In recent years, researchers have made some breakthroughs on human embryonic stem cells, in particular, on reprogramming differentiated cell (such as human skin fibroblast) into human embryonic stem cell. Induced pluripotent stem cells could be generated from human skin fibroblasts by inducting into four transcription factors known as OCT3/4, SOX2, C-MYC and KLF4. This approach enables better understanding the pathogenesis of diseases from the perspective of genetic component and promising in the treatment of related diseases. This article introduces the latest advancement of those researches.

OBJECTIVETo compare the long-term oncological outcomes of laparoscopic and open resection of rectal cancers.

METHODSBetween January, 2003 and December, 2008, 514 patients with rectal cancer were admitted in our hospital, among whom 186 underwent laparoscopic tumor resection and 238 received open radical resection of the tumors. The long-term survival of the patients and the recurrence pattern were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe median follow-up of the patients was 48.54∓28.76 months. No significant differences were found between the two groups in the local recurrence rate (3.9% vs 5.5%, P=0.284), 5-year overall survival (69.4% vs 61.3%, P=0.067), or the 5-year disease-free survival rates (67.7% vs 60.7%, P=0.110). Both the 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival of the patients in stage IV were better in the laparoscopic group than in the open surgery group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONLaparoscopic resection of rectal cancer can achieve long-term oncological outcomes comparable to those of conventional open surgery.

Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Laparotomy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rectal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome