Long-Term Recruitment of Endogenous M2 Macrophages by Platelet Lysate-Rich Plasma Macroporous Hydrogel Scaffold for Articular Cartilage Defect Repair.

After cartilage damage, a large number of monocytes/macrophages infiltrate into adjacent synovium and the resident macrophages in synovial tissue transform to activated macrophages (M1), which secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines to induce sustained inflammation and chondrocyte apoptotic. However, current clinical therapies for cartilage repair can rarely achieve long-term anti-inflammatory regulation and satisfactory outcomes. Herein, a platelet lysate-rich plasma macroporous hydrogel (PLPMH) scaffold with around 100 µm pore size and 1.

An elastic gel consisting of natural polyphenol and pluronic for simultaneous dura sealing and treatment of spinal cord injury.

Dura injury can be intractable during neurosurgical operations. Dural sealant is effective for aiding dura repair and diminishing postoperative complications. However, a more optimal dural sealant is still clinically required.

Surface charge controlled nucleoli selective staining with nanoscale carbon dots.

Organelle selective imaging can reveal structural and functional characters of cells undergoing external stimuli, and is considered critical in revealing biological fundamentals, designing targeted delivery system, and screening potential drugs and therapeutics. This paper describes the nucleoli targeting ability of nanoscale carbon dots (including nanodiamond) that are hydrothermally made with controlled surface charges. The surface charges of carbon dots are controlled in the range of -17.

Sequential delivery of bismuth nanoparticles and doxorubicin by injectable macroporous hydrogels for combined anticancer kilovoltage X-ray radio- and chemo-therapy.

Sequential delivery systems are required to maximize synergistic anticancer therapeutic effects in combined X-ray radio- and chemo-therapy. Here, we described an injectable macroporous hydrogel as a sequential delivery platform for combined kilovoltage X-ray radio- and chemo-therapy of 4T1 breast cancer. The macroporous hydrogel offered two sequentially distinct delivery profiles for co-loaded radiosensitizers (bismuth nanoparticles, Bi NPs) and an anticancer drug (doxorubicin, DOX).

Single cell patterning for high throughput sub-cellular toxicity assay.

Cell population based toxicity assays cannot distinguish responses of single cells and sub-cellular organelles; while single cell assays are limited by low statistical power due to small number of cells examined. This article reports a new single cell array based toxicity assay, in which cell responses at population level, single cell level and sub-cellular level can be obtained simultaneously at high throughput. The single cell array was produced by microcontact printing and selected area cell attachment, and exposed to damaging X-ray radiation, which was followed by fluorescence imaging after staining.

Tumor targeted, stealthy and degradable bismuth nanoparticles for enhanced X-ray radiation therapy of breast cancer.

Nanoparticles of heavy elements can be used as radiosensitizers to enhance X-ray radiation therapy, but a major roadblock in translating nanoparticle radiosensitizers into clinical practice of cancer treatment is related to the non-degradable nature of the nanoparticles, which can cause accumulation inside body and long-term toxicity. This paper reports the use of a folate-inserted, red blood cell membrane-modified bismuth (i.e.

Diagnostic significance of suppressor of cytokine signalling 3 (SOCS3) methylation and its correlation with IDH1 mutation in Chinese glioma patients.

Context: Epigenetic alterations in suppressor of cytokine signalling 3 (SOCS3) have been suggested as a potential biomarker in glioma.

Objective: To investigate whether SOCS3 methylation could act as a biomarker for glioma grading and prognosis.

Materials And Methods: Glioma samples were evaluated by pyrosequencing and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

Predicting efficacies of anticancer drugs using single cell HaloChip assay.

Single cell halo assay (HaloChip) is used to quantify DNA repair ability and predict the efficacy of anticancer drugs. After exposure to drugs, cells are patterned onto a substrate to form an ordered single cell array, then embedded inside an agarose gel, and fluorescently stained to generate a characteristic halo surrounding each cell. The extent of DNA repair is quantified by using a relative nuclear diffusion factor (rNDF) derived from the surface areas of nuclei and halos.

