Intestinal Translocation of Live Porphyromonas gingivalis Drives Insulin Resistance

Periodontitis has been emphasized as a risk factor of insulin resistance-related systemic diseases. Accumulating evidence has suggested a possible "oral-gut axis" linking oral infection and extraoral diseases, but it remains unclear whether periodontal pathogens can survive the barriers of the digestive tract and how they play their pathogenic roles. The present study established a periodontitis mouse model through oral ligature plus Porphyromonas gingivalis inoculation and demonstrated that periodontitis aggravated diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance, while also causing P. gingivalis enrichment in the intestine. Metabolic labeling strategy validated that P. gingivalis could translocate to the gastrointestinal tract in a viable state. Oral administration of living P. gingivalis elicited insulin resistance, while administration of pasteurized P. gingivalis had no such effect. Combination analysis of metagenome sequencing and nontargeted metabolomics suggested that the tryptophan metabolism pathway, specifically indole and its derivatives, was involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance caused by oral administration of living P. gingivalis. Moreover, liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis confirmed that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligands, mainly indole acetic acid, tryptamine, and indole-3-aldehyde, were reduced in diet-induced obese mice with periodontitis, leading to inactivation of AhR signaling. Supplementation with Ficz (6-formylindolo (3,2-b) carbazole), an AhR agonist, alleviated periodontitis-associated insulin resistance, in which the restoration of gut barrier function might play an important role. Collectively, these findings reveal that the oral-gut translocation of viable P. gingivalis works as a fuel linking periodontitis and insulin resistance, in which reduction of AhR ligands and inactivation of AhR signaling are involved. This study provides novel insight into the role of the oral-gut axis in the pathogenesis of periodontitis-associated comorbidities.

Challenges of Treating Lung Cancer Patients at MR-Linac Using MR-Based Synthetic CT Calculation in the Adaptive Workflow

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Magnetic Resonance guided adaptive radiotherapy (MRgART) allows plan adaptation according to the new patient anatomy; the contours of the structures are adjusted based on the patient's daily MRI, and in the adapt to shape (ATS) workflow, the adapted plan is recalculated on the MRI-based synthetic CT (sCT) generated by bulk density assignment. For sites where there is a high electronic density (ED) gradient between the target and surrounding tissues, such as in lung cancer treatments, the assignment of an average ED may not be able to reproduce an accurate dose calculation. This study evaluates the accuracy of the sCT adapted plan calculation for lung cancer patients and assesses whether the assignment of an optimized ED can reduce dosimetric differences should they arise MATERIALS/METHODS: Nine lung cancer patients treated at Unity 1.5 MR-Linac were selected for this retrospective study. The patient's target and organs at risk (OARs) were contoured, and a CT reference plan containing the ED bulk assignment information i.e., the contours to use in the ATS workflow, and their corresponding average ED was generated. To assess the accuracy of the dosimetry of the adapted plan calculated on the sCT, the plan was recalculated on an ideal sCT (sCTref) obtained from the reference CT by forcing the drawn contours to the average ED as defined on the CT reference plan. Targets and OARs dose-volume histogram (DVH) of the CT and sCTref plans and the dose distributions using gamma (γ) analysis with 2%-2mm criteria were compared. In the case of a discrepancy between the DVHs, the average Eds used for the recalculation on the sCTref were adjusted by several attempts to obtain a sCT optimized (sCTopt) for which a superposition of DVHs on CT and sCTopt was achieved.

RESULTS

For 7 of the 9 patients CT and sCTref target DVHs were not comparable, with a mean dosimetric difference of 5.55% (range 2.35%-7.46%) in the target volume receiving the prescription dose (VDpre), while OARs DVH dose differences remained below 1% for the nine patients. The adjustment of the ED of the homolateral lung in the sCTopt, reduced the mean target VDpre dosimetric difference between CT and sCTopt to 0.66% (range 0.17%-1.64%). In addition, the results of the gamma analysis increased from values ranging between 39.5%-70.3% to 88.5%-93.2%, as shown in the Table.

CONCLUSION

Dosimetric errors in the use of the sCT calculation for targets in high ED gradient areas may arise; the use of optimized ED for sCT calculation may be a promising strand to investigate in order to proceed with MR-based sCT plan adaptation for lung cancer treatment.

Study on the Clinical Use of a Respiratory Navigator Combined with Breath-Hold for MRI- Guided Liver SBRT

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Respiratory movement strongly affects the accuracy of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of liver malignancies treated without the use of a respiratory gating system. This study investigates the feasibility and advantages of using a respiratory navigator-guided combined with patient breath-hold for liver SBRT in an adaptive magnetic-resonance guided workflow.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Clinical datasets of 10 liver cancer patients treated with 1.5T MR-Linac with respiratory navigator-guided SBRT combined with patient breath-hold were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent simulation CT with and without contrast, and 4D-CT and 3D-T2w MRI without contrast. Patients received a prescription dose ranging from 36 to 50 Gy in 5 to 8 fractions and followed the adapt to shape (ATS) workflow including contours adjustment and a subsequent MR-based synthetic CT (sCT) calculation on the online MRI acquired. The reference treatment plan was optimized on the expiratory phase of the 4D-CT, and during the online session the contours and the adapted plans were performed using the 3D-T2w navigator MRI of the patient's end-expiratory signal; 2D-T2w real-time monitoring MRI was also used as support for the contour's definition. The radiation therapist instructed the patients to hold their breath at the end of the breathing cycle for the time of the beam on. A total of 59 fractions were analyzed. For each fraction the dosimetric parameters of the target and normal liver of the adaptive and reference plans were compared; particularly the volume, the conformity index (CI) and gradient index (GI) for the target, and V5, V10 and Dmean for the normal liver. T-student statistical analysis was performed; a p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

In the free breathing state, the 3D-T2w navigator MRI images enable a clear visualization of the tumor and its boundaries. The average target CI of the adaptive and reference plans is not significantly different (p = 0.448), while the GI is significantly higher (p = 0.043). Normal liver V10 and Dmean are lower and V5 is slightly increased, but without statistical differences. The mean values and standard deviation of the dosimetric parameters of the reference and adapted plans are shown in the Table below.

CONCLUSION

The use of a respiratory navigator combined with the breath-hold for MRI- guided liver SBRT allows clear visualization of the tumor, ensures the accuracy of the delivered dose and may be considered an alternative when the respiratory gating system is not available during MRgART sessions.

Study on Lattice Radiotherapy Treatments (LRT) for Head and Neck Bulky Tumors

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Lattice radiotherapy (LRT) exploits various effects of radiation, such as the bystander effect and the abscopal effect, and consists on the administration of high dose fraction in small areas with large tumor masses, helping to solve the problem of treating bulky disease, especially if it is located in a critical anatomical area. The optimization of LRT treatment plans is challenging due to the difficulty to generate spots of high dose within the tumor with consequent high gradient. This study compares the plan dosimetry and delivery time of two delivery techniques VMAT and CyberKnife for LRT treatments of bulky head and neck lesions.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Six patients with giant head and neck tumors who received LRT at our institution were included in this study. Target and OARs were contoured following international guidelines; to allow easy identification of the desired high gradient zones, an artificial geometrical lattice structure with spherical vertices was arranged inside the target volume (GTV), and the vertices of the lattice representing the high dose boost volumes (GTVboost) were delineated. The GTVboost and GTV were prescribed to receive 12 Gy and 3 Gy, respectively in a single fraction. Separate VMAT and CyberKnife LRT plans were optimized for each patient with lattice vertex of 0.5 diameter and center-to-center distances of 1.5 cm (LRT1.5) and 3 cm (LRT3). The dose heterogeneity was measured as the peak-to-valley dose ratio (PVDR), with the traditional definition being replaced by the D10/D90 ratio, where D10 and D90 represent the doses covering 10% and 90% of the GTV, respectively. For each plan generated, the treatment delivery time, the monitor units (MU), and the PVDR were assessed. Pre-treatment plan verifications were performed with ArcCheck array and Gafchromics film for VMAT and CyberKnife, respectively, using gamma analysis criteria of 3%-3mm.

RESULTS

The mean PVDR obtained for VMAT LRT plans were 2.0 and 2.6 for LRT1.5 and LRT3, respectively, and 3.2 and 4.7, respectively for CyberKnife LRT plans. For each pre-treatment plan dose verification, the gamma passing rate (GPR) was higher than 95.0 %; CyberKnife delivery time and MU were more than 10 times higher than that of VMAT, nevertheless, VMAT had a lower PVDR. The detailed results are shown in the table below.

CONCLUSION

CyberKnife LRT has a strong ability to place the peak dose within the target, generating a higher peak-to-valley dose ratio, however its use is partially invalidated by the long beam delivery times and the resulting high MU number; the use of the VMAT LRT technique allows clinically adequate dosimetry with acceptable delivery times.

[Application and challenges of neuroimaging technology in mechanisms and treatment of drug addiction]

Neuroimaging technologies can non-invasively characterize the structure and function of addiction brain, reveal the neural mechanism of addictive behavior, and provide a priori for the potential targets of brain stimulation. Neuroimaging technologies has played an important role in the study of drug addiction diseases, relapse prediction, and therapeutic evaluation of non-invasive brain stimulations, but it also faces many challenges. In this manuscript, we discuss the classification and analysis methods of neuroimaging technologies, its application in addiction and challenges, thus to promote the application of neuroimaging technology in the treatment of drug addiction.

[Analysis of clinical phenotype and genotype of Chinese children with disorders of sex development]

Objective: To explore the heterogeneity and correlation of clinical phenotypes and genotypes in children with disorders of sex development (DSD). Methods: A retrospective study of 1 235 patients with clinically proposed DSD in 36 pediatric medical institutions across the country from January 2017 to May 2021. After capturing 277 DSD-related candidate genes, second-generation sequencing was performed to analyzed the heterogeneity and correlation combined with clinical phenotypes. Results: Among 1 235 children with clinically proposed DSD, 980 were males and 255 were females of social gender at the time of initial diagnosis with the age ranged from 1 day of age to 17.92 years. A total of 443 children with pathogenic variants were detected through molecular genetic studies, with a positive detection rate of 35.9%. The most common clinical phenotypes were micropenis (455 cases), hypospadias (321 cases), and cryptorchidism (172 cases) and common mutations detected were in SRD5A2 gene (80 cases), AR gene (53 cases) and CYP21A2 gene (44 cases). Among them, the SRD5A2 mutation is the most common in children with simple micropenis and simple hypospadias, while the AMH mutation is the most common in children with simple cryptorchidism. Conclusions: The SRD5A2 mutation is the most common genetic variant in Chinese children with DSD, and micropenis, cryptorchidism, and hypospadias are the most common clinical phenotypes. Molecular diagnosis can provide clues about the biological basis of DSD, and can also guide clinicians to perform specific clinical examinations. Target sequence capture probes and next-generation sequencing technology can provide effective and economical genetic diagnosis for children with DSD.

The safety and efficacy of transarterial chemoembolisation with bleomycin for hepatocellular carcinoma unresponsive to doxorubicin: a prospective single-centre study

AIM

To investigate the safety and efficacy of transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) with bleomycin for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) unresponsive to doxorubicin.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A randomised controlled trial was undertaken of HCC patients resistant to TACE with doxorubicin to assess the survival benefits of the experimental group (TACE with bleomycin) compared with the control group (TACE with doxorubicin). One hundred and seventy patients were allocated randomly between December 2015 and December 2017, and 80 patients of each group were analysed. The modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumours (mRECIST) was used to evaluated the tumour response every 4-6 weeks. The primary endpoint was median progression-free survival (mPFS) and median overall survival (mOS). Safety was assessed by post-procedure complications.

RESULTS

The study was completed in October 2018. Objective response rate (ORR) of the experimental group was 27.5% (22/80), mPFS and mOS was 5.8 and 8.1 months. ORR of the control group was 7.5% (6/80), mPFS and mOS was 2.9 and 4 months. The ORR were significantly different between two groups (χ² = 0.348, p<0.05). The differences of mPFS and mOS between the two groups were statistically significant (χ² = 2.865, p<0.05 and χ² = 0.926, p<0.05, respectively). There were no significant difference in post-procedure complications (p>0.05) and no major complications occurred.

CONCLUSION

It is suggested that TACE with bleomycin is a safe and effective method for HCC and bleomycin can be a second-line chemotherapeutic agent for the HCC patients unresponsive to TACE with doxorubicin.

Controlling selectivity in N-heterocycle directed borylation of indoles

Electrophilic borylation of indoles with BX₃ (X = Cl or Br) using directing groups installed at N1 can proceed at the C2 or the C7 position. The six membered heterocycle directing groups utilised herein, pyridines and pyrimidine, result in indole C2 borylation being the dominant outcome (in the absence of a C2-substituent). In contrast, C7 borylation was achieved using five membered heterocycle directing groups, such as thiazole and benzoxazole. Calculations on the borylation of indole substituted with a five (thiazole) and a six (pyrimidine) membered heterocycle directing group indicated that borylation proceeds via borenium cations with arenium cation formation having the highest barrier in both cases. The C7 borylated isomer was calculated to be the thermodynamically favoured product with both five and six membered heterocycle directing groups, but for pyrimidine directed indole borylation the C2 product was calculated to be the kinetic product. This is in contrast to thiazole directed indole borylation with BCl₃ where the C7 borylated isomer is the kinetic product too. Thus, heterocycle ring size is a useful way to control C2 vs. C7 selectivity in N-heterocycle directed indole C-H borylation.

Nomogram predicting early neurological improvement in ischaemic stroke patients treated with endovascular thrombectomy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Early neurological improvement (ENI) after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has been associated with favorable outcomes. This study aimed to identify the optimal definition of ENI and develop a nomogram for predicting ENI after EVT in acute ischaemic stroke.

METHODS

Patients with EVT were enrolled from a multicenter registry as the training cohort. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to estimate the optimal threshold for ENI at 24 h of EVT. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to generate the best-fit nomogram for predicting ENI. The discrimination of the nomogram was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). An additional 447 patients from two stroke centers were prospectively recruited as the test cohort for validating the nomogram.

