Pu Shao’s research while affiliated with Jilin University and other places

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation, tissue damage, and fibrosis, significantly affecting the quality of life. While there are currently some effective treatments available, they often come with side effects. There is an urgent need to find new treatments that can further improve therapeutic outcomes and reduce side effects. Methods Our study investigates the role of Mesenchymal Stem Cell exosomes (MSC-exo) combined with Ginsenoside Rh2 (Rh2) in the treatment of RA. We specifically focus on how this combined strategy influences macrophage polarization and pyroptosis. This research utilized a collagen-induced rat arthritis model. Results The study findings reveal that the combination of MSC-exo combined with Rh2 can inhibit the polarization of M1 macrophages, increase the proportion of M2-like macrophages, and suppress M1-like macrophage pyroptosis via the NLRP3/Caspase11/GSDMD-N pathway. In the rat arthritis model, the combination of MSC-exo and Rh2 showed synergistic therapeutic effects. Conclusion This research contributes to a deeper understanding of RA’s pathogenesis and presents new potential targeted therapeutic interventions. The combined application of MSC-exo and Rh2 offers promising insights for future innovative strategies in RA treatment, paving the way for more effective management of this autoimmune disease.

Background Surgical planning for anterior shoulder instability (ASI) necessitates accurate measurements of glenoid bone defects, but current methods are either challenging or too complex for practical use. This underscores the need for a simplified, but precise, assessment technique for anterior glenoid bone defects. Purpose To introduce a new measurement technique that requires only computed tomography (CT) of the affected shoulder joint and simultaneously simplifies the assessment of bone defects in the anterior glenoid. Study Design Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3. Methods CT scans of the glenoid from 285 healthy participants and 43 patients with unilateral ASI were collected and reconstructed in 3 dimensions. Initially, we established the proportional relationship between the maximum height and width in the superior-inferior and anterior-posterior directions of the glenoid as well as the location of their intersection (point O) in healthy participants. Subsequently, glenoid bone defects in patients with ASI were measured using the contralateral comparison method, the best-fit circle method, the CT-specific formula method, and our novel proportional method. We analyzed the differences in defect ratios and sizes as well as glenoid track calculations among the 4 methods. Results The mean width-to-height ratio of the glenoid was determined to be 0.69 ± 0.04, allowing for the simplification of the calculation to width = 0.7 × height for clinical convenience. Point O was consistently located at the lower one-third of the glenoid height. There was no statistical significance noted in the measurements of bone defect size and bone defect ratio when comparing the novel proportional method, the contralateral comparison method, and the best-fit circle method; however, a significant increase in bone defect size and bone defect ratio was estimated with the CT-specific formula method (defect size: F = 19.20, P < .0001; defect ratio: F = 15.99, P < .0001). Conclusion We introduced a novel method for estimating the width of glenoid bone defects through the proportion of glenoid width to height, finding that 70% of the glenoid height at its lower one-third closely approximated its maximum width. This approach, requiring only CT data from the affected shoulder, simplified calculations and matched the accuracy of traditional methods. It offers potential clinical benefits in evaluating glenoid defects.

The extensive utilization of iron oxide nanoparticles in medical and life science domains has led to a substantial rise in both occupational and public exposure to these particles. The potential toxicity of nanoparticles to living organisms, their impact on the environment, and the associated risks to human health have garnered significant attention and come to be a prominent area in contemporary research. The comprehension of the potential toxicity of nanoparticles has emerged as a crucial concern to safeguard human health and facilitate the secure advancement of nanotechnology. As nanocarriers and targeting agents, the biocompatibility of them determines the use scope and application prospects, meanwhile surface modification becomes an important measure to improve the biocompatibility. Three different types of iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4, Fe3O4@PDA and MSCM-Fe3O4@PDA) were injected into mice through the tail veins. The acute neurotoxicity of them in mice was evaluated by measuring the levels of autophagy and apoptosis in the brain tissues. Our data revealed that iron oxide nanoparticles could cause nervous system damage by regulating the ASK1/JNK signaling pathway. Apoptosis and autophagy may play potential roles in this process. Exposure to combined surface functionalization of mesenchymal stem cell membrane and polydopamine showed the neuroprotective effect and may alleviate brain nervous system disorders.

Background Osteomyelitis variolosa is a self-limiting disease triggered by variola virus that cannot be prevented or repaired. Smallpox has been eradicated for 40 years, and complications that remain after smallpox has been cured have become a remarkable diagnostic challenge for contemporary physicians. In this systematic review, we searched PubMed (MEDLINE), Web of Science, and Google Scholar for cases on complications, diagnosis, and treatment for osteomyelitis variolosa between January 1980 and February 2021. Results Ten papers and eleven finished cases, all patients from India, were included for comparison with the present case. In total, 100% of patients presented with bilateral elbow deformities, the ankle was the second most common site of lesion in 50%, and knee lesions accounted for 25% in this study. Flexion contracture, joint instability, secondary arthritis, and fracture are common complications of osteomyelitis variolosa, and most patients receive conservative treatment, while internal fixation has good results for combined fractures. Conclusions Although osteomyelitis variolosa is not a direct threat to the safety of patients, severe skeletal deformities can have a significant impact on quality of life. With advances in surgical techniques, clinicians are offering an increasing number of treatment options for patients with osteomyelitis variolosa. However, most importantly, smallpox has basically been removed from the historical arena, and for areas where smallpox was once endemic, physicians need to deepen the understanding of this disease again.

