1.Application of CRISPR/Cas System in Precision Medicine for Triple-negative Breast Cancer
Hui-Ling LIN ; Yu-Xin OUYANG ; Wan-Ying TANG ; Mi HU ; Mao PENG ; Ping-Ping HE ; Xin-Ping OUYANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):279-289
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a distinctive subtype, characterized by the absence of estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Due to its high inter-tumor and intra-tumor heterogeneity, TNBC poses significant chanllenges for personalized diagnosis and treatment. The advant of clustered regular interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) technology has profoundly enhanced our understanding of the structure and function of the TNBC genome, providing a powerful tool for investigating the occurrence and development of diseases. This review focuses on the application of CRISPR/Cas technology in the personalized diagnosis and treatment of TNBC. We begin by discussing the unique attributes of TNBC and the limitations of current diagnostic and treatment approaches: conventional diagnostic methods provide limited insights into TNBC, while traditional chemotherapy drugs are often associated with low efficacy and severe side effects. The CRISPR/Cas system, which activates Cas enzymes through complementary guide RNAs (gRNAs) to selectively degrade specific nucleic acids, has emerged as a robust tool for TNBC research. This technology enables precise gene editing, allowing for a deeper understanding of TNBC heterogeneity by marking and tracking diverse cell clones. Additionally, CRISPR facilitates high-throughput screening to promptly identify genes involved in TNBC growth, metastasis, and drug resistance, thus revealing new therapeutic targets and strategies. In TNBC diagnostics, CRISPR/Cas was applied to develop molecular diagnostic systems based on Cas9, Cas12, and Cas13, each employing distinct detection principles. These systems can sensitively and specifically detect a variety of TNBC biomarkers, including cell-specific DNA/RNA and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). In the realm of precision therapy, CRISPR/Cas has been utilized to identify key genes implicated in TNBC progression and treatment resistance. CRISPR-based screening has uncovered potential therapeutic targets, while its gene-editing capabilities have facilitated the development of combination therapies with traditional chemotherapy drugs, enhancing their efficacy. Despite its promise, the clinical translation of CRISPR/Cas technology remains in its early stages. Several clinical trials are underway to assess its safety and efficacy in the treatment of various genetic diseases and cancers. Challenges such as off-target effects, editing efficiency, and delivery methods remain to be addressed. The integration of CRISPR/Cas with other technologies, such as 3D cell culture systems, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), and artificial intelligence (AI), is expected to further advance precision medicine for TNBC. These technological convergences can offer deeper insights into disease mechanisms and facilitate the development of personalized treatment strategies. In conclusion, the CRISPR/Cas system holds immense potential in the precise diagnosis and treatment of TNBC. As the technology progresses and becomes more costs-effective, its clinical relevance will grow, and the translation of CRISPR/Cas system data into clinical applications will pave the way for optimal diagnosis and treatment strategies for TNBC patients. However, technical hurdles and ethical considerations require ongoing research and regulation to ensure safety and efficacy.
2.Development of an in vitro screening method for idiosyncratic hepatotoxic components in traditional Chinese medicine: a case study with Epimedii Folium and Psoraleae Fructus
Ying-ying LI ; Meng-meng LIN ; Bo CAO ; Ying LI ; Jing XU ; Xiao-he XIAO ; Guo-hui LI ; Chun-yu LI
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(3):621-632
Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (IDILI) has long posed a challenging and pivotal concern in pharmaceutical research. The complex composition of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has introduced a bottleneck in current research, hindering the elucidation of the component basis associated with IDILI in TCM. Using
3.A reporter gene assays for bioactivity determination of human chorinonic gonadotropin
Ying HUANG ; Xiao-ming ZHANG ; He-yang LI ; Lü-yin WANG ; Hui ZHANG ; Ping LÜ ; Jing LI ; Xiang-dong GAO ; Cheng-gang LIANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(2):432-438
This study constructed a LHCGR-CRE-luc-HEK293 transgenic cell line according to the activation of the cAMP signaling pathway after recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin binding to the receptor. The biological activity of recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin was assayed using a luciferase assay system. The relative potency of the samples was calculated using four-parameter model. And the method conditions were optimized to validate the specificity, relative accuracy, precision and linearity of the method. The results showed that there was a quantitative potency relationship of human chorinonic gonadotropin (hCG) in the method and it was in accordance with the four-parameter curve. After optimization, the conditions were determined as hCG dilution concentration of 2.5 μg·mL-1, dilution ratio of 1∶4, cell number of 10 000-15 000 cells/well, and induction time of 6 h. The method had good specificity, relative accuracy with relative bias ranging from -8.9% to 3.4%, linear regression equation correlation coefficient of 0.996, intermediate precision geometric coefficient of variation ranging from 3.3% to 15.0%, and linearity range of 50% to 200%. This study successfully established and validated a reporter gene method to detect hCG biological activity, which can be used for hCG biological activity assay and quality control.
