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Solvothermal reaction of zinc meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin and 2,6-diaminopurine with zinc salt in DMF affords a three-dimensional bioMOF (1-α). Its infinite rod-shaped building block features an alternation of octahedral Zn4O and paddle-wheel Zn2 clusters bridged by 2,6-diaminopurines. The paddle-wheel Zn2 cluster undergoes reversible transformation with half into quasi-paddle-wheel Zn2 cluster and the other half into two tetrahedral mononuclear clusters upon release/uptake of guest molecules, resulting in a new phase 1-β. This single-crystal to single-crystal transformation is accompanied by luminescence on/off switching, possibly associated with the structural conversion between the porphyrin-ligand-based photoactive 1-α and the porphyrin-stacking-caused non-photoactive 1-β. Interestingly, 1-β exhibits quick luminescence turn-on in alcohol vapor instead of other volatile organic solvents by transforming into an intermediate phase 1-γ, which shows a partial luminescence enhancing likely due to the intermittent porphyrin π-π stacking. In view of experimental results and theoretical calculations, this distinctive alcohol-vapor-induced luminescence turn-on is attributed to the coordination ability to porphyrin-bound zinc ion, molecular size, and vapor pressure, in which methanol and ethanol are particularly favored.

Porous materials that can undergo pore‐structure adjustment to better accommodate specific molecules are ideal for separation and purification. Here, we report a stable microporous metal‐organic framework, JNU‐1, featuring one‐dimensional diamond‐shaped channels with a high density of open metal sites arranged on the surface for the cooperative binding of acetylene. Together with its framework flexibility and appropriate pore geometry, JNU‐1 exhibits an induced‐fit behavior for acetylene. The specific binding sites and continuous framework adaptation upon increased acetylene pressure are validated by molecular modeling and in situ X‐ray diffraction study. This unique induced‐fit behavior endows JNU‐1 with an unprecedented increase in the acetylene binding affinity (adsorption enthalpy: up to 47.6 kJ mol−1 at ca. 2.0 mmol g−1 loading).

Single-emission probes have demonstrated limited application in complex systems because the signal can be easily disrupted by many non-analyte factors. MOF-based luminescence sensors have been widely explored due to their structural abundance and tunability. Herein, we report a dual-emitting Eu-MOF (1), constructed by Eu(NO3)3 and 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (H2NDC), exhibiting a specific luminescence switching between red and blue within a pH range of 3 to 4. Through the study of single-crystal to single-crystal (SC–SC) transformation, the switching mechanism was proposed to involve the displacement of the coordinated DMF by water molecules and the slight elongation of the Eu–O bond to the ligand. These tiny changes in the local coordination environment might hinder the energy transfer from the ligand to the metal, therefore quenching the luminescence of the Eu ion and enhancing that of the ligand. With the specific pH-modulated luminescence switching property, 1 could be used as a short-range pH sensor and applied in the rapid detection of aspartic (Asp) and glutamic (Glu) acids amongst other amino acids.

Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) has shown sufficient concordance in detecting plasma epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) status in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), compared to tumor tissues. However, the clinical significance of the quantitative plasma mutated EGFR concentration remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of plasma mutated EGFR concentration with tumor burden in advanced NSCLC patients.Using ddPCR, plasma DNA samples prior to administration of therapies from 113 consecutive NSCLC patients were analyzed for EGFR L858R substitution and deletion of exon19 (ex19del). Plasma EGFR status was compared to tumor EGFR status to determine concordance. Then, we assessed the correlation of plasma mutated EGFR concentrations with tumor burden and other tumor characteristics.Compared to tumor EGFR, the concordance rate of plasma and tissue EGFR status was 86.73%. Of the 64 patients who harbored tumor EGFR mutation, plasma mutated EGFR concentrations significantly correlated with number of metastatic sites (Spearman's r=0.4954, p0.0001), number of lesions (Spearman's r=0.4484, p=0.0002), and sum of measurable lesions' diameters (Spearman's r=0.3539, p=0.0048). Number of metastatic sites was independently associated with mutated EGFR concentration in multiple linear regression. Besides, plasma mutated EGFR concentrations were significantly higher in those with extensive tumor burden (median concentration, 386.9 vs. 13.4copies/mL; p0.0001) and stage IV disease (median concentration, 244.2 vs. 0copies/mL; p=0.0252). In conclusion, mutated plasma EGFR concentration determined by ddPCR analysis significantly correlated with tumor burden.