One of the most promising treatments for neurodegenerative diseases is the stem cell therapy; however, there are still some limitations in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, superparamagnetic nanoparticles composed of magnetic Fe3O4 and polydopamine shells were used to label human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) in order to increase the targeting of hUC-MSCs. Our data suggested that Fe3O4@PDA labeling increase the efficiency of hUC-MSCs entering the brain. Moreover, the water maze test showed that compared with hUC-MSCs only, Fe3O4@PDA-labeled hUC-MSCs improved the cognitive ability of APP/PS1 transgenic mice more significantly. Other experimental data showed that the expression of essential proteins in the hippocampus, such as Aβ, synaptophysin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, are affected by Fe3O4@PDA coated-hUC-MSCs. The regulation of Fe3O4@PDA coated-hUC-MSCs could improve the memory and cognitive ability of AD mice by excessive generation of neuroprotective factors, which might be considered a viable therapy to treat AD.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a classic autoimmune disease characterized by uncontrolled synovial proliferation, pannus formation, cartilage injury, and bone destruction. The specific pathogenesis of RA, a chronic inflammatory disease, remains unclear. However, both key glycolysis rate-limiting enzymes, hexokinase-II (HK-II), phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1), and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), as well as indirect rate-limiting enzymes, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), are thought to participate in the pathogenesis of RA. In here, we review the latest literature on the pathogenesis of RA, introduce the pathophysiological characteristics of HK-II, PFK-1/PFKFB3, and PKM2 and their expression characteristics in this autoimmune disease, and systematically assess the association between the glycolytic rate-limiting enzymes and RA from a molecular level. Moreover, we highlight HK-II, PFK-1/PFKFB3, and PKM2 as potential targets for the clinical treatment of RA. There is great potential to develop new anti-rheumatic therapies through safe inhibition or overexpression of glycolysis rate-limiting enzymes.

Fe3O4 nanoparticles are widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases due to their superparamagnetism, but their toxicity in vivo, which can result in apoptosis or autophagy, cannot be ignored. It has been reported that polydopamine (PDA) modification can reduce the toxicity of Fe3O4 and increase its biocompatibility. However, more research is warranted to further improve the modification method. We therefore developed a new method to coat Fe3O4@PDA nanoparticles with the mesenchymal stem cell membrane (MSCM) and evaluated the toxicity of the modified particles in the lungs of mice. We found that the MSCM modification significantly reduced lung injury induced by Fe3O4 particles in mice. Compared with Fe3O4@PDA nanoparticles, co-modification with MSCM and PDA significantly reduced autophagy and apoptosis in mouse lung tissue, and reduced activation of autophagy mediated by the AMPK-ULK1 pathway axis. Thus, co-modification with MSCM and PDA prevents Fe3O4-induced pulmonary toxicity in mice by inhibiting autophagy, apoptosis, and oxidative stress.

一例以大量血性腹腔积液为主要临床表现的3岁患儿，经腹腔镜探查、病理检查明确诊断为恶性腹膜间皮瘤。经细胞减灭术、腹腔热灌注化疗和静脉化疗治疗，术后半年无复发和转移。恶性腹膜间皮瘤罕见，预后差，病死率高。.

Background: Fe3O4 nanoparticles are widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, but the toxicity should not be ignored. It has been reported that PDA modification can reduce the toxicity of Fe3O4 and increase the biocompatibility. However, a better modification method is still worth studying. We have developed a new method to coat Fe3O4@PDA nanoparticles with mesenchymal stem cells membrane (MSCM) and evaluated the lung toxicity of the modified particles to mice. Result: We found that MSCM modification significantly reduced the lung injury induced by Fe3O4 nanoparticles in mice. Compared with Fe3O4@PDA nanoparticles, co-modification with MSCM and PDA modification significantly reduced autophagy and apoptosis of mouse lung tissue, and reduced the activation of autophagy pathway AMPK-ULK1 axis. Thus, co-modification with MSCM and PDA prevents Fe3O4-induced pulmonary toxicity in mice by inhibiting the AMPK-ULK1 derived autophagy. Conclusion: MSCM coated Fe3O4@PDA nanoparticles were demonstrated to prevent lung damage from autophagy and reduce the toxicity of iron oxide nanomaterials. The co-modification of PDA and MSCM can improve the biocompatibility and facilitate their further bioapplication.