Draft genome sequence of probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus fermentum S2, isolated from raw cow milk

Lactobacillus fermentum remains as potential probiotic bacterium that enhances immunological response, produces antimicrobials, acts as food preservative, and lowers blood cholesterol level. We report the draft genome of Lactobacillus fermentum S2 consisting of 1.97 Mb genome size, 52.27% G + C content, 3 rRNA genes, 51 tRNA genes, and 2,004 protein-coding sequences.

Small Molecule Targeting Immune Cells: A Novel Approach for Cancer Treatment

Conventional and cancer immunotherapies encompass diverse strategies to address various cancer types and stages. However, combining these approaches often encounters limitations such as non-specific targeting, resistance development, and high toxicity, leading to suboptimal outcomes in many cancers. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is orchestrated by intricate interactions between immune and non-immune cells dictating tumor progression. An innovative avenue in cancer therapy involves leveraging small molecules to influence a spectrum of resistant cell populations within the TME. Recent discoveries have unveiled a phenotypically diverse cohort of innate-like T (ILT) cells and tumor hybrid cells (HCs) exhibiting novel characteristics, including augmented proliferation, migration, resistance to exhaustion, evasion of immunosurveillance, reduced apoptosis, drug resistance, and heightened metastasis frequency. Leveraging small-molecule immunomodulators to target these immune players presents an exciting frontier in developing novel tumor immunotherapies. Moreover, combining small molecule modulators with immunotherapy can synergistically enhance the inhibitory impact on tumor progression by empowering the immune system to meticulously fine-tune responses within the TME, bolstering its capacity to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. This review outlines strategies involving small molecules that modify immune cells within the TME, potentially revolutionizing therapeutic interventions and enhancing the anti-tumor response.

Exploring the Role of Stem Cell Therapy in Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases: Challenges and Current Perspectives

:

Several human neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and brain stroke, are caused by the injury to neurons or glial cells. The recent years have witnessed the successful generation of neurons and glia cells driving efforts to develop stem-cell-based therapies for patients to combat a broad spectrum of human neurological diseases. The inadequacy of suitable cell types for cell replacement therapy in patients suffering from neurological disorders has hampered the development of this promising therapeutic approach. Attempts are thus being made to reconstruct viable neurons and glial cells from different stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and neural stem cells. Dedicated research to cultivate stem cell-based brain transplantation therapies has been carried out. We aim at compiling the breakthroughs in the field of stem cell-based therapy for the treatment of neurodegenerative maladies, emphasizing the shortcomings faced, victories achieved, and the future prospects of the therapy in clinical settings.

Lactococcus lactis Delivery of Surface Layer Protein A Protects Mice from Colitis by Re-Setting Host Immune Repertoire

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by gastrointestinal inflammation comprised of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 1.3% of the population of the United States (approximately 3 million people) were affected by the disease in 2015, and the number keeps increasing over time. IBD has a multifactorial etiology, from genetic to environmental factors. Most of the IBD treatments revolve around disease management, by reducing the inflammatory signals. We previously identified the surface layer protein A (SlpA) of Lactobacillus acidophilus that possesses anti-inflammatory properties to mitigate murine colitis. Herein, we expressed SlpA in a clinically relevant, food-grade Lactococcus lactis to further investigate and characterize the protective mechanisms of the actions of SlpA. Oral administration of SlpA-expressing L. lactis (R110) mitigated the symptoms of murine colitis. Oral delivery of R110 resulted in a higher expression of IL-27 by myeloid cells, with a synchronous increase in IL-10 and cMAF in T cells. Consistent with murine studies, human dendritic cells exposed to R110 showed exquisite differential gene regulation, including IL-27 transcription, suggesting a shared mechanism between the two species, hence positioning R110 as potentially effective at treating colitis in humans.

