1.Research progress on engineered tumor whole-cell vaccines
Weifan WANG ; Fengze MIAO ; Zongguang TAI ; Quangang ZHU ; Zhongjian CHEN ; Cuiyun YU
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2026;44(5):221-227
The emergence of immunotherapy has provided new optimism for cancer treatment. Tumor vaccine, a promising immunotherapy strategy, can be categorized into those with identified single or multiple antigens and those with unidentified whole-tumor antigens as their antigenic sources. Currently, mainstream tumor vaccines are still based on identified antigens. However, due to their limitations, tumor vaccines prepared based on whole tumor antigens have unique advantages. However, the low immunogenicity of whole-tumor antigen vaccines affected their clinical efficacy. To improve the immunogenicity, researchers have employed various strategies such as immunogenic death, genetic engineering modifications, cell membrane modifications, and tumor cell lysates, which demonstrated significant clinical potential. The research progress of engineering whole-cell vaccines based on tumor cells in recent years was reviewed in this paper, with a focus on their clinical progress and application prospects.
2.Acute effects of air pollution on mortality among residents in Jiading District, Shanghai, in 1994 - 2024
Dongyue MIAO ; Menghao WANG ; Renjie CHEN ; Dongni LIANG ; Yaqing JIN ; Yunjie REN ; Hongjie YU
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2026;37(3):29-33
Objective To investigate the exposure-response relationships and lag effects between air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, O3, and NO2) and mortality in Jiading District, Shanghai, and to provide a scientific basis for the formulation of environmental health policies. Methods Using an individual-level time-stratified case-crossover design, conditional logistic regression models in conjunction with a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) were employed to analyze the exposure-response relationship and temporal lag patterns of ambient air pollution on resident mortality in Jiading District (1994–2024). Results A total of 59 048 death cases were collected, including 18,701 deaths from cardiovascular diseases and 11 731 deaths from respiratory diseases. PM2.5 and NO2 had a significant impact on all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, and respiratory disease mortality, with the most significant effects observed within a lag of 0–3 days. PM10 also had some impact on these three types of mortality, but its effect was generally weaker than that of PM2.5 and NO2. The exposure-response curves showed that the risk of death increased rapidly with increasing concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10, while the effect of NO2 plateaued at higher levels. No significant differences were found across age or gender subgroups. Conclusion Short-term exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 significantly increases all-cause mortality risk in Jiading District, with effects persisting up to 7 days, highlighting the need for enhanced air pollution control measures, particularly targeting fine particulate matter.
3.Efficacy comparison of small-incision lenticule extraction and femtosecond assisted laser in situ keratomileusis in the treatment of myopia with astigmatism
Min ZHOU ; Suying YU ; Wanjiang DONG ; Long CHEN ; Miao HE
International Eye Science 2025;25(2):292-296
AIM: To compare the efficacy of small-incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)and femtosecond assisted laser in situ keratomileusis(FS-LASIK)in the treatment of patients with myopia and astigmatism.METHODS: Retrospective analysis. A total of 100 cases(200 eyes)of patients with myopia and astigmatism treated in our hospital from December 2021 to December 2022 were collected. Among them, 50 cases(100 eyes)were divided into SMILE group and 50 cases(100 eyes)were divided into FS-LASIK group according to the treatment plans. The visual acuity and astigmatism, corneal morphology parameters, subjective visual quality scores, ocular surface indicators, postoperative complications, and quality of life were compared between the two groups before and after surgery.RESULTS: There was no significant difference in uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA), best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), astigmatism, corneal asphericity Q value, corneal surface regularity index(SRI), corneal thickness, and corneal curvature between the two groups before surgery and at 1 d, 1, and 6 mo after surgery(all P>0.05). At 1 and 6 mo after surgery, the subjective visual quality score, the quality of life score, Schirmer I test(SⅠt)and tear film break-up time(BUT)in the SMILE group were better than that in the FS-LASIK group(all P<0.05). The incidence of complications in the SMILE group was lower than that in the FS-LASIK group at 6 mo after surgery(P=0.005).CONCLUSION: Both SMILE and FS-LASIK have good clinical effects in the treatment of myopia with astigmatism, but the SMILE could alleviate ocular surface injury, reduce the risk of complications and improve the quality of lifes for patients.
