1.Dual Targeting of TBK1 and JAK-STAT1 Pathways by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate Suppresses Type I Interferon-driven Inflammation
Liang LI ; Qi-Huan SHENG ; Huan LIU ; Wen-Hao YANG ; Jia-Lin SHI ; Ying-Jie SUN ; Rui JING ; Wei-Hua MAI ; Zhi-Min LI ; Xiao-Li XIE
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(7):1969-1983
ObjectiveType I interferon (IFN-I) signaling is essential for antiviral innate immunity, yet its sustained or excessive activation contributes to the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases and interferonopathies, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and Aicardi-Goutières syndrome. Current strategies targeting this pathway, exemplified by JAK inhibitors, act mainly on downstream signal transduction and provide limited direct control over upstream IFN-I production, while also carrying the risk of broad immunosuppression. Phyllanthus emblica L. has long been used in traditional medicine for inflammatory disorders, but the bioactive constituent responsible for its regulation of IFN-I signaling and the underlying molecular mechanism have not been clearly defined. This study aimed to identify the active anti-inflammatory component of P. emblica and to characterize its mechanism of action on the IFN-I pathway in macrophages. MethodsActive components ofP. emblica and their candidate targets were screened by network pharmacology using the TCMSP and DrugBank databases (oral bioavailability≥30%, drug-likeness≥0.18) and intersected with inflammation-related genes retrieved from public databases. The predicted interaction between EGCG and IFN-I pathway proteins (TBK1, IRF3, STAT1) was evaluated by molecular docking, with BX795 and GSK8612 used as reference TBK1 inhibitors. Mechanistic experiments were performed in THP-1-derived macrophages and primary bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM). Upstream signaling was activated by transfection of the nucleic acid analogs poly(I∶C) and poly(dA∶dT) or by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, whereas downstream signaling was activated by exogenous IFN-β. An siRNA-mediated TREX1 knockdown model was used to mimic endogenous nucleic acid-driven interferonopathy. Expression of IFN-β1 and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) was measured by RT-qPCR, protein phosphorylation by Western blot, and IFN-β secretion by ELISA. Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) were used to probe the interactionbetween EGCG and IRF3. ResultsNetwork pharmacology identified (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) as a candidate IFN-I-suppressive constituent of P. emblica, with predicted binding to TBK1, IRF3, and STAT1. Molecular docking yielded binding energies of -9.2, -7.2, and -8.2 kcal/mol for TBK1, IRF3, and STAT1, respectively, indicating an affinity for TBK1 comparable to that of the reference inhibitors BX795 (-5.7 kcal/mol) and GSK8612 (-6.4 kcal/mol). EGCG suppressed IFN-β1 and ISG mRNA expression under poly (I∶C), poly (dA∶dT), and LPS stimulation in both THP-1 macrophages and BMDM. At the protein level, EGCG reduced the phosphorylation of TBK1 and IRF3 without affecting the levels of the upstream sensors cGAS and RIG-I, and lowered IFN-β secretion in a concentration-dependent manner. CETSA and DARTS showed that EGCG did not enhance the thermal stability or protease resistance of IRF3, indicating that its effect on IRF3 is indirect. Following IFN-β stimulation, prolonged EGCG treatment reduced STAT1 phosphorylation in a time-dependent manner without an apparent change in IRF9, and partially attenuated ISG transcription; this effect was not monotonicly concentration-dependent, and CXCL10 showed the most consistent suppression. In TREX1-knockdown cells, the elevated mRNA levels of ISG15, ISG56, and CXCL10 were reduced by EGCG. ConclusionEGCG suppresses IFN-I responses by concurrently inhibiting TBK1-IRF3-dependent IFN‑β production and JAK-STAT1-mediated downstream transcription. These in vitro findings provide a mechanistic basis for the anti-inflammatory use of P. emblica in traditional medicine and identify EGCG as a candidate for further evaluation in interferon-driven autoimmune disease models.
