Comparison of the inhibitory and stimulatory effects of Core and NS3 candidate HCV vaccines on the cellular immune response

Currently, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects nearly 3% of the global population, the majority of whom are chronically infected; however, hepatitis C vaccines are still in the developmental stage. Numerous studies suggest that the spontaneous resolution of HCV infection and the design of its vaccine are reliant on vital contributions from CTL cell responses and T regulatory cells. Multiple researchers have identified both Core and nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) proteins as crucial immune genes and potential candidates for HCV DNA vaccine design. In this study, Core and NS3 were subcloned and inserted into pcDNA3.1 to construct HCV DNA vaccines administered in mouse models. Furthermore, the effects of Core and NS3 on the induction of CTL and NK were compared in spleen mouse models using the LDH method. Additionally, flow cytometry was employed to investigate the percentage of T regulatory cells (Treg cells) and cells expressing PD-1 in the spleens of the mouse models. Our data indicated that pcDNA3.1+NS3 and pcDNA3.1+Core could enhance CTL and NK activity in mouse models. Importantly, the Treg and PD-1 analysis in mouse models revealed a substantial reduction in the proportions of CD4+/CD25+/Foxp3+ T cells and PD-1+ cells in experimental subjects treated with HCV NS3 along with 5 mg/kg of lenalidomide, utilized as a novel adjuvant, compared to those administered an equivalent dosage of lenalidomide in conjunction with HCV Core. In conclusion, our observations indicated that the NS3-HCV gene had a limited impact on the activation of inhibitory factors. Therefore, NS3 is considered a more suitable candidate for DNA vaccine design compared to Core HCV.

Persistence of SARS-CoV-2-antibodies against N, S and RBD after natural infection

Background and Objectives

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected most countries in the world. Monitoring the humoral immune responses during the natural course of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the duration of them provide useful information for the development of vaccination strategies against this virus and its emerging variants. The importance of the antibody response especially neutralizing antibodies in long-term immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is significant.

Materials and Methods

The present study is a cross-sectional study of sero-epidemiological type that has been proposed to compare the persistence of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) against N (nucleocapsid), S (spike) and RBD (receptor-binding domain) proteins in the community after the time of primary disease. A total of 652 serum samples were collected from hospital staff working in COVID wards, as well as a number of community members with different occupations, among those with positive antibody titers, 86 participated in the resampling test before vaccination.

Results

There was no association between antibody titer and disease severity (p>0.05). A significant decrease in Ab levels was observed in the paired second samples. The highest rate of decrease was related to anti-N, then anti-RBD and anti-S IgG levels, respectively. There is a significant relationship between the initial antibody titer and its reduction over time (p-value <0.05).

Conclusion

Our data revealed that humoral immunity following natural infection of SARS-CoV-2 is detectable for at least 4 months, regardless of disease severity. The most decrease in antibody titer over time was related to anti-N IgG levels.

Comparison of Three Different Methods of Transfection for the Production of Recombinant Adenovirus Expressing Human Carcinoembryonic Antigen Gene

Adenoviral vectors (AdVs) are widely used as a gene delivery vehicle and vaccine design due to their genetic stability, transfer capacity of large genes, production at high titers, and remarkable efficacy of transduction. One of the most important applications of AdVs is in cancer immunotherapy. Tumor-associated antigens are overexpressed in cancer cells; however, they cannot induce immune responses sufficiently. Therefore, the immune system must be stimulated against these antigens to kill the cancer cells. This study described the construction steps of a recombinant AdV expressing human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) gene. Furthermore, in order to achieve a high titer of the virus, an efficient transfection was required. Three various transfection reagents were compared to achieve the best method of transfection. Carcinoembryonic antigen was cloned into the pAdV and transfected into the A293 cells using three different reagents, including polyethylenimine (PEI), calcium phosphate, and DMRIE-C. The PEI had the highest transfection efficiency, which was selected for the transfection of the recombinant plasmid. It has low toxicity for cells and is suitable for large-scale transfection. The virus produced in this study can be applied as a vaccine in cancer immunotherapy for stimulating the immune system against CEA-expressing tumors.

Effect of the Previous History of the SARS-CoV-2 Infections on Antibody Levels among Sputnik V Vaccinated Healthcare Workers

Background: Measuring the level of antibodies produced post-vaccination in response to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is considered a strategy for estimating the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines. Objective: To examine the antibody levels among the healthcare workers in different hospitals in Mashhad, Iran after receiving the second dose of Sputnik V. Methods: In this study, we enrolled 230 healthcare workers for evaluating the Gam-COVID-Vac or Sputnik V after the second administration in different hospitals in Mashhad. Antibody levels of spike protein were quantitatively evaluated in a sample of 230 negative RT-PCR tests for the COVID-19 individuals. The analysis has been done based on an immunological assay using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The infection history of the subjects and their families was examined through their medical records. Results: Our results demonstrated a significant association between a higher titer of IgG and a previous history of the COVID-19 infection (P<0.001). Moreover, the chance of detecting antibodies titer more than 50 AU/ml was 16.99 in these people which was significantly higher than in people without a history of infection pre-vaccination [%95CI: (7.38,39.12), P<0.001]. Conclusion: This result demonstrates that the efficacy of antibody production is related to the previous history of the SARS-CoV-2 infections. Ongoing monitoring of the level of antibody among vaccinated populations will help evaluating the effect of vaccines on humoral immunity status.

Prevalence of herpes simplex viruses types 1 and 2 infections among suspected children of encephalitis in Kermanshah, Iran

Background and Objectives: Various infectious and non-infectious factors can cause encephalitis in the central nervous system (CNS), the most important of which are viruses. Herpes viruses are one of the most important causes of encephalitis worldwide. PCR detected the virus on the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample. The aim of this study was to set up an in-house PCR to identify herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and determine the prevalence of these viruses in suspected children of encephalitis. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 suspected children with encephalitis cases re- ferred to Dr. Kermanshahi Children Hospital, Kermanshah, Iran, from April to March 2021. CSF samples were extracted using a viral extraction kit, and a PCR was performed. The level of glucose and total protein of the samples was measured. Results: The total prevalence of HSV was 16.25%. 17 samples were positive for HSV-1 (10.6%), and 9 samples for HSV-2 (5.6%). There was a significant correlation between glucose, total protein, and HSV PCR positive, but no significant correlation between age and HSV PCR positive results. Conclusion: Rapid diagnosis of a virus may reduce the hospitalization rate and the use of unnecessary therapies and crease mortality, morbidity, and disability in children. Results in this study show that the distribution of HSV types in children with encephalitis predominantly was type 1 compared with type 2.

