1.Terms Related to The Study of Biomacromolecular Condensates
Ke RUAN ; Xiao-Feng FANG ; Dan LI ; Pi-Long LI ; Yi LIN ; Zheng WANG ; Yun-Yu SHI ; Ming-Jie ZHANG ; Hong ZHANG ; Cong LIU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(4):1027-1035
Biomolecular condensates are formed through phase separation of biomacromolecules such as proteins and RNAs. These condensates exhibit liquid-like properties that can futher transition into more stable material states. They form complex internal structures via multivalent weak interactions, enabling precise spatiotemporal regulations. However, the use of inconsistent and non-standardized terminology has become increasingly problematic, hindering academic exchange and the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the terminology related to biomolecular condensates in order to clarify concepts, promote interdisciplinary cooperation, enhance research efficiency, and support the healthy development of this field.
2.Construction and empirical study of selection system for drug directory of county-level medical community based on multi-criteria decision analysis
Yinan GUO ; Xiuheng YU ; Yuqing XIE ; Shixin XIANG ; Huan LIN ; Youqi LONG ; Yu ZHAO
China Pharmacy 2025;36(8):914-919
OBJECTIVE To explore the construction of selection system for drug directory of the county-level medical community based on multi-criteria decision analysis, and provide decision-making basis for the selection of drug directory of medical community. METHODS Taking county-level medical community in Chongqing as an example,Delphi method and analytic hierarchy process were employed to construct the selection system for drug directory of the county-level medical community. Selected drugs were quantitatively scored based on the constructed index system, and the drug directory was selected according to the drug’s comprehensive score. The implementation effect of the directory was then evaluated through questionnaire surveys one year after the implementation of the directory. RESULTS The expert authority coefficients of the two rounds of consultation were> 0.8, with Kendall’s W values of 0.213 and 0.196, respectively (P<0.001). Finally, the selection system for drug directory of the medical community was determined to include five evaluation dimensions: safety, effectiveness, economy, accessibility, and innovation, along with eight evaluation indicators. In the drug directory selected according to the above method, the proportions of centrally procured drugs, medical insurance drugs, and essential drugs had all increased compared to before the selection; the comprehensive scores of chemical drugs ranged from 50.25 to 96.31 scores, and the proportion of drugs scoring between 70 and 100 scores had increased from 78.06% before selection to 85.82%. Among them, antiparasitic drugs had the highest comprehensive scores, while drugs for the digestive tract and metabolism were the most numerous. The evaluation scores of each indicator and the comprehensive scores of drugs in the drug directory after the selection process increased significantly than before selection (P< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The selection system for drug directory of the county-level medical community constructed in this study is scientific, objective and operable. This process facilitates the promotion of standardized and unified management of drugs in the medical community.
3.Analysis of the comparison results of dental CBCT phantoms in radiological health technical service institutions in Guangdong Province, China
Xuan LONG ; Hongwei YU ; Zhan TAN ; Lei CAO ; Weixu HUANG ; Huifeng CHEN ; Aihua LIN
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health 2025;34(2):219-224
Objective To understand the situation of dental cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) quality control testing phantoms in radiation health technical service institutions in Guangdong province, analyze the differences among different phantoms, and provide a reference for dental CBCT quality control testing. Methods The testing phantoms of 49 radiation health technical service institutions were used as the research objects. The designated CBCT equipment was used for scanning and imaging. The Z-score method was used to evaluate the high-contrast resolution, low-contrast resolution, and distance measurement deviation of each phantom. Results The satisfaction rates of various items for the phantoms in 49 institutions ranged from 85.7% to 100%. The distance measurement deviations of four institutions were “suspicious”, and the high-contrast resolution of four institutions and the distance measurement deviation of one institution were “unsatisfactory”. Conclusion The overall performance of dental CBCT quality control testing phantoms in radiological health technical service institutions in Guangdong province is satisfactory. However, there are still some phantoms with poor results in items such as distance measurement deviation and high-contrast resolution. The structural design, material selection, and manufacturing process of the phantom may all affect the results of quality control testing. Therefore, appropriate phantoms, optimized exposure conditions, and suitable reconstruction algorithms should be used in CBCT quality control testing to ensure accurate and reliable measurements.
