Impact of separate concentrations of polyethylene microplastics on the ability of pollutants removal during the operation of constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell.

Microplastics (MPs) in water pose a great threat to the ecological environment, but the impact of MPs on constructed wetland microbial fuel cells (CW-MFCs) has not been studied, so in order to fill the research gap and enrich the research in the field of microplastics, a 360-day experiment was designed to determine the operating status of CW-MFCs at different concentrations (0, 10, 100 and 1000 µg/L) polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) at different times, focusing on the changes of the CW-MFCs' ability to handle pollutants, power production performance and microbial composition. The results showed that with the accumulation of PE-MPs, the removal effect of COD and TP did not change significantly, and that the removal rate was maintained at around 90% and 77.9% respectively, within 120 d of operation. What's more, the denitrification efficiency increased (from 4.1% to 19.6%), but with the passage of time, it decreased significantly (from 7.16% to 31.9%) at the end of the experiment, while oxygen mass transfer rate was significantly increased. Further analysis showed that the accumulation of PE-MPs did not affect the current power density significantly with the changes of time and concentration, but the accumulation of PE-MPs would inhibit the exogenous electrical biofilm and increase the internal resistance, thereby affecting the electrochemical performance of the system. In addition, the results of microbial PCA showed that the composition and the activity of the microorganisms were changed under the action of PE-MPs, that the microbial community in CW-MFC showed a dose effect on the input of PE-MPs, and that the relative abundance of nitrifying bacteria with time was significantly affected by PE-MPs concentration. The relative abundance of denitrifying bacteria decreased over time, but PE-MPs promoted the reproduction of denitrifying bacteria, which was consistent with the changes in nitrification and denitrification rates. The removal modes of EP-MPs by CW-MFC include the adsorption and the electrochemical degradation, with two isothermal adsorption models of Langmuir and Freundlich being constructed in the experiment, and the electrochemical degradation process of EP-MPs being simulated. In summary, the results show that the accumulation of PE-MPs can induce a series of changes in substrate, microbial species and activity of CW-MFCs, which in turn affects the pollutant removal efficiency and power generation performance during its operation.

Genomic and transcriptomic profiling reveals key molecules in metastatic potentials and organ-tropisms of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Metastasis is a landmark event for rapid postsurgical relapse and death of HCC patients. Although distinct genomic and transcriptomic profiling of HCC metastasis had been reported previously, the causal relationships of somatic mutants, mRNA levels and metastatic potentials were difficult to be established in clinic. Therefore, 11 human HCC cell lines and 7 monoclonal derivatives with definite metastatic potentials and tropisms were subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS). TP53, MYO5A, ROS1 and ARID2 were the prominent mutants of metastatic drivers in HCC cells. During HCC clonal evaluation, TP53, MYO5A and ROS1 mutations occurred in the early stage, EXT2 and NIN in the late stage. NF1 mutant was unique in lung tropistic cell lines, RNF126 mutant in lymphatic tropistic ones. PER1, LMO2, GAS7, NR4A3 expression levels were positively associated with relapse-free survival (RFS) of HCC patients. The integrative analysis revealed 58 genes exhibited both somatic mutation and dysregulated mRNA levels in high metastatic cells. Altogether, metastatic drivers could accumulate gradually at different stages during HCC progression, some drivers might modulate HCC metastatic potentials and the others regulate metastatic tropisms.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Can Distinguish Patients with Liver Cirrhosis from Healthy People but Cannot Distinguish Patients with Cirrhotic Hepatocellular Carcinoma from Patients with Liver Cirrhosis.

