Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) is a member of the transcription CDK subfamily and plays a role in transcriptional regulation. Selective CDK9 degraders possess potent clinical advantages over reversible CDK9 inhibitors. Herein, we report the first ATG101-recruiting selective CDK9 degrader, AZ-9, based on the hydrophobic tag kinesin degradation technology. AZ-9 showed significant degradation effects and selectivity toward other homologous cell cycle CDKs in vitro and in vivo, which could also affect downstream related phenotypes. Mechanism research revealed that AZ-9 recruits ATG101 to initiate the autophagy-lysosome pathway, and forms autophagosomes through the recruitment of LC3, which then fuses with lysosomes to degrade CDK9 and the partner protein Cyclin T1. These dates validated the existence of non-proteasomal degradation pathway of hydrophobic driven protein degradation strategy for the first time, which might provide research ideas for chemical induction intervention on other types of pathogenic proteins.

Human naïve pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) hold great promise for embryonic development studies. Existing induction and culture strategies for these cells, heavily dependent on MEK inhibitors, lead to widespread DNA hypomethylation, aberrant imprinting loss, and genomic instability during extended culture. Here, employing high-content analysis alongside a bifluorescence reporter system indicative of human naïve pluripotency, we screened over 1,600 chemicals and identified seven promising candidates. From these, we developed four optimized media-LAY, LADY, LUDY, and LKPY-that effectively induce and sustain PSCs in the naïve state. Notably, cells reset or cultured in these media, especially in the LAY system, demonstrate improved genome-wide DNA methylation status closely resembling that of pre-implantation counterparts, with partially restored imprinting and significantly enhanced genomic stability. Overall, our study contributes advancements to naïve pluripotency induction and long-term maintenance, providing insights for further applications of naïve PSCs.
Humans ; DNA Methylation/drug effects* ; Genomic Instability ; Pluripotent Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Cell Culture Techniques/methods* ; Cells, Cultured

Objective To investigate the association between the variability of remnant cholesterol inflammatory index(RCII),a novel composite biomarker,and the risk of stroke,in order to provide a theoretical basis for stroke prevention.Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted on 38 659 Kailuan individuals who took annual physical examinations in 2006,2008,and 2010.These subjects were grouped based on the quartiles of RCII variability,which was represented by standard deviation(SD)and average real variability(ARV),and were followed up every 2 years,with the occurrence of stroke(including ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes),death,or the end of follow-up on December 31,2022 as the endpoints.Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the cumulative incidence rate of endpoint events across different groups,and log-rank test was used to compare the difference of cumulative incidence of endpoint events in each group.Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was adopted to analyze the association between RCII variability and risk of stroke.Results Among the 38 659 participants,a total of 2 539 strokes occurred during a mean follow-up period of 11.22±2.26 years.After adjusting confounding factors,when the participants were grouped by the quartiles of RCII-SD,the hazard ratio(HR)for stroke was 1.034(95%CI:0.917～1.167,P=0.584),1.146(95%CI:1.018～1.290,P=0.025),and 1.209(95%CI:1.066～1.370,P=0.003),respectively in the Q2,Q3,and Q4 groups,when compared with the Q1 group(Ptrend<0.05).When they were grouped by the quartiles of RCII-ARV,the HR for stroke was 1.008(95%CI:0.894～1.136,P=0.901),1.109(95%CI:0.986～1.248,P=0.085),and 1.152(95%CI:1.018～1.303,P=0.025),respectively,in the Q2,Q3,and Q4 groups,when compared with the Q1 group.Furthermore,both sensitivity and stratified analyses yielded similar results.Conclusion RCII variability is significantly associated with stroke,and the risk of stroke is gradually increasing with increment of the variability.Countermeasures Relevant authorities can focus on reducing RCII variability as a central objective by establishing regular monitoring mechanism,strengthening lifestyle interventions,and standardizing dietary,exercise,and weight management in order to suppress the index fluctuations.The principle of stable lipid-lowering in medication and optimization of therapeutic regimens with stable efficacy should be emphasized to prevent the risk of additional vascular damage.

OBJECTIVE To compare the ability of ultra-high-resolution CT(U-HRCT)and multi-slice spiral CT(MSCT)to display key vocal transmission structures in the middle ear.METHODS Subjects with normal middle ear structures who underwent 0.1 mm layer thickness U-HRCT and 0.625 mm layer thickness MSCT scans at the same time in Beijing Friendship Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University from December 2019 to August 2024 were retrospectively enrolled.Two experienced head and neck radiologists reconstruct standard transsectional,coronal images based on the thinnest layer thickness.According to the 5-point method,16 key sound transmission structures of the middle ear,including malleus,incus and stapes,as well as joints,ligaments and tendons,were evaluated for image quality scoring.The standard deviation(SD)value,signal noise ratio(SNR),and contrast noise ratio(CNR)of bone in the malleus region and intratympanic gas were measured and calculated on the two examination images.RESULTS Thirty patients(47 sides)with normal middle ear structure were included,including 18 males and 12 females.The two physicians compared the results of U-HRCT in showing malleus head,malleus neck,malleus handle,incus body,long process,and short process,5 points accounted for 100%,and the 5-point scores of incudomalleolar joint space,incudostapedial joint space,stapes footplate and annular ligament were 100%,98.29%,75.83%and 77.83%,respectively,which were significantly higher than those of MSCT(P<0.001).In addition,U-HRCT showed higher scores for lenticular process,stapes head,anterior arch of stapes,posterior arch of stapes,annular ligament,stapes muscle,and tendo musculi tensoris tympani than MSCT(P<0.001),and the lenticular process showed a 100%display rate.There was no significant difference in the SNR between the two groups(P>0.05),but the SD value of the malleus in U-HRCT was 161.6±36.4,which was significantly lower than that in MSCT(297.8±128.1),and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.001).CONCLUSION U-HRCT can clearly visualize the key sound transmission structures of the middle ear,and its visualization ability is significantly better than that of MSCT.

