1.Enzyme-directed Immobilization Strategies for Biosensor Applications
Xing-Bao WANG ; Yao-Hong MA ; Yun-Long XUE ; Xiao-Zhen HUANG ; Yue SHAO ; Yi YU ; Bing-Lian WANG ; Qing-Ai LIU ; Li-He ZHANG ; Wei-Li GONG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):374-394
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Immobilized enzyme-based enzyme electrode biosensors, characterized by high sensitivity and efficiency, strong specificity, and compact size, demonstrate broad application prospects in life science research, disease diagnosis and monitoring, etc. Immobilization of enzyme is a critical step in determining the performance (stability, sensitivity, and reproducibility) of the biosensors. Random immobilization (physical adsorption, covalent cross-linking, etc.) can easily bring about problems, such as decreased enzyme activity and relatively unstable immobilization. Whereas, directional immobilization utilizing amino acid residue mutation, affinity peptide fusion, or nucleotide-specific binding to restrict the orientation of the enzymes provides new possibilities to solve the problems caused by random immobilization. In this paper, the principles, advantages and disadvantages and the application progress of enzyme electrode biosensors of different directional immobilization strategies for enzyme molecular sensing elements by specific amino acids (lysine, histidine, cysteine, unnatural amino acid) with functional groups introduced based on site-specific mutation, affinity peptides (gold binding peptides, carbon binding peptides, carbohydrate binding domains) fused through genetic engineering, and specific binding between nucleotides and target enzymes (proteins) were reviewed, and the application fields, advantages and limitations of various immobilized enzyme interface characterization techniques were discussed, hoping to provide theoretical and technical guidance for the creation of high-performance enzyme sensing elements and the manufacture of enzyme electrode sensors. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
2.Tumor Microenvironment Polyamines Inhibit T Cell Antitumor Activity
Yuan-Bao AI ; Xue-Mei HUANG ; Sen LIU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(8):1986-1997
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Tumor immunotherapy has emerged as the fourth major therapeutic modality, following surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Unlike traditional treatments that primarily target tumor cells directly, immunotherapy harnesses the body’s immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. Over the past decade, various immunotherapeutic strategies have been developed, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, cancer vaccines, and cytokine-based therapies. However, the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) poses a significant obstacle to the effectiveness of these treatments. Polyamines—including putrescine, spermidine, and spermine—are polycationic metabolites that often accumulate abnormally in the TME and act as critical immunoregulatory molecules. T cells play a central role in antitumor immunity, yet their function is frequently influenced by immunoregulatory factors within the TME. Elevated polyamine levels in the TME have been implicated in dampening antitumor T cell responses, thereby facilitating tumor immune evasion. Polyamines in the TME originate from both tumor cells and tumor-associated immune cells. Tumor cells often overexpress the oncogene Myc, which drives the upregulation of polyamine biosynthetic enzymes, resulting in excessive intracellular polyamine production. Additionally, M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages (M2-TAMs) contribute to polyamine accumulation by upregulating arginase-I (Arg-I), an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of arginine into ornithine—a key precursor in the polyamine biosynthetic pathway. These combined sources lead to sustained polyamine enrichment in the TME, contributing to immune dysfunction and supporting tumor progression. Moreover, polyamines indirectly affect T cell activity by modulating macrophage polarization and directly suppress tumor cell apoptosis, further promoting an immunosuppressive environment. This review highlights the multifaceted roles of polyamines in modulating tumor-infiltrating T cell function, with a particular focus on their influence on CD4+ T cell differentiation,CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity, and immune checkpoint molecule expression. Recent studies suggest that polyamines suppress CD4+ T cell activation and differentiation by modulating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. Additionally, polyamines can impair T cell receptor (TCR) signaling and promote immune evasion through the upregulation of PD-L1 expression on tumor cells. These effects collectively contribute to weakened antitumor T cell responses. Polyamine blocking therapy (PBT), which primarily targets polyamine biosynthesis and transport, has