1.Effect of oxymatrine on expression of stem markers and osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells
Jing LUO ; Min YONG ; Qi CHEN ; Changyi YANG ; Tian ZHAO ; Jing MA ; Donglan MEI ; Jinpeng HU ; Zhaojun YANG ; Yuran WANG ; Bo LIU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(19):3992-3999
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			BACKGROUND:Human periodontal ligament stem cells are potential functional cells for periodontal tissue engineering.However,long-term in vitro culture may lead to reduced stemness and replicative senescence of periodontal ligament stem cells,which may impair the therapeutic effect of human periodontal ligament stem cells. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of oxymatrine on the stemness maintenance and osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells in vitro,and to explore the potential mechanism. METHODS:Periodontal ligament stem cells were isolated from human periodontal ligament tissues by tissue explant enzyme digestion and cultured.The surface markers of mesenchymal cells were identified by flow cytometry.Periodontal ligament stem cells were incubated with 0,2.5,5,and 10 μg/mL oxymatrine.The effect of oxymatrine on the proliferation activity of periodontal ligament stem cells was detected by CCK8 assay.The appropriate drug concentration for subsequent experiments was screened.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of stem cell non-specific proteins SOX2 and OCT4 in periodontal ligament stem cells.qRT-PCR and western blot assay were used to detect the expression levels of related osteogenic genes and proteins in periodontal ligament stem cells. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The results of CCK8 assay showed that 2.5 μg/mL oxymatrine significantly enhanced the proliferative activity of periodontal stem cells,and the subsequent experiment selected 2.5 μg/mL oxymatrine to intervene.(2)Compared with the blank control group,the protein expression level of SOX2,a stem marker of periodontal ligament stem cells in the oxymatrine group did not change significantly(P>0.05),and the expression of OCT4 was significantly up-regulated(P<0.05).(3)Compared with the osteogenic induction group,the osteogenic genes ALP,RUNX2 mRNA expression and their osteogenic associated protein ALP protein expression of periodontal ligament stem cells were significantly down-regulated in the oxymatrine+osteogenic induction group(P<0.05).(4)The oxymatrine up-regulated the expression of stemness markers of periodontal ligament stem cells and inhibited the bone differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells,and the results of high-throughput sequencing showed that it may be associated with WNT2,WNT16,COMP,and BMP6.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
2.The Mechanisms of Neurotransmitters and Their Receptors in Exercise Central Fatigue
Lu-Lu GUAN ; Bo-Te QI ; Du-Shuo FENG ; Jing-Wang TAN ; Meng CAO ; Yu ZOU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(6):1321-1336
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Exercise fatigue is a complex physiological and psychological phenomenon that includes peripheral fatigue in the muscles and central fatigue in the brain. Peripheral fatigue refers to the loss of force caused at the distal end of the neuromuscular junction, whereas central fatigue involves decreased motor output from the primary motor cortex, which is associated with modulations at anatomical sites proximal to nerves that innervate skeletal muscle. The central regulatory failure reflects a progressive decline in the central nervous system’s capacity to recruit motor units during sustained physical activity. Emerging evidence highlights the critical involvement of central neurochemical regulation in fatigue development, particularly through neurotransmitter-mediated modulation. Alterations in neurotransmitter release and receptor activity could influence excitatory and inhibitory signal pathways, thus modulating the perception of fatigue and exercise performance. Increased serotonin (5-HT) could increase perception of effort and lethargy, reduce motor drive to continue exercising, and contribute to exercise fatigue. Decreased dopamine (DA) and noradrenaline (NE) neurotransmission can negatively impact arousal, mood, motivation, and reward mechanisms and impair exercise performance. Furthermore, the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems interact with each other; a low 5-HT/DA ratio enhances motor motivation and improves performance, and a high 5-HT/DA ratio heightens fatigue perception and leads to decreased performance. The expression and activity of neurotransmitter receptors would be changed during prolonged exercise to fatigue, affecting the transmission of nerve signals. Prolonged high-intensity exercise causes excess 5-HT to overflow from the synaptic cleft to the axonal initial segment and activates the 5-HT1A receptor, thereby inhibiting the action potential of motor neurons and affecting the recruitment of motor units. During exercise to fatigue, the DA secretion is decreased, which blocks the binding of DA to D1 receptor in the caudate putamen and inhibits the activation of the direct pathway of the basal ganglia to suppress movement, meanwhile the binding of DA to D2 receptor is restrained in the caudate putamen, which activates the indirect pathway of the basal ganglia to influence motivation. Furthermore, other neurotransmitters and their receptors, such as adenosine (ADO), glutamic acid (Glu), and γ‑aminobutyric acid (GABA) also play important roles in regulating neurotransmitter balance and fatigue. The occurrence of central fatigue is not the result of the action of a single neurotransmitter system, but a comprehensive manifestation of the interaction between multiple neurotransmitters. This review explores the important role of neurotransmitters and their receptors in central motor fatigue, reveals the dynamic changes of different neurotransmitters such as 5-HT, DA, NE, and ADO during exercise, and summarizes the mechanisms by which these neurotransmitters and their receptors regulate fatigue perception and exercise performance through complex interactions. Besides, this study presents pharmacological evidence that drugs such as agonists, antagonists, and reuptake inhibitors could affect exercise performance by regulating the metabolic changes of neurotransmitters. Recently, emerging interventions such as dietary bioactive components intake and transcranial electrical stimulation may provide new ideas and strategies for the prevention and alleviation of exercise fatigue by regulating neurotransmitter levels and receptor activity. Overall, this work offers new theoretical insights into the understanding of exercise central fatigue, and future research should further investigate the relationship between neurotransmitters and their receptors and exercise fatigue. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
3.Development of a nomogram-based risk prediction model for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease incidence in community-dwelling population aged 40 years and above in Shanghai
Yixuan ZHANG ; Yiling WU ; Jinxin ZANG ; Xuyan SU ; Xin YIN ; Jing LI ; Wei LUO ; Minjun YU ; Wei WANG ; Qi ZHAO ; Qin WANG ; Genming ZHAO ; Yonggen JIANG ; Na WANG
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(8):669-675
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			ObjectiveTo develop a nomogram-based risk prediction model for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) incidence among the community-dwelling population aged 40 years old and above, so as to provide targeted references for the screening and prevention of COPD. MethodsBased on a natural population cohort in suburban Shanghai, a total of 3 381 randomly selected participants aged ≥40 years underwent pulmonary function tests between July and October 2021. Cox stepwise regression analysis was used to develop overall and gender-specific risk prediction models, along with the construction of corresponding risk nomograms. Model predictive performance was evaluated using the C-indice, area under the curve (AUC) values, and Brier score. Stability was assessed through 10-fold cross-validation and sensitivity analysis. ResultsA total of 3 019 participants were included, with a median follow-up duration of 4.6 years. The COPD incidence density was 17.22 per 1 000 person-years, significantly higher in males (32.04/1 000 person-years) than that in females (7.38/1 000 person-years) (P<0.001). The overall risk prediction model included the variables such as gender, age, education level, BMI, smoking, passive smoking, and respiratory comorbidities. The male-specific model incorporated the variables such as age, BMI, respiratory comorbidities, and smoking, while the female-specific model included age, marital status, respiratory comorbidities, and pulmonary tuberculosis history. The C-indices for the overall, male-specific, and female-specific models were 0.829, 0.749, and 0.807, respectively. The 5-year AUC values were 0.785, 0.658, and 0.811, with Brier scores of 0.103, 0.176, and 0.059, respectively. Both 10-fold cross-validated C-indices and sensitivity analysis (excluding participants with a follow-up duration of <6 months) yielded C-indices were above 0.740. ConclusionThis study developed concise and practical overall and gender-specific COPD risk prediction models and corresponding nomograms. The models demonstrated robust performance in predicting COPD incidence, providing a valuable reference for identifying high-risk populations and formulating targeted screening and personalized management strategies. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
