Sonodynamic Therapy: Advances and Challenges in Clinical Translation

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) consists of the synergetic interaction between ultrasound and a chemical agent. In SDT, the cytotoxicity is triggered by ultrasonic stimuli, notably through cavitation. The unique features of SDT are relevant in the clinical context more than ever: the need for efficacy, accuracy, and safety while being noninvasive and preserving the patient's quality of life. However, despite the promising results of this technique, only a few clinical reports describe the use of SDT. The objective of this article is to provide an extensive overview of the clinical and preclinical research conducted in vivo on SDT, to identify the limitations, and to detail the developed strategies to overcome them.     

Generalized,severe epidermolysis bullosa simplex caused by a Keratin 5 p.E477K mutation

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) is a skin fragility disorder resulting from mutations of structural proteins in the epidermis. We provide a brief report of long‐term survival and reproduction in a mother with EBS due to keratin 5 (KRT5) c.1429G > A (p.E477K) mutation, which causes a particularly severe form of the disease.     

lncRNAPCGEM1对肺癌A549细胞恶性生物学行为的影响及其作用机制

目的：探讨长链非编码RNA（long-chain noncoding，lncRNA）PCGEM1 对肺癌A549 细胞恶性生物学行为的影响及其作用机制。方法：收集2016 年3 月至2018 年5 月湖北医药学院附属太和医院胸外科接受手术治疗的62 例肺癌（lung cancer，LC）患者癌组织及相应的癌旁组织标本，并用以上组织构建LC组织芯片。用qPCR检测lncRNA PCGEM1 及miR-148a 在LC组织相应的癌旁组织及LC细胞株中的表达。构建lncRNA PCGEM1 沉默细胞系A549-siPCGEM1 和阴性对照A549-NC，并以A549 细胞作为空白对照（Control 组），用MTT和平板克隆实验检测敲减PCGEM1 对A549 细胞增殖能力的影响，Transwell 和划痕实验检测敲减PCGEM1 对A549 细胞侵袭和迁移能力的影响。使用生物信息学网站StarBase 预测可互补结合PCGEM1的miRNA，再根据Targetscan 网站预测相应可靶向结合miRNA的基因；Western blotting 实验检测TGF-β2/Smad2 信号通路蛋白表达情况。结果：在LC组织中PCGEM1 的表达水平高于癌旁组织而miR-148a 的表达量明显低于癌旁组织（均P<0.05），PCGEM1 在5 种LC细胞株中的表达明显高于人肺成纤维细胞HLF-02（均P<0.05），且以A549 细胞中表达最高。敲减PCGEM1 后，与Control 组和A549-NC 组比较，A549-siPCGEM1 组A549 细胞增殖、侵袭和迁移能力显著降低（均P<0.05）。StarBase 和Targetscan 网站预测结果显示，PCGEM1 可与miR-148a 互补结合，miR-148a 与TGF-β2 存在靶向结合位点。与Control 组和A549-NC组比较，A549-siPCGEM1 组中miR-148a 表达明显升高，TGF-β2 及p-Smad2 蛋白的表达明显降低（均P<0.05）。结论：lncRNA PCGEM1在LC组织和细胞株中高表达，高表达的PCGEM1 可通过下调miR-148a 水平强化TGF β2/Smad2 信号通路，从而促进A549 细胞恶性生物学行为的进展。     

Heterogeneity of weight loss after gastric bypass,sleeve gastrectomy,and adjustable gastric banding

Background

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding all lead to substantial weight loss in obese patients. Long-term weight loss can be highly variable beyond 1-year postsurgery. This study examines and compares the frequency distribution of weight loss and lack of treatment effect rates after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding.

Dishonesty in scientific research

Fraudulent business practices, such as those leading to the Enron scandal and the conviction of Bernard Madoff, evoke a strong sense of public outrage. But fraudulent or dishonest actions are not exclusive to the realm of big corporations or to evil individuals without consciences. Dishonest actions are all too prevalent in everyone’s daily lives, because people are constantly encountering situations in which they can gain advantages by cutting corners. Whether it’s adding a few dollars in value to the stolen items reported on an insurance claim form or dropping outlier data points from a figure to make a paper sound more interesting, dishonesty is part of the human condition. Here, we explore how people rationalize dishonesty, the implications for scientific research, and what can be done to foster a culture of research integrity.