EBNA1 Upregulates P53-Inhibiting Genes in Burkitt's Lymphoma Cell Line

Background

Suppression of p53 is an important mechanism in Epstein-Barr virus associate-tumors and described as EBNA1-USP7 which is a key axis in p53 suppression. Thus, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the function of EBNA1 on the expression of p53-inhibiting genes including HDAC-1, MDM2, MDM4, Sirt-3, and PSMD10 and the influence of USP7 inhibition using GNE-6776 on p53 at protein/mRNA level.

Methods

The electroporation method was used to transfect the BL28 cell line with EBNA1. Cells with stable EBNA1 expression were selected by Hygromycin B treatment. The expression of seven genes, including PSMD10, HDAC-1, USP7, MDM2, P53, Sirt-3, and MDM4, was evaluated using a real-time PCR assay. For evaluating the effects of USP7 inhibition, the cells were treated with GNE-6776; after 24 hours and 4 days, the cells were collected and again expression of interest genes was evaluated.

Results

MDM2 (P=0.028), MDM4 (P=0.028), USP7 (P=0.028), and HDAC1 (P=0.015) all showed significantly higher expression in EBNA1-harboring cells compared to control plasmid transfected cells, while p53 mRNA expression was only marginally downregulated in EBNA1 harboring cells (P=0.685). Four-day after treatment, none of the studied genes was significantly changed. Also, in the first 24-hour after treatment, mRNA expression of p53 was downregulated (P=0.685), but after 4 days it was upregulated (P=0.7) insignificantly.

Conclusion

It seems that EBNA1 could strongly upregulate p53-inhibiting genes including HDAC1, MDM2, MDM4, and USP7. Moreover, it appears that the effects of USP7 suppression on p53 at protein/mRNA level depend on the cell nature; however, further research is needed.

In Silico Analysis of Neutralizing Antibody Epitopes on The Hepatitis C Virus Surface Glycoproteins

OBJECTIVE

Despite of antiviral drugs and successful treatment, an effective vaccine against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is still required. Recently, bioinformatic methods same as prediction algorithms, have greatly contributed to the use of peptides in the design of immunogenic vaccines. Therefore, finding more conserved sites on the surface glycoproteins (E1 and E2) of HCV, as major targets to design an effective vaccine against genetically different viruses in each genotype was the goal of the study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this experimental study, 100 entire sequences of E1 and E2 were retrieved from the NCBI website and analyzed in terms of mutations and critical sites by Bioedit 7.7.9, MEGA X software. Furthermore, HCV-1a samples were obtained from some infected people in Iran, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) assay was optimized to amplify their E1 and E2 genes. Moreover, all three-dimensional structures of E1 and E2 downloaded from the PDB database were analyzed by YASARA. In the next step, three interest areas of humoral immunity in the E2 glycoprotein were evaluated. OSPREY3.0 protein design software was performed to increase the affinity to neutralizing antibodies in these areas.

RESULTS

We found the effective in silico binding affinity of residues in three broadly neutralizing epitopes of E2 glycoprotein. First, positions that have substitution capacity were detected in these epitopes. Furthermore, residues that have high stability for substitution in these situations were indicated. Then, the mutants with the strongest affinity to neutralize antibodies were predicted. I414M, T416S, I422V, I414M-T416S, and Q412N-I414M-T416S substitutions theoretically were exhibited as mutants with the best affinity binding.

CONCLUSION

Using an innovative filtration strategy, the residues of E2 epitopes which have the best in silico binding affinity to neutralizing antibodies were exhibited and a distinct peptide library platform was designed.

Genomic and serological assessment of asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in child labor

Since working children have limited access to testing and monitoring for COVID-19, we decided to measure SARS-CoV-2 prevalence among them and compare it to non-working children. Our objective is to compare the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 genome and anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody among working and non-working children. Volunteer child labor studying at Defense of Child Labor and Street Children and randomly selected 5-18-year-old (same range as child labor group) unemployed children participated in this study. The groups, respectively, had 65 and 137 members. This is an analytical cross-sectional study that surveys molecular prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection by RT-PCR, and seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody by ELISA in working and non-working children. The IBM SPSS statistics software version 25 was used for data analysis. The χ2 or Fisher's exact test was used to analyze categorical dependent variables, for calculating odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Among the children enrolled in this study, molecular prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 turned out to be 18.5% in working children while it was 5.8% in unemployed children [aOR: 3.00 (CI95%: 1.00-7.00); P value: 0.003] and seroprevalence turned out to be 20% in working children vs 13.9% in non-working children [aOR: 1.000 (CI95%: 0.00-2.00); > P 0.001]. Equal SARS-CoV-2 viral load as adults and no symptoms or mild ones in children, coupled with working children's strong presence in crowded areas and their higher rate of COVID-19 prevalence, make them a probable source for spread of the virus.

Evaluation the Status of Confirmatory Test in Hepatitis C Antibody Screening Algorithm in Blood Donors

BACKGROUND

Countries use national policies to screen and diagnose people infected with the hepatitis C virus to prevent transmission and eliminate the disease. In May 2016, the World Health Organization set a target of 90% diagnosis and elimination of the disease by 2030. The aim of this study was to evaluate the screening and diagnostic algorithm of hepatitis C by serological methods.

METHODS

The blood samples of people referring to blood transfusion centers in Kerman province in southeastern Iran from January 2014 to January 2020 were examined with the defined algorithm for the presence of antibodies against hepatitis C virus by ELISA and confirmation test (RIBA).

RESULTS

Based on the algorithm used, little/no correlations were found between the effect of age on OD in ELISA and RIBA test results, respectively (r = 0.07, p = 0.03) and (r = 0.19, p = 0.001). The correlation between the amount of OD in the ELISA test and the results of RIBA test was (r = 0.24, p = 0.01) and no significant correlation was observed between OD in ELISA and the indeterminate immunoblot test results (r = -0.04 and p = 0.2).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study show, in low-risk populations, all samples that have reactive ELISA results should be confirmed without considering the amount of ELISA OD and the signal-to-cut-off (S/Co) ratios. The existing algorithm should be modified as soon as possible and newer technologies should be used to perform the test.

