1.New trends and new strategies of drug repurposing: 2020–2024
Fangsu CHEN ; Junjie YANG ; Jiayu DU ; Shimiao HUANG ; Yuxuan ZHANG ; Qidong YOU ; Lei WANG ; Qiuyue ZHANG
Journal of China Pharmaceutical University 2026;57(1):11-18
The research and development of innovative drug have progressed remarkably, but the long development circle and high failure rate have become the bottleneck. Drug repurposing, discovering new indications of approved drugs, is a strategy to overcome these obstacles. By exploring new indications for approved drugs, rapid progress has been made in basic research and clinical translation in recent years. Rich resources of drugs, proven security, efficient development workflow and reduced cost are core advantages of this strategy, making the strategy a crucial direction of optimizing the pipeline of drug research and development. This review systematically summarizes drug repurposing cases that have received clinical approval over the past five years, and proposes core strategies for drug repurposing, including approaches based on targets, pathways, drug similarity, post-treatment phenotypes, and clinical side effects, aiming to provide some strategic guidance for drug repurposing efforts.
2.Exploring on Quality Evaluation Methods of Clinical Case Reports in Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on China Clinical Cases Library of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Kaige ZHANG ; Feng ZHANG ; Bo ZHOU ; Haimin CHEN ; Yong ZHU ; Changcheng HOU ; Liangzhen YOU ; Weijun HUANG ; Jie YANG ; Guoshuang ZHU ; Shukun GONG ; Jianwen HE ; Yang YE ; Yuqiu AN ; Chunquan SUN ; Qingjie YUAN ; Buman LI ; Xingzhong FENG ; Kegang CAO ; Hongcai SHANG ; Jihua GUO ; Xiaoxiao ZHANG ; Zhining TIAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(1):271-276
As the core vehicle for preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) academic thought and clinical experience, the establishment of a robust quality evaluation system for TCM clinical case reports is a crucial component in the current standardization and modernization of TCM. Based on the practical experience of constructing the China Clinical Cases Library of Traditional Chinese Medicine by the China Association of Chinese Medicine, this study conducted a comprehensive analysis of critical challenges, including insufficient authenticity and unfocused evaluation criteria. It proposed a three-dimensional evaluation framework grounded in the structure-process-outcome logic, encompassing three dimensions of authenticity and standardization, characteristics and advantages, application and translational impact. This framework integrated 12 key evaluation indicators in a systematic manner. The model preserved the academic characteristics of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment, while aligning with modern scientific research standards, achieving a balance between individualized TCM experience and standardized evaluation. Concurrently, this study provided theoretical foundations and methodological guidance for evaluating the quality of TCM clinical cases, contributing significantly to the inheritance of TCM knowledge, evidence-based practice, and the reform of talent evaluation mechanisms.
3.Umbrella decision-making model for diagnosis and treatment of elderly lung cancer patients: Construction and practice
Lunxu LIU ; Jian ZHOU ; Xiang DING ; Nan CHEN ; Jianxin XUE ; Xuelei MA ; Ye WANG ; Weiya WANG ; Liqing PENG ; Xin YOU ; Minggang SU ; Xu CHENG ; Jiao WANG ; Ning GE ; Deying KANG ; Yuchen HUANG ; Jinghan WANG ; Yu TONG ; Yaoxi ZHANG ; Jirong YUE ; Hu LIAO
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2026;33(06):833-839
With the accelerating trend of population aging, the number of elderly patients with lung cancer continues to rise, and the disease burden is becoming increasingly heavy. The clinical management of these patients faces severe challenges due to their decreased physiological reserve, complex comorbidities, and significant individual heterogeneity. Consequently, under traditional diagnosis and treatment models, doctors often struggle to identify the individualized risks of elderly patients in a timely and comprehensive manner, which can easily lead to decision biases such as undertreatment or overtreatment. In view of this, this study advocates for the establishment of an umbrella decision-making model specifically tailored for elderly lung cancer patients. Grounded in a multidisciplinary team (MDT) platform, this model deeply integrates oncological indicators with the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) system. By holistically considering multidimensional variables including tumor burden, organ function, frailty index, cognitive status, and social support, the model establishes an operational mechanism characterized by "single entry, precise stratification, and targeted selection". Accordingly, patients can be scientifically triaged into distinct intervention tiers, such as active surveillance, minimally invasive surgery, drug therapy, radiotherapy, and best supportive care, thereby achieving real-time alignment between treatment intensity and patient fitness. This article elaborates on the construction logic and key operational procedures of this novel decision-making framework, aiming to guide clinical practice beyond the limitations of a tumor-centric perspective toward a holistic, dynamic, whole-course management strategy. This transition seeks to ensure optimal quality of life and clinical net benefit for elderly patients alongside survival prolongation.
