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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 18-Dec-2025 04:11 ET (18-Dec-2025 09:11 GMT/UTC)
Machine learning-enabled one-step fabrication of targeted emodin liposomes via novel micromixer: A breakthrough for ulcerative colitis therapy
Tsinghua University PressUlcerative colitis (UC), a prevalent chronic inflammatory bowel disease, faces limitations in current treatments due to poor efficacy and side effects. Emodin (EMO), a natural anti-inflammatory compound, shows promise but is hindered by low solubility and bioavailability. A research team led by Prof. Xueye Chen from Ludong University developed a novel micromixer combined with machine learning to enable one-step synthesis of targeted emodin liposomes (Apt-EMO@Lip), significantly enhancing therapeutic efficiency and paving new avenues for UC treatment.
- Journal
- Nano Research
Prevalence of dysfunctional breathing in the Japanese community and the involvement of tobacco use status: The JASTIS study 2024
Osaka Metropolitan University- Journal
- Respiratory Investigation
The size and composition of our circle of friends and family influence how we perceive our own body
Universidad Carlos III de MadridBuilding breath, layer by layer: 3D printing with living lung cells in extreme environments
Texas A&M University- Journal
- Biomimetics
Long-term cattle performance focus of research review, call for collaboration
University of Arkansas System Division of AgricultureAs part of an effort to better evaluate how pre-weaned calf and stocker calf treatments influence feedlot performance, Daniel Rivera, associate professor of animal science with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and Paul Beck, a professor and extension specialist for beef nutrition with Oklahoma State University’s department of animal and food sciences, published a summary of research on the topic in a special issue of Applied Animal Sciences, the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists' official journal.
- Journal
- Applied Animal Science
Anti-angiogenic therapy as a beacon of hope in the battle against pulmonary NUT midline carcinoma
Higher Education PressPrimary pulmonary nuclear protein of the testis (NUT) midline carcinoma (NMC) is an extremely rare, highly aggressive thoracic malignancy that presents significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, characterized by heterogeneous clinical manifestations, frequent misdiagnosis, and a poor prognosis. This case report details two patients with advanced primary pulmonary NMC treated with a multimodal strategy combining anti-angiogenic agents, platinum-based chemotherapy, and radiotherapy—achieving overall survival (OS) of 32 and 13 months, respectively, which far exceeds the currently reported median OS of approximately 6.7 months for advanced NMC. A systematic literature review of 86 published cases (2011–2024) was also conducted, summarizing current diagnostic methods (such as immunohistochemistry for nuclear NUT expression and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for NUTM1 rearrangement) and treatment modalities for NMC. Findings indicate that multimodal therapy incorporating anti-angiogenic agents yields superior clinical outcomes compared to conventional monotherapy, especially for patients ineligible for surgery. The report also highlights diagnostic pitfalls, such as overlapping histopathological features with squamous cell carcinoma, and underscores how integrating anti-angiogenic therapy addresses the aggressive biology of NMC, offering a new therapeutic direction for this refractory malignancy.
- Journal
- Frontiers of Medicine
Crigler-Najjar syndrome type 2 complicating cholecystitis in a patient with UGT1A1 gene double homozygous mutations
Higher Education PressCrigler-Najjar syndrome (CNS) and Gilbert syndrome (GS) are rare autosomal recessive disorders causing unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia due to reduced UGT1A1 enzyme activity, with CNS type 2 (CNS2) carrying a higher risk of gallbladder stones and cholecystitis than the typically benign GS. This case report details a 28-year-old male patient with recurrent right upper abdominal pain and lifelong persistent jaundice, diagnosed with CNS2 complicated by gallbladder stones and cholecystitis after genetic testing revealed rare double homozygous mutations—A(TA)₇TAA (rs3064744) and P229Q (rs35350960)—in the UGT1A1 gene. Pedigree analysis showed the patient’s parents, who had mildly elevated bilirubin levels, carried compound heterozygous mutations of the same two variants and were diagnosed with GS. Bioinformatics analysis indicated A(TA)₇TAA, located in the UGT1A1 promoter’s TATA-box region, impairs gene transcriptional initiation, while P229Q alters the protein’s three-dimensional structure and is likely pathogenic. The double homozygous mutations in the patient resulted in a more severe phenotype than the compound heterozygous mutations in his parents. The case highlights the need to suspect inherited hyperbilirubinemia causes after ruling out biliary obstruction, and suggests early bilirubin reduction (to < 103 μmol/L (6 mg/dL)) may lower CNS2 patients’ risk of complications like cholecystitis, though longer follow-up studies are required to confirm this.
- Journal
- Frontiers of Medicine
Developing a polygenic risk score for pelvic organ prolapse: a combined risk assessment approach in Chinese women
Higher Education PressPelvic organ prolapse (POP), a condition whose development is shaped by both genetic and clinical risk factors, significantly impairs women’s quality of life, yet genetic insights into non-European populations and comprehensive risk models that integrate genetic and clinical data remain insufficiently explored. To address this gap, the first polygenic risk score (PRS) for POP in the Chinese population was constructed, leveraging 20 disease-associated genetic variants derived from the largest available genome-wide association study (GWAS) on POP. The research analyzed two cohorts: a discovery cohort comprising 576 POP cases and 623 controls, and a validation cohort with 264 cases and 200 controls. Results confirmed that the POP case group had a significantly higher PRS than the control group; notably, women in the top 10% of PRS values (highest genetic risk) had an odds ratio of 2.6 for developing POP compared to those in the bottom 10% (lowest genetic risk). A high PRS was also found to correlate significantly with POP occurrence in specific subgroups: women over 50 years old and those with one or no childbirths. Additionally, an integrated prediction model combining PRS with clinical risk factors demonstrated better predictive accuracy than existing PRS-only models. This combined risk assessment tool proves robust for POP risk prediction and stratification, providing valuable guidance for personalized preventive measures and treatment strategies in future clinical practice.
- Journal
- Frontiers of Medicine
ALKBH5 exacerbates psoriatic dermatitis in mice by promoting angiogenesis
Higher Education PressPsoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease, relies heavily on abnormal angiogenesis for its pathogenesis, and AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5)—an N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) demethylase with known roles in regulating angiogenesis in cardiovascular and eye diseases—has emerged as a key player in this process. In imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis mouse models, ALKBH5 was found to be upregulated in skin lesions compared to control groups, with co-localization with cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31), an endothelial cell marker linked to angiogenesis. ALKBH5-deficient (ALKBH5-KO) mice showed reduced IMQ-induced psoriatic dermatitis, with histological improvements including thinner epidermis, less hyperkeratosis, fewer dermal capillaries, and decreased inflammatory cell infiltration. These mice also exhibited alleviated angiogenesis in psoriatic lesions, mediated by downregulation of the protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. In vitro, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with IL-17A— a cytokine critical to psoriasis pathogenesis—showed significant upregulation of ALKBH5, which further promoted the expression of angiogenesis-related cytokines and endothelial cell proliferation. ALKBH5 knockdown in HUVECs suppressed cell proliferation and angiogenesis, while overexpression had the opposite effect, with both processes regulated via the AKT-mTOR pathway. Collectively, these findings highlight ALKBH5’s pivotal role in psoriatic dermatitis and angiogenesis, identifying it as a potential therapeutic target for psoriasis.
- Journal
- Frontiers of Medicine