Botulinum toxin blocks mast cells and prevents rosacea like inflammation

Background

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition whose etiology has been linked to mast cells and the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin LL-37. Individuals with refractory disease have demonstrated clinical benefit with periodic injections of onabotulinum toxin, but the mechanism of action is unknown.

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.     

The effects of grass pollen allergoid immunotherapy on clinical and immunological parameters in children with allergic rhinitis

Allergoid immunotherapy is a new form of allergen immunotherapy allowing safe administration of high allergen doses. There is limited information on the effects of allergoid immunotherapy in children with allergic rhinitis. To investigate the immunological and clinical effects of allergoid immunotherapy in children with allergic rhinitis due to grass pollen allergy. Children with allergic rhinitis were assigned to allergoid immunotherapy (n = 27) or control (n = 26, no immunotherapy) groups. Children in the immunotherapy group received seven injections of grass pollen allergoid immunotherapy before grass pollen season and continued to receive maintenance immunotherapy for 27 months. All patients were offered a pharmacotherapy regimen to be used on demand during the pollen seasons. Clinical and laboratory parameters were compared between the immunotherapy and control groups. The rhinoconjunctivitis symptom-medication score and asthma symptom score were lower in the immunotherapy group after 1 yr of maintenance immunotherapy (p < 0.01 for both). Skin test reactivity and nasal reactivity as determined by nasal provocation testing for grass pollen were significantly decreased after 1 yr of immunotherapy (p < 0.001 for both). The seasonal increase in bronchial reactivity and nasal lavage eosinophil cationic protein levels were prevented after the first year of immunotherapy (p < 0.05 for both). The seasonal increase in immunoglobulin (Ig)E decreased (p < 0.05) and grass-specific IgG, IgG(1) and IgG(4) increased significantly already at the end of the seven-injection build-up therapy (p < 0.001, for all). Interleukin (IL)-4 levels in the culture supernatants showed a steady decline from baseline at first and second year of immunotherapy (p < 0.001) but remained unchanged in the control group. Allergoid immunotherapy is an effective method in the treatment of grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis in children and prevents the seasonal increase in bronchial hyper-reactivity. Changes in specific IgE and IgG levels and decreased IL-4 production in peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture supernatants may account for the observed clinical effects.     

脂质体包裹反义核酸对调控效果和降解时间的影响

目的 观察脂质体Dotap包裹反义脱氧寡核苷酸对酪氨酸酶(TYR)的调控效果和降解时间的影响,寻找适合于临床应用的高效转染、低降解率的载体和应用方法。方法 应用DNA合成仪合成针对TYR的反义脱氧寡核苷酸,32P标记、脂质体包埋,加入黑色素细胞培养体系进行点杂交,行黑素含量、酪氨酸酶mRNA表达量检测以及降解时间的同位素液闪检测。结果 经脂质体包埋的反义脱氧寡核苷酸使细胞黑素含量由(64±2.3)pg/cell下降至(23±1.5)pg/cell,并可使基因表达水平由160%降低至82%;同位素液闪显示经脂质体包埋的反义脱氧寡核苷酸能使其半衰期由8 h延长至12 h。结论 脂质体可以明显增强反义核酸的调控效果,并可延长其作用半衰期。     

The Experiment of Gene Therapy for Gallbladder Carcinoma Cell in Vitro with Herpes Simplex Virus Thymidine Kinase/Ganciclovir

Objective To evaluate preliminarily the effect of HSV - tk/GCV system on gallhladder carcinoma cells in vitro.Methods Recombinant retroviral vector PLtkSN containing tk suicide gene was transfacted into gallbladder carcinoma cells, mediated by LipofectAMINETM 2000 liposome, and the growth - inhibiting rotes of GBC, SD/tk cells in the different GCV concentrations were measured by MTr methods; GBC - SD cells were mixed in the different proportions, and death rotes of the mixed cells treated with GCV were detected to verify by stander effect. Resuts GCV could lead GBC - SD/tk cells to significant death, and there was striking difference compared with the control cells （p〈0.01）. When the concentration of GCV was 1,10, 50,100,500ug/ml, the killing rate of GBC - SD/tk cells was respecfively 6.8%, 2.5.2%, 54.5%, 66.3%, 89.3%, indicating dose - dependent phenomenon; With GBC - SD/tk cells in the proportion of 0, 10%, 20% ,50%, 70%, 100%, the killing rate of the mixed cells treated with GCV was 0, 19.7%, 40.3%, 77.7%, 88.0%, 93.5%, respectively. It was apparent that bystander effect was observed in the experiment. Condusion HSV - tk/GCV system could be a potential tool for the treatment of carcinoma.     

