To evaluate the feasibility of monitoring the neural stem cells implanted into the brain by the technique of labeling with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO).

To investigate the osteogenesis characteristics of cultured rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) under bone induction condition.

To evaluate the effect of stretch on sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-Mg2+ ATPases activity and mRNA level and study the remodeling reaction of muscle in a variety of mechanical environments.

To isolate single chain antibody fragments (scFv) against cell surface molecules by pathfinder selection from an anti-KG1a cell scFv phage library.

To investigate the effect of ginsenosides of ginseng stem and leaf (GSL) on the transcription activity of glucocorticoid receptor (GR).

To explore differentially expressed genes in leukemia gene expression profile and identify main related genes in acute leukemia, gene expression profiles were analyzed in bone marrow/leucopheresis peripheral blood stem cells samples from 9 acute leukemia patients and their sibling donors with the use of oligonucleotide microarrays. 163 reported leukemia-related genes were involved in the study. The oligonucleotide primers were designed, synthesized and spotted on the chemical-material-coated-glass plates in array. The total RNAs were isolated from nine patients' bone marrow or leucopheresis peripheral blood cells and from nine their sibling donors peripheral blood stem cells treated by G-CSF, then collected by CS-3000 cell selection machine, and were reversely transcribed to cDNAs with the incorporations of fluorescent dUTP. The mixed probes were then hybridized to the oligonucleotide microarray. The results showed that in four patient/donor pairs with B-ALL, 5 up-regulated (RIZ, STK-1, T-cell leukemia/lymphoma 1A, Cbp/p300, Op18) and 1 down-regulated genes (hematopoietic proteoglycan core protein) were identified; In five patient/donor pairs with AML-M(4) and AML-M(5), 6 up-regulated (STAT5B, ligand p62 for the Lck SH2, CST3, LTC4S, myeloid leukemia factor 2 and epb72) and 1 down-regulated genes (CCR5) were identified. In conclusion, on the basis of distinguishing study of specific genetic related recipient/sibling donor pairs, screening leukemia-related genes with oligonucleotide microarrays, a set of 13 up-regulated or down-regulated genes among 163 leukemia-related genes has been identified. The result has further confirmed that above genes play critical role in the molecular mechanism of acute leukemia.

The very nature of spermatogonial stem cells (SSC) is still poorly understood. The objective of this study is to explore the specific markers of human SSC and search for the suitable method for their isolation and functional identification.

Ligament injury always has an unsatisfied outcome because of the poor blood supply and scar tissue formation. This may result in severe joint dysfunction. Tissue engineering, as a most prospective field, may provide an effective approach for the treatment of ligament injury. This paper has reviewed some recently published articles focusing on the sources of seed cells in ligament tissue engineering, application of growth factors, screening of scaffold materials with specific mechanical and biodegradable properties, and interaction between cells and scaffold materials. At present, what should be extensively studied are scaffolds with specific mechanical and biodegradable properties, and bioreactors providing three-dimensional culture microenvironment mimic in vivo.

The methods of purification, expanding, marking, conservation, induced differentiation and identification of neural stem cells (NSCs) in vitro were explored for further research and treatment of tethered cord syndrome in children and other neural system diseases. The cells derived from the cerebral cortex of frontal lobe in 14.5 d rat embryos were maintained in serum-free DMEM/F12 medium containing 20 ng/ml bFGF, 20 ng/ml EGF and B27 supplement. The NSCs of suspending single-cell-colon were isolated and passaged, were purified by limited dilution, and were expanded numerously with sub-colon in consecutive generations. Then, Nestin antigen expression was detected by immunohistochemistry techniques. The cells of the purified and expanded NSCs were frozen, recovered and incubated in BrdU, and the NSCs were induced to differentiate in serum or feeder layer. These revived NSCs from frozen cells could express Nestin antigen and could be induced in serum or feeder layer to differentiate into neurons and glias expressing tubulin-III and GFAP respectively. It is good and simple for purification and proliferation of NSCs numerously by the limited dilution and consecutive generations suspending single-cell-colon of NSCs from the cerebral cortex of frontal lobe in rat embryos. The NSCs could be induced on feeder layer to differentiate into neural cells numerously. BrdU can mark and trace NSCs for the research and treatment of the animal model of neural system diseases. By good command of the technlogies for the purification proliferation, and induced differentiation of NSCs in vitro, it is possible to find a new way for further research of the biologic specificity and the treatment of the disease in nervous system.

In this study, porous polymer (PLA/PCL) membrane was first treated with ethanol to become hydrophilic, and then immersed into DMEM with 50% fetal bovine serum to enhance the affinity to cells. MSCs cultured in osteogenic medium were loaded into the membrane at density of 5 x 10(6)/cm2 for 7 days, and scanning electrical microscope was used to observe the growth of the MSCs. The growth of MSCs inside the constructs was functionally well, and the cells proliferated with the time of culture. We concluded from current study that the membrane had satisfactory biocompatibility and the constructs could be used to guided bone regeneration.

To evaluate the long-term effects of rhBMP-2 and rhbFGF on alkaline phosphatase(ALP) of rabbit bone mesenchymal stem cells by using them alone, associatedly and sequentially.

This study is designed to immortalize endothelial cells differentiated from embryonic stem cells. The embryoid bodies (EB) formed in vitro from embryonic stem cells, were induced to differentiate into many "round cells" (the precursor of endothelial cells) by retinoic acid (RA) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1). These "round cells" later formed the vascular tube-like structures. Studies by scanning electronic microscopy and light microscopy and immunocytochemistry, demonstrated that these tube-like structures were constituted by a large number of round and flat cells, which were positive for "vWF" and "CD34"staining. These results indicate they are vascular endothelial cells. To immortalize these cells, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) cDNA was transfected into "round cells" by lipofectine. hTERT mRNA expression in transfected cells was confirmed by Dot blot, RT-PCR. Furthermore, 95% these transfected cells maintain the characteristic of endothelial cell, can proliferate in large quantity in vitro, and are able to form tubular structures. These results suggest that hTERT cDNA transfection can immortalize the induced endothelial cells and therefore may provide a new source of seed cells for vascular engineering.

To establish human pluripotent embryonic germ (EG) cell lines, human primordial germ cells (PGCs) of embryos aborted in 5-9 week were cultured on inactive mouse STO fibroblast feeder. The medium contained human leukemia inhibitory factor (hLIF), human basic fibroblast growth factor (hbFGF) and forskolin. The EG cells could be passaged continuously until 12 generations. Most cells were positive in alkaline phosphatase staining and expressed cell surface antigen SSEA-3 and pluripotent marker Oct-4. These EG cell populations that retained normal karyotype could form embryoid body in culture and differentiate further into neuron-like cells, mucous epithelial cells, epithelial cells and other types of the cells spontaneously. These results indicated the cell clones derived from human PGCs resemble pluripotent EG cells from mouse PGCs in appearance or nature.

To improve the survival of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for prefabrication of an osteo-musculo-cutaneous flap.

To explore whether activation of the JAK2-signaling pathway can stimulate long-term expansion and regulation of hematopoietic stem cells/multipotential hematopoietic progenitor cells (HSC/MHPC), and evaluate their potential ability of committed differentiation.

To explore the effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the quality of healing of porcine skin wounds after burn injury so as to provide a new method for clinical skin repair in the future.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection was greatly common in the world. CMV infection produces usually mild or asymptomatic infections in individuals with normal immune responses, whereas it may cause serious disease in immunosuppressive patients. Clinical manifestations include suppression of myelopoiesis, a mononucleosis like syndrome, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, thrombocytopenia, and hemolytic anemia. In patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation CMV remains the most common infectious causes of morbidity and mortality. But the treatment drugs with specific effect for CMV was fewer at the present. This study was to investigate the effect of CMV on proliferation of colony forming unit granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM), CFU-erythroid (CFU-E), brust forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E), CFU-multipotential (CFU-Mix) and CFU-megakaryocyte (CFU-Mk) progenitor cells of cord blood (CB) with the presence of ganciclovir (GCV) and astragalus membranaceus in vitro.

The prognosis for neuroblastoma in advanced stage is still poor, even under conventional chemotherapy. This study aimed to investigate if very high dose chemotherapy in conjunction with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation and 13-cis-retinoic acid could get excellent results in children with high risk neuroblastoma.

To review research progress of adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ADSCs).

To explore the relationship of the limited resource of the autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in articular cavity to the treatment results of full-thickness articular cartilage defect, and to investigate whether the extrogenous sodium hyaluronate (SH) promotes the migration of MSCs cultured in vitro to the articular defect in vivo.