1.Network toxicology and its application in studying exogenous chemical toxicity
Yanli LIN ; Zehua TAO ; Zhao XIAO ; Chenxu HU ; Bobo YANG ; Ya WANG ; Rongzhu LU
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(2):238-244
With the continuous development of society, a large number of new chemicals are continuously emerging, which presents a challenge to current risk assessment and safety management of chemicals. Traditional toxicology research methods have certain limitations in quickly, efficiently, and accurately assessing the toxicity of many chemicals, and cannot meet the actual needs. In response to this challenge, computational toxicology that use mathematical and computer models to achieve the prediction of chemical toxicity has emerged. In the meantime, as researchers increasingly pay attention to understanding the interaction mechanisms between exogenous chemical substances and the body from the system level, and multiomics technologies develop rapidly such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, huge amounts of data have been generated, providing rich information resources for studying the interactions between chemical substances and biological molecules. System toxicology and network toxicology have also developed accordingly. Of these, network toxicology can integrate these multiomics data to construct biomolecular networks, and then quickly predict the key toxicological targets and pathways of chemicals at the molecular level. This paper outlined the concept and development of network toxicology, summarized the main methods and supporting tools of network toxicology research, expounded the application status of network toxicology in studying potential toxicity of exogenous chemicals such as agricultural chemicals, environmental pollutants, industrial chemicals, and foodborne chemicals, and analyzed the development prospects and limitations of network toxicology research. This paper aimed to provide a reference for the application of network toxicology in other fields.
2.Effect Analysis of Different Interventions to Improve Neuroinflammation in The Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Jiang-Hui SHAN ; Chao-Yang CHU ; Shi-Yu CHEN ; Zhi-Cheng LIN ; Yu-Yu ZHOU ; Tian-Yuan FANG ; Chu-Xia ZHANG ; Biao XIAO ; Kai XIE ; Qing-Juan WANG ; Zhi-Tao LIU ; Li-Ping LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):310-333
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory impairment in clinical. Currently, there are no effective treatments for AD. In recent years, a variety of therapeutic approaches from different perspectives have been explored to treat AD. Although the drug therapies targeted at the clearance of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) had made a breakthrough in clinical trials, there were associated with adverse events. Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of AD. Continuous neuroinflammatory was considered to be the third major pathological feature of AD, which could promote the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. At the same time, these toxic substances could accelerate the development of neuroinflammation, form a vicious cycle, and exacerbate disease progression. Reducing neuroinflammation could break the feedback loop pattern between neuroinflammation, Aβ plaque deposition and Tau tangles, which might be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating AD. Traditional Chinese herbs such as Polygonum multiflorum and Curcuma were utilized in the treatment of AD due to their ability to mitigate neuroinflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and indomethacin had been shown to reduce the level of inflammasomes in the body, and taking these drugs was associated with a low incidence of AD. Biosynthetic nanomaterials loaded with oxytocin were demonstrated to have the capability to anti-inflammatory and penetrate the blood-brain barrier effectively, and they played an anti-inflammatory role via sustained-releasing oxytocin in the brain. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells could reduce neuroinflammation and inhibit the activation of microglia. The secretion of mesenchymal stem cells could not only improve neuroinflammation, but also exert a multi-target comprehensive therapeutic effect, making it potentially more suitable for the treatment of AD. Enhancing the level of TREM2 in microglial cells using gene editing technologies, or application of TREM2 antibodies such as Ab-T1, hT2AB could improve microglial cell function and reduce the level of neuroinflammation, which might be a potential treatment for AD. Probiotic therapy, fecal flora transplantation, antibiotic therapy, and dietary intervention could reshape the composition of the gut microbiota and alleviate neuroinflammation through the gut-brain axis. However, the drugs of sodium oligomannose remain controversial. Both exercise intervention and electromagnetic intervention had the potential to attenuate neuroinflammation, thereby delaying AD process. This article focuses on the role of drug therapy, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, gut microbiota therapy, exercise intervention, and brain stimulation in improving neuroinflammation in recent years, aiming to provide a novel insight for the treatment of AD by intervening neuroinflammation in the future.