4.Acute Inflammatory Pain Induces Sex-different Brain Alpha Activity in Anesthetized Rats Through Optically Pumped Magnetometer Magnetoencephalography
Meng-Meng MIAO ; Yu-Xuan REN ; Wen-Wei WU ; Yu ZHANG ; Chen PAN ; Xiang-Hong LIN ; Hui-Dan LIN ; Xiao-Wei CHEN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):244-257
ObjectiveMagnetoencephalography (MEG), a non-invasive neuroimaging technique, meticulously captures the magnetic fields emanating from brain electrical activity. Compared with MEG based on superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID), MEG based on optically pump magnetometer (OPM) has the advantages of higher sensitivity, better spatial resolution and lower cost. However, most of the current studies are clinical studies, and there is a lack of animal studies on MEG based on OPM technology. Pain, a multifaceted sensory and emotional phenomenon, induces intricate alterations in brain activity, exhibiting notable sex differences. Despite clinical revelations of pain-related neuronal activity through MEG, specific properties remain elusive, and comprehensive laboratory studies on pain-associated brain activity alterations are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inflammatory pain (induced by Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA)) on brain activity in a rat model using the MEG technique, to analysis changes in brain activity during pain perception, and to explore sex differences in pain-related MEG signaling. MethodsThis study utilized adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Inflammatory pain was induced via intraplantar injection of CFA (100 μl, 50% in saline) in the left hind paw, with control groups receiving saline. Pain behavior was assessed using von Frey filaments at baseline and 1 h post-injection. For MEG recording, anesthetized rats had an OPM positioned on their head within a magnetic shield, undergoing two 15-minute sessions: a 5-minute baseline followed by a 10-minute mechanical stimulation phase. Data analysis included artifact removal and time-frequency analysis of spontaneous brain activity using accumulated spectrograms, generating spectrograms focused on the 4-30 Hz frequency range. ResultsMEG recordings in anesthetized rats during resting states and hind paw mechanical stimulation were compared, before and after saline/CFA injections. Mechanical stimulation elevated alpha activity in both male and female rats pre- and post-saline/CFA injections. Saline/CFA injections augmented average power in both sexes compared to pre-injection states. Remarkably, female rats exhibited higher average spectral power 1 h after CFA injection than after saline injection during resting states. Furthermore, despite comparable pain thresholds measured by classical pain behavioral tests post-CFA treatment, female rats displayed higher average power than males in the resting state after CFA injection. ConclusionThese results imply an enhanced perception of inflammatory pain in female rats compared to their male counterparts. Our study exhibits sex differences in alpha activities following CFA injection, highlighting heightened brain alpha activity in female rats during acute inflammatory pain in the resting state. Our study provides a method for OPM-based MEG recordings to be used to study brain activity in anaesthetized animals. In addition, the findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of pain-related neural activity and pain sex differences.
5.Screen of FDA-approved drug library identifies vitamin K as anti-ferroptotic drug for osteoarthritis therapy through Gas6
Yifeng SHI ; Sunlong LI ; Shuhao ZHANG ; Caiyu YU ; Jiansen MIAO ; Shu YANG ; Yan CHEN ; Yuxuan ZHU ; Xiaoxiao HUANG ; Chencheng ZHOU ; Hongwei OUYANG ; Xiaolei ZHANG ; Xiangyang WANG
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(5):1033-1047
Ferroptosis of chondrocytes is a significant contributor to osteoarthritis(OA),for which there is still a lack of safe and effective therapeutic drugs targeting ferroptosis.Here,we screen for anti-ferroptotic drugs in Food and Drug Administration(FDA)-approved drug library via a high-throughput manner in chondrocytes.We identified a group of FDA-approved anti-ferroptotic drugs,among which vitamin K showed the most powerful protective effect.Further study demonstrated that vitamin K effectively inhibited ferroptosis and alleviated the extracellular matrix(ECM)degradation in chondrocytes.Intra-articular injection of vitamin K inhibited ferroptosis and alleviated OA phenotype in destabilization of the medial meniscus(DMM)mouse model.Mechanistically,transcriptome sequencing and knockdown experiments revealed that the anti-ferroptotic effects of vitamin K depended on growth arrest-specific 6(Gas6).Furthermore,exogenous expression of Gas6 was found to inhibit ferroptosis through the AXL receptor tyrosine kinase(AXL)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/AKT serine/threonine kinase(AKT)axis.Together,we demonstrate that vitamin K inhibits ferroptosis and alleviates OA progression via enhancing Gas6 expression and its downstream pathway of AXL/PI3K/AKT axis,indicating vitamin K as well as Gas6 to serve as a potential therapeutic target for OA and other ferroptosis-related diseases.
