人胎盘间充质干细胞的生物学特性及超微结构

目的 研究胎盘间充质干细胞生物学特性和超微结构,并探讨其在骨组织工程学中修复重建的应用前景.方法 胎盘间充质干细胞,测定其细胞周期及凋亡率情况,原子力显微镜观察细胞的表面结构,及向成骨细胞诱导分化.结果 人胎盘间充质干细胞为成纤维细胞样,增殖能力强,9.7％的细胞处于G2/M期或者S期.超微结构分析显示其细胞代谢活跃,黏附能力强,能被诱导分化为成骨细胞.结论 人胎盘间充质干细胞具备适合应用于骨组织工程学的良好生物学特性,并避免了免疫排斥和伦理问题,可望成为骨组织修复重建中的一个新的治疗途径.     

Another tool in the genome-wide association study arsenal: population-based detection of somatic gene conversion

The hunt for the genetic contributors to complex disease has used a number of strategies, resulting in the identification of variants associated with many of the common diseases affecting society. However most of the genetic variants detected to date are single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variants (CNVs) and fall far short of explaining the full genetic component of any given disease. An as yet untapped genomic mechanism is somatic gene conversion and deletion, which could be complicit in disease risk but has been challenging to detect in genome-wide datasets. In a recent publication in BMC Medicine by Kenneth Ross, the author uses existing datasets to look at somatic gene conversion and deletion in human disease. Here, we describe how Ross's recent efforts to detect such occurrences could impact the field going forward.     

Health service nutrition practices and associations with clinical outcomes in patients undergoing resection for upper gastrointestinal cancer: Results from the multi-centre NOURISH point prevalence study

Background

The present study aimed to investigate health service nutrition practices of sites providing care to patients undergoing surgery for upper gastrointestinal cancer within Australia, including the provision of perioperative nutrition support services and outpatient clinics, as well as the use of evidence-based nutrition care pathways/protocols. Secondary aims were to investigate associations between the use of a nutrition care pathway/protocol and patient outcomes.

Methods

Principal investigator dietitians for the sites (n = 27) participating in the NOURISH point prevalence study participated in a purpose-built site-specific survey regarding perioperative nutrition practices and protocols. Data from the 200 patients who participated in the study (including malnutrition prevalence, preoperative weight loss and receipt of dietetics intervention, intraoperative feeding tube insertions, provision of nutrition support day 1 post surgery, length of stay, and complications) were investigated using multivariate analysis to determine associations with the sites' use of a nutrition care pathway/protocol.

Results

The majority of sites (>92%) reported having dietetics services available in chemotherapy/radiotherapy. Eighty-five percent of sites reported having some form of outpatient clinic service; however, a routine service was only available at 26% of sites preoperatively and 37% postoperatively. Most preoperative services were embedded into surgical/oncology clinics (70%); however, this was reported for only 44% of postoperative clinics. Only 44% had a nutrition care pathway/protocol in place. The use of a nutrition care pathway/protocol was associated with lower rates of malnutrition, as well as higher rates of preoperative dietetics intervention, intraoperative feeding tube insertions, and European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) guideline compliant care day 1 post surgery.

Conclusions

The results of the present study demonstrate varied perioperative outpatient nutrition services in this high-risk patient group. The use of nutrition care pathways and protocols was associated with improved patient outcomes.