Optimizing clinical dosing of combination broadly neutralizing antibodies for HIV prevention

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) are promising agents to prevent HIV infection and achieve HIV remission without antiretroviral therapy (ART). As with ART, bNAb combinations are likely needed to cover HIV’s extensive diversity. Not all bNAbs are identical in terms of their breadth, potency, and in vivo longevity (half-life). Given these differences, it is important to optimally select the composition, or dose ratio, of combination bNAb therapies for future clinical studies. We developed a model that synthesizes 1) pharmacokinetics, 2) potency against a wide HIV diversity, 3) interaction models for how drugs work together, and 4) correlates that translate in vitro potency to clinical protection. We found optimization requires drug-specific balances between potency, longevity, and interaction type. As an example, tradeoffs between longevity and potency are shown by comparing a combination therapy to a bi-specific antibody (a single protein merging both bNAbs) that takes the better potency but the worse longevity of the two components. Then, we illustrate a realistic dose ratio optimization of a triple combination of VRC07, 3BNC117, and 10–1074 bNAbs. We apply protection estimates derived from both a non-human primate (NHP) challenge study meta-analysis and the human antibody mediated prevention (AMP) trials. In both cases, we find a 2:1:1 dose emphasizing VRC07 is nearly optimal. Our approach can be immediately applied to optimize the next generation of combination antibody prevention and cure studies.     

Discovery and identification of anti-U1-A snRNP antibody in lung cancer

There are multiple reports of autoimmune response in patients with lung cancer. To investigate whether a novel autoantibody is present in patients with lung cancer and evaluate its clinical diagnostic and prognostic value, sera from 10 patients with lung cancer and 10 normal individuals were analyzed using immunofluorescence and Western blotting. It was found that one serum sample from the patients with squamous carcinoma gave a fine speckled pattern staining in nucleus and had a high titer antinuclear autoantibody which could recognize 31 kD of nuclear protein isolated from both cancer cells and normal cells. The same patient’s serum was further used to immunoprecipitate the target antigen. The protein bands were excised from the SDS-PAGE gels and were analyzed with a Qstar Pulser I Quadrupole time-flight mass spectrometer, and the 31 kD target antigen was identified as U1-AsnRNP. To test the prevalence of anti-U1-AsnRNP antibody, sera from 93 patients including 36 squmaous carcinomas (SCC), 26 adenocarcinomas (Ad), and 31 small cell carcinomas (SCLC) were screened by Western blotting. The results demonstrated that anti-U1-A snRNP antibody was present in 50% of SCC sera, 26.9% of Ad sera and 54.8% of SCLC sera. In this paper, we report for the first time that anti-U1-AsnRNP antibody could be detected in the patients with lung cancer.     

A highly selective and colorimetric assay of lysine by molecular-driven gold nanorods assembly

In this contribution, a simple, rapid, colorimeteric and selective assay for lysine was achieved by a controllable end-to-end assembly of gold nanorods (AuNRs) in the presence of Eu(3+) and lysine. This one-pot end-to-end assembly of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) modified AuNRs was occurred in Britton-Robinson buffer of pH 6.0, which involves the coordination binding between Eu(3+) and COO(-) groups as well as the electrostatic interaction of the COO(-) groups of MUA with the -NH(3)(+) group of lysine. As monitored by absorption spectra, scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurement, the end-to-end chain assembly results in large red-shift in the longitudinal plasmon resonance absorption (LPRA), giving red-to-blue color change of AuNRs. Importantly, it was found that the red-shift of LPRA is linearly proportional to the concentrations of lysine in the range of 5.0×10(-6)-1.0×10(-3)M with the limit of detection (LOD) being 1.6×10(-6)M (3σ/k). This red-shift of LPRA is highly selective, making it possible to develop a rapid, selective and visual assay for lysine in food samples.     

豚鼠冰水游泳应激后血浆、肾上腺髓质和脑内组织的亮—脑啡肽含量变化

豚鼠冰水游泳应激3min后,用放射免疫法测定血浆、肾上腺髓质和脑内三个脑区组织的亮—脑啡肽(Leu-enkephalin,LEK,)含量和血浆的血管紧张肽Ⅱ(Angiotensin Ⅱ,ATⅡ)浓度变化。结果表明:在冰水中游泳应激组豚鼠的血浆、肾上腺髓质、下丘脑和纹状体组织的LEK含量和血浆的ATⅡ浓度,均较对照组豚鼠明显升高(P值均<0.01)。提示:豚鼠在冰水中紧张、剧烈游泳后,可能激活了中枢神经和周围组织内的脑啡肽能神经元和血管紧张肽原酶—血管紧张肽Ⅱ系统,从而促进LEK和ATⅡ的释放增加。     