4.Effect and mechanism of radiation combined with different decompression loads on acute injury of rat
Min LIU ; Guang-Sheng LIU ; Yang-Kai WANG ; Rui-Yong CHEN ; Ying HE ; Wen-Hui WU
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2024;49(3):323-328
Objective To investigate the effect of rats'injuries and its mechanism caused by specific dose of radiation combined with decompression exposure.Methods 81 male SD rats were randomly divided into control group(n=9),radiation group(n=18),radiation+low-load decompression group(n=18),radiation+medium-load decompression group(n=18),and radiation+high-load decompression group(n=18).In addition to control group,the rats were irradiated with 60Co γ rays at 4 Gy and then underwent rapid escape experiments.The high-pressure exposure schemes were to stay underwater 57 m for 30 min,45 min or 60 min and reduce to normal pressure within(30±5)s,respectively.The high-pressure exposure was not carried out in radiation group.The behavior and death of rats in each group were observed 0.5 h after leaving the cabin.Blood(abdominal aorta)and lung tissues were collected at 3 h and 72 h,respectively.The changes of lung wet-dry weight ratio(W/D),lung pathology and serum levels of interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),superoxide dismutase(SOD),malondialdehyde(MDA),nitric oxide(NO),intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)and thromboxane B2(TXB2)were analyzed.Results Compared with control group and radiation group,radiation+low-load decompression group showed no significant difference in the injury and death rate of rats(P>0.05),while radiation+medium-load decompression group and radiation+high-load decompression group showed significantly increase of the injury and death rate of rats(P<0.05).Compared with control group,other groups showed no significant change in pulmonary W/D at 3 h(P>0.05),and increased at 72 h(P<0.05).HE staining showed that compared with control group,radiation group showed mild lung interstitial edema,while radiation+low-load decompression group showed obvious pulmonary tissue edema and a small number of red blood cells exudated in the alveolar cavity.The edema,congestion and inflammatory cell infiltration of lung tissue were more serious in radiation+medium-load decompression group and radiation+high-load decompression group.Compared with control group and radiation group,all radiation+decompression groups showed an increase in serum levels of IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,MDA,NO,ICAM-1 and TXB2(P<0.05),and a decrease in SOD activity(P<0.05).Compared with radiation+low-load decompression group,radiation+medium-load decompression group and radiation+high-load decompression group showed increase in serum levels of IL-1β,IL-6,MDA,ICAM-1 and TXB2(P<0.05),and decrease in activity of SOD(P<0.05).Except for control group,serum levels of IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,MDA,NO,ICAM-1 and TXB2 were decreased at 72 h compared with 3 h(P<0.05),and SOD activity was increased at 72 h in all groups(P<0.05).Conclusions High-load decompression can increase the injury and death rate of rats exposed to radiation and high pressure.The potential mechanism of the combined injury effect of radiation and decompression was related to inflammation,immune stress,oxidative damage,vasomotor activity and coagulation mechanism.
