MedScience Pub Date : 2026-09-19 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-026-1255-6

Mengyan Zhang, Junjie Li, Yan Zhang, Tongwu Zhang

{"title":"Shared molecular mechanisms underlying the systemic toxicity of air pollution.","authors":"Mengyan Zhang, Junjie Li, Yan Zhang, Tongwu Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s11684-026-1255-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11684-026-1255-6","url":null,"abstract":"Air pollution is a leading global environmental health risk, responsible for millions of premature deaths worldwide each year. Although traditionally associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, accumulating epidemiological and mechanistic evidence now demonstrates that air pollution acts as a systemic toxicant, contributing to a wide spectrum of pathologies across nearly all major organ systems. These include pulmonary and extrapulmonary malignancies, neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular and renal diseases, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, dermatological conditions, and sensory organ impairment. In this comprehensive review, we synthesize large-scale population studies, experimental models, and molecular evidence to define air pollution as a multi-organ pathogenic exposure driven by convergent biological mechanisms. Disease development across organs is driven by shared mechanisms such as oxidative stress, inflammation, epigenetic changes, and extracellular vesicle signaling, while organ-specific exposure pathways determine tissue vulnerability. Importantly, we emphasize that disease risk is not dictated by exposure alone. Genetic susceptibility plays a decisive role in shaping individual responses to air pollution, with polygenic risk scores and functional variants in detoxification, antioxidant, immune, and host-defense pathways modifying exposure-response relationships. Evidence from human cohorts and genetically defined animal models underscores gene-environment interactions as key drivers of interindividual heterogeneity in pollution-related disease. By integrating mechanistic convergence with organ-specific exposure biology and genetic susceptibility, this review reframes air pollution as a systemic driver of chronic disease. We further identify critical knowledge gaps related to real-world multipollutant exposure, biological resilience, and precision prevention, providing a conceptual foundation for targeted interventions and risk stratification in pollution-exposed populations.","PeriodicalId":521275,"journal":{"name":"MedScience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149003328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Neoantigen cancer vaccines for gastrointestinal tumors: opportunities and challenges. 胃肠道肿瘤新抗原癌疫苗：机遇与挑战

MedScience Pub Date : 2026-09-19 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-026-1266-3

Zixuan Zhao, Xinyu Du, Xiaoliang Gao, Sheng Zhao, Liang Zhang, Yongzhan Nie

{"title":"Neoantigen cancer vaccines for gastrointestinal tumors: opportunities and challenges.","authors":"Zixuan Zhao, Xinyu Du, Xiaoliang Gao, Sheng Zhao, Liang Zhang, Yongzhan Nie","doi":"10.1007/s11684-026-1266-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11684-026-1266-3","url":null,"abstract":"Gastrointestinal tumors are characterized by high global incidence and mortality rates. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have achieved breakthroughs in some of these cancers, their overall response rate remains low. Neoantigen cancer vaccines have emerged as a promising new strategy for immunotherapy in gastrointestinal tumors due to their high specificity and strong immunogenicity. These vaccines effectively activate specific T-cell immunity and can produce synergistic effects when combined with ICIs. Various vaccine platforms offer distinct advantages, and clinical trials have shown encouraging potential in inducing immune responses and extending progression-free survival. Meanwhile, current challenges and future directions cannot be ignored. Key challenges primarily involve the accuracy of neoantigen prediction, tumor heterogeneity, and optimal treatment timing. Future directions include artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted multi-omics screening, the development of universal vaccines, optimization of novel delivery systems, and multimodal combination strategies. These advances are expected to promote the application of neoantigen cancer vaccines in postoperative recurrence prevention and early-stage treatment, ultimately moving toward personalized precision immunotherapy. This article systematically reviews the clinical progress and prospects of neoantigen cancer vaccines in treating gastrointestinal tumors, aiming to provide insights for immunotherapy in this field and offer new perspectives for further optimization of such vaccines.","PeriodicalId":521275,"journal":{"name":"MedScience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149003304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Genetic and microbial regulation of NOD2 signaling in homeostasis and disease. NOD2信号在体内平衡和疾病中的遗传和微生物调控。

