Living biobank-based cancer organoids: prospects and challenges in cancer research

Biobanks bridge the gap between basic and translational research.Traditional cancer biobanks typically contain normal and tumor tissues,and matched blood.However,biospecimens in traditional biobanks are usually nonrenewable.In recent years,increased interest has focused on establishing living biobanks,including organoid biobanks,for the collection and storage of viable and functional tissues for long periods of time.The organoid model is based on a 3D in vitro cell culture system,is highly similar to primary tissues and organs in vivo,and can recapitulate the phenotypic and genetic characteristics of target organs.Publications on cancer organoids have recently increased,and many types of cancer organoids have been used for modeling cancer processes,as well as for drug discovery and screening.On the basis of the current research status,more exploration of cancer organoids through technical advancements is required to improve reproducibility and scalability.Moreover,given the natural characteristics of organoids,greater attention must be paid to ethical considerations.Here,we summarize recent advances in cancer organoid biobanking research,encompassing rectal,gastric,pancreatic,breast,and glioblastoma cancers.Living cancer biobanks that contain cancerous tissues and matched organoids with different genetic backgrounds,subtypes,and individualized characteristics will eventually contribute to the understanding of cancer and ultimately facilitate the development of innovative treatments.

Analysis of Lymph Node Metastases of 1,526 Cases with Thoracic Esophageal and Cardiac Carcinomas: A Random Sampling Report froni the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from 1996 to 2004

OBJECTIVE To summarize the regular pattern and state oflymph node metastasis of patients with esophageal and cardiaccarcinomas,so as to analyze factors influencing lymph nodemetastasis.METHODS Clinical data collected from 1,526 thoracicesophageal and cardiac carcinoma patients who were admitted inthe Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University during a periodfrom January 1996 to December 2004,were randomly selectedand an Access Database of the patient's information was set up.Eight clinico-pathologic factors,including the patient's age,tumorlocation and size,pathological classification,the depth of tumorinvasion,vascular tumor embolus (VTE),the state of surroundingorgan encroachment and the status of tumor residues,wereidentified.A correlation between these factors and metastases wasstatistically analyzed using SPSS13.0 software.RESULTS Lymph node metastatic sites from esophagealcarcinomas included the thoracic and abdominal cavity.Lymphnode metastasis from the superior esophageal carcinomasmainly occurred in the neck and thoracic cavity.There was atwo-way lymph node metastasis in the patients with the middleesophageal carcinoma.The inferior esophageal carcinomas mainlymetastasized to the paraesophageal,paragastric cardia,and leftgastric artery lymph nodes.The rate and degree of the metastasisfrom the inferior esophageal carcinomas were significantly highercompared to those of the superior and the middle esophagealcarcinomas (P<0.0125).The degree of abdominal lymph node metastasis fromcarcinomas of the gastric cardia was significantly higher comparedwith that of esophageal carcinomas.In the group with carcinomaof the gastric cardia,the rate and degree of the lymph nodemetastases in the paragastric cardia and left gastric artery weresignificantly higher compared to the group with esophagealcarcinoma (P<0.05).Paraesophageal lymph node metastasis fromcarcinomas of the gastric cardia in the thoracic cavity frequentlyoccurred,too,and the degree of the metastasis was similar to thatof esophageal carcinoma.There was no significant difference inthe rate and degree of the paraesophageal lymph-node metastasisbetween the group with carcinoma of the gastric cardia comparedto those with esophageal carcinoma (P>0.05).Multifactoriallogistic regression analysis showed that the tumor size,depth oftumor encroachment,VTE,and tumor residues could all bringabout obvious impact on lymph-node metastases (P<0.05).CONCLUSION Lymph node metastasis from superioresophageal carcinomas mainly occurs in the neck and thoraciccavity.The middle esophageal carcinomas presented a two-waylymph-node metastasis (both the upwards and the downwards),and the lymph node metastasis from inferior esophagealcarcinomas mainly occurred in the thoracic and abdominal cavities.The metastases of carcinoma of the gastriccardia were most commonly found in the abdominalcavity,with frequent paraesophageal lymph-nodemetastasis.The sufficient attention should be paidto neck lymph node clearance in cases of esophagealcarcinoma.What is of the greatest concern is theclearance of the left gastric artery lymph nodes,andalso in cases of gastric cardia carcinoma,clearance,the paraesophageal lymph nodes.With an increasein the tumor size and depth of tumor encroachment,and occurrence of VTE and tumor residual cells,therisk of lymph node metastasis is significantly raised (P<0.05).

Analysis of Prognostic Factors of Esophageal and Gastric Cardiac Carcinoma Patients after Radical Surgery Using Cox Proportional Hazard Model-A Random Sampling Study from the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University during the Period of 1996-2004

OBJECTIVE To retrospectively analyze clinical data of patientsfrom our hospital who underwent radical surgery for esophagealcarcinoma and for adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia,as well asto investigate prognostic factors affecting the long-term survival ofthe patients.METHODS Data from the patients eligible for our study,admitted to the 4th Hospital of Hebei Medical University fromJanuary 1996 to December 2004,were randomized,and 12distinctive clinicopathologic factors influencing the survival rateof those who underwent radical surgery for esophageal carcinomaor carcinoma of the gastric cardia were collected.Univariate andmultivariate analysis of these individual variables were performedusing the Cox proportional hazard model.RESULTS It was shown by univariate analysis that age,tumorsize,pathologic type,lymph node status,TNM staging,depthof infiltration and encroachment into local organs,etc.,were thefactors that markedly influenced the prognosis of patients(P<0.01).Multivariate analysis showed that pathologic type,numberof the lymph node metastases,involvement of local organs,andTNM staging were independent prognostic factors(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The independent factors influencing theprognosis of patients with esophageal cancer and carcinoma ofthe gastric cardia include pathologic type,number of lymph nodemetastases,involvement of local organs and TNM staging.Themain prognostic factors affecting the patient's survival are patientage,tumor size and depth of infiltration.In addition,patients withinvolvement of the local organs have a worse prognosis,and theyshould be closely followed up.

Analysis of Clinicopathologic Features of Esophageal Carcinoma Patients Undergoing Surgery-a Report of 4,329 Cases

OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinicopathological features of esophageal carcinoma （EC） patients, and to analyze epidemiologic characteristics and the current situation of esophageal cancioma in the southern area of Hebei Province. METHODS A total of 4329 patients with esophageal cancinoma, undergoing surgery in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University during a period from January 1996 to December 2005, were selected. Collection and statistical analysis of the pathologic data were performed using a SAS 6.0 software package. RESULTS Over the past ten years, there has been a tendency for an increase in the mean age of EC onset （P 〈 0.05）, a downtrend in the percentage of squamous cancer （SqCa） （P 〈 0.05） and an uptrend in the frequency of small cell carcinoma （P 〈 0.05）. In clinical stages, there was a drop in the percentage of Stage-Ⅱ squamous EC patients （P 〈 0.05）, and an increase in that of Stage-Ⅳ patients （P 〈 0.05）. There were statistical differences in sex, age, pathologic types, depth of infiltration, ratio of stages and lymph node metastasis, etc. among the superior, middle and inferior segments of the EC diseased region （P 〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION It was relatively late for the EC patients from this area to see a doctor, resulting in a drop in the ratio of SqCa and an ascensus in that of small cell cancer. However, due to a low incidence of adenocarcinoma, no obvious ascending tendency was found in the frequency of this carcinoma over the past ten years.

Structure optimization of connection frames based on frequency sensitivity in macro-micro motion platforms

High-performance connection frames are of great significance for ultra-high acceleration and ultra-precision positioning in macro-micro motion platforms. This paper first takes the connection frame as a research object,builds a finite element model(FEM) of the natural frequency of the frame, and then verifies the correctness of this model. The frequency sensitivity method is then used to perturb the structural parameters of the FEM of the connection frame, and the sensitivities of the first-order natural frequency and mass of the corresponding structural parameters are obtained by calculation and analysis. The design variables are also determined. The natural frequency is used as the optimization objective, and the design parameters and mass of the connection frame are constrained. The structural parameters of the connecting frame are obtained through optimization, and the model is built and verified by experiments. The results show that the first-order natural frequency of the connecting frame is effectively improved by the frequency sensitivity method, avoids resonance between the connecting frame and the voice coil motor, and realizes the lightweight design of the connection frame. This research provides a reliable basis for the stable operation and ultra-precision positioning of ultra-high acceleration macro-motion platforms.