Chemotherapy-induced complications, particularly lethal cardiovascular diseases, pose significant challenges for cancer survivors. The intertwined adverse effects, brought by cancer and its complication, further complicate anticancer therapy and lead to diminished clinical outcomes. Simple supplementation of cardioprotective agents falls short in addressing these challenges. Developing bi-functional co-therapy agents provided another potential solution to consolidate the chemotherapy and reduce cardiac events simultaneously. Drug repurposing was naturally endowed with co-therapeutic potential of two indications, implying a unique chance in the development of bi-functional agents. Herein, we further proposed a novel "trilogy of drug repurposing" strategy that comprises function-based, target-focused, and scaffold-driven repurposing approaches, aiming to systematically elucidate the advantages of repurposed drugs in rationally developing bi-functional agent. Through function-based repurposing, a cardioprotective agent, carvedilol (CAR), was identified as a potential neddylation inhibitor to suppress lung cancer growth. Employing target-focused SAR studies and scaffold-driven drug design, we synthesized 44 CAR derivatives to achieve a balance between anticancer and cardioprotection. Remarkably, optimal derivative 43 displayed promising bi-functional effects, especially in various self-established heart failure mice models with and without tumor-bearing. Collectively, the present study validated the practicability of the "trilogy of drug repurposing" strategy in the development of bi-functional co-therapy agents.

Objective As primary Sj?gren's syndrome(pSS)primarily affects the salivary glands,saliva can serve as an indicator of the glands'pathophysiology and the disease's status.This study aims to illustrate the salivary proteomic profiles of pSS patients and identify potential candidate biomarkers for diagnosis. Methods The discovery set contained 49 samples(24 from pSS and 25 from age-and gender-matched healthy controls[HCs])and the validation set included 25 samples(12 from pSS and 13 from HCs).Totally 36 pSS patients and 38 HCs were centrally randomized into the discovery set or to the validation set at a 2:1 ratio.Unstimulated whole saliva samples from pSS patients and HCs were analyzed using a data-independent acquisition(DIA)strategy on a 2D LC-HRMS/MS platform to reveal differential proteins.The crucial proteins were verified using DIA analysis and annotated using gene ontology(GO)and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts(IPA)analysis.A prediction model for SS was established using random forests. Results A total of 1,963 proteins were discovered,and 136 proteins exhibited differential representation in pSS patients.The bioinformatic research indicated that these proteins were primarily linked to immunological functions,metabolism,and inflammation.A panel of 19 protein biomarkers was identified by ranking order based on P-value and random forest algorichm,and was validated as the predictive biomarkers exhibiting good performance with area under the curve(AUC)of 0.817 for discovery set and 0.882 for validation set. Conclusions The candidate protein panel discovered may aid in pSS diagnosis.Salivary proteomic analysis is a promising non-invasive method for prognostic evaluation and early and precise treatments for pSS patients.DIA offers the best time efficiency and data dependability and may be a suitable option for future research on the salivary proteome.

As the global population continues to age, the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, continues to rise significantly. As the disease progresses, the patient’s daily living abilities gradually decline, potentially leading to a complete loss of self-care abilities. According to estimates by the Alzheimer’s Association and the World Health Organization, AD accounts for 60%-70% of all other dementia cases, affecting over 55 million people worldwide. The case number is estimated to double by 2050. Despite extensive research, the precise etiology and pathogenesis of AD remain elusive. Researchers have a profound understanding of the disease’s pathological hallmarks, which include amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles resulting from the abnormal phosphorylation of Tau protein. However, the exact causes and mechanisms of the disease are still not fully understood, leaving a vital gap in our knowledge and understanding of this debilitating disease. A crucial player that has recently emerged in the field of AD research is the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR). α7nAChR is composed of five identical α7 subunits that form a homopentamer. This receptor is a significant subtype of acetylcholine receptor in the central nervous system and is widely distributed in various regions of the brain. It is particularly prevalent in the hippocampus and cortical areas, which are regions associated with learning and memory. α7nAChR plays a pivotal role in several neurological processes, including neurotransmitter release, neuronal plasticity, cell signal transduction, and inflammatory response, suggesting its potential involvement in numerous neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. In recent years, the role of α7nAChR in AD has been the focus of extensive research. Emerging evidence suggests that α7nAChR is involved in several critical steps in the disease progression of AD. These include involvement in the metabolism of amyloid β-protein (Aβ), the phosphorylation of Tau protein, neuroinflammatory response, and oxidative stress. Each of these processes contributes to the development and progression of AD, and the involvement of α7nAChR in these processes suggests that it may play a crucial role in the disease’s pathogenesis. The potential significance of α7nAChR in AD is further reinforced by the observation that alterations in its function or expression can have significant effects on cognitive abilities. These findings suggest that α7nAChR could be a promising target for therapeutic intervention in AD. At present, the results of drug clinical studies targeting α7nAChR show that these compounds have improvement and therapeutic effects in AD patients, but they have not reached the degree of being widely used in clinical practice, and their drug development still faces many challenges. Therefore, more research is needed to fully understand its role and to develop effective treatments based on this understanding. This review aims to summarize the current understanding of the association between α7nAChR and AD pathogenesis. We provide an overview of the latest research developments and insights, and highlight potential avenues for future research. As we deepen our understanding of the role of α7nAChR in AD, it is hoped that this will pave the way for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for this devastating disease. By targeting α7nAChR, we may be able to develop more effective treatments for AD, ultimately improving the quality of life for patients and their families.

