1.Research advances in the disease burden of viral hepatitis in China
Jian LI ; Fuzhen WANG ; Zhongdan CHEN ; Jinlei QI ; Ailing WANG ; Fanghui ZHAO ; Yuanyuan KONG ; Jing SUN ; Jiaqi KANG ; Zundong YIN ; Zhongfu LIU ; Jidong JIA ; Yu WANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(2):221-227
Over the past three decades, China has made significant progress in the prevention and control of viral hepatitis, and the incidence rates of new-onset pediatric hepatitis B virus infections and acute viral hepatitis in the population have reduced to a relatively low level; however, there is still a heavy disease burden of chronic viral hepatitis in China, which severely affects the health status of the population. This study systematically summarizes the achievements of viral hepatitis prevention and control in China, analyzes existing problems and challenges, and proposes comprehensive prevention and control strategies and measures to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat based on the national conditions of China, in order to provide a reference for related departments in China on how to achieve the action targets for eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.
2.Research progress on the characteristic clinical manifestations of pathologic myopia and their related genes
International Eye Science 2025;25(4):620-626
Pathologic myopia is a leading cause of visual impairment worldwide. Its characteristic clinical manifestations include posterior staphyloma caused by pathological elongation of the axial length, myopic maculopathy and high myopia-associated optic neuropathy. Extensive research conducted both domestically and internationally has consistently demonstrated that genetics plays a significant role in the occurrence and progression of pathologic myopia. With the innovative development of genetics, it has become possible to predict, prevent, control, and treat pathologic myopia at the gene level. This paper reviews the characteristic clinical manifestations of pathologic myopia and its related genes to provide a basis for the etiology of pathologic myopia and potential targets for therapeutic intervention, to provide a reference for treating pathologic myopia and its complications at the genetic level, and to explore new and effective ways to control the development of pathologic myopia.
3.Overview of the Research on Mechanisms and Application of Essential Oil of Aromatic Chinese Medicinals in Prevention of Respiratory Infectious Disease
Wan Ling LI ; Xinxin WU ; Xiaolei LI ; Mingzhao HAO ; Fang ZHANG ; Yue ZHANG ; Haoyue LI ; Jing ZHAO
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(6):638-644
Aromatic Chinese medicinal essential oils are volatile oils extracted from aromatic Chinese herbs, which can prevent and treat respiratory infectious diseases through multiple synergistic mechanisms including pathogen inhibition, immune regulation, and inflammatory response regulation. Essential oils are primarily used externally on the body to prevent infections and alleviate symptoms through methods like inhalation, smearing, topical application, bathing, gargling or as a suppository. They can also be utilized in the environment for disinfection and air purification, through methods like diffusion, vaporization, or spraying. The external application of essential oils extracted from Chinese aromatic herbs has the advantages of convenience, quick absorption, and simultaneous influence on both the body and mind. However, there are still challenges and deficiencies in aspects such as the positioning of functions, indications, safety, and the research on the mechanism of action. It has been proposed to combine the theory of aromatic Chinese medicinals with the characteristics of essential oils, and formulate prescriptions of Chinese medicinal essential oils under the principles of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation, and prevent and treat respiratory infectious diseases efficiently, accurately, and safely, thereby expanding the clinical application of aromatic Chinese medicinals and the preventive theory of traditional Chinese medicine.
4.Associations of volatile organic compounds/semi-volatile organic compounds exposure on asthma: A review of epidemiological studies and diagnostic applications
Tiantian GU ; Jin ZHANG ; Teng YANG ; Jiawei WANG ; Qinsheng KONG ; Guoxing LI ; Jing HUANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(6):756-761
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are common organic compounds in indoor and outdoor air, and enter the human body primarily through the respiratory tract and directly damage the respiratory system. Previous studies have suggested that exposure to VOCs/SVOCs may associate with the prevalence, incidence, and progression of asthma, but the extent of the associations is still vague. Furthermore, biomarkers for efficient and simple asthma diagnosis, typing, and attack prediction remain unclear at this stage. From the perspective of the collection and detection methods of VOCs/SVOCs, this paper summarized the epidemiological associations and underlying biological mechanisms between VOCs/SVOCs exposure and the prevalence, incidence, and progression of asthma in children/adults. It also demonstrated the application of VOCs/SVOCs in recent years in assisting asthma diagnosis, such as distinguishing asthma patients from the healthy population, differentiating different asthma phenotypes, and predicting asthma acute exacerbations, aiming to provide a scientific basis for improving current asthma management.
5.Experience in Treating Acne Based on the Staged Approach of "Eruption in Warm Diseases"
Yisheng ZHANG ; Ningxin ZHANG ; Fengyan TIAN ; Yuanyao SHE ; Jing LANG ; Weili KONG ; Qingyun LIU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(16):1723-1726
This paper summarizes clinical experience in treating acne based on the staged therapeutic principles of "eruption in warm diseases". It is considered that acne results from wind-heat retained in the lungs, invading the ying level and obstructing the blood collaterals, and is primarily a disorder involving both the wei and ying systems. In clinical practice, the treatment emphasizes the use of acrid-cool and sweet-cold methods. The core prescription is namely Yinqiaosan Qu Douchi Jia Xishengdi Danpi Daqingye Bei Xuanshen Fang (from Epidemic Warm Diseases [《温病条辨》]), and is adjusted according to the stage of disease. In the non-inflammatory stage, when the pathogen initially attacks the wei level, treatment focuses on acrid-cool herbs to release the exterior, with supplementary bitter-sweet ingredients such as Yejuhua (Chrysanthemum Indicum). In the inflammatory stage, with pronounced heat toxin in the qi level affecting the ying and blood, and local stagnation of qi and blood, the approach is to clear heat and resolve toxin, using blood-cooling and stasis-resolving herbs early to prevent progression. Herbs such as Pugongying (Taraxacum Mongolicum), Zihuadiding (Viola Yedoensis), Tiankuizi (Semiaquilegia Adoxoides), Chonglou (Paris Polyphylla), Machixian (Portulaca Oleracea), Zaojiaoci (Gleditsia Sinensis), Chuanshanjia (Manis Pentadactyla) may be added. In the post-inflammatory erythema stage, when yin of the ying level is depleted and internal deficiency-heat arises, sweet-cold herbs are recommended to nourish the stomach and generate fluids, with the possible addition of Yiwei Decoction (益胃汤).
6.Junctophilin-2 MORN-Helix Domain: Structural Basis for Membrane Binding and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy-associated Mutations
Jing-Xin WANG ; Zhi-Wei LI ; Wei LIU ; Wen-Qing ZHANG ; Jian-Chao LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(8):2103-2116
ObjectiveJunctophilin-2 (JPH2) is an essential structural protein that maintains junctional membrane complexes (JMCs) in cardiomyocytes by tethering the plasma membrane to the sarcoplasmic reticulum, thereby facilitating excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling. Mutations in JPH2 have been associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but the molecular mechanisms governing its membrane-binding properties and the functional relevance of its membrane occupation and recognition nexus (MORN) repeat motifs remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to elucidate the structural basis of JPH2 membrane association and its implications for HCM pathogenesis. MethodsA recombinant N-terminal fragment of mouse JPH2 (residues1-440), encompassing the MORN repeats and an adjacent helical region, was purified under near-physiological buffer conditions.X-ray crystallography was employed to determine the structure of the JPH2 MORN-Helix domain. Sequence conservation analysis across species and junctophilin isoforms was performed to assess the evolutionary conservation of key structural features. Functional membrane-binding assays were conducted using liposome co-sedimentation and cell-based localization studies in COS7 and HeLa cells. In addition, site-directed mutagenesis targeting positively charged residues and known HCM-associated mutations, including R347C, was used to evaluate their effects on membrane interaction and subcellular localization. ResultsThe crystal structure of the mouse JPH2 MORN-Helix domain was resolved at 2.6 Å, revealing a compact, elongated architecture consisting of multiple tandem MORN motifs arranged in a curved configuration, forming a continuous hydrophobic core stabilized by alternating aromatic residues. A C-terminal α-helix further reinforced structural integrity. Conservation analysis identified the inner groove of the MORN array as a highly conserved surface, suggesting its role as a protein-binding interface. A flexible linker segment enriched in positively charged residues, located adjacent to the MORN motifs, was found to mediate direct electrostatic interactions with negatively charged phospholipid membranes. Functional assays demonstrated that mutation of these basic residues impaired membrane association, while the HCM-linked R347C mutation completely abolished membrane localization in cellular assays, despite preserving the overall MORN-Helix fold in structural modeling. ConclusionThis study provides structural insight into the membrane-binding mechanism of the cardiomyocyte-specific protein JPH2, highlighting the dual roles of its MORN-Helix domain in membrane anchoring and protein interactions. The findings clarify the structural basis for membrane targeting via a positively charged linker and demonstrate that disruption of this interaction—such as that caused by the R347C mutation—likely contributes to HCM pathogenesis. These results not only enhance current understanding of JPH2 function in cardiac E-C coupling but also offer a structural framework for future investigations into the assembly and regulation of JMCs in both physiological and disease contexts.
