Role of minimally invasive techniques in gastrointestinal surgery: Current status and future perspectives.

In recent years, the incidence of gastrointestinal cancer has remained high. Currently, surgical resection is still the most effective method for treating gastrointestinal cancer. Traditionally, radical surgery depends on open surgery.

MicroRNAs: Multifaceted Regulators of Colorectal Cancer Metastasis and Clinical Applications.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third-commonest malignant cancer, and its metastasis is the major reason for cancer-related death. The process of metastasis is highly coordinated and involves a complex cascade of multiple steps. In recent years, miRNAs, as highly conserved, endogenous, noncoding, single-stranded RNA, has been confirmed to be involved in the development of various cancers.

Robotic- laparoscopic-assisted proctectomy for locally advanced rectal cancer based on propensity score matching: Short-term outcomes at a colorectal center in China.

Background: Reports in the field of robotic surgery for rectal cancer are increasing year by year. However, most of these studies enroll patients at a relatively early stage and have small sample sizes. In fact, studies only on patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) and with relatively large sample sizes are lacking.

Robotic- versus laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy for advanced gastric cancer based on propensity score matching: short-term outcomes at a high-capacity center.

Reports in the field of robotic surgery for gastric cancer are increasing. However, studies only on patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) are lacking. This retrospective study was to compare the short-term outcomes of robotic-assisted distal gastrectomy (RADG) and laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) with D2 lymphadenectomy for AGC.

Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells from human bone marrow improves damaged heart function in rats.

Background: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are of great therapeutic potential after myocardial ischemic injury. However, little is known about the biological characteristics of MSCs in patients with coronary artery disease and their effects on infracted myocardium. The present study evaluated the biological characteristics of MSCs from patients with coronary artery disease and their effects after being transplanted into infarcted myocardium using a rat model.

[D-loop sequence variation of mitochondrial DNA in captive Chinese alligator].

Chinese alligator, Alligator sinensis, is a critically endangered endemic species under legislative protection in China. Result of recent investigations revealed that number of the alligators was continuously declining in the past 50 years and less than 150 individuals were surviving in the wild until 2000 years. In order to prevent the extinguishing of this species, two breeding farms were set up in early 1980s at Xuanzhou county, Anhui Province and Changxing County, Zhejiang Province respectively.