5.Nanomaterial-based Therapeutics for Biofilm-generated Bacterial Infections
Zhuo-Jun HE ; Yu-Ying CHEN ; Yang ZHOU ; Gui-Qin DAI ; De-Liang LIU ; Meng-De LIU ; Jian-Hui GAO ; Ze CHEN ; Jia-Yu DENG ; Guang-Yan LIANG ; Li WEI ; Peng-Fei ZHAO ; Hong-Zhou LU ; Ming-Bin ZHENG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(7):1604-1617
Bacterial biofilms gave rise to persistent infections and multi-organ failure, thereby posing a serious threat to human health. Biofilms were formed by cross-linking of hydrophobic extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), such as proteins, polysaccharides, and eDNA, which were synthesized by bacteria themselves after adhesion and colonization on biological surfaces. They had the characteristics of dense structure, high adhesiveness and low drug permeability, and had been found in many human organs or tissues, such as the brain, heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and skeleton. By releasing pro-inflammatory bacterial metabolites including endotoxins, exotoxins and interleukin, biofilms stimulated the body’s immune system to secrete inflammatory factors. These factors triggered local inflammation and chronic infections. Those were the key reason for the failure of traditional clinical drug therapy for infectious diseases.In order to cope with the increasingly severe drug-resistant infections, it was urgent to develop new therapeutic strategies for bacterial-biofilm eradication and anti-bacterial infections. Based on the nanoscale structure and biocompatible activity, nanobiomaterials had the advantages of specific targeting, intelligent delivery, high drug loading and low toxicity, which could realize efficient intervention and precise treatment of drug-resistant bacterial biofilms. This paper highlighted multiple strategies of biofilms eradication based on nanobiomaterials. For example, nanobiomaterials combined with EPS degrading enzymes could be used for targeted hydrolysis of bacterial biofilms, and effectively increased the drug enrichment within biofilms. By loading quorum sensing inhibitors, nanotechnology was also an effective strategy for eradicating bacterial biofilms and recovering the infectious symptoms. Nanobiomaterials could intervene the bacterial metabolism and break the bacterial survival homeostasis by blocking the uptake of nutrients. Moreover, energy-driven micro-nano robotics had shown excellent performance in active delivery and biofilm eradication. Micro-nano robots could penetrate physiological barriers by exogenous or endogenous driving modes such as by biological or chemical methods, ultrasound, and magnetic field, and deliver drugs to the infection sites accurately. Achieving this using conventional drugs was difficult. Overall, the paper described the biological properties and drug-resistant molecular mechanisms of bacterial biofilms, and highlighted therapeutic strategies from different perspectives by nanobiomaterials, such as dispersing bacterial mature biofilms, blocking quorum sensing, inhibiting bacterial metabolism, and energy driving penetration. In addition, we presented the key challenges still faced by nanobiomaterials in combating bacterial biofilm infections. Firstly, the dense structure of EPS caused biofilms spatial heterogeneity and metabolic heterogeneity, which created exacting requirements for the design, construction and preparation process of nanobiomaterials. Secondly, biofilm disruption carried the risk of spread and infection the pathogenic bacteria, which might lead to other infections. Finally, we emphasized the role of nanobiomaterials in the development trends and translational prospects in biofilm treatment.
6.Protein expression and clinical significance of KCTD8 gene in ductal carcinoma of the breast
Ying-Ge LIU ; Hui-Jie YANG ; Xiao-Yu ZHAI ; Ji-Min HE ; Hong-Chao LI ; Ying-Li ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Current Advances in General Surgery 2024;27(2):117-121
Objective:To investigate the expression of KCTD8 gene in breast ductal carcinoma and its correlation with clinical factors and prognosis.Methods:Immunohistochemistry technology(IHC)were employed to detect protein expression levels of KCTD8 in 27 pairs of breast ductal carci-noma and its paired adjacent tissues.Analyzing the correlation between changes in KCTD8 expres-sion of protein and clinical factors using statistical techniques.RNA expression and methylation data of breast cancer(including intraductal cancer)were analysed from TCGA database.Result:The pro-tein expression of KCTD8 gene in 27 pairs of breast ductal carcinoma tissues showed a decreasing trend compared to adjacent tissues(P<0.05),and the decreased expression level of protein was cor-related with the tumor size of patients(P<0.05).The analysis results of the TCGA database indicate that the expression and hypemethylation of KCTD 8 gene in breast cancer(including intraductal can-cer)tissues affected the prognosis of patients.Conclusion:The reduced protein expression level of KCTD8 gene in breast ductal carcinoma may be involved in the development and affect the prog-nosis of patients.
