1.Phenomics of traditional Chinese medicine 2.0: the integration with digital medicine
Min Xu ; Xinyi Shao ; Donggeng Guo ; Xiaojing Yan ; Lei Wang ; Tao Yang ; Hao LIANG ; Qinghua PENG ; Lingyu Linda Ye ; Haibo Cheng ; Dayue Darrel Duan
Digital Chinese Medicine 2025;8(3):282-299
		                        		
		                        			Abstract
		                        			Modern western medicine typically focuses on treating specific symptoms or diseases, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) emphasizes the interconnections of the body’s various systems under external environment and takes a holistic approach to preventing and treating diseases. Phenomics was initially introduced to the field of TCM in 2008 as a new discipline that studies the laws of integrated and dynamic changes of human clinical phenomes under the scope of the theories and practices of TCM based on phenomics. While TCM Phenomics 1.0 has initially established a clinical phenomic system centered on Zhenghou (a TCM definition of clinical phenome), bottlenecks remain in data standardization, mechanistic interpretation, and precision intervention. Here, we systematically elaborates on the theoretical foundations, technical pathways, and future challenges of integrating digital medicine with TCM phenomics under the framework of “TCM phenomics 2.0”, which is supported by digital medicine technologies such as artificial intelligence, wearable devices, medical digital twins, and multi-omics integration. This framework aims to construct a closed-loop system of “Zhenghou–Phenome–Mechanism–Intervention” and to enable the digitization, standardization, and precision of disease diagnosis and treatment. The integration of digital medicine and TCM phenomics not only promotes the modernization and scientific transformation of TCM theory and practice but also offers new paradigms for precision medicine. In practice, digital tools facilitate multi-source clinical data acquisition and standardization, while AI and big data algorithms help reveal the correlations between clinical Zhenghou phenomes and molecular mechanisms, thereby improving scientific rigor in diagnosis, efficacy evaluation, and personalized intervention. Nevertheless, challenges persist, including data quality and standardization issues, shortage of interdisciplinary talents, and insufficiency of ethical and legal regulations. Future development requires establishing national data-sharing platforms, strengthening international collaboration, fostering interdisciplinary professionals, and improving ethical and legal frameworks. Ultimately, this approach seeks to build a new disease identification and classification system centered on phenomes and to achieve the inheritance, innovation, and modernization of TCM diagnostic and therapeutic patterns.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
2.Efficacy of direct-acting antiviral agents combined regimens for hepatitis C virus with different genotypes in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province from 2022 to 2024
Renhai TANG ; Yidan ZHAO ; Yuecheng YANG ; Runhua YE ; Lifen XIANG ; Xingmei FENG ; Qunbo ZHOU ; Yanfen CAO ; Na HE ; Yingying DING ; Song DUAN
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(8):676-681
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effects of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) combined regimens for hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province from 2022 to 2024, to analyze the characteristics of treatment failure patients, so as to provide a basis for discovering more effective treatment regimens in the future. MethodsData on HCV prevention and treatment in Dehong Prefecture was extracted from the China Disease Control and Prevention Information System. A total of 617 patients with HCV antiviral therapy were included, and the differences in variable characteristics among patients with different genotypes were analyzed using comparative statistical tests, including basic socio-demographic characteristics, biochemical testing indicators, and information on previous treatment and current treatment. In addition, the cure rate of HCV patients with diverse characteristics was compared, and the potential causes of treatment failure were explored simultaneously. ResultsThe cure rate of HCV was 96.8%, and statistically significant differences were observed in aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, previous antiviral therapy history and initial treatment regimens among patients with different HCV genotypes (all P<0.05). Among the multi-type combination regimens, the cure rate of sofosbuvir (SOF)-containing regimens was 97.00%, that of velpatasvir (VEL)-containing regimens was 95.45%, and the cure rate of other treatment regimens, including the regimens with ribavirin (RIB) intervention, was 93.10%. Among the patients with treatment failure, 45.00% had genotype 3, 40.00% had abnormal abdominal ultrasound results, and all presented with elevated baseline AST test levels. ConclusionThe clinical treatment of HCV patients should consider the differences in genotype and biochemical test results. DAAs combined regimens for HCV have achieved a high cure rate in Dehong Prefecture and are applicable to HCV patients with diverse clinical characteristics, providing research evidence for wider application. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
