1.Ubiquitination and Deubiquitination in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Potential Drug Targets
Han CHANG ; Meng-Xiang ZHAO ; Xiao-Feng JIN ; Bin-Bin YING
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(10):2512-2534
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common head and neck malignancy worldwide, accounting for more than 90% of all oral cancers, and is characterized by high invasiveness and poor long-term prognosis. Its etiology is multifactorial, involving tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Oral leukoplakia and erythroplakia are the main precancerous lesions lesions, with oral leukoplakia being the most common. Both OSCC and premalignant lesions are closely associated with aberrant activation of multiple signaling pathways. Post-translational modifications (such as ubiquitination and deubiquitination) play key roles in regulating these pathways by controlling protein stability and activity. Growing evidence indicates that dysregulated ubiquitination/deubiquitination can mediate OSCC initiation and progression via aberrant activation of signaling pathways. The ubiquitination/deubiquitination process mainly involves E3 ligases (E3s) that catalyze substrate ubiquitination, deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) that remove ubiquitin chains, and the 26S proteasome complex that degrades ubiquitinated substrates. Abnormal expression or mutation of E3s and DUBs can lead to altered stability of critical tumor-related proteins, thereby driving OSCC initiation and progression. Therefore, understanding the aberrantly activated signaling pathways in OSCC and the ubiquitination/deubiquitination mechanisms within these pathways will help elucidate the molecular mechanisms and improve OSCC treatment by targeting relevant components. Here, we summarize four aberrantly activated signaling pathways in OSCC―the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, Wnt/β-catenin pathway, Hippo pathway, and canonical NF-κB pathway―and systematically review the regulatory mechanisms of ubiquitination/deubiquitination within these pathways, along with potential drug targets. PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is aberrantly activated in approximately 70% of OSCC cases. It is modulated by E3s (e.g., FBXW7 and NEDD4) and DUBs (e.g., USP7 and USP10): FBXW7 and USP10 inhibit signaling, while NEDD4 and USP7 potentiate it. Aberrant activation of the Wnt/β‑catenin pathway leads to β‑catenin nuclear translocation and induction of cell proliferation. This pathway is modulated by E3s (e.g., c-Cbl and RNF43) and DUBs (e.g., USP9X and USP20): c-Cbl and RNF43 inhibit signaling, while USP9X and USP20 potentiate it. Hippo pathway inactivation permits YAP/TAZ to enter the nucleus and promotes cancer cell metastasis. This pathway is modulated by E3s (e.g., CRL4DCAF1 and SIAH2) and DUBs (e.g., USP1 and USP21): CRL4DCAF1 and SIAH2 inhibit signaling, while USP1 and USP21 potentiate it. Persistent activation of the canonical NF-κB pathway is associated with an inflammatory microenvironment and chemotherapy resistance. This pathway is modulated by E3s (e.g., TRAF6 and LUBAC) and DUBs (e.g., A20 and CYLD): A20 and CYLD inhibit signaling, while TRAF6 and LUBAC potentiate it. Targeting these E3s and DUBs provides directions for OSCC drug research. Small-molecule inhibitors such as YCH2823 (a USP7 inhibitor), GSK2643943A (a USP20 inhibitor), and HOIPIN-8 (a LUBAC inhibitor) have shown promising antitumor activity in preclinical models; PROTAC molecules, by binding to surface sites of target proteins and recruiting E3s, achieve targeted ubiquitination and degradation of proteins insensitive to small-molecule inhibitors, for example, PU7-1-mediated USP7 degradation, offering new strategies to overcome traditional drug limitations. Currently, NX-1607 (a Cbl-b inhibitor) has entered phase I clinical trials, with preliminary results confirming its safety and antitumor activity. Future research on aberrant E3s and DUBs in OSCC and the development of highly specific inhibitors will be of great significance for OSCC precision therapy.
2.Preparation modification strategies for clinical treatment drugs of Parkinson's disease
Meng-jiao HE ; Yi-fang XIAO ; Xiang-an-ni KONG ; Zhi-hao LIU ; Xiao-guang WANG ; Hao FENG ; Jia-sheng TU ; Qian CHEN ; Chun-meng SUN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(3):574-580
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease. At present, levodopa and other drugs are mainly used for dopamine supplementation therapy. However, the absorption of levodopa in the gastrointestinal tract is unstable and its half-life is short, and long-term use of levodopa will lead to the end-of-dose deterioration, dyskinesia, the "ON-OFF" phenomenon and other symptoms. Therefore, new preparations need to be developed to improve drug efficacy, reduce side effects or improve compliance of patients. Based on the above clinical needs, this review briefly introduced the preparation modification strategies for the treatment of PD through case analysis, in order to provide references for the research and development of related preparations.
