Role of UCHL3 in health and disease.

Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase 3 (UCHL3) is a cysteine protease that plays a crucial role in cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, and apoptosis by carrying out deubiquitination and deneddylation activities. It has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for certain cancers due to its ability to stabilize oncoproteins. The dysregulation of UCHL3 also has been associated with neurodegenerative diseases, underscoring its significance in maintaining protein homeostasis within cells. Research on UCHL3, including studies on Uchl3 knockout mice, has revealed its involvement in learning deficits, cellular stress responses, and retinal degeneration. This review delves into the cellular processes controlled by UCHL3 and its role in health and disease progression, as well as the development of UCHL3 inhibitors. Further investigation into the molecular mechanisms and physiological functions of UCHL3 is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of its impact on health and disease.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 14 targets PFKL-mediated glycolysis to promote the proliferation and migration of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Aberrant upregulation of the ubiquitin-specific protease 14 (USP14) has been found in some malignant tumors, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In this study, we further demonstrated that aberrantly overexpressed USP14 was also closely related to adverse clinicopathological features and poor prognosis in patients with OSCC, so we hypothesized that USP14 might act as a tumor-promoting factor during the progression of OSCC. Notably, we originally proved that USP14 is a deubiquitinating enzyme for phosphofructokinase-1 liver type (PFKL), a key rate-limiting enzyme involved in the glycolytic pathway. USP14 interacts with PFKL and enhances its stability through deubiquitination in OSCC cells, which in turn enhances PFKL-mediated glycolytic metabolism and ultimately promote cellular proliferation, migration, and tumorigenesis. In this work, we have also demonstrated for the first time that USP14 is a critical regulator of glycolysis in OSCC and verified a novel mechanism whereby it is involved in tumor metastasis and growth. Collectively, our findings provide novel insights into the tumor-promoting role of USP14 and establish mechanistic foundations for USP14-targeting therapies.

Distribution and antibiotic resistance of pathogen isolated from children with intra-abdominal infection associated sepsis in intensive care unit / 中国小儿急救医学

Objective:Distribution and antibiotic resistance of pathogen isolated from children with intra-abdominal infection (IAI) associated sepsis in the intensive care unit (ICU) were analyzed to provide a reference for the empirical anti-infective treatment of IAI in children.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the data of 116 children with culture-positive IAI-associated sepsis admitted to Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2019 to December 2021. Clinical isolation and drug resistance analysis were conducted based on different years of onset, locations of onset, and primary diseases.Results:A total of 186 strains of pathogens causing children with IAI-associated sepsis in ICU were collected. The distribution and antibiotic resistance of pathogen were as follows: the percentages of gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, and fungi were 53.2%, 40.9%, and 5.9%, respectively; the top four strains were Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis, accounting for 57.0% of all isolates; Enterococcus faecium(19.9%) and Enterococcus faecalis (10.2%) were the dominating gram-positive bacteria; Escherichia coli (13.4%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (13.4%) were more common gram-negative bacteria; Fungi were dominated by Candida albicans (3.8%).Fifty-seven strains of gram-positive bacteria were detected in 61 children with infectious diseases, mainly Enterococcus faecium (28 strains). There were 53 gram-negative strains, mainly Klebsiella pneumoniae (21 strains). Thirty-two strains of gram-positive bacteria were detected in 40 children with digestive tract malformation, and Enterococcus faecalis (six strains) were the most common. There were 14 gram-negative strains, mainly Escherichia coli (six strains). In 13 children with malignant tumors of digestive system, nine strains of gram-positive bacteria were cultured, and Enterococcus faecium (four strains) was the most common. There were eight gram-negative strains, mainly Escherichia coli (four strains).In the 46 community-acquired IAI patients,30 gram-positive isolates were cultured,mainly including Enterococcus faecium (12 strains), Staphylococcus epidermidis (seven strains), and Viridans streptococci (six strains); Forty gram-negative isolates mainly contained Escherichia coli (16 strains), Klebsiella pneumoniae (14 strains), and Enterobacter cloacae (five strains). In the 70 hospital-associated IAI patients, 69 gram-positive isolates such as Enterococcus faecium (25 strains), Enterococcus faecalis (17 strains), Enterococcus gallinarum (eight strains), and Staphylococcus aureus (seven strains) were cultured;Tirty-six gram-negative isolates were dominated by Klebsiella pneumoniae (11 strains), Escherichia coli (nine strains), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (four strains), and Acinetobacter baumannii (four strains). The mixed infection rate of clinical pathogens was up to 46.6%, and the overall resistance rate was 43.4%, in which gram-negative bacteria had high sensitivity to piperacillin/tazobactam, cefoperazone/sulbactam, imipenem, and tigecycline.The detection rates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases were 36.0% and 24.6%, respectively, with 100% sensitivity to tigecycline. Gram-positive bacteria showed 100% sensitivity to vancomycin, linezolid, and tigecycline. Conclusion:Pathogen isolated from children with IAI-associated sepsis in ICU were dominated by Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis,respectively. Before confirmation of pathogenic bacteria, antibacterial agents can be selected according to the infection type. It is important to note that a single broad-spectrum antibacterial agent or combination medication can be considered the initial empirical choice due to the large variety of pathogens, high rates of mixed infections, and high overall resistance.