2.Erratum: Author correction to "PRMT6 promotes tumorigenicity and cisplatin response of lung cancer through triggering 6PGD/ENO1 mediated cell metabolism" Acta Pharm Sin B 13 (2023) 157-173.
Mingming SUN ; Leilei LI ; Yujia NIU ; Yingzhi WANG ; Qi YAN ; Fei XIE ; Yaya QIAO ; Jiaqi SONG ; Huanran SUN ; Zhen LI ; Sizhen LAI ; Hongkai CHANG ; Han ZHANG ; Jiyan WANG ; Chenxin YANG ; Huifang ZHAO ; Junzhen TAN ; Yanping LI ; Shuangping LIU ; Bin LU ; Min LIU ; Guangyao KONG ; Yujun ZHAO ; Chunze ZHANG ; Shu-Hai LIN ; Cheng LUO ; Shuai ZHANG ; Changliang SHAN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(4):2297-2299
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.05.019.].
3.Potential profile analysis and influencing factors of kinesiophobia in patients with peritoneal dialysis
Min XIE ; Wenkai QI ; Ling YIN ; Xuan ZHANG ; Ruqin ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(9):1080-1086
Objective To explore the latent profiles of kinesiophobia among patients with peritoneal dialysis and analyze the influencing factors of different categories.Methods A convenience sampling method was used to select peritoneal dialysis patients treated in the outpatient and ward of nephrology department in 7 tertiary A hospitals in Jiangsu Province from December 2023 to March 2024.General data questionnaire,Tampa Kinesiophobia-11 Scale,Exercise Self-efficacy Scale,Exercise Social Support Scale and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale were used for investigation.Results A total of 291 cases were included,and 3 potential categories of kinesiophobia were finally identified,namely low kinesiophobia-active exercise group(20.96%),high kinesiophobia-exercise avoidance group(24.06%),and moderate kinesiophobia-general exercise group(54.98%).Exercise self-efficacy,exercise social support,anxiety,monthly per capita household income,marital status and daily number of dialysis dose were influencing factors of kinesiophobia in peritoneal dialysis patients(P<0.05).Conclusion There are significant category characteristics of kinesiophobia in patients with peritoneal dialysis.Medical staff should judge the category and influencing factors of kinesiophobia in time,and take targeted interventions to reduce the level of kinesiophobia in patients.
4.Comparison of retinal vascular perfusion area between adults and children and its correlation with axial length
Jie TAO ; Min WANG ; Xiuying ZHU ; Yue LUO ; Juan XIE ; Qin LI ; Yinyin YOU ; Qi CHEN ; Yunchun ZOU
Recent Advances in Ophthalmology 2025;45(6):463-467
Objective To compare the blood flow perfusion area in different retinal vascular plexuses between adults and children using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography(SS-OCTA)and explore the correlation of the retinal blood flow perfusion area with spherical equivalent(SE)and axial length(AL).Methods A total of 112 partici-pants,including 58 children(116 eyes,aged 8-13 years)and 54 adults(108 eyes,aged 18-30 years),were recruited from Eye Hospital,Wenzhou Medical University from December 2020 to December 2024.Based on SE,these children and adults were further divided into the emmetropia(-0.50<SE ≤+0.50 D),low myopia(-3.00<SE≤-0.50 D),and moderate myopia(-6.00<SE≤-3.00 D)groups.SS-OCTA was used to acquire the perfusion area data across retinal vascular layers.The inner vascular network of the retina was subdivided into the peripapillary radial vascular network,su-perficial vascular plexus(SVP),middle vascular plexus(MVP),and deep vascular plexus(DVP).The blood flow perfu-sion areas across retinal vascular layers were compared between adults and children.Pearson correlation analysis was per-formed to assess the correlation of the blood flow perfusion areas across retinal vascular layers with AL and SE in adults and children,respectively.Results SE was negatively correlated with AL in both adults and children(r=-0.781 and-0.667,respectively;both P<0.001).The total inner retinal perfusion area was negatively correlated with AL in both adults and children(r=-0.239 and-0.299,respectively;both P<0.05).In children,the perfusion area in the peripapil-lary radial vascular network,SVP,and DVP was negatively correlated with AL(r=-0.443,-0.315,and-0.220,respec-tively;all P<0.05).In adults,the perfusion area in SVP,MVP,and DVP was negatively correlated with AL(r=-0.243,-0.230,and-0.364,respectively;all P<0.05).Adults with low/moderate myopia exhibited a significantly larger perfu-sion area in the peripapillary radial vascular network compared with children with corresponding myopia levels,and the differences were statistically significant(both P<0.001).Conclusion There were significant differences in the perfu-sion area of the peripapillary radial vascular network between adult and pediatric myopic patients.AL showed the strongest correlations with the perfusion area of the peripapillary radial vascular network in adults and the perfusion area of DVP in children,respectively,suggesting distinct effects of retinal vascular layers at different stages of ocular growth.
