CircPTPRA promotes the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma via the miR-140-5p/LMNB1 axis.

Background: Growing evidences suggest that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are important factors in cancer progression. Nevertheless, the role of circRNAs in the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear.

Methods: CircPTPRA was identified based on our previous circRNA array data analysis.

Proximal binding of dCas9 at a DNA double strand break stimulates homology-directed repair as a local inhibitor of classical non-homologous end joining.

In CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, the tight and persistent target binding of Cas9 provides an opportunity for efficient genetic and epigenetic modification on genome. In particular, technologies based on catalytically dead Cas9 (dCas9) have been developed to enable genomic regulation and live imaging in a site-specific manner. While post-cleavage target residence of CRISPR/Cas9 could alter the pathway choice in repair of Cas9-induced DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), it is possible that dCas9 residing adjacent to a break may also determine the repair pathway for this DSB, providing an opportunity to control genome editing.

Is early laparoscopic cholecystectomy after clearance of common bile duct stones by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography superior?: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: With medical advancement, common bile duct stones were treated by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), considered the standard treatment. However, ERCP might induce complications including pancreatitis and cholecystitis that could affect a subsequent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), leading to conversion to open cholecystectomy perioperative complications. It is not yet known whether or not the time interval between ERCP and LC plays a role in increasing conversion rate and complications.

The safety and feasibility of laparoscopic right posterior sectionectomy vs. open approach: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Laparoscopic right posterior sectionectomy (LRPS) is one of the most technically challenging and potentially hazardous procedures in laparoscopic liver resection. Although some available literature works demonstrated the safety and feasibility of LRPS, these data are limited to reports from a single institution and a small sample size without support from evidence-based medicine. So, we performed a meta-analysis to assess further the safety and feasibility of LRPS by comparing it with open right posterior sectionectomy (ORPS).

Right hemihepatectomy combined with ligation of the common hepatic artery and gastroduodenal artery for the treatment of intrahepatic HHT: A case report.

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare disease that lacks effective treatment. Here, the authors report the case of a 30-year-old woman presenting with abdominal pain accompanied by severe malnutrition. After a definite diagnosis of HHT involvement in the liver, liver transplantation was the first-choice treatment according to the guidelines of HHT.

Target residence of Cas9-sgRNA influences DNA double-strand break repair pathway choices in CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing.

Background: Due to post-cleavage residence of the Cas9-sgRNA complex at its target, Cas9-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) have to be exposed to engage DSB repair pathways. Target interaction of Cas9-sgRNA determines its target binding affinity and modulates its post-cleavage target residence duration and exposure of Cas9-induced DSBs. This exposure, via different mechanisms, may initiate variable DNA damage responses, influencing DSB repair pathway choices and contributing to mutational heterogeneity in genome editing.

Effect of infrahepatic inferior vena cava partial clamping on central venous pressure and intraoperative blood loss during laparoscopic hepatectomy.

Background: Infrahepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) clamping is considered to be an effective method to reduce central venous pressure (CVP) and intraoperative bleeding in liver resection. However, its efficacy and safety during laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) remain unclear. We perform this retrospective study to evaluate its efficacy and safety during LH.

Harnessing accurate non-homologous end joining for efficient precise deletion in CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing.

Background: Many applications of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing require Cas9-induced non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), which was thought to be error prone. However, with directly ligatable ends, Cas9-induced DNA double strand breaks may be repaired preferentially by accurate NHEJ.

Results: In the repair of two adjacent double strand breaks induced by paired Cas9-gRNAs at 71 genome sites, accurate NHEJ accounts for about 50% of NHEJ events.

The reasonable drainage option after laparoscopic common bile duct exploration for the treatment of choledocholithiasis.

Objective: To obtain a reasonable drainage after laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) for the treatment of choledocholithiasis.

Methods: Data of 350 consecutive patients who underwent LCBDE in our hospital from January 2014 to December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. All the patients were divided into three groups according to different drainage types after LCBDE, including T-tube group with 116 cases, primary closure (PC) group with 114 cases and stent insertion group with 120 cases.

H2AX facilitates classical non-homologous end joining at the expense of limited nucleotide loss at repair junctions.

Phosphorylated histone H2AX, termed 'γH2AX', mediates the chromatin response to DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) in mammalian cells. H2AX deficiency increases the numbers of unrepaired DSBs and translocations, which are partly associated with defects in non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and contributing to genomic instability in cancer. However, the role of γH2AX in NHEJ of general DSBs has yet to be clearly defined.

Buried territories: heterochromatic response to DNA double-strand breaks.

Cellular response to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), the most deleterious type of DNA damage, is highly influenced by higher-order chromatin structure in eukaryotic cells. Compared with euchromatin, the compacted structure of heterochromatin not only protects heterochromatic DNA from damage, but also adds an extra layer of control over the response to DSBs occurring in heterochromatin. One key step in this response is the decondensation of heterochromatin structure.

Coexpression of HMGA2 and Oct4 predicts an unfavorable prognosis in human gastric cancer.

High mobility group protein A2 (HMGA2) and octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4) are transcription factors that play major roles in the acquisition of cancer stemness phenotypes and tumorigenicity of malignant neoplasms. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between HMGA2 and Oct4 expression and various clinicopathologic features in gastric cancer patients including invasion, metastasis, and clinical prognosis, in addition to overall survival. Immunohistochemistry was performed to explore the expression of HMGA2 and Oct4 in 158 gastric cancer and surrounding non-tumor tissues.

Aberrant expression of the autocrine motility factor receptor correlates with poor prognosis and promotes metastasis in gastric carcinoma.

AMFR, autocrine motility factor receptor, also called gp78, is a cell surface cytokine receptor which has a dual role as an E3 ubiquitin ligase in endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation. AMFR expression is associated with tumor malignancy. We here investigated the clinical significance of AMFR and its role in metastasis and prognosis in gastric cancer.

si-DNMT1 restore tumor suppressor genes expression through the reversal of DNA hypermethylation in cholangiocarcinoma.

Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of shorthairpin RNA plasmid vector knockdown of human DNA methyltransferase 1 on proliferation and the methylation status and expression of tumor suppressor genes in hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Methods: The hilar cholangiocarcinoma cell line QBC939 was utilized for this study. QBC939 cells were transfected with a shorthairpin RNA plasmid vector targeting human DNA methyltransferase 1.

Expression and role of grainyhead-like 2 in gastric cancer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression and role of Grhl2 in gastric cancer. Immunohistochemistry was performed to explore the expression of Grhl2 in gastric cancer and surrounding non-tumor tissues. Moreover, the mRNA and protein expression level of Grhl2 in human immortalized gastric epithelial cell line GES-1 and four gastric cancer cell lines (MGC803, SGC7901, MKN45, HGC27) were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively.

[Ornithine aspartate and naloxone combined therapy for hepatic encephalopathy affects cognitive function, prognosis, and neuropeptide levels].

Objective: To investigate the potential effects on cognitive function, prognosis, and neuropeptide levels of patients in response to combination therapy with ornithine aspartate plus naloxone for hepatic encephalopathy.

Methods: Eighty-four consecutive patients diagnosed with hepatic encephalopathy were randomly divided into two equal groups. The control group (n = 42) received traditional medical treatment, and the research group (n = 42) received the traditional medical treatment as well as the combination therapy with ornithine aspartate plus naloxone.