ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect and the mechanism of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on human pancreatic cancer xenograft in nude mice.MethodsThe animal model of human pancreatic cancer was produced by injecting human pancreatic cancer cells SW1990 into the dorsum of nude mice. After photosensitizer hematoporphyrin derivatives(HpD) was injected, the 632.8?nm He Ne laser was used to irradiate the tumor. The tumor′s volume was measured and factor Ⅷ was used for the immunohistochemical staining of the vessel change.ResultsThe tumor growth rate significantly decreased after PDT. Immunohistochemical staining showed significant vessel endothelial cell injury by PDT.ConclusionsPDT has a therapeutic effect on grafted pancreatic cancer possibly by incurring vascular injury.

With continuous research of the formation mechanism of chronic pancreatitis with mass in the head of the pancreas and its relation with pancreatic cancer,and steady improvement of the operation safety,the number of operation for the chronic pancreatitis with mass in the head of the pancreas is increasing.On the other hand,with the improvement of the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis,Tru-cut intraoperative biopsy is increasingly applied to patients with negative results of preoperative ultrasonography biopsy,which is important for the surgical procedure selection.With the premise of effective treatment,continous improvement of treatment strategies to the chronic pancreatitis with mass in the head of the pancreas can maximize the benefit of patients.

Gemcitabine has become a first-line chemotherapeutic durg.Unfortunately,many patients fail to derive benefits from gemcitabine in clinics.The variability of human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1)expression in tumor cells,which plays a dominant role in the transport of gemcitabine across the cell membrane,may be one of the reason for gemcitabine chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer.

Drug resistance is major obstacles in the successful treatment of malignant solid tumors. Multiple mechanisms involeve in development of cancer drug resistance. Recent research suggests dysregulation of microRNAs is associated with cancer drug resistance. The profiles of microRNAs in drug resistance cancer cells or tissues are different with sensitivity cells or tissues in various solid tumors. Restoring microRNAs could improve chemosensitivity of cancer cells. MicroRNAs expression profiles may provide a critical link for understanding mechanisms involved in chemoresistance. We can also find a specific marker for screening chemosensitivity patients through identification of the microRNAs patterns of drug resistance cells or tissues.

Objective To summarize the experience in diagnosis and treatment of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm(IPMN) of the pancreas and identify potential preoperative factors predicting invasiveness of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas. Methods From September 2003 to July 2010,27 patients underwent pancreatic resection for IPMN. All cases were divided into invasive and noninvasive groups. Preoperative medical records were reviewed retrospectively between the two groups. Results Pathological results revealed 15 cases of invasive IPMN and 12 noninvasive cases. The incidence of obstructive jaundice, tumor size and serum total bilirubin values were significantly different between the two groups. The other factors including sex ratio, age, incidence of abdominal pain or back pain, diarrhea, weight loss, new onset diabetes, serum CEA, CA19-9 values showed no statistical difference. Conclusion Serum total bilirubin≥22.2μmol/L and tumor size≥3 cm could be predicting factors of invasive IPMN.

The special anatomy around the head of pancreas leads to difficulties in arriving at a definitive diagnosis for a pancreatic head mass,the management of which has recently become a hot topic and a challenge for clinicians.Despite recent advances in tumor markers,ultrasound,CT,PET/CT and MRI,some of these pancreatic head masses cannot be diagnosed with certainty.A fine needle aspiration biopsy can be used before operation; however,false negative results not infrequently happen.Based on the reports from domestic and foreign medical literatures published recently,this paper reviewed and discussed the proper treatment strategies when biopsy results from a pancreatic head mass turn out negative.

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignant gastrointestinal tumor,surgical resection offers the only chance of cure. Due to its anatomic and biological characters,early stage pancreatic cancer is usually clinically silent,80％-85％ of patients present with advanced unresectable disease. Furthermore,pancreatic cancer responds poorly to most radiochemotherapeutic agents.In this article,we discuss some clinical aspects including early diagnosis,preoperative systemic assessment,surgery and perioperartive adjuvant therapy,and we hope to find the challenges as well as strategies for pancreatic cancer in order to further improve the current level of diagnosis and treatment in China.

claudin protein is the major component of tight junctions complex between cells,which plays an important role in cells junction and adhesion. Its specific expression in different tissues directly affects the biological behavior of tumor cells. In pancreatic tumors, the claudin's expression provides an important refer-ence for the diagnosis and treatment of tumors. In addition, claudin are involved in the proliferation and ap-optosis of tumor cells. In the treatment of tumors, claudin-mediated targeting therapy has great prospects forthe same.

Pancreatic cancer is highly malignant with a poor prognosis. The resectability and prognosis of early pancreatic cancer are much better than the advanced, so early diagnosis is crucial for saving patients' lives. Because the symptoms of pancreatic cancer are non-specific, most of the patients are misdiagnosed as gastrointestinal or hepatobiliary diseases. Early diagnosis rate of pancreatic cancer can be greatly improved by combined application of tumor marker detection, endoscopic ultrasound, computed tomography, positron emission tomo-graphy, and etc. Early screening of high-risk population has been advocated by the experts, and its value in early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer has been confirmed by relevant studies. The colaboration of multiple pancreatic surgery centers in conducting prospective studies and setting gnidlines for the pancreatic cancer diagnosis, and relevant fundamental reseaches should also be emphasized.

Farnesoid X receptor(FXR), a member of the metabolic nuclear receptor superfamily, plays key roles in maintaining bile acid and lipid homeostasis.FXR is highly expressed in the entero-hepatic system where it transcriptionally regulates bile acid metabolism, intestinal barrier function and liver regeneration, etc.Loss or down regulation of FXR expression can lead to a lot of diseases, such as cholecystolithiasis, biliary cirrhosis,primary hepatic carcinoma, colon carcinoma, etc.Activation of FXR may protect against or provide a pharmacological target for these diseases.