Background/Aims: Lenvatinib resistance remains a critical barrier in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapy. However, the underlying mechanisms and strategies for reversing resistance remain incompletely understood. Methods: Integrated transcriptomics of lenvatinib-resistant patient tumors and an acquired-resistance murine model identified a novel macrophage subpopulation. Functional validation employed CRISPR-SAM screening, conditioned medium (CM) assays, subcutaneous/orthotopic xenografts, patient-derived organoids (PDOs), and patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Mechanistic studies included ChIP-qPCR, co-immunoprecipitation, and pharmacologic targeting. Clinical relevance was assessed in a retrospective cohort. Results: Resistant HCC exhibited significant enrichment of a COLEC12high TAM subset , which correlated with poor survival and treatment response. These TAMs secreted neuregulin-1 (NRG1) , activating HER2/HER3-AKT signaling in tumor cells to drive cancer stemness and lenvatinib resistance. Mechanistically, in TAMs COLEC12 sequestered STAT1 in the cytoplasm, preventing its phosphorylation, and thereby derepressing STAT3-mediated NRG1 transcription. Depletion of NRG1 reversed the stemness phenotypes and resensitized tumors to lenvatinib both in vitro and in vivo. Clinically, high NRG1 expression predicted an inferior lenvatinib response and shorter survival. Crucially, the bispecific anti-HER2/HER3 antibody zenocutuzumab restored lenvatinib efficacy in PDOs, PDXs, and murine models. Conclusions Our work establishes the COLEC12high TAM/NRG1 axis as a master regulator of therapeutic resistance and identifies NRG1 as a predictive biomarker, providing a clinically actionable strategy to overcome lenvatinib resistance in HCC.

Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy of intelligent wireless endoscopy in transurethral resection of the prostate, so as to provide evidence for clinical application. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 70 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate at Tongling People's Hospital during Jan. 2023 and Dec. 2024. Based on the type of endoscopes used, patients were divided into a wireless endoscopy group and a traditional endoscopy group, with 35 patients in either group. Differences between the two groups were compared in terms of surgical preparation time, operation time, postoperative hospital stay, catheter indwelling time, intraoperative blood loss, surgical complications, and operating comfort during the procedure. Results All 70 operations were successfully completed without severe urinary incontinence. The wireless laparoscopy group demonstrated significantly shorter surgical preparation time compared to the traditional laparoscopy group [(12.14±2.39)min vs. (14.89±0.80)min, P＜0.001].There was no statistically significant difference in the operation time between the two groups [(93.51±34.49)min vs. (101.71±34.87)min, P=0.326]. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in postoperative hospital stay, catheter indwelling time, intraoperative blood loss, and surgical complications (P＞0.05). The wireless endoscopy group demonstrated significantly higher operating comfort compared to the traditional endoscopy group [(3.94±0.77) vs. (2.57±0.61), P＜0.001]. Conclusion The use of intelligent wireless endoscopy for transurethral resection of the prostate is comparable to traditional endoscopy in surgical efficacy and patient safety, but it can shorten preoperative preparation time and improve operator comfort.

