1.Emerging role of proteomics in advancing diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of liver cancer
Yunyang Xu ; Jiarui Li ; Xingyu Luo ; Ze Xiang ; Zhe Yang ; Xuyong Wei ; Xiao Xu ; Jian Chen
Liver Research 2026;10(2):121-132
Liver cancer (LC) remains one of the most prevalent tumors globally. Despite considerable advancements in its clinical treatment in recent years, the global burden of this disease is projected to increase. According to World Health Organization statistics, the number of LC deaths worldwide in 2022 was 760,000, ranking third among all cancers. Therefore, there is an urgent need to delve deeper into the realms of LC diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Proteomics, as an emerging technology leveraging mass spectrometry (MS)-based protein identification, liquid chromatography separation, and bioinformatics-driven data integration, enables the systematic characterization of proteome dynamics to address critical challenges in LC research. These challenges include the discovery of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets. By scrutinizing the expression of specific proteins in both normal and cancerous tissues through high-throughput protein microarrays, researchers can uncover novel biomarkers. The use of these biomarkers alone or in combination with established ones holds the potential to significantly advance the fields of LC diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. In general, the application of proteomics has significantly promoted the development of LC research. In this review, we summarized the latest advancements in the application of proteomics in LC, with a particular focus on diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. We also concluded selected protein markers, aiming to offer guidance for further applications and present additional therapeutic targets for LC.
2.Effect of Acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) on Improving Autism by Promoting Myelination Through The METTL14/m⁶A/PTEN Axis Based on “Xuanfu-Suiqiao” Theory
Wei-Li DANG ; Lü-Yuan LIANG ; Yu-Xin LI ; Zhi-Yao LI ; Sai-Dan LIU ; Jia-Lei CAO ; Rong-Ze MA ; Yun-Kai WANG ; Xiao-Qing YANG ; Bing-Qi WEI ; Bing-Xiang MA
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1165-1177
ObjectiveTo clarify whether METTL14 mediates the core role of acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) in promoting myelination and improving behavior in young autistic rats through gene intervention technology. MethodsThe ASD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of valproic acid (VPA) in pregnant rats. Male offspring were intracerebroventricularly injected with adenovirus-packaged METTL14 shRNA (sh-METTL14) or its control (sh-NC) on postnatal day 1, with a model group set as well. Subsequently, the juvenile rats were divided into model group, acupuncture group, acupuncture+sh-NC group, and acupuncture+sh-METTL14 group. The acupuncture group received acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) from postnatal day 7, once daily for 21 consecutive days. Neurobehavioral changes were evaluated by behavioral tests; METTL14 knockdown efficiency and the expression of METTL14, METTL3, and PTEN were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot (WB); PTEN m6A levels were measured by RNA immunoprecipitation-qPCR (RIP-qPCR); myelin ultrastructure, expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) and neurofascin 155 (NF155), and dendritic spine density were observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, and primary neuron culture. ResultsBehaviorally, knockdown of METTL14 significantly counteracted the beneficial effects of acupuncture in improving self-grooming, open field exploration, three-chamber social interaction, and Morris water maze learning and memory (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the acupuncture+sh-NC group, the acupuncture+sh-METTL14 group showed significantly decreased mRNA and protein expression of hippocampal METTL14 (P<0.01), and the upregulating effects of acupuncture on METTL3 and PTEN expression were reversed (P<0.01). Meanwhile, knockdown of METTL14 significantly inhibited the acupuncture-induced increase in PTEN m6A levels (P<0.01). Morphologically, knockdown of METTL14 attenuated the improvement of myelin structure by acupuncture, reversed the downregulation of MBP and upregulation of NF155 induced by acupuncture, and blocked the increase in dendritic spine density (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionMETTL14 is a key molecule mediating the therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Neiguan. Acupuncture at Neiguan upregulates METTL14, thereby enhancing m6A methylation modification of PTEN mRNA to stabilize its expression, ultimately promoting myelin development and improving behavioral symptoms in ASD juvenile rats. This preliminarily reveals the modern biological connotation of “opening Xuanfu and dredging myelin”.