Concentration and health risk assessment of trichloromethane in drinking water for rural primary and middle school students in Tianjin / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To evaluate the distribution characteristics and health risk of trichloromethane (TCM) in the drinking water supply of primary and middle schools in rural areas of Tianjin, so as to provide a scientific basis for improving drinking water safety in rural schools.@*Methods@#A total of 60 water samples from 30 rural primary and middle schools in 10 agricultural districts of Tianjin were collected from April to June (dry season) and July to October (wet season) in 2023 with direct selection method. The content of TCM was detected according to the Standard Methods for the Examination of Drinking Water, and a risk assessment method recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency was used to evaluate the health risk of TCM through oral exposure.@*Results@#The concentration of TCM in drinking water was no detection to 54.00 μg/L, with an average of (13.44±14.88) μg/L, and the value was higher during the wet season [12.90(1.40,32.28)μg/L] than the dry season [2.40(1.40,18.13)μg/L] (Z=-2.09, P<0.05). The concentration of TCM for primary and middle schools were [3.38(1.40,20.75) μg/L] and [5.30(1.40,28.23)μg/L] respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference between different types of schools (Z=0.50, P>0.05). The carcinogenic risk through oral exposure ranged from 3.84×10-7 to 2.05×10-5, while the noncarcinogenic risk ranged from (0.00-0.16), all within the acceptable range. Children aged 6 to 9 years old were at the highest risk.@*Conclusions@#TCM has been detected in the drinking water of rural primary and middle schools to a certain extent in Tianjin, and attention should be paid to the potential health risks of oral exposure. The monitoring and management of disinfection byproducts in drinking water should be strengthened to further reduce the risk of exposure to children.

Anlotinib exerts an anti-T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia effect in vitro and in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Despite some progress having been made regarding the treatment of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), the prognosis of T-ALL, particularly adult T-ALL, is still poor. Identifying novel, effective anti-T-ALL drugs is of great significance. Anlotinib, an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor currently utilized in the treatment of lung cancer, exhibited a promising anti-T-ALL effect. A comprehensive study should therefore be conducted to explore both the in vitro as well as in vivo mechanisms of the anti-T-ALL effects of anlotinib. METHODS: CCK8 assays and flow cytometry were employed to investigate the viability, cell cycle distribution, and apoptosis of T-ALL cell lines when treated with anlotinib. T-ALL xenograft mouse models were established to examine the in vivo antileukemic effects of anlotinib. Cellular and molecular analysis of T-ALL were conducted to define the underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: In vitro, anlotinib significantly inhibited the viability, induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in T-ALL cell lines in a concentration-dependent pattern. In vivo, anlotinib also demonstrated a strong anti-tumor effect at doses that are well-tolerated. Interestingly, anlotinib could decrease the protein levels of the intracellular domains of NOTCH1 (ICN1) and c-Myc, two important targets for T-ALL. Mechanistically, anlotinib-induced c-Myc reduction was associated with proteasome-mediated degradation, while the ICN1 reduction was not due to protein degradation or transcriptional repression. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that anlotinib may be a promising anti-T-ALL candidate drug, and simultaneous reduction of the protein levels of both ICN1 and c-Myc may contribute to the anti-T-ALL efficacy of anlotinib.

