1.The Role of Lysosomal Dysfunction in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: From Pathogenesis to Targeted Therapies
Yue-Yan WU ; Xin CHEN ; Ce-Fan ZHOU ; Jing-Feng TANG ; Rui ZHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):609-622
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal cancer with high morbidity rates worldwide. It is a major threat to public health in China, due to the combination of known and new risk factors, such as endemic hepatitis B virus (HBV), dietary aflatoxin exposure, and the occurrence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Although many methods for surveillance and multimodal therapies, such as surgery, local ablation, transarterial therapy, and new systemic agents, have been available, the survival rates of HCC remains poor. They have very limited durable responses, long post-treatment recurrence rates, and high resistance to treatment. This reflects an imperfect picture of the biological cause of the disease and a need for new mechanistic or targeted techniques. A significant characteristic of HCC, in common with other aggressive cancers, is the presence of reprogrammed, hyperactive cell metabolism. Tumor cells hijack metabolic pathways to promote their uncontrolled growth, stress survival, invasion and metastasis. While classical mechanisms such as the Warburg effect, lipid metabolism and glutamine utilization have been understood, the lysosome, which was once viewed as a static “waste disposal unit” to remove old organelles and proteins, is instead a dynamic signaling and metabolic core. The lysosomes incorporate nutrients, energy and stress signals by master regulators such as mTORC1 (activated on its surface) that balance anabolic growth and catabolic recycling to the cellular demands. In HCC, lysosomes are not passive, but are highly active and dysregulated. HCC cells upregulate lysosomes, which scavenge intracellular components via enhanced autophagy and engulf extracellular proteins via macropinocytosis, crucial for survival in the nutrient-poor, hypoxic tumor microenvironment. In addition to metabolism, lysosomes exhibit pro-invasive functions by secreting hydrolases to remodel the extracellular matrix, promote angiogenesis, and suppress stromal immune cells to foster a pro-tumor microenvironment. In a clinical context, lysosomes play an important role in therapeutic resistance: they sequester and inactivate chemotherapeutics via lysosomal sequestration, and enhanced autophagic flux protects the cell from therapy-induced damage, contributing to relapse, as lysosomal dysfunction is a key cause of treatment failure. This makes lysosomes promising yet challenging therapeutic targets in HCC. Recent preclinical and early clinical studies investigate multiple strategies to exploit the susceptibility of lysosomes: lysosome-specific agents, alkalinizing the lysosome lumen or inducing membrane permeabilization and lysosome-dependent cell death; pharmacological inhibition of key lysosomal enzymes or autophagy to impair nutrient recycling and stress adaptation; smart nanotherapeutic agents or antibody-drug conjugates, specifically activated in the acidic lysosomal environment or utilizing lysosomal pathways for efficient intracellular drug release; and combination strategies of lysosome-targeting agents with tyrosine kinase inhibitors or immunotherapy to overcome resistance and achieve synergistic antitumor effects. In summary, our review systematically presents the role of lysosomes in HCC, from metabolic reprogramming and microenvironmental adaptation to therapeutic resistance. By synthesizing the latest mechanistic insights and preclinical advances, this review highlights the indispensable role of lysosomes in the complex HCC biological network, emphasizing that an in-depth understanding of this dynamic organelle holds great promise for developing innovative, targeted therapies, offering new hope for improving the poor prognosis of global HCC patients.
2.Clinical application of incretin-based drugs in weight reduction and research progress of novel agents
Chengsi LUO ; Rui GAO ; Yanjiao ZHU ; Xichao WU ; Shuai HE ; Zhiying SONG ; An’an LI ; Penglin ZHOU ; Yan LI
China Pharmacy 2026;37(16):2202-2207
Incretin-based drugs have demonstrated significant clinical value in weight management and the treatment of metabolic diseases by mimicking or enhancing endogenous incretin signaling. These agents primarily target multiple receptors including glucagon-like peptide-1, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, and glucagon, exerting weight-reducing effects through multiple mechanisms such as central appetite regulation, gastrointestinal function modulation, and peripheral metabolic improvement, while further ameliorating blood glucose, blood lipids, fatty liver, and cardiorenal metabolic risks. This review focuses on incretin-based drugs, systematically summarizing the key clinical application points and relevant research progress of domestically marketed and investigational candidate drugs in the field of weight reduction. Available evidence indicates that semaglutide and tirzepatide demonstrate substantial weight reduction with multiple metabolic benefits; domestic innovative drugs represented by mazdutide and ecnoglutide also exhibit favorable weight-reducing effects and safety profiles. Regarding safety, these agents are generally well-tolerated, with the most common adverse reactions being mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal events, while potential risks including gallbladder events, pancreatitis, and mood changes require attention. In special populations, individualized assessment is warranted for use in children, elderly people, and pregnant women. Future research should focus on the screening of predictive biomarkers for efficacy, the development of long-acting oral formulations, and the accumulation of long-term safety follow-up data.
