Innovative cell-based therapies, including hepatic tissue engineering following hepatocyte transplantation, are considered as theoretical alternatives to liver transplant or for partial replacement of liver function in patients. However, recent progress in hepatic tissue engineering has been hampered by low initial hepatocyte engraftment and insufficient blood supply in vivo. We developed an intact 3D scaffold of an extracellular matrix (ECM) derived from a decellularized liver lobe, with layer-by-layer (LbL) heparin deposition to avoid thrombosis, which we repopulated with hepatocytes and successfully implanted as a tissue-engineered liver (TEL) into the portal system. The TEL provided sufficient volume for transplantation of cell numbers representing up to 10% of whole-liver equivalents and was perfused by portal vein blood. Treatment of extended hepatectomized rats with a TEL improved liver function and prolonged survival; mean lifespan was extended from 16 to 72 h. At 72 h postoperation, the TEL sustained functional and viable hepatocytes. In conclusion, we propose the TEL as a state-of-the-art substitute for whole-liver transplantation and as a proof of concept for the technology that will eventually allow for the transplantation of a reconstituted liver.

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Glomangiomatosis is benign but may manifest as diffusely, locally infiltrating lesions and recur after simple excision. However, conservative treatment should be advocated. The authors report a recent case in which the lesion occurred in the paravertebral area. The patient was a 39-year-old Chinese man who complained of chronic lumbago for 20 years. The clinicopathological features, in conjunction with the immunostaining pattern and ultrastructural features, confirmed the diagnosis. Glomangiomatosis is an extremely rare soft-tissue lesion. To the best of authors' knowledge, only 10 cases have been reported in the English-language literature worldwide, and the current case is the first to represent a lesion arising from the paravertebral area. The authors review the English-language literature in glomangiomatosis.

Based on current limited evidence, chest physiotherapy might not be recommended as routine additional treatment for pneumonia in adults.

No abstract

The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of chest physiotherapy for pneumonia in adults.

In future, high-quality RCTs are urgently needed before any final conclusion can be drawn. Rigorously designed, multicenter, randomised, double-blind controlled trials are required to evaluate these interventions as a way of improving the survival and decreasing mortality in that population. Policy makers and researchers should prioritise funding for these trials to increase the quantity and quality of such studies and provide strong evidence for the effectiveness of therapies for AIDS-associated SMTs. Meanwhile, safety and adverse events should be critically assessed by standardized monitoring or an effective self-report system, and attention should be paid to long-term adverse effects in children with HIV infection.