4.Jujuboside A Improves Cognitive Function in Rat Model of VCI via PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway
Zixuan HUANG ; Shuo YANG ; Jiaqi ZHOU ; Gengchao ZHANG ; Qiuyun YOU ; Aihua TAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(6):107-114
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of jujuboside A (JuA) on the learning and memory abilities and histopathological changes in the rat model of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and explore the potential mechanisms by which JuA treats VCI. MethodsA total of 50 male SPF-grade SD rats were randomized into a sham operation group (n=10), a blank control group (n=10), and a modeling group (n=30). The rats in the modeling group underwent bilateral carotid artery ligation (2-VO) for the modeling of VCI. After stabilization, the VCI rats were randomized into model, JuA (20 mg·kg-¹), and donepezil (0.45 mg·kg-¹) groups. After 4 weeks of gavage, the novel object recognition and Morris water maze tests were conducted to evaluate the learning and memory abilities of rats. Nissl staining was employed to evaluate the morphology and number of hippocampal neurons. Real-time PCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and protein kinase B (Akt) in the hippocampal tissue. Western blot was employed to quantify the protein levels of GSK-3β, p-GSK-3β, p-CREB, Bcl-2, PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt, and p-Akt in the hippocampal tissue. ResultCompared with the sham operation group, the model group exhibited declines in the learning and memory abilities (P<0.01), neuronal damage and decreased neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region (P<0.01), up-regulation in the mRNA level of GSK-3β (P<0.01), and down-regulation in the mRNA levels of PI3K, Akt, CREB, and Bcl-2, as well as the protein levels of p-PI3K, p-Akt, p-GSK-3β, p-CREB, and Bcl-2 (P<0.01). In comparison to the model group, both the JuA and donepezil groups demonstrated improvements in the learning and memory abilities (P<0.05, P<0.01), with reduced neuronal damage and increased neurons (P<0.05, P<0.01). In addition, the two groups showed down-regulation in the mRNA level of GSK-3β (P<0.01) and up-regulation in the mRNA levels of PI3K, Akt, CREB, and Bcl-2 and the protein levels of p-PI3K, p-Akt, p-GSK-3β, p-CREB, and Bcl-2 (P<0.05, P<0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between the blank control and sham operation groups in terms of the learning and memory abilities, neuron count, and mRNA and protein levels of PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway-related factors. ConclusionJuA can ameliorate the cognitive impairment in the rat model of VCI by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, reducing the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons, and alleviating the hippocampal neuronal damage.