3.Efficacy and safety of recombinant human anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody injection(F61 injection)in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 combined with renal damage:a randomized controlled exploratory clinical study
Ding-Hua CHEN ; Chao-Fan LI ; Yue NIU ; Li ZHANG ; Yong WANG ; Zhe FENG ; Han-Yu ZHU ; Jian-Hui ZHOU ; Zhe-Yi DONG ; Shu-Wei DUAN ; Hong WANG ; Meng-Jie HUANG ; Yuan-Da WANG ; Shuo-Yuan CONG ; Sai PAN ; Jing ZHOU ; Xue-Feng SUN ; Guang-Yan CAI ; Ping LI ; Xiang-Mei CHEN
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(3):257-264
Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of recombinant human anti-severe acute respiratory syn-drome coronavirus 2(anti-SARS-CoV-2)monoclonal antibody injection(F61 injection)in the treatment of patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)combined with renal damage.Methods Patients with COVID-19 and renal damage who visited the PLA General Hospital from January to February 2023 were selected.Subjects were randomly divided into two groups.Control group was treated with conventional anti-COVID-19 therapy,while trial group was treated with conventional anti-COVID-19 therapy combined with F61 injection.A 15-day follow-up was conducted after drug administration.Clinical symptoms,laboratory tests,electrocardiogram,and chest CT of pa-tients were performed to analyze the efficacy and safety of F61 injection.Results Twelve subjects(7 in trial group and 5 in control group)were included in study.Neither group had any clinical progression or death cases.The ave-rage time for negative conversion of nucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2 in control group and trial group were 3.2 days and 1.57 days(P=0.046),respectively.The scores of COVID-19 related target symptom in the trial group on the 3rd and 5th day after medication were both lower than those of the control group(both P<0.05).According to the clinical staging and World Health Organization 10-point graded disease progression scale,both groups of subjects improved but didn't show statistical differences(P>0.05).For safety,trial group didn't present any infusion-re-lated adverse event.Subjects in both groups demonstrated varying degrees of elevated blood glucose,elevated urine glucose,elevated urobilinogen,positive urine casts,and cardiac arrhythmia,but the differences were not statistica-lly significant(all P>0.05).Conclusion F61 injection has initially demonstrated safety and clinical benefit in trea-ting patients with COVID-19 combined with renal damage.As the domestically produced drug,it has good clinical accessibility and may provide more options for clinical practice.
4.Preparation of Polyethylenimine Modified Nickel Ferrite-Graphene Oxide Material and Its Application in Enrichment of Phosphopeptides
Kai-Na ZHANG ; Yuan LIU ; Xiang-Feng WANG ; Hai-Ling LIU ; Meng-Xia XIE
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2024;52(5):664-673
The NiFe2O4-graphene oxide nanocomposite modified with polyethylenimine(GO@PEI-NiFe2O4)was prepared to purify and enrich phosphopeptides from biosamples.The Ni2+and Fe3+ions on its surface could coordinate with phosphate groups and then selectively adsorb phosphopeptides.PEI was conducive to the above combination due to its high hydrophilicity.The material showed good magnetic response properties and could be rapidly separated from samples with the aid of magnet.With tryptic digest of β-casein as sample,the enrichment property of the material to phosphopeptides was studied,which was compared with the results of GO@NiFe2O4,revealing the adsorption mechanism of GO@PEI-NiFe2O4.The static and dynamic binding properties of GO@PEI-NiFe2O4 were investigated using pTyr as a representative phosphopeptide,and the adsorption capacity was 36.2 μg/mg.The results showed that the material could remove the interference of nonphosphopeptides and effectively enrich phosphopeptides in complex matrix.After enrichment by GO@PEI-NiFe2O4,1535 phosphopeptides were identified from the tryptic digest of rat liver by mass spectrum and the enrichment effect of GO@PEI-NiFe2O4 greatly outperformed commercial Fe3+-IMAC kits.This work provided an efficient material for the enrichment of phosphopeptides,showing potential applications in phosphoproteomics research.