Objective To investigate the effects of kaempferol on the oxidative damage and apoptosis of human lens epithelial cells induced by hydrogen peroxide(H2O2),as well as its regulatory role in the Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(JAK2/STAT3)signaling pathway.Methods Human lens epithelial cells HLE-B3 were cultured in vitro and divided into the blank group(no intervention),the model group(400 pmol?L-1 H2O2),the kaempferol group(400 μmol?L-1 H2O2+40 pmol?L-1 kaempferol),the AG490 group(400 pmol?L-1 H2O2+50 μmol?L-1 JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway inhibitor AG490),the inhibitor group(400 pmol?L-1 H2O2+40 pmol?L-1 kaempferol+50 μmol?L-1 AG490),and the activator group(400 pmol?L-1 H2O2+40 pmol?L-1 kaempferol+0.5 μmol?L-1 JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway activator C-A1).After 24 h of intervention,Hoechst 33258 staining was used to determine the ap-optosis rate of these cells.Malondialdehyde(MDA)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)kits were used to detect the levels of MDA and SOD.The protein expression levels of Cysteine aspartic protease 3(Caspase-3),B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2),JAK2,STAT3,p-JAK2,and p-STAT3 were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with the blank group,the apop-tosis rate,the MDA level,and the protein expression levels of Caspase-3,p-JAK2,and p-STAT3 increased(all P＜0.05)in the model group,while the protein expression levels of SOD and Bcl-2 decreased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the apoptosis rate,the MDA level,and the protein expression levels of Caspase-3,p-JAK2,and p-STAT3 decreased in the kaempferol and AG490 groups(all P＜0.05),while the protein expression levels of SOD and Bcl-2 increased(all P＜0.05).Compared with the kaempferol group,the apoptosis rate,the MDA level,and the protein expression levels of Caspase-3,p-JAK2,and p-STAT3 decreased in the inhibitor group,while the protein expression levels of SOD and Bcl-2 in-creased(all P＜0.05);the changes in the above indicators in the activator group were opposite to those in the inhibitor group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Kaempferol can protect HLE-B3 cells from H2O2-induced oxidative damage and inhibit their apoptosis by inhibiting JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Chronic ulcers on the body surface are non-healing wounds.Establishing a suitable animal model of chronic wounds will provide an important tool for research aimed at preventing and understanding the complexity of chronic wound formation and related pathological mechanisms in the human body.Animal wound models are usually constructed by inducing molecular abnormalities via external injury interventions to induce wound formation.Common modeling method include surgical resection,pressure ischemia,drugs,and radiation treatment.The success of model construction can then be evaluated by various monitoring method,such as natural recovery of the wound without intervention,measurement of wound size observation of physical signs,measurement of body mass,organ index,and infrared imaging.Despite the existence of numerous modeling and evaluating method,however,there is currently a lack of unified standards for animal chronic wound models.Researchers should thus choose appropriate modeling and model-evaluation method based on their actual needs,to obtain the best experimental result.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and safety of radical thyroidectomy through a small incision in the side neck of the sternocleidomastoid intermuscular approach.Methods:Clinical data of newly treated patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma admitted to the Department of Thyroid-Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery,Sichuan Cancer Hospital from Feb. 2022 to Mar. 2024 were collected. They were divided into SMIA group and LACA group according to surgical methods. In the SMIA group, 52 cases were treated by the sternocleidomastoid intermuscular approach with a small incision on the side of the neck. In the LACA group, 100 cases were treated by the cervical white line approach with a low cut incision on the front of the neck. Clinical data of the two groups, such as perioperative related indicators,postoperative aesthetic effects and postoperative complications were collected. Independent sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test were compared between the measurement data groups. Chi-square test was used for comparison between data sets. Results:There was no significant difference in demographic and clinical characteristics of tumor between the two groups. Compared with the control group,the operation time of the observation group was longer (83.85±18.72minvs71.33±15.50min, t=4.39, P<0.001) , the total postoperative drainage volume was significantly reduced (61.29±41.80ml vs. 99±35.80ml, Z=-4.65, P<0.001) , and the extubation time was significantly shortened (2.81±0.82d vs. 3.19±0.66d, Z=-3.31, P<0.001) , and the difference was statistically significant. There was no difference in postoperative transient hoarseness between the two groups ( χ 2=0.01, P=0.932) . Patient’s self-feeling was followed up one month after surgery. The number of patients with swallowing discomfort in the SMIA group was significantly lower than that in the LACA group ( χ2=4.30, P=0.017) . There was no significant difference between the two groups in neck stiffness ( χ2=3.16, P=0.075) , scar hyperplasia ( χ2=0.04, P=0.840) , and incision aesthetic effect score ( Z=-0.73, P=0.468) . Conclusions:Radical thyroidectomy through a small incision in the side neck of the sternocleidomastoid muscle is a safe, feasible and aesthetic mode of operation. It’s worth promoting in clinical practice,especially for patients with unilateral tumor and early tomur T stage.

