Scientific Publications

Allergic asthma is a heterogeneous disease involving numerous inflammatory cells. Mast cell (MC) plays a key role during allergic asthma. Saikosaponin A (SSA) inhibits MC activation and ameliorates allergic asthma, however, its underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to identify SSA-binding proteins and reveal their functions.

• Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944711325000753?via%3Dihub

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a clinically heterogeneous malignancy with diverse patient outcomes, largely influenced by the tumor microenvironment (TME). Understanding the roles of fibroblasts and macrophages within the TME is essential for developing personalized therapeutic strategies in DLBCL.

• Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00262-025-03968-7

Background: Gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA), which has been classified as type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction in western countries, is similar to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in geographical distribution, treatment methods, clinical symptoms and the adjacent localization in China, and is even called "sister cancer" by Chinese oncologists. The absence of specific early symptoms and biomarkers leads to late-stage diagnosis, while early diagnosis and biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity are critical to improve overall survival and assess prognosis in patients with GCA.

• Link: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5144640

T-cell receptor (TCR) γδ-expressing cells are conserved lymphocytes of innate immunity involved in first-line defense and immune surveillance. TCRγδ recognizes protein/nonprotein ligands without the help of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), especially via direct binding to protein ligands, which is dependent primarily on the δ chain complementary determining region 3 (CDR3δ). However, the mechanism of protein‒antigen recognition by human γδ TCRs remains poorly defined. We hypothesize that γδ TCRs recognize self-proteins expressed ectopically on the cell membrane that are derived from intracellular components under stress. Here, we mapped 16 intercellular self-proteins among 21,000 proteins with a huProteinChip as putative ligands for Vδ1/Vδ2 TCRs, 13 for Vδ1 TCRs and 3 for Vδ2 TCRs.

• Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41423-025-01258-x

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic immune-mediated demyelinating disease of the CNS. Highlighted by the success of B-cell–depleting therapies such as the monoclonal anti-CD20 antibodies rituximab, ocrelizumab, and ofatumumab, B cells have been shown to play a central role in the immunopathology of the disease. Yet, the target antigens of the pathogenic B-cell response in MS remain unclear.

• Link: https://www.neurology.org/doi/full/10.1212/NXI.0000000000200374

Autoantibodies (AAb) are an immunological resource ripe for exploitation in cancer detection and treatment. Key to this translation is a better understanding of the self-epitope that AAb target in tumor tissue, but do not bind to in normal tissue. Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) on self-proteins are known to break tolerance in many autoimmune diseases and have also recently been described in cancer.

• Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0958166923001660?via%3Dihub

Saikosaponin b1 (Ssb1), a natural oleanane-type triterpenoid saponin, exhibits antifibrosis activity by inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), but the specific underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. Here, it is found that Ssb1 could directly bind with the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and effectively inhibit the activation of HSCs. Proteomic techniques and molecular simulation revealed that Ssb1 is mainly bound to the S319 residues of STAT3 in the coiled-coil domain. Further studies indicated that Ssb1 binding with STAT3 inhibited its transcriptional activity, and regulated glioma-associated oncogene-1 (Gli1) expression in the Hedgehog signaling pathway.

• Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/EXP.70000

Tumor-associated antigens (TAA) are proteins expressed during the growth and development of tumor cells, and TAA autoantibodies (TAAbs) can be detected in the serum of lung cancer patients, which can be utilized in the early screening of lung cancer. Almost all the TAAbs applied for diagnosis are those elevated, however, there are still large numbers of autoantibodies detected to decrease in tumor serums, and their functions were rarely known. Diagnosing malignant small lung nodules (≤3cm) in CT scans remains a challenge in clinical practice.

• Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1538071/full

Infection with Influenza A virus (IAV) induces severe inflammatory responses and lung injury, contributing significantly to mortality and morbidity rates. Alterations in the microbial composition of the lungs and intestinal tract resulting from infection could influence disease progression and treatment outcomes. Xiyanping (XYP) injection has demonstrated efficacy in clinical treatment across various viral infections. However, its specific effects and mechanisms against IAV remain unclear. In this study, we established an IAV infection mice model, and utilized 16 S rRNA sequencing, RNA sequencing, protein chips, and molecular docking, to investigate the mechanisms of XYP injection on altering pulmonary and gut microbiota, and identifying its target sites.

• Link: https://virologyj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12985-025-02636-7

Cholestasis is a multifactorial hepatobiliary disorder, characterized by obstruction of bile flow and accumulation of bile, which in turn causes damage to liver cells and other tissues. In severe cases, it can result in the development of life-threatening conditions, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. Paeoniflorin (PF) has been demonstrated to possess favourable therapeutic potential for the treatment of cholestasis. The objective of this research was to examine the molecular mechanism of PF in the treatment of ANIT-induced cholestasis and to propose novel avenues for further research on the pharmacological effects of PF. In vivo and in vitro models of cholestasis were developed.

• Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10753-025-02245-0