Cancer-FOXP3 directly activated CCL5 to recruit FOXP3+Treg cells in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Forkheadbox protein 3 (FOXP3), initially identified as a key transcription factor for regulatory T cells (Treg cells), was also expressed in many tumors including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, its role in PDAC progression remains elusive. In this study, we utilized 120 PDAC tissues after radical resection to detect cancer-FOXP3 and Treg cells by immunohistochemistry and evaluated clinical and pathological features of these patients. Cancer-FOXP3 was positively correlated with Treg cells accumulation in tumor tissues derived from PDAC patients. In addition, high cancer-FOXP3 expression was associated with increased tumor volumes and poor prognosis in PDAC especially combined with high levels of Treg cells. Overexpression of cancer-FOXP3 promoted the tumor growth in immunocompetent syngeneic mice but not in immunocompromised or Treg cell-depleted mice. Furthermore, CCL5 was directly trans-activated by cancer-FOXP3 and promoted the recruitment of Treg cells from peripheral blood to the tumor site in vitro and in vivo. This finding has been further reinforced by the evidence that Treg cells recruitment by cancer-FOXP3 was impaired by neutralization of CCL5, thereby inhibiting the growth of PDAC. In conclusion, cancer-FOXP3 serves as a prognostic biomarker and a crucial determinant of immunosuppressive microenvironment via recruiting Treg cells by directly trans-activating CCL5. Therefore, cancer-FOXP3 could be used to select patients with better response to CCL5/CCR5 blockade immunotherapy.

Naringenin regulates production of matrix metalloproteinases in the knee-joint and primary cultured articular chondrocytes and alleviates pain in rat osteoarthritis model

Inflammation of cartilage is a primary symptom for knee-joint osteoarthritis. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are known to play an important role in the articular cartilage destruction related to osteoarthritis. Naringenin is a plant-derived flavonoid known for its anti-inflammatory properties. We studied the effect of naringenin on the transcriptional expression, secretion and enzymatic activity of MMP-3 in vivo in the murine monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) osteoarthritis model. The assessment of pain behavior was also performed in the MIA rats. The destruction of knee-joint tissues was analyzed microscopically. Moreover, the effect of naringenin was also studied in vitro in IL-1β activated articular chondrocytes. The transcriptional expression of MMP-3, MMP-1, MMP-13, thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS-4) and ADAMTS-5 was also studied in primary cultured chondrocytes of rats. Naringenin caused significant reduction in pain behavior and showed marked improvement in the tissue morphology of MIA rats. Moreover, a significant inhibition of MMP-3 expression in MIA rats was observed upon treatment with naringenin. In the in vitro tests, naringenin caused a significant reduction in the transcriptional expression, secretion and enzymatic activity of the studied degradative enzymes. The NF-κB pathway was also found to be inhibited upon treatment with naringenin in vitro. Overall, the study suggests that naringenin alleviated pain and regulated the production of matrix-metalloproteinases via regulation of NF-κB pathway. Thus, naringenin could be a potent therapeutic option for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

Loss of JAM-C leads to impaired esophageal innervations and megaesophagus in mice

Megaesophagus is a disease where peristalsis fails to occur properly and esophagus is enlarged. The etiology and mechanism of megaesophagus are not well understood. In this study, we reported that junctional adhesion molecule C (JAM-C) knockout mice on a C57/B6 background developed progressive megaesophagus from embryonic day (E) 15.5 onward with complete penetrance. JAM-C knockout mice exhibited a significant reduction in the number of nerve fibers/ganglia in the wall of the esophagus. However, histological analysis revealed that the esophageal wall thickness and structure of JAM-C knockout mice at embryonic stages and young adult were comparable to that of control littermates. Thus, megaesophagus observed in JAM-C knockout mice could be attributed, at least in part, to impaired esophageal innervations. Our data suggest JAM-C as a potential candidate gene for human megaesophagus, and JAM-C knockout mice might serve as a model for the study of human megaesophagus.

