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Purpose: This study aims to analyze the clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes of tongue cancer in the pediatric population, a topic with limited existing data, using a population‐based cohort. Methods: Pediatric patients diagnosed with tongue cancer from 1975 to 2018 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Survival rates were assessed using Kaplan–Meier analysis. Univariate survival analysis was conducted with the log‐rank test, while multivariate analysis involved Cox proportional‐hazards regression to identify factors influencing overall survival (OS). A predictive nomogram was developed based on Cox regression findings. Results: In total, 97 pediatric patients with tongue cancer were identified, with a median age at diagnosis of 15 years (range: 1–19 years). Tumors were classified as squamous cell carcinoma (45.4%), rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) (13.4%), and others (41.2%). Of the patients, squamous cell carcinoma was more common in older children, whereas rhabdomyosarcoma was more common in younger children. The Cox proportional hazard regression revealed that histology and surgery were significant independent predictors of overall survival. The chance of death increased with no surgery. Moreover, patients with squamous cell carcinoma or rhabdomyosarcoma have a poorer survival percentage than patients with other subtypes. Conclusions: Tongue cancer in children is rare and associated with poor survival outcomes. This study highlights the significance of tumor histology and surgical intervention in determining overall survival, offering valuable insights for clinical decision‐making in pediatric tongue cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyurethane (PU) is a versatile material that can be customized to meet specific commercial requirements in different industries because of its favorable mechanical properties. However, it is not resistant to high temperatures, and it requires structural modifications before it can be used in high‐temperature structural materials. In this study, isocyanates and anhydrides are copolymerized at high temperatures to obtain a solvent‐free oligomer, thus eliminating the risks associated with highly polar aprotic solvents. A casting technique is used to synthesize a solid poly(urethane‐imide) (PUI) elastomer. According to the results, casting PUI (CPUI) exhibits optimal physical properties at a hard segment content of 30.5%. Incorporating an ether, symmetric, or imide structure into CPUI may reduce its hysteresis and improve its thermal creep performance. Compared with PU, CPUI exhibits considerably higher creep aging resistance. In dynamic load application tests, CPUI wheels take a substantially longer time to reach failure compared with PU wheels. Overall, CPUI is an environmentally friendly material with high elasticity, low creep, and high heat aging resistance and is suitable for static and dynamic manufacturing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Ferroptosis is a newly discovered cell death mode that has been confirmed to occur in the intestinal epithelial cells in ulcerative colitis (UC). In this study we aimed to elucidate the mechanism of ferroptosis and its association with adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) in UC. Methods: Gene expression profiles of colonic mucosa (GSE87473) were downloaded. Both human colonic samples and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)‐induced colitis murine model were used. The molecular markers of ferroptosis were detected using western blot and immunohistochemistry. Symptoms, iron abundance, and lipid peroxidation level of the mouse model were measured to evaluate the role of AMPK activation in ferroptosis. Results: Both gene and protein expressions of GPX4 and FTH1 were decreased in UC patients compared with the healthy controls. An increased iron abundance and lipid peroxidation level in colon tissues and damaged mitochondria were found in DSS‐induced colitis. AMPK expression was decreased in UC patients and correlated with FTH1 and GPX4. Activation of AMPK with metformin inhibited ferroptosis in the colon, improved symptoms, and prolonged the lifespan in DSS‐induced colitis mice. Conclusions: Ferroptosis can be observed in colonic tissues in UC. AMPK activation inhibits ferroptosis in murine colitis model, which may act as a potential target for the treatment of colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coal facies and their effects on the coal pore characteristics of the Late Permian Longtan Formation, western Guizhou, were studied, using diverse experiments of macerals and minerals compositions, vitrinite reflectance, and pore characteristics. The results show that five coal facies exist in studied samples, and they are shallow-water covered