// Yong Li 1, * , Yi-Hong Liu 1, * , Xian Chen 1 , Yan-Juan Zhu 1 , Hai-Bo Zhang 1 , Yan Li 1 , Jian-Ping Bai 1 , Li-Rong Liu 1 , Yan-Chun Qu 1 and Xin Qu 1 1 Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong, China * Yong Li and Yi-Hong Liu contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Hai-Bo Zhang, email: bubu400865@sohu.com Keywords: long non-coding RNAs, HULC, cancer, overall survival Received: April 18, 2017 Accepted: May 03, 2017 Published: June 13, 2017 SUMMARY Some studies investigated the association between highly up-regulated in liver cancer (HULC) and the overall survival (OS) of cancer. However, the results were conflicted and inconclusive. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to determine the association between HULC and the OS of cancer. A comprehensive online search was conducted on Online electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Wanfang database) from the earliest date to Aug 30, 2016. The strength of the association was calculated with the HRs and respective 95% CIs. The expression of HULC was significantly associated with OS of cancers (HR = 2.12; 95% CI 1.61 – 2.79; P

Progress in the treatment options for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) remains poor. Concerns exist regarding the efficacy of bevacizumab in SCLC. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of bevacizumab in extensive stage (ES)-SCLC. A meta-analysis on studies conducted and listed on the Medline, Cochrane Trials, ASCO, ESMO and ClinicalTrial databases, and Chinese databases prior to April 2015 was performed. All clinical trials in which patients with ES-SCLC were treated with bevacizumab were considered. Survival rates at specific time points were extracted from the reported survival curves. Hazard ratios (HR) for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), rates for PFS, OS, overall response rate (ORR), and side-effects were synthesized using random-effects or fixed-effects model. Two randomized control trials (RCT) (176 patients) and six single-arm trials (292 patients) were identified. In RCTs, no statistically significant differences were observed in PFS [HR, 0.70; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.41-1.19; P=0.19] or OS (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.84-1.75; P=0.31). In the first-line trials, pooled 6-month and 1-year PFS rates were 57% (95% CI, 39-76%) and 10% (95% CI, 4-16%), respectively. Synthesized 1-year and 2-year OS rates were 45% (95% CI, 36-54%) and 10% (95% CI, 6-14%), respectively. Reported median PFS and OS times for pretreated patients were 2.7-4.0 months and 6.3-7.4 months, respectively. Pooled ORRs were 71% (95% CI, 59-82%) in the first-line trials and 18% (95% CI, 11-25%) in the second-line trials. The most common types of reported toxicities were chemotherapy-associated, including neutropenia, leukopenia, fatigue and thrombocytopenia. According to the RCTs, bevacizumab did not appear to improve the PFS or OS for patients with ES-SCLC, with low quality of evidence. Due to the disappointing pooled efficacy in the single-arm trials, more clinical studies on bevacizumab in SCLC may not be valuable, although the evidence was with low quality.

Porous materials that can undergo pore-structure adjustment to better accommodate specific molecules are ideal for separation and purification. Here, we report a stable microporous metal-organic framework, JNU-1, featuring one-dimensional diamond-shaped channels with a high density of open metal sites arranged on the surface for the cooperative binding of acetylene. Together with its framework flexibility and appropriate pore geometry, JNU-1 exhibits an induced-fit behavior for acetylene. The specific binding sites and continuous framework adaptation upon increased acetylene pressure are validated by molecular modeling and in situ X-ray diffraction study. This unique induced-fit behavior endows JNU-1 with an unprecedented increase in the acetylene binding affinity (adsorption enthalpy: up to 47.6 kJ mol

