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Purpose: Patients with HER2-positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) have poor prognoses. Pyrotinib has shown promising antitumor activity in MBC to improve progression-free survival (PFS). However, findings based on real-world data to analyze whether pyrotinib affects overall survival (OS) remain scarce. Experimental Design: This real-world study is an exploratory analysis of brain metastasis (BM) and the final update of our preceding study of 168 patients with HER2+ MBC. PFS, OS, tumor mutation burden (TMB), clinical benefit rate (CBR), and overall response rate (ORR) were analyzed. Results: Pyrotinib treatment led to a median PFS time of 8.00 months and a median OS of 19.07 months in the 168 participants. High TMB was associated with poor OS (P = 0.0072) and PFS (P = 0.0028). In the 39 patients with BM, the median PFS and OS were 8.67 and 13.93 months, respectively. The surgery/radiation (S/R) group of patients with BM had prolonged survival (PFS: 9.97 vs. 7.73 months P = 0.19; OS: 20.67 vs. 12.43 months P = 0.021) compared with the no surgery/no radiation group (NS/NR). The CBR was 58.6% (S/R) vs. 41.4% (NS/NR), while the ORR was 24.1% (S/R) vs. 31.0% (NS/NR). Conclusions: Pyrotinib shows promise as a novel pan-HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) for the treatment of BM and should be evaluated further. Surgical or radiotherapy in combination with pyrotinib was found to statistically improve OS in our cohort. TMB could be an exploratory biomarker for predicting PFS and OS, but its clinical application still needs further verification.

A series of squaramido-tethered bisbenzimidazoles were synthesized from the reaction of diethyl squarate with substituted 2-aminomethylbenzimidazoles. These conjugates exhibit moderate binding affinity toward chloride anions. They are able to facilitate the transmembrane transport of chloride anions most probably via an anion exchange process, and tend to be more active at acidic pH than at physiological pH. The viability of these conjugates toward four selected solid tumor cell lines was evaluated using an MTT assay and the results suggest that some of these conjugates exhibit moderate cytotoxicity probably in an apoptotic fashion.

Aspartate/asparagine β‑hydroxylase (AspH) is a type II transmembrane protein that catalyzes the post‑translational hydroxylation of definite aspartyl and asparaginyl residues in epidermal growth factor‑like domains of substrates. In the last few decades, accumulating evidence has indicated that AspH expression is upregulated in numerous types of human malignant cancer and is associated with poor survival and prognosis. The AspH protein aggregates on the surface of tumor cells, which contributes to inducing tumor cell migration, infiltration and metastasis. However, small‑molecule inhibitors targeting hydroxylase activity can markedly block these processes, both in vitro and in vivo. Immunization of tumor‑bearing mice with a phage vaccine fused with the AspH protein can substantially delay tumor growth and progression. Additionally, AspH antigen‑specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were identified in the spleen of tumor‑bearing mice. Therefore, these agents may be used as novel strategies for cancer treatment. The present review summarizes the current progress on the underlying mechanisms of AspH expression in cancer development.

As the predominant modification in RNA, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) has attracted increasing attention in the past few years since it plays vital roles in many biological processes. This chemical modification is dynamic, reversible and regulated by several methyltransferases, demethylases and proteins that recognize m6A modification. M6A modification exists in messenger RNA and affects their splicing, nuclear export, stability, decay, and translation, thereby modulating gene expression. Besides, the existence of m6A in noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) could also directly or indirectly regulated gene expression. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common cancer around the world and of high mortality. Increasing evidence have shown that the changes of m6A level and the dysregulation of m6A regulatory proteins have been implicated in CRC carcinogenesis and progression. However, the underlying regulation laws of m6A modification to CRC remain elusive and better understanding of these mechanisms will benefit the diagnosis and therapy. In the present review, the latest studies about the dysregulation of m6A and its regulators in CRC have been summarized. We will focus on the crucial roles of m6A modification in the carcinogenesis and development of CRC. Moreover, we will also discuss the potential applications of m6A modification in CRC diagnosis and therapeutics.

Stem cells are maintained by transcriptional programs that promote self-renewal and repress differentiation. Here, we found that the transcription factor c-Myb was essential for generating and maintaining stem cells in the CD8+ T cell memory compartment. Following viral infection, CD8+ T cells lacking Myb underwent terminal differentiation and generated fewer stem cell-like central memory cells than did Myb-sufficient T cells. c-Myb acted both as a transcriptional activator of Tcf7 (which encodes the transcription factor Tcf1) to enhance memory development and as a repressor of Zeb2 (which encodes the transcription factor Zeb2) to hinder effector differentiation. Domain-mutagenesis experiments revealed that the transactivation domain of c-Myb was necessary for restraining differentiation, whereas its negative regulatory domain was critical for cell survival. Myb overexpression enhanced CD8+ T cell memory formation, polyfunctionality and recall responses that promoted curative antitumor immunity after adoptive transfer. These findings identify c-Myb as a pivotal regulator of CD8+ T cell stemness and highlight its therapeutic potential.

