Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are promising seed cells for nerve regeneration. However, their application is limited by the hypoxic environment usually present at the site of injury. Exosomes derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells have the potential to regulate the pathological processes that occur in response to hypoxia. The ability of OECs to migrate is unknown, especially in hypoxic conditions, and the effect of OECs combined with exosomes on peripheral nerve repair is not clear. Better understanding of these issues will enable the potential of OECs for the treatment of nerve injury to be addressed. In this study, OECs were acquired from the olfactory bulb of Sprague Dawley rats. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (0–400 μg/mL) were cultured with OECs for 12–48 hours. After culture with 400 μg/mL exosomes for 24 hours, the viability and proliferation of OECs were significantly increased. We observed changes to OECs subjected to hypoxia for 24 hours and treatment with exosomes. Exosomes significantly promoted the survival and migration of OECs in hypoxic conditions, and effectively increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene expression, protein levels and secretion. Finally, using a 12 mm left sciatic nerve defect rat model, we confirmed that OECs and exosomes can synergistically promote motor and sensory function of the injured sciatic nerve. These findings show that application of OECs and exosomes can promote nerve regeneration and functional recovery. This study was approved by the Institutional Ethical Committee of the Air Force Medical University, China (approval No. IACUC-20181004) on October 7, 2018; and collection and use of human umbilical cord specimens was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Linyi People’s Hospital, China (approval No. 30054) on May 20, 2019.

Purpose: The reported data of elderly ESCC are rather limited and there is a lack of information to guide treatment decisions for elderly patients with esophageal cancer. This study aims to identify the efficacy and factors for optimal treatment approaches for elderly esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated with radiotherapy (RT) alone or concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT).

Patterns of failure and clinical outcomes of definitive radiotherapy for cervical esophageal cancer

// <![CDATA[ $('.header-date').hide();$('#titleAuthors').hide();$('#abstractHeader').hide(); // ]]> Lina Zhao1, Man Xu1, Wen Jiang2, Haitao Pan3, Jian Zang1, Shanquan Luo1, Jianhua Wang1, Yongchun Zhou1, Mei Shi1 1Department of Radiation Oncology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University. Xi’an, China 2Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA 3Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA Correspondence to: Mei Shi, email: mshi82@hotmail.com Keywords: nasopharyngeal carcinoma, induction chemotherapy, IMRT, non-endemic region, WHO II/III Received: July 05, 2016 Accepted: December 05, 2016 Published: December 27, 2016

Background: To investigate the effect of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) on pulmonary oligometastases and to analyze the clinical factors and dose parameters affecting local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) and overall survival (OS). Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled a total of 84 patients (148 lesions) treated in our department from May 2015 to November 2018. Pulmonary oligometastases was defined as up to 5 metastatic lesions in the lung and with both the primary tumor and any extra-thoracic metastases being controlled. Patients receiving a BED₁₀ (biological effective dose, α/β =10) of SBRT ≥75 Gy and a dose/fraction ≥4 Gy were enrolled. The patient group consisted of 52 men (61.9%) and 32 women (38.1%), with a median age 56 years (range, 29–80 years). Median tumor diameter was 1.71cm (range, 1.2–5.0 cm). The BED₁₀ was 75–119 Gy in 4–15 fractions. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed on factors predicting the outcomes. Results: All patients completed the treatment as planned, and the median follow-up time was 20.3 months. The median OS for the entire group was 34.3 months, with an actuarial 1-, 2-, 3- and 5-year OS of 74.7%, 59.4%, 49.7%, and 36.8%, respectively. Among the 148 lesions in the whole group, 19 (12.8%) lesions had local recurrence (LR). The median LRFS time for all patients was 56.9 months. The LRFS rate was 93.6%, 83.5%, 81.4%, and 76.6% at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years, respectively. No patient developed acute grade 3 or 4 toxicity. On univariate analysis, age ≥63 years old, primary site of colorectal cancer, BED₁₀ <85.2 Gy, pathological type of adenocarcinoma, planning target volume (PTV) min BED₁₀ <76.6 Gy, and gross tumor volume (GTV) ≥8.8 cc, were significantly associated with poorer LRFS. Multivariate analysis showed that age ≥63 years old, primary site of colorectal cancer, and PTV min BED₁₀ <76.6 Gy were significant risk factors affecting LRFS. Conclusions: SBRT is feasible for pulmonary oligometastasis with favorable local control and minimal toxicity. Multiple dose parameters, instead of a prescription dose only, in combination with clinical parameters, should be considered for optimal local control.