Multiple artificial microRNAs targeting conserved motifs of the replicase gene confer robust transgenic resistance to negative-sense single-stranded RNA plant virus

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the abundance of target mRNAs by guiding cleavage at sequence complementary regions. In this study, artificial miRNAs (amiRNAs) targeting conserved motifs of the L (replicase) gene of Watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV) were constructed using Arabidopsis pre-miRNA159a as the backbone. The constructs included six single amiRNAs targeting motifs A, B1, B2, C, D of E, and two triple amiRNAs targeting motifs AB1E or B2DC. Processing of pre-amiRNAs was confirmed by agro-infiltration, and transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants expressing each amiRNA were generated. Single amiRNA transgenic lines expressing amiR-LB2 or amiR-LD showed resistance to WSMoV by delaying symptom development. Triple amiRNA lines expressing amiR-LB2, amiR-LD and amiR-LC provided complete resistance against WSMoV, with no indication of infection 28 days after inoculation. Resistance levels were positively correlated with amiRNA expression levels in these single and triple amiRNA lines. The triple amiR-LAB1E line did not provide resistance to WSMoV. Similarly, the poorly expressed amiR-LC and amiR-LE lines did not provide resistance to WSMoV. The amiR-LA- and amiR-LB1-expressing lines were susceptible to WSMoV, and their additional susceptibility to the heterologous Turnip mosaic virus harbouring individual target sequences indicated that these two amiRNAs have no effect in vivo. Transgenic lines expressing amiR-LB2 exhibited delayed symptoms after challenge with Peanut bud necrosis virus having a single mismatch in the target site. Overall, our results indicate that two amiRNAs, amiR-LB2 and amiR-LD, of the six designed amiRNAs confer moderate resistance against WSMoV, and the triple construct including the two amiRNAs provides complete resistance.     

Ontogeny and phylogeny of Metaurostylopsis cheni sp. n. (Protozoa,Ciliophora), with estimating the systematic position of Metaurostylopsis

Chen, X., Huang, J. & Song, W. (2010). Ontogeny and phylogeny of Metaurostylopsis cheni sp. n. (Protozoa, Ciliophora), with estimating the systematic position of Metaurostylopsis. —Zoologica Scripta, 40, 99–111. The ciliate genus Metaurostylopsis seems to be a highly divergent marine‐habiting group, of which neither systematic position nor the variation of their ontogeny has been critically checked. In the present work, the morphology and morphogenesis during asexual division of a new form, Metaurostylopsis cheni sp. n., isolated from the Yellow Sea, China, were investigated and comparison among known congeners was performed. The new species has two types of cortical granules, the larger ones of which are flattened and oval or circular in outline with a longitudinal groove, yellow–green in colour, and arranged along the cirral rows and dorsal kineties, whereas the smaller ones are colourless or grayish and sparsely distributed. The main morphogenetic features are: (i) the entire parental ciliature, including the old oral apparatus, is renewed, (ii) the oral primordium of the proter originates de novo and beneath the surface of the buccal cavity, that is, sub‐apokinetally, (iii) the anlagen of the marginal rows and of the dorsal kineties are formed intrakinetally and (iv) fusion of the macronuclear nodules results in an irregular mass with only few branches. The small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene of M. cheni was sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis based on SSU rRNA gene sequence data shows that M. cheni clusters with all other Metaurostylopsis spp. sequenced to date indicating that the genus is monophyletic and is probably closely related to the Apokeronopsis–Thigmokeronopsis‐group, within the order Urostylida.     

Statin Use and the Risk of Parkinson's Disease: An Updated Meta-Analysis

Introduction

In response to the ongoing debate over the relationship between the use of statins and the risk of Parkinson''s disease (PD), we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine their association.

Methods

We conducted a review of the literature using electronic databases supplemented by a manual search to identify potentially relevant case-control or cohort studies. Summary relative risk (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were also conducted.

Results

Eleven studies (five case-control and six cohort) with a total of 3,513,209 participants and 21,011 PD cases were included. Statin use was associated with a lower risk of PD, with a summary RR of 0.81 (95% CI 0.71–0.92). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the robustness of results. Subgroup analyses showed that neither study design nor study region significantly influenced the effect estimates. However, subgroup studies adjusted for age or sex had a greater inverse association than did unadjusted analyses (age-adjusted RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.60–0.95; age-unadjusted RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.75–0.99 and sex-adjusted RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.59–0.98; sex-unadjusted RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.79–0.92).

Conclusions

Results of this systematic review suggest that statin use is associated with a reduced PD risk. However, randomized controlled trials and more observational studies should be performed before strong conclusions are drawn.