5.Study on the preservation effects of the amputated forelimb by machine perfusion at physiological temperature
Sheng-Feng CHEN ; Bo-Yao YANG ; Tie-Yuan ZHANG ; Xiang-Yu SONG ; Zhi-Bo JIA ; Lei-Jia CHEN ; Meng-Yi CUI ; Wen-Jing XU ; Jiang PENG
Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2024;27(2):114-120
Purpose::Ischemia and hypoxia are the main factors limiting limb replantation and transplantation. Static cold storage (SCS), a common preservation method for tissues and organs, can only prolong limb ischemia time to 4 - 6 h. The normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) is a promising method for the preservation of tissues and organs, which can extend the preservation time in vitro by providing continuous oxygen and nutrients. This study aimed to evaluate the difference in the efficacy of the 2 limb preservation methods. Methods::The 6 forelimbs from beagle dogs were divided into 2 groups. In the SCS group ( n = 3), the limbs were preserved in a sterile refrigerator at 4 °C for 24 h, and in the NMP group ( n = 3), the perfusate prepared with autologous blood was used for the oxygenated machine perfusion at physiological temperature for 24 h, and the solution was changed every 6 h. The effects of limb storage were evaluated by weight gain, perfusate biochemical analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and histological analysis. All statistical analyses and graphs were performed using GraphPad Prism 9.0 one-way or two-way analysis of variance. The p value of less than 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance. Results::In the NMP group, the weight gained percentage was 11.72% ± 4.06%; the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α contents showed no significant changes; the shape of muscle fibers was normal; the gap between muscle fibers slightly increased, showing the intercellular distance of (30.19 ± 2.83) μm; and the vascular α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) contents were lower than those in the normal blood vessels. The creatine kinase level in the perfusate of the NMP group increased from the beginning of perfusion, decreased after each perfusate change, and remained stable at the end of perfusion showing a peak level of 4097.6 U/L. The lactate dehydrogenase level of the NMP group increased near the end of perfusion and reached the peak level of 374.4 U/L. In the SCS group, the percentage of weight gain was 0.18% ± 0.10%, and the contents of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α increased gradually and reached the maximum level of (164.85 ± 20.75) pg/mL at the end of the experiment. The muscle fibers lost their normal shape and the gap between muscle fibers increased, showing an intercellular distance of (41.66 ± 5.38) μm. The contents of vascular α-SMA were much lower in the SCS group as compared to normal blood vessels.Conclusions::NMP caused lesser muscle damage and contained more vascular α-SMA as compared to SCS. This study demonstrated that NMP of the amputated limb with perfusate solution based on autologous blood could maintain the physiological activities of the limb for at least 24 h.
6.Effects of different processing methods on oil components in Gleditsiae sinensis Fructus and Gleditsiae Fructus Abnormalis
Shi-Rong DOU ; Yan-Gang CAO ; Kai LI ; Lian-Qi TIAN ; Xiang-Le MENG ; Yan-Bang SHI ; Li-Xian ZHANG ; Hong-Wei LI ; Wei-Sheng FENG
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2024;46(6):1809-1818
AIM To investigate the effects of stir-frying,processing with butter and carbonizing by stir-frying on oil components in Gleditsiae sinensis Fructus and Gleditsiae Fructus Abnormalis.METHODS The volatile oils and fatty oils were extracted by steam distillation method and Soxhlet extraction method,respectively,after which the extraction rates were determined.GC-MS was applied to analyzing the kinds and relative contents of oil components,after which cluster analysis was performed.RESULTS After the processing,the two medicinal materials demonstrated increased extraction rates of fatty oils and decreased extraction rates of volatile oils(except for processing with butter),the extraction rates of oil components in Gleditsiae sinensis Fructus were higher than those in Gleditsiae Fructus Abnormalis,and the reduced relative contents of toxic olefin benzene components were observable.CONCLUSION The kinds and relative contents of oil components in Gleditsiae sinensis Fructus and Gleditsiae Fructus Abnormalis exist obvious differences,the former displays better medicinal quality,whose processing mechanism in alleviating dryness and strength may contribute to the reduction of relative contents of toxic olefin benzene components.
7.Genetic Subtypes and Pretreatment Drug Resistance in the Newly Reported Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Men Aged≥50 Years Old in Guangxi.