emerged as a novel adjunctive immunotherapeutic strategy in cancer treatment. By reducing polyamine levels in the TME, PBT restores T cell effector functions and alleviates immunosuppression. Notably, studies have demonstrated that combining PBT with ICIs produces synergistic antitumor effects and may overcome resistance to ICI monotherapy. Although research has revealed the inhibitory effects of polyamines on T cell immune function, the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. Moreover, due to compensatory mechanisms employed by tumor cells to maintain polyamine homeostasis, multi-targeted approaches may be necessary to achieve safe and effective therapeutic outcomes. Future PBT strategies may benefit from the integration of multi-omics technologies and the development of nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems, which could collectively enhance their specificity, efficacy, and applicability in cancer immunotherapy. This review systematically elucidates the immunomodulatory effects of polyamines on T cell function within the TME and provides theoretical support and novel insights for the advancement of tumor immunotherapeutic strategies. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
3. Analysis of cerebral gray matter structure in multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica
Xiao-Li LIU ; Ai-Xue WU ; Ru-Hua LI ; An-Ting WU ; Cheng-Chun CHEN ; Lin XU ; Cai-Yun WEN ; Dai-Qian CHEN
Acta Anatomica Sinica 2024;55(1):17-24
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			 Objective The volume and cortical thickness of gray matter in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) were compared and analyzed by voxel⁃based morphometry (VBM) and surface⁃based morphometry (SBM), and the differences in the structural changes of gray matter in the two diseases were discussed. Methods A total of 21 MS patients, 16 NMO patients and 19 healthy controls were scanned by routine MRI sequence. The data were processed and analyzed by VBM and SBM method based on the statistical parameter tool SPM12 of Matlab2014a platform and the small tool CAT12 under SPM12. Results Compared with the normal control group (NC), after Gaussian random field (GRF) correction, the gray matter volume in MS group was significantly reduced in left superior occipital, left cuneus, left calcarine, left precuneus, left postcentral, left central paracentral lobule, right cuneus, left middle frontal, left superior frontal and left superior medial frontal (P<0. 05). After family wise error (FWE) correction, the thickness of left paracentral, left superiorfrontal and left precuneus cortex in MS group was significantly reduced (P<0. 05). Compared with the NC group, after GRF correction, the gray matter volume in the left postcentral, left precentral, left inferior parietal, right precentral and right middle frontal in NMO group was significantly increased (P<0. 05). In NMO group, the volume of gray matter in left middle occipital, left superior occipital, left inferior temporal, right middle occipital, left superior frontal orbital, right middle cingulum, left anterior cingulum, right angular and left precuneus were significantly decreased (P<0. 05). Brain regions showed no significant differences in cortical thickness between NMO groups after FWE correction. Compared with the NMO group, after GRF correction, the gray matter volume in the right fusiform and right middle frontal in MS group was increased significantly(P<0. 05). In MS group, the gray matter volume of left thalamus, left pallidum, left precentral, left middle frontal, left middle temporal, right pallidum, left inferior parietal and right superior parietal were significantly decreased (P<0. 05). After FWE correction, the thickness of left inferiorparietal, left superiorparietal, left supramarginal, left paracentral, left superiorfrontal and left precuneus cortex in MS group decreased significantly (P<0. 05). Conclusion The atrophy of brain gray matter structure in MS patients mainly involves the left parietal region, while NMO patients are not sensitive to the change of brain gray matter structure. The significant difference in brain gray matter volume between MS patients and NMO patients is mainly located in the deep cerebral nucleus mass. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
4.Clinical Observation on the Joint Needling Method Combined with Ultrasound in the Treatment of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome of Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis Type
Xiu-Lan LI ; Hui-Kang YUAN ; Shu-Xiong LUO ; Long-An CHEN ; Ai-Guo XUE ; Yu-Bing LIU
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;41(1):141-146