The present study aimed to determine the diagnostic concordance of plasma epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) with tumor tissue samples and the predictive clinical significance of plasma EGFR mutation concentration. Plasma DNA samples from patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were analyzed for EGFR exon 21 codon 858 (L858R) mutation, deletion of exon 19 (ex19del) and exon 20 codon 790 (T790M) mutation using ddPCR. Firstly, the mutations in the plasma samples were compared with the matched tumor samples to determine the concordance. Secondly, image examination follow-ups were analyzed to assess the association between plasma EGFR mutation concentration and patients' response to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). A total of 51 patients with NSCLC were enrolled, including 48 newly diagnosed patients. Compared with tumor tissue samples, the sensitivity and specificity of ddPCR were 76.19% (16/21) and 96.55% (28/29) for mutant L858R, and 88.89% (8/9) and 100% (41/41) for ex19del, respectively. No patient exhibited the T790M mutation in the tumor tissue or plasma samples. Furthermore, 5 patients with the L858R mutation and 4 patients with ex19del in plasma and tumor tissue samples had been followed up with image examination for ≥3 months following EGFR-TKI treatment. The baseline mutant EGFR concentrations were positively correlated with a reduction in tumor burden (Spearman's r=0.7000, P=0.0358). When analyzed separately, ex19del concentrations (Spearman's r=1.0000, P

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapies should be tailored according to the different syndrome types. In order to identify the relationship between the TCM Yin-cold (YC) or Yang-heat (YH) syndrome types and the EGFR gene status, we prospectively studied 310 NSCLC patients. TCM YH or YC was diagnosed by three TCM experts. TCM symptoms and signs were entered into a binary cluster analysis. The relationships between the EGFR gene status, YH or YC syndrome types, and classification by cluster analysis were analyzed using the chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression. In the 299 patients who had their EGFR gene tested, 45.24% YC (76/168) and 25.95% YH (34/131) patients had EGFR mutations (p=0.001). Among the 292 patients entered into the cluster analysis, 132 were classified into group A, with signs and symptoms similar to YC, whereas 160 group B patients were similar to YH. In the 281 patients with EGFR tested, 45.67% group A (58/127) and 28.57% group B patients (44/154) had EGFR mutations (p=0.003). The EGFR status was independently correlated with TCM syndrome type and classification by cluster analysis on multivariate logistic regression. NSCLC patients with YC were more likely to have EGFR gene mutations.

// Yan-juan Zhu 1 , Hai-bo Zhang 1 , Yi-hong Liu 1 , Fu-li Zhang 1 , Ya-zhen Zhu 2 , Yong Li 1 , Jian-ping Bai 1 , Li-rong Liu 1 , Yan-chun Qu 1 , Xin Qu 1 , Xian Chen 1 , Yan Li 1 , Guang-juan Zheng 2 1 Oncology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, China 2 Pathology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, China Correspondence to: Hai-bo Zhang, email: haibozh@aliyun.com Keywords: droplet digital polymerase chain reaction, epidermal growth factor receptor, non-small cell lung cancer, blood biopsy Received: October 25, 2016 Accepted: December 16, 2016 Published: January 04, 2017 ABSTRACT Detection of circulating tumor DNA using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) is a highly-sensitive, minimally invasive alternative to serial biopsies for assessment and management of cancer. We used ddPCR to assess the utility of measuring plasma concentrations of common epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) mutations (L858R, exon 19 deletion, and T790M) in 57 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). High baseline plasma EGFR mutation ( pEGFRmut ) concentrations were associated with shorter progression-free survival (8.43 months) than low baseline pEGFRmut (16.23 months; p = 0.0019). By contrast, there were no differences in tumor shrinkage or overall survival between groups. During EGFR-TKI treatment, pEGFRmut levels decreased to zero in 89.58% of patients. Twenty-five of the 27 patients who progressed had basal pEGFRmut , and 18 also had circulating T790M. All 20 patients with dramatic progression (according to a categorization system for EGFR-TKIs failure) had basal pEGFRmut , and 13 had T790M mutation at progression. These results support the use of ddPCR for analysis of plasma EGFR mutations for prediction of PFS and to monitor clinical responses to EGFR-TKIs in NSCLC patients.

To assess the activity and safety of postoperative adjuvant immunotherapy with transfusion of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells combined with chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer.We retrospectively studied 96 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer who were treated with resection between January 2010 and December 2012 as well as adjuvant chemotherapy. Twenty-one of these patients accepted at least 1 cycle of CIK cell transfusion for immunotherapy (CIK group). Disease free survival (DFS), immune cells and treatment related side effects were assessed. The patients were followed up until May 2013.By the end of follow-up, 10 patients (10.42 %) had died. Eighteen patients (18.75 %) had withdrawn. All the patients in the CIK group are still alive, and only 1 patient had withdrawn. Patients in the CIK group had significantly longer DFS than those in the control group [HR = 0.28, 95 % CI (0.09, 0.91), p = 0.034]. The 2-year DFS rates of patients in the CIK group and the control group were 59.65 ± 24.80 % and 29.35 ± 6.39 %, respectively. The CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratios were significantly lower during the period of chemotherapy than those before chemotherapy (p = 0.0038), while the ratios were significantly higher during the period of CIK cell transfusion than those before CIK therapy (p = 0.0484). There were no immediate adverse reactions to the CIK cell transfusions.Adjuvant transfusion of CIK cells prolongs DFS in patients with colorectal cancer.