OBJECTIVE To explore the intervention mechanism of Bushen anzhi decoction （BSAZD） in rats with insomnia induced by kidney failing to store spirit. METHODS A total of 36 SD rats were randomly divided into normal group （normal saline）， model group （normal saline）， eszopiclone group （positive control group， 0.27 mg/kg）， and low-， medium- and high-dose BSAZD groups （5.85， 11.70， 23.40 g/kg）， with 6 rats in each group. Except for the normal group， rats in the remaining groups were subjected to combined administration of D-galactose and DL-4-chlorophenylalanine to establish the rat model of insomnia due to kidney failing to store spirit. After successful modeling， corresponding liquid medicine or normal saline was intragastrically administered once daily for 14 consecutive days. After the last administration， behavioral indicators and hippocampal histopathological morphology of rats were detected. Untargeted metabolomics was adopted to screen serum differential metabolites and enrich relevant signaling pathways. RESULTS Compared with the model group， the high-dose BSAZD group exhibited significantly increased open arm entries ， open arm time and sleep time （ P ＜0.05）， accompanied by markedly decreased closed arm entries， closed arm time and sleep latency （ P ＜0.05）. Hippocampal neurons in the high-dose BSAZD group were arranged regularly， and the size， morphology and location of cell nuclei were nearly normal. Untargeted metabolomics analysis identified oxidized glutathione， glutamate and other differential metabolites in serum of rats in the high-dose BSAZD group； these differential metabolites were mainly enriched in GABAergic synapse， glutamatergic synapse， cAMP signaling pathway and 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism pathway. CONCLUSIONS BSAZD can improve sleep quality， relieve anxiety-like behaviors in rats with insomnia due to kidney failing to store spirit. Its therapeutic mechanism may be associated with regulating GABAergic and glutamatergic synaptic pathways to restore neurotransmitter balance and further alleviate oxidative stress injury， modulating the cAMP signaling pathway to facilitate neural repair， and intervening the 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism pathway to optimize energy supply.

OBJECTIVE To explore the intervention mechanism of Bushen anzhi decoction （BSAZD） in rats with insomnia induced by kidney failing to store spirit. METHODS A total of 36 SD rats were randomly divided into normal group （normal saline）， model group （normal saline）， eszopiclone group （positive control group， 0.27 mg/kg）， and low-， medium- and high-dose BSAZD groups （5.85， 11.70， 23.40 g/kg）， with 6 rats in each group. Except for the normal group， rats in the remaining groups were subjected to combined administration of D-galactose and DL-4-chlorophenylalanine to establish the rat model of insomnia due to kidney failing to store spirit. After successful modeling， corresponding liquid medicine or normal saline was intragastrically administered once daily for 14 consecutive days. After the last administration， behavioral indicators and hippocampal histopathological morphology of rats were detected. Untargeted metabolomics was adopted to screen serum differential metabolites and enrich relevant signaling pathways. RESULTS Compared with the model group， the high-dose BSAZD group exhibited significantly increased open arm entries ， open arm time and sleep time （ P ＜0.05）， accompanied by markedly decreased closed arm entries， closed arm time and sleep latency （ P ＜0.05）. Hippocampal neurons in the high-dose BSAZD group were arranged regularly， and the size， morphology and location of cell nuclei were nearly normal. Untargeted metabolomics analysis identified oxidized glutathione， glutamate and other differential metabolites in serum of rats in the high-dose BSAZD group； these differential metabolites were mainly enriched in GABAergic synapse， glutamatergic synapse， cAMP signaling pathway and 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism pathway. CONCLUSIONS BSAZD can improve sleep quality， relieve anxiety-like behaviors in rats with insomnia due to kidney failing to store spirit. Its therapeutic mechanism may be associated with regulating GABAergic and glutamatergic synaptic pathways to restore neurotransmitter balance and further alleviate oxidative stress injury， modulating the cAMP signaling pathway to facilitate neural repair， and intervening the 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism pathway to optimize energy supply.