3.The Use of Speech in Screening for Cognitive Decline in Older Adults
Si-Wen WANG ; Xiao-Xiao YIN ; Lin-Lin GAO ; Wen-Jun GUI ; Qiao-Xia HU ; Qiong LOU ; Qin-Wen WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):456-463
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that severely affects the health of the elderly, marked by its incurability, high prevalence, and extended latency period. The current approach to AD prevention and treatment emphasizes early detection and intervention, particularly during the pre-AD stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which provides an optimal “window of opportunity” for intervention. Clinical detection methods for MCI, such as cerebrospinal fluid monitoring, genetic testing, and imaging diagnostics, are invasive and costly, limiting their broad clinical application. Speech, as a vital cognitive output, offers a new perspective and tool for computer-assisted analysis and screening of cognitive decline. This is because elderly individuals with cognitive decline exhibit distinct characteristics in semantic and audio information, such as reduced lexical richness, decreased speech coherence and conciseness, and declines in speech rate, voice rhythm, and hesitation rates. The objective presence of these semantic and audio characteristics lays the groundwork for computer-based screening of cognitive decline. Speech information is primarily sourced from databases or collected through tasks involving spontaneous speech, semantic fluency, and reading, followed by analysis using computer models. Spontaneous language tasks include dialogues/interviews, event descriptions, narrative recall, and picture descriptions. Semantic fluency tasks assess controlled retrieval of vocabulary items, requiring participants to extract information at the word level during lexical search. Reading tasks involve participants reading a passage aloud. Summarizing past research, the speech characteristics of the elderly can be divided into two major categories: semantic information and audio information. Semantic information focuses on the meaning of speech across different tasks, highlighting differences in vocabulary and text content in cognitive impairment. Overall, discourse pragmatic disorders in AD can be studied along three dimensions: cohesion, coherence, and conciseness. Cohesion mainly examines the use of vocabulary by participants, with a reduction in the use of nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives in AD patients. Coherence assesses the ability of participants to maintain topics, with a decrease in the number of subordinate clauses in AD patients. Conciseness evaluates the information density of participants, with AD patients producing shorter texts with less information compared to normal elderly individuals. Audio information focuses on acoustic features that are difficult for the human ear to detect. There is a significant degradation in temporal parameters in the later stages of cognitive impairment; AD patients require more time to read the same paragraph, have longer vocalization times, and produce more pauses or silent parts in their spontaneous speech signals compared to normal individuals. Researchers have extracted audio and speech features, developing independent systems for each set of features, achieving an accuracy rate of 82% for both, which increases to 86% when both types of features are combined, demonstrating the advantage of integrating audio and speech information. Currently, deep learning and machine learning are the main methods used for information analysis. The overall diagnostic accuracy rate for AD exceeds 80%, and the diagnostic accuracy rate for MCI also exceeds 80%, indicating significant potential. Deep learning techniques require substantial data support, necessitating future expansion of database scale and continuous algorithm upgrades to transition from laboratory research to practical product implementation.
4.Progress on antisense oligonucleotide in the field of antibacterial therapy
Jia LI ; Xiao-lu HAN ; Shi-yu SONG ; Jin-tao LIN ; Zhi-qiang TANG ; Zeng-ming WANG ; Liang XU ; Ai-ping ZHENG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(2):337-347
With the widespread use of antibiotics, drug-resistant bacterial infections have become a significant threat to human health. Finding new antibacterial strategies that can effectively control drug-resistant bacterial infections has become an urgent task. Unlike small molecule drugs that target bacterial proteins, antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) can target genes related to bacterial resistance, pathogenesis, growth, reproduction and biofilm formation. By regulating the expression of these genes, ASO can inhibit or kill bacteria, providing a novel approach for the development of antibacterial drugs. To overcome the challenge of delivering antisense oligonucleotide into bacterial cells, various drug delivery systems have been applied in this field, including cell-penetrating peptides, lipid nanoparticles and inorganic nanoparticles, which have injected new momentum into the development of antisense oligonucleotide in the antibacterial realm. This review summarizes the current development of small nucleic acid drugs, the antibacterial mechanisms, targets, sequences and delivery vectors of antisense oligonucleotide, providing a reference for the research and development of antisense oligonucleotide in the treatment of bacterial infections.
5.Terms Related to The Study of Biomacromolecular Condensates
Ke RUAN ; Xiao-Feng FANG ; Dan LI ; Pi-Long LI ; Yi LIN ; Zheng WANG ; Yun-Yu SHI ; Ming-Jie ZHANG ; Hong ZHANG ; Cong LIU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(4):1027-1035
Biomolecular condensates are formed through phase separation of biomacromolecules such as proteins and RNAs. These condensates exhibit liquid-like properties that can futher transition into more stable material states. They form complex internal structures via multivalent weak interactions, enabling precise spatiotemporal regulations. However, the use of inconsistent and non-standardized terminology has become increasingly problematic, hindering academic exchange and the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the terminology related to biomolecular condensates in order to clarify concepts, promote interdisciplinary cooperation, enhance research efficiency, and support the healthy development of this field.