3.Application and prospect of artificial intelligence and population pharmacokinetics in personalized medication after organ transplantation
Shuai HE ; Huiying ZONG ; An’an LI ; Penglin ZHOU ; Rui GAO ; Xichao WU ; Yanjiao ZHU ; Yan LI
China Pharmacy 2025;36(14):1813-1818
Artificial intelligence (AI) and population pharmacokinetics (PPK) technologies have demonstrated significant potential in the personalized medication of immunosuppressants after organ transplantation, enabling precise prediction of drug dosages. This article provides a comprehensive review of the application status of AI and PPK in the individualized administration of immunosuppressants after organ transplantation, focuses on monitoring blood drug concentration, predicting efficacy/adverse reactions, and establishing individualized dosing models for organ transplant recipients after immunosuppressant administration, and analyzes and compares the application characteristics of different methods in different organ transplant patients as well as the integration and future development of AI and PPK technologies. AI and PPK technologies can not only significantly reduce the dependence on human resources, but also greatly improve the level of individualized treatment of immunosuppressants after organ transplantation, and reduce the discomfort and burden caused by frequent blood concentration monitoring to patients.
4.A Case of Multidisciplinary Treatment for Deficiency of Adenosine Deaminase 2
Jingyuan ZHANG ; Xiaoqi WU ; Jiayuan DAI ; Xianghong JIN ; Yuze CAO ; Rui LUO ; Hanlin ZHANG ; Tiekuan DU ; Xiaotian CHU ; Peipei CHEN ; Hao QIAN ; Pengguang YAN ; Jin XU ; Min SHEN
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2025;4(3):316-324
This case report presents a 16-year-old male patient with deficiency of adenosine deaminase 2(DADA2). The patient had a history of Raynaud′s phenomenon with digital ulcers since childhood. As the disease progressed, the patient developed retinal vasculitis, intracranial hemorrhage, skin necrosis, severe malnutrition, refractory hypertension, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Genetic testing revealed compound heterozygous mutations in the
5.Research progress on the lipid-lowering mechanisms and clinical application of GLP-1 receptor agonists
Yanjiao ZHU ; Rui GAO ; Huiying ZONG ; An’an LI ; Penglin ZHOU ; Shuai HE ; Xichao WU ; Yan LI
China Pharmacy 2025;36(20):2615-2620
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are a novel class of antidiabetic drugs that also possess lipid- lowering and cardiovascular protective effects, with liraglutide and semaglutide being their representative medications. Based on a systematic literature search, this review summarizes the lipid-lowering mechanisms by which liraglutide and semaglutide exert direct effects on the liver and kidney (regulating autophagy, key lipid metabolism pathways, reverse cholesterol transport, etc.), direct actions on adipose tissue (affecting adipocyte proliferation and differentiation, expression of lipid metabolism proteins, and gene transcription), activation of sympathetic pathways through the central nervous system, and modulation of the gut microbiota. Additionally, it summarizes the clinical evidence of their lipid-lowering effects in populations with type 2 diabetes mellitus, overweight individuals, and others. These findings indicate that GLP-1 receptor agonists exert lipid-lowering effects by acting on multiple tissues or systems, providing crucial evidence for further elucidating the molecular mechanisms of these drugs in lipid regulation and exploring potential new ideas for their clinical applications.
6.Role of Gold Nanorods Functionalized by Nucleic Acid Nanostructures Carrying Doxorubicin in Synergistic Anti-Cancer Therapy.
Hao WU ; Huang Shui MA ; Xing Han WU ; Qiang SUN ; Lin FENG ; Rui Fang JIANG ; Yan Hong LI ; Quan SHI
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(4):403-415
OBJECTIVE:
Cancer remains a significant global health challenge, necessitating the development of effective treatment approaches. Developing synergistic therapy can provide a highly promising strategy for anti-cancer treatment through combining the benefits of various mechanisms.
METHODS:
In this study, we developed a synergistic strategy for chemo-photothermal therapy by constructing nanocomposites using gold nanorods (GNRs) and tetrahedral framework nucleic acids (tFNA) loaded with the anti-tumor drug doxorubicin (DOX).