3.Role of SWI/SNF Chromatin Remodeling Complex in Tumor Drug Resistance
Gui-Zhen ZHU ; Qiao YE ; Yuan LUO ; Jie PENG ; Lu WANG ; Zhao-Ting YANG ; Feng-Sen DUAN ; Bing-Qian GUO ; Zhu-Song MEI ; Guang-Yun WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):20-31
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Tumor drug resistance is an important problem in the failure of chemotherapy and targeted drug therapy, which is a complex process involving chromatin remodeling. SWI/SNF is one of the most studied ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes in tumorigenesis, which plays an important role in the coordination of chromatin structural stability, gene expression, and post-translation modification. However, its mechanism in tumor drug resistance has not been systematically combed. SWI/SNF can be divided into 3 types according to its subunit composition: BAF, PBAF, and ncBAF. These 3 subtypes all contain two mutually exclusive ATPase catalytic subunits (SMARCA2 or SMARCA4), core subunits (SMARCC1 and SMARCD1), and regulatory subunits (ARID1A, PBRM1, and ACTB, etc.), which can control gene expression by regulating chromatin structure. The change of SWI/SNF complex subunits is one of the important factors of tumor drug resistance and progress. SMARCA4 and ARID1A are the most widely studied subunits in tumor drug resistance. Low expression of SMARCA4 can lead to the deletion of the transcription inhibitor of the BCL2L1 gene in mantle cell lymphoma, which will result in transcription up-regulation and significant resistance to the combination therapy of ibrutinib and venetoclax. Low expression of SMARCA4 and high expression of SMARCA2 can activate the FGFR1-pERK1/2 signaling pathway in ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma cells, which induces the overexpression of anti-apoptosis gene BCL2 and results in carboplatin resistance. SMARCA4 deletion can up-regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by activating YAP1 gene expression in triple-negative breast cancer. It can also reduce the expression of Ca2+ channel IP3R3 in ovarian and lung cancer, resulting in the transfer of Ca2+ needed to induce apoptosis from endoplasmic reticulum to mitochondria damage. Thus, these two tumors are resistant to cisplatin. It has been found that verteporfin can overcome the drug resistance induced by SMARCA4 deletion. However, this inhibitor has not been applied in clinical practice. Therefore, it is a promising research direction to develop SWI/SNF ATPase targeted drugs with high oral bioavailability to treat patients with tumor resistance induced by low expression or deletion of SMARCA4. ARID1A deletion can activate the expression of ANXA1 protein in HER2+ breast cancer cells or down-regulate the expression of progesterone receptor B protein in endometrial cancer cells. The drug resistance of these two tumor cells to trastuzumab or progesterone is induced by activating AKT pathway. ARID1A deletion in ovarian cancer can increase the expression of MRP2 protein and make it resistant to carboplatin and paclitaxel. ARID1A deletion also can up-regulate the phosphorylation levels of EGFR, ErbB2, and RAF1 oncogene proteins.The ErbB and VEGF pathway are activated and EMT is increased. As a result, lung adenocarcinoma is resistant to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Although great progress has been made in the research on the mechanism of SWI/SNF complex inducing tumor drug resistance, most of the research is still at the protein level. It is necessary to comprehensively and deeply explore the detailed mechanism of drug resistance from gene, transcription, protein, and metabolite levels by using multi-omics techniques, which can provide sufficient theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of poor tumor prognosis caused by mutation or abnormal expression of SWI/SNF subunits in clinical practice. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
4.Heterogeneity of Adipose Tissue From a Single-cell Transcriptomics Perspective
Yong-Lang WANG ; Si-Si CHEN ; Qi-Long LI ; Yu GONG ; Xin-Yue DUAN ; Ye-Hui DUAN ; Qiu-Ping GUO ; Feng-Na LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(4):820-835