5.Geraniin attenuates isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis
Jiaqi DING ; Shenjie ZHANG ; Qi LI ; Boyu XIA ; Jingjing WU ; Xu LU ; Chao HUANG ; Xiaomei YUAN ; Qingsheng YOU
The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 2025;29(3):307-319
Geraniin, a polyphenol derived from the fruit peel of Nephelium lappaceum L., has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in the cardiovascular system. The present study explored whether geraniin could protect against an isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac hypertrophy model. Mice in the ISO group received an intraperitoneal injection of ISO (5 mg/kg) once daily for 9 days, and the administration group were injected with ISO after 5 days of treatment with geraniin or spironolactone. Potential therapeutic effects and related mechanisms analysed by anatomical coefficients, histopathology, blood biochemical indices, reverse transcription-PCR and immunoblotting. Geraniin decreased the cardiac pathologic remodeling and myocardial fibrosis induced by ISO, as evidenced by the modifications to anatomical coefficients, as well as the reduction in collagen I/III á1mRNA and protein expression and cross-sectional area in hypertrophic cardiac tissue. In addition, geraniin treatment reduced ISO-induced increase in the mRNA and protein expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α, whereas ISO-induced IL-10 showed the opposite behaviour in hypertrophic cardiac tissue.Further analysis showed that geraniin partially reversed the ISO-induced increase in malondialdehyde and nitric oxide, and the ISO-induced decrease in glutathione, superoxide dismutase and glutathione. Furthermore, it suppressed the ISO-induced cellular apoptosis of hypertrophic cardiac tissue, as evidenced by the decrease in Bcell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)-associated X/caspase-3/caspase-9 expression, increase in Bcl-2 expression, and decrease in TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells.These findings suggest that geraniin can attenuate ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis.
6.Geraniin attenuates isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis
Jiaqi DING ; Shenjie ZHANG ; Qi LI ; Boyu XIA ; Jingjing WU ; Xu LU ; Chao HUANG ; Xiaomei YUAN ; Qingsheng YOU
The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 2025;29(3):307-319
Geraniin, a polyphenol derived from the fruit peel of Nephelium lappaceum L., has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in the cardiovascular system. The present study explored whether geraniin could protect against an isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac hypertrophy model. Mice in the ISO group received an intraperitoneal injection of ISO (5 mg/kg) once daily for 9 days, and the administration group were injected with ISO after 5 days of treatment with geraniin or spironolactone. Potential therapeutic effects and related mechanisms analysed by anatomical coefficients, histopathology, blood biochemical indices, reverse transcription-PCR and immunoblotting. Geraniin decreased the cardiac pathologic remodeling and myocardial fibrosis induced by ISO, as evidenced by the modifications to anatomical coefficients, as well as the reduction in collagen I/III á1mRNA and protein expression and cross-sectional area in hypertrophic cardiac tissue. In addition, geraniin treatment reduced ISO-induced increase in the mRNA and protein expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α, whereas ISO-induced IL-10 showed the opposite behaviour in hypertrophic cardiac tissue.Further analysis showed that geraniin partially reversed the ISO-induced increase in malondialdehyde and nitric oxide, and the ISO-induced decrease in glutathione, superoxide dismutase and glutathione. Furthermore, it suppressed the ISO-induced cellular apoptosis of hypertrophic cardiac tissue, as evidenced by the decrease in Bcell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)-associated X/caspase-3/caspase-9 expression, increase in Bcl-2 expression, and decrease in TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells.These findings suggest that geraniin can attenuate ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis.
7.Cost-effectiveness of Fractional Flow Reserve Versus Intravascular Ultrasound to Guide Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Results From the FLAVOUR Study
Doyeon HWANG ; Hea-Lim KIM ; Jane KO ; HyunJin CHOI ; Hanna JEONG ; Sun-ae JANG ; Xinyang HU ; Jeehoon KANG ; Jinlong ZHANG ; Jun JIANG ; Joo-Yong HAHN ; Chang-Wook NAM ; Joon-Hyung DOH ; Bong-Ki LEE ; Weon KIM ; Jinyu HUANG ; Fan JIANG ; Hao ZHOU ; Peng CHEN ; Lijiang TANG ; Wenbing JIANG ; Xiaomin CHEN ; Wenming HE ; Sung Gyun AHN ; Ung KIM ; You-Jeong KI ; Eun-Seok SHIN ; Hyo-Soo KIM ; Seung-Jea TAHK ; JianAn WANG ; Tae-Jin LEE ; Bon-Kwon KOO ;
Korean Circulation Journal 2025;55(1):34-46
Background and Objectives:
The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea.
Methods:
A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D.
Results:
From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis.
Conclusions
Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.