forest peat swamp facies, moist forest peat swamp facies, dry forest peat swamp facies, low peat swamp facies, and wet land herbaceous peat swamp facies. Among them, the moist forest peat swamp facies accounts for the largest proportion, followed by the shallow-water covered forest peat swamp and dry forest peat swamp facies. The order of pore development degree is identical with the order of moist forest peat swamp facies coal > shallow-water covered forest peat swamp facies coal > dry forest peat swamp facies coal. In contrast to shallow-water covered forest peat swamp facies and dry forest peat swamp facies samples, moist forest peat swamp facies samples have higher porosity and larger pore size. Coal facies play an important role in controlling the pore structure of coal reservoir, which have more effect on pore size distribution than coal rank for the samples in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of rock mechanic characteristics of shale reservoir is the key for the success of fracturing. Several limitations such as complex lithology can affect the accuracy of the rock mechanic property computation. In this research, the mechanical rock properties of shale reservoirs were analyzed based on experimental tests including shale-reservoir mineral composition, uniaxial compressive strength, and triaxial compression tests. The results showed that (1) the difference in mineral composition leads to easier fracturing of sand shale reservoirs compared with pure shale reservoir. (2) Under uniaxial conditions, the rock mechanical parameters along the vertical bedding direction of sand shale reservoirs are better than pure shale reservoir parameters. The mechanical properties of shale reservoirs in parallel bedding direction are less affected by lithology. Under triaxial conditions, the confining pressure increases more than 4.0 times with the compressive strength of rocks, and the rock Young's modulus in the parallel bedding direction is higher compared with the vertical bedding direction. (3) Rock failure mode is mainly subdivided into cutting and splitting modes, and the bedding features of rock mechanic properties highly influence the drilling and fracturing operations. This study offers guidelines for the optimization of the drilling and fracturing process based on accurate evaluation of the rock mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's marine-continental transitional facies shale gas resources are abundant with shale gas resources of about 19.8 trillion cubic meters, while the exploration and development of these shale gas resources are still in the initial stage. The Upper Permian Longtan coal series shale is one of the most important transitional shales in the Yangtze platform, China. In this study, the comprehensive methods of mineralogy and organic geochemistry are used to discuss the characteristic of organic matter and sedimentary environment of the Longtan coal series shale in western Guizhou Province, South China. The results show that (1) the total organic carbon (TOC) content of this shale ranges in 0.6%-28.21%, mainly in 3%-12%, indicating a "good-excellent" hydrocarbon source rock, and its vitrinite reflectance ( R o ) ranges from 1.48% to 2.93%, indicating a high-overmature organic matter; (2) the organic matter in this shale is multiorigin, and most of them come from the terrestrial higher plant while the rest come from the plankton; (3) type index (TI) of organic matter is from -65 to 41, indicating most of the kerogens which are II1-III types; and (4) the sedimentary environment of this shale is dominated by suboxic-anoxic fresh water environment, which provides a favorable condition for the preservation of organic matter. In addition, the warm and humid climate during the Late Permian in the Yangtze platform promotes plant growth, and as a result, the Longtan coal series shale is rich in organic matter and has great potential of shale gas exploration and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐gain, low‐weight, wide bandwidth, and miniaturized lens antennas with stable properties against temperature are intensely required in extreme environments such as aerospace field. However, high‐performance microwave dielectric ceramics with near‐zero thermal expansion and frequency shift with temperature are very rare; moreover, the requirement of 3D printing processes also restricts their developments. Ba0.4Sr0.6Zn2Si2O7 with negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), which originates from the stretched [ZnO4] tetrahedral chain to the twisted one along b‐axis with temperature, and CaTiO3 with positive temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) can effectively adjust both CTE and τf of Zn1.8SiO3.8 to near‐zero value in 0.95(0.9Zn1.8SiO3.8–0.1Ba0.4Sr0.6Zn2Si2O7)–0.05CaTiO3 ceramic. Then, a Ku‐band Luneburg lens integrative antenna