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Adipose tissue is a critical energy reservoir in animals and humans, with multifaceted roles in endocrine regulation, immune response, and providing mechanical protection. Based on anatomical location and functional characteristics, adipose tissue can be categorized into distinct types, including white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), beige adipose tissue, and pink adipose tissue. Traditionally, adipose tissue research has centered on its morphological and functional properties as a whole. However, with the advent of single-cell transcriptomics, a new level of complexity in adipose tissue has been unveiled, showing that even under identical conditions, cells of the same type may exhibit significant variation in morphology, structure, function, and gene expression——phenomena collectively referred to as cellular heterogeneity. Single-cell transcriptomics, including techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), enables in-depth analysis of the diversity and heterogeneity of adipocytes at the single-cell level. This high-resolution approach has not only deepened our understanding of adipocyte functionality but also facilitated the discovery of previously unidentified cell types and gene expression patterns that may play key roles in adipose tissue function. This review delves into the latest advances in the application of single-cell transcriptomics in elucidating the heterogeneity and diversity within adipose tissue, highlighting how these findings have redefined the understanding of cell subpopulations within different adipose depots. Moreover, the review explores how single-cell transcriptomic technologies have enabled the study of cellular communication pathways and differentiation trajectories among adipose cell subgroups. By mapping these interactions and differentiation processes, researchers gain insights into how distinct cellular subpopulations coordinate within adipose tissues, which is crucial for maintaining tissue homeostasis and function. Understanding these mechanisms is essential, as dysregulation in adipose cell interactions and differentiation underlies a range of metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes mellitus type 2. Furthermore, single-cell transcriptomics holds promising implications for identifying therapeutic targets; by pinpointing specific cell types and gene pathways involved in adipose tissue dysfunction, these technologies pave the way for developing targeted interventions aimed at modulating specific adipose subpopulations. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of single-cell transcriptomic technologies in uncovering the heterogeneity and functional diversity of adipose tissues. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
6. Novel mechanisms driving renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis
Yanni ZHANG ; Yuxin DUAN ; Yi BAI ; Jinyao YU ; Jiayi SUN ; Zejie WANG ; Ling LI ; Qifa YE
Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2024;29(3):348-353
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			 Renal fibrosis, especially tubulointerstitial fibrosis, is the most common pathway of all chronic kidney diseases progressing to end-stage renal diseases. Several adaptive reactions occur in renal tubular epithelial cells after chronic injury, such as changes in glycolipid metabolism, unfolded protein response, autophagy and senescence, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and G2/M cell cycle arrest. Maladaptive repair mechanisms can induce tubulointerstitial fibrosis. This article will discuss the molecular mechanism of these adaptive responses of renal tubular epithelial cells driving renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and provide a basis for exploring new drug targets for renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
7.Invasiveness assessment by CT quantitative and qualitative features of lung cancers manifesting ground-glass nodules in 555 patients: A retrospective cohort study
Yantao YANG ; Wei WANG ; Yichen YANG ; Biying WANG ; Huilian HU ; Ziqi JIANG ; Dezhong CAI ; Yaowu DUAN ; Jiezhi JIANG ; Jia LUO ; Guangqiang ZHAO ; Yunchao HUANG ; Lianhua YE
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2024;31(01):51-58
