Clinicopathological Features and Prognosis of Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma: Experience of a Major Chinese Cancer Center

Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare heterogeneous group of primary breast malignancies, with low hormone receptor expression and poor outcomes. To date, no prognostic markers for this tumor have been validated. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics, the response to various therapeutic regimens and the prognosis of MBCs in a large cohort of patients from Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital in China. Ninety cases of MBCs diagnosed in our hospital between January 2000 and September 2014 were retrieved from the archives. In general, MBCs presented with larger size, a lower rate of lymph node metastasis, and demonstrated more frequent local recurrence/distant metastasis than 1,090 stage-matched cases of invasive carcinoma of no specific type (IDC-NST), independent of the status of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expressions. The five-year disease-free survival (DFS) of MBC was significantly worse than IDC-NST. Using univariate analysis, lymph node metastasis, advanced clinical stage at diagnosis, high tumor proliferation rate assessed by Ki-67 labeling, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression/gene amplification were associated significantly with reduced DFS, while decreased OS was associated significantly with lymph node metastasis and EGFR overexpression/gene amplification. With multivariate analysis, lymph node status was an independent predictor for DFS, and lymph node status and EGFR overexpression/gene amplification were independent predictors for OS. Histologic subtyping and molecular subgrouping of MBCs were not significant factors in prognosis. We also found that MBCs were insensitive to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, routine chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. This study indicates that MBC is an aggressive type of breast cancer with poor prognosis, and that identification and optimization of an effective comprehensive therapeutic regimen is needed.     

转基因猪研究进展

转基因猪是指运用分子生物学技术方法,将人工分离或改造过的基因整合到猪的基因组中,并能稳定的遗传给后代。转入的基因可以使猪的某些性状向人类需要的目标发生转变,因此在猪的遗传育种、以及将猪作为药物评价、疾病模型、特异性药物生产的生物反应器和组织器官移植的供体等方面具有重要的作用。就目前转基因猪的研究进展、技术方法及应用现状进行简要的综述。     

2013～2014年度中国H3N2亚型流感病毒病原学特征分析

为分析2013~2014流感监测年度中国大陆地区H3N2亚型流感病毒的抗原性和基因变异情况,本文选择了本监测年度中国分离的H3N2亚型流感病毒,利用标准雪貂抗血清进行抗原性分析,利用Sanger测序法进行病毒基因测序,采用邻位相临法(Neighbor-Joining,N-J)方法进行种系进化分析,分析我国H3N2亚型流感病毒的变异情况,进一步比较其与疫苗株的匹配性。抗原分析显示,本监测年度H3N2亚型流感病毒大部分为疫苗株A/Victoria/361/2011细胞株的类似株(99.6%),但以A/Texas/50/2012鸡胚株为参考抗原,只有15.1%为类似株,仅有11.9%与中国流行株的鸡胚分离株A/Shanghai-Changning/1507/2012抗原性类似。HA基因特性分析显示我国毒株均位于同一大分支,NA基因没有发现与耐药性相关的氨基酸位点突变。总之,2013~2014流感监测年度我国H3N2亚型流感病毒在流行过程中未发生明显变异,但病毒在鸡胚中传代会导致关键氨基酸位点变异。应及时分析并发现我国病毒的抗原性和基因特性变异情况,推选出更适合我国的疫苗株。     

番茄采后病菌鉴定及肉桂精油的抑菌分析

以樱桃番茄(Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme)为试材,利用rDNA-ITS扩增测序技术鉴定自然发病番茄果实中分离的8种形态特征相异的菌株,并分析肉桂精油对采后病菌的抑菌效果和抑菌成分。结果表明,采后病原菌可归为5大类：枝孢属、青霉属、链格孢属、灰葡萄属和聚端孢属;肉桂精油表现出良好的抑菌效果,抑菌效果由强到弱为粉红单端孢菌、链格孢菌、扩展青霉菌、芽枝状枝孢菌、灰葡萄孢菌;抑菌圈试验中,粉红单端孢菌最为敏感,而芽枝状枝孢菌敏感度较弱;肉桂精油的75%成分具有抑菌作用。     

国产巴西人参的生药学

为了进一步开发国内引种栽培的巴西人参药材,通过对巴西人参的原植物形态、药材性状、粉末显微鉴别及薄层层析等进行分析研究,发现该药材的原植物形态特征基本稳定、根横切面结构除三生维管束构造异常外其余特征稳定,粉末鉴别草酸钙砂晶特征明显,药材与对照药材及β-蜕皮甾酮对照品在相应位置均有相同颜色斑点显现.实验结果稳定,可作为巴西人参生药学鉴别的重要依据.     

Curcumin prevents obesity by targeting TRAF4‐induced ubiquitylation in m6A‐dependent manner

Obesity has become a major health problem that has rapidly prevailed over the past several decades worldwide. Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound present in turmeric, has been shown to have a protective effect on against obesity and metabolic diseases. However, its underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we show that the administration of curcumin significantly prevents HFD‐induced obesity and decreases the fat mass of the subcutaneous inguinal WAT (iWAT) and visceral epididymal WAT (eWAT) in mice. Mechanistically, curcumin inhibits adipogenesis by reducing the expression of AlkB homolog 5 (ALKHB5), an m⁶A demethylase, which leads to higher m⁶A‐modified TNF receptor‐associated factor 4 (TRAF4) mRNA. TRAF4 mRNA with higher m⁶A level is recognized and bound by YTHDF1, leading to enhanced translation of TRAF4. TRAF4, acting as an E3 RING ubiquitin ligase, promotes degradation of adipocyte differentiation regulator PPARγ by a ubiquitin–proteasome pathway thereby inhibiting adipogenesis. Thus, m⁶A‐dependent TRAF4 expression upregulation by ALKBH5 and YTHDF1 contributes to curcumin‐induced obesity prevention. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into how m⁶A is involved in the anti‐obesity effect of curcumin.     

