OBJECTIVE: To explore the application value of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted chromosomal karyotype analysis in the diagnosis of prenatal chromosomal mosaicism. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 172 pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis at the Department of Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between January 2019 and December 2024. All cases whose fetuses were diagnosed with chromosomal mosaicism via karyotype analysis and stratified into two groups based on the analytical software employed: the conventional analysis group (n = 70), which utilized Leica analysis software for karyotype image recognition and cell counting; and the AI-assisted analysis group (n = 102), which utilized AI-assisted software for the same procedures. The clinical performance of AI-assisted karyotype analysis in diagnosing chromosomal mosaicism was comprehensively evaluated by comparing the types of mosaic karyotypes, distribution of mosaic ratios, and verification outcomes of different detection modalities between the two groups. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Ethics No.: 2024-406-01). RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was observed in baseline characteristics (maternal age, gestational week, and indications for prenatal diagnosis) between the two groups. Regarding the detection efficacy for numerical and structural mosaicisms, no significant difference was found in the detection of numerical mosaicism. However, the conventional analysis group exhibited a significantly higher detection rate of autosomal structural mosaicism compared to the AI-assisted group (11.43% vs. 0.98%, P < 0.05). Numerical mosaicism cases were further verified using copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The AI-assisted group demonstrated a significantly lower inconsistency rate (5.56% vs. 20.41%, P < 0.05) compared to the conventional group. For low-proportion (< 10%) chromosomal mosaicism, the AI-assisted group had a significantly lower detection rate (13.25% vs. 29.69%, P < 0.05). Subsequent validation of low-proportion mosaicism by CNV-seq and/or FISH showed a higher consistency rate in the AI-assisted group (81.82% vs. 54.55%), though the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.360). CONCLUSION For the karyotyping analysis of prenatal chromosomal mosaicism, AI-assisted karyotype analysis shows high accuracy and consistency in identifying numerical chromosomal mosaicism, particularly in reducing the detection of low-proportion (< 10%) mosaicism while improving verification accuracy. AI-assisted analysis can significantly improve the detection accuracy of numerical mosaicism and mitigate the risk of misclassification for low-proportion (< 10%) mosaicism, thereby providing more precise clinical evidence for the prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal mosaicisms.
Humans ; Female ; Mosaicism ; Pregnancy ; Karyotyping/methods* ; Artificial Intelligence ; Prenatal Diagnosis/methods* ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Chromosome Disorders/genetics* ; Amniocentesis

ObjectiveTo investigate the inhibitory effect of gingerol， an active component of ginger， on Staphylococcus aureus （S. aureus） infection， and to preliminarily explore its mechanism related to extracellular vesicles （EVs）. MethodsS.aureus infection models were established in human umbilical vein endothelial cell （HUVECs）， Vero E6 cells， and C57BL/6 mice. Experimental groups included control， infection， and gingerol-treated groups. Bacterial load and VE-cadherin protein expression were detected using immunofluorescence and Western blot. EVs were isolated by size exclusion chromatography and characterized by transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis. miRNA sequencing was performed on EVs. ResultsGingerol treatment significantly reduced the bacterial load in both in vitro and in vivo infection models and upregulated VE-cadherin expression. miRNA sequencing of EVs revealed that S. aureus infection upregulated the expression of hsa-miR-320c， while gingerol treatment reversed this abnormal expression. Bioinformatic analysis further predicted that the target genes of hsa-miR-320c were significantly enriched in cell junction-related pathways. ConclusionGingerol exhibits clear antibacterial and host-protective effects， by regulating hsa-miR-320c in EVs to maintain endothelial barrier integrity.

Objective To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound in treating pulmonary nodules, providing evidence-based medical evidence for TCM intervention in pulmonary nodules. Methods Computer search of PubMed, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed was conducted to select randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TCM compound intervention in pulmonary nodules, with the retrieval time from the inception to November 29, 2023. The Cochrane bias risk assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies, and Review Manager 5.4 was used for Meta-analysis. Results A total of 18 RCTs were included, covering 8 provinces across the country, with a total sample size of 1301 patients. The TCM compounds used in the included studies all incorporated the method of dissolving phlegm and dissipating nodules. There was a high risk of bias uncertainty in the included studies. Meta-analysis results suggested that TCM compound could significantly reduce the diameter of pulmonary nodules [MD=−1.41, 95%CI (−1.70, −1.13), P<0.001], decrease the number of nodules [MD=−0.37, 95%CI (−0.73, −0.01), P=0.05], alleviate clinical symptoms [MD=−4.84, 95%CI (−6.04, −3.64), P<0.001], and improve lung function [forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), MD=0.55, 95%CI (0.09, 1.01), P=0.02; FEV1/forced vital capacity, MD=6.12, 95%CI (4.47, 7.78), P<0.001]. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the probability of malignancy between the experimental group and the control group [MD=−0.01, 95%CI (−0.01, 0.00), P=0.09]. Conclusion TCM compound can significantly reduce the diameter of pulmonary nodules, decrease the number of nodules, alleviate clinical symptoms, and improve lung function, but future multicenter, large-sample, high-quality RCTs are still needed to further explore and verify this conclusion.

