A DNA vaccine expressing an optimized secreted FAPα induces enhanced anti-tumor activity by altering the tumor microenvironment in a murine model of breast cancer

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), major components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), promote tumor growth and metastasis and inhibit the anti-tumor immune response. We previously constructed a DNA vaccine expressing human FAPα, which is highly expressed by CAFs, to target these cells in the TME, and observed limited anti-tumor effects in the 4T1 breast cancer model. When the treatment time was delayed until tumor nodes formed, the anti-tumor effect of the vaccine completely disappeared. In this study, to improve the safety and efficacy, we constructed a new FAPα-targeted vaccine containing only the extracellular domain of human FAPα with a tissue plasminogen activator signal sequence for enhanced antigen secretion and immunogenicity. The number of CAFs was more effectively reduced by CD8⁺ T cells induced by the new vaccine. This resulted in decreases in CCL2 and CXCL12 expression, leading to a significant decrease in the ratio of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the TME. Moreover, when mice were treated after the establishment of tumors, the vaccine could still delay tumor growth. To facilitate the future application of the vaccine in clinical trials, we further optimized the gene codons and reduced the homology between the vaccine and the original sequence, which may be convenient for evaluating the vaccine distribution in the human body. These results indicated that the new FAPα-targeted vaccine expressing an optimized secreted human FAPα induced enhanced anti-tumor activity by reducing the number of FAPα⁺ CAFs and enhancing the recruitment of effector T cells in the 4T1 tumor model mice.     

Cardioprotective effects of sinomenine in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in a rat model

BackgroundIschemia reperfusion (I/R) play an imperative role in the expansion of cardiovascular disease. Sinomenine (SM) has been exhibited to possess antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anticarcinogenic properties. The aim of the study was scrutinized the cardioprotective effect of SM against I/R injury in rat.MethodsRat were randomly divided into normal control (NC), I/R control and I/R + SM (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg), respectively. Ventricular arrhythmias, body weight and heart weight were estimated. Antioxidant, inflammatory cytokines, inflammatory mediators and plasmin system indicator were accessed.ResultsPre-treated SM group rats exhibited the reduction in the duration and incidence of ventricular fibrillation, ventricular ectopic beat (VEB) and ventricular tachycardia along with suppression of arrhythmia score during the ischemia (30 and 120 min). SM treated rats significantly (P < 0.001) altered the level of antioxidant parameters. SM treatment significantly (P < 0.001) repressed the level of creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), creatine kinase (CK) and troponin I (Tnl). SM treated rats significantly (P < 0.001) repressed the tissue factor (TF), thromboxane B2 (TXB2), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and plasma fibrinogen (Fbg) and inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory mediators.ConclusionOur result clearly indicated that SM plays anti-arrhythmia effect in I/R injury in the rats via alteration of oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction.     

Magnesium lithospermate B acts against dextran sodiumsulfate-induced ulcerative colitis by inhibiting activation of the NRLP3/ASC/Caspase-1 pathway

This study aimed to observe the therapeutic effects of magnesium lithospermate B on acute and chronic colitis induced by dextran sodiumsulfate (DSS) and the role of inflammasome complex (NOD-like receptor protein, NLRP; apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing, ASC; caspase-1). Establishment of acute and chronic colitis models were by using 5% DSS oral administration in BALB/C male mice. Magnesium lithospermate B (240 mg/kg body weight) was given by subcutaneous injection. Samples were collected for biomarker assay, histological examination, immunohistochemical evaluation and western blot. There was obvious increase in TNF-α level and NLPR3, ASC, and caspase-1 expressions in acute and chronic colitis groups compared with the normal control. Significant decrease of the tumor necrosis factor-α level and the expressions of NLPR3, ASC, and caspase-1 were observed after treatment with magnesium lithospermate B. This study showed that magnesium lithospermate B could be used to treat acute and chronic colitis by inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3/ASC/Caspase-1 pathway.     

浅谈新型冠状病毒肺炎合并基础病的中医药防治策略＊

2019年12月始，新型冠状病毒肺炎（Corona Virus Disease 2019，COVID-19）以湖北武汉为中心向全国各地蔓延。目前数据显示，COVID-19合并糖尿病、高血压、肿瘤等基础病的患者病情较为严峻，病死率相对较高。该类患者的临床治疗策略有待进一步深入研究。在此次疫情防治过程中，中西医结合治疗手段于COVID-19的防治及患者基础疾病的兼顾治疗方面展现出了一定的特色及优势。本文结合中医“未病先防，既病防变，瘥后防复”思想，拟从COVID-19合并糖尿病、高血压、肿瘤三个方面，探讨COVID-19爆发形势下合并基础病患者的中医药防治策略。     

miR-451a suppresses the development of breast cancer via targeted inhibition of CCND2

Extensive research has indicated that miRNAs are crucial for the occurrence and progression of cancers. miR-451a, involved in breast cancer (BC), is one of the miRNAs. This study focused on the mechanism by which miR-451a regulates BC. The levels of miR-451a in BC tissues and cell lines were examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Kaplan‒Meier analysis showed that this was intimately related to the patient's overall survival rate. Functional experiments revealed the negative effects of miR-451a on the abilities of BC cells to multiply (tested by Cell Counting Kit-8), migrate (tested by wound healing assay), and invade (tested by Transwell assay) and its positive effects on apoptosis (tested by flow cytometry). Western blotting indicated that the expression of tumor-related proteins was affected by miR-451a. Moreover, in vivo experiments suggested that tumor growth was clearly restrained by an miR-451a agonist in a xenograft tumor model. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that miR-451a directly targeted Cyclin D2 (CCND2), as demonstrated by the luciferase reporter assay. An opposite change in the level of CCND2 and miR-451a in BC was indicated by qRT-PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. Subsequently, functional experiments and western blotting analysis confirmed that CCND2 accelerated BC progression, which was regulated by miR-451a. Cumulatively, research on miR-451a may be valuable for BC treatment.     

热疗对肿瘤免疫微环境中免疫细胞及免疫相关细胞因子的影响

随着对肿瘤热疗和肿瘤免疫微环境(TIME)的深入研究,近年来热疗对TIME的作用越来越受到学者们的重视。本文就目前国内外研究进展,对热疗与TIME中几类主要免疫细胞和免疫相关细胞因子的影响及作用机制作一综述。全面而透彻的了解热疗对TIME的调控作用,有助于为肿瘤治疗提供新的思路和方法。     

Evaluation of mutagenic,recombinogenic and carcinogenic potential of (+)-usnic acid in somatic cells of Drosophila melanogaster

The main of this study was to evaluate the mutagenic and carcinogenic potential of (+) – usnic acid (UA), using Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test (SMART) and the test for detecting epithelial tumor clones (wts) in Drosophila melanogaster. Larvae from 72 ± 4 h from Drosophila were fed with UA (5.0, 10.0 or 20.0 mM); urethane (10.0 mM) (positive control); and solvent (Milli-Q water, 1% Tween-80 and 3% ethanol) (negative control). ST cross produced increase in total mutant spots in the individuals treated with 5.0, 10.0 or 20.0 mM of UA. HB cross produced spot frequencies in the concentration of 5.0 mM that were higher than the frequency for the same concentration in the ST cross. In the highest concentrations the result was negative, which means that the difference observed can be attributed, in part, to the high levels of P450, suggesting that increasing the metabolic capacity maximized the toxic effect of these doses. In the evaluation of carcinogenesis using the wts test, the results obtained for the same concentrations of UA show a positive result for the presence of tumors when compared to the negative control. We conclude that UA has recombinogenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects on somatic cells in D. melanogaster.     

六西格玛在肿瘤标志物质量目标选择上的应用

目的应用6σ理论对肿瘤标志物项目的分析性能进行评价，并初步确定各项目的质量目标。 方法收集本实验室2018年1至12月室内质控数据和国家卫生健康委临床检验中心室间质量评价结果，以生物学变异导出的质量规范和国家室间质量评价标准作为允许总误差(TEa)计算6项肿瘤标志物的σ水平，并依据质量目标选择流程图和肿瘤标志物分析性能验证图评价肿瘤标志物的分析性能，进而为肿瘤标志物选择合适的质量目标。 结果应用不同层级的生物学变异导出的质量规范和国家室间质量评价标准，肿瘤标志物项目的σ水平存在显著差异；依据质量目标选择流程图：选择生物学变异导出的"适当的"质量规范作为CA125项目的质量目标，选择生物学变异导出的"最低的"质量规范作为t-PSA、CEA、AFP、CA199和CA153项目的质量目标。 结论6σ能够客观评价肿瘤标志物的分析性能，并为实验室质量目标的选择提供重要的参考价值。     

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。     

放射性心脏损伤动物模型相关实验研究进展

当利用放射线对胸部恶性肿瘤进行治疗时，位于纵隔的心脏会不可幸免受到照射，从而诱发放射性心脏损伤（radiation-induced heart disease, RIHD）。随着手术以及放化疗技术的提升，肿瘤患者生存时间得到延长，使得RIHD这一放疗远期并发症被越来越多的报道。因此，学者们对于RIHD的研究逐渐升温。目前国内外学者关于该疾病尚未形成统一的认识，临床上缺乏有效阻止其发生的方法。动物模型研究可为临床该疾病治疗及预防提供可靠证据，为此本文回顾分析近年来放射性心脏损伤动物模型实验研究情况，旨在为后续实验开展及临床应用提供参考。