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with end-stage liver disease: a 5-year follow-up study of 48 patients

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the long-term therapeutic effect of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with End-stage Liver Disease (ESLD).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Forty-eight ESLD patients underwent autologous CD34+ stem cell transplantation were retrospectively reviewed. Changes in clinical and biochemical data, complications, and quality of life were monitored at 3, 6, 12, 36, and 60 months following the stem cell transplantation. Liver biopsies were obtained for histopathological analysis using Ishak system.

RESULTS

Marked improvement in clinical and biochemical data was observed during the long-term follow-up. Serum albumin was significantly increased (p<0.001), while total serum bilirubin, prothrombin time (PT), and international normalized ratio (INR) were all significantly decreased (p<0.001). Ishak inflammation and fibrosis scores were significantly decreased with the increased time (p<0.001). The number of patients with ascites, model of end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, Child-Pugh class, and indocyanine green (ICG) score were all markedly reduced with increased time. Meanwhile, the quality of life score of the patients was significantly increased (p<0.001). Six patients died during the 5-years follow-up, and complications occurred in 17 patients. The incidence of complications was significantly associated with mortality of the patients (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The study provided the evidence that autologous CD34+ stem cell transplantation could offer a long-term therapeutic benefit to patients with ESLD. The complications occurred during the process was significantly associated with survival of the patients. Future studies on a large cohort of patients are needed to confirm the long-term effect of stem cell therapy on ESLD.

[Spontaneous ovulation in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles using gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist: a large-sample retrospective study]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the premature spontaneous ovulation rates in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles using gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-ant) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a), as well as the risk factors for premature spontaneous ovulation.

METHODS

The rates of premature spontaneous ovulation in a total of 10 612 cycles using GnRH-ant or GnRH-a were compared. Matched case-controlled study and binary logistic regression model were conducted to analyze the risk factors for premature spontaneous ovulation.

RESULTS

The spontaneous ovulation rate in the whole for GnRH-a cycles was 0.15% (13/8 514), compared with a 1.62% (34/2 098) in GnRH-ant cycles (P<0.01). Further matched controlled study and regression analyze found out that higher basal FSH level was a predominant risk and prediction factor for spontaneous ovulation (OR=1.20, P=0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

In GnRH-ant cycles, spontaneous ovulation rate is about 10 times than which in GnRH-a cycles. Diminished ovarian function is a predominate risk factor for premature spontaneous ovulation.

Polymorphisms in the nuclear factor kappa B gene association with recurrent embryo implantation failure

Despite more than a century of intensive study, the mechanisms of successful pregnancy remain unclear. Recent research suggests that NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa B) plays an important role in embryo implantation. In the current study, we aimed to identify SNPs that contribute to genetic susceptibility for recurrent implantation failure (RIF). Thus, we examined the potential associations between RIF and ten SNPs (rs28362491, rs3774932, rs1598856, rs230528, rs230521, rs3774956, rs4648055, rs3774964, rs4648068, and rs3774968) of the NF-κB gene. Participants included 209 patients with RIF and 395 controls. Our results revealed that there were statistically significant differences observed in the allelic and genotypic frequencies of the rs28362491 promoter in the NF-κB gene. The frequency of the del/ del genotype was significantly higher in RIF patients than in healthy controls (P = 0.004). Compared with healthy controls, the RIF patients carried a higher frequency of the rs28362491 del allele (P = 0.010). Furthermore, strong linkage disequilibrium was observed in the three identified haplotype blocks (D' > 0.9). Particularly, in block 1 (rs230528-rs230521), the A-C haplotype occurred significantly more frequently (P = 0.029) in subjects with RIF (P = 0.0003). In contrast, the A-G haplotype occurred significantly less frequently (P = 0.008) in RIF subjects. These findings support an important role for G-712A polymorphisms of NF-κB in RIF, and may guide future studies that aim to characterize genetic risk factors for RIF.

