Impact of high-power short-duration atrial fibrillation ablation technique on the incidence of silent cerebral embolism: a prospective randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: High-power short-duration (HPSD) ablation strategy has emerged as a popular approach for treating atrial fibrillation (AF), with shorter ablation time. The utilized Smart Touch Surround Flow (STSF) catheter, with 56 holes around the electrode, lowers electrode-tissue temperature and thrombus risk. Thus, we conducted this prospective, randomized study to investigate if the HPSD strategy with STSF catheter in AF ablation procedures reduces the silent cerebral embolism (SCE) risk compared to the conventional approach with the Smart Touch (ST) catheter. METHODS: From June 2020 to September 2021, 100 AF patients were randomized 1:1 to the HPSD group using the STSF catheter (power set at 50 W) or the conventional group using the ST catheter (power set at 30 to 35 W). Pulmonary vein isolation was performed in all patients, with additional lesions at operator's discretion. High-resolution cerebral diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (hDWI) with slice thickness of 1 mm was performed before and 24-72 h after ablation. The incidence of new periprocedural SCE was defined as the primary outcome. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test. RESULTS: All enrolled AF patients (median age 63, 60% male, 59% paroxysmal AF) underwent successful ablation. Post-procedural hDWI identified 106 lesions in 42 enrolled patients (42%), with 55 lesions in 22 patients (44%) in the HPSD group and 51 lesions in 20 patients (40%) in the conventional group (p = 0.685). No significant differences were observed between two groups regarding the average number of lesions (p = 0.751), maximum lesion diameter (p = 0.405), and total lesion volume per patient (p = 0.669). Persistent AF and CHA2DS2-VASc score were identified as SCE determinants during AF ablation procedure by multivariable regression analysis. No significant differences in MoCA scores were observed between patients with SCE and those without, both immediately post-procedure (p = 0.572) and at the 3-month follow-up (p = 0.743). CONCLUSIONS: Involving a small sample size of 100 AF patients, this study reveals a similar incidence of SCE in AF ablation procedures, comparing the HPSD strategy using the STSF catheter to the conventional approach with the ST catheter. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT04408716. AF = Atrial fibrillation, DWI = Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, HPSD = High-power short-duration, ST = Smart Touch, STSF = Smart Touch Surround Flow.

Characterization of 15 CYP2J2 variants identified in the Chinese Han population on the metabolism of ebastine and terfenadine in vitro.

Genetic polymorphism of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) gene can significantly influence the metabolism of endogenous and xenobiotic compounds. However, few studies have focused on the polymorphism of CYP2J2 and its impact on drug catalytic activity, especially in the Chinese Han population. In this study, we sequenced the promoter and exon regions of CYP2J2 in 1,163 unrelated healthy Chinese Han individuals using the multiplex PCR amplicon sequencing method. Then, the catalytic activities of the detected CYP2J2 variants were evaluated after recombinant expression in S. cerevisiae microsomes. As a result, CYP2J2*7, CYP2J2*8, 13 variations in the promoter region and 15 CYP2J2 nonsynonymous variants were detected, of which V15A, G24R, V68A, L166F and A391T were novel missense variations. Immunoblotting results showed that 11 of 15 CYP2J2 variants exhibited lower protein expression than wild-type CYP2J2.1. In vitro functional analysis results revealed that the amino acid changes of 14 variants could significantly influence the drug metabolic activity of CYP2J2 toward ebastine or terfenadine. Specifically, 4 variants with relatively higher allele frequencies, CYP2J2.8, 173_173del, K267fs and R446W, exhibited extremely low protein expression and defective catalytic activities for both substrates. Our results indicated that a high genetic polymorphism of CYP2J2 could be detected in the Chinese Han population, and most genetic variations in CYP2J2 could influence the expression and catalytic activity of CYP2J2. Our data significantly enrich the knowledge of genetic polymorphisms in CYP2J2 and provide new theoretical information for corresponding individualized medication in Chinese and other Asian populations.

Peony-like 3D-MoS2/graphene nanostructures with enhanced mimic peroxidase performance for colorimetric determination of dopamine.