An enzymatic nucleic acid vertical flow assay

Vertical flow assays have been developed in recent years addressing limitations of the lateral flow assays, including limited multiplexing capability, quantitation, and hook effect. In the present study, the first passive paper-based vertical flow assay is developed for the detection of the nucleic acid target. Horseradish peroxidase was used as an enzymatic tracer with a high potential for signal amplification. In order to achieve the best signal-to-noise ratio, different parameters of paper-based assays were optimized. The sample is heat denatured and hybridized with a specific probe to form a dual-labeled hybridization complex. A small volume of diluted sample, 12 µl, can be analyzed within 6 min on the assay in a sandwich format. Assay specificity was evaluated by testing different unrelated samples, and also, 1.7 nM was obtained as the limit of detection (LOD) using the 0 + 3SD method, which is equivalent to 8.5 fmol of double-stranded DNA in the 12 µl sample volume. The linear range of 3-194 nM with a 0.978 correlation coefficient was obtained according to the calibration curve. The developed assay was evaluated with 45 hepatitis B virus clinical plasma samples, and the result showed 100% consistency of the assay with the real-time PCR benchmark. In the present study, we sought to develop a mere detection system for nucleic acid targets, and to investigate the possibility of using enzyme reporter in a passive vertical flow assay.

[Inhibition of Autophagy by 3-MA Increases Oncolysis Effect of VSV in a Murine Model of Cancer]

Vesicular stomatitis virus has been known as a potent antitumor agent because of its selective replication and lysis of tumor cells and immune-stimulating properties. In response to cellular stress and enhanced metabolism, tumor cells activate autophagy, to provide energy for the cells and preventing tumor destruction. Inhibition of autophagy can increase the therapeutic potential of many antitumor methods. This study aimed to check the efficacy of combined VSV and three-methyl adenine (3-MA) in treating a tumor model in mice. TC-1, a line of C57BL/6 mouse lung cells transformed by HPV-16 E7 and E6 oncoproteins, as well as human Ras, were used for experiments. The viability after treatment with the optimized concentration of 3-MA with or without combination with VSV was assessed by MTT. C57BL/6 male mice were injected with TC-1, and after tumor formation, 3-MA and VSV alone or in combination in two different protocols were injected into tumor mice. Tumor size, tumor-specific CTL response, and apoptosis rate were evaluated. The results showed that 3-MA combined with VSV causes more lethality in tumor cells in vitro. In vivo studies also showed that combined VSV and 3-MA treatment inhibits the progression of TC-1 cancer cells with higher efficiency, especially in daily 3-MA treatment along with four doses of VSV injection with four days' intervals. In addition, the rate of apoptosis and cytotoxic T cells activity in the groups injected with 3-MA and the virus were higher than groups receiving each agent alone. In conclusion, the association of VSV with 3-MA increases its oncolysis activity and subsequently more stimulates the immune system against the tumor. This finding suggests a combinational approach for tumor therapy with therapy. Combining oncolytic VSV with 3-MA as an autophagy inhibitor agent can improve the efficacy of tumor treatment. This combination therapy approach enhances apoptosis in tumors as well as T cell cytotoxicity against tumor cells.

Hepatitis C virus alternative reading frame protein (ARFP): Production, features, and pathogenesis

Earlier observation suggests that hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a single-stranded RNA virus which encodes at least 10 viral proteins. F protein is a novel protein which has been discovered recently. These studies suggest three mechanisms for the production of this protein concerning ribosomal frameshift at codon 10, initial translation at codons 26 and 85 or 87. In this study, the association between protein F and chronicity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been reviewed. Evidence suggests that humoral immune system can recognize this protein and produce antibodies against it. By detecting antibodies in infected people, investigators found that F protein might have a role in HCV infection causing chronic cirrhosis and HCC as higher prevalence was found in patients with mentioned complications. The increment of CD4+, CD25+, and FoxP3+ T cells, along with CD8+ T cells with low expression of granzyme B, also leads to weaker responses of the immune system which helps the infection to become chronic. Moreover, it contributes to the survival of the virus in the body through affecting the production of interferon. F protein also might play roles in the disease development, resulting in HCC. The existence of F protein affects cellular pathways through upregulating p53, c-myc, cyclin D1, and phosphorylating Rb. This review will summarize these effects on immune system and related mechanisms in cellular pathways.

HSV-TK Expressing Mesenchymal Stem Cells Exert Inhibitory Effect on Cervical Cancer Model

A growing area of research is focused on cancer therapy, and new therapeutic approaches are welcomed. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based gene therapy is a promising strategy in oncology. Intrinsic tropism and migration to tumor microenvironment with off lights are attractive features of this type of cell carrier. In this way, suicide genes have also found a good platform for better performance and have shown a stronger anti-tumor mechanism by riding on mesenchymal cells. In this study, we investigated the anti-tumor activity of intratumoral injected MSCs transduced with a lentivector expressing the HSV/TK in a mouse cervical cancer model. Following the injection of MSCs transduced with lentivector carrying TK, MSCs alone or PBS into the mice tumor, ganciclovir was administered intraperitoneally during 14 days, and tumor size, survival time, natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activities were assessed. We demonstrated that combination of suicide therapy and cell therapy leading m,to successful tumor inhibition. Significant reduction in tumor size was detected in test group in comparison with controls. Also, potent antitumor NK and CTL activity was seen in treatment group in comparison with controls. Our data demonstrated that the mesenchymal cells expressing TK had inhibitory effect on cervical cancer model.

Cross talk between alcohol-induced oxidative stress and HCV replication

Alcohol consumption exacerbates the pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and aggravates disease consequences in alcohol-abusing patients. Although the exact reasons by which alcohol consumption affects several cellular pathways in liver cells are not clear, they might be partially attributed to the ability of alcohol to further suppress the innate immunity, modulation of autophagy and also its relationship with reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. To evaluate these issues, Huh7 cells harboring HCV replicon and Cytochrome p450 (CYP2E1) plasmid were exposed to ethanol and mRNA expression of Beclin-1, interferon-stimulated gene15 (ISG15) genes and HCV NS5B for two different times were relatively quantitated. ROS was determined by flow cytometry. The results showed that alcohol treatment in a short time caused an increase in HCV NS5B and Beclin-1 mRNA and decreased ISG 15 mRNA. Long-lasting alcohol treatment increased ROS production in Huh-7 cells and HCV replication was reduced. In conclusion, acute alcohol treatment might contribute to increase HCV replication by interference in innate immunity and induction of autophagy. Chronic alcohol treatment caused oxidative stress, which disrupts autophagy and thereby increased the rate of Huh7 cell injury.

The pattern of antiviral protein expression induced by interferon λ1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Interferon lambda was discovered in recent years to be an antiviral agent, and research on different aspects of this antiviral factor in viral infection and investigations of its effectiveness are also progressing. The immunological effects of interferon lambda on different cell populations is not precisely known, which may be due to its use of a heterodimeric receptor consisting of IL-10R2 and IFN-λR1, which are not broadly expressed in all types of cells. In the present study, signaling by interferon lambda and its effect on the expression of hepatitis C virus (HCV) proteins were measured, and the expression pattern of some antiviral proteins and IL-10 levels were investigated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). PBMCs were isolated from 50 patients with chronic genotype 1a HCV infection and 10 healthy individuals as controls. The PBMCs were treated with various doses of interferon lambda at different times of cultivation. Real-time PCR was used for relative quantification of Mxa, PKR, OAS, ISG15 and HCV core mRNAs. Expression of the NS5A protein was measured by flow cytometry, and IL-10 production was assessed by ELISA. A significant increase in the expression of mRNA encoding antiviral proteins and a decrease in the expression of mRNAs encoding the HCV core protein were observed when cells were treated with interferon lambda in an intermittent manner. The expression of HCV NS5A protein and interleukin 10 levels were also lower than in the control group. It was shown that the maximum antiviral effect of interferon lambda in PBMCs is dependent on the dose and treatment time.

Virus specific tolerance enhanced efficacy of cancer immuno-virotherapy

BACKGROUND

Activation of the immune system to fight cancer is a major goal in immunology and oncology. Although cancer treatment using oncolytic viruses shows promising results, virus mediated oncolysis induces a weak anti-tumor immune response. Upon application of viruses, immune responses against the virus play a significant role in limiting tumor virotherapy. Although suppression of host immunity increases the efficacy of virotherapy against the tumor, but inhibits anti-tumor immune responses. Induction of viral specific tolerance before viral replication may cause the virus to efficiently replicate in tumor cells without affecting the immune responses against tumor antigens. Investigation of the combined strategy of virotherapy and immunotherapy using irradiated tumor cells along with IL-2 and interferon-alpha in virus specific tolerant mice was the goal of this study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For tolerance induction, the newborn mice were injected with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) subcutaneously. After injection of TC-1 tumor cells to adult tolerant mice and formation of a tumor, irradiated TC-1 cells along with IL-2 and Interferon-alpha expression plasmid were injected twice in mice and followed by virotherapy. Size of tumors and CTL activity against the virus and tumor cells were measured.

RESULT

The results showed increased efficacy of virotherapy in combination with immune-stimulators and tumor cells injection in tolerant mice compared to normal mice.

CONCLUSION

Specific tolerance against the oncolytic virus enhances the efficacy of virotherapy both in monotherapy and in combination with immunotherapy.

The Synergistic Effect of Fluvastatin and IFN-λ on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Patients with IL-28B rs12979860 CC Genotype

There is a relationship between the life cycle of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the synthesis and hemostasis of lipids as well as lipid metabolism and interferon (IFN) regulatory system. This study was aimed to examine the effect of fluvastatin and IFN-ƛ in the expression of mediators involved in lipid metabolism and HCV proliferation in patients with rs12979860 CC polymorphism. Thirteen patients with HCV and five controls with rs1297986CC polymorphism were included in this study. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients and controls were treated by fluvastatin, IFN-λ or fluvastatin+IFN-λ. Assessment of IL-28B polymorphism, RNA extraction, and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed. The mRNA expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 c (SREBP1c), ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1), and HCV core as well as measurement of ABCA1 protein level were evaluated before and after treatment. The results indicated that IFN-λ +fluvastatin acted as an inhibitor in mRNA expression of SREBP1c; while acting as an inducer in the expression of ABCA-1. The results of ABCA1 assay showed a significant increase of this protein after treatment with fluvastatin and IFN-λ compared with untreated cells (p=0.02). Moreover, the mRNA expression of HCV core was suppressed in all experimental groups treated with fluvastatin, IFN-λ or their combination which was more significant after treatment with fluvastatin+IFN-λ (p<0.001). The results of this study demonstrated the significant effect of treatment with fluvastatin+IFN-λ in PBMCs of HCV patients with rs12979860 CC polymorphism. According to the drug resistance of viruses and prevention of virus-induced steatosis in patients with HCV, using regulatory agents of lipid mediators in parallel with current medications could be considered as an effective therapeutic strategy.

Impact of interplay between autophagy and interferon-alpha in HCV and HCV/HIV infection

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are among the most dangerous pathogens globally. Infection with HCV has been reported in a high percentage of HIV patients. Viruses are obligate intracellular pathogens and their survival is associated with their capability to subvert antiviral defenses of cells and to improve cellular processes required for their replication. The aim of this study was to compare the expression rate of the key gene for autophagy process, Beclin-1, as a cellular response to viral infections, and its effect on IFN-α expression in both HCV and HCV/HIV patient groups. In this study, a total number of 40 samples of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) including 20 HCV and 20 HCV/HIV patients before treatment were evaluated. The HCV viral load in both groups was evaluated by semi quantitative real-time PCR. The level of Beclin-1 and IFN-α gene expression was examined in all samples by semi quantitative real-time PCR assay. The median viral load was 8.3×105 copies/ml in HCV group and 2.1×106 copies/ml in HCV/HIV patients. While the expression level of Beclin-1 gene in HCV group was significantly higher, the level of IFN-α expression was lower compared to the HCV/HIV group (P  Keywords: autophagy; Beclin gene; HCV; HIV; IFN gene.

