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Abstract Background We mainly evaluated whether preserving the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) sheath to dissecting IMA root lymph nodes (also called No.253 lymph nodes) would benefit patients in terms of comparable lymph-node yield removed during operation and postoperative complications in laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer. Methods This is a prospective study included 141 rectal cancer patients who received laparoscopic radical resection during September 2018 to December 2020. All patients were randomly assigned to the preserved group (n = 71) and the peeled group (n = 70). The baseline characteristics, pathological features, intraoperative and postoperative data outcomes and complications were analyzed by independent samples t test, chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test between the 2 groups. Results The baseline characteristic and pathological features had no statistical difference between the 2 groups. The preserved group had a shorter operative time (P = 0.002), a shorter lymph node dissection time (P 0.05) in regard to the total number of lymph nodes cleared, positive lymph nodes, bleeding, anastomotic leakage, pneumonia, wound infection, abscess, ileus, urinary retention, urinary tract infection and chyle leakage. Conclusion Preserving of the IMA sheath in laparoscopic radical surgery for rectal cancer will reduce the total operation time and the length of hospitalization. This surgical method could lead to lower complication rate and faster recovery. Trial registration The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College and registered by the China Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR2200060830, Date of Registration:2022-06-12 -retrospective registration) http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx .

A hyaluronic acid granular hydrogel can promote neuronal and astrocyte colony formation and axonal extension in vitro, suggesting that the hydrogel can simulate an extracellular matrix structure to promote neural regeneration. However, in vivo experiments have not been conducted. In this study, we transplanted a hyaluronic acid granular hydrogel nerve guidance conduit to repair a 10-mm long sciatic nerve gap. The Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale, sciatic nerve compound muscle action potential recording, Fluoro-Gold retrograde tracing, growth related protein 43/S100 immunofluorescence staining, transmission electron microscopy, gastrocnemius muscle dry/wet weight ratio, and Masson’s trichrome staining results showed that the nerve guidance conduit exhibited similar regeneration of sciatic nerve axons and myelin sheath, and recovery of the electrophysiological function and motor function as autologous nerve transplantation. The conduit results were superior to those of a bulk hydrogel or silicone tube transplant. These findings suggest that tissue-engineered nerve conduits containing hyaluronic acid granular hydrogels effectively promote the morphological and functional recovery of the injured sciatic nerve. The nerve conduits have the potential as a material for repairing peripheral nerve defects.

Neuropathic pain is one of the most common symptoms of clinical pain that often accompanied by severe emotional changes such as anxiety. However, the treatment for comorbidity of chronic pain and anxiety is limited. Proanthocyanidins (PACs), a group of polyphenols enriched in plants and foods, have been reported to cause pain-alleviating effects. However, whether and how PACs induce analgesic and anxiolytic effects in the central nervous system remain obscure. In the present study, we observed that microinjection of PACs into the insular cortex (IC) inhibited mechanical and spontaneous pain sensitivity and anxiety-like behaviors in mice with spared nerve injury. Meanwhile, PACs application exclusively reduced the FOS expression in the pyramidal cells but not interneurons in the IC. In vivo electrophysiological recording of the IC further showed that PACS application inhibited the firing rate of spikes of pyramidal cells of IC in neuropathic pain mice. In summary, PACs induce analgesic and anxiolytic effects by inhibiting the spiking of pyramidal cells of the IC in mice with neuropathic pain, which should provide new evidence of PACs as the potential clinical treatment of chronic pain and anxiety comorbidity.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) are a promising candidate for spinal cord injury (SCI) repair owing to their advantages of low immunogenicity and easy accessibility over other MSC sources. However, modest clinical efficacy hampered the progression of these cells to clinical translation. This discrepancy may be due to many variables, such as cell source, timing of implantation, route of administration, and relevant efficacious cell dose, which are critical factors that affect the efficacy of treatment of patients with SCI. Previously, we have evaluated the safety and efficacy of 4 × 106 hUC-MSCs/kg in the treatment of subacute SCI by intrathecal implantation in rat models. To search for a more accurate dose range for clinical translation, we compared the effects of three different doses of hUC-MSCs – low (0.25 × 106 cells/kg), medium (1 × 106 cells/kg) and high (4 × 106 cells/kg) – on subacute SCI repair through an elaborate combination of behavioral analyses, anatomical analyses, magnetic resonance imaging-diffusion tensor imaging (MRI-DTI), biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) tracing, electrophysiology, and quantification of mRNA levels of ion channels and neurotransmitter receptors. Our study demonstrated that the medium dose, but not the low dose, is as efficient as the high dose in producing the desired therapeutic outcomes. Furthermore, partial restoration of the γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor expression by the effective doses indicates that GABAA receptors are possible candidates for therapeutic targeting of dormant relay pathways in injured spinal cord. Overall, this study revealed that intrathecal implantation of 1 × 106 hUC-MSCs/kg is an alternative approach for treating subacute SCI.

Abstract Chronic pain damages the balance between excitation and inhibition in the sensory cortex. It has been confirmed that the activity of cortical glutamatergic pyramidal cells increases after chronic pain. However, whether the activity of inhibitory interneurons synchronized changed remains obscure, especially in in vivo conditions. In the present study, we checked the firing rate of pyramidal cells and interneurons in the anterior cingulate cortex, a main cortical area for the regulation of nociceptive information in mice with spared nerve injury by using in vivo multi-channel recording system. We found that the firing rate of pyramidal cells but not interneurons increased in the ACC, which was further confirmed by the increased FOS expression in pyramidal cells but not interneurons, in mice with neuropathic pain. Selectively high frequency stimulation of the ACC nociceptive afferent fibers only potentiated the activity of pyramidal cells either. Our results thus suggest that the increased activity of pyramidal cells contributes to the damaged E/I balance in the ACC and is important for the pain hypersensitivity in mice with neuropathic pain.

Abstract Background The study of drug–target interactions (DTIs) affinity plays an important role in safety assessment and pharmacology. Currently, quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) and molecular docking (MD) are most common methods in research of DTIs affinity. However, they often built for a specific target or several targets, and most QSAR and MD methods were based either on structure of drug molecules or on structure of receptors with low accuracy and small scope of application. How to construct quantitative prediction models with high accuracy and wide applicability remains a challenge. To this end, this paper screened molecular descriptors based on molecular vibrations and took molecule-target as a whole system to construct prediction models with high accuracy-wide applicability based on dissociation constant (Kd) and concentration for 50% of maximal effect (EC50), and to provide reference for quantifying affinity of DTIs. Results After comprehensive comparison, the results showed that RF models are optimal models to analyze and predict DTIs affinity with coefficients of determination (R2) are all greater than 0.94. Compared to the quantitative models reported in literatures, the RF models developed in this paper have higher accuracy and wide applicability. In addition, E-state molecular descriptors associated with molecular vibrations and normalized Moreau-Broto autocorrelation (G3), Moran autocorrelation (G4), transition-distribution (G7) protein descriptors are of higher importance in the quantification of DTIs. Conclusion Through screening molecular descriptors based on molecular vibrations and taking molecule-target as whole system, we obtained optimal models based on RF with more accurate-widely applicable, which indicated that selection of molecular descriptors associated with molecular vibrations and the use of molecular-target as whole system are reliable methods for improving performance of models. It can provide reference for quantifying affinity of DTIs.

Research on noncoding ribonucleic acids (ncRNAs) is mostly and broadly focused on microRNAs (miRNAs), cyclic RNAs (circRNAs), and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), which have been confirmed to play important roles in tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Specifically, recent studies have shown that ncRNAs contribute to tumorigenesis and tumor development by mediating changes in enzymes related to lipid metabolism. The purpose of this review is to discuss the characterized ncRNAs involved in the lipid metabolism of tumors to highlight ncRNA-mediated lipid metabolism-related enzyme expression in malignant tumors and its importance to tumor development. In this review, we describe the types of ncRNA and the mechanism of tumor lipid metabolism and analyze the important role of ncRNA in tumor lipid metabolism and its future prospects from the perspectives of ncRNA biological function and lipid metabolic enzyme classification. However, several critical issues still need to be resolved. Because ncRNAs can affect tumor processes by regulating lipid metabolism enzymes, in the future, we can study the unique role of ncRNAs from four aspects: disease prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Therefore, in the future, the development of ncRNA-targeted therapy will become a hot direction and shoulder a major task in the medical field.

