急性髓系白血病诊断与治疗最新进展:第54届美国血液学会年会深入报道

 急性髓系白血病（AML）是成年人最常见的血液系统恶性疾病。第54届美国血液学会（ASH）年会有关AML的发病机制、诊断及治疗方面的报道亮点不断。特别是应用下一代基因组测序（NGS）技术,发现了很多与AML发病密切相关的基因、与复发有关的克隆及与预后有关的分子标志物。微小残留病（MRD）的检测在AML的疗效和预后评价中成为可能。靶向FLT3-ITD的激酶抑制剂是本届年会报道的治疗难治复发AML的最大亮点。     

Immunomodulatory and anti-SARS activities of Houttuynia cordata

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a life-threatening form of pneumonia caused by SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). From late 2002 to mid 2003, it infected more than 8000 people worldwide, of which a majority of cases were found in China. Owing to the absence of definitive therapeutic Western medicines, Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (Saururaceae)(HC) was shortlisted by Chinese scientists to tackle SARS problem as it is conventionally used to treat pneumonia. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study aimed to explore the SARS-preventing mechanisms of HC in the immunological and anti-viral aspects. RESULTS: Results showed that HC water extract could stimulate the proliferation of mouse splenic lymphocytes significantly and dose-dependently. By flow cytometry, it was revealed that HC increased the proportion of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. Moreover, it caused a significant increase in the secretion of IL-2 and IL-10 by mouse splenic lymphocytes. In the anti-viral aspect, HC exhibited significant inhibitory effects on SARS-CoV 3C-like protease (3CL(pro)) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). On the other hand, oral acute toxicity test demonstrated that HC was non-toxic to laboratory animals following oral administration at 16 g/kg. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provided scientific data to support the efficient and safe use of HC to combat SARS.     

超声靶向破坏微泡技术介导小鼠肝癌细胞株JNK1基因表达、细胞迁移和侵袭抑制

目的: 探讨应用超声靶向破坏微泡 (UTMD) 技术介导小鼠肝癌细胞株JNK1基因的表达、细胞迁移和侵袭抑制的作用,阐明其作用机制。方法: 构建并筛选RNA干扰效果最好的短发夹RNA(shRNA)。将小鼠肝癌细胞株Hca-F分为正常Hca-F细胞组、shRNA质粒组、脂质体组、超声微泡结合超声辐照组及脂质体结合超声微泡加超声辐照组。采用倒置荧光显微镜观察各组细胞转染率,荧光定量PCR和Western blotting 法检测JNK1基因mRNA和蛋白表达水平,CCK-8法检测各组细胞的细胞活性,应用Transwell 实验检测各组细胞的体外迁移能力。结果: 脂质体结合超声微泡加超声辐照组细胞转染率高于shRNA质粒组、脂质体组和超声微泡结合超声辐照组(均P<0.05),脂质体组和超声微泡结合超声辐照组比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。脂质体结合超声微泡加超声辐照组JNK1 mRNA和蛋白表达水平低于其他各组(P<0.05);脂质体结合超声微泡加超声辐照组细胞活性和平均穿膜细胞数均低于其他各组(P<0.05)。结论: UTMD技术结合脂质体转染法可以提高小鼠肝癌细胞株JNK1 shRNA的转染效率,增强其对基因表达、细胞活力、迁移和侵袭能力的抑制。     

探讨不同实验条件对U87细胞体外增殖的影响

目的:探讨RNA干扰肝癌衍生生长因子(HDGF)后,U87细胞增殖抑制的最佳实验条件。方法:用LipofectamineTM2000将HDGF siRNA转染U87细胞后,将细胞接种于96孔板中,分别在无血清、含10%FBS和无血清Matrigel胶预处理细胞培养板条件下,采用MTS法检测细胞增殖能力。结果:HDGF表达水平下调后,U87细胞增殖能力受到抑制。在无血清、含10%FBS和无血清Matrigel胶预处理细胞培养板条件下,细胞增殖抑制率分别是18%、9%和28%。结论:在无血清Matrigel胶预先处理的培养条件下,能最大程度上反映出HDGFsiRNA对U87细胞增殖能力的抑制。     

