Food-borne parasitic zoonoses in China: perspective for control

Food-borne parasitic zoonoses (FBPZs) cause death and serious diseases in humans and animals worldwide, and are of both public health significance and socioeconomic importance. The FBPZ problem is severe in mainland China, where approximately 150 million people are suffering from FBPZs and more people are at risk. Here, the current status of the FBPZ problem in mainland China is reviewed and strategies and measures for effective control of FBPZs are proposed. Major parasitic zoonoses transmitted through consumption of infected or contaminated meat, fish, plants and/or water will be discussed.     

Current status and clinical application of patient-derived tumor organoid model in kidney and prostate cancers

Urological cancers such as kidney, bladder, prostate, and testicular cancers are the most common types of cancers worldwide with high mortality and morbidity. To date, traditional cell lines and animal models have been broadly used to study pre-clinical applications and underlying molecular mechanisms of urological cancers. However, they cannot reflect biological phenotypes of real tissues and clinical diversities of urological cancers in vitro system. In vitro models cannot be utilized to reflect the tumor microenvironment or heterogeneity. Cancer organoids in three-dimensional culture have emerged as a promising platform for simulating tumor microenvironment and revealing heterogeneity. In this review, we summarize recent advances in prostate and kidney cancer organoids regarding culture conditions, advantages, and applications of these cancer organoids.     

Accelerating the development of innovative cellular therapy products for the treatment of cancer

The field of cell therapy is rapidly emerging as a priority area for oncology research and drug development. Currently, two chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and other agencies worldwide for two types of hematologic cancers. To facilitate the development of these therapies for patients with life-threatening cancers with limited or no therapeutic options, science- and risk-based approaches will be critical to mitigating and balancing any potential risk associated with either early clinical research or more flexible manufacturing paradigms. Friends of Cancer Research and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy convened an expert group of stakeholders to develop specific strategies and proposals for regulatory opportunities to accelerate the development of cell therapies as promising new therapeutics. This meeting took place in Washington, DC on May 17, 2019. As academia and industry expand research efforts and cellular product development pipelines, this report summarizes opportunities to accelerate entry into the clinic for exploratory studies and optimization of cell products through manufacturing improvements for these promising new therapies.     

A tale of exosomes and their implication in cancer

Cancer is a cause of high deaths worldwide and also a huge burden for the health system. Cancer cells have unique properties such as a high rate of proliferation, self-renewal, metastasis, and treatment resistance, therefore, the development of novel diagnoses of cancers is a tedious task. Exosomes are secreted by virtually all cell types and have the ability to carry a multitude of biomolecules crucial for intercellular communication, hence, contributing a crucial part in the onset and spread of cancer. These exosomal components can be utilized in the development of markers for diagnostic and prognostic purposes for various cancers. This review emphasized primarily the following topics: exosomes structure and functions, isolation and characterization strategies of exosomes, the role of exosomal contents in cancer with a focus in particular on noncoding RNA and protein, exosomes, and the cancer microenvironment interactions, cancer stem cells, and tumor diagnosis and prognosis based on exosomes.     

Sieving through the cancer secretome

Cancer is among the most prevalent and serious health problems worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need for novel cancer biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity for early detection and management of the disease. The cancer secretome, encompassing all the proteins that are secreted by cancer cells, is a promising source of biomarkers as the secreted proteins are most likely to enter the blood circulation. Moreover, since secreted proteins are responsible for signaling and communication with the tumor microenvironment, studying the cancer secretome would further the understanding of cancer biology. Latest developments in proteomics technologies have significantly advanced the study of the cancer secretome. In this review, we will present an overview of the secretome sample preparation process and summarize the data from recent secretome studies of six common cancers with high mortality (breast, colorectal, gastric, liver, lung and prostate cancers). In particular, we will focus on the various platforms that were employed and discuss the clinical applicability of the key findings in these studies. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: An Updated Secretome.     

