Objective To summarize the roles of tumor initiating cells （TICs） and epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） in tumor metastasis and drug resistance. Methods Domestic and international publications online which involving TICs，EMT，and its roles in tumor metastasis and drug resistance in recent years were reviewed. Results TICs were self-renewal cells and had the ability to give rise to more differentiated cell types，and played an important role in tumor metastasis and drug resistance. Various markers had been used to identify TICs，such as CD133，CD44，and so on. EMT was the process by which epithelial cells losed polarity and detach from the epithelial sheet， and acquired a motile mesenchymal phenotype，usually observed in embryo development and wound healing. It also could promote tumor progression and metastasis，and may also be responsible for the ability of tumors to evade the body’s immune response. EMT may be the reasons of TICs that drived tumor metastasis and recurrence. TICs or EMT as a target for treatments may effectively prevent tumor recurrence and improve patient’s survival. Conclusions EMT is probably the mechanism that TICs promote tumor metastasis and drug resistance. More effective target therapies for cancer may be found if we know more about TICs and EMT.
Objective To summarize the development of gallbladder carcinoma related resistance genes and targeted therapy. Methods Domestic and international publications online involving resistance genes and targeted therapy of gallbladder carcinoma in recent years were collected and reviewed. Results Recent studies had shown that chemotherapy drug resistance of gallbladder carcinoma mainly involved lysosome protein transmembrane β4 （LAPTM4B） gene， NF-E2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） gene， and cancer stem cells （CSCs）. While the latest gene targets of treatment for gallbladder carcinoma mainly involved LAPTM4B， Nemo-like kinase （NLK）， tissue factor way inhibitor-2 （TFPI-2）， vascular endothelial growth factor-D （VEGF-D）， epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）， and melanoma differentiation-associated gene 7/interleukin 24 （mda-7/IL-24） gene. Conclusion The research involving resistance genes and targeted therapy of gallbladder carcinoma has make a certain progress， which broaden the concept of traditional treatment of gallbladder carcinoma.
Objective To review the role of mTOR signal pathway in chemo-resistance of gastric cancer. Methods Domestic and international publications related mTOR signal pathway in chemo-resistance of gastric cancer in recent years were collected and reviewed. Results mTOR was a central signaling molecule of mTOR signal pathway， which regulated key cellular processes such as cell growth， cell proliferation， cell metabolism， and angiogenesis. Signaling molecules of mTOR signal pathway were overexpressed in gastric cancer. Moreover， mTOR signal pathway might play an important role in chemo-resistance of gastric cancer， and tumor stem cells were involved in it too. Conclusion As mTOR signal pathway plays an important role in chemo-resistance of gastric cancer， the combination of mTOR inhibitors and chemotherapy drugs may overcome the chemo-resistance of gastric cancer.
Objective To summarize the status of tumor stem cells investigations in gastrointestinal carcinoma. Methods Domestic and international publications online involving tumor stem cells of gastrointestinal carcinoma in recent years were collected and reviewed. Results There are a small quantity of cancer cells shown some stem cell characteristics. They are named tumor stem cell and play an important role in tumorigenesis, proliferation, metastasis and recurrence. And also, tumor stem cells can resist the effect of antineoplastic drugs and lead to tumor recurrence. These tumor-initiating cells are CD133-positive in the gastrointestinal carcinomas, especially in colorectal cancers. CD133-positive colorectal cancer cells have the abilities of clone, proliferation, differentiation and form metastases. And a high CD133 mRNA content was found in the blood of patients who suffered from bone metastases. Conclusion The characteristics of CD133-positive cancer cell and the mechanisms of stem cell-niche system are the basis of developing better methods to tumor diagnosis and treatment, and provide theoretical basis of new methods, such as targeted therapy.
Objective To summarize the research progress of gastrointestinal stem cells and its role in gastric neoplasms. Methods The literatures related effect of gastrointestinal stem cells niche， gastrointestinal stem cells markers，and the cancer stem cell theory in the gastric neoplasms were retrieved through PubMed， the research progress of gastrointestinal stem cells and cancer stem cells in the gastric neoplasms was explored. Results The cancer stem cell theory arose a decade ago. Gastrointestinal stem cells played a very important role in the gastric neoplasms， which had specific markers and their niches included many kinds of tissue factors. Inflammation could induce gastrointestinal stem cells dysplasia and become cancer stem cells， which promoted the growth， invasion， and metastasis of the gastric neoplasms. Conclusions Gastric cancer stem cells could be one of an effective target in treatment for gastric neoplasms， and it may be provide a new breakthrough in treatment for gastric neoplasms.
ObjectiveTo summarize the role of epithelial-mesenchymal-transition （EMT） in occurrence and development of gastrointestinal cancer. MethodsDomestic and international publications online involving EMT of gastrointestinal cancer in recent years were collected and reviewed. ResultsEMT was a highly conserved process that has been well characterised in embryogenesis. Studies had shown that the aberrant activation of EMT in adult epithelia could promote tumour metastasis by repressing cell adhesion molecules. E-cadherin， one of the epithelial cell markers, maybe involved in the process of the EMT, especially of the Ecadherin transcriptional repressors， these transcriptional repressors significantly increased in the gastrointestinal cancer. Further more， EMT might involve in the process of gastrointestinal cancer stem cells formation. ConclusionsEMT and it’s regulators play a very important role in gastrointestinal cancer， and may provide a newsight into the gastrointestinal cancer. It also can provide a novel clinical targets to treat the gastrointestinal cancer.
