A novel surgical technique to resolve mucosal fenestration of a root apex: Apical tunnel surgery: A case report.

RATIONALE: Endodontic surgery, which includes apex resection, retro-fill and some regeneration procedures, is a traditional way to deal with apex fenestration. The endodontic surgery could bring large flap, curtate root length, non-healing mucosa and soft tissue deficiency in the apex area. Other treatment options might be considered according to different etiological factors. Mucogingival surgery provides some ideas in accumulation of soft and hard tissues, especially some unique methods such as "tunnel technique" bringing us a view of minimal invasive surgery approach. A novel surgery named "apical tunnel surgery" was reported here to resolve a root apex exposure with the tunnel-like technique. PATIENT CONCERNS: A young female complained about root exposure of upper right anterior tooth without history of trauma or orthodontic treatment. DIAGNOSIS: The intraoral examination revealed a buccal root apex exposure about 3mm in diameter of #12 (FDI teeth numbering system). The tooth was slightly dark with Class 1 mobility. The periodontal situation was good and the occlusion check revealed no traumatic bite on #12. The cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) showed a bone fenestration from the buccally lower 1/2 root surface to the apex and bone absorption around the apex. It also revealed a bone contour deficiency in #12 area. INTERVENTIONS: Root canal treatment, root surface debridement, and soft tissue combined with hard tissue accumulation were carried out in one tunnel-like surgery. OUTCOMES: Examination of 12-month follow-up showed a healed and thickened mucosa in the buccally apical region and CBCT showed the continuous lamina dura occupied the buccal aspect of #12 root apex. LESSONS: This new apical tunnel surgery provided soft and hard tissue accumulation in one minimal invasive way in the apex exposure case caused by bone fenestration and thin mucosa.

Bacterial Cellulose-Based Bandages with Integrated Antibacteria and Electrical Stimulation for Advanced Wound Management.

Bandages for daily wounds are the most common medical supplies, but there are still ingrained defects in their appearance, comfort, functions, as well as environmental pollution. Here, novel bandages based on bacterial cellulose (BC) membrane for wound monitoring and advanced wound management are developed. The BC membrane is combined with silver nanowires (AgNWs) by using vacuum filtration method to achieve transparent, ultrathin (≈7 µm), breathable (389.98-547.79 g m-2  d-1 ), and sandwich-structured BC/AgNWs bandages with superior mechanical properties (108.45-202.35 MPa), antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, biocompatibility, and conductivity (9.8 × 103 -2.0 × 105  S m-1 ). Significantly, the BC/AgNWs bandage is used in the electrical stimulation (direct current, 600  microamperes for 1 h every other day) treatment of full-thickness skin defect in rats, which obviously promotes wound healing by increasing the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The BC bandage is used for monitoring wounds and achieve a high accuracy of 94.7% in classifying wound healing stages of hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling, by using a convolutional neural network. The outcomes of this study not only provide two BC-based bandages as multifunctional wound management, but also demonstrate a new strategy for the development of the next generation of smart bandage.

Isostructural Synthesis of Iron-Based Prussian Blue Analogs for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Rechargeable sodium ion batteries (SIBs) have promising applications in large-scale energy storage systems. Iron-based Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) are considered as potential cathodes owing to their rigid open framework, low-cost, and simple synthesis. However, it is still a challenge to increase the sodium content in the structure of PBAs and thus suppress the generation of defects in the structure. Herein, a series of isostructural PBAs samples are synthesized and the isostructural evolution of PBAs from cubic to monoclinic after modifying the conditions is witnessed. Accompanied by, the increased sodium content and crystallinity are discovered in PBAs structure. The as-obtained sodium iron hexacyanoferrate (Na1.75 Fe[Fe(CN)6 ]0.9743 ·2.76H2 O) exhibits high charge capacity of 150 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C (17 mA g-1 ) and excellent rate performance (74 mAh g-1 at 50 C (8500 mA g-1 )). Moreover, their highly reversible Na+ ions intercalation/de-intercalation mechanism is verified by in situ Raman and Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) techniques. More importantly, the Na1.75 Fe[Fe(CN)6 ]0.9743 ·2.76H2 O sample can be directly assembled in a full cell with hard carbon (HC) anode and shows excellent electrochemical performances. Finally, the relationship between PBAs structure and electrochemical performance is summarized and prospected.