7.Cinobufagin Combined with Thalidomide/Dexamethasone Regimen in the Treatment of Patients with Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma of Phlegm and Stasis Obstruction: A Retrospective Study
Weiguang ZHANG ; Haihua DING ; Biqing CHEN ; Xiangtu KONG ; Xingbin DAI ; Zuqiong XU ; Jing YANG ; Xixi LIU ; Chencheng LI ; Zhongxiao HU ; Xuejun ZHU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;65(1):72-78
ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of cinobufagin tablets combined with thalidomide/dexamethasone (TD) regimen in the treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) with phlegm and stasis obstruction. MethodsThe clinical data of 50 patients with NDMM of phlegm and stasis obstruction who were hospitalized at the Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from June 1st, 2015 to July 31th, 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, and they were divided into a control group (bortezomib/dexamethasone-containing regimen, 27 cases) and an observation group (cinobufagin tablets combined with TD regimen, 23 cases). The clinical efficacy and safety were compared between the two groups after two or three courses of treatment. The primary outcomes were clinical remission rate including overall response rate and deep remission rate, one-year and two-year overall survival rate, and adverse effects. The secondary outcomes were the proportion of plasma cells in bone marrow, hemoglobin, β2-microglobulin, lactate dehydrogenase, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, bone pain score, and KPS functional status score (KPS score) before and after treatment. ResultsIn terms of clinical efficacy, there was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) in the overall response rate [the observation group 69.57%(16/23) vs the control group 70.37% (19/27)] and deep remission rate [the observation group 56.52% (13/23) vs the control group 55.56% (15/27)] between groups after the treatment. The one-year overall survival rates of the observation group and the control group were 90.9% and 92.4%, and the two-year overall survival rates were 81.8% and 80.9% respectively, with no statistically significant differences between groups (P>0.05). During the treatment, no renal function injury occurred in both groups. The incidence of peripheral nerve injury in the observation group was 8.70%, which was lower than 48.15% in the control group (P<0.01). After the treatment, the proportion of myeloma plasma cells, β2-microglobulin, serum creatinine level, and bone pain score decreased, while the hemoglobin level and KPS score increased in both groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared between groups after treatment, the bone pain score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group, while the KPS score was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). ConclusionThe clinical efficacy of cinobufagin tablets combined with TD in the treatment of NDMM is equivalent to bortezomib/dexamethasone-containing regimen, but the former is more helpful in relieving the pain and improving the quality of life, and has better safety.
8.Mutational Signatures Analysis of Micropapillary Components and Exploration of ZNF469 Gene in Early-stage Lung Adenocarcinoma with Ground-glass Opacities.
Youtao XU ; Qinhong SUN ; Siwei WANG ; Hongyu ZHU ; Guozhang DONG ; Fanchen MENG ; Zhijun XIA ; Jing YOU ; Xiangru KONG ; Jintao WU ; Peng CHEN ; Fangwei YUAN ; Xinyu YU ; Jinfu JI ; Zhitong LI ; Pengcheng ZHU ; Yuxiang SUN ; Tongyan LIU ; Rong YIN ; Lin XU
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2024;26(12):889-900
BACKGROUND:
In China, lung cancer remains the cancer with the highest incidence and mortality rate. Among early-stage lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD), the micropapillary (MPP) component is prevalent and typically exhibits high aggressiveness, significantly correlating with early metastasis, lymphatic infiltration, and reduced five-year survival rates. Therefore, the study is to explore the similarities and differences between MPP and non-micropapillary (non-MPP) components in malignant pulmonary nodules characterized by GGOs in early-stage LUAD, identify unique mutational features of the MPP component and analyze the relationship between the ZNF469 gene, a member of the zinc-finger protein family, and the prognosis of early-stage LUAD, as well as its correlation with immune infiltration.
METHODS:
A total of 31 malignant pulmonary nodules of LUAD were collected and dissected into paired MPP and non-MPP components using microdissection. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on the components of early-stage malignant pulmonary nodules. Mutational signatures analysis was conducted using R packages such as maftools, Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF), and Sigminer to unveil the genomic mutational characteristics unique to MPP components in invasive LUAD compared to other tumor tissues. Furthermore, we explored the expression of the ZNF469 gene in LUAD using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to investigate its potential association with the prognosis. We also investigated gene interaction networks and signaling pathways related to ZNF469 in LUAD using the GeneMANIA database and conducted Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Lastly, we analyzed the correlation between ZNF469 gene expression and levels of immune cell infiltration in LUAD using the TIMER and TISIDB databases.
RESULTS:
MPP components exhibited a higher number of genomic variations, particularly the 13th COSMIC (Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer) mutational signature characterized by the activity of the cytidine deaminase APOBEC family, which was unique to MPP components compared to non-MPP components in tumor tissues. This suggests the potential involvement of APOBEC in the progression of MPP components in early-stage LUAD. Additionally, MPP samples with high similarity to APOBEC signature displayed a higher tumor mutational burden (TMB), indicating that these patients may be more likely to benefit from immunotherapy. The expression of ZNF469 was significantly upregulated in LUAD compared to normal tissue, and was associated with poor prognosis in LUAD patients (P<0.05). Gene interaction network analysis and GO/KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that COL6A1, COL1A1, COL1A2, TGFB2, MMP2, COL8A2 and C2CD4C interacted with ZNF469 and were mainly involved in encoding collagen proteins and participating in the constitution of extracellular matrix. ZNF469 expression was positively correlated with immune cell infiltration in LUAD (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The study has unveiled distinctive mutational signatures in the MPP components of early-stage invasive LUAD in the Asian population. Furthermore, we have identified that the elevated expression of mutated ZNF469 impacts the prognosis and immune infiltration in LUAD, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in LUAD.
Humans
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Lung Neoplasms/genetics*
;
Adenocarcinoma of Lung/genetics*
;
China
;
Prognosis
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Transcription Factors
9.A Novel Retrograde AAV Variant for Functional Manipulation of Cortical Projection Neurons in Mice and Monkeys.
Yefei CHEN ; Jingyi WANG ; Jing LIU ; Jianbang LIN ; Yunping LIN ; Jinyao NIE ; Qi YUE ; Chunshan DENG ; Xiaofei QI ; Yuantao LI ; Ji DAI ; Zhonghua LU
Neuroscience Bulletin 2024;40(1):90-102
Retrograde adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are capable of infecting the axons of projection neurons and serve as a powerful tool for the anatomical and functional characterization of neural networks. However, few retrograde AAV capsids have been shown to offer access to cortical projection neurons across different species and enable the manipulation of neural function in non-human primates (NHPs). Here, we report the development of a novel retrograde AAV capsid, AAV-DJ8R, which efficiently labeled cortical projection neurons after local administration into the striatum of mice and macaques. In addition, intrastriatally injected AAV-DJ8R mediated opsin expression in the mouse motor cortex and induced robust behavioral alterations. Moreover, AAV-DJ8R markedly increased motor cortical neuron firing upon optogenetic light stimulation after viral delivery into the macaque putamen. These data demonstrate the usefulness of AAV-DJ8R as an efficient retrograde tracer for cortical projection neurons in rodents and NHPs and indicate its suitability for use in conducting functional interrogations.
Animals
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Haplorhini
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Axons
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Motor Neurons
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Interneurons
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Macaca
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Dependovirus/genetics*
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Genetic Vectors
10. Tripterine promotes pyroptosis of liver cancer cells by regulating ATF4/caspase-3/GSDME signaling pathway
Duan LI ; Yong-Hui WANG ; Jing ZHOU ; Yong-Hong KONG ; Le ZHANG ; Le ZHANG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(2):299-307
Aim To explore the new mechanism of triptolide (TRI) inhibiting the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) . Methods Different concentrations (0, 0 . 5, 2, and 8 jjunol • L~) of TRI were administered to act on liver cancer cells, and then the cell phenotypes and possible mechanisms were explored using experimental methods such as CCK-8, cell cloning, Transwell, and protein immunoblotting; siRNA was used to interfere with the target gene GSDME and its role was determined. Finally, the mechanism of TRI inhibiting the growth of HCC cells in vivo was validated using a transplanted tumor model. Results TRI could inhibit the proliferation, cloning, and invasion of HCC cells, and promote cell apoptosis. Immunoblotting results showed that the expression of GSDME was significantly upregulated in HepG2 or He-pal-6 hepatocellular carcinoma after TRI treatment, while the expression of cleaved caspase-3 and PARP also significantly increased. Knocking out GSDME could partially reverse TRI-induced cell apoptosis. At the same time, cells knocked down by GSDME had stronger cloning and migration abilities, and the apoptosis rate was reduced compared to the TRI treatment group alone. In vivo experiments showed that TRI inhibited HCC tumor growth, and the TRI + siGSDME group had a faster tumor growth rate than the TRI treatment group alone did. In addition, after TRI stimulation, p-eIF2a and ATF4 in HepG2 and Hepal-6 cells significantly increased. The immunofluorescence results showed a dose-dependent increase in the number of ATF4 positive cells in HepG2 and Hepal-6 cells after TRI stimulation. Conclusion The inhibitory effect of TRI on the growth and invasion of liver cancer cells may be related to its regulation of the ATF4/caspase-3/GSDME signaling pathway and promotion of liver cancer cell apoptosis.

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