Fast and quantitative detection of dopamine (DA) is highly desirable but still challenging in the clinical diagnosis due to the complexity of the biological samples. Herein, a novel peony-like 3D-MoS2/Graphene (peony-like 3D-MoS2/GR) nanomaterial is designed and characterized. The nanomaterial exhibits outstanding the peroxidase-like activity, which can be employed as a nanozyme for facile and fast colorimetric determination of dopamine. The peony-like 3D-MoS2/GR-based colorimetric assay presents a wide liner dependence on the DA concentration in the range of 1-400 µM and a low detection limit of 0.21 µM. Such excellent results originate from its unique structure, which offers abundant active sites, high specific surface area, interconnected network and the special microenvironment. Furthermore, this reported colorimetric assay is successfully employed for detection of DA in human serum and urine samples. The recovery percentage ranges from 98 to 105.6%. Hence, the peony-like 3D-MoS2/GR paves a new avenue for detection of DA in real biological systems.

Efficacy of probiotic adjuvant therapy for irritable bowel syndrome in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects children's quality of life and learning. The purpose of this research was to systematically evaluate the efficacy of probiotic adjuvant therapy for IBS in children. METHODS: The Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and Clinical Trials databases were electronically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published prior to January 2021 exploring the use of probiotic adjuvant therapy for IBS in children. Strict screening and quality evaluations of the eligible articles were performed independently by 2 researchers. Outcome indexes were extracted, and a meta-analysis of the data was performed using RevMan 5.4.1 and STATA 16 software. Finally, the risk of bias in the included studies was assessed with the RCT bias risk assessment tool recommended in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (5.1.0). RESULTS: A total of nine RCTs were included. In children, probiotics significantly reduced the abdominal pain score (I2 = 95%, SMD = -1.15, 95% (-2.05, -0.24), P = 0.01) and Subject's Global Assessment of Relief (SGARC) score (I2 = 95%, MD = -3.84, 95% (-6.49, -1.20), P = 0.004), increased the rate of abdominal pain treatment success (I2 = 0%, RR = 3.44, 95% (1.73, 6.87), P = 0.0005) and abdominal pain relief (I2 = 40%, RR = 1.48, 95% (0.96, 2.28), P = 0.08), and reduced the frequency of abdominal pain (I2 = 2%, MD = -0.82, 95% (-1.57, -0.07), P = 0.03). However, we found that it might not be possible to relieve abdominal pain by increasing the daily intake of probiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Probiotics are effective at treating abdominal pain caused by IBS in children, however, there was no significant correlation between abdominal pain and the amount of probiotics ingested. More attention should be given to IBS in children, and a standardized evaluation should be adopted.

TGF-ß isoforms inhibit hepatitis C virus propagation in transforming growth factor beta/SMAD protein signalling pathway dependent and independent manners.

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) plays an important role in the viral liver disease progression via controlling viral propagation and mediating inflammation-associated responses. However, the antiviral activities and mechanisms of TGF-ß isoforms, including TGF-ß1, TGF-ß2 and TGF-ß3, remain unclear. Here, we demonstrated that all of the three TGF-ß isoforms were increased in Huh7.5 cells infected by hepatitis C virus (HCV), but in turn, the elevated TGF-ß isoforms could inhibit HCV propagation with different potency in infectious HCV cell culture system. TGF-ß isoforms suppressed HCV propagation through interrupting several different stages in the whole HCV life cycle, including virus entry and intracellular replication, in TGF-ß/SMAD signalling pathway-dependent and TGF-ß/SMAD signalling pathway-independent manners. TGF-ß isoforms showed additional anti-HCV activities when combined with each other. However, the elevated TGF-ß1 and TGF-ß2, not TGF-ß3, could also induce liver fibrosis with a high expression of type I collagen alpha-1 and α-smooth muscle actin in LX-2 cells. Our results showed a new insight into TGF-ß isoforms in the HCV-related liver disease progression.

Aloperine inhibits hepatitis C virus entry into cells by disturbing internalisation from endocytosis to the membrane fusion process.

Aloperine, a natural alkaloid isolated from the Chinese traditional herb Sophora alopecuroides, is a broad-spectrum antiviral agent with anti-inflammatory activity. Here, we found that aloperine effectively inhibited hepatitis C virus (HCV) propagation in Huh7.5 cells and primary human hepatocytes without cytotoxicity, and it blocked HCV cell-to-cell viral transmission. The antiviral mechanism evidence demonstrated that aloperine inhibits HCV internalisation from endocytosis to the membrane fusion process, and the target may be associated with host factors. Aloperine additively inhibited HCV propagation with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and was effective against HCV variants resistant to known DAAs. Therefore, aloperine might be a natural lead compound for the development of innovative antivirals, and the combined use of aloperine with DAAs might contribute to eliminating liver diseases caused by HCV infection.