In Situ Enzymatic Reaction Generates Magnesium-Based Mineralized Microspheres with Superior Bioactivity for Enhanced Bone Regeneration.

Bone is a naturally mineralized tissue with a remarkable hierarchical structure, and the treatment of bone defects remains challenging. Microspheres with facile features of controllable size, diverse morphologies, and specific functions display amazing potentials for bone regeneration. Herein, inspired by natural biomineralization, a novel enzyme-catalyzed reaction is reported to prepare magnesium-based mineralized microspheres. First, silk fibroin methacryloyl (SilMA) microspheres are prepared using a combination of microfluidics and photo-crosslinking. Then, the alkaline phosphatase (ALP)-catalyzed hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is successfully used to induce the formation of spherical magnesium phosphate (MgP) in the SilMA microspheres. These SilMA@MgP microspheres display uniform size, rough surface structure, good degradability, and sustained Mg2+ release properties. Moreover, the in vitro studies demonstrate the high bioactivities of SilMA@MgP microspehres in promoting the proliferation, migration, and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Transcriptomic analysis shows that the osteoinductivity of SilMA@MgP microspheres may be related to the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Finally, the bone regeneration enhancement units (BREUs) are designed and constructed by inoculating BMSCs onto SilMA@MgP microspheres. In summary, this study demonstrates a new biomineralization strategy for designing biomimetic bone repair materials with defined structures and combination functions.

Periodontal repair for advanced bone loss caused by orthodontic elastic bands: A case report with 7-year follow-up and literature review.

A 16-year-old girl developed severe acute periodontitis involving the maxillary central incisor and lateral incisor caused by elastic bands. Periodontal surgical interventions and orthodontic adjustment achieved good outcomes which were maintained for 7 years. This report demonstrates the criticality of correct diagnosis, early periodontal surgery, and interdisciplinary approach.

Highly Potent, Selective, Biostable, and Cell-Permeable Cyclic d-Peptide for Dual-Targeting Therapy of Lung Cancer.

The application of peptide drugs in cancer therapy is impeded by their poor biostability and weak cell permeability. Therefore, it is imperative to find biostable and cell-permeable peptide drugs for cancer treatment. Here, we identified a potent, selective, biostable, and cell-permeable cyclic d-peptide, NKTP-3, that targets NRP1 and KRASG12D using structure-based virtual screening. NKTP-3 exhibited strong biostability and cellular uptake ability. Importantly, it significantly inhibited the growth of A427 cells with the KRASG12D mutation. Moreover, NKTP-3 showed strong antitumor activity against A427 cell-derived xenograft and KRASG12D-driven primary lung cancer models without obvious toxicity. This study demonstrates that the dual NRP1/KRASG12D-targeting cyclic d-peptide NKTP-3 may be used as a potential chemotherapeutic agent for KRASG12D-driven lung cancer treatment.

Establishment of a Convenient System for the Culture and Study of Perineurium Barrier In Vitro.

The perineurium serves as a selective, metabolically active diffusion barrier in the peripheral nervous system, which is composed of perineurial cells joined together by tight junctions (TJs). Not only are these junctions known to play an essential role in maintaining cellular polarity and tissue integrity, but also limit the paracellular diffusion of certain molecules and ions, whereas loss of TJs barrier function is imperative for tumour growth, invasion and metastasis. Hence, a detailed study on the barrier function of perineurial cells may provide insights into the molecular mechanism of perineural invasion (PNI). In this study, we aimed to develop an efficient procedure for the establishment of perineurial cell lines as a tool for investigating the physiology and pathophysiology of the peripheral nerve barriers. Herein, the isolation, expansion, characterization and maintenance of perineurial cell lines under favourable conditions are presented. Furthermore, the analysis of the phenotypic features of these perineurial cells as well as the barrier function for the study of PNI are described. Such techniques may provide a valuable means for the functional and molecular investigation of perineurial cells, and in particular may elucidate the pathogenesis and progression of PNI, and other peripheral nerve disorders.

In situ Analysis of Cancer Cells Based on DNA Signal Amplification and DNA Nanodevices.

