中南大学学报(医学版)最新文献

Klotho (KL) protein is a key renoprotective protein that exerts organ-protective effects through regulation of mineral metabolism, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, anti-aging signaling, modulation of autophagy, and inhibition of fibrosis. KL levels decline from the early stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and are correlated with disease severity, indicating its strong potential as an early diagnostic biomarker. However, current KL-targeted therapies have not yet achieved clinical translation. Recent studies demonstrate that engineered fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) binding peptides show up to a 2 300-fold increase in affinity for KL, providing a basis for developing high-sensitivity KL assays. In parallel, persistent activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) may represent a major mechanism driving KL ubiquitination and degradation. The emerging deubiquitinase-targeting chimera (DUBTAC) technology protects target proteins from degradation by inhibiting their ubiquitination. The combination of engineered FGF-23 binding peptides and KL-targeted DUBTAC technology may accelerate clinical development of sensitive detection and targeted therapeutic strategies for KL, holding substantial clinical significance for CKD management.

Root canal treatment for primary teeth is a critical therapy aimed at eliminating infected tissue, relieving pain, and preserving the primary tooth until its natural exfoliation and replacement. The success of this treatment largely depends on the choice of root canal filling materials. In recent years, driven by advances in materials science and biomedicine, research on primary-tooth root canal filling materials has made substantial progress, including optimization of traditional materials such as zinc oxide-eugenol (ZOE) and calcium hydroxide-iodoform mixtures, as well as the development and increasing clinical adoption of novel materials such as calcium silicate bioceramics and bioactive glass. Currently used clinical materials show distinct characteristics: ZOE exhibits strong antibacterial activity but slow resorption; calcium hydroxide materials demonstrate favorable biocompatibility but overly rapid resorption; iodoform-based materials present relatively high short-term clinical success, though supporting evidence is mainly derived from short-term follow-up; calcium silicate bioceramics possess good bioactivity but weaker antibacterial effects; and antibiotic-based materials are applicable in non-instrumental treatment but carry risks including resistance, discoloration, and tooth staining. Clinical selection requires integrated consideration of material performance, tooth condition, child cooperation, treatment cost, and economic burden. Summarizing the antibacterial properties, biocompatibility, and recent clinical research progress of primary-tooth canal filling materials, and outlining their future development directions based on emerging material-design concepts (such as antibacterial-osteogenic dual-functional microspheres, injectable bioceramics, and light-responsive nanozyme systems), may provide references for pediatric dental clinical practice and new material research and development.

The unique characteristics of the deep space environment, microgravity, cosmic radiation, and extreme temperature fluctuations, are emerging as major driving forces for pharmaceutical innovation. These factors provide new avenues for optimizing drug formulations, improving crystal structure quality, and accelerating the discovery of therapeutic targets. Advances in deep space research not only help overcome critical bottlenecks in terrestrial drug development but also promote progress in structure-based drug design and deepen understanding of cellular stress-response mechanisms. Current progress in space-based pharmaceutical research primarily includes the study of disease mechanisms under microgravity, protein crystallization in microgravity, and drug development utilizing deep space radiation and resources. However, the operational complexity, high costs, and limited data reproducibility of space experiments remain key challenges hindering widespread application. Looking ahead, with the integration of automation, artificial intelligence analysis, and on-orbit manufacturing, deep space drug development is expected to achieve greater scalability and precision, opening a new frontier in biopharmaceutical science.

Long-term spaceflight exposes astronauts to multiple extreme environmental factors, such as cosmic radiation, microgravity, social isolation, and circadian rhythm disruption, that markedly increase the risk of depressive symptoms, posing a direct threat to mental health and mission safety. However, the underlying biological mechanisms remain complex and incompletely understood. The potential mechanisms of spaceflight-induced depressive symptoms involve multiple domains, including alterations in brain structure and function, dysregulation of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, neuroendocrine system imbalance, and gut microbiota disturbances. Collectively, these changes may constitute the biological foundation of depressive in astronauts during spaceflight. Space-related stressors may increase the risk of depressive symptoms through several pathways: impairing hippocampal neuroplasticity, suppressing dopaminergic and serotonergic system function, reducing neurotrophic factor expression, triggering oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and disrupting gut microbiota homeostasis. Future research should integrate advanced technologies such as brain-computer interfaces to develop individualized monitoring and intervention strategies, enabling real-time detection and effective prevention of depressive symptoms to safeguard astronauts' psychological well-being and mission safety.