Purpose: Identifying cirrhotic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during liver cirrhosis (LC) stage is pivotal for improving the clinical outcomes of cirrhotic HCC patients. Inflammation-driven markers play a crucial role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an inflammatory response marker. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of NLR to distinguish cirrhotic HCC from LC. Methods: Data of healthy control (HC) people, LC patients, cirrhotic HCC patients, and non-cirrhotic HCC patients were retrospectively analyzed. Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-squared test were used to compare demographic and clinical parameters in different groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess correlations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were performed to determine diagnostic accuracy. Results: A total of 419 participants were enrolled in this study, including 152 HC people, 131 LC patients, 96 cirrhotic HCC patients, and 40 non-cirrhotic HCC patients. Level of NLR was elevated significantly in LC compared with HC (P < 0.001). No significant differences were found for NLR between LC and cirrhotic HCC (P = 0.083), as well as between cirrhotic HCC and non-cirrhotic HCC (P = 0.729). NLR was positively correlated with platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (r = 0.33, P < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) value for NLR to distinguish LC from HC was 0.759 (P < 0.001), and AUC value to distinguish cirrhotic HCC from LC was 0.567 (P = 0.083), and AUC value to distinguish non-cirrhotic HCC from cirrhotic HCC was 0.519 (0.415-0.623) (P = 0.729). Conclusion: NLR can distinguish LC from HC but cannot not distinguish cirrhotic HCC from LC.

Parallel guidewire technique in acute ischemic stroke secondary to carotid artery dissection.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of endovascular therapy (EVT) on the acute ischemic stroke (AIS) secondary to carotid artery dissection (CAD). METHODS: This single-center retrospective study enrolled 17 patients admitted with AIS secondary to CAD from January 2018 to November 2019 in the Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University where patients received EVT with guidewire or parallel guidewire. Outcomes including postoperative complications were recorded, the prognostic factors of patients were explored, and the effectiveness of single guidewire versus parallel guidewire on EVT was compared. RESULTS: Before treatment, the mean National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) was 14.4 in 10 cases (58.8%) of CAD complicated with intracranial artery embolism. All patients underwent EVT, and the success rate of operation was 100%. After all interventions, modified thrombolysis in cerebral ischemia (mTICI) 3 reperfusion was achieved in 14 patients (82.4%), and mTICI 2b reperfusion was achieved in 3 (17.6%). One patient had cerebral infarction and edema complicated with cerebral hernia, one patient had cerebral hemorrhage, one patient had complicated subarachnoid hemorrhage, and five cases had asymptomatic cerebral hemorrhage. Three months after treatment, 14 cases (82.3%) achieved a good clinical outcome (modified Rankin scale, mRS: 0-2). Puncture-to-reperfusion time in the parallel guidewire group was significantly shorter than that of the single guidewire group. However, the differences in NIHSS score, postoperative mTICI, and mRS score between both groups did not reach significance. CONCLUSIONS: CAD patients receiving EVT have a good prognosis, and application of a parallel guidewire can reduce operation time.

Vitamin D Deficiency May Not Be an Independent Risk Factor for Peripheral Arterial Disease in Middle-Aged and Elderly Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in China.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency can lead to the increased severity and prevalence of metabolic disorders. However, the relationship between levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is controversial. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to explore the relationship between 25(OH)D levels and PAD in middle-aged and elderly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in China. METHODS: In this study, a total of 183 patients with T2DM were enrolled and categorized into groups with or without PAD. Clinical and biochemical parameters were assessed, and a Pearson analysis was used to identify a possible association between levels of 25(OH)D and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Some biochemical parameters were also assessed in the T2DM patients with PAD according to vitamin D status. Interactions were also explored among HbA1c control, 25(OH)D levels, and PAD. The possible risk factors for PAD were measured by multivariable logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Firstly, the parameters including age, HbA1c, and disease duration between T2DM and T2DM+PAD groups showed significantly different. In addition, the frequency of smoking in the group of T2DM patients was significantly less than that in the T2DM patients with the PAD group, while the frequency of well-controlled HbA1c in the patients with T2DM was significantly higher. There is a trend that the levels of 25(OH)D and HbA1c are correlated, but no interactions among vitamin D deficiency, HbA1c control, and PAD were found. However, HbA1c significantly differed between groups with vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in the T2DM patients with PAD. According to the multivariate logistic regression analyses, the PAD risk factors of T2DM patients were family history of diabetes, smoking, age, disease duration, HbA1c, and LDL. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate that the deficiency of vitamin D level is not related to PAD, but HbA1c may be linked to the presence of PAD in middle-aged and elderly patients with T2DM in China.