Cancer is a global disease which has been disturbing researchers in medicine and seriously threatens patients' health and lifetime around the world in the past several decades. Due to the characteristics of cancer cells, such as uncontrollable cell proliferation, cell invasion and metastasis to surrounding tissues, lower grade of differentiation, higher telomerase activity and others, it has been one of the most usual lethal factors, next to heart disease in incidence. Cancer mortality can be decreased by early diagnosis, and the people who with treatment at an early stage have an obvious improved survival rate. Consequently, early detection is significant for better understanding the pathogenesis of cancer and improving the prognosis of patients. In situ detection technique is a vital tool for imaging and cellular pathology research, which can provide effective information about tumor markers in the early cancer detection. In view of low expression of most tumor markers in the early stage of cancers, detection techniques based on DNA signal amplification and DNA nanodevices can provide a strong support for the diagnosis and detection of cancers. In this review, we summarize the research progress of different analytical techniques for detecting various tumor markers that have been reported in recent years. We compare different DNA amplification and nanodevices, then provide guidance and suggestions for better understanding in situ analysis of cancer cells.

Single-Cell Analysis of Highly Metastatic Circulating Tumor Cells by Combining a Self-Folding Induced Release Reaction with a Cell Capture Microchip.

Nondestructive analysis of the single-cell molecular phenotype of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is of great significance to the precise diagnosis and treatment of cancer but is also a huge challenge. To address this issue, here, we develop a facile analysis system that integrates CTCs' capture and molecular phenotype analysis. An isothermal nucleic acid amplification technique named self-folding induced release reaction (sFiR), which has high-efficiency signal amplification capabilities and can run under physiological conditions, is first developed to meet the high requirements for sensitivity and nondestructivity. By combining the sFiR with immune recognition and a single cell capture microchip, the molecular phenotype analysis of a single CTC is realized. As a model, nondestructive analysis of junction plakoglobin (JUP), an overexpressed membrane protein that is closely related to the metastasis of CTCs, is successfully achieved. Results reveal that this sFiR-based analysis system can clearly distinguish the expression of JUP in different cancer cell lines and can present quantitative information on the expression of JUP. Furthermore, the captured and analyzed CTCs maintain their basic physiological activity and can be used for drug sensitivity testing. Considering the excellent performance and ease of operation of the system, it can provide technical support for CTC-based cancer liquid biopsy and drug development.

Perineural Invasion in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Salivary Glands: Where We Are and Where We Need to Go.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary gland (SACC) is a rare malignant tumors of the head and neck region, but it is one of the most common malignant tumors that are prone to perineural invasion (PNI) of the head and neck. The prognosis of patients with SACC is strongly associated with the presence of perineural spread (PNS). Although many contributing factors have been reported, the mechanisms underlying the preferential destruction of the blood-nerve barrier (BNB) by tumors and the infiltration of the tumor microenvironment by nerve fibers in SACC, have received little research attention. This review summarizes the current knowledge concerning the characteristics of SACC in relation to the PNI, and then highlights the interplay between components of the tumor microenvironment and perineural niche, as well as their contributions to the PNI. Finally, we provide new insights into the possible mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of PNI, with particular emphasis on the role of extracellular vesicles that may serve as an attractive entry point in future studies.

A proximity-exponential hybridization chain reaction (PEHCR) and its application for nondestructive analysis of membrane protein-protein interactions on living cells.

Though a variety of methods have been developed for the analysis of membrane protein-protein interactions (PPIs), amplified, dynamic and nondestructive analysis in situ is always a challenge. To address this issue, here we develop a method called proximity-exponential hybridization chain reaction (PEHCR). In our strategy, when two membrane proteins approach due to interaction, they will draw their respective oligonucleotide-labeled antibodies together. The proximity of the oligonucleotides thereafter triggers a well-designed enzyme-free exponential hybridization chain reaction, which can output amplified fluorescence imaging signals. As a model, analysis of EGFR-HER2 interactions under the regulation of different activators and inhibitors is achieved. Owing to the superior signal amplification performance, we are able to clearly observe the membrane PPIs by using a common fluorescence microscope. Furthermore, unlike the existing proximity techniques that require enzymes, our enzyme-free strategy avoids the need to use a specific buffer suitable for enzyme catalysis and can be run directly in cell liquid media to maximize the physiological activity of the cells. So, dynamic analysis of membrane PPIs on living cells is achieved, and the cells, after the analysis, are still alive and are available for other usage. The successful implementation of this work enriches the toolbox for the study of membrane PPIs especially on those heterogeneous cell populations with small amount.