RESULTS:
Our in vitro studies have systematically clarified the anti-cancer behaviors of tFNA-DOX@GNR nanocomposites, characterized by their enhanced cellular uptake and proficient lysosomal escape capabilities. It was found that the key role of tFNA-DOX@GNR nanocomposites in tumor ablation is primarily due to their capacity to induce cytotoxicity in tumor cells via a photothermal effect, which generates instantaneous high temperatures. This mechanism introduces various responses in tumor cells, facilitated by the thermal effect and the integrated chemotherapeutic action of DOX. These reactions include the induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress, characterized by elevated reactive oxygen species levels, the promotion of apoptotic cell death, and the suppression of tumor cell proliferation.
CONCLUSION
This work exhibits the potential of synergistic therapy utilizing nanocomposites for cancer treatment and offers a promising avenue for future therapeutic strategies.
Doxorubicin/chemistry*
;
Gold/chemistry*
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Nanotubes/chemistry*
;
Humans
;
Nanocomposites/chemistry*
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Cell Line, Tumor
;
Nucleic Acids/chemistry*
;
Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/pharmacology*
;
Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage*
7.Guidelines for the Digital Ancient Books of TCM Indexing
Weina ZHANG ; Bing LI ; Bin LI ; Jing XIE ; Yan DONG ; Wei LONG ; Chuchu ZHANG ; Tong WEI ; Sihong LIU ; Yang WU ; Hongtao LI ; Lin TONG ; Guangkun CHEN ; Fei DONG ; Rui WANG ; He LU ; Meng LI ; Jingpeng DENG ; Tengfei WANG ; Xiaoying LI ; Di ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(3):1-11
Guidelines for Digital Ancient Books of TCM Indexing(T/CIATCM 119-2024)is based on the theoretical knowledge,disciplinary methods,and practical applications of TCM classical cataloging.Taking digital ancient books of TCM as the object,it systematically reveals the content of TCM knowledge,which is an essential indexing processing standard for building an intelligent retrieval system for TCM ancient books,and can provide support for the deep development and innovative utilization of TCM knowledge.It can not only promote the co-construction and sharing of ancient book resources in the TCM industry,but also promote the standardization construction and application of TCM information.This standard specifies the principles,methods,and examples of free indexing of digital ancient books of TCM based on their original content.It is applicable to the indexing and processing of digital ancient books of TCM for TCM professional libraries and related institutions,and to the data processing and construction of various types of TCM ancient book databases.
8.Chemical constituents from Citri reticulatae Pericarpium Viride and their anti-triple negative breast cancer activities in vitro
Xu-li DENG ; Yi-yan CHEN ; Hong-chuan ZHANG ; Yi-mou WANG ; Rui YIN ; Wei-mao DONG ; Zhang-xian CHEN ; Kui-lin ZHU ; Hong-ping HE ; Fa-wu DONG
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(1):118-125
AIM To study the chemical constituents from Citri reticulatae Pericarpium Viride and their anti-triple negative breast cancer activities in vitro.METHODS The ethanolic extract of Citri reticulatae Pericarpium Viride was isolated and purified by silica gel,polyamide,MCI,Sephadex LH-20 and semi-preparative HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.The anti-triple negative breast cancer activities were screened by SRB assay,and their effects on the proliferation of triple negative breast cancer cell lines HCC1806,HCC1937 and MDA-MB-231 in vitro were evaluated.RESULTS Twenty compounds were isolated and identified as nobiletin(1),tangeritin(2),5,4'-dihydroxy-7,8-dimethoxy flavonoid(3),naringenin(4),artemetin(5),5-demethynobiletin(6),3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-pentamethoxy flavonoid(7),5,4'-dihydroxy-3,6,7,8,3'-pentamethoxyflavone(8),xanthomicrol(9),p-hydroxycinnamic acid(10),5,4'-dihydroxy-6,7,8,3'-tetramethoxyflavone(11),pectolinarigenin(12),4'-dihydroxy-5,6,7-tetramethoxyflavone(13),hispidulin(14),4',5,6,7-tetramethoxy-flavone(15),1-methyl-4-(prop-1-en-2-yl)cyclohexane-1,2-diol(16),umbelliferone(17),5-hydroxymethyl furfural(18),hydroquinone(19),1H-indole-3-carbaldehyde(20).Compound 8 showed a significant inhibitory effect with the IC50 value of(5.36±0.24)μmol/L on HCC1806 cells.CONCLUSION Compound 20 is isolated from genus Citrus for the first time,8,12-13,16-17 are isolated from this plant for the first time.Compound 8 show inhibitory effects on the proliferation of HCC1806,HCC1937 and MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro and have the strongest activities.Compounds 3-4,11-12,15,17 and 19 show strong inhibitory effect on HCC1806 cells.Compounds 15,19 also inhibit the proliferation of HCC1937 cells in vitro.