Odontogenic maxillary sinusitis(OMS)is a subtype of maxillary sinusitis(MS).It is actually inflammation of the maxillary sinus that secondary to adjacent infectious maxillary dental lesion.Due to the lack of unique clinical features,OMS is difficult to distinguish from other types of rhinosinusitis.Besides,the characteristic infectious pathogeny of OMS makes it is resistant to conventional therapies of rhinosinusitis.Its current diagnosis and treatment are thus facing great difficulties.The multi-disciplinary cooperation between otolaryngologists and dentists is absolutely urgent to settle these questions and to acquire standardized diagnostic and treatment regimen for OMS.However,this disease has actually received little attention and has been underrepresented by relatively low publication volume and quality.Based on systematically reviewed literature and practical experiences of expert members,our consensus focuses on characteristics,symptoms,classification and diagnosis of OMS,and further put forward multi-disciplinary treatment decisions for OMS,as well as the common treatment complications and relative managements.This consensus aims to increase attention to OMS,and optimize the clinical diagnosis and decision-making of OMS,which finally provides evidence-based options for OMS clinical management.

[Objective] To explore the efficacy and safety of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) using a flexible negative pressure suction sheath in the treatment of upper urinary tract stones >2 cm in diameter, to provide reference for the diagnosis and treatment of such disease. [Methods] Clinical data of 155 patients who underwent surgery for upper urinary tract stones during Nov.2022 and Nov.2023 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into 3 groups: percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL) group (n=54), conventional sheath RIRS group (n=41), and flexible sheath RIRS group (n=60). The general and clinical data of the 3 groups were compared. [Results] The PCNL group had more patients with severe hydronephrosis (22.22% vs. 4.88%, 5.00%, P=0.027) and smaller IPA involving the lower calyx [(36.17±17.6)° vs. (48.57±17.56)°, (47.41±10.82)°, P=0.014] than the conventional sheath RIRS group and flexible sheath RIRS group.Three days after operation, the stone-free rate (SFR) was 90.74%, 53.66% and 78.33% in the PCNL, conventional sheath RIRS, and flexible sheath RIRS groups, respectively (P<0.05). At 1 month postoperatively, the SFR was 92.59%, 73.17%, and 81.67%, with no statistically significant difference between the PCNL and flexible sheath RIRS groups (P>0.05), but was higher than that in the conventional sheath RIRS group (P<0.05). The PCNL group had shorter operation time than the two RIRS groups [(65.22±17.67) min vs. (91.73±20.57) min, (94.38±24.75) min, P<0.001], longer postoperative hospital stay [(5.0(4.0, 7.0) d vs.3.0(2.0, 4.0) d, 3.0(2.0, 4.0) d, P<0.001], greater decrease in hemoglobin level [(18.00±5.78) g/L vs. (5.57±5.16) g/L, (7.42±5.09) g/L, P<0.001], and higher visual analogue scale (VAS) score [(4.83±1.48) min vs. (2.95±1.07) min, (3.05±1.21) min, P<0.001], while there was no difference between the two RIRS groups (P>0.05). The costs were lower in the flexible sheath RIRS group than in the conventional sheath RIRS group but higher than in the PCNL group [(23 311.19±1 341.20)yuan vs.(24 550.49±1 172.51)yuan, (15 351.97±1 101.4)yuan, P<0.001]. The overall incidence of complications was similar among the three groups, but stone street occurred only in the conventional sheath RIRS group. [Conclusion] For the treatment of patients with upper urinary tract stones >2 cm, RIRS has shorter postoperative hospital stay, lower hemoglobin decrease, and lower VAS score compared to PCNL; the early postoperative SFR of flexible sheath RIRS is superior to that of conventional sheath RIRS, and the 1-month SFR is comparable to that of PCNL, with a low incidence of stone street.

