Latest ArticlesTraditional Chinese medicine decoction is a polydisperse system composed of multiple phases. On the basis of phase separation, conducting chemical composition analysis and efficacy evaluation are helpful to clarify the transformation rules of the effective substances of traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, the classical prescription, Ling-Gui-Zhu-Gan Decoction was used as the object to track the real-time change of the particle size of the decoction during the boiling process; different phases were separated by centrifugation and ultrafiltration, and various types of chemical components were analyzed. The therapeutic effect of the decoction and its representative phase was evaluated by establishing an in-house mouse obstructive kidney model. The results showed that the mixing degree of particle size distribution decreased during the boiling process of Ling-Gui-Zhu-Gan Decoction, and finally stabilized around 200 nm. After phase separation, small molecules, polysaccharide, protein, lipids, RNAs and other components were mainly distributed in the colloidal phase. The whole decoction and the colloid phase showed almost equal activity in alleviating the process of obstructive renal fibrosis. This investigation further confirmed that the chemical components of different Chinese herbs were redistributed and aggregated in the colloidal phase during the boiling process of Ling-Gui-Zhu-Gan Decoction, which became the main form of the whole decoction to play its therapeutic effect. This provides a basis for understanding and exploring traditional Chinese medicine from the perspective of phase state. The animal experiment has been approved by the Animal Experiment Ethics Committee of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (No: 202501A012).
The quality of Panax notoginseng medicinal herbs affects their clinical treatment efficacy. At present, the quality of Panax notoginseng varies greatly, and its quality control mainly relies on saponin compounds, which cannot systematically reflect the quality of Panax notoginseng medicinal materials. This study is based on the collection of Panax notoginseng medicinal materials from different production areas, using micromethod, UV visible spectrophotometry, and high-performance liquid chromatography to quantitatively analyze multidimensional indicators that affect the efficacy and formulation of Panax notoginseng. The results showed that the production area with high content of macromolecules (amylum, cellulose, lignin) in Panax notoginseng was Yanfangxiang, Zhanyi, Qujing, Yunnan. The production area with high content of total polysaccharides was Malipo, Malizhen, Wenshan, Yunnan. The production area with high content of total flavonoids was Qinglongzhen, Huaning, Yuxi, Yunnan. And the production area with high content of Panax notoginseng was Dianshaxiang, Xundian, Kunming, Yunnan. The production area with high content of total saponins was Malipo, Malizhen, Wenshan, Yunnan. Based on hierarchical clustering and orthogonal partial least squares-discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA), dencichine, total polysaccharides, amylopectin, and cellulose were identified as potential biomarkers for distinguishing Panax notoginseng medicinal materials from different production areas. Using the global geographic information system for medicinal plants, 19 ecological factors of Panax notoginseng production areas were obtained, and the impact of ecological factors on the accumulation of various components of Panax notoginseng was determined through correlation analysis. Among them, the annual precipitation, the isothermality, the mean diurnal range, the min temperature of coldest month, the mean temperature of warmest quarter, the precipitation of wettest quarter, and the precipitation of warmest quarter were key ecological factors affecting the quality of Panax notoginseng. In summary, this study comprehensively evaluated the quality of Panax notoginseng from different origins, revealed the key ecological factors that affect its authentic quality, and provided a reference for subsequent quality control and rational site selection of Panax notoginseng.
The term "blood-brain crosstalk" refers to the approach by which systemic immune cells infiltrate into the brain parenchyma and interact with brain cells to affect central nervous system disease. Neutrophils are the first immune cells to cross the blood-brain barrier from the circulating blood to the site of disease and are one of the immune cells that play a major function in neuroinflammation. There are complex interactions between neutrophils and brain cells (such as neurons, microglia, astrocytes, and cerebral microvascular endothelial cells), which together are involved in the progression of neuroinflammatory diseases. Neutrophil-brain cell interactions can influence brain injury due to neuroinflammation. Therefore, this article summarizes the mechanism of neutrophil-brain cell interactions in neuroinflammatory diseases and the research progress of pharmacological intervention, with a view to providing a basis and reference for the future mediation through "blood-brain crosstalk" in the treatment of neuroinflammatory diseases.
