A comprehensive update:gastrointestinal microflora,gastric cancer and gastric premalignant condition,and intervention by traditional Chinese medicine

With the recent upsurge of studies in the field of microbiology,we have learned more about the complexity of the gastrointestinal microecosystem.More than 30 genera and 1000 species of gastrointestinal microflora have been found.The structure of the normal microflora is relatively stable,and is in an interdependent and restricted dynamic equilibrium with the body.In recent years,studies have shown that there is a potential relationship between gastrointestinal microflora imbalance and gastric cancer(GC)and precancerous lesions.So,restoring the balance of gastrointestinal microflora is of great significance.Moreover,intervention in gastric premalignant condition(GPC),also known as precancerous lesion of gastric cancer(PLGC),has been the focus of current clinical studies.The holistic view of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is consistent with the microecology concept,and oral TCM can play a two-way regulatory role directly with the microflora in the digestive tract,restoring the homeostasis of gastrointestinal microflora to prevent canceration.However,large gaps in knowledge remain to be addressed.This review aims to provide new ideas and a reference for clinical practice.

Effect of Banxiaxiexin Tang on treatment of functional dyspepsia: a Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of Banxiaxiexin Tang compared with Western Medicine in the treatment of functional dyspepsia(FD) through Meta-analysis.METHODS: Literature was searched in the following databases: MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica Database, Chinese Medical Current Contents, China Science and Technology Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Randomized controlled trials evaluating the efficacy of Banxiaxiexin Tang for the treatment of FD were selected according to certain standards including clear general situation of patients, specific diagnostic criteria, definite clinical outcomes, etc. Articles were evaluated with quality assessment standards in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Meta-analysis was conducted with RevMan 5.0.23 software.RESULTS: Ten articles with a total of 972 patients were included. The comparison of efficacy between Banxiaxiexin Tang and Western Medicine showed a combined effect size [OR=2.75, 95% CI(1.86-4.07)]andcombinedeffectofvalueofZ=5.07(P<0.000 01),suggesting a significant difference between the groups.CONCLUSION: Banxiaxiexin Tang was more effective thanWestern Medicine in treating FD.

Therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine for vascular endothelial growth factor

Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)is the main regulator of physiological angiogenesis during embryonic development,bone growth,and reproductive function,and it also participates in a series of pathological changes.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),with a history of more than 2000 years,has been widely used in clinical practice,while the exploration of its mechanisms has only begun.This review summarizes the research of recent years on the influence of TCM on VEGF.It is found that many Chinese medicines and recipes have a regulatory effect on VEGF,indicating that Chinese medicine has broad prospects as a complementary and alternative therapy,providing new treatment ideas for clinical applications and the theoretical basis for research on the mechanisms of TCM.

Blossom of CRISPR technologies and applications in disease treatment

Since 2013,the CRISPR-based bacterial antiviral defense systems have revolutionized the genome editing field.In addition to genome editing,CRISPR has been developed as a variety of tools for gene expression regulations,live cell chromatin imaging,base editing,epigenome editing,and nucleic acid detection.Moreover,in the context of further boosting the usability and feasibility of CRISPR systems,novel CRISPR systems and engineered CRISPR protein mutants have been explored and studied actively.With the flourish of CRISPR technologies,they have been applied in disease treatment recently,as in gene therapy,cell therapy,immunotherapy,and antimicrobial therapy.Here we present the developments of CRISPR technologies and describe the applications of these CRISPR-based technologies in disease treatment.