The gap between law and ethics in human embryonic stem cell research: Overcoming the effect of U.S. Federal policy on research advances and public benefit

Key ethical issues arise in association with the conduct of stem cell research by research institutions in the United States. These ethical issues, summarized in detail, receive no adequate translation into federal laws or regulations, also described in this article. U.S. Federal policy takes a passive approach to these ethical issues, translating them simply into limitations on taxpayer funding, and foregoes scientific and ethical leadership while protecting intellectual property interests through a laissez faire approach to stem cell patents and licenses. Those patents and licenses, far from being scientifically and ethically neutral in effect, virtually prohibit commercially sponsored research that could otherwise be a realistic alternative to the federal funding gap. The lack of federal funding and related data-sharing principles, combined with the effect of U.S. patent policy, the lack of key agency guidance, and the proliferation of divergent state laws arising from the lack of Federal leadership, significantly impede ethical stem cell research in the United States, without coherently supporting any consensus ethical vision. Research institutions must themselves implement steps, described in the article, to integrate addressing ethical review with the many legal compliance issues U.S. federal and state laws create. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own, and are not necessarily the opinions of others, including Children’s Hospital Boston. Portions of earlier versions of this article were previously published by the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association.     

Deficit in selective and divided attention associated with cholinergic basal forebrain immunotoxic lesion produced by 192-saporin; motoric/sensory deficit associated with Purkinje cell immunotoxic lesion produced by OX7-saporin

The immunotoxin 192-saporin, infused intracerebroventricularly into rats, destroys cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain nuclei. Doses required for complete cholinergic loss also kill some Purkinje cells. The immunotoxin OX7-saporin, when infused intraventricularly into rats, destroys Purkinje cells in a pattern similar to that produced by 192-saporin, without affecting cholinergic neurons. Thus, we used OX7-saporin to distinguish behavioral effects of 192-saporin due to cerebellar damage versus those due to cholinergic cell loss. Three doses of 192-saporin (1.6, 2.6, and 3.3 micrograms/rat) were chosen along with a dose of OX7-saporin (2.0 micrograms/rat) that produced Purkinje loss equivalent to the two highest doses of 192-saporin. Groups of Fischer-344 rats were trained in the multiple choice reaction time task and retested with more complex tasks after lesioning. They were also tested in the water maze, passive avoidance, acoustic startle, and open field. The OX7-saporin group exhibited changes in many tests suggesting hypermotility and sensory deficits. The 192-saporin groups differed from the OX7-saporin group when they displayed deficits in multiple choice reaction time tasks in which novel challenges were introduced, including sessions with a noise distractor, shortened and lengthened intertrial intervals, and use of nine instead of five sources of light stimulus. The 192-saporin groups showed no impairment in the other tasks. The cholinergic basal forebrain lesion may mask some of the effects of cerebellar damage up to a threshold after which effects of Purkinje cell loss predominate when 192-saporin is administered intraventricularly.     

微流控分析芯片在循环肿瘤细胞检测中的运用

随着人们对于肿瘤性疾病的发生、发展、转移机制的进一步探索,循环肿瘤细胞（CTCs）逐渐进入人们视野,其应用价值日益体现,可用于肿瘤性疾病的早期诊断及治疗效果的监测,尤其是对于早期肿瘤的诊断具有独特优势。其富集技术及检测方法也在发生着日新月异的变化。近年来,微流控分析芯片技术运用于 CTCs 的富集及检测,具有高丰度、高富集度、高活性及不需要对样本进行预处理等优点使得人们聚焦于此技术,本文对微流控分析芯片在 CTCs 检测中的运用做简要综述。     

TACE联合RFA序贯DC-CIK治疗小肝癌的研究进展

射频消融术（RFA ）、肝动脉化疗栓塞术（TACE）及 DC-CIK 治疗等非手术方法已成为治疗小肝癌的重要手段。RFA 及 TACE 直接杀伤肿瘤细胞,DC-CIK 治疗明显改善机体免疫功能。 TACE 联合 RFA 术后序贯 DC-CIK 治疗可取长补短,提高治疗的有效性、安全性及患者的远期疗效。本文主要对 DC-CIK 治疗、TACE 、RFA 治疗现状及联合治疗前景做一综述。     

Demonstration and interpretation of ‘scutoid’ cells formed in a quasi-2D soap froth

ABSTRACT

Recently a novel type of epithelial cell has been discovered and dubbed the ‘scutoid’. It is induced by curvature of the bounding surfaces. We show by simulations and experiments that such cells are to be found in a dry foam subjected to this boundary condition.     

浅谈神经干细胞在临床应用中的伦理问题

神经干细胞在治疗中枢神经系统退形性病变中发挥重要作用,但在其移植治疗中也面临着一些问题,例如伦理问题及技术问题。如何合理地引导人们正确地认识这项研究,消除对神经干细胞移植治疗的种种误解,使全社会都能客观理性地面对这一新兴医疗技术,看到这一技术的巨大应用前景是我们要继续努力的目标。     

到底路有多长--对干细胞移植治疗研究的一点思考

目前干细胞研究的争论主要集中于干细胞研究的过程和方式,诸如干细胞来源以及被提取干细胞的胚胎的权利与地位等伦理问题是争论的焦点所在,而对于研究的最终目的是治病而非克隆人则少有争议.然而在伦理问题等争论相对较小的干细胞应用研究领域,就应用于人的技术层面而言还有很多问题有待解决.安全性(safety)和有效性(efficacy)原则是目前公认的干细胞临床应用研究的基准.干细胞移植治疗最终应用于临床可能还有相当一段路程要走,无论是研究者还是伦理学家以及社会舆论和普通百姓在其中都应当并可以发挥积极的作用.     

TACE术联合自体CIK细胞治疗原发性肝癌

探讨肝动脉栓塞化疗（TACE）联合自体细胞因子诱导的杀伤细胞（CIK）治疗原发性肝癌的临床疗效。比较TACE术＋CIK组（治疗组）和TACE组（对照组）患者的免疫功能、临床疗效及副反应。结果表明,TACE术＋CIK与TACE术比较安全有效。因此,TACE术联合自体CIK细胞是治疗原发性肝癌的一种有效方法。     

循环肿瘤细胞的研究进展

循环肿瘤细胞（circulating tumor cells,CTCs）指自发或因诊疗操作由实体瘤或转移灶释放进入外周血循环的肿瘤细胞。CTCs能被看作液体活检,具有实时监测功能,是一种非侵入性的新型诊断工具,有助于早期发现肿瘤的微转移,可评估预后,在治疗的监测及个体化治疗上具有重要的临床意义。