4.Prediction of Protein Thermodynamic Stability Based on Artificial Intelligence
Lin-Jie TAO ; Fan-Ding XU ; Yu GUO ; Jian-Gang LONG ; Zhuo-Yang LU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(8):1972-1985
In recent years, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of biology has witnessed remarkable advancements. Among these, the most notable achievements have emerged in the domain of protein structure prediction and design, with AlphaFold and related innovations earning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. These breakthroughs have transformed our ability to understand protein folding and molecular interactions, marking a pivotal milestone in computational biology. Looking ahead, it is foreseeable that the accurate prediction of various physicochemical properties of proteins—beyond static structure—will become the next critical frontier in this rapidly evolving field. One of the most important protein properties is thermodynamic stability, which refers to a protein’s ability to maintain its native conformation under physiological or stress conditions. Accurate prediction of protein stability, especially upon single-point mutations, plays a vital role in numerous scientific and industrial domains. These include understanding the molecular basis of disease, rational drug design, development of therapeutic proteins, design of more robust industrial enzymes, and engineering of biosensors. Consequently, the ability to reliably forecast the stability changes caused by mutations has broad and transformative implications across biomedical and biotechnological applications. Historically, protein stability was assessed via experimental methods such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and circular dichroism (CD), which, while precise, are time-consuming and resource-intensive. This prompted the development of computational approaches, including empirical energy functions and physics-based simulations. However, these traditional models often fall short in capturing the complex, high-dimensional nature of protein conformational landscapes and mutational effects. Recent advances in machine learning (ML) have significantly improved predictive performance in this area. Early ML models used handcrafted features derived from sequence and structure, whereas modern deep learning models leverage massive datasets and learn representations directly from data. Deep neural networks (DNNs), graph neural networks (GNNs), and attention-based architectures such as transformers have shown particular promise. GNNs, in particular, excel at modeling spatial and topological relationships in molecular structures, making them well-suited for protein modeling tasks. Furthermore, attention mechanisms enable models to dynamically weigh the contribution of specific residues or regions, capturing long-range interactions and allosteric effects. Nevertheless, several key challenges remain. These include the imbalance and scarcity of high-quality experimental datasets, particularly for rare or functionally significant mutations, which can lead to biased or overfitted models. Additionally, the inherently dynamic nature of proteins—their conformational flexibility and context-dependent behavior—is difficult to encode in static structural representations. Current models often rely on a single structure or average conformation, which may overlook important aspects of stability modulation. Efforts are ongoing to incorporate multi-conformational ensembles, molecular dynamics simulations, and physics-informed learning frameworks into predictive models. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the evolution of protein thermodynamic stability prediction techniques, with emphasis on the recent progress enabled by machine learning. It highlights representative datasets, modeling strategies, evaluation benchmarks, and the integration of structural and biochemical features. The aim is to provide researchers with a structured and up-to-date reference, guiding the development of more robust, generalizable, and interpretable models for predicting protein stability changes upon mutation. As the field moves forward, the synergy between data-driven AI methods and domain-specific biological knowledge will be key to unlocking deeper understanding and broader applications of protein engineering.
5.Exploring the high-quality development of talent teams in Hainan Province's disease control organizations
LI Yu ; TAN Long ; XU Ke ; LIN Yingzi
China Tropical Medicine 2025;25(2):248-
Objective To analyze and study the status quo and deficiencies in the construction of talent teams at all levels of CDCs in Hainan Province and put forward countermeasures to provide a reference basis for the high-quality development of talent team construction in all levels of CDCs in Hainan Province. Methods Using field surveys and data retrieval, spatial analysis was employed to compare the overall differences in human resource status of the provincial-level CDC and CDCs in five regional areas (East, West, South, North, and Central Hainan). The coordination between human resource allocation and development strategies was analyzed. A descriptive analysis mainly utilized CDC survey questionnaires and other research forms to explore the health human resources of the province's CDCs. Results The professional and technical personnel in the provincial CDCs comprise 1 431 individuals, accounting for 82.3% (1 431/1 739) of the total number of actual employees, which falls short of the Central Institutional Reform Commission's (CIRC) mandate that technical professionals comprise at least 85% of the total workforce (CIRC Document [2014] No. 2). Among Hainan's CDC personnel, 115 individuals are recognized as high-level talents within the Hainan Free Trade Port framework. These include one Class C talent, 22 Class D talents, and 93 Class E talents. Class A, B, and C-level talents are deficient. The majority of staff at both the provincial and regional CDCs hold bachelor's degrees. There is a significant proportion of staff with associate degrees or lower qualifications, coupled with a severe shortage of highly educated personnel. Postgraduates with master’s degrees or above account for 27.8% (65/233) in the provincial CDC, indicating low educational credentials among personnel in Hainan's CDCs. The central region, characterized by slower economic and social development, faces greater challenges in attracting and retaining high-level talent. There is a scarcity of public health professionals with interdisciplinary expertise. Some public health staff lack clinical knowledge, experience, and skills in disease treatment. Furthermore, there is a need to strengthen on-site emergency response capabilities for public health emergencies. The structural ratio of senior, intermediate, and junior professional and technical positions in the provincial CDC is 40%∶45%∶15%. The position settings are limited to ranking levels without distinction by professional category, leading to a bottleneck-type competition like crossing the "one log bridge" for technical position promotions. Conclusion Hainan Province faces significant challenges in developing its public health workforce, both in technical expertise and management capacity. Especially under the context of the closure operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port, it is necessary to continuously strengthen top-level talent design to cultivate a favorable policy, system, and cultural environment, thereby promoting the sustained and healthy development of the province's public health career.