3.Effect of Acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) on Improving Autism by Promoting Myelination Through The METTL14/m⁶A/PTEN Axis Based on “Xuanfu-Suiqiao” Theory
Wei-Li DANG ; Lü-Yuan LIANG ; Yu-Xin LI ; Zhi-Yao LI ; Sai-Dan LIU ; Jia-Lei CAO ; Rong-Ze MA ; Yun-Kai WANG ; Xiao-Qing YANG ; Bing-Qi WEI ; Bing-Xiang MA
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1165-1177
ObjectiveTo clarify whether METTL14 mediates the core role of acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) in promoting myelination and improving behavior in young autistic rats through gene intervention technology. MethodsThe ASD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of valproic acid (VPA) in pregnant rats. Male offspring were intracerebroventricularly injected with adenovirus-packaged METTL14 shRNA (sh-METTL14) or its control (sh-NC) on postnatal day 1, with a model group set as well. Subsequently, the juvenile rats were divided into model group, acupuncture group, acupuncture+sh-NC group, and acupuncture+sh-METTL14 group. The acupuncture group received acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) from postnatal day 7, once daily for 21 consecutive days. Neurobehavioral changes were evaluated by behavioral tests; METTL14 knockdown efficiency and the expression of METTL14, METTL3, and PTEN were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot (WB); PTEN m6A levels were measured by RNA immunoprecipitation-qPCR (RIP-qPCR); myelin ultrastructure, expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) and neurofascin 155 (NF155), and dendritic spine density were observed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, qRT-PCR, and primary neuron culture. ResultsBehaviorally, knockdown of METTL14 significantly counteracted the beneficial effects of acupuncture in improving self-grooming, open field exploration, three-chamber social interaction, and Morris water maze learning and memory (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the acupuncture+sh-NC group, the acupuncture+sh-METTL14 group showed significantly decreased mRNA and protein expression of hippocampal METTL14 (P<0.01), and the upregulating effects of acupuncture on METTL3 and PTEN expression were reversed (P<0.01). Meanwhile, knockdown of METTL14 significantly inhibited the acupuncture-induced increase in PTEN m6A levels (P<0.01). Morphologically, knockdown of METTL14 attenuated the improvement of myelin structure by acupuncture, reversed the downregulation of MBP and upregulation of NF155 induced by acupuncture, and blocked the increase in dendritic spine density (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionMETTL14 is a key molecule mediating the therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Neiguan. Acupuncture at Neiguan upregulates METTL14, thereby enhancing m6A methylation modification of PTEN mRNA to stabilize its expression, ultimately promoting myelin development and improving behavioral symptoms in ASD juvenile rats. This preliminarily reveals the modern biological connotation of “opening Xuanfu and dredging myelin”.
4.Epidemiological Characteristics of Venous Thromboembolism Among Inpatients at the People's Hospital of Xizang Autonomous Region: A Cross-Sectional Study from the Perspective of Chronic Disease Pharmaceutical Clinic in a High-Altitude Region
Xue SUN ; Wei ZUO ; Yangzom PEMA ; Li LIU ; Zekun DING ; Yang HU ; Bi ZE
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(5):1461-1469
To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among inpatients at the People's Hospital of Xizang Autonomous Region, and to provide data support for the establishment of a standardized risk screening and pharmaceutical care system in the plateau chronic disease pharmaceutical clinic. This study was a retrospective cross-sectional survey. Patients discharged with a diagnosis of VTE from the People's Hospital of Xizang Autonomous Region between January 2019 and December 2024 were selected. General data, clinical outcomes, and anticoagulation regimens were collected. The Mann-Kendall trend test was used to analyze the temporal trend of VTE prevalence, and multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of VTE occurrence. A total of 939 VTE patients were included, comprising 492 females (52.40%) and 447 males (47.60%), with a mean age of (54.87±20.10) years. There were 339 elderly patients aged ≥65 years and 600 patients aged < 65 years. In terms of treatment outcomes, the clinical improvement (improvement) rate was 79.02%, and the cure rate was 10.76%. Among thrombus types, pulmonary embolism (PE) accounted for the highest proportion (58.79%), with low-risk PE being the main subtype (35.50%). The main comorbidity among VTE patients was hypertension (39.94%), followed by acute myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke (11.40%). The prevalence of VTE increased from 0.62% in 2019 to 1.07% in 2024. The Mann-Kendall trend test showed a Kendall's Tau coefficient of 0.733 ( The prevalence of VTE at the People's Hospital of Xizang Autonomous Region is on the rise. The key risk population consists of chronic disease patients with hypertension and obesity. It is necessary to further strengthen early identification of VTE, management of comorbidities, and medication monitoring for chronic disease patients, so as to improve the comprehensive management of VTE in plateau areas.