A series of hybrids containing the pharmacophores of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, SAHA, and the antioxidant ebselen were designed and synthesized as multi-target-directed ligands against Alzheimer’s disease. An in vitro assay indicated that some of these molecules exhibit potent HDAC inhibitory activity and ebselen-related pharmacological effects. Specifically, the optimal compound 7f was found to be a potent HDAC inhibitor (IC50 = 0.037 μM), possessing rapid hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity and glutathione peroxidase-like activity (ν0 = 150.0 μM min−1) and good free oxygen radical absorbance capacity (value of ORAC: 2.2). Furthermore, compound 7f showed significant protective effects against damage induced by H2O2 and the ability to prevent ROS accumulation in PC12 cells.

Background: Pyrotinib, an irreversible pan-ERBB inhibitor, has shown promising antitumour activity, and acceptable tolerability. This research was conducted to evaluate the actual use and effectiveness of pyrotinib in China, therefore, contributed to solve the problem of real-world data scarcity. Methods: In this retrospective study, 168 patients who received pyrotinib treatment for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in Hunan Province from June 2018 to August 2019 were included. Progression-free survival (PFS), tumor mutation burden (TMB), and drug-related adverse events (AEs) after pyrotinib administration were analyzed. Results: The median PFS (mPFS) time in the 168 participants was 8.07 months. The mPFS times in patients with pyrotinib in second-line therapy (n = 65) and third-or-higher-line therapy (n = 94) were 8.10 months and 7.60 months, respectively. Patients with brain metastases achieved 8.80 months mPFS time. In patients with pyrotinib in third-or-higher-line therapy, patients who had previously used lapatinib still got efficacy but showed a shorter mPFS time (6.43 months) than patients who had not (8.37 months). TMB was measured in 28 patients, K-M curve (P = 0.0024) and Multivariate Cox analysis (P = 0.0176) showed a significant negative association between TMB and PFS. Diarrhea occurred in 98.2% of participants (in any grade) and 19.6% in grade 3-4 AEs. Conclusion: Pyrotinib is highly beneficial to second-or-higher-line patients or HER2-positive MBC patients with brain metastases. Pyrotinib seems to be a feasible strategy both in combination of chemotherapeutic drugs or as a replacement of lapatinib if diseases progressed. TMB could be a potential predictor for evaluating pyrotinib's effectiveness in HER2-positive MBC.

The low depth of tissue penetration by therapeutic light sources severely restricts photodynamic therapy (PDT) in treating deep-seated tumors. Using a luciferase/d-luciferin bioluminescence system to artificially create internal light sources in cells instead of external light sources is an effective means of solving the above problems. However, high-efficiency bioluminescence requires a higher concentration of luciferase in the cell, which poses a considerable challenge to the existing system of enzyme loading, delivery, activity and retention of drugs, and dramatically increases the cost of treatment. We loaded the substrate D-luciferin, and the photosensitizer hypericin into a polyethyleneimine (PEI)-modified nano-calcium phosphate (CaP) to solve this problem. Subsequently, the plasmid DNA containing the luciferase gene was loaded onto it using the high-density positive charge characteristic of PEI from the nanodrug (denoted DHDC). After the DHDC enters the tumor cell, it collapses and releases the plasmid DNA, which uses the intracellular protein synthesis system to continuously and massively express luciferase. Using endogenous ATP, Mg2+ , and O2 in cells, luciferase oxidizes d-luciferin and produces luminescence. The luminescence triggers hypericin excitation to generate ROS and kill cancer cells. This study provides a new strategy for the application of bioluminescence in PDT treatment.

Neonatal pathological jaundice (NPJ) is easy to cause bilirubin encephalopathy, which is able to damage the nervous system, give rise to mental retardation, and even endanger neonatal life. Early detection is helpful to timely treatments of newborns. Therefore, it is significant to have a risk evaluation in advance. In addition, making reasonable nursing and treatments according to the risk level is conducive to early intervention of neonatal jaundice. In this paper, fuzzy sets and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation are applied to the risk evaluation of NPJ, and fuzzy control rules are established to provide the treatment decisions for newborns. Finally, the analysis results indicate that this method is feasible and can be used for future medical expert system.