Effect of X-ray irradiation on epithelial-mesenchymal transition of colorectal cancer SW480 cells

This study was carried out to explore the effect of X-ray irradiation on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of colorectal cancer SW480 cells. Human colorectal cancer SW480 cells used in this study were irradiated by X-rays in 0 Gy, 4 Gy and 8 Gy doses, respectively. Transwell method was adopted to detect the changes of invasion and migration ability of SW480 cells cultured for 24 h after being irradiated by X-rays in 0 Gy, 4 Gy and 8 Gy doses. After X-ray irradiation, invasion ability of cells in 4 Gy dose group and 8 Gy dose group strengthened significantly compared with that of the 0 Gy dose group (p < 0.05); invasion ability of cells in 8 Gy dose group also strengthened significantly compared to the 4 Gy dose group (p < 0.05). After X-ray irradiation, migration ability of cells also changed: migration ability of cells in 4 Gy dose group and 8 Gy dose group strengthened significantly compared with that of the 0 Gy group (p less than 0.05). Results of QRT-RCR and Western blot detection showed that after X-ray irradiation, the expression of epithelial index E-cadherin in 4 Gy dose group and 8 Gy dose group decreased significantly compared with that of the 0 Gy dose group (p < 0.05); moreover, the higher the dose was, the more significantly the expression decreased. Therefore, X-ray irradiation-induced EMT is in positive correlation with the irradiation dose to some extent. Besides, X-ray irradiation can enhance the invasion and migration ability of human colorectal cancer cells.

Tuning Crystal Phase and Emission Properties of Upconversion Nanocrystals Through Lanthanide Doping

Infrared-to-visible upconversion fluorescent nanocrystals of Yb³⁺/Er³⁺-codoped NaYF₄ and Yb³⁺/Er³⁺/Gd³⁺-tridoped NaYF₄ were synthesized using a modified coprecipitation process. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron diffraction scans of the nanocrystals confirmed that Gd³⁺ doping caused a phase transition to occur in the nanocrystals, changing them from a cubic to a hexagonal phase. Hexagonal phase Yb³⁺/Er³⁺/Gd³⁺-tridoped NaYF₄ nanocrystals displayed much stronger and sharper upconversion luminescence, and larger intensity ratios of red over green emissions relative to their cubic phase counterparts. The influence of the crystal phase on the upconversion emission properties was explored by use of excitation power dependence curves, dynamic fluorescence and Raman spectra. The results suggest that the cubic-to-hexagonal phase transition decreases the crystal field symmetry, and then enhances upconversion luminescence intensity by relaxing forbidden selection rules. The conversion into the hexagonal phase also increases the number of phonon modes, and consequently improves the phonon-assisted energy transfer efficiency from Yb³⁺ to Er³⁺, thus facilitating the output of red emissions.

Successful management of recurrent pregnancy-related thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura: case report and review

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare but potentially devastating complication of pregnancy. The authors report a case of a successful treatment of recurrent TTP complicating pregnancy. A review of the literature shows that recurrent TTP complicating pregnancy is uncommon and fresh frozen plasma exchange is important treatment; if the patient was treated properly, the pregnant showed favorable prognosis.

White Light Emission and Luminescence Dynamics in Eu³⁺/Dy³⁺ Codoped ZnO Nanocrystals