4.The clinical application value of coagulation function indicators in pediatric patients with Burkitt lymphoma
Ping GU ; Qi ZHANG ; Chengyun WANG ; Guoqing ZHU ; Qiuhui PAN ; Jing WANG
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2025;38(9):1195-1204
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective: To investigate the abnormal fluctuation of coagulation function indicators in pediatric Burkitt lymphoma patients, and to analyze its correlation with disease progression and prognosis. Methods: The data of 172 children with Burkitt lymphoma in Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from January 2020 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, and 120 healthy children were used as control group. Plasma prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen (Fib), International standardized ratio (INR), D-dimer (D-D), fibrinogen degradation products (FDP), and antithrombin (AT) were measured. Appropriate statistical methods were used to compare the data between two groups, and the Cox regression model was employed to analyze the influencing factors. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Levels of D-D, FDP, INR, and PT were significantly higher in children with Burkitt lymphoma than in the healthy controls [median (P25, P75) for the case group: 0.35 (0.13, 1.22), 3.10 (1.30, 10.20), 1.16 (1.06, 1.24), 12.60 (11.43, 13.50); median (P25, P75) for the healthy control group: 0.10 (0.07, 0.15), 0.60 (0.20, 1.08), 1.06 (1.02, 1.13), 11.50 (11.00, 12.30)](P<0.05). Levels of D-D, FDP, INR, PT, and TT were significantly elevated in children with recurrence compared to those without recurrence [median (P25, P75) for the recurrent group: 0.44 (0.16, 1.42), 3.85 (1.50, 12.25), 1.17 (1.08, 1.24), 12.70 (11.73, 13.50), 16.20 (14.80, 17.80); median (P25, P75) for the non-recurrent group: 0.21 (0.11, 0.69), 2.00 (1.00, 6.85), 1.11 (1.03, 1.24), 11.90 (11.10, 13.43), 15.20 (14.50, 16.40)](P<0.05). Levels of D-D, FDP in children with metastasis were significantly higher than those without metastasis [median (P25, P75) for the metastatic group: 0.51 (0.17, 1.84), 4.38 (1.70, 13.45); median (P25, P75) for the non-metastatic group: 0.20 (0.11, 0.39), 1.50 (1.00, 3.10)] (P<0.05). Levels of D-D and FDP were significantly higher in children with advanced stage than in those with early stage [median (P25, P75) for the high-stage group: 0.33 (0.14, 1.20), 3.10 (1.40, 10.23); median (P25, P75) for the low-stage group: 0.12 (0.08, 0.24), 0.90 (0.50, 2.50)] (P<0.05). Levels of D-D and FDP in high-risk children were significantly higher than those of low-risk [median (P25, P75) for the high-risk group: 0.28 (0.13, 1.01), 2.90 (1.15, 9.65); median (P25, P75) for the low-risk group: 0.12 (0.08, 0.17), 0.80 (0.43, 1.98)] (P<0.05). Levels of D-D, FDP, INR, and PT were significantly higher in children with poor prognosis than in those with favorable prognosis [median (P25, P75) for the poor prognosis group: 1.76 (0.80, 2.72), 13.45 (7.20, 25.30), 1.19 (1.12, 1.32), 12.85 (12.10, 14.35); median (P25, P75) for the favorable prognosis group: 0.23 (0.12, 0.52), 2.00 (1.00, 4.80), 1.14 (1.05, 1.23), 12.30 (11.40, 13.40)] (P<0.05). INR levels significantly increased with accumulating chemotherapy cycles [median (P25, P75) for one session: 1.09 (1.02, 1.20); two sessions: 1.31 (1.23, 1.38); three sessions: 1.79 (1.52, 2.41)] (P<0.05). Age, APTT, D-D, FDP, INR, PT, recurrence and metastasis had a significant effect on the survival of children with Burkitt lymphoma (P<0.05). Conclusion: Patients with Burkitt lymphoma exhibit coagulation disorders, which are influenced by recurrence, metastasis, clinical stage, risk stratification, and prognosis. In clinical practice, it is crucial to prioritize the monitoring of coagulation indicators to facilitate timely detection of coagulation dysfunction.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
5.Policies, standards and technological models of digital rehabilitation aligned with the framework of WHO's global digital health strategy
Yaru YANG ; Zhuoying QIU ; Di CHEN ; Zhongyan WANG ; Meng ZHANG ; Qi JING ; Yaoguang ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice 2025;31(2):125-135
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			ObjectiveTo systematically analyze the global policy framework, standard systems and application technology models of digital rehabilitation within the framework of the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Digital Health Strategy and propose policy recommendations for the future development of digital rehabilitation. MethodsBased on the policies on digital health and rehabilitation development issued by the WHO, focusing on the Global Digital Health Strategy, Rehabilitation 2030 Initiative, Rehabilitation in Health Systems, Rehabilitation in Health Systems: A Guide for Action, and World Report on Disability, a systematic review was conducted, to explore the policy architecture and core content of digital rehabilitation, the standard system for digitalizing rehabilitation, and key technological models for the development of digital rehabilitation. ResultsIn the context of global health and digital transformation, the development of digital rehabilitation services was an essential component of the global digital health strategy. Building a comprehensive policy framework and content system for digital rehabilitation was critical for strengthening rehabilitation data governance, enhancing data utilization efficiency, and ensuring data privacy and security. Empowering rehabilitation with digital technology was vital for improving the standardization, effectiveness, coverage, quality and safety of rehabilitation services. International digital rehabilitation policies primarily involved the following areas: policy and governance, digital standard systems, data privacy, security and ethics, digital talent cultivation and capacity building, and monitoring, evaluation and continuous improvement of digitally empowered rehabilitation services. The standard system for rehabilitation digitization covered the three major reference classifications of the WHO Family of International Classifications, including International Classification of Diseases Eleventh Revision (ICD-11), International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), and International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI), especially ICF. It also included international data interoperability standards, data security and privacy protection standards, data quality and certification standards, and health information standards, etc. The application technology models of digital rehabilitation primarily included data-driven service models, artificial intelligence -enabled models, and remote rehabilitation models combined with virtual reality, augmented reality technologies, and Internet of Things support. ConclusionThe establishment and implementation of comprehensive policies, standards and technological models for digital rehabilitation are crucial for driving the digital transformation and development of global rehabilitation services. Under the framework of the WHO Global Digital Health Strategy, it is necessary to build adaptive digital rehabilitation policy frameworks, and enhance digital governance capabilities and levels, establishing and improving digital rehabilitation standard systems, and promoting the interoperability and integration of rehabilitation data with other health big data. Meanwhile, it is essential to actively develop data-driven technological models for rehabilitation services to comprehensively improve the accessibility, availability, quality and safety of rehabilitation services. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
6.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. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
7.Characteristics and implications of observation tools for physical activity among children and adolescents
QIU Yanping, WANG Lijuan, QI Jing, CHEN Huan, ZHENG Nan, LI Xiaoqing
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(3):310-314
		                        		