fabricated by stereolithography 3D printing technology exhibits an average gain of 8.06 dBi at 10.45–11.39 GHz and 10.3 dBi at 12.27–13.45 GHz, which has potential applications in temperature‐stable satellite communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: SR protein‐specific kinases (SRPKs) uniquely with a spacer region are important splicing factors from yeast to human. However, little is known about their biological functions in filamentous fungi. Therefore, we characterized a SRPK called SRK1 in wheat scab fungus Fusarium graminearum. Our data showed that Srk1 is required for vegetative growth, sexual reproduction and plant infection, and plays critical roles in pre‐mRNA alternative splicing and gene expression. Remarkably, we found that Srk1 displayed dynamic shuttling between cytoplasm and the nucleus, which is regulated by the divergent spacer domain rather than its kinase activity, suggesting a regulatory mechanism for Srk1. Interestingly, Srk1‐GFP also localized to the septal pores, indicating a possible role of Srk1 unrelated to mRNA processing. Although both K1 and K2 lobes of the kinase domain are essential for Srk1 functions, the K2 but not K1 lobe is responsible for the septal pore localization. Lastly, we established that Srk1 physically interacts with the two SR proteins, FgNpl3 and FgSrp1. Overall, our results indicated that SRK1 regulates fungal development, plant infection and mRNA processing by phosphorylation of other splicing factors including SR proteins, and the spacer domain regulates the functions of Srk1 by modulating its nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteogenesis and adipogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are regarded as being of great importance in the regulation of bone remodeling. In this study, rat BMSCs were exposed to different levels of cyclic mechanical stress generated by liquid drops and cultured in general medium or adipogenic medium. Markers of osteogenic (Runx2 and Collagen I) and adipogenic (C/EBPα, PPARγ, and lipid droplets) differentiation were detected using Western blot and histological staining. The protein levels of members of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β)/β-catenin signaling pathway were also examined. Results showed that small-magnitude stress significantly upregulated Runx2 and Collagen I and downregulated PPARγ and C/EBPα expression in BMSCs cultured in adipogenic medium, while large-magnitude stress reversed the effect when compared with unloading groups. The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway could be strongly activated by mechanical stimulation; however, large-magnitude stress led to decreased activation of the signaling pathway when compared with small-magnitude stress. Activation of β-catenin with LiCl led to increased expression of Runx2 and Collagen I and reduction of C/EBPα and PPARγ expression in BMSCs. Inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling partially blocked the expression of β-catenin. Taken together, our results indicate that mechanical stress-regulated osteogenesis and adipogenesis of rat BMSCs are mediated, at least in part, by the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The PacC/Rim101 pH-responsive transcription factor is an important pathogenicity element for many plantpathogenic fungi. In this study, we investigated the roles of a PacC homologue, CmpacC, in the mycoparasitic fungus Coniothyrium minitans. CmpacC was confirmed to have the transcriptional activation activity by the transcriptional activation test in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Disruption of CmpacC resulted in impaired fungal responses to ambient pH. Compared to the wild-type, the CmpacCdisruption mutant CmpacC-29 was significantly suppressed for activities of chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase at pH 5 and 7, consistent with reduced expression levels of Cmch1 and Cmg1 coding for the two enzymes respectively. However, the mutant displayed acidity-mimicking phenotypes such as improved oxalate degradation and increased antifungal activity at pH 6 or higher. Improved efficacy in oxalate degradation by CmpacC-29 was consistent with the enhanced expression level of Cmoxdc1 coding for oxalate decarboxylase. CmpacC transcriptional activation of Cmch1 and Cmg1 and repression of Cmoxdc1 were verified by the presence of the PacC/ Rim101 consensus binding-motifs in gene promoter regions and by the promoter DNA-binding assays. This study suggests that CmpacC plays an activator role in regulation of C. minitans mycoparasitism, whereas plays a repressor role in regulation of oxalate degradation and possibly antifungal activity of C. minitans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self-setting behavior of α-calcium sulfate hemihydrate is highly dependent on its morphology that is tuned through the