Fanconi-Bickel syndrome (FBS) is a rare inherited disease caused by mutations in the glucose transporter 2 gene, SLC2A2. We reported the first two Chinese cases of FBS. Both cases presented typical clinical features of hepatomegaly, hypophosphatemic rickets, severely stunted growth, fasting hypoglycemia along with postprandial hyperglycemia, and proximal renal tubular dysfunction with dispropor...

Novel biohybrid homo-polyelectrolyte-based nanocarriers were formed by the complexation of insulin (INS) with a biocompatible and cationic polyelectrolyte, namely, poly(vinyl benzyl trimethylammonium chloride) (PVBTMAC). According to light-scattering techniques, hydrophilic PVBTMAC homo-polyelectrolyte forms single chains in aqueous media. The resulting PVBTMAC/INS via electrostatic co-assembly...

We established co-cultures of invasive or non-invasive NSCLC cell lines and various types of fibroblasts (FBs) to more precisely characterize the molecular mechanism of tumor-stroma crosstalk in lung cancer. The HGF-MET-ERK1/2-CREB-axis was shown to contribute to the onset of the invasive phenotype of Calu-1 with HGF being secreted by FBs. Differential expression analysis of the respective mono...

Cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in people who had consumed contaminated meat products from cattle with bovine spongiform encephalopathy emphasize the need for measures aimed at preventing the transmission of the pathogenic prion protein (PrPSc) from materials derived from cattle. Highly stringent scrutiny is required for fetal bovine serum (FBS), a growth-medium supplement used in th...

It is already accepted that telocytes (TCs) represent a new type of interstitial cells in human dermis. In normal skin, TCs have particular spatial relations with different dermal structures such as blood vessels, hair follicles, arrector pili muscles or segments of sebaceous and/or eccrine sweat glands. The distribution and the density of TCs is affected in various skin pathological conditions...

Foreign bodies (FBs) in the eye are usually classified as intraocular (IOFB) or extraocular (EOFB). In IOFB the FB is within the eye ball and in EOFB it is outside. This classification seems oversimplified. Hence a new classification is proposed on the basis of FB locations, in which adnexal FBs (in orbit, lids, con- junctiva and lacrimal apparatus) are also included. These are further classifi...

Esophageal foreign bodies (FBs) are common and can be the serious cause of morbidity and mortality in children. One-third of FBs, retained in the gastrointestinal tract, are found in the esophagus. Their management depends on the anatomical location, shape, size, and the duration of impaction. In children, unwitnessed esophageal FBs can present with respiratory symptoms such as stridor. Therefo...

BACKGROUND Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is widely used in cell culture laboratories, risk of zoonotic infections and allergic side effects create obstacles for its use in clinical trials. Therefore, an alternative supplement with proper inherent growth-promoting activities is demanded. OBJECTIVE To find FBS substitute, we tested human umbilical cord blood serum (hUCS) for proliferation of human u...

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are a promising cell source and are being investigated for a variety of therapeutic applications. However, standard expansion protocols use fetal bovine serum (FBS) as a growth factor supplement, which is a potential source of undesirable xenogeneic pathogens. For clinical safety, autologous human serum (HS) would be more appropriate. This study compared FBS-su...