Nondestructive analysis of tumor-associated membrane protein MUC1 in living cells based on dual-terminal amplification of a DNA ternary complex.

Non-destructive analysis of cells at the molecular level is of critical importance for cell research. At present, immunoassay-based and aptamer-based methods can achieve non-structural destructive cell analysis, but still lead to changes in cells at the molecular level. Here, we have proposed a dual-terminal amplification (DTA) strategy, which enables nondestructive analysis of membrane protein MUC1 without the effect on protein expression and cell viability in living cells. Methods: A fluorophore (Cy5)-labeled DNA ternary complex consisting of three oligonucleotides is designed. It can recognize MUC1 through its aptamer region, and thus make the MUC1 of cells visible under a fluorescence microscope. When DNA polymerase is added, dual-terminal amplification is performed. One direction dissociates aptamer from MUC1, and the other direction, also known as rolling circle amplification (RCA), produces long linear DNA strands, which can be further adopted for quantitative analysis of MUC1. In this way, all reagents are removed from the surface of the cells after the analysis, which allows nondestructive analysis. We named this strategy dual-terminal amplification (DTA) analysis. Results: By using the DTA analysis, both in situ fluorescence imaging analysis and ex situ fluorescence quantitative analysis of MUC1 were achieved. In addition, the aptamer-containing DNA ternary complex stays on cell surface only during the analysis and leaves the cell after the analysis is complete. The cells can be maintained in a non-interfering state for the rest of the time. So after the analysis, it is found that there are no effect on the physiological activity of cells and the expression of target protein even after two rounds of repeatable imaging and quantitative analysis. Conclusion: In summary, we have successfully constructed a strategy for nondestructive analysis of membrane protein in living cells. We believe that this method provides a promising way for the analysis of the key membrane proteins of cells and the versatile utilization of precious cell samples.

An all-in-one homogeneous DNA walking nanomachine and its application for intracellular analysis of miRNA.

DNA walker is a powerful type of DNA nanomachine that can produce amplified signals during the "burnt-bridge"-like walking process. Despite their successful application in extracellular bioanalysis, the heterogeneity of the existing DNA walkers makes it difficult to guarantee the consistency of the results during the analysis of different cells. Methods: Here, an all-in-one homogeneous DNA walking nanomachine is reported that can be delivered into living cells for intracellular bioanalysis of miRNA without auxiliary materials. Results: This DNA walking nanomachine is constructed of gold nanoparticles on which two types of interrelated DNA tracks are assembled. The target miRNA, cancer-related miR-21, can be captured by one of the tracks (track 1) and then walk to the other track (track 2), releasing the hybrid of track 1 and track 2 from the nanoparticle to produce a signal. The walking process can proceed in a cyclic 1-2-1-2 manner and thereby produce amplified signals. Thus, sensitive imaging of the miRNA in situ can be achieved. Conclusion: Benefiting from the homogeneity of the detection system, the method can be applied for intracellular analysis without interference induced by the fluctuations of stimuli or accessorial contents.

Efficient depolymerization of Kraft lignin to liquid fuels over an amorphous titanium-zirconium mixed oxide supported partially reduced nickel-cobalt catalyst.

A series of non-precious metal/metal oxide nickel-cobalt catalysts was prepared for a highly efficient depolymerization of Kraft lignin (KL) into liquid fuels using amorphous TiZr-oxide (Ti1-yZryO2) as a carrier. The effects of Ni-NiOx, Co-CoOx, NiCo-NiCoOx, NiCoOx and NiCo catalysts supported on amorphous TiZr-oxide carrier on KL depolymerization were investigated. It was found that the NiCo-NiCoOx/Ti1-yZryO2 catalyst is optimal for converting KL to petroleum ether (PE)-soluble product (mainly composed of monomers and dimers) in an 80.2% high yield at 320 °C for 24 h, with excellent reusability and a low formation of char. Under these conditions, the higher heating value (HHV) increased from 25.11 to 33.89 MJ/kg. A meticulous study on NiCo-NiCoOx/Ti1-yZryO2 catalysts revealed that the synergistic effect among Lewis acid sites, basic sites and metal active sites played an important role in obtaining high yields of monomers and low rates of char formation during lignin conversion.