addition of ethanol into CaCl2 aqueous solutions during a salt solution method. With the increase of the ethanol/water volume ratios, the mean lengths of the formed crystals decreased from 24 to 19 μm, whereas their mean widths increased from 6 to 18 μm. It is also detected that the setting time of α- CSH paste reduced from 120 ± 12.3 to 17 ± 2.1 min as the crystal morphology evolved from rod-like to equiaxial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical epidemiology has indicated that the endothelial injury is a potential contributor to the pathogenesis of ischemic neurovascular damage. In this report, we assessed S-nitrosylation and nitration of Keap1 to identify downstream nitric oxide redox signaling targets into endothelial cells during ischemia. Here, oxygen-glucose deprivation ( OGD) exposure initiates the nuclear import of Keap1 in endothelial cells, which interacted with nuclear-localized Nrf2, as demonstrated through co-immunoprecipitation and immunocytochemical assay. Paralleling the ischemia-induced nuclear import of Keap1, increased nitrotyrosine immunoreactivity in endothelial cells was also observed. Consistently, the addition of peroxynitrite provoked nuclear import of Keap1 and a concomitant Nrf2 nuclear import in the endothelial cells. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of nitrosative stress by melatonin partially inhibited the OGD-induced constitutive nuclear import of Keap1 and subsequently disturbance of Nrf2/Keap1 signaling. Moreover, the effect of melatonin on nitration and S-nitrosylation of keap1 was examined in endothelial cells with 6 hr OGD exposure. Here, we demonstrated that OGD induced tyrosine nitration of Keap1, which was blocked by melatonin treatment, while there were no significant changes in S-nitrosylation of Keap1. The specific amino acid residues of Keap1 involved in tyrosine nitration were identified as Y473 by mass spectrometry. Moreover, the protective role of melatonin against damage to endothelial tight junction integrity was addressed by ZO-1 expression, paralleled with the restored heme oxygenase-1 levels during OGD. Together, our results emphasize that upon nitrosative stress, the protective effect of melatonin on endothelial cells is likely mediated at least in part by inhibition of ischemia-evoked protein nitration of Keap1, hence contributing to relieve the disturbance of Nrf2/Keap1 antioxidative signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Tight junction protein degradation is a principal characteristic of the blood-brain barrier ( BBB) damage that occurs during brain ischemia. Aims We investigated the mechanisms of occludin degradation that underlie permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (p MCAO) in rats. Methods and Results Western blot and Co-immunoprecipitation data indicated ubiquitination and degradation of occludin in brain after p MCAO, which was consistent with ZO-1 degradation in penumbra regions as observed at 24 h after p MCAO. We further investigated candidate protease(s) responsible for the degradation of occludin during p MCAO. The intraventricular administration of γ-secretase blocker DAPT significantly inhibited the p MCAO-induced neurovascular damage, whereas ALLM and Batimastat, which are inhibitors of calpain and metalloproteinase proteases, respectively, were less effective. Notably, we found that DAPT significantly inhibited BBB disruption in comparison with vehicle treatment, as assessed by Evans blue excretion. Interestingly, the confocal immunostaining revealed that activation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch is associated with degradation of occludin in brain microvessels following ischemia. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that the inhibition of γ-secretase signaling and the itch-mediated ubiquitination of occludin likely underlie the vasoprotective effect of DAPT after p MCAO. Conclusion The γ-secretase blocker DAPT reduces the permeability of the BBB by decreasing the ubiquitination and degradation of occludin during permanent brain ischemia, suggesting that γ-secretase may represent a novel therapeutic target for preventing neurovascular damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peroxynitrite contributes to diverse cellular stresses in the pathogenesis of ischemic complications. Here, we investigate the downstream effector signaling elements of nitrosative stress which regulate ischemia-like cell death in endothelial cells and protective effect of melatonin. When the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δ Ψm) of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-treated cells was assessed using the fluorescent probe 5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethylbenzimidazol -carbocyanine iodide, we observed spontaneous changes in peroxynitrite formation. Concomitantly, western blot and