6.Correlation of the steady-state minimal concentration with AUC24/MIC of vancomycin and analysis of risk factors for treatment failure in pediatric patients
Jinxiang LIN ; Youhong WANG ; Zhifeng XIAO ; Jing WANG ; Ying SONG ; Ningfang CAI ; Xiuping WU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(9):1093-1098
OBJECTIVE To assess the correlation between the steady-state minimal concentration (cmin) and 24 h area under the drug concentration-time curve (AUC24)/minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) ratio (AUC24/MIC) of vancomycin in pediatric patients, and analyze independent risk factors for treatment failure. METHODS Data of hospitalized children treated with vancomycin and receiving therapeutic drug monitoring in our hospital from January 2021 to July 2024 were retrospectively collected and divided into success group and failure group according to whether the treatment was successful or not. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between cmin and AUC24/MIC of vancomycin, and one-way and multifactorial Logistic regression analyses were used to screen the independent risk factors for vancomycin treatment failure. RESULTS A total of 59 children were included, with 41 in the success group and 18 in the failure group. Compared with the failure group, AUC24/MIC of vancomycin was significantly higher in the success group (P=0.038), but there was no statistically significant difference in the cmin of the two groups (P>0.05); cmin of vancomycin was significantly positively correlated with AUC24/MIC (r=0.499, P<0.001), but it has a certain efficacy in predicting the achievement of the AUC24/MIC standard (≥400) (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve=0.696), with an optimal cutoff value of 6.05 mg/L determined by the Youden index. The efficacy of AUC24/ MIC in predicting treatment failure was superior to cmin (areas under the receiver operator characteristic curve were 0.671 vs. 0.523, P were 0.038 vs. 0.684), with higher sensitivity (83.3% vs. 66.7%). Hypoproteinemia and AUC24/MIC≤369.1 were independent risk factors for vancomycin treatment failure (P<0.05). The incidence of nephrotoxicity was 3.4%. CONCLUSIONS There is a significant positive correlation between cmin and AUC24/MIC of vancomycin in pediatric patients; hypoproteinemia and AUC24/MIC≤369.1 are independent risk factors for vancomycin treatment failure in children.
7.Magnetic nanomaterials and magnetic field effects accelerate bone injury repair
Fang XIAO ; Lei HUANG ; Lin WANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(4):827-838
BACKGROUND:Magnetic nanomaterials have biological activities such as promoting osteogenic differentiation of stem cells and inhibiting osteoclast formation,and can effectively promote the healing of injured bone tissue under the synergistic effect of magnetic fields.They have a very broad application prospect in bone injury repair. OBJECTIVE:To review the mechanism of magnetic nanomaterials and magnetic fields promoting bone repair,as well as their research progress in the field of bone injury repair. METHODS:Relevant literature search was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science databases with the search terms"magnetic nanomaterials,magnetic field,bone repair,bone tissue engineering,stem cell,osteoblast,osteoclast."The time limit of literature search was from 2003 to 2023,which was screened and analyzed.Some classic articles were manually retrieved,and 98 articles were finally included for analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Magnetic nanomaterials have biological effects such as promoting osteoblast differentiation,inhibiting osteoclast formation and regulating the immune microenvironment.In addition,magnetic nanomaterials can regulate the physicochemical properties of tissue engineering scaffolds,such as mechanical properties and surface morphology,and endowed with magnetic properties,which is conducive to the regulation of the adhesion,proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of stem cells.(2)The magnetic field has the ability to regulate multiple cell signaling pathways to promote osteoblast differentiation,inhibit osteoclast formation,stimulate angiogenesis and other biological effects,thus accelerating the healing of damaged bone tissue.(3)The joint application of magnetic nanomaterials and magnetic field accelerates the repair of bone damage by activating mechanotransduction,increasing the content of intracellular magnetic nanoparticles,and enhancing the effect of micro-magnetic field,which provides a new idea for the research of bone tissue engineering.(4)Magnetic field has demonstrated definite efficacy in the treatment of clinical fractures,osteoporosis,and osteoarthritis diseases,which is beneficial for bone tissue growth,reducing bone loss,alleviating pain,and improving the quality of life of patients.(5)Magnetic nanomaterials and magnetic fields have great potential for application in bone damage repair and regeneration,but the interaction mechanism between magnetic nanomaterials,magnetic fields,and cells has not been fully elucidated.Moreover,the key parameters of magnetic fields that regulate intracellular molecular events,including the type,intensity,frequency,duration,and mode of the magnetic field,as well as the precise biological effects of a specific magnetic field on osteoblasts and the underlying mechanisms,have yet to be defined.(6)Further attention needs to be paid to the effects on osteoclasts,nerves,blood vessels,and immune cells in the microenvironment of damaged tissues.Finally,the safety of magnetic materials for human use is yet to be systematically studied in terms of their distribution,metabolism,and acute and chronic toxicities.
