1.Plant-derived Exosome-like Nanovesicles in Biomedical Applications
Xu LIU ; Si-Rui LIU ; Jia-Yu MA ; Yu-Ting MOU ; Ting-Yu SHI ; Sheng HUANG ; Tian-Li SONG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1609-1621
Plant-derived exosome-like nanovesicles (PELNs), characterized by a natural lipid bilayer membrane, have rapidly emerged as a prominent research frontier in medicine owing to their unique biological properties and robust therapeutic potential. This review comprehensively examines the biological profiles, mechanistic functions, and recent engineering advancements of PELNs. In terms of composition, PELNs are uniquely enriched in plant-specific glycolipids, phosphatidylserine, secondary metabolites, and highly stable 2'-O-methylated miRNAs. This distinct molecular makeup endows them with exceptional biocompatibility, negligible immunogenicity, and the capacity for cross-species molecular communication. Mechanistically, PELNs demonstrate profound anti-inflammatory efficacy by suppressing the NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome pathways. They also serve as potent immune modulators, driving macrophage M1/M2 polarization and regulating T cell activity. Additionally, PELNs exhibit promising antitumor capabilities, targeting malignancies via reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction, TRAIL pathway activation, and tumor microenvironment remodeling. Crucially, the plant miRNAs encapsulated within PELNs remain highly stable in the gastrointestinal tract, allowing them to selectively alter gene expression in specific gut microbiota communities. This interaction deeply influences host immunity and metabolism, highlighting the vital role in cross-species regulation. Advancements in bioengineering have further expanded the clinical utility of PELNs. Targeted delivery efficiency can be significantly amplified via surface functionalization (e.g., folate and RGD sequences) and state-of-the-art drug loading technologies such as sonication and electroporation. Consequently, engineered PELNs surpass traditional synthetic nanocarriers in penetrating natural physiological barriers, particularly for oral and transdermal drug administration. Despite these advantages, clinical translation is currently hindered by the lack of standardized isolation protocols, challenges in scalable manufacturing, and the need for robust quality control frameworks. Looking forward, the integration of multi-omics approaches and AI-driven “molecular fingerprinting”—coupled with the design of synthetic biomimetic vesicles—will be instrumental in overcoming these bottlenecks, ultimately establishing PELNs as a next-generation platform for precision medicine and targeted nanotherapeutic delivery.
2.The first record of Anopheles messeae (Diptera: Culicidae) parasitized by water mites in China
Xue-ru CHEN ; Wen-zhen YAO ; Yu-hao LI ; Gui-chang LI ; Tao MENG ; Qun-ling FENG ; Xin-hui LIU ; Li-hong QIAO ; Xiang-ting WU ; Xue-feng ZHANG ; Cheng-lin LI ; Xue-cheng DONG ; Da-wei WANG ; Xiao-yan SI ; Yu-hong GUO
Acta Parasitologica et Medica Entomologica Sinica 2026;33(1):53-57
Objective This study reports on the obligatory parasitism of water mites Arrenurus sp. on Anopheles messeae at the Manzhouli Port, Inner Mongolia, China. Methods Duing July 2024, a survey on the mosquito diversity was conducted at the Manzhouli Port. Captured mosquitoes and their ectoparasites were identified to species level. Results A total of 1840 adult mosquitoes were collected, representing species from three genera: Culex(Cx. modestus, Cx. pipiens pallens), Aedes(Ae. dorsalis, Ae. flavidorsalis, Ae. flavescens), and Anopheles (An. messeae). Among all the mosqutioes specimens,3 out of 150 captured An. messeae were found to carry ectoparasitic mites, with number of 2,4,27 mites separately. Morphological and molecular identification reached the same result as water mites(Hydrachnidiae, Hydracrina). COI gene sequence showed 94% similarity with the closest species Arrenurus truncatellus. Conlusions Literature review suggests water mites are host-specific parasitism of mosquito species and herein with the first record of Arrenurus sp. parasiting on An. Messeae in the most high-latitude region globally.
3.A new tetralone glycoside in leaves of Cyclocarya paliurus.
Ting-Si GUO ; Qin HUANG ; Qi-Qi HU ; Fei-Bing HUANG ; Qing-Ling XIE ; Han-Wen YUAN ; Wei WANG ; Yu-Qing JIAN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(1):146-167
The chemical constituents from leaves of Cyclocarya paliurus were isolated and purified by chromatography on silica gel, C_(18) reverse-phase silica gel, and Sephadex LH-20 gel, as well as semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. Six compounds were identified by UV, IR, NMR, MS, calculated ECD, and comparison with literature data as cyclopaloside D(1), boscialin(2),(5R,6S)-6-hydroxy-6-[(E)-3-hydroxybut-1-enyl]-1,1,5-trimethylcyclohexanone(3), 3S,5R-dihydroxy-6R,7-megastigmadien-9-one(4), 3S,5R-dihydroxy-6S,7-megastigmadien-9-one(5), and gingerglycolipid A(6), respectively. Among them, compound 1 was identified as a new tetralone glycoside, and compounds 2-6 were isolated from leaves of C. paliurus for the first time. Furthermore, compound 1 exhibited strong antioxidant activity, with the IC_(50) of(454.20±31.81)μmol·L~(-1) and(881.82±42.31)μmol·L~(-1) in scavenging DPPH and ABTS free radicals, respectively.