Patients with severe trauma require an extremely timely treatment and transfusion plays an irreplaceable role in the emergency treatment of such patients. An increasing number of evidence-based medicinal evidences and clinical practices suggest that patients with severe traumatic bleeding benefit from early transfusion of low-titer group O whole blood or hemostatic resuscitation with red blood cells, plasma and platelet of a balanced ratio. However, the current domestic mode of blood supply cannot fully meet the requirements of timely and effective blood transfusion for emergency treatment of patients with severe trauma in clinical practice. In order to solve the key problems in blood supply and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma, Branch of Clinical Transfusion Medicine of Chinese Medical Association, Group for Trauma Emergency Care and Multiple Injuries of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Young Scholar Group of Disaster Medicine Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized domestic experts of blood transfusion medicine and trauma treatment to jointly formulate Chinese expert consensus on blood support mode and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma patients ( version 2024). Based on the evidence-based medical evidence and Delphi method of expert consultation and voting, 10 recommendations were put forward from two aspects of blood support mode and transfusion strategies, aiming to provide a reference for transfusion resuscitation in the emergency treatment of severe trauma and further improve the success rate of treatment of patients with severe trauma.

Objective:To observe the role of Huaiqihuang Granules (HQ) in the long-term management of bronchial asthma in young children, and the effective effect on concomitant rhinitis.Methods:A prospective real-world multicenter study was conducted in children aged 2-5 years with asthma diagnosed in the outpatient department (from April 2016 to March 2019)who received either inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA)(control group); inhaled ICS/LTRA plus HQ(combination group), or HQ alone(HQ group). All patients were followed up at week 4, 8, 12 after treatment. The number of days with asthma symptoms, the frequency of severe asthma attacks, the level of asthma control, and the days with rhinitis symptoms in the last 4 weeks were recorded. Differences before and after treatment, and those among groups after treatment were compared using Kruskal- Wallis H test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Results:A total of 2 234 eligible patients were recruited, and 2 147 cases completed followed-up visits, including 477, 1 374 and 296 cases in the control group, combination group, and HQ group, respectively. After the treatment, all 3 groups showed significant declines in the days with asthma symptoms, frequency of severe asthma attack and the days with rhinitis symptoms (all P<0.01), and the rate of well-controlled asthma increased significantly ( P<0.01). It lasted until the end of follow-up. Among groups, patients in the combination group showed significantly less days of asthma symptoms than those of the other 2 group at week 8 and 12[0(0, 0.9) d vs.0(0, 0.3) d, P<0.05; 0(0, 0.1) d vs. 0(0, 1.0) d, P<0.01]. Patients in the combination group and HQ group showed a significantly lower rate of severe asthma attacks than that of the control group at week 12 [0(0, 1), 0(0, 1), 0(0, 2), all P<0.05]. The well-controlled rate of asthma in the combination group was significantly higher than that of the control group and HQ group at week 8 and 12 (89.6% vs. 85.9% vs.82.1%, H=15.28; 90.9% vs. 84.1% vs. 81.8%, χ2=29.32, all P<0.01). Conclusions:HQ can significantly alleviate symptoms of asthma and rhinitis, severe attack of asthma, and increase the control rate of asthma when used as an additional treatment or used alone.

