SOCS1 Regulates the Immune Modulatory Properties of Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Inhibiting Nitric Oxide Production

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to be highly immunosuppressive and have been employed to treat various immune disorders. However, the mechanisms underlying the immunosuppressive capacity of MSCs are not fully understood. We found the suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) was induced in MSCs treated with inflammatory cytokines. Knockdown of SOCS1 did not bring much difference on the proliferation and differentiation properties of MSCs. However, MSCs with SOCS1 knockdown exhibited enhanced immunosuppressive capacity, showing as inhibiting T cell proliferation at extremely low ratio (MSC to T) in vitro, significantly promoting tumor growth and inhibiting delayed-type hypersensitivity response in vivo. We further demonstrated that SOCS1 inhibited the immunosuppressive capacity of MSCs by reducing inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. Additionally, we found the significantly lower SOCS1 expression and higher nitric oxide (NO) production in MSCs isolated from synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Collectively, our data revealed a novel role of SOCS1 in regulating the immune modulatory activities of MSCs.     

Aberrantly Expressed lncRNAs in Primary Varicose Great Saphenous Veins

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulatory molecules involved in a variety of biological processes and human diseases. However, the pathological effects of lncRNAs on primary varicose great saphenous veins (GSVs) remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to identify aberrantly expressed lncRNAs involved in the prevalence of GSV varicosities and predict their potential functions. Using microarray with 33,045 lncRNA and 30,215 mRNA probes, 557 lncRNAs and 980 mRNAs that differed significantly in expression between the varicose great saphenous veins and control veins were identified in six pairs of samples. These lncRNAs were sub-grouped and mRNAs expressed at different levels were clustered into several pathways with six focused on metabolic pathways. Quantitative real-time PCR replication of nine lncRNAs was performed in 32 subjects, validating six lncRNAs ({"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AF119885","term_id":"7770206","term_text":"AF119885"}}AF119885, {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AK021444","term_id":"10432630","term_text":"AK021444"}}AK021444, {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"NR_027830","term_id":"240255595","term_text":"NR_027830"}}NR_027830, {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"G36810","term_id":"2734477","term_text":"G36810"}}G36810, {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"NR_027927","term_id":"242246950","term_text":"NR_027927"}}NR_027927, uc.345-). A coding-non-coding gene co-expression network revealed that four of these six lncRNAs may be correlated with 11 mRNAs and pathway analysis revealed that they may be correlated with another 8 mRNAs associated with metabolic pathways. In conclusion, aberrantly expressed lncRNAs for GSV varicosities were here systematically screened and validated and their functions were predicted. These findings provide novel insight into the physiology of lncRNAs and the pathogenesis of varicose veins for further investigation. These aberrantly expressed lncRNAs may serve as new therapeutic targets for varicose veins. The Human Ethnics Committee of Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine approved the study (NO.: 2011-DF-53).     

Adoptive Immunotherapy of Cytokine-Induced Killer Cell Therapy in the Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Aim

The aim of this study was to systemically evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

Materials and Methods

A computerized search of randomized controlled trials for CIK cell-based therapy was performed. The overall survival, clinical response rate, immunological assessment and side effects were evaluated.

Results

Overall, 17 randomized controlled trials of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a total of 1172 patients were included in the present analysis. Our study showed that the CIK cell therapy significantly improved the objective response rate and overall survival compared to the non-CIK cell-treated group. After CIK combined therapy, we observed substantially increased percentages of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, CD4⁺CD8⁺, CD3⁺CD56⁺ and NK cells, whereas significant decreases were noted in the percentage of CD8⁺ and regulatory T cell (Treg) subgroups. A significant increase in Ag-NORs was observed in the CIK-treated patient group (p = 0.00001), whereas carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was more likely to be reduced to a normal level after CIK treatment (p = 0.0008). Of the possible major side effects, only the incidence of fever in the CIK group was significantly higher compared to the group that received chemotherapy alone.

Conclusion

The CIK cell combined therapy demonstrated significant superiority in the overall survival, clinical response rate, and T lymphocytes responses and did not present any evidence of major adverse events in patients with NSCLC.     

改良抗体结合实验检测灭活狂犬病疫苗效价

目的:建立抗体结合试验检测狂犬病疫苗(aG株)效价的方法。方法:将待检测疫苗与疫苗标准品梯度稀释后分别加入人抗狂犬病毒免疫球蛋白国家标准品中和1 h,之后加入80%感染剂量的狂犬病毒CVS-11,体外中和1h后接种BSR细胞,培养24 h后免疫荧光染色,在显微镜下观察结果,通过检测剩余病毒量计算待检疫苗的效价,同时与小鼠中和试验法(NIH法)测定狂犬病疫苗效价进行比较。结果:2种方法对8个样品效价的检测结果无显著统计学差异(P=0.997,配对t检验)。结论:初步建立了改良抗体结合试验,可用于狂犬病疫苗中间产品的质量控制。     

