Taxol is one of the most important chemotherapeutic drugs against cancer. Taxol has been mainly extracted from the bark of yews for a long time. However, methods for the extraction of taxol from the bark of Taxus species were inefficient and environmentally costly. As a result of the high ecological toll exacted on trees with the potential for Pacific yew extinction, investigators began to look for other methods of taxol production. Recently, increasing efforts have been made to develop alternative means of taxol production, such as using complete chemical synthesis, semi-synthesis, Taxus spp. plant cell culture and microbe fermentation. Using microbe fermentation in the production of taxol would be a very prospective method for obtaining a large amount of taxol. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the molecular basis and genetic regulation mechanisms of taxol biosynthesis by endophytic fungi, which may be helpful to construct the genetic engineering strain with high taxol output. In this paper, the taxol biosynthesis pathway from Taxus cells and the advantages of taxol biosynthesis by endophytic fungi were discussed. The study on the isolation and biodiversity of taxol-producing endophytic fungi and the taxol biosynthesis related genes are also discussed.
Endophytes ; Fungi ; Industrial Microbiology ; Microorganisms, Genetically-Modified ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Paclitaxel ; biosynthesis ; Taxus ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo compare the outcomes of adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who underwent autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).

METHODSFrom Jan 2007 to Dec 2010, 106 adult ALL patients were retrospectively divided into two groups, 50 in auto-HSCT group and 56 in allo-HSCT group. Auto-HSCT group included 21 patients with high-risk, 46 patients in CR1 and 4 cases in CR2. All the 50 patients had negative minimal residual disease (MRD) prior to HSCT. Allo-HSCT group included 44 patients with high risk, 51 patients in CR1 and 5 cases in CR2, 15 patients with positive MRD before allo-HSCT. response, regulatory T cells (Treg), cytokines levels and treatment-related adverse effects were observed.

RESULTSOf the total 106 patients, 29 patients relapsed at a medium follow-up of 22.9(0.8-63.3) months. The 3-year cumulative relapse rate (RR) was (29.9±8.0) % in auto-HSCT group and (32.7±6.8) % in allo-HSCT group. There were no significant differences in RR and overall survival (OS) between auto-HSCT and allo-HSCT groups, even of stratified risk groups. In standard risk group, 3-year OS was (77.1±13.2) % in auto-HSCT group and (90.9±8.7) % in allo-HSCT group (P=0.739). In high-risk group, 3-year OS was (68.7±10.8) % after auto-HSCT and (45.2±8.5) % after allo-HSCT (P=0.094).

CONCLUSIONDue to acceptable RR and OS, adult ALL patients with no MRD before HSCT showed favorable survival. Auto-HSCT may be a considerable choice for adult ALL patients with negative MRD when lacking of donors for allo-HSCT.

Adult ; Allografts ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplantation, Homologous

This paper reports investigations into the preparation and characterization of surface molecularly imprinted nanoparticles (SMINs) designed to adhere to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Imprinted nanoparticles were prepared by the inverse microemulsion polymerization method. A fraction of Lpp20, an outer membrane protein of H. pylori known as NQA, was chosen as template and modified with myristic acid to facilitate its localization on the surface of the nanoparticles. The interaction between these SMINs with the template NQA were evaluated using surface plasmon resonance (SPR), change in zeta potential and fluorescence polarization (FP). The results were highly consistent in demonstrating a preferential recognition of the template NQA for SMINs compared with the control nanoparticles. In vitro experiments also indicate that such SMINs are able to adhere to H. pylori and may be useful for H. pylori eradication.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeutic effect of soft tissue expansion combined with follicular unit extraction( FUE) for burn cicatricial bald.

METHODS48 patients with burn cicatricial bald (> 25 cm2) were treated in three stages. The expanders were implanted on the first stage. After expansion for 8 weeks, the expanders were taken out and local flaps were transferred. One year later, follicular unit extraction( FUE) was applied on the bald area.

RESULTS48 cases were followed up for 5 years with satisfactory cosmetic results. The VAS assessment of satisfaction on hair appearance after three-staged surgery was 8.2 ± 2.1.

CONCLUSIONSSoft tissue expansion combined with FUE has a reliable effect for burn cicatricial bald.