MicroRNA-21 and microRNA-30c as diagnostic biomarkers for prostate cancer: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. Several articles have reported that microRNA-21 (miR-21) and microRNA-30c (miR-30c) have diagnostic values for PCa, but the results are inconclusive. In order to precisely assess the diagnostic values of miR-21 and miR-30c for PCa, this meta-analysis is performed. METHODS: Articles were searched in the databases of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Knowledge (search date: September 6, 2018). Studies were included if they were designed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of miR-21 or miR-30c for PCa. Using Stata 12.0 and Meta-Disc 1.4, the pooled sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under curve (AUC) of the summary receiver-operating characteristic (SROC) curve with the corresponding 95% CI were calculated. RESULTS: Overall, ten studies (six studies for miR-21 and four for miR-30c) involving1,371 participants were included in this meta-analysis. For miR-21, the pooled SEN and SPE were, respectively, 0.91 (95% CI: 0.87-0.94) and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.82-0.93), the pooled PLR and NLR were, respectively, 7.74 (95% CI: 4.81-12.47), 0.1 (95% CI: 0.06-0.15), the DOR was 77.64 (95% CI: 34.64-174.02), AUC of SROC was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.93-0.97). For miR-30c, the pooled SEN and SPE were, respectively, 0.74 (95% CI: 0.65-0.81) and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.72-0.83), the pooled PLR and NLR were, respectively, 3.39 (95% CI: 2.69-4.26), and 0.34 (95% CI: 0.26-0.44), the DOR was 10.06 (95% CI: 6.96-14.55), and AUC of SROC was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.79-0.86). CONCLUSION: For PCa, miR-21 is a good diagnostic biomarker and miR-30c is a moderate diagnostic biomarker.

D-dimer as a potential clinical marker for predicting metastasis and progression in cancer.

D-dimer is a widely used biomarker for indicating the activation of coagulation and fibrinolysis, and is reported to serve important roles in cancer progression. The aim of the current retrospective study was to investigate the association of D-dimer plasma level with the development of various cancers. Patients with breast (n=86), gastric (n=317), pancreatic (n=37), colon (n=153) and rectal (n=137) cancers and 92 healthy volunteers were assessed in the present study. Plasma levels of D-dimer in the patients and healthy controls were measured by immunoturbidimetric assays. The association of D-dimer levels with the clinicopathological features of patients were also determined. The plasma levels of D-dimer were significantly higher in patients with breast cancer (P=0.0022), gastric cancer (P<0.0001), pancreatic cancer (P=0.0003), colon cancer (P=0.0001) and rectal cancer (P=0.0028), compared with the healthy controls. It was also determined that the plasma D-dimer levels were positively associated with clinical cancer stage (P<0.05) and metastasis (P<0.05). These findings suggested that the plasma D-dimer level may be used as marker for predicting cancer metastasis and progression.

Association between matrix-metalloproteinase polymorphisms and prostate cancer risk: a meta-analysis and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Data from published articles on the relationship between MMP polymorphisms and prostate cancer risk are conflicted and inconclusive, so a meta-analysis and systematic review were performed to assess the relationship. METHODS: Relevant research articles were identified from databases using a search strategy. Studies with the same MMP polymorphisms that could be quantitatively synthesized were included in the meta-analysis. Five comparison models (homozygote, heterozygote, dominant, recessive, and additive) were applied, and a subgroup analysis by case-group sample type was performed. Studies with different polymorphisms that could not be quantitatively synthesized were included in the systematic review. RESULTS: Eleven articles encompassing 22 studies involving 12 MMP polymorphisms were included in this paper. Among the studies included, 13 studies involving MMP1 rs1799750, MMP2 rs243865, and MMP7 rs11568818 were quantitatively synthesized for meta-analysis, and the other nine studies involving nine polymorphisms (MMP2 rs2285053, MMP2 rs1477017, MMP2 rs17301608, MMP2 rs11639960, MMP3 11715A/6A, MMP3 1161A/G, MMP3 5356A/G, MMP9 rs17576, and MMP13 rs2252070) were included in the systematic review. Meta-analysis showed no associations between MMP1 rs1799750, MMP2 rs243865, or MMP7 rs11568818 and prostate cancer risk overall. Subgroup analysis by case-group sample type confirmed that no associations existed. The systematic review suggested that MMP3 11715A/6A and MMP9 rs17576 were associated with prostate cancer risk. CONCLUSION: MMP polymorphisms are not associated with prostate cancer risk, except for MMP3 11715A/6A and MMP9 rs17576. However, it is necessary to conduct larger-scale, high-quality studies in future.

