分子影像——多学科交叉、渗透、相互促进和协调发展的结晶

分子影像学是分子生物学和活体影像学相结合产生的新型学科,是在不干扰机体的情况下对细胞功能及生物学行为进行图像的可视化研究[1].从Weissleder等[2]正式确立其概念以来,分子影像学强调活体、亚细胞水平对完整器官进行生物代谢过程的研究,其发展是工业、物理、化学、数学、计算机、生物化学、细胞生物学、分子生物学、免疫学、基础医学和临床医学、生物数学、生物信息学和影像学之间交叉渗透、相结合的产物,是各学科协调发展的结晶.     

分子影像学——多学科交叉、渗透、相互促进和协调发展的结晶

分子影像学是分子生物学和活体影像学相结合产生的新型学科,是在不干扰机体的情况下对细胞功能及生物学行为进行图像的可视化研究[1].从Weissleder等[2]正式确立其概念以来,分子影像学强调活体、亚细胞水平对完整器官进行生物代谢过程的研究,其发展是工业、物理、化学、数学、计算机、生物化学、细胞生物学、分子生物学、免疫学、基础医学和临床医学、生物数学、生物信息学和影像学之间交叉渗透、相结合的产物,是各学科协调发展的结晶.     

生物单分子行为研究——多学科交叉的具体体现：我国“生物科学中的单分子行为研究”重大项目启动

生物单分子行为研究,是指在单分子水平对生物行为的实时动态检测,是分子生物学的自然延伸和必然的发展趋势.它充分地体现了多学科参与的交叉学科,由医学生物学家,与数理化学家联手冲击生命科学的国际前沿的重大科研项目,具明显的前瞻性和重要的战略意义.标志我国生命科学研究全面深入到单分子的行为层面,已经与国际同行站到了同一起跑线上.     

交叉呈递的分子机制研究进展

交叉呈递是将外源性的抗原呈递给组织相容性复合体(MHC)Ⅰ类的途径,对增强CD8+T细胞的免疫反应有着非常重要的作用。交叉呈递过程中增强抗原的稳定性可显著提高细胞交叉呈递的能力,而具有交叉呈递能力的细胞有多种潜在的分子机制来抑制蛋白酶的活性,从而降低抗原的降解速度来增强抗原的稳定性。此外,通过特异性的内体受体可以使抗原具有更好的稳定性,从而提高交叉呈递的效率。通过不同抗原装配模式可进一步提高细胞交叉呈递的能力。随着对交叉呈递的分子机制的不断深入了解,利用其潜在的免疫治疗效用将为疾病的治疗提供新的思路。     

有丝分裂交叉、基因密度和癌基因

有丝分裂交叉是Bloom综合征(BS)的特征,在染色体上具有很高的非随机分布,某些Q暗带构成了特殊的热点。Korenbeng等(1978)指出,这些区域还有一些值得注意的特征,例如,携带有丝分裂交叉的染色体产生三体性流产是罕见的,这是由于染色体上具有较多的基因,可能集中在热点内。     

精准医学时代的核医学分子影像

2015年初,美国正式推出“精确医学计划”,随后我国也启动了“精准医学”计划.临床研究已经发现核医学分子影像使得许多疾患的临床诊治工作更加精准,尤其在肿瘤、神经等领域临床应用价值明显.本文旨在通过二者进行梳理,分析核医学分子影像在精准医学中的实际应用,寄希望于核医学分子影像能够在我国精准医学中的发挥更大价值.     

分子影像及其在活体内应用的研究进展

分子影像是用应用正电子发射断层扫描（positron emission tomography，PET）、单光子发射计算机体层摄影术（single photon emission computed tomography，SPECT）、PET／计算机体层摄影术（computed tomography，CT）（PET／CT）、PET／磁共振成像（magnetic resonance imaging，MRI）（PET／MRI）、超声仪（ultrasound）和光学成像仪（optical imaging）等成像系统，直接或者间接非侵袭性对活体组织细胞的生化、生理、诊断和治疗等分子事件的成像技术。     