With the development of neuroscience and oncology, the direct regulation effect of central nervous system circuits on tumors has been gradually revealed. Evidence indicates that the therapy targeting emotion-related encephalic regions may have great potential in blocking the promotion of breast cancer progression by depression. The underlying complex mechanisms involve the generation of depression and the regulation of tumors by central nervous system circuits. However, a systematic summary is lacking in this field. This article reviews the latest research progress of the central nervous system circuits and the generation of depression, the neural connection between the central nervous system and peripheral tumor, and the regulation of the tumor immune microenvironment by the sympathetic nervous system. It also systematically investigates the potential mechanism of the central nervous system circuit in the promotion of breast cancer progression by depression to establish new solutions for the comprehensive treatment of breast cancer.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and influencing factors of programmed death-1(PD-1)inhibitors in neoadjuvant chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC).Methods A total of 86 patients with TNBC who received neoadjuvant therapy in The Fifth Medical Center,PLA General Hospital between Jan.1,2018,and Jan.1,2024 and met the inclusion criteria were enrolled,and their clinicopathological data were collected.Based on the neoadjuvant treatment regimens,40 patients who received TP+PD-1 inhibitor(paclitaxel+carboplatin+pembrolizumab)were assigned to TP+PD-1 inhibitor group,and 46 patients who received TP(paclitaxel+carboplatin)were assigned to TP group.The efficacy and incidence of adverse events were compared between the 2 groups after 6 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy.According to the efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy,the patients were further categorized into pathological complete response(pCR)group and non-pCR group.Multivariate logistic stepwise regression analysis was performed to identify independent factors influencing neoadjuvant treatment efficacy.Patients were followed up until Dec.31,2024,and survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier method.Results There was no significant difference in the objective response rates between the TP+PD-1 inhibitor group and TP group after neoadjuvant therapy(95.0%[38/40]vs 91.3%[42/46],P=0.351].However,the pCR rate was significantly higher in the TP+PD-1 inhibitor group compared with the TP group(65.0%[26/40]vs 43.5%[20/46],P=0.047).There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of disease-free survival,overall survival,or incidence of adverse events(all P＞0.05).Multivariate logistic stepwise regression analysis revealed that the expression of Ki-67 and treatment regimen were influencing factors of pCR after neoadjuvant therapy(odds ratio[OR]=3.382,95%confidence interval[95%CI]1.290-8.868,P=0.013;OR=2.524,95%CI 1.013-6.285,P=0.047).One case of distant metastasis and death occurred in the pCR group,while 8 cases of distant metastasis and 4 deaths occurred in the non-pCR group.The disease-free survival was significantly longer in the pCR group than in the non-pCR group(P=0.031),while the overall survival was similar between the 2 groups(P=0.087).Conclusion Compared with the 6-cycle TP regimen,the 6-cycle TP combined with PD-1 inhibitor regimen can improve the pCR rate in the neoadjuvant treatment of TNBC,with manageable adverse events,suggesting it may serve as a preferred option for TNBC neoadjuvant therapy.Ki-67 expression may serve as a predictive biomarker for achieving pCR.TNBC patients who achieved pCR have better disease-free survival than those who did not.

Lentiviral vectors(LVs)are key gene delivery tools for integrating target genes into the host genome,but they may also pose risks of insertional mutagenesis.The vector copy number(VCN)in cells is critical for determining the safety of gene modification.However,the reliability and accuracy of its quantification process are influenced by multiple factors.Developing cell reference materials with specific vector copy numbers represents a viable approach to enhance the reliability and consistency of measurement results,enabling quality control of the quantification process and traceability of outcomes.However,the preparation of such reference materials faces challenges in cell sample design,preparation protocols,and advanced quantification techniques.In this study,T lymphocyte cell line Jurkat-based reference materials with LV gene copy numbers of 1 and 2 copy/cell were developed.A high-precision duplex digital polymerase chain reaction(dPCR)method was established to quantify the LV gene and endogenous genes simultaneously.Additionally,the results of dPCR were cross-validated through next-generation sequencing and flow cytometric analysis.Ultimately,confocal microscopy characterization results showed that the developed cell reference materials had intact morphology.The quantification result of VCN-1 was(1.07±0.11)copy/cell,and that of VCN-2 was(2.09±0.21)copy/cell.These cell reference materials demonstrated compliance with stability and homogeneity requirements,and could be applied for quality control throughout the VCN measurement workflow and metrological traceability,improving the accuracy,comparability,and validity of copy number measurements.