CHRNA5 polymorphisms and risk of lung cancer in Chinese Han smokers.

Lung cancer is the most frequent cancer among men in many countries. It is the result of interactions between genetic and environmental factors, among which tobacco smoking is a key environmental factor. CHRNA5, Cholinergic Receptor, Neuronal Nicotinic, Alpha Polypeptide-5, was previously reported to be associated with lung cancer risk.

Genetic polymorphisms analysis of drug-metabolizing enzyme CYP2C9 in the Uyghur population.

Genetic variations in cytochrome P450 2C9 are known to contribute to interindividual and interethnic variability in response to clinical drugs, but little is known about the genetic variation of CYP2C9 in the Uyghur population. We directly sequenced the whole CYP2C9 gene in 96 unrelated, healthy Uyghur from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China and screened for genetic variants in the promoter, exons, introns and 3'-UTR. Thirty five previously reported alleles and six genotypes were detected in this study.

Association of colorectal cancer susceptibility variants with esophageal cancer in a Chinese population.

Aim: To investigate the association between colorectal cancer (CRC) genetic susceptibility variants and esophageal cancer in a Chinese Han population.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted including 360 esophageal cancer patients and 310 healthy controls. Thirty-one single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with CRC risk from previous genome-wide association studies were analyzed.

CHRNA3 genetic polymorphism and the risk of lung cancer in the Chinese Han smoking population.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide that result from the combined effected of smoking exposure and genetic susceptibility. CHRNA3, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor gene, was associated with lung cancer risk. The aim of this study was to identify whether CHRNA3 polymorphisms increase lung cancer risk directly or indirectly through smoking behavior in the Chinese Han individuals.

Association of genetic polymorphisms with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the Hainan population: a case-control study.

Purpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is predicted to become the third most common cause of death and the fifth most common cause of disability in the world by 2020. Recently, variants in the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1A), cholinergic receptor, neuronal nicotinic, alpha polypeptide-5, and iron-responsive element-binding protein 2 gene (IREB2) genes were found to be associated with COPD. This study aims to identify whether the variations in these genes are related to COPD in the Hainan population of the People's Republic of China.

CLPTM1L genetic polymorphisms and interaction with smoking and alcohol drinking in lung cancer risk: a case-control study in the Han population from northwest China.

Genetic variants of cleft lip and palate trans-membrane 1-like (CLPTM1L) genes in the p15.33 region of chromosome 5 were previously identified to influence susceptibility to lung cancer. We examined the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CLPTM1L genes with lung cancer and explored their potential effects on the relationship between environmental risk factors (smoking, drinking) and lung cancer in a Chinese Han population.

Single tube genotyping of CYP2A6 gene deletion based on copy number determination by quantitative real-time PCR.

The CYP2A6*4 allele, characterized as the whole deletion of this gene, is closely associated with nicotine dependence, cancer susceptibility, and drug responsiveness. It has long been a significant challenge for pharmacogenetics scientists to develop a reliable method to detect this molecular variant due to its high homology with its homologous genes CYP2A6 and CYP2A3 in the clinical setting. Here, we introduce a quantitative real-time PCR assay that specifically amplifies CYP2A6 by designing a specific set of primers and the probe, which effectively prevent the amplification of the CYP2A7 and CYP2A13 alleles.

Mitochondrial DNA levels in blood and tissue samples from breast cancer patients of different stages.

Aims: Alterations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been implicated in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. We here evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic potential of mtDNA as a biomarker for breast cancer.

Methods: Using multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction, nuclear DNA (nDNA) and mtDNA levels in serum, buffy coat, tumor, and tumor-adjacent tissue samples from 50 breast cancer patients were determined and assessed for associations with clinicopathological features.