Lactate, a metabolic byproduct, has gained recognition as a highly influential signaling molecule. Lactylation, an emerging form of post-translational modification derived from lactate, plays a crucial role in numerous cellular processes such as inflammation, embryonic development, tumor proliferation, and metabolism. However, the precise molecular mechanisms through which lactylation governs these biological functions in both physiological and pathological contexts remain elusive. Hence, it is imperative to provide a comprehensive overview of lactylation in order to elucidate its significance in biological processes and establish a foundation for forthcoming investigations. This review aims to succinctly outline the process of lactylation modification and the characterization of protein lactylation across diverse organisms. Additionally, A summary of the regulatory mechanisms of lactylation in cellular processes and specific diseases is presented. Finally, this review concludes by delineating existing research gaps in lactylation and proposing primary directions for future investigations.

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for chronic functional constipation (CFC) ineffectively treated by conventional constipation medication. Thirty-four patients with CFC underwent FMT treatment (three rounds, via gastroscopy). Clinical scales, including the Wexner constipation score as the main index of efficiency, were completed at baseline; after each treatment, and at 2 and 3 months of follow up. Secondary evaluation indices included the self-assessment of constipation symptoms, patient assessment constipation quality-of-life questionnaire, Bristol stool form scale, and Zung’s self-rating depression and anxiety scales. Gastrointestinal motility, motilin, gastrin, nitric oxide (NO), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were assessed before and after treatment. Intestinal flora changes were assessed by 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) sequencing. There were no serious adverse reactions. The clinical cure rate was 73.5% (25/34), clinical remission rate was 14.7% (5/34), and the inefficiency rate was 11.8% (4/34). Clinical scale data indicated that the FMT treatment was effective. Furthermore, FMT treatment promoted intestinal peristalsis, increased gastrointestinal motility, and increased serum NO and 5-HT levels. The 16S rRNA sequencing data indicated that high abundances of Bacteroides, Klebsiella, Megamonas, Erysipelotrichaceae and Epulopiscium may be the cause of constipation, and high abundances of Prevotella, Acidaminococcus and Butyricimonas may be the main factors in curing constipation. Treatment with FMT regulates the intestinal microflora and changes the abundance of CFC-associated bacterial flora to improve constipation.

Radiotherapy remains an effective conventional method of treatment for patients with cancer. However, the clinical efficacy of radiotherapy is compromised by the development of radioresistance of the tumor cells during the treatment. Consequently, there is need for a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of tumor cells in response to radiation to improve radiotherapy efficacy. The current study aims to highlight new developments that illustrate various forms of cancer cell death after exposure to radiation. A summary of the cellular pathways and important target proteins that are responsible for tumor radioresistance and metastasis is also provided. Further, the study outlines several mechanistic descriptions of the interaction between ionizing radiation and the host immune system. Therefore, the current review provides a reference for future research studies on the biological effects of new radiotherapy technologies, such as ultra-high-dose-rate (FLASH) radiotherapy, proton therapy, and heavy-ion therapy.

Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields (nsPEFs) treatment has demonstrated anti-tumor effects on various cancer cell lines. However, the use of this treatment in pancreatic cancer is limited. This study demonstrated that nsPEFs treatment effectively suppressed the proliferation and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells, while also inducing DNA damage. Meanwhile, animal experiments have shown that nsPEFs effectively suppressed the growth of pancreatic cancer, even in cases where the tumor volume exceeded 500-600 mm³ at the initiation of treatment. Notably, a single treatment session was found to significantly inhibit tumor growth, while also showing no adverse effects on the main organs of the mice. RNA sequencing and bioinformatics revealed that seven key genes (CDK1, CENPA, UBE2C, CCNB2, PLK1, CCNA2, and CCNB14) were significantly correlated with the overall survival rate of patients with pancreatic cancer. Through the application of the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) hypothesis, two miRNAs (has-let-7b-5p and hsa-miR-193b-3p) and four lncRNAs (MIR4435-2HG, ZNF436-AS1, LINC01089, and MIR4435-2HG) were identified as significantly impacting the overall survival of pancreatic cancer patients. We have effectively developed an mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA network that has the potential to stimulate further investigation into the underlying mechanisms of nsPEFs on pancreatic cancer.

Aim: To comprehensively profile the landscape of the mRNA N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification in human colorectal cancer (CRC).Methods: Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) was explored to compare the difference in mRNA N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) methylation between CRC tissues and adjacent normal control (NC) tissue. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to transcribe differentially expressed mRNAs. Conjoint analysis of MeRIP-seq and RNA-seq data was conducted to predict RNA-binding proteins (RBPs).Results: MeRIP-seq identified 1110 differentially m⁶A methylated sites (DMMSs) and 980 differentially m⁶A methylated genes (DMMGs) in CRC, with 50.13% of all modified genes showing unique m⁶A-modified peaks in CRC. RNA-seq showed 915 upregulated genes and 1463 downregulated genes in CRC. QRT-PCR verified the RNA-seq results by detecting the expression of some mRNAs. Conjoint analysis of MeRIP-seq and RNA-seq identified 400 differentially m⁶A methylated and expressed genes (DEGs), and pathway analysis detected that DMMGs and DEGs were closely related to cancer. After analyzing these DMMGs and DEGs through the GEPIA database, we found that the expression of B3GNT6, DKC1, SRPK1, and RIMKLB were associated with prognosis, and the expression of B3GNT6 and RIMKLB were associated with clinical stage. 17 RBPs were identified based on the DMMGs and DEGs, among which FXR1, FXR2, FMR1, IGF2BP2, IGF2BP3, and SRSF1 were obviously highly expressed in CRC, and FMR1, IGF2BP2, and IGF2BP3 were closely related to methylation, and might be involved in the development of CRC.Conclusion: This study comprehensively profiled m⁶A modification of mRNAs in CRC, which revealed possible mechanisms of m⁶A-mediated gene expression regulation.

Safe and efficient capturing of volatile radioiodine is of extremely important significance in the treatment of spent fuel. Herein, the flake channels in gelatin-hydroxyapatite (HAP@Ge) cryogel with excellent flame retardant properties were constructed by immobilizing hydroxyapatite nanorods (HAP) on Gelatin (Ge) cryogel for enhancing the capturing of iodine. The immobilization of HAP nanorods enhanced thermal stability, provided low rates of dynamic heat transfer and dissipation, and remarkably improved the flame retardant and smoke suppression properties of the Ge cryogel, which can effectively prevent the occurrence of safety incidents caused by further thermal degradation or combustion of this cryogel. More importantly, it was effective in improving the rapid enrichment of iodine, resulting in a high adsorption capacity. The maximum adsorption capacity of HAP@Ge cryogel for iodine vapor reached 2693 mg/g at equilibrium. The high adsorption capacity for iodine was attributed to the multi-scale porous structure in HAP@Ge cryogel, which offered effective channels for iodine diffusion, whereas the numerous complex and irregular flakes provided sufficient number of active sites for iodine capture. The adsorption process was chemical in nature and involved the -PO₄³⁻, –OH, –C=O, and –NHR groups on HAP@Ge cryogel. Moreover, the complex porous structure of HAP@Ge cryogel enhanced the physical capturing of iodine. These advantages, such as low-cost raw material, simple preparation method, good flame retardancy, and excellent capturing performance for iodine indicated that HAP@Ge cryogel is a potential candidate for the removal of radioactive iodine in the exhaust gas stream of post-treatment plants. Graphical Abstract