Identification and expansion of cancer stem cells in tumor tissues and peripheral blood derived from gastric adenocarcinoma patients

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer worldwide, with a high rate of death and low 5-year survival rate. To date, there is a lack of efficient therapeutic protocols for gastric cancer. Recent studies suggest that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for tumor initiation, invasion, metastasis, and resistance to anticancer therapies. Thus, therapies that target gastric CSCs are attractive. However, CSCs in human gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) have not been described. Here, we identify CSCs in tumor tissues and peripheral blood from GAC patients. CSCs of human GAC (GCSCs) that are isolated from tumor tissues and peripheral blood of patients carried CD44 and CD54 surface markers, generated tumors that highly resemble the original human tumors when injected into immunodeficient mice, differentiated into gastric epithelial cells in vitro, and self-renewed in vivo and in vitro. Our findings suggest that effective therapeutic protocols must target GCSCs. The capture of GCSCs from the circulation of GAC patients also shows great potential for identification of a critical cell population potentially responsible for tumor metastasis, and provides an effective protocol for early diagnosis and longitudinal monitoring of gastric cancer.     

利用染色体消除法获得太谷核不育小麦纯合体

太谷核不育小麦的育性受单个显性雄性不育基因（Ｔａ１）控制,其不育株总是杂合（Ｔａ１ｔａ１）的,纯合不育株（Ｔａ１Ｔａ１）并不存在。实验以太谷核不育小麦（ＴｒｉｔｉｃｕｍａｅｓｔｉｖｕｍＬ．）为母本和玉米（ＺｅａｍａｙｓＬ．）杂交,利用杂合子和幼胚细胞分裂过程中父本玉米染色体自发消除的特点,经过激素处理、幼胚拯救和染色体人工加倍,成功地获得了自然界不存在的纯合显性太谷核不育小麦新种质（Ｔａ１Ｔａ１）,并利用“玻璃化”超低温保存方法,将这一宝贵新种质长期保存下来。     

Synthetic peptides derived from SARS coronavirus S protein with diagnostic and therapeutic potential

The spike (S) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is an important viral structural protein. Based on bioinformatics analysis, 10 antigenic peptides derived from the S protein sequence were selected and synthesized. The antigenicity and immunoreactivity of all the peptides were tested in vivo and in vitro. Four peptides (P6, P8, P9 and P10) which contain B cell epitopes of the S protein were identified, and P8 peptide was confirmed in vivo to have a potential in serological diagnosis. By using a syncytia formation model, we tested the neutralization ability of all 10 peptides and their corresponding antibodies. It is interesting to find that P8 and P9 peptides inhibited syncytia formation, suggesting that the P8 and P9 spanning regions may provide a good target for anti-SARS-CoV drug design. Our data suggest that we have identified peptides derived from the S protein of SARS-CoV, which are useful for SARS treatment and diagnosis.     

B超引导下甲状腺肿块细针穿刺细胞学诊断的临床病理分析

目的：比较B超引导下细针吸取穿刺和传统细针吸取穿刺在甲状腺肿块性质确定中意义。方法：使用B超引导下细针吸取穿刺（UG-FNAB）和传统细针吸取穿刺技术（C-FNAB）对225例甲状腺肿块进行穿刺活检,然后进行涂片,染色,镜检,结合临床作出细胞学诊断,并与组织切片诊断对照,比较两种方法的确诊率。结果：在UG—FNAB检测病例中59.3％的结节位于甲状腺右叶,40．7％肿块位于左叶和峡部。87％的患者甲状腺机能正常,结节最长径平均为2．8±1．1cm,部分病例符合甲状腺恶性肿瘤的超声影像学改变。在本研究中诊断为甲状腺乳头状癌的病例细胞学和组织学特点均符合甲状腺癌形态学特点。在225例研究病例中,总确诊率为72．89％（164／225）,其中UG-FNAB组确诊率为90．58％（77／85）,C-FNAB组确诊率为62．14％（87／140）,两组确诊率比较有显著性差异（P〈0．05）。结论：本组研究数据显示比较C—FNAB,UG—FNAB在诊断甲状腺复杂性结节中具有更高的确诊率,特别是在C—FNAB方法不能得出明确诊断时。     

Wnt5a抑制Wnt3a促黑素细胞黑素生成的作用探究

目的：研究WntSa对Wnt3a处理过的melan—a细胞分泌黑色素的影响。方法：体外培养黑色素细胞（melan-a细胞）,分别进行GFP、Wnt3a、Wnt3a＋WntSa处理,比较细胞的突起,酪氨酸酶的活性以及黑素合成相关基因（TYR、TRP2、MITF）表达情况。结果：Wnt3a促进黑色素细胞突起的生长和TYR、TRP2、MITF的表达,而Wnt5a逆转了Wnt3a对黑色素细胞的作用。结论：Wnt5a抑制Wnt3a促黑素细胞黑素生成的作用,表明在melan．a黑素细胞中Wnt5a可有效抑制wnt经典通路。     

The Systematic Classification of Gallbladder Stones

Background

To develop a method for systematic classification of gallbladder stones, analyze the clinical characteristics of each type of stone and provide a theoretical basis for the study of the formation mechanism of different types of gallbladder stones.

Methodology

A total of 807 consecutive patients with gallbladder stones were enrolled and their gallstones were studied. The material composition of gallbladder stones was analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and the distribution and microstructure of material components was observed with Scanning Electron Microscopy. The composition and distribution of elements were analyzed by an X-ray energy spectrometer. Gallbladder stones were classified accordingly, and then, gender, age, medical history and BMI of patients with each type of stone were analyzed.

Principal Findings

Gallbladder stones were classified into 8 types and more than ten subtypes, including cholesterol stones (297), pigment stones (217), calcium carbonate stones (139), phosphate stones (12), calcium stearate stones (9), protein stones (3), cystine stones (1) and mixed stones (129). Mixed stones were those stones with two or more than two kinds of material components and the content of each component was similar. A total of 11 subtypes of mixed stones were found in this study. Patients with cholesterol stones were mainly female between the ages of 30 and 50, with higher BMI and shorter medical history than patients with pigment stones (P<0.05), however, patients with pigment, calcium carbonate, phosphate stones were mainly male between the ages of 40 and 60.

Conclusion

The systematic classification of gallbladder stones indicates that different types of stones have different characteristics in terms of the microstructure, elemental composition and distribution, providing an important basis for the mechanistic study of gallbladder stones.     

山西蟒河自然保护区栓皮栎林的聚类和排序

本文用等级聚类、极点排序、主成分分析和对应分析等多元分析法, 对蟒河自然保护区的栓皮标(Quercus variabilis)林进与于了聚类和排序。等级聚类法将蟒河自然保护区的栓皮栎林划分为五个群丛, 极点排序、主成分分析和对应分析三种方法得出一致的结论, 并较好地反映了环境变化的梯度及植被变化的连续性。综合分析表明栓皮栎林是保护区内稳定的群落类型。     

Genotyping DNA isolated from UV irradiated human bloodstains using whole genome amplification

Molecular Biology Reports - Analysis of DNA polymorphisms are the primary technique used for personal identification in forensic cases. However, DNA samples collected as evidence from crime scenes...