Knockdown of DEAD-box 51 inhibits tumor growth of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via the PI3K/AKT pathway

BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)is one of the most prevalent malignancies that seriously threaten people’s health worldwide.DEAD-box helicase 51(DDX51)is a member of the DEAD-box(DDX)RNA helicase family,and drives or inhibits tumor progression in multiple cancer types.AIM To determine whether DDX51 affects the biological behavior of ESCC.METHODS The expression of DDX51 in ESCC tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues was detected by Immunohistochemistry(IHC)analyses and quantitative PCR(qPCR).We knocked down DDX51 in ESCC cell lines by using a small interfering RNA(siRNA)transfection.The proliferation,apoptosis,and mobility of DDX51 siRNAtransfected cells were detected.The effect of DDX51 on the phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)/AKT pathway was investigated by western blot analysis.A mouse xenograft model was established to investigate the effects of DDX51 knockdown on ESCC tumor growth.RESULTS DDX51 exhibited high expression in ESCC tissues compared with normal tissues and represented a poor prognosis in patients with ESCC.Knockdown of DDX51 induced inhibition of ESCC cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis.Moreover,DDX51 siRNA-expressing cells also exhibited lower migration and invasion rates.Investigations into the underlying mechanisms suggested that DDX51 knock down induced inactivation of the PI3K/AKT pathway,including decreased phosphorylation levels of phosphate and tensin homolog,PI3K,AKT,and mammalian target of rapamycin.Rescue experiments demonstrated that the AKT activator insulin-like growth factor 1 could reverse the inhibitory effects of DDX51 on ESCC malignant development.Finally,we injected DDX51 siRNA-transfected TE-1 cells into an animal model,which resulted in slower tumor growth.CONCLUSION Our study suggests for the first time that DDX51 promotes cancer cell proliferation by regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway;thus,DDX51 might be a therapeutic target for ESCC.     

Immunogenicity and reactogenicity after booster dose with AZD1222 via intradermal route among adult who had received CoronaVac

BackgroundCurrently, booster dose is needed after 2 doses of non-live COVID-19 vaccine. With limited resources and shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, intradermal(ID) administration might be a potential dose-sparing strategy.ObjectiveTo determine immunologic response and reactogenicity of ID ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222,Oxford/AstraZeneca) as a booster dose after completion of 2-dose CoronaVac(SV) in healthy adult.MethodsThis is a prospective cohort study of adult aged 18–59 years who received 2-dose SV at 14–35 days apart for more than 2 months. Participants received ID AZD1222 at fractional low dose(1×10¹⁰ viral particles,0.1 ml). Antibody responses were evaluated by surrogate virus neutralization test(sVNT) against delta variant and wild type, and anti-spike-receptor-binding-domain immunoglobulin G(anti-S-RBD IgG) at prior, day14, 28, 90, and 180 post booster. Solicited reactogenicity was collected for 7 days post-booster. Primary endpoint was the differences of sVNT against delta strain ≥ 80% inhibition at day14 and 90 compared with the parallel cohort study of 0.5-ml intramuscular(IM) route.ResultsFrom August2021, 100 adults with median age of 46 years(IQR 41–52) participated. Prior to booster, geometric mean(GM) of sVNT against delta strain was 22.4% inhibition(95 %CI 18.7–26.9) and of anti-S-RBD IgG was 109.3 BAU/ml(95.4–125.1). Post ID booster, GMs of sVNT against delta strain were 95.5% inhibition (95%CI 94.2–96.8) at day14, 73.1% inhibition (66.7–80.2) at day90, and 22.7% inhibition (14.9–34.6) at day180. The differences of proportion of participants achieving sVNT against delta strain ≥ 80% inhibition in ID recipients versus IM were + 4.2% (95 %CI -2.0to10.5) at day14, and ?37.3%(-54.2to-20.3) at day90. Anti-S-RBD IgG GMs were 2037.1 BAU/ml (95%CI 1770.9–2343.2) at day14 and 744.6 BAU/ml(650.1–852.9) at day90, respectively. Geometric mean ratios(GMRs) of anti-S-RBD IgG were 0.99(0.83–1.20) at day14, and 0.82(0.66–1.02) at day90. Only 18% reported feverish, compared with 37% of IM (p = 0.003). Common reactogenicity was erythema at injection site(53%) while 7% reported blister.ConclusionLow-dose ID AZD1222 booster enhanced lower neutralizing antibodies at 3 months compared with IM route. Less systemic reactogenicity occurred, but higher local reactogenicity.     