6.The correlation of serum hypoxia-inducible factor-1α level with cerebral microbleeds and cognitive impairment
Qing LI ; Xiaowen ZHAO ; Jing REN ; Miao YU ; Hanfang CUI ; Fangyuan DING ; Hao LIU ; Qiong LI ; Fan WANG ; Qing LI ; Xiyan CHEN ; Chengbiao LU ; Shaomin LI ; Jianhua ZHAO
Journal of Capital Medical University 2025;46(2):216-227
Objective To explore the correlation between serum hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)levels and cerebral microbleeds(CMBs)and cognitive impairment and to assess the predictive value of HIF-1α for CSVD-related cognitive impairment.Methods A total of 104 patients with CSVD who attended the Department of Neurology,First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University from June 2022 to November 2023 were enrolled.All enrolled patients were subjected to basic statistics,cranial nuclear magnetic resonance examination,cognitive function assessment,and serum HIF-1α test,and the number and location of CMBs were counted.Based on the above data the enrolled patients were grouped.The correlation between HIF-1α and cognitive function and CMBs was studied the influencing factors of CMBs and cognitive impairment were analyzed,and the predictive value of HIF-1α on the occurrence of cognitive impairment was evaluated.Results There were statistically significant differences in HIF-1α levels and cognitive function among different CMBs groups.Serum HIF-1α levels were significantly negatively correlated with overall cognitive function,visuospatial and executive function,attention,and delayed recall,and serum HIF-1α was positively correlated with the number of CMBs.HIF-1α may be a risk factor for CMBs and cognitive impairment associated with CSVD,and serum HIF-1α has potential in predict the cognitive impairment caused by CSVD.Conclusion Serum levels of HIF-1α were associated with the number of CMB and CSVD-related cognitive impairment,and serum levels of HIF-1α may have a predictive value for CSVD-related cognitive impairment.
7.Application of the Feynman learning method based on ICARE in standardized training of spinal surgery residents
Lei SHI ; Huiqiao WU ; Tiefeng LI ; Yu CHEN ; Jinhao MIAO
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2025;24(8):1079-1084
Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of a Feynman learning method based on ICARE (integrity, compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence) in the standardized training of spinal surgery residents.Methods:A total of 60 spinal surgery residents at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University (Shanghai Changzheng Hospital) were enrolled between May 2022 and May 2024 and randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group with 30 residents in each group. The experimental group received dual-spiral teaching integrating ICARE with the Feynman learning method (concept explanation, simplified reconstruction, practical application, and teaching output). The control group underwent standard theoretical instruction and clinical skill training. Evaluations were performed using theoretical examinations, clinical operation, the Caring Ability Inventory, and a teaching satisfaction questionnaire. SPSS 26.0 was used for t test. Results:The experimental group scored significantly higher than the control group on the case analysis section of the theoretical examination [(15.17±2.33) vs. (12.38±2.08), P<0.001] and on clinical operation [(85.90±4.80) vs. (77.51±5.20), P=0.006]. Regarding humanistic care, the experimental group outperformed the control group in the cognition dimension [(87.75±9.43) vs. (81.10±9.56), P=0.009] and courage dimension [(77.43±9.57) vs. (72.37±9.23), P=0.042]. In teaching satisfaction assessment, the experimental group scored higher than the control group in curriculum design rationality and teaching philosophy recognition. Conclusions:The ICARE-Feynman integrated teaching method significantly enhances the clinical competence, humanistic care ability, and teaching satisfaction among spinal surgery residents. This approach provides an effective pathway for the integrated development of values and professional competencies in medical education.
8.Detection of H5N6 and H9N2 subtypes of avian influenza viruses with reverse transcription-recombinase polymerase amplification combined with CRISPR-Cas13a
Jing-jing WU ; Yu-wei WENG ; Zhi-miao HUANG ; Hong-bin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(3):235-242
The aim of this study was to establish a rapid,highly sensitive,and specific nucleic acid detection method for the H5N6 and H9N2 avian influenza virus(AIV)subtypes by using reverse transcription-recombinase polymerase amplification(RT-RPA)combined with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)-Cas13a proteins.The conserved regions were selected to design specific RT-RPA primers and crRNA sequences of H5,H6,H9,and N2 genes.RT-RPA tech-nology combined with CRISPR-Cas13a detection was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of AIV nucleic acid detec-tion.The detection was performed on avian influenza environmental samples and compared with the results of fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR,to evaluate the effectiveness of the RT-RPA technology combined with CRISPR-Cas13a.AIV H5,H9,and N2 subtypes were detected with a sensitivity as high as 1 copy/μL,and AIV N6 subtypes were detected with a sensitivity of 10 copies/μL.Plasmid samples with differing copy numbers showed fluorescence under blue LED transillumination.The four AIV subtypes showed high specificity and did not cross-react with the other AIV subtypes.The detection of avian influenza ex-ternal environmental samples containing AIV H5,N6,and H9 subtypes was consistent with the results of fluorescence quanti-tative RT-PCR,with 100%accuracy.For AIV N2 subtypes,one additional negative sample was detected with 97.9%accuracy.The established RT-RPA technology combined with CRISPR-Cas13a detection enabled sensitive,specific visual detection of AIV H5N6 and H9N2 subtypes.This study provides a new nucleic acid detection method for AIV surveillance and subtype clas-sification.