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of joint needling method combined with ultrasound in the treatment of qi stagnation and blood stasis type of patellofemoral pain syndrome(PFPS).Methods Eighty-six patients with qi stagnation and blood stasis type of PFPS were randomly divided into observation group and control group,with 43 cases in each group.The control group was given western medicine conventional treatment combined with functional exercise,and the observation group was given joint needling method combined with ultrasound treatment on the basis of the control group.Both groups were treated for 2 consecutive weeks.After 2 weeks of treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated,and the changes in the Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)scores of knee pain and the Kujala scale scores of the two groups were observed before and after treatment.The changes in active range of motion(AROM)of the affected knee joint were compared before and after treatment between the two groups.Results(1)After treatment,the VAS scores of the two groups of patients were significantly improved(P<0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving the level of VAS scores,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).(2)After treatment,the Kujala scores of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P<0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving the level of Kujala scores,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).(3)After treatment,the AROM of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P<0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving the level of AROM,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).(4)The total effective rate was 95.35%(41/43)in the observation group and 81.40%(35/43)in the control group.The efficacy of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion The joint needling method combined with ultrasound can significantly relieve the pain symptoms of patients with PFPS and promote the recovery of knee joint function,and the clinical efficacy is remarkable.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
5.The expression changes and clinical significance of serum microRNA-155 and 135b-5p in patients with peptic ulcer complicated with Helicobacter pylori infection
Kuankuan AI ; Ruirui HU ; Yuan XUE ; Yan WANG
Chinese Journal of Postgraduates of Medicine 2024;47(3):237-241
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective:To investigate the expression levels and clinical significance of serum microRNA (miR) -155 and miR-135b-5p in patients with peptic ulcer complicated with Helicobacter pylori ( Hp) infection. Methods:A prospective study was conducted, and 263 patients with peptic ulcer were selected consecutively from July 2021 to February 2023 at the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College. Among them, 146 cases were confirmed as Hp infection ( Hp infection group) and 117 cases were not complicated with Hp infection (non Hp infection group) by 14C breath test; type Ⅰ Hp infection was in 110 cases, and type Ⅱ Hp infection was in 36 cases by immunoblotting method. The serum expression levels of miR-155 and miR-135b-5p were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction, serum gastrin level was detected by radioimmunoassay method, and the serum pepsinogen (PG) Ⅰ and PG Ⅱ were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The clinical data were recorded. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors of Hp infection in patients with peptic ulcer; receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the efficacy of serum miR-155 and miR-135b-5p in diagnosis the Hp infection in patients with peptic ulcer. Results:The gastrin, PG Ⅰ, PG Ⅱ, ulcer bleeding rate and recurrence rate in Hp infection group were significantly higher than those in non Hp infection group: (108.47 ± 15.35) ng/L vs. (79.63 ± 10.58) ng/L, (295.41 ± 37.26) pg/L vs. (236.75 ± 29.17) pg/L, (44.08 ± 8.52) pg/L vs. (39.29 ± 6.74) pg/L, 25.34% (37/146) vs. 15.38% (18/117) and 21.92% (32/146) vs. 11.97% (14/117), and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01 or <0.05). The serum miR-155 and miR-135b-5p in Hp infection group were significantly higher than those in non Hp infection group (1.94 ± 0.63 vs. 0.95 ± 0.29 and 1.86 ± 0.57 vs. 1.03 ± 0.31), and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01). The serum miR-155 and miR-135b-5p in patients with typeⅠ Hp infection were significantly higher than those in patients with type Ⅱ Hp infection (2.05 ± 0.66 vs. 1.60 ± 0.54 and 1.97 ± 0.61 vs. 1.52 ± 0.45), and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis result showed that serum miR-155, miR-135b-5p, gastrin and PG Ⅰwere independent risk factors of Hp infection in patients with peptic ulcer ( OR = 1.443, 1.436, 1.452 and 1.438; 95% CI 1.165 to 1.787, 1.146 to 1.799, 1.187 to 1.777 and 1.150 to 1.798; P<0.01). ROC curve analysis result showed that the area under the curve of serum miR-155 combined with miR-135b-5p in the diagnosis of Hp infection in patients with peptic ulcer was significantly greater than that of serum miR-155 and miR-135b-5p alone (0.907 vs. 0.839 and 0.836, Z = 2.57 and 2.81, P = 0.010 and 0.005). Conclusions:The serum levels of miR-155 and miR-135b-5p are high in patients with peptic ulcer complicated with Hp infection, and the combination of the two has high diagnostic value for Hp infection in patients with peptic ulcer.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
