Prognostic and clinical value of circPRKCI expression in diverse human cancers / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Highly expressed in various human cancers, circular RNA Protein Kinase C Iota (circPRKCI) has been reported to play an important role in cancer development and progression. Herein, we sought to reveal the prognostic and clinical value of circPRKCI expression in diverse human cancers.@*METHODS@#We searched the Pubmed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases from inception until May 16, 2021. The relationship between circPRKCI expression and cancer patients' survival, including overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), was assessed by pooled hazard ratios (HR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). The correlation between circPRKCI expression and clinical outcomes was evaluated using odds ratios (OR) with corresponding 95% CI. The data were analyzed by STATA software (version 12.0) or Review Manager (RevMan 5.3).@*RESULTS@#A total of 15 studies with 1109 patients were incorporated into our meta-analysis. The results demonstrated that high circPRKCI expression was significantly related to poor OS (HR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.61, 2.39, P <0.001) when compared with low circPRKCI expression in diverse human cancers. However, elevated circPRKCI expression was not associated with DFS (HR = 1.34, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.95, P = 0.121). Furthermore, the patient with a higher circPRKCI expression was prone to have a larger tumor size, advanced clinical stage, and lymph node metastasis, but it was not significantly correlated with age, gender, and distant metastasis.@*CONCLUSION@#Elevated circPRKCI expression was correlated with worse OS and unfavorable clinical features, suggesting a novel prognostic and predictive role of circPRKCI in diverse human cancers.

Efficacy and safety of bevacizumab combined with capecitabine in the treatment of advanced breast cancer / 国际肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab combined with capecitabine in the treatment of advanced breast cancer.Methods:Seventy-six patients with advanced breast cancer who were diagnosed in the Cancer Center of the People's Liberation Army Navy Anqing Hospital from August 2019 to May 2021 were selected. According to different treatment schemes, the patients were divided into the control group (using single drug capecitabine) and the test group (using bevacizumab combined with capecitabine), with 38 cases in each group. After 4 cycles of treatment, the clinical efficacy, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups, and the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -121, VEGF-145, VEGF-165 and quality of life before and after treatment were compared.Results:The objective remission rate of the test group [57.89% (22/38) ] was higher than that of the control group [42.11% (16/38) ], but there was no statistically significant difference ( χ2=1.89, P=0.169) ; The disease control rate of the test group [81.58% (31/38) ] was better than that of the control group [55.26% (21/38) ], there was a statistically significant difference ( χ2=6.09, P=0.014). The median PFS of patients in the test group (6.3 months) was longer than that in the control group (4.2 months), there was a statistically significant difference ( χ2=0.48, P=0.003) ; The median OS of patients in the test group (14.8 months) was not significantly different from that in the control group (13.2 months) ( χ2=0.15, P=0.704). After treatment, the expression level of serum VEGF-121 [ (201.25±18.37) ng/L vs. (276.83±20.26) ng/L], VEGF-145 [ (102.24±12.16) ng/L vs. (170.39±15.28) ng/L], VEGF-165 [ (135.08±14.32) ng/L vs. (210.53±16.09) ng/L] in the test group was lower than that in the control group, there were statistically significant differences ( t=17.03, P<0.001; t=21.51, P<0.001; t=21.59, P<0.001). After treatment, patients in the test group were assessed according to 36-item Short-Form (SF-36) physiological function [ (80.18±13.96) score vs. (71.72±16.12) score], physiological function [ (67.19±30.62) score vs. (53.12±9.86) score], physical pain [ (70.01±17.97) score vs. (61.06±17.57) score], overall health [ (68.67±18.92) score vs. (57.96±20.97) score], vitality [ (78.39±19.37) score vs. (68.26±18.52) score], social function [ (82.24±19.73) score vs. (70.92±20.31) score], the scores of emotional function [ (73.81±28.86) score vs. (60.23±29.19) score] and mental health [ (76.19±12.82) score vs. (70.31±12.54) score] were higher than those of the control group, there were statistically significant differences ( t=2.45, P=0.017; t=2.03, P=0.046; t=2.19, P=0.031; t=2.34, P=0.022; t=2.33, P=0.023; t=2.46, P=0.016; t=2.04, P=0.045; t=2.02, P=0.047). The incidence of adverse reactions in the test group [18.42% (7/38) ] was lower than that in the control group [76.32% (29/38) ], there was a statistically significant difference ( χ2=25.54, P<0.001) . Conclusion:The combination of bevacizumab and capecitabine chemotherapy has a higher clinical effect on advanced breast cancer, which can significantly reduce the level of VEGF in patients, improve the quality of life of patients, with mild adverse reactions and high safety.

Mitochondrial-targeted and ROS-responsive nanocarrier via nose-to-brain pathway for ischemic stroke treatment

Oxidative stress injury and mitochondrial dysfunction are major obstacles to neurological functional recovery after ischemic stroke. The development of new approaches to simultaneously diminish oxidative stress and resist mitochondrial dysfunction is urgently needed. Inspired by the overproduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) at ischemic neuron mitochondria, multifunctional nanoparticles with ROS-responsiveness and mitochondrial-targeted (SPNPs) were engineered, achieving specific targeting delivery and controllable drug release at ischemic penumbra. Due to the nose-to-brain pathway, SPNPs which were encapsulated in a thermo-sensitive gel by intranasal administration were directly delivered to the ischemic penumbra bypassing the blood‒brain barrier (BBB) and enhancing delivery efficiency. The potential of SPNPs for ischemic stroke treatment was systematically evaluated in vitro and in rat models of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Results demonstrated the mitochondrial-targeted and protective effects of SPNPs on H2O2-induced oxidative damage in SH-SY5Y cells. In vivo distribution analyzed by fluorescence imaging proved the rapid and enhanced active targeting of SPNPs to the ischemic area in MCAO rats. SPNPs by intranasal administration exhibited superior therapeutic efficacy by alleviating oxidative stress, diminishing inflammation, repairing mitochondrial function, and decreasing apoptosis. This strategy provided a multifunctional delivery system for the effective treatment of ischemic injury, which also implies a potential application prospect for other central nervous diseases.

Rapidly separating dissolving microneedles with sustained-release colchicine and stabilized uricase for simplified long-term gout management

Despite growing prevalence and incidence, the management of gout remains suboptimal. The intermittent nature of the gout makes the long-term urate-lowering therapy (ULT) particularly important for gout management. However, patients are reluctant to take medication day after day to manage incurable occasional gout flares, and suffer from possible long-term toxicity. Therefore, a safe and easy-to-operate drug delivery system with simple preparation for the long-term management of gout is very necessary. Here, a chitosan-containing sustained-release microneedle system co-loaded with colchicine and uricase liposomes were fabricated to achieve this goal. This microneedle system was confirmed to successfully deliver the drug to the skin and maintain a one-week drug retention. Furthermore, its powerful therapeutic potency to manage gout was investigated in both acute gouty and chronic gouty models. Besides, the drug co-delivery system could help avoid long-term daily oral colchicine, a drug with a narrow therapeutic index. This system also avoids mass injection of uricase by improving its stability, enhancing the clinical application value of uricase. In general, this two-drug system reduces the dosage of uricase and colchicine and improves the patient's compliance, which has a strong clinical translation.

Actively separated microneedle patch for sustained-release of growth hormone to treat growth hormone deficiency

Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) has become a serious healthcare burden, and presents a huge impact on the physical and mental health of patients. Here, we developed an actively separated microneedle patch (PAA/NaHCO3-Silk MN) based on silk protein for sustained release of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH). Silk protein, as a friendly carrier material for proteins, could be constructed in mild full-water conditions and ensure the activity of rhGH. After manually pressing PAA/NaHCO3-Silk MN patch to skin for 1 min, active separation is achieved by absorbing the interstitial fluid (ISF) to trigger HCO3 ‒ in the active backing layer to produce carbon dioxide gas (CO2). In rats, the MN patch could maintain the sustained release of rhGH for more than 7 days, and produce similar effects as daily subcutaneous (S.C.) injections of rhGH in promoting height and weight with well tolerated. Moreover, the PAA/NaHCO3-Silk MN patch with the potential of painless self-administration, does not require cold chain transportation and storage possess great economic benefits. Overall, the PAA/NaHCO3-Silk MN patch can significantly improve patient compliance and increase the availability of drugs, meet current unmet clinical needs, improve clinical treatment effects of GHD patients.

