3D-printed porous bioactive ceramic scaffolds have been widely used in bone defect repair. However, material implantation is often accompanied by a foreign body response (FBR), which may affect host tissue regeneration. The physical properties of biomaterials, including shape, pore size, and porosity, control the relevant immune responses during tissue regeneration. To the best of our knowledge, the effect of the pore size of 3D-printed scaffolds on the immune response and bone–biomaterial integration has not been studied in vivo. Polycaprolactone/polyethylene glycol/hydroxyapatite (PCL/PEG/HA) bioactive scaffolds with different pore sizes, including 209.9 ± 77.1 μm (P200), 385.5 ± 28.6 μm (P400), and 582.1 ± 27.2 μm (P600), were prepared with a pneumatic extrusion 3D printer. Compared with other pore sizes, P600 significantly reduced the FBR and induced more M2 macrophage infiltration, vascular ingrowth, and new bone formation. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the MyD88 protein might be involved in macrophage polarization-related signal transduction in response to the pore size. Based on these results, bone regeneration requires the active participation of the immune response, and the P600 PCL/PEG/HA scaffold is a preferable candidate for the repair of bone defects.

The aim of this study was to identify the function of the Mg 2+ transporter protein solute carrier family 41 member 1 SLC41A1 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and the underlying mechanisms. A total of 27 solute carrier proteins were differentially expressed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Three of these proteins were correlated with clinical outcomes in patients, among which SLC41A1 was downregulated in tumour. Overexpression of SLC41A1 suppressed orthotopic tumour growth in a mouse model and reduced the cell proliferation, colony formation, and invasiveness of KP3 and Panc-1 cells, which may have been associated with the increased population of apoptotic-prone cells. Overexpression of SLC41A1 reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential, induced Bax while suppressed Bcl-2 expression. Suppression of Bax abrogated the tumour-suppressive effects of SLC41A1. Furthermore, overexpression of SLC41A1 promoted Mg 2+ efflux and suppressed Akt/mTOR activity, which is the upstream regulator of Bax and Bcl-2. An increase in Akt activity and supplementation with Mg 2+ abolished SLC41A1-induced tumour suppression. The results of this study suggest that SLC41A1 may be a potential target for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

In this study, we describe a new species of salamander, Paramesotriton maolanensis sp. n., from the MaolanNational Nature Reserve, Libo County, Guizhou Province, China. The new species is placed in the genusParamesotriton based on morphological characteristics and molecular data. It differs from all other members of thegenus in a number of morphological characteristics, especially in its much larger body size, absence of granularwarts from head and body, largely reduced external eyes and peculiar shape of epibranchia in hyoid apparatus. Weexamined the relationships of nuclear POMC haplotypes between and within the new species and six recognizedspecies. POMC variation and published mitochondrial data suggested that the new species’ closest known relativesare P. longliensis, P. zhijinensis and P. caudopunctatus, and it should be placed into the P. caudopunctatus species group or subgenus Allomesotriton.