Neurodegenerative diseases are one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, with complex pathogenesis and lacking effective therapeutic drugs. Increasing researches have shown that most neurodegenerative diseases involve abnormalities in iron homeostasis and activation of immune cells in the brain. Iron accumulation in microglia promotes ferroptosis, leading to cellular dysfunction and death. In contrast, inhibiting ferroptosis can alleviate neuroinflammation, protect neurons, and slow disease progression, highlighting the pivotal roles of ferroptosis and neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. This review summarizes the roles of ferroptosis and neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases, further discusses the related targets regulating these processes, and reviews the therapeutic potential of drugs targeting ferroptosis and neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. This review aims to provide novel targets and therapeutic drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease, offering new strategies for clinical management and improving the symptoms and prognosis of neurodegenerative disease.

Attenuated Salmonella typhimurium VNP20009 is a novel oncolytic bacterium with high tumor-targeting properties. One of its anti-tumor mechanisms is the induction of tumor cell apoptosis, although the specific molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is associated with significant challenges, such as severe side effects and high recurrence rates in current treatments. This study used the B16F10 mouse melanoma cell line as a model to explore the regulatory mechanism of VNP20009-induced apoptosis in melanoma cells. The results showed that VNP20009 significantly induced apoptosis in B16F10 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the p53 signaling pathway was significantly enriched in the VNP20009-treated group, suggesting that this pathway might mediate the pro-apoptotic effects of VNP20009. Further investigations demonstrated that VNP20009 induces apoptosis by activating key genes in the p53 pathway, including PUMA, and its upstream and downstream molecules, such as p53, CytC, CASP9, and CASP3, forming a cascade reaction. In conclusion, this study elucidates the molecular mechanism by which VNP20009 induces apoptosis in B16F10 melanoma cells through the p53-PUMA axis, providing new theoretical insights for melanoma treatment based on attenuated Salmonella bacteria.

Based on mass spectrometry imaging method, we investigated the effects of Panax notoginseng in improving diabetic retinopathy (DR) and interfering with corneal, vitreous and retinal metabolites, to reveal the mechanism of Panax notoginseng's action in improving DR. All animal experiments were approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (Approval No.: BUCM-2023052204-2117). Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) rat model was used, and fasting blood glucose (FBG) and glucosylated serum protein (GSP) levels were measured in each group of rats. Occludin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) were detected by immunofluorescence staining; air flow-assisted desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (AFADESI-MSI) was used to detect endogenous metabolites in the cornea, vitreous, and retinal microregions of the eyes of rats in the DM group and Panax notoginseng group. Endogenous metabolites were detected in the cornea, vitreous, and retinal microregions of the DM and Panax notoginseng groups, and the DM and Panax notoginseng groups were screened for different metabolites by principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Differential metabolites were screened in the DM and Panax notoginseng groups, the in situ spatial information of differential metabolites in each microregion was analyzed, and the related metabolic pathways were analyzed by the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) database. The results showed that compared with the DM group, diabetic rats in the Panax notoginseng group showed a decreasing trend in both FBG and GSP, and an increase in the expression of ZO-1 and occludin in the retina (P < 0.001); AFADESI-MSI analysis showed that there were a total of 34 differential metabolites in the cornea, vitreous body, and retinal microregion in the Panax notoginseng group, of which Panax notoginseng called back 13 differential metabolites. In the retinal microregion, Panax notoginseng significantly regulated lysophosphatidylserine (18∶0), phosphatidylethanolamine (34∶2) and phosphatidylserine (40∶7/42∶7). The metabolic pathway enrichment results indicated that Panax notoginseng mainly regulated glycerophospholipid metabolism, glycosylphosphatidylinositol synthesis, niacin and nicotinamide metabolism as well as glycerol ester metabolic pathways. In conclusion, Panax notoginseng improves the blood-retinal barrier (BRB) in diabetic rats, and its mechanism of action may be closely related to glycerophospholipid metabolism. This study provides scientific evidence for the mechanism of action of Panax notoginseng in improving DR, and demonstrates the potential of mass spectrometry imaging technology applied to the study of pharmacological mechanisms.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a lung disease with a very poor prognosis that seriously affects the quality of life of patients and is characterized by scarring and thickening of the tissue surrounding the alveolar walls, ultimately leading to respiratory failure. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs for the treatment of PF include pirfenidone and nidazanib, however, these two drugs can only delay the progression of the disease but cannot achieve the reversal of PF, and their clinical application is limited due to high price and multiple adverse effects. The pathogenesis of PF has not been fully elucidated, and studies have demonstrated that aberrant immune cell activation and regulation play an important role in PF. This review aims to discuss the role of immune cell activation and regulation in PF in recent years. The aim of this review is to discuss recent advances in the study of the role of immune cells in the process of PF, with the aim of providing theoretical guidance for the development of novel immunotherapies.