MedScience Pub Date : 2026-09-19 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-026-1239-6

Yuqing Wang, Jinglan Nie, Guowang Lin, Xiaolong He, Hongwei Zhou

引用次数: 0

Cardiovascular innovation without equity risks widening global gaps. 没有公平的心血管创新有扩大全球差距的风险。

MedScience Pub Date : 2026-09-19 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-026-1262-7

Mauer Alexandre da Ascensão Gonçalves, Rafael Antônio Vicente Lacerda, Humberto Morais, Fidel Manuel Caceres-Loriga, Howard Lopes Ribeiro Junior

引用次数: 0

Mitochondria-transplanted macrophages: a novel strategy targeting mitochondrial dysfunction to enhance myocardial repair after myocardial infarction. 线粒体移植巨噬细胞：一种针对线粒体功能障碍增强心肌梗死后心肌修复的新策略

MedScience Pub Date : 2026-09-18 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-026-1230-2

Xiaohui Huang, Manli Ding, Fengting Guo, Lifang Li, Lanfang Li

引用次数: 0

Ultra-rapid progression of MAFLD to cirrhosis and post-transplant steatosis in a patient with a polygenic risk profile. 具有多基因风险特征的患者中MAFLD向肝硬化和移植后脂肪变性的超快速进展

MedScience Pub Date : 2026-09-18 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-026-1232-0

Zi-Ling Mai, Bing Chang, Yi-Ling Li, Hong Wei, Bo-Tong Ma

{"title":"Ultra-rapid progression of MAFLD to cirrhosis and post-transplant steatosis in a patient with a polygenic risk profile.","authors":"Zi-Ling Mai, Bing Chang, Yi-Ling Li, Hong Wei, Bo-Tong Ma","doi":"10.1007/s11684-026-1232-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11684-026-1232-0","url":null,"abstract":"Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) usually progresses slowly, but some patients experience exceptionally rapid deterioration. We report a 38-year-old woman who progressed from biopsy-confirmed steatosis to decompensated cirrhosis within 11 months and developed recurrent graft steatosis 8 months after liver transplantation. Genetic testing revealed heterozygous variants in PNPLA3, TM6SF2, MBOAT7, and GCKR, indicating a polygenic predisposition to lipid accumulation, inflammation, and fibrogenesis. Histology and imaging analyses showed progressive steatosis with bridging fibrosis before transplantation and severe recurrence within the graft after transplantation, highlighting that transplantation does not eliminate the underlying metabolic-genetic vulnerability. This case suggests that a polygenic background may contribute to ultra-rapid disease trajectories and supports integrating genetic profiling into diagnostic and prognostic evaluation for MAFLD. Awareness of such risk patterns may guide early surveillance and long-term metabolic management even after transplantation.","PeriodicalId":521275,"journal":{"name":"MedScience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149003279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Modeling the complex smoking exposure history in assessment of pan-cancer risk. 泛癌风险评估中复杂吸烟暴露史的建模。

MedScience Pub Date : 2026-08-29 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-026-1244-9

Wei Liu, Ya-Ting Chen, Baiwenrui Tao, Ying Lv, Yan-Xi Zhang, Hui-Ying Ren, Yu-Ting Zhang, Yu-Ping Fan, Meng-Han Li, Ya-Xin Shi, Shi-Yuan Wang, Bing-Wei Chen, Frits van Osch, Maurice P Zeegers, Anke Wesselius, Qi-Rong Qin, Evan Yi-Wen Yu

