Objective To investigate the relationship between ?-catenin gene expression and the mechanism of tumorigenesis, development and metastasis of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods RT-PCR method was used to detect the mRNA expression of ?-catenin in normal human nasopharyngeal tissues and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Results The results showed that ?-catenin expression in 11 out of 15 nasopharyngeal carcinoma specimens was decreased (73.3%). Conclusion The abnormal expression of ?-catenin changed in the normal adhesive function and the signal transduction pathway of the cell in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma, indicating that the expression level of ?-catenin was a biological marker of tumorigenesis and development of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

The morbidity and mortality of malignant tumor is increasing in our country.It is crucial to enhance the clinical oncology education.We set the clinical oncology class for the medical university students and obtained good teaching effect by enhancing cognition,selecting the proper teaching content,making reasonable teaching program and using multiple teaching style.

Objective: To evaluate the targeting activity in the animal model with human hepatoma, the 131I-human antiHBsAg Fab radioimmunoimaging was explored. Methods: Radioimmunoimagings were taken on different intervals after injection of 131 I-human anti-HBsAg Fab to the nude mice and tissue distribution was measured. The human anti-HBsAg Fab was compared with the murine monoclonal antibodies. Results: The experimental group developed tumor positive images after 3 days of radio-labeled monoclonal antibodies injection, and the peak accumulation of radio-activity on the 5th day.Statistics indicated the tumor/liver ratio of the human anti-HBsAg Fab, murine monoclonal antibodies and the control groups were 5.4,4.0 and 0.9 respectively on the 7th day. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the 131 I-human anti-HB-sAg Fab has a considerable targeting activity, and provide an evidence that it can be used as a novel humanized carrer for targeting therapy of hepatoma.

BACKGROUNDTo evaluate the effect of ⁸⁹SrCl₂ and/or Bonefos in the treatment of bone metastasis from pulmonary carcinoma.

METHODSA total of sixty-seven lung cancer patients with bone metastasis were enrolled in this study, who were divided into three groups: nineteen cases were treated with ⁸⁹SrCl₂; twenty-eight cases with Bonefos; and twenty cases combined ⁸⁹SrCl₂ with Bonefos.

RESULTSThe total relief rate of the bone pain: the ⁸⁹SrCl₂ group was 84.2%, and the Bonefos group was 80.4%, the combination group was 90.0%. There was no statistical difference among three groups (P > 0.05). The effective rate of the bone metastasis: the ⁸⁹SrCl₂ group was 15.7%, the Bonefos group was 10.7%, and the combination group was 45.0%. The combination group had significantly higher effective rate than that of the ⁸⁹SrCl₂ group or the Bonefos group alone (P < 0.05). The rate of improvement of quality of life: the ⁸⁹SrCl₂ group was 47.3%, the Bonefos group was 42.8%, and the combination group was 80.0%. The combination group had significantly higher effective rate than that of the ⁸⁹SrCl₂ group or the Bonefos group alone (P < 0.05). The side effects of three groups were minimal.

CONCLUSIONS⁸⁹SrCl₂ and Bonefos are two effective and safe drugs on relief of pain. Combined ⁸⁹SrCl₂ and Bonefos might be a better therapy for bone metastasis and improvement of quality of life than the single one, and the side effect is slight and tolerable.

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF-a) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that has been implicated in many aspects of the airway pathology in asthma, and which has recently been highlighted as potentially important in refractory asthma. To study the feasibility of local treatment of asthma with recombinant adenovirus vector carrying soluble extra-cellular region of TNF receptor I-IgGFc (sTNFRI-IgGFc) fusion protein, The sTNFRI-IgGFc gene was subcloned into the adenovirus shuttle plasmid pDC316, the products were co-transfected into HEK293 cell line with helper plasmid pBHGloxDeltaE1,3Cre. The recombinant adenovirus (Ad-sTNFRI-IgGFc) was produced by homologous recombination of above 2 plasmids in HEK293 cells. After identification with PCR, Ad-sTNFRI-IgGFc was amplified and purified, its titer was measured by TCID50 assay. The transcription and expression of sTNFRI-IgGFc gene in transfected human airway smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) was detected by RT-PCR, ELISA and immunological histochemistry. The anti-TNF activity assay of transfected HASMCs culture supernatant was measured by MTT. Ad-sTNFRI-IgGFc was successfully constructed with the titer of 3x10(10) TCID50/mL. Ad-sTNFRI-IgGFc can transfect HASMC with high efficacy. The transcription of sTNFRI-IgGFc mRNA and the expression of protein were confirmed in the transfected HASMCs. Moreover, the product in 100 microL expression supernatant could completely antagonize the cytolytic effect of 2ng TNFa on L929 cells, even at 1/64 dilution. This study forms the basement of the experiment study on local treatment of asthma with adenovirus expressing sTNFRI-IgGFc.
Adenoviridae ; genetics ; metabolism ; Asthma ; therapy ; Bronchi ; cytology ; Cells, Cultured ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Immunoglobulin G ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; cytology ; metabolism ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Transfection ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; antagonists & inhibitors

OBJECTIVETo study the feasibility of preparing a therapeutic lung cancer vaccine by transfecting dendritic cells (DCs) with adeno-associated virus vector carrying carcino-embryonic antigen gene (rAAV/CEA).

METHODSAdherent cells (monocytes) isolated from the peripheral blood of a healthy donor were infected with rAAV/CEA virus stock or pulsed with CEA peptide (control). The monocytes in both groups were induced into mature DCs with recombinant human GM-CSF, IL-4 and TNF-α. At day 7 of induction, the mature DCs were harvested and mixed with T lymphocytes. T cell proliferation stimulated by the DCs was assessed with (3)H-thymidine uptake, and the expression of IL-4, IFN-γ, CD8, CD4, CD25 and CD69 in cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) was analyzed with flow cytometry. The cytotoxicity of the CTL against the target CEA-positive lung cancer A549 cells was tested by (51)Cr releasing assay.

RESULTSThe DCs transfected with rAAV/CEA strongly stimulated the proliferation of the T cell populations, and the induced CTL showed high expressions of CD8, CD69 and IFN-γ. The transfected DCs exhibited a high killing ability of CEA-positive lung cancer cells, and the killing showed a CEA antigen specificity and was limited by MHC I. These results suggested the ability of rAAV/CEA-transfected DCs in generating specific cellular immunity in vitro.

CONCLUSIONIt is feasible to prepare therapeutic lung cancer vaccines by transfecting DCs with rAAV/CEA.

Cancer Vaccines ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; genetics ; Cell Line ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; Dependovirus ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Monocytes ; immunology ; Transfection