A series of dual-target AChE/PDE9A inhibitor compounds were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as anti-Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) agents. Among these target compounds, 11a (AChE: IC50 = 0.048 μM; PDE9A: IC50 = 0.530 μM) and 11b (AChE: IC50 = 0.223 μM; PDE9A: IC50 = 0.285 μM) exhibited excellent and balanced dual-target AChE/PDE9A inhibitory activities. Meanwhile, those two compounds possess good blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetrability and low neurotoxicity. Especially, 11a and 11b could ameliorate learning deficits induced by scopolamine (Scop). Moreover, 11a could also improve cognitive and spatial memory in Aβ25–35-induced cognitive deficit mice in the Morris water-maze test. In summary, our research developed a series of potential dual-target AChE/PDE9A inhibitors, and the data indicated that 11a was a promising candidate drug for the treatment of AD.

In photodynamic therapy (PDT), the elevated glutathione (GSH) of cancer cells have two sides for treatment efficacy, activation pre-drug by removing activity suppressor part (advantages) and consumption reactive oxygen species (ROS) to confer PDT resistance (disadvantages). Preparation all-in-one system by simple method to make best use of the advantages and bypass the disadvantages still were remains a technical challenge. Herein, we report a robust PDT nanoparticle with above function based on a self-assembled pyridine modified Zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc-DTP). The activity suppressor and active part of ZnPc-DTP were linked by disulfide bond. After targeting cancer cells, GSH can react with ZnPc-DTP nanoparticles by cutting disulfide bond to release its active part (ZnPc-SH) and oxidize GSH. In vitro and in vivo results indicated that ZnPc-SH can effective suppress tumor growth under the low antioxidant tumor microenvironment (TME).

Twenty-eight novel selenium-containing 4-anilinoquinazoline derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as antiproliferative agents. Most of them had significant in vitro activities, particularly for compounds 23a, 25a, and 25d, which also exhibited the most potent antitumor activities against cisplatin-resistant cell lines and the doxorubicin-resistant cell lines, good selectivity toward normal cells, and obvious inhibitory effect on migration of A549 cell lines. Further mechanistic studies revealed that 23a, 25a, and 25d induce G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in A549 cells, which was associated with a collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential, alterations in the expression of some cell cycle-related and apoptosis-related proteins, and increasing the intracellular ROS level. Finally, compounds 23a, 25a, and 25d also effectively inhibited the tumor growth in the A549 xenograft model without obvious hints of toxicity. Taken together, these in vitro and in vivo results suggest that 23a, 25a, and 25d may be promising microtubule-stabilizing agents and can be used as a promising lead for the development of new antitumor agents.

A novel series of quinoline-indole derivatives were synthesized and evaluated as multitarget-directed ligands for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Biological evaluation revealed that the derivatives had multifunctional profiles including antioxidant effects, blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration, biometal chelation, Aβ aggregation modulation, neurotrophic and neuroprotective properties. Moreover, several representative target derivatives demonstrated hippocampal cell proliferation in living adult mice by intracerebroventricular (icv) injection or oral administration. Further drug-like property analysis demonstrated that the optimized compound, 8d (WI-1758), had liver microsomal metabolic stability, was well tolerated (2000 mg/kg), and had a rational pharmacokinetic profile, as well as an oral bioavailability of 14.1% and a positive log BB (-0.19) to cross the BBB in vivo. Pharmacodynamics studies demonstrated that chronic oral administration of 8d·HCl substantially ameliorated the cognitive and spatial memory deficits in APP/PS1 AD mice and noticeably reduced overall cerebral β-amyloid deposits.

Inhibition of tubulin polymerization is one of the significant strategies in the treatment of cancer. Inspired by the excellent antitumor activity of EP128495 and the beneficial biological activities of selenium compounds, a series of new selenium-containing 4-anilinoquinazoline hybrids were synthesized and evaluated as tubulin polymerization inhibitors. An anti-proliferative activity assay showed that most of the compounds inhibited human sensitive cancer cells at low nanomolar concentrations. A mechanism study revealed that the optimal compound 5a disrupted microtubule dynamics, decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential and arrested HeLa cells in the G2/M phase, finally resulting in cellular apoptosis.

By fusing donepezil and curcumin, a novel series of compounds were obtained as multitarget-directed ligands against Alzheimer's disease. Among them, compound 11b displayed potent acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition (IC50=187nM) and the highest BuChE/AChE selectivity (66.3). Compound 11b also inhibited 45.3% Aβ1-42 self-aggregation at 20μM and displayed remarkable antioxidant effects. The metal-chelating property of compound 11b was elucidated by determining the 1:1 stoichiometry for the 11b-Cu(II) complex. The excellent blood-brain barrier permeability of 11b also indicated the potential for the compound to penetrate the central nervous system.

