Arsenic concentration in peripheral blood is correlated with efficacy of a Traditional Chinese Medicine regimen containing realgar for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome.

Objective: To explore the relationship between the efficacy of realgar for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes with multilineage dysplasia (MDS-MLD) and arsenic concentration in the peripheral blood of patients.

Methods: In this prospective study, a total of 50 MDS-MLD patients were treated with traditional Chinese drugs containing realgar for 3 months in Xiyuan Hospital from March 2018 to January 2019. Routine blood examination as well as liver and kidney function were monitored before and after treatment.

Arsenic Dispensing Powder Promotes Erythropoiesis in Myelodysplastic Syndromes via Downregulation of HIF1A and Upregulation of GATA Factors.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a practical medicine based on thousands of years of medical practice in China. Arsenic dispensing powder (ADP) has been used as a treatment for MDS patients with a superior efficacy on anemia at Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed MDS patients that received ADP treatment in the past 9 years and confirmed that ADP improves patients' anemia and prolongs overall survival in intermediate-risk MDS patients.

Cytogenetic characteristics of 665 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome in China: A single-center report.

The karyotype is highly important for diagnosis and prognosis in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The objective of the present study was to investigate the cytogenetic characteristics of patients with MDS in China. The karyotypes of 665 Chinese patients with MDS were analyzed, and it was identified that 298 cases (298/665, 44.

Clinical Response to Traditional Chinese Herbs Containing Realgar (AsS) is Related to DNA Methylation Patterns in Bone Marrow DNA from Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome with Multilineage Dysplasia.

Purpose: DNA methylation is known to play an important role in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). We previously showed that Chinese herbs (CHs) containing realgar (AsS) were effective at treating MDS with multilineage dysplasia (MDS-MLD). We tested whether the response to CH treatment was related to changes in DNA methylation in MDS-MLD.

Oral Arsenic-Containing Qinghuang Powder: A Potential Drug for Myelodysplastic Syndromes.

Qinghuang Powder (QHP), an oral arsenic, has become an effective drug in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences for many years, and the action mechanism of the compound or active ingredient AsS of QHP has been elucidated. Considering the relatively safety, chemotherapy-free and convenient oral profile, QHP is widely used in the clinical treatment for MDS patients, especially for elderly patients. In this review, the authors document the efficacy and safety of oral arsenic-containing compound QHP in the treatment of MDS, with a special focus on the association of efficacy of QHP with the cytogenetics, prognostic risk, DNA methylation, gene mutation, blood arsenic concentration, mechanism of action of AsS and the countermeasures against adverse reactions of gastrointestinal tract.

Relation of Blood Arsenic Concentration with Effect and Safety of Arsenic-Containing Qinghuang Powder () in Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

Objective: To investigate the relation of blood arsenic concentration (BAC) with clinical effect and safety of arsenic-containing Qinghuang Powder (, QHP) in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

Methods: Totally 163 patients with MDS were orally treated with QHP for 2 courses of treatment, 3 months as 1 course. The BACs of patients were detected by atomic fluorescence spectrophotometry at 1, 3, and 6 months during the treatment, and the effective rate, hematological improvement and safety in patients after treatment with QHP were analyzed.

Effect of Qinghuang Powder () Combined with Bupi Yishen Decoction () in Treating Patients with Refractory Cytopenia with Multilineage Dysplasia through Regulating DNA Methylation.

Objective: To explore the effect of Qinghuang Powder (QHP,()combined with Bupi Yishen Decoction (BPYS, ) on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients with refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia (RCMD) and determine the change of DNA methylation in MDS-RCMD patients after the treatment of Chinese medicine formula.

Methods: All 308 MDS-RCMD patients were treated with QHP combined with BPYS for 2 months at least, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), hemoglobin (Hb), platelets (PLT), primitive bone marrow cells and chromosome karyotype were chosen as the main evaluation indexes to analyze the treatment effect according to criteria from the MDS International Working Group. Then 43 bone marrow samples from 15 MDS-RCMD patients and 28 healthy donors were obtained for the examination of DNA methylation.

[Effect of treatment for hypocellular myelodysplastic syndromes by a low dose qinghuang powder combined with Chinese drugs for Shen supplementing and Pi invigorating: a clinical observation].

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of a low dose Qinghuang Powder (QP) combined with Chinese drugs for Shen supplementing and Pi invigorating (CDSSPI) in treatment of hypocellular myelodysplastic syndromes (hypo-MDS).

Methods: Totally 33 hypo-MDS patients enrolled in this study came from outpatient clinics between November 2011 and December 2012. A self-control method was used in this study.

A tumor-targeting near-infrared laser-triggered drug delivery system based on GO@Ag nanoparticles for chemo-photothermal therapy and X-ray imaging.