A theoretical investigation on structural and thermodynamic properties of intermetallic compounds MgAg, Mg 4 Zn 8 and Mg 4 Zn 4 Ag 8 in Mg–Zn–Ag alloy at high pressure and high temperature are performed by employing the first-principles method based on the density functional theory. The calculated values are generally speaking in good agreement with experiments and similar theoretical calculations. Theoretical calculated results indicate that intermetallic compounds MgAg, Mg 4 Zn 8 and Mg 4 Zn 4 Ag 8 are elastically stable at zero temperature and pressure. Mg 4 Zn 8 and Mg 4 Zn 4 Ag 8 are the ductility phases, and MgAg is the brittleness phase. In addition, the calculations of elastic constants and Young modulus show that the plasticity of Mg 4 Zn 4 Ag 8 is the best in the three intermetallic compounds, and MgAg is the worst. Based on the quasi-harmonic Debye model, the vibrational internal energy, vibrational Helmholtz free energy, vibrational entropy, heat capacity, thermal expansion coefficient, Gruneisen parameter and Debye temperature of the intermetallic compounds in Mg–Zn–Ag alloy at high pressure and high temperature are discussed.

It has become evident that some of the natural or synthetic triterpenoids are natural proteasome inhibitors that have great potential for use in cancer prevention and treatment. However, the mechanisms for the antitumor activity of triterpenoids remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the anticancer activities of a natural triterpenoid, pristimerin, and the signaling pathways affected. Pristimerin was found to possess potent cytotoxic effects, inducing apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation in U87 human glioma cells. Hoechst 33258 staining and Annexin V/PI double staining exhibited the typical nuclear features of apoptosis and increased the proportion of apoptotic Annexin V-positive cells in a dose-dependent manner, respectively. Moreover, western blotting assay revealed that this apoptotic induction was associated with activated caspase-9, caspase-3, PARP cleavage and downregulation of Bcl-xl/Bax in a concentration-dependent manner. Pristimerin also increased the generation of reactive oxygen species and induced the subsequent release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytosol. Additionally, pristimerin downregulated EGFR protein expression and inhibited downstream signaling pathways in U87 cells. Our results suggest that pristimerin may have potential as a new targeting therapeutic strategy in the treatment of EGFR-overexpressing gliomas.

Two new carboxyethyltin-functionalized polyoxometalates (POMs) were successfully obtained and confirmed with physicochemical and spectroscopic methods including X-ray crystallography. The lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals of both compounds are higher in energy than that of TiO2 , and the optical band gaps of these compounds are smaller than that of TiO2 . Grafting them onto a TiO2 film created two kinds of novel photoanode materials that showed significantly enhanced photovoltaic and photocurrent responses, as well as improved photoelectrooxidation activities for methanol relative to that shown by a single TiO2 film. Further, P2 W15 -Co-SnR produced the largest photocurrent by exploring the photoelectric activities of a series of carboxyethyltin POM derivatives. This work provides new insight into the photoelectrochemical functionalization of POM-based organic-inorganic hybrids.

Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for cancer-related pain. Methods. A systematic review of literatures published from database inception to February 2015 was conducted in eight databases. RCTs involving acupuncture for treatment of cancer-related pain were identified. Two researchers independently performed article selection, data extraction, and quality assessment of data. Results. 1,639 participants in twenty RCTs were analyzed. All selected RCTs were associated with high risk of bias. Meta-analysis indicated that acupuncture alone did not have superior pain-relieving effects as compared with conventional drug therapy. However, as compared with the drug therapy alone, acupuncture plus drug therapy resulted in increased pain remission rate, shorter onset time of pain relief, longer pain-free duration, and better quality of life without serious adverse effects. However, GRADE analysis revealed that the quality of all outcomes about acupuncture plus drug therapy was very low. Conclusions. Acupuncture plus drug therapy is more effective than conventional drug therapy alone for cancer-related pain. However, multicenter high-quality RCTs with larger sample sizes are needed to provide stronger evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture in cancer-related pain due to the low data quality of the studies included in the current meta-analysis.

