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.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory impairment in clinical. Currently, there are no effective treatments for AD. In recent years, a variety of therapeutic approaches from different perspectives have been explored to treat AD. Although the drug therapies targeted at the clearance of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) had made a breakthrough in clinical trials, there were associated with adverse events. Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of AD. Continuous neuroinflammatory was considered to be the third major pathological feature of AD, which could promote the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. At the same time, these toxic substances could accelerate the development of neuroinflammation, form a vicious cycle, and exacerbate disease progression. Reducing neuroinflammation could break the feedback loop pattern between neuroinflammation, Aβ plaque deposition and Tau tangles, which might be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating AD. Traditional Chinese herbs such as Polygonum multiflorum and Curcuma were utilized in the treatment of AD due to their ability to mitigate neuroinflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and indomethacin had been shown to reduce the level of inflammasomes in the body, and taking these drugs was associated with a low incidence of AD. Biosynthetic nanomaterials loaded with oxytocin were demonstrated to have the capability to anti-inflammatory and penetrate the blood-brain barrier effectively, and they played an anti-inflammatory role via sustained-releasing oxytocin in the brain. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells could reduce neuroinflammation and inhibit the activation of microglia. The secretion of mesenchymal stem cells could not only improve neuroinflammation, but also exert a multi-target comprehensive therapeutic effect, making it potentially more suitable for the treatment of AD. Enhancing the level of TREM2 in microglial cells using gene editing technologies, or application of TREM2 antibodies such as Ab-T1, hT2AB could improve microglial cell function and reduce the level of neuroinflammation, which might be a potential treatment for AD. Probiotic therapy, fecal flora transplantation, antibiotic therapy, and dietary intervention could reshape the composition of the gut microbiota and alleviate neuroinflammation through the gut-brain axis. However, the drugs of sodium oligomannose remain controversial. Both exercise intervention and electromagnetic intervention had the potential to attenuate neuroinflammation, thereby delaying AD process. This article focuses on the role of drug therapy, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, gut microbiota therapy, exercise intervention, and brain stimulation in improving neuroinflammation in recent years, aiming to provide a novel insight for the treatment of AD by intervening neuroinflammation in the future.

Copy number variation encompassing SNP plays an important role in IVD and precision medi-cine.As the most commonly used method,FISH could not overcome the probe cross-reactivity which is common when to detect SNP.Here we developed a quantitative and qualitative method on copy number variation encompassing SNP.In this study,the rs76711854 was used as an example to establish a quanti-tative method by advantage of probe cross-reactivity.The fragment encompassing rs76711854 and its downstream to 9 514 bp were amplified by PCR.The allelic genotypes were verified by Sanger sequen-cing.Different probes with or without cross-reactivity to be used via quantitative real-time PCR and digit-al PCR.The different clusters(2D)and fluorescence intensity layers(1D)exist by adding probe with cross-reactivity.The A/G ratio measured by digital PCR is 2︰1,which is verified by probe targeting to the SNP.The copy-number variant exists in the 9kb-long fragment upstream to the SNP of prostate cancer cell line but not in human endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line Ishikawa.The data suggest that there is a multi-copy variation at this locus in DU145 cells.The method applied here is based on one single cross-reactivity probe via digital PCR.

With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.

Persistent atrial fibrillation and other factors can cause mitral and tricuspid annular dilation and leaflet regurgitation,leading to severe functional mitral and tricuspid regurgitation.Patients often experience significant heart failure symptoms and poor prognosis.For patients with severe mitral or tricuspid regurgitation who are at high risk or contraindicated for surgical procedures,transbronchial repair(TEER)is an important alternative therapy that can effectively reduce valve regurgitation and improve cardiac function;Although there is a lack of large-scale data on atrial functional reflux,existing experience still shows that TEER can significantly reduce reflux and improve patients'quality of life.However,double valve intervention therapy poses challenges,especially when combined with TEER repair,which is technically more complex,time-consuming,and carries higher risks.Foreign data shows that simultaneous or staged double valve intervention can safely improve cardiac function and increase survival rates,but the optimal intervention strategy still needs further research.Due to the fact that tricuspid TEER devices have not yet been launched in China,only staged treatment can be adopted at present.This case report shows a patient with severe atrial functional mitral and tricuspid regurgitation who underwent staged transcatheter edge to edge repair surgery successfully.During a 1-year follow-up,bilateral valve regurgitation continued to improve,indicating that staged repair of bilateral atrioventricular valve regurgitation through the catheter margin is a feasible and effective treatment option.

Persistent atrial fibrillation and other factors can cause mitral and tricuspid annular dilation and leaflet regurgitation,leading to severe functional mitral and tricuspid regurgitation.Patients often experience significant heart failure symptoms and poor prognosis.For patients with severe mitral or tricuspid regurgitation who are at high risk or contraindicated for surgical procedures,transbronchial repair(TEER)is an important alternative therapy that can effectively reduce valve regurgitation and improve cardiac function;Although there is a lack of large-scale data on atrial functional reflux,existing experience still shows that TEER can significantly reduce reflux and improve patients'quality of life.However,double valve intervention therapy poses challenges,especially when combined with TEER repair,which is technically more complex,time-consuming,and carries higher risks.Foreign data shows that simultaneous or staged double valve intervention can safely improve cardiac function and increase survival rates,but the optimal intervention strategy still needs further research.Due to the fact that tricuspid TEER devices have not yet been launched in China,only staged treatment can be adopted at present.This case report shows a patient with severe atrial functional mitral and tricuspid regurgitation who underwent staged transcatheter edge to edge repair surgery successfully.During a 1-year follow-up,bilateral valve regurgitation continued to improve,indicating that staged repair of bilateral atrioventricular valve regurgitation through the catheter margin is a feasible and effective treatment option.

Objective To investigate the gene expression profile in rat pancreatic ductal stem cells(PDSCs)when induced to differentiate into insulin-secreting cells(IPCs),with the goal of identifying key genes involved in this differentiation process.Methods The expanded PDSCs were categorized into a normal control(NC)group and an induced(Tre)group.PDSCs continued expansion culture in NC group,and cultured in induction medium for 28 days to facilitate the differentiation of PDSCs into IPCs in Tre group.Dithizone staining was employed to morphologically assess whether the cells exhibited a reddish-brown coloration,indicating a positive result.The immunofluorescence staining method was used to detect the expression of insulin(Ins)and PDX1 in the cells following induction.Additionally,ELISA was conducted to measure the Ins release from IPCs,thereby verifying the responsiveness of the induced cells to glucose-stimulated Ins secretion.Concurrently,cells were collected on induction days 0 and 28 for RNA sequencing(RNA-seq),and differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were analyzed and functionally annotated.The analysis revealed that regulatory factor X3(RFX3)was overexpressed in PDSCs,and the impact of RFX3 upregulation on differentiation induction was subsequently verified.Results Compared with NC group,DTZ staining was positive,PDX1 and Ins proteins were expressed,and an increased release of Ins in response to sugar stimulation was demonstrated in the Tre group.RNA-seq analysis identified 4270 DEGs,and functional enrichment analysis utilizing the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases revealed associations with Ins response,positive regulation of Ins secretion,pancreatic endocrine cell development,and overall pancreatic development.Additionally,functionally related genes such as ALDHA2,CREB5,EIF6,FOXO1,RFX3,WNT5a,OGT,GPR39,SMAD6,and TRPM2 were identified,indicating involvement in the cell cycle,TGF-β1 signaling pathway,FOXO signaling pathway,and Wnt signaling pathway in the regulation of the differentiation of pancreatic ductal stem cells(PDSCs)into insulin-producing cells(IPCs).Furthermore,the upregulation of RFX3 can inhibit the expression of TGF-β1 within 72 hours,thereby promoted the formation and release of Ins from insulin-positive cells.Conclusions Multiple genes and signaling pathways associated with pancreatic β-cell function collectively regulate the differentiation of rat PDSCs into IPCs.Notably,the upregulation of RFX3 enhances this differentiation process.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of skin adverse events associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in patients with urologic neoplasms, and establish a predictive model.Methods:A single-center retrospective case-control study enrolled 91 advanced urologic neoplasms patients who received ICI therapy at the Department of Urology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2020 to June 2025. Patients were divided into the skin lesion group ( n=44) and the control group ( n=47). Patients in the skin lesion group experienced related skin adverse events during ICI treatment, while patients in the control group did not experience such events during ICI treatment. The general data and laboratory indicators were compared between the two groups. The normally distributed measurement data were expressed as mean±standard deviation ( ± s), and the independent sample t-test was used for comparison between groups; the non-normally distributed measurement data were expressed as the median (interquartile range) [ M ( Q1, Q3)], and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparison between groups. The count data were expressed as the number of cases and percentages, and the Chi-test was used for comparison between groups. First, a univariate analysis was conducted on the influencing factors of skin adverse events in patients with urologic neoplasms after ICI treatment. Then, the indicators with statistically significant differences in the univariate analysis were further included in the multivariate Logistic regression model to screen the independent risk factors for predicting skin adverse events. The R software was used to incorporate the factors with significant differences from multivariate analysis into the prediction model and construct a Nomogram. The calibration curve was utilized to evaluate the consistency between predicted values and actual observed results. Meanwhile, the discrimination of the model was verified by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC), so as to comprehensively verify the reliability and clinical application value of the prediction model. Results:The results of univariate analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences between the skin lesion group and the control group in terms of the proportion of other immune responses, serum albumin level, absolute eosinophil count, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels ( P<0.05). These factors were included in multivariate Logistic regression, which identified elevated absolute eosinophil count and elevated CRP as the independent risk factors for related skin adverse events in patients with urologic neoplasms after ICI treatment. A predictive nomogram was built based on these factors. The calibration curve showed high consistency between predicted and actual probabilities, and ROC analysis confirmed the combined model had high predictive value (AUC=0.883, P<0.001). Conclusions:Elevated absolute eosinophil count and elevated CRP level are independent predictors of immune-related skin adverse events in urologic neoplasms patients after ICI treatment. The prediction model constructed based on these two factors facilitates early clinical screening and identification of high-risk patients.

