[Effect of interactive scalp acupuncture on upper limb function in patients with hemiplegia after stroke].

Objective: To explore the clinical effect of interactive scalp acupuncture combined with task-oriented mirror therapy on hemiplegia after stroke.

Methods: A total of 86 patients with hemiplegia after stroke were randomly divided into an observation group (43 cases, 2 cases dropped out) and a control group (43 cases, 2 cases dropped out). Both groups received routine treatment and rehabilitation treatment for stroke.

CYP4B1 polymorphisms and the risk of breast cancer in Chinese women: a case-control study.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the malignant diseases threatening the life and health of women worldwide. The CYP4B1 gene was abnormally expressed in BC and was associated with the prognosis of BC patients. This study aimed to explore the relationship between CYP4B1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and BC risk in Chinese women.

Effects of trunk training using motor imagery on trunk control ability and balance function in patients with stroke.

Objective: To explore the effects of trunk training using motor imagery on trunk control and balance function in patients with stroke.

Methods: One hundred eligible stroke patients were randomly divided into a control group and trial group. The control group was given routine rehabilitation therapy, while the trial group was given routine rehabilitation therapy and trunk training using motor imagery.

Imaging signs and the qualitative diagnosis of solitary rib lesions using technetium-methylene diphosphonate whole-body bone imaging in patients with a malignant tumor.

Background: The aim of this study was to summarize the valuable information for qualitative diagnosis by investigating the imaging signs from the whole-body bone imaging of solitary rib lesions.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of the data from 313 patients with malignant tumors and solitary rib lesions identified using whole-body bone imaging in Department of Nuclear Medicine of Central South University Xiangya School Affiliated Haikou Hospital between January 2015 and December 2017. Based on the final comprehensive diagnosis of the rib lesions, the patients were divided into a bone metastasis group, fracture group, other benign lesions group, and an uncertain group, and the characteristic imaging changes in rib lesions in each group were explored.

Revitalizing quality of life: a case report on the beneficial impact of comprehensive rehabilitation therapy in treating upper-limb lymphedema following breast cancer surgery.

Objective: To underscore the paramount significance of incorporating comprehensive rehabilitation therapy as a crucial aspect of managing lymphedema caused by breast cancer surgery, and to illuminate our first-hand experience and insights gained in utilizing this approach.

Methods: We present a case report of a breast cancer survivor who had been suffering from persistent left upper-limb edema for over 15 years, who was effectively treated with a combination of conventional rehabilitation (seven-step decongestion therapy) and a comprehensive rehabilitation program (seven-step decongestion therapy, along with core and respiratory function training, as well as functional brace wearing). The efficacy of the rehabilitation therapy was evaluated through a comprehensive assessment.

Effects of paired associated stimulation with different stimulation position on motor cortex excitability and upper limb motor function in patients with cerebral infarction.

Objective: To investigate the effects of paired associated stimulation (PAS) with different stimulation position on motor cortex excitability and upper limb motor function in patients with cerebral infarction.

Method: A total of 120 volunteers with cerebral infarction were randomly divided into four groups. Based on conventional rehabilitation treatment, the PAS stimulation group was given the corresponding position of PAS treatment once a day for 28 consecutive days.

The Association Between Lung Fluorodeoxyglucose Metabolism and Smoking History in 347 Healthy Adults.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between fluorodeoxyglucose metabolism and smoking history in healthy adults by analyzing lung standardized uptake value (SUV).

Methods: The F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) studies of 347 patients who did not show signs of having malignant diseases or lung inflammation were retrospectively evaluated. Four circular regions of interest (ROI) were manually drawn on the upper and lower lung regions.

Effect of Paired Associative Stimulation on Motor Cortex Excitability in Rats.

Paired associative stimulation (PAS), combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with electrical peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) in pairs with an optimal interstimulus interval (ISI) in between, has been shown to influence the excitability of the motor cortex (MC) in humans. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study was designed to explore an optimal protocol of PAS, which can modulate the excitability of MC in rats, and to investigate the underlying mechanisms.

Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Astrocytes Proliferation and nNOS Expression in Neuropathic Pain Rats.