Plant Leaves/chemistry*
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Glycosides/isolation & purification*
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Juglandaceae/chemistry*
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Tetralones/isolation & purification*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification*
4.Ultrasound-based radiogenomics: status, applications, and future direction
Si-Rui WANG ; Yu-Ting SHEN ; Bin HUANG ; Hui-Xiong XU
Ultrasonography 2025;44(2):95-111
Radiogenomics, an extension of radiomics, explores the relationship between imaging features and underlying gene expression patterns. This field is instrumental in providing reliable imaging surrogates, thus potentially representing an alternative to genetic testing. The rapidly growing area of radiogenomics that utilizes ultrasound (US) imaging seeks to elucidate the connections between US image characteristics and genomic data. In this review, the authors outline the radiogenomics workflow and summarize the applications of US-based radiogenomics. These include the prediction of gene variations, molecular subtypes, and other biological characteristics, as well as the exploration of the relationships between US phenotypes and cancer gene profiles. Although the field faces various challenges, US-based radiogenomics offers promising prospects and avenues for future research.
5.Effect of Hesperidin on Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress-Related Depression in Rats through Gut-Brain Axis Pathway.
Hui-Qing LIANG ; Shao-Dong CHEN ; Yu-Jie WANG ; Xiao-Ting ZHENG ; Yao-Yu LIU ; Zhen-Ying GUO ; Chun-Fang ZHANG ; Hong-Li ZHUANG ; Si-Jie CHENG ; Xiao-Hong GU
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(10):908-917
OBJECTIVES:
To determine the pharmacological impact of hesperidin, the main component of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, on depressive behavior and elucidate the mechanism by which hesperidin treats depression, focusing on the gut-brain axis.
METHODS:
Fifty-four Sprague Dawley male rats were randomly allocated to 6 groups using a random number table, including control, model, hesperidin, probiotics, fluoxetine, and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium groups. Except for the control group, rats in the remaining 5 groups were challenged with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 21 days and housed in single cages. The sucrose preference test (SPT), immobility time in the forced swim test (FST), and number in the open field test (OFT) were performed to measure the behavioral changes in the rats. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in brain tissue, and the histopathology was performed to evaluate the changes of colon tissue, together with sequencing of the V3-V4 regions of 16S rRNA gene on feces to explore the changes of intestinal flora in the rats.
RESULTS:
Compared to the control group, the rats in the model group showed notable reductions in body weight, SPF, and number in OFT (P<0.01). Hesperidin was found to ameliorate depression induced by CUMS, as seen by improvements in body weight, SPT, immobility time in FST, and number in OFT (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Regarding neurotransmitters, it was found that at a dose of 50 mg/kg hesperidin treatment upregulated the levels of 5-HT and BDNF in depressed rats (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the colon tissue of the model group exhibited greater inflammatory cell infiltration, with markedly reduced numbers of goblet cells and crypts and were significantly improved following treatment with hesperidin. Simultaneously, the administration of hesperidin demonstrated a positive impact on the gut microbiome of rats treated with CUMS, such as Shannon index increased and Simpson index decreased (P<0.01), while the abundance of Pseudomonadota and Bacteroidota increased in the hesperidin-treated group (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
The mechanism responsible for the beneficial effects of hesperidin on depressive behavior in rats may be related to inhibition of the expressions of BDNF and 5-HT and preservation of the gut microbiota.
Animals
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Hesperidin/therapeutic use*
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Depression/drug therapy*
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Male
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Stress, Psychological/drug therapy*
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Brain/metabolism*
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Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism*
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Serotonin/metabolism*
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Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects*
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Behavior, Animal/drug effects*
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Rats
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Brain-Gut Axis/drug effects*
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Chronic Disease
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Colon/drug effects*
6.Network Pharmacology and in vitro Experimental Verification on Intervention of Oridonin on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.
Ke CHANG ; Li-Fei ZHU ; Ting-Ting WU ; Si-Qi ZHANG ; Zi-Cheng YU
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(4):347-356
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the key target molecules and potential mechanisms of oridonin against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
METHODS:
The target molecules of oridonin were retrieved from SEA, STITCH, SuperPred and TargetPred databases; target genes associated with the treatment of NSCLC were retrieved from GeneCards, DisGeNET and TTD databases. Then, the overlapping target molecules between the drug and the disease were identified. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) was constructed using the STRING database according to overlapping targets, and Cytoscape was used to screen for key targets. Molecular docking verification were performed using AutoDockTools and PyMOL software. Using the DAVID database, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were conducted. The impact of oridonin on the proliferation and apoptosis of NSCLC cells was assessed using cell counting kit-8, cell proliferation EdU image kit, and Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis kit respectively. Moreover, real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot were used to verify the potential mechanisms.