Analysis and multiple index evaluation of SPO distribution of bone traction needles for pelvic fracture reduction.

For robot-assisted pelvic fracture reduction, at least two bone needles need to be inserted into the ilium of the affected pelvis, and the robot clamping device is connected with the bone needles. The biomechanical properties of the pelvic musculoskeletal tissues are different with the different Spatial Position and Orientation (SPO) of the bone needles. In order to determine the optimal SPO of bone needle pairs, the constraints between the bone needles and the pelvis are analyzed, and the SPO vectors of 150 groups bone needles are obtained by the KNN-hierarchical clustering method; a batch modeling method of bone needles with different SPO is proposed. 150 finite element models of damaged pelvic musculoskeletal tissue with different SPO of bone needles are established and simulated. The stress and strain distribution homogenization of musculoskeletal tissue with bone needles as evaluation index, the simulation results of 150 models are evaluated. Results show that, the anterior superior iliac spine and the anterior inferior iliac spine are suitable regions to place bone needles in the pelvis, and the optimal distribution of the needle combination is found in this region. The overall stress and strain distribution of the damaged pelvic musculoskeletal tissue under the large reduction force is the best.

Research progress in targeting autophagy of traditional Chinese medicine and natural compounds to regulate atherosclerosis / 中国中药杂志

Atherosclerosis(AS) is the common pathological basis of many ischemic cardiovascular diseases, and its formation process involves various aspects such as vascular endothelial injury and platelet activation. Vascular endothelial injury is the initiating factor of AS plaque. Monocytes are recruited to differentiate into macrophages at the damaged endothelial cells, which absorb oxidized low-density lipoprotein(ox-LDL) and slowly transform into foam cells. Smooth muscle cells(SMCs) proliferate and migrate continuously. As the only cell producing interstitial collagen fibers in the fibrous cap, SMCs largely determine whether the plaque ruptured or not. The amplifying inflammatory response during the formation of AS recruits platelets to adhere to the damaged area of vascular endothelium and stimulates excessive platelet aggregation. Autophagy activity is associated with vascular lesions and abnormal platelet activation, and excessive autophagy is considered to be a negative factor for plaque stability. Therefore, precise regulation of different types of vascular autophagy and platelet autophagy to treat AS may provide a new therapeutic perspective for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic ischemic cardiovascular disease. Currently, treatment strategies for AS still focus on lowering lipid levels with high-intensity statins, which often cause significant side effects. Therefore, the development of safer and more effective drugs and treatment modes is the focus of current research. Traditional Chinese medicine and natural compounds have the potential to treat AS by targeted autophagy, and have been playing an increasingly important role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in China. This paper summarizes the experimental studies on different vascular cell types and platelet autophagy in AS, and sums up the published research results on targeted autophagy of traditional Chinese medicine and natural plant compounds to regulate AS, providing new ideas for further research.

Development of an Active Mechanical Lung for Simulating Human Pulmonary Ventilation / 中国医疗器械杂志

At present, the passive simulated lung including the splint lung is an important device for hospitals and manufacturers in testing the functions of a respirator. However, the human respiration simulated by this passive simulated lung is quite different from the actual respiration. And it is not able to simulate the spontaneous breathing. Therefore, including" the device simulating respiratory muscle work "," the simulated thorax" and" the simulated airway", an active mechanical lung to simulate human pulmonary ventilation was designed:3D printed human respiratory tract was developed and connected the left and right air bags at the end of the respiratory tract to simulate the left and right lungs of the human body. By controlling a motor running to drive the crank and rod to move a piston back and forth, and to deliver an alternating pressure in the simulated pleural, and so as to generate an active respiratory airflow in airway. The experimental respiratory airflow and pressure from the active mechanical lung developed in this study are consistent with the target airflow and pressure which collected from the normal adult. The developed active mechanical lung function will be conducive to improve the quality of the respirator.

