A DNA vaccine expressing an optimized secreted FAPα induces enhanced anti-tumor activity by altering the tumor microenvironment in a murine model of breast cancer

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), major components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), promote tumor growth and metastasis and inhibit the anti-tumor immune response. We previously constructed a DNA vaccine expressing human FAPα, which is highly expressed by CAFs, to target these cells in the TME, and observed limited anti-tumor effects in the 4T1 breast cancer model. When the treatment time was delayed until tumor nodes formed, the anti-tumor effect of the vaccine completely disappeared. In this study, to improve the safety and efficacy, we constructed a new FAPα-targeted vaccine containing only the extracellular domain of human FAPα with a tissue plasminogen activator signal sequence for enhanced antigen secretion and immunogenicity. The number of CAFs was more effectively reduced by CD8⁺ T cells induced by the new vaccine. This resulted in decreases in CCL2 and CXCL12 expression, leading to a significant decrease in the ratio of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the TME. Moreover, when mice were treated after the establishment of tumors, the vaccine could still delay tumor growth. To facilitate the future application of the vaccine in clinical trials, we further optimized the gene codons and reduced the homology between the vaccine and the original sequence, which may be convenient for evaluating the vaccine distribution in the human body. These results indicated that the new FAPα-targeted vaccine expressing an optimized secreted human FAPα induced enhanced anti-tumor activity by reducing the number of FAPα⁺ CAFs and enhancing the recruitment of effector T cells in the 4T1 tumor model mice.     

人胚雪旺细胞组织工程神经修复坐骨神经缺损的实验研究

目的：探索人胚雪旺细胞作为组织工程的种子细胞修复周围神经缺损的可行性。方法：通过组织工程方法用PLGA导管和polyglactin 910纤维负载人胚雪旺细胞预先构置好人工神经，然后用于修复大鼠20mm的坐骨神经缺损，并与神经切断后原位缝合以及用单纯的PLGA导管进行修复的实验组进行对照。通过活体肢体功能观察、靶器官肌肉测量、电生理检测、辣根过氧化物酶示踪、连续组织切片图像分析以及透射电镜等检查神经再生情况。结果：人工神经修复组神经再生良好，效果接近于神经原位缝合组，明显优于单纯的PLGA导管修复组。结论：人胚雪旺细胞构建的人工神经可以修复20mm的周围神经缺损。     

High-resolution optical coherence tomography as a non-destructive monitoring tool for the engineering of skin equivalents

BACKGROUND: Three dimensional skin equivalents are widely used in dermatopharmacological and toxicological studies and as autologous transplants in wound healing. In pharmacology, there is tremendous need for monitoring the response of engineered skin equivalents to external treatment. Transplantation of skin equivalents for wound healing requires careful verification of their quality prior to transplantation. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-contact, non-destructive imaging technique for living tissues offering the potential to fulfill these needs. This work presents an analysis of OCT for high-resolution monitoring of skin equivalents at different stages during the culture process. METHODS: We developed a high-resolution OCT imaging setup based on a commercially available OCT system. A broadband femtosecond laser light source replaces the original superluminescence diode. Tomograms of living skin equivalents were recorded with an axial resolution of 3 mum and correlated with histology and immunofluorescence images. Comparison with standard low-resolution OCT is presented to emphasize the advantages of high-resolution OCT for this application. RESULTS: OCT is particularly able to distinguish between different layers of skin equivalents including stratum corneum, epidermal and dermal layer as well as the basement membrane zone. The high-resolution OCT scans correlate closely with two key benchmarks, histology and immunofluorescence imaging. CONCLUSIONS: This study clearly demonstrates the benefits of high-resolution OCT for identifying living tissue structure and morphology. Compared with the current gold standard histology, OCT offers non-destructive tissue imaging, enabling high-resolution evaluation of living tissue morphology and structure as it evolves.     

趾蹼血管分型的临床认识

目的分析120例足趾移植再造手指病例，对趾蹼间的血管形态和交通情况进行观察，并阐述其临床意义。方法临床观察120例156侧趾蹼，对第一跖骨背动脉和第一趾底动脉在趾蹼间的走向、口径以及两者的交通支情况进行记录并进行分型。结果按孙博的分型方法：Ⅰ型72侧，占46．2％；Ⅱ型57侧，占36．5％；Ⅱ型7侧，占4．5％；Ⅳ型3侧，占1．9％；Ⅴ型15侧，占9．6％；另有2侧（占1．3％）第一跖骨背血管口径〉1mm，虽发出趾背动脉供养蹲趾胫侧和第二趾腓侧，但在趾蹼内与趾底血管无吻合，故称之为孙博Ⅵ型。结论（1）从解剖形态看应增加孙博Ⅵ型较全面；（2）从临床实用角度出发，趾蹼间血管可以简单分为三型：Ⅰ型交通支口径在0．5mm以上。Ⅱ型交通支在0．5mm以下。Ⅲ型无交通；（3）手术中采用第一套或第二套供血系统，首先要看趾蹼间血管的交通支，即按本组的分型属Ⅰ型采用第一套供血系统，Ⅱ、Ⅲ型采用第二套供血系统。     

树枝状静脉移植在手部创伤中的应用

目的探讨手掌严重碾挫伤应用血管移植手术方法的选择。方法对12例手掌碾挫伤伴血管损伤的患者，采用树枝状浅表静脉倒转后多级移植修复缺损的手掌动脉，同时对缺损皮肤一期行植皮或皮瓣修复。结果术后12例创面全部Ⅰ期愈合，手指血循环好。术后随访3～22个月，手功能评定： 优5例，良4例，可2例，差1例，优良率为75％。手掌恢复了良好的外形和功能，能完成手指的捏、握、对掌和对指功能。结论对严重的手掌毁损伤，利用树枝状静脉移植修复缺损的血管，能获得较好的手功能和外形。     