5.Extraction process optimization,component analysis and biological activity evaluation for total polyphenols from Conioselinum vaginatu
Jun-long WANG ; Hui-jie YAN ; Yong-gang LIN ; Zi-wei LI ; Wen-pan SHI ; Sheng-qi JIANG ; Bin WU ; Qin-ze GU
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(5):1449-1455
AIM To optimize the extraction process for total polyphenols from Conioselinum vaginatu(Spreng.)Thell.,make component analysis,and evaluate their anti-oxidant,hypoglycemic activities.METHODS The effects of ultrasound,enzymatic hydrolysis,acid hydrolysis,alcohol extraction and hydrolysis processes on the extraction quantity of total polyphenols were investigated,respectively.With extraction temperature,extraction time,ethanol concetration and liquid-solid ratio as influencing factors,extraction quantity of total polyphenols as an evaluation index,the extraction process was optimized by response surface method.HPLC was adopted in the identification of polyphenolic composition and determination of their contents.Subsequently,total polyphenols' scavenging capacities on DPPH,ABTS,OH free radicals,total reducing power and inhibitory capacity on α-glucosidase were determined.RESULTS The highest extraction quantity of total polyphenols was observable when extraction process was employed.The optimal conditions were determined to be 62 ℃ for extraction temperature,54 min for extraction time,69%for ethanol concentration,and 50∶1 for liquid-solid ratio,the extraction quantity of total polyphenols was(9.51±0.2)mg GAE/g.Seven constituents existed in C.vaginatu,among which ferulic acid demonstrated the highest content,followed by that of myricetin,while D-tryptophan content was the lowest.At the concentration of 7.61 mg/L,total polyphenols displayed the scavenging rates on DPPH,ABTS,OH free radicals of 80.70%,85.97%,28.60%,total reducing power of 0.22,and inhibition rate on α-glucosidase of 77.23%,respectively.CONCLUSION This stable and reliable method can be used for the extraction of total polyphenols from C.vaginatum with strong anti-oxidant,hypoglycemic activities.
6.Prognostic value of monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio in assessing patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
Yajun WEI ; Ze HOU ; Yuting LIU ; Mengwei WANG ; Xinyi WANG ; Yingnan YE ; Kegang JIA
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;59(3):309-316
Objective:To explore the prognostic value of monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (MHR) in assessing patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).Methods:Patients with HFrEF (LVEF<40%) admitted to the TEDA International Cardiovascular Disease Hospital between 2 January 2019 and 15 January 2023 were selected. The MHR levels were recorded at admission in patients with HFrEF who were followed up regularly for 12 months. The major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiac death and readmission for heart failure) were defined as poor prognosis. Multivariate Cox regression was used to analyze factors associated with poor prognosis. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the diagnostic value of MHR for poor prognosis. The DeLong test was used to analyze whether there was a difference in the effectiveness of MHR and BNP for detecting poor prognosis. The critical value grouping for poor prognosis was evaluated by MHR, and survival analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier.Results:A total of 286 subjects were enrolled in the study, including 206 males and 80 females, with a median age ( Q1, Q3) of 67 (58, 74) years. Multivariate Cox regression showed that MHR ( HR=1.482, 95% CI:1.015-2.164) and BNP ( HR=1.001, 95% CI:1.000-1.001) were associated with poor prognosis in patients with HFrEF. The area under the ROC curve for the adjunctive diagnostic value of MHR, BNP and the combination of both for poor prognosis in patients with HFrEF was 0.709, 0.738 and 0.769, respectively. The critical values were 0.486, 1 090 pg/ml and 0.41, respectively. The DeLong test showed no differences in the validity of MHR, BNP and their combination for detecting poor prognosis. Kaplan Meier survival analysis of 12-month follow-up showed that the time for poor prognosis in HFrEF patients with MHR>0.486 group (8.645 months) was significantly shorter than that in MHR≤0.486 group (10.296 months, P<0.001), and the risk of poor prognosis in MHR>0.486 group was 2.843 times higher than that in MHR≤0.486 group ( HR=2.843, 95% CI:1.867-4.327). Conclusion:MHR can be an indicator of poor prognosis in patients with HFrEF.