Objective:To explore the value of serum soluble E-cadherin (sEC) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) levels in predicting postoperative recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer.Methods:198 female breast cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment in Huai’an Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University (Huai’an Second People’s Hospital) From Mar. 2023 to Mar. 2025 were selected and followed up for 3 years. The recurrence and metastasis were counted. Patients with recurrence and metastasis were included in the poor prognosis group, and patients without recurrence and metastasis were included in the good prognosis group. The general data, preoperative serum sEC and COX-2 levels were compared between the two groups. The influencing factors of recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer after operation were analyzed. The dose-response relationship and predictive value of serum sEC and COX-2 levels with recurrence and metastasis were analyzed. Logistic regression equation (LR) model 1 was constructed according to conventional influencing factors, and LR model 2 was constructed according to conventional influencing factors combined with serum sEC and COX-2. The predictive efficacy and accuracy of the two models were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and calibration curve. According to the ratio of 7∶3, another 85 female breast cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment in Huai’an Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University (Huai’an Second People’s Hospital) from May. 2023 to May. 2025 were selected for external validation (validation set) .Results:Among 198 breast cancer patients who underwent postoperative follow-up for 3 years, 3 cases were lost to follow-up, and the recurrence and metastasis rate among the 195 patients who completed the 3-year postoperative follow-up was 26.15% (51/195). In the good prognosis group, the proportion of TNM stage III was 20.14%, the proportion of lymph node metastasis was 11.81%, the preoperative serum carbohydrate antigen 153 (CA153) level was (54.19±10.84) U/mL, the carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) level was (46.03±10.27) U/mL, the sEC level was (1987.65±191.37) ng/mL, and the COX-2 level was (17.85±5.21) ng/mL. In the poor prognosis group, the proportion of TNM stage III was 45.10%, the proportion of lymph node metastasis was 35.29%, the preoperative serum CA153 level was (65.87±12.23) U/mL, the CA125 level was (57.76±11.51) U/mL, the sEC level was (2 295.37±261.48) ng/mL, and the COX-2 level was (10.42±3.16) ng/mL. Compared with the good prognosis group, they were increased ( t/χ 2=12.00, 14.11, 6.39, 6.79, 8.92, 12.00, P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that TNM stage III ( OR=2.078, 95%CI =1.569-2.751, P<0.05), lymph node metastasis ( OR=2.435, 95 %CI=1.843-3.216, P<0.05), serum CA153 ( OR= 1.180,95 %CI=1.026-1.357, P<0.05), CA125 ( OR=1.206,95 %CI=1.033-1.408, P<0.05), sEC ( OR=1.011,95 %CI= 1.007-1.015, P<0.05), COX-2 ( OR=1.378,95 %CI=1.128-1.683, P<0.05) were independent risk factors for postoperative recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis showed that serum sEC and COX-2 levels were positively correlated with the risk of recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer ( P<0.05). ROC analysis showed that serum sEC (AUC=0.762,95 %CI=0.696-0.820, P<0.05) and COX-2 (AUC=0.757,95 %CI=0.691-0.815, P<0.05) could be used as biological indicators to predict postoperative recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer. The AUC of LR model 1 in predicting postoperative recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer was 0.862 (95 %CI=0.805-0.907, P<0.05). The AUC of LR model 2 in predicting postoperative recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer was 0.965 (95 %CI= 0.891-0.983, P<0.05), which was significantly larger than that of LR model 1 ( Z=2.015, P<0.05). The calibration curve analysis showed that the calibration degree of LR model 1 in predicting postoperative recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer was good, and the prediction results were in good agreement with the actual observation results. The calibration degree of LR model 2 was high, and the prediction results were in good agreement with the actual observation results. The results of external validation showed that the sensitivity of LR model 2 in predicting postoperative recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer was 82.61%, the specificity was 93.55%, the accuracy was 90.59%, and the Kappa value was 0.762 (95 %CI: 0.549-0.974) . Conclusions:Preoperative serum sEC and COX-2 levels are independent risk factors for postoperative recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer. They can be used as biological indicators to predict postoperative recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer. Combined with conventional indicators, they can significantly improve the predictive efficacy.