Remarkably enhanced performance of the metathesis reaction of ethylene and 1-butene to propene using one-step prepared W-MCM-41 catalysts.

Highly dispersed tungsten species with an isolated tetrahedral WO x species structure are substantially beneficial for the metathesis reaction of ethylene and 1-butene to propene. The conventional impregnation method always leads to the formation of inactive crystalline WO3 thereby notably decreasing the amount of active sites. In this study, we synthesized a highly dispersed W-MCM-41 catalyst using the one-step precipitation method with a Si/W ratio of 30. The prepared catalyst showed excellent catalytic performance with a 1-butene conversion of 92.7% and a propene selectivity of 80.8%. In contrast, the impregnated catalyst with the same W loading as the one-step precipitation method resulted in a much lower 1-butene conversion of 76.5% and propene selectivity of 34.1%. Various characterization techniques including XRD, XPS, ICP-OES, UV-vis DRS, TEM, and Raman spectroscopy were applied to confirm that the one-step precipitation method can efficiently prepare well-dispersed W-MCM-41 catalysts with the desired structure in spite of the fact that the ideal dispersive structure was strongly dependent of the Si/W ratio and stirring time of the reaction mixture of tungstic acid and TEOS. In addition, the introduction of an upstream catalyst onto the W-MCM-41 catalyst could not obviously improve the 1-butene conversion and propene selectivity, which might be due to fast 1-butene isomerization easily occurring on the abundant Si-OH of the W-MCM-41 catalyst. This work provides new insights for the design of metathesis catalysts and reaction processes to efficiently convert ethylene and 1-butene into propene.

[Adenoid cystic carcinoma cells produce exosomes that promote tumor cell proliferation].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of exosomes released by adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) cell line SACC-83 on the proliferation of ACC cells. METHODS: Exosomes were isolated from SACC-83 cell culture supernatants using total exosome isolation reagents. The whole-mount exosomes were characterized using transmission electron microscope and Western blotting. The exosomes were labeled with green fluorescent dye PKH67 and co-cultured with SACC-83 cells for 48 h, followed by staining with Alexa Fluor 594 phalloidin and DAPI to observe exosome uptake by the cells using laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). The cell proliferation was assessed using MTT assay and wound healing assay, and the expressions of ERK and P-ERK in the co-cultured SACC-83 cells were detected using Western blotting. RESULTS: The exosomes isolated from SACC-83 cells showed a size range of 30-100 nm and expressed the exosomal markers CD9, CD63 and TSG101. LSCM showed exosome uptake by SACC-83 cells, which exhibited accelerated proliferation and significantly enhanced P-ERK expression (P < 0.05) without significant changes in ERK expression. CONCLUSIONS: SACC-83 cells produce exosomes that promote the tumor cell proliferation and enhances the cellular expression of P-ERK, suggesting a potential role of MAPK/ERK pathway activation in exosome-mediated acceleration of ACC cell proliferation.

DNA Nanotechnology for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, because of the lack of accurate diagnostic tools for the early stages of cancer. Thus, early diagnosis, which provides important information for a timely therapy of cancer, is of great significance for controlling the development of the disease and the proliferation of cancer cells and for improving the survival rates of patients. To achieve the goals of early diagnosis and timely therapy of cancer, DNA nanotechnology may be effective, since it has emerged as a valid technique for the fabrication of various nanoscale structures and devices. The resultant DNA-based nanoscale structures and devices show extraordinary performance in cancer diagnosis, owing to their predictable secondary structures, small sizes, and high biocompatibility and programmability. In particular, the rapid development of DNA nanotechnologies, such as molecular assembly technologies, endows DNA-based nanomaterials with more functionalization and intellectualization. Here, we summarize recent progress made in the development of DNA nanotechnology for the fabrication of functional and intelligent nanomaterials and highlight the prospects of this technology in cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Investigation on converting 1-butene and ethylene into propene via metathesis reaction over W-based catalysts.