Sixteen new selenium-containing indole chalcone and diarylketone derivatives were synthesized and evaluated as tubulin polymerization inhibitors. Among them, compound 25b exhibited the most potent antiproliferative activities against six human cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 0.004-0.022 μM. A microtubule dynamics assay and an immunofluorescence assay confirmed that 25b could effectively inhibit tubulin polymerization (IC50 = 2.1 ± 0.27 μM). Further cellular mechanism studies revealed that 25b induced G2/M phase arrest, which was further evidenced by the decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP).

This study revealed a new attractive cyclic-indole scaffold for the discovery of mitosis-targeting anti-tumour agents. Among all of the synthesized derivatives, compound 20 displayed the most potent anti-proliferative activity (with IC50 values of 22–56 nM against seven cancer cell lines) and tubulin polymerization inhibition (IC50 = 0.15 ± 0.07 μM), which were much better than those of the reference compound Combretastain A-4 (CA-4). High selectivity ratios (9.68–7.61) of compound 20 toward human normal cells and cancer cells were also observed. Immunofluorescence assay elucidated that compound 20 disrupted the intracellular microtubule network and interfered with cell mitosis. Cellular mechanism studies demonstrated that compound 20 arrested the cell cycle at the G2/M phase and induced apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner. In summary, compound 20 deserves consideration for in vivo anti-tumour evaluation in further studies.

Reduced glutathione (GSH, containing sulfydryl) inside cancer cells strongly consumes reactive oxygen species (ROS) in photodynamic therapy (PDT) process to reduce PDT effect. Thiol-ene click reaction is a classic method to couple sulfydryl and alkene groups. However, little effort was dedicated to developing medicines for GSH depletion based on this reaction. Our research indicated that GSH could effectively couple with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, as alkene) in the presence of 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone (DMPA, as photo-initiator) post 665 nm light irradiation through the thiol-ene click reaction. Based on this result, a ROS responsive nanocarrier (denoted as RSV) was used to load photosensitizer (zinc phthalocyanine, ZnPc), DHA and DMPA (denoted as DDRZ NP). Our research demonstrated that DDRZ NP could effectively accumulate at tumor tissue post tail vein injection. After irradiated by 665 nm light at tumor tissue, RSV was broken by ROS to release the encapsulated drugs. After that, the thiol-ene click reaction was initiated to couple GSH and DHA to deplete intracellular GSH. In addition, DDRZ NP destroyed GSH biosynthesis limiting enzyme, γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS), to inhibit intracellular GSH biosynthesis. Above dual mechanisms, by GSH depletion and biosynthesis inhibition, could effectively guarantee intracellular GSH concentration decreasing to ensure satisfactory PDT cancer treatment outcome.

A series of tacrine-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine hybrids were synthesised and evaluated as dual cholinesterase (ChE) and phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Compound 10j, which is tacrine linked with pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine moiety by a six-carbon spacer, was the most potent acetylcholinesterase (AChE) with IC50 value of 0.125 μM. Moreover, compound 10j provided a desired balance of AChE and butylcholinesterase (BuChE) and PDE4D inhibition activities, with IC50 value of 0.449 and 0.271 μM, respectively. The above results indicated that this hybrid was a promising dual functional agent for the treatment of AD.

Considering the importance of PDE4D inhibition and the modulation of biometals in Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapeutics, we have designed, synthesized and evaluated a series of new clioquinol-rolipram/roflumilast hybrids as multitarget-directed ligands for the treatment of AD. In vitro studies demonstrated that some of the molecules processed remarkable inhibitory activity against phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D), strong intracellular antioxidant capacity, potent inhibition of metal-induced aggregation of Aβ, and potential blood-brain barrier permeability. Compound 7a demonstrated significant improvement in cognitive and spatial memory in an Aβ25-35-induce mouse model in Morris water-maze test (MWM). These results indicate that compound 7a is a promising multifunctional candidate that is worthy of further study.