In this study, a GO@Ag nanocomposite was synthesized by chemical deposition of Ag nanoparticles onto graphene oxide (GO) through a hydro thermal reaction, and doxorubicin (DOX), one of the most effective drugs against a wide range of cancers, was employed as the model drug and linked to GO@Ag via ester bonds with a very high drug loading efficiency (∼82.0%, weight ratio of DOX/GO@Ag), then GO@Ag-DOX was functionalized by DSPE-PEG2000-NGR, giving GO@Ag-DOX with active tumor-targeting capacity and excellent stability in physiological solutions. The release profiles of DOX from GO@Ag-DOX-NGR showed strong dependences on near-infrared (NIR) laser and the SPR effect of Ag nanoparticles.

A fullerene-based multi-functional nanoplatform for cancer theranostic applications.

Recently, nanomaterials with multiple functions, such as drug carrier, MRI and optical imaging, photothermal therapy etc, have become more and more popular in the domain of cancer research. In this study, a C60-IONP nanocomposite is synthesized via decorating iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP) onto fullerene (C60) and then functionalized by polyethylene glycol (PEG2000), giving C60-IONP-PEG with excellent stability in physiological solutions, finally folic acid (FA), a widely used tumor targeting molecule, was linked to C60-IONP-PEG in order to obtain an active tumor targeting effect to MCF-7 cells and malignant tumor in mice models. Herein, a hybrid nanoplatform with multi-functional characteristics for cancer diagnosis, photodynamic therapy (PDT), radiofrequency (RF) thermal therapy (RTT) and magnetic targeting applications was developed and explored its biofunctions in vitro and in vivo.

[Effect of Qinghuang Powder combined Chinese herbs for Pi-strengthening and Shen-reinforcing on HIF-1alpha in bone marrow mononuclear cells of myelodysplastic syndrome patients: an experimental research].

Objective: To study the effect of Qinghuang Powder (QHP) combined Chinese herbs for Pi-strengthening and Shen-reinforcing (CHPSSR) on hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) in bone marrow mononuclear cells of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients.

Methods: Changes of HIF-1alpha in bone marrow mononuclear cells of MDS patients were detected in 25 MDS patients treated by QHP combined CHPSSR using flow cytometry. Meanwhile, 13 healthy subjects were recruited as the control group.

Arsenic disulfide induced apoptosis and concurrently promoted erythroid differentiation in cytokine-dependent myelodysplastic syndrome-progressed leukemia cell line F-36p with complex karyotype including monosomy 7.

Objective: Acute myeloid leukemia progressed from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS/AML) is generally incurable with poor prognosis for complex karyotype including monosomy 7 (-7). Qinghuang Powder (, QHP), which includes Qing Dai (Indigo naturalis) and Xiong Huang (realgar) in the formula, is effective in treating MDS or MDS/AML even with the unfavorable karyotype, and its therapeutic efficacy could be enhanced by increasing the Xiong huang content in the formula, while Xiong huang contains > 90% arsenic disulfide (As2S2). F-36p cell line was established from a MDS/AML patient with complex karyotype including -7, and was in cytokine-dependent.

A tumoral acidic pH-responsive drug delivery system based on a novel photosensitizer (fullerene) for in vitro and in vivo chemo-photodynamic therapy.

Fullerene has shown great potential both in drug delivery and photodynamic therapy. Herein, we developed a doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) derivatized fullerene (C60-PEI-DOX) to facilitate combined chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy in one system, and DOX was covalently conjugated onto C60-PEI by the pH-sensitive hydrazone linkage. The release profiles of DOX from C60-PEI-DOX showed a strong dependence on the environmental pH value.

PEGylated fullerene/iron oxide nanocomposites for photodynamic therapy, targeted drug delivery and MR imaging.

Recently, fullerene and fullerene derivatives owning to their highly enriched physical and chemical properties have been widely explored for applications in many different fields including biomedicine. In this study, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) were decorated onto the surface of fullerene (C60), and then PEGylation was performed to improve the solubility and biocompatibility of C60-IONP, obtaining a multi-functional C60-IONP-PEG nanocomposite with strong superparamagnetism and powerful photodynamic therapy capacity. Hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME), a new photodynamic anti-cancer drug, was conjugated to C60-IONP-PEG, forming a C60-IONP-PEG/HMME drug delivery system, which demonstrated an excellent magnetic targeting ability in cancer therapy.

[Effects of qinghuang power combined Chinese herbs for shen reinforcing and Pi strengthening on activated T cells of myelodysplastic syndrome patients].

Abstract Objective: To explore the effects of Qinghuang Power (QHP) combined Chinese herbs for Shen reinforcing and Pi strengthening (CHSRPS) on activated T cells of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients.