8.The Role and Mechanism of Circadian Rhythm Regulation in Skin Tissue Regeneration
Ya-Qi ZHAO ; Lin-Lin ZHANG ; Xiao-Meng MA ; Zhen-Kai JIN ; Kun LI ; Min WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(5):1165-1178
Circadian rhythm is an endogenous biological clock mechanism that enables organisms to adapt to the earth’s alternation of day and night. It plays a fundamental role in regulating physiological functions and behavioral patterns, such as sleep, feeding, hormone levels and body temperature. By aligning these processes with environmental changes, circadian rhythm plays a pivotal role in maintaining homeostasis and promoting optimal health. However, modern lifestyles, characterized by irregular work schedules and pervasive exposure to artificial light, have disrupted these rhythms for many individuals. Such disruptions have been linked to a variety of health problems, including sleep disorders, metabolic syndromes, cardiovascular diseases, and immune dysfunction, underscoring the critical role of circadian rhythm in human health. Among the numerous systems influenced by circadian rhythm, the skin—a multifunctional organ and the largest by surface area—is particularly noteworthy. As the body’s first line of defense against environmental insults such as UV radiation, pollutants, and pathogens, the skin is highly affected by changes in circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm regulates multiple skin-related processes, including cyclic changes in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, as well as DNA repair mechanisms and antioxidant defenses. For instance, studies have shown that keratinocyte proliferation peaks during the night, coinciding with reduced environmental stress, while DNA repair mechanisms are most active during the day to counteract UV-induced damage. This temporal coordination highlights the critical role of circadian rhythms in preserving skin integrity and function. Beyond maintaining homeostasis, circadian rhythm is also pivotal in the skin’s repair and regeneration processes following injury. Skin regeneration is a complex, multi-stage process involving hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling, all of which are influenced by circadian regulation. Key cellular activities, such as fibroblast migration, keratinocyte activation, and extracellular matrix remodeling, are modulated by the circadian clock, ensuring that repair processes occur with optimal efficiency. Additionally, circadian rhythm regulates the secretion of cytokines and growth factors, which are critical for coordinating cellular communication and orchestrating tissue regeneration. Disruptions to these rhythms can impair the repair process, leading to delayed wound healing, increased scarring, or chronic inflammatory conditions. The aim of this review is to synthesize recent information on the interactions between circadian rhythms and skin physiology, with a particular focus on skin tissue repair and regeneration. Molecular mechanisms of circadian regulation in skin cells, including the role of core clock genes such as Clock, Bmal1, Per and Cry. These genes control the expression of downstream effectors involved in cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, oxidative stress response and inflammatory pathways. By understanding how these mechanisms operate in healthy and diseased states, we can discover new insights into the temporal dynamics of skin regeneration. In addition, by exploring the therapeutic potential of circadian biology in enhancing skin repair and regeneration, strategies such as topical medications that can be applied in a time-limited manner, phototherapy that is synchronized with circadian rhythms, and pharmacological modulation of clock genes are expected to optimize clinical outcomes. Interventions based on the skin’s natural rhythms can provide a personalized and efficient approach to promote skin regeneration and recovery. This review not only introduces the important role of circadian rhythms in skin biology, but also provides a new idea for future innovative therapies and regenerative medicine based on circadian rhythms.
