Knockdown of IL-8 Provoked Premature Senescence of Placenta-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown promise for use in cell therapy, and due to their tumor tropism can serve as vehicles for delivering therapeutic agents to tumor sites. Because interleukin-8 (IL-8) is known to mediate the protumor effect of MSCs, elimination of IL-8 secretion by MSCs may enhance their safety for use in cancer gene therapy. However, little is known concerning the effect of endogenously secreted IL-8 on MSCs.

Characterization of rickettsiae in ticks in northeastern China.

Background: Tick-borne rickettsioses are considered important emerging zoonoses worldwide, but their etiological agents, rickettsiae, remain poorly characterized in northeastern China, where many human cases have been reported during the past several years. Here, we determined the characteristics of Rickettsia spp. infections in ticks in this area.

Combating rituximab resistance by inducing ceramide/lysosome-involved cell death through initiation of CD20-TNFR1 co-localization.

Despite the success of CD20 antibody rituximab in immunotherapy, acquired resistance is one of the prime obstacles for the successful treatment of B-cell malignancies. There is an urgent need to intensify efforts against resistance in cancer treatment. Growing evidence indicated that lysosomes may form an "Achilles heel" for cancer cells by sensitizing them to death pathways.

[Characteristics and Prognosis of 24 Cases of Primary Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Trisomy 8].

Objective: To explore the clinical features and prognosis of primary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with trisomy 8.

Methods: The clinical data of 24 cases diagnosed as primary AML with trisomy 8 were collected. The clinical characteristics such as sex, age, subtype of FAB, blood routine and bone marrow blast at the first visit were analyzed and the relationship of the characteristics with CR rate and the prognosis was explored.

Afatinib beyond progression in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer following chemotherapy, erlotinib/gefitinib and afatinib: phase III randomized LUX-Lung 5 trial.

Background: Afatinib has demonstrated clinical benefit in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer progressing after treatment with erlotinib/gefitinib. This phase III trial prospectively assessed whether continued irreversible ErbB-family blockade with afatinib plus paclitaxel has superior outcomes versus switching to chemotherapy alone in patients acquiring resistance to erlotinib/gefitinib and afatinib monotherapy.

Patients And Methods: Patients with relapsed/refractory disease following ≥1 line of chemotherapy, and whose tumors had progressed following initial disease control (≥12 weeks) with erlotinib/gefitinib and thereafter afatinib (50 mg/day), were randomized 2:1 to receive afatinib plus paclitaxel (40 mg/day; 80 mg/m(2)/week) or investigator's choice of single-agent chemotherapy.

15,16-dihydrotanshinone I Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits the Proliferation, Migration of Human Osteosarcoma Cell Line 143B in vitro.

Background: 15,16-dihydrotanshinone I (DHTI), a lipophilic tanshinone extracted from Danshen root (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge), has been reported to function as an antitumor agent. However, its activity on osteosarcoma (OS), the most common primary malignant bone tumor, is unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effects of DHTI treatment on proliferation, apoptosis and migration of human OS cell line 143B and investigate the possible underlying molecular mechanisms.

β2-Adrenergic signal transduction plays a detrimental role in subchondral bone loss of temporomandibular joint in osteoarthritis.

The present study tested whether activation of the sympathetic tone by aberrant joint loading elicits abnormal subchondral bone remodeling in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthritis. Abnormal dental occlusion was created in experimental rats, which were then intraperitoneally injected by saline, propranolol or isoproterenol. The norepinephrine contents, distribution of sympathetic nerve fibers, expression of β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) and remodeling parameters in the condylar subchondral bone were investigated.

Impaired formation of homotypic cell-in-cell structures in human tumor cells lacking alpha-catenin expression.

Although cell-in-cell structures (CICs) could be detected in a wide range of human tumors, homotypic CICs formed between tumor cells occur at low rate for most of them. We recently reported that tumor cells lacking expression of E- and P-cadherin were incapable of forming homotypic CICs by entosis, and re-expression of E- or P-cadherin was sufficient to induce CICs formation in these tumor cells. In this work, we found that homotypic CICs formation was impaired in some tumor cells expressing high level of E-cadherin due to loss expression of alpha-catenin (α-catenin), a molecular linker between cadherin-mediated adherens junctions and F-actin.

Combination of icotinib, surgery, and internal-radiotherapy of a patient with lung cancer severely metastasized to the vertebrae bones with EGFR mutation: a case report.

A 48-year-old Chinese female was referred to us regarding EGFR-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer, and metastasis to left scapula and vertebrae bones which caused pathological fracture at T8 and T10 thoracic vertebrae. An aggressive combined therapy with icotinib, vertebrae operation, and radioactive particle implantation and immunotherapy was proposed to prevent paraplegia, relieve pain, and control the overall and local tumor lesions. No postoperative symptoms were seen after surgery, and the pain was significantly relieved.

Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting Analysis of Heterotypic Cell-in-Cell Structures.

Cell-in-cell structures (CICs), characterized by the presence of one or more viable cells inside another one, were recently found important player in development, immune homeostasis and tumorigenesis etc. Incompatible with ever-increasing interests on this unique phenomenon, reliable methods available for high throughput quantification and systemic investigation are lacking. Here, we report a flow cytometry-based method for rapid analysis and sorting of heterotypic CICs formed between lymphocytes and tumor cells.

Radiotherapy in early stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma: past, present and future.