RESULTS:
Fifty-six target molecules and 12 key target molecules of oridonin involved in NSCLC treatment were identified, including tumor protein 53 (TP53), Caspase-3, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 8 (MAPK8), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Molecular docking showed that oridonin and its key target molecules bind spontaneously. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed cancer, apoptosis, phosphoinositide-3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt), and other signaling pathways. In vitro experiments showed that oridonin inhibited the proliferation, induced apoptosis, downregulated the expression of Bcl-2 and Akt, and upregulated the expression of Caspase-3.
CONCLUSION
Oridonin can act on multiple targets and pathways to exert its inhibitory effects on NSCLC, and its mechanism may be related to upregulating the expression of Caspase-3 and downregulating the expressions of Akt and Bcl-2.
Diterpenes, Kaurane/chemistry*
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology*
;
Humans
;
Network Pharmacology
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Lung Neoplasms/pathology*
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Cell Proliferation/drug effects*
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Apoptosis/drug effects*
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Molecular Docking Simulation
;
Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects*
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Cell Line, Tumor
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Signal Transduction/drug effects*
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Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects*
;
Reproducibility of Results
;
Gene Ontology
7.Ultrasound-based radiogenomics: status, applications, and future direction
Si-Rui WANG ; Yu-Ting SHEN ; Bin HUANG ; Hui-Xiong XU
Ultrasonography 2025;44(2):95-111
Radiogenomics, an extension of radiomics, explores the relationship between imaging features and underlying gene expression patterns. This field is instrumental in providing reliable imaging surrogates, thus potentially representing an alternative to genetic testing. The rapidly growing area of radiogenomics that utilizes ultrasound (US) imaging seeks to elucidate the connections between US image characteristics and genomic data. In this review, the authors outline the radiogenomics workflow and summarize the applications of US-based radiogenomics. These include the prediction of gene variations, molecular subtypes, and other biological characteristics, as well as the exploration of the relationships between US phenotypes and cancer gene profiles. Although the field faces various challenges, US-based radiogenomics offers promising prospects and avenues for future research.
8.Ultrasound-based radiogenomics: status, applications, and future direction
Si-Rui WANG ; Yu-Ting SHEN ; Bin HUANG ; Hui-Xiong XU
Ultrasonography 2025;44(2):95-111
Radiogenomics, an extension of radiomics, explores the relationship between imaging features and underlying gene expression patterns. This field is instrumental in providing reliable imaging surrogates, thus potentially representing an alternative to genetic testing. The rapidly growing area of radiogenomics that utilizes ultrasound (US) imaging seeks to elucidate the connections between US image characteristics and genomic data. In this review, the authors outline the radiogenomics workflow and summarize the applications of US-based radiogenomics. These include the prediction of gene variations, molecular subtypes, and other biological characteristics, as well as the exploration of the relationships between US phenotypes and cancer gene profiles. Although the field faces various challenges, US-based radiogenomics offers promising prospects and avenues for future research.
9.Ultrasound-based radiogenomics: status, applications, and future direction
Si-Rui WANG ; Yu-Ting SHEN ; Bin HUANG ; Hui-Xiong XU
Ultrasonography 2025;44(2):95-111
Radiogenomics, an extension of radiomics, explores the relationship between imaging features and underlying gene expression patterns. This field is instrumental in providing reliable imaging surrogates, thus potentially representing an alternative to genetic testing. The rapidly growing area of radiogenomics that utilizes ultrasound (US) imaging seeks to elucidate the connections between US image characteristics and genomic data. In this review, the authors outline the radiogenomics workflow and summarize the applications of US-based radiogenomics. These include the prediction of gene variations, molecular subtypes, and other biological characteristics, as well as the exploration of the relationships between US phenotypes and cancer gene profiles. Although the field faces various challenges, US-based radiogenomics offers promising prospects and avenues for future research.
10.Ultrasound-based radiogenomics: status, applications, and future direction
Si-Rui WANG ; Yu-Ting SHEN ; Bin HUANG ; Hui-Xiong XU
Ultrasonography 2025;44(2):95-111
Radiogenomics, an extension of radiomics, explores the relationship between imaging features and underlying gene expression patterns. This field is instrumental in providing reliable imaging surrogates, thus potentially representing an alternative to genetic testing. The rapidly growing area of radiogenomics that utilizes ultrasound (US) imaging seeks to elucidate the connections between US image characteristics and genomic data. In this review, the authors outline the radiogenomics workflow and summarize the applications of US-based radiogenomics. These include the prediction of gene variations, molecular subtypes, and other biological characteristics, as well as the exploration of the relationships between US phenotypes and cancer gene profiles. Although the field faces various challenges, US-based radiogenomics offers promising prospects and avenues for future research.


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