ObjectiveTo know the background of human gene therapy and the advances in gene therapy study of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MethodsThe related literatures were reviewed. ResultsAs a substitute measure gene therapy was of great superiority and had got a good result in the clinical study of treatment of human genetic diseases. But it was mainly limited to the study of preclinical phase when it was used to the treatment of tumor. As a carrier of gene transfer， the newly modified retrovirus might have superiority in the study of gene therapy of HCC when compared with other viruses such as adenovirus and adenoassociated virus (AAV). The genes TK,p53 and p16 etc. had been used to the study of therapy of HCC and had some good results.ConclusionThe future of human gene therapy is optimistic, but there is a long way to go when gene therapy is widely used in the clinical study of treatment of HCC.
Objective To study the effects of glutaminase (GA) gene blocked by antisense nucleotide on apoptosis of transplanted gastric carcinoma cells in nude mice. Methods The plasmid containing antisense sequence of GA gene was trans-fected into gastric carcinoma cells , then the cells were injected to endermic tissue of nude mice to create animal models of gastric carcinoma. Apoptosis of tumor cells was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase2mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. The expression of GA mRNA in tumor tissue was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT2PCR) technique. Results After the successful transfection of plasmid containing antisense sequence of GA gene into gastric carcinoma cells , the tumor’s growth speed decreased , apoptosis of tumor cells increased , and the expression of GA mRNA also decreased. Conclusion The antisense gene of GA could inhibit the expression of GA gene and significantly increase the apoptosis of gastric carcinoma cells.
Objective To study a simple and practical method of isolation, culture and identification of hepatic oval cells from adult rat. Methods Wistar adult rats were fed by 2-acetaminofluorere （AAF） and were stimulated by partial hepatectomy to activate the proliferation of hepatic oval cells. After operation 12 days, the livers were resected for isolating oval cells. Hepatic tissue was digested by 0.10% collagenase Ⅳ and the obtained heterogeneous liver cells were then isolated and purified by density gradient centrifugation. The expressions of albumin and CK19 mRNA in hepatic oval cells were analyzed by immuno-fluorescence and RT-PCR. Results The survival rate of the newly isolated oval cells was more than 90%. The hepatic stem cells were shown by immuno-fluorescence of stem cell’s antigen c-kit. The expressions of mRNA CK19 and albumin of the oval cell were also detected by PCR. The proliferation activity of the newly isolated oval cells was significantly high and they could be induced to differentiate into both hepatic and bile ductal cells by some growth factors. Conclusion The successful development of the simple and feasible isolation and purification procedure as well as the identification method for hepatic oval cells may provide a fundamental for further studies about bionomics of the hepatic stem cell and the relation between stem cells and hepatic carcinoma.