Long-lived, self-renewing, multipotent T memory stem cells (TSCM) can trigger profound and sustained tumor regression but their rareness poses a major hurdle to their clinical application. Presently, clinically compliant procedures to generate relevant numbers of this T-cell population are undefined. Here, we provide a strategy for deriving large numbers of clinical-grade tumor-redirected TSCM starting from naive precursors. CD8(+)CD62L(+)CD45RA(+) naive T cells enriched by streptamer-based serial-positive selection were activated by CD3/CD28 engagement in the presence of interleukin-7 (IL-7), IL-21, and the glycogen synthase-3β inhibitor TWS119, and genetically engineered to express a CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CD19-CAR). These conditions enabled the generation of CD19-CAR-modified CD8(+) TSCM that were phenotypically, functionally, and transcriptomically equivalent to their naturally occurring counterpart. Compared with CD8(+) T cells generated with clinical protocols currently under investigation, CD19-CAR-modified CD8(+) TSCM exhibited enhanced metabolic fitness and mediated robust, long-lasting antitumor responses against systemic acute lymphoblastic leukemia xenografts. This clinical-grade platform provides the basis for a phase 1 trial evaluating the activity of CD19-CAR-modified CD8(+) TSCM in patients with B-cell malignancies refractory to prior allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated during photodynamic therapy (PDT) can trigger autophagy. However, little research is focused on whether there is a synergistic anticancer effect with PDT if extra autophagy promoter or inhibitor is added. Here, it is found that autophagy promotion significantly enhances the PDT activity to cancer cells. Based on this preliminary result, a ROS-sensitive self-assembled dendrimer nanoparticle is exploited as a carrier to codeliver an autophagy promoter (rapamycin, Rapa) and photosensitizer (phthalocyanine, Pc) to the tumor. After entrapped by cancer cells and irradiated by light, the ROS generated in PDT process of Pc can trigger nanoparticle destruction to release Rapa, thus initiating the autophagy process and remarkably enhancing the efficacy of PDT, leading to efficient tumor suppression.

The formation and accumulation of toxic amyloid beta (Aβ) protofibrils in brain is recognized as the pathological hallmark of alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recent research indicated that photodynamic therapy (PDT) has potential to treat AD because reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by photosensitizers (PS) could degrades Aβ protofibrils. Al3+ and Fe3+ were found at markedly high levels on and around Aβ protofibrils comparing with the normal part of brain. Based on this, a thymine modified Zn phthalocyanine (T-ZnPc), which can specific recognize and has strong affinity with Fe3+ and Al3+, was designed and synthesized. The recognize, affinity, Aβ protofibrils degradation and neuro protection process were monitored via ultraviolet absorption spectrometry (UV), fluorescence emission spectrum, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), flow cytometer and thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The results revealed that such affinity effect greatly increases the molar extinction coefficient (from 1.70 × 104 to 4.67 × 104 and 3.30 × 104 after forming Fe-T-ZnPc and Al-T-ZnPc) and activates PDT activity of T-ZnPc to generate abundant ROS to degrade Aβ protofibrils (62% and 81% degradation by Al-T-ZnPc and Fe-T-ZnPc) and prevent its neurotoxicity based on the statistical differences analysis. Besides, T-ZnPc could inhibit new Aβ protofibrils formation and the chelation effect could reduce the free Fe3+ and Al3+ concentration in brain, which could be also helpful for AD treatment.

Adoptive immunotherapies using T cells genetically redirected with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) or T cell receptor (TCR) are entering mainstream clinical practice. Despite encouraging results, some patients do not respond to current therapies. In part, this phenomenon has been associated with infusion of reduced numbers of early memory T cells. Herein, we report that AKT signaling inhibition is compatible with CAR and TCR retroviral transduction of human T cells while promoting a CD62L-expressing central memory phenotype. Critically, this intervention did not compromise cell yield. Mechanistically, disruption of AKT signaling preserved MAPK activation and promoted the intranuclear localization of FOXO1, a transcriptional regulator of T cell memory. Consequently, AKT signaling inhibition synchronized the transcriptional profile for FOXO1-dependent target genes across multiple donors. Expression of an AKT-resistant FOXO1 mutant phenocopied the influence of AKT signaling inhibition, while addition of AKT signaling inhibition to T cells expressing mutant FOXO1 failed to further augment the frequency of CD62L-expressing cells. Finally, treatment of established B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia was superior using anti-CD19 CAR-modified T cells transduced and expanded in the presence of an AKT inhibitor compared with conventionally grown T cells. Thus, inhibition of signaling along the PI3K/AKT axis represents a generalizable strategy to generate large numbers of receptor-modified T cells with an early memory phenotype and superior antitumor efficacy.

Background The aim of this study was to determine serum pancreatic stone protein (PSP) levels in the neonates with highly probable or probable sepsis and assess their possible value in predicting infected neonates. Methods This was a prospective study involving 119 neonates who were admitted with suspected sepsis. The study population was divided into two groups, a infected group (N.=40, with highly probable sepsis or probable sepsis) and control group (N.=79, with possible or no sepsis). The blood samples were obtained at 24, 72 and 168 hours after birth. The amount of serum PSP were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent (ELISA). Results PSP serum concentrations were higher in the infected group comparison to the control group at all time points (all P=0.000). In addition the sequential comparison between the infected group and control group at all of time points was significantly different (F=48.558, P=0.000). ROC area under the curve (AUC) was 0.791 [95% CI: 0.71-0.87; P=0.000] for PSP at 24 hours after birth and 0.790 (95% CI: 0.79-0.88; P=0.000) 72 hours after birth and combination of the two time points (24 and 72 hours), the AUC was 0.819 (95% CI: 0.74-0.90; P=0.000). Conclusions PSP is a valuable biomarker in predicting infected neonates. Combination of PSP at each time point within 72 hours after birth might be better.

Lymphodepleting regimens are used before adoptive immunotherapy to augment the antitumor efficacy of transferred T cells by removing endogenous homeostatic "cytokine sinks." These conditioning modalities, however, are often associated with severe toxicities. We found that microRNA-155 (miR-155) enabled tumor-specific CD8(+) T cells to mediate profound antitumor responses in lymphoreplete hosts that were not potentiated by immune-ablation. miR-155 enhanced T-cell responsiveness to limited amounts of homeostatic γc cytokines, resulting in delayed cellular contraction and sustained cytokine production. miR-155 restrained the expression of the inositol 5-phosphatase Ship1, an inhibitor of the serine-threonine protein kinase Akt, and multiple negative regulators of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (Stat5), including suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (Socs1) and the protein tyrosine phosphatase Ptpn2. Expression of constitutively active Stat5a recapitulated the survival advantages conferred by miR-155, whereas constitutive Akt activation promoted sustained effector functions. Our results indicate that overexpression of miR-155 in tumor-specific T cells can be used to increase the effectiveness of adoptive immunotherapies in a cell-intrinsic manner without the need for life-threatening, lymphodepleting maneuvers.

The reaction of 5,5′-(pyridine-2,6-diyl)bis(4-amino-3-mercapto-1,2,4-triazole) with various carboxylic acid in phosphorus oxychloride yielded the corresponding 2,6-bis(6-substituted-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazol-3-yl)pyridine derivatives 6a–l. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were confirmed by elemental analysis, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectral, mass spectral, and Infrared spectral studies. All the synthesized target compounds have been investigated for their in vitro antibacterial activity, and the preliminary results revealed that the compounds 6b and 6k exhibited very promising activity against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Immunological alterations have been reported to be involved in glioma, the most common malignant disease of the adult brain. Our recent study identified higher levels of IL-17 in glioma specimens. The present study investigated the role and possible mechanisms of IL-17 in glioma tumorigenesis. Human IL-17 cDNA was cloned and inserted into the eukaryotic pEGFP-N1 expression vector, which was used to transfect the glioma U87MG cell line, resulting in a high level of IL-17 expression in these cells. The cells were then transfected with IL-17 (pEGFP-N1-IL-17-U87MG) or mock (pEGFP-N1-U87MG) vector or left untransfected (U87MG) and subcutaneously inoculated into the right flank of nude mice. The results revealed that the pEGFP-N1-IL-17-U87MG cells grew more rapidly in the early stages (P

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) react with components located in the cell nucleus and cytoplasm. Differing ANA staining patterns may reflect the specificity of autoantibodies in sera and indicate some autoimmune diseases specifically, to some extent. Th17-relevant cytokines have been shown to be involved in a variety of autoimmune diseases, but not consistently. In this study, we investigated whether differences in Th17-relevant cytokines exist between different ANA pattern sera. Sera of 64 ANA-positive patients (12 homogeneous, 13 speckled particle, 11 nucleolar, 15 centromere, 6 peripheral nuclear) and 16 healthy donors were analyzed for IL-17, IL-6, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23 (p19), and TGF-β, and subsequently correlations between IL-17 and IL-6, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23, and TGF-β were analyzed. Results showed that these Th17-relevant cytokines varied with different ANA-positive sera compared with healthy donors, except TGF-β. Among them, IL-21 and IL-22 were higher with all ANA-positive sera and IL-17, IL-6, and IL-23 were higher with three or more ANA staining sera. No significant difference in these cytokines was seen between the different ANA staining sera except IL-17 levels in sera of peripheral nuclear staining positive subjects were higher than nucleolar. Additionally, in ANA-positive sera, IL-17 correlated with IL-6, IL-21, IL-22, and IL-23, but not with TGF-β. Thus, we demonstrated that Th17-relevant cytokines varied with different ANA staining pattern sera, suggesting that Th17-relevant cytokines play differing roles in autoimmune diseases.

The molecular processes underlying epidemic waves of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection are poorly understood(1). Although a major role has been attributed to the acquisition of virulence determinants by horizontal gene transfer(2), there are insufficient epidemiological and functional data supporting that concept. We here report the spread of clones containing a previously extremely rare(3,4) mobile genetic element–encoded gene, sasX. We demonstrate that sasX has a key role in MRSA colonization and pathogenesis, substantially enhancing nasal colonization, lung disease and abscess formation and promoting mechanisms of immune evasion. Moreover, we observed the recent spread of sasX from sequence type 239 (ST239) to invasive clones belonging to other sequence types. Our study identifies sasX as a quickly spreading crucial determinant of MRSA pathogenic success and a promising target for therapeutic interference. Our results provide proof of principle that horizontal gene transfer of key virulence determinants drives MRSA epidemic waves.

The Th17 cell subset is involved in many autoimmune and infectious pathologies. It is also associated with the tumorigenesis process and poor prognosis of certain tumors. However, its expression and function in glioma cases remain unclear. We measured the percentage of Th17 cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and compared the concentrations of relevant cytokines in the serum of 35 glioma patients and 20 healthy donors. Protein, mRNA, and levels of Th17-relevant cytokines in 24 glioma tissues and 5 cerebral trauma tissues were also assessed. We evaluated whether Th17-relevant cytokines were associated with the clinical stages of glioma. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the volume of Th17 cells in PBMCs and serum concentrations of interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-17, IL-6, IL-23, and TGF-β between glioma patients and healthy donors nor did these differences exist in patients with different clinical stages of glioma. Different expression patterns of Th17-relevant cytokines were observed in glioma tissues when compared to trauma tissues. High mRNA-positive ratios of IL-17 (19/24) and retinoid-related orphan receptor (RORC) (18/24) were observed in glioma tissues, but not in trauma tissues. Positive ratios of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were higher in trauma tissues and glioma grade II than in glioma grade IV. IL-6, IFN-γ, and IL-1β showed high positive ratios, but showed no significant differences between trauma tissues or grades of glioma. None of the glioma and trauma tissues was positive for IL-23. High positive ratios of IL-17 in glioma tissue were confirmed via analysis of immunohistochemical staining. The results demonstrated that IL-17 and other Th17-relevant cytokines could be expressed in glioma tissues. IL-17 expression, the hallmark of Th17 cell subset, may play an important role in glioma tumorigenesis and progression.

The current pandemic of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) skin infections is caused by several genetically unrelated clones. Here, we analyzed virulence of globally occurring CA-MRSA strains in a rabbit skin infection model. We used rabbits because neutrophils from this animal species have relatively high sensitivity to Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL), a toxin epidemiologically correlated with many CA-MRSA infections. Virulence in the rabbit model correlated with in vitro neutrophil lysis and transcript levels of phenol-soluble modulin a and a-toxin, but not PVL genes. Furthermore, abscesses caused by USA300 and its PVL-negative progenitor USA500 were comparatively large and similar in size, suggesting that PVL has played a limited role in the evolution of USA300 virulence in the context of skin infections. Our study indicates a major but not exclusive impact of virulence on the epidemiological success of USA300 and other CA-MRSA strains and emphasizes the importance of core genome-encoded toxins in CA-MRSA skin infections.

Microtubules are critical elements that are involved in a wide range of cellular processes, and thus, they have become an attractive target for many anticancer drugs. A novel synthesised compound, 12P, was identified as new microtubule inhibitor. This compound inhibits tubulin polymerisation through binding to the colchicine-binding site of tubulin. 12P exhibits excellent anti-proliferative activities against a panel of human cancer cell lines, with IC₅₀ values range from 9 to 55nM. Interestingly, compound 12P also displayed equally potent cytotoxicity against several drug-resistant cell lines, and it showed high selectivity for active human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Further flow cytometric analysis showed that 12P induces G₂/M phase arrest and apoptosis in A549 cells. Cellular studies have revealed that the induction of apoptosis by 12P was associated with a collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), alterations in the expression of some cell cycle-related proteins (e.g. Cyclin B1, Cdc25c, Cdc2) and some apoptosis-related proteins (e.g. Bax, Bad, Bcl-2, Bcl-xl). Importantly, 12P significantly reduced the growth of xenograft tumours of A549 cells in vivo (tumour inhibitory rate of 12P: 84.2%), without any loss of body weight. Taken together, these in vitro and in vivo results suggested that 12P may become a promising lead compound for the development of new anticancer drugs.

Lymphodepleting regimens are employed prior to adoptive immunotherapy to augment the antitumor efficacy of transferred T cells by removing endogenous homeostatic cytokine sinks. These conditioning modalities, however, are often associated with severe toxicities. We found that miR-155 enabled B16 melanoma-specific CD8+ T cells to mediate profound antitumor responses in lymphoreplete hosts that were not potentiated by immune-ablation. miR-155 enhanced T cell responsiveness to limited amounts of homeostatic γc cytokines by restraining the expression of the Akt inhibitor Ship1 and multiple negative regulators of Stat5, such as Socs1 and Ptpn2, resulting in delayed cellular contraction and sustained cytokine production. To translate these findings into new clinical trials, we tested whether the overexpression of miR-155 in human T cells would enhance the antitumor efficacy of CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CD19-CAR) cells against systemic acute lymphoblastic leukemia xenografts. As a safety measure, the suicide gene, inducible caspase 9, was included in the miR-155 construct. We found that miR-155 also augmented the antitumor efficacy of T cells in this xenograft tumor model. Recapitulating our findings in mouse cells, human T lymphocytes overexpressing miR-155 showed increased Stat5 signaling and enhanced survival. Our results indicate that overexpression of miR-155 in tumor-specific T cells can be employed to increase the effectiveness of adoptive immunotherapies in a cell intrinsic manner without the need of life-threatening, lymphodepleting maneuvers. This abstract is also being presented as Poster A82. Citation Format: Yun Ji, James Hocker, Jinhui Hu, Sanjivan Gautam, Neal Lacey, Luca Gattinoni. Enhancing the efficacy of T cell-based immunotherapies using miR-155 engineered tumor-specific CD8+ T cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2016 Oct 20-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2017;5(3 Suppl):Abstract nr PR10.

Background The Th17 subset and IL-17 have been found in increased frequencies within certain tumors. However, their relevance in cancer biology remains controversial. This study aimed to clarify the biological action of IL-17 on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Effects and underlying molecular mechanisms of IL-17 on human HCC were explored in vitro using exogenous IL-17 stimulation and in nude mice by implanting IL-17 overexpressed HCC cells. The clinical significance of IL-17 was investigated in tissue microarrays containing HCC tissues from 323 patients following hepatectomy using immunohistochemistry. Results Although exogenous IL-17 showed no direct effect on the growth rate of HCC cells in vitro, PCR and ELISA showed that IL-17 selectively augmented the secretion of diverse proinvasive factors and transwell showed a direct promotion of invasion of HCC cells by IL-17. Furthermore, transfection of IL-17 into HCC cells significantly promoted neoangiogenesis, neutrophil recruitment and tumor growth in vivo. Using siRNA mediated knockdown of AKT and STAT3, we suggested that the effects of IL-17 were operated through activation of the AKT signaling in HCC, which resulted in IL-6 production. Then, IL-6 in turn activated JAK2/STAT3 signaling and subsequently up-regulated its downstream targets IL-8, MMP2, and VEGF. Supporting these findings, in human HCC tissues, immunostaining indicated that IL-17 expression was significantly and positively associated with STAT3 phosphorylation, neutrophil infiltration and increased tumor vascularity. The clinical significance of IL-17 was authenticated by revealing that the combination of intratumoral IL-17+ cells and phospho-STAT3 served as a better prognosticator for postoperative tumor recurrence than either marker alone. Conclusions IL-17 mediated tumor-promoting role involves a direct effect on HCC cells through IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 induction by activating the AKT pathway.

T cell senescence and exhaustion are major barriers to successful cancer immunotherapy. Here we show that miR-155 increases CD8+ T cell antitumor function by restraining T cell senescence and functional exhaustion through epigenetic silencing of drivers of terminal differentiation. miR-155 enhances Polycomb repressor complex 2 (PRC2) activity indirectly by promoting the expression of the PRC2-associated factor Phf19 through downregulation of the Akt inhibitor, Ship1. Phf19 orchestrates a transcriptional program extensively shared with miR-155 to restrain T cell senescence and sustain CD8+ T cell antitumor responses. These effects rely on Phf19 histone-binding capacity, which is critical for the recruitment of PRC2 to the target chromatin. These findings establish the miR-155–Phf19–PRC2 as a pivotal axis regulating CD8+ T cell differentiation, thereby paving new ways for potentiating cancer immunotherapy through epigenetic reprogramming of CD8+ T cell fate., The inability of T cells to properly mount anti-tumour immunity underlies failed cancer immune surveillance or therapy. Here the authors show that a microRNA, miR-155, suppresses Ship1 phosphatase expression to modulate epigenetic reprogramming of CD8 T cell differentiation via the Phf19/PRC2 axis, thereby implicating a novel aspect of cancer immunity regulation.