7.Construction and validation of a risk prediction model for 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury
Jiang-Ming ZHANG ; Ze-Qian WANG ; Cun-Lian XU ; Pai DENG ; Yang WU ; Min-Jun QI ; Lu-Mei MA ; Wei-Qing YAO ; Dong LIU ; Dong-Mei LIU
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2025;50(8):935-942
Objective To explore the risk factors for 28-day mortality of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury(SA-AKI)patients and to develop a nomogram risk prediction model.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted,involving 184 patients with SA-AKI admitted to the intensive care unit(ICU)of the 940th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force of PLA between January 2017 and December 2022.Patients were categorized into survival(n=135)and non-survival(n=49)groups based on 28-day mortality.Clinical data were collected,and statistically significant risk factors were preliminarily screened.Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for 28-day mortality of SA-AKI patients.A nomogram predictive model was constructed using these factors,and internally validated with the Bootstrap method.The receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC curve)was drawn,and the area under the ROC curve(AUC)was calculated to verify the predictive value and accuracy of the model.Results The 28-day mortality rate among 184 SA-AKI patients was 26.6%(49/184).Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis identified multiple organ dysfunction syndrome(MODS)(OR=16.393,95%CI 4.317-62.254,P<0.001),high acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ)score(OR=1.097,95%CI 1.036-1.161,P=0.002),low oxygenation index(OR=0.992,95%CI 0.986-0.998,P=0.015),low neutrophil count(OR=0.912,95%CI 0.860-0.968,P=0.002)and low fibrinogen concentration(OR=0.733,95%CI 0.549-0.978,P=0.034)as independent risk factors.The prediction model equation was P=1/1+e-logit(P),logit(P)=-1.626+2.797×MODS+0.092×AP ACHE Ⅱ+(-0.311)×fibrinogen+(-0.092)×neutrophil count+(-0.008)×oxygenation index.Internal validation with 1000 Bootstrap resamples showed high consistency between predicted and actual values.ROC analysis showed an AUC of 0.911(95%CI 0.868-0.955,P<0.05)for the model,with 93.9%sensitivity and 78.5%specificity at a cut-off of 0.194.The Hosmer-Lemeshow test confirmed good calibration(P=0.62),and decision-making curve analysis demonstrated clinical utility within the high-risk threshold range(0.1-0.9).Conclusions MODS,high APACHE Ⅱ score,low oxygenation index,low neutrophil count,and low fibrinogen concentration are independent risk factors for 28-day mortality in SA-AKI patients.The developed nomogram risk prediction model may provide important guidance for predicting 28-day mortality in SA-AKI patients.
8.Imaging assessment of osteosarcoma chemotherapy efficacy based on multi-scale lesion attention network
Jie ZANG ; Ze-Qun SONG ; Zhen-Yu TANG ; Fang-Zhou HE ; Chao-Wei DING ; Ling-Feng WANG ; Xiao-Dong TANG
Acta Anatomica Sinica 2025;56(1):30-36
Objective To propose a high-precision deep learning-based image assessment method of osteosarcoma chemotherapy efficacy for clinical treatment,as existing methos have low accuracy of osteosarcoma assessment.Methods The low incidence of osteosarcoma led to the small scale of its imaging data and the problem of imbalance in data categories.This study combined deep learning with clinical medical information,combined the bone sarcoma generation module of BoneGAN and the scale lesion information capture module,and proposed OMLA-Net,a deep learning assessment network for chemotherapy effect of bone sarcoma based on multi-scale lesion attention network,which achieved computer-aided bone tumor assessment with integrated data augmentation and focused lesion information through pre-training and generalized loss training.Results In this study,40 cases of osteosarcoma MRI data were used as the basis for the comparison test on the generated dataset,and the OMLA-Net assessment outperformed the SOTA method Conv-LSTM-GAN in terms of the assessment effects such as accuracy and F1 scores,and the difference was statistically significant(Bootstrap statistical method P<0.05);the subsequent K-fold cross-validation ablation experiments further demonstrated the effectiveness of each module proposed by OMLA-Net.Conclusion OMLA-Net can effectively perform the impact assessment of chemotherapy effect on osteosarcoma,which provides a new idea for subsequent clinical application.