Advanced primary urethral cancer: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Primary urethral cancer is exceedingly rare, resulting in a limitation in clinicians' experience, and an accurate diagnosis is often delayed due to the non-specific clinical presentation. Here, we present this case report to show the treatment of a patient with primary urethral cancer. Our patient was diagnosed as having primary urethral cancer in the First Clinical Hospital of Yichang by cystoscopy and biopsy. Due to her age, poor physical tolerance, and economic condition, she refused radical operation. Since there is no definite guideline for the treatment process of primary urethral cancer in clinics, operation methods and postoperative adjuvant treatments vary in different hospitals, leading to diverse prognostic effects. CASE PRESENTATION: An 88-year-old Asian woman had difficulty in urinating for more than 6 months and the syndrome was aggravated for 1 month. She chose a relatively conservative treatment plan: primary tumor resection combined with bladder perfusion chemotherapy. Postoperative pathology revealed "urethra" high-grade urothelial carcinoma (sarcoma-like variants) with extensive necrosis. After treatment with intravesical chemotherapeutic drug (hydroxycamptothecin 40 mg), she was eventually released from our hospital in a stable condition. Postoperation follow-up was performed to observe to what extent this conservative treatment plan improved the quality of life and overall survival time of our patient. CONCLUSIONS: She needed radical resection according to the actual situation. However, her age restricted her tolerance to general anesthesia; relatively conservative treatment options are available to ensure a high quality of life. The treatment of primary tumor resection combined with bladder perfusion chemotherapy is feasible. This case highlights the importance of the dissemination of new cases and optimizing primary urethral cancer diagnosis to obtain an effective treatment.

A proof-of-concept study in HCV-infected Huh7.5 cells for shortening the duration of DAA-based triple treatment regimens.

With the development of more effective direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), dual- or triple-therapy regimens represent the major strategy used to cure chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Thus, shorter treatment duration regimens with low burden, few adverse effects and good patient adherence are urgently needed. This study theoretically demonstrates a proof-of-concept approach for shortening therapy duration by examining HCV-infected Huh7.5 cells after treatment with a high or low fixed dose of three DAAs (simeprevir + daclatasvir + sofosbuvir) for 6-15 days. The results demonstrated that HCV-infected Huh7.5 cells achieved an ultrarapid virologic response with undetectable HCV RNA and protein and were cured after treatment with the triple-therapy regimen for 15 days. When the treatment duration was shortened, virologic relapse might occur after treatment with a low fixed dose of the three DAAs for 9 days and did occur after treatment with a low fixed dose for 6 days, although HCV was below detectable levels at the end of treatment. However, virologic relapse could be avoided with treatment of a high fixed dose of the three DAAs for 9 or 6 days. Although a virologic breakthrough occurred after an intermittent treatment regimen at the low fixed dose, the high fixed dose cured HCV-positive Huh7.5 cells with intermittent treatment. In conclusion, HCV is persistently present below detectable levels in HCV-infected Huh7.5 cells for a long time after treatment, and a shortened therapy duration is associated with an increased risk of virologic relapse, but virologic relapse or breakthrough might be avoided by treatment with a combination of more highly effective DAAs.

FGFR1 is an independent prognostic factor and can be regulated by miR-497 in gastric cancer progression

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) has been reported in gastric cancer to be a prognostic factor. However, miR-497-targeted FGFR1 has not been explored in the carcinogenesis of gastric cancer. The present study intended to revalidate the prognostic significance of FGFR1 in patients with gastric cancer, and the mechanism of miR-497-regulated FGFR1 was investigated in gastric cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis. The messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels were assayed by RT-qPCR and western blotting, respectively. The targeted genes were predicted by a bioinformatics algorithm and confirmed by a dual luciferase reporter assay. Cell proliferation was analyzed by CCK-8 assay. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining was used to evaluate the apoptosis in AGS and SGC-7901 cells. FGFR1 was frequently up-regulated in gastric cancer tissues and associated with poor overall survival in patients with gastric cancer. Interestingly, FGFR1 loss-of-function resulted in a significant growth inhibition and apoptosis in AGS and SGC-7901 cells. In addition, we found that miR-497 was inhibited in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines, while overexpression of miR-497 could suppress proliferation and induce apoptosis in AGS and SGC-7901 cells. Importantly, bioinformatics analysis and experimental data suggested that FGFR1 was a direct target of miR-497, which could inhibit FGFR1 expression when transfected with miR-497 mimics. Furthermore, we found that overexpression of FGFR1 reversed the growth inhibition and apoptosis of miR-497 mimics in AGS and SGC-7901 cells. These findings suggested that overexpression of miR-497 inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in gastric cancer through the suppression of FGFR1.