Large osseous defects are difficult to treat because of deficient blood supply on the defected area. To get sufficient blood supply, we designed to establish the adenovirus simultaneously encoding both VEGF and Ang-1 (pAd-VIA) to accelerate the formation of new vessels in the process of bone defect repair. The construction of the adenovirus was performed according to the method reported by Tong-Chuan HE with a tiny modification. Three kinds of adenoviruses were acquired. They are adenovirus pAd-VIA simultaneously encoding VEGF and Ang-1, adenovirus pAd-VEGF encoding VEGF, and adenovirus pAd-Ang-1 encoding Ang-1. The adenovirus prepared in this study could successfully transfer VEGF and Ang-1 into mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) with high efficiency. Two-gene modified artificial bone was established by use of these adenovirus. In the end, the two-gene modified artificial bone was proved to have good biocompatibility and biological function. Study reports presented here will pave the way for further exploration of vascularization in the process of large osseous defects repair.

The objective of this experiment is to produce a novel scaffold composed of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)/β-tricalciumphosphate (β-TCP) skeleton covered with apatite/collagen sponge. BMSCs were used to evaluate the cell behavior on the hybrid scaffold. Cell morphology on the surfaces of PLGA/β-TCP skeleton and PLGA/β-TCP skeleton with apatite/collagen sponge composite coating was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cell proliferation was assessed by cell number counting. Differentiated BMSCs function was monitored by measuring alkaline phosphates activity of the cells. These results demonstrated that the apatite/collagen sponge composite coating could improve cell proliferation and ALP activity of the hybrid scaffolds and increase its hydrophilicity after hybridization. The experiment suggested that the PLGA/β-TCP skeleton with apatite/collagen sponge composite coating is promising as a candidate 3D substrate for bone tissue engineering.

A Dawson sandwich-type polyoxometalate {C(NH2)3}12H4[αββα-{(Sn(C3H4O2))2Mn2(P2W15O56)2}]·22H2O (abbreviated as SnR-Mn-P2W15), functionalized by open chain carboxyethyltin groups, was first prepared in aqueous solution under conventional reaction conditions, and then structurally characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that two Mn(2+) cations and two [Sn(CH2CH2COO)](2+) groups are located in the internal and external positions in the so-called equatorial region of SnR-Mn-P2W15, respectively. Intriguingly, two exposed carboxyl groups act as stretching-arm brackets, which provide a favorable structure for potential further functionalization. The electrocatalytic activity of SnR-Mn-P2W15 towards the reduction of hydrogen peroxide and nitrite was studied. Additionally, its acid catalysis and oxidation catalysis activities in organic synthesis were investigated.

Purpose The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) have been used as first line treatment in advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) with sensitive EGFR gene mutations. In clinical practice, we found that the rate of EGFR gene mutation in patients with Yin-cold syndrome type in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory was higher than those with Yang-heat type syndrome. The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between the TCM syndrome type and the EGFR gene status as well as efficacy of EGFR-TKIs in NSCLC patients. Methods From March 2013 to January 2014, we prospectively studied all the patients who are newly diagnosed with NSCLC without prior anticancer therapy, or those with recurrence with an interval of more than 6 moths from last anticancer therapy to the recurrence. The symptoms and signs which can help for the TCM syndrome type diagnosis were recorded. The EGFR gene statuses were also tested. The Yang-heat or Yin-cold syndrome types of TCM were diagnosed respectively by 3 TCM experts of our hospital to decide the TCM syndrome type. The relationship between the EGFR gene status and the TCM syndrome type were analyzed. The patients were followed up until August 2014. Results A total of 73 consecutive patients were enrolled in our study. 32 patients (43.84%) were with the Yin-cold syndrome type according to the TCM theory, while the other 41 patients (56.16%) were with the Yang-heat type. 17 patients (53.13%) in the Yin-cold group, while only 10 patients (24.39%) in the Yang-heat group, were with sensitive EGFR gene mutation (p=0.0120). 1 in the Yin-cold group and 1 in the Yang-heat group were with T790M at the exon 20 of EGFR gene. The EGFR genes were wild type in the other 44 patients. No significant difference was seen in PFS or OS between the TCM syndrome groups for those 22 patients who took EGFR-TKIs. Conclusion Patients with Yin-cold TCM syndrome type have more chance with sensitive EGFR gene mutation. However, no relationship was seen between the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs and TCM syndrome type.

e23063Background: To determine the clinical significance of plasma EGFR mutation by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). Methods: Plasma DNA from 103 consecutive NSCLC patients, including 54 with mutated a...