Alzheimer′s disease is a serious neurodegenerative disorder. Approximately 80% to 90% of patients are accompanied by behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), which manifest as a series of behavioral, psychological and mental abnormalities. These abnormalities can accelerate the cognitive deterioration and premature death of patients, and thus are regarded as important clinical symptoms. However, the pathogenesis of BPSD is still unknown, and treatment methods are limited. The pathogenesis of BPSD from the perspective of neuroimaging and pathophysiology, and possible treatment measures were analyzed in this article, in order to provide references for the early diagnosis and treatment of BPSD.

Gene regulation relies on the precise binding of transcription factors (TFs) at regulatory elements, but simultaneously detecting hundreds of TFs on chromatin is challenging. We developed cFOOT-seq, a cytosine deaminase-based TF footprinting assay, for high-resolution, quantitative genome-wide assessment of TF binding in both open and closed chromatin regions, even with small cell numbers. By utilizing the dsDNA deaminase SsdAtox, cFOOT-seq converts accessible cytosines to uracil while preserving genomic integrity, making it compatible with techniques like ATAC-seq for sensitive and cost-effective detection of TF occupancy at the single-molecule and single-cell level. Our approach enables the delineation of TF footprints, quantification of occupancy, and examination of chromatin influences on TF binding. Notably, cFOOT-seq, combined with FootTrack analysis, enables de novo prediction of TF binding sites and tracking of TF occupancy dynamics. We demonstrate its application in capturing cell type-specific TFs, analyzing TF dynamics during reprogramming, and revealing TF dependencies on chromatin remodelers. Overall, cFOOT-seq represents a robust approach for investigating the genome-wide dynamics of TF occupancy and elucidating the cis-regulatory architecture underlying gene regulation.
Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Humans ; Chromatin/genetics* ; Animals ; Binding Sites ; Mice ; DNA Footprinting/methods*