Stem cells (SCs) are a class of self-renewing cells capable of differentiating into various human cell types. The field of stem cell regenerative medicine is flourishing, with China's first approved stem cell drug—Amimestrocel—bringing new hope to patients. Current research on stem cell mechanisms primarily focuses on biological and chemical factors; however, physical regulatory factors (e.g., mechanical forces, electromagnetic fields) offer distinct advantages, including non-invasiveness and temporally precise control. This review explores mechanisms by which physical factors regulate stem cell behavior. Dynamic mechanical forces influence stem cell differentiation and function by modulating key signaling pathways such as TGFβ/Smad, RAS/MAPK, and JAK/STAT, the activation of which plays crucial roles in organismal development and disease pathogenesis. Electromagnetic fields regulate stem cell proliferation, migration, and extracellular matrix remodeling through the modulation of membrane potential, ion channel activity, and gene expression, opening new research directions. Photobiomodulation enables stem cell regulation through adjustments to light parameters (wavelength, intensity, duration) or photosensitive materials, demonstrating significant effects in studies involving neural stem cells and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Synergistic therapeutic strategies combining multiple physical factors with emerging technologies such as 3D printing and nanomaterials will further advance stem cell research and clinical applications.
Atherosclerosis is a multifaceted chronic inflammatory disorder intricately linked to various cardiovascular diseases, and its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Recent studies have highlighted the pivotal role of autophagy, an essential intracellular degradation and regeneration mechanism, in the onset and progression of atherosclerosis. Autophagy modulates the development of atherosclerosis by influencing the functionality of endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and macrophages. Current research indicates that autophagy not only contributes to the initiation and advancement of atherosclerosis, but may also unveil potential therapeutic targets through its impact on associated signaling pathways such as mTOR, AMPK, and NF-κB. This paper aims to review the mechanisms underlying autophagy in atherosclerosis, assess its effects on atherosis-related cell types, and explore future research directions to provide novel insights and strategies for preventing and treating atherosclerosis.
To address the growing global challenge of antibiotic resistance, the development of novel drug formulations with high specificity, excellent antibacterial activity, and the ability to reduce the generation of bacterial resistance has become an urgent and critical task. Recently, new molecular materials with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties have shown great potential in disease treatment due to their unique luminescent properties and high biocompatibility. By combining phage therapy with AIE-based photodynamic therapy (PDT), a new antibacterial strategy, known as AIE-armed phages, has been developed. This innovative approach not only enables bacterial imaging in vivo but also enhances targeted bacterial eradication through the synergistic effects of PDT and phage therapy. This review summarizes the research progress of AIE-armed phages, highlighting the unique targeting and visualization capabilities of this biological conjugate, demonstrating its potential to precisely locate and effectively eliminate bacteria, and discusses future directions for optimizing AIE-armed phages.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with a variety of etiological hypotheses, among which the cholinergic hypothesis is one of the primary theories. Natural inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), such as galantamine and rivastigmine, are clinically approved for the treatment of AD. Biologically active molecules like sesquiterpenoids exhibit significant structural diversity and are an important class of terpenoids with a wide range of biological activities. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of various sesquiterpenoids to improve cholinergic transmission through inhibiting AChE. This review summarizes the research progress on the activity of various sesquiterpenoids against AChE over the past five years. Through analysis, it was found that several sesquiterpenoids possess AChE inhibitory activity to varying degrees, demonstrating their potential as candidate medicines for the treatment of AD.
UDP-2, 3-diacylglucosamine pyrophosphate hydrolase (LpxH) is a key enzyme in the lipid A biosynthesis pathway of Gram-negative bacteria. Lipid A is an indispensable component of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and LPS plays an important biological function in Gram-negative bacteria. Therefore, LpxH is considered one of the important targets in the research of antibacterial drugs. Based on the function and structure of LpxH enzyme, this review systematically summarizes and analyzes the currently reported LpxH inhibitors, and offers perspectives on future research directions. This review will provide ideas for the design of LpxH inhibitors and contribute to the development of new antibacterial drugs targeting LpxH.
Octapeptin is a class of cyclic lipopeptides with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, demonstrating significant potential against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the sources, structure, synthesis methods, and antibacterial mechanisms of octapeptin, with a focus on the impact of structural modifications on their antibacterial activity. The unique structural features of octapeptin contribute to their strong antibacterial potential, and structural modifications can significantly enhance their activity, offering insights into the development of novel antibiotics.
The endogenous small molecule metabolites (such as neurotransmitters, fatty acids, carbohydrates, nucleotides, and amino acids) in the body played an important role in the development and progression of central nervous system diseases. With the emergence of precision medicine, an increasing demand for the precise localization and precise analysis of those metabolites, as well as a clearer understanding of their biological functions was presented. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) technology, a non-invasive in vivo imaging technique, could provide an accurate spatial distribution, and the concentrations of endogenous metabolites or pharmaceutical components in different organs. There were many advantages including no specific labeling, short duration, and wide detection range. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging played a leading role in the study of the precise distribution of endogenous metabolites in the brain microregions of disease animal model such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and insomnia. In addition, it was widely applied to study the distribution of central nervous system drugs in the brain microregions. This review systematically examines the fundamental principles underlying MSI and its groundbreaking technological innovations over the past decade.
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