In order to expand the use of ZnO in advanced display and lighting device applications, such as distinguishable emissive flat panel displays and liquid crystal display backlights, Eu³⁺/Dy³⁺-codoped ZnO nanocrystals were synthesized using a low temperature wet chemical doping technique and chemical surface modification. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that co-doping Eu³⁺ and Dy³⁺ does not change the wurtzite structure of ZnO. A high-resolution TEM image showing obvious lattice fringes confirmed the high crystallinity of the nanosized sample. The luminescence and dynam- ics of Eu³⁺/Dy³⁺-codoped ZnO nanocrystals of various doping concentrations were studied under ultraviolet excitation. Excitation into the ZnO conduction band was also studied. ZnO doped with Eu³⁺ and Dy³⁺ ions exhibited a strong blue (483 nm) emission from the ⁴F₉/₂ --> ⁶H₁₅/₂ transition of Dy³⁺ ions, a yellowish-green (575 nm) emission from the ⁴F₉/₂ --> ⁶H₁₃/₂ transition of Dy³⁺ ions and a red (612 nm) emission from the ⁵D₀ --> ⁷F₂ transition of Eu³⁺ ions, without a defect background. Undoped ZnO emitted a broadband green light, demonstrating an efficient energy transfer from the ZnO host to the Eu³⁺ and Dy³⁺ ions. Moreover, energy transfer from the Eu³⁺ ions to the Dy³⁺ ions in the ZnO host was also observed by analyzing luminescence decay curves. The luminescence dynamics of the Eu³⁺/Dy³⁺-codped ZnO sample indicate that as the Eu³⁺ concentration increased, both the rise and the decay time constants of the ⁴H₉/₂ level of the Dy³⁺ ions became longer, while the decay time constants of the ⁵D₀ level of the Eu³⁺ ions became shorter, suggesting an energy transfer from the Eu³⁺ ions to the Dy³⁺ ions in the ZnO host. Furthermore, by adjusting the doping concentration ratio of Eu³⁺ and Dy³⁺ ions, the Eu³⁺/Dy³⁺-codoped ZnO phosphors emitted strong white luminescence with a high color purity and high color rendering index. The results indicate that the Eu³⁺/Dy³⁺-codoped ZnO phosphors are promising light-conversion materials, and have the potential to be used in field emission display devices and LCD backlights.

Relationship between white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) loads and characterizations of water quality in Litopenaeus vannamei culture ponds during the tropical storm

An in-situ experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of tropical storm on the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) loads in Litopenaeus vannamei rearing ponds. White spot syndrome virus loads, heterotrophic bacteria, Vibrio and water quality (including temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity, pH, NH₄-N, and NO₂-N) were continually monitored through one tropical storm. The WSSV loads decreased when tropical storm made landfall, and substantially increased when typhoon passed. The variation of WSSV loads was correlated with DO, temperature, heterotrophic bacteria count, and ammonia-N concentrations. These results suggested that maintaining high level DO and promoting heterotrophic bacteria growth in the shrimp ponds might prevent the diseases' outbreak after the landfall of tropical storm.

Lung cancer screening: a systematic review of clinical practice guidelines

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography presents an exciting development for high-risk individuals. Several expert bodies and governments have recently issued and updated their clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for lung cancer screening. We evaluate the CPGs and compare and contrast the recommendations between them.

METHODS

We searched seven databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, TRIP, NGC, SIGN, GIN, CMA Infobase) to find CPGs, and used the appraisal of guidelines for research and evaluation instrument (AGREE-II) to evaluate them. We also assessed the recommendations within each CPG.

RESULTS

Of the eight CPGs included, four guidelines were regarded as high in quality (60%) based on rigour of development and effectively targeting 4-5 of the six domains according to the AGREE-II criteria. Most CPGs' recommendations for the lung cancer screening of high-risk individuals, the associated screening parameters and the benefit vs. harm of screening were consistent. However, there is still variation among the CPGs reviewed in this study.

CONCLUSIONS

The qualities of the selected CPGs vary and there is potential to improve the qualities among and between each. Specifically, more evidence is needed to support the recommendations such as a larger cohort of high-risk participants, and further analysis of the lung cancer screening interval, the benefit vs. harm of lung cancer screening, the timing and rigour of follow-up and availability of effective treatments.

Identification of benign and malignant endometrial cancer with transvaginal ultrasonography combined with elastography and tissue hardness analysis

This study was designed to explore tissue hardness and distinguish benign and malignant endometrial cancer with the use of transvaginal ultrasonography combined with elastography. Color Doppler ultrasonic diasonograph was used to carry out transvaginal ultrasonography and elastography. Once the nidus was observed, features of the 2D image were analyzed. Then features of elasticity of the uterine cavity in different states were analyzed by elastography, and strain rate ratio was measured. Finally, elasticity scoring (0~5 points) was made. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn based on elasticity score and strain rate ratio. The area under the elasticity score curve and strain rate ratio curve was 0.761 and 0.852, respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference between them (c2= 4.663, P>0.05). Then 2.98 was confirmed as the diagnostic cut-off value of benign and malignant lesions, based on strain rate ratio. Ultrasonic elastography as an effective assistance for transvaginal ultrasonography provides more valuable information for confirmation of lesions and offers more accurate evidence for diagnosis of disease in the uterine cavity.