Network-based cancer genomic data integration for pattern discovery

Background

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has profoundly changed the approach to genetic/genomic research. Particularly, the clinical utility of NGS in detecting mutations associated with disease risk has contributed to the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Recently, comprehensive analysis of somatic genetic mutations by NGS has also been used as a new approach for controlling the quality of cell substrates for manufacturing biopharmaceuticals. However, the quality evaluation of cell substrates by NGS largely depends on the limit of detection (LOD) for rare somatic mutations. The purpose of this study was to develop a simple method for evaluating the ability of whole-exome sequencing (WES) by NGS to detect mutations with low allele frequency. To estimate the LOD of WES for low-frequency somatic mutations, we repeatedly and independently performed WES of a reference genomic DNA using the same NGS platform and assay design. LOD was defined as the allele frequency with a relative standard deviation (RSD) value of 30% and was estimated by a moving average curve of the relation between RSD and allele frequency.

Results

Allele frequencies of 20 mutations in the reference material that had been pre-validated by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) were obtained from 5, 15, 30, or 40 G base pair (Gbp) sequencing data per run. There was a significant association between the allele frequencies measured by WES and those pre-validated by ddPCR, whose p-value decreased as the sequencing data size increased. By this method, the LOD of allele frequency in WES with the sequencing data of 15 Gbp or more was estimated to be between 5 and 10%.

Conclusions

For properly interpreting the WES data of somatic genetic mutations, it is necessary to have a cutoff threshold of low allele frequencies. The in-house LOD estimated by the simple method shown in this study provides a rationale for setting the cutoff.

     

GINS2基因对非小细胞肺癌的作用及功能分析

GINS2在多种侵袭性肿瘤中上调,然而,其在非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)中的作用及功能仍有待阐明.本研究主要对GINS2在非小细胞肺癌中的作用及功能进行分析,通过肿瘤基因组图谱(TCGA)数据库分析发现,GINS2在NSCLC中显著上调.为了研究GINS2在NSCLC细胞中的作用及其功能,首先,采用小干扰RNA技术设计了该基因的siRNA,以此来沉默GINS2的mRNA,细胞水平转染后,该基因在非小细胞肺癌细胞系NCI-H292和A549中的表达降低;随后,采用实时细胞分析仪(real time cell analyzer,RTCA)和Tran-swell小室实验对细胞的增殖、迁移和侵袭进行测定,最后采用流式细胞仪分析细胞的周期以及细胞凋亡.实验结果显示:在NCI-H292和A549两个细胞系中,用siRNA沉默GINS2的表达后,NCI-H292和A549细胞的生长能力、迁移能力和侵袭能力均会受到明显的抑制;此外,细胞的周期凋亡实验显示,在NCI-H292细胞系中,阻碍了细胞G1期向S期的转变;在A549细胞系中,阻碍了细胞S期向G2期的转变,同时在两个细胞系中均表现出促进细胞凋亡等功能.综上所述,敲低GINS2可抑制NCI-H292和A549细胞的增殖、迁移和侵袭,并且能阻滞细胞周期促进细胞凋亡等.因此,研究该基因在NSCLC中的功能对于后续研究分子机制具有很大的意义,可能是未来的特异性治疗靶点.     

远志皂苷与莲心碱对七氟烷诱发新生大鼠急性和远期认知功能损伤的改善作用及机制分析

为了分析远志皂苷与莲心碱对七氟烷诱发新生大鼠急性和远期认知功能损伤的改善作用及机制,将36只新生SD大鼠随机分为中药组（n=12）、模型组（n=12）和空白组（n=12）,中药组、模型组暴露于2.5%七氟烷环境中麻醉诱导2 h·d^-1,连续3 d,空白组暴露在不含七氟烷的相同环境中,中药组于麻醉前30 min腹腔注射远志皂苷与莲心碱1:1配伍溶液（30 mg·kg^-1）,模型组和空白组腹腔注射等量0.9%氯化钠溶液,比较各组大鼠血气指标、皮质脑电图结果、Morris水迷宫行为和血清皮质酮含量,并采用Western blot法检测海马Bcl₂、Bax和Caspase?3表达水平。中药组大鼠皮质脑电图癫痫波总时长、平均时长以及数量均低于模型组（P<0.05）;定位航行实验结果显示,中药组大鼠逃避潜伏期短于模型组（P<0.05）;空间探索实验结果显示,中药组大鼠探索时间长于模型组（P<0.05）;中药组大鼠血清皮质酮含量低于模型组（P<0.05）;中药组大鼠海马组织Bcl₂/Bax表达水平高于模型组（P<0.05）,cleaved Caspase?3表达水平低于模型组（P<0.05）。结果表明,远志皂苷与莲心碱可改善七氟烷诱发新生大鼠急性和远期认知功能损伤,其机制可能与调控凋亡相关基因Bcl₂、Bax和Caspase?3表达水平有关。