Cancer has now become the second leading cause of mortality, following cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has emerged as a prominent alternative for combating cancer due to its potent therapeutic effects, minimal side effects, numerous targets, and its crucial role in various stages of cancer treatment. However, challenges such as poor solubility, limited permeability, rapid elimination, instability, low bioavailability, and short half-life hinder its clinical application. To overcome these limitations in the anticancer potential of TCM, recent years have seen the integration of nanotechnology in clinical TCM treatments. Nano-targeted drug delivery systems have assumed an increasingly vital role in cancer therapy by synergizing with the active components of TCM for anticancer treatments. Some TCM-based nano-drug carriers have entered clinical trials or been employed in disease diagnosis and treatment, thereby advancing the field of TCM. In light of this, this article provides an overview of the progress made in applying nano-targeted delivery systems to TCM-based anticancer therapy.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has emerged as a pressing public health issue characterized by increasing incidence and mortality rates. The imperative for effective treatments to halt its progression cannot be overstated. Central to the concept of the "gut-kidney axis" is the belief that as CKD advances, uremic toxins (UTs) gradually build up, undermining the integrity of the intestinal barrier and resulting in an imbalanced gut microbiota. This dysbiosis in the gut microbiota, coupled with the compromised intestinal barriers, intensifies renal damage by furthering UT accumulation and inducing systemic inflammation. Grounded in this understanding, the use of Chinese herbal enemas has shown promising outcomes in CKD management. This review consolidates both domestic and international studies related to the "gut-kidney axis" and delves into the combination of Chinese herbal enemas with standard therapy, colon dialysis, and traditional oral Chinese medicine practices. Our aim is to shed light on novel perspectives and pinpoint emerging avenues for the evolving therapeutic landscape of CKD.

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This study aimed to assess the acute toxicity of Shizao decoction (SZD) in KM mice and its antitumor activity, offering insights into drug safety and antitumor efficacy. In experiments, specific pathogen-free (SPF) KM mice were administered either saline (as a blank control) or SZD, and the half-lethal dose (LD₅₀) was determined. Additionally, SPF-grade SD rats were treated with SZD to produce SZD-medicated serum (SZD-MS). Assays, including the MTT method, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release, colony formation, and flow cytometry, were utilized to measure the inhibitory effects on cancer cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. The toxicity tests revealed that none of the mice died after oral administration of SZD, rendering it impossible to establish an LD₅₀ value. Notably, serum biochemistry results significantly diverged from those of the blank control group (P < 0.05). Histopathology, using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, unveiled that SZD exerted detectable damage on the liver and kidneys of the mice. In terms of antitumor activity, SZD-MS demonstrated a significant inhibition of proliferation in five tumor cell lines when compared to the vehicle control (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). This finding was further supported by the increased LDH release from H22 cells (P < 0.05), a reduction in colony formation (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and an elevated apoptosis rate (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the study revealed that the maximum oral dosage of SZD, set at 0.8 mL/d for each mouse (roughly 120 times the standard adult daily dose), presented minimal toxicity. Moreover, it possessed promising anti-ascite tumor activity, suggesting its safety and therapeutic potential.

The Shenqi Fuzheng injection (SFI) represents a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation integrating Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi, HQ) and Codonopsis pilosula (Danshen, DS). This investigation delved into elucidating the potential mechanisms and molecular targets of SFI in the context of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) through comprehensive network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses. Initially, we probed the databases for potential bioactive compounds of SFI and identified relevant COPD-related target genes. Subsequent analyses, conducted using Cytoscape 3.9.1 and STRING, facilitated the construction of a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to discern key target genes. Following this, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were employed to delineate putative SFI-related signaling pathways, and the results were validated through molecular docking analyses. The network pharmacology analyses revealed a total of 65 active components (35 associated with DS and 30 with HQ) and 233 key targets. Notably, the top five bioactive components (quercetin, apigenin, daidzein, kaempferol, and luteolin) and the top five targets (TP53, AKT1, EP300, MAPK1, and JUN) exhibited substantial affinity and stable binding, with a binding energy ≤ –5.0 kcal/mol in molecular docking analyses. These findings suggested that SFI potentially exerted therapeutic effects on COPD through the concerted action of multiple compounds and pathways. Additionally, the outcomes of this study laid a solid foundation for understanding the pharmacological aspects of SFI, offering valuable insights for its prospective clinical application as an adjuvant therapeutic agent for COPD.

In the present study, we aimed to investigate the safety of posaconazole oral suspension in children under 13 years of age. A retrospective analysis was conducted on six cases of pediatric patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia who received prophylactic or sequential treatment with posaconazole oral suspension. Among the six patients (four boys and two girls) with an average age of (8.67 ± 1.86) years, one child developed bilateral lower limb edema after 7 d of posaconazole oral suspension, and two children experienced elevated levels of liver enzymes during the course of treatment. In conclusion, common adverse reactions of posaconazole included liver damage and gastrointestinal symptoms. However, reports of lower limb edema in patients are rare. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to evaluate the safety of posaconazole oral suspension in children under 13 years of age.

In the latter half of 2015, in adherence to both central and state mandates aimed at expediting the establishment of world-class universities and disciplines, Peking University tasked each of its schools with formulating tailored reform strategies aligning with their individual developmental trajectories. The School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, upon scrutinizing its faculty, pinpointed various issues, including a dearth of professorial dedication to undergraduate teaching, a deficiency in outstanding young and middle-aged academic leaders, lenient admission criteria for principal investigators, and a prevalent nepotistic culture. Subsequently, under robust support and guidance from the school’s party and government leadership, the institution devised the "Comprehensive Human Affairs Reform Plan of Peking University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences", marking its distinction as the inaugural school within Peking University Health Science Center to embark on such a reformative journey. Throughout the plan’s execution, the school intensified efforts to fortify the ideological, political, and ethical dimensions within its talent pool, thereby fostering an environment conducive to the professional development of young tenure-track academics. As of now, the school has successfully reversed the trend of prioritizing research at the expense of teaching, witnessing an increased involvement of eminent research talents in undergraduate education. Young talents have demonstrated noteworthy developmental potential, contributing to a burgeoning cohort of emerging young academic leaders. The implementation of the plan has spurred innovative vigor among talents, resulting in a substantial upswing in research productivity. Synergies between academic leaders and core team members have become more pronounced, with a continuous emergence of young academic leaders. Peking University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences is gradually cultivating a moderately sized, structurally optimized, and highly effective talent pool.