The Therapeutic Potential of the Anticancer Activity of Fucoidan: Current Advances and Hurdles

Several types of cancers share cellular and molecular behaviors. Although many chemotherapy drugs have been designed to weaken the defenses of cancer cells, these drugs may also have cytotoxic effects on healthy tissues. Fucoidan, a sulfated fucose-based polysaccharide from brown algae, has gained much attention as an antitumor drug owing to its anticancer effects against multiple cancer types. Among the anticancer mechanisms of fucoidan are cell cycle arrest, apoptosis evocation, and stimulation of cytotoxic natural killer cells and macrophages. Fucoidan also protects against toxicity associated with chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation-induced damage. The synergistic effect of fucoidan with existing anticancer drugs has prompted researchers to explore its therapeutic potential. This review compiles the mechanisms through which fucoidan slows tumor growth, kills cancer cells, and interacts with cancer chemotherapy drugs. The obstacles involved in developing fucoidan as an anticancer agent are also discussed in this review.

Generation and characterisation of monoclonal antibodies specific to avian influenza H7N9 haemagglutinin protein

INTRODUCTION

Emerging virulent strains of influenza virus pose a serious public health threat with potential pandemic consequences. A novel avian influenza virus, H7N9, breached the species barrier from infected domestic poultry to humans in 2013 in China. Since then, it has caused numerous infections in humans with a close contact to poultry.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we describe the preliminary characterisation of five murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) developed against recombinant haemagglutinin (rHA) protein of avian H7N9 A/Anhui/1/2013 virus by their Western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) reactivity and binding affinity.

RESULTS

Of the five MAbs, four were highly specific to H7N9 HA and did not show any cross-reactivity in ELISA with rHA protein from pandemic as well as seasonal H1N1, H2N2, H3N2, H5N1 and influenza virus B (B/Brisbane/60/2008). However, one of the MAbs, MA-24, in addition to HA protein of H7N9 also reacted strongly with HA protein of H3N2 and weakly with HA of pandemic and seasonal H1N1 and H2N2. All the five MAbs also reacted with H7N9 rHA in Western blot. The MAbs bound H7N9 rHA with an equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) ranging between 0.14 and 25.20 nM, indicating their high affinity to HA.

CONCLUSIONS

These antibodies may be useful in developing diagnostic tools for the detection of influenza H7N9 virus infections.

Contraceptive efficacy of recombinant fusion protein comprising zona pellucida glycoprotein-3 fragment and gonadotropin releasing hormone

Contraceptive vaccines have been used for the management of wildlife population. In the present study, we have examined the contraceptive potential of Escherichia coli-expressed recombinant fusion protein comprising of 'promiscuous' T cell epitope of tetanus toxoid [TT; amino acid (aa) residues 830-844] followed by dilysine linker (KK), dog ZP3 fragment (aa residues 307-346), triglycine spacer (GGG), T cell epitope of bovine RNase (bRNase; aa residues 94-104), GnRH, T cell epitope of circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium falciparum (CSP; aa residues 362-383), and GnRH. SDS-PAGE analysis of the purified refolded protein revealed a dominant ∼12 kDa band, which in Western blot reacted with mouse polyclonal antibodies against dog ZP3 fragment and mouse monoclonal antibodies against GnRH. Immunization of female FvB/J mice following two booster schedule with the above recombinant protein supplemented with alum led to high antibody titres against the immunogen as well as ZP3 and GnRH as determined by ELISA. The immune sera reacted with zona pellucida of mouse oocyte and also inhibited in-vitro fertilization. The qRT-PCR studies showed decrease in the ovarian GnRH receptor in mice immunized with the recombinant fusion protein. Mating studies revealed high contraceptive efficacy of the recombinant protein as in two independent experiments, 90% of the immunized female mice failed to conceive. Following one booster immunization schedule, 50% of the immunized female mice failed to conceive. However, in adjuvanted controls, all the female mice became pregnant. To conclude, the recombinant protein described herein has a good potential to be developed as candidate contraceptive vaccine.