1.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.
2.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.
3.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.
4.Meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of apatinib combined with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in the treatment of malignant solid tumors
Chen WANG ; Jun LI ; Ning WANG ; Xinjuan YU ; Xiaolu YU ; Tingtian LI
China Pharmacy 2025;36(16):2067-2072
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of apatinib combined with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in the treatment of malignant solid tumors. METHODS Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on apatinib combined with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors (combination group) versus monotherapy (apatinib or PD-1/PD-L1)combined with (or) chemotherapy/other treatments (control group) in the treatment of malignant solid tumors were collected from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Data and China Biomedical Literature Database. The search time limit was from the establishment of the databases to May 2025. After literature screening, data extraction and literature quality evaluation, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 14.0. RESULTS A total of 28 RCTs involving 2 974 patients were included. The objective response rate [RR=1.639, 95%CI(1.452,1.851), P<0.000 01], disease control rate [RR=1.284, 95%CI(1.178,1.399), P<0.000 01] and CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ as well as the incidence of ADR such as hypertension, fatigue, proteinuria, thrombocytopenia were significantly higher in the combination group than control group (P<0.05 or P<0.000 01). The progressive disease rate [RR= 0.497, 95%CI(0.437, 0.566), P<0.000 01] and serum tumor + marker levels and CD8 were significantly lower in the combination group than control group (P<0.05 or P<0.000 01). Subgroup analysis results of different types of tumors showed that the objective response rate and disease control rate were significantly higher in the combination group than control group (P<0.05). The results of sensitivity analysis showed that the stability of this study was good. The results of publication bias analysis showed that there was a high possibility of publication bias in this study. CONCLUSIONS Apatinib combined with PD-1/ PD-L1 inhibitors has a significant efficacy in the treatment of different types of tumors, but attention should be paid to the occurrence of hypertension, fatigue, proteinuria and thrombocytopenia.
5.Estimation of genotoxicity threshold induced by acute exposure to neodymium nitrate in mice using benchmark dose
Junli LIU ; Yu DING ; Xueqing CHENG ; Zhengli YANG ; Kelei QIAN ; Jing XU ; Yiyun FAN ; Dongsheng YU ; Zhiqing ZHENG ; Jun YANG ; Ning WANG ; Xinyu HONG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2024;41(4):425-430
Background The benchmark dose (BMD) method calculates the dose associated with a specific change in response based on a specific dose-response relationship. Compared with the traditional no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) method, the BMD method has many advantages, and the 95% lower confidence limit of benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL) is recommended to replace NOAEL in deriving biological exposure limits. No authority has yet published any health-based guideline for rare earth elements. Objective To evaluate genotoxicity threshold induced by acute exposure to neodymium nitrate in mice using BMD modeling through micronucleus test and comet assay. Methods SPF grade mice (n=90) were randomly divided into nine groups, including seven neodymium nitrate exposure groups, one control group (distilled water), and one positive control group (200 mg·kg−1 ethyl methanesulfonate), 10 mice in each group, half male and half female. The seven dose groups were fed by gavage with different concentrations of neodymium nitrate solution (male: 14, 27, 39, 55, 77, 109, and 219 mg·kg−1; female: 24, 49, 69, 97, 138, 195, and 389 mg·kg−1) twice at an interval of 21 h. Three hours after the last exposure, the animals were neutralized by cervical dislocation. The bone marrow of mice femur was taken to calculate the micronucleus rate of bone marrow cells, and the liver and stomach were taken for comet test. Results The best fitting models for the increase of polychromatophil micronucleus rate in bone marrow of female and male mice induced by neodymium nitrate were the exponential 4 model and the hill model, respectively. The BMD and the BMDL of female mice were calculated to be 31.37 mg·kg−1 and 21.90 mg·kg−1, and those of male mice were calculated to be 58.62 mg·kg−1 and 54.31 mg·kg−1, respectively. The best fitting models for DNA damage induced by neodymium nitrate in female and male mouse hepatocytes were the exponential 5 model and the exponential 4 model, respectively, and the calculated BMD and BMDL were 27.15 mg·kg−1 and 11.99 mg·kg−1 for female mice, and 16.28 mg·kg−1 and 10.47 mg·kg−1 for male mice, respectively. The hill model was the best fitting model for DNA damage of gastric adenocytes in both female and male mice, and the calculated BMD and BMDL were 36.73 mg·kg−1 and 19.92 mg·kg−1 for female mice, and 24.74 mg·kg−1 and 14.08 mg·kg−1 for male mice, respectively. Conclusion Taken the micronucleus rate of bone marrow cells, DNA damage of liver cells and gastric gland cells as the end points of genotoxicity, the BMDL of neodymium nitrate is 10.47 mg·kg−1, which can be used as the threshold of genotoxic effects induced by acute exposure to neodymium nitrate in mice.