Oxygen delivery-guided perfusion for the prevention of acute kidney injury: A randomized controlled trial

ObjectivesThe reduction of postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery using an oxygen delivery-guided perfusion strategy (oxygen delivery strategy) for cardiopulmonary bypass management compared with a fixed flow perfusion (conventional strategy) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a oxygen delivery strategy would reduce the incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery.MethodsWe randomly enrolled 300 patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Patients were randomly assigned to a oxygen delivery strategy (maintaining a oxygen delivery index value >300 mL/min/m² through pump flow adjustments during cardiopulmonary bypass) or a conventional strategy (a target pump flow was determined on the basis of the body surface area). The primary end point was the development of acute kidney injury. Secondary end points were the red blood cell transfusion rate and number of red blood cell units, intubation time, postoperative length of stay in the intensive care unit and the hospital, predischarge estimated glomerular filtration rate, and hospital mortality.ResultsAcute kidney injury occurred in 20 patients (14.6%) receiving the oxygen delivery strategy and in 42 patients (30.4%) receiving the conventional strategy (relative risk, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.30-0.77; P = .002). The secondary end points were not significantly different between strategies. In a prespecified subgroup analysis of patients who had nadir hematocrit less than 23% or body surface area less than 1.40 m², the oxygen delivery strategy seemed to be superior to the conventional strategy and the existence of quantitative interactions was suggested.ConclusionsAn oxygen delivery strategy for cardiopulmonary bypass management was superior to a conventional strategy with respect to preventing the development of acute kidney injury.     

Semi-perfusion cultures of suspension MDCK cells enable high cell concentrations and efficient influenza A virus production

Control and prevention of rapid influenza spread among humans depend on the availability of efficient and safe seasonal and pandemic vaccines, made primarily from inactivated influenza virus particles. Current influenza virus production processes rely heavily on embryonated chicken eggs or on cell culture as substrate for virus propagation. Today’s efforts towards process intensification in animal cell culture could innovate viral vaccine manufacturing using high-yield suspension cells in high cell density perfusion processes. In this work, we present a MDCK cell line adapted to grow as single cell suspension with a doubling time of less than 20 h, achieving cell concentrations over 1 × 10⁷ cells/mL in batch mode. Influenza A virus titer obtained in batch infections were 3.6 log₁₀(HAU/100 µL) for total- and 10⁹ virions/mL for infectious virus particles (TCID₅₀), respectively. In semi-perfusion mode concentrations up to 6 × 10⁷ cells/mL, accumulated virus titer of 4.5 log₁₀(HAU/100 µL) and infectious titer of almost 10¹⁰ virions/mL (TCID₅₀) were possible. This exceeds results reported previously for cell culture-based influenza virus propagation by far and suggests perfusion cultures as the preferred method in viral vaccine manufacturing.     

Outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome

Although allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been reported to provide prolonged remission of relapsed/refractory mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS), its role has not been fully evaluated. Here, the outcomes of allogeneic HSCT for patients with MF/SS were retrospectively evaluated by using the registry database of the Japan Society for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. Forty-eight patients were evaluable and enrolled in the analysis. Median age was 45.5 years. Eighteen patients (38%) received myeloablative conditioning, and 33 (69%) received HSCT from an alternative donor. Disease status was complete or partial response in 25% of the patients and relapsed or refractory in the others. At the time of analysis, 18 patients were alive, with a median follow-up of 31.0 months (range, 3.8-31.1). Three-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 30% (95%CI, 16-45%) and 19% (95%CI, 9-31%), respectively. Disease progression was not observed later than 17 months after transplantation. Both disease status and performance status at transplant significantly affected OS and PFS. Although our findings suggest that allogeneic HSCT provides long-term PFS in patients with MF/SS, the timing of transplantation should be decided carefully based on the disease status and the patient's condition in order to improve the outcome.     

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Thoracic Malignancies: Review of the Existing Evidence by an IASLC Expert Panel and Recommendations

In the past 10 years, a deeper understanding of the immune landscape of cancers, including immune evasion processes, has allowed the development of a new class of agents. The reactivation of host antitumor immune response offers the potential for long-term survival benefit in a portion of patients with thoracic malignancies.The advent of programmed cell death protein 1/programmed death ligand-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), both as single agents and in combination with chemotherapy, and more recently, the combination of ICI, anti–programmed cell death protein 1, and anticytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 antibody, have led to breakthrough therapeutic advances for patients with advanced NSCLC, and to a lesser extent, patients with SCLC. Encouraging activity has recently emerged in pretreated patients with thymic carcinoma (TC). Conversely, in malignant pleural mesothelioma, pivotal positive signs of activity have not been fully confirmed in randomized trials. The additive effects of chemoradiation and immunotherapy suggested intriguing potential for therapeutic synergy with combination strategies. This has led to the introduction of ICI consolidation therapy in stage III NSCLC, creating a platform for future therapeutic developments in earlier-stage disease. Despite the definitive clinical benefit observed with ICI, primary and acquired resistance represent well-known biological phenomena, which may affect the therapeutic efficacy of these agents.The development of innovative strategies to overcome ICI resistance, standardization of new patterns of ICI progression, identification of predictive biomarkers of response, optimal treatment duration, and characterization of ICI efficacy in special populations, represent crucial issues to be adequately addressed, with the aim of improving the therapeutic benefit of ICI in patients with thoracic malignancies.In this article, an international panel of experts in the field of thoracic malignancies discussed these topics, evaluating currently available scientific evidence, with the final aim of providing clinical recommendations, which may guide oncologists in their current practice and elucidate future treatment strategies and research priorities.     

miRNA-325-3p通过下调细胞角蛋白13 的表达降低鼻咽癌细胞CNE1 的放疗敏感性

目的：探究miRNA-325-3p 及其靶基因细胞角蛋白13（cytokeratin 13，CK13）对鼻咽癌细胞CNE1 的放疗敏感性的影响。方法：通过miRBase、Targetscan 及Microcosm 三大数据库预测miRNA-325-3p 的潜在靶基因，并通过双荧光素酶活性检测实验进行验证，qPCR检测不同放射剂量下鼻咽癌细胞CNE1 中miRNA-325-3p 及其靶基因的表达水平变化，通过克隆形成实验观察不同放射剂量下过表达miRNA-325-3p 及敲低靶基因后CNE1 细胞克隆形成率的变化，流式细胞术验证过表达miRNA-325-3p及敲低靶基因后CNE1 在不同放射剂量下凋亡水平的变化，MTT法检测miRNA-325-3p 过表达和CK13 敲低组鼻咽癌细胞CNE1在不同放射剂量下的细胞存活率以验证其放疗敏感性的变化。结果：CK13 确认为miRNA-325-3p 的潜在靶基因，鼻咽癌细胞CNE1 经放射处理后，miRNA-325-3p 的表达水平显著升高、CK13 的表达水平显著降低（均P<0.05）。miRNA-325-3p 表达量上调和CK13 基因沉默均显著提高CNE1 细胞的存活率[miRNA上调时：（60.14±3.55）% vs（19.23±3.42）%，t=14.37、P<0.01；CK13 沉默时：（76.15±5.13）% vs（28.53±3.68）%，t=13.06、P<0.01]和克隆形成率，降低了凋亡率[miRNA 上调时：（27.95±2.67）% vs（51.68±3.47）%，t=9.39、P<0.01；CK13 沉默时：（20.31±2.62）% vs（38.14±3.83）%，t=6.66、P<0.01]。结论：miRNA-325-3p 能够通过下调靶基因CK13的表达降低鼻咽癌细胞CNE1 对放疗的敏感性。     

RG108 调控 TFPI-2 甲基化/TMPRSS4 表达对 NSCLC 细胞增殖和凋亡的影响

目的：探讨RG108对人非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC）A549和H1299细胞增殖、凋亡的影响及其可能的作用机制。方法：体外培养A549和H1299细胞，经不同浓度RG108处理后，采用MTT法、流式细胞术分别检测细胞增殖率、细胞周期和凋亡水平；qPCR和Western blotting（WB）法检测细胞内TFPI-2 mRNA和蛋白的表达及TMPRSS4的表达量，以甲基化特异性PCR和比色法检测细胞中TFPI-2启动子区域甲基化的状态和程度；分别采用siRNA-TFPI-2和pcDNA3.0-TMPRSS4质粒敲减TFPI-2或过表达TMPRSS4，然后检测细胞增殖率及凋亡率的变化。结果：RG108处理后，A549和H1299细胞的增殖率显著降低（均P<0.05）、细胞周期阻滞于G1/S期（均P<0.05）而凋亡率显著增加（均P<0.01），细胞中TFPI-2 mRNA及蛋白表达水平均显著升高（P<0.01和P<0.05），同时细胞中TFPI-2启动子区域甲基化程度显著降低（均P<0.05）、TMPRSS4的表达也明显减少（P<0.05）。沉默TFPI-2表达后，A549和H1299细胞的增殖水平显著增加（均P<0.05），而转染pcDNA3.0-TMPRSS4质粒则显著降低细胞的凋亡率（均P<0.05）。结论：RG108能够通过抑制TFPI-2甲基化负向调控TMPRSS4表达进而抑制A549和H1299细胞的增殖，并促进其凋亡。