confocal microscopy analyses indicated that prolonged OGD exposure initiates the release of mitochondrial HtrA2 and dramatically decreases phosphoprotein enriched in astrocytes (PED or PEA-15) protein levels. Consistently, cultured endothelial cells treated with peroxynitrite (1-50 μ) exhibited a concentration-dependent release of mitochondrial HtrA2 and concomitant PED degradation in vitro. Notably, HtrA2 activation coincided with increased nitrotyrosine immunoreactivity in microvessels of rats following microsphere embolism. Additionally, the protective effect of PED overexpression in OGD-induced apoptosis was abolished by transfection with the PED mutant. Furthermore, the effect of melatonin, an potential antioxidant, on endothelial apoptotic cascade was examined in OGD-evoked nitrosative stress. Our data showed that the application of melatonin provided significant protection against OGD-induced peroxynitrite formation and mitochondrial HtrA2 release, accompanied with a decrease in degradation PED and x-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein, which is associated with activation of the caspase cascade. Taken together, the protective effect of melatonin is likely mediated, in part, by inhibition of peroxynitrate-mediated nitrosative stress, which in turn relieves imbalance of mitochondrial HtrA2-PED signaling and endothelial cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chang-Qing F, Yi L, De-Guang W, Qing-Bin S, Xiang-Min H, Na T, Jian-Hua L. Immune clearance gastric carcinoma cells in ascites by activating caspase-9-induced apoptosis. APMIS 2011; 119: 173-179. Floating gastric adenocarcinoma cells in ascitic fluid are the main cause of peritoneal dissemination. Activation of apoptosis is an important mechanism by which tumor cells are eliminated by the immune surveillance system. Hence, we examined caspase-9 expression and the apoptosis in gastric adenocarcinoma cells in ascitic fluid using immunohistochemistry, real-time polymerase chain reaction and in situ cell death detection kits, flow cytometry. The results revealed strong expression of caspase-9 in 58.49% (31/53) malignant cells and a relatively weak expression of caspase-9 in 41.51% (22/53) malignant cells. The proportion of apoptotic cells in 31 malignant cases with strong caspase-9 expression (35.14 ± 3.42)% was significantly higher than that in 22 malignant cases with relatively weak caspase-9 expression (17.29 ± 7.62)% or in mesothelial cells (10.76 ± 4.21%; p < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated that the patients with low caspase-9 expression showed significantly shorter survival (p < 0.05) than those with high caspase-9 expression. These findings suggest that immune clearance gastric carcinoma cells in ascites activated by caspase-9 helped to improve the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bee pollen of Brassica campestris L. is widely used in China as a natural food supplement and an herbal medicine in strengthening the body's resistance against diseases including cancer. The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of a steroid fraction of chloroform extract from bee pollen of Brassica campestris L. on human cancer cell viability. Our studies show that among nine cancer cell lines of different origin (PC-3, LNCaP, MCF-7, Hela, BEL-7402, BCG-823, KB, A549 and HO8910), this steroid fraction displayed the strongest cytotoxicity in human prostate cancer PC-3 cells. The mode of cell death appeared to be apoptosis in PC-3 cells, as shown by flow-cytometric analysis and fluorescence microscopes. Caspase-3 activity was obviously enhanced after the cells were treated with the fraction. A time-dependent decrease in the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was also observed by Western blot analysis. It is suggested that the steroid fraction could induce cytotoxicity in prostate cancer PC-3 cells by triggering apoptosis. The studies indicate that the steroid fraction of chloroform extract from bee pollen of Brassica campestris L. may be a promising candidate for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the possible molecular mechanisms involved in the estrogen-like activities of ethanol extracts from two common Chinese legumes, i.e. Adzuki bean ( Phaseolus angularis Wight.) and Lima bean ( Phaseolus lunatus L.) were investigated. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) measurement and western blot analysis were conducted to detect the functional mRNA and protein expressions, while immunofluorescence was used to determine the estrogen receptor (ER) intracellular distribution in the MCF-7/BOS cell line. The results indicated that (1) both mRNA and protein levels of progesterone receptor (PR) in the cell line increased after 48 h treatment with the extracts compared with those in the control; (2) Adzuki and Lima bean extracts might alter the ER intracellular distributions in two different manners: for the Adzuki bean, the ER appeared in both cytoplasm and nucleus, while for the Lima bean, it exhibited the same pattern as that of estradiol in which the ER almost disappeared in the nucleus and mainly occurred in the cytoplasm. Above all, the results showed a novel pattern of ER intracellular distribution in the MCF-7/BOS cell line upon exposure to Adzuki bean extract, suggesting that different pathways were involved in the estrogen-like activities of the ethanol extracts of Adzuki bean and Lima bean. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of fractions partitioned from the ethanol extract of Acorus calamus L. (AC) on adipocyte differentiation were investigated using cultured mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. The degree of differentiation was evaluated by measuring the cellular triglycerides and protein expression of the glucose transporter GLUT4 in 3T3-L1 cells. The ethyl acetate fraction of the AC extract (ACE) was found to enhance adipocyte differentiation as did rosiglitazone. The results of further fractionation of ACE indicated that the active fraction does not consist of beta-asarone, which is a toxic component of this plant. This finding suggests that ACE has potential insulin-sensitizing activity like rosiglitazone, and may improve type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of fractions partitioned from the ethanol extract of Acorus calamus L. (AC) on adipocyte differentiation were investigated using cultured mouse 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. The degree of differentiation was evaluated by measuring the cellular triglycerides and protein expression of the glucose transporter GLUT4 in 3T3-L1 cells. The ethyl acetate fraction of the AC extract (ACE) was found to enhance adipocyte differentiation as did rosiglitazone. The results of further fractionation of ACE indicated that the active fraction does not consist of β-asarone, which is a toxic component of this plant. This finding suggests that ACE has potential insulin-sensitizing activity like rosiglitazone, and may improve type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AP‐2 complex is widely distributed in eukaryotes in the form of heterotetramer that functions in the uptake of membrane proteins during mammalian/plant clathrin‐mediated endocytosis. However, its biological function remains mysterious in pathogenic fungi. In this study, the wheat scab fungus, Fusarium graminearum, was used to characterise the biological function of the AP‐2 complex. Our study shows that FgAP‐2 complex plays a critical role in the maintenance of hyphal polarity. Lack of any subunit (FgAP2α, FgAP2β, FgAP2σ, and FgAP2mu) of the FgAP‐2 complex significantly affects the fungal vegetative growth, conidial morphology, and germination. Remarkably, FgAP‐2 complex is important for the fungal pathogenicity, especially during colonisation and extension after infecting the host. The FgAP‐2 complex is expressed ubiquitously at all developmental stages but having more concentrated protein distribution at the subapical collar and septa in young growing hyphae. Although FgAP‐2 complex displays similar dynamic behaviour to the actin patch components and accumulates at endocytic sites, it is dispensable for general endocytosis. We further demonstrated that FgAP‐2 complex is required for polar localisation of the lipid flippases FgDnfA and FgDnfB, which led to the proposal that FgAP‐2 functions as a cargo‐specific adaptor that promotes polar growth and colonising ability of F. graminearum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Cancer gene therapy using interleukin-2 (IL-2) has generated much interest because of the potent antitumor effect of this cytokine. There is ongoing research into one promising new gene therapy approach for cancer using the vaccinia virus vector. The purpose of this study was to construct a vaccinia eukaryotic expression vector, pMJ601, which contains human IL-2 (hIL-2; pMJ601hIL-2) and can be used for the treatment of gastric carcinomas. METHODS: Genetic engineering techniques such as plasmid extraction, agarose gel electrophoresis, restriction analysis, ligation, preparation of competent cells, transformation and DNA sequence analysis were used to clone the hIL-2 gene into pBluescript II SK+/– and pMJ601 and identify these vectors. RESULTS: Fragments of hIL-2 DNA from pLXSN from an EcoR1–BamHI restriction enzyme digest were successfully cloned into pBluescript II SK+/–. In addition, hIL-2 DNA from pBluescript II SK+/– with a SalI-BamHI restriction enzyme digest was also successfully cloned into pMJ601. CONCLUSION: Constructing a pMJ601 vector that expresses the hIL-2 gene is an important step toward being able to treat gastric carcinoma using gene therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]