In 2016, the Sichuan University established the “West China National Key Laboratory Innovation Class” to explore a new model for cultivating outstanding undergraduate talents in the field of biomedicine. Through the formation of a multidisciplinary cross-faculty team, strengthening early-stage research practices, refining evaluation and incentive mechanisms, and enhancing professional identity, this class has nurtured biomedical talents with broad interdisciplinary perspectives, multidisciplinary intersections, and innovative thinking. This article summarizes the construction experience and achievements of the “West China National Key Laboratory Innovation Class”, aims at providing a reference for the cultivation of top-tier talents in the field of biomedical sciences in China and promoting the enhancement of the quality of top-tier talent cultivation in foundational disciplines in universities.
Objective To determine the relationships between the preoperative and postoperative Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) and short-term prognosis in colorectal cancer. Methods Patients pathologically verified colorectal cancer were prospectively enrolled at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from April 2009 to June 2009. C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin (Alb) were examined on the third day before operation and the first day after operation. We calculated the value of GPS and analyzed the relationships between GPS and short-term prognosis. Results This study enrolled 38 patients. Preoperative GPS was significantly related with pathological M stage (P=0.007) and TNM stage (P=0.013), and was not related with T stage and N stage (Pgt;0.05). Postoperative GPS was not related with pathological T, M, N and TNM stages (Pgt;0.05). Moreover, there was no relationship between GPS and postoperative quality of life or complications (Pgt;0.05). Conclusions Preoperative GPS correlates with pathologically M stages and TNM stages. Systematic inflammatory response maybe not the determinant factor for the short-term prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer.
Objective To determine the relationship between preoperative prognostic inflammatory and nutritional index (PINI) value and short-term prognosis in colorectal cancer. Methods Patients with colorectal cancer verified by pathologically examine were prospectively enrolled from April 2009 to June 2009. Serum alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, C-reactive protein, albumin and prealbumin were examined on day 3 before operation, and the value of preoperative PINI was calculated. The relationships between preoperative PINI and patho-TNM stage, complications, quality of life, and recurrence and metastasis after operation were analyzed. Results Total 38 patients with colorectal cancer underwent radical surgery were enrolled. Preoperative PINI value was 2.17±1.27. Preoperative PINI value was correlated with TMN stage and M stage: PINI value in patients of Ⅳ stage or M1 stage, were significantly higher than those in ones of Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ stage （P＜0.001） or M0 stage （P＜0.001）. There was no significant correlation between preoperative PINI value and preoperative complications （Pgt;0.05）. Preoperative PINI value was correlated with postoperative diet, anorexia and overall quality of life: preoperative PINI value in patients with abnormal diet, anorexia or poor quality of life, were significantly higher than those in ones with normal diet (P=0.020), no-anorexia (P=0.020) or moderate (P=0.025) and well (P=0.020) quality of life. Conclusion Preoperative PINI value is an effective index to assess the short-term prognosis of colorectal cancer.
Objective To investigate the relationship of serum amyloid A protein (SAA) and surgical choice in low locally advanced rectal cancer (LLARC). Methods Fifty-two patients with LLARC at West China Hospital of Sichuan University were retrospectively analyzed. According to operative methods the patients were divided into 2 groups: curative surgery group (n=35) and palliative surgery group (n=17). Then, venous blood specimens were taken to measure preoperative serum SAA level. Results The analysis showed the option of surgical procedures was associated with preoperative SAA concentration (P=0.004) in LLARC, but irrelative with pathological characteristics and preoperative imaginologic staging (Pgt;0.05). High concentration of serum SAA (≥10.5 mg/L) significantly increased the odds of palliative surgery 〔OR=7.47, 95% CI (1.62-34.40), P＝0.010〕.Conclusion High level of SAA is a useful marker to predict the possibility of palliative surgery in LLARC, which is helpful to screen the patients for the surgical decision and adjuvant therapy.
Objective To determine the influence and significance of combinative assessment of 64 multi-slice spiral computer tomography (MSCT) with serum amyloid A protein (SAA) or fibrinogen (FIB) on the selection of operative procedures of rectal cancer under the multidisciplinary team. Methods Prospectively enrolled 240 patients diagnosed definitely as rectal cancer at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from February to June 2009 were randomly assigned into two groups. In one group named MSCT+SAA group, both MSCT and SAA combinative assessment were made for the preoperative evaluation. In another group named MSCT+FIB group, both MSCT and FIB combinative assessment were made for preoperative evaluation. Furthermore, the preoperative staging and predicted operation procedures were compared with postoperative pathologic staging and practical operation procedures, respectively, and the relationship between the choice of operation procedures and clinicopathologic factors was analyzed. Results According to the criteria, 234 patients were actually included into MSCT+SAA group (n=118) and MSCT+FIB group (n=116). The baseline characteristics of two groups were statistically similar (Pgt;0.05). For MSCT+SAA group, the accuracies of preoperative staging T, N, M and TNM were 72.9%, 83.1%, 100% and 80.1%, respectively. For MSCT+FIB group, the accuracies of preoperative staging T, N, M and TNM were 68.1%, 75.0%, 100% and 74.1%, respectively, and there was not a statistically significant difference (Pgt;0.05). There was also not a statistically significant difference of the accuracy of prediction to operative procedures in two groups (99.6% vs. 96.6%, Pgt;0.05). The preoperative T staging (P＜0.001), N staging (P＜0.001), TNM staging (P＜0.001), serum level of SAA (P＜0.001), serum level of FIB (Plt;0.001) and distance of tumor to the dentate line (P＜0.05) were associated to the operative procedures. Conclusions Combinative assessment of MSCT and FIB could improve the accuracy of preoperative staging and operative procedures prediction, however, it may be not superior to MSCT plus SAA.