Capsid protein Vp1 from chlamydiaphage φCPG1 effectively alleviates cytotoxicity induced by Chlamydia trachomatis

Conjugated therapeutic proteins as a treatment for bacteria which trigger cancer development

In recent years, an increasing amount of research has focused on the intricate and complex correlation between bacterial infections and the development of cancer. Some studies even identified specific bacterial species as potential culprits in the initiation of carcinogenesis, which generated a great deal of interest in the creation of innovative therapeutic strategies aimed at addressing both the infection and the subsequent risk of cancer. Among these strategies, there has been a recent emergence of the use of conjugated therapeutic proteins, which represent a highly promising avenue in the field of cancer therapeutics. These proteins offer a dual-targeting approach that seeks to effectively combat both the bacterial infection and the resulting malignancies that may arise because of such infections. This review delves into the landscape of conjugated therapeutic proteins that have been intricately designed with the purpose of specifically targeting bacteria that have been implicated in the induction of cancer.

Antibodies specific to ferritin light chain polypeptide are frequently detected in patients with immune‑related pancytopenia

Immuno-related pancytopenia (IRP) is characterized by pancytopenia resulting from bone marrow suppression or destruction mediated by auto-antibodies. In our previous study, a K562 cDNA library was established, which was used to screen for seven possible auto-antigens produced by hematopoietic cells in patients with IRP, including ferritin light chain (FTL). In the present study, FTL was expressed and purified, and the levels of the auto-antibodies specific to FTL were measured. Through ELISA, it was shown that the titer of anti-FTL antibodies was higher in patients with IRP without treatment compared with those who had recovered from IRP, those with severe aplastic anemia (SAA), those with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and the healthy controls. Furthermore, the expression levels of FTL-mRNA were upregulated in patients with IRP without treatment compared with those who had recovered from IRP, those with MDS and the normal controls. The results suggest that FTL antibody expression is upregulated in patients with IRP. Detecting FTL antibodies may therefore have certain clinical value in differentiating between IRP, SAA and MDS. Furthermore, in specific patients with IRP, FTL as an auto-antigen may induce immune attack on hematopoietic stem cells.

Phage-mimicking antibacterial core-shell nanoparticles

The increasing frequency of nosocomial infections caused by antibiotic-resistant microorganisms concurrent with the stagnant discovery of new classes of antibiotics has made the development of new antibacterial agents a critical priority. Our approach is an antibiotic-free strategy drawing inspiration from bacteriophages to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We developed a nanoparticle-based antibacterial system that structurally mimics the protein-turret distribution on the head structure of certain bacteriophages and explored a combination of different materials arranged hierarchically to inhibit bacterial growth and ultimately kill pathogenic bacteria. Here, we describe the synthesis of phage-mimicking antibacterial nanoparticles (ANPs) consisting of silver-coated gold nanospheres distributed randomly on a silica core. The silver-coating was deposited in an anisotropic fashion on the gold nanospheres. Structurally, our nanoparticles mimicked the bacteriophages of the family Microviridae by up to 88%. These phage-mimicking ANPs were tested for bactericidal efficacy against four clinically relevant nosocomial pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus USA300, Pseudomonas aeruginosa FRD1, Enterococcus faecalis, and Corynebacterium striatum) and for biocompatibility with skin cells. Bacterial growth of all four bacteria was inhibited (21% to 90%) as well as delayed (by up to 5 h). The Gram-positive organisms were shown to be more sensitive to the nanoparticle treatment. Importantly, the phage-mimicking ANPs did not show any significant cytotoxic effects against human skin keratinocytes. Our results indicate the potential for phage-mimicking antimicrobial nanoparticles as a highly effective, alternative antibacterial agent, which may be suitable for co-administration with existing available formulations.