Identification of novel triazole inhibitors of Wnt/β-catenin signaling based on the Niclosamide chemotype

Dysregulation of the Wnt signaling pathway is an underlying mechanism in multiple diseases, particularly in cancer. Until recently, identifying agents that target this pathway has been difficult and as a result, no approved drugs exist that specifically target this pathway. We reported previously that the anthelmintic drug Niclosamide inhibits the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and suppresses colorectal cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. In an effort to build on this finding, we sought to discover new Wnt/β-catenin inhibitors that expanded the chemotype structural diversity. Here, we asked a specific SAR question unresolved in previous SAR studies of Niclosamide’s inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling to identify a new structural class of Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitors based on a triazole motif. Similar to Niclosamide, we found that the new triazole derivatives internalized Frizzled-1 GFP receptors, inhibited Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the TOPflash assay and reduced Wnt/β-catenin target gene levels in CRC cells harboring mutations in the Wnt pathway. Moreover, in pilot SAR studies, we found the Wnt/β-catenin SAR trends in the anilide region were generally similar between the two chemical classes of inhibitors. Overall, these studies demonstrate the ability to use the SAR of the Niclosamide salicylanilide chemical class to expand the structural diversity of Wnt/β-catenin inhibitors.     

流式细胞术的发展、应用及前景

以流动中的细胞或颗粒为测量对象的流式细胞术能够在短时间内提供具有统计意义的大量单细胞、颗粒或集聚体的测量数据。经过70多年的发展,它已经成为生物学、医学、环境检测等多领域不可或缺的技术。这一技术于20世纪40年代被提出,于70年代成型,并在此后40多年里,检测性能、多参数测量能力和分选能力得到显著发展,而它的应用领域更是飞速扩展到从细菌、环境微生物检测、常规细胞功能检测,到许多临床疾病诊断和监测,再到最前沿的肿瘤免疫机理研究、免疫疗法和生物制药等广泛领域。当前,一系列新技术和相应的新型流式细胞仪被开发出来,虽然工作原理有别于传统方式,但获取大规模单细胞多参数测量的理念从未变化。流式细胞术领域正处于技术大发展和大变革的前夜。     

乙型肝炎病毒核心抗原基因在大肠杆菌中的表达

乙肝病毒核心抗原(HBcAg)用于乙型肝炎的诊断是十分必需的,但从尸肝中提取可用于诊断的HBcAg十分困难。为了获得大量廉价的HBcAg用于临床诊断和流行病学检测,我们将HBcAg基因进行了重组,并在原核细胞中得到满意表达。 首先将带有完正ayw亚型乙型肝炎病毒DNA的pHBV-1质粒DNA(梁伟才惠赠,7.5kb)切下1504bp的BamHI片段,后者含有完整的HBcAg基因。将它插入pUR222的Bam     

蒽醌类中药导致结肠黑变病的机制研究

目的：探讨蒽醌类中药导致结肠黑变病的机制。方法：清洁级健康豚鼠60只,随机分为5组,分别为大黄高剂量组（DG组）、大黄低剂量组（DD组）、麦冬高剂量组（MG组）、麦冬低剂量组（MD组）和生理盐水对照组（SY组）。HE染色及透射电镜检测结肠黑变病的病理改变,免疫组织化学S-P法检测各剂量组中Bcl-2和Bax在豚鼠结肠组织中的表达：TUNEL法检测结肠粘膜上皮细胞凋亡。结果：HE染色除SY组外,其余各组均可见中性粒细胞浸润及不同程度的粘膜上皮细胞脱落等炎性改变,电镜可见DD组及MD组炎性改变明显,MG组可见散在脂褐素,DG组凋亡细胞与坏死细胞并见。MD组Bcl-2表达显著高于SY组（P〈0.01）;DG组Bax表达率明显高于SY组、DD组和MG组（P〈0.01）;Bax表达在MG组高于SY组（P〈0.01）;DG组凋亡指数显著高于DD组、MD组、MG组和SY组（P〈0.01）;DD组和MG组凋亡指数均明显高于SY组（P〈0.01）;MD与SY组、MG与DD组之间相比较,凋亡指数均无明显差异（P〉0.05）。结论：蒽醌类中药导致结肠黑变病的原因可能与蒽醌的含量以及蒽醌导致结肠上皮细胞凋亡有关。     