6.Simultaneous content determination of ten constituents in Tianma Toufengling Capsules by QAMS
Xu-Sheng GUO ; Xue-Wei QIU ; Li LI ; Ai-Ying WU ; An-Zhen CHEN ; Hong-Bing LIU ; Jing-Guang LU
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2024;46(2):359-364
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			AIM To establish a quantitative analysis of multi-components by single-marker(QAMS)method for the simultaneous content determination of gastrodin,parishin E,syringin,parishin B,parishin C,ferulic acid,parishin A,buddleoside,harpagoside and cinnamic acid in Tianma Toufengling Capsules.METHODS The analysis was performed on a 30℃thermostatic GL Science InertsilTM ODS-3 column(150 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of acetonitrile-0.1%phosphoric acid flowing at 1.0 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and the detection wavelengths were set at 220,280 nm.Syringin was used as an internal standard to calculate the relative correction factors of the other nine constituents,after which the content determination was made.RESULTS Ten constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(r≥0.999 7),whose average recoveries were 98.53%-102.22%with the RSDs of 1.26%-2.68%.The result obtained by QAMS approximated those obtained by external standard method.CONCLUSION This accurate and specific method can be used for the quality control of Tianma Toufengling Capsules.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
7.The Development of Core Outcome Set for Premature Ovarian Insufficiency Treated with Traditional Chinese Medicine
Xue CAO ; Changhe YU ; Xiangran MENG ; Yuning QIN ; Yanke AI ; Jia LIU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;65(13):1334-1339
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			ObjectiveTo construct the core outcome set (COS) for premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) treated with traditional chinese medicine (TCM), thereby standardizing the effect evaluation system of POI clinical researches. MethodsDatabases including PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed from January 2017 to December 31, 2021, and Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR), ClinicalTrials.gov were searched to collect the outcomes used in clinical studies of POI. Supplemented with the patients preferred outcomes through semi-structured interviews, the outcome pool was then constructed. Finally through the Delphi survey and consensus conference, the COS for POI was obtained. ResultsA total of 554 clinical researches and 14 registered clinical research protocols were included. A semi-structured interview was conducted within 20 patients. A total of 77 outcomes were included in the pool after consolidation. After two rounds of Delphi surveys, 20 outcomes were initially included. The COS, which was finalized through expert consensus conference, consists of 8 outcomes in 3 domains, which were ovarian reserve function (follicle stimulating hormone, estradiol, anti-Mullerian hormone, sinus follicle count), menstruation-related indicators (menstrual symptoms condition) and fertility indicators (pregnancy rate, live birth rate and the numbers of retrieved oocytes). Through expert discussion, the corresponding measurement methods as well as the measurement time points of the COS were determined. ConclusionThis study formed COS for clinical studies of TCM in the treatment of POI, by practicing the general method of developing COS, and exploring the key points of developing COS with TCM features. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
8.Study on the expression of ADAR1 and AZIN1 in cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of gastric cancer patients and their clinical significance
Yuan XUE ; Hui LI ; Kuankuan AI ; Zhen XU ; Chengjiu HU
Chinese Journal of Endocrine Surgery 2024;18(3):418-422
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective:To explore the expression of ADAR1 and AZIN1 in cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of gastric cancer patients and study their clinical significance.Methods:116 patients with stage I-III gastric cancer treated in the Department of Gastroenterology and Oncology from Jan. 2020 to Jan. 2021 were recruited as research subjects. All patients were treated with surgical resection and confirmed by histopathological analysis. All patients signed the protocol informed consent upon inclusion in the study. The relationship between ADAR1 and AZIN1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics in gastric cancer tissues of patients was analyzed. The expression of ADAR1 and AZIN1 mRNA in gastric cancer and adjacent tissues was analyzed by qPCR. The expression of ADAR1 and AZIN1 in gastric cancer and adjacent tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between ADAR1, AZIN1 and patient survival rate 3 