FGFR1 is an independent prognostic factor and can be regulated by miR-497 in gastric cancer progression.

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) has been reported in gastric cancer to be a prognostic factor. However, miR-497-targeted FGFR1 has not been explored in the carcinogenesis of gastric cancer. The present study intended to revalidate the prognostic significance of FGFR1 in patients with gastric cancer, and the mechanism of miR-497-regulated FGFR1 was investigated in gastric cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis. The messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels were assayed by RT-qPCR and western blotting, respectively. The targeted genes were predicted by a bioinformatics algorithm and confirmed by a dual luciferase reporter assay. Cell proliferation was analyzed by CCK-8 assay. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining was used to evaluate the apoptosis in AGS and SGC-7901 cells. FGFR1 was frequently up-regulated in gastric cancer tissues and associated with poor overall survival in patients with gastric cancer. Interestingly, FGFR1 loss-of-function resulted in a significant growth inhibition and apoptosis in AGS and SGC-7901 cells. In addition, we found that miR-497 was inhibited in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines, while overexpression of miR-497 could suppress proliferation and induce apoptosis in AGS and SGC-7901 cells. Importantly, bioinformatics analysis and experimental data suggested that FGFR1 was a direct target of miR-497, which could inhibit FGFR1 expression when transfected with miR-497 mimics. Furthermore, we found that overexpression of FGFR1 reversed the growth inhibition and apoptosis of miR-497 mimics in AGS and SGC-7901 cells. These findings suggested that overexpression of miR-497 inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in gastric cancer through the suppression of FGFR1.

Silencing of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 enhances the immunological effect of mucin 1-calreticulin-primed 4T1 cell-treated dendritic cells in breast cancer treatment.

In cancer immunotherapy, dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccines represent a promising, yet challenging, treatment method. In addition to overcoming the low expression levels of antigenic epitopes on cancer cells, it is also necessary to overcome the inhibitory effect of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) on DC self-antigen presentation. Our group previously demonstrated that calreticulin (CRT) translocated type I transmembrane glycoprotein mucin 1 (MUC1), a breast cancer antigen, to the surface of 4T1 cells, and that treatment with MUC1-CRT-primed 4T1 cell-treated DCs induced apoptosis in a breast cancer cell line. In the present study, cell penetrate peptide, hpp10-DRBD was successfully used to deliver siRNAs into bone marrow-derived (BM) DCs to construct SOCS1-silenced DCs, which were incubated with MUC1-CRT-primed 4T1 cells, and antigen-specific antitumor immunity was markedly enhanced in vitro and in vivo. These results demonstrated that SOCS1-silencing, combined with MUC1-CRT-primed 4T1 cell treatment, may induce increased cytokine production and T cell proliferation by DCs. Furthermore, the in vivo experimental data demonstrated that the silencing of SOCS1 combined with MUC1-CRT-primed 4T1 treatment of BMDCs may induce enhanced immunological effects. The results of the present study have implications for the development of more effective DC-based tumor vaccines, suggesting that the combination of high tumor-associated antigen expression levels on cancer cells with the silencing of a critical inhibitor of DC antigen presentation may be beneficial.

