Developing new therapeutic agents for cancer immunotherapy is highly demanding due to the low response ratio of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in cancer patients. Here, we discovered that the novel immune checkpoint VISTA is highly expressed on a variety of tumor-infiltrating immune cells, especially myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and CD8⁺ T cells. Then, peptide C1 with binding affinity to VISTA was developed by phage displayed bio-panning technique, and its mutant peptide VS3 was obtained by molecular docking based mutation. Peptide VS3 could bind VISTA with high affinity and block its interaction with ligand PSGL-1 under acidic condition, and elicit anti-tumor activity in vivo. The peptide DVS3-Pal was further designed by d-amino acid substitution and fatty acid modification, which exhibited strong proteolytic stability and significant anti-tumor activity through enhancing CD8⁺ T cell function and decreasing MDSCs infiltration. This is the first study to develop peptides to block VISTA/PSGL-1 interaction, which could act as promising candidates for cancer immunotherapy.

Objective: There is no effective therapy for patients with advanced medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Vandetanib,a novel multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has previously shown antitumor activity in phase Ⅱ studies of patients with advanced MTC. This study was to evaluate the efficacy and the safety of vandetanib on advanced MTC. Methods: This study was an open, international multi-center phase Ⅲ clinical trial and the study number was NCT01298323. The single-center study was a sub-group analysis of the international study, which was conducted on 9 pathologically confirmed advanced MTC patients by Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between March 2012 and October 2017. Vandetanib (300 mg) was orally administered daily till death or withdrawal. The efficacy was evaluated according to RECIST criteria and the adverse events were evaluated according to NCI criteria. Results: The objective response rate was 3/9,and the disease control rate was 4/9. The median progression-free survival was 44 months. All patients who had the elevated levels of calcitonin (CTN) and carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) before treatment began to show the decreases in the level of CTN and CEA after 3 months and later showed again the increases in the levels of both tumor markers with tumor progression. By ROC curve analysis, CTN was of statistically significance(P<0.05, 95%CI 0.558-0.834), but CEA was not(P>0.05). Adverse events were generally mild (grade 1 or 2),including hypertension (9 cases),skin rash (9 cases), and diarrhea (6 cases). Two patients developed grade 3 elevation of serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase and one patient developed grade 3 elevation of drug-related bowel disease. No grade 4 drug-related adverse event occurred. Conclusions Vandetanib is effective and well tolerated for patients with locally advanced or metastatic MTC who have no chance for surgery. This indicates the increase of CTN is clinically relevant to disease progression, but the number of patients are extremely low, and, therefore further research is needed. Long-term use of vandetanib may cause resistance.

Auto liver transplantation (ALT) is a treatment option for patients with liver space-occupying lesion that could not be removed by conventional surgery and severe liver trauma,which also helps alleviate the shortage of donor liver.But many problems like the preoperative assessment,the tolerance of patients to surgery and anesthesia,delayed postoperative recovery of the liver function,primary non-function,liver failure and hepatic encephalopathy and even death still need to be addressed.Thus,it is particularly important to evaluate the operative indication,completely and accurately assess the preoperative liver function and liver function reserve,and reduce the perioperative mortality and complication in order to improve the prognosis of ALT.Combined with literalure and the experience in our center,this paper summarized the research advance of preoperative assessment in patients with ALT.

In this study, we evaluated the difference ot biological characteristics in the MERS-CoV infected mice model in prior to transduction with different dosage of human DPP4. Firstly, we transduced different dosage of DPP4 (high or low) into mice, and then challenged them with MERS-CoV in order to establish the model. After establishment of mice model, we observed the clinical signs of disease, virus replication, immunopathogenesis and antibody response. The results indicated that the infected mice showed typical pneumonia, virus replication, histological lesions, and neutralizing antibody production. Moreover, the high dosage group was superior to the low dosage group. Fourteen days after infection, the specific antibody to virus structural protein and neutralizing antibody were analyzed, the high dosage group induced higher level antibody. In summary, the MERS-CoV infected mice model were established prior transduction with DPP4, and the level of DPP4 influenced the clinical signs of disease, virus replication and antibody response in this model.
Animals ; Coronavirus Infections ; enzymology ; genetics ; pathology ; virology ; Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus ; genetics ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo assess the effect of laparoscopic colectomy on the exfoliated cancer cells in peritoneal cavity, recurrence and metastasis of patients with colonic carcinoma.

METHODSOne hundred and fifty-nine patients with colonic cancer proven by colonoscopy and pathology were divided into two groups based on patient's preference: laparoscopic group (n=74) and open group (n=85). The positive rate of exfoliated cancer cells in peritoneal cavity was compared by cytological detection before and after cancer resection. Recurrence, metastasis rate and 3-year survival were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe positive rates of exfoliated cancer cells in peritoneal cavity were 12.2% (9/74) in the laparoscopic group and 15.3% (13/85) in the open group before cancer resection without significant difference (P=0.718); 20.3% (15/74) and 30.6% (26/85) after cancer resection without significant difference (P=0.138). The follow-up ranged from 4 to 45 months. The 3-year local recurrence rates were 13.6% (8/59) and 8.8% (6/68) (P=0.455), the 3-year distal metastasis rates were 11.9% (7/59) and 17.6% (12/68) (P=0.416) and the 3-year survival rates were 79.7% and 80.0% (P=0.998), and the differences were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONThe laparoscopic operation does not increase the recurrence and metastasis rate and results in similar survival in patients with colonic cancer as compared to open procedure.

