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Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most lethal cancers in the world, and its morbidity and mortality rates rank among the top ten in China. Currently, surgical resection, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the primary clinical treatments for esophageal cancer. However, outcomes are still unsatisfactory due to the limited efficacy and severe adverse effects of conventional treatments. As a new type of approach, targeted therapies have been confirmed to play an important role in the treatment of esophageal cancer; these include cetuximab and bevacizumab, which target epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), respectively. In addition, other drugs targeting surface antigens and signaling pathways or acting on immune checkpoints have been continuously developed. For example, trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a first-line treatment of HER-2-positive cancer. Moreover, the PD-L1 inhibitor pembrolizumab has been approved as a highly efficient drug for patients with PD-L1-positive or advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). These novel drugs can be used alone or in combination with other treatment strategies to further improve the treatment efficacy and prognosis of cancer patients. Nevertheless, adverse events, optimal dosages and effective combinations still need further investigation. In this review, we expound an outline of the latest advances in targeted therapies of esophageal cancer and the mechanisms of relevant drugs, discuss their efficacy and safety, and provide a clinical rationale for precision medicine in esophageal cancer.

Respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) appeared in China during December 2019. Attempting to contain infection, China banned travel to and from Wuhan city on 23 January and implemented a national emergency response. Here we evaluate the spread and control of the epidemic based on a unique synthesis of data including case reports, human movement and public health interventions. The Wuhan shutdown slowed the dispersal of infection to other cities by an estimated 2.91 days (95%CI: 2.54-3.29), delaying epidemic growth elsewhere in China. Other cities that implemented control measures pre-emptively reported 33.3% (11.1-44.4%) fewer cases in the first week of their outbreaks (13.0; 7.1-18.8) compared with cities that started control later (20.6; 14.5-26.8). Among interventions investigated here, the most effective were suspending intra-city public transport, closing entertainment venues and banning public gatherings. The national emergency response delayed the growth and limited the size of the COVID-19 epidemic and, by 19 February (day 50), had averted hundreds of thousands of cases across China.

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purpose. The application of fluid flow (dynamic) for the physiological nutrition of the tissues and the creation of microenvironmental biomolecular gradients and relevant mechanical cues (e.g., shear stress) is a major aspect of these systems, differentiating them from conventional (static) cell and tissue cultures. This review uses the term MPS exclusively for microfluidic sys- Introduction Definitions and terminologyMicrophysiological systems (MPS) are microfluidic devices capable of emulating human (or any other animal species') biology in vitro at the smallest biologically acceptable scale, defined by t 4 Workshop Report*

Angiogenesis plays critical roles in organ development during embryonic and fetal life, wound healing and in a variety of pathological conditions. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a secreted growth factor specific for vascular endothelial cells which induces angiogenesis in vivo. To gain a better understanding of the physiological role of VEGF, we have generated and characterized four murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) using the 165 amino acid species of recombinant human VEGF as immunogen. These mAbs (A3.13.1, A4.6.1, B4.3.1 and B2.6.2) belong to IgG1 isotype and have high affinities for VEGF (dissociation constants range from 2.2 x 10(-9) to 4 x 10(-10) M). Two different epitopes were detected with these mAbs. One epitope is recognized by mAbs A3.13.1 and B2.6.2, and the other recognized by mAbs A4.6.1 and B4.3.1. The epitope recognized by mAb A4.6.1 appears to be continuous while mAb B2.6.2 recognizes a discontinuous epitope. MAb A4.6.1 recognized three species of VEGF generated by alternative splicing, VEGF121, VEGF165 and VEGF189 while mAb B2.6.2 binds only VEGF165 and VEGF189. Results using an in vitro bovine adrenal cortex endothelial cell proliferation assay, in in vivo vascular permeability assay and an in vivo embryonic chicken angiogenesis assay showed that mAb A4.6.1 has potent VEGF neutralizing activities. MAb A4.6.1 was shown to block the binding of VEGF to its receptor(s) suggesting the inhibitory mechanism for VEGF activities. These well-defined mAbs should be very powerful tools to understand the structure-function relationship of various domains of VEGF and may have therapeutic potential.

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway plays a crucial role in various cellular processes and is aberrantly activated in cancers, contributing to the occurrence and progression of tumors. Examining the upstream and downstream nodes of this pathway could allow full elucidation of its function. Based on accumulating evidence, strategies targeting major components of the pathway might provide new insights for cancer drug discovery. Researchers have explored the use of some inhibitors targeting this pathway to block survival pathways. However, because oncogenic PI3K pathway activation occurs through various mechanisms, the clinical efficacies of these inhibitors are limited. Moreover, pathway activation is accompanied by the development of therapeutic resistance. Therefore, strategies involving pathway inhibitors and other cancer treatments in combination might solve the therapeutic dilemma. In this review, we discuss the roles of the PI3K/Akt pathway in various cancer phenotypes, review the current statuses of different PI3K/Akt inhibitors, and introduce combination therapies consisting of signaling inhibitors and conventional cancer therapies. The information presented herein suggests that cascading inhibitors of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, either alone or in combination with other therapies, are the most effective treatment strategy for cancer.

Fusarium asiaticum and F. graminearum are the primary causal agents of Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat in China. In this study, sensitivities of 159 F. asiaticum and F. graminearum isolates to a benzimidazole fungicide carbendazim (MBC) and to sterol demethylation inhibitors (DMIs) tebuconazole and prochloraz were determined. Among the 159 isolates, 9 were resistant to MBC and designated as MBC-R isolates. Three showed resistance to tebuconazole and prochloraz and designated as DMI-R isolates. There was no cross-resistance between MBC and DMI. Genetic analysis by microsatellite-primed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed that MBC-R or DMI-R isolates had different genotypes, which indicated that they originated from different wild-type parents. Analysis of two 14alpha-demethylase (cyp51) homologous genes (cyp51A and cyp51B) showed that the F. asiaticum isolates could be distinguished from F. graminearum isolates based on the sequence of cyp51A. Analysis of deduced amino acid sequence of cyp51A and cyp51B suggested that no mutations were associated with DMI resistance. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the DMI resistance was not related to the expression of cyp51A and cyp51B in F. asiaticum and F. graminearum, but expressions of both genes were induced greatly by the tebuconazole. Results of this study indicated that cyp51A would be an informative marker for analysis of population structure of F. asiaticum and F. graminearum, and the existence of homologous cyp51 genes in F. asiaticum and F. graminearum could provide new insights into DMI resistance in phytopathogenic fungi.