Methods: The percentage and the absolute value of CD3+ CD28+, CD3+ CD28+ CD4+ CD8-, CD3+ CD28+ CD8+ CD4-, CD3+ CD25+, CD3+ CD25+ CD4+ CD8-, CD3+ CD25+ CD8+ CD4-, CD3+ DR+, CD3+ DR+ CD4+ CD8-, and CD3+ DR+ CD8+ CD4- in the peripheral blood of 24 MDS patients were detected by flow cytometry before and after treatment by QHP combined CHSRPS for 9 months. The changes of the differences in the aforesaid indices were analyzed between the effective group and the in-, and CD3 + effective group.

[Exploration of academic thoughts on treating myelodysplastic syndrome with combination of disease and syndrome by Prof. Ma Rou].

The diagnosis and treatment pattern using combination of disease and syndrome, fully developing the advantages of both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine (WM) and being widely used clinically, has been constructed in the long history of TCM. Prof. MA Rou, as a hematology specialist of integrative medicine (IM), uses modern medical equipment to diagnose diseases and takes traditional Chinese medical methods to treat diseases.

Photodynamic therapy of a 2-methoxyestradiol tumor-targeting drug delivery system mediated by Asn-Gly-Arg in breast cancer.

Fullerene (C60) has shown great potential in drug delivery. In this study we exploited modified fullerene (diadduct malonic acid-fullerene-Asn-Gly-Arg peptide [DMA-C60-NGR]) as an antitumor drug carrier in order to build a new tumor-targeting drug delivery system. We also investigated the synergistic enhancement of cancer therapy using photodynamic therapy (PDT) induced by DMA-C60-NGR and 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME).

Antithymocyte globulin/antilymphocyte globulin plus kidney-nourishing Chinese medicinal: effect on severe aplastic anemia.

Objective: To explore the effect of antithymocyte globulin (ATG)/antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) plus kidney-nourishing Chinese medicinal (KNCM) on severe aplastic anemia (SAA).

Methods: Twenty-five subjects of severe aplastic anemia were treated with ATG/ALD plus KNCM between 1992 and 2009, and the clinical data before and after treatment were collected and analyzed.

Results: Of the 25 patients, 9 were nearly cured, 6 were improved, 5 were in remission, and 5 failed.

Karyotype and DNA-Methylation Responses in Myelodysplastic Syndromes following Treatment with Traditional Chinese Formula Containing Arsenic.

We have previously shown that arsenic-containing Chinese herbal formula, Qing-Huang powder capsule (containing tetraarsenic tetrasulfide, As(4)S(4)), is effective in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS); yet the underlined mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, using standard cytogenetic analysis (G-banded) and global DNA methylation method (ChIP-on-chip assays), we aimed to determine the effect of arsenic-containing Chinese herbal formula on karyotype status and the genomic methylation level in primarily diagnosed MDS patients. Correlation of aberrant DNA methylation and chromosome aberrations in MDS was also investigated.

[Progress of cytogenetic detection in myelodysplastic syndromes].

In recent years, significant progresses have been got in study on pathogenesis, treatment and prognosis of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), especially on use of new technology, that has great importance for cytogenetics of MDS. Recently, the progress of cytogenetic detection in MDS is very remarkable. Based on the metaphase cytogenetics (MC) method, prognostic significance of cytogenetics in MDS was clarified gradually.

Analysis of the prognostic factors of very severe aplastic anemia treated with Chinese Kidney-invigorating drugs in combination with anti-lymphocyte globulin or anti-thymocyte globulin.

Objective: To explore the prognostic factors for very severe aplastic anemia (VSAA) patients treated mainly with Chinese Kidney (Shen)-invigorating drugs (CKID) combined with anti-lymphocyte globulin (ALG) or anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG).

Methods: Twenty-seven VSAA patients were treated with CSID+ALG/ATG therapy in conjunction with cyclosporine A, androgen, hemopoietic growth factor, etc. The relationship of the effectiveness and some factors (age of patients, course of illness, blood and bone marrow figures, etc.

Clinical observation of the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome mainly with Qinghuang Powder.

Objective: To observe the clinical effectiveness of Qinghuang Powder (QHP) combined with Bupi Yishen Decoction (, BPYS) in treating myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and its relationship with France, America, and Britain (FAB) type, international prognosis scaling system (IPSS) risk, and chromosome karyotype.

Methods: There were 124 MDS patients subjected to the tests. By FAB typing, 91 patients were typed as refractory anemia (RA) type and 33 as refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB) type; by IPSS scale, 21 were sorted to low risk, 77 to moderate risk I, 20 to moderate risk II, and 6 to high risk; 78 of them had normal chromosome and 46 with abnormal chromosome, including 26 of trisomy 8.