5.Establishment and application of ultra-fast real-time PCR for Brucella detection
Zhen-na XU ; Zhi-peng WU ; Wei-bin HONG ; Zhi-shen GUAN ; Qi-ming LIN ; Zuan-lan MO ; Yi-fei YE ; Hai-yan XIE ; Min LI ; Yan-qiu ZHU ; Xiao-jun LI ; Xian-peng ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(3):278-283
This study was aimed at establishing a method of ultra-fast quantitative PCR for Brucella detection.We used an exogenous recombinant plasmid as the internal reference and targeted the T4SS secretion system,an important Brucella viru-lence factor,to design specific primers and probes.The sensitivity,specificity,and repeatability of this method were evaluated,and a standard curve was constructed.The coincidence rate of detection findings with this method versus quantitative PCR was determined.This method markedly decreased the detection time to only 10 minutes.The standard curve demonstrated a good linear relationship(Y=-3.410 7x+38.357,R2=0.998 5)with a low minimum detection limit of 10 copies/μL.The method exhibited good specificity and did not specifically amplify several common clinical bacteria other than Brucella.The de-tection of three concentrations of positive plasmids yielded coefficients of variation(CVs)of 0.20%to 0.91%,thus demonstra-ting the method's excellent repeatability.Furthermore,140 clinical samples were analyzed concurrently with the fluorescence PCR method,which yielded a 100%compliance rate and consistent results.Our findings indicated that the Brucella ultra-fast quantitative PCR was ultrafast;had high sensitivity,high specificity,and good specificity;and can be used for the clinical de-tection of Brucella and emergency investigation of epidemics.Therefore,this method is valuable for the early diagnosis of Bru-cella.
6.Expert Consensus on the Ethical Requirements for Generative AI-Assisted Academic Writing
You-Quan BU ; Yong-Fu CAO ; Zeng-Yi CHANG ; Hong-Yu CHEN ; Xiao-Wei CHEN ; Yuan-Yuan CHEN ; Zhu-Cheng CHEN ; Rui DENG ; Jie DING ; Zhong-Kai FAN ; Guo-Quan GAO ; Xu GAO ; Lan HU ; Xiao-Qing HU ; Hong-Ti JIA ; Ying KONG ; En-Min LI ; Ling LI ; Yu-Hua LI ; Jun-Rong LIU ; Zhi-Qiang LIU ; Ya-Ping LUO ; Xue-Mei LV ; Yan-Xi PEI ; Xiao-Zhong PENG ; Qi-Qun TANG ; You WAN ; Yong WANG ; Ming-Xu WANG ; Xian WANG ; Guang-Kuan XIE ; Jun XIE ; Xiao-Hua YAN ; Mei YIN ; Zhong-Shan YU ; Chun-Yan ZHOU ; Rui-Fang ZHU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(6):826-832
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.
