美国医学研究所(IM)要求政府对疫苗供应中的问题作出反应

在美国,关于疫苗供给的易损性问题已引起医学研究所(华盛顿,哥伦比亚特区)的重视,它强烈要求美国国会成立一个协调国家疫苗政策的委员会,并对由于使用有关疫苗而受伤害的病人赔偿损失。如果不赔偿病人的损失,公共保健事业将会受到威胁,因为一些厂家怕承担赔偿诉讼中的责任而不敢生产更多的疫苗。IM打算在8月下旬公布一项为期2年的研究。IM是由国家科学院通过调查一些公共卫生问题后成立的。它认为疫苗供给进一步受到了威胁,因为只有几个制造厂和经销商在生产和经销大部分疫苗。例如,IM提到目前只有3     

精原干细胞介导的基因编辑动物模型研究进展

合适的动物模型对于人类疾病的研究和药物开发至关重要。精原干细胞是位于睾丸组织曲细精管基底膜上的一类具有自我更新和分化潜能的成体干细胞,可以定向分化产生精子。利用精原干细胞作为基因编辑的对象,生产基因编辑的精子进行受精有望成为建立基因编辑动物疾病模型的一条有效途径。该文就精原干细胞的生物学特征、体外培养以及精原干细胞介导的基因编辑动物模型的进展和优缺点进行了阐述。     

Comparative systems biology between human and animal models based on next-generation sequencing methods

Animal models provide myriad benefits to both experimental and clinical research. Unfortunately, in many situations, they fall short of expected results or provide contradictory results. In part, this can be the result of traditional molecular biological approaches that are relatively inefficient in elucidating underlying molecular mechanism. To improve the efficacy of animal models, a technological breakthrough is required. The growing availability and application of the high-throughput methods make systematic comparisons between human and animal models easier to perform. In the present study, we introduce the concept of the comparative systems biology, which we define as "comparisons of biological systems in different states or species used to achieve an integrated understanding of life forms with all their characteristic complexity of interactions at multiple levels". Furthermore, we discuss the applications of RNA-seq and ChIP-seq technologies to comparative systems biology between human and animal models and assess the potential applications for this approach in the future studies.     

Atomic force microscopy imaging of live mammalian cells

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to examine the morphology of live mammalian adherent and suspended cells. Time-lapse AFM was used to record the locomotion dynamics of MCF-7 and Neuro-2a cells. When a MCF-7 cell retracted, many small sawtooth-like filopodia formed and reorganized, and the thickness of cellular lamellipodium increased as the retraction progressed. In elongated Neuro-2a cells, the cytoskeleton reorganized from an irregular to a parallel, linear morphology. Suspended mammalian cells were immobilized by method combining polydimethylsiloxane-fabricated wells with poly-L-lysine electrostatic adsorption. In this way, the morphology of a single live lymphoma cell was imaged by AFM. The experimental results can improve our understanding of cell locomotion and may lead to improved immobilization strategies.     

A novel strategy to inhibit the reproduction and translation of hepatitis C virus

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a positive single-stranded RNA virus, is a major cause of liver disease in humans. Herein we report a novel strategy to inhibit the reproduction and translation of HCV using a short RNA, named an Additional RNA, to activate the endonuclease activity of Argonaute 2 (Ago2). In the presence of the Additional RNA, the HCV genome RNA has the requisite 12 nucleotides of base-pairing with microRNA-122. This activates the endonuclease activity of Ago2, resulting in cleavage and release of the HCV genome RNA from Ago2 and microRNA-122. The free HCV genome RNA would be susceptible to intracellular degradation, effectively inhibiting its reproduction and translation. This study presents a new method to inhibit HCV that may hold great potential for HCV treatment in the future.     

间充质干细胞治疗糖尿病心脏病研究进展及其机制

糖尿病心脏病(diabetic cardiomyopathy,DCM)患者心脏病变弥漫、病变程度严重,患病率与死亡率逐年上升,缺乏有效的治疗手段,找到其他的治疗途径已成为一项重要内容。有研究发现,间充质干细胞(mesenchymal stem cells,MSCs)作为一种具有多分化潜能的细胞,能够通过多种机制作用于DCM的病理改变,提高心脏射血分数、改善心室重塑,是一种富有前景的治疗手段,本文着重就DCM的发病机制、MSCs对DCM的治疗机制及效果做一综述,为MSCs在DCM治疗中的应用提供重要的临床前实验依据。     

冰川退缩地26种丛藓科植物叶中肋细胞结构的研究

该研究应用离析方法,并通过光学显微镜对新疆天山一号冰川退缩地的26种丛藓科植物叶片中肋细胞的形态结构进行比较分析,结果表明:(1)丛藓科植物叶片的中肋细胞的长、宽和细胞壁厚度、纹孔场数目及细胞端尾数目在一定程度上存在着差异,反映出各中肋细胞的功能及导水作用在同属及不同属植物之间存在一定的差异。(2)中肋细胞的端尾多以及细胞壁的波状结构都具有增强细胞间的联系、提高机械固着和支撑作用。(3)不同生境下,中肋细胞侧壁的纹孔场数目能有效控制导水和物质交换的速度。这些特征可能都是冰川地区苔藓植物对恶劣生境的积极响应,具有一定的生态学和分类学意义。