Identifying the Best Marker Combination in CEA, CA125, CY211, NSE, and SCC for Lung Cancer Screening by Combining ROC Curve and Logistic Regression Analyses: Is It Feasible?

The detection of serum biomarkers can aid in the diagnosis of lung cancer. In recent years, an increasing number of lung cancer markers have been identified, and these markers have been reported to have varying diagnostic values. A method to compare the diagnostic value of different combinations of biomarkers needs to be established to identify the best combination. In this study, automatic chemiluminescence analyzers were employed to detect the serum concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), cytokeratin 19 fragment (CY211), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) in 780 healthy subjects, 650 patients with pneumonia, and 633 patients with lung cancer. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and logistic regression analyses were also used to evaluate the diagnostic value of single and multiple markers of lung cancer. The sensitivities of the five markers alone were lower than 65% for lung cancer screening in healthy subjects and pneumonia patients. SCC was of little value in screening lung cancer. After combining two or more markers, the areas under the curves (AUCs) did not increase with the increase in the number of markers. For healthy subjects, the best marker for lung cancer screening was the combination CEA + CA125, and the positive cutoff range was 0.577 CEA + 0.035 CA125 > 2.084. Additionally, for patients with pneumonia, the best screening markers displayed differences in terms of sex but not age. The best screening marker for male patients with pneumonia was the combination CEA + CY211 with a positive cutoff range of 0.008 CEA + 0.068 CY211 > 0.237, while that for female patients with pneumonia was CEA > 2.73 ng/mL, which could be regarded as positive. These results showed that a two-marker combination is more suitable than a multimarker combination for the serological screening of tumors. Combined ROC curve and logistic regression analyses are effective for identifying the best markers for lung cancer screening.

Exosome-mediated delivery of MALAT1 induces cell proliferation in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Cancer-secreted exosomes have recently been recognized as important mediators of intercellular communication. The aim of this study was to determine the role of exosomal long noncoding RNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) in breast cancer progression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Breast cancer specimens were obtained with informed consent from patients. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect MALAT1 expression, and cellular proliferation was measured using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. RESULTS: MALAT1 was highly expressed in breast cancer tissues and associated with disease progression. Breast cancer exosomes promoted cell proliferation and exosome-mediated MALAT1 to induce cell proliferation. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that exosomal MALAT1 could regulate cancer progression and represent a novel strategy for overcoming breast cancer.

Neuroprotective effects of adjunctive treatments for acute stroke thrombolysis: a review of clinical evidence.

The narrow therapeutic time window and risk of intracranial hemorrhage largely restrict the clinical application of thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke. Adjunctive treatments added to rt-PA may be beneficial to improve the capacity of neural cell to withstand ischemia, and to reduce the hemorrhage risk as well. This review aims to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of adjunctive treatments in combination with thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke. Relevant studies were searched in the PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE database. In this review, we first interpret the potential role of adjunctive treatments to thrombolytic therapy in acute ischemic stroke. Furthermore, we summarize the current clinical evidence for the combination of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator and various adjunctive therapies in acute ischemic stroke, either pharmacological or non-pharmacological therapy, and discuss the mechanisms of some promising treatments, including uric acid, fingolimod, minocycline, remote ischemic conditioning, hypothermia and transcranial laser therapy. Even though fingolimod, minocycline, hypothermia and remote ischemic conditioning have yielded promising results, they still need to be rigorously investigated in further clinical trials. Further trials should also focus on neuroprotective approach with pleiotropic effects or combined agents with multiple protective mechanisms.

Plasma LUNX mRNA, a non-invasive specific biomarker for diagnosis and prognostic prediction of non-small cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. However, no specific biomarker has been found in diagnosis and evaluation of therapeutic efficacy for lung cancer. The human lung-specific X protein gene (LUNX) was recently identified with a feature of lung tissue specificity. We applied the fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction method to examine LUNX mRNA in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), benign lung diseases, extrapulmonary tumors, and healthy subjects. The results showed that LUNX mRNA in both of plasma and PBMC were significantly higher in lung cancer patients compared to other groups. In plasma, there were higher sensitivity and negative predictive value of LUNX mRNA than in PBMC. Patients with III~IV stages of lung cancer had more LUNX mRNA in plasma than the early stage of lung cancer sufferers. After a period of therapy, significant reductions of plasma LUNX mRNA in patients with I and II stages of lung cancer were found. Levels of plasma LUNX mRNA in patients who had succeeded to respond to therapy decreased compared to prior treatment. On the other hand, the post-treatment level was obviously increased in patients that had failed to respond to therapy. Patients with negative plasma LUNX mRNA after therapy displayed a favorable prognosis and survival rate. These preliminary data suggested that cell-free LUNX mRNA in plasma as a non-invasive biomarker, is superior to peripheral intracellular LUNX mRNA, and plays a critical role in specific diagnosis and prognostic prediction of non-small cell lung cancer.

Electrical Stimulation Elicits Neural Stem Cells Activation: New Perspectives in CNS Repair.

Researchers are enthusiastically concerned about neural stem cell (NSC) therapy in a wide array of diseases, including stroke, neurodegenerative disease, spinal cord injury, and depression. Although enormous evidences have demonstrated that neurobehavioral improvement may benefit from NSC-supporting regeneration in animal models, approaches to endogenous and transplanted NSCs are blocked by hurdles of migration, proliferation, maturation, and integration of NSCs. Electrical stimulation (ES) may be a selective non-drug approach for mobilizing NSCs in the central nervous system. This technique is suitable for clinical application, because it is well established and its potential complications are manageable. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the emerging positive role of different electrical cues in regulating NSC biology in vitro and in vivo, as well as biomaterial-based and chemical stimulation of NSCs. In the future, ES combined with stem cell therapy or other cues probably becomes an approach for promoting brain repair.

[Arthroscopic reconstruction of medial patellofemoral ligament with hamstring tendon autografts for treatment of recurrent patellar dislocation].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of reconstructing medial patellofemoral ligament with hamstring tendon autografts for the treatment of recurrent patellar dislocation under arthroscopy. METHODS: Between January 2005 and January 2010, 22 cases of recurrent patellar dislocation were treated by lateral retinacular release and reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament with hamstring tendon autografts under arthroscopy. There were 5 males and 17 females, aged 15-19 years (mean, 17.3 years). The average number of dislocation was 4 (range, 3-8). The main clinical symptoms were pain and swelling of knee joint, weakness in the leg, and limited range of motion (ROM). The patellar tilt test, pressing pain of patellofemoral ligament insertion, and apprehension sign showed positive results. According to International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scoring criteria, the subjective IKDC score was 36.7 +/- 4.7, and the Lysholm score was 69.3 +/- 3.8. X-ray films showed that the patella inclined outwards. RESULTS: All incisions healed by first intention. Twenty-two cases were followed up 18-49 months (mean, 34 months). Pain and swelling of knee joint and weakness were improved obviously. No recurrence was found during follow-up. The ROM of knee in flexion and extension was improved when compared with preoperative ROM. The subjective IKDC score was 92.4 +/- 5.3 and the Lysholm knee score was 91.7 +/- 5.2, showing significant differences when compared with preoperative scores (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament with hamstring tendon autografts under arthroscopy is an effective method to treat recurrent patellar dislocation.

Histidine residue mediates radical-induced hinge cleavage of human IgG1.