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective     To explore the correlation between the quantitative and qualitative features of CT images and the invasiveness of pulmonary ground-glass nodules, providing reference value for preoperative planning of patients with ground-glass nodules. Methods    The patients with ground-glass nodules who underwent surgical treatment and were diagnosed with pulmonary adenocarcinoma from September 2020 to July 2022 at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University were collected. Based on the pathological diagnosis results, they were divided into two groups: a non-invasive adenocarcinoma group with in situ and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, and an invasive adenocarcinoma group. Imaging features were collected, and a univariate logistic regression analysis was conducted on the clinical and imaging data of the patients. Variables with statistical difference were selected for multivariate logistic regression analysis to establish a predictive model of invasive adenocarcinoma based on independent risk factors. Finally, the sensitivity and specificity were calculated based on the Youden index. Results     A total of 555 patients were collected. The were 310 patients in the non-invasive adenocarcinoma group, including 235 females and 75 males, with a meadian age of 49 (43, 58) years, and 245 patients in the invasive adenocarcinoma group, including 163 females and 82 males, with a meadian age of 53 (46, 61) years. The binary logistic regression analysis showed that the maximum diameter (OR=4.707, 95%CI 2.060 to 10.758), consolidation/tumor ratio (CTR, OR=1.027, 95%CI 1.011 to 1.043), maximum CT value (OR=1.025, 95%CI 1.004 to 1.047), mean CT value (OR=1.035, 95%CI 1.008 to 1.063), spiculation sign (OR=2.055, 95%CI 1.148 to 3.679), and vascular convergence sign (OR=2.508, 95%CI 1.345 to 4.676) were independent risk factors for the occurrence of invasive adenocarcinoma (P<0.05). Based on the independent predictive factors, a predictive model of invasive adenocarcinoma was constructed. The formula for the model prediction was: Logit(P)=–1.293+1.549×maximum diameter of lesion+0.026×CTR+0.025×maximum CT value+0.034×mean CT value+0.72×spiculation sign+0.919×vascular convergence sign. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the model was 0.910 (95%CI 0.885 to 0.934), indicating that the model had good discrimination ability. The calibration curve showed that the predictive model had good calibration, and the decision analysis curve showed that the model had good clinical utility. Conclusion     The predictive model combining quantitative and qualitative features of CT has a good predictive ability for the invasiveness of ground-glass nodules. Its predictive performance is higher than any single indicator.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
8.Effects of Baicalin on the Expressions of JAK1 and STAT3 in Mice with Chronic Atrophic Gastritis
Li-Ying DUAN ; Ming-Yang ZHU ; Yong YU ; Han HAN ; Ye DING
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;41(1):200-206
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective To investigate the repair mechanism of baicalin on gastric mucosa of chronic atrophic gastritis mice based on the network pharmacology and animal experiments.Methods(1)Applied network pharmacology to predict and analyze the potential key targets of baicalin in the treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis.(2)Animal experiment:40 C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into normal group,model group,Vitacoenzyme group and baicalin group,10 mice in each group.Except for the normal group,the other three groups of mice were treated with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG)by gavage combined with hunger and satiety disorder method to construct a chronic atrophic gastritis model.At the end of drug administration,the histopathological changes of gastric mucosa were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining,the changes of gastrin(GAS)and prostaglandin E2(PGE2)levels in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),and the mRNA and protein expression levels of Janus tyrosine kinase 1(JAK1),signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)in the gastric mucosa were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)and protein immunoblotting(Western Blot)methods,respectively.Results The results of network pharmacology showed that baicalin could spontaneously bind to the core targets JAK1 and STAT3.The results of animal experiments showed that compared with the normal group,the gastric mucosa of mice in the model group suffered from atrophy,disordered gland arrangement,the presence of a large number of lymphocytes,a significant increase in apoptotic index of the gastric mucosa(P<0.05),a significant decrease in the levels of GAS and PGE2 in serum(P<0.05),and a significant increase in the levels of mRNA and protein expressions of JAK1 and STAT3 in the gastric mucosa(P<0.05);compared with the model group,the pathological changes of gastric mucosa in the Vitacoenzyme group and baicalin group were alleviated,the glands were arranged relatively neatly,the structure was more intact,the apoptosis index of gastric mucosal cells was significantly decreased(P<0.05),the levels of GAS and PGE2 in serum were significantly increased(P<0.05),and the mRNA and protein expression levels of JAK1 and STAT3 in gastric mucosa were significantly decreased(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the above-mentioned indexes between the baicalin group and the Vitacoenzyme group(P>0.05).Conclusion Baicalin can effectively repair gastric mucosal lesions in mice with chronic atrophic gastritis,and its mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of mRNA and protein expressions of JAK1 and STAT3.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