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of scientific papers in the field of global liver diseases published by Chinese scholars that were retracted for diverse reasons from the Retraction Watch database, so as to provide a reference to publishing-related papers. Methods: The Retraction Watch database was retrieved for retracted papers in the field of global liver disease published by Chinese scholars from March 1, 2008 to January 28, 2021. The regional distribution, source journals, reasons for retraction, publication and retraction times, and others were analyzed. Results: A total of 101 retracted papers that were distributed across 21 provinces/cities were retrieved. Zhejiang area (n = 17) had the most retracted papers, followed by Shanghai (n = 14), and Beijing (n = 11). The vast majority were research papers (n = 95). The journal PLoS One had the highest number of retracted papers. In terms of time distribution, 2019 (n = 36) had the most retracted papers. 23 papers, accounting for 8.3% of all retractions, were retracted owing to journal or publisher concerns. Liver cancer (34%), liver transplantation (16%), hepatitis (14%), and others were the main areas of retracted papers. Conclusion: Chinese scholars have a large number of retracted articles in the field of global liver diseases. A journal or publisher chooses to retract a manuscript after investigating and discovering more flawed problems, which, however, require further support, revision, and supervision from the editorial and academic circles.
Humans ; Biomedical Research ; China ; Liver Diseases ; Scientific Misconduct

AIM: To explore the mechanism of fructus lycii in treating dry eye based on network pharmacology and experimental verification.METHODS: Taking “fructus lycii” as key words, the active ingredients and target of fructus lycii were searched by using Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP). Gene targets related to dry eye(DE)were searched by GeneCards and OMIM databases. The target genes of fructus lycii and DE were imported into Venn software to obtain the intersection target map of them. After that, the data were imported into the String database to obtain the PPI protein-protein interaction network diagram. Using Cytoscape3.7.2 software, the PPI protein-protein interaction network diagram was constructed for active ingredients, target sites and related diseases of fructus lycii. The Bioconductor platform and R language were used for gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis. And the key targets in the pathogenesis of DE were verified by experiments.RESULTS: Through TCMSP, 45 types of effective chemical components of fructus lycii, 174 target genes corresponding to active components and 131 common target genes with DE were screenedout. In accordance with the network topology of “drug-composition-disease-target”, 27 main effective components of fructus lycii were found in the treatment of DE. The PPI network was analyzed according to the high degree value, which is the key targets of fructus lycii for DE treatment, mainly including AKT1, VEGFA, CASP3, IL1B, JUN, PTGS2, CXCL8, etc. According to GO enrichment analysis, 166 biological functions and processes of fructus lycii for DE treatment were obtained. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that 31 signaling pathways were involved. Additionally, experimental verification displayed that the protein expressions of AKT1, interleukin-6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α)and IL-17 in conjunctiva tissue of the DE model group were significantly increased.CONCLUSIONS: Through network pharmacology, this study confirmed that the treatment of DE by fructus lycii is a complex process involving multi-components, multi-targets and multi-pathways, and that the treatment of DE by fructus lycii is mainly regulated by anti-inflammatory and apoptosis-related molecules.

Objective     To investigate the risk factors for postoperative complications Clavien-Dindo classification≥grade Ⅱ after lung cancer surgery. Methods     The patients who underwent lung cancer surgery in a multicenter observational study from November 2017 to January 2020 were included. The Clavien-Dindo classification of postoperative complications was analyzed. Logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors for complications≥ gradeⅡ. Results     A total of 388 patients were enrolled, including 203 males and 185 females with a mean age of 56.14±10.36 years. The incidence of postoperative complications was 25.52% (99/388) after lung cancer surgery and the incidence of complications≥gradeⅡ was 20.10% (78/388). The five most common postoperative complications were pneumonia (6.96%), prolonged pulmonary air leak (>7 days, 5.67%), incision dehiscence (4.64%), arrhythmia (3.87%), and postoperative pleural effusion (3.35%). Multivariate analysis showed that open surgery [reference: uniportal thoracoscopic surgery, OR=2.18, 95%CI (1.01, 4.70), P=0.047], extended resection [reference: sublobar resection, OR=2.86, 95%CI (1.11, 7.19), P=0.030; reference: lobectomy, OR=2.20, 95%CI (1.10, 4.40), P=0.026] and operative time≥3 h [OR=2.07, 95%CI (1.12, 3.85), P=0.021] were independent risk factors for postoperative complications≥gradeⅡ after lung cancer surgery. Conclusion     Surgical approach, extent of resection and operative time are independent influencing factors for postoperative complications≥gradeⅡ after lung cancer surgery.