Design and preclinical testing of an anti-CD41 CAR T cell for the treatment of acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia

Acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia (AMkL) is a rare subtype of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) representing 5% of all reported cases, and frequently diagnosed in children with Down syndrome. Patients diagnosed with AMkL have low overall survival and have poor outcome to treatment, thus novel therapies such as CAR T cell therapy could represent an alternative in treating AMkL. We investigated the effect of a new CAR T cell which targets CD41, a specific surface antigen for M7-AMkL, against an in vitro model for AMkL, DAMI Luc2 cell line. The performed flow cytometry evaluation highlighted a percentage of 93.8% CAR T cells eGFP-positive and a limited acute effect on lowering the target cell population. However, the interaction between effector and target (E:T) cells, at a low ratio, lowered the cell membrane integrity, and reduced the M7-AMkL cell population after 24 h of co-culture, while the cytotoxic effect was not significant in groups with higher E:T ratio. Our findings suggest that the anti-CD41 CAR T cells are efficient for a limited time spawn and the cytotoxic effect is visible in all experimental groups with low E:T ratio.     

Identification of TLR2/4-mediated phagocytosis and immune response activation pathways by vacuoles isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The vacuoles of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are closely related to mammalian lysosomes and play a role in macromolecular degradation due to the hydrolytic enzymes present inside. The vacuoles also regulate osmotic pressure and control cellular homeostasis. In previous results, vacuoles were shown to activate the immune response of macrophages by promoting the production of immune-mediated transporters nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and pro-inflammatory cytokines. In this study, the effects of vacuoles on the phagocytosis activity of RAW264.7 cells and their potential as immune enhancers were evaluated, and receptors capable of recognizing vacuoles were examined. An investigation using the phagocytes assay showed that phagocytosis activity increased by the vacuole. Besides, after treatment with TLR2/4 inhibitor, the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines by vacuoles was significantly reduced and the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein was also significantly reduced. However, treatment with a TLR2 inhibitor did not reduce the production of interleukin-6 (IL)-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine. As a result of confirming the activation of TLR2/4 using Western blot and immunofluorescence (IF), the TLR2/4 protein expression and fluorescence intensity increased depending on the concentration of vacuoles. Yeast vacuoles significantly upregulate protein expression of p-p65/p-p38 MAPKs. In summary, the vacuoles isolated from S. cerevisiae in macrophages have increased phagocytic ability at a concentration of 20 (µg/ml) and can function as immune-enhancing agent suggesting that TLR2/4 mediated the p38 MAPK/nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway.     

核纤层蛋白B1通过影响端粒酶活性调控肝癌细胞生长

核纤层蛋白B1(nuclear lamina protein B1,LMNB1)高表达于肝癌组织中,通过敲低LMNB1探讨其对肝癌细胞增殖的影响及其机制。利用siRNA在肝癌细胞中敲低LMNB1,Western blotting检测敲低效果,使用端粒重复序列扩增法(telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay,TRAP)检测其端粒酶活性变化。利用实时定量聚合酶链反应(quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction,qPCR)检测其端粒长度变化。并通过CCK-8、克隆形成、Transwell、划痕实验检测其生长,侵袭和迁移能力变化。利用慢病毒系统构建稳定敲低LMNB1的HepG2细胞,检测其端粒长度及端粒酶活性变化,采用SA-β-gal衰老染色检测细胞衰老情况,通过裸鼠皮下成瘤实验及对肿瘤后续的组化染色,SA-β-gal衰老染色,端粒荧光原位杂交(fluorescence in situ hybridization,FISH)检测其对成瘤性的影响。最后利用生物信息分析的方法寻找LMNB1在临床肝癌组织中的表达情况,及其与临床分期、病人生存期的关系。HepG2和Hep3B中敲低LMNB1后端粒酶活性显著降低,细胞增殖、迁移和侵袭能力显著降低,细胞和裸鼠成瘤实验证明稳定敲低LMNB1后端粒酶活性降低的同时端粒长度缩短,细胞发生衰老,此外细胞成瘤性降低,Ki-67表达降低,生物信息分析结果显示,LMNB1高表达于肝癌组织,且与肿瘤分期和患者生存相关。LMNB1在肝癌细胞中过表达,其有望成为评估肝癌患者临床预后的指标和精准治疗的靶点。     

Engeletin alleviates cerebral ischemia reperfusion-induced neuroinflammation via the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB network

High-mobility group box1 (HMGB1) induces inflammatory injury, and emerging reports suggest that it is critical for brain ischemia reperfusion. Engeletin, a natural Smilax glabra rhizomilax derivative, is reported to possess anti-inflammatory activity. Herein, we examined the mechanism of engeletin-mediated neuroprotection in rats having transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) against cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury. Male SD rats were induced using a 1.5 h tMCAO, following by reperfusion for 22.5 h. Engeletin (15, 30 or 60 mg/kg) was intravenously administered immediately following 0.5 h of ischemia. Based on our results, engeletin, in a dose-dependent fashion, reduced neurological deficits, infarct size, histopathological alterations, brain edema and inflammatory factors, namely, circulating IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ. Furthermore, engeletin treatment markedly reduced neuronal apoptosis, which, in turn, elevated Bcl-2 protein levels, while suppressing Bax and Cleaved Caspase-3 protein levels. Meanwhile, engeletin significantly reduces overall expressions of HMGB1, TLR4, and NF-κB and attenuated nuclear transfer of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 in ischemic cortical tissue. In conclusion, engeletin strongly prevents focal cerebral ischemia via suppression of the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory network.     

The Ethanol Extract of Syringa oblata Heartwood,a Mongolian Folk Medicine Containing Major Lignans,Exerts Analgesic and Sedative Effects on Mice

The heartwood of Syringa oblata Lindl. (SO) is one of Mongolian folk medicines to treat insomnia and pain, while its pharmacological evaluation and underlying mechanism remain unclear. In this study, the sedative effect of ethanol extract of SO (ESO) was evaluated with the locomotor activity test and the threshold dose of pentobarbital sodium-induced sleep test in mice, and the hot plate test, acetic acid-induced writhing test, and formalin test in mice were used to evaluate its analgesic effect. The underlying mechanism of ESO analgesia was explored by RT-PCR and western blot analysis, which is associated with the regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Besides, the main constituents of ESO were characterized by LC/MS data analysis and comparison with isolated pure compounds. The current findings brought evidence for clinical application and further pharmacological and phytochemical studies on SO.