Listeriolysin O immunogenetic adjuvant enhanced potency of hepatitis C virus NS3 DNA vaccine

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major health problem all over the world. Among HCV proteins, nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) is one of the most promising target for anti-HCV therapy and a candidate for vaccine design. DNA vaccine is an efficient approach to stimulate antigen-specific immunity but the main problem with that is less immunogenic efficiency in comparison with traditional vaccines. Several approaches have been applied to enhance the immunogenicity of DNA. Recently, bacteria-derived substances are considered as one of the most attractive adjuvants for vaccines, which among them, Listeriolysin O (LLO) of Listeria monocytogenes is a toxin with an extremely immunogenic feature. We investigated detoxified form of LLO gene as genetic adjuvant to modulate NS3 DNA vaccine potency. Immunogenic truncated NS3 gene sequence of HCV (1095-1380aa) and detoxified LLO gene region (5-441aa) were amplified by PCR and cloned into the pcDNA3.1 plasmid separately. The expression of recombinant proteins (pc-NS3, pLLO) was confirmed in HEK293T cell line by western blotting. BALB/c mice models received three doses of different formula of plasmids in two-week intervals and two weeks after the final immunization, the immune responses were evaluated by specific total antibody level, lymphocyte proliferation, cytotoxicity, and cytokine levels assays. To evaluate in vivo cytotoxic activity, tumor challenge was performed. The recombinant plasmids were successfully expressed in mammalian cell line, and coadministration of pc-NS3 with pLLO induced the highest titer of total IgG against NS3 antigen compared with other controls. Determination of IgG subclasses confirmed the efficient increase in mixed responses with Th1 dominancy. Furthermore, significant levels of cytokines (p < .05) and lymphocyte proliferation responses (p < .05) indicated the superiority of this regimen. The findings may have important implication for LLO gene application as genetic adjuvant in immune response against HCV.

[3D structure of DKK1 indicates its involvement in both canonical and non-canonical Wnt pathways]

Dikkoppf-1 (DKK1) is an antagonist of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. The importance of DKK1 as a diagnostic and therapeutic agent in a wide range of diseases along with its significance in a variety of biological processes accentuate the necessity to decipher its 3D structure that would pave the way towards the development of relevant selective inhibitors. A DKK1 structure model predicted by the Robetta server with structural refinements including a 10 ns molecular dynamics run was subjected to functional and docking analyses. We hypothesize that the N-terminal region of the DKK1 molecule could be functionally important for both canonical and noncanonical Wnt pathways. Moreover, it seems that DKK1 could be involved in interactions with the Frizzled receptors, leading to the activation of the Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) pathway (activation of Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) Pathway) and Wnt/Ca^(2+) pathway (activation of CamKII).

Combination of virotherapy with VSV and tumor vaccination significantly enhances the efficacy of antitumor therapy

Oncolytic virotherapy offers the potential to treat tumors both as a single agent and in combination with conventional therapies such as chemotherapy and immunological therapy. Here, we describe an effective treatment regimen which combines virotherapy with immunotherapy. IFN-α and co-stimulator IL-2 along with tumor cell lysate vaccination with intratumoral administration of oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) resulted in regression of established TC1 papilloma tumor model in C57BL/6 mice. The remarkable results especially in the group receiving tumor vaccination and virotherapy together (TC1-VSV) were obtained. Combination therapy synergistically enhanced CTL activity against tumor cells and reduced tumor size, although significant reduction in tumor size was observed in both groups receiving VSV or tumor vaccine alone. The presented data suggest that the effectiveness of virotherapy is enhanced when combined with immunotherapy by priming specific CD8 T cells against tumor antigens through tumor vaccination and boosting by exposure of antigens upon virus infection. Keywords: virotherapy; VSV; tumor vaccine; immunotherapy; IFN-α; IL-2.

Pluripotency Crossroads: Junction of Transcription Factors, Epigenetic Mechanisms, MicroRNAs, and Long Non-coding RNAs

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are derived from inner cell mass (ICM) and have the potency to differentiate into three germ layers (ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm). This potency of ESCs, called pluripotency, is critical for maintaining stemness. Transcriptional regulatory circuitry preserving stemness consists of transcription factors (TFs), epigenetic mechanisms, microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs), and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). In this circuitry, components assist each other to activate essential genes for maintaining pluripotency and suppressing lineage-specific genes. TFs act directly by binding to their binding sites in the genome or indirectly by activating another gene (such as a miR), epigenetic mechanisms play their role by providing an activatory or inhibitory context for transcription, miRNAs regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, and lncRNAs act as a scaffold function for epigenetic elements, regulating gene expression in ESCs. All these factors create a crossroad and collaborate to sustain stemness in the ESCs. Herein, we explain the role of each member in this circuitry and demonstrate the significance of the crossroad for keeping stemness.

Autophagy induction regulates influenza virus replication in a time-dependent manner

PURPOSE

Autophagy plays a key role in host defence responses against microbial infections by promoting degradation of pathogens and participating in acquired immunity. The interaction between autophagy and viruses is complex, and this pathway is hijacked by several viruses. Influenza virus (IV) interferes with autophagy through its replication and increases the accumulation of autophagosomes by blocking lysosome fusion. Thus, autophagy could be an effective area for antiviral research.

METHODOLOGY

In this study, we evaluated the effect of autophagy on IV replication. Two cell lines were transfected with Beclin-1 expression plasmid before (prophylactic approach) and after (therapeutic approach) IV inoculation.Results/Key findings. Beclin-1 overexpression in the cells infected by virus induced autophagy to 26 %. The log10haemagglutinin titre and TCID50 (tissue culture infective dose giving 50 % infection) of replicating virus were measured at 24 and 48 h post-infection. In the prophylactic approach, the virus titre was enhanced significantly at 24 h post-infection (P≤0.01), but it was not significantly different from the control at 48 h post-infection. In contrast, the therapeutic approach of autophagy induction inhibited the virus replication at 24 and 48 h post-infection. Additionally, we showed that inhibition of autophagy using 3-methyladenine reduced viral replication.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed that the virus (H1N1) titre was controlled in a time-dependent manner following autophagy induction in host cells. Manipulation of autophagy during the IV life cycle can be targeted both for antiviral aims and for increasing viral yield for virus production.

Insights into the role of HCV Plus-/Minus strand RNA, IFN-γ and IL-29 in relapse outcome in patients infected with HCV

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Approximately one-third of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients who complete antiviral therapy with undetectable serum HCV RNA at the end of therapy (ETR), will experience relapse. The reasons for the failure of treatment have not been elucidated. It was showed that HCV RNA can persist and replicate in extra hepatic sites, e.g. in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), but the relevance of its presence with relapse over time is still unknown. Moreover, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and IFN-lambdas [IFN-λ1, interleukin-29 (IL-29)], possess potent antiviral activity. We studied if the presence of plus-/minus strand RNA in PBMCs of patients and the serum level of IFN-γ and IL-29, which is the most abundant IFN-lambdas in serum, can be considered as predictive factors in relapse outcomes.

METHODS

Patients were screened for plus-/minus strand RNA at ETR and after 6 months. Also, we measured the serum level of IFN-γ and IL-29 and compared the result with those who developed a sustained virological response (SVR).