Abstract To perform a comparison of the different stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) plans between the Varian EDGE and CyberKnife (CK) systems for locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer. Fifteen patients with pancreatic cancer were selected in this study. The median planning target volume (PTV) was 28.688 cm3 (5.736–49.246 cm3). The SBRT plans for the EDGE and CK were generated in the Eclipse and Multiplan systems respectively with the same contouring and dose constrains for PTV and organs at risk (OARs). Dose distributions in PTV were evaluated in terms of coverage, conformity index (CI), new conformity index (nCI), homogeneity index (HI), and gradient index (GI). OARs, including spinal cord, bowel, stomach, duodenum and kidneys were statistically evaluated by different dose-volume metrics and equivalent uniform dose (EUD). The volume covered by the different isodose lines (ISDL) ranging from 10 to 100% for normal tissue were also analyzed. All SBRT plans for EDGE and CK met the dose constraints for PTV and OARs. For the PTV, the dosimetric metrics in EDGE plans were lower than that in CK, except that D99 and GI were slightly higher. The EDGE plans with lower CI, nCI and HI were superior to generate more conformal and homogeneous dose distribution for PTV. For the normal tissue, the CK plans were better at OARs sparing. The radiobiological indices EUD of spinal cord, duodenum, stomach, and kidneys were lower for CK plans, except that liver were higher. The volumes of normal tissue covered by medium ISDLs (with range of 20–70%) were lower for CK plans while that covered by high and low ISDLs were lower for EDGE plans. This study indicated that both EDGE and CK generated equivalent plan quality, and both systems can be considered as beneficial techniques for SBRT of pancreatic cancer. EDGE plans offered more conformal and homogeneous dose distribution for PTV, while the CK plans could minimize the exposure of OARs.

Abstract. Background. After radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer, the most common complication is lower urinary tract symptoms. Post-operatively, bladder capacity can alter bladder function for a prolonged period. This study aimed to identify factors affecting bladder storage function. Methods. A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was conducted. Information of patients with stages IA2 to IIB cervical cancer with urodynamic study results were retrospectively collected from nine hospitals between June 2013 and June 2018 according to the inclusion criteria. Demographic, surgical, and oncological data were collected. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify clinical factors associated with bladder storage function. Results. Two hundred and three patients with cervical cancer had urodynamic testing post-operatively. Ninety-five (46.8%) patients were diagnosed with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The incidence of low bladder compliance (LBC) was 23.2%. Twenty-seven (13.3%) patients showed detrusor overactivity (DO). Fifty-seven patients (28.1%) presented with a decreased maximum cystometric capacity (DMCC). The probability of composite bladder storage dysfunction was 68.0%. Multivariate analysis confirmed that laparoscopy represents a protective factor for SUI with an odds ratio of 0.498 (P = 0.034). Patients who underwent a nerve-sparing procedure were less odds to experience SUI (P = 0.014). A significant positive correlation between LBC and DO was observed (P

Abstract Background Tumor motion may compromise the accuracy of liver stereotactic radiotherapy. In order to carry out a precise planning, estimating liver tumor motion during radiotherapy has received a lot of attention. Previous approach may have difficult to deal with image data corrupted by noise. The iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm is widely used for estimating the rigid registration of three-dimensional point sets when these data were dense or corrupted. In the light of this, our study estimated the three-dimensional (3D) rigid motion of liver tumors during stereotactic liver radiotherapy using reconstructed 3D coordinates of fiducials based on the ICP algorithm. Methods Four hundred ninety-five pairs of orthogonal kilovoltage (KV) images from the CyberKnife stereo imaging system for 12 patients were used in this study. For each pair of images, the 3D coordinates of fiducial markers inside the liver were calculated via geometric derivations. The 3D coordinates were used to calculate the real-time translational and rotational motion of liver tumors around three axes via an ICP algorithm. The residual error was also investigated both with and without rotational correction. Results The translational shifts of liver tumors in left-right (LR), anterior-posterior (AP),and superior-inferior (SI) directions were 2.92 ± 1.98 mm, 5.54 ± 3.12 mm, and 16.22 ± 5.86 mm, respectively; the rotational angles in left-right (LR), anterior-posterior (AP), and superior-inferior (SI) directions were 3.95° ± 3.08°, 4.93° ± 2.90°, and 4.09° ± 1.99°, respectively. Rotational correction decreased 3D fiducial displacement from 1.19 ± 0.35 mm to 0.65 ± 0.24 mm (P