大肠杆菌L型生物学特性及致病性的研究

我们对人工诱导的大肠杆菌L型从生物学特性、致病性以及耐药性R质粒传递等方面进行了初步的研究。结果表明:L型菌从菌体形态、菌落特征、生化反应等方面与原型菌有较大差别;原型大肠杆菌和相应的L型菌接合试验均阳性,但后者接合频率较前者明显低;将L型菌经膀胱和尾静脉感染小鼠,引起实验鼠脏器的间质性炎症,通过病理学和细菌学检查证明,L型菌可直接引起脏器感染,并非只有返祖后才能致病。     

新生儿肠道菌群的动态观察及临床意义

本文以厌氧菌双歧杆菌和需氧菌大肠杆菌为代表对29例健康足月新生儿(阴道分娩儿13例、剖腹产分娩儿16倒)生后1周内肠道细菌的定植,进行了动态观察。结果表明:两组新生儿首先肠道定植细菌是大肠杆菌,后为双歧杆菌,而且阴道分娩儿肠道优势菌双歧杆菌定植及达优势化时间均早于剖腹产分娩儿。提示,分娩方式也是影响肠道细菌定植的因素之一,为临床治疗和护理提供了参考。     

重组人血小板生成素融合蛋白工程菌发酵工艺的研究

对表达重组人血小板生成素融合蛋白（rhTPO/GST)工程菌的发酵条件进行了较详细的研究,优化了影响工程菌发酵的条件,探讨了发酵条件对工程菌表达外源蛋白量的影响。结果发现采用复合培养基分阶段流加有机营养物,用异丙基硫代-B-D-半乳糖苷（IPTG）进行诱导,使rhTPO/GST融合蛋白的湿菌重达25g/L以上,表达水平约占菌体总蛋白的30%左右。在此基础上,建立了中试发酵生产工艺流程。     

Tryptophan in the Pore of the Mechanosensitive Channel MscS: ASSESSMENT OF PORE CONFORMATIONS BY FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY*

Structural changes in channel proteins give critical insights required for understanding the gating transitions that underpin function. Tryptophan (Trp) is uniquely sensitive to its environment and can be used as a reporter of conformational changes. Here, we have used site-directed Trp insertion within the pore helices of the small mechanosensitive channel protein, MscS, to monitor conformational transitions. We show that Trp can be inserted in place of Leu at the two pore seal positions, Leu¹⁰⁵ and Leu¹⁰⁹, resulting in functional channels. Using Trp¹⁰⁵ as a probe, we demonstrate that the A106V mutation causes a modified conformation in the purified channel protein consistent with a more open state in solution. Moreover, we show that solubilized MscS changes to a more open conformation in the presence of phospholipids or their lysoforms.     

Colorectal cancer prevention: Immune modulation taking the stage

Prevention or early detection is one of the most promising strategies against colorectal cancer (CRC), the second leading cause of cancer death in the US. Recent studies indicate that antitumor immunity plays a key role in CRC prevention. Accumulating evidence suggests that immunosurveillance represents a critical barrier that emerging tumor cells have to overcome in order to sustain the course of tumor development. Virtually all of the agents with cancer preventive activity have been shown to have an immune modulating effect. A number of immunoprevention studies aimed at triggering antitumor immune response against early lesions have been performed, some of which have shown promising results. Furthermore, the recent success of immune checkpoint blockade therapy reinforces the notion that cancers including CRC can be effectively intervened via immune modulation including immune normalization, and has stimulated various immune-based combination prevention studies. This review summarizes recent advances to help better harness the immune system in CRC prevention.