Inhibitors of the Hepatitis C Virus Polymerase; Mode of Action and Resistance

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a pandemic human pathogen posing a substantial health and economic burden in both developing and developed countries. Controlling the spread of HCV through behavioural prevention strategies has met with limited success and vaccine development remains slow. The development of antiviral therapeutic agents has also been challenging, primarily due to the lack of efficient cell culture and animal models for all HCV genotypes, as well as the large genetic diversity between HCV strains. On the other hand, the use of interferon-α-based treatments in combination with the guanosine analogue, ribavirin, achieved limited success, and widespread use of these therapies has been hampered by prevalent side effects. For more than a decade, the HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) has been targeted for antiviral development. Direct acting antivirals (DAA) have been identified which bind to one of at least six RdRp inhibitor-binding sites, and are now becoming a mainstay of highly effective and well tolerated antiviral treatment for HCV infection. Here we review the different classes of RdRp inhibitors and their mode of action against HCV. Furthermore, the mechanism of antiviral resistance to each class is described, including naturally occurring resistance-associated variants (RAVs) in different viral strains and genotypes. Finally, we review the impact of these RAVs on treatment outcomes with the newly developed regimens.     

The microbiome in pediatric oncology

The human microbiome comprises a diverse set of microorganisms, which play a mostly cooperative role in processes such as metabolism and host defense. Next-generation genomic sequencing of bacterial nucleic acids now can contribute a much broader understanding of the diverse organisms composing the microbiome. Emerging evidence has suggested several roles of the microbiome in pediatric hematology/oncology, including susceptibility to infectious diseases, immune response to neoplasia, and contributions to the tumor microenvironment as well as changes to the microbiome from chemotherapy and antibiotics with unclear consequences. In this review, the authors have examined the evidence of the role of the microbiome in pediatric hematology/oncology, discussed how the microbiome may be modulated, and suggested key questions in need of further exploration.     

肝细胞癌患者血清外泌体mRNA表达谱及临床意义分析

背景与目的:外泌体是包含了复杂RNA和蛋白质的小膜泡,其中肿瘤细胞分泌的外泌体中的mRNA携带了大量肿瘤细胞遗传信息,因此对外泌体中特异性mRNA的分析,有望找到肿瘤诊断的新型分子标志物和治疗靶点。本研究通过高通量筛选与生物信息学方法探讨肝细胞癌(HCC)患者血清外泌体mRNA的表达特征及其潜在功能。方法:采集3例HCC患者及3例正常人的静脉血,用外泌体提取试剂盒提取血清外泌体,用Magen试剂盒提取外泌体RNA,对血清外泌体mRNA进行纯化、行反转录形成cDNA、PCR扩增、测序,最后将对所得数据质量进行评价后与参考数据进行比对,分析得到差异表达外泌体mRNA,并采用GO和KEGG通路富集分析对差异基因进行功能与通路注释。结果:与正常人比较,HCC患者有397个外泌体mRNA表达上调,192个外泌体mRNA表达下调;其中,NRGN、PF4、RGS18等17个基因表达明显上调,CXCL8、MORF4L2、SYCP1等14个基因显明显下调。GO富集分析显示,表达上调的外泌体mRNA的靶基因与蛋白质结合、蛋白质异二聚化活性、免疫系统过程的调节、胞外囊泡、细胞外细胞器、应激反应等有关,表达下调的外泌体mRNA的靶基因与嗅觉受体活性、细胞因子活性、CXCR趋化因子受体结合、中间丝、中间丝状细胞骨架等有关;KEGG通路分析显示,在上调的外泌体mRNA中,30条通路被显著富集,在下调的外泌体mRNA中9条通路被显著富集,其中,在上调的外泌体mRNA中,血小板激活、Rap 1信号通路、吞噬体、病毒致癌、肌动蛋白细胞骨架的调节与抗原处理和呈递等是最丰富和最有意义的通路;在下调的外泌体mRNA中,基础转录因子和细胞因子-细胞因子受体相互作用分别是最丰富和最有意义的通路。结论:HCC患者与正常人的血清外泌体mRNA表达特征存在较大差异,其与HCC发生、发展、转移可能密切相关,这为寻找新的诊断标志物及治疗靶点提供了依据。     

PRNCR1在前列腺癌诊断及预后的价值

目的 探讨前列腺癌非编码RNA1（PRNCR1）在前列腺癌早期诊断及预后的价值。方法 选取2012年1月至2015年10月在本院诊治前列腺癌患者45例、良性前列腺增生患者88例，进行PRNCR1检验。结果 PRNCR1 检验的灵敏度84.4%（38/45）、特异度90.9%（80/88）、阳性预测值82.6%（38/46）、阴性预测值92.0%（80/87)、符合率88.7%（118/133），PRNCR1在前列腺癌组织中含量高于癌旁组织和良性前列腺增生组织，差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。两年内转移、复发、肿瘤死亡患者30例，其PRNCRA表达量高于两年内无转移、复发、死亡的患者（15例），差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。结论 PRNCR1表达在诊断前列腺癌有价值，PRNCR1高表达与患者预后不良有关。     

Inactivated influenza vaccine formulated with single-stranded RNA-based adjuvant confers mucosal immunity and cross-protection against influenza virus infection

Influenza vaccination is considered the most valuable means to prevent and control seasonal influenza infections, which causes various clinical symptoms, ranging from mild cough and fever to even death. Among various influenza vaccine types, the inactivated subunit type is known to provide improved safety with reduced reactogenicity. However, there are some drawbacks associated with inactivated subunit type vaccines, with the main ones being its low immunogenicity and the induction of Th2-biased immune responses. In this study, we investigated the role of a single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) derived from the intergenic region in the internal ribosome entry site of the Cricket paralysis virus as an adjuvant rather than the universal vaccine for a seasonal inactivated subunit influenza vaccine. The ssRNA adjuvant stimulated not only well-balanced cellular (indicated by IgG2a, IFN-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α) and humoral (indicated by IgG1 and IL-4) immune responses but also a mucosal immune response (indicated by IgA), a key protector against respiratory virus infections. It also increases the HI titer, the surrogate marker of influenza vaccine efficacy. Furthermore, ssRNA adjuvant confers cross-protective immune responses against heterologous influenza virus infection while promoting enhanced viral clearance. Moreover, ssRNA adjuvant increases the number of memory CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells, which can be expected to induce long-term immune responses. Therefore, this ssRNA-adjuvanted seasonal inactivated subunit influenza vaccine might be the best influenza vaccine generating robust humoral and cellular immune responses and conferring cross-protective and long-term immunity.     

PDE5基因siRNA对人阴茎海绵体平滑肌细胞cGMP的影响

目的:观察PDE5基因小干扰RNA(siRNA)对人阴茎海绵体平滑肌细胞环磷酸鸟苷(cGMP)的影响,为阴茎勃起功能障碍(ED)的基因治疗提供实验依据。方法:使用美国Amb ion公司提供的设计软件设计并合成人PDE5基因的siRNA序列,合成3对PDE5 siRNA和1对阴性对照siRNA,转染人阴茎海绵体平滑肌细胞,同时设定空白转染组为对照组。以酶联免疫法分别检测转染后不同时间(24、48、72、96 h)点海绵体平滑肌细胞内cGMP浓度变化,观察PDE5 siRNA对海绵体平滑肌细胞内cGMP的影响。结果:siRNA1、siRNA2和siRNA3转染后人阴茎海绵体平滑肌细胞cGMP水平显著高于阴性对照siRNA组和空白对照组(P<0.05),在转染后72 h最为显著,siRNA1、siRNA2、siRNA3、阴性对照siRNA和空白对照组cGMP测定值分别为:5.89±0.19、3.52±0.16、2.88±0.08、0.72±0.12、0.60±0.16 pmol/m l,siRNA1组明显高于siRNA2、siRNA3组(P<0.05)。结论:体外化学合成的PDE5 siRNA能有效地增加海绵体平滑肌细胞内cGMP的水平,不同序列siRNA增加cGMP水平的能力不同,为ED的基因治疗提供了新思路。     

血管内皮生长因子反义RNA对C6鼠胶质瘤细胞体外作用的研究

目的探讨VEGF反义RNA对C6鼠胶质瘤细胞体外作用。方法用Lipofectamine介导的方法将VEGF反义eDNA转染入C6鼠胶质瘤细胞系,观察其对细胞增殖和凋亡的影响。结果在体外VEGF反义RNA可有效抑制C6鼠胶质瘤细胞内源性VEGFmRNA和VEGF蛋白的产生,但对细胞增殖和凋亡无明显影响。结论采用VEGF反义RNA可能成为抗血管形成肿瘤治疗的新策略之一。