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Liu D, An C, Bai Y, Li K, Liu J, Wang Q, He Q, Song Z, Zhang J, Song L, Cui B, Mao Q, Jiang W, Liang Z. A Novel Single-Stranded RNA-Based Adjuvant Improves the Immunogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 Recombinant Protein Vaccine. Viruses 2022; 14:v14091854. [PMID: 36146661 PMCID: PMC9504790 DOI: 10.3390/v14091854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The research and development (R&D) of novel adjuvants is an effective measure for improving the immunogenicity of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) recombinant protein vaccine. Toward this end, we designed a novel single-stranded RNA-based adjuvant, L2, from the SARS-CoV-2 prototype genome. L2 could initiate retinoic acid-inducible gene-I signaling pathways to effectively activate the innate immunity. ZF2001, an aluminum hydroxide (Al) adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 recombinant receptor binding domain (RBD) subunit vaccine with emergency use authorization in China, was used for comparison. L2, with adjuvant compatibility with RBD, elevated the antibody response to a level more than that achieved with Al, CpG 7909, or poly(I:C) as adjuvants in mice. L2 plus Al with composite adjuvant compatibility with RBD markedly improved the immunogenicity of ZF2001; in particular, neutralizing antibody titers increased by about 44-fold for Omicron, and the combination also induced higher levels of antibodies than CpG 7909/poly(I:C) plus Al in mice. Moreover, L2 and L2 plus Al effectively improved the Th1 immune response, rather than the Th2 immune response. Taken together, L2, used as an adjuvant, enhanced the immune response of the SARS-CoV-2 recombinant RBD protein vaccine in mice. These findings should provide a basis for the R&D of novel RNA-based adjuvants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Liu
- Division of Hepatitis and Enterovirus Vaccines, NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, Institute of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102600, China
- Changchun Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Changchun 130062, China
| | - Chaoqiang An
- Division of Hepatitis and Enterovirus Vaccines, NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, Institute of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102600, China
- Beijing Minhai Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Beijing 102629, China
| | - Yu Bai
- Division of Hepatitis and Enterovirus Vaccines, NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, Institute of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102600, China
| | - Kelei Li
- Beijing Minhai Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Beijing 102629, China
| | - Jianyang Liu
- Division of Hepatitis and Enterovirus Vaccines, NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, Institute of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102600, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Division of Hepatitis and Enterovirus Vaccines, NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, Institute of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102600, China
| | - Qian He
- Division of Hepatitis and Enterovirus Vaccines, NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, Institute of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102600, China
| | - Ziyang Song
- Division of Hepatitis and Enterovirus Vaccines, NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, Institute of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102600, China
| | - Jialu Zhang
- Division of Hepatitis and Enterovirus Vaccines, NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, Institute of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102600, China
| | - Lifang Song
- Division of Hepatitis and Enterovirus Vaccines, NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, Institute of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102600, China
| | - Bopei Cui
- Division of Hepatitis and Enterovirus Vaccines, NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, Institute of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102600, China
| | - Qunying Mao
- Division of Hepatitis and Enterovirus Vaccines, NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, Institute of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102600, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- Changchun Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Changchun 130062, China
- Correspondence: (W.J.); (Z.L.)
| | - Zhenglun Liang
- Division of Hepatitis and Enterovirus Vaccines, NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, Institute of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102600, China
- Correspondence: (W.J.); (Z.L.)
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Yilmaz S, Bedir E, Ballar Kirmizibayrak P. The role of cycloastragenol at the intersection of NRF2/ARE, telomerase, and proteasome activity. Free Radic Biol Med 2022; 188:105-116. [PMID: 35718303 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2022.06.230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Aging is well-characterized by the gradual decline of cellular functionality. As redox balance, proteostasis, and telomerase systems have been found to be associated with aging and age-related diseases, targeting these systems with small compounds has been considered a promising therapeutic approach. Cycloastragenol (CA), a small molecule telomerase activator obtained from Astragalus species, has been reported to positively affect several age-related pathophysiologies, but the mechanisms underlying CA activity have yet to be reported. Here, we presented that CA increased NRF2 nuclear localization and activity leading to upregulation of cytoprotective enzymes and attenuation of oxidative stress-induced ROS levels. Furthermore, CA-mediated induction of telomerase activity was found to be regulated by NRF2. CA not only increased the expression of hTERT but also its nuclear localization via upregulating the Hsp90-chaperon complex. In addition to modulating nuclear hTERT levels at unstressed conditions, CA alleviated oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial hTERT levels while increasing nuclear hTERT levels. Concomitantly, H2O2-induced mitochondrial ROS level was found to be significantly decreased by CA administration. Our data also revealed that CA strongly enhanced proteasome activity and assembly. More importantly, the proteasome activator effect of CA is dependent on the induction of telomerase activity, which is mediated by NRF2 system. In conclusion, our results not only revealed the cross-talk among NRF2, telomerase, and proteasome systems but also that CA functions at the intersection of these three major aging-related cellular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinem Yilmaz
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Ege University, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey; Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alanya Aladdin Keykubat, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Erdal Bedir
- Department of Bioengineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, 35430, Urla, Izmir, Turkey.