7.Neuroprotective mechanism of nicotine in a mouse model of rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease
Xinyue ZHANG ; Liuhui ZHU ; Yu HE ; Ying GUAN ; Zhouhai ZHU ; Hui REN ; Xinglong YANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;28(35):5612-5617
BACKGROUND:Studies have found that nicotine can activate the dopamine system,slowing the progression of Parkinson's disease,but the specific mechanism is still unclear.Research on the neuroprotective mechanism of nicotine in animal models of Parkinson's disease is lacking. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the neuroprotective effect of nicotine on rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease in mice. METHODS:Twenty-eight C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into vehicle group,rotenone group,autophagy agonist group and nicotine group,with seven mice in each group.Dopaminergic nerve damage was induced by rotenone in C57BL/6 mice,and the autophagy agonist(rapamycin)or nicotine was given before modeling.The spatial exploration function of the mice was observed by open field test.Western blot and Q-PCR were used to detect the expression of α-synuclein,autophagy related factors Beclin-1 and P62,and apoptosis-related factors Bax,Bcl-2 and Cleaved-caspase3 in the nigra of each group.The deposition of mitochondria,autophagosomes and lipofuscin in nigra cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy.The survival of neurons was observed by Nissl staining.The expression of tyrosine hydroxylase was observed by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The open field test showed that the distance,average speed and time of movement were reduced in the rotenone group compared with the solvent group.Compared with the rotenone group,the exercise distance,average speed and exercise time of mice were increased in the nicotine group and autophagy agonist group(P<0.05).The results of immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry showed that the mean fluorescence intensity and mean absorbance value of tyrosine hydroxylase in the rotenone group decreased compared with that in the solvent group.Compared with the rotenone group,the mean fluorescence intensity and mean absorbance value of tyrosine hydroxylase were increased in the nicotine group and autophagy agonist group.Western blot and Q-PCR results showed that compared with the solvent group,the expressions of α-synuclein and P62 in the rotenone group were increased,while Beclin-1 expression was decreased(P<0.05);compared with the rotenone group,the expression of α-synuclein and P62 decreased in the nicotine group and autophagy agonist group,and the expression of Beclin-1 increased(P<0.05).Compared with the solvent group,the expressions of Bax and Cleaved caspase3 were increased and Bcl-2 expression was decreased in the rotenone group(P<0.05);compared with the rothenone group,the expressions of Bax and Cleaved-caspase3 were decreased and the expression of Bcl-2 was increased in the nicotine and autophagy agonist groups(P<0.05).To conclude,nicotine may have a dopaminergic neuroprotective effect on rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease mouse models by improving autophagy dysfunction and reducing apoptosis.
8.Analysis of amino acid and protein components of commercial swim-bladders
Jin-Ju ZHANG ; Yi-Hong LU ; Qing HE ; Meng-Hua WU ; Zhi-Guo MA ; Ying ZHANG ; Hui CAO
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2024;46(2):499-506
AIM To study the amino acids and proteins in 16 batches of commercial fish swim-bladders with different origins.METHODS A high performance liquid chromatography method based on pre-column derivatization using 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate(AQC)was developed for the determination of contents and components of 17 amino acids in fish swim-bladders.Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE)was performed to analyze the molecular weight distribution of proteins from different fish swim-bladders,and proteins in fish swim-bladders were identified by proteomics method.RESULTS The result showed that the determination of 17 amino acids had a good linear relationship(R2≥0.998 0).The average recovery rate was 85.62%-109.60%and the relative standard deviations of precision,stability and repeatability were less than 3.5%.The total content of the 17 amino acids in 16 batches of fish swim-bladders ranged from 468.31 mg/g to 620.05 mg/g.A total of 688 proteins including 11 collagens were identified from 16 batches of fish swim-bladder samples and a plenty of low-abundance proteins at 52-95 kDa were also detected in fish swim-bladders by SDS-PAGE.CONCLUSION This study provides a good reference for the quality evaluation and further utilization of fish swim-bladders.