6.Research progress on the comorbidity mechanism of sarcopenia and obesity in the aging population.
Hao-Dong TIAN ; Yu-Kun LU ; Li HUANG ; Hao-Wei LIU ; Hang-Lin YU ; Jin-Long WU ; Han-Sen LI ; Li PENG
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2025;77(5):905-924
The increasing prevalence of aging has led to a rising incidence of comorbidity of sarcopenia and obesity, posing significant burdens on socioeconomic and public health. Current research has systematically explored the pathogenesis of each condition; however, the mechanisms underlying their comorbidity remain unclear. This study reviews the current literature on sarcopenia and obesity in the aging population, focusing on their shared biological mechanisms, which include loss of autophagy, abnormal macrophage function, mitochondrial dysfunction, and reduced sex hormone secretion. It also identifies metabolic mechanisms such as insulin resistance, vitamin D metabolism abnormalities, dysregulation of iron metabolism, decreased levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and gut microbiota imbalances. Additionally, this study also explores the important role of genetic factors, such as alleles and microRNAs, in the co-occurrence of sarcopenia and obesity. A better understanding of these mechanisms is vital for developing clinical interventions and preventive strategies.
Humans
;
Sarcopenia/physiopathology*
;
Obesity/physiopathology*
;
Aging/physiology*
;
Autophagy/physiology*
;
Insulin Resistance
;
Comorbidity
;
Vitamin D/metabolism*
;
Gonadal Steroid Hormones/metabolism*
;
Gastrointestinal Microbiome
;
Mitochondria
;
MicroRNAs
7.Anti-tumor effect of metal ion-mediated natural small molecules carrier-free hydrogel combined with CDT/PDT.
Wen-Min PI ; Gen LI ; Xin-Ru TAN ; Zhi-Xia WANG ; Xiao-Yu LIN ; Hai-Ling QIU ; Fu-Hao CHU ; Bo WANG ; Peng-Long WANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(7):1770-1780
Metal ion-promoted chemodynamic therapy(CDT) combined with photodynamic therapy(PDT) offers broad application prospects for enhancing anti-tumor effects. In this study, glycyrrhizic acid(GA), copper ions(Cu~(2+)), and norcantharidin(NCTD) were co-assembled to successfully prepare a natural small-molecule, carrier-free hydrogel(NCTD Gel) with excellent material properties. Under 808 nm laser irradiation, NCTD Gel responded to the tumor microenvironment(TME) and acted as an efficient Fenton reagent and photosensitizer, catalyzing the conversion of endogenous hydrogen peroxide(H_2O_2) within the tumor into oxygen(O_2), and hydroxyl radicals(·OH, type Ⅰ reactive oxygen species) and singlet oxygen(~1O_2, type Ⅱ reactive oxygen species), while depleting glutathione(GSH) to stabilize reactive oxygen species and alleviate tumor hypoxia. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that NCTD Gel exhibited significant CDT/PDT synergistic therapeutic effects. Further safety evaluation and metabolic testing confirmed its good biocompatibility and safety. This novel hydrogel is not only simple to prepare, safe, and cost-effective but also holds great potential for clinical transformation, providing insights and references for the research and development of metal ion-mediated hydrogel-based anti-tumor therapies.