Objective To summarize the relationships between chemokines or chemokine receptors, especially CCL19/CCL21-CCR7 and CXCL12-CXCR4 axis and occurrence and development of gastric cancer. Methods Domestic and international publications online involving the relationships between chemokines, chemokine recepotors and gastric cancer in recent years were collected and reviewed. Results By regulating the microenvironment of the growth of gastric cancer, CCL19/CCL21-CCR7 played an important role in lymph node metastasis and CXCL12-CXCR4 axis played a key role in the development of peritoneal carcinomatosis. CCR7 might function as a specific prognostic marker for lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer. Blocking the CXCL12-CXCR4 axis might be useful for the future development of a more effective therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer involved in peritoneal dissemination. Conclusions Chemokines and chemokine receptors promote the evolution of gastric cancer in variable ways, so the mechanisms of which should be comprehended to provide a theoretical basis for the future treatment. As new therapeutic targets, chemokines and chemokine receptors have a prosperity for the clinic evaluation and treatment of gastric cancer.
Objective To summarize the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in occurrence and development of gastric cancer. Methods Domestic and international publications online involving MMPs of gastric cancer in recent years were collected and reviewed. Results The occurrence and development of gastric cancer was a multi-step and multi-factorial complicated progress, whose etiology and pathogenesis were still unclarified. MMPs were a class of proteolytic enzymes, which played an important role in the proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis of gastric cancer and apoptosis of tumor cells and their surrounding normal cells by regulating the microenvironment of the growth of tumor. Conclusion MMPs promote the evolution of gastric cancer in variable ways, the mechanisms of which should be comprehended to provide a theoretical basis for the future treatment of gastric cancer.
Objective To study the expressions of Wnt5a, MMP2, and MMP14 in the primary lesions of gastric cancer and the influences on clinicopathologic features. Methods The expressions of Wnt5a, MMP2, and MMP14 in the specimens of 106 patients with gastric cancer and 39 patients from the adjacent normal gastric tissues were detected by immunohistochemical staining, χ2 test and non-parametric test were used to analyze the relationships among them and between them and their influences on the clinicopathologic features. Results Extensive expressions of Wnt5a, MMP2, and MMP14 were demonstrated in the gastric cancer, which were significantly higher than those in the normal gastric tissues respectively (Plt;0.05). Positive expression of Wnt5a was associated with larger tumor diameter, deeper depth of invasion, higher degree of regional lymph node metastasis, later TNM stage, and higher rate of lymph node metastasis (Plt;0.05). In addition, Wnt5a expression was also associated with lymphatic infiltration and vascular infiltration (Plt;0.05). The expressions of MMP2 and MMP14 were associated with lymphatic infiltration, but not with vascular infiltration. Higher expressions of MMP2 and MMP14 were correlated with deeper tumor invasion, higher degree of regional lymph node metastasis, later TNM stage, and higher rate of lymph node metastasis (Plt;0.05). In addition, higher expression of MMP2 possesed greater tumor diameter (Plt;0.05). Spearman rank correlation analysis revealed the positive relation between Wnt5a and MMP2 （rs=0.240, P=0.014）, Wnt5a and MMP14 （rs=0.251, P=0.010）, as well as MMP2 and MMP14 （rs=0.444, P=0.000）. Conclusion Higher expressions of Wnt5a, MMP2, and MMP14 seem to promote invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer, and there are positive relations among their expressions.
【Abstract】ObjectiveTo evaluate the therapeutic benefits of three styles of hernioplasties such as the traditional hernioplasty, the mesh only hernioplasty and the plug amp; mesh hernioplasty. MethodsThe traditional hernioplasty in 534 cases(583 sides), the mesh only hernioplasty in 57 cases(60 sides) and the plug amp; mesh hernioplasty in 51 cases(54 sides) were performed. The comparing studies on the operative time, the postoperative complications, the recurrent rate and so on were analyzed. ResultsThe average operative time of the traditional styles group was (34.26±4.56) min, which was significantly shorter than the mesh only group 〔(40.35±6.24) min, P＜0.05〕 and the plug amp; mesh group 〔(49.12±8.69) min, P＜0.01〕 respectively. This significant difference between the mesh only group and the plug amp; mesh group was also identified (P＜0.05). Postoperative complications in the traditional styles group, the mesh only group and the plug amp; mesh group were 1.12%, 1.75% and zero,respectively (Pgt;0.05). Recurrent rate in the traditional styles group was 5.99%(32/534), which was significantly higher than that of the mesh only and the plug amp; mesh group (no recurrence). The average hospitalizing time in the traditional styles group, the mesh only group and the plug amp; mesh group was (7.11±3.06) days，（5.38±2.53） days and （6.19±3.61） days, respectively, in which there was no significant difference among groups. The activityrecovering time in the traditional styles group was (16.98±4.35) days, which was significantly longer than （7.26±2.46） days in the mesh only group and （8.02±3.35） days in the plug amp; mesh group. Conclusion The mesh only hernioplasty or the plug amp; mesh hernioplasty have a lower recurrent rate comparing with that in the traditional hernioplasty, which should be much more popularly applied in the treatment of inguinal hernia.