Homeostatic medicine: new strategy and concept of health maintenance as well as diagnosis and treatment of diseases / 中华口腔医学杂志

Homeostasis is a dynamic balance process of self-regulating. Biological systems remain stable through adapting to changing external conditions to maintain normal life activities. Homeostatic medicine is the science of studying homeostasis of human molecules, cells, organs and the whole body. It is a comprehensive discipline based on maintaining homeostasis to keep human health and assist for diseases prevention and diagnoses. Homeostatic medicine focuses on the whole body and on the role of homeostasis in health and disease, which is expected to provide new ideas and strategies for maintaining health as well as diagnosing and treating diseases. Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the control of multisystem homeostasis. Nitrate is an important substance in regulating NO homeostasis through the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway. Sialin, nitrate transporter which is located in the cell membrane and cytoplasm, mediates multiple cellular biological functions. The nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway and sialin-mediated biological functions play an important role in the regulation of body homeostasis.

Clinical pharmaceutical practice of constructing mind map by clinical pharmacists for the consultation of pulmonary nocardiosis / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To explore the construction of mind map by clinical pharmacists for the consultation of pulmonary nocardiosis and its application in clinical practice， and to provide reference for promoting the correct selection of nocardiosis treatment drugs in clinical practice and ensuring drug safety and efficacy. METHODS A total of 7 patients with Nocardia pulmonary infection from January 2017 to April 2022 in our hospital were collected. Based on evidence-based medicine， a consultation mind map （mainly including understanding the medical history， identifying infectious bacteria， identifying risk factors， developing treatment plans， and conducting evaluations） was constructed to address the difficulties of large differences in drug sensitivity among different strains of Nocardia and numerous adverse reactions of Compound sulfamethoxazole as a first-line drug. The treatment plan was developed for 7 patients with pulmonary nocardiosis， and whole-process pharmaceutical care was provided. RESULTS Combined with the mind map， different antibiotic combination regimens were given according to the drug sensitivity results of Nocardia， the different species of Nocardia， and the patient’s allergy history. Among them， 4 cases were treated with imipenem cilastatin， the patients receiving Compound sulfamethoxazole and linezolid for a long time were given full pharmaceutical care， and the adverse drug reactions were timely treated.CONCLUSIONS Clinical pharmacists apply the consultation mind map of pulmonary nocardiosis to the treatment of inpatients， take advantage of pharmacy， participate in clinical drug therapy， and really play a role in the clinical treatment team so as to promote rational drug use.

SPME-GC-MS combined with chemometrics to assess the impact of fermentation time on the components, flavor, and function of Laoxianghuang.

Laoxianghuang, fermented from Citrus medica L. var. Sarcodactylis Swingle of the Rutaceae family, is a medicinal food. The volatiles of Laoxianghuang fermented in different years were obtained by solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). Meanwhile, the evolution of its component-flavor function during the fermentation process was explored in depth by combining chemometrics and performance analyses. To extract the volatile compounds from Laoxianghuang, the fiber coating, extraction time, and desorption temperature were optimized in terms of the number and area of peaks. A polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) with a thickness of 65 µm fiber, extraction time of 30 min, and desorption temperature of 200 °C were shown to be the optimal conditions. There were 42, 44, 52, 53, 53, and 52 volatiles identified in the 3rd, 5th, 8th, 10th, 15th, and 20th years of fermentation of Laoxianghuang, respectively. The relative contents were 97.87%, 98.50%, 98.77%, 98.85%, 99.08%, and 98.36%, respectively. Terpenes (mainly limonene, γ-terpinene and cymene) displayed the highest relative content and were positively correlated with the year of fermentation, followed by alcohols (mainly α-terpineol, ß-terpinenol, and γ-terpineol), ketones (mainly cyclohexanone, D(+)-carvone and ß-ionone), aldehydes (2-furaldehyde, 5-methylfurfural, and 1-nonanal), phenols (thymol, chlorothymol, and eugenol), esters (bornyl formate, citronellyl acetate, and neryl acetate), and ethers (n-octyl ether and anethole). Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) showed a closer relationship between the composition of Laoxianghuang with similar fermentation years of the same gradient (3rd-5th, 8th-10th, and 15th-20th). Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) VIP scores and PCA-biplot showed that α-terpineol, γ-terpinene, cymene, and limonene were the differential candidate biomarkers. Flavor analysis revealed that Laoxianghuang exhibited wood odor from the 3rd to the 10th year of fermentation, while herb odor appeared in the 15th and the 20th year. This study analyzed the changing pattern of the flavor and function of Laoxianghuang through the evolution of the composition, which provided a theoretical basis for further research on subsequent fermentation.