阿尔茨海默病与肌肉减少症的相互促进：肌因子、淀粉样蛋白和其他因素的作用

<正>人口老龄化加上慢性病发病率上升给社会保健和护理系统带来相当大的负担^[1]。阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer disease,AD)和肌肉减少症(sarcopenia;简称“肌少症”)是老龄化人口中最常见的两个残疾负担原因^[2],理清肌少症和AD的关系和可能的机制对减轻老龄化护理负担具有重要意义。目前越来越多的证据表明肌少症与AD可能是老年人通向虚弱和残疾中两个相互促进、互为条件的途径,     

争鸣与合作——记2009江苏博士研究生学术论坛分子影像会议

2009江苏博士研究生学术论坛分子影像学会议于2009年5月23日在南京东南大学正式召开。与会专家和代表来自全国50多所高等院校和著名科研单位及综合性医院。大会主席是江苏省分子影像中心主任、东南大学附属医院放射科主任滕皋军教授。     

虾、蟹交叉过敏原的研究

目的分析不同虾蟹过敏原组分间的交叉反应,探讨交叉过敏原在虾、蟹等甲壳类过敏食物检测、诊断和疫苗设计中的意义。方法运用20例虾过敏患者血清和制备的凡纳滨对虾主要过敏原-原肌球蛋白的8株单克隆抗体(mAbs),通过Western blot和间接竞争ELISA分析凡纳滨对虾、日本沼虾和梭子蟹的交叉过敏反应及它们的主要交叉过敏原。结果 Westernblot的结果显示,凡纳滨对虾、日本沼虾和梭子蟹分别能与85%、85%和75%的虾过敏患者血清IgE特异性反应;间接竞争ELISA的结果显示,3种虾蟹粗提液均可显著抑制虾过敏患者血清IgE与凡纳滨对虾蛋白的结合,最大抑制率分别93%、84%、60%;8株凡纳滨对虾原肌球蛋白的mAbs与日本沼虾和梭子蟹的Western blot和间接竞争ELISA反应中,6株mAbs可与日本沼虾和梭子蟹的相对分子质量为36 000蛋白反应。结论凡纳滨对虾、日本沼虾和梭子蟹之间存在交叉过敏反应,且具有多个交叉过敏原,其中原肌球蛋白是主要的交叉过敏原。     

Mother and newborn baby: mutual regulation of physiology and behavior--a selective review

This article reviews 30 years of work demonstrating that interactions between mother and newborn infant in the period just after birth influence the physiology and behavior of both. Close body contact of the infant with his/her mother helps regulate the newborn's temperature, energy conservation, acid-base balance, adjustment of respiration, crying, and nursing behaviors. Similarly, the baby may regulate--i.e., increase--the mother's attention to his/her needs, the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding, and the efficiency of her energy economy through vagus activation and a surge of gastrointestinal tract hormone release resulting in better exploitation of ingested calories. The effects of some of these changes can be detected months later. Parallels to animal research and possible mechanisms are discussed.     

Molecular identification and epidemiological tracing of Pasteurella multocida meningitis in a baby

We report a case of Pasteurella multocida meningitis in a 1-month-old baby exposed to close contact with two dogs and a cat but without any known history of injury by these animals. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the isolate from the baby allowed identification at the subspecies level and pointed to the cat as a possible source of infection. Molecular typing of Pasteurella isolates from the animals, from the baby, and from unrelated animals clearly confirmed that the cat harbored the same P. multocida subsp. septica strain on its tonsils as the one isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of the baby. This case stresses the necessity of informing susceptible hosts at risk of contracting zoonotic agents about some basic hygiene rules when keeping pets. In addition, this study illustrates the usefulness of molecular methods for identification and epidemiological tracing of Pasteurella isolates.     

Psychopathology, mother-child interaction, and infant development: substance-abusing mothers and their offspring

The course of severe depressive symptoms from pregnancy to 6 months postpartum, as well as the occurrence of severe paranoid symptoms prenatally, were examined by the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory I and the Beck Depression Inventory, in 78 women who were heavy, chronic cocaine users and who retained custody of their children after birth. Six months postpartum, the quality of caregiving was observed and assessed in the home, and the children were assessed on the Bayley MDI Index in the laboratory. Mothers who were depressed and paranoid prenatally, regardless of whether the depression continued to 6 months postpartum, were less sensitive in caregiving than women without severe symptoms of paranoia or depression during pregnancy or those who reported only depression that lifted by 6 months postpartum. Mothers who were depressed prenatally and continued to be depressed by 6 months postpartum, regardless of the presence or absence of paranoia, had infants who earned lower Bayley MDI scores than the offspring of women without severe psychological symptoms or women whose depression had lifted. Severe depressive symptoms during pregnancy, if they did not continue to 6 months postpartum, did not appear to adversely influence either caregiving or infant functioning.     

Molecular host-pathogen interaction in brucellosis: current understanding and future approaches to vaccine development for mice and humans

Brucellosis caused by Brucella spp. is a major zoonotic disease. Control of brucellosis in agricultural animals is a prerequisite for the prevention of this disease in human beings. Recently, Brucella melitensis was declared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be one of three major bioterrorist agents due to the expense required for the treatment of human brucellosis patients. Also, the economic agricultural loss due to bovine brucellosis emphasizes the financial impact of brucellosis in society. Thus, vaccination might efficiently solve this disease. Currently, B. abortus RB51 and B. melitensis REV.1 are used to immunize cattle and to immunize goats and sheep, respectively, in many countries. However, these genetically undefined strains still induce abortion and persistent infection, raising questions of safety and efficiency. In fact, the REV.1 vaccine is quite virulent and apparently unstable, creating the need for improved vaccines for B. melitensis. In addition, Brucella spp. may or may not provide cross-protection against infection by heterologous Brucella species, hampering the acceleration of vaccine development. This review provides our current understanding of Brucella pathogenesis and host immunity for the development of genetically defined efficient vaccine strains. Additionally, conditions required for an effective Brucella vaccine strain as well as the future research direction needed to investigate Brucella pathogenesis and host immunity are postulated.     

Molecular electron paramagnetic resonance imaging of melanin in melanomas: a proof-of-concept

The incidence of malignant melanoma is increasing at an alarming rate. As the clinical outcome of the disease strongly depends on the localization of the lesion, early detection at the initial stages of development is critical. Here, we suggest spatial characterization of melanoma based on the presence of endogenous stable free radicals in melanin pigments. Taking into account the abundance of these naturally occurring free radicals in proliferating melanocytes and their localization pattern, we hypothesized that electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) imaging could be a unique tool for mapping melanomas with high sensitivity and high resolution. The potential of EPR to image melanoma samples was demonstrated in vitro in animal and human samples. Using EPR systems operating at low frequency, we were also able to record in vivo EPR spectra and images from the melanin present in a subcutaneous melanoma implanted in a mouse. In addition to the proof-of-concept and the achievement of providing the first non-invasive image of an endogenous radical, this technology may represent a key advance in improving the diagnosis of suspected melanoma lesions.     

Family interaction and the development of borderline personality disorder: a transactional model

Although no prospective epidemiological studies have evaluated the relationship between family interactions and the development of borderline personality disorder (BPD), there is considerable evidence for the central role of family interactions in the development of BPD. This paper describes the role of family interactions or processes, especially those that might be regarded as invalidating or conflictual, negative or critical, and the absence of more validating, positive, supportive, empathic interactions, in the development of BPD. Perhaps more importantly, the proposed model considers how these parental and family behaviors transact with the child's own behaviors and emotional vulnerabilities, resulting in a developmental model of BPD that is neither blaming of the family member with BPD nor of her or his parents and caregivers, and has important and specific implications for both prevention and intervention.     

Graemlin: general and robust alignment of multiple large interaction networks

The recent proliferation of protein interaction networks has motivated research into network alignment: the cross-species comparison of conserved functional modules. Previous studies have laid the foundations for such comparisons and demonstrated their power on a select set of sparse interaction networks. Recently, however, new computational techniques have produced hundreds of predicted interaction networks with interconnection densities that push existing alignment algorithms to their limits. To find conserved functional modules in these new networks, we have developed Graemlin, the first algorithm capable of scalable multiple network alignment. Graemlin's explicit model of functional evolution allows both the generalization of existing alignment scoring schemes and the location of conserved network topologies other than protein complexes and metabolic pathways. To assess Graemlin's performance, we have developed the first quantitative benchmarks for network alignment, which allow comparisons of algorithms in terms of their ability to recapitulate the KEGG database of conserved functional modules. We find that Graemlin achieves substantial scalability gains over previous methods while improving sensitivity.