9.Short-term efficacy of rituximab in children with calcineurin inhibitor resistant steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome
Sicheng YU ; Jialu LIU ; Jiaojiao LIU ; Xiaoyan FANG ; Jing CHEN ; Qianfan MIAO ; Xiaoshan TANG ; Zhiqing ZHANG ; Chunyan WANG ; Rufeng DAI ; Xinli HAN ; Yihui ZHAI ; Hong XU ; Qian SHEN
Chinese Journal of Pediatrics 2025;63(2):185-189
Objective:To investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of rituximab (RTX) in children with calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) resistant steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS).Methods:A retrospective case analysis was conducted. Thirteen children with CNI resistant SRNS who were regularly treated with RTX (375 mg/m 2 per dose (maximum dose 500 mg), 1 dose per week, a total of 4 doses) in Department of Nephrology, Children′s Hospital of Fudan University from January 2016 to December 2023 were enrolled. The general data, disease related information, urinary protein/creatinine, serum albumin, blood creatinine before RTX treatment, immunosuppressants, adverse events, and monthly urinary protein/creatinine, serum albumin, and blood creatinine indexes within 6 months after RTX treatment were collected. The changes of urinary protein/creatinine, serum albumin and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) before and after RTX at 3 and 6 months were analyzed by using paired sample t test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results:Among the 13 patients, 8 were male and 5 were female. The age of disease onset was 4.0 (2.9, 6.8) years and the age of RTX treatment was 9.8 (5.9, 13.6) years. There were 8 cases of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, 3 cases of minimal change disease and 2 cases of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. No clinically significant gene variation was detected in 12 cases and the other one did not receive gene test. Before RTX treatment, 11 cases were in chronic kidney disease stage G1, and 1 case each was in stage G2 and stage G3. Ten children completed 4 doses of RTX treatment, 1 patient completed 3 doses, and 2 patients completed 2 doses. Urinary protein/creatinine in 13 children at 3 and 6 months after RTX treatment was significantly lower than baseline (0.60 (0.13, 2.04), 0.49 (0.28, 1.10) vs. 1.44 (0.76, 4.11) mg/mg, Z=-2.34, -2.34, both P<0.05), and serum albumin was significantly higher than baseline ((35±8), (34±7) vs. (30±6) g/L, t=2.30, 2.60, both P<0.05). The eGFR at 6 months after RTX treatment was not significantly different from the baseline ((110±32) vs. (113±35) ml/(min·1.73 m 2), t=-0.76, P>0.05)). No serious adverse reactions occurred in this study. Conclusion:RTX could reduce urinary protein and increase serum albumin in short-term treatment in children with CNI resistant SRNS without significant side effects.
10.Endoscopic ultrasound-based radiomics nomogram for preoperative predicting patients with early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma:a multi-center study
Yajing CHEN ; Shuhan SUN ; Shumei MIAO ; Xiaoyan HE ; Xiaoying ZHOU ; Feihong YU
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2025;34(1):56-64
Objective:To assess the predictive performance of a nomogram model integrating endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)radiomic features with clinical variables for distinguishing early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)from non-cancerous lesions.Methods:Clinical and imaging data from 454 patients who underwent EUS for suspected esophageal malignancies were retrospectively collected in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University(training cohort, n = 323)and Dongyang People's Hospital(external validation cohort, n = 131)from January 2020 to November 2023. Independent clinical predictors of early ESCC were identified using univariable and multivariable Logistic regression analyses to establish a clinical model. Pearson correlation and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator(LASSO)algorithms were used to construct a radiomics model. A combined model integrating radiomics scores and clinical predictors was developed and visualized as a nomogram. The predictive performance of each model was assessed using the area under the ROC curve(AUC),and calibration curves were used to evaluate the model's fitting capability. Results:The training set and validation set indicated that there were statistically significant differences in age,smoking history and lesion location between the early ESCC group and the non-cancerous lesion change group(all P < 0.05). According to univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis,age( OR = 1.039,95% CI = 1.003–1.077, P = 0.036)and smoking( OR = 2.358,95% CI = 1.270 - 4.376, P = 0.007)were identified as independent predictors and used to develop the clinical model,with AUCs of 0.608 and 0.694 in the training and validation cohorts,respectively. Fourteen optimal radiomic features were selected to construct the radiomics model,with AUCs of 0.881 and 0.807 in the training and validation cohorts,respectively. The combined nomogram model demonstrated superior predictive performance with AUCs of 0.893 and 0.830,sensitivities of 82.5% and 79.1%,and specificities of 82.2% and 81.3% in the training and validation cohorts,respectively. Conclusions:The EUS-based nomogram model demonstrates optimal predictive performance and can serve as a non-invasive tool to assist endoscopists in distinguishing early ESCC from non-cancerous lesions.


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