Abstract The external environment plays a critical role in shaping the structure of the gut microbiome. One potential health threat lies in the release of antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) from cross-contaminated microbiomes. We focused this study on a comparison of fecal microbial composition and antibiotic resistant genes between farm workers, local villagers and swine. We used a high-throughput next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA and real-time PCR for these studies. Our results indicated that workers had less species diversity as compared to the local villagers. Moreover, the bacterial communities of the farm workers, the local villagers and swine feces were clearly divided into three groups. The workers had a greater abundance of Proteobacteria as compared to swine and the local villagers. The Clostridiaceae in the workers and swine were more abundant than the local villagers. In addition, there were ARG differences between the farm workers or local villager’s and swine feces. The farm workers and the local villagers had similar relative abundance except for macrolide ARGs. Taken together, these data suggest that the swine farm environment affects the fecal bacterial composition of swine farm workers. However, ARG spread was influenced by factors independent of the swine farm environment.

Abstract Background Class III radical hysterectomy (RH III)_plus pelvic lymphadenectomy is the standard surgery for early stage cervical cancer (CC) patients, the 5 year survival rate is about 90%, but pelvic floor disorders especially bladder dysfunction are common due to damaged vessels and nerve fibers following surgery. Transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS) treatment has been used to treat bladder disorders for many years, but its effect on cervical cancer patients, the best treatment time point and stimulated protocol, had never been assessed. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of TENS treatment on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) after RH III in CC patients. Methods/Design The study will be conducted as a clinical, multicentre, randomised controlled trial with balanced randomisation (1:1). The planned sample size is 208 participants (at 1:1 ratio, 104 subjects in each group). At 5–7 days after RH III, patients are screened according to operative and pathological findings. Enrolled participants are randomised into an intervention group (TENS plus conventional clinical care) or control group (conventional clinical care), with stratification by menopausal status (menopause vs. non-menopause) and surgical modality (laparoscopic RH or abdominal RH). Participants in both groups will be followed up at 14 days, 21 days, 28 days, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months and 24 months after surgery. The primary endpoint is improvement rate of urination function which is defined as recovery (residual urine ≤50 ml) or improvement (residual urine 50–100 ml). Secondary endpoints include urodynamic parameter, urinary incontinence, anorectal function, pelvic function, quality of life (QOL), disease-free survival and adverse events. Primary endpoint analyses will be carried out by Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel tests taking into center effect. Discussion To our knowledge this is the first trial to investigate the effect of TENS treatment on bladder function recovery after RH III among CC patients. This study will provide new information on TENS efficacy for bladder function recovery. Once confirmed, it may help to provide a new, non-invisive treatment for those postoperative CC patients with poor pelvic function, which would help improve their quality of life. Trial registration The study is registered to Clinical Trials.gov ( NCT02492542 ) on June 25, 2015.

