The pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a serious impact on global public health and the economy. SARS-CoV-2 infiltrates host cells via its surface spike protein, which binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 on the host cell membrane. As a result, small molecules targeting spike protein have emerged as a hotspot in anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug research. Activity screening is an important step in seeking small molecule drugs. Therefore, this article aims to review the biological activity evaluation methods of small molecule inhibitors targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, with the goal of laying the foundation for the discovery of new anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs.

The incidence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) continues to rise, and there are no effective drugs to treat it. The immune microenvironment plays an important role in the development of ICC and is currently a research hotspot. Icaritin (ICA) is an innovative traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. It is considered to have potential immunoregulatory and anti-tumor effects, which is potentially consistent with the understanding of "Fuzheng" in the treatment of tumor in traditional Chinese medicine. However, whether ICA can be used to treat ICC has not been reported. Therefore, in this study, sgp19/kRas, an in situ ICC mouse model with intact immune system, was selected to evaluate the efficacy of ICA in the treatment of ICC in vivo for the first time, and the effects of ICA on the tumor immune microenvironment of ICC mice were analyzed by flow cytometry. This experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Capital Medical University (approval number: AEEI-2023-138). In this study, sgp19/kRas ICC mouse model was treated with oral gavage of 100 mg·kg^-1 ICA. We found that ICA significantly inhibited tumor growth and tumor cell proliferation in the sgp19/kRas ICC mouse model after 3 weeks of treatment. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that ICA treatment markedly reduced the proportion of M2 macrophages and increased the number of CD3⁺CD4⁺ T cells. In vitro experiments demonstrated that ICA promoted macrophage polarization towards the M1 phenotype while inhibiting polarization towards the M2 phenotype. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis suggested that ICA enhanced Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) expression, influencing macrophage nitric oxide metabolism synthesis pathways and receptor-related activities, thereby regulating macrophage polarization. In summary, this study demonstrates that ICA treatment significantly delays tumor progression in sgp19/kRas ICC mouse models. Mechanistically, ICA may achieve its anti-ICC effects by upregulating TLR9 receptor expression levels, promoting macrophage polarization towards the M1 phenotype, and altering the tumor immune microenvironment.

Objective:To explore the therapeutic efficacy and prognostic factors of induction therapy for secondary central nervous system lymphoma(SCNSL).Methods:Clinical data of patients diagnosed with SCNSL from 2010 to 2021 at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital were retrospectively collected.A retrospective cohort study was performed on all and grouped patients to analyze the efficacy and survival.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the adverse prognostic factors.Results:Thirty-seven diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients with secondary central involvement were included in the research.Their 2-year overall survival(OS)rate was 46.01％and median survival time was 18.1 months.The 2-year OS rates of HD-MTX group and TMZ group were 34.3％and 61％,median survival time were 8.7 and 38.3 months,and median progression-free survival time were 8.1 and 47 months,respectively.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age,sex,IPI,Ann Arbor stage were correlated with patient survival time.The median survival time of patients with CD79B,KMT2D,CXCR4.ERBB2,TBL1XR1,BTG2,MYC,MYD88,and PIM1 mutations was 8.2 months,which was lower than the overall level.Conclusion:HD-MTX combined with TMZ as the first-line strategy may improve patient prognosis,and early application of gene sequencing is beneficial for evaluating prognosis.

The post-translational modification of proteins is a key mechanism that imparts physiological functions to proteins,among which reversible phosphorylation modifications play a pivotal role in many biological processes.Aberrant changes in phosphorylation are often closely associated with various major disease processes.In recent years,with the aid of proteomic technologies and methods,high-throughput,high-precision qualitative and quantitative approaches for phosphorylated proteins have rapidly advanced.This article reviews the research progress of phosphorylated protein quantification and chemical proteomics analysis methods based on the"bottom-up"strategy,including phosphopeptide enrichment methods,mass spectrometry fragmentation methods,quantification analysis methods and phosphorylation site stoichiometry,and discusses the development trend of quantification and stoichiometric analysis methods for phosphorylated proteins.