Oxaliplatin (Oxa) is a chemotherapy drug commonly used for advanced colorectal cancer, however most patients develop resistance after treatment while the mechanisms of which have not been fully elucidated. In this study, oxaliplatin resistant cell lines were constructed from human colorectal cancer HCT116 cells through concentration gradient induction. On this basis, we investigated the expression profiling of HCT116/Oxa cells based on quantitative proteomics. Gene ontology (GO) analysis was conducted via The Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery Database (DAVID), and pathway enrichment analysis was done using GeneAnalytics database. The potential targets and molecular mechanisms of oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer were further studied by inhibitors, Western blot and siRNA. The results showed that the oxaliplatin resistance index of HCT116/Oxa cells was 10.2. HCT116/Oxa cells demonstrated stronger proliferation potential and anti-apoptotic capacity to oxaliplatin compared with HCT116 cells. Proteomic data demonstrated significant expression change of 717 genes in HCT116/Oxa cells, among which 399 genes were up-regulated while 318 ones down-regulated comparing with HCT116 cells. GO enrichment analysis showed that differentially expressed genes were mainly related to biological processes such as oxidative stress response, iron metabolism, lipid metabolism, apoptosis and cell cycle progression. Pathway analysis displayed notable changes of cell metabolism, ferroptosis, Nrf2-ARE signaling, fatty acid and glutathione metabolism in HCT116/Oxa cells. Quantitative results indicated that the expression of proteins directly related to ferroptosis, including glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), glutamate-cysteine ligase regulatory subunit (GCLM), ferritin light chain (FTL), ferritin heavy chain (FTH1), heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), glutathione reductase (GSR) and NADH dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1) increased, while long chain fatty acid-CoA ligase (ACSL) 4 and ACSL1 decreased significantly in HCT116/Oxa cells. Functional studies showed that RSL3, a specific inhibitor of GPX4, decreased the viability of drug-resistant cells, improved lipid peroxidation, increased the concentration of ferrous ions, malondialdehyde, and decreased the concentration of glutathione (GSH). Western blot showed that the expressions of GPX4, FTH1, FTL and GSR increased in HCT116/Oxa, while ACSL4 decreased. RSL3 reversed the levels of GPX4, FTH1, FTL, GSR and ACSL4. It was further found that knockdown of GPX4 decreased the viability of drug-resistant cells, increased lipid peroxidation levels and decreased GSH concentration. These results suggest that ferroptosis resistance mediated by GSH/GPX4 pathway may be a potential mechanism of oxaliplatin resistance in HCT116/Oxa, and inhibition of GSH/GPX4 signaling could be an effective approach to reverse oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer.

Polydatin (PD) is a natural active crystalline compound extracted from the roots and stems of Polygonum cuspidatum, and is a natural precursor of resveratrol. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic effects of PD on monosodium urate (MSU)-induced gouty arthritis in mice and its potential mechanisms. The animal experiment has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Nanjing University (approval number: 2407002). A gouty arthritis model was established by injecting 20 μL of MSU (25 mg·mL^-1) suspension into the mouse plantar. The effect of PD on pathological changes in the mouse plantar was evaluated. The treatment group received daily intraperitoneal injections of different doses of PD (low dose: 5 mg·kg^-1, medium dose: 10 mg·kg^-1, high dose: 20 mg·kg^-1) for 3 days before model induction. The thickness of the mouse plantar was measured and photographed at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 h after MSU suspension injection. Histopathological damage to the plantar tissue was observed using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression of NLRP3 and CASP1 p20 to assess NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the plantar tissue. At the cellular level, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) combined with adenosine triphosphate (ATP)/MSU/nigericin was used to construct a cellular activation model of the NLRP3 inflammasome. ELISA was used to detect the effect of PD on interleukin-1β (IL-1β) secretion after NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages. Flow cytometry was employed to measure CASP1 p20 activation in macrophages. Immunofluorescence was used to examine NLRP3 inflammasome assembly in macrophages. The results of the study indicate that, compared to the model group, the PD-treated group exhibited a significant reduction in the swelling of the mouse plantar. H&E staining showed a notable reduction in tissue damage in the mouse plantar, suggesting that PD has a therapeutic effect on plantar damage in mice. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence results revealed a significant decrease in the expression of CASP1 p20 and NLRP3, indicating that PD significantly inhibits the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, thereby attenuating the local inflammatory response in the mouse plantar. At the cellular level, PD treatment significantly reduced the secretion of IL-1β and activation of CASP1 p20, both of which are mediated by NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Furthermore, NLRP3 inflammasome assembly was inhibited. In summary, PD exerts its anti-inflammatory effect by suppressing the assembly and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, reducing the production and release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β, thereby alleviating joint damage in mouse gouty arthritis. This provides a novel strategy for the treatment of gout.

