Compelling evidences have shown that various types of cancer,including hepatocellular carcinoma,are originated from stem cells.The occurrenee,chemoresistance,metastasis and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma are associated with a small population of cells called cancer ster cells.Although the origin of hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic cancer stem cells remain controversial after a decade of intensive investigation,increasing scholars tend to believe that hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic cancer stem cells can derive from malignant transformation of hepatic stem cells being exposed to various kinds of carcinogens.In this review,we mainly focus on the recent progress on malignant transformation of hepatic stem cells.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of bicyelol tablets in treatment of hepatitis B patients infected with YMDD mutation of HBV. Methods Sixty-eight chronic hepatitis patients infected with HBV YMDD mutants and 100 patients with non-mutants HBV were enrolled in the study. All patients received bicyclol tablets orally 150 mg/d, t. i. d, for 24 weeks. Clinical symptoms, signs and adverse effects were observed, and the blood routine, liver function tests, serum HBV markers and HBV DNA loads were examined at 12th and 24th week of the study, Results After treatment for 24 weeks, the normalization rates of ALT and AST in mutant group were 79.4% ( 54/68 ) and 70. 6% (48/68) ; 11 ( 16. 2% ) patients were markedly effective and 14 (20. 6% ) were effective. Clearance rates of HBeAg and HBV DNA were 27.9% ( 17/61 ) and 17.6% ( 12/68 ), while the seroconversion rate of HBeAg was 14. 7% (9/61). The differences of the above indexes were not statistically significant between mutant group and non-mutant group. Conclusion Bicyciol can both protect liver functions and inhibit virus replication in patients infected with HBV YMDD mutants.

BACKGROUND: Studies show that proper exercise has the effect of anti-aging, increasing bone mass accumulation and reducing bone mass loss. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of aerobic exercises on osseous composition In aging rats. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: A randomized control animal experiment was completed in the Animal Experiment Laboratory of Xi'an Sports Institute from April to June in 2007. MATERIALS: A total of 64 clean male SD rats weaned for 2 months were randomly divided into a normal control group, a non-modeling exercise group, an aging model group and a modeling exercise group, with 16 ones in each group. Every 8 rats of each group were sacrificed at the 6th and 9th week respectively.exercise for 6 and 9 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: At the end of week 6 and 9, rats in each group were detected regarding to the following measures: serum alkaline phosphatase, bone gla protein, serum propeptide of type] procollagen, serum total calcium, serum inorganic phosphorus, serum magnesium, urinary calcium, urinary inorganic phosphorus, urinary magnesium, urinary hydroxylysine glycoside. Bone trabecula changes in femoral bone tissue were observed with light microscope. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the aging model group got a decrease at the following indexes at both week 6 and week 9, namely, serum alkaline phosphatase, serum propeptide of type Ⅰ procellagen, serum total calcium, serum magnesium, urinary calcium, urinary inorganic phosphorus, urinary hydroxyproline. While in the non-modeling exercise group and the modeling exercise group, these above-mentioned indexes increased. Compared with the normal control group, the aging model group got an increase at the following indexes at both week 6 and week 9, namely, serum osteocalcin, inorganic phosphorus, adnary magnesium, urinary hydroxylysine glycoside. While in the non-modeling exercise group and the modeling exercise group, these above-mentioned indexes decreased. In Addition, exercise of 9 weeks led to a better recovery result than that of 6 weeks. The detection under light microscope showed an obvious few bone trabeculas in the aging model group and an increase of bone trabeculas per unit volume in the non-modeling exercise group and the modeling exercise group. CONCLUSION: Aerobic exercise has a great effect on the morphosis of femoral bone osseous composition in aging rats, and it can delay osteoporosis.

With the continuous development of the cancer stem cell theory,biomarkers for CSCs (Cancer stem cells) have gradually become the hot issues in tumor research.As the most commonly used CSCs biomarker,CD44 gains lots of attentions.This paper will review recent research about CD44 molecule and its powerful role in regulating tumor progenesis and progression.

Multi-modality imaging system based on fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) has been widely used in animal studies.It combines FMT with other imaging modalities,which realizes the imaging of anatomical structure,physiological function and biological activities on molecular or cellular levels of small animal in vivo at the same time.This review gives an introduction to the history and current research status of singlemodality FMT system,introduces the developments of multi-modality system based on FMT,especially the system setup,working principle,performance and application of FMT/CT,FMT/MRI and FMT/radionuclide imaging.The prospects of multi-modality imaging system based on FMT are discussed.