RESULTS

A total of 612 patients with EVT were included in the training cohort. The optimal threshold for predicting 3-month favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0-2) was an improvement of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score by ≥6 points (AUC 0.875; sensitivity 79.5%; specificity 90.7%). Age, blood glucose, recanalization, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and baseline Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) were independently associated with ENI, and were incorporated in the nomogram. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.795 in the training cohort and 0.752 in the test cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

A reduction of NIHSS score ≥6 appeared to be the optimal definition of ENI. The nomogram composed of age, blood glucose, recanalization, sICH and baseline ASPECTS may predict the probability of ENI in ischaemic stroke patients treated with EVT.

Tumor-Targeted Gene Silencing IDO Synergizes PTT-Induced Apoptosis and Enhances Anti-tumor Immunity

Background: Photothermal therapy (PTT) has been demonstrated to be a promising cancer treatment approach because it can be modulated to induce apoptosis instead of necrosis via adjusting irradiation conditions. Recently, an abscopal anti-tumor immunity has been highlighted, in which PTT on the primary tumor also induced repression of distant tumors. In PTT cancer treatments, the mechanism and the role of immune checkpoints to enhance anti-tumor immunity needs to be investigated.

Methods: We prepared a multi-functional gold nanorod reagent, GMPF-siIDO, that is composed of gold nanorods (GNRs) that act as the nano-platform and photothermal sensitizer; folic acid (FA) as the tumor-targeting moiety; and IDO-specific RNA (siIDO) as an immune-stimulator functionality for inducing anti-tumor immunity. For this study, we adjusted the irradiation condition of PTT to induce apoptosis and to silence the immune checkpoint indoleamine 2,3 dioxygeonase (IDO), simultaneously.

Results: Our studies provide evidence that photothermal effects kill tumor cells mainly via inducing apoptosis, which can significantly improve antitumor immunity when IDO was down-regulated in TME through significant increases of localized CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ lymphocytes in tumor tissue, the downregulation of CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ lymphocyte apoptosis, and the upregulation of antitumor cytokines, TNF-α and IFN-γ.

Conclusion: In this study, we, for the first time, validated the role of IDO as a negative regulator for both PTT-induced tumor cell apoptosis and anti-tumor immunity; IDO is a critical immune checkpoint that impedes PTT while combination of gene knockdown of IDO in TME enhances anti-tumor efficacy of PTT.

Intramolecular (directed) electrophilic C-H borylation

The intramolecular C-H borylation of (hetero)arenes and alkenes using electrophilic boranes is a powerful transition metal free methodology for forming C-B bonds. These C-H borylation reactions are preceded by intermolecular bond (both dative and covalent) formation, with examples proceeding via initial C-B and N-B bond formation dominating this field thus both are discussed in depth herein. Less prevalent intramolecular electrophilic C-H borylation reactions that proceed by intermolecular O-B, S-B and P-B bond formation are also summarised. Mechanistic studies are presented that reveal two mechanisms for C-H borylation, (i) electrophilic aromatic substitution (prevalent with B-X electrophiles); (ii) σ-bond metathesis mediated (prevalent with B-H and B-R electrophiles). To date, intramolecular electrophilic C-H borylation is utilised mainly for accessing boron containing conjugated organic materials, however recent developments, summarized herein alongside early studies, have highlighted the applicability of this methodology for forming synthetically versatile organo-boronate esters and boron containing bioactives. The multitude of synthetic procedures reported for intramolecular electrophilic C-H borylation contain many common features and this enables key requirements for successful C-H borylation and the factors effecting regioselectivity and substrate scope to be identified, discussed and summarized.

Targeted Gene Silencing BRAF Synergized Photothermal Effect Inhibits Hepatoma Cell Growth Using New GAL-GNR-siBRAF Nanosystem

Liver cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. The RAF kinase inhibitors are effective in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); therefore, inhibition of the BRAF/MEK/ERK pathway has become a new therapeutic strategy for novel HCC therapy. However, targeted specific delivery systems for tumors are still significant obstacle to clinical applications. Galactose (GAL) can target the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) that is highly expressed on liver cancer cells. In this study, we designed a novel multifunctional nanomaterial GAL-GNR-siBRAF which consists of three parts, GAL as the liver cancer-targeting moiety, golden nanorods (GNR) offering photothermal capability under near infrared light, and siRNA specifically silencing BRAF (siBRAF). The nanocarrier GAL-GNR-siBRAF showed high siRNA loading capacity and inhibited the degradation of siRNA in serum. Compared with naked gold nanorods, GAL-GNR-siBRAF possessed lower biotoxicity and higher efficacy of gene silencing. Treatment with GAL-GNR-siBRAF significantly downregulated the expression of BRAF and impaired proliferation, migration, and invasion of liver cancer cells. Moreover, combinatorial photothermal effects and BRAF knockdown by GAL-GNR-siBRAF effectively given rise to tumor cell death. Therefore, our study developed a new type of targeted multi-functional nanomaterial GAL-GNR-siBRAF for the treatment of liver cancer, which provides ideas for the development of new clinical treatment methods.

Gene silencing of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 inhibits lung cancer growth by suppressing T-cell exhaustion

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), which degrades the essential amino acid tryptophan, exerts immunosuppressive functions and serves a crucial role in multiple types tumor progression, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and melanoma. Recent studies have reported that T-cell exhaustion is increased during tumor progression, which impairs the antitumor immune response. However, the association between IDO1 and T-cell exhaustion during tumor progression remains unknown. The present study evaluated the effect of IDO1 on T-cell exhaustion in lung cancer mice. The present study demonstrated that IDO1 knockdown by small interfering RNA in the LLC cell line inhibited T-cell exhaustion. Furthermore, the role of IDO1 in T-cell exhaustion during lung cancer progression was determined in an in vivo mouse model using IDO1 short hairpin RNA (shRNA). The results demonstrated that inhibition of IDO1 activity by shRNA administration in vivo significantly delayed the onset and growth of tumors. In addition, the expression levels of the inhibitory receptors programmed death-1 (PD-1) and B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) were increased in T-cells from the lung tumor-bearing mice, whereas interleukin-2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in serum were decreased compared with the control mice. However, no difference in the absolute number of T cells was observed, including CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. In addition, IDO1 knockdown by shRNA inhibited T-cell exhaustion in lung tumor-bearing mice, which was characterized by decreased expression of PD-1 and BTLA on T cells. By contrast, IL-2 and TNF-α levels in serum were increased in IDO1-shRNA-treated mice. By using a shRNA approach, the present study demonstrated that IDO1 activity may be involved in tumor growth, and that IDO1 silencing may inhibit tumor progression by impeding the process of T-cell exhaustion.

[Value of lenvatinib for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma]

Objective: To observe the safety and efficacy of lenvatinib for the treatment of medium-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: A total of 36 patients with medium-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma from the First Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital were retrospectively analyzed from January 2018 to May 2019. All patients had shown tumor progression after at least 2 sessions of TACE. The patients were consisted of 30 males and 6 females with age range of 35 to 76 (54±10) years. Patients received orally administered lenvatinib at a dose of 12 mg once daily for patients ≥ 60 kg and 8 mg once daily for patients<60 kg. According to modified RECIST criteria the tumor response, disease control rate, overall survival and progression free survival were evaluated once every 6-8 weeks. The adverse events were recorded. Results: No patient was in complete response, 2 cases (5.7%) in partial response, and 5 cases (14.3%) in stable disease, respectively. Disease control rate was 20.0% (7/35), the overall survival was 11.5 months, and the progression free survival was 5.3 months. The overall incidence of adverse events was 66.7% (24/36). The most frequent adverse events were hypertension, proteinuria, hand-foot skin reaction and abdominal distension. Conclusion: Lenvatinib can extend the overall survival in a percentage of medium-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients who were unresectable and refractory to TACE. Although the incidence of adverse events is high, most of them are mild and reversible.

Uric acid level and risk of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage in ischaemic stroke treated with endovascular treatment

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are limited data on the association between uric acid (UA) and symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (SICH) in patients who have undergone mechanical thrombectomy [endovascular treatment (EVT)]. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of serum UA level in SICH after EVT in a real-world practice.

METHODS

Patients were selected from the Endovascular Treatment for Acute Anterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke (ACTUAL) registry. SICH was identified using the Heidelberg Bleeding Classification. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the relationship between serum UA and SICH.

RESULTS

Among 611 enrolled patients, 90 (14.7%) were diagnosed with SICH within 72 h after EVT. Patients with SICH had a significantly higher level of serum UA (median, 341.0 vs. 302.0 μmol/L; P = 0.003) than those without SICH. Univariate logistic regression analysis indicated that patients with UA levels in the fourth quartile, compared with the first quartile, were more likely to have SICH (odds ratio, 2.846; 95% confidence intervals, 1.429-6.003; P = 0.003). The association remained significant after multivariable adjustment for potential confounders. Furthermore, the multiple-adjusted spline regression model showed an inverted U-shaped association between UA and SICH (P = 0.047 for non-linearity).

CONCLUSION

Our study indicated that increased serum UA level was independently associated with SICH after EVT in acute ischaemic stroke.

The synthesis of brominated-boron-doped PAHs by alkyne 1,1-bromoboration: mechanistic and functionalisation studies

The synthesis of a range of brominated-B n -containing (n = 1, 2) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is achieved simply by reacting BBr3 with appropriately substituted alkynes via a bromoboration/electrophilic C-H borylation sequence. The brominated-B n -PAHs were isolated as either the borinic acids or B-mesityl-protected derivatives, with the latter having extremely deep LUMOs for the B2-doped PAHs (with one example having a reduction potential of E 1/2 = -0.96 V versus Fc+/Fc, Fc = ferrocene). Mechanistic studies revealed the reaction sequence proceeds by initial alkyne 1,1-bromoboration. 1,1-Bromoboration also was applied to access a number of unprecedented 1-bromo-2,2-diaryl substituted vinylboronate esters directly from internal alkynes. Bromoboration/C-H borylation installs useful C-Br units onto the B n -PAHs, which were utilised in Negishi coupling reactions, including for the installation of two triarylamine donor (D) groups onto a B2-PAH. The resultant D-A-D molecule has a low optical gap with an absorption onset at 750 nm and emission centered at 810 nm in the solid state.

miRNA-5119 regulates immune checkpoints in dendritic cells to enhance breast cancer immunotherapy

Dendritic cell (DC) based immunotherapy is a promising approach to clinical cancer treatment. miRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNA molecules that bind to RNAs to mediate multiple events which are important in diverse biological processes. miRNA mimics and antagomirs may be potent agents to enhance DC-based immunotherapy against cancers. miRNA array analysis was used to identify a representative miR-5119 potentially regulating PD-L1 in DCs. We evaluated levels of ligands of immune cell inhibitory receptors (IRs) and miR-5119 in DCs from immunocompetent mouse breast tumor-bearing mice, and examined the molecular targets of miR-5119. We report that miRNA-5119 was downregulated in spleen DCs from mouse breast cancer-bearing mice. In silico analysis and qPCR data showed that miRNA-5119 targeted mRNAs encoding multiple negative immune regulatory molecules, including ligands of IRs such as PD-L1 and IDO2. DCs engineered to express a miR-5119 mimic downregulated PD-L1 and prevented T cell exhaustion in mice with breast cancer homografts. Moreover, miR-5119 mimic-engineered DCs effectively restored function to exhausted CD8⁺ T cells in vitro and in vivo, resulting in robust anti-tumor cell immune response, upregulated cytokine production, reduced T cell apoptosis, and exhaustion. Treatment of 4T1 breast tumor-bearing mice with miR-5119 mimic-engineered DC vaccine reduced T cell exhaustion and suppressed mouse breast tumor homograft growth. This study provides evidence supporting a novel therapeutic approach using miRNA-5119 mimic-engineered DC vaccines to regulate inhibitory receptors and enhance anti-tumor immune response in a mouse model of breast cancer. miRNA/DC-based immunotherapy has potential for advancement to the clinic as a new strategy for DC-based anti-breast cancer immunotherapy.

Dietary Inflammatory Index and Leukoaraiosis in Patients with Ischemic Stroke

OBJECTIVES

Diet may change the chronic levels of systemic inflammation, which in turn influence the development of leukoaraiosis (LA). This study aimed to examine the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and LA in patients with ischemic stroke.

METHODS

Patients with first-ever ischemic stroke were enrolled from two centers. A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to evaluate diet contents. The DII score of each patient was calculated based on the reported diet contents. Presence and degree of LA were evaluated with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. LA was graded according to Fazekas scale.

RESULTS

Of the 497 enrolled patients, 337 (67.8%) were detected with LA. Patients with LA had a higher DII score (0.23 vs -0.88, P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis detected that patients with highest quartile of DII score had an OR of 3.61 (95% CI: 2.05-6.36, P < 0.001) for LA compared with those with lowest quartile of DII. After adjusting for major confounders, the highest DII quartile remained as an independent predictor for LA (OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.41-5.00, P = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

A pro-inflammatory diet pattern, as indicated by higher DII values, appears to be associated with a higher risk of LA. This result suggested that dietary-mediated inflammation may involved in the pathogenesis of LA, which warrant further study.

Transarterial embolisation with bleomycin and N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate -Lipiodol mixture for symptomatic polycystic liver disease: preliminary experience

AIMS

To evaluate the therapeutic effect and safety of transarterial embolisation using a bleomycin-Lipiodol mixture and N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA)-Lipiodol mixture (BNL) for the treatment of polycystic liver disease (PLD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From June 2012 to July 2018, a total of consecutive 14 symptomatic patients (13 women and 1 man; mean age, 49.3±9.9 years) with PLD were referred and underwent transcatheter arterial embolisation (TAE) with BNL.