Alopecia ; etiology ; surgery ; Burns ; complications ; surgery ; Female ; Hair ; transplantation ; Hair Follicle ; transplantation ; Humans ; Male ; Surgical Flaps ; transplantation ; Tissue Expansion ; methods ; Tissue Expansion Devices

Accurate placement of pedicle screws is a key factor of spinal surgery. Investigation of a new real-time intra-operative monitoring method is an important area of clinical application research which makes a contribution to planting pedicle screw accurately. Porcine spines were chosen as experimental objects. The changes of reduced scattering coefficient (μ'(s)) along normal puncture path, medial perforation path and lateral perforation path were measured and studied. A conclusion is drawn that there are two distinct peaks throughout the puncture process, appearing at the junction of cancellous bone and cortical bone, at the beginning and at the end, respectively. The reduced scattering coefficient is proved to be a good monitoring factor which can identify whether the screw is about to reach the critical position of the spine puncture. Moreover, the variation provides an important reference for spinal surgical navigation process.
Animals ; Biomedical Research ; Bone Screws ; Monitoring, Intraoperative ; Punctures ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared ; Spine ; surgery ; Surgery, Computer-Assisted ; Swine

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy of alternative donor allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AD allo-HSCT) in the treatment of severe aplastic anemia (SAA).

METHODSRetrospective analysis of the clinical data of 19 SAA patients received AD allo-HSCT from May 2003 to December 2012. Of them, 12 received haploidentical HSCT (haplo-HSCT), 7 received unrelated donor transplantation. The conditioning regimen was CY+ATG+Flu±Ara-C±Bu/Mel, the GVHD preventing regimen was MMF+MTX+CSA/FK506; the median reinfusion quantity of CD34+ was 3.10(2.11-4.38)×10⁶/kg in allo-BMT and 4.90(2.08-6.88)×10⁶/kg in allo-PBSCT.

RESULTSHematopoiesis reconstitution was achieved in all 19 patients. Twelve patients developed acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), and 7 developed chronic GVHD (cGVHD). Graft rejection (GR) was occurred in one patient. The median follow-up time was 13(3-115) months. Thirteen patients survived, and the prospective 5-year overall survival rate is (67.5±11.0)%.

CONCLUSIONAD allo-HSCT can be used as an alternative therapy for SAA patients without HLA matched sibling donor.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anemia, Aplastic ; therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Tissue Donors ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Magnetic induction tomography (MIT) image reconstruction is a typical ill-posed problem, and its numerical solution is unstable. A new image reconstruction algorithm based on the L(P)-norm, which solves the ill-posed inverse problem of MIT and improves the quality of reconstructed image, is presented in this paper. The new algorithm not only overcomes the problem of numerical instability of the MIT image reconstruction, but also improves the quality of the reconstructed image and enhances the spatial resolution of the reconstructed image. Simulation results showed that the quality of the reconstructed image obtained using the presented algorithm was better than that using Tikhonov regularization algorithm and that using the variation regularization algorithm, so it could be an effective method for the MIT.
Algorithms ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Magnetics ; Models, Theoretical ; Tomography ; methods

OBJECTIVETo explore permeability of artificial blood-brain barrier (aBBB) by oxygen-glucose deprivation combined (OGD)-induced using tetramethylpyrazine combined with puerarin in vitro.

METHODRats were divided into normal control group, model group, tetramethylpyrazine group, puerarin group, tetramethylpyrazine-puerarin group and nimodipine group. Culture rat brain microvascular endothelial cells and astrocytes in vitro and build the OGD-induced aBBB damage model. Evaluate aBBB damage characteristics by TEER, gamma-GT, AKP and LDH. Determine contents of tetramethylpyrazine, puerarin, nimodipine and calculate drug permeating concentration of OGD-induced aBBB model by HPLC.

RESULTCompared with the model, the level of TEER was lower than the control group with significant difference (P < 0.01). The levels of gamma-GT, AKP in tetramethylpyrazine group, tetramethylpyrazine-puerarin group and nimodipine group were higher than the model group, the differences were significant (P < 0.01). Compared with tetramethylpyrazine group or puerarin group, the level of AKP of tetramethylpyrazine-puerarin group increased significantly (P < 0.01). The differences of levels of TEER, gamma-GT, AKP and LDH between tetramethylpyrazine-puerarin group and nimodipinthe group were significant (P < 0.05). Tetramethylpyrazine-puerarin group has a synergistic effect of increasing TEER, gamma-GT, AKP and reducing LDH. The permeating rate in tetramethylpyrazine-puerarin group was higher than tetramethylpyrazine group and puerarin group.

CONCLUSIONTetramethylpyrazine-puerarin can permeate aBBB more easily and protect aBBB. The cause may relate to reducing the permeability of the OGD-induced aBBB.

Animals ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; drug effects ; Drug Combinations ; Glucose ; physiology ; Isoflavones ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Male ; Oxygen ; physiology ; Permeability ; Pyrazines ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley