MIG (CXCL9) is a more sensitive measure than IFN-gamma of vaccine induced T-cell responses in volunteers receiving investigated malaria vaccines

For many years the IFN-γ ex vivo ELISPOT has been a major assay for assessing human T-cell responses generated by malaria vaccines. The ELISPOT assay is a sensitive assay, but an imperfect correlate of protection against malaria. Monokine induced by gamma (MIG), or CXCL9, is a chemokine induced by IFN-γ and has the potential to provide amplification of the IFN-γ signal. MIG secretion could provide a measure of bio-active IFN-γ and a functional IFN-γ signalling pathway. We report that detecting MIG by flow cytometry and by RT-PCR can be more sensitive than the detection of IFN-γ using these methods. We also find that there is little inter-individual variability in MIG secretion when detected by flow cytometry and that the MIG assay may be used to estimate the amount of bio-active IFN-γ present. Measurement of MIG alongside IFN-γ may provide a fuller picture of Th1 type responses post-vaccination.     

Functional asymmetry and interhemispheric cooperation in the perception of emotions from facial expressions

The present study used the redundant target paradigm on healthy subjects to investigate functional hemispheric asymmetries and interhemispheric cooperation in the perception of emotions from faces. In Experiment 1 participants responded to checkerboards presented either unilaterally to the left (LVF) or right visual half field (RVF), or simultaneously to both hemifields (BVF), while performing a pointing task for the control of eye movements. As previously reported (Miniussi et al. in J Cogn Neurosci 10:216-230, 1998), redundant stimulation led to shorter latencies for stimulus detection (bilateral gain or redundant target effect, RTE) that exceeded the limit for a probabilistic interpretation, thereby validating the pointing procedure and supporting interhemispheric cooperation. In Experiment 2 the same pointing procedure was used in a go/no-go task requiring subjects to respond when seeing a target emotional expression (happy or fearful, counterbalanced between blocks). Faster reaction times to unilateral LVF than RVF emotions, regardless of valence, indicate that the perception of positive and negative emotional faces is lateralized toward the right hemisphere. Simultaneous presentation of two congruent emotional faces, either happy or fearful, produced an RTE that cannot be explained by probability summation and suggests interhemispheric cooperation and neural summation. No such effect was present with BVF incongruent facial expressions. In Experiment 3 we studied whether the RTE for emotional faces depends on the physical identity between BVF stimuli, and we set a second BVF congruent condition in which there was only emotional but not physical or gender identity between stimuli (i.e. two different faces expressing the same emotion). The RTE and interhemispheric cooperation were present also in this second BVF congruent condition. This shows that emotional congruency is the sufficient condition for the RTE to take place in the intact brain and that the cerebral hemispheres can interact in spite of physical differences between stimuli.     

胃癌分子标志物环状RNA研究进展

环状RNA(circular RNA,circRNA)是广泛存在于多物种细胞中结构稳定、高度保守、表达量丰富、可充当微小RNA海绵、具有剪切和转录调控、亲代基因修饰功能的内源性单链闭合circRNA.circRNA主要通过套索驱动的环化、内含子配对驱动的循环、内含子环化方式合成.在胃癌发生和进展过程中,不同种类的cir...     

miR-30a对卵巢癌细胞PTEN/PI3K/AKT/mTOR自噬通路及顺铂耐药性的影响

目的:探究miR-30a对人卵巢癌SKOV3细胞自噬及顺铂耐药性的影响,并初步研究其作用机制。方法:体外培养人卵巢癌SKOV3细胞和人卵巢癌细胞（耐药）细胞（SKOV3/DDP）;将SKOV3/DDP细胞随机分为对照组、miR-30a 阴性对照（NC）组和miR-30a模拟（mimics）组,SKOV3细胞作为正常组。实时荧光定量PCR（RT-qPCR）法检测各组细胞miR-30a表达情况;CCK-8法检测各组细胞顺铂耐药性;Annexin V-FITC/PI法检测各组细胞凋亡情况;蛋白印迹分析法检测各组细胞微管相关蛋白轻链3 I/II（LC3I/II）、p62、磷酸酶和张力蛋白同源物（PTEN）、磷酸化磷脂酰肌醇-3-激酶（p-PI3K）、磷酸化丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶B（p-AKT）、磷酸化哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白（p-mTOR）表达情况;双荧光素酶报告基因检测系统验证miR-30a与PTEN的靶向关系。结果:与对照组和miR-30a NC组相比,miR-30a mimics组SKOV3/DDP细胞miR-30a表达水平、凋亡率、p62、p-PI3K、p-AKT及p-mTOR水平显著升高（P＜0.05）,IC50值、LC3II、PTEN蛋白表达水平及LC3II/LC3I比值显著降低（P＜0.05）;与正常组相比,对照组SKOV3/DDP细胞上述各指标变化趋势完全相反;mirbase数据库预测显示,miR-30a与PTEN mRNA 3' UTR区有结合位点,与PTEN-3' UTR-WT+miR-30a NC组比较,PTEN-3' UTR-WT+miR-30a inhibitor组荧光素酶活性降低（P＜0.05）。结论:miR-30a可能通过靶向抑制PTEN表达,激活PI3K/AKT/mTOR信号通路调控人卵巢癌细胞自噬,降低卵巢癌细胞的顺铂耐药性。     

以勿动蛋白-A及其受体为靶点的促神经再生中药研究

查阅相关数据库文献38篇,整理和分析了中药对勿动蛋白-A( Nogo-A)及勿动蛋白受体(NsR,Nogo receptor)调节作用的研究.探讨Nogo-A及NgR这2个药物靶点相关的中枢神经系统(CNS)损伤修复中药的研究进展.基于对Nogo-A的表达分布和功能作用,Nogo-A单克隆抗体与NgR拮抗剂的认识,进一步了解CNS损伤修复的机制,对于中枢神经系统再生障碍的药物治疗有重要的临床意义.中药可以诱导CNS产生有利的微环境促进神经再生.Nogo-A及NgR的表达可抑制神经的发生,中药可抑制其表达从而发挥神经保护的作用.但Nogo-A在脑损伤治疗中的研究还处于基础阶段,使用中药(髓复康、首乌仙海片、血塞通、三七三醇皂苷、逍遥散、补阳还五汤、左归丸和右归丸等)调节Nogo-A及其受体NgR的表达少见报道,机制未明.故探讨Nogo-A及NgR作为药物开发靶点的潜在价值,为今后中药临床治疗该靶点相关的疾病及促神经再生中药新药研发提供一定的参考.     

叶酸修饰麦角甾酮脂质体的制备及体外评价和药动学研究

 目的 研究叶酸修饰的麦角甾-4, 6, 8, 22-四烯-3-酮脂质体的制备工艺,考察其体外释放行为、对肿瘤细胞的毒性和靶向性,并进行体内药动学研究。方法 采用薄膜分散-超声法制备了叶酸偶联麦角甾酮脂质体;用透射电镜、粒径分析仪和高效液相色谱法(HPLC)对其进行表征;以动态透析法测定其体外释药特性及血浆对释放行为的影响;四甲基偶氮唑盐（MTT）法考察叶酸偶联麦角甾酮脂质体对宫颈癌细胞（HeLa）的体外毒性作用,并结合肿瘤细胞摄取实验考察其经叶酸受体介导的靶向性;HPLC测定灌胃后大鼠血药浓度,采用DAS2.0软件计算药动学参数,并进行统计分析。结果 叶酸偶联麦角甾酮脂质体形态呈球形,粒径分布窄,均匀圆整,平均粒径为112 nm,药物包封率达73%;体外释放介质中,药物释放曲线符合Higuchi方程,具有长效缓释性能;在与HeLa的相互作用中,麦角甾-4, 6, 8, 22-四烯-3-酮、麦角甾酮脂质体、叶酸偶联麦角甾酮脂质体的IC₅₀值分别为10,14,5 μg·mL^-1;脂质体剂型显著增加了麦角甾-4, 6, 8, 22-四烯-3-酮的AUC,延长了其在血液循环中的时间。结论 叶酸作为导向分子提高了叶酸偶联麦角甾酮脂质体的靶向性,使叶酸偶联麦角甾酮脂质体主动靶向作用于宫颈癌细胞（HeLa）,降低了给药浓度,制成叶酸偶联麦角甾酮脂质体显著提高了麦角甾-4, 6, 8, 22-四烯-3-酮的生物利用度,可望用于肿瘤的靶向治疗。     

Targeting heat shock protein 27 (HspB1) interferes with bone metastasis and tumour formation in vivo

Background:

The small stress heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) has recently turned as a promising target for cancer treatment. Hsp27 upregulation is associated with tumour growth and resistance to chemo- and radio-therapeutic treatments, and several ongoing drugs inhibiting Hsp27 expression are under clinical trial. Hsp27 is now well described to counteract apoptosis and its elevated expression is associated with increased aggressiveness of several primary tumours. However, its role in the later stage of tumour progression and, more specifically, in the later and most deadly stage of tumour metastasis is still unclear.

Methods/results:

In the present study, we showed by qRT–PCR that Hsp27 gene is overexpressed in a large fraction of the metastatic breast cancer area in 53 patients. We further analysed the role of this protein in mice during bone metastasis invasion and establishment by using Hsp27 genetically depleted MDA-MB231/B02 human breast cancer cell line as a model. We demonstrate that Hsp27 silencing led to reduced cell migration and invasion in vitro and that in vivo it correlated with a decreased ability of breast cancer cells to metastasise and grow in the skeleton.

Conclusion:

Altogether, these data characterised Hsp27 as a potent therapeutic target in breast cancer bone metastasis and skeletal tumour growth.     

Prognostic and therapeutic impact of the chromosome 20q13.2 ZNF217 locus amplification in ovarian clear cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND:

The goal of this study was to examine the clinical significance of ZNF217 amplification and assess whether ZNF217 could be a potential therapeutic target in ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC).

METHODS:

ZNF217 expression and amplification in OCCC was assessed by immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and clinical data collected via a retrospective chart review. ZNF217 gene knockdown using silencing RNA (siRNA) was used to assess ZNF217 functions in OCCC cell lines.

RESULTS:

Gene amplification was identified in 12 of 60 (20.0%) OCCCs. ZNF217 copy number correlated significantly with ZNF217 protein expression (r = 0.341; P<.01). ZNF217 amplification correlated significantly with shorter progression‐free (P = .0042) and overall (P = .0199) survival. There were nonsignificant trends between high ZNF217 protein expression and poor progression‐free (P = .2594) and overall (P = .2199) survival. Multivariate analysis revealed ZNF217 gene amplification to be an independent prognostic factor for progression‐free and overall survival after standard platinum agent‐based chemotherapy (P = .0339 and P = .031, respectively). Profound growth inhibition and apoptosis were observed in ZNF217 siRNA‐treated cancer cells with gene amplification compared with cancer cells with ZNF217 moderate expression without ZNF217 gene amplification or with low ZNF217 expression.

CONCLUSION:

These findings indicate that ZNF217 overexpression is critical to growth and survival of OCCCs with ZNF217 gene amplification. Furthermore, they suggest that ZNF217 siRNA‐induced phenotypes depend on amplification status of OCCCs. Therefore, ZNF217‐targeted therapy may benefit OCCC patients with ZNF217 amplification. Cancer 2011. © 2011 American Cancer Society.     

Target volume delineation variation in radiotherapy for early stage rectal cancer in the Netherlands

Purpose

The aim of this study was to measure and improve the quality of target volume delineation by means of national consensus on target volume definition in early-stage rectal cancer.

Methods and materials

The CTV’s for eight patients were delineated by 11 radiation oncologists in 10 institutes according to local guidelines (phase 1). After observer variation analysis a workshop was organized to establish delineation guidelines and a digital atlas, with which the same observers re-delineated the dataset (phase 2). Variation in volume, most caudal and cranial slice and local surface distance variation were analyzed.

Results

The average delineated CTV volume decreased from 620 to 460 cc (p < 0.001) in phase 2. Variation in the caudal CTV border was reduced significantly from 1.8 to 1.2 cm SD (p = 0.01), while it remained 0.7 cm SD for the cranial border. The local surface distance variation (cm SD) reduced from 1.02 to 0.74 for anterior, 0.63 to 0.54 for lateral, 0.33 to 0.25 for posterior and 1.22 to 0.46 for the sphincter region, respectively.

Conclusions

The large variation in target volume delineation could significantly be reduced by use of consensus guidelines and a digital delineation atlas. Despite the significant reduction there is still a need for further improvement.