Effects of an Amino Acid-Based Formula Supplemented with Two Human Milk Oligosaccharides on Growth,Tolerability, Safety,and Gut Microbiome in Infants with Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy

This open-label, non-randomized, multicenter trial (Registration: {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT 03661736","term_id":"NCT03661736"}}NCT 03661736) aimed to assess if an amino acid-based formula (AAF) supplemented with two human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) supports normal growth and is well tolerated in infants with a cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA). Term infants aged 1–8 months with moderate-to-severe CMPA were enrolled. The study formula was an AAF supplemented with 2′-fucosyllactose (2′-FL) and lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT). Infants were fed the study formula for 4 months and were offered to remain on the formula until 12 months of age. Tolerance and safety were assessed throughout the trial. Out of 32 infants (mean age 18.6 weeks; 20 (62.5%) male), 29 completed the trial. During the 4-month principal study period, the mean weight-for-age Z score (WAZ) increased from –0.31 at the baseline to +0.28 at the 4-months’ follow-up. Linear and head growth also progressed along the WHO child growth reference, with a similar small upward trend. The formula was well tolerated and had an excellent safety profile. When comparing the microbiome at the baseline to the subsequent visits, there was a significant on-treatment enrichment in HMO-utilizing bifidobacteria, which was associated with a significant increase in fecal short-chain fatty acids. In addition, we observed a significant reduction in the abundance of fecal Proteobacteria, suggesting that the HMO-supplemented study formula partially corrected the gut microbial dysbiosis in infants with CMPA.     

Targeted Virome Sequencing Enhances Unbiased Detection and Genome Assembly of Known and Emerging Viruses—The Example of SARS-CoV-2

Targeted virome enrichment and sequencing (VirCapSeq-VERT) utilizes a pool of oligos (baits) to enrich all known—up to 2015—vertebrate-infecting viruses, increasing their detection sensitivity. The hybridisation of the baits to the target sequences can be partial, thus enabling the detection and genomic reconstruction of novel pathogens with <40% genetic diversity compared to the strains used for the baits’ design. In this study, we deploy this method in multiplexed mixes of viral extracts, and we assess its performance in the unbiased detection of DNA and RNA viruses after cDNA synthesis. We further assess its efficiency in depleting various background genomic material. Finally, as a proof-of-concept, we explore the potential usage of the method for the characterization of unknown, emerging human viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, which may not be included in the baits’ panel. We mixed positive samples of equimolar DNA/RNA viral extracts from SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus OC43, cytomegalovirus, influenza A virus H3N2, parvovirus B19, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus C and coxsackievirus A16. Targeted virome enrichment was performed on a dsDNA mix, followed by sequencing on the NextSeq500 (Illumina) and the portable MinION sequencer, to evaluate its usability as a point-of-care (PoC) application. Genome mapping assembly was performed using viral reference sequences. The untargeted libraries contained less than 1% of total reads mapped on most viral genomes, while RNA viruses remained undetected. In the targeted libraries, the percentage of viral-mapped reads were substantially increased, allowing full genome assembly in most cases. Targeted virome sequencing can enrich a broad range of viruses, potentially enabling the discovery of emerging viruses.     

Novel Bacteriophage Specific against Staphylococcus epidermidis and with Antibiofilm Activity

Staphylococcus epidermidis has emerged as the most important pathogen in infections related to indwelling medical devices, and although these infections are not life-threatening, their frequency and the fact that they are extremely difficult to treat represent a serious burden on the public health system. Treatment is complicated by specific antibiotic resistance genes and the formation of biofilms. Hence, novel therapeutic strategies are needed to fight these infections. A novel bacteriophage CUB-EPI_14 specific to the bacterial species S. epidermidis was isolated from sewage and characterized genomically and phenotypically. Its genome contains a total of 46,098 bp and 63 predicted genes, among which some have been associated with packaging and lysis-associated proteins, structural proteins, or DNA- and metabolism-associated proteins. No lysogeny-associated proteins or known virulence proteins were identified in the phage genome. CUB-EPI_14 showed stability over a wide range of temperatures (from −20 °C to 50 °C) and pH values (pH 3–pH 12) and a narrow host range against S. epidermidis. Potent antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities were observed when the phage was tested against a highly susceptible bacterial isolate. These encouraging results open the door to new therapeutic opportunities in the fight against resilient biofilm-associated infections caused by S. epidermidis.     

Single-Domain Antibodies as Therapeutics for Respiratory RNA Virus Infections

Over the years, infectious diseases with high morbidity and mortality disrupted human healthcare systems and devastated economies globally. Respiratory viruses, especially emerging or re-emerging RNA viruses, including influenza and human coronavirus, are the main pathogens of acute respiratory diseases that cause epidemics or even global pandemics. Importantly, due to the rapid mutation of viruses, there are few effective drugs and vaccines for the treatment and prevention of these RNA virus infections. Of note, a class of antibodies derived from camelid and shark, named nanobody or single-domain antibody (sdAb), was characterized by smaller size, lower production costs, more accessible binding epitopes, and inhalable properties, which have advantages in the treatment of respiratory diseases compared to conventional antibodies. Currently, a number of sdAbs have been developed against various respiratory RNA viruses and demonstrated potent therapeutic efficacy in mouse models. Here, we review the current status of the development of antiviral sdAb and discuss their potential as therapeutics for respiratory RNA viral diseases.     

PIMGAVir and Vir-MinION: Two Viral Metagenomic Pipelines for Complete Baseline Analysis of 2nd and 3rd Generation Data

The taxonomic classification of viral sequences is frequently used for the rapid identification of pathogens, which is a key point for when a viral outbreak occurs. Both Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) MinION and the Illumina (NGS) technology provide efficient methods to detect viral pathogens. Despite the availability of many strategies and software, matching them can be a very tedious and time-consuming task. As a result, we developed PIMGAVir and Vir-MinION, two metagenomics pipelines that automatically provide the user with a complete baseline analysis. The PIMGAVir and Vir-MinION pipelines work on 2nd and 3rd generation data, respectively, and provide the user with a taxonomic classification of the reads through three strategies: assembly-based, read-based, and clustering-based. The pipelines supply the scientist with comprehensive results in graphical and textual format for future analyses. Finally, the pipelines equip the user with a stand-alone platform with dedicated and various viral databases, which is a requirement for working in field conditions without internet connection.     

Identification and Characterization of Two Novel Noda-like Viruses from Rice Plants Showing the Dwarfing Symptom

Nodaviruses are small bipartite RNA viruses and are considered animal viruses. Here, we identified two novel noda-like viruses (referred to as rice-associated noda-like virus 1 (RNLV1) and rice-associated noda-like virus 2 (RNLV2)) in field-collected rice plants showing a dwarfing phenotype through RNA-seq. RNLV1 genome consists of 3335 nt RNA1 and 1769 nt RNA2, and RNLV2 genome consists of 3279 nt RNA1 and 1525 nt RNA2. Three conserved ORFs were identified in each genome of the two novel viruses, encoding an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, an RNA silencing suppressor, and a capsid protein, respectively. The results of sequence alignment, protein domain prediction, and evolutionary analysis indicate that these two novel viruses are clearly different from the known nodaviruses, especially the CPs. We have also determined that the B2 protein encoded by the two new noda-like viruses can suppress RNA silencing in plants. Two reverse genetic systems were constructed and used to show that RNLV1 RNA1 can replicate in plant cells and RNLV1 can replicate in insect Sf9 cells. We have also found two unusual peptidase family A21 domains in the RNLV1 CP, and RNLV1 CP can self-cleave in acidic environments. These findings provide new knowledge of novel nodaviruses.