物理屏障预防白蚁技术的研究及应用

白蚁是破坏性极大的世界性害虫。白蚁预防主要为化学屏障和物理屏障2种方法。但随着包括我国在内的国际社会签署的《关于持久性有机污染物的斯德哥尔摩公约》的生效,采用化学屏障预防白蚁的方法受到越来越大的挑战。文章阐述了物理屏障预防白蚁的研究历史、屏障材料类型及相应规格、屏障实施程序、国内外应用现状,并对物理屏障预防白蚁技术的发展前景进行探讨,以期为预防白蚁提供指导。     

Ferroptosis and its interaction with tumor immune microenvironment in liver cancer

Exploring effective systemic treatments for liver cancer is still a great challenge worldwide. As a novel form of regulated cell death, ferroptosis has been paid more and more attention in the cancer research field. In recent years, targeting ferroptosis has become an encouraging strategy for liver cancer treatment. Cancer cells can be directly killed by inducing ferroptosis; in contrast, ferroptosis can also ameliorate the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment and sensitize cancers to immunotherapy. Here, we summarize fully current progress in the iron homeostasis in the liver, the internal association between imbalanced iron homeostasis and ferroptosis in liver carcinogenesis and development, as well as ferroptosis-related regulators in liver cancer. Furthermore, we discuss thoroughly the interaction between ferroptosis and tumor immune microenvironment. Finally, we provide certainly a future insight on the potential value of ferroptosis in the immunotherapy of liver cancer.     

航空生物燃料制备技术及其应用研究进展

随着各国对温室气体排放要求的日益严格,以及化石能源的日益枯竭,近些年来航空生物燃料得到了快速发展.文中综述了航空生物燃料的发展背景、制备工艺、实际应用现状及存在的问题,重点介绍了合成气经费托合成、生物质油经催化加氢和催化裂解制备航空生物燃料的工艺路线,以及航空生物燃料的试飞和商业运营状况,论述了航空生物燃料存在的问题,并对发展航空生物燃料提出了建议.     

小麦抗赤霉病研究现状与展望

小麦是我国最重要的口粮作物之一。在小麦生产所面临的各种病害中,赤霉病的发生具有愈来愈严重的趋势,引起小麦产业界的高度关注。近几十年来,科研人员在小麦抗赤霉病遗传育种以及防控技术领域进行了持续不懈的努力,在赤霉病病原菌致病基因、小麦赤霉病抗性基因定位、克隆及功能研究以及抗赤霉病分子育种等方面取得了重大进展。本文主要从赤霉病抗性基因资源的发掘和鉴定、不同抗源遗传基础解析、小麦赤霉病抗性基因、抗赤霉病分子标记辅助选择育种与基因聚合以及小麦抗赤霉病基因的克隆和功能研究等方面进行了综述,分析了目前小麦抗赤霉病研究中存在的问题,并提出应加强基因克隆、功能分子标记开发以及应用单体型辅助选择(HAS)和标记组辅助选择(MSAS)等小麦抗赤霉病研究的相关建议。     

Cancer incidence and spectrum among Uygurs in Hotan District in China

Cancer is the leading cause of death in China and a significant public health problem with increasing incidence and fatality rates. The Han nationality is the main ethnic group in China, and many reports on the epidemiology of cancers in Han nationality are published. However no studies report the cancer spectrum of Uygurs which are one of the minority nationalities in China. Hence, we present incidence and mortality numbers of different cancers for the Uygur patients for the period 2018–2020 in Hotan District where Uygur population accounts for 99 %. During the 3-year study period, 2509 new Uygur cancer cases were registered, comprising 774 men and 1735 women. Cervical cancer was the most common, followed by esophageal, breast, gastric and colorectal cancers. The most common cancers in women and men were cervical cancer and esophageal cancer, respectively. In conclusion, the cancer spectrum in Hotan is different from other regions of China and our research revealed the cancer incidence in Hotan, which could help us to take appropriate measures to reduce the incidence rate.     