Parthenolide reveals an allosteric mode to inhibit the deISGylation activity of SARS-CoV­2 papain-like protease.

The coronavirus papain-like protease (PLpro) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for viral polypeptide cleavage and the deISGylation of interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15), which enable it to participate in virus replication and host innate immune pathways. Therefore, PLpro is considered an attractive antiviral drug target. Here, we show that parthenolide, a germacrane sesquiterpene lactone, has SARS-CoV-2 PLpro inhibitory activity. Parthenolide covalently binds to Cys-191 or Cys-194 of the PLpro protein, but not the Cys-111 at the PLpro catalytic site. Mutation of Cys-191 or Cys-194 reduces the activity of PLpro. Molecular docking studies show that parthenolide may also form hydrogen bonds with Lys-192, Thr-193, and Gln-231. Furthermore, parthenolide inhibits the deISGylation but not the deubiquitinating activity of PLpro in vitro. These results reveal that parthenolide inhibits PLpro activity by allosteric regulation.

JOSD2 regulates PKM2 nuclear translocation and reduces acute myeloid leukemia progression.

Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) plays an important role in the metabolism and proliferation of leukemia cells. Here, we show that deubiquitinase JOSD2, a novel tumor suppressor, blocks PKM2 nuclear localization by reducing its K433 acetylation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Firstly, we show that JOSD2 is significantly down-regulated in primary AML cells. Reconstitute of JOSD2 in AML cells significantly inhibit cell viability and induce cell apoptosis. Next, PKM2 is identified as a novel interaction protein of JOSD2 by mass spectrometry, co- immunoprecipitation and co-immunofluorescence in HL60 cells. However, JOSD2 does not affect PKM2 protein stability. We then found out that JOSD2 inhibits nuclear localization of PKM2 by reducing its K433 acetylation modification, accompanied by decreased downstream gene expression through non-glycolytic functions. Finally, JOSD2 decreases AML progression in vivo. Taken together, we propose that JOSD2 blocks PKM2 nuclear localization and reduces AML progression.

IKZF1 selectively enhances homologous recombination repair by interacting with CtIP and USP7 in multiple myeloma.

Rationale: In multiple myeloma (MM), the activities of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination repair (HR) are increased compared with healthy controls. Whether and how IKZF1 as an enhancer of MM participates in the DNA repair pathway of tumor cells remains elusive. Methods: We used an endonuclease AsiSI-based system and quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation assay (qChIP) analysis to test whether IKZF1 is involved in DNA repair. Immunopurification and mass spectrometric (MS) analysis were performed in MM1.S cells to elucidate the molecular mechanism that IKZF1 promotes DNA damage repair. The combination effect of lenalidomide or USP7 inhibitor with PARP inhibitor on cell proliferation was evaluated using MM cells in vitro and in vivo. Results: We demonstrate that IKZF1 specifically promotes homologous recombination DNA damage repair in MM cells, which is regulated by its interaction with CtIP and USP7. In this process, USP7 could regulate the stability of IKZF1 through its deubiquitinating activity. The N-terminal zinc finger domains of IKZF1 and the ubiquitin-like domain of USP7 are necessary for their interaction. Furthermore, targeted inhibition IKZF1 or USP7 could sensitize MM cells to PARP inhibitor treatment in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: Our findings identify USP7 as a deubiquitinating enzyme for IKZF1 and uncover a new function of IKZF1 in DNA damage repair. In translational perspective, the combination inhibition of IKZF1 or USP7 with PARP inhibitor deserves further evaluation in clinical trials for the treatment of MM.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 47 regulates intestinal inflammation through deubiquitination of TRAF6 in epithelial cells.