8.Cost-effectiveness of Fractional Flow Reserve Versus Intravascular Ultrasound to Guide Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Results From the FLAVOUR Study
Doyeon HWANG ; Hea-Lim KIM ; Jane KO ; HyunJin CHOI ; Hanna JEONG ; Sun-ae JANG ; Xinyang HU ; Jeehoon KANG ; Jinlong ZHANG ; Jun JIANG ; Joo-Yong HAHN ; Chang-Wook NAM ; Joon-Hyung DOH ; Bong-Ki LEE ; Weon KIM ; Jinyu HUANG ; Fan JIANG ; Hao ZHOU ; Peng CHEN ; Lijiang TANG ; Wenbing JIANG ; Xiaomin CHEN ; Wenming HE ; Sung Gyun AHN ; Ung KIM ; You-Jeong KI ; Eun-Seok SHIN ; Hyo-Soo KIM ; Seung-Jea TAHK ; JianAn WANG ; Tae-Jin LEE ; Bon-Kwon KOO ;
Korean Circulation Journal 2025;55(1):34-46
Background and Objectives:
The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea.
Methods:
A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D.
Results:
From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis.
Conclusions
Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.
9.Geraniin attenuates isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis
Jiaqi DING ; Shenjie ZHANG ; Qi LI ; Boyu XIA ; Jingjing WU ; Xu LU ; Chao HUANG ; Xiaomei YUAN ; Qingsheng YOU
The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 2025;29(3):307-319
Geraniin, a polyphenol derived from the fruit peel of Nephelium lappaceum L., has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in the cardiovascular system. The present study explored whether geraniin could protect against an isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac hypertrophy model. Mice in the ISO group received an intraperitoneal injection of ISO (5 mg/kg) once daily for 9 days, and the administration group were injected with ISO after 5 days of treatment with geraniin or spironolactone. Potential therapeutic effects and related mechanisms analysed by anatomical coefficients, histopathology, blood biochemical indices, reverse transcription-PCR and immunoblotting. Geraniin decreased the cardiac pathologic remodeling and myocardial fibrosis induced by ISO, as evidenced by the modifications to anatomical coefficients, as well as the reduction in collagen I/III á1mRNA and protein expression and cross-sectional area in hypertrophic cardiac tissue. In addition, geraniin treatment reduced ISO-induced increase in the mRNA and protein expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α, whereas ISO-induced IL-10 showed the opposite behaviour in hypertrophic cardiac tissue.Further analysis showed that geraniin partially reversed the ISO-induced increase in malondialdehyde and nitric oxide, and the ISO-induced decrease in glutathione, superoxide dismutase and glutathione. Furthermore, it suppressed the ISO-induced cellular apoptosis of hypertrophic cardiac tissue, as evidenced by the decrease in Bcell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)-associated X/caspase-3/caspase-9 expression, increase in Bcl-2 expression, and decrease in TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells.These findings suggest that geraniin can attenuate ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis.
10.Cost-effectiveness of Fractional Flow Reserve Versus Intravascular Ultrasound to Guide Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Results From the FLAVOUR Study
Doyeon HWANG ; Hea-Lim KIM ; Jane KO ; HyunJin CHOI ; Hanna JEONG ; Sun-ae JANG ; Xinyang HU ; Jeehoon KANG ; Jinlong ZHANG ; Jun JIANG ; Joo-Yong HAHN ; Chang-Wook NAM ; Joon-Hyung DOH ; Bong-Ki LEE ; Weon KIM ; Jinyu HUANG ; Fan JIANG ; Hao ZHOU ; Peng CHEN ; Lijiang TANG ; Wenbing JIANG ; Xiaomin CHEN ; Wenming HE ; Sung Gyun AHN ; Ung KIM ; You-Jeong KI ; Eun-Seok SHIN ; Hyo-Soo KIM ; Seung-Jea TAHK ; JianAn WANG ; Tae-Jin LEE ; Bon-Kwon KOO ;
Korean Circulation Journal 2025;55(1):34-46
Background and Objectives:
The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea.
Methods:
A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D.
Results:
From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis.
Conclusions
Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.

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