NobleBlocks

Xi'an Honghui Hospital

Hospital / health systemXi'an, China

Research output, citation impact, and the most-cited recent papers from Xi'an Honghui Hospital (China). Aggregated across the NobleBlocks index of 300M+ scholarly works.

Total works
4.6K
Citations
212.3K
h-index
135
i10-index
5.5K
Also known as
Xi'an Honghui HospitalXi'an Red Cross Hospital西安市红会医院

Top-cited papers from Xi'an Honghui Hospital

Prevalence of Osteoporosis and Fracture in China
Lınhong Wang, Wei Yu, Xiangjun Yin, Lijia Cui +4 more
2021· JAMA Network Open527doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.21106

Importance: The aging of the population is associated with an increasing burden of fractures worldwide. However, the epidemiological features of fractures in mainland China are not well known. Objective: To assess the prevalence of and factors associated with osteoporosis, clinical fractures, and vertebral fractures in an adult population 40 years or older in mainland China. Design, Setting. and Participants: This cross-sectional study, the China Osteoporosis Prevalence Study, was conducted from December 2017 to August 2018. A random sample of individuals aged 20 years or older who represented urban and rural areas of China were enrolled, with a 99% participation rate. Main Outcomes and Measures: Weighted prevalence of osteoporosis, clinical fracture, and vertebral fracture by age, sex, and urban vs rural residence as determined by x-ray absorptiometry, questionnaire, and radiography. Results: A total of 20 416 participants were included in this study; 20 164 (98.8%; 11 443 women [56.7%]; mean [SD] age, 53 [13] years) had a qualified x-ray absorptiometry image and completed the questionnaire, and 8423 of 8800 (95.7%) had a qualified spine radiograph. The prevalence of osteoporosis among those aged 40 years or older was 5.0% (95% CI, 4.2%-5.8%) among men and 20.6% (95% CI, 19.3%-22.0%) among women. The prevalence of vertebral fracture was 10.5% (95% CI, 9.0%-12.0%) among men and 9.7% (95% CI, 8.2%-11.1%) among women. The prevalence of clinical fracture in the past 5 years was 4.1% (95% CI, 3.3%-4.9%) among men and 4.2% (95% CI, 3.6%-4.7%) among women. Among men and women, 0.3% (95% CI, 0.0%-0.7%) and 1.4% (95% CI, 0.8%-2.0%), respectively, with osteoporosis diagnosed on the basis of bone mineral density or with fracture were receiving antiosteoporosis treatment to prevent fracture. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study of an adult population in mainland China, the prevalence of osteoporosis and vertebral fracture were high and the prevalence of vertebral fracture and clinical fracture was similarly high in men and women. These findings suggest that current guidelines for screening and treatment of fractures among patients in China should focus equally on men and women and should emphasize the prevention of vertebral fractures.

Updates on global epidemiology, risk and prognostic factors of gastric cancer
Wenjuan Yang, Heping Zhao, Yan Yu, Ji-Han Wang +4 more
2023· World Journal of Gastroenterology437doi:10.3748/wjg.v29.i16.2452

Gastric cancer (GC) is defined as the primary epithelial malignancy derived from the stomach, and it is a complicated and heterogeneous disease with multiple risk factors. Despite its overall declining trend of incidence and mortality in various countries over the past few decades, GC remains the fifth most common malignancy and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death globally. Although the global burden of GC has shown a significant downward trend, it remains severe in certain areas, such as Asia. GC ranks third in incidence and mortality among all cancer types in China, and it accounts for nearly 44.0% and 48.6% of new GC cases and GC-related deaths in the world, respectively. The regional differences in GC incidence and mortality are obvious, and annual new cases and deaths are increasing rapidly in some developing regions. Therefore, early preventive and screening strategies for GC are urgently needed. The clinical efficacies of conventional treatments for GC are limited, and the developing understanding of GC pathogenesis has increased the demand for new therapeutic regimens, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, cell immunotherapy and cancer vaccines. The present review describes the epidemiology of GC worldwide, especially in China, summarizes its risk and prognostic factors, and focuses on novel immunotherapies to develop therapeutic strategies for the management of GC patients.