结核分枝杆菌脂阿拉伯甘露聚糖的提纯及活性初步鉴定

目的:提取纯化结核分枝杆菌(MTB)脂阿拉伯甘露聚糖(LAM)。方法:MTB菌体彻底破碎后,去脂,去蛋白,上清液经苯酚萃取,酒精沉淀,得到LAM;以提取的LAM作为包被抗原检测血清中的LAM抗体。结果和结论:提取到LAM抗原,免疫印迹表明,LAM迁移范围相对分子质量为25×103~40×103,主要集中在35×103处。在64例肺结核患者中,有43例LAM-ELISA检测阳性(敏感性为67.19%);在67例健康志愿者中,有64例LAM-ELISA检测阴性(特异性为95.52%)。     

Characterization of a Novel Subtilisin-like Protease Myroicolsin from Deep Sea Bacterium Myroides profundi D25 and Molecular Insight into Its Collagenolytic Mechanism

Collagen is an insoluble protein that widely distributes in the extracellular matrix of marine animals. Collagen degradation is an important step in the marine nitrogen cycle. However, the mechanism of marine collagen degradation is still largely unknown. Here, a novel subtilisin-like collagenolytic protease, myroicolsin, which is secreted by the deep sea bacterium Myroides profundi D25, was purified and characterized, and its collagenolytic mechanism was studied. Myroicolsin displays low identity (<30%) to previously characterized subtilisin-like proteases, and it contains a novel domain structure. Protein truncation indicated that the Pro secretion system C-terminal sorting domain in the precursor protein is involved in the cleavage of the N-propeptide, and the linker is required for protein folding during myroicolsin maturation. The C-terminal β-jelly roll domain did not bind insoluble collagen fiber, suggesting that myroicolsin may degrade collagen without the assistance of a collagen-binding domain. Myroicolsin had broad specificity for various collagens, especially fish-insoluble collagen. The favored residue at the P1 site was basic arginine. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, together with biochemical analyses, confirmed that collagen fiber degradation by myroicolsin begins with the hydrolysis of proteoglycans and telopeptides in collagen fibers and fibrils. Myroicolsin showed strikingly different cleavage patterns between native and denatured collagens. A collagen degradation model of myroicolsin was proposed based on our results. Our study provides molecular insight into the collagen degradation mechanism and structural characterization of a subtilisin-like collagenolytic protease secreted by a deep sea bacterium, shedding light on the degradation mechanism of deep sea sedimentary organic nitrogen.     

引种桉树对本地生物多样性的影响

桉树以速生和适应多种环境的特性成为世界著名的造林树种.但引种桉树对环境可能产生负面影响,如导致土地退化、地下水水位下降和多样性降低等,特别是对林下本地生物物种多样性的影响及其原因还存有争议.本文对此进行了综述,认为大部分桉树人工林本地物种数量低于天然林,一般不高于乡土树种人工林,但总体上好于其他外来树种人工林.导致桉树人工林生物多样性低的原因主要是桉树的生理生态特性、人类不合理的规划和砍伐等,其中人为因素起主导作用.若根据引种地的群落性质,通过严格的设计和科学管理,可以将这种负面影响最小化.应按照有利于群落正常发育和植被更新的方式栽种桉树人工林,保留天然植被,减少人为干扰,从而减轻引种桉树的负面影响.     

盐胁迫下粪产碱菌在水稻根表的定殖和异源固氮基因的表达

异源nif LacZ融合基因在粪产碱菌A15 6 1中的表达活性随盐浓度增加而升高 ,然后逐渐降低 ,nifH LacZ融合基因可以正常表达的盐浓度在 0 .1%～0 .5 %之间 ,盐浓度为 0 .0 5 %时活性最高。A15 6 1在盐浓度为 0 .0 6 %时趋化能力最强 ,随着盐浓度的提高逐渐下降 ,当盐浓度为 3 .0 %时完全丧失趋化能力。一定的盐浓度 (0 .5 % )对固氮粪产碱菌的根表定殖有促进作用 ,该条件下根表定殖的菌体数远大于对照。 3种nif LacZ融合基因在根内的表达部位有显著差异。nifH的表达部位主要分布于根的皮层薄壁组织细胞间隙 ,在条件适宜 (无铵和微量氧 )的部位或某些特殊位置如侧根伸出部位高水平表达。盐胁迫下水稻 耐盐粪产碱菌A15 6 1的联合固氮效率明显高于A15 6 1纯培养物     

玉米花粉特异的非编码RNA基因ZM401 cDNA全长的克隆及其发育表达模式

通过差异筛选法并结合冷噬菌斑筛选,从玉米(Zea mays L.)成熟花粉cDNA文库中克隆到一个玉米花粉特异表达的cDNA片段ZM401(663bp).Northern杂交表明ZM401是一个玉米花粉特异表达的基因.本文采用5'RACE,3'RACE及重叠PCR技术获得了ZM401 cDNA的全长(1 149 bp).采用生物学软件对ZM401 cDNA的序列和结构进行分析,结果表明,该基因缺乏明显的开放阅读框架,序列中最长的开放阅读框架仅有89个氨基酸,但具有poly(A)尾部结构,符合非编码RNA基因的特点.推断ZM401基因是一个非编码基因.RT-PCR及Northern blot分析表明ZM401基因从玉米花粉小孢子四分体时期、单核期、双核期、成熟花粉开始表达,而且表达量依次增强,证明ZM401可能与玉米花粉的晚期发育过程相关.同时,Northern杂交显示ZM401基因在玉米花粉发育中有两种转录本存在.