应用皮瓣移植修复足跟部皮肤软组织缺损

目的通过8种不同皮瓣的临床应用,总结足跟部皮肤软组织缺损的修复效果。方法采用了游离足背皮瓣、游离背阔肌皮瓣、游离肩胛皮瓣、桥式胫后动脉岛状皮瓣、桥式携带背阔肌皮瓣或桥式携带肩胛皮瓣、胫后动脉岛状皮瓣、胫后动脉皮支岛状皮瓣、跖底内侧动脉岛状皮瓣,对足跟部皮肤软组织缺损进行修复的临床应用。结果95块皮瓣修复足跟部皮肤软组织缺损,成活93块,成功率为97.9%。随访1～15年,治疗效果满意。结论应用皮瓣移植的方法,才能使足跟部皮肤软组织缺损得到有效的修复。     

组织工程血管管状支架的制备与动态培养在血管组织工程中的应用

目的探索体外构建组织工程血管及细胞种植的方法。方法(1)制备管状支架模具,采用模具成形,冷冻干燥等技术,应用胶原和透明质酸复合体外预构管状支架;(2)分动态种植和静态培养两组进行细胞分层种植,每组12个,应用水溶性磺酸四唑(WST-1)测定,扫描电镜观察,5-溴2-脱氧嘧啶核苷(BrdU)细胞标记鉴定比较两种方法的细胞生长情况。结果(1)成功制备了管状支架,在培养液中约3周可保持管腔形态不变形,不塌陷;2.WST-1测定值在培养6、14、20 d分别为:动态组0.842±0.110、1.124±0.102、1.132±0.112,静态组0.386±0.121、0.489±0.245、0.499±0.265,两组比较差异有统计学意义,电镜和BrdU标记表明动态组细胞排列整齐有序。结论应用模具成形,冷冻干燥技术预构管状支架的方法切实可行,动态培养有助于细胞种植,本研究为组织工程血管的构建方法提供了思路。     

组织工程化表皮膜片构建及其在供皮区的应用研究

目的构建组织工程化表皮细胞膜片并应用于供皮区创面治疗。方法利用患者少量自体或同种异体正常皮肤分离、培养、扩增的表皮细胞,接种于壳聚糖明胶膜构建成表皮细胞膜片;将膜片移植于治疗组供皮区创面、适度加压,同时设立对照组:空白材料对照以及传统油纱布对照覆盖创面。于术后5～10d、30d、90d行大体观察、组织学检查、广谱角蛋白、外皮蛋白、层粘连蛋白、免疫组织化学检测以及Ⅰ、Ⅲ型胶原比值测定(偏光显微镜、RTPCR)。结果利用自体及异体表皮细胞和壳聚糖明胶膜能够构建出人表皮细胞膜片,应用于临床供皮区创面治疗15例,经过3个月随访,疗效肯定。移植膜片创面愈合时间(8.1±1.3)d,空白材料对照区为(16.2±3.8)d,空白油纱布对照区为(23.0±5.8)d。移植膜片存活良好,结构较完整、术后30d及90d观察:12例无明显增生,3例有轻度增生(20.0%),而空白油纱布对照区11例遗留增生性瘢痕(74.4%,χ2=8.127,P<0.01)。结论表皮细胞-壳聚糖明胶膜片能促进供皮区创面早期愈合并减少后期瘢痕增生,具有良好治疗效果。     

支架及无支架条件下构建组织工程软骨的研究进展

支架材料的研究是组织工程的研究热点之一,软骨细胞复合培养给组织工程软骨的构建带来希望,单一的材料诸如胶原、透明质酸、壳聚糖、纤维蛋白凝胶等已经证明可以与软骨细胞复合培养,两种或者多种材料复合可以提高材料的性能,更好地用于组织工程软骨的构建,并满足软骨缺损修复的需要;同样,在无支架情况下应用软骨细胞聚集培养、沉淀培养的方法,可以构建组织工程软骨,并给软骨缺损的修复带来新希望,但目前的研究较少。两者是组织工程软骨构建的两个主要方向。     

Evidence for motility and pinocytosis in ramified microglia in tissue culture

Ramified microglial cells were investigated in primary cultures of dissociated cerebral cortical tissue from rats. The identification of these cells was confirmed through immunohistochemical staining with 7 monoclonal antibodies selective for microglia. While there was significant variation in staining intensity with different antibodies, all stained the identified ramified cells; the antibodies OX-42 and ED1 yielded the most intense immunoreactivity. Based on distinctive morphological features, the microglia could be identified in living cultures where they were monitored using time-lapse video recording. This technique revealed extremely dynamic features of cellular plasticity and motility. Ramified microglia exhibited constant and rapid alterations in the size and shape of their cell body with an associated extension and retraction of processes; concomitantly, the cells moved about in a circumscribed area. These features of plasticity and motility were unique to this cell type, and correlated with OX-42 immunostaining. The microglia also possessed a differentially high level of pinocytotic activity; this too was correlated with OX-42 staining. From the nature of their morphological plasticity and motility, high pinocytosis, and cellular distribution, it is hypothesized that the ramified microglia specifically function as a system of fluid cleansing in normal brain tissue.