The circadian clock is a highly conserved timekeeping system in organisms, which maintains physiological homeostasis by precisely regulating periodic fluctuations in gene expression. Substantial clinical and experimental evidence has established a close association between circadian rhythm disruption and the development of various malignancies. Research has revealed characteristic alterations in the circadian gene expression profiles in tumor tissues, primarily manifested as a dysfunction of core clock components (particularly circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK) and brain and muscle ARNT-like 1 (BMAL1)) and the widespread dysregulation of their downstream target genes. Notably, CLOCK demonstrates non-canonical oncogenic functions, including epigenetic regulation via histone acetyltransferase activity and the circadian-independent modulation of cancer pathways. This review systematically elaborates on the oncogenic mechanisms mediated by CLOCK/BMAL1, encompassing multidimensional effects such as cell cycle control, DNA damage response, metabolic reprogramming, and tumor microenvironment (TME) remodeling. Regarding the therapeutic strategies, we focus on cutting-edge approaches such as chrononutritional interventions, chronopharmacological modulation, and treatment regimen optimization, along with a discussion of future perspectives. The research breakthroughs highlighted in this work not only deepen our understanding of the crucial role of circadian regulation in cancer biology but also provide novel insights for the development of chronotherapeutic oncology, particularly through targeting the non-canonical functions of circadian proteins to develop innovative anti-cancer strategies.
Humans ; ARNTL Transcription Factors/physiology* ; Neoplasms/therapy* ; CLOCK Proteins/physiology* ; Circadian Clocks/genetics* ; Animals ; Circadian Rhythm/genetics* ; Tumor Microenvironment ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic

Cerebral organoids are three-dimensional nerve cultures induced by embryonic stem cells(ESCs)or induced pluripotent stem cells(iPSCs)that mimic the structure and function of human brain.With the continuous optimization of cerebral organoid culture technology and the combination with emerging technologies such as organ transplantation,gene editing and organoids-on-chip,complex brain tissue structures such as functional vascular structures and neural circuits have been produced,which provides new methods and ideas for studying human brain development and diseases.This article reviews the latest advances in brain organoid technology,describes its application in neurological diseases and advances in stroke modeling and transplantation treatment.

Objective:To explore the effect of variable priority cognitive-motor dual-task training in aged cognitive frailty patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods:From September 2022 to September 2023, a total of 108 aged cognitive frailty patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were selected in the Department of Endocrinology of North China University of Science and Technology Affiliated Hospital as research subjects.The subjects were divided into three groups in the order of admission, with 36 people in each group.Three groups of patients were intervened for 8 weeks using variable priority cognitive-motor dual-task training (VP group), exercise combined cognitive intervention with sequential task (ST group), and endocrinology routine treatment and nursing (control group), respectively.The scores of mini-mental state examination(MMSE), frailty phenotype(FP) and Berg balance scale(BBS) were compared among the three groups before and after the intervention.Repeated measurement variance analysis was used to compare scale results by SPSS 22.0.Results:(1)The MMSE score of patients before and after intervention had significant interaction effect between time and groups ( F=69.929, P<0.05).The MMSE scores of the VP group and ST group after 8 weeks of intervention were higher than those before intervention and after 4 weeks of intervention, and the MMSE scores of the two groups after 4 weeks of intervention were also higher than those before intervention (all P<0.05).After 4 weeks and 8 weeks of intervention, the MMSE score of the VP group was higher than that of the ST group and the control group, and the MMSE score of the ST group was higher than that of the control group after 8 weeks of intervention(all P<0.05).(2)The FP score of patients before and after intervention had a significant interaction effect between time and groups ( F=46.425, P<0.05).The FP score of the VP group at 8 weeks of intervention (2.64±0.59) was lower than that after 4 weeks of intervention (3.28±0.51) and before intervention (3.56±0.61), and the FP score after 4 weeks of intervention was lower than before intervention (all P<0.05).The FP score of the ST group after 8 weeks of intervention (3.44±0.56) was lower than before the intervention (3.59±0.56) ( P<0.05); After 4 weeks of intervention, the FP score of the VP group was lower than that of the control group (3.36±0.54) ( P<0.05).After 8 weeks of intervention, the FP score of the VP group was lower than that of the ST group and the control group (3.39±0.55) (both P<0.05).(3)The FP score of patients before and after intervention had a significant interaction effect between time and groups ( F=135.791, P<0.05).The BBS scores of the VP group and ST group after 8 weeks of intervention were higher than those before and after 4 weeks of intervention, and the BBS scores after 4 weeks of intervention were also higher than those before intervention (all P<0.05).After 4 weeks of intervention, the BBS score of the VP group was higher than that of the control group ( P<0.05).After 8 weeks of intervention, the BBS score of the VP group was higher than that of the ST group and the control group, and the BBS score of the ST group was also higher than that of the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusion:The variable priority cognitive-motor dual-task training can improve the cognitive function, physical frailty and balance function in aged cognitive frailty patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and the intervention effect is better than that of exercise combined cognitive intervention with sequential task and endocrinology routine treatment and nursing.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of matched sibling donor allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for the treatment of myelofibrosis (MF).Methods:In this case series, the clinical data of 18 patients with MF who received allo-HSCT in the Department of Hematology, Peking University People′s Hospital from December 2008 to December 2023 were retrospectively studied. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and competitive risk model were used to evaluate the probabilities of 3-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), and transplant related mortality (TRM). The transplant related complications were also analyzed.Results:Among the 18 patients included, there were 12 males and 6 females, with a median age of 50 (range: 28-64) years. All 18 patients achieved neutrophil engraftment, and the time of neutrophil engraftment [ M ( Q1, Q3)] was 16.0 (11.8, 18.0) days. Twelve patients achieved platelet engraftment, and the platelet engraftment time was 21.0 (16.2, 43.2) days. Six patients had grade Ⅱ to Ⅳ acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and six patients had chronic GVHD. The 3-year OS rate and DFS rate after transplantation were 62.2% and 52.2%, respectively. The 3-year CIR and TRM were 29.7% and 24.6%, respectively. Four patients died during follow-up, with the main cause of death being infections. Conclusion:Matched sibling allo-HSCT is a feasible option for the treatment of MF.