9.Trends in incidence and mortality of acute myocardial infarction in Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou City from 2017 to 2023
Yuanyuan GAO ; Fenjuan WANG ; Dongfei WANG ; Yurong LI ; Yuanyuan JIANG ; Fangfang ZHAO ; Duanduan XIAO ; Junying LIN
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(3):249-254
ObjectiveTo analyze the incidence rate and mortality of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and their changing trends among the registered residents in Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou City from 2017 to 2023, so as to provide references for formulating policies related to AMI prevention. MethodsThe morbidity and mortality data of AMI among the registered residents in Xiaoshan District from 2017 to 2023 were collected through the Hangzhou Chronic Disease and Death Cause Monitoring System. Software such as Excel 2019, SPSS 25.0 and Joinpoint 4.9.1.0 were used to calculate the incidence rate, mortality, and average annual percentage change (AAPC) of AMI. ResultsFrom 2017 to 2023, the average annual crude incidence rate, age-standardized incidence rate using China standard population (ASIRC), and the age-standardized incidence rate using World standard population (ASIRW) of AMI in Xiaoshan District were 48.25/100 000, 29.14/100 000, and 21.64/100 000, respectively, and, from which the AAPCs were 5.495%, 6.010%, and 6.533%, respectively, all showing an upward trend. The average annual crude mortality rate, the age-standardized mortality rate using China standard population (ASMRC), and the age-standardized mortality rate using World standard population (ASMRW) were 11.76/100 000, 6.52/100 000, and 4.71/100 000, respectively, from which the AAPCs were -9.669%, -10.433% and -9.615%, respectively, all showing a downward trend. The average annual crude incidence rate of AMI was higher in males (65.87/100 000) than that in females (31.31/100 000). Moreover, the average annual crude mortality rate of AMI was higher in males (14.08/100 000) than that in females (9.52/100 000), and the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.001) .After age grouping, the crude incidence rate of AMI among the residents aged 35-, 45-, 55-, and 65- years in Xiaoshan District from 2017 to 2023 showed an upward trend over time, with AAPCs of 16.993%, 17.149%, 8.523%, and 5.002%, respectively. While the crude mortality rate in residents aged 35-, 75-, and 85-102 years showed an decreasing trend over time, with AAPCs of -23.977%, -15.467%, and -17.415%, respectively, but there was no statistically significant difference in the trends in incidence rate and mortality of other age groups (all P>0.05). ConclusionThe situation of AMI prevention and control among the registered residents in Xiaoshan District is not optimistic, and targeted measures should be strengthened for the male residents aged ≥35 years old.
10.Identification of unknown pollutants in drinking water based on solid-phase extraction and supramolecular solvent extraction
Zixin QIAN ; Yuhang CHEN ; Chao FENG ; Yuanjie LIN ; Qian XU ; Ziwei LIANG ; Xinyu WANG ; Dasheng LU ; Ping XIAO ; Zhijun ZHOU
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(7):854-861
Background With the progression of industrialization, an increasing number of emerging contaminants are entering aquatic environments, posing significant threats to the safety of drinking water. Therefore, establishing a system for identifying unknown hazardous factors and implementing safety warning mechanisms for drinking water is of paramount importance. Among these efforts, non-target screening plays a critical role, but its effectiveness is largely constrained by the scope of coverage of sample pre-treatment methods. Objective To integrate modern chromatography/mass spectrometry techniques with advanced data mining methods to develop a non-discriminatory sample pre-treatment method for comprehensive enrichment of unknown contaminants in drinking water, laying a technical foundation for the discovery and identification of unknown organic hazardous factors in drinking water. Methods A non-discriminatory pre-treatment method based on supramolecular and solid-phase extraction was developed. The final target compounds including 333 pesticides, 194 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), and 59 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were used for optimizing the pre-treatment method, confirming its coverage. The impacts of different eluents on the absolute recovery rates of target compounds were compared to select the conditions with the highest recovery for sample pre-treatment. The effects of different supramolecular solvents and salt concentrations on target compound recovery were also evaluated to determine the most suitable solvent and salt concentration. Results The solid-phase extraction elution solvents, supramolecular extraction solvents, and salt concentrations were optimized based on the target compound recovery rates. The optimal recovery conditions were achieved using 2 mL methanol, 2 mL methanol (containing 1% formic acid), 2 mL ethyl acetate, 2 mL dichloromethane, hexanediol supramolecular solvent, and 426 mg salt. The detection method developed based on these conditions showed a good linear relationship for all target compounds in the range of 0.1-100.0 ng·mL−1, with R² > 0.99. The method’s limit of detection ranged from 0.01 ng−1 to 0.95 ng−1, and 95% of target compounds were recovered in the range of 20%-120%, with relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 30%, indicating good precision. Conclusion The combined pre-treatment method of solid-phase extraction and supramolecular solvent extraction can effectively enrich contaminants in drinking water across low, medium, and high polarities, enabling broad-spectrum enrichment of diverse trace contaminants in drinking water. It provides technical support for broad-spectrum, high-throughput screening and identification of organic pollutants in drinking water, and also serves as a reference for establishing urban drinking water public safety warning systems.

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