Assessment of Zinc Status in School-Age Children from Rural Areas in China Nutrition and Health Survey 2002 and 2012

Zinc is an essential trace element for growth and development in children, but zinc deficiency is a serious nutritional problem worldwide. Our study aimed to assess the zinc status of school-age children living in rural areas of China and to examine the change of zinc status based on the China Nutrition and Health Survey 2002 and 2012. We used the probability proportional to size sampling method for subject selection, and a total of 3407 school-age children were included in this study. Zinc status was assessed by three items of indicators recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the International Zinc Nutrition Consultative Group (IZiNCG). The concentration of serum zinc was 718.2 μg/L, and 44.4% of children being zinc deficiency in 2002, while 846.8 μg/L and 10.4% in 2012. Zinc intake was 7.8 mg/day with a 7.6% inadequate zinc intake in 2002, together with 6.9 mg/day and 38.2% in 2012. Height-for-age Z score was ?1.06 and 19.1% of children being stunting in 2002, as well as ?0.15 and 6.8% in 2012. In conclusion, the zinc status of school-age children living in rural areas of China has been significantly improved in addition to zinc intake over the past 10 years. However, the zinc deficiency still observed in poor rural areas of China in 2012. In addition, we suggested that the zinc bioavailability should be taken into account when assessing zinc status in population.     

miR-124 在消化系统肿瘤研究中的进展

消化系统肿瘤严重危害人类健康,是导致死亡的主要原因,其一直是科学研究的一个重点,也是难点。Micro RNA(mi RNA)是一类广泛存在于生物体内的内源性、非编码、单链小分子RNA,参与调控生物体的几乎所有生命活动,包括多种生理和病理活动。目前研究认为,mi RNAs参与肿瘤的发生和进展。mi R-124是mi RNAs家族的一员,是一个相当保守的mi RNA,在多种肿瘤包括消化系统肿瘤的细胞或组织中均表达下调,扮演着类似抑癌基因的角色,在该类肿瘤的发生、发展以及预后中发挥重要作用。本文就mi R-124在消化系统肿瘤研究中的进展作一综述。     

County-level characteristics associated with incidence,late-stage incidence,and mortality from screenable cancers

BackgroundCancer screening differs by rurality and racial residential segregation, but the relationship between these county-level characteristics is understudied. Understanding this relationship and its implications for cancer outcomes could inform interventions to decrease cancer disparities.MethodsWe linked county-level information from national data sources: 2008–2012 cancer incidence, late-stage incidence, and mortality rates (for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer) from U.S. Cancer Statistics and the National Death Index; metropolitan status from U.S. Department of Agriculture; residential segregation derived from American Community Survey; and prevalence of cancer screening from National Cancer Institute’s Small Area Estimates. We used multivariable, sparse Poisson generalized linear mixed models to assess cancer incidence, late-stage incidence, and mortality rates by county-level characteristics, controlling for density of physicians and median household income.ResultsCancer incidence, late-stage incidence, and mortality rates were 6–18% lower in metropolitan counties for breast and colorectal cancer, and 2–4% lower in more segregated counties for breast and colorectal cancer. Generally, reductions in cancer associated with residential segregation were limited to non-metropolitan counties. Cancer incidence, late-stage incidence, and mortality rates were associated with screening, with rates for corresponding cancers that were 2–9% higher in areas with more breast and colorectal screening, but 2–15% lower in areas with more cervical screening.DiscussionLower cancer burden was observed in counties that were metropolitan and more segregated. Effect modification was observed by metropolitan status and county-level residential segregation, indicating that residential segregation may impact healthcare access differently in different county types. Additional studies are needed to inform interventions to reduce county-level disparities in cancer incidence, late-stage incidence, and mortality.     

Human Papillomavirus: Confronting the Epidemic-A Urologist's Perspective

The human papillomavirus (HPV) has long been associated with the development of penile lesions-condyloma acuminatum and verrucous carcinoma of the penis. More recently, HPV has been implicated as an etiology of more serious neoplasias in men-penile carcinoma and other anogenital squamous-cell carcinomas. HPV is now widely recognized as responsible for more than 95% of cervical cancers in women. HPV seems to have been receiving relatively scant attention to date-from physicians in general, and particularly from urologists-as a venereal disease of significant concern. Yet HPV is recognized to be the most frequently acquired sexually transmitted viral infection worldwide. It is estimated that approximately 6 million new cases of HPV are sexually transmitted annually in the United States. Fortunately, many, if not most, of these HPV infections are transient. However, each newly acquired infection has the potential to persist as an incurable, lifelong affliction, generating a significant increase in the long-term risk of cancer for patients and their sexual partners. Many of these HPV-related cancers will not become manifest until decades later.     