6.Research Advance on Smartphone-based Visual Biosensor in Point-of-Care Testing
Xian-Xin XIANG ; Hua-Yue SUN ; Hui-Ning CHAI ; Kun YU ; Li-Jun QU ; Guang-Yao ZHANG ; Xue-Ji ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2024;52(2):145-156
Human physiological indicators have become an important standard for assessing health in modern society.Traditional detection methods often require a separate laboratory,complex operation process and long detection time,so it is urgent to develop portable,fast and accurate on-site detection technologies for bioanalysis.Point-of-care testing(POCT),which differs from traditional laboratory testing,can realize the rapid in situ detection of biomarkers without the complicated analytical process of the laboratory.Smartphones,which are an essential tool in our daily life,not only have independent operating systems and built-in storage functions,but also have high-definition cameras,which have great application potential in POCT visualization.The combination of various biosensing technologies and smartphones has developed into a new direction in the field of POCT.This review mainly introduced the research progress of smartphone-based visual biosensors in POCT in recent years,including colorimetric sensors,fluorescence sensors,chemiluminescence sensors and electrochemiluminescence sensors.Finally,the problems faced by smart-phone-based visual biosensors in the application of POCT were summarized,and their future development was prospected.
7.The Functional Role of SUMOylation in The Tumor Microenvironment
Pan-Pan ZHAO ; Jun-Xu YU ; Ya-Ning CHE ; Hui-Yi LIANG ; Chao HUANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(6):1256-1268
Tumors continue to be a major challenge in human survival that we have yet to overcome. Despite the variety of treatment options available, we have not yet found an effective method. As more and more research is conducted, attention has been turned to a new field for tumor treatment—the tumor microenvironment (TME). This is a dynamic and complex environment consisting of various matrix cells surrounding cancer cells, including surrounding immune cells, blood vessels, extracellular matrix, fibroblasts, bone marrow-derived inflammatory cells, signaling molecules, and some specific cell types. Firstly, endothelial cells play a key role in tumor development and the immune system’s protection of tumor cells. Secondly, immune cells, such as macrophages, Treg cells, Th17 cells, are widely involved in various immune responses and activities in the human body, such as inflammation responses promoting survival carefully orchestrated by the tumor. Even though many studies have extensively researched the TME and found many research schemes, so far, no key effective method has been found to treat tumors by affecting the TME. The TME is a key interaction area between the host immune system and the tumor. Cells within the TME influence each other and interact with cancer cells to affect cancer cell invasion, tumor growth, and metastasis. This is a new direction for cancer treatment. In the complex environment of the TME, post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins have been proven to play an important role in the TME. PTMs are dynamic, strictly regulated changes to proteins that control their function by regulating their structure, spatial location, and interaction. Among PTMs, a reversible post-translational modification called SUMOylation is a common regulatory mechanism in cellular processes. It is a post-translational modification that targets lysine residues with a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) in a reversible post-translational modification manner. SUMOylation is widely involved in carcinogenesis, DNA damage response, cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis, playing a pivotal role in the TME, such as DNA damage repair, tumor metastasis, and also participates in immune cell differentiation, activation, and inhibition of immune cells. On the other hand, SUMO or sentrin-specific protease (SENP) inhibitors can interfere with the SUMOylation process, thereby affecting many biological processes, including immune response, carcinogenesis, cell cycle progression, and cell apoptosis, etc. In summary, this review aims to introduce the dynamic modification of protein SUMOylation on various immune cells and the application of various inhibitors, thereby exploring its role in the TME. This is a challenging but hopeful field, and we look forward to future research that can bring more breakthroughs. In conclusion, the TME is a complex and dynamic environment that plays a crucial role in the development and progression of tumors. Understanding the intricate interactions within the TME and the role of PTMs, particularly SUMOylation, could provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of tumor development and potentially lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies. The study of SUMOylation and its effects on various immune cells in the TME is an exciting and promising area of research that could significantly advance our understanding of tumor biology and potentially lead to the development of more effective treatments for cancer. This is a challenging but hopeful field, and we look forward to future research that can bring more breakthroughs.