Cationic Lipid-Based Gene Delivery Systems: Pharmaceutical Perspectives

Gene delivery systems are designed to control the location of administered therapeutic genes within a patient's body. Successful in vivo gene transfer may require (i) the condensation of plasmid and its protection from nuclease degradation, (ii) cellular interaction and internalization of condensed plasmid, (iii) escape of plasmid from endosomes (if endocytosis is involved), and (iv) plasmid entry into cell nuclei. Expression plasmids encoding a therapeutic protein can be, for instance, complexed with cationic liposomes or micelles in order to achieve effective in vivo gene transfer. A thorough knowledge of pharmaceutics and drug delivery, bio-engineering, as well as cell and molecular biology is required to design optimal systems for gene therapy. This mini-review provides a critical discussion on cationic lipid-based gene delivery systems and their possible uses as pharmaceuticals.     

Cholera Toxin B-Mediated Targeting of Lipid Vesicles Containing Ganglioside GM1 to Mucosal Epithelial Cells

Purpose. To determine whether the non-toxic pentameric B subunit of Cholera toxin (CTB) binding to ganglioside GM1 on both the lipid vesicles and epithelial cells may provide a means to target lipid vesicles to mucosal cells expressing surface GM1. Methods. Sonicated lipid vesicles containing ganglioside GM1 were prepared. Inter-vesicle cross-linking due to pentameric CTB binding to these GM1 vesicles was determined with a sub-micron particle analyzer. Association of CTB to GM1 vesicles was analyzed with continuous sucrose gradient centrifugation. CTB-mediated binding of GM1 vesicles to human mucosal epithelial cells (Caco-2 and HT-29), mucous membranes of mouse trachea, and nasal tissues were detected with fluorescent labeled vesicles. Results. An increase in lipid particle size due to binding of CTB to lipid vesicles and inter-vesicles cross-linking was detected. At a 30-to-1 mole ratio of membrane-bound GMl-to-CTB, optimum increase in GM1 vesicle aggregation, was detected. Under such conditions, all the added CTB molecules were associated with GM1 vesicles. Time course analysis showed that inter-vesicles cross linking by CTB was detectable within 10 min. and reached a maximum value at 60 min. CTB associated GM1-vesicles bind to mucosal epithelial cells HT-29 and Caco-2 with similar affinity [K_d = 7.8 × 10^–4 M lipid (Caco-2) and 7.6 × 10^–4 M lipid (HT-29)]. GM1 mediated binding specificity was demonstrated by blocking with anti-GMl antibody and the insignificant degree of CTB-associated GM1 vesicle binding to GM1 deficient C6 cells. Conclusions. The CTB-mediated GM1 binding to multiple membrane surfaces provides selective localization of GM1 vesicles to GM1 expressing mucosal cells and tissues. The strategy may be useful in localizing drugs and proteins to gut and respiratory tract mucosa.     

脂质体携载SOD的实验研究

本文采用去垢剂透析法成功制备出携载ＳＯＤ的脂质体（Ｌ－ＳＯＤ），其直径为１０２ｎｍ，对ＳＯＤ的包裹率为２１％，９０％以上酶活性存在于脂质体内部。将Ｌ－ＳＯＤ注射到大鼠静脉血中，其半衰期超过４ｈ，明显长于天然ＳＯＤ（８ｍｉｎ）。表明Ｌ－ＳＯＤ优于天然ＳＯＤ，具有临床应用前景。     

维生素E脂质体的制备

用超声波制备了维生素Ｅ脂质体，测定了脂质体的包封率及放置后的稳定性；观察了脂质体的形态，粒度分布。０．２％维生素Ｅ脂质体用于治疗老年性角化斑，试用２０例总有效率达９５％，优于１例维生素Ｅ乳剂。