{"title":"Modeling the complex smoking exposure history in assessment of pan-cancer risk.","authors":"Wei Liu, Ya-Ting Chen, Baiwenrui Tao, Ying Lv, Yan-Xi Zhang, Hui-Ying Ren, Yu-Ting Zhang, Yu-Ping Fan, Meng-Han Li, Ya-Xin Shi, Shi-Yuan Wang, Bing-Wei Chen, Frits van Osch, Maurice P Zeegers, Anke Wesselius, Qi-Rong Qin, Evan Yi-Wen Yu","doi":"10.1007/s11684-026-1244-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11684-026-1244-9","url":null,"abstract":"This study used UK Biobank data from ∼500 000 participants to examine how smoking intensity and duration jointly shape the risk of 12 smoking-related cancers. We modeled excess relative risks (ERRs) per pack-year, separating the effect of smoking intensity while holding total pack-years constant to compare low-intensity/long-duration with high-intensity/short-duration patterns. For the same cumulative exposure, cancer risk increases differed across these smoking patterns, indicating that pack-years alone do not fully capture carcinogenic risk. We further evaluated time since cessation (TSC) and found that longer TSC was associated with lower ERR/pack-year for most cancers. Lifestyle factors modified these associations: participants with favorable behaviors (e.g., regular physical activity and healthier diet) generally had lower ERRs/pack-year than those with unfavorable behaviors. Overall, our findings show that smoking pattern and cessation history meaningfully influence pan-cancer risk beyond cumulative exposure, supporting the incorporation of detailed smoking histories-intensity, duration, and cessation-into risk stratification, screening eligibility, and prevention strategies.","PeriodicalId":521275,"journal":{"name":"MedScience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148858015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Mechanism and progress of deep brain stimulation in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders. 脑深部刺激治疗神经和精神疾病的机制和进展。

MedScience Pub Date : 2026-08-29 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-026-1231-1

Ying Yuan, Peng Liu, Cheng Yin, Jianwei Zhu, Jiang Xu, Huan Xiong, Ruxiang Xu

{"title":"Mechanism and progress of deep brain stimulation in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders.","authors":"Ying Yuan, Peng Liu, Cheng Yin, Jianwei Zhu, Jiang Xu, Huan Xiong, Ruxiang Xu","doi":"10.1007/s11684-026-1231-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11684-026-1231-1","url":null,"abstract":"Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a reversible and adjustable neurostimulation technique, and has been established as a significant therapeutic modality in functional neurosurgery although its mechanisms are not yet fully understood. The primary indications for DBS include movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and dystonia, essential tremor (ET), and Huntington's disease (HD). In recent years, its application has expanded to encompass the treatment of various other neurological and psychiatric conditions, including epilepsy, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Tourette syndrome (TS), although the indications for DBS currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are PD, dystonia, ET, OCD, and epilepsy. In this review, we summarize the prevailing hypotheses regarding the mechanisms through which DBS ameliorates neurological and psychiatric disorders. We also describe the advancements in DBS for treating PD, dystonia, epilepsy, and other brain disorders. Furthermore, we outline the limitations associated with DBS treatment to date. Through this comprehensive analysis, we aim to enhance the understanding of DBS applications in neurological and psychiatric diseases and suggest potential avenues for technological advancement.","PeriodicalId":521275,"journal":{"name":"MedScience","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148858043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

On the 50th year responding to Ebola: mapping diagnostic, vaccine, and therapeutic gaps across ebolavirus species. 应对埃博拉50周年：绘制不同埃博拉病毒种类的诊断、疫苗和治疗差距图

MedScience Pub Date : 2026-08-06 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-026-1265-4

Jiahui Si, Jiachun Cai, Junhui Zhou, Lili Wang, George F Gao, Jun Liu

引用次数: 0

Neural-immune tango in cancer: PNS and CNS as emerging conductors of cancer immunosurveillance. 癌症中的神经免疫探戈：PNS和CNS作为癌症免疫监测的新兴导体。

MedScience Pub Date : 2026-08-06 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-026-1269-0

Yuting Ma, Huijian Zhang

引用次数: 0

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