Bicyclol Attenuates Liver Inflammation Induced by Infection of Hepatitis C Virus via Repressing ROS-Mediated Activation of MAPK/NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

Treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) cures most patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the real world. However, some patients, especially those with the underlying advanced liver disease, have a limited reduction of liver injury after achieving a sustained viral response (SVR). Bicyclol was widely used in clinics for the treatment of a variety of liver injuries but with an unknown mechanism for the treatment of hepatitis C. We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of bicyclol in HCV-infected hepatocytes and further confirmed the putative results in a mouse hepatitis model induced by the coinjection of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [poly (I:C)] and D-galactosamine (D-GalN). The results showed that the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and the subsequent increase of inflammatory factors were directly induced by HCV infection and were persistent after clearance of the virus in Huh7.5 cells. Bicyclol decreased the activation of NF-κB and the levels of inflammatory factors in HCV-infected hepatocytes by inhibiting the activation of the ROS-MAPK-NF-κB pathway, and the effect was synergistic with DAAs in HCV-infected hepatocytes. Bicyclol attenuated the ROS-MAPK-NF-κB axis via recovering mitochondrial function without a dependence on dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase and superoxide dismutases. The anti-inflammatory effects and mechanism of bicyclol were verified in mouse hepatitis induced by the coinjection of poly(I:C)/D-GalN. Bicyclol directly ameliorates the chronic inflammation caused by HCV infection and might be used with DAAs or after DAA therapy for ultimately curing chronic hepatitis C.

Innate immune evasion strategies against Cryptococcal meningitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans.

As an infectious fungus that affects the respiratory tract, Cryptococcus neoformans (C. neoformans) commonly causes asymptomatic pulmonary infection. C. neoformans may target the brain instead of the lungs and cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in the early phase of infection; however, this is dependent on successful evasion of the host innate immune system. During the initial stage of fungal infection, a complex network of innate immune factors are activated. C. neoformans utilizes a number of strategies to overcome the anti-fungal mechanisms of the host innate immune system and cross the BBB. In the present review, the defensive mechanisms of C. neoformans against the innate immune system and its ability to cross the BBB were discussed, with an emphasis on recent insights into the activities of anti-phagocytotic and anti-oxidative factors in C. neoformans.

Calreticulin is an effective immunologic adjuvant to tumor-associated antigens.

As a key molecule involved in cell recognition, calreticulin (CRT) may be expressed on the surface of (pre-) apoptotic cells and provide the signal that is recognized by dendritic cells (DCs) or other antigen presenting cells (APCs), which results in phagocytosis. Within the APCs, tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) may be subsequently presented to T lymphocytes, which triggers a specific antitumor immune response. It has been hypothesized that CRT is able to act as the immunologic adjuvant and translocate itself and TAAs to the cell surface and induce a specific antitumor immune response. In the present study, CRT was demonstrated to translocate itself and mucin 1 (MUC1), a breast cancer antigen, to the surface of 4T1 cells and the MUC1-CRT-coated cells were able to induce apoptosis in a time-dependent manner. When DCs were infected with adenovirus containing MUC1-CRT, an increase in T cell proliferation and cytokine production was exhibited. These results suggest that CRT may act as an immunologic adjuvant with MUC1 and induce a strong immune response.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 expression has prognostic significance in patients with glioma.

As a cancer stem cell marker associated with tumorigenesis, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) has recently been identified in gliomas. However, an insufficient number of clinical studies have been published to demonstrate its prognostic significance in glioma. In the present study, a systematic meta-analysis was performed to comprehensively evaluate the correlation of ALDH1 with age, sex, the World Health Organization (WHO) grade, and overall survival (OS) in patients with glioma. A search of relevant publications was conducted to select eligible studies on this subject, and the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and related risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were assessed. Publication bias was also evaluated using Begg's funnel plots. A total of 6 articles were identified that included a total of 1,057 patients. OS analysis revealed that a high expression of ALDH1 was significantly associated with poor 5-year OS (n=6; HR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.13-3.91; P<0.0001), and a high WHO grade (III+IV; n=4; RR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.31-3.99; P=0.001). In conclusion, a high expression of ALDH1 is associated with a high WHO grade of gliomas and a worse prognosis in patients with glioma. Further, well-designed clinical studies are required to confirm its role in the process of selecting a suitable therapeutic approach in glioma.

Chloride channels are involved in sperm motility and are downregulated in spermatozoa from patients with asthenozoospermia.

Human spermatozoa encounter an osmotic decrease from 330 to 290 mOsm l-1 when passing through the female reproductive tract. We aimed to evaluate the role of chloride channels in volume regulation and sperm motility from patients with asthenozoospermia. Spermatozoa were purified using Percoll density gradients. Sperm volume was measured as the forward scatter signal using flow cytometry. Sperm motility was analyzed using computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA). When transferred from an isotonic solution (330 mOsm l-1 ) to a hypotonic solution (290 mOsm l-1 ), cell volume was not changed in spermatozoa from normozoospermic men; but increased in those from asthenozoospermic samples. The addition of the chloride channel blockers, 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'- isulfonic acid (DIDS) or 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino) benzoic acid (NPPB) to the hypotonic solution caused the normal spermatozoa to swell but did not increase the volume of those from the asthenozoospermic semen. DIDS and NPPB decreased sperm motility in both sets of semen samples. The inhibitory effect of NPPB on normal sperm motility was much stronger than on spermatozoa from the asthenozoospermic samples. Both sperm types expressed ClC-3 chloride channels, but the expression levels in the asthenozoospermic samples were much lower, especially in the neck and mid-piece areas. Spermatozoa from men with asthenozoospermia demonstrated lower volume regulating capacity, mobility, and ClC-3 expression levels (especially in the neck) than did normal spermatozoa. Thus, chloride channels play important roles in the regulation of sperm volume and motility and are downregulated in cases of asthenozoospermia.

Efficient therapeutic delivery by a novel cell-permeant peptide derived from KDM4A protein for antitumor and antifibrosis.

Cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) based delivery have provided immense potential for the therapeutic applications, however, most of nonhuman originated CPPs carry the risk of possible cytotoxicity and immunogenicity, thus may restricting to be used. Here, we describe a novel human-derived CPP, denoted hPP10, and hPP10 has cell-penetrating properties evaluated by CellPPD web server, as well as In-Vitro and In-Vivo analysis. In vitro studies showed that hPP10-FITC was able to penetrate into various cells including primary cultured cells, likely through an endocytosis pathway. And functionalized macromolecules, such as green fluorescent protein (GFP), tumor-specific apoptosis inducer Apoptin as well as biological active enzyme GCLC (Glutamate-cysteine ligase, catalytic subunit) can be delivered by hPP10 in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our results suggest that hPP10 provide a novel and versatile tool to deliver exogenous proteins or drugs for clinical applications as well as reprogrammed cell-based therapy.

Non-viral methods for generating integration-free, induced pluripotent stem cells.

Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells were created from mouse fibroblasts by induced expression of Yamanaka factors, Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc. This technique has quickly resulted in an exponential increase in the amount of pluripotency studies, and has provided a valuable tool in regenerative medicine. At the same time, many methodologies to generate iPS cells have been reported, and are comprised mainly of viral methods and non-viral methods. Although viral methods may not be applicable for clinical applications, various nonviral methods have been reported in recent years, including DNA vector-based approaches, transfection of mRNA, transduction of reprogramming proteins, and use of small molecule compounds. This review summarizes and evaluates these non-viral methods.

Cell-penetrating Peptide-mediated therapeutic molecule delivery into the central nervous system.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), a dynamic and complex barrier formed by endothelial cells, can impede the entry of unwanted substances - pathogens and therapeutic molecules alike - into the central nervous system (CNS) from the blood circulation. Taking into account the fact that CNS-related diseases are the largest and fastest growing unmet medical concern, many potential protein- and nucleic acid-based medicines have been developed for therapeutic purposes. However, due to their poor ability to cross the BBB and the plasma membrane, the above-mentioned bio-macromolecules have limited use in treating neurological diseases. Finding effective, safe, and convenient ways to deliver therapeutic molecules into the CNS is thus urgently required. In recent decades, much effort has been expended in the development of drug delivery technologies, of which cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have the most promising potential. The present review covers the latest advances in CPP delivery technology, and provides an update on their use in CNS-targeted drug delivery.

[Analysis of short-chain chlorinated paraffins in sediment samples from the mouth of the Daliao River by HRGC/ECNI-LRMS].

An analytical method for quantifying short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) by high-resolution gas chromatography/electron capture negative ion low-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/ECNI-LRMS) was presented. The cleanup procedure with an acid silica gel column and activated neutral alumina column was optimized to remove the interferences. As illustration of the application of the method to environmental samples, it is found that lower chlorinated C10 and C11 compounds were the main SCCPs compounds in six sediment samples from the mouth of the Daliao River. The concentrations of SCCPs in sediments were determined to be in the range of 64.9-407.0 ng/g and showed a decreasing tendency from the shore to the remote location.