Single-domain antibodies for radio nuclear imaging and therapy of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma:a narrative review

Single-domain antibodies have the characteristics of small molecular weight,strong tissue penetration,and high affinity,and are widely used to construct molecular probes for disease diagnosis and treatment.This article reviews molecular imaging studies including positron emission tomography(PET),single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography(CT),PET/CT,and fluorescent imaging of molecular probes composed of single-domain antibodies against eight esophageal squamous cell carcinoma biological targets.These 8 targets are highly expressed on the membrane of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells and include epidermal growth factor receptor,human epidermal growth factor receptor 2,human epidermal growth factor receptor 3,hepatocyte growth factor receptor,vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2,chemokine receptor 4,chemokine receptor 7,and carcinoembryonic antigen.The current problems and solutions are also discussed to provide a reference for future design of molecular imaging probes targeting esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Bioactive proteins in healthy pregnancies and preeclampsia： relevance to hypertension and proteinuria

Background Bioactive proteins, such as cytokines and chemokines, have not been systematically evaluated in healthy and preeclamptic pregnancies. We aimed to investigate the difference of these proteins between healthy and preeclamptic pregnancies in order to help clarify their potential roles in the pathogenesis of hypertension and proteinuria in preeclampsia. Methods Samples of amniotic fluid and maternal/umbilical cord blood were collected from normal pregnancies and women with preeclampsia for examination of bioactive proteins. Fifty-three pregnant women were enrolled in this study. Of them, 30 pregnant women were recruited as healthy controls, and 23 pregnant women were diagnosed with preeclampsia. An antibody array was used to screen for higher levels of cytokines and related proteins in amniotic fluid than in the blood samples, and these proteins were then selected for quantification by immunoassay. Results Interleukin-1 receptor 4, hepatocyte growth factor, and urokinase plasminogen activator receptor were significantly elevated in the blood of preec^ampsia patients. In particular, intedeukin-1 receptor 4 was 8-fold higher in preeclampsia patients than in the healthy pregnancies. Moreover, in cord blood samples hepatocyte growth factor and interleukin-8 were significantly higher in preeclampsia patients. Conclusions Because of the biologic activities, Interleukin-1 receptor 4, hepatocyte growth factor, urokinase plasminogen activator receptor and interleukin-8 in maternal and/or cord blood could play a role in the pathogenesis of hypertension and proteinuria in preeclampsia.