9.Effect and significance of fibroblast growth factor on recurrence after seg-mental mastectomy in patients with plasma cell mastitis
Hai-ming WU ; Yun ZHAO ; Zhi-hai GU ; Lu-lu YAN ; Yan-ru LIU ; Rui-yun LU
Chinese Journal of Current Advances in General Surgery 2025;28(4):259-265
Objective:To investigate the impact of fibroblast growth factor(FGF)on recurrence following segmen-tal mastectomy in patients with plasma cell mastitis.Methods:A total of 162 female patients diagnosed with plasma cell mastitis(PCM)were selected from our hospital from October 2021 to May 2023.All patients underwent segmental mastectomy.They were divided into recurrence group(n=28)and non-recurrence group(n=134)according to the follow-up survey on recurrence.Conduct a univariate analysis on the factors influencing recurrence in patients with PCM who undergo segmental mastectomy.After correcting for confounding factors,conduct a multiple linear regression analysis.Using a multivariate logistic regression model to explore the independent risk factors for recurrence in patients undergo-ing segmental mastectomy for PCM.Utilizing logistic regression analysis to explore the independent,multiplicative,or additive interaction between FGF and angiogenic factor in the management of recurrence in PCM patients undergoing segmental mastectomy.The Local Weighted Regression Scatter Method(LOWESS)is used to analyze the two-dimensional curve relationship of continuous variables.Evaluate the predictive efficacy of FGF for PCM recurrence fol-lowing segmental mastectomy using Receiver Operating Characteristic(ROC)curves.Results:The results of univariate analysis showed that the body mass index(BMI),estradiol,prolactin levels,nipple depression,and sinus phase propor-tion of patients in the recurrent group were significantly higher than those in the non recurrent group,and the differ-ences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Before surgery and 1 and 3 months after surgery,the levels of FGF,vascu-lar endothelial growth factor(VEGF),endostatin(ES),and VEGF/ES in the recurrent group were higher than those in the non recurrent group,with statistically significant differences between the groups(P<0.05).The intra group comparison results showed that compared with before surgery,all indicators in both groups of patients were significantly reduced at 1 month after surgery(P<0.05),while in the recurrent group,all indicators were significantly increased at 3 months after surgery(P<0.001).Logistic regression analysis showed that patients with elevated FGF had a higher risk of recurrence in PCM(P<0.05).LOWESS analysis found that there is a certain non-linear relationship between PCM recurrence rate and FGF.FGF has good predictive performance for PCM recurrence.After further adjusting for various confounding fac-tors such as BMI,it was found that the angiogenic factor is related to FGF.The interaction results show that there is an additive or multiplicative interaction between FGF and VEGF/ES.Conclusion:FGF elevation increases the risk of re-currence after segmental mastectomy for PCM.FGF and VEGF/ES exhibit additive or multiplicative interactions.FGF has good predictive performance for PCM recurrence.
10.Analysis Drug Resistance of 726 Strains of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Clinical Patients in Shaanxi Area form 2019 to 2023
Yajing WU ; Rui WANG ; Yan LI ; Jian YANG ; Panting WANG ; Meng ZHANG
Journal of Modern Laboratory Medicine 2025;40(4):169-173
Objective To investigate the drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MT)in Shaanxi Province in the past five years.Methods A total of 744 patients with culture-positive sputum specimens at the former Shaanxi Provincial Institute for Tuberculosis Control and Prevention from January 2019 to December 2023 were selected as the study subjects,and the results of their strain identification and drug susceptibility tests were collected to analyze the resistance to six antituberculosis drugs.Results The overall resistance rate of the MT complex of 726 strains was 33.33%(242/726).The rates of mono-resistance,multi-resistance,multi-drug resistance and extensive resistance were 12.95%(94/726),7.44%(54/726),12.95%(94/726)and 0.41%(3/726).The resistance rate was 31.73%(204/643)in primaries and 45.78%(38/83)in retreatment patients,and the difference between the resistance rates of primaries and retreatment patients was statistically significant(χ2=6.536,P=0.011).The resistance rates of the 6 antituberculosis drugs,in descending order,were as follows:streptomycin(SM)22.87%(166/726),isoniazid(INH)22.73%(165/726),rifampicin(RFP)15.15%(110/726),ofloxacin(OFX)9.09%(66/726),ethambutol(EMB)7.30%(53/726),kanamycin(KM)2.89%(21/726).The resistance rates for each year from 2019~2023 were 39.61%(61/154),33.33%(44/132),34.47%(81/235),24.54%(40/163)and 38.10%(16/42),respectively,and the difference in resistance rates between years was not statistically significant(χ2=8.967,P=0.062).Conclusion The burden of drug-resistant tuberculosis remains heavy in Shaanxi,and the situation of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis,in particular,is more serious,and control measures need to be strengthened and improved to reduce the incidence and spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

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