RESULTS

Levels of IL-29 and IFN-? serum were significantly higher in SVR at ETR and 6 months later compared to those of the relapsed patients, but there was no difference between the two groups regarding the presence or absence of plus-/minus HCV strand in PBMCs.

CONCLUSIONS

Our novel findings showed that the serum level of IL-29 and IFN-γ are predictive of relapse outcomes to HCV treatment, but there was no association between the presence of plus-γminus HCV RNA in PBMCs of patients with an outcome of therapy at ETR and later.

Assessment the Efficiency of the Constructed Minigenome of Rabies Virus using PV Strain as Helper Virus

INTRODUCTION

Rabies is an acute viral disease that causes encephalomyelitis in mammals and human. The only way to prevent this disease is through vaccination before or after exposure. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of the Pasteur virus (PV) minigenome, using PV strain.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein (EGFP) sequence was placed between the designed necessary elements (Hammerhead, HDV ribozyme, 3' Leader, and 5' Trailer sequences), which resemble the rabies virus PV strain (PV2061) genome and anti-genome. These constructs were placed between T7 polymerase promoter and T7 polymerase terminator sequences. The accuracy of the minigenome was confirmed by the expression of EGFP using the helper virus in T7-BHK cell line.

RESULTS

The viral necessary elements of positive and negative sense strands were evaluated for the ability of EGFP expression in the presence of the helper virus. While the positive strand showed background results, no EGFP background was observed in the negative strand application.

CONCLUSION

Establishment of minigenome system does not require advanced biosafety levels. Furthermore, using minigenome system eliminates many potential confounding factors that may be present in coding regions of the genome. Use of the minigenome system is easier and more feasible than the full genome rescue of the virus. This study successfully shows the efficiency of the constructed rabies virus minigenome in expression of inserted gene.

Construction and Immunogenicity Analysis of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Truncated Non-Structural Protein 3 (NS3) Plasmid Vaccine

Background

To develop hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine, induction of potent humoral and T cell response against immunogenic targets with conserved region should be achieved. T cell response against NS3 is often associated with complete clearance of the virus.

Objectives

Herein, we expressed the truncated form of NS3 in a mammalian cell line and evaluated immune responses of NS3 DNA vaccine in BALB/c.

Materials and Methods

The partial length of NS3 gene, which encodes immunogenic epitopes (1095 - 1379 aa), was amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on RNA obtained from a patient with HCV, inserted into pcDNA3.1 plasmid using XhoI/HindIII sites, and finally evaluated by restriction analysis and sequencing. After transfection of the recombinant plasmid into HEK293T cells, the NS3 protein expression was confirmed by western blotting. Mice were immunized intra-dermally close to the base of the mice tail with four doses in two-weeks intervals and the immune responses were assessed using total and subtypes of IgG antibody assay, cell proliferation and cytokine assay.

Results

The pcDNA3.1 plasmid harboring the coding sequence of NS3 (pc-NS3) was constructed and confirmed with the expected size. Proper expression of the recombinant protein in transfected HEK 293T cells was confirmed using western blotting. The immunization results indicated that pc-NS3 induced significant levels of total antibody, IgG2a subclass antibody, Interferon (IFN)-γ, Interleukin (IL)-4 and proliferation assay compared to the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The pc-NS3 possesses the capacity to express NS3 in the mammalian cell line and demonstrated strong immunogenicity in a murine model. Our primary results demonstrated that the immunogenic truncated region of NS3 could be used as a potential vaccine candidate against hepatitis C.

Autophagy Gene Activity May Act As a Key Factor for Sensitivity of Tumor Cells to Oncolytic Vesicular Stomatitis Virus

BACKGROUND

Beclin1 is an important, primary molecule for autophagy.

OBJECTIVES

It is suggested that the control of the autophagy path increases the sensitivity of tumor cells to VSV.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, the degree of Beclin1 gene expression in two cell lines, HeLa and A549, has been examined and the percentage of living cells subsequent infection with virus has been evaluated by MTT assay method.

RESULTS

The results showed that the degree of Beclin1 gene expression in HeLa cells in comparison with A549 cells has reduced, and the sensitivity of these cells to vesicular stomatits virus (VSV) oncolysis is more than A549.

CONCLUSIONS

It seems that by using some methods for reducing autophagy, it is possible to make tumor cells more sensitive to virotherapy and even other treatments.

Detection of Specific Antibodies to HCV-ARF/CORE+1 Protein in Cirrhotic and Non-Cirrhotic Patients with Hepatitis C: A Possible Association with Progressive Fibrosis

BACKGROUND

The role of different viral proteins in the progression of the disease to cirrhosis is not completely understood. The ARFP/F protein is a newly described protein synthesized from the +1 or -2 reading frames of the core protein gene, which its function remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to detect specific antibodies to HCV-ARF/Core+1 protein in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients with HCV and investigate any possible association.

METHODS

ARF/Core+1 recombinant proteins from HCV genotype 1a were expressed in Escherichia coli, and purified. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we assessed the prevalence of anti-ARF/Core+1 antibodies in 50 cirrhotic and 50 non-cirrhotic hepatitis C patients.

RESULTS

All 50 cirrhotic patients were positive for anti-ARF/Core+1 antibody, while only 80% positive samples among non-cirrhotic patients were detected. The titer of anti-ARF/Core+1 antibody was also significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis than in non-cirrhotic patients.

CONCLUSION

Compared to 80% positive samples among non-cirrhotic patients all 50 cirrhotic patients were positive for anti-ARF/Core+1 antibody and titer of anti-ARF/Core+1 antibody was significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis than in non-cirrhotic. These results suggest that ARF/Core+1 protein is associated with cirrhosis. A possible causative association between ARF/Core+1 and cirrhosis as well as the mechanism of this association needs to be further investigated.

[Antitumor effect of mIFN-λ3 in C57BL/6 mice model for papilloma tumors]

Although several years have passed since the determination of the human papilloma virus (HPV) as the causative agent for cervical cancer, a definitive treatment has not yet been found. Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) immunotherapy is one of the promising methods for tumor treatment, although numerous side effects were observed in clinical trials. Recently, a new type of interferon, lambda-interferon (IFN-λ), has been discovered with fewer side effects than IFN-α since its receptor repertoire is limited. IFN-λ has a series of activities including antiviral, anti-proliferative and anti-tumor actions. In the present study, the effects of IFN-α and IFN-λ on the TC1 papilloma tumor model in C57BL/6 mice were evaluated. TC1 cells were injected into the mice subcutaneously. Upon tumor formation, murine IFN, mIFN-α and mIFN-λ, expression plasmids were injected intratumorally in combination or alone. The survival time and tumor size as well as apoptosis in tumors and NK cytoxicity were measured after three injections. As compared with the control group, the remarkable results especially in the group which received mIFN-α and mIFN-λ together were obtained for all of the measured parameters. Although IFN-λ is a new member of the interferon family and its properties should be studied in detail, the data obtained suggests that the use of IFN-λ especially in combination with IFN-α could be considered as an effective strategy for papilloma cervical cancer immunotherapy.

An EBV-based plasmid can replicate and maintain in stem cells

Viral vectors have a wide range of applications in biology, particularly in gene therapy. Based on their integration capacity, viral vectors are classified as either integrating or non-integrating vectors. Although integrating vectors, such as lentivectors, have the ability to direct prolonged expression of exogenous genes, manipulation of the host genome is an inappropriate feature of these gene delivery tools. Non-integrating vectors, such as episomal replicating plasmids, can replicate and persist in host cells for long periods without any chromosomal interruption. These advantages made them good tools for gene induction purposes in gene therapy and basic studies. Due to the necessity of gene induction in stem cells for study of mammalian development and targeted differentiation, the use of integrating vectors for prolonged expression of genes of interest has been developed. Application of replicating plasmids can overcome some drawbacks associated with integrating vectors, although replication and maintenance of these plasmids can differ between cell types. Previously, it has been shown that such plasmids can be maintained in human embryonic stem cells for more than one month, but the rate of the plasmid replication during the host cell cycle has not been elucidated. In the present study, we showed that an EBV-based plasmid can replicate simultaneously with host in pluripotent and multipotent human and mouse stem cells and can be sustained for long time periods in dividing cells.

F protein increases CD4+CD25+ T cell population in patients with chronic hepatitis C

HCV is a global health problem with an estimated 230 million chronically infected people worldwide. It has been reported that a 17-kd protein translated from core-encoding genomic region can contribute to immune-mediated mechanisms associated with the development of the chronic disease. Also, Treg cells can be contributed to an inadequate response against the viruses, leading to chronic infection. Here we evaluated the ability of protein F to modulate the frequency of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+T and IL-10+T cells in patients with chronic HCV infection. F gene was amplified and cloned in the expression vector. The protein was purified and used for stimulation of PBMCs in the HCV chronic patients and the control groups. The frequency of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T cell-like populations and IL-10-producing CD4+CD25+ T cells was assessed in the HCV-infected patients and in the healthy controls by flow cytometry, which showed an increase of both CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T cell-like population and IL-10-producing CD4+CD25+ T cells in the HCV-infected patients positive for anti-F antibody. Our results suggest the potential involvement of F and core antigens in increasing the frequency of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T cell-like population and IL-10-producing CD4+CD25+ T cells which may be associated with HCV-persistent infection.

A comparative approach between heterologous prime-boost vaccination strategy and DNA vaccinations for rabies

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Rabies is a widespread neurological zoonotic disease causing significant mortality rates, especially in developing countries. Although a vaccine for rabies is available, its production and scheduling are costly in such countries. Advances in recombinant DNA technology have made it a good candidate for an affordable vaccine. Among the proteins of rabies virus, the Glycoprotein (RVG) has been the major target for new vaccine development which plays the principal role in providing complete protection against RV challenge. The aim of this study is to produce recombinant RVG which could be a DNA vaccine candidate and to evaluate the efficiency of this construct in a prime-boost vaccination regimen, compared to commercial vaccine.

METHODS

Cloning to pcDNA3.1(+) and expression of rabies virus glycoprotein gene in BSR cell  line were performed followed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis of the expressed glycoprotein. The resulting genetic construct was used as a DNA vaccine by injecting 80 µg of the plasmid to MNRI mice twice. Prime-Boost vaccination strategy was performed using 80 µg plasmid construct as prime dose and the second dose of an inactivated rabies virus vaccine. Production of rabies virus neutralizing antibody (RVNA) titers of the serum samples were determined by RFFIT.

RESULTS

In comparisons between heterologous prime-boost vaccination strategy and DNA vaccinations, the potency of group D that received Prime-Boost vaccine with the second dose of pcDNA3.1(+)-Gp was enhanced significantly compared to the group C which had received pcDNA3.1(+)-Gp as first injection.

CONCLUSION

In this study, RVGP expressing construct was used in a comparative approach between Prime-Boost vaccination strategy and DNA vaccination and compared with the standard method of rabies vaccination. It was concluded that this strategy could lead to induction of acceptable humoral immunity.

Transcription factor decoy: a pre-transcriptional approach for gene downregulation purpose in cancer

Gene therapy as a therapeutic approach has been the dream for many scientists around the globe. Many strategies have been proposed and applied for this purpose, yet the void for a functional safe method is still apparent. Since most of the diseases are caused by undesirable upregulation (oncogenes) or downregulation (tumor suppressor genes) of genes, major gene therapy's techniques affect gene expression. Most of the methods are used in post-transcriptional level such as RNA inhibitory (RNAi) and splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSOs). RNAi blocks messenger RNA (mRNA) translation by mRNA degradation or interruption between attachments of mRNA with ribosomes' subunits. However, one of the novel methods is the usage of transcription factor targeted decoys. DNA decoys are the new generation of functional gene downregulatory oligonucleotides which compete with specific binding sites of transcription factors. Considering the exponential growth of this technique in both in vitro and in vivo studies, in this paper, we aim to line out the description, design, and application of decoys in research and therapy.

Activation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II following bovine rotavirus enterotoxin NSP4 expression

OBJECTIVES

The rotavirus nonstructural protein 4 (NSP4) is responsible for the increase in cytoplasmic calcium concentration through a phospholipase C-dependent and phospholipase C-independent pathways in infected cells. It is shown that increasing of intracellular calcium concentration in rotavirus infected cells is associated with the activation of some members of protein kinases family such as calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II, which plays a crucial role in replication and pathogenesis of the virus. The aim of this study was to expression bovine rotavirus NSP4 gene in HEK293 cell and evaluation of its biological effect related to activation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II in cell culture.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MA104 cells was used as a sensitive cell for propagation of virus and defined as a positive control. The NSP4 gene was amplified and inserted into an expression vector, and introduced as a recombinant plasmid into HEK293T cells. Western blot analysis was performed as a confirmation test for both expression of NSP4 protein and activation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II.