Hydroxyl radicals induce hinge cleavage in a human IgG1 molecule via initial radical formation at the first hinge Cys(231) followed by electron transfer to the upper hinge residues. To enable engineering of a stable monoclonal antibody hinge, we investigated the role of the hinge His(229) residue using structure modeling and site-directed mutagenesis. Direct involvement of His(229) in the reaction mechanism is suggested by a 75-85% reduction of the hinge cleavage for variants in which His(229) was substituted with either Gln, Ser, or Ala. In contrast, mutation of Lys(227) to Gln, Ser, or Ala increased hinge cleavage. However, the H229S/K227S double mutant shows hinge cleavage levels similar to that of the single H229S variant, further revealing the importance of His(229). Examination of the hinge structure shows that His(229) is capable of forming hydrogen bonds with surrounding residues. These observations led us to hypothesize that the imidazole ring of His(229) may function to facilitate the cleavage by forming a transient radical center that is capable of extracting a proton from neighboring residues. The work presented here suggests the feasibility of engineering a new generation of monoclonal antibodies capable of resisting hinge cleavage to improve product stability and efficacy.

A diversity of antibody epitopes can induce signaling through the erythropoietin receptor.

Stimulation of red cell production through agonism of the erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) has historically been accomplished through administration of erythropoietin (EPO), the native ligand. The short half-life of EPO has led to the development of a variety of other agonists, including antibodies. It is of considerable interest to understand how these agents might activate the EpoR and whether or not it is important to bind in a manner similar to the native ligand. The binding epitopes of a panel of eight agonistic, single-chain antibody (scFv-Fc) constructs were determined through scanning alanine mutagenesis as well as more limited arginine mutagenesis of the receptor. It was found that while some of these constructs bound to receptor epitopes shared by the ligand, others bound in completely unique ways. The use of a panel of agonists and scanning mutagenesis can define the critical binding regions for signaling; in the case of the EpoR, these regions were remarkably broad.

Mesenchymal stem cells from human umbilical cords ameliorate mouse hepatic injury in vivo.

AIMS: To investigate human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) for use in the reversal of mouse hepatic injury. METHODS: Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells, characterized by flow cytometry, were transplanted into carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-injured mice, and then followed for determination of localization and differentiation. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction for the human 17alpha gene and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis for the human X chromosome were used to locate exogenous hUCMSCs in mouse livers. Peripheral blood and liver specimens were collected at 7, 14 and 21 days after transplantation. For evaluating the recovery of injured liver tissues, serum aminotransferase was measured, and the pathological state of the hepatocytes was assessed. RESULTS: The hUCMSCs were positive for the human MSC-specific markers CD13, CD29, CD44, CD105 and nerve growth factor receptor, but negative for the haematopoietic lineage markers CD31, CD34, CD38, CD45 and HLA-DR. Under conditions favouring differentiation in vivo, the expression of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase, human alpha-fetoprotein, cytokeratin 18, fibroblast secretory protein 1 and alpha-smooth-muscle-actin was detectable after hUCMSCs administration to mice subjected to liver injury. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP)-biotin nick end labelling and proliferating cell nuclear antigen staining showed that transplanted hUCMSCs could inhibit hepatocyte apoptosis and facilitate proliferation. Serum aminotransferases were decreased after transplantation of hUCMSCs into the injured mice, and hepatocyte denaturation was reduced. CONCLUSIONS: Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells can enhance recovery of CCl(4)-injured mouse liver, providing evidence that such therapy could be useful for liver disorders or injury.

Mesenchymal stem cell-like cells derived from human gastric cancer tissues.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been identified in and isolated from numerous human tissues. The characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells, including their plasticity, the secretion of cytokines, and their low immunogenicity, contribute to their therapeutic potential. It has recently been reported that MSCs are also involved in tumorigenesis and its prognosis. Here, we present the first report of MSC-like cells isolated from human gastric cancer tissues. In our study, gastric cancer-derived MSC-like cells (hGC-MSCs) were isolated from 13 out of 20 cancer tissue samples. Their characteristics, including their morphology, surface antigens, specific gene expression, and differentiation potential, were similar to those of MSCs derived from human bone marrow (hBM-MSCs) but different from gastric cancer cells. The existence of MSC-like cells in gastric cancer tissues suggests that they may be potential targets for cancer therapy and provides an experimental foundation for investigating their role in the initiation and progression of gastric cancers.