7.Treating Type 2 Diabetic Nephropathy by Down-regulating NOX4 to Inhibit the Oxidative Stress Pathway in Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Shu-Qi FENG ; Guo-Rong JIN ; Qun-Hang XUE ; Min HE ; Ze-Hang WANG ; Jia-Xin YAO ; Long CHEN ; Yu-Jiao WANG ; An-Xiu ZHANG ; Sheng HE ; Bing-Rui ZHOU ; Jun XIE
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(5):730-740
Diabetic nephropathy(DN)is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus and a leading cause of end-stage renal diseases.In DN patients,key pathological mechanisms include proteinuria,glomerulo-sclerosis,and fibrosis,largely driven by poor glycemic control and oxidative stress caused by prolonged hyperglycemia.This stress damages renal podocytes and triggers inflammatory mesenchymal infiltration of renal tubular cells,exacerbating the progression of proteinuria and fibrosis.Human umbilical cord-de-rived mesenchymal stem cells(hUC-MSCs)offer promising potential for treating DN due to their strong anti-oxidative properties.In this study,we developed a DN mouse model and treated the mouse via tail vein injections of hUC-MSCs(1×106 cells/mouse).The results indicated that hUC-MSCs significantly lowered fasting blood glucose levels(22.5±3.0 vs 14.7±1.1,P<0.01)and improved glucose toler-ance,as shown by intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test(IPGTT)results(P<0.05).Additionally,the renal function improved in hUC-MSCs-treated mice,with marked reductions in oxidative stress markers,including blood urea nitrogen(BUN),urinary creatinine(Ucr),urinary protein(PRO),superoxide dismutase(SOD),and malondialdehyde(MDA)(P<0.05).Histological analyses through hematoxy-lin-eosin(H&E),Periodic Acid-Schiff(PAS),and Sirius red staining demonstrated alleviation of glo-merular mesangial hyperplasia,glomerular hypertrophy,and tubular inflammation.Furthermore,hUC-MSCs treatment downregulated the expression of oxidative stress-related proteins,such as NADPH oxi-dase 4(NOX4)and thioredoxin-interacting protein(TXNIP),and reduced reactive oxygen species(ROS)production(P<0.05).Meanwhile,human renal cortical proximal tubule epithelial cells(HK-2 cells)were selected for validation in vitro experiments using high glucose treatment followed by super-natants of hUC-MSCs(MSC-CM),and Western blotting showed that the expression of both NOX4 and TXNIP was inhibited(P<0.05)and ROS expression was reduced.In conclusion,hUC-MSC treatment effectively lowered blood glucose levels and improved renal function in DN mice,likely through the sup-pression of NOX4 expression and TXNIP-mediated oxidative stress.
8.Expert Consensus on the Ethical Requirements for Generative AI-Assisted Academic Writing
You-Quan BU ; Yong-Fu CAO ; Zeng-Yi CHANG ; Hong-Yu CHEN ; Xiao-Wei CHEN ; Yuan-Yuan CHEN ; Zhu-Cheng CHEN ; Rui DENG ; Jie DING ; Zhong-Kai FAN ; Guo-Quan GAO ; Xu GAO ; Lan HU ; Xiao-Qing HU ; Hong-Ti JIA ; Ying KONG ; En-Min LI ; Ling LI ; Yu-Hua LI ; Jun-Rong LIU ; Zhi-Qiang LIU ; Ya-Ping LUO ; Xue-Mei LV ; Yan-Xi PEI ; Xiao-Zhong PENG ; Qi-Qun TANG ; You WAN ; Yong WANG ; Ming-Xu WANG ; Xian WANG ; Guang-Kuan XIE ; Jun XIE ; Xiao-Hua YAN ; Mei YIN ; Zhong-Shan YU ; Chun-Yan ZHOU ; Rui-Fang ZHU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(6):826-832
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.
