Plasmonic-based platforms for diagnosis of infectious diseases at the point-of-care

Infectious diseases such as HIV-1/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), hepatitis B (HBV), and malaria still exert a tremendous health burden on the developing world, requiring rapid, simple and inexpensive diagnostics for on-site diagnosis and treatment monitoring. However, traditional diagnostic methods such as nucleic acid tests (NATs) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) cannot be readily implemented in point-of-care (POC) settings. Recently, plasmonic-based biosensors have emerged, offering an attractive solution to manage infectious diseases in the developing world since they can achieve rapid, real-time and label-free detection of various pathogenic biomarkers. Via the principle of plasmonic-based optical detection, a variety of biosensing technologies such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR), localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), colorimetric plasmonic assays, and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) have emerged for early diagnosis of HIV-1, TB, HBV and malaria. Similarly, plasmonic-based colorimetric assays have also been developed with the capability of multiplexing and cellphone integration, which is well suited for POC testing in the developing world. Herein, we present a comprehensive review on recent advances in surface chemistry, substrate fabrication, and microfluidic integration for the development of plasmonic-based biosensors, aiming at rapid management of infectious diseases at the POC, and thus improving global health.     

国家“重大新药创制”科技重大专项重点关注靶点分析解读——PI3K-Akt-mTOR 通路

由磷脂酰肌醇3- 激酶（PI3K）、丝氨酸/ 苏氨酸蛋白激酶（Akt）和哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白（mTOR）组成的PI3K-Akt-mTOR通路是细胞内非常重要的信号转导途径,该通路的紊乱会引起一系列的疾病,包括癌症、神经病变、自身免疫性疾病和血液淋巴系统疾病。近年来,PI3K-Akt-mTOR 通路作为药物靶点备受关注。结合汤森路透数据库资源——Thomson Reuters Integrity 和Cortellis for Competitive Intelligence,对PI3K-Akt-mTOR 通路的机制、相关药物研究进展、适应证、研发公司、交易、专利、文献等情报进行了数据层面的分析。     

国家“重大新药创制”科技重大专项重点关注靶点分析解读——Wnt 通路

Wnt 信号通路是一个复杂的蛋白质作用网络,其常见于胚胎发育和各种癌症。近年来,Wnt 信号通路抑制剂作为一种对抗癌症的有效策略备受关注。结合汤森路透数据库资源——Thomson Reuters Integrity 和Cortellis for Competitive Intelligence,对Wnt 信号通路的机制、相关药物研究进展、适应证、研发机构、交易、专利、文献等情报进行数据层面的分析。     

甘蔗野生种滇蔗茅种质创新利用研究 Ⅰ. 甘蔗与滇蔗茅远缘杂交F1群体构建与SSR分子标记鉴定

利用光周期调控技术诱导甘蔗热带种路打士开花,并与滇蔗茅云南95-19进行远缘杂交,培育实生苗76株,大田移栽成活62株,成活率81.6%;选用4对引物对获得的62份杂交后代进行SSR分子标记鉴定,结果表明,62份杂交后代全部为真杂种,所选SSR引物对滇蔗茅后代群体具有较高的鉴定效率。该杂交组合后代杂种真实率为100%,是目前数量最大的滇蔗茅F1群体。     

转基因抗虫棉在中国的推广和传播途径研究

转基因抗虫棉是中国商业化应用最成功的转基因作物,已有许多研究对转基因棉花种植的成本效益和农户生产决策的影响因素进行了深入分析,但对其具体推广过程缺乏足够了解。通过小组访谈和创新树的分析方法,以转基因抗虫棉为例,对转基因生物技术在我国的推广和传播途径开展了研究。研究发现,种业公司转基因作物种子的生产能力直接影响转基因作物的初始规模,来自政府研究机构和种业公司的技术推广者在转基因生物技术的扩散过程中都起着重要作用,公共农技推广服务对于宣传相关信息和知识尤为重要,社会资本也有助于转基因抗虫棉在中国的快速传播和采用。研究结论对推进我国公共农技推广体系改革、完善多元社会化服务主体协作及生物技术研发具有重要启示作用。     

The Effect of Adding Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy to Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy in Patients with Locoregionally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Undetectable Pretreatment Epstein-Barr Virus DNA