For early stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), extended field irradiation (EFRT) alone has shown excellent results in low relapse rate and high long-term survival rate. With the patients achieving long-term survival, the risk of the RT-related late complications was increased, such as secondary malignancies and heart infarctions. According to a series of studies, the combined modality therapy (CMT) as the first-line therapy has replaced the radiotherapy (RT) alone.

Biphasic silica/apatite co-mineralized collagen scaffolds stimulate osteogenesis and inhibit RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis.

The effects of a biphasic mineralized collagen scaffold (BCS) containing intrafibrillar silica and apatite on osteogenesis of mouse mesenchymal stem cells (mMSCs) and inhibition of receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL)-mediated osteoclastogenesis were investigated in the present study. mMSCs were cultured by exposing to BCS for 7 days for cell proliferation/viability examination, and stimulated to differentiate in osteogenic medium for 7-21 days for evaluation of alkaline phosphatase activity, secretion of osteogenic deposits and expression of osteoblast lineage-specific phenotypic markers. The effect of BCS-conditioned mMSCs on osteoclastogenesis of RAW 264.

Highly Sensitive Droplet Digital PCR Method for Detection of EGFR-Activating Mutations in Plasma Cell-Free DNA from Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation testing in plasma cell-free DNA from lung cancer patients is an emerging clinical tool. However, compared with tissue testing, the sensitivity of plasma testing is not yet satisfactory because of the highly fragmented nature of plasma cell-free DNA, low fraction of tumor DNA, and limitations of available detection technologies. We therefore developed a highly sensitive and specific droplet digital PCR method for plasma EGFR mutation (exon19 deletions and L858R) testing.

Identification and characterization of a serious multidrug resistant Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain in China.

An S. maltophilia strain named WJ66 was isolated from a patient; WJ66 showed resistance to more antibiotics than the other S. maltophilia strains.

Investigation of dental pulp stem cells isolated from discarded human teeth extracted due to aggressive periodontitis.

Recently, human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) isolated from inflamed dental pulp tissue have been demonstrated to retain some of their pluripotency and regenerative potential. However, the effects of periodontal inflammation due to periodontitis and its progression on the properties of DPSCs within periodontally compromised teeth remain unknown. In this study, DPSCs were isolated from discarded human teeth that were extracted due to aggressive periodontitis (AgP) and divided into three experimental groups (Groups A, B and C) based on the degree of inflammation-induced bone resorption approaching the apex of the tooth root before tooth extraction.

Intrafibrillar-silicified collagen scaffolds enhance the osteogenic capacity of human dental pulp stem cells.

Objectives: The present study investigated the effects of intrafibrillar-silicified collagen scaffolds (ISCS) on the osteogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) in vitro and in vivo.

Methods: The hDPSCs were co-cultured with ISCS or nonsilicified collagen scaffolds (NCS) in control medium (CM) or osteogenic differentiation medium (ODM). Cell cycle and cell apoptosis were analyzed with flow cytometry to measure the viability of hDPSCs.

Serum CEA level change and its significance before and after Gefitinib therapy on patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore change and significance of serum carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) before and after gefitinib therapy in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Forty patients with advanced NSCLCs in III~IV stages were selected as study objects given gefitinib therapy combined with routine local radiotherapy until tumor progression or intolerable toxicity. After treatment, all patients were divided into control and non-control groups according to the results of evaluation based on RECIST 1.

The diagnostic accuracy of pleural effusion and plasma samples versus tumour tissue for detection of EGFR mutation in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: comparison of methodologies.

Aims: To evaluate the suitability of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) and plasma as surrogate samples for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation detection, and compare three different detection methods.

Methods: Matched tissue and plasma samples were collected from patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (stage IIIB/IV adenocarcinoma/adenosquamous carcinoma), with matched MPE samples collected from a subgroup. DNA was extracted from tissue, MPE cell block, MPE supernatant and plasma before mutation detection by amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) (all samples), Sanger sequencing and mutant-specific immunohistochemistry (IHC) (tissue and MPE cell blocks only).

[Clinic characteristics and prognosis in 102 non-small cell lung cancer patients less than 40 years old].

Background And Objective: The incidence of young non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) annually increases. The aim of this study is to analyze the clinical pathological characteristics of young (less than 40 years old) NSCLC patients.

Methods: The data of 102 young NSCLC were retrospectively analyzed.

[Construction, bioactivity identification and structural characteristics analysis of a novel recombinant immunosuppression protein B7-2-L-PE40KDEL].

Objective: To construct a novel recombinant B7-2-L- PE40KDEL fusion protein used to selectively kill T cells expressing high levels of CD28 so as to induce immune tolerance and prevent graft versus host disease (GVHD) and host versus graft disease (HVGD).

Methods: The cDNA encoding human B7-2 was ligated with cDNA encoding PE40KDEL by using sequence overlapping extension (SOE) techniques. The gene of interest was subcloned into a high output expression vector pRSETA and transformed into E.

[Invasive rhinocerebral aspergillosis occurred during myelosuppressive phase after chemotherapy: a case report and literature review].

Objective: To report a case of invasive rhinocerebral aspergillosis (IRA) during myelosuppressive phase after chemotherapy and the treatment outcome.

Methods: A patient with acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia (M(2a)) occurred IRA during myelosuppressive phase after chemotherapy and was treated with amphotericin B (AmB, including AmB-L), garlicin, 5-flucytosine (5-FC), fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, econazole and griseofulvin with twice of cerebrotomy lesion resections and cerebral decompressions.

Results: Though the survival time of this patient is a little longer than the others, she finally died of uncontrolled infection.