Ning-Ye FANG ; Wen-Cui WEI ; Jian-Jun LI ; Ping CEN ; Xian-Xiang FENG ; Dong YANG ; Kai-Ling TANG ; Shu-Jia LIANG ; Yu-Lan SHAO ; Hua-Xiang LU ; He JIANG ; Qin MENG ; Shuai-Feng LIU ; Qiu-Ying ZHU ; Huan-Huan CHEN ; Guang-Hua LAN ; Shi-Xiong YANG ; Li-Fang ZHOU ; Jing-Lin MO ; Xian-Min GE
Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae 2023;45(3):399-404
Objective To analyze the genetic subtypes of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the prevalence of pretreatment drug resistance in the newly reported HIV-infected men in Guangxi. Methods The stratified random sampling method was employed to select the newly reported HIV-infected men aged≥50 years old in 14 cities of Guangxi from January to June in 2020.The pol gene of HIV-1 was amplified by nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and then sequenced.The mutation sites associated with drug resistance and the degree of drug resistance were then analyzed. Results A total of 615 HIV-infected men were included in the study.The genetic subtypes of CRF01_AE,CRF07_BC,and CRF08_BC accounted for 57.4% (353/615),17.1% (105/615),and 22.4% (138/615),respectively.The mutations associated with the resistance to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI),non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI),and protease inhibitors occurred in 8 (1.3%),18 (2.9%),and 0 patients,respectively.M184V (0.7%) and K103N (1.8%) were the mutations with the highest occurrence rates for the resistance to NRTIs and NNRTIs,respectively.Twenty-two (3.6%) patients were resistant to at least one type of inhibitors.Specifically,4 (0.7%),14 (2.3%),4 (0.7%),and 0 patients were resistant to NRTIs,NNRTIs,both NRTIs and NNRTIs,and protease inhibitors,respectively.The pretreatment resistance to NNRTIs had much higher frequency than that to NRTIs (2.9% vs.1.3%;χ2=3.929,P=0.047).The prevalence of pretreatment resistance to lamivudine,zidovudine,tenofovir,abacavir,rilpivirine,efavirenz,nevirapine,and lopinavir/ritonavir was 0.8%, 0.3%, 0.7%, 1.0%, 1.3%, 2.8%, 2.9%, and 0, respectively. Conclusions CRF01_AE,CRF07_BC,and CRF08_BC are the three major strains of HIV-infected men≥50 years old newly reported in Guangxi,2020,and the pretreatment drug resistance demonstrates low prevalence.
Male
;
Humans
;
Middle Aged
;
Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors/therapeutic use*
;
HIV Infections/drug therapy*
;
Drug Resistance, Viral/genetics*
;
China/epidemiology*
;
Mutation
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HIV-1/genetics*
;
Protease Inhibitors/therapeutic use*
;
Genotype
8.Establishment and validation of a multigene model to predict the risk of relapse in hormone receptor-positive early-stage Chinese breast cancer patients.
Jiaxiang LIU ; Shuangtao ZHAO ; Chenxuan YANG ; Li MA ; Qixi WU ; Xiangzhi MENG ; Bo ZHENG ; Changyuan GUO ; Kexin FENG ; Qingyao SHANG ; Jiaqi LIU ; Jie WANG ; Jingbo ZHANG ; Guangyu SHAN ; Bing XU ; Yueping LIU ; Jianming YING ; Xin WANG ; Xiang WANG
Chinese Medical Journal 2023;136(2):184-193
BACKGROUND:
Breast cancer patients who are positive for hormone receptor typically exhibit a favorable prognosis. It is controversial whether chemotherapy is necessary for them after surgery. Our study aimed to establish a multigene model to predict the relapse of hormone receptor-positive early-stage Chinese breast cancer after surgery and direct individualized application of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients after surgery.
METHODS:
In this study, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between relapse and nonrelapse breast cancer groups based on RNA sequencing. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to identify potential relapse-relevant pathways. CIBERSORT and Microenvironment Cell Populations-counter algorithms were used to analyze immune infiltration. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, log-rank tests, and multiple Cox regression were performed to identify prognostic signatures. A predictive model was developed and validated based on Kaplan-Meier analysis, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC).
RESULTS:
A total of 234 out of 487 patients were enrolled in this study, and 1588 DEGs were identified between the relapse and nonrelapse groups. GSEA results showed that immune-related pathways were enriched in the nonrelapse group, whereas cell cycle- and metabolism-relevant pathways were enriched in the relapse group. A predictive model was developed using three genes ( CKMT1B , SMR3B , and OR11M1P ) generated from the LASSO regression. The model stratified breast cancer patients into high- and low-risk subgroups with significantly different prognostic statuses, and our model was independent of other clinical factors. Time-dependent ROC showed high predictive performance of the model.
CONCLUSIONS
A multigene model was established from RNA-sequencing data to direct risk classification and predict relapse of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in Chinese patients. Utilization of the model could provide individualized evaluation of chemotherapy after surgery for breast cancer patients.