Adult ; Colonic Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; etiology ; Peritoneal Cavity ; pathology ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate

Objective To analyse the dysfunction of immunity and clinical significance in patients with cardiac cancer.Methods The level of CD4+ CD25hi CD127low Treg cells were detected by flow cytometry (FCM),and serum IL-10 and TGF-β1 levels were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit in 56 patients with cardiac cancer.15 healthy volunteers were tested as normal controls.The clinical data of each patient were collected and analyzed. Results There was a significantly higher percentage of CD4+ CD25hi CD127low Treg cells in patients with cardiac cancer (5.73±1.56)% than that (4.45±1.06)% of healthy volunteers (P<0.01).The IL-10 and TGF-β1 levels in the serum of patients with cardiac cancer were also significantly higher than that of healthy volunteers (P<0.05).There was a positive correlation between levels of IL-10.TGF-β1 and the levels of CD4+ CD25hi CD127low Treg cells.The number of CD4+ CD25hi CD127low regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of cardiac cancer patients were significantly correlated with clinical stages and metastasis lymph node.Conclusion The CD4+ CD25hi CD127low Treg cells in the peripheral blood of cardiac cancer patients is significantly increased in comparison with that in healthy volunteers,and was also correlated with different stages.The abnormal levels of CD4+ CD25hi CD127low Treg cells may be related to tumor progression in patients with cardiac cancer.

In the research field of bone tissue engineering, the interaction of osteoblast and substrate is pivotal and the adhesion of osteoblast to biomaterials is the basic condition. Firstly, osteoblast must adhere to biomaterials, then it can migrate, proliferate and differentiate. This paper introduces the proteins relating to the adhesion of osteoblast and the influences of relating surface character and modification of biomaterials on the adhesion ability of osteoblast. These could serve as basic data and useful reference for the development of bone tissue engineering and tissue engineering scaffold materials.
Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Bone Regeneration ; Cell Adhesion ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; Surface Properties ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Tissue Scaffolds ; chemistry

Objective To investigate the role of renal nerve in cardioprotection provided by renal ischemic preconditioning(RIP).Methods The effects of ischemia-reperfusion and RIP on the hemodynamics, myocardial oxygen consumption, epicardial electrography and infarct size were examined in anesthetized rabbit.Results During the 45 min of myocardial ischemia and 180 min of reperfusion, all hemodynamic parameters and myocardial oxygen consumption decreased progressively significantly. Epicardial electrographic ST-segment was elevated significantly during myocardial ischemia and return to baseline progressively in the course of reperfusion. The myocardial infarct size occupied 55.80±1.25% of area at risk,and RIP significantly reduced the myocardial infarct size to 36.51±2.80%(P＜0.01). The renal nerve section (RNS) per se didn't affect myocardial infarct size produced by ischemia-reperfusion, while cardioprotection afforded by RIP was completely abolished by RNS.Conlusion RIP have the protective effect on heart, and activation of renal afferents by transient ischemia-reperfusion play an important role in such a cardioprotection.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility,safety and short-term outcome of laparoscopic-assisted surgery for colorectal cancer.Methods From August 2001 to November 2004,laparoscopic resection of colorectal carcinoma were performed in 112 cases,including right hemicolectomy(n=23),left himicolectomy(n=7),radical resection of sigmoid cancer(n=15),Dixon procedure(n=49),and Miles procedure(n=18).Results One hundred and five patients underwent laparoscopic resection successfully,7 cases were converted to open surgery because of hemorrhage,obesity or adhesion with adjacent organ,6 of which were left colon or rectal cancer.The mean operating time was(161.2?48.6)min,and the mean operative blood loss was 78.5 mL.There were 8 cases occurred postoperative complications,and no mortality during perioperative period.The length of upper and lower segment of resection for colonic cancer was (14.5?3.2)cm and(11.0?2.6)cm respectively.The length of upper and lower segment of resection for rectal cancer was(15.3?2.7)cm and(2.8?1.6)cm,respectively.The mean number of lymph nodes dissected was(8.2?4.6),and lymph node metastases were found in 49 cases.One hundred and seven cases(95.5%) were followed up for 8-44 months,of which,7 cases had local recurrence and 6 cases had distant metastases.No case of trocar port tumor implantation was observed.Conclusions Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer is feasible and safe,can result in the same outcome as open radical surgery,and has the advantages of mini-invasive procedure.

Objective To analyze the relationship between polymorphisms of EDNRB gene and Hubei provincial patients of Han ethnicity with sporadic Hirschsprung disease(sHD). Methods Peripheral blood samples from 104 patients with sHD and 84 parents of 42 patients, and 120 normal children(as controls) were collected. PCR-SSCP and direct DNA sequencing were used to detect mutations and polymorphisms of exon-4 in EDNRB gene. The differences of allele frequencies and genotype distribution in polymorphic sites were further analyzed between the three groups. Allele frequencies of SNPs in forty-two sHD trios were analyzed by transmission disequilibrium test(TDT), and the association between phenotype of HD and SNPs was analyzed. Results No mutant site was detected and one polymorphic site of c831 G→A(L277L) was observed in Hubei provincial patients of Han ethnicity with sHD. The allele frequency of A(68% vs 53%) and genotype frequency of AA(49% vs 30%) were significantly higher in sHD group than that in control group(P