Melatonin prevents <scp>D</scp> rp1‐mediated mitochondrial fission in diabetic hearts through <scp>SIRT</scp> 1‐ <scp>PGC</scp> 1α pathway
Mingge Ding, Na Feng, Daishi Tang, Jiahao Feng +4 more
2018· Journal of Pineal Research396doi:10.1111/jpi.12491

Abstract Myocardial contractile dysfunction is associated with an increase in mitochondrial fission in patients with diabetes. However, whether mitochondrial fission directly promotes diabetes‐induced cardiac dysfunction is still unknown. Melatonin exerts a substantial influence on the regulation of mitochondrial fission/fusion. This study investigated whether melatonin protects against diabetes‐induced cardiac dysfunction via regulation of mitochondrial fission/fusion and explored its underlying mechanisms. Here, we show that melatonin prevented diabetes‐induced cardiac dysfunction by inhibiting dynamin‐related protein 1 (Drp1)‐mediated mitochondrial fission. Melatonin treatment decreased Drp1 expression, inhibited mitochondrial fragmentation, suppressed oxidative stress, reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, improved mitochondrial function and cardiac function in streptozotocin ( STZ )‐induced diabetic mice, but not in SIRT 1 −/− diabetic mice. In high glucose‐exposed H9c2 cells, melatonin treatment increased the expression of SIRT 1 and PGC ‐1α and inhibited Drp1‐mediated mitochondrial fission and mitochondria‐derived superoxide production. In contrast, SIRT 1 or PGC ‐1α si RNA knockdown blunted the inhibitory effects of melatonin on Drp1 expression and mitochondrial fission. These data indicated that melatonin exerted its cardioprotective effects by reducing Drp1‐mediated mitochondrial fission in a SIRT 1/ PGC ‐1α‐dependent manner. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that PGC ‐1α directly regulated the expression of Drp1 by binding to its promoter. Inhibition of mitochondrial fission with Drp1 inhibitor mdivi‐1 suppressed oxidative stress, alleviated mitochondrial dysfunction and cardiac dysfunction in diabetic mice. These findings show that melatonin attenuates the development of diabetes‐induced cardiac dysfunction by preventing mitochondrial fission through SIRT 1‐ PGC 1α pathway, which negatively regulates the expression of Drp1 directly. Inhibition of mitochondrial fission may be a potential target for delaying cardiac complications in patients with diabetes.

Global and regional prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in population-based studies from 2000 to 2022: A pooled analysis of 7.9 million participants
Aiyong Cui, Tiansong Zhang, Peilong Xiao, Zhiqiang Fan +2 more
2023· Frontiers in Nutrition377doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1070808

Background: Vitamin D deficiency causes the bone hypomineralization disorder osteomalacia in humans and is associated with many non-skeletal disorders. We aim to estimate the global and regional prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in people aged 1 year or older from 2000 to 2022. Methods: We systematically searched Web of Science, PubMed (MEDLINE), Embase, Scopus, and Google databases on December 31, 2021, and updated them on August 20, 2022, without language and time restrictions. Meanwhile, we identified references of relevant system reviews and eligible articles and included the latest and unpublished data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2015-2016 and 2017-2018) database. The studies investigating the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in population-based studies were included. A standardized data extraction form was used to collect information from eligible studies. We used a random-effects meta-analysis to estimate the global and regional prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. We stratified meta-analyses by latitude, season, six WHO regions, the World Bank income groups, gender, and age groups. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021292586). Findings: Out of 67,340 records searched, 308 studies with 7,947,359 participants from 81 countries were eligible for this study, 202 (7,634,261 participants), 284 (1,475,339 participants), and 165 (561,978 participants) studies for the prevalence of serum 25(OH)D <30, <50, and <75 nmol/L, respectively. We found that globally, 15.7% (95% CrI 13.7-17.8), 47.9% (95% CrI 44.9-50.9), and 76·6% (95% CrI 74.0-79.1) of participants had serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels less than 30, 50, and 75 nmol/l, respectively; the prevalence slightly decreased from 2000-2010 to 2011-2022, but it was still at a high level; people living in high latitude areas had a higher prevalence; the prevalence in winter-spring was 1.7 (95% CrI 1.4-2.0) times that in summer-autumn; the Eastern Mediterranean region and Lower-middle-income countries had a higher prevalence; females were vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency; gender, sampling frame, detection assays, sampling region, time of data collection, season, and other factors contributed to heterogeneity between the included studies. Interpretation: Globally, vitamin D deficiency remained prevalent from 2000 to 2022. The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency would increase the global burden of disease. Therefore, governments, policymakers, health workers, and individuals should attach importance to the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and take its prevention as a public health priority. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021292586, PROSPERO CRD42021292586.