		                        			Abstract
		                        			To analyzes the characteristics, problems and enlightenment of physical activity observation tools, so as to provide reference for researchers to quickly and accurately choose appropriate observation tools to evaluate children s and adolescents  physical activity. Literature search is conducted in eight databases of Chinese and English, including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, ERIC, and SPORTDiscus. Ultimately, eight observation tools for assessing physical activity in children and adolescents are included. Through summarization and comparison, it is found that the applications of those tools cover multiple age groups, the observation indicators cover multiple dimensions for each with varying emphases, and the applicable contexts vary in their specific background information, and recording methods tend to be quantitative. However, several issues remain to be addressed in practical applications. First, the observation indicators need to be supplemented and improved; second, physical activity in community environments and academic classrooms requires further attention; third, physical activity intensity needs to be scientifically evaluated; fourth, observation and recording methods need to be integrated and innovated; fifth, the number of observation subjects needs to be expanded. Future research could focus on developing observation tools tailored to the characteristics of Chinese children and adolescents, while drawing on foreign observation tools to comprehensively assess physical activity among children and adolescents.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
8.Integrated molecular characterization of sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma
Rong-Qi SUN ; Yu-Hang YE ; Ye XU ; Bo WANG ; Si-Yuan PAN ; Ning LI ; Long CHEN ; Jing-Yue PAN ; Zhi-Qiang HU ; Jia FAN ; Zheng-Jun ZHOU ; Jian ZHOU ; Cheng-Li SONG ; Shao-Lai ZHOU
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(2):426-444
		                        		