years after surgery was analyzed. Multivariable Logistic regression was used to analyze factors affecting the poor prognosis of gastric cancer patients. ROC curve was used to analyze the diagnostic performance of ADAR1 and AZIN1 expression levels in the prognosis of gastric cancer patients.Results:ADAR1 and AZIN1 had higher expression levels in undifferentiated gastric cancer tissue, patients with lymph node metastasis, and higher TNM staging, indicating that the high expression of these two genes was closely related to the malignancy of gastric cancer. QPCR analysis showed that the expression of ADAR1 mRNA in gastric cancer tissue and adjacent tissue was 1.96 ± 0.18 and 1.12 ± 0.03, respectively. The expression of AZIN1 mRNA in gastric cancer tissue and adjacent tissue was 1.85 ± 0.16 and 1.04 ± 0.02, respectively. The expression of ADAR1 mRNA in gastric cancer tissue was higher than that in adjacent tissue ( P<0.05). ADAR1 and AZIN1 positive patients were associated with lower 3-year survival rates ( P<0.05). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis of poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients, low differentiation, deepening of infiltration, lymph node metastasis, higher TNM staging, positive expression of ADAR1 and AZIN1 all significantly increased the risk of poor prognosis in gastric cancer ( P<0.05). The sensitivity and AUC value of joint detection were higher than those of ADAR1 and AZIN1 alone detection ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:The expression of ADAR1 and AZIN1 in gastric cancer tissues is significantly higher than that in para-cancerous tissues, especially in patients with undifferentiated tumors, lymph node metastasis and high TNM stage. The high expression of these two genes is closely related to the poor prognosis of gastric cancer patients, and the combined detection shows higher diagnostic efficiency. Therefore, ADAR1 and AZIN1, as key biomarkers for the development and prognosis of gastric cancer, provide new targets for gastric cancer treatment.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
9.Mechanism of Guilingji to prevent the mild cognitive impairment in rats based on kidney metabonomics
Jing-chao SHI ; Yu-kun WANG ; Shu-ting YU ; Ai-rong ZHANG ; Xiao-xia GAO ; Xue-mei QIN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(4):1017-1027
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			 This study used kidney metabolomics to investigate the underlying mechanisms of Guilingji (GLJ) on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) rats. The rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (
		                        		
		                        	
10.Ku70 Functions as an RNA Helicase to Regulate miR-124 Maturation and Neuronal Cell Differentiation
Ai-Xue HUANG ; Rui-Ting LI ; Yue-Chao ZHAO ; Jie LI ; Hui LI ; Xue-Feng DING ; Lin WANG ; Can XIAO ; Xue-Mei LIU ; Cheng-Feng QIN ; Ning-Sheng SHAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(6):1418-1433
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			ObjectiveHuman Ku70 protein mainly involves the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair of double-stranded DNA breaks (DSB) through its DNA-binding properties, and it is recently reported having an RNA-binding ability. This paper is to explore whether Ku70 has RNA helicase activity and affects miRNA maturation. MethodsRNAs bound to Ku protein were analyzed by RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq) and bioinfomatic anaylsis. The expression relationship between Ku protein and miRNAs was verified by Western blot (WB) and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays. Binding ability of Ku protein to the RNAs was tested by biolayer interferometry (BLI) assay. RNA helicase activity of Ku protein was identified with EMSA assay. The effect of Ku70 regulated miR-124 on neuronal differentiation was performed by morphology analysis, WB and immunofluorescence assays with or without Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. ResultsWe revealed that the Ku70 protein had RNA helicase activity and affected miRNA maturation. Deficiency of Ku70 led to the up-regulation of a large number of mature miRNAs, especially neuronal specific miRNAs like miR-124. The knockdown of Ku70 promoted neuronal differentiation in human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) and SH-SY5Y cells by boosting miR-124 maturation. Importantly, ZIKV infection reduced the expression of Ku70 whereas increased expression of miR-124 in hNPCs, and led to morphologically neuronal differentiation. ConclusionOur study revealed a novel function of Ku70 as an RNA helicase and regulating miRNA maturation. The reduced expression of Ku70 with ZIKV infection increased the expression of miR-124 and led to the premature differentiation of embryonic neural progenitor cells, which might be one of the causes of microcephaly. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
            
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