Survivin and Tumorigenesis: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies
Xun Chen, Ning Duan, Caiguo Zhang, Wentao Zhang
2016· Journal of Cancer345doi:10.7150/jca.13332

Survivin is the smallest member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family, which has key roles in regulating cell division and inhibiting apoptosis by blocking caspase activation. Survivin is highly expressed in most human cancers, such as lung, pancreatic and breast cancers, relative to normal tissues. Aberrant survivin expression is associated with tumor cell proliferation, progression, angiogenesis, therapeutic resistance, and poor prognosis. Studies on the underlying molecular mechanisms indicate that survivin is involved in the regulation of cytokinesis and cell cycle progression, as well as participates in a variety of signaling pathways such as the p53, Wnt, hypoxia, transforming growth factor, and Notch signaling pathways. In this review, recent progress in understanding the molecular basis of survivin is discussed. Therapeutic strategies targeting survivin in preclinical studies are also briefly summarized.

NLRP3 inflammasome activation triggers gasdermin D–independent inflammation
Chun Wang, Tong Yang, Jianqiu Xiao, Canxin Xu +4 more
2021· Science Immunology285doi:10.1126/sciimmunol.abj3859

mice. Thus, NLRP3 inflammasome activation overwhelms the protection afforded by GSDMD deficiency, rewiring signaling cascades through mechanisms that include GSDME to propagate inflammation.

Diversity analysis of gut microbiota in osteoporosis and osteopenia patients
Jihan Wang, Yangyang Wang, Wenjie Gao, Biao Wang +4 more
2017· PeerJ234doi:10.7717/peerj.3450

Some evidence suggests that bone health can be regulated by gut microbiota. To better understand this, we performed 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing to analyze the intestinal microbial diversity in primary osteoporosis (OP) patients, osteopenia (ON) patients and normal controls (NC). We observed an inverse correlation between the number of bacterial taxa and the value of bone mineral density. The diversity estimators in the OP and ON groups were increased compared with those in the NC group. Beta diversity analyses based on hierarchical clustering and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) could discriminate the NC samples from OP and ON samples. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria constituted the four dominant phyla in all samples. Proportion of Firmicutes was significantly higher and Bacteroidetes was significantly lower in OP samples than that in NC samples ( p &lt; 0.05), Gemmatimonadetes and Chloroflexi were significantly different between OP and NC group as well as between ON and NC group ( p &lt; 0.01). A total of 21 genera with proportions above 1% were detected and Bacteroides accounted for the largest proportion in all samples. The Blautia, Parabacteroides and Ruminococcaceae genera differed significantly between the OP and NC group ( p &lt; 0.05). Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) results showed one phylum community and seven phylum communities were enriched in ON and OP, respectively. Thirty-five genus communities, five genus communities and two genus communities were enriched in OP, ON and NC, respectively. The results of this study indicate that gut microbiota may be a critical factor in osteoporosis development, which can further help us search for novel biomarkers of gut microbiota in OP and understand the interaction between gut microbiota and bone health.

Quercetin prevents necroptosis of oligodendrocytes by inhibiting macrophages/microglia polarization to M1 phenotype after spinal cord injury in rats
Hong Fan, Hai‐Bin Tang, Lequn Shan, Shichang Liu +4 more
2019· Journal of Neuroinflammation224doi:10.1186/s12974-019-1613-2

BACKGROUND: Oligodendrocytes (OLs) death after spinal cord injury (SCI) contributes to demyelination, even leading to a permanent neurological deficit. Besides apoptosis, our previous study demonstrated that OLs underwent receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinase 3(RIP3)/mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL)-mediated necroptosis. Considering that necroptosis is always accompanied with pro-inflammatory response and quercetin has long been used as anti-inflammatory agent, in the present study we investigated whether quercetin could inhibit necroptosis of OLs and suppress the M1 macrophages/microglia-mediated immune response after SCI as well as the possible mechanism. METHODS: In this study, we applied quercetin, an important flavonoid component of various herbs, to treat rats with SCI and rats injected with saline were employed as the control group. Locomotor functional recovery was evaluated using Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scoring and rump-height Index (RHI) assay. In vivo, the necroptosis, apoptosis, and regeneration of OLs were detected by immunohistochemistry, 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation. The loss of myelin and axons after SCI were evaluated by Luxol fast blue (LFB) staining, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopic study. The polarization of macrophages/microglia after SCI and the underlying mechanisms were detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. In vitro, the ATP and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level examination, propidium iodide (PI) labeling, and Western blotting were used to analyze the necroptosis of cultured OLs, while the signaling pathways-mediated polarization of cultured macrophages/microglia was detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: We demonstrated that quercetin treatment improved functional recovery in rats after SCI. We then found that quercetin significantly reduced necroptosis of OLs after SCI without influencing apoptosis and regeneration of OLs. Meanwhile, myelin loss and axon loss were also significantly reduced in quercetin-treated rats, as compared to SCI + saline control. Further, we revealed that quercetin could suppress macrophages/microglia polarized to M1 phenotype through inhibition of STAT1 and NF-κB pathway in vivo and in vitro, which contributes to the decreased necroptosis of OLs. CONCLUSIONS: Quercetin treatment alleviated necroptosis of OLs partially by inhibiting M1 macrophages/microglia polarization after SCI. Our findings suggest that necroptosis of OLs may be a potential therapeutic target for clinical SCI.

Passiflora edulis: An Insight Into Current Researches on Phytochemistry and Pharmacology
Xirui He, Fei Luan, Yan Yang, Ze Wang +4 more
2020· Frontiers in Pharmacology220doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.00617

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), a highly aromatic fruit and known as "the King of Fruits", is widely grown in tropical and subtropical areas of the world and becomes popular because of balanced nutrition and health benefits. P. edulis contain more than 119 phytochemical compounds and major bioactive components are polyphenol, flavonoids and polysaccharide. These components showed a wide range of health effects and biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-hypertensive, anti-tumor, antidiabetic, hypolipidemic activities, etc. Daily consumption of passion fruit at common doses seem non-toxic and safe. P. edulis has great potential development and the vast future application for this economically important crop worldwide, and it is in great demand as a fresh product or a formula for food, health care products or medicines. This mini-review provide systematically reorganized information on physiochemical features, nutritional benefits, biological activities, toxicity and potential applications of leaves, stems, fruits, and peels of P. edulis.

CDK4/6 inhibition promotes immune infiltration in ovarian cancer and synergizes with PD-1 blockade in a B cell-dependent manner
Qian‐Feng Zhang, Jia Li, Kuo Jiang, Rui Wang +4 more
2020· Theranostics198doi:10.7150/thno.44871

These findings suggest that combined treatment with CDK4/6i and anti-PD-1 antibody could improve the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy and hold great promise for the treatment of poorly immune-infiltrated ovarian cancer.

Oxidative stress in intervertebral disc degeneration: Molecular mechanisms, pathogenesis and treatment
Yidian Wang, Huiguang Cheng, Tao Wang, Kun Zhang +2 more
2023· Cell Proliferation197doi:10.1111/cpr.13448

Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of labour loss and disability worldwide, and it also imposes a severe economic burden on patients and society. Among symptomatic LBP, approximately 40% is caused by intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). IDD is the pathological basis of many spinal degenerative diseases such as disc herniation and spinal stenosis. Currently, the therapeutic approaches for IDD mainly include conservative treatment and surgical treatment, neither of which can solve the problem from the root by terminating the degenerative process of the intervertebral disc (IVD). Therefore, further exploring the pathogenic mechanisms of IDD and adopting targeted therapeutic strategies is one of the current research hotspots. Among the complex pathophysiological processes and pathogenic mechanisms of IDD, oxidative stress is considered as the main pathogenic factor. The delicate balance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants is essential for maintaining the normal function and survival of IVD cells. Excessive ROS levels can cause damage to macromolecules such as nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins of cells, affect normal cellular activities and functions, and ultimately lead to cell senescence or death. This review discusses the potential role of oxidative stress in IDD to further understand the pathophysiological processes and pathogenic mechanisms of IDD and provides potential therapeutic strategies for the treatment of IDD.