RESULTS

Technical success was achieved in all cases. PLD-related severe symptoms were improved remarkably in 13 of the treated patients. The mean maximum abdominal circumference decreased significantly from 100.6±9.4 to 94.9±9.1 cm (p<0.01). The total liver volume decreased significantly compared with pre-TAE in 13 patients at 6-12 months after TAE. It decreased from 9,776±2,219 to 8,303±2,009 cm³ (p<0.01). There were no major complications associated with the procedure.

CONCLUSION

TAE with the bleomycin-Lipiodol mixture and NBCA-Lipiodol mixture may be an effective method for treating symptomatic PLD patients, with improvement of symptoms and shrinkage of cyst volume.

[FOXD2-AS1 is corelated with clinicopathological parameter of laryngeal carcinoma and promote cancer cell proliferation]

Objective: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of long non-coding RNA FOXD2-AS1 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and its effect on cancer cell proliferation. Method: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression of FOXD2-AS1 in 85 cases of laryngeal carcinoma. One-way ANOVA was used to determine relationships between its expression and clinicopathological parameters of laryngeal carcinoma. The prognostic significance of FOXD2-AS1 in head and neck cancer was explored using bioinformatics technology. SiRNA was used to interfere the expression of FOXD2-AS1 in TU686 laryngeal carcinoma cells. MTT and clonal formation assay were used to investigate the biological effect of FOXD2-AS1. MicroRNA binding to FOXD2-AS1 was investigated using double luciferase assay. Result: The expression of FOXD2-AS1 in laryngeal cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in normal tissues(t=10.012, P<0.05), and was associated with T staging of laryngeal cancer(χ=6.41, P=0.016). There were no relationships between FOXD2-AS1 expression and age, sex, smoking history, primary site of tumor and lymph node metastasis(N staging). Survival analysis of head and neck tumors in the TCGA database using GEPIA showed poor prognosis in patients with high FOXD2-AS1 expression(P=0.048). Suppressing FOXD2-AS1 via siRNA in TU686 cells decreased clonal formation ability(t=8.053, P<0.05) and MTT assay confirmed that interference of FOXD2-AS1 down regulated proliferation activity of TU686 cells(t=9.337, P<0.05). Double luciferase assay showed that FOXD2-AS1 could directly bind to miR-206, thus inhibiting the expression of miR-206. Further MTT assay indicated that inhibiting miR-206 attenuated the suppressing effect of si-FOXD2-AS1 on the proliferation of TU686 cells. Conclusion: FOXD2-AS1 is corelated with clinicopathological parameter of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and promotes cancer cell proliferation through targeting miR-206.

[Hyperglycemia caused by mutation of GCK gene in 10 patients analysis of clinical and mutation characteristics]

Objective: To explore the gene mutation characteristics and detailed clinical presentations of hyperglycemia caused by GCK mutations in 10 patients. Methods: The clinical and follow-up data of 10 patients with hyperglycemia caused by mutation of GCK gene were reviewed. The patients were ascertained between January 1, 2014 and August 31, 2018 at the Department of Pediatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University and Ningbo Women & Children's Hospital. Clinical data were collected, including age, gender, main complaint, family history, fasting blood glucose, fasting blood insulin, 2-hour blood glucose, 2-hour blood insulin after oral glucose tolerance test, glycosylated hemoglobin, anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody and body mass index. Mutations of GCK gene were detected by Sanger sequencing or high-throughput sequencing of diabetes-related genes in the patients and their family members. Results: There were ten patients, 8 of them were male, 2 were female.The ages at diagnosis varied between 4.7 to 12.3 years. The patients usually did not have obvious clinical symptoms of diabetes mellitus. Most of them were unexpectedly found to have hyperglycemia and with impaired glucose metabolism in three consecutive generations. The fasting blood glucose of patients was 6.8-7.7 mmol/L, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose was 7.8-11.6 mmol/L. Fasting blood insulin was 0.5-8.5 mU/L, glucose tolerance test results showed that 2 h postprondial blood insulin was 1.3-55.4 mU/L. The level of glycosylated hemoglobin was 6.1%-6.8%. Anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody was negative in all patients. The GCK mutations identified in patients and one of their parents were located at exon5 (4 cases), exon9 (2 cases), exon2 (1 case), exon4 (1 case), exon6 (1 case) and exon7 (1 case). Conclusions: Most of the hyperglycemia patients caused by GCK mutations did not have typical clinical symptoms of diabetes. The fasting blood glucose was slightly elevated. Abnormal glucose tolerance test results were found in all 10 patients. Three consecutive generations of family had impaired glucose metabolism. GCK mutations located at exon 5 were common in 10 cases. There was no correlation between type of mutations and plasma glucose levels in domestic and international researches. When fasting glucose was found abnormal in clinic, a complete family history should be taken and the GCK gene should be sequenced to confirm the diagnosis in time.

[Significance of pelvic contrast enhanced MRA prior to prostatic artery embolization]

Objective: To assess the values of pelvic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in detection of prostatic artery prior to prostatic arterial embolization(PAE). Methods: This multicenter, prospective study from 5 hospitals in China consisted of 47 patients (mean age (69±16) years, range 56-83 years) who underwent PAE for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) between January 2016 and April 2018, preprocedural prediction of prostatic arteries were determined using contrast enhanced MRA.CE-MRA findings were compared with subsequent intraprocedural digital subtraction angiography (DSA) or DSA combined with cone-beam computed tomography (CT) to assess the sensitivity and specificity with which contrast enhanced MRA predicted the number and origins of prostatic artery, also to assess the optimal oblique projection of PA. Results: In total, 47 patients (94 pelvic sides) with 97 PAs confirmed by DSA or DSA combined with cone-beam CT at the time of embolization, MR angiography successfully identified 88 PAs and their origins , the sensitivity and specificity was 90.7% (88/97) and 93.6% (88/94), respectively.MR angiography correctly determined the bilateral prostatic artery origins in 36 (76.6%) cases.According to the optimal oblique projection of PAs suggested by MR angiography, the origins and trajectory of PAs of all patients underwent PAE with the same oblique projection (20°-45°ipsilateral anterior oblique direction) were clearly displayed when performed the first arteriography. Conclusion: Pelvic contrast enhanced MR angiography with high sensitivity and specificity in detection the origin, trajectory and number of PAs, and it could provide useful information regarding prostatic arteries before PAE.

[Transarterial chemoembolization with bleomycin treatment for moderate-advenced hepatocellular carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) using bleomycin for the treatment of medium-advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Between December 2015 and December 2017, a total of 160 patients from the Chinese PLA General Hospital with moderate-advanced HCC whose diagnoses were confirmed by pathology or clinical imaging and were in accord with the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging criteria were prospectively analyzed.All patients had shown persistent viable tumor or tumor progression after at least 2 sessions of TACE.All patients included 135 males and 25 females , age 35-74 (57±8)years, were randomly divided into two groups, the treatment group: TACE procedures consisted of bleomycin+ pirarubicin+ oxaliplatin+ fluorouracil, the control group: pirarubicin+ oxaliplatin+ fluorouracil, and according to modified RECIST criteria the tumor response was evaluated once every 4-6 weeks, survival analysis was performed, overall survival and progression free survival were evaluated.the adverse events were recorded. Results: Response rate of the treatment group was 27.5%(22/80), the median progression free survival(mPFS)was 5.8 months, and the median overall survival (mOS) was 8.1 months.Response rate of the control group was 7.5%(6/80), mPFS of 2.9 months, and mOS of 4 months.The differences in mPFS and in mOS between the two groups were statistically significant (P=0.009, 0.002 respectively), and no serious adverse occurred. Conclusion: It is suggested that transarterial chemoembolization with bleomycin is safe and effective for medium-advenced HCC.

TdIF1: a putative oncogene in NSCLC tumor progression

TdT-interacting factor 1 (TdIF1) is a ubiquitously expressed DNA- and protein-binding protein that directly binds to terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) polymerase. Little is known about the functional role of TdIF1 in cancer cellular signaling, nor has it previously been identified as aberrant in any type of cancer. We report here for the first time that TdIF1 is abundantly expressed in clinical lung cancer patients and that high expression of TdIF1 is associated with poor patient prognosis. We further established that TdIF1 is highly expressed in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines compared to a normal lung cell line. shRNA-mediated gene silencing of TdIF1 resulted in the suppression of proliferation and anchorage-independent colony formation of the A549 adenocarcinoma cell line. Moreover, when these TdIF1-silenced cells were used to establish a mouse xenograft model of human NSCLC, tumor size was greatly reduced. These data suggest that TdIF1 is a potent regulator of lung tumor development. Several cell cycle-related and tumor growth signaling pathways, including the p53 and HDAC1/2 pathways, were identified as participating in the TdIF1 signaling network by in silico analysis. Microarray, transcriptome and protein-level analyses validated p53 and HDAC1/2 modulation upon TdIF1 downregulation in an NSCLC cellular model. Moreover, several other cell cycle regulators were affected at the transcript level by TdIF1 silencing, including an increase in CDKN1A/p21 transcripts. Taken together, these results indicate that TdIF1 is a bona fide tumor-promoting factor in NSCLC and a potential target for therapy.

A protein involved in the immune system also plays a role in the most common type of lung cancer. Weiping Min, of the University of Western Ontario in Canada, and international colleagues found, for the first time, that the protein TdIF1 is significantly upregulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues in patients. High expression levels of this protein were correlated with poor prognosis. NSCLC tumor tissues grown in mice where TdIF1 expression was ‘knocked down’ were significantly smaller than in those without TdIF1 knockdown. Further analyses showed the protein was involved in known cell signaling pathways with roles in NSCLC progression. The findings indicate TdIF1 should be further investigated as a biomarker of NSCLC or as a molecular target for its treatment.

Diagnostic and prognostic implications of serum miR-101 in osteosarcoma

Blood-circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to be used as potential biomarkers in various cancers. MiR-101 has been found to act as a tumor suppressor in many tumor types, but little is known for osteosarcoma. The purpose of this study was to investigate miR-101 expression in osteosarcoma patients and assess its correlation with clinical features and prognosis. Serum samples from 152 osteosarcoma patients and 70 healthy controls were detected using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The data showed that miR-101 expression levels were remarkably underexpressed in serum samples from osteosarcoma patients compared to controls, and the post-treatment serum miR-101 expression was significantly higher than that in the pre-treatment expression. Low serum miR-101 expression was positively associated with advanced clinical stage and distant metastasis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that serum miR-101 could serve as a useful marker for osteosarcoma diagnosis, with a high sensitivity and specificity. Moreover, patients with high miR-101 expression had longer overall survival and recurrence free survival than those with low miR-101 expression. In addition, both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that serum miR-101 downregulation was associated with shorter overall survival and recurrence free survival. Our present results implicated serum miR-101 might be a useful biomarker for the clinical diagnosis and prognosis of osteosarcoma.

A new cancer immunotherapy via simultaneous DC-mobilization and DC-targeted IDO gene silencing using an immune-stimulatory nanosystem

The activity of negative immune regulatory molecules, such as indoleamine 2,3-oxygenase (IDO), significantly attenuates DC (Dendritic cells)-mediated immunotherapy. We have previously reported that knockdown of IDO using siRNA can reinstall anti-tumor immunity. However, a DC-targeted siRNA delivery system for in vivo mobilized DCs remains to be developed, while gene silencing in mobilized DCs for cancer immunotherapy has never been explored. In our study, we developed a novel DC-targeted siRNA delivery system, man-GNR-siIDO, using as a nanocarrier of siRNA specific for IDO (siIDO) and mannose (man) as a guide molecule for targeting DCs. We explored the immunostimulatory man-GNR-siIDO nano-construct in DCs mobilized by Flt3-L, a receptor-type tyrosine kinase ligand, for lung cancer immunotherapy. In vivo DC-targeted gene silencing of IDO resulted in robust anti-tumor immunity as evidenced by promoting DC maturation, up-regulating tumor antigen-specific T-cell proliferation and enhancing tumor-specific cytotoxicity. A combinatorial treatment for Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC)-bearing mice, with man-GNR-siIDO and Flt3-L, significantly attenuated tumor growth and delayed tumor formation, suggesting the treatment feasibility of the man-GNR-siIDO system in Flt3-L mobilized DCs in the immunotherapy of lung cancer. Therefore, our study highlights a clinical potential for a first-in-class anti-cancer immunotherapy through simultaneous DC-mobilization and DC-targeted gene silencing of IDO with man-GNR-siIDO and Flt3-L treatments.

Temperature-dependent cell death patterns induced by functionalized gold nanoparticle photothermal therapy in melanoma cells

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising approach for cancer targeting therapy. However, the temperature-dependent killing of tumor cells in PTT remains unclear. In this study, we report necroptosis plays a role in the anti-tumor effects observed in gold nanorod (GNR)-mediated PTT in melanoma. We first synthesized gold nanorods with a targeting adaptor FA (GNRs-FA), which achieved high efficacy of targeted delivery to melanoma cells. We further demonstrated PTT, precipitated by GNRs-FA under the induction of near-infrared laser, was temperature-dependent. Furthermore, the photothermal killing of melanoma cells showed different patterns of cell death depending on varying temperature in PTT. In a lower temperature at 43 °C, the percentages of apoptosis, necroptosis and necrosis of tumor cells were 10.2%, 18.3%, and 17.6%, respectively, suggesting the cell killing is ineffective at lower temperatures. When the temperature increased to 49 °C, the cell death pattern switched to necrosis dominant (52.8%). Interestingly, when the PTT achieved a moderate temperature of 46 °C, necroptosis was significantly increased (35.1%). Additionally, GNRs-FA/PPT-mediated necroptosis was regulated by RIPK1 pathway. Taken together, this study is the first to demonstrate that temperature-dependent necroptosis is an important mechanism of inducing melanoma cell death in GNR-mediated PTT in addition to apoptosis and necrosis.

Gene silencing of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 2 in melanoma cells induces apoptosis through the suppression of NAD+ and inhibits in vivo tumor growth

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 2 (IDO2) is a newly discovered enzyme that catalyzes the initial and rate-limiting step in the degradation of tryptophan. As a homologous protein of IDO1, IDO2 plays an inhibitory role in T cell proliferation, and it is essential for regulatory T cell (Treg) generation in healthy conditions. Little is known about the immune-independent functions of IDO2 relevant to its specific contributions to physiology and pathophysiology in cancer cells. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of IDO2 gene silencing as a way to inhibit B16-BL6 cancer cells in a murine model. Here, for the first time, we show that knockdown of IDO2 using small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibits cancer cell proliferation, arrests cell cycle in G1, induces greater cell apoptosis, and reduces cell migration in vitro. Knockdown of IDO2 decreased the generation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) while increasing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We further demonstrate that cell apoptosis, induced by IDO2 downregulation, can be weakened by addition of exogenous NAD+, suggesting a novel mechanism by which IDO2 promotes tumor growth through its metabolite product NAD+. In addition to in vitro findings, we also demonstrate that IDO2 silencing in tumor cells using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) delayed tumor formation and arrested tumor growth in vivo. In conclusion, this study demonstrates a new non-immune-associated mechanism of IDO2 in vitro and IDO2 expression in B16-BL6 cells contributes to cancer development and progression. Our research provides evidence of a novel target for gene silencing that has the potential to enhance cancer therapy.

Apical stress distribution under vertical compaction of gutta-percha and occlusal loads in canals with varying apical sizes: a three-dimensional finite element analysis

AIM

To investigate and compare the effects of two apical canal instrumentation protocols on apical stress distribution at the root apex under vertical compaction of gutta-percha and occlusal loads using finite element analysis.

METHODOLOGY

Three finite element analysis models of a mandibular first premolar were reconstructed: an original canal model, a size 35, .04 taper apical canal enlargement model and a Lightspeed size 60 apical canal enlargement model. A 15 N compaction force was applied vertically to the gutta-percha 5 mm from the apex. A 175 N occlusal load in two directions (vertical and 45° to the longitudinal axis of the tooth) was simulated. Stresses in the apical 2 mm of the root were calculated and compared among the three models.

RESULTS

Under vertical compaction, stresses in the apical canal instrumented by Lightspeed size 60 (maximal 3.3 MPa) were higher than that of the size 35, .04 taper model (maximal 1.3 MPa). In the case of the two occlusal forces, the Lightspeed size 60 apical enlargement was associated with the greatest stress distribution in the apical region. The greatest stress and the most obvious stress difference between the models appeared at the tip of the root when occlusal and vertical compaction loads were applied.

CONCLUSIONS

Apical enlargement caused stress distribution changes in the apical region of roots. The larger apical size led to higher stress concentration at the root apex.

Tanshinone IIA ameliorates chronic arthritis in mice by modulating neutrophil activities

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic immune inflammatory disease mediated by the influx of immune cells into the synovial joint space. As Tanshinone IIA (TIIA) has potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, we used the adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) murine model of RA to investigate the impact of TIIA on RA and immune cell activation. The anti-arthritic activity of TIIA was investigated in an adjuvant-induced arthritis model of RA in mice. Myeloperoxidase and neutrophil elastase expression levels were assessed in ankle joints by immunohistochemistry analysis. Immune cell infiltration was evaluated in air pouch experiments. Proinflammatory cytokines expression levels were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) were assessed by immunostaining and confocal microscopy. Treatment with TIIA alleviated cartilage erosion and neutrophil infiltration in the ankle joints of AA mice and reduced proinflammatory cytokine expression levels in sera. TIIA suppressed interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α expression and release in neutrophils and promoted neutrophil apoptosis. TIIA also inhibited the NET formation of neutrophils. Our findings demonstrated that TIIA can ameliorate RA effectively by targeting neutrophils, indicating that TIIA may act as a potential therapeutic for RA.

Synergistic suppression of autoimmune arthritis through concurrent treatment with tolerogenic DC and MSC

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by progressive immune-mediated joint deterioration. Current treatments are not antigen specific and are associated with various adverse. We have previously demonstrated that tolerogenic dendritic cells (Tol-DC) are potent antigen-specific immune regulators, which hold great promise in immunotherapy of autoimmune diseases. In this study, we aimed to develop new immunotherapy by combining Tol-DC and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). We demonstrated that RelB gene silencing resulted in generation of Tol-DC that suppressed T cell responses and selectively promoted Treg generation. The combination of MSC synergized the tolerogenic capacity of Tol-DC in inhibition of T cell responses. In murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model, we demonstrated that progression of arthritis was inhibited with administration of RelB gene-silenced Tol-DC or MSC. This therapeutic effect was remarkably enhanced with concurrent treatment of combination Tol-DC and MSC as demonstrated by improved clinical symptoms, decreased clinical scores and attenuated joint damage. These therapeutic effects were associated with suppression of CII-specific T cell responses, polarization of Th and inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines, and reduced cartilage degeneration. This study for the first time demonstrates a new approach to treat autoimmune inflammatory joint disease with concurrent treatment of RelB gene-silenced Tol-DC and MSC.

[Effects of IFN-γ treatment on biological characteristics and functions of dendritic cells]

Objective To investigate the effect of IFN-γ treatment on the biological characteristics and functions of C57BL/6 murine dendritic cells (DCs). Methods In the process of DC culture, 20 ng/mL IFN-γ was added in the DCs at the early (day 2) or late (day 5) stage, and on day 7, LPS was added to stimulate DC maturation. The expressions of DC surface molecules CD11c, CD80 and CD86 were determined by flow cytometry. To analyze cell functions, DCs were co-cultured with BALB/c mouse-derived lymphocyte cells. The 5, 6-carboxyfluorescein diacetate N-succinimidyl ester (CFSE) labelling was used to detect their ability to stimulate allogeneic lymphocyte proliferation and flow cytometry was used to measure their ability to induce the production of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Results Compared with the control group, the early IFN-γ treatment group had decreased DC number and inhibited cell differentiation; though there was no difference in the expression of co-stimulatory molecules, early IFN-γ treatment resisted the stimulatory effect of LPS on DC maturation, weakened the ability to stimulate allogeneic lymphocyte proliferation and enhanced the ability to induce more Tregs. Compared with the control group, the late IFN-γ treatment group showed no change in DC number and differentiation; the expressions of co-stimulatory molecules CD86 and CD80 were upregulated; the results of DC maturation and mixed allogeneic lymphocyte reaction stimulated by LPS were similar to those in the control group, but its ability to induce Tregs was stronger. Conclusion DCs treated with IFN-γ at early stage and those at late stage showed obvious difference in biological characteristics and functions.

miRNA let-7b modulates macrophage polarization and enhances tumor-associated macrophages to promote angiogenesis and mobility in prostate cancer

Macrophage polarization is a highly plastic physiological process that responds to a variety of environmental factors by changing macrophage phenotype and function. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are generally recognized as promoting tumor progression. As universal regulators, microRNAs (miRNAs) are functionally involved in numerous critical cellular processes including macrophage polarization. Let-7b, a miRNA, has differential expression patterns in inflamed tissues compared with healthy controls. However, whether and how miRNA let-7b regulates macrophage phenotype and function is unclear. In this report, we find that up-regulation of let-7b is characteristic of prostatic TAMs, and down-regulation of let-7b in TAMs leads to changes in expression profiles of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-12, IL-23, IL-10 and TNF-α. As a result, TAMs treated with let-7b inhibitors reduce angiogenesis and prostate carcinoma (PCa) cell mobility. Let-7b may play a vital role in regulating macrophage polarization, thus modulating the prognosis of prostate cancer.