The methanol extract of Pteris wallichiana was separated and purified by MCI gel, sephadex LH 20, flash C18 and silica gel column chromatography combined with semi-pre HPLC. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were identified by MS, IR, NMR, etc. Five sesquiterpene compounds were isolated from Pteris wallichiana and identified as 6,7-tetrahydrofuran-(2S, 3S)-pterosin C-3-O-β-D-(6′-acetyl)-Glu (1), (2S, 3S)-pterosin C-3-O-β-D-Glu (2), (2S)-pterosin A (3) and (2S)-13-hydroxyl-pterosin A (4), (2R, 3S)-2-hydroxyl-pterosin C (5). Compound 1 is a new sesquiterpene, compounds 3-5 were isolated for the first time. In vitro bioactivity assay showed that compound 1 was able to inhibit the proliferation of 4T1 and EMT6 cells, and possessed significant anti-triple-negative breast cancer bioactivity.

Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) is closely associated with the occurrence and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). The development of specific antibacterial agents targeting Fn is crucial for the prevention and treatment of CRC. Based on the preliminary phenotypic screening results from our research group, dimetridazole was successfully identified as a hit compound with antibacterial activity against Fn. In this preliminary structural optimization study, we designed and synthesized seven novel nitroimidazole derivatives comprising three structural types, followed by antimicrobial evaluation of all target compounds. Among them, compound CL6 exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against Fn (MIC = 0.5 μg·mL^-1) and demonstrated good selectivity towards intestinal bacteria and normal cells. Compound CL6 significantly inhibited the migration of CRC cells (HCT116) induced by Fn preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that compound CL6 disrupts the integrity of the Fn bacterial biofilm and cell wall, providing a promising lead compound for the development of novel anti-Fn drugs.

Tissue factor (TF), a transmembrane glycoprotein expressed in normal tissues, has a variety of physiological functions in embryonic development, hemostasis and non hemostasis pathways. Studies have found that TF is overexpressed in a variety of tumor tissues and promotes tumor progression. Kaplan Meier (K-M) survival analysis showed that high expression of TF gene was associated with poor prognosis in renal and pancreatic cancer. Therefore, TF has received extensive attention as a target of tumor immunotherapy, and a number of antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) drugs have entered the clinical research stage. In this paper, the gene structure, expression, biological function and the correlation with tumor of TF were systematically elaborated, and the direction of drug design for the new generation of TF-ADC was proposed, in order to provide theoretical support and development direction for the drug research and development of this target.

In recent years, a large number of peptide compounds have been obtained from natural sources or synthesized chemically, which have attracted significant interest due to their high biological activity and low side effects. However, linear peptides encounter many challenges in the field of drug development because they are easily broken down by enzymes and do not pass through cell membranes well. Cyclic peptides, on the other hand, have a stable structure, strong binding to targets, and lower toxicity. They combine the advantages of natural peptides and small molecule drugs in terms of biological activity and drug metabolism, addressing the shortcomings of linear peptides and becoming increasingly important in drug research. This article focuses on the development history of cyclic peptides, discusses the sources, acquisition methods, and specific applications in the field of pharmacology in recent years, and prospects for their future development potential, aiming to provide a theoretical and practical basis for the clinical application of cyclic peptides.