Identification of the antigenic epitopes in staphylococcal enterotoxins A and E and design of a superantigen for human cancer therapy

Monoclonal antibodies have a potential for cancer therapy that may be further improved by linking them to effector molecules such as superantigens. Tumor targeting of a superantigen leads to a powerful T cell attack against the tumour tissue. Encouraging results have been observed preclinically and in patients using the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin A, SEA. To further improve the concept, we have reduced the reactivity to antibodies against superantigens, which is found in all individuals. Using epitope mapping, antibody binding sites in SEA and SEE were found around their MHC class II binding sites. These epitopes were removed genetically and a large number of synthetic superantigens were produced in an iterative engineering procedure. Properties such as decreased binding to anti-SEA as well as higher selectivity to induce killing of tumour cells compared to MHC class II expressing cells, were sequentially improved. The lysine residues 79, 81, 83 and 84 are all part of major antigenic epitopes, Gln204, Lys74, Asp75 and Asn78 are important for optimal killing of tumour cells while Asp45 affects binding to MHC class II. The production properties were optimised by further engineering and a novel synthetic superantigen, SEA/E-120, was designed. It is recognised by approximately 15% of human anti-SEA antibodies and have more potent tumour cell killing properties than SEA. SEA/E-120 is likely to have a low toxicity due to its reduced capacity to mediate killing of MHC class II expressing cells. It is produced as a Fab fusion protein at approximately 35 mg/l in Escherichia coli.     

应用改构的炭疽毒素作为靶向肿瘤细胞的药物递送系统及其效果评价

目的:通过改造炭疽毒素保护性抗原Protective Antigen (PA)及致死因子Lethal Factor (LF),尝试建立更加广谱的新型炭疽毒素靶向给药系统并对其递送效率进行定量评价.方法:采用基因工程手段,分别构建了3种改构的天然炭疽毒素保护性抗原PA及炭疽毒素的LF N端融合海肾荧光素酶(Luciferase)的LFn-linker-Luc的大肠杆菌重组表达体系.利用CCK-8法评价改构PA和LF共同作用肿瘤细胞后的细胞存活率;利用改构PA和LFn-linker-Luc与肿瘤细胞共孵育,通过测定细胞内荧光素酶活性,评价改构PA靶向肿瘤细胞的效果.结果:体外酶解实验证明构建的改构PA蛋白能够被正确地酶解成目的大小的片段;改构PA和LF共同作用肿瘤细胞能够显著降低细胞存活率;利用LFn-linker-Luc能够评价改构PA的靶向效率,PA蛋白的改构方式与其递送效率相关.结论:设计并改构的炭疽毒素药物递送系统,能够实现特异性靶向肿瘤细胞的效果,并具有更广谱的作用效果,为研制新型广谱抗肿瘤药物提供了新的思路和方法.     

Turning regenerative technologies into treatment to repair myocardial injuries

Regenerative therapies including stem cell treatments hold promise to allow curing patients affected by severe cardiac muscle diseases. However, the clinical efficacy of stem cell therapy remains elusive, so far. The two key roadblocks that still need to be overcome are the poor cell engraftment into the injured myocardium and the limited knowledge of the ideal mixture of bioactive factors to be locally delivered for restoring heart function. Thus, therapeutic strategies for cardiac repair are directed to increase the retention and functional integration of transplanted cells in the damaged myocardium or to enhance the endogenous repair mechanisms through cell-free therapies. In this context, biomaterial-based technologies and tissue engineering approaches have the potential to dramatically impact cardiac translational medicine. This review intends to offer some consideration on the cell-based and cell-free cardiac therapies, their limitations and the possible future developments.     

Antioxidant effect of carnosine treatment on renal oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a significant role in the development of diabetic nephropathy. We investigated the effects of an antioxidant, carnosine, on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced renal injury in diabetic rats. We used four groups of eight rats: group 1, control; group 2, carnosine treated; group 3, untreated diabetic; group 4, carnosine treated diabetic. Kidneys were removed and processed, and sections were stained with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and subjected to eNOS immunohistochemistry. Examination by light microscopy revealed degenerated glomeruli, thickened basement membrane and glycogen accumulation in the tubules of diabetic kidneys. Carnosine treatment prevented the renal morphological damage caused by diabetes. Moreover, administration of carnosine decreased somewhat the oxidative damage of diabetic nephropathy. Appropriate doses of carnosine might be a useful therapeutic option to reduce oxidative stress and associated renal injury in diabetes mellitus.     

VicRK(YycFG)双组分调节系统

细菌双组分调节系统,或称之为双组分信号转导系统,是细菌感应外界多变环境,维持自身存活和生长繁衍的重要感应系统.在这些调节系统中,最早发现于枯草芽孢杆菌的VicRK(YycFG)系统因与细胞存活密切相关而倍受关注.该系统存在于少数低G+C含量的革兰氏阳性菌中,包括金黄色葡萄球菌和肺炎链球菌等致病菌,高度保守.许多证据显示,VicRK(YycFG)具有调控细胞壁合成与代谢、胞膜完整、细胞分裂、脂类代谢、多糖合成与被膜形成以及细菌毒力等多种功能,参与细胞的生长、分裂与感染.该系统异常可导致细菌生活力严重下降,甚至死亡,因而成为防治该类病原菌的重要靶标.     

Hormone therapy does not modify emotion-induced brain activity in older women

Sex hormones have actions in brain regions important for emotion, including the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Previous studies have shown that cyclic sex hormones and hormone therapy after menopause modify responses to emotional events. Thus, this study examined whether hormone therapy modified emotion-induced brain activity in older women. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), behavioral ratings (valence and arousal), and recognition memory were used to assess responses to emotionally laden scenes in older women currently using hormone therapy (HT) and women not currently using hormone therapy (NONE). We hypothesized that hormones would affect the amount or persistence of emotion-induced brain activity in the amygdala and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC). However, hormone therapy did not affect brain activity with the exception that NONE women showed a modest increase over time in amygdala activity to positive scenes. Hormone therapy did not affect behavioral ratings or memory for emotional scenes. The results were similar when women were regrouped based on whether they had ever used hormone therapy versus had never used hormone therapy. These results suggest that hormone therapy does not modify emotion-induced brain activity, or its persistence, in older women.     

In vitro evaluation of optimized liposomes for delivery of small interfering RNA

One of the biggest challenges for small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) as therapeutic agents is their insufficient cellular delivery efficiency. We developed long circulating and cationic liposomes to improve the cell uptake and inhibitory effectiveness of siRNA on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in cancer cells. SiRNA liposomes were obtained by polyelectrolyte complexation between negatively charged siRNA and positively charged liposome prepared by a hydration method. Gel electrophoresis was used to evaluate the loading efficiency of siRNA on the cationic liposome. The optimized siRNA liposomes were observed to be spherical in shape and had smooth surfaces with particle sizes of 167.7?±?2.0?nm and zeta potentials of 4.03?±?0.69?mV, which had no significant change when stored at 4?°C for three months. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting studies and confocal laser scanning images indicated that the cationic liposomes significantly increased the uptake of fluorescence-labeled siRNA in cancer cells. Effects of the siRNA on the inhibition of VEGF were tested by measuring concentrations of VEGF in cell culture media via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and intracellular VEGF levels using a western blotting method. The liposomal siRNA was significantly effective at inhibiting the expression of VEGF in lung, liver and breast cancer cells. Optimal liposomes could effectively deliver siRNA into cancer cells and inhibit VEGF as a therapy agent.