Latest ArticlesWound healing is a complex and highly regulated process to maintaining the skin barrier function. Wounds of diabetic patients are hard or even not healing. Non-healing diabetic foot ulcers can lead to lower-extremity amputations. Diabetic wound healing problem is the main complication that leads to high disability rate of diabetes and can threaten the lives in severe cases. The healing of skin wounds requires the synergy of multiple factors to restore the injured skin to its barrier function. The mechanisms that cause it difficult to heal diabetic wounds are complex, including oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, decreased neovascularization, peripheral neuropathy, and imbalance of extracellular matrix accumulation and remodeling. This review classifies mechanisms of diabetic wound healing and provides a reference for its further research.
G protein-coupled receptor 119 (GPR119) has been a promising target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It can not only directly promote insulin secretion, but also indirectly increase insulin secretion by stimulating the release of glucose-dependent GIP/CLP-1 without causing hypoglycemia. The remarkable advantages of small molecule GPR119 agonists make it one of the research hotspots for the development of type 2 diabetes drugs. This article reviews the anti-diabetic small molecules based on the GPR119 target in the past five years.
Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has a wide range of biological functions in epigenetic, cell cycle, cell differentiation and other life activities, and that affect the development and differentiation of immune cells and the maintenance of homeostasis in the immune system. CD4+ T cell subsets are heterogeneous cells with different functions, including promoting the proliferation and differentiation of T cells, B cells and other immune cells, and coordinating related functions between immune cells. Autoimmune disease (AID) is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by an autoantigen immune reaction. lncRNA and CD4+ T cell subsets are involved in the occurrence and progression of the disease. This article reviews the relationship between lncRNA and the differentiation of AID CD4+ T cell subsets.
Macrophages play an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Previously, studies have shown that changes in the metabolism of glucose, choline, amino acids and lipids in macrophages of patients with RA can lead to the accumulation of metabolic intermediates which can act as inflammatory signaling molecules to aggravate the inflammation and cause complications. Therefore, a full understanding of the metabolic process of macrophages in RA patients will lay the foundation for macrophage-targeted therapy of RA. In this review, not only the role of macrophage abnormal metabolism in the pathogenesis of RA but also the research progress on macrophage-targeted drugs in RA treatment will be discussed.
Circadian rhythm is an internal regulatory mechanism that allows organisms to adapt to circadian changes in the external environment, and can regulate the body's steady state by affecting the metabolic pathways of multiple organs. When exogenous factors such as eating time, worktime changes, and sleep disturbances cause the body's circadian rhythm to be disrupted, the risk of developing metabolic syndrome is significantly increased. This article explores the relationship between circadian rhythm and body metabolism and summarizes the molecular mechanisms by which circadian rhythm regulates the digestive system, liver and bile acid production, and kidney function. We review research progress on intervention in the circadian rhythm by traditional Chinese medicine and provide a reasonable and valuable basis for follow-up studies on the role of traditional Chinese medicine in research on the molecular mechanisms of regulation of circadian rhythm.
The research and development of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is a rapidly developing field. From the first generation of murine mAbs to the fourth generation of fully human mAbs, the efficacy and safety of mAbs in the treatment of various diseases have been continuously improved. In order to regulate the development and evaluation of mAbs, drug regulatory agencies and pharmacopeias of America and China have tried to issue feasible test procedures and acceptance criteria for quality evaluation of mAbs and biosimilars. Mass spectrometry (MS) technique with high sensitivity, resolution, selectivity, and specificity has become an important tool to evaluate the quality characteristics of monoclonal antibody-related products or specify mAb quality. The research of MS-based monoclonal antibody study involves structure characterization, impurity analysis, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD), etc. This review focuses on the current quality control requirements of mAb related products and the development of MS technique for mAb quality characterization and specification. It is expected to provide information and references for evaluating the quality of monoclonal antibodies under research and development.
3D printing technology has the advantages of accurate spatial distribution, accurate drug release and personalized drug dosage, which can make up for the shortcomings of traditional pharmaceutical technology. In recent years drop-on powder (DoP) 3D printing technology has been widely used in pharmaceutical preparation. Compared with other types of 3D printing technology, it is more simple, flexible and easy to operate. In 2015, Aprecia Pharmaceuticals announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the launch of its first instant tablet Spritam® (levetiracetam) made with DoP 3D printing. After the first 3D printed medicine was launched, people also saw the unique advantages and broad prospects of DoP 3D printing technology platform in pharmaceutical preparation. This review focuses on the technical principles and key factors of DoP 3D printing, its application in the preparation field and its future development challenges.
The major challenge in the development of recombinant biologics lies in generating and isolating rare high-producing stable single clone in a short period of time. The selection marker is an essential component of the plasmid vector, it plays an important part in the generation and screening of producing cell lines. Engineering the selection marker to enhance the stringency of selection for high producing cells is one of the most effective approaches to improve the cell line development process. Here, using Chinese hamaster overy (CHO) cells as an example, we introduce the application of selection marker for generation of recombinant biologics producing mammalian cell lines, methods of engineering the selection markers to enhance the selection stringency, and propose considerations on cell substrate stability and selection marker safety, in order to provide references for high-efficiency development of recombinant biologics.
With the in-depth study of related substances and the development of consistency evaluation of generic drugs, relative correction factors are gaining increasing attention. By analyzing the domestic and foreign literature on correction factors in recent years, this paper describes the correction factor component, the current measurement method and its application. The rules and key points of use of an impurity correction factor and its determination and application are described, and some problems in its determination and application are discussed, providing a reference and basis for the standardization of research on impurity correction factors in the future.
Four cadinane-type sesquiterpenes were obtained from the petroleum ether of 95% ethanol extract of Eupatorium adenophorum Spreng by using an HP-20 macroporous resin column, silica gel, and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were determined by physical, chemical and spectroscopic methods and identified as eupatorinol (1), (+)-(5R, 7S, 9R, 10S)-2-oxocadinan-3, 6(11)-dien-12, 7-olide (2), (1S, 4R)-7-hydroxycalamenen-3-one(3) and (-)-(5R, 6R, 7S, 9R, 10S)-cadinan-3-ene-6, 7-diol (4). Among them, compound 1 is a new cadinane-type sesquiterpene, and compound 3 was isolated from this genus for the first time. In bioassay, none of these compounds displayed obvious cytotoxicity.