Post-stroke cognitive impairment(PSCI)is a common complication after stroke,which significantly affects quality of life.However,the pathogenesis has not been fully explained.Increasing evidence has shown that the mechanism of programmed cell death(PCD)is related to PSCI,including apoptosis,necroptosis,pyroptosis,PANoptosis,parthanatos,and ferroptosis.Therefore,it is crucial to clearly understand the various mechanisms of PCD and their relationship with PSCI,and to elucidate the role of PCD in PSCI pathogenesis.The article reviews six PCD pathways related to PSCI,summarizes their mechanisms of action in PSCI,and elucidates the possible crosstalk among pathways to provide a basis for clinical targeting of regulatory factors in the PCD pathway for PSCI treatment.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo antibacterial potential of Ly-sZHSHW,a phage lysin against Acinetobacter baumannii infections,and to study its characteris-tics.The pET28a-Lys recombinant plasmid containing LysZHSHW coding gene was constructed by PCR,enzyme digestion and ligation using the expression plasmid pET28a as the backbone and ex-pressed in E.coli BL21(DE3).After confirming the expression of the LysZHSHW through West-ern blot analysis,its characterization and potential applications were assessed both in vitro and in vivo.The results showed that the pET28a-Lys recombinant plasmid was successfully constructed and the LysZHSHW protein was expressed correctly.The mass concentration of the purified en-zyme was 4 086 mg/L,which could be used for subsequent experiments.The enzymatic activity of LysZHSHW was determined to be 630 U/μg,with maximum activity observed at 25 ℃ and pH9.0.In vitro experiments demonstrated that 1 000 or 750 mg/L of LysZHSHW,in the presence of EDTA,resulted in a four-log reduction in bacterial counts without any cytotoxicity.In vivo,2.5 μg of LysZHSHW combined with EDTA could increase the survival rate of Galleria mellonel-la larvae infection model to 92.86％after 24 hours,and 0.15 mg of LysZHSHW reduced the bacte-rial load in the thighs of mice by 2.8 logs and alleviated the inflammatory response in muscle fi-bers.In conclusion,LysZHSHW derived from Acinetobacter baumannii bacteriophage exhibited characteristics such as stability at room temperature,alkaline pH,and safety,making it a promis-ing candidate as a novel antimicrobial agent.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological and molecular genetic characteristics of Crohn′s disease (CD).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 52 CD patients who underwent surgical resection at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2014 and June 2023. Clinical presentations and histopathological features were assessed. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on 17 of the samples, followed by sequencing and pathway enrichment analyses. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the expression of frequently mutated genes.Results:Among the 52 patients, 34 were males and 18 were females, male-to-female ratio was 1.9∶1.0, with a median age of 45 years at surgery and 35 years at diagnosis. According to the Montreal classification, A3 (51.9%,27/52), B2 (61.5%, 32/52), and L3 (50.0%,26/52) subtypes were the most predominant. Abdominal pain and diarrhea were the common symptoms. Histopathological features seen in all 52 patients included transmural inflammation, disruption of cryptal architecture, lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, varying degrees of submucosal fibrosis and thickening, increased enteric nerve fibers and neuronal proliferation. Mucosal defects, fissure ulcers, abscesses, pseudopolyps, and adenomatous proliferation were also observed in 51 (98.1%), 38 (73.1%), 28 (53.8%), 45 (86.5%), and 28 (53.8%) cases, respectively. Thirty-one (59.6%) cases had non-caseating granulomas, and 3 (5.8%) cases had intestinal mucosal glandular epithelial dysplasia. Molecular analysis showed that 12/17 CD patients exhibited mutations in at least one mucin family gene (MUC2, MUC3A, MUC4, MUC6, MUC12, MUC17), and MUC4 was the most frequently mutated in 7/17 of cases. Immunohistochemical stains showed reduced MUC4 expression in epithelial cells, with increased MUC4 expression in the epithelial surface, particularly around areas of inflammatory cell aggregation; and minimal expression in the lower half of the epithelium.Conclusions:CD exhibits diverse clinical and pathological features, necessitating a comprehensive multidimensional analysis for diagnosis. Mutations and expression alterations in mucin family genes, particularly MUC4, may play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of CD.

Humans ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation Conditioning ; Graft vs Host Disease

Post-stroke cognitive impairment(PSCI)is mainly manifested as learning and memory disorders.Highly enriched RNA m6A methylation modification in mammalian brain is involved in glial cell-mediated neuroinflammation.Given that neuroinflammation is the main mechanism for neural damage and spatial and memory impairment of PSCI,it is speculated that RNA m6A methylation modification can regulate the inflammatory response of glial cells after stroke to improve PSCI.This review summarizes and analyzes the role of RNA m6A methylation modification in the development of PSCI and analyzes its detailed mechanism of regulating glial cell-mediated inflammation,which will provide reference for researchers in this field.