This study investigated the effects of different frequencies of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on chronic neuropathic pain in rats. The behavior of rats with experimental chronic neuropathic pain was observed, and the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the ipsilateral dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) and the activation and proliferation of astrocytes in the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horn were detected. Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham-operated group, sham-rTMS group, 1 Hz group and 20 Hz group (8 rats in each group).

Uncovering transcription factor and microRNA risk regulatory pathways associated with osteoarthritis by network analysis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of joint disease. The development of inflammation have been considered to play a key role during the progression of OA. Regulatory pathways are known to play crucial roles in many pathogenic processes.

Prediction and analysis of HLA-A2/A24-restricted cytotoxic T-lymphocyte epitopes of the tumor antigen MAGE-n using the artificial neural networks method on NetCTL1.2 Server.

Cancer immunotherapy has become one of the most important therapeutic approaches to cancer in the past two decades. Tumor antigen-derived peptides have been widely used to elicit tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Antigen-specific CTLs induced by MAGE-derived peptides have proven to be highly efficacious in the prevention and treatment of various types of tumor.

A novel DNA vaccine constructed by heat shock protein 70 and melanoma antigen-encoding gene 3 against tumorigenesis.

Melanoma antigen-encoding gene 3 (MAGE-3) is an ideal candidate for a tumor vaccine although its potency need to be increased. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) represents a potential approach for increasing the potency of DNA vaccines. In the present study, a fusion DNA vaccine composed of Mycobacterium tuberculosis HSP70 and MAGE-3 was constructed and used to immunize C57BL/6 mice against B16 or B16-MAGE-3 tumor cells.

The antitumor immune responses induced by nanoemulsion-encapsulated MAGE1-HSP70/SEA complex protein vaccine following different administration routes.

Our previous study showed that nanoemulsion-encapsulated MAGE1-HSP70/SEA (MHS) complex protein vaccine elicited MAGE-1 specific immune response and antitumor effects against MAGE-1-expressing tumor and nanoemulsion is a useful vehicle with possible important implications for cancer biotherapy. The purpose of this study was to compare the immune responses induced by nanoemulsion-encapsulated MAGE1-HSP70 and SEA as NE(MHS) vaccine following different administration routes and to find out the new and effective immune routes. Nanoemulsion vaccine was prepared using magnetic ultrasound methods.

The anti-tumor immune response induced by a combination of MAGE-3/MAGE-n-derived peptides.

Tumor antigen-derived peptides have been widely used to elicit tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). MAGE gene products are of particular interest owing to their wide expression in many tumors and their potential to induce tumor-specific CTL responses. Antigen-specific CTLs induced by MAGE gene-derived peptides have proven to be highly efficacious in the prevention and treatment of various types of tumors.

The antitumor immune responses induced by nanoemulsion-encapsulated MAGE1-HSP70/SEA complex protein vaccine following peroral administration route.

Previous studies have shown that there are profuse lymphatic tissues under the intestinal mucous membrane. Moreover, vaccine administered orally can elicit both mucous membrane and system immune response simultaneously, accordingly induce tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte. As a result, the oral route is constituted the preferred immune route for vaccine delivery theoretically.

[Anti-tumor immune responses of nanoemulsion-encapsulated MHS vaccine].

Aim: To prepare nanoemulsion-encapsulated MAGE1-Hsp70/SEA and to evaluate its anti-tumor effects in mouse.

Methods: Nanoemulsion vaccine NE(MHS) was prepared using magnetic ultrasound methods and used to immunize C57BL/6 mice. The cellular immune responses were detected by IFN-gamma ELISPOT and LDH release assay.

[Adenovirus mediated targeted genetherapy of Staphylococcal enterotoxin A and CD80 for hepatoma and its primary immune mechanisms].

Aim: To observe the effects of hepatoma-targeting recombinant adenovirus vectors of staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) and/or CD80 gene on hepatoma and to study its immunological mechanisms.

Methods: Using AdEasy adenovirus system, we constructed recombinant adenovirus vectors of SEA and/or CD80 gene driven by alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) enhancer I and promoter. After intratumoral therapy for the mice bearing subcutaneous xenograft hepatoma with the recombinant adenoviruses, SEA and/or CD80 mRNA and protein were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot.