Overview of RAW264.7 for osteoclastogensis study: Phenotype and stimuli
Lingbo Kong, Wanli W. Smith, Dingjun Hao
2019· Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine173doi:10.1111/jcmm.14277

Bone homeostasis is preserved by the balance of maintaining between the activity of osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis. However, investigations for the osteoclastogenesis were hampered by considerable difficulties associated with isolating and culturing osteoclast in vivo. As the alternative, stimuli-induced osteoclasts formation from RAW264.7 cells (RAW-OCs) have gain its importance for extensively osteoclastogenic study of bone diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, osteolysis and periodontitis. However, considering the RAW-OCs have not yet been well-characterized and RAW264.7 cells are polymorphic because of a diverse phenotype of the individual cells comprising this cell linage, and different fate associated with various stimuli contributions. Thus, in present study, we provide an overview for current knowledge of the phenotype of RAW264.7 cells, as well as the current understanding of the complicated interactions between various stimuli and RAW-OCs in the light of the recent progress.

Advances in mechanism and regulation of PANoptosis: Prospects in disease treatment
Peng Zhu, Zhuo-Ran Ke, Jing-Xian Chen, Shijin Li +2 more
2023· Frontiers in Immunology170doi:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1120034

PANoptosis, a new research hotspot at the moment, is a cell death pattern in which pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis all occur in the same cell population. In essence, PANoptosis is a highly coordinated and dynamically balanced programmed inflammatory cell death pathway that combines the main features of pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis. Many variables, such as infection, injury, or self-defect, may be involved in the occurrence of PANoptosis, with the assembly and activation of the PANoptosome being the most critical. PANoptosis has been linked to the development of multiple systemic diseases in the human body, including infectious diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and inflammatory diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the process of occurrence, the regulatory mechanism of PANoptosis, and its relation to diseases. In this paper, we summarized the differences and relations between PANoptosis and the three types of programmed cell death, and emphatically expounded molecular mechanism and regulatory patterns of PANoptosis, with the expectation of facilitating the application of PANoptosis regulation in disease treatment.

Pulmonary embolism and 529 human blood metabolites: genetic correlation and two-sample Mendelian randomization study
Ruoyang Feng, Mengnan Lu, Jiawen Xu, Feng Zhang +4 more
2022· BMC Genomic Data167doi:10.1186/s12863-022-01082-6

BACKGROUND: The incidence of pulmonary embolism complications in the literature ranges from 10 to 50%, with a 0.5-10% risk of fatal pulmonary embolism. However, the biological cause of pulmonary embolism is unknown. METHODS: This study used data from the Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) of Pulmonary Embolism and Human Blood Metabolites from the UK Biobank, and the data from subjects of European ancestry were analyzed. We explored the relationship between pulmonary embolism and blood metabolites in three ways. We first analyzed the genetic correlation between pulmonary embolism and human blood metabolites using the linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) and then analyzed the causal relationship between pulmonary embolism and meaningful blood metabolites obtained from the LDSC, a procedure for which we used Mendelian randomization analysis. Finally, we obtained transcriptome sequencing data for patients with a pulmonary embolism from the GEO database, analyzed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in patients with pulmonary embolism versus healthy populations, and compared the DEGs with the resulting blood metabolite genes to further validate the relationship between pulmonary embolism and blood metabolites. RESULT: We found six human blood metabolites genetically associated with pulmonary embolism, stearic acid glycerol phosphate ethanolamine (correlation coefficient = 0.2582, P = 0.0493), hydroxytryptophan (correlation coefficient = 0.2894, P = 0.0435), and N1-methyladenosine (correlation coefficient = 0.0439, P = 0.3728), and a significant causal relationship was discovered between hydroxytryptophan and pulmonary embolism. After screening microarray data from the GEO database, we performed differential gene analysis on the GSE19151 dataset and screened a total of 22,216 genes with P values less than 0.05, including 17,361 upregulated genes and 4854 downregulated genes. By comparing the resulting differentially expressed genes with six genes encoding blood metabolites, LIPC and NAT2 were found to be differentially expressed in association with pulmonary embolism.