Hydrogels/chemistry*
;
Animals
;
Photochemotherapy
;
Humans
;
Mice
;
Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage*
;
Photosensitizing Agents/chemistry*
;
Neoplasms/metabolism*
;
Female
;
Copper/chemistry*
;
Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism*
;
Tumor Microenvironment/drug effects*
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Male
8.Medication rules and mechanisms of treating chronic renal failure by Jinling medical school based on data mining, network pharmacology, and experimental validation.
Jin-Long WANG ; Wei WU ; Yi-Gang WAN ; Qi-Jun FANG ; Yu WANG ; Ya-Jing LI ; Fee-Lan CHONG ; Sen-Lin MU ; Chu-Bo HUANG ; Huang HUANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(6):1637-1649
This study aims to explore the medication rules and mechanisms of treating chronic renal failure(CRF) by Jinling medical school based on data mining, network pharmacology, and experimental validation systematically and deeply. Firstly, the study selected the papers published by the inherited clinicians in Jinling medical school in Chinese journals using the subject headings named "traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) + chronic renal failure", "TCM + chronic renal inefficiency", or "TCM + consumptive disease" in China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database and screened TCM formulas for treating CRF according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study analyzed the frequency of use of single TCM and the four properties, five tastes, channel tropism, and efficacy of TCM used with high frequency and performed association rule and clustering analysis, respectively. As a result, a total of 215 TCM formulas and 235 different single TCM were screened, respectively. The TCM used with high frequency included Astragali Radix, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Poria, and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma(top 5). The single TCM characterized by "cold properties, sweet flavor, and restoring spleen channel" and the TCM with the efficacy of tonifying deficiency had the highest frequency of use, respectively. Then, the TCM with the rules of "blood-activating and stasis-removing" and "diuretic and dampness-penetrating" appeared. In addition, the core combination of TCM [(Hexin Formula, HXF)] included "Astragali Radix, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Poria, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix, and Angelicae Sinensis Radix". The network pharmacology analysis showed that HXF had 91 active compounds and 250 corresponding protein targets including prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2), PTGS1, sodium voltage-gated channel alpha subunit 5(SCN5A), cholinergic receptor muscarinic 1(CHRM1), and heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1(HSP90AA1)(top 5). Gene Ontology(GO) function analysis revealed that the core targets of HXF predominantly affected biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions such as positive regulation of transcription by ribonucleic acid polymerase Ⅱ and DNA template transcription, formation of cytosol, nucleus, and plasma membrane, and identical protein binding and enzyme binding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) analysis revealed that CRF-related genes were involved in a variety of signaling pathways and cellular metabolic pathways, primarily involving "phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)-protein kinase B(Akt) pathway" and "advanced glycation end products-receptor for advanced glycation end products". Molecular docking results showed that the active components in HXF such as isomucronulatol 7-O-glucoside, betulinic acid, sitosterol, and przewaquinone B might be crucial in the treatment of CRF. Finally, a modified rat model with renal failure induced by adenine was used, and the in vivo experimental confirmation was performed based on the above-mentioned predictions. The results verify that HXF can regulate mitochondrial autophagy in the kidneys and the PI3K-Akt-mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR) signaling pathway activation at upstream, so as to alleviate renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and then delay the progression of CRF.
Data Mining
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
;
Network Pharmacology
;
Humans
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Kidney Failure, Chronic/metabolism*
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
;
China
9.Studies on common irritant components in three different base sources of Polygonati Rhizoma.