Supported W catalysts were extensively investigated for the conversion of 1-butene and ethylene into propene by metathesis reaction. The performance of catalysts was compared by using unsupported WO3, pure SBA-15, supported W/SBA-15 with different W loadings, varied calcination temperatures, and by changing the pretreatment gas atmosphere. The above catalytic results could be employed to deduce the reaction mechanism combined with characterization techniques such as BET, XRD, UV-vis DRS, Raman, pyridine-IR, XPS, and H2-TPR. In this study, over the investigated W/SBA-15 catalysts, the results showed that the silanol group (Si-OH) in SBA-15 could act as a weak Brønsted acid site for 1-butene isomerization. However, the metathesis reaction was catalyzed by W-carbene species. The initially formed W-carbenes (W[double bond, length as m-dash]CH-CH3) as active sites were derived from the partially reduced isolated tetrahedral WO x species which contained W[double bond, length as m-dash]O or W-OH bonds in W5+ species as corresponding Lewis or Brønsted acid sites. Furthermore, the W/SBA-15 being pretreated by H2O led to a complete loss of the metathesis activity. This was mainly due to the sintering of isolated WO x species to form an inactive crystalline WO3 phase as demonstrated by XRD patterns. On the other hand, the reduction of WO x species remarkably suppressed by H2O pretreatment was also responsible for the metathesis deactivation. This study provides molecular level mechanisms for the several steps involved in the propene production, including 1-butene isomerization, W-carbene formation, and metathesis reaction.

Tumor-derived exosomes enhance invasion and metastasis of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma cells.

OBJECTIVES: Tumor-derived exosomes (TDE) have been shown to participate in different steps of the dissemination of cancer cells. However, the role of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma-derived (SACC-derived) exosomes had not been documented in SACC. The study aims to explore the functions of SACC-derived TDE in SACC progression and investigate potential mechanisms. METHODS: Salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma cell line SACC-83 was used to generate TDE. Afterward, SACC-83 or HUVECs were cocultured with or without TDE. Tumor migration, tumor invasion, and endothelial permeability were examined by wound healing assay, tumor invasion assay, endothelial permeability assay, and tumor cell transendothelial migration assay, respectively. Moreover, the expression levels of cell junction-related proteins were examined by qRT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: Salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma -83-derived exosomes were taken up by their host cells. Meanwhile, TDE increased migration and invasion capacity of SACC-83 cells and enhanced endothelial cell permeability. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the expression of cell junction-related proteins (Claudins and ZO-1) was downregulated, which is presumably involved in the TDE-mediated promotion of migration, invasion, and metastasis. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that SACC cell-derived exosomes were loaded with individual components that could enhance invasiveness and induce microenvironment changes, thus promoting SACC aggression.

[Preliminary study on human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells differentiation into epithelial-like cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differentiation potential of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) inducing into epithelial-like cells, even corneal epithelial-like cells, and to discuss the plasticity that make hMSC the seed cells used in corneal tissue engineering. METHODS: hMSC were isolated and purified by density gradient centrifugation combined with an attachment culture method and passaged in vitro. hMSC were identified by flow cytometry. The passaged hMSC were planted on fresh pig corneal Bowman's membrane. The expression of CK12, ABCG2 and CK19 in hMSC was identified by immunofluorescence staining. We used in vitro method to obtain a multilayer culture of hMSC. When hMSC formed a monolayer, the cells were inserted to Millicell culture and grew into multilayers by using the air-lifting cultivation methodology. Four weeks later, after fixed and dehydrated, the hMSC were observed under the light microscope after hemotoxylin and eosin (HE) and immunohistochemistry staining. RESULTS: hMSC could be cultured, expanded in vitro, and showed great potential of proliferation. The result of flow cytometry showed that the positive staining percentage was 0.06% for CD45, 0.41% for CD34, 86.43% for CD44, 85.72% for CD29 and 90.72% for CD105. This indicated that hMSC expressed CD44, CD29, CD105 but not CD45 and CD34. After four weeks induction, part of hMSC expressed CK12 and CK19 but not ABCG2. In the in vitro stratification, HE and immunohistochemical staining showed that there were one or two layers epithelial-like cells, even corneal epithelial-like cells after using the air-lifting cultivation. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that hMSC have the potential to differentiate into epithelial cells, even corneal epithelial cells. hMSC could be the option of cells used to reconstruct the corneal epithelium by tissue engineering technology.