Analysis of the growth and development of HIV-infected children on initiated ART in Guangxi, 2004-2019 / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective　To investigate the growth and development of HIV-infected children initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) and its influencing factors. Methods　This retrospective cohort study was conducted in Guangxi. HIV-infected children initiating free antiretroviral therapy (ART) from 2004 to 2019 were included. Z-score was calculated according to the Chinese Child Growth and Development Standard, the Cox-Stuart test was used for trend analysis, and the generalized estimating equation was used to analyze HAZ (Height-for-age Z-score)≥-2 and WAZ (Weight-for-age Z-score)≥-2 influencing factors. Results　A total of 943 children with HIV infection were enrolled in the cohort. The median HAZ at baseline and 1, 2, 5, and 10 years after treatment was -2.47, -2.14, -1.94, -1.55, -1.23, respectively, and the median WAZ was -1.85, -1.40, -1.30, -1.21, -1.09, respectively. By Cox-Stuart trend test, HAZ and WAZ showed an upward trend with the treatment time (P<0.05). The proportions of HAZ≥-2 at baseline and at 1, 2, 5, and 10 years after treatment were 38.1%, 46.5%, 51.6%, 66.8%, and 74.6%, respectively, and the proportions of WAZ≥-2 were 57.1%, 76.9%, 81.1%, 85.8% and 89.2%, respectively. According to Cox-Stuart trend test, the proportions of HAZ≥-2 and WAZ≥-2 increased with the treatment time (P<0.05). The results of multivariate generalized estimating equation analysis showed that the associated factors with HAZ≥-2 were that age at ART initiation was 3-7 years old (aOR=0.71, 95%CI: 0.53-0.94), age at ART initiation was >7 years old (aOR=0.66, 95%CI: 0.47-0.93), CD4 cell counts before ART was <200/μL (aOR=0.64, 95%CI: 0.47-0.87), WHO clinical stage before ART was Stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ (aOR=0.74, 95%CI: 0.56-0.97) and time on ART (aOR=1.01, 95%CI: 1.01-1.01); the associated factors with WAZ≥-2 were male (aOR=0.72, 95%CI: 0.53-0.97), WHO clinical stage before ART was Stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ (aOR=0.63, 95%CI: 0.45-0.86) and time on ART (aOR=1.01, 95%CI: 1.01-1.01). Conclusion　Antiretroviral therapy can effectively improve the growth and development status of children with HIV infection, but a large proportion of children still have stunted growth and development in the 10th year after treatment. It is necessary to strengthen the training of antiretroviral treatment staff and the publicity and education of parents of children infected with HIV. Improve the effect of antiviral treatment and guide children's nutrition reasonably.

Symphony of nanomaterials and immunotherapy based on the cancer-immunity cycle

The immune system is involved in the initiation and progression of cancer. Research on cancer and immunity has contributed to the development of several clinically successful immunotherapies. These immunotherapies often act on a single step of the cancer-immunity cycle. In recent years, the discovery of new nanomaterials has dramatically expanded the functions and potential applications of nanomaterials. In addition to acting as drug-delivery platforms, some nanomaterials can induce the immunogenic cell death (ICD) of cancer cells or regulate the profile and strength of the immune response as immunomodulators. Based on their versatility, nanomaterials may serve as an integrated platform for multiple drugs or therapeutic strategies, simultaneously targeting several steps of the cancer-immunity cycle to enhance the outcome of anticancer immune response. To illustrate the critical roles of nanomaterials in cancer immunotherapies based on cancer-immunity cycle, this review will comprehensively describe the crosstalk between the immune system and cancer, and the current applications of nanomaterials, including drug carriers, ICD inducers, and immunomodulators. Moreover, this review will provide a detailed discussion of the knowledge regarding developing combinational cancer immunotherapies based on the cancer-immunity cycle, hoping to maximize the efficacy of these treatments assisted by nanomaterials.

Effect of Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus in Retinopathy Patients on MDA, SOD Activity and its Correlation with HbA1c

Abstract Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a metabolic disorder of the retina and one of the common problems of Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T-2DM) causing visual loss even at teen ages. In this research article, oxidative stress was the main cause due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation at hyperglycemic state and become as the focus point of this study to describe (DR) complication onset. The present study was conducted to compare three groups: T-2DM with complication, T-2DM without complication and control group. For this purpose, number of the individuals participating in this study were n=110 as subject along with T-2DM patients with complication n=50, T-2DM patients without complication n=50 and rest n=10 are taken as control/ normoglycemic individuals. T-2DM patients with/without complication have TAG level is lower than normoglycemic/ control. An observed value of (HbA1c%) glycosylated or glycated hemoglobin type A1c concentration of T2DM with complication group was highest (9.63%) amongst the examined groups. T-2DM with complication has lowest SOD activity (660.96 U/gHb) but the malondialdehyde (MDA) level was found to be higher (5.96 µmol/L) amongst studied groups. Lowest plasma TAG, and higher plasma MDA level indicate the presence of oxidative stress in T2D with/without complications. SOD activity was decreased due to the protein glycation and the surplus level of lipid detoxification especially found in T-2DM cases. Good glycemic control counteracts the response of Lipid peroxidation usually occurs in hyperglycemic state.

Permeation mechanism of phenolic acid components from traditional Chinese medicine on PES membrane separation process / 中国中药杂志

To explore the permeation mechanism of micro-molecule medicinal ingredients of water extract of tradition Chinese medicine(TCM) in membrane separation process. With phenolic acid components as the model solute, five phenolic acids with similar molecular weight and structure, namely gallic acid, protocatechuate acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid and salicylic acid, were selected in the PES membrane separation experiments. With the relative flux and the transmission rate as indexes, the scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) were used to analyze the permeation mechanism of different phenolic acid components. The results showed phenolic acids with similar molecular weight had different permeation behaviors, with decreased relative flux and increased solute permeation with the increase of solute concentration. According to the permeation behavior analyzed by the molecular structure of solute, the transmission rate of phenolic acids increased with the increase of the number of hydroxyl, and the order of substituent positions of phenolic acids based on the permeation rate as follows: para-substituted > meta-substitution > ortho-substitution. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reflected the role of charge repulsion in the membrane process; that is to say, the greater the resistance is, the less the solute permeation is. Therefore, the permeation phenomenon of the phenolic acid components in the PES membrane is not only the result of simple sieving mechanisms, but also has the effects of steric hindrance and charge repulsion during the membrane process.

Effect of electroacupuncture on recognition memory and levels of Aβ, inflammatory factor proteins and aquaporin 4 in hippocampus of APP/PS1 double transgenic mice / 针刺研究

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Baihui "(GV20) and "Shenshu "(BL23) on activation of glial cells, expression of inflammatory factor proteins and aquaporin 4 (AQP4)in the hippocampus of amyloid precursor protein/presenilin-1 (APP/PS1) transgenic mice, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of Alzheimer's disease(AD). METHODS: Twenty C57/BL6 background male APP695/PS1-dE9(APP/PS1) double transgenic mice (model group) and 20 wild type (WT) C57/BL6 mice (blank group) were respectively randomized into control and EA groups. EA (2 Hz/15 Hz, 1－2 mA) was applied to GV20 and bilateral BL23 for 30 min, once daily, 6 days a week for 4 weeks. The recognition memory ability was detected by novel object recognition tests in a behavior test box. The percentage of time spent in close interaction with novel object (C) relative to the total time was used to generate preference index. The contents of hippocampal β amyloid protein (Aβ)1-40 and Aβ1-42 were assayed using ELISA, and the expression levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), ionic calcium binding receptor molecule-1 (Iba-1), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) proteins in the hippocampus measured by Western blot. The activities of hippocampal astrocytes (GFAP-labelled cells), microglia (Iba-1-labelled cells) and the polarity expression of AQP4 (for removing Aβ) were measured by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The preference index was significantly decreased in the model group relatively to the blank control group (P0.05)．. CONCLUSION: EA at GV20 and BL23 can reduce inflammatory reaction and Aβ level, suppress activation of astrocytes and microglia, and up-regulate expression of AQP4 in the hippocampus tissue in APP/PS1 transgenic mice, which may contribute to its effect in improving recognition memory ability, suggesting a role of EA intervention in delaying the development of AD via promoting the drainage of Aβ by the glymphatic system in the brain.

Black phosphorus loaded with zinc ions for enhanced photothermal therapy of prostate cancer / 药学学报

Prostate cancer is the most common malignant tumor of male reproductive system, which seriously threatens men's health. It has been shown that the existence of zinc ions can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells. In addition, photothermal treatment of cancer is attracting more and more attention due to its high accuracy and efficiency. In this study, zinc ions loaded black phosphorus nanosheets (BP-Zn) were prepared, and the photothermal therapy efficiency of the system on human prostate cancer cells (PC-3) was evaluated. The inhibition effect of zinc ions on PC-3 cells was studied. It was demonstrated that the toxicity of zinc ions on PC-3 cells was concentration- and time-dependent. Moreover, it can be seen from in vitro photothermal therapy that the treatment effect of black phosphorus assisted by zinc ions is superior to that of black phosphorus alone. This study further studied the in vivo therapeutic effect of BP-Zn. The results once again confirmed that the combinational photothermal treatment of zinc ions and BP had excellent anti-tumor effect. The animal procedures were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School.

Association of BDNF gene polymorphism with endophenotypes in posttraumatic stress disorder

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE To explore the association of brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF) polymorphism with the latent cognitive endophenotype of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after major natural disasters in Hainan Province, China. METHODS A total of 300 patients with PTSD and 150 healthy controls (HC) were surveyed by psychoanalysis scale to assess their cognitive functions. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) were used to detect the BDNF gene polymorphism. RESULTS In terms of the cognitive function, the scores in the PTSD group were worse than those of the HC group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). There was a significant difference in the distribution of BDNF genotype and allele frequency between the two groups (P < 0.05). PTSD endophenotypes were significantly different among the BDNF genotypes in the PTSD group (P ≤ 0.01). CONCLUSION There is a statistically significant difference in the polymorphism of BDNF gene between PTSD and HC groups, and the alleles are associated with the incidence of PTSD. Thus, it may be a risk factor for PTSD.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Explorar a associação do polimorfismo do gene fator neurotrófico derivado do cérebro (BDNF) com o endofenótipo cognitivo latente de transtorno de estresse pós-traumático (TEPT) após grandes desastres naturais na província de Hainan, China. MÉTODOS Um total de 300 doentes com TEPT e 150 controles saudáveis (HC) foi investigado pela escala de psicanálise para avaliar as suas funções cognitivas. A reação em cadeia polimerase (PCR) e a eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida (Page) foram usadas para detectar o polimorfismo do gene BDNF. RESULTADOS Em termos de função cognitiva, as pontuações no grupo TEPT foram piores do que as do grupo HC (P<0,05 ou P<0,01). Houve uma diferença significativa na distribuição do genótipo de BDNF e frequência do alelo entre os dois grupos (P<0,05). Os endofenótipos de TEPT foram significativamente diferentes entre os genótipos de BDNF do grupo TEPT (P≤0,01). CONCLUSÃO Existe uma diferença estatisticamente significativa no polimorfismo do gene BDNF entre o TEPT e os grupos HC, e os alelos estão associados à incidência do TEPT. Assim, pode ser um fator de risco para TEPT.

Black phosphrous quantum dot (BPQD)-loaded erythrocyte membrane vesicles for phothothermal therapy in breast cancer / 国际生物医学工程杂志

Objective To investigate the method of preparing black phosphrous quantum dot (BPQD)-loaded erythrocyte membrane nanovesicles (BPQD-EMNVs), and to study its efficiency in photothermal therapy for breast cancer. Methods Fresh red blood cells (RBCs) of healthy mice were extracted to prepare erythrocyte membrane, and BPQD-EMNVs were prepared by sonication method. The morphology of BPQD-EMNVs was observed by a transmission electron microscopy. The particle size distribution was measured by a nano-particle size and Zeta potential meter. The encapsulation efficiency of BPQD was determined by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry. The uptake rate of BPQD-EMNVs was observed by a laser scanning confocal microscope. 4T1 tumor-bearing Balb/c mice were randomly divided into PBS, EMNVs, BPQD and BPQD-EMNVs groups, and the tumor sites were irradiated with 808 nm near-infrared light for 10 min after 4 hours of tail vein injection. The growth of the tumors was continually observed. Results The prepared BPQD-EMNVs have a regular spherical shape with an average particle diameter of 228 nm and an encapsulation efficiency of about 47％. Cellular uptake in vitro experiments showed that BPQD-EMNVs were rapidly taken up by 4T1 tumor cells. The results of animal in vivo experiments showed that BPQD-EMNVs had the highest enrichment after 4 h of injection at the tumor site, and BPQD-EMNVs could effectively kill tumor tissues after 10 min of 808 nm near-infrared light irradiation. Conclusions The BPQD-EMNVs are easy to prepare, and the prepared nanovesicles have good biocompatibility and photothermiotherapy effect, which is expected to be a promising method for breast cancer therapy.

Exploration on the guarantee mechanism of the Ba-yu cultural experience for overseas students: a case study of Chongqing Medical University / 中华医学教育探索杂志

In recent years, the number of overseas students has increased sharply because of the growing international influence of China. How to improve their perception of Chinese culture and how to turn them into the outward expresser of Chinese local traditional culture have become new topics regarding to the traditional issue of China’s culture internationalization. Taking the research on international promotion of Ba-yu culture among overseas student community as an entry point, this paper explores the cultural experience guarantee mechanism for overseas students in China with the purpose of strengthening the ideological understanding and providing some feasible suggestions for the government and related cultural promotion departments on financial input, organization management, favorable policies, etc.

The black phosphorus quantum dots-based photothermal effect on dendritic cells activation / 药学学报

Immunotherapy is the most active research area for cancer treatment. Tumor vaccine is one of the most developed aspects of cancer immunotherapy. Though tumor vaccine has made many breakthrough, it still faces many challenges. In this study, we coated the black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) with cancer cell membrane to create a nanoparticle named BPQD-CCNVs. The BPQD-CCNVs were incubated with bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and irradiated with 808 nm infrared light. We tested the expression level of CD80, CD86 and MHC II of dendritic cells by flow cytometry after irradiation. All animal experiments approved by the Animal Experiments Ethical Committee of Tsinghua University. The results showed that the rise of medium's temperature caused by the photothermal effect of BPQDs could upregulate the expression of CD80, CD86 and MHC-II on dendritic cell surface. Based on these, we conclude that near infrared irradiation can stimulate the activation of dendritic cells. Our study may have provided a new strategy for tumor vaccine development.

In vitro study of black phosphorus quantum dot-loaded liposomes for photothermal therapy of cervical cancer / 药学学报

In this study, black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs)-loaded liposomes (liposome-BPQDs) were prepared to explore physicochemical properties and photothermal effects on cervical cancer cells. BPQDs were fabricated by ultrasonic method. Liposome-BPQDs were prepared by thin film dispersion. Surface morphology, particle size, zeta potential and Raman spectra of liposome-BPQDs were characterized. The cytotoxicity of the liposome-BPQDs against human cervical cancer cells (HeLa) was examined by CCK-8 assay. Confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and fluorescence microscopy were used to observe the uptake and apoptosis of HeLa cells. The results indicated that liposome-BPQDs were ellipsoidal or spherical under scanning electron microscope, TEM observation showed liposome-BPQDs were about 90-110 nm in diameter. The particle size measurements showed liposome-BPQDs were (104.2±0.35) nm in diameter, and zeta potential were examined to be (-11.3±3.01) mV. The encapsulation efficiency was (84.40±2.13)%.Under natural conditions with outdoor ventilation, temperature range of 25 ℃-34 ℃ and relative humidity of 80%-82%, the photothermal effects of liposome-BPQDs was better and the degradation denaturation of liposome-BPQDs were slower than those of BPQDs. The results also reflected that liposome-BPQDs could be uptaken by HeLa cells easily. After near-infrared laser irradiation, the mortality of HeLa cells rise significantly when the amount of BPQDs reach 20 μg·mL-1. In summary, liposome-BPQDs with high stability exhibited good photothermal effects, which can be expected to be applied to photothermal therapy of cervical carcinoma.

Research progress, key scientific problems and countermeasures of “green concentration” technology based on membrane and its integration process / 中草药

The energy consumption of Chinese materia medica industry is astonishing. The steam consumption of the heavy concentrating section accounts for about 60% of the whole plant, or even higher. Membrane concentration technology has the important advantages of “low energy consumption and low cost”, but it is restricted by the respective defects caused by the technical principles of different membrane processes. Our research group introduces the international advanced integrated design strategy and method in view of the key technology of “reverse osmosis and membrane distillation integration” which is expected to suitable for the concentrated demand of Chinese medicine pharmaceutical industry. Taking the representative Chinese herbal compound prescription as the experimental system, a three-dimensional model of "time-material rheological characteristics-membrane mass transfer process" was established by using rheological theory and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as experimental system and dynamic and precise analysis of technological process. The rheological law of traditional Chinese medicine materials and its influence on membrane concentration process were explored by means of multi-disciplinary methods. The mass transfer effect and mechanism of membrane concentration process on traditional Chinese medicine materials were elaborated. The equilibrium points of critical osmotic pressure (RO process) and critical flux (membrane distillation process) were found. The optimal combination schemes of reverse osmosis (RO) and membrane distillation (MD) were explored. In short, we solved the key technical problems of the membrane concentration process, which provided support for the complete set of technical equipment and the technological design, and promoted the theoretical and technological innovation of TCM pharmaceutical engineering.

Recent progress in drug delivery

Drug delivery systems (DDS) are defined as methods by which drugs are delivered to desired tissues, organs, cells and subcellular organs for drug release and absorption through a variety of drug carriers. Its usual purpose to improve the pharmacological activities of therapeutic drugs and to overcome problems such as limited solubility, drug aggregation, low bioavailability, poor biodistribution, lack of selectivity, or to reduce the side effects of therapeutic drugs. During 2015-2018, significant progress in the research on drug delivery systems has been achieved along with advances in related fields, such as pharmaceutical sciences, material sciences and biomedical sciences. This review provides a concise overview of current progress in this research area through its focus on the delivery strategies, construction techniques and specific examples. It is a valuable reference for pharmaceutical scientists who want to learn more about the design of drug delivery systems.

Professor 's experience for post-stroke dysphagia treated with penetrating-needling and swallowing technique of acupuncture / 中国针灸

Professor 's experience for post-stroke dysphagia treated with penetrating-needling and swallowing technique of acupuncture is summarized in this paper. The key pathogenesis of this disease is dysfunction of organs, impairment of the house of mental activity and dysfunction of meridian sinew. Innovatively, the anatomic structure related to swallowing is divided into three zones. Based on the distributions of heart, kidney and stomach meridians on the neck, three lines are determined. Hence, the theory of "three-zone and three-line" as well as the penetrating-needling and swallowing technique of acupuncture are put forward. In this paper, the theoretic evidences of penetrating-needling and swallowing technique of acupuncture, point selection and manipulation in treatment of post-stroke dysphagia are introduced.

Efficient lung cancer-targeted drug delivery a nanoparticle/MSC system

Low targeting efficiency limits the applications of nanoparticles in cancer therapy. The fact that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) trapped in the lung after systemic infusion is a disadvantage for cell therapy purposes. Here, we utilized MSC as lung cancer-targeted drug delivery vehicles by loading nanoparticles (NP) with anti-cancer drug. MSC showed a higher drug intake capacity than fibroblasts. In addition, MSC showed predominant lung trapping in both rabbit and monkey. IR-780 dye, a fluorescent probe used to represent docetaxel (DTX) in NP, delivered MSC accumulated in the lung. Both MSC/A549 cell experiments and MSC/lung cancer experiments validated the intercellular transportation of NP between MSC and cancer cells. assays showed that the MSC/NP/DTX drug delivery system exerted primary tumor inhibition efficiency similar to that of a NP/DTX drug system. Collectively, the MSC/NP drug delivery system is promising for lung-targeted drug delivery for the treatment of lung cancer and other lung-related diseases.