Control of stem cell fate by engineering their micro and nanoenvironment

Stem cells are capable of long-term self-renewal and differentiation into specialised cell types, making them an ideal candidate for a cell source for regenerative medicine. The control of stem cell fate has become a major area of interest in the field of regenerative medicine and therapeutic intervention. Conventional methods of chemically inducing stem cells into specific lineages is being challenged by the advances in biomaterial technology, with evidence highlighting that material properties are capable of driving stem cell fate. Materials are being designed to mimic the clues stem cells receive in their in vivo stem cell niche including topographical and chemical instructions. Nanotopographical clues that mimic the extracellular matrix(ECM) in vivo have shown to regulate stem cell differentiation. The delivery of ECM components on biomaterials in the form of short peptides sequences has also proved successful in directing stem cell lineage. Growth factors responsible for controlling stem cell fate in vivo have also been delivered via biomaterials to provide clues to determine stem cell differentiation. An alternative approach to guide stem cells fate is to provide genetic clues including delivering DNA plasmids and small interfering RNAs via scaffolds. This review, aims to provide an overview of the topographical, chemical and molecular clues that biomaterials can provide to guide stem cell fate. The promising features and challenges of such approaches will be highlighted, to provide directions for future advancements in this exciting area of stem cell translation for regenerative medicine.     

Could cancer and infection be adverse effects of mesenchymal stromal cell therapy?

Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells [also referred to as mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)] are a heterogeneous subset of stromal cells. They can be isolated from bone marrow and many other types of tissue. MSCs are currently being tested for therapeutic purposes(i.e., improving hematopoietic stem cell engraftment, managing inflammatory diseases and regenerating damaged organs). Their tropism for tumors and inflamed sites and their context-dependent potential for producing trophic and immunomodulatory factors raises the question as to whether MSCs promote cancer and/or infection. Thisarticle reviews the effect of MSCs on tumor establishment, growth and metastasis and also susceptibility to infection and its progression. Data published to date shows a paradoxical effect regarding MSCs, which seems to depend on isolation and expansion, cells source and dose and the route and timing of administration. Cancer and infection may thus be adverse or therapeutic effects arising form MSC administration.     

多通道局部场电位时变频谱的同步模式及其对行为事件的编码

用时变相干（time-varying coherence）频谱方法分析多通道局部场电位（local field potentials, LFPs）随时间变化的同步模式及其对行为事件的编码。实验数据为行为事件前后3秒的28通道LFPs。分别计算每个通道LFP的功率谱密度（power spectral density, PSD）及多通道LFPs各个特征频段的PSD,选取PSD分布集中的?兹频段为LFPs的特征频段;应用离散二进小波变换获取LFPs的?兹频段分量;从28通道LFPs中选取PSD最大的通道作为参考通道。选取计算窗口为50 ms,从初始点开始计算每个窗口中每个通道LFP及其?兹分量对参考通道的频谱相干分析。移动窗口步长为25 ms,获取多通道LFPs及其?兹分量的时变频谱相干动态分布。研究结果显示,?兹频段分量的PSD占LFPs总功率的71.95%,表明?兹分量是实验中多通道LFPs同步的特征频段;多通道LFPs的?兹分量频谱相干值随时间变化,行为事件点前后1 s的相干值具有显著差别（P＜0.05）,表明多通道LFPs的?兹频段时变频谱相干有效地编码了这一行为事件。     

围产期食物限制对子代成年大鼠海马CA1区突触可塑性的影响

围产期食物限制导致子代大鼠学习和记忆能力等的神经生物学变化,但其机制并不清楚。将成年Wistar雌性大鼠与雄性大鼠同笼,受孕后随机分为对照组 (n=9) 和食物限制组 (n=8) 。对照组母鼠在妊娠期和哺乳期自由进食和饮水,食物限制组母鼠从妊娠的第7天到子代大鼠出生后21天进行食物限制,食物限制量为对照组大鼠的50%。子代雄性大鼠成年后,通过Morris 水迷宫测试空间学习和记忆能力。之后,在海马CA1区在体记录场兴奋性突触后电位 (field excitatory postsynaptic potential,fEPSP),并采用免疫组织化学方法观察海马CA1区神经元型一氧化氮合酶 (nNOS) 阳性细胞密度的变化。结果表明,围产期食物限制降低了子代大鼠出生后第1、7、10、14和21天的体重,并减弱了成年子代大鼠的学习和记忆能力,海马CA1区fEPSP的斜率和nNOS阳性细胞的密度也明显降低。结果提示,围产期食物限制可能通过抑制NO的产生降低了海马突触可塑性,从而影响了子代大鼠的学习和记忆能力。     

DSA图像中运动伪影的消除方法

由于病人存在着各种运动(如呼吸、肌肉运动、心脏运动、设备噪声),在成像过程中常会造成图像上出现伪影,干扰医生的正常诊断,为消除这种伪影,本文提出一种基于图像配准思想的全自动消除伪影的方法,该方法能够自动消除DSA图像中的大部分运动伪影,使DSA图像得到较好的增强,并为后面的血管分割和三维重建提供便利,是一种快速有效的方法。     

沙门菌黏附和侵袭肠黏膜细胞的分子基础

沙门菌是目前研究较多的细菌之一,广泛存在于脊椎动物的肠道和很多种类的节肢动物中。本文介绍了沙门菌黏附和侵袭肠黏膜细胞的分子基础,为进一步深入研究沙门菌的致病机制提供一定的理论依据。