PURPOSE: To assess the effect of adding neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and undetectable pretreatment Epstein-Barr virus (pEBV) DNA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 639 NPC patients with stage II to IVB and undetectable pEBV DNA to receive CCRT with or without NACT. Radiotherapy was 2.0 to 2.27 Gy per fraction with five daily fractions per week for 6 to 7 weeks to the primary tumor and 62 to 70 Gy to the involved neck area. NACT was cisplatin (80-100 mg/m² day 1) and 5-fluorouracil (800-1000 mg/m², 120-hour continuous intravenous infusion) every 3 weeks for two or three cycles. CCRT was cisplatin (80-100 mg/m² day 1) every 3 weeks for three cycles. RESULTS: For all patients, the 5-year overall survival (OS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 91.9%, 92.2%, 95.0%, and 86.4%, respectively. There was no significant difference in OS (5-year OS 90.8% [NACT + CCRT group] vs 92.7% [CCRT alone]; hazard ratio [HR] 1.24; P = .486), LRFS (HR 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59-2.14, P = .715), DMFS (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.34-1.78, P = .554), or PFS (HR 1.21, 95% CI 0.75-1.95, P = .472). CONCLUSION: CCRT with or without NACT produced a good treatment outcome in patients with locoregionally advanced NPC and undetectable pEBV DNA, but NACT before CCRT did not significantly improve survival rates.     

Multimodality Imaging of Bone Marrow–Derived Dendritic Cell Migration and Antitumor Immunity

Here, we sought to monitor bone marrow–derived dendritic cell (BMDC) migration and antitumor effects using a multimodal reporter imaging strategy in living mice. BMDCs were transduced with retroviral vector harboring human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS, nuclear imaging reporter), firefly luc2 (optical imaging reporter), and thy1.1 (surrogate marker of NIS and luc2) genes (BMDC/NF cells). No significant differences in biological functions, including cell proliferation, antigen uptake, phenotype expression, and migration ability, were observed between BMDC and BMDC/NF cells. Combined bioluminescence imaging and I-124 positron emission tomography/computed tomography clearly revealed the migration of BMDC/NF cells to draining popliteal lymph nodes at day 7 postinjection. Interestingly, marked tumor protection was observed in mice immunized with TC-1 lysate-pulsed BMDC/NF cells. Our findings suggested that multimodal reporter gene imaging of NIS and luciferase could provide insights into the biological behaviors of dendritic cells in living organisms and could be a useful tool for the optimization of DC-based immunotherapy protocols.     

Surfing the Sixth Wave: A Hardboiled Technological Wonderland and the End of the World

The sixth wave: How to succeed in a resource-limited world, by James Bradfield Moody and Bianca Nogrady. Vintage Books, North Sydney, 2010, 311pp., endnotes, index. ISBN: 978-1-74166-889-6 (paperback).

This review article critically evaluates predictions about the near future of humanity put forward in The Sixth Wave: How to Succeed in a Resource-Limited World, a book produced by Australian author James Bradfield Moody (Executive Director, Development, CSIRO) in collaboration with freelance science journalist Ms Bianca Nogrady. The book paints a picture of the future, starting from the observation that society today is on the brink of several major crises demanding comprehensive change. Each of these crises presents its own challenge but, according to the authors, they are all related and call for one basic response: we must drastically increase the resource efficiency of our lifestyles. The main limitation of this attempt at ‘prophesy’ is the authors’ poverty of understanding regarding the political and cultural drivers of social change, and hence their misplaced faith in technological innovation as a panacea for all that ails contemporary societies. Anthropology, I argue, can provide a more holistic account of the present moment in human history, and of what may lie in store for us.     

医学微生物学探索性实验教学与学生创新能力的培养

在高等教育面临着素质教育、培养创新人才的新形式下, 以提高学生的综合素质, 培养学生的创新精神、创新能力为出发点, 在2004级医学专业本科生中开设探索性实验。实践证明, 探索性实验的开展充分调动了学生的学习热情, 极大地激发了学生对微生物学的学习兴趣, 提高了微生物学实验教学质量。显然, 探索性实验的开展是传统教学模式的有益补充和尝试。     

创新创业教育在微生物学实践教学中的探索

创新创业教育是当前高等教育改革的重要方向,如何将微生物学实践教学与创新创业教育相结合是一个值得研究的课题。我们在微生物学实践课程体系和学生业余科研中探索出以下举措来培养学生的创新能力和创业思维:建立兴趣小组参与实验准备的模式,这能让学生快速成长为实验能手,成了我校微生物学实验教学的优良传承和特色,并辐射到全校的其他课程;通过多元化的设计方案、专题实验来锻炼学生综合应用知识的能力、科研思维和创新能力,这让学生在潜移默化中走上科研道路;指导学生申报科研课题和参加学科竞赛项目,培养学生的实验技能和探索能力,这成为实践教学的有益延伸。上述改革的成效显著,学生学习的积极性和参与科研的意识被激发,申报科研项目的质量和数量大大提高,在学科竞赛获奖、参与论文发表和专利申请等方面获得了不俗的成绩。该组合模式为本科生创新创业能力的培养和综合素质的提升发挥了重要的作用,尤其对地方本科院校人才培养具有重要的推广价值。