8.Establishment and Preliminary Application of Competency Model for Undergraduate Medical Imaging Teachers
Tong SU ; Yu CHEN ; Daming ZHANG ; Jun ZHAO ; Hao SUN ; Ning DING ; Huadan XUE ; Zhengyu JIN
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2024;15(3):708-717
To establish a medical imaging teacher competency model and evaluate its application value in group teaching for undergraduates. Based on literature review, a competency model for teachers in medical colleges and universities was established. This study collected the self-evaluation scores and student evaluation scores of the competency model for teachers from Radiology Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital who participated in the undergraduate medical imaging group teaching from September 2020 to November 2021, and compared the differences of various competencies before and after training, between different professional titles and between different length of teaching. A total of 18 teachers were included in the teaching of undergraduate medical imaging group, with 11 having short teaching experience (≤5 years) and 7 having long teaching experience (> 5 years). Altogether 200 undergraduate students participated in the course (95 in the class of 2016 and 105 in the class of 2017). There were 8 teachers with a junior professional title, 5 with an intermediate professional title, and 5 with a senior professional title. The teacher competency model covered a total of 5 first-level indicators, including medical education knowledge, teaching competency, scientific research competency, organizational competency, and others, which corresponded to 13 second-level indicators. The teachers' self-evaluation scores of two first-level indicators, scientific research competency and organizational competency, as well as three second-level indicators, teaching skills, academic research on teaching and research, and communication abilities, showed significant improvements after the training, compared to those before training(all The competency model of undergraduate medical imaging teachers based on teacher competency can be preliminarily applied for the training of medical imaging teachers, as it reflects the change of competency of the teachers with different professional titles and teaching years in the process of group teaching.
9.Safety of modified T-piece resuscitator versus nasal cannula oxygen in electronic bronchoscopy for infants:a prospective randomized controlled study
Jun-Jie NING ; Zhi-Hui ZUO ; Zhi-Dong YU ; Xue-Mei LI ; Li-Na QIAO
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2024;26(1):37-41
Objective To optimize the oxygen therapy regimens for infants with pulmonary diseases during bronchoscopy.Methods A prospective randomized,controlled,and single-center clinical trial was conducted on 42 infants who underwent electronic bronchoscopy from July 2019 to July 2021.These infants were divided into a nasal cannula(NC)group and a modified T-piece resuscitator(TPR)group using a random number table.The lowest intraoperative blood oxygen saturation was recorded as the primary outcome,and intraoperative heart rate and respiratory results were recorded as the secondary outcomes.Results Compared with the NC group,the modified TPR group had a significantly higher level of minimum oxygen saturation during surgery and a significantly lower incidence rate of hypoxemia(P<0.05).In the modified TPR group,there were 6 infants with mild hypoxemia,2 with moderate hypoxemia,and 1 with severe hypoxemia,while in the NC group,there were 3 infants with mild hypoxemia,5 with moderate hypoxemia,and 9 with severe hypoxemia(P<0.05).The modified TPR group had a significantly lower incidence rate of intraoperative respiratory rhythm abnormalities than the NC group(P<0.05),but there was no significant difference in the incidence rate of arrhythmias between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusions Modified TPR can significantly reduce the risk of hypoxemia in infants with pulmonary diseases during electronic bronchoscopy,and TPR significantly decreases the severity of hypoxemia and the incidence of respiratory rhythm abnormalities compared with traditional NC.
10.Identification of overlay differentially expressed genes in both rats and goats with blast lung injury through comparative transcriptomics
Hong WANG ; Jun-Hong GAO ; Xiao-Lin FAN ; Qing LU ; Liang LI ; Ning MA ; Qi WANG ; Yu-Hao ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2024;27(1):34-41
Purpose::To identify the potential target genes of blast lung injury (BLI) for the diagnosis and treatment.Methods::This is an experimental study. The BLI models in rats and goats were established by conducting a fuel-air explosive power test in an unobstructed environment, which was subsequently validated through hematoxylin-eosin staining. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on lung tissues from both goats and rats. Differentially expressed genes were identified using the criteria of q ≤ 0.05 and |log 2 fold change| ≥ 1. Following that, enrichment analyses were conducted for gene ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. The potential target genes were further confirmed through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results::Observations through microscopy unveiled the presence of reddish edema fluid, erythrocytes, and instances of focal or patchy bleeding within the alveolar cavity. Transcriptome sequencing analysis identified a total of 83 differentially expressed genes in both rats and goats. Notably, 49 genes exhibited a consistent expression pattern, with 38 genes displaying up-regulation and 11 genes demonstrating down-regulation. Enrichment analysis highlighted the potential involvement of the interleukin-17 signaling pathway and vascular smooth muscle contraction pathway in the underlying mechanism of BLI. Furthermore, the experimental findings in both goats and rats demonstrated a strong association between BLI and several key genes, including anterior gradient 2, ankyrin repeat domain 65, bactericidal/permeability-increasing fold containing family A member 1, bactericidal/permeability-increasing fold containing family B member 1, and keratin 4, which exhibited up-regulation.Conclusions::Anterior gradient 2, ankyrin repeat domain 65, bactericidal/permeability-increasing fold containing family A member 1, bactericidal/permeability-increasing fold containing family B member 1, and keratin 4 hold potential as target genes for the prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of BLI.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail