Umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) has been performed in the clinic for over 30 years. The biological and immunological characteristics of umbilical cord blood (UCB) have been re-recognized in recent years. UCB, previously considered medical waste, is rich in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are naïve and more energetic and more easily expanded than other stem cells. UCB has been identified as a reliable source of HSCs for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). UCBT has several advantages over other methods, including no harm to mothers and donors, an off-the-shelf product for urgent use, less stringent HLA match, lower incidence and severity of chronic graft-vs-host disease (GVHD), and probably a stronger graft-vs-leukemia effect, especially for minimal residual disease-positive patients before transplant. Recent studies have shown that the outcome of UCBT has been improved and is comparable to other types of allo-HSCT. Currently, UCBT is widely used in malignant, nonmalignant, hematological, congenital and metabolic diseases. The number of UCB banks and transplantation procedures increased exponentially before 2013. However, the number of UCBTs increased steadily in Asia and China but decreased in the United States and Europe year-on-year from 2013 to 2019. In this review, we focus on the development of UCBT over the past 30 years, the challenges it faces and the strategies for future improvement, including increasing UCB numbers, cord blood unit selection, conditioning regimens and GVHD prophylaxis for UCBT, and management of complications of UCBT.

Relapse is a leading cause of death after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Natural killer (NK) cells play a crucial role in tumor surveillance and cancer immunotherapy, and NK cell dysfunction has been observed in various tumors. Here, we performed ex vivo experiments to systematically characterize the mechanisms underlying the dysfunction of bone marrow−derived NK (BMNK) cells isolated from AML patients experiencing early relapse after allo-HSCT. We demonstrated that higher levels of active transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) were associated with impaired effector function of BMNK cells in these AML patients. TGF-β1 activation was induced by the overexpression of glycoprotein A repetitions predominant on the surface of CD4+ T cells. Active TGF-β1 significantly suppressed mTORC1 activity, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, the proliferation, and cytotoxicity of BMNK cells. Furthermore, pretreatment with the clinical stage TGF-β1 pathway inhibitor, galunisertib, significantly restored mTORC1 activity, mitochondrial homeostasis, and cytotoxicity. Importantly, the blockade of the TGF-β1 signaling improved the antitumor activity of NK cells in a leukemia xenograft mouse model. Thus, our findings reveal a mechanism explaining BMNK cell dysfunction and suggest that targeted inhibition of TGF-β1 signaling may represent a potential therapeutic intervention to improve outcomes in AML patients undergoing allo-HSCT or NK cell−based immunotherapy.

Thyroid carcinoma is a common malignant tumor of endocrine system and head and neck. Recurrence, metastasis and high malignant expression after routine treatment are serious clinical problems, so it is of great significance to explore its mechanism and find action targets. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with tumor malignancy and invasion. One key change in tumour EMT is low expression of E-cadherin. Therefore, this article reviews the expression of E-cadherin in thyroid cancers (TC), discuss the potential mechanisms involved, and outline opportunities to exploit E-cadherin on regulating the occurrence of EMT as a critical factor in cancer therapeutics.

Pregnant and lactating women are at high risk of insufficient water intake. The cross-sectional study was mainly designed to evaluate the water intake, including total water intake (TWI), plain water intake, and water intake from beverages and foods of 200 pregnant women and 150 breastfeeding women in Beijing. A semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was employed to assess their dietary intake, TWI, plain water, and water intake from beverages and foods. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted for evaluating the association between water intake and dietary variables. On average, the TWI of pregnant and breastfeeding women was 2638 mL/day and 3218 mL/day, respectively. Only 28% of pregnant women and 27% of breastfeeding women were complied with the adequate intake (AI). Water from foods was the greatest contributor to TWI both in pregnant and breastfeeding women. TWI was positively related to some dietary variables (P < 0.001). For pregnant women, with each 100 kcal/day increase in energy intake, the TWI increased by 67 mL. With each 5 g increase in daily intake of dietary protein, fat, carbohydrate and fiber, TWI increased by 72 mL, 66 mL, 22 mL, 353 mL, respectively. When the energy contribution of protein increased by 5%, TWI increased by 210 mL. The each 100 mg increase in daily sodium intake was accompanied with 52 mL increase in TWI. For breastfeeding women, with each 100 kcal/day increase in energy intake, the TWI increased by 54 mL. With each 5 g increase in daily intake of dietary protein, fat, carbohydrate and fiber, TWI increased by 53 mL, 58 mL, 16 mL, 212 mL, respectively. The each 100 mg increase in daily sodium intake was accompanied with 54 mL increase in TWI. A large proportion of pregnant and breastfeeding women in Beijing were not adherent to AI for TWI set by Chinese Nutrition Society. Water intake from foods was the greatest contributor to TWI both in pregnant and breastfeeding women, and maternal dietary intake posed impacts on water intake during pregnancy and lactation. More researches are required to assess the water intake and hydration status of the populations.