Polypharmacy among nonagenarians/centenarians in rural China

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the prevalence and relevant factors of polypharmacy in nonagenarian and centenarians.

AIM

The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence and associated factors of polypharmacy in a sample of nonagenarians and centenarians living in a rural area of China.

METHODS

The data were from the 'Project of Longevity and Aging in Dujiangyan' study. Medication use and relevant covariates were obtained by face-to-face interviews. Minor polypharmacy was defined as the concomitant use of two to four medications, whereas major polypharmacy referred to the concomitant use of five or more medications.

RESULTS

We included 859 participants with mean age of 93.7 ± 3.3 years. The number of chronic diseases was 1.4 ± 1.2 per subject, whereas the number of drugs was 0.8 ± 1.4 per subject. The prevalence of minor polypharmacy and major polypharmacy was 16.5% and 3.7% respectively. Illiteracy (odds ratio (OR) 2.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.52 to 5.66), cognitive impairment (OR 3.15, 95% CI 1.44 to 6.88), hypertension (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.46 to 5.67), respiratory disease (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.08 to 4.58), osteoarthritis (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.51), and cancer (OR 10.70, 95% CI 1.90 to 126.80) were positively associated with minor polypharmacy. Illiteracy (OR 4.24, 95% CI 1.53 to 11.81), hypertension (OR 3.40, 95% CI 1.22 to 9.49) and cancer (OR 3.40, 95% CI 1.14 to 10.12) were also positively associated with major polypharmacy.

CONCLUSIONS

Although most subjects suffer from some chronic diseases, minor polypharmacy and major polypharmacy are not common among nonagenarians/centenarians in rural China.

Smoking, aging, and expression of proteins related to the FOXO3 signaling pathway in lung tissues

We investigated the effects of smoking and aging on proteins involved in the forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) signaling pathways in the lungs. Sixteen senescence-accelerated mouse-resistant 1 (SAMR1) and senescence-accelerated mouse-prone 8 (SAMP8) mice at 3 months of age were divided into a normally aged, smoke-exposed group (4 SAMR1 mice), a normally aged, air-exposed group (4 SAMR1 mice), an aging-accelerated, smoke-exposed group (4 SAMP8 mice), and an aging-accelerated, air-exposed group (4 SAMP8 mice). Expression of genes and proteins related to the FOXO3 signaling pathways in each group was examined by western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. FOXO3a expression was significantly increased in the normally aged, air-exposed group compared with the aging-accelerated, air-exposed group. FOXO3a expression was significantly reduced in the aging-accelerated, smoke-exposed group compared with the aging-accelerated, air-exposed group. Sirtuin 1, manganese superoxide dis-mutase, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt expression decreased significantly in the smoke-exposed groups compared with the air-exposed groups and in the aging-accelerated groups compared with the normally aged groups. Signal transduction pathways mediated by the transcription factor FOXO3a (such as the PI3K/Akt pathway) may be involved in the accelerated aging of lung tissues in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Smoking inactivates the transcription factor FOXO3, thus accelerating lung tissue aging during chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Expression and Characterization of HA1 Protein of Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus for Use in a Serodiagnostic Assay

The hemagglutinin ectodomain (HA1 subunit) from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) isolate (A/chicken/Vietnam/14/2005) was cloned and expressed using a baculovirus expression vector. Biosynthesis, glycosylation and secretion of the HA1 proteins, with natural or a melittin signal peptide at the N-terminus and a six-histidine (6xHis) tag at the C-terminus, were examined in insect cells. A 40-kDa unglycosylated precursor and a fully processed, mature form of the HA1 protein migrated around 52 kDa were detected by SDS-PAGE and confirmed by Western blot using H5N1-specific antibody. Treatment of tunicamycin and peptide-N-glycosidase F (PNGase F) further revealed that the recombinant HA1 proteins produced in insect cells were indeed glycosylated with N-linked oligosaccharide side chains. Time-course experiments showed that substitution of the HA natural sequence with the signal sequence from honeybee melittin promoted a high level of expression and efficient secretion of the HA1. A high yield, 37 μg/ml, of HA1 protein was obtained from recombinant baculovirus-infected cell culture supernatant. In addition, the cell surface expression of rHA1 was detected by indirect immunofluorescent staining and showed biological activity on hemadsorption assays. Recombinant HA1 protein-based ELISA was evaluated and appeared to be sensitive and specific for the rapid detection of H5 subtype-specific antibodies in serum samples. No cross-reactivity to antibodies from 15 other influenza A subtypes was detected. Taken together, the newly developed recombinant HA1-based ELISA could offer an alternative to other diagnostic approaches for the specific detection of H5 avian influenza virus infection.

