Jing Xie

Background: Conventional therapies remain the primary approach for most cancers but typically achieve only modest improvements in prognosis. With the rapid advances in molecular biology and multi-omics technologies, targeted therapy has become the first choice for treating advanced cancer. Among these, inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) has emerged as critical regulators in both experimental and clinical studies. Main body: Nevertheless, several challenges persist, including tumor heterogeneity across cancer types, adverse effects associated with IAPs inhibitors (such as cytokine release and inflammation), and the lack of validated biomarkers for patient selection. With the development of artificial intelligence and precision medicine, IAP-targeted therapy, especially in combination with other therapies, has shown favorable clinical application potential. Conclusions: This review systematically summarizes the structural domains, molecular functions, biological processes, clinical relevance, and advances in drug development and translational applications of IAPs, aiming to refine therapeutic strategies and facilitate clinical translation.

This commentary describes an innovative air–liquid interface (ALI) duodenal organoid system for studying celiac disease (CeD). Derived from patient biopsies, this model uniquely preserves the native tissue microenvironment, including epithelial, stromal, and diverse tissue-resident immune cells, overcoming the limitations of conventional cultures and animal models. When stimulated with gluten peptides, the organoids replicate key pathological features of CeD, such as epithelial cell death mediated by cytotoxic T cells. Research has identified interleukin-7 (IL-7), secreted by mesenchymal cells, as a critical and previously underappreciated mediator of this gluten-induced autoimmune attack. This discovery highlights IL-7 as a promising therapeutic target and establishes the ALI organoid platform as a powerful tool for investigating complex epithelial–immune interactions in other autoimmune and infectious diseases, drug screening, and personalized medicine.

Bacterial infection is a vital factor to delay the wound healing process. The antibiotics abuse leads to drug resistance of some pathogenic bacteria. Non-antibiotic-dependent multifunctional biomaterials with accelerated wound healing performance are urgently desired. Herein, we reported a composite antibacterial hydrogel PDA-PAM/Mg²⁺ that shows excellent self-healing and tissue adhesive property, and photothermal antibacterial functions for accelerating wound healing. The gel was composed of polyacrylamide (PAM), polydopamine (PDA), and magnesium (Mg²⁺) and prepared via a two-step procedure: an alkali-induced dopamine pre-polymerization and followed radical polymerization process. The composite gel shows excellent tissue adhesiveness and Mg²⁺-synergized photothermal antibacterial activity, inducing a survival rate of 5.29% for S. aureus and 7.06% for E. coli after near infrared light irradiation. The composite hydrogel further demonstrated efficient bacteria inhibition, enhanced wound healing and collagen deposition in a full-thickness skin defect rat model. Together, the PDA-PAM/Mg²⁺ hydrogel presents an excellent wound dressing with excellent tissue adhesion, wound healing, and antibacterial functions.

Biodegradable polymer particles have been used as dermal fillers for pre-clinical and clinical trials. The impact of material properties of polymers is very important to develop products for aesthetic medicine such as dermal fillers. Herein, eight biodegradable polymers with different molecular weights, chemical compositions or hydrophilic-hydrophobic properties were prepared and characterized for systematical study for aesthetic medicine applications. Polymer microspheres with 20–100 μm were prepared. The in vitro degradation study showed that poly (L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) 75/25 microspheres degraded the fastest, whereas poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) microspheres with intrinsic viscosity of 6.89 ([η] = 6.89) with the highest molecular weight showed the slowest degradation rate. After these microspheres were fabricated dermal fillers according to the formula of Sculptra^®, they were injected subcutaneously into the back skin of rabbits. In vivo results demonstrated that the degradation rate of microspheres strongly correlated with the foreign body reaction and collagen regeneration was induced by microspheres. The microspheres with faster degradation rate induced inflammatory response and the collagen regeneration maintained in shorter time. PLLA ([η] = 3.80) microsphere with a moderate molecular weight and degradation rate could strongly regenerate Type I and III collagen to maintain a long-term aesthetic medicine effect. These properties of size, morphology and degradation behavior would influence the foreign body reaction and collagen regeneration.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a chronic disease characterized by diffuse mucosal inflammation limited to the colon. Topical drug delivery systems that could be facilely performed and efficiently retained at colon sites are attractive for clinical IBD treatment. Herein, we report the exploration of an injectable thermosensitive copolymer hydrogel as a topical formulation for IBD treatment and demonstrate its feasibility in UC treatment by shielding ulcer sites from the external environment and being a drug reservoir for sustained release. Poly(aliphatic ester)-based triblock copolymer, poly(DL-lactic acid)–poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(DL-lactic acid) (PDLLA–PEG–PDLLA), adopts the solution state at room temperature yet a gel state at body temperature when the polymer concentration is more than 11%. The gel acts not only as a physical mucosal barrier for protecting ulcer sites from microorganisms like bacteria but also as a mesalazine depot for enhanced drug retention in the colon for localized, sustained drug release. In vivo UC treatment reveals that blank gel as a mucosal protector shows nearly the same treatment effect to mesalazine SR granules. Mesalazine-loaded gel significantly suppresses inflammation and has the best outcomes of indices such as colonic length, mucosal injury index, pathological tissue, and inflammatory factor. The injectable thermosensitive polymer hydrogel represents a novel, robust platform for the efficient treatment of IBD by acting as a physical shield to block out the pro-inflammatory factors as well as a drug depot for enhanced drug retention and controlled delivery.