Background: Some patients with pelvic organ prolapse may suffer from lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), especially stress urinary incontinence (SUI) named de novo SUI after pelvic floor reconstruction. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of de novo SUI. Methods: This is a nested case-control study of 533 patients who underwent pelvic floor reconstruction due to pelvic organ prolapse (POP) at the Department of Gynecology in Peking University People's Hospital from January 2011 to March 2013. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 401 patients were enrolled in the study with the follow-up rate of 74.8% (101 patients lost to follow-up). There were 75 patients with de novo SUI postoperatively. According to the ratio of 1:3, we ensured the number of control group (n = 225). The preoperative urinary dynamics, POP-quantification scores, and LUTS were compared between the two groups by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to investigate the risk factors of de novo SUI. Results: The incidence of de novo SUI was 25% (75/300). Univariate analysis showed that the ratio of lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO) before surgery in de novo SUI group was significantly higher than the control group (odds ratio [OR] = 2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.1–4.0], P = 0.022). The interaction test of LUTO and other factors displayed that Aa value was an interaction factor. With the increasing score of Aa, the incidence of de novo SUI become higher (OR = 2.1, 95% CI [1.0–3.7], P = 0.045). After multivariable adjustment, multiple regression analysis showed that LUTO was independently associated with a greater risk of de novo SUI after pelvic floor surgery (OR = 2.3, 95% CI [1.2–4.6], P = 0.013). Conclusions: Preoperative LUTO in patients with POP is a high-risk factor of de novo SUI, and high score of Aa-point is related to the occurrence of de novo SUI, which might be due to the outlet obstruction caused by bladder prolapse.

There is still no consensus on tumour type-specific cancer stem cell markers. Here, the authors demonstrate that ITGA7 is a potential functional marker of oesophageal cancer stem cells involved in the resistance to chemotherapy and metastasis through activation of FAK-mediated signalling.

Abstract Background The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) plays a crucial role in transporting IgG and associated antigens across polarized epithelial barriers in mucosal immunity. However, it was not clear that FcRn expression in aggregated lymphoid nodules area (ALNA) in abomasum, a unique and important mucosal immune structure discovered only in Bactrian camels. In the present study, 27 Alashan Bactrian camels were divided into the following five age groups: fetus (10–13 months of gestation), young (1–2 years), pubertal (3–5 years), middle-aged (6–16 years) and old (17–20 years). The FcRn expressions were observed and analyzed in detail with histology, immunohistochemistry, micro-image analysis and statistical methods. Results The results showed that the FcRn was expressed in mucosal epithelial cells of ALNA from the fetus to the old group, although the expression level rapidly declined in old group; moreover, after the ALNA maturated, the FcRn expression level in the non-follicle-associated epithelium (non-FAE) was significantly higher than that in FAE (P

Background: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a major health concern that affects women. Surgeons have increasingly used prosthetic meshes to correct POP. However, the most common used is synthetic mesh, and absorbable mesh is less reported. This research aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS). Methods: Consecutive forty POP patients who met the inclusion criteria underwent pelvic reconstruction surgery with SIS between March 2012 and December 2013. The patients' clinical characteristics were recorded preoperatively. Surgical outcomes, measured by objective and subjective success rates, were investigated. We evaluated the quality of life (QOL) using the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20) and the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire-7 (PFIQ-7). Sexual QOL was assessed by the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire-12 (PISQ-12). Results: At postoperative 12 months, the subjective recurrence rate (7.5%) was much lower than the objective recurrence rate (40.0%). Postoperatively, no erosion was identified. One underwent a graft release procedure because of urinary retention, and one had anus sphincter reconstruction surgery due to defecation urgency. Another experienced posterior vaginal wall infection where the mesh was implanted, accompanied by severe vaginal pain. Estrogen cream relieved the pain. One patient with recurrence underwent a secondary surgery with Bard Mesh because of stage 3 anterior vaginal wall prolapse. Scoring system of PFDI-20 was from 59.150 ± 13.143 preoperatively to 8.400 ± 4.749 postoperatively and PFIQ-7 was from 73.350 ± 32.281 to 7.150 ± 3.110, while PISQ-12 was from 15.825 ± 4.050 to 12.725 ± 3.471. Conclusions: QOL and the degree of subjective satisfaction were significantly improved postoperatively. Anterior repair deserves more attention because of the higher recurrence rate. The long-term follow-up of the patient is warranted to draw firm conclusion.