9.Exploring behavioral patterns and hippocampal neurogenesis in autism spectrum disorder mice
Xiao-Jie NIU ; Jiao LIU ; Xin-Wei ZHANG ; Ze-Tao WANG ; Ke-Qi YAN ; Qi-Yuan LIU ; Wan-Yun HAO ; Pei-Jun ZHANG
Acta Anatomica Sinica 2025;56(2):171-179
Objective To explore the behavioral patterns and hippocampal neurogenesis of CHD8+mice,and to provide behavioral and morphological basis for improving autism like behavior and neurogenesis.Methods Genotype of wild type(WT)and CHD8+/-mice was identified.Weight measurement was conducted on both male and female mice of the WT and CHD8+/-strains.Subsequently,a battery of behavioral tests was administered,which included three-chamber test,self-grooming test,nesting test,Y-maze spontaneous alternation test,food burial test,open-field test and light-dark transition test.Afterwards,the mice were administered 2%pentobarbital sodium(2 ml/kg)to induce anesthesia.Their brains were frozen with 4%paraformaldehyde,removed for photography and analysis to identify any alterations in brain size.Western blotting and immunofluorescent labeling were used to detect changes in the process of hippocampus neurogenesis.Results Western blotting analysis demonstrated a decrease in the amounts of chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 8(CHD8)protein in both male and female mice with CHD8+genotype,as compared to WT mice.There were no notable disparities in body weight between male and female WT and CHD8+mice,as well as in brain size.The three-chamber social behavior test revealed that both male and female CHD8+/-mice had social deficiencies(P<0.05).During the open field test,there was no significant difference in the total distance moved by male and female WT and CHD8+/-mice.However,the amount of time spent in the central region was considerably lower in CHD8+/-mice compared to the WT mice(P<0.01).Furthermore,the light-dark transition test revealed that both male and female CHD8+/-mice spent considerably less time investigating the white box compared to the WT mice(P<0.05).Nevertheless,there were no notable alterations found in self-grooming,nesting,spontaneous alternation of Y-maze,and food burial experiments.In addition,Western blotting result demonstrated a significant drop in doublecortin(DCX)expression(P<0.001),and immunofluorescent staining revealed a notable reduction in the number of DCX+cells(P<0.01)in the hippocampus of CHD8+/-mice.Conclusion CHD8+/-mice exhibit social disorders and anxiety-like behaviors,with a decrease in the number of newly generated neurons in the hippocampus and neurogenesis disorders.
10.Association Between Obesity-Related Metabolic Indices and Knee Osteoarthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study in Middle-Aged and Older Chinese Adults
Changfa HUANG ; Hao FAN ; Ze WEI ; Jing HAO ; Lijin LIU ; Su LIU ; Zhifa ZHENG ; Fei LIU ; Lina ZHAO ; Zhihong WU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;17(1):172-180
To investigate the association between obesity-related metabolic indices and the risk of knee osteoarthritis(KOA) in middle-aged and older Chinese adults(≥45 years) using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS). Data from two CHARLS survey waves(2011—2012 and 2015—2016) were analyzed. Obesity indices—including body mass index(BMI), waist circumference(WC), waist-to-height ratio(WHtR), visceral adiposity index(VAI), a body shape index(ABSI), body roundness index(BRI), lipid accumulation product(LAP), conicity index(CI), and Chinese visceral adiposity index(CVAI)-and metabolic indices-triglyceride glucose index(TyG), TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, and TyG-WHtR-were collected. Covariates comprised demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and health status. Three multivariate logistic regression models were constructed. Sex-subgroup analyses assessed heterogeneity, and receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves with area under the curve(AUC) were used to evaluate diagnostic performance. Among 9527 participants, the prevalence of KOA was 9.59%(914/9527). After adjusting for confounders, linear regression revealed significant positive associations between KOA and BMI( BMI, BRI, LAP, TyG-BMI, and TyG-WHtR may serve as auxiliary indicators for KOA risk assessment in middle-aged and older women, but their standalone screening value remains modest. Clinical evaluation and integration with other risk factors are recommended for comprehensive risk stratification.


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