Stapled haemorrhoidopexy offers some short-term benefits over conventional operation but the total complication rates are similar for both techniques. Stapled haemorrhoidopexy is associated with a higher rate of recurrent disease.

Growth factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are widely used in the recovery of spinal cord injury (SCI) for promoting axonal regeneration or improving neuron survival. However, the lack of efficient delivery approaches limits their clinical applications. In this study, we constructed an efficient delivery system including collagen-binding BDNF and linear ordered collagen scaffolds (LOCS). A collagen-binding domain (CBD) was utilized to construct collagen-targeting BDNF (CBD-BDNF) to allow its specific binding to the collagen. In vitro activity assay showed that CBD-BDNF had similar bioactivity in neurite outgrowth of dorsal root ganglia and the survival of PC12 cells. CBD-BDNF was shown to have specific binding activity to collagen. Using the rat hemisection SCI model, we found that LOCS loaded with CBD-BDNF significantly improved the SCI recovery evaluated by the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scale and immunohistochemical staining with anti-neurofilament antibody. Thus, this targeting drug delivery system consisting of CBD-BDNF and LOCS could be an effective strategy for the repair of SCI.

In this study, we identified a novel circRNA, circ_0002483, and further investigated its functions in the progression and Taxol resistance of NSCLC. We found that circ_0002483 was expressed at low levels in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Functional assays indicated that circ_0002483 overexpression significantly inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation and invasion in vitro and in vivo and enhanced the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to Taxol. Mechanistically, circ_0002483 was identified to sponge multiple miRNAs including miR-182-5p (also named miR-182), miR-520q-3p, miR-582-3p, miR-587, and miR-655. In addition, circ_0002483 was also demonstrated to regulate the expression of GRB2, FOXO1, and FOXO3, three target genes of miR-182-5p, by sponging miR-182-5p. Circ_0002483 was demonstrated to inhibit NSCLC progression in vitro and in vivo and enhanced the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to Taxol by sponging miR-182-5p to release the inhibition on GRB2, FOXO1, and FOXO3 mRNAs.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a frequent complication after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been used as routine prophylaxis for HO after THA. However, the efficacy of NSAIDs on HO, particularly selective NSAIDs versus nonselective NSAIDs, is uncertain.We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and clinicaltrials.gov to identify randomized controlled trials with respect to HO after THA. Two reviewers extracted the data and estimated the risk of bias. For the ordered data, we followed the Bayesian framework to calculate the odds ratio (OR) with a 95% credible interval (CrI). For the dichotomous data, the OR and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using Stata version 12.0. The subgroup analyses and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach were used.A total of 1856 articles were identified, and 21 studies (5995 patients) were included. In the NSAIDs versus placebo analysis, NSAIDs could decrease the incidence of HO, according to the Brooker scale (OR = 2.786, 95% CrI 1.879–3.993) and Delee scale (OR = 9.987, 95% CrI 5.592–16.17). In the selective NSAIDs versus nonselective NSAIDs analysis, there was no significant difference (OR = 0.7989, 95% CrI 0.5506–1.125) in the prevention of HO. NSAIDs could increase discontinuation caused by gastrointestinal side effects (DGSE) (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.00–1.63, P = 0.046) more than a placebo. Selective NSAIDs could decrease DGSE (OR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.24–0.97, P = 0.042) compared with the nonselective NSAIDs. There was no significant difference with respect to discontinuation caused by nongastrointestinal side effects (DNGSE) in NSAIDs versus a placebo (OR = 1.16, 95% CI 0.88–1.53, P = 0.297) and in selective NSAIDs versus nonselective NSAIDs (OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.50–1.37, P = 0.462).NSAIDs might reduce the incidence of HO and increase DGSE in the short-term.

Background/Aims: Increasing evidence has demonstrated the novel roles of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in immunotherapy. However, difficulty in acquiring these cells and possible ethical issues limited their application. Recently, we have isolated a unique MSC population from dental follicles with potent stem cell-like properties. This study focused on the effects of dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs) on macrophage activation and polarization to determine their role in immunomodulation and to test if DFSCs are a promising cell source for MSC-based immunotherapy. Methods: Rat acute lung injury (ALI) models induced by Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were applied to test the immune-modulatory effects of DFSC/DFSC-CM in vivo. The pulmonary permeability was determined by the dry / wet weight ratios of the left upper lung lobe. The lung histopathological damage was graded on a 0 to 4+ scale. And the inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were tested by ELISA. Then we established LPS-induced inflamed macrophage models in vitro. Inflammatory cytokine production and polarization marker expression were measured by RT-qPCR, ELISA, western blot and flow cytometric analysis in macrophages following DFSC-CM treatment. The paracrine factors in DFSC-CM were revealed by a RayBiotech Protein Array. Thereafter, neutralization studies were performed to confirm the potential immune regulators in DFSC-CM. Results: The DFSC/DFSC-CM not only attenuated histopathological damage and pulmonary permeability, but also downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines MCP-1, IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α, and upregulated anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in BALF. Immunofluorescence staining revealed the increased expression of macrophage M2 marker Arg-1. Further in vitro study revealed that macrophages switched to an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype when co-cultured with DFSC-CM, characterized by suppressed production of pro-inflammatory cytokines MCP-1, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α and M1-polarizing markers iNOS and CD86; and increased expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and the M2-polarizing markers Arg-1 and CD163. A RayBiotech Protein Array revealed 42 differentially expressed (> 2-fold) paracrine factors in DFSC-CM compared with the serum-free Ham’s F-12K medium, among which TGF-β3 and Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) were upregulated by 18- and 105-fold, respectively. Neutralization studies confirmed the immunoregulatory roles of TGF-β3 and TSP-1 in macrophage activation and polarization. Conclusion: These results indicated that DFSCs can reprogram macrophages into the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, the paracrine factors TGF-β3 and TSP-1 may be one of the underlying mechanisms. This study supports the hypothesis that DFSCs are promising for MSC-based immunotherapy.

Aim: This meta-analysis, only including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), was conducted to assess separately and compare the therapeutic efficacy of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) for knee osteoarthritis (OA) at the same follow-up time. Methods: Potential relevant researches were identified from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library and clinicaltrials.gov. The data, from clinical trials concentrating on knee OA treated with ADMSCs or BMSCs, were extracted and pooled for meta-analysis to compare the clinical outcomes of patients with knee OA in visual analog scale (VAS), Western Ontario McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Lysholm knee scale (Lysholm) and Tegner activity scale (Tegner). Results: Nine randomized controlled trials including a total of 377 patients met the inclusion criteria. This meta-analysis obtained the following results. First, the improvement of VAS scores was statistically significant after BMSCs treatment at 6-, 12- and 24-month follow-up compared with control groups (p < 0.01). In contrast, the improvement of WOMAC scores was of no statistical significance, but showed a positive trend with the prolongation of the follow-up time (6 months: mean difference [MD] = 6.51; 95% CI: -2.38 to 15.40; p = 0.15; 12 months: MD = -6.81; 95% CI: -13.94 to 0.33; p = 0.06). Lysholm scores presented a similar pattern (12 months: MD = 1.93; 95% CI: -11.52 to 15.38; p = 0.78; 24 months: MD = 8.94; 95% CI: 1.45 to 16.43; p = 0.02). Second, VAS and WOMAC scores of patients after ADMSCs treatment were significantly improved at any follow-up time (p ≤ 0.05). The improvement of Lysholm scores was of no statistical significance compared with control groups, although treatment outcome at 12-month follow-up was better than that at 24-month follow-up, which was debatable because only data of one clinical trial were pooled in the analysis (12 months: MD = 7.50; 95% CI: -1.94 to 16.94; p = 0.12; 24 months: MD = 5.10; 95% CI: -3.02 to 13.22; p = 0.22). Finally, by comparing the statistical results of VAS and WOMAC scores, it could be concluded that the therapeutic effect of ADMSCs on knee OA was more effective than that of BMSCs. Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed that regeneration with BMSCs or ADMSCs had a great application potential in the treatment of patients with knee OA, and ADMSCs tended to be superior to BMSCs according to the limited clinical evidences available.

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread widely around the world and has seriously affected the human health of tens of millions of people. In view of lacking anti-virus drugs target to SARS-CoV-2, there is an urgent need to develop effective new drugs. In this study, we reported our discovery of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors. We selected 15 natural compounds, including 7 flavonoids, 3 coumarins, 2 terpenoids, one henolic, one aldehyde and one steroid compound for molecular docking and enzymatic screening. Myricetin were identified to have potent inhibit activity with IC50 3.684 ± 0.076 μM in the enzyme assay. The binding pose of Myricetin with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro was identified using molecular docking method. In the binding pocket of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, the chromone ring of Myricetin interacts with His41 through π-π stacking, and the 3’-, 4’- and 7-hydroxyl of Myricetin interact with Phe140, Glu166and Asp187 through hydrogen bonds. Significantly, our results showed that Myricetin has potent effect on bleomycin-induced pulmonary inflammation by inhibiting the infiltration of inflammatory cells and the secretion of inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1α, TNF-α and IFN-γ. Overall, Myricetin may be a potential drug for anti-virus and symptomatic treatment of COVID-19.