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Exosomes are one type of nanosized membrane vesicles with an endocytic origin. They are secreted by almost all cell types and play diverse functional roles. It is essential for research purposes to differentiate exosomes from microvesicles and isolate them from other components in a fluid sample or cell culture medium. Exosomes are important mediators in cell–cell communication. They deliver their cargos, such as mRNA transcripts, microRNA, lipids, cytosolic and membrane proteins and enzymes, to target cells with or without physical connections between cells. They are highly heterogeneous in size, and their biological functions can vary depending on the cell type, their ability to interact with recipient cells and transport their contents, and the environment in which they are produced. This review summarized the recent progress in exosome isolation and characterization techniques. Moreover, we review the therapeutic approaches, biological functions of exosomes in disease progression, tumour metastasis regulation, immune regulation and some ongoing clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mobility and smooth surface of the ovaries can pose a challenge during laparoscopic cystectomy, with difficulties in manipulation and visualization. We describe assembling a device for ovarian lifting and immobilization that utilizes a nylon suture and a "scalp vein set" to create a loop. The loop can be passed into the pelvic cavity and then slid beneath the ovary, elevating and stabilizing it during surgery without the need to puncture the ovarian tissue or grabbing and damage the utero-ovarian infundibulopelvic ligaments. This device is inexpensive, and its components are easily accessible. This assembled device prevents repetitive falling of the ovary into the pelvic cavity, facilitates laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy, and saves operative time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern surgical technologies allow gynecologists to treat most submucosal myomas hysteroscopically by some form of resection. What appears on imaging or direct visualization to be a submucosal myoma can be a single tumor, or may represent multiple smaller myomas appearing as one, compacted together in a typical pseudo capsule. During myoma resection, the effect of the media used to induce distension can vary, depending on the morphology of the myomas. After starting resection, the pressure of the distending media can push truly solitary myomas to somewhat flatten against the uterine wall. However, in the second type of myoma, the fluid can displace the myomas into the uterine cavity, an appearance similar to the blooming of a flower. The tip of the hysteroscope may enter the dissected spaces between the myomas, which impairs the panoramic view. This phenomenon may cause inadequate treatment of the myomas encountered during hysteroscopic myomectomy. In this study, the "Blooming phenomenon" is introduced, and the problems created by this phenomenon and solutions for its management are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]