9.Practice of pre-basic course teaching in the standardized training of clinical pathology residents
Yong LIN ; Shanshan SUN ; Xi ZHANG ; Youli WU ; Shuanghui YE ; Senlin XU ; Xiaohong YAO ; Xiaochu YAN ; Xiuwu BIAN ; Guangjie DUAN
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2024;23(4):563-567
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			In order to explore the role of pre-basic course teaching in the standardized training of residents in clinical pathology, we have independently designed and constructed a pre-basic course teaching system mainly focusing on anatomy and histoembryology, consisting of two levels of theoretical teaching (small lectures by students and systematic lectures by instructors) and two dimensions of practical training (sample collection teaching and case teaching). This teaching model centering on participatory lecturing, practice, summarization, assessment, and feedback has been demonstrated effective. The results showed that the theoretical and practical assessment scores of the experimental group [(458.80±17.60) and (415.40±19.30), respectively] were significantly higher than those of the control group [(444.50±20.90) and (398.80±23.70), respectively]. Among 28 students of grades 2019 to 2021 surveyed for teaching effectiveness, 96.43% were satisfied with the teaching model. The established teaching model provides new ideas for the reform of teaching methods in the standardized training of residents in clinical pathology.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
10.Prevalence of multimorbidity among the HIV-infected individuals receiving anti-viral therapy in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province
Jin YANG ; Xiaohan LI ; Renhai TANG ; Jie GAO ; Yuecheng YANG ; Zhonghui MA ; Runhua YE ; Yingying DING ; Na HE ; Song DUAN
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;36(9):846-853
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			ObjectiveTo explore the prevalence and influencing factors of multimorbidity among the HIV-infected individuals receiving anti-viral therapy (ART) in Dehong Prefecture of Yunnan Province, so as to provide a reference for the long-term follow-up management of HIV-infected patients and the comprehensive prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the multimorbidity burden among the HIV-infected adults receiving ART in Dehong Prefecture from January to July 2021 and a self-designed questionnaire was used to analyze relevant disease indicators. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors of multimorbidity among the HIV-infected individuals. ResultsA total of 3 946 HIV-infected individuals receiving ART were enrolled in this study, of which 63.7% aged ≤50 years, with a male to female ratio of 1.1∶1. Among the 3 946 cases, 825 of them had ≥2 comorbidities, with a co-prevalence rate of 20.9% (95%CI:19.6%‒22.2%), and the main comorbidities were dyslipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that 40≤ aged <50 years (aOR=1.86, 95%CI: 1.45‒2.40, P<0.001), 50≤ aged ≤85 years (aOR=3.75, 95%CI: 2.93‒4.80, P<0.001), Dai nationality (aOR=1.21, 95%CI: 1.01‒1.47, P=0.043), BMI≥24.0 kg∙m-2 (aOR=1.79, 95%CI: 1.49‒2.14, P<0.001), 10.0≤ with ART duration for <12.5 years (aOR=1.49, 95%CI: 1.05‒2.12, P=0.024), with ART duration for ≥12.5 years (aOR=1.50, 95%CI: 1.05‒2.15, P=0.026), use of second-line HIV therapy (aOR=1.43, 95%CI: 1.19‒1.70, P<0.001) and other therapy options (aOR=3.16, 95%CI: 2.17‒4.61, P<0.001) were positively correlated with multimorbidity. ConclusionThe prevalence of multimorbidity among the HIV-infected individuals receiving ART in Dehong Prefecture is high, which is associated with the advancing age and prolonged treatment time, particularly with a significant burden of dyslipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension. Comprehensive surveillance and targeted management of comorbidities, along with ART follow-up, need to be strengthened in the future. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
            
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