Objective To analyze the correlation between the sagittal orientation of lumbar pedicle screws and screw loosening based on the craniocaudal cyclic load and artificial vertebra,and to provide a reference for the improvement of screw orientation during surgery,consequently reducing the incidence of screw loosening postoperatively.Methods Pedicle screws were inserted into artificial vertebrae in the cranial,parallel,and caudal orientations.After the artificial vertebra was installed in the material testing machine,the model was subjected to a 100 N preload and 166 N cyclic load for 10 000 cycles.During loading,displacements were recorded and cycle-displacement curves were drawn.After the test was completed and the screws were removed,the screw hole volume was measured and the screw hole volume ratio(the ratio of screw hole volume to the volume of the screw inserted into the vertebra)was calculated.Results The cyclic displacement curve showed that the cranial group had the largest displacement,followed by the parallel and caudal groups.The screw-hole volume ratio results showed that the cranial group had the highest ratio,followed by the parallel and caudal groups.Correlation analysis showed a negative relationship between screw sagittal orientation and terminal displacement(displacement corresponding to the 10 000th cycle)(ρ=-0.897,P=0.02)and screw hole volume ratio(ρ=-0.902,P=0.01).Conclusions There is a negative correlation between the sagittal orientation of the lumbar pedicle screw and screw loosening.Namely,when the screw sagittal orientation is adjusted from a cranial tilt to a parallel and even caudal tilt at a certain angle range,the incidence of screw loosening is reduced.

Objective To investigate the incidence rate,clinical characteristics,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen,China.Methods Led by Shenzhen Children's Hospital,the Shenzhen Neonatal Data Collaboration Network organized 21 institutions to collect 36 cases of neonatal stroke from January 2020 to December 2022.The incidence,clinical characteristics,treatment,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen were analyzed.Results The incidence rate of neonatal stroke in 21 hospitals from 2020 to 2022 was 1/15 137,1/6 060,and 1/7 704,respectively.Ischemic stroke accounted for 75％(27/36);boys accounted for 64％(23/36).Among the 36 neonates,31(86％)had disease onset within 3 days after birth,and 19(53％)had convulsion as the initial presentation.Cerebral MRI showed that 22 neonates(61％)had left cerebral infarction and 13(36％)had basal ganglia infarction.Magnetic resonance angiography was performed for 12 neonates,among whom 9(75％)had involvement of the middle cerebral artery.Electroencephalography was performed for 29 neonates,with sharp waves in 21 neonates(72％)and seizures in 10 neonates(34％).Symptomatic/supportive treatment varied across different hospitals.Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment was performed for 12 neonates(33％,12/36),with a mean score of(32±4)points.The prognosis of 27 neonates was followed up to around 12 months of age,with 44％(12/27)of the neonates having a good prognosis.Conclusions Ischemic stroke is the main type of neonatal stroke,often with convulsions as the initial presentation,involvement of the middle cerebral artery,sharp waves on electroencephalography,and a relatively low neurodevelopment score.Symptomatic/supportive treatment is the main treatment method,and some neonates tend to have a poor prognosis.

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides in the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression.Methods An open,single-arm,multi-center design was adopted in our study.Adult patients with mild and moderate depression who had received acute treatment of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides were enrolled and continue to receive Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules for 24 weeks,the dose remained unchanged during continuation treatment.The remission rate,recurrence rate,recurrence time,and the change from baseline to endpoint of Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA),Clinical Global Impression-Severity(CGI-S)and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale(ASEX)were evaluated.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was reported.Results The scores of HAMD-17 at baseline and after treatment were 6.60±1.87 and 5.85±4.18,scores of HAMA were 6.36±3.02 and 4.93±3.09,scores of CGI-S were 1.49±0.56 and 1.29±0.81,scores of ASEX were 15.92±4.72 and 15.57±5.26,with significant difference(P＜0.05).After continuation treatment,the remission rate was 54.59％(202 cases/370 cases),and the recurrence rate was 6.49％(24 cases/370 cases),the recurrence time was(64.67±42.47)days.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was 15.35％(64 cases/417 cases).Conclusion Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules can be effectively used for the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression,and are well tolerated and safe.

