oxidative stress markers such as ROS and MDA increased, whereas GSH decreased, demonstrating oxidative damage. Vascular endothelial inflammation and injury markers, including ET-1, VEGF-A, VCAM-1, and ICAM-1, were upregulated, while the vasodilatory substance NO was downregulated, confirming endothelial injury. Furthermore, serum metabolomics results revealed that PS-MPs exposure induced endothelial damage by disrupting metabolic pathways such as the citrate cycle. Compared to the PS-MPs group, luteolin significantly reversed these effects, attenuating oxidative stress and lipid metabolism disorders, and effectively repairing endothelial injury. ConclusionPS-MPs induce vascular toxicity through oxidative stress and lipid metabolism. Luteolin effectively alleviates endothelial damage and vascular remodeling.
4.Development goals and strategies of ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica.
Chuan-Zhi KANG ; Si-Qi LIU ; Bang-Xing HAN ; Tao ZHOU ; Xiao WANG ; Da-Hui LIU ; Ye YANG ; Lan-Ping GUO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(1):42-47
This paper aims to contribute to guaranteeing the stable development and enhancing the understanding of ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica so that the national strategy and industrial demand can be better served. It first introduces current traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)policy and industrial development status from five aspects, including policy guarantee, theoretical support, technological innovation, standardization system, and brand influence. Then, the paper analyzes the development dilemma of TCM agriculture in production and quality increase and ecological environment protection. It also proposes the development goals of ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica that meet the current industrial development demand, which are reducing chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and carbon emissions, improving quality, increasing efficiency, and protecting ecological environment. In addition, the new development goals are interpreted through case studies. Finally, this paper proposes four development strategies for ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica: conducting research on the pattern and spatial and temporal variations of nationwide TCM production areas; studying the internal and external ecological memories of medicinal plant growth from the perspectives of genetic variations and environmental adaptation variations and elucidating their contributions to the formation of quality; carrying out selection and breeding of stress-resistant varieties for ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica, the optimization of key technologies for soil improvement and restoration and green prevention and control against diseases and pests, and the improvement of quality; carrying out research on the quality assurance and value realization of ecological products made from TCM. This research can provide guidance for policy formulation, theoretical development of the discipline, and the enhancement of industrial technology for ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica.
Agriculture/methods*
;
China
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal
;
Plants, Medicinal/chemistry*
;
Ecosystem
;
Materia Medica
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
5.Explanation and interpretation of blood transfusion provisions for children with hematological diseases in the national health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion".
Ming-Yi ZHAO ; Rong HUANG ; Rong GUI ; Qing-Nan HE ; Ming-Yan HEI ; Xiao-Fan ZHU ; Jun LU ; Xiao-Jun XU ; Tian-Ming YUAN ; Rong ZHANG ; Xu WANG ; Jin-Ping LIU ; Jing WANG ; Zhi-Li SHAO ; Yong-Jian GUO ; Xin-Yin WU ; Jia-Rui CHEN ; Qi-Rong CHEN ; Jia GUO ; Ming-Hua YANG
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(1):18-25
To guide clinical blood transfusion practices for pediatric patients, the National Health Commission has issued the health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion" (WS/T 795-2022). Blood transfusion is one of the most commonly used supportive treatments for children with hematological diseases. This guideline provides guidance and recommendations for blood transfusions in children with aplastic anemia, thalassemia, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, acute leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. This article presents the evidence and interpretation of the blood transfusion provisions for children with hematological diseases in the "Guideline for pediatric transfusion", aiming to assist in the understanding and implementing the blood transfusion section of this guideline.
Humans
;
Child
;
Hematologic Diseases/therapy*
;
Blood Transfusion/standards*
;
Practice Guidelines as Topic
6.Explanation and interpretation of the compilation of blood transfusion provisions for children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the national health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion".
Rong HUANG ; Qing-Nan HE ; Ming-Yan HEI ; Xiao-Fan ZHU ; Jun LU ; Xiao-Jun XU ; Tian-Ming YUAN ; Rong ZHANG ; Xu WANG ; Jin-Ping LIU ; Jing WANG ; Zhi-Li SHAO ; Ming-Yi ZHAO ; Yong-Jian GUO ; Xin-Yin WU ; Jia-Rui CHEN ; Qi-Rong CHEN ; Jia GUO ; Rong GUI ; Ming-Hua YANG
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(2):139-143
To guide clinical blood transfusion practices for pediatric patients, the National Health Commission has issued the health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion" (WS/T 795-2022). Blood transfusion for children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is highly complex and challenging. This guideline provides recommendations on transfusion thresholds and the selection of blood components for these children. This article presents the evidence and interpretation of the transfusion provisions for children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, with the aim of enhancing the understanding and implementation of the "Guideline for pediatric transfusion".
Humans
;
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
;
Child
;
Blood Transfusion/standards*
;
Practice Guidelines as Topic
7.Explanation and interpretation of blood transfusion provisions for critically ill and severely bleeding pediatric patients in the national health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion".
Rong HUANG ; Qing-Nan HE ; Ming-Yan HEI ; Ming-Hua YANG ; Xiao-Fan ZHU ; Jun LU ; Xiao-Jun XU ; Tian-Ming YUAN ; Rong ZHANG ; Xu WANG ; Jin-Ping LIU ; Jing WANG ; Zhi-Li SHAO ; Ming-Yi ZHAO ; Yong-Jian GUO ; Xin-Yin WU ; Jia-Rui CHEN ; Qi-Rong CHEN ; Jia GUO ; Rong GUI
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(4):395-403
To guide clinical blood transfusion practices for pediatric patients, the National Health Commission has issued the health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion" (WS/T 795-2022). Critically ill children often present with anemia and have a higher demand for transfusions compared to other pediatric patients. This guideline provides guidance and recommendations for blood transfusions in cases of general critical illness, septic shock, acute brain injury, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, non-life-threatening bleeding, and hemorrhagic shock. This article interprets the background and evidence of the blood transfusion provisions for critically ill and severely bleeding children in the "Guideline for pediatric transfusion", aiming to enhance understanding and implementation of this aspect of the guidelines. Citation:Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics, 2025, 27(4): 395-403.
Humans
;
Critical Illness
;
Blood Transfusion/standards*
;
Child
;
Hemorrhage/therapy*
;
Practice Guidelines as Topic
8.Explanation and interpretation of blood transfusion provisions for children undergoing cardiac surgery in the national health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion".
Rong HUANG ; Qing-Nan HE ; Ming-Yan HEI ; Ming-Hua YANG ; Xiao-Fan ZHU ; Jun LU ; Xiao-Jun XU ; Tian-Ming YUAN ; Rong ZHANG ; Xu WANG ; Jing WANG ; Zhi-Li SHAO ; Ming-Yi ZHAO ; Yong-Jian GUO ; Xin-Yin WU ; Jia-Rui CHEN ; Qi-Rong CHEN ; Jia GUO ; Rong GUI ; Jin-Ping LIU
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(7):778-785
To guide clinical blood transfusion practices in pediatric patients, the National Health Commission has issued the health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion" (WS/T 795-2022). Children undergoing cardiac surgery are at high risk of bleeding, and the causes of perioperative anemia and coagulation disorders in neonates and children are complex and varied, often necessitating the transfusion of allogeneic blood components. This guideline provides direction and recommendations for specific measures in blood management for children undergoing cardiac surgery before, during, and after surgery. This article interprets the background and evidence for the formulation of the blood transfusion provisions for children undergoing cardiac surgery, hoping to facilitate the understanding and implementation of this guideline.
Humans
;
Cardiac Surgical Procedures
;
Blood Transfusion/standards*
;
Child
;
Practice Guidelines as Topic
9.Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill Improves Stable Angina Patients with Phlegm-Heat and Blood-Stasis Syndrome: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
Ying-Qiang ZHAO ; Yong-Fa XING ; Ke-Yong ZOU ; Wei-Dong JIANG ; Ting-Hai DU ; Bo CHEN ; Bao-Ping YANG ; Bai-Ming QU ; Li-Yue WANG ; Gui-Hong GONG ; Yan-Ling SUN ; Li-Qi WANG ; Gao-Feng ZHOU ; Yu-Gang DONG ; Min CHEN ; Xue-Juan ZHANG ; Tian-Lun YANG ; Min-Zhou ZHANG ; Ming-Jun ZHAO ; Yue DENG ; Chang-Jiang XIAO ; Lin WANG ; Bao-He WANG
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(8):685-693
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents.
METHODS:
This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs).
RESULTS:
This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed.
CONCLUSION
STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans
;
Double-Blind Method
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Middle Aged
;
Angina, Stable/physiopathology*
;
Aged
;
Syndrome
;
Treatment Outcome
;
Placebos
;
Tablets
10.Studies on the best production mode of traditional Chinese medicine driven by artificial intelligence and its engineering application.
Zheng LI ; Ning-Tao CHENG ; Xiao-Ping ZHAO ; Yi TAO ; Qi-Long XUE ; Xing-Chu GONG ; Yang YU ; Jie-Qiang ZHU ; Yi WANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(12):3197-3203
The traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) industry is a crucial part of China's pharmaceutical sector and plays a strategic role in ensuring public health and promoting economic and social development. In response to the practical demand for high-quality development of the TCM industry, this paper focused on the bottlenecks encountered during the digital and intelligent transformation of TCM production systems. Specifically, it explored technical strategies and methodologies for constructing the best TCM production mode. An innovative artificial intelligence(AI)-centered technical architecture for TCM production was proposed, focusing on key aspects of production management including process modeling, state evaluation, and decision optimization. Furthermore, a series of critical technologies were developed to realize the best TCM production mode. Finally, a novel AI-driven TCM production mode characterized by a closed-loop system of "measurement-modeling-decision-execution" was presented through engineering case studies. This study is expected to provide a technological pathway for developing new quality productive forces within the TCM industry.
Artificial Intelligence
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods*
;
Humans

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail