Advances in stem cell treatment for sciatic nerve injury

Introduction: The sciatic nerve is one of the peripheral nerves that is most prone to injuries. After injury, the connection between the nervous system and the distal organs is disrupted, and delayed treatment results in distal organ atrophy and total disability. Regardless of great advances in the fields of neurosurgery, biological sciences, and regenerative medicine, total functional recovery is yet to be achieved.

Areas covered: Cell-based therapy for the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) has brought a new perspective to the field of regenerative medicine. Having the ability to differentiate into neural and glial cells, stem cells enhance neural regeneration after PNIs. Augmenting axonal regeneration, remyelination, and muscle mass preservation are the main mechanisms underlying stem cells’ beneficial effects on neural regeneration.

Expert opinion: Despite the usefulness of employing stem cells for the treatment of PNIs in pre-clinical settings, further assessments are still needed in order to translate this approach into clinical settings. Mesenchymal stem cells, especially adipose-derived stem cells, with the ability of autologous transplantation, as well as easy harvesting procedures, are speculated to be the most promising source to be used in the treatment of PNIs.     

3‐O‐Laurylglyceryl ascorbate improves the development of sensitive skin through the reduction of oxidative stress

Skin sensitivity is a serious problem for many people, and it can be induced by various factors such as UV irradiation, physical and mental stresses, air pollution, dry air and so on. Skin dryness triggered by UV and dry air is one of the most important causes inducing the development of sensitive skin, and it has been reported that oxidative stress contributes to skin dryness. In this study, we investigated whether treatment with 3‐O‐laurylglyceryl ascorbate (VC‐3LG), which is an amphipathic ascorbic acid derivative, can suppress the development of sensitive skin. The results demonstrate that VC‐3LG restores the expression levels of interleukin‐1α, nerve growth factor and matrix metalloprotease‐9 in the dry skin models of reconstructed human epidermal equivalents (RHEEs) and in H₂O₂‐treated keratinocytes. In addition, VC‐3LG suppresses the dendrite elongation of nerve cells induced in RHEEs by dry skin conditions and by H₂O₂ treatment of keratinocytes. Therefore, we consider that treatment of the skin with VC‐3LG is an effective approach to improve the development of sensitive skin.     

视神经炎的临床特征分析及早期视盘和黄斑的改变

目的　研究视神经炎患者的临床特征及早期视盘和黄斑的改变。方法　回顾性分析山西省眼科医院视神经炎患者67例85眼。分析患者基本情况、眼科检查结果及OCT检查结果。结果　67例85眼中，男24例，女43例；28例（41.8%）发生于冬季；49眼（57.6%）入院时最佳矫正视力小于1.7 logMAR。视神经脊髓炎抗体阳性者出院和入院时的最佳矫正视力均较髓鞘少突胶质糖蛋白抗体阳性者差。患眼较健眼视盘周围神经纤维层增厚，杯盘面积比、杯盘垂直比、杯盘水平比、杯容积减小，盘沿面积、视盘面积增大（均为P=0.000）；与健眼相比，患眼早期上方、下方和平均黄斑区神经节细胞层厚度及黄斑区神经节细胞复合体的局部丢失体积、整体丢失体积均未发生明显改变（均为P＞0.05）。视盘水肿与患眼平均视盘周围神经纤维层厚度存在正相关（r=0.728，P=0.000）。结论　视神经炎多发生于女性，早期视力损害严重，视神经脊髓炎抗体阳性者视力预后差。早期由于视盘水肿，视盘周围神经纤维层增厚，盘沿面积、视盘面积增大；杯容积、杯盘比减小，早期病变未累及黄斑区。     

Pain after posterolateral versus nerve-sparing thoracotomy: A randomized trial

Objectives

Post-thoracotomy pain leads to patient discomfort, pulmonary complications, and increased analgesic use. Intercostal nerve injury during thoracotomy or its entrapment during closure can contribute to post-thoracotomy pain. We hypothesized that a modified technique of posterolateral thoracotomy and closure, preserving the intercostal neurovascular bundle, would reduce acute and chronic post-thoracotomy pain.

Leukaemic variants of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: Erythrodermic mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome

Mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS) are the most common types of cutaneous lymphoma, accounting for approximately 60% of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Diagnosis requires correlation of clinical, histologic, and molecular features. A multitude of factors have been linked to the aetiopathogenesis, however, none have been definitively proven. Erythrodermic MF (E-MF) and SS share overlapping clinical features, such as erythroderma, but are differentiated on the degree of malignant blood involvement. While related, they are considered to be two distinct entities originating from different memory T cell subsets. Differential expression of PD-1 and KIR3DL2 may represent a tool for distinguishing MF and SS, as well as a means of monitoring treatment response. Treatment of E-MF/SS is guided by disease burden, patients’ ages and comorbidities, and effect on quality of life. Current treatment options include biologic, targeted, immunologic, and investigational therapies that can provide long term response with minimal side effects. Currently, allogeneic stem cell transplantation is the only potential curative treatment.     

Intraneural angioleiomyoma of the median nerve presenting as a forearm mass: A case report

Angioleiomyoma is a solitary form of leiomyoma which is typically encountered in the subcutis. They are mostly seen in lower extremities, and the upper extremity is the second most common location for these lesions. There are only a few reports about the presence of an angioleiomyoma within a peripheral nerve in the upper extremity. Here we report a 56-year-old male patient who was referred to our clinic after an attempt was made for removal of a forearm mass at another institution. The lesion was encased within the median nerve and there was an unusual hypervascularity around the tumor with numerous vessels entering the lesion. Removal of the tumor without apparent damage to nerve fascicles was possible. Histopathological examination of the excision material revealed an intraneural angioleiomyoma. Following surgery, the patient was free of any functional deficits and no evidence of recurrence was observed at one year follow-up. There is no data regarding recurrence in intraneural lesions due to the lack of a large series. It would not be wrong to recommend spare grossly uninvolved fascicles if the nerve in question is not expendable.