Humans
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Female
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Breast Neoplasms/genetics*
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East Asian People
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Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/genetics*
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Breast
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Algorithms
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Chronic Disease
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Prognosis
;
Tumor Microenvironment
9.Evaluation of ICUs and weight of quality control indicators: an exploratory study based on Chinese ICU quality data from 2015 to 2020.
Longxiang SU ; Xudong MA ; Sifa GAO ; Zhi YIN ; Yujie CHEN ; Wenhu WANG ; Huaiwu HE ; Wei DU ; Yaoda HU ; Dandan MA ; Feng ZHANG ; Wen ZHU ; Xiaoyang MENG ; Guoqiang SUN ; Lian MA ; Huizhen JIANG ; Guangliang SHAN ; Dawei LIU ; Xiang ZHOU
Frontiers of Medicine 2023;17(4):675-684
This study aimed to explore key quality control factors that affected the prognosis of intensive care unit (ICU) patients in Chinese mainland over six years (2015-2020). The data for this study were from 31 provincial and municipal hospitals (3425 hospital ICUs) and included 2 110 685 ICU patients, for a total of 27 607 376 ICU hospitalization days. We found that 15 initially established quality control indicators were good predictors of patient prognosis, including percentage of ICU patients out of all inpatients (%), percentage of ICU bed occupancy of total inpatient bed occupancy (%), percentage of all ICU inpatients with an APACHE II score ⩾15 (%), three-hour (surviving sepsis campaign) SSC bundle compliance (%), six-hour SSC bundle compliance (%), rate of microbe detection before antibiotics (%), percentage of drug deep venous thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis (%), percentage of unplanned endotracheal extubations (%), percentage of patients reintubated within 48 hours (%), unplanned transfers to the ICU (%), 48-h ICU readmission rate (%), ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) (per 1000 ventilator days), catheter related blood stream infection (CRBSI) (per 1000 catheter days), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) (per 1000 catheter days), in-hospital mortality (%). When exploratory factor analysis was applied, the 15 indicators were divided into 6 core elements that varied in weight regarding quality evaluation: nosocomial infection management (21.35%), compliance with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines (17.97%), ICU resources (17.46%), airway management (15.53%), prevention of deep-vein thrombosis (14.07%), and severity of patient condition (13.61%). Based on the different weights of the core elements associated with the 15 indicators, we developed an integrated quality scoring system defined as F score=21.35%xnosocomial infection management + 17.97%xcompliance with SSC guidelines + 17.46%×ICU resources + 15.53%×airway management + 14.07%×DVT prevention + 13.61%×severity of patient condition. This evidence-based quality scoring system will help in assessing the key elements of quality management and establish a foundation for further optimization of the quality control indicator system.
Humans
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China/epidemiology*
;
Cross Infection/epidemiology*
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Intensive Care Units/statistics & numerical data*
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Quality Control
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Quality Indicators, Health Care/statistics & numerical data*
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Sepsis/therapy*
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East Asian People/statistics & numerical data*
10. Treatment advice of small molecule antiviral drugs for elderly COVID-19
Min PAN ; Shuang CHANG ; Xiao-Xia FENG ; Guang-He FEI ; Jia-Bin LI ; Hua WANG ; Du-Juan XU ; Chang-Hui WANG ; Yan SUN ; Xiao-Yun FAN ; Tian-Jing ZHANG ; Wei WEI ; Ling-Ling ZHANG ; Jim LI ; Fei-Hu CHEN ; Xiao-Ming MENG ; Hong-Mei ZHAO ; Min DAI ; Yi XIANG ; Meng-Shu CAO ; Xiao-Yang CHEN ; Xian-Wei YE ; Xiao-Wen HU ; Ling JIANG ; Yong-Zhong WANG ; Hao LIU ; Hai-Tang XIE ; Ping FANG ; Zhen-Dong QIAN ; Chao TANG ; Gang YANG ; Xiao-Bao TENG ; Chao-Xia QIAN ; Guo-Zheng DING
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2023;39(3):425-430
COVID-19 has been prevalent for three years. The virulence of SARS-CoV-2 is weaken as it mutates continuously. However, elderly patients, especially those with underlying diseases, are still at high risk of developing severe infections. With the continuous study of the molecular structure and pathogenic mechanism of SARS-CoV-2, antiviral drugs for COVID-19 have been successively marketed, and these anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs can effectively reduce the severe rate and mortality of elderly patients. This article reviews the mechanism, clinical medication regimens, drug interactions and adverse reactions of five small molecule antiviral drugs currently approved for marketing in China, so as to provide advice for the clinical rational use of anti-SARS-CoV-2 in the elderly.

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