Targeting Apoptosis and Multiple Signaling Pathways with Icariside II in Cancer Cells

Cancer is the second leading cause of deaths worldwide. Despite concerted efforts to improve the current therapies, the prognosis of cancer remains dismal. Highly selective or specific blocking of only one of the signaling pathways has been associated with limited or sporadic responses. Using targeted agents to inhibit multiple signaling pathways has emerged as a new paradigm for anticancer treatment. Icariside II, a flavonol glycoside, is one of the major components of Traditional Chinese Medicine Herba epimedii and possesses multiple biological and pharmacological properties including anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporosis, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, and anticancer activities. Recently, the anticancer activity of Icariside II has been extensively investigated. Here, in this review, our aim is to give our perspective on the current status of Icariside II, and discuss its natural sources, anticancer activity, molecular targets and the mechanisms of action with specific emphasis on apoptosis pathways which may help the further design and conduct of preclinical and clinical trials.Icariside II has been found to induce apoptosis in various human cancer cell lines of different origin by targeting multiple signaling pathways including STAT3, PI3K/AKT, MAPK/ERK, COX-2/PGE2 and β-Catenin which are frequently deregulated in cancers, suggesting that this collective activity rather than just a single effect may play an important role in developing Icariside II into a potential lead compound for anticancer therapy. This review suggests that Icariside II provides a novel opportunity for treatment of cancers, but additional investigations and clinical trials are still required to fully understand the mechanism of therapeutic effects to further validate it in anti-tumor therapy.     

An integrated approach of network-based systems biology,molecular docking,and molecular dynamics approach to unravel the role of existing antiviral molecules against AIDS-associated cancer

A serious challenge in cancer treatment is to reposition the activity of various already known drug candidates against cancer. There is a need to rewrite and systematically analyze the detailed mechanistic aspect of cellular networks to gain insight into the novel role played by various molecules. Most Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection-associated cancers are caused by oncogenic viruses like Human Papilloma Viruses and Epstein–Bar Virus. As the onset of AIDS-associated cancers marks the severity of AIDS, there might be possible interconnections between the targets and mechanism of both the diseases. We have explored the possibility of certain antiviral compounds to act against major AIDS-associated cancers: Kaposi’s Sarcoma, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, and Cervical Cancer with the help of systems pharmacology approach that includes screening for targets and molecules through the construction of a series of drug–target and drug–target–diseases network. Two molecules (Calanolide A and Chaetochromin B) and the target “HRAS” were finally screened with the help of molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. The results provide novel antiviral molecules against HRAS target to treat AIDS defining cancers and an insight for understanding the pharmacological, therapeutic aspects of similar unexplored molecules against various cancers.     

Can the aging influence cold environment mediated cancer risk in the USA female population?

Cancer is one of the most debilitating diseases worldwide. Cancer incidence and/or death depends on several intrinsic and extrinsic factors (e.g., dietary habits, socio-behavioral activities, physical inactivity, smoking, alcohol consumption, gender, races/ethnicities and age). Various studies have found that an inverse relationship subsists between environmental temperature and cancer risk. Furthermore, this negative relationship was found to be more consistent in the USA female population. This research mainly focuses on influence of aging on cold environment mediated cancer risk for overall and various anatomical site-specific cancers. Age-specific county-wise data of cancer incidence rate (CIR) in the USA female population was selected in this study. Statistical analysis found a negative correlation between the average annual temperature (AAT) and CIR in all anatomical sites (AAS; overall) as well as different anatomical site-specific cancers (e.g., breast, melanoma, leukaemia, pancreas, bladder, uterus, thyroid and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), except for cervical cancer) in different age groups (e.g., less than 50 years, 50 plus years, less than 65 years and 65 plus years). In addition, an inverse relationship between the AAT and CIR was found in case of paediatric cancer. However, all the results obtained from the linear model based statistical analysis proposed that the older age-group of females particularly above 65 years seems to be more prone to cold temperature linked cancer risk. For example, age-specific cold linked cancer incidence appears to be more inclined in case of breast cancer in the age-group of 65 plus years. This study, for first time, proposes that aging may have a positive influence on the relationship between cancer incidence and environment temperature.     