Lung transplantation is a definitive treatment for end-stage lung disease and can significantly improve patient prognosis. However, postoperative complications such as infection, rejection, ischemia-reperfusion injury and chronic lung allograft dysfunction intertwine to form a complex pathological network, posing persistent challenges to long-term patient survival. In 2025, research teams worldwide have made systematic progress in the field of basic lung transplantation research. By integrating cutting-edge technologies including single-cell multi-omics, spatial transcriptomics and novel animal models, significant breakthroughs have been achieved in the evolutionary dynamics of drug-resistant infections, molecular mechanisms of immune regulation, programmed cell death, optimization of donor lung protection strategies and early warning of chronic lung allograft dysfunction. This article systematically reviews the representative advances in basic lung transplantation research worldwide in 2025, and deeply analyzes the implications of mechanistic breakthroughs for optimizing diagnosis and treatment strategies, aiming to anchor the direction for innovative breakthroughs and clinical translation in basic lung transplantation research.

Background: s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated. Methods: In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs. Results: Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment. Conclusions We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.

Hearing loss is the most prevalent disabling disease. Cochlear implantation（CI） serves as the primary intervention for severe to profound hearing loss. This consensus systematically explores the value of genetic diagnosis in the pre-operative assessment and efficacy prognosis for CI. Drawing upon domestic and international research and clinical experience, it proposes an evidence-based medicine three-tiered prognostic classification system（Favorable, Marginal, Poor）. The consensus focuses on common hereditary non-syndromic hearing loss（such as that caused by mutations in genes like GJB2, SLC26A4, OTOF, LOXHD1） and syndromic hereditary hearing loss（such as Jervell & Lange-Nielsen syndrome and Waardenburg syndrome）, which are closely associated with congenital hearing loss, analyzing the impact of their pathological mechanisms on CI outcomes. The consensus provides recommendations based on multiple round of expert discussion and voting. It emphasizes that genetic diagnosis can optimize patient selection, predict prognosis, guide post-operative rehabilitation, offer stratified management strategies for patients with different genotypes, and advance the application of precision medicine in the field of CI.
Humans ; Cochlear Implantation ; Prognosis ; Hearing Loss/surgery* ; Consensus ; Connexin 26 ; Mutation ; Sulfate Transporters ; Connexins/genetics*

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the major form of dementia in the elderly and is closely related to the toxic effects of microglia sustained activation. In AD, sustained microglial activation triggers impaired synaptic pruning, neuroinflammation, neurotoxicity, and cognitive deficits. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that aberrant expression of deubiquitinating enzymes is associated with regulating microglia function. Here, we use RNA sequencing to identify a deubiquitinase YOD1 as a regulator of microglial function and AD pathology. Further study showed that YOD1 knockout significantly improved the migration, phagocytosis, and inflammatory response of microglia, thereby improving the cognitive impairment of AD model mice. Through LC-MS/MS analysis combined with Co-IP, we found that Myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9), a key regulator maintaining microglia homeostasis, is an interacting protein of YOD1. Mechanistically, YOD1 binds to MYH9 and maintains its stability by removing the K48 ubiquitin chain from MYH9, thereby mediating the microglia polarization signaling pathway to mediate microglia homeostasis. Taken together, our study reveals a specific role of microglial YOD1 in mediating microglia homeostasis and AD pathology, which provides a potential strategy for targeting microglia to treat AD.

Psoriasis is an incurable chronic inflammatory disease that requires new interventions. Here, we found that fibroblasts exacerbate psoriasis progression by promoting macrophage recruitment via CCL2 secretion by single-cell multi-omics analysis. The natural small molecule celastrol was screened to interfere with the secretion of CCL2 by fibroblasts and improve the psoriasis-like symptoms in both murine and cynomolgus monkey models. Mechanistically, celastrol directly bound to the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) β-chain and abolished its binding to the transcription factor c-Jun in the nucleus, which in turn inhibited CCL2 production by skin fibroblasts, blocked fibroblast-macrophage crosstalk, and ameliorated psoriasis progression. Notably, fibroblast-specific LRP1 knockout mice exhibited a significant reduction in psoriasis like inflammation. Taken together, from clinical samples and combined with various mouse models, we revealed the pathogenesis of psoriasis from the perspective of fibroblast-macrophage crosstalk, and provided a foundation for LRP1 as a novel potential target for psoriasis treatment.

This study investigated the role of the nuclear factor of activated T cells c3 (NFATc3) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during aortic aneurysm and dissection (AAD) progression and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Cytoplasmic and nuclear NFATc3 levels were elevated in human and mouse AAD. VSMC-NFATc3 deletion reduced thoracic AAD (TAAD) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) progression in mice, contrary to VSMC-NFATc3 overexpression. VSMC-NFATc3 deletion reduced extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and maintained the VSMC contractile phenotype. Nuclear NFATc3 targeted and transcriptionally upregulated matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and MMP2, promoting ECM degradation and AAD development. NFATc3 promoted VSMC phenotypic switching by binding to eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) and inhibiting its phosphorylation in the VSMC cytoplasm. Restoring eEF2 reversed the beneficial effects in VSMC-specific NFATc3-knockout mice. Cabamiquine-targets eEF2 and inhibits protein synthesis-inhibited AAD development and progression in VSMC-NFATc3-overexpressing mice. VSMC-NFATc3 promoted VSMC switch and ECM degradation while exacerbating AAD development, making it a novel potential therapeutic target for preventing and treating AAD.