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) is a widely prevalent autoimmune inflammatory disease that severely affects patients' quality of life. Currently, conventional formulations against RA have several limitations, such as nonspecificity, poor efficacy, large drug dosages, frequent administration, and systemic side effects. Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems have emerged as a promising stra-tegy for the diagnosis and treatment of RA since nanotechnology can overcome the limitations of traditional treatments and simplify the complexity of the disease. These systems enable targeted delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs to the inflamed areas through active and passive targeting, achieving specificity to the joints, overcoming the need for increased dosage and administration frequency, and reducing associated adverse reactions. This article aimed to review nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems in the field of RA and elucidate how nanosystems can be utilized to deliver therapeutic drugs to inflamed joints for controlling RA progression. By discussing the current issues and challenges faced by nanodrug delivery systems and highlighting the urgent need for solutions, this article offers theoretical support for further research on nanotechnology-based co-delivery systems in the future.
Humans ; Quality of Life ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Autoimmune Diseases/drug therapy* ; Nanotechnology

COVID-19 epidemic continues to spread around the world till these days, and it is urgent to develop more safe and effective new drugs. Due to the limited P3 biosafety laboratories for directly screening inhibitors of virulent viruses with high infectivity, it is necessary to develop rapid and efficient screening methods for viral proteases and other related targets. The main protease (M^pro), which plays a key role in the replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2, is highly conserved and has no homologous proteases in humans, making it an ideal target for drug development. From two different levels, namely, molecular level and cellular level, this paper summarizes the reported screening methods of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro inhibitors through a variety of representative examples, expecting to provide references for further development of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro inhibitors.

A fluorescence endoscopic laser confocal microscope(FELCM) was used to direct the injection of sinomenine solid lipid nanoparticles(Sin-SLN) into the joint, and the in vitro effectiveness of Sin-SLN in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) was evaluated. Sin-SLN was prepared with the emulsion evaporation-low temperature curing method. The Sin-SLN prepared under the optimal conditions showed the encapsulation efficiency of 64.79%±3.12%, the drug loading of 3.84%±0.28%, the average particle size of(215.27±4.21) nm, and the Zeta potential of(-32.67±0.84) mV. Moreover, the Sin-SLN demonstrated good stability after sto-rage for 30 days. The rabbit model of RA was established by the subcutaneous injection of ovalbumin and complete Freund's adjuvant. Five groups were designed, including a control group, a model group, a Sin(1.5 mg·kg~(-1)) group, a Sin-SLN(1.5 mg·kg~(-1)) group, and a dexamethasone(positive drug, 1.0 mg·kg~(-1), ig) group. The control group and the model group only received puncture treatment without drug injection. After drug administration, the local skin temperature and knee joint diameter were monitored every day. The knee joint diameter and the local skin temperature were lower in the drug administration groups than in the model group(P<0.05, P<0.01). FELCM recorded the morphological alterations of the cartilage of knee joint. The Sin-SLN group showed compact tissue structure and smooth surface of the cartilage. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to determine the serum le-vels of interleukin-1(IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α). The findings revealed that the Sin-SLN group had lower IL-1 and TNF-α levels than the model group(P<0.05, P<0.01). Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was employed to reveal the pathological changes of the synovial tissue, which were significantly mitigated in the Sin-SLN group. The prepared Sin-SLN had uniform particle size and high stability. Through joint injection administration, a drug reservoir was formed. Sin-SLN effectively alleviate joint swelling and cartilage damage of rabbit, down-regulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines, and inhibited the epithelial proliferation and inflammatory cell infiltration of the synovial tissue, demonstrating the efficacy in treating RA.
Animals ; Rabbits ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Fluorescence ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Interleukin-1 ; Arthritis, Experimental/drug therapy*