Deubiquitinates (DUBs) alter the stabilities, localizations or activities of substrates by removing their ubiquitin conjugates, which are closely related to the development of inflammatory response. Here, we show that ubiquitin-specific protease 47 (USP47) prevents inflammation development in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Compared with wild-type mice, Usp47 knockout mice are more susceptible to dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced acute and chronic colitis with higher inflammatory cytokines expression and severe intestinal tissue damage. Chimeric mouse experiments suggest that non-hematopoietic cells mainly contribute to the phenotype. And, DSS-induced colitis of the Usp47 knockout mice depends on commensal bacteria. Mechanistically, down-regulation of USP47 aggravates the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway by increasing the K63-linked poly-ubiquitination of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) in intestinal epithelial cells. Furthermore, the expression of USP47, negatively correlated with the degree of inflammation, is lower at colonic inflammatory lesions than that non-inflammatory sites from the intestine from ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) patients. These data, taken together, indicate that USP47 regulates intestinal inflammation through de-ubiquitination of K63-linked poly-ubiquitination TRAF6 in intestinal epithelial cells.

ZCL-082, a boron-containing compound, induces apoptosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma via targeting p90 ribosomal S6 kinase 1/NF-κB signaling pathway.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the rapid progress in the diagnosis and treatment, the prognosis of some types of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), especially those with double-hit or double-expressor genotypes, remains poor. Novel targets and compounds are needed to improve the prognosis of NHL. METHODS: We investigated the effect of ZCL-082, a novel boron-containing compound with anti-proliferating activity against ovarian cancer cells, on NHL cells and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by CCK-8 assay, Annexin V/PI double staining assay, RH123/PI double staining, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. NF-κB pathway activity was analyzed using luciferase reporter gene assay and RT-PCR. The location of p65 was detected by immunofluorescence and nuclear/cytoplasmic fractionation assay. Immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were used to detect the binding between p65 and p300. CETSA and molecular docking assay were carried out to test the interaction between ZCL-082 and p90 ribosomal S6 kinase 1 (RSK1). Kinase reaction was conducted to examine the inhibition of RSK1 kinase activity by ZCL-082. RESULTS: We found that ZCL-082 can induce the apoptosis of various NHL cell lines in vitro and in vivo. ZCL-082 significantly inhibits TNFα- or LPS-induced NF-κB activation without disturbing TNFα-induced IκBα degradation or the nuclear translocation and DNA-binding ability of p65. However, ZCL-082 markedly suppresses the phosphorylation of p65 on Ser536 and the interaction between p65 and p300. The overexpression of the phosphomimetic mutant of p65 at Ser536 partially abrogates ZCL-082-induced cell death. We further found that ZCL-082 directly binds to and inhibits the activity of RSK1. RSK1 can phosphorylate RelA/p65 on Ser536 and its overexpression is associated with the poor prognosis of lymphoma. The overexpression of RSK1 partially rescues ZCL-082-induced cell death. Molecular docking studies show that ZCL-082 fits well with the N-terminal kinase domain of RSK1. Furthermore, the combination of ZCL-082 and BCL-2 inhibitor ABT-199 has a synergistic apoptosis-inducing effect against double-hit lymphoma cell line OCI-Ly10. DISCUSSION: We found that ZCL-082 is a highly promising anti-lymphoma compound that targets RSK1 and interferes with the RSK1/NF-κB signaling pathway. The combination of ZCL-082 with BCL-2 inhibitor may represent a novel strategy to improve the outcome of double-hit or double-expressor lymphoma.