Cancer patient survival in Estonia 1995–2009: Time trends and data quality

BackgroundSurvival from most cancers in Estonia has been consistently below European average. The objective of this study was to examine recent survival trends in Estonia and to quantify the effect on survival estimates of the temporary disruption of the Estonian Cancer Registry (ECR) practices in 2001–2007 when death certificates could not be used for case ascertainment.Patients and methodsECR data on all adult cases of 16 common cancers diagnosed in Estonia during 1995–2008 and followed up for vital status until 2009 were used to estimate relative survival ratios (RSR). We used cohort analysis for patients diagnosed in 1995–1999 and 2000–2004; and period hybrid approach to obtain the most recent estimates (2005–2009). We compared five-year RSRs calculated from data sets with and without death certificate initiated (DCI) cases.ResultsA total of 64 328 cancer cases were included in survival analysis. Compared with 1995–1999, five-year age-standardized RSR increased 20 percent units for prostate cancer, reaching 76% in 2005–2009. A rise of 10 percent units or more was also seen for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (five-year RSR 51% in 2005–2009), and cancers of rectum (49%), breast (73%) and ovary (37%). The effect of including/excluding DCI cases from survival analysis was small except for lung and pancreatic cancers.ConclusionsRelative survival continued to increase in Estonia during the first decade of the 21st century, although for many cancers, a gap between Estonia and more affluent countries still exists. Cancer control efforts should aim at the reduction of risk factors amenable to primary prevention, but also at the improvement of early diagnosis and ensuring timely and optimal care to all cancer patients.     

Geographic variation in postmastectomy breast reconstruction rates

Data on postmastectomy breast reconstructive surgery were examined for 52,357 female breast cancers that were treated with mastectomy and diagnosed in geographic areas covered by the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. The proportion of cancers that involved reconstruction varied in these geographic areas in each age group (under age 70 years) by a factor of about four or five, even after adjustment for stage at diagnosis, marital status, and poverty rate of county of residence at diagnosis. Studies are needed to explain the large differences in reconstruction rates by geographic area.     

Correlation of PIK3Ca mutations with gene expression and drug sensitivity in NCI-60 cell lines

The gene that encodes the alpha-isoform of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PIK3Ca) is frequently mutated in human cancers. We profiled the mutation status of the PIK3Ca gene in the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-60 panel of human cancer cell lines maintained by the Developmental Therapeutics Program of the NCI. Mutation hotspots on the gene were PCR amplified and sequenced, and the trace data were analyzed with software designed to detect mutations. Seven of the cell lines tested have PIK3Ca mutations: two lines derived from breast cancer, two from colon cancer, two from ovarian cancer, and one from lung cancer. BRAF and EGFR genes were normal in the PIK3Ca mutant lines. Two of the cell lines with mutant PIK3Ca also have a mutant version of the KRAS gene. The mutation status was correlated with array-based gene expression that is publicly available for the NCI-60 cell lines. We found increased expression levels for estrogen receptor (ER) and ERBB2 in PIK3Ca mutant lines. The PIK3Ca mutation status was also correlated with compound screening data for the cell lines. PIK3Ca-mutant cell lines were relatively more sensitive than PIK3Ca-normal cell lines to the ER inhibitor tamoxifen and the AKT inhibitor triciribine, among other compounds. The results provide insights into the role of mutant PIK3Ca in oncogenic signaling and allow preliminary identification of novel targets for therapeutic intervention in cancers harboring PIK3Ca mutations.