Yu-Xin GU ; Hong-Li YU ; Min SHEN ; Xin-Zhi WANG ; Kui-Long WANG ; Jie CAO ; Qian-Lin CHEN ; Yan-Qing XU ; Chang-Li SHEN ; Hao WU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(12):3223-3231
To explore the common irritant components in different base sources of Polygonati Rhizoma(PR). A rabbit eye irritation experiment was conducted to compare the irritant effects of raw products of Polygonatum kingianum, P. officinale, and P. multiflorum. The irritant effects of different solvent extraction parts and needle crystals of PR were compared, and the irritant components were screened. The morphology and structure of the purified needle crystal of PR were observed by microscope and scanning electron microscope and characterized by X-ray diffraction. Rabbit eye irritation and mouse abdominal inflammation model were used to evaluate rabbit eye irritation scores, inflammatory mediators, inflammatory factors levels in the peritoneal exudate of mice, with the peritoneal pathological section used as indicators. The inflammatory effect of needle crystals of PR was studied, and the content of calcium oxalate in three kinds of PR was determined by HPLC. The common protein in three kinds of PR was screened and compared by double enzymatic hydrolysis in solution combined with mass spectrometry. The results showed that three kinds of PR raw products had certain irritant effects on rabbit eyes, among which P. kingianum had the strongest irritant effect. There were no obvious irritant effects in the different solvent extraction parts of P. kingianum. Compared with the blank group, the needle crystal of PR had a significant irritant effect on rabbit eyes, and the inflammatory mediators and inflammatory factors in the peritoneal exudate were significantly increased(P<0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, the peritoneal tissue of mice was damaged with significant inflammatory cell infiltration after intraperitoneal injection of needle crystal, indicating that needle crystal had an inflammatory effect. Microscope and scanning electron microscope observations showed that the needle crystals of PR were slender, with a length of about 100-200 μm and sharp ends. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the needle crystals of PR were calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals. The results of HPLC showed that the content of calcium oxalate in P. kingianum was the highest among the three kinds of PR. It was speculated that the content of needle crystal in P. kingianum was higher than that in P. officinale and P. multiflorum, which was consistent with the results of the rabbit eye irritation experiment. The results of mass spectrometry showed that ribosome inactivating protein and mannose/sialic acid binding lectin were related to inflammation and cell metabolism in all three kinds of PR. There was no obvious irritant effect in different solvent extracts of PR. The calcium oxalate needle crystal contained was the main irritant component of PR, and three kinds of PR contained common ribosome inactivating protein and mannose/sialic acid binding lectin, which may be related to the inflammatory irritant effect of PR.
Animals
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Rabbits
;
Mice
;
Polygonatum/chemistry*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/toxicity*
;
Rhizome/chemistry*
;
Male
;
Eye/drug effects*
;
Female
;
Humans
10.One-year recovery after lateral retinaculum release combined with chondroplasty in patients with lateral patellar compression syndrome.
Zhen-Long LIU ; Yi-Ting WANG ; Jin-Ming LIN ; Wu-Ji ZHANG ; Jiong-Yuan LI ; Zhi-Hui HE ; Yue-Yang HOU ; Jian-Li GAO ; Wei-Li SHI ; Yu-Ping YANG
Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2025;28(6):462-468
PURPOSE:
Lateral patellar compression syndrome (LPCS) is characterized by a persistent abnormally high stress exerted on the lateral articular surface of the patella due to lateral patellar tilt without dislocation and lateral retinaculum contracture, leading to anterior knee pain. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and prognosis of lateral retinaculum release (LRR) combined with chondroplasty in the treatment of LPCS.
METHODS:
This retrospective study evaluated 40 patients who underwent LRR combined with chondroplasty for LPCS between 2020 and 2021. The assessment included improvement in postoperative tenderness and knee joint function. Patients were evaluated using the Lysholm, Tegner, and International Knee Documentation Committee 2000 scoring systems, as well as the visual analog scale, both preoperatively and postoperatively, with the paired comparisons analyzed using a t-test. Additionally, intraoperative observations were made regarding knee joint lesions, including cartilage damage and osteophyte formation, with analysis by the Chi-square test.
RESULTS:
The visual analog scale score for tenderness showed a significant decrease after surgery (p < 0.001). Evaluation of knee joint function also indicated significant improvements, as demonstrated by increased Lysholm, Tegner, and International Knee Documentation Committee 2000 scores postoperatively (p < 0.001, p = 0.011, p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, all LPCS patients included in the study presented with cartilage injuries and osteophyte formation. Significant differences were noted in the incidence of cartilage damage and osteophyte formation at different locations within the knee among patients with LPCS.
CONCLUSION
LRR combined with chondroplasty is an effective surgical approach for treating patients with LPCS, with satisfactory recovery observed at the 1-year follow-up. Additionally, the incidence of cartilage damage and osteophyte formation in LPCS patients varies significantly depending on the specific location within the knee joint.
Humans
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Male
;
Female
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Adult
;
Middle Aged
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Patella/surgery*
;
Knee Joint/physiopathology*
;
Recovery of Function
;
Young Adult
;
Treatment Outcome
;
Cartilage, Articular/surgery*
;
Adolescent

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