Clinical Characteristics and Risk Factors of Invasive Fungal Infections in Acute Leukemia Patients in Tropical Regions / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the clinical characteristics and risk factors of invasive fungal infection (IFI) occurenced in patients with acute leukemia (AL) during treatment in tropical regions.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 68 AL patients admitted to the Hainan Hospital of PLA General Hospital from April 2012 to April 2019 was retrospectively analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the factors affecting the occurrence of IFI in AL patients.@*RESULTS@#Among the 68 patients, 44 were acute myeloid leukemia, 24 were acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 39 were male, 29 were female and the median age was 41(13-75) years old. The 68 patients received 242 times of chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT), including 73 times of initial chemotherapy or inducting chemotherapy after recurrence, 14 times of HSCT, 155 times of consolidating chemotherapy. Patients received 152 times of anti-fungal prophylaxis, including 77 times of primary anti-fungal prophylaxis and 75 times of secondary anti-fungal prophylaxis. Finally, the incidence of IFI was 31 times, including 24 times of probable diagnosis, 7 times of proven diagnosis, and the total incidence of IFI was 12.8%(31/242), the incidence of IFI in inducting chemotherapy was 24.66%(18/73), the incidence of IFI in HSCT patients was 28.57% (4/14), the incidence of IFI in consolidating chemotherapy was 5.80% (9/155). Multivariate analysis showed that inducting chemotherapy or HSCT, the time of agranulocytosis ≥7 days, risk stratification of high risk were the independent risk factors for IFI in AL patients during treatment in tropical regions.@*CONCLUSION@#The incidence of IFI in patients with AL in the tropics regions is significantly higher than that in other regions at homeland and abroad. Anti-fungal prophylaxis should be given to the patients with AL who have the high risk factors of inducting chemotherapy or HSCT, time of agranulocytosis ≥7 days and risk stratification of high risk.

Effects of METTL16 on proliferation，migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and its mechanism of action / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective @#To investigate how the m6 A methylation enzyme Methyltransferase like protein 16 ( METTL16) exerts its effects on the proliferation，migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells HepG2 and HCC-LM3，and to further explore the underlying molecular mechanism.@*Methods @#The overexpression and RNA interference vectors targeting METTL16 were transfected into HepG2 and HCC-LM3 cells and screened the stable cell lines by purimycin．The expressions of METTL16 were detected by means of qRT-PCR and Western blot assay ; in HCC cell lines，Cell counting kit-8 ( CCK-8) ，Transwell assays，and flow cytometry were used to ob- serve the effects in the proliferation，migration，invasion and cell cycle after transfection ; Western blot assay was used todetect the effect of expression of VEGFA-VEGFR2 pathway-related proteins in hepatocellular carcinoma cells ; Gene Expression Omnibus database was used to analyzethe expression levels of METTL16 in human liver cancer tissues and paraneoplastic tissues．Log-rank test was used to compare the clinic pathological characteristics between patients with high and low expression of METTL16 in hepatocellular carcinoma. @*Results @#Western blot and real-time quantitative PCR experiments showed that METTL16 overexpressing cell lines and interfering cell lines were successfully constructed in HepG2 and HCC-LM3 cells．CCK-8，Transwell and flow cytometry results showed that overexpression of METTL16 resulted in a decrease in the number of proliferating，migrating and invasive cells， and the number of cells in G2 / M phase proportion increased．Western blot showed that overexpression of METTL16 inhibited the expression of VEGFA-VEGFR2 pathway-related proteins VEGFR2，p-AKT，Cyclin B，and CDK1 in HepG2 cells，but knockdown of METTL16 reversed the inhibition effect on these proteins．Compared to the matched non-tumor liver tissues，METTL16 was downregulated in HCC tissues ; however，the levels of METTL16 were not significantly associated with the clinic pathological characteristics of HCC patients．@*Conclusion @#METTL16 may in- hibit the proliferation，migration and invasion of HCC cells by inhibiting the VEGFR2 pathway.

Deubiquitinases in hematological malignancies.

Deubiquitinases (DUBs) are enzymes that control the stability, interactions or localization of most cellular proteins by removing their ubiquitin modification. In recent years, some DUBs, such as USP7, USP9X and USP10, have been identified as promising therapeutic targets in hematological malignancies. Importantly, some potent inhibitors targeting the oncogenic DUBs have been developed, showing promising inhibitory efficacy in preclinical models, and some have even undergone clinical trials. Different DUBs perform distinct function in diverse hematological malignancies, such as oncogenic, tumor suppressor or context-dependent effects. Therefore, exploring the biological roles of DUBs and their downstream effectors will provide new insights and therapeutic targets for the occurrence and development of hematological malignancies. We summarize the DUBs involved in different categories of hematological malignancies including leukemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma. We also present the recent development of DUB inhibitors and their applications in hematological malignancies. Together, we demonstrate DUBs as potential therapeutic drug targets in hematological malignancies.