Superantigens are potent activators of T cells,causing rapid and massive proliferation of T cells and superantigen-dependent-cell-mediated cytotoxicity with extremely low doses.However such antitumor effects lack selectivity.Thus with the methods including monoclonal antibody targeting or binding superantigens to the surface of tumor cells as well as genetic engineering,scientists have done lots of work on targeted therapy of malignancies with superantigen.

Expression of PRL receptor mRNA in Jurkat D1.1 cell line was confirmed by RT PCR. CD154 expression of Jurkat cells was significantly increased when these cells were incubated with PHA and recombinant human PRL, suggesting that binding of PRL to its receptor promotes CD154 expression which plays a role in immune regulation.

Objective:To investigate the expression of prolactin receptor(PRLr) in human immune system.Methods:Specimens of human immune system were obtained from both central and peripheral immune organs, including thymus(thymoma), bone marrow, lymph node and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Specific fragments of PRLr mRNA were obtained through RNA isolation and RT-PCR amplification and confirmed by DNA sequencing.Results:PRLr mRNA was detected from the thymoma, bone marrow, lymph node and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. All the PRLr cDNA fragments generated by PCR were as long as the expected length, which was 276 bp. The sequencing result of the cDNA was identical to the sequence of PRLr cDNA in GeneBank.Conclusion:The study confirmed that prolactin receptor mRNA was expressed in human central immune organs such as thymus and bone marrow and peripheral immune organs such as lymph node and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. This phenomenon provided a biologic structural evidence that neuro-endocrine hormone PRL might play a modulating role on immune cells from receptor's point of view.

Differentiated cells can be induced into pluripotent stem cell by reprogramming with defined fators. The new method of stem cell technology marks a major breathrough. This paper reviews the establishment, identification and research progress about induction of pluripotent stem cell.

Several resistant characteristics of Glycyrrhiza uralensis seeds were studied. The results showed that hard seed can resist attack from fungi or bacteria. It can endure high temperature for 4h at 80℃ and 10 min at 100℃, but when at 100℃ for 1 h it loses its germinating power. The seeds stored for 4 years do not reduce viability. After long period storage for 13 years,about 60% of the seed still retains its germinating power.

Objective: To investigate the possible oncogenicity of bone marrow stromal stem cells (BMSCs) transplanted into brain and its underlying mechanism. Methods: The contralateral hemiplegia became gradually worse in three Sprague-Dawley rats among twenty rats after intracerebral transplantation with BMSCs. The intracerebral space occupying lesions were examined by MRI, and the life span of these rats was observed and recorded. The tumor tissues were obtained after the three rats were sacrificed. The telomerase activity was detected by telemeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP)- PCR-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expressions of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), nestin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were detected by immunohistochemistry. The relative expression levels of epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) proteins in intracerebral tumor tissues and normal tissues were examined by Western blotting. Results: Of twenty rats, three rats displayed left hemiplegia which was continuously getting worse, and the life spans of the three rats were 129, 174 and 187 d, respectively. The result of TRAP-PCR-ELISA showed that the telomerase activity of intracerebral tumor tissues was higher than that of intracerebral normal tissues. The expressions of PCNA and nestin proteins in intracerebral tumor tissues were both higher but the expression of GFAP was lower than those of intracerebral normal tissues. The results of Western blotting showed that among three rats with intracerebral normal tissues, the expression level of EGFR protein was increased in one rat while the expression level of VEGF protein was increased in two rats. There was no significant difference in the expression of MMP-9 protein among the three rats. Conclusion: The telomerase activity and the ability of cell proliferation of BMSCs can be enhanced and the activation of oncogenes can be observed after long-term cell culture in vitro, and these findings suggest that the tumorigenesis potential can be induced after intracerebral transplantation with MSCs. Copyright© 2011 by TUMOR.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hiccup ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Intestines ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Qi ; Stomach ; physiopathology ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the expression of activating receptors (NKG2D and NKp46), inhibitory receptors (NKG2A and KIR) as well as costimulatory molecules (OX40, 4-1BB and ICOS) on peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cells from patients with recurrent genital herpes (RGH). Methods Four-color immunofluorescence staining with flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of NKG2D, NKG2A, KIR and NKp46 in 44 patients with RGH and 40 normal human controls, and to detect the expression of OX40, 4-1BB and ICOS in 29 patients with RGH and 29 normal human controls. Results The proportions of NKG2D-positive and NKp46-positive NK cells significantly decreased in patients with RGH than those in the normal human controls [(93.3 ± 5.4)% vs (96.9 ± 2.5)%, (88.9 ± 8.7)% vs(93.4 ± 4.1)%, respectively, both P < 0.01]. Between the patients and controls, no significant difference was observed in the expression of NK cell inhibitory receptors, NKG2A [(41.8 ± 14.4)% vs (46.0 ± 14.7)%, P > 0.05] or KIR [(68.3 ± 19.1)% vs (69.1 ± 17.6)%, P > 0.05]. A lower expression of costimulatory molecule OX40 was noted in NK cells from patients with RGH compared with those in normal controls [(1.0 ± 1.1)% vs (1.8 ± 1.7)%, P < 0.05]. Conclusions Herpes simplex virus infection could down-regulate the expression of NK cell activating receptors and costimulatory molecules, subsequently suppress the activation of NK cells, and lead to the escape of virus-infected cells from the killing of NK cells.

The resistance mechanism of gliomas to chemotherapy and radiotherapy is a complex network of many signaling pathways. It remains unclearhow the pathways interact with each other and how they were regulated. Recent studies have shown that DNA damage checkpoint pathway ( ATM、 ATR、 Chk1、 Chk2、 Rad17、 Radl 、Rad9、Hus1 et al. ) plays an important role in cell proliferation、genomic stability、tumorigenesis and the resistance to chemoradiotherapy of tumors. Inhibiting DNA damage checkpoint can increase tumor sensitivity to chemoradiotherapy and therefore improve the therapeutic effect. We review here the role of ATM in chemoradiotherapy resistance of gliomas and its associated mechanisms.

Objective To investigate the relationship between vaginal and intestinal Candida in patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis by using microbiological and molecular methods. Methods The samples of vaginal discharge and anal swabs were collected from 148 cases with vulvovaginal candidiasis,followed by fungal culture, identification, purification and genome DNA extraction. The genome sequences from respective locations were aligned and typed according to their homology analyzed by internal transcribed spacer (ITS) PCR and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) PCR. Patients with vulvovaginal infection or those with infections in intestine and vulvovagina were pooled respectively, while the recurrent incidences after local anti-fungal treatments were analyzed. Results Candida albicans is the dominant pathogen in 148 cases with vulvovaginal candidiasis (91.9% , 136/148) ; 33. 1% (49/148) of patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis were infected in both intestine and vulvovagina. While 92% (22/24) of patients with intestinal and vaginal Candida infection showed high homology. The recurrent rate of patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis complicated with concurrent intestinal Candida infection (7/14) was significantly higher than that of solo vaginal infected patients [21% (6/29)] after vaginal treatment (P < 0. 05) . Conclusions The infection of vulvovaginal candidiasis is highly associated with the concurrent infection of intestinal Candida. The recurrent rate is high in patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis with concurrent infection of intestinal Candida after vaginal treatment. The general management to those patients infected by both vulvovaginal and intestinal Candida is necessary in reducing the recurrence of the disease.