Response of T cells in vivo induced by repeated superantigen treatments at different time intervals.

We have investigated the response of T cells to staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) injections in vivo. We found that a single injection of SEA with an optimal dose of 10 microg increased the expression of both CD4 and CD8 significantly. There was expansion of SEA-reactive T cells in vivo after SEA re-injection and the time interval between injections strongly influenced the responsiveness of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.

Truncated TERT mRNA transfected dendritic cells evoke TERT specific antitumor response in vivo.

Background/aims: To evaluate the antitumor immune response induced by truncated TERT (TERTt) mRNA transfected dendritic cells (DCs) in

Methodology: Truncated mouse TERT sequence (according to mice telomerase reverse transcriptase mRNA 1776bp-2942bp) was cloned from B16 mice melanoma cells and inserted into pBluescript II KS(+) plasmid downstreaming of T7 promoter. The in vitro transcription was performed to prepare TERTt mRNA. The bone marrow-derived DCs isolated from BALB/c or C57B/L mice were electroporated with TERTt mRNA and recruited to immunize syngeneic naive mice respectively.

Dendritic cells fused with allogeneic breast cancer cell line induce tumor antigen-specific CTL responses against autologous breast cancer cells.

Dendritic cell (DC)/tumor cell fusion vaccine has been revealed as a promising tool for the antitumor immunotherapy. Previous research has shown that fusion hybrids of human DCs and autologous tumor cells can induce cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses against autologous tumor cells in animal models and human clinical trials. However, a major restriction factor for the clinical use is the difficulty for preparation of sufficient amount of autologous tumor cells especially for the patients with metastasis cancer whose primary tumor lesion is not clear or has been resected.

[Construction of hepatoma-targeting recombinant co-expression adenovirus vector of SEA and CD80 and identification of its expression].

Aim: To construct hepatoma-targeting recombinant co-expression adenovirus vector of Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) and CD80 gene.

Methods: Us-ing the adenovirus transfer plasmids pShuttle and pShuttle-CMV, we constructed a new transfer plasmid pShuttle2 with polyA signal sequence instead of CMV enhancer/promoter. AFP enhancer, promoter, SEA or CD80 gene was subcloned into pShuttle2 from the vectors pKS-EP or pMD18-T-BIS respectively, and then the constructed plasmid pShuttle2-BIS containing AFP enhancer, promoter, SEA or CD80 gene was cotransformed into E.

Tumor cells with B7.1 and transmembrane anchored staphylococcal enterotoxin A generate effective antitumor immunity.

Staphylococcus enterotoxin A (SEA) stimulates T cells bearing certain TCR beta-chain variable regions, when bound to MHC-II molecules, and is a potent inducer of CTL activity and cytokines production. To decrease toxicity of SEA to the normal MHC-II(+) cells and to localize the immune response induced by SEA to the tumor site, my colleague previously genetically fused SEA with B7.1 transmembrane region (named as SEAtm) to make SEA express on the surface of tumor cells and tumor cells modified with SEAtm could induce efficient antitumor immunity in vitro.

[Establishment of an HHCC cell line stably transfected by tumor antigen MAGE-3 gene and its mRNA expression].

Aim: To construct the eukaryotic expression vector of tumor antigen MAGE-3 and establish human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HHCC) expressing MAGE-3.

Methods: The MAGE-3 gene was amplified by PCR and cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pIRES2-EGFP to construct the pIRES2-EGFP-MAGE-3 plasmid. The recombinant plasmid pIRES2-EGFP-MAGE-3 was transfected into HHCC cells by lipofectamine, and then the positive clones were screened by G418.

Heat-shocked tumor cell lysate-pulsed dendritic cells induce effective anti-tumor immune response in vivo.

Aim: To study whether heat-shocked tumor cells could enhance the effect of tumor cell lysate-pulsed dendritic cells (DCs) in evoking anti-tumor immune response in vivo.

Methods: Mouse undifferentiated colon cancer cells (CT-26) were heated at 42 degrees Celsius for 1 h and then frozen-thawed. The bone marrow-derived DCs pulsed with heat-shocked CT-26 cell lysate (HSCT-26 DCs) were recruited to immunize syngeneic naive BALB/c mice.