AIM: To investigate the therapeutic action of secreted endostatin (ES) on breast cancer cells. METHODS: Retroviral-mediated endostatin gene was transferred to breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. The ES biological properties and function were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), MTT and a murine xenograft model. RESULTS: After retroviral transduction, endostatin genetically modified breast tumor cells were confirmed by PCR, and the integration and durative expression of endostatin gene was successfully committed. Compared with controls, endostatin secreted by genetically modified cells markedly inhibited endothelial cell proliferation (P0.05). The results of the transplanted subcutaneous tumor model in nude mice suggested that the subcutaneous growth of MDA-MB-231 was significantly inhibited by the expression of endostatin gene (P

Objective To establish a new methA of detecting vWF function. Methas The capability of vWF to bind collagen was evaluated with ELISA. Results The assay′s sensitivity was 0.001 U/ml. Coefficient of variation for inner-batch and inter-batch were 3.34 and 6.70 respectively.The vWF:CBA value of plasma was(90.24?22.87)% in 20 normal subjects. The vWF:CBA value was (31.94?27.36)% in 54 vWD, (35.22?20.02)% in 10 type 1 vWD, (8.74?6.38)% in 10 type 2A vWD and (0.70?0.58)% in 6 type 3 vWD,the values of all four vWD groups were lower than that of normal group( P

Objective To analyze the false-positive results of Treponema pallidum antibody caused by 3 different assay in comparison with Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA).Methods Research group included 3957 clinically asymptomatic syphilis patients,and control group was 344 outpatients with sex-transmitted diseases (STD).The serum samples from the patients who were TPHA-positive were tested in parallel by enzymeimmunoassay (EIA) and syphilis toluidine red untreated serum test (TRUST).Western blot (WB) was performed as confirmatory test.Results In the clinically asymptomatic patients,60 were TPHA-positive.Among them 57 were confirmed by western blot assay,and 1 was false-positive and 2 were borderline in WB.Of the 60 TPHA-positive patients,53 were positive in EIA and 23 were positive in TRUST.In STD patients 40 were TPHA,WB and EIA-positive but 32 were TRUST-positive.Conclusions The results of TPHA and EIA were consistent for diagnosis of syphilis patients who may suffer from previous or latent infection.

AIM: To clone and express the metalloproteinase domain of human von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease (vWF-cp). METHODS: The metalloproteinase domain of human vWF-cp, amplified from the plasmid containing the vWF-cp cDNA gene by using polymerase chain reaction, was cloned into pUC18, and its accuracy was verified by sequencing. Then the domain was inserted into the multiclone site of pET28a(+) and included a 6?His Tag at its amino terminal. After induced by IPTG, the recombinant protein was purified by using a Ni-NTA column and confirmed by Western blot. RESULTS: Comparison of the nucleotide sequence of our cloned domain with the GenBank sequence revealed no difference. High-level expression of the recombinant protein was yielded after 5-hour induction, which amounted to 28% of total bacteria protein in inclusion body. Western blot demonstrated that it possessed high specificity. CONCLUSION: The metalloproteinase domain of vWF-cp was high efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli. This might contribute to the further study of the relationship between its structure and function. [

Objective An ELISA-based assay for detecting alloantibodies against FⅧ was established to estimate the incidence of alloantibodies against FⅧ in treated patients with hemophilia A. Methods One hundred and forty patients with hemophilia A and 80 healthy controls were enrolled. Among hemophilia A patients, 84, 34 and 22 patients were in severe, moderate and mild conditions respectively. All patients were treated with plasma-derived FⅧ concentrates before. The titer wells were coated with MoAb against FⅧ which was developed in our laboratory. Then human recombinant FⅧ concentrates were applied. After incubation in room temperature for 2 hours, diluted plasma samples and HRP-conjugated goat anti-human IgG were added successively. Finally Absorbance (A490) were measured and recorded. Inhibitor activity against FⅧ for all plasma samples was measured by a modified Nijmegen assay simultaneously. Results The results showed that alloantibodies against FⅧ were found in 40.0% (56/140) patients by ELISA. And the alloantibody incidences in the severe and non-severe patients were 47.6% (40/84) and 28.5% (16/56)respectively. There was statistical significance between these two categories (x2 = 5.079, P ＜ 0.05 ). The FⅧ inhibitor activity was detected in 24.3% (34/140) patients by modified Nijmegen assay. The inhibitor incidences in the severe and non-severe patients were 33.3% (28/84) and 10.7% (6/56) respectively.There was statistical significance (x2 = 9.349, P ＜ 0.05). Twenty-five patients were positive for FⅧ alloantibodies by ELISA but had no FⅧ inhibitor activity by the modified Nijmegen assay. The positive rates of FⅧ alloantibodies and inhibitor activity were 40.0% (56/140) and 24.3% (34/140) respectively,which had significant difference (x2 = 15.75, P ＜ 0.01 ) and strong positive correlation ( rn = 0.59, P ＜0.01 ). Meanwhile the results deduced from these two tests shared a high consistency rate ( Kappa = 0.55,P ＜0.01 ). Conclusions The detection rate for alloantibodies against F Ⅷ is enhanced by our newlydeveloped ELISA. Our results suggest that the occurrence of the alloantibodies against F Ⅷ in Chinese hemophilia A patients is not rare and the alloantibody incidence is preponderant in the patients with severe hemophilia A compared with non-severe hemophilia A patients.