Foundation fieldbus (FF) is applied to the control system of high voltage electrostatic precipitator coal ash. FF technology is composed of intelligent sensor, computer and network technology. The theory of electrostatic precipitator and FF is explained. FF is compared with distributed control system(DCS). The whole model of the control system is probed. The design and the realization of the model are mainly discusses. The model is made up of four parts: host computer, interface card, fieldbus and field device. This technology can be well applied.

To induce autologous bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell (aMSC) into chondrocyte, and to confirm the effects of 3 dimensional (3D) dynamic inducing in vitro and their long-term animal model repairing in vivo.aMSC were separated from rabbits bone marrow aspirates, then respectively experienced 3D dynamic inducing in alginate drops in modified rotating wall bioreactor culture or in two dimensional (2D) inducing (culture flask) for 10 d. The induced cells were harvest and then mixed with fibrin sealant (FS) to repair rabbit knee femoral trochlea cartilage defects model. After 8, 12, 24, 48 weeks animals were euthanized. Gross appearance, histological appearances were examined.Flask culture groups showed a little chondrocyte differentiation, 3D inducing group showed obviously chondrocyte differentiation, improved collagen II and proteoglycan production. For 3D inducing ones in vivo, the cartilage defects were smoothly repaired by white translucent hard tissue with obvious hyaline-like cartilage histological appearance after 8, 12 weeks, and the defects boundary were hard to be identified with hyaline like cartilage with sustained histological appearance and score after 24, 48 weeks. For 2D ones in vivo, the cartilage defects were smoothly repaired after 8 weeks by hyaline like cartilage which showed accelerated degeneration after 24 weeks and lose cartilage performance completely after 48 weeks.3D dynamic inducing may assist aMSC on differentiating into chondrocyte, improve its long-term in vivo repairing effects, and enlighten its further applications in tissue engineering cartilage.

Cell-based tissue engineering is thought to be a new therapy for treatment of bone defects and nonunions after trauma and tumor resection. In this study, we explore the in vitro and in vivo osteogenesis of a novel biomimetic construct fabricated by using collagen I gel to suspend rabbit adipose-derived stem cells (rASCs) into a porous poly(lactic-co-glycolic)acid-beta-tricalcium phosphate (PLGA-beta-TCP) scaffold (rASCs-COL/PLGA-beta-TCP). In vitro and in vivo studies of the rASCs-COL/PLGA-beta-TCP composite (group A) were carried out compared with the single combination of rASCs and PLGA-beta-TCP (rASCs/PLGA-beta-TCP; group B), the combination of acellular collagen I gel and PLGA-beta-TCP (COL/PLGA-beta-TCP; group C), and the PLGA-beta-TCP scaffold (group D). Composites of different groups were cultured in vitro for 2 weeks in osteogenic medium and then implanted into the autologous muscular intervals for 8 weeks. After 2 weeks of in vitro culture, alkaline phosphatase activity and extracellular matrix mineralization in group A were significantly higher than in group B (p < 0.01, n = 4). In vivo osteogenesis was evaluated by radiographic and histological analyses. The calcification level was radiographically evident in group A, whereas no apparent calcification was observed in groups B, C and D (n = 4). In group A, woven bone with a trabecular structure was formed, while in group B, only osteoid tissue was observed. Meanwhile, the bone-forming area in group A was significantly higher than in group B (p < 0.01, n = 4). No bone formation was observed in groups C or D (n = 4). In conclusion, by using collagen I gel to suspend rASCs into porous PLGA-beta-TCP scaffold, osteogenic differentiation of rASCs can be improved and homogeneous bone tissue can be successfully formed in vivo.

To evaluate the compositional variation of fibrous callus in the fracture site and the joint cavity and joint cartilage after being transplanted in the muscle pouch.Thirty 2 month old New Zealand white rabbits (weighing 1-1.5 kg) were randomly divided into two groups: a callus transplantation group (Group A, n=15) and a cartilage transplantation group (Group B, n=15). In Group A, closed radius fracture was made and the autologous fibrous callus was transplanted in the right knee joint cavity at 12 days postoperatively. In Group B, the right knee joint cartilage of the animals was transplanted in the autologous back muscle pouches under anesthesia. Then all the animals were killed by overdose anesthetic 3 weeks after transplantation. And the transplanted fibrous callus, the healed bones in the fracture sites and the transplanted joint cartilage were obtained for assessment of compositional variation.Pure fibrous composition was found in the callus at the fracture sites in Group A at 12 days postoperatively. And for 11 out of the 15 animals, the fibrous callus was transformed into cartilaginous tissues after 3 weeks of transplantation, but the fibrous callus was absent in the other 4 animals. The fibrous calluses at the original site and the fracture locus were differentiated into bony tissues. Bony tissue transformation was found in the transplanted joint cartilages in the muscle pouch of all the animals in Group B.The fracture sites or joint cavity may facilitate callus differentiation in different ways: the former is helpful for osteogenesis while the latter for the development and maintenance of cartilages, and the muscle pouch is inclined to induce the osteogenic phenotype for cartilages.

To evaluate the quality of clinical literatures related with treatment of lung cancer with combined use of chemotherapy and Chinese herbs in respect of the scientific research design adapted.According to the "Scale for Quality and Information Evaluation of TCM Clinical Research Literature" formulated by the group of methodology of this article, the literatures related with lung cancer published between 1979 to 2000 were evaluated in respect of the randomization and controlling of the trial.The method of randomization was not described in 93.7% of the literatures; problems or mistakes of randomized allocation existed in 2.5%, with no record about the state of dropped out or absconded cases in follow-up study in 29.1%, also no record about case screening was found in all the literatures. Besides, the blind trial method was seldom used, also some problems of key links concerning samples homogeneity and conclusion reasoning presented. All these bugs could influence quality of the randomized control trial.Randomized control trial has been applied progressively in TCM clinical researches of lung cancer, however, there are still problems such as insufficiency of samples, and improving of the reliability and quality of the trial is needed.

To investigate the effects of collagen I on the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of MSCs on PLGA.Collagen I was added onto the surface of pores in pieces of 3-D porous poly-lactide-co-glycolid (PLGA). Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were obtained from New Zealand rabbits and were cultured for 3 generations, inoculated into the pores of PLGA pieces with the volume of 0.3 cm x 1.2 cm x 2.0 cm, and then cultured in solution with [(3)H]-thymidine deoxyribose (TdR). PLGA pieces not coated by collagen I were used as controls. The incorporation rate of [(3)H]-TdR was detected 2, 4, 6, and 8 hours, and 7, 14, and 21 days after culture, shown in count per minute (CPM) value, to determine the adhesion and proliferation of the MSCs. RT-POCR was used to examine the expressions of mRNA of the osteoblast markers: osteocalcin (OCN), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and osteopontin (OPN). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the morphology of MSCs.The CPM value since 6 hours after culture between the experimental group and control group began to be significantly different (both P0.05) The CPM values 7, 14, and 21 days after culture between the experimental group and control groups (P0.05 or P0.01). OCN, ALP, and OPN mRNA were expressed in MSCs of the experimental group and only ALP mRNA was weakly expressed in the control group. SEM showed the distribution of spindle and polygonal cells in the pores of the 3-D PLGA pieces and distribution of cylindrical or round cells in the control group.Collagen I is effective in promoting the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of MSCs on PLGA.

To explore reciprocal action between BMP-2 (bone morphogenetic protein-2) and BMP-3 for better understanding of the mechanism of BMP during bone fracture union.rhBMP-2 was added into the cultured fibroblasts with the concentration of 1,200 ng/ml. The expression of BMP-3 in fibroblasts was detected by immunohistochemistry. Eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3-BMP-3 was transfected into the fibroblasts. After the effective expression of BMP-3 was identified, BMP-2 was also detected by immunohistochemistry in BMP-3 expression cells. The fibroblasts transfected with empty vector pcDNA3 were used as the control.Exogenous rhBMP-2 could promote the expression of BMP-3 in fibroblasts. BMP-3 also could be detected in these cells.BMP-2 and BMP-3 could reciprocally adjust the expression in fibroblasts.