Circulating cooling water plays an important role in industrial water use. In this study, the corrosion inhibition effects of PBTCA, HEDP, and ATMP organic phosphorus inhibitors were investigated using the weight loss method by varying the dosage of inhibitors, ClO2 concentrations, and pH values on carbon steel in recirculating cooling water with a low concentration of ClO2 solution. The results showed that the three corrosion inhibitors had a satisfactory corrosion inhibition effect and that corrosion inhibition efficiency is positively correlated with the concentration of organic phosphorus inhibitors and pH. The average corrosion inhibition efficiency of the three inhibitors was about 80% at the concentration of inhibitors = 35 mg/L, pH = 9.0, and the concentration of ClO2 = 7.0 mg/L, of which the single-phosphorus molecular corrosion inhibitor proved to be the best inhibitor. When the ClO2 concentration was 7 mg/L, the corrosion inhibition efficiencies of the three corrosion inhibitors were relatively stable. Using the density functional theory (DFT) algorithm in the Gaussian 09 program, the optimization calculation was completed by the B3LYP/6-31G (d, p) method at the microlevel. The molecular structures of the three organic phosphorus inhibitors and the number of phosphorus-containing atoms were compared to the sustained-release properties. Organic phosphorus inhibitors, as an electronic buffer, not only provided electrons but also received electrons. They formed a complex with iron and zinc ions in water in order to attach to the surface of the carbon steel and to alleviate corrosion. In addition, the adsorption with a metal surface followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm.

Strongly alkaline electrolyzed water (SAEW) was prepared by electrolysis of tap water in a laboratory-made water electrolyzer. The pH of stored SAEW was stable for more than one month. The hardness of the electrolyzed water was 30% lower and the Na(+) concentration was 18% higher than those of the tap water. Silkworm cocoon shells were boiled in pH 11.50 SAEW at a ratio of 1∶40∼80 (W/V) for 20 min and the sericin layers around the silk fibroin fibers were removed completely. The tensile properties and thermal decomposition temperature of a single filament of silk fibroin obtained by the SAEW method were almost the same as those for the fiber obtained by the neutral soap, and much higher than those for the fiber obtained by Na2CO3 degumming. The results demonstrate that SAEW is an environmentally friendly and pollution-free silk degumming agent that allows highly efficient, low cost recovery of sericin.

A series of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives related to allopurinol has been synthesized and evaluated for its cytotoxicity against a panel of three cancer cell lines as well as its xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibitory activities. Among them, compound 4 showed potent cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 25.5 and 35.2 μM against human hepatoma carcinoma cell lines, BEL-7402 and SMMC-7221, respectively. The anticancer activity of 4 was comparable to that of Tanespimycin (17-N-allylamino-17-demethoxy geldanamycin, 17-AAG) that inhibited the growth of BEL-7402 and SMMC-7221 cells at IC50 values of 12.4 and 9.85 μM, respectively. However, unlike allopurinol, which is also a strong inhibitor of XOD, compound 4 is a much weaker XOD inhibitor, suggesting that the anticancer activities of the allopurinol derivatives may not be associated with XOD inhibition. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of 4 toward normal cells is significantly lower than that of 17-AAG, making 4 a promising lead compound for further optimization of structure-activity relationships that may lead to anticancer agents of clinical utility.

Deletion of the short arm of chromosome 3 is one of the most frequent genetic alterations in many solid tumors including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), suggesting the existence of one or more tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) within the frequently deleted region. A putative TSG RBMS3 (RNA binding motif, single stranded interacting protein 3), located at 3p24-p23, has been identified in our previous study. Here, we reported that downregulation of RBMS3 was detected in 3/3 NPC cell lines and 13/15 (86.7%) primary NPC tissues. Functional studies using both overexpression and suppression systems demonstrated that RBMS3 has a strong tumor suppressive role in NPC. The tumor suppressive mechanism of RBMS3 was associated with its role in cell cycle arrest at the G1/S checkpoint by upregulating p53 and p21, downregulating cyclin E and CDK2, and the subsequent inhibition of Rb-ser780. Further analysis demonstrated that RBMS3 had a pro-apoptotic role in a mitochondrial-dependent manner via activation of caspase-9 and PARP. Finally, RBMS3 inhibited microvessel formation, which may be mediated by down-regulation of MMP2 and β-catenin and inactivation of its downstream targets, including cyclin-D1, c-Myc, MMP7, and MMP9. Taken together, our findings define a function for RBMS3 as an important tumor suppressor gene in NPC.