Engineering Large‐Scale Self‐Mineralizing Bone Organoids with Bone Matrix‐Inspired Hydroxyapatite Hybrid Bioinks
Jian Wang, Yan Wu, Guangfeng Li, Fengjin Zhou +4 more
2024· Advanced Materials163doi:10.1002/adma.202309875

Addressing large bone defects remains a significant challenge owing to the inherent limitations in self-healing capabilities, resulting in prolonged recovery and suboptimal regeneration. Although current clinical solutions are available, they have notable shortcomings, necessitating more efficacious approaches to bone regeneration. Organoids derived from stem cells show great potential in this field; however, the development of bone organoids has been hindered by specific demands, including the need for robust mechanical support provided by scaffolds and hybrid extracellular matrices (ECM). In this context, bioprinting technologies have emerged as powerful means of replicating the complex architecture of bone tissue. The research focused on the fabrication of a highly intricate bone ECM analog using a novel bioink composed of gelatin methacrylate/alginate methacrylate/hydroxyapatite (GelMA/AlgMA/HAP). Bioprinted scaffolds facilitate the long-term cultivation and progressive maturation of extensive bioprinted bone organoids, foster multicellular differentiation, and offer valuable insights into the initial stages of bone formation. The intrinsic self-mineralizing quality of the bioink closely emulates the properties of natural bone, empowering organoids with enhanced bone repair for both in vitro and in vivo applications. This trailblazing investigation propels the field of bone tissue engineering and holds significant promise for its translation into practical applications.

Mesenchymal stem cell related therapies for cartilage lesions and osteoarthritis.
Rui Zhang, Jun Ma, Jing Han, W Zhang +1 more
2019· PubMed160

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease characterized by cartilage degradation, synovitis, subchondral bone sclerosis and osteophyte formation. Current therapeutic approaches for OA are not curative and only temporarily alleviate symptoms. In recent years, pre-clinical experiments and clinical trials have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) related therapy is a promising option for the treatment of cartilage lesions and OA. MSCs isolated from bone marrow (BMSCs) have been widely used in animal models and clinic practice to demonstrate their chondrogenic potential, however the incidence of BMSC donors is low. Adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs) are a more easily accessible source of stem cells for OA treatment. MSC related therapies for cartilage lesions and OA include tissue engineering of MSC transplantation, scaffold-free injection of stem cells and cell-free injection of exosomes into the injured joints. Although a great deal of effort is required at the basic and clinical research fronts, the promise is that improved cell-based therapies will ultimately lead to the repair of damaged or diseased joints, and MSC exosome therapy for OA could be a safer, cheaper and a more effective treatment modality. MSC related therapy is predicted to become a regular and routine regenerative medicine for OA treatment in future clinical practice.

M2 macrophage-derived exosomes promote diabetic fracture healing by acting as an immunomodulator
Yili Wang, Qiushui Lin, Hao Zhang, Sicheng Wang +4 more
2023· Bioactive Materials159doi:10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.05.018

Diabetes mellitus is a chronically inflamed disease that predisposes to delayed fracture healing. Macrophages play a key role in the process of fracture healing by undergoing polarization into either M1 or M2 subtypes, which respectively exhibit pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory functions. Therefore, modulation of macrophage polarization to the M2 subtype is beneficial for fracture healing. Exosomes perform an important role in improving the osteoimmune microenvironment due to their extremely low immunogenicity and high bioactivity. In this study, we extracted the M2-exosomes and used them to intervene the bone repair in diabetic fractures. The results showed that M2-exosomes significantly modulate the osteoimmune microenvironment by decreasing the proportion of M1 macrophages, thereby accelerating diabetic fracture healing. We further confirmed that M2-exosomes induced the conversion of M1 macrophages into M2 macrophages by stimulating the PI3K/AKT pathway. Our study offers a fresh perspective and a potential therapeutic approach for M2-exosomes to improve diabetic fracture healing.

Evaluation of efficacy on RANKL induced osteoclast from RAW264.7 cells
Chengchao Song, Xiaobin Yang, Yongsheng Lei, Zhen Zhang +3 more
2018· Journal of Cellular Physiology149doi:10.1002/jcp.27852