HBV-induced ROS accumulation promotes hepatocarcinogenesis through Snail-mediated epigenetic silencing of SOCS3

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been demonstrated to be involved in Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocarcinogenesis through activation of the STAT3 pathway. The sustained activation of the IL-6/STAT3 pathway is frequently associated with repression of SOCS3, which is both a target gene and a negative regulator of STAT3. However, the silencing mechanism of SOCS3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains to be elucidated. Here, we showed that the repression of SOCS3 and sustained activation of IL-6/STAT3 pathway in HBV-producing HCC cells were caused by HBV-induced mitochondrial ROS accumulation. Mechanistic studies revealed that ROS-mediated DNA methylation resulted in the silencing of SOCS3. Decreased SOCS3 expression significantly promoted the proliferation of HCC cells and growth of tumor xenografts in mice. Further studies revealed that HBV-induced ROS accumulation upregulated the expression of the transcription factor, Snail, which bound to the E-boxes of SOCS3 promoter and mediated the epigenetic silencing of SOCS3 in association with DNMT1 and HDAC1. In addition, we found that the expression of Snail and SOCS3 were inversely correlated in HBV-associated HCC patients, suggesting that SOCS3 and/or Snail could be used as prognostic markers in HCC pathogenesis. Taken together, our data show that HBV-induced mitochondrial ROS production represses SOCS3 expression through Snail-mediated epigenetic silencing, leading to the sustained activation of IL-6/STAT3 pathway and ultimately contributing to hepatocarcinogenesis.

Correction: Synergic therapy of melanoma using GNRs-MUA-PEI/siIDO2-FA through targeted gene silencing and plasmonic photothermia

Correction for ‘Synergic therapy of melanoma using GNRs-MUA-PEI/siIDO2-FA through targeted gene silencing and plasmonic photothermia’ by Yujuan Zhang et al., RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 77577–77589.

Synergic therapy of melanoma using GNRs-MUA-PEI/siIDO2-FA through targeted gene silencing and plasmonic photothermia

IDO2 siRNA synergizes GNR-mediated anti-melanoma photothermal therapy.

A novel GNRs-PEI/GNRs-PEI-folate for efficiently delivering siRNA

RNA interference (RNAi) employs double-stranded RNA or siRNA (small interfering RNA) to silence gene expression in cells. The widespread use of RNAi therapeutics requires the development of clinically suitable, safe and effective delivery vehicles. PEI (Poly(ethylene imine)) carrying the positive charges has attracted considerable attention for siRNA delivery. Gold nanorods (GNRs) exhibit specially localized surface plasmon resonance when excited by the visible and near-infrared laser, which is useful for photothermal therapy. However, the toxicity derived from a large amount of the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) during GNR synthesis severely limits their medical applications. Here, we report the synthesis of GNRs-PEI/GNRs-PEI-folate to improve biocompatibility, siRNA delivery and photothermal therapy of GNRs. Firstly, GNRs were synthesized according to the seed-mediated template-assisted protocol. The characterization results of GNRs showed: the size was length about 218 nm and width about 26.8 nm; the Zeta potential was +38.1 mV derived from CTAB on their surface; the dipole resonance extinction spectrum peak was 752 nm which is effective for photothermal therapy in vivo. Secondly, we synthesized PEI-MUA (Mercaptoundecanoic acid) and PEI-MUA-folate based on the chemical reaction between amino group of PEI and carboxyl group of MUA or Folate. PEI-MUA or PEI-MUA-folate to replace CTAB on GNRs obtained the GNRs-MUA-PEI system or the GNRs-MUA-PEI-folate system due to the solid conjugation between the thiol group of MUA and GNRs. The products were measured using the FTIR Spectrometer, and the spectra suggest MUA-PEI or PEI-MUA-folate has successfully replaced CTAB on the surface of GNRs. Finally, GNRs-MUA-PEI was incubated with siRNA-Cy3. The unbound siRNA-Cy3 was measured the intensity of fluorescence for calculating the uploaded amount of siRNA by GNRs-MUA-PEI, and the results indicate that the uploaded percentage of siRNA is about 70%. We conclude that the GNRs-MUA-PEI system is an effective siRNA loading vehicle.

Microencapsulation improves inhibitory effects of transplanted olfactory ensheathing cells on pain after sciatic nerve injury

Olfactory bulb tissue transplantation inhibits P2X2/3 receptor-mediated neuropathic pain. However, the olfactory bulb has a complex cellular composition, and the mechanism underlying the action of purified transplanted olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) remains unclear. In the present study, we microencapsulated OECs in alginic acid, and transplanted free and microencapsulated OECs into the region surrounding the injured sciatic nerve in rat models of chronic constriction injury. We assessed mechanical nociception in the rat models 7 and 14 days after surgery by measuring paw withdrawal threshold, and examined P2X2/3 receptor expression in L_4–5 dorsal root ganglia using immunohistochemistry. Rats that received free and microencapsulated OEC transplants showed greater withdrawal thresholds than untreated model rats, and weaker P2X2/3 receptor immunoreactivity in dorsal root ganglia. At 14 days, paw withdrawal threshold was much higher in the microencapsulated OEC-treated animals. Our results confirm that microencapsulated OEC transplantation suppresses P2X2/3 receptor expression in L_4–5 dorsal root ganglia in rat models of neuropathic pain and reduces allodynia, and also suggest that transplantation of microencapsulated OECs is more effective than transplantation of free OECs for the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Invited review: Inflammation during the transition to lactation: New adventures with an old flame

For dairy cattle, the first several weeks of lactation represent the highest-risk period in their lives after their own neonatal period. Although more than 50% of cows during this period are estimated to suffer from at least one subclinical disorder, the complicated admixture of normal adaptations to lactation, infectious challenges, and metabolic disorders has made it difficult to determine which physiological processes are adaptive and which are pathological during this time. Subacute inflammation, a condition that has been well documented in obesity, has been a subject of great interest among dairy cattle physiologists in the past decade. Many studies have now clearly shown that essentially all cows experience some degree of systemic inflammation in the several days after parturition. The magnitude and likely persistence of the inflammatory state varies widely among cows, and several studies have linked the degree of postpartum inflammation to increased disease risk and decreased whole-lactation milk production. In addition to these associations, enhancing postpartum inflammation with repeated subacute administration of cytokines has impaired productivity and markers of health, whereas targeted use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs during this window of time has enhanced whole-lactation productivity in several studies. Despite these findings, many questions remain about postpartum inflammation, including which organs are key initiators of this state and what signaling molecules are responsible for systemic and tissue-specific inflammatory states. Continued in vivo work should help clarify the degree to which mild postpartum inflammation is adaptive and whether the targeted use of anti-inflammatory drugs or nutrients can improve the health and productivity of dairy cows.