Erythrocytes support tissue oxygen-dependent energy metabolism by enabling oxygen transport and are essential for maintaining metabolic homeostasis. Their differentiation and development are orchestrated by multilayered regulatory networks that play a decisive role in sustaining hematopoietic homeostasis. Although key regulators and signaling pathways governing erythropoiesis have been extensively characterized, how these mechanisms are integrated across developmental transitions, stress responses, and disease states remains incompletely understood. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the structural basis, developmental programs, and regulatory logic of erythropoiesis. We first summarize the structural features of erythrocytes, with a focus on the membrane skeleton and its spatiotemporal assembly and relevant regulatory mechanisms. We then outline the developmental trajectories and stage-specific characteristics of erythropoiesis under both steady-state and stress conditions. Building on this framework, we integrate current knowledge on the multilayered regulatory networks governing erythropoiesis, including transcriptional control, epigenetic regulation, metabolic reprogramming, and signals from the hematopoietic microenvironment. Furthermore, using representative erythrocyte-related disorders as a lens, we discuss how dysregulation of these pathways contributes to disease pathogenesis. Finally, we highlight recent advances and key challenges in the translational applications of erythrocytes, including in vitro generation, drug delivery, immunomodulation, and regenerative medicine. This review aims to establish an integrated conceptual framework for erythroid development and to provide insights for future mechanistic studies and clinical translation.
Conventionally, it is believed that the biological functions of RNA are confined to the interior of cells, and the existence of functional RNAs on cell surface as well as their potential mechanisms of action have long remained unclear. In recent years, the discovery and functional research of cell surface RNA have completely revolutionized this traditional perception, confirming its important biological significance as a class of novel surface functional molecules. This review systematically summarizes the latest research advances in the field of cell surface RNA, focusing on four aspects: its classification and characteristics, detection and identification technologies, biogenesis and transport mechanisms, as well as biological functions. It also summarizes the current technical bottlenecks and key scientific challenges in this field, providing a reference for interdisciplinary studies in RNA biology, glycobiology, and immunology.
Lineage tracing is a fundamental technique for dissecting cell fate decisions and development process. With recent advances in high-throughput sequencing and single-cell sequencing technologies, cellular barcoding-based lineage tracing strategies have transitioned from low-throughput labeling methods to high-resolution, multidimensional lineage reconstruction. In this review, we systematically summarize four major barcoding paradigms: viral integration-based random integration barcodes, transposon-based random integration barcodes, recombinase-mediated DNA rearrangement (e.g., Cre-loxP), and CRISPR-Cas9-based mutation recording systems. We describe their principles, representative studies, technical advantages, and limitations. Furthermore, we discuss the core bottlenecks in terms of editing precision, integration of spatiotemporal information, and non-invasive lineage tracing, with a focus on cutting-edge advancements such as prime editing, sequential recording systems, strategies for integrating spatial transcriptomics, and epigenetic tracing. Overall, single-cell lineage tracing is evolving from clonal labeling toward the multi-dimensional integration of lineage, state, and space. In the future, the deep integration of precise gene-editing tools with high-resolution spatial omics technologies is expected to enable dynamic and systematic analysis of cellular fate trajectories, thereby providing critical technical support for research in developmental biology and regenerative medicine.
The Chinese Association for Physiological Sciences (CAPS), founded in 1926, is one of the earliest and most influential national academic organizations in the field of biological sciences in China. Over the past century, the development of CAPS has been closely linked with the modernization of medical education, the growth of experimental life sciences, national scientific reconstruction, and the increasing demand for public health. Based on historical materials prepared for the centennial of CAPS, this article reviews the major stages of its development, including its foundation and institutional establishment, post-1949 reorganization and disciplinary expansion, revival after the reform and opening-up, internationalization in the new century, and modernization of governance in the new era. From 1926 to 1949, CAPS established an academic community through annual meetings, membership development, and the founding of the Chinese Journal of Physiology, providing an important platform for Chinese physiological research to communicate with the international scientific community. From 1949 to 1977, the society restored its organizational network and expanded into the Chinese Association for Physiological Sciences, reflecting the broader formation of physiology-related disciplines in the new national scientific and educational system. Since 1978, CAPS has resumed national academic conferences and journal publication, strengthened talent cultivation, teaching reform, disciplinary planning, and international cooperation, and gradually transformed from a meeting-oriented society into a comprehensive academic organization. In the new era, the establishment of Party committee, a board of supervisors, improved professional committee management, digital office systems, and international conferences has further promoted standardized, modernized, and internationalized governance. The century-long history of CAPS shows that academic excellence, service to national needs, talent development, the inheritance of scientific spirit, and open collaboration constitute the key experience for the sustainable development of a scientific society and have together shaped an organizational culture characterized by rigor, innovation, collaboration, and dedication.
Metabolic reprogramming lies at the core of the malignant features of acute myeloid leukemia stem cells (LSCs), and represents a critical window for selective targeting. Unlike quiescent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that mainly rely on glycolysis to maintain low levels of reactive oxygen species, LSCs acquire remarkable metabolic plasticity during malignant transformation, enabling them to simultaneously utilize glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) to meet biosynthetic demands and establish therapeutic resistance. These divergences between LSCs and HSCs are rooted in profound regulatory differences in terms of energy metabolism pathways, mitochondrial functional regulation and metabolic-epigenetic crosstalk networks. This review comprehensively summarizes the molecular basis of metabolic regulation in HSCs and LSCs, discusses the regulatory mechanisms of metabolic reprogramming in LSCs, and explores precise therapeutic strategies targeting the specific metabolic programs of LSCs, thereby providing new insights for overcoming therapeutic resistance in leukemia.