Abstract Established RAW264.7 cell lines for osteoclastic differentiation has been widely engaged in bone homeostasis research, however, the efficacy of RANKL independently stimulating has rarely been defined, because protocols were usually developed and modified by various laboratories. Otherwise, problematic issues are also lie in the cell's seeding density, RANKL stimulating time point, and distinguishing osteoclastogenesis ability of RANKL‐treated RAW264.7 cells. Therefore, in the current study, we examined the efficacy of various concentrations of RANKL‐treated RAW264.7 for its osteoclastic differentiation with or without pretreated other costimulators such as: LPS and/or M‐CSF. The oteoclastogenesis ability of RANKL‐treated RAW264.7 cells was demonstrated by bone resorption pit, F‐actin, and osteoclastogenesis specific marker studies. Besides that, through tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining, we clarified to start the treatment with 30 ng/ml RANKL at 12 hr after seeded RAW264.7 with the density of 6.25 × 10 3 cells/cm 2 manifested an significantly increased number of multinucleated osteoclastic cells. Overall, our results establishing an optimal method for RANKL independently inducing RAW 264.7 cell osteoclastic differentiation, which could efficiently generate osteoclasts in vitro for significant advances in our understanding of bone biology.

lncRNA/circRNA‑miRNA‑mRNA ceRNA network in lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration
Jinwen Zhu, Xinliang Zhang, Wenjie Gao, Huimin Hu +2 more
2019· Molecular Medicine Reports145doi:10.3892/mmr.2019.10569

Accumulating evidence has indicated that noncoding RNAs are involved in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD); however, the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA)‑mediated regulatory mechanisms in IDD remain rarely reported. The present study aimed to comprehensively investigate the alterations in expression levels of circular RNA (circRNA), long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), microRNA (miRNA/miR) and mRNA in the nucleus pulposus (NP) of patients with IDD. In addition, crucial lncRNA/circRNA‑miRNA‑mRNA ceRNA interaction axes were screened using the GSE67567 microarray dataset obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. After data preprocessing, differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs), lncRNAs (DELs), miRNAs (DEMs) or genes (DEGs) between IDD and normal controls were identified using the Linear Models for Microarray data method. A protein‑protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed for DEGs based on protein databases, followed by module analysis. The ceRNA network was constructed based on the interaction between miRNAs and mRNAs, and lncRNAs/circRNAs and miRNAs. The underlying functions of mRNAs were predicted using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery database. The present study identified 636 DECs, 115 DELs, 84 DEMs and 1,040 DEGs between patients with IDD and control individuals. PPI network analysis demonstrated that Fos proto‑oncogene, AP‑1 transcription factor subunit (FOS), mitogen‑activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit α (HIF1A) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGFB1) were hub genes and enriched in modules. Metastasis‑associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1)/hsa_circRNA_102348‑hsa‑​miR‑185‑5p‑TGFB1/FOS, MALAT1‑hsa‑miR‑155‑5p‑HIF1A, hsa_circRNA_102399‑hsa‑miR‑302a‑3p‑HIF1A, MALAT1‑hsa‑​miR‑519d‑3p‑MAPK1 and hsa_circRNA_100086‑hsa‑miR‑509‑3p‑MAPK1 ceRNA axes were obtained by constructing the ceRNA networks. In conclusion, these identified ceRNA interaction axes may be crucial targets for the treatment of IDD.

The role of oxidative stress in the development of knee osteoarthritis: A comprehensive research review
Lin Liu, Pan Luo, Mingyi Yang, Jiachen Wang +2 more
2022· Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences143doi:10.3389/fmolb.2022.1001212

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common degenerative diseases, and its core feature is the degeneration and damage of articular cartilage. The cartilage degeneration of KOA is due to the destruction of dynamic balance caused by the activation of chondrocytes by various factors, with oxidative stress playing an important role in the pathogenesis of KOA. The overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a result of oxidative stress, which is caused by a redox process that goes awry in the inherent antioxidant defence system of the human body. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) inside and outside chondrocytes plays a key role in regulating ROS in cartilage. Additionally, synovitis is a key factor in the development of KOA. In an inflammatory environment, hypoxia in synovial cells leads to mitochondrial damage, which leads to an increase in ROS levels, which further aggravates synovitis. In addition, oxidative stress significantly accelerates the telomere shortening and ageing of chondrocytes, while ageing promotes the development of KOA, damages the regulation of redox of mitochondria in cartilage, and stimulates ROS production to further aggravate KOA. At present, there are many drugs to regulate the level of ROS, but these drugs still need to be developed and verified in animal models of KOA. We discuss mainly how oxidative stress plays a part in the development of KOA. Although the current research has achieved some results, more research is needed.