9.Comparison of retinal vascular perfusion area between adults and children and its correlation with axial length
Jie TAO ; Min WANG ; Xiuying ZHU ; Yue LUO ; Juan XIE ; Qin LI ; Yinyin YOU ; Qi CHEN ; Yunchun ZOU
Recent Advances in Ophthalmology 2025;45(6):463-467
Objective To compare the blood flow perfusion area in different retinal vascular plexuses between adults and children using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography(SS-OCTA)and explore the correlation of the retinal blood flow perfusion area with spherical equivalent(SE)and axial length(AL).Methods A total of 112 partici-pants,including 58 children(116 eyes,aged 8-13 years)and 54 adults(108 eyes,aged 18-30 years),were recruited from Eye Hospital,Wenzhou Medical University from December 2020 to December 2024.Based on SE,these children and adults were further divided into the emmetropia(-0.50<SE ≤+0.50 D),low myopia(-3.00<SE≤-0.50 D),and moderate myopia(-6.00<SE≤-3.00 D)groups.SS-OCTA was used to acquire the perfusion area data across retinal vascular layers.The inner vascular network of the retina was subdivided into the peripapillary radial vascular network,su-perficial vascular plexus(SVP),middle vascular plexus(MVP),and deep vascular plexus(DVP).The blood flow perfu-sion areas across retinal vascular layers were compared between adults and children.Pearson correlation analysis was per-formed to assess the correlation of the blood flow perfusion areas across retinal vascular layers with AL and SE in adults and children,respectively.Results SE was negatively correlated with AL in both adults and children(r=-0.781 and-0.667,respectively;both P<0.001).The total inner retinal perfusion area was negatively correlated with AL in both adults and children(r=-0.239 and-0.299,respectively;both P<0.05).In children,the perfusion area in the peripapil-lary radial vascular network,SVP,and DVP was negatively correlated with AL(r=-0.443,-0.315,and-0.220,respec-tively;all P<0.05).In adults,the perfusion area in SVP,MVP,and DVP was negatively correlated with AL(r=-0.243,-0.230,and-0.364,respectively;all P<0.05).Adults with low/moderate myopia exhibited a significantly larger perfu-sion area in the peripapillary radial vascular network compared with children with corresponding myopia levels,and the differences were statistically significant(both P<0.001).Conclusion There were significant differences in the perfu-sion area of the peripapillary radial vascular network between adult and pediatric myopic patients.AL showed the strongest correlations with the perfusion area of the peripapillary radial vascular network in adults and the perfusion area of DVP in children,respectively,suggesting distinct effects of retinal vascular layers at different stages of ocular growth.
10.Establishment and application of ultra-fast real-time PCR for Brucella detection
Zhen-na XU ; Zhi-peng WU ; Wei-bin HONG ; Zhi-shen GUAN ; Qi-ming LIN ; Zuan-lan MO ; Yi-fei YE ; Hai-yan XIE ; Min LI ; Yan-qiu ZHU ; Xiao-jun LI ; Xian-peng ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(3):278-283
This study was aimed at establishing a method of ultra-fast quantitative PCR for Brucella detection.We used an exogenous recombinant plasmid as the internal reference and targeted the T4SS secretion system,an important Brucella viru-lence factor,to design specific primers and probes.The sensitivity,specificity,and repeatability of this method were evaluated,and a standard curve was constructed.The coincidence rate of detection findings with this method versus quantitative PCR was determined.This method markedly decreased the detection time to only 10 minutes.The standard curve demonstrated a good linear relationship(Y=-3.410 7x+38.357,R2=0.998 5)with a low minimum detection limit of 10 copies/μL.The method exhibited good specificity and did not specifically amplify several common clinical bacteria other than Brucella.The de-tection of three concentrations of positive plasmids yielded coefficients of variation(CVs)of 0.20%to 0.91%,thus demonstra-ting the method's excellent repeatability.Furthermore,140 clinical samples were analyzed concurrently with the fluorescence PCR method,which yielded a 100%compliance rate and consistent results.Our findings indicated that the Brucella ultra-fast quantitative PCR was ultrafast;had high sensitivity,high specificity,and good specificity;and can be used for the clinical de-tection of Brucella and emergency investigation of epidemics.Therefore,this method is valuable for the early diagnosis of Bru-cella.

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