9.Assessment of respiratory protection competency of staff in healthcare facilities
Hui-Xue JIA ; Xi YAO ; Mei-Hua HU ; Bing-Li ZHANG ; Xin-Ying SUN ; Zi-Han LI ; Ming-Zhuo DENG ; Lian-He LU ; Jie LI ; Li-Hong SONG ; Jian-Yu LU ; Xue-Mei SONG ; Hang GAO ; Liu-Yi LI
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(1):25-31
Objective To understand the respiratory protection competency of staff in hospitals.Methods Staff from six hospitals of different levels and characteristics in Beijing were selected,including doctors,nurses,medical technicians,and servicers,to conduct knowledge assessment on respiratory protection competency.According to exposure risks of respiratory infectious diseases,based on actual cases and daily work scenarios,content of respira-tory protection competency assessment was designed from three aspects:identification of respiratory infectious di-seases,transmission routes and corresponding protection requirements,as well as correct selection and use of masks.The assessment included 6,6,and 8 knowledge points respectively,with 20 knowledge points in total,all of which were choice questions.For multiple-choice questions,full marks,partial marks,and no mark were given respective-ly if all options were correct,partial options were correct and without incorrect options,and partial options were correct but with incorrect options.Difficulty and discrimination analyses on question of each knowledge point was conducted based on classical test theory.Results The respiratory protection competency knowledge assessment for 326 staff members at different risk levels in 6 hospitals showed that concerning the 20 knowledge points,more than 60%participants got full marks for 6 points,while the proportion of full marks for other questions was relatively low.Less than 10%participants got full marks for the following 5 knowledge points:types of airborne diseases,types of droplet-borne diseases,conventional measures for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infec-tion with respiratory infectious diseases,indications for wearing respirators,and indications for wearing medical protective masks.Among the 20 knowledge questions,5,1,and 14 questions were relatively easy,medium,and difficult,respectively;6,1,4,and 9 questions were with discrimination levels of ≥0.4,0.30-0.39,0.20-0.29,and ≤0.19,respectively.Conclusion There is still much room for hospital staff to improve their respiratory protection competency,especially in the recognition of diseases with different transmission routes and the indications for wearing different types of masks.
10.A multicenter retrospective cohort study on the attributable risk of patients with Acinetobacter baumannii sterile body fluid infection
Lei HE ; Dao-Bin JIANG ; Ding LIU ; Xiao-Fang ZHENG ; He-Yu QIU ; Shu-Mei WU ; Xiao-Ying WU ; Jin-Lan CUI ; Shou-Jia XIE ; Qin XIA ; Li HE ; Xi-Zhao LIU ; Chang-Hui SHU ; Rong-Qin LI ; Hong-Ying TAO ; Ze-Fen CHEN
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(1):42-48
Objective To investigate the attributable risk(AR)of Acinetobacter baumannii(AB)infection in criti-cally ill patients.Methods A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted among adult patients in inten-sive care unit(ICU).Patients with AB isolated from sterile body fluid and confirmed with AB infection in each cen-ter were selected as the infected group.According to the matching criteria that patients should be from the same pe-riod,in the same ICU,as well as with similar APACHE Ⅱ score(±5 points)and primary diagnosis,patients who did not infect with AB were selected as the non-infected group in a 1:2 ratio.The AR was calculated.Results The in-hospital mortality of patients with AB infection in sterile body fluid was 33.3%,and that of non-infected group was 23.1%,with no statistically significant difference between the two groups(P=0.069).The AR was 10.2%(95%CI:-2.3%-22.8%).There is no statistically significant difference in mortality between non-infected pa-tients and infected patients from whose blood,cerebrospinal fluid and other specimen sources AB were isolated(P>0.05).After infected with AB,critically ill patients with the major diagnosis of pulmonary infection had the high-est AR.There was no statistically significant difference in mortality between patients in the infected and non-infec-ted groups(P>0.05),or between other diagnostic classifications.Conclusion The prognosis of AB infection in critically ill patients is highly overestimated,but active healthcare-associated infection control for AB in the ICU should still be carried out.

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