Prediabetes: The Variation between HbA1c and Fasting Plasma Glucose

PURPOSE

The prevalence of Diabetes Type 2 is on the rise internationally. Currently, Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) and HbA1c are both used to determine if an individual is diabetic or prediabetic. We aimed to describe the prevalence of diabetes, prediabetes, and glycemic control in a population-based sample of elderly Hispanic and non-Hispanic White participants in New Mexico.

METHODS

To do this, we compared HbA1c with FPG using Chi-Square analysis across gender and ethnicity to provide information for future health care policy. We also performed non-parametric regression using a locally weighted smoothing technique to investigate the relationship between FPG and HbA1c levels.

RESULTS

Our analysis identifies a large variation between the sensitivity of HbA1c and FPG in the identification of both prediabetes and diabetes. Interestingly, 95% of diabetics defined by FPG are also defined by HbA1c, representing overlap between the two measures. When comparing the prevalence of prediabetes between the two measures, the overlap of FPG with HbA1c was only 30% and HbA1c identifies more individuals as prediabetic than FPG. Prevalence of diabetes was also higher when defined by HbA1c compared to FPG and the overall agreement between HbA1c and FPG appears to be poor particularly by sex and ethnicity (K=0.22-0.34). Glycemic control was poor overall with Hispanics displaying a larger amount of uncontrolled diabetes.

CONCLUSION

We compared HbA1c and FPG by gender and ethnicity and showed both measures of diabetes differ in their sensitivity across ethnic groups. Our results suggest that using HbA1c, rather than FPG, results in higher rates of prediabetes and diabetes, a finding with numerous implications for health care practice.

A recombined fusion protein SP5.2/tTF induce thrombosis in tumor blood vessel

Tumor vascular targeting is one of the most promising strategies in tumor therapy. Here we used E.coli to express a recombinant SP5.2/tTF fusion protein, which, as a tumor vascular targeting agent, consists of SP5.2 (a peptide selectively binding and targeting VEGFR-1 on tumor endothelial cells) and truncated tissue factor (tTF)and aimed to explore its anti-tumor activities.The SP5.2/tTF expression construct was synthesized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and recombined into plasmid pET22b(+). The fusion gene was verified by restriction mapping and sequencing. SP5.2/tTF was expressed in E. coli and then purified on a nickel-affinity chromatography column. The purified product was detected by SDS-PAGE. The pro-coagulant activity and binding of SP5.2/tTF to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were monitored by FX activation analysis and fluorescent scanning confocal microscopy, respectively. The effect of SP5.2/tTF on tumor growth was analyzed in BALB/c mice bearing sarcoma 180 (S180) tumor. The tissue localization of SP5.2/tTF and its effect on tumor vessel thrombosis were observed by in vivo fluorescence imaging and histological studies, respectively. The fusion gene was successfully cloned into pET22b(+). SP5.2/tTF was abundantly expressed in bacterial cells and efficiently purified by nickel-affinity chromatography. Functional studies showed that the protein retained both the coagulation activity of tTF and the binding capacity of SP5.2 to HUVECs. In tumor xenograft studies, SP5.2/tTF selectively targeted the tumor, induced thrombosis, and led to retardation and even regression of tumor growth (growth inhibition ratio = 70%, P< 0.05). The recombinant fusion protein SP5.2/tTF inhibited tumor growth by selectively inducing thrombosis in tumor blood vessels.