		                        			 Background:
		                        			s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated. 
		                        		
		                        			Methods:
		                        			In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs. 
		                        		
		                        			Results:
		                        			Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment. 
		                        		
		                        			Conclusions
		                        			We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
9.Carvedilol to prevent hepatic decompensation of cirrhosis in patients with clinically significant portal hypertension stratified by new non-invasive model (CHESS2306)
Chuan LIU ; Hong YOU ; Qing-Lei ZENG ; Yu Jun WONG ; Bingqiong WANG ; Ivica GRGUREVIC ; Chenghai LIU ; Hyung Joon YIM ; Wei GOU ; Bingtian DONG ; Shenghong JU ; Yanan GUO ; Qian YU ; Masashi HIROOKA ; Hirayuki ENOMOTO ; Amr Shaaban HANAFY ; Zhujun CAO ; Xiemin DONG ; Jing LV ; Tae Hyung KIM ; Yohei KOIZUMI ; Yoichi HIASA ; Takashi NISHIMURA ; Hiroko IIJIMA ; Chuanjun XU ; Erhei DAI ; Xiaoling LAN ; Changxiang LAI ; Shirong LIU ; Fang WANG ; Ying GUO ; Jiaojian LV ; Liting ZHANG ; Yuqing WANG ; Qing XIE ; Chuxiao SHAO ; Zhensheng LIU ; Federico RAVAIOLI ; Antonio COLECCHIA ; Jie LI ; Gao-Jun TENG ; Xiaolong QI
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(1):105-118
		                        		
		                        			 Background:
		                        			s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. 
		                        		
		                        			Methods:
		                        			Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. 
		                        		
		                        			Results:
		                        			In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). 
		                        		
		                        			Conclusions
		                        			Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
10.Integrated molecular characterization of sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma
Rong-Qi SUN ; Yu-Hang YE ; Ye XU ; Bo WANG ; Si-Yuan PAN ; Ning LI ; Long CHEN ; Jing-Yue PAN ; Zhi-Qiang HU ; Jia FAN ; Zheng-Jun ZHOU ; Jian ZHOU ; Cheng-Li SONG ; Shao-Lai ZHOU
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(2):426-444
		                        		
		                        			 Background:
		                        			s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated. 
		                        		
		                        			Methods:
		                        			In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs. 
		                        		
		                        			Results:
		                        			Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment. 
		                        		
		                        			Conclusions
		                        			We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
            

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