Objective To establish a human luminal breast cancer stem cell(BCSC)model and investigate the inhibitory effects of astragaloside Ⅳ(AS-Ⅳ)on BCSC growth.Methods MCF-7 breast cancer cells were cultured in stem cell-specific medium to induce BCSC formation.The BCSCs were then divided into a blank control group and an AS-Ⅳ treatment group,both groups were given PBS or AS-Ⅳ treatment.Morphological changes were observed after intervention.The therapeutic efficacy of AS-Ⅳ was evaluated using 3D spheroid formation and cell viability assays.Transcriptomic profiling and gene expression analysis were performed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.Results Compared with the MCF7 breast cancer cells,MCF7 breast cancer stem cell mammospheres exhibited accelerated growth(P＜0.01)and significantly increased expression of the stemness marker ALDH1A1(P＜0.01).Further comparison with the blank control group revealed that astragaloside Ⅳ(AS-Ⅳ)treatment significantly inhibited MCF7 breast cancer stem cell proliferation(P＜0.001)and slowed mammosphere growth(P＜0.01).Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that differentially expressed genes(DEGs)induced by stem cell modeling and AS-Ⅳ intervention were enriched in the cellular senescence signaling pathway.AS-Ⅳ intervention substantially increased the number of SA-β-gal-positive cells(P＜0.01).RT-PCR analysis confirmed that AS-Ⅳsignificantly upregulated mRNA expression of IL-1α(P＜0.01),P21(P＜0.001),and P53(P＜0.05)in MCF7 breast cancer stem cells.Conclusion Astragaloside Ⅳ suppresses the growth of human luminal breast cancer stem cells by inducing cellular senescence.

G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) participates in the phosphorylation and desensitization of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), impacting various biological processes such as inflammation and cell proliferation. Dysregulated expression and activity of GRK2 have been reported in multiple cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, whether and how GRK2 regulates synovial hyperplasia and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) proliferation is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the regulation of GRK2 and its biological function in RA. We found that GRK2 transmembrane activity was increased in FLSs of RA patients and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats. Additionally, we noted a positive correlation between high GRK2 expression on the cell membrane and serological markers associated with RA and CIA. Immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry and pull-down analyses revealed tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 2 (TRAF2) as a novel substrate of GRK2. Furthermore, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and molecular docking assays determined that the C-terminus of GRK2 binds to the C-terminus of TRAF2 at the Gln340 residue. GRK2 knockdown and the GRK2 inhibitor CP-25 attenuated synovial hyperplasia and FLS proliferation in CIA both in vitro and in vivo by decreasing GRK2 membrane expression and activity. Mechanistically, increased GRK2 transmembrane activity contributed to the recruitment of TRAF2 on the cell membrane, promoting GRK2-TRAF2 interactions that facilitate the recruitment of the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM47 to TRAF2. This enhanced TRAF2 Lys63 polyubiquitylation and induced nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation, leading to synovial hyperplasia and abnormal proliferation of FLSs. Our study provides a mechanistic and preclinical rationale for further evaluation of GRK2 as a therapeutic target for RA.

Acetaminophen (APAP) is the primary cause of drug-induced acute liver failure. Ovarian tumor deubiquitinase 6A (OTUD6A), a recently discovered deubiquitinase of the OTU family, has been primarily studied in tumor contexts. However, its role in APAP-induced liver injury (AILI) remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the involvement of OTUD6A in the pathogenesis of AILI. Our findings demonstrated a substantial upregulation of OTUD6A in both the liver tissue and isolated hepatocytes of mice following APAP stimulation. OTUD6A knockout exacerbated APAP-induced inflammation, hepatocyte necrosis, and liver injury, whereas OTUD6A overexpression alleviated these pathologies. Mechanistically, OTUD6A directly interacted with the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and selectively removed K48-linked polyubiquitin chains from EZH2, enhancing its stability. This resulted in increased protein levels of EZH2 and H3K27me3, as well as reduced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and cell death in hepatocytes. Collectively, our research uncovers a novel role for OTUD6A in mitigating APAP-induced liver injury by promoting EZH2 stabilization.