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Sajib AM, Sandey M, Morici S, Schuler B, Agarwal P, Smith BF. Analysis of endogenous and exogenous tumor upregulated promoter expression in canine tumors. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240807. [PMID: 33166332 PMCID: PMC7652315 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy is a promising treatment option for cancer. However, its utility may be limited due to expression in off-target cells. Cancer-specific promoters such as telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), survivin, and chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) have enhanced activity in a variety of human and murine cancers, however, little has been published regarding these promoters in dogs. Given the utility of canine cancer models, the activity of these promoters along with adenoviral E2F enhanced E1a promoter (EEE) was evaluated in a variety of canine tumors, both from the endogenous gene and from exogenously administered constructs. Endogenous expression levels were measured for cTERT, cSurvivin, and cCXCR4 and were low for all three, with some non-malignant and some tumor cell lines and tissues expressing the gene. Expression levels from exogenously supplied promoters were measured by both the number of cells expressing the construct and the intensity of expression in individual cells. Exogenously supplied promoters were active in more cells in all tumor lines than in normal cells, with the EEE promoter being most active, followed by cTERT. The intensity of expression varied more with cell type than with specific promoters. Ultimately, no single promoter was identified that would result in reliable expression, regardless of the tumor type. Thus, these findings imply that identification of a pan-cancer promoter may be difficult. In addition, this data raises the concern that endogenous expression analysis may not accurately predict exogenous promoter activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Mohin Sajib
- Scott-Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
| | - Maninder Sandey
- Scott-Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
| | - Samantha Morici
- Scott-Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
| | - Bradley Schuler
- Scott-Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
| | - Payal Agarwal
- Scott-Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
| | - Bruce F. Smith
- Scott-Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
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Xu J, Sadahira T, Kinoshita R, Li SA, Huang P, Wada K, Araki M, Ochiai K, Noguchi H, Sakaguchi M, Nasu Y, Watanabe M. Exogenous DKK-3/REIC inhibits Wnt/β-catenin signaling and cell proliferation in human kidney cancer KPK1. Oncol Lett 2017; 14:5638-5642. [PMID: 29098038 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.6833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The third member of the Dickkopf family (DKK-3), also known as reduced expression in immortalized cells (REIC), is a tumor suppressor present in a variety of tumor cells. Regarding the regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, exogenous DKK-1 and DKK-2 are reported to inhibit Wnt signaling by binding the associated effectors. However, whether exogenous DKK-3 inhibits Wnt signaling remains unclear. A recombinant protein of human full-length DKK-3 was used to investigate the exogenous effects of the protein in vitro in KPK1 human renal cell carcinoma cells. It was demonstrated that the expression of phosphorylated (p-)β-catenin (inactive form as the transcriptional factor) was increased in KPK1 cells treated with the exogenous DKK-3 protein. The levels of non-p-β-catenin (activated form of β-catenin) were consistently decreased. It was revealed that the expression of transcription factor (TCF) 1 and c-Myc, the downstream transcription factors of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, was inhibited following treatment with DKK-3. A cancer cell viability assay confirmed the anti-proliferative effects of exogenous DKK-3 protein, which was consistent with a suppressed Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascade. In addition, as low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) is a receptor of DKK-1 and DKK-2 and their interaction on the cell surface inhibits Wnt/β-catenin signaling, it was examined whether the exogenous DKK-3 protein affects LRP6-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The LRP6 gene was silenced and the effects of DKK-3 on the time course of the upregulation of p-β-catenin expression were subsequently analyzed. Notably, LRP6 depletion elevated the base level of p-β-catenin; however, there was no significant effect on its upregulation course or expression pattern. These findings indicate that exogenous DKK-3 upregulates p-β-catenin and inhibits Wnt/β-catenin signaling in an LRP6-independent manner. Therefore, exogenous DKK-3 protein may inhibit the proliferation of KPK1 cells via inactivating Wnt/β-catenin signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Xu
- Department of Urology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.,Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Takuya Sadahira
- Department of Urology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Rie Kinoshita
- Cell Biology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Shun-Ai Li
- Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Peng Huang
- Department of Urology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Koichiro Wada
- Department of Urology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Motoo Araki
- Department of Urology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Ochiai
- Department of Veterinary Nursing and Technology, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Tokyo 180-0023, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Noguchi
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, University of The Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | | | - Yasutomo Nasu
- Department of Urology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Masami Watanabe
- Department of Urology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.,Center for Innovative Clinical Medicine, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
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