Dandelion (Taraxacum genus), a perennial herb belonging to the Asteraceae family is widely distributed in hillside grasslands, roadsides, fields, and river beaches in middle and low-altitude areas. It has a long history of traditional Chinese medicine usage as a heat-clearing and detoxifying agent, often consumed as tea or vegetable. Multiple pharmacological studies have demonstrated the antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, immune-regulating, antioxidant, anti-tumor, and other effects of the Taraxacum genus. Bioactive compounds associated with these effects include triterpenes and their saponins, phenolic acids, sterols and their glycosides, flavonoids, organic acids, volatile oils, and saccharides.

Disulfidptosis is a newly discovered method of cell death. However, no studies have fully elucidated the role of disulfidptosis-related genes (DSRGs) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The potential role of DSRGs in AMI was analyzed through a comprehensive bioinformatics approach. Finally, hub genes were verified in vitro by qPCR. Sixteen DE-DSRGs were in the AMI. Thereafter, seven hub genes were determined by machine learning algorithms, which had potential diagnostic value in AMI. The risk model showed a robust diagnostic value (area under curve, AUC = 0.940). Prognostic analysis revealed the potential prognostic value of INF2 and CD2AP. Immune landscape analysis showed that hub genes were closely related to the immune microenvironment. By predictive analysis, we obtained four miRNAs, thirteen small molecule drugs, and five TFs closely related to hub genes. Experimental verification revealed that Slc3a2 and Inf2 were significantly up-regulated and Dstn was significantly down-regulated in the hypoxic model. Our study demonstrated that DSRGs are disorderedly expressed in AMI and identified seven hub genes through machine learning. In addition, a diagnostic model was constructed based on hub genes, providing a new perspective for the early diagnosis of AMI.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are a group of disorders characterized by the progressive loss of neurons in specific areas of the central nervous system. In recent years, more and more research has focused on the influence of diet on NDDs. As a common food, processed red meat is widely consumed worldwide. Many studies have shown that processed red meat may increase the risk of cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether processed red meat affects NDDs. Therefore, we reviewed the existing literature on the role of processed meats in NDDs. We concluded that intake of processed meat may have an adverse effect on NDDs.

To explore the deep mechanisms of ursolic acid (UA) for treating atherosclerosis based on network pharmacology and bioinformatics. UA target genes were derived from traditional Chinese medicine system pharmacology, BATMAN-TCM, and SwissTargetPrediction databases. Atherosclerosis-related genes were derived from genecards, NCBI genes, and OMIM databases. The protein interaction network was constructed through the STRING database, and the hub network was extracted by using the Cytoscape software MCODE app. The enrichment analysis of gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes was performed by the R software clusterProfiler package, and the expression and prognostic value of the hub genes were verified on the data set. Screen the genes for expression and prognosis conclusions, conduct methylation analysis, and ceRNA construction. UA had 145 targets in the treatment of atherosclerosis. The top 7 gene ontology (biological process, molecular function, and cellular component) and pathways related to atherosclerosis were screened out. It is principally involved in biological processes, including response to lipopolysaccharide and regulation of inflammatory response. The main signaling pathways incorporated the TNF signaling pathway and the AGE–RAGE signaling pathway. Androgen receptor (AR) and interleukin-1 beta gene (IL1B) were further screened as core target genes. Methylation analysis demonstrated that the AR methylation level was elevated in the atherosclerotic group. On the contrary, the IL1B methylation level was lower in the atherosclerotic group. The results of the ceRNA analysis indicated that there were 43 targeted miRNAs in AR and 3 miRNAs in IL1B. We speculate that the target genes of UA regulating atherosclerosis are AR and IL1B. The mechanism may be that UA regulates the expression of target genes by regulating the methylation of target genes.

Our study is the first to integrate mQTLs, eQTLs, and pQTLs with GWAS data to identify therapeutic targets for lung cancer. We identified three novel targets (CRAT, RNASET2, SERPING1) associated with lung cancer risk, offering new opportunities for targeted treatment.