RESULTS

Expression of NSP4 and activated form of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II were demonstrated by western blotting.

CONCLUSION

It was shown that the expression of biologically active full- length NSP4 protein in HEK293T cells may be associated with some biological properties such as calcium calmodulin kinase II activation, which was indicator of rotaviruses replication and pathogenesis.

Transcription factor decoy against stem cells master regulators, Nanog and Oct-4: a possible approach for differentiation therapy

Transcription factor decoys (TFDs) are exogenous oligonucleotides which can compete by cis-elements in promoters or enhancers for binding to TFs and downregulating gene expression in a specific manner. It is believed that tumor mass originates from cancer stem cells (CSCs) which the same with embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have the properties of both pluripotency and self-renewal (stemness). Many transcription factors such as Nanog, Oct-4, Sox2, Klf4, and Sall4 act as master regulators in the maintenance of stemness in both cell types. Differentiation therapy is based on this theory that by differentiation of CSCs, tumor mass can be eliminated with common cancer therapy methods. To our knowledge, the present study is the first report of a TFD approach against master regulator of stemness, Nanog, Oct-4, and Klf4, for downregulation purposes in P19 embryonic carcinoma stem cell. Different simple and complex decoys against Nanog, OCT-4, Sox2, and Klf4 were designed and used for this purpose. The results showed that the applied decoys especially Nanog-specific decoy decreased the expression of downstream genes.

Efficient lentiviral transduction of adipose tissue-derived mouse mesenchymal stem cells and assessment of their penetration in female mice cervical tumor model

BACKGROUND

Although the incidence of cervical cancer has reduced during last years, but it causes mortality among women. Many efforts have performed to develop new drugs and strategy for treatment of cervical cancer. Adipose Tissue-Derived mouse Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) has many advantages which make them a suitable choice as a cell therapeutic agent in cancer treatment. In this study, we aimed to develop an improved protocol for Mouse MSCs transduction as well as assess the homing capacity and incorporation of MSCs in cervical cancer model.

METHODS

MScs were isolated from the mouse adipose tissue and characterized by differentiation and flow cytometry. In our study, lentiviral vector transductions of MSCs performed. Their penetrations were detected in tissue sections after injection of transduced MSCs to female C57BL/6 mice as a cervical cancer model.

RESULTS

Results showed that MSCs were efficiently transduced with lentiviral vector resulting in efficient tumor penetration.

CONCLUSION

The results provide evidence that MSCs were able to penetrate into the tumor mass of cervical tumor model and are good vehicles for gene transfer to cervical cancer.

An endogenous immune adjuvant released by necrotic cells for enhancement of DNA vaccine potency

BACKGROUND

Improving vaccine potency in the induction of a strong cell-mediated cytotoxicity can enhance the efficacy of vaccines. Necrotic cells and the supernatant of necrotic tumor cells are attractive adjuvants, on account of their ability to recruit antigen-presenting cells to the site of antigen synthesis as well as its ability to stimulate the maturation of dendritic cells.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the utility of supernatant of necrotic tumor cells as a DNA vaccine adjuvant in a murine model.

METHOD

The supernatant of EL4 necrotic cells was co-administered with a DNA vaccine expressing the glycoprotein B of Herpes simplex virus-1 as an antigen model under the control of Cytomegalovirus promoter. C57BL/6 mice were vaccinated three times at two weeks intervals with glycoprotein B DNA vaccine and supernatant of necrotic EL4 cells. Five days after the last immunization, cell cytotoxicity, IFN-γ and IL-4 were evaluated.

RESULTS

The obtained data showed that the production of IFN-γ from the splenocytes after antigenic stimulation in the presence of the supernatant of necrotic EL4 cells was significantly higher than the other groups (p<0.002). The flow cytometry results showed a significant increase in the apoptosis/necrosis of EL4 cells in the mice immunized with DNA vaccine and supernatant of necrotic EL4 cells comparing to the other groups (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The supernatant of necrotic cells contains adjuvant properties that can be considered as a candidate for tumor vaccination.

Induction of protective anti-CTL epitope responses against HER-2-positive breast cancer based on multivalent T7 phage nanoparticles

We report here the development of multivalent T7 bacteriophage nanoparticles displaying an immunodominant H-2k^d-restricted CTL epitope derived from the rat HER2/neu oncoprotein. The immunotherapeutic potential of the chimeric T7 nanoparticles as anti-cancer vaccine was investigated in BALB/c mice in an implantable breast tumor model. The results showed that T7 phage nanoparticles confer a high immunogenicity to the HER-2-derived minimal CTL epitope, as shown by inducing robust CTL responses. Furthermore, the chimeric nanoparticles protected mice against HER-2-positive tumor challenge in both prophylactic and therapeutic setting. In conclusion, these results suggest that CTL epitope-carrying T7 phage nanoparticles might be a promising approach for development of T cell epitope-based cancer vaccines.

Withdrawal from morphine reduces cell-mediated immunity against herpes simplex virus generated by natural immunization

In a previous study, the authors have shown that herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein B DNA vaccine but not live vaccine (non-virulent KOS strain) failed to induce protective immunity against acute HSV-1 challenge in morphine-dependent mice. The present study reports the effect of morphine withdrawal on protective immunity induced by live HSV-1 immunization. BALB/c mice were vaccinated with KOS strain as a live vaccine. Three weeks later, they were exposed to morphine for 14 days. On day 14, withdrawal was induced by administration of normal saline instead of morphine. One day later, immune responses against HSV-1 were assessed by measuring cytotoxicity, lymphocyte proliferation and interferon-γ production. Protection against HSV-1 was assessed by measuring the mortality rate after acute HSV-1 challenge. The results showed that withdrawal from morphine reduces protective immunity against acute HSV-1 challenge. These findings raise the possibility that withdrawal from morphine may increase the susceptibility of drug addicts to infectious diseases.

Investigation in vitro Expression of CatSper Sub Fragment followed by Production of Polyclonal Antibody: Potential Candidate for The Next Generation of Non Hormonal Contraceptive

OBJECTIVE

CatSper is a voltage-sensitive calcium channel that is specifically expressed in the testis and it has a significant role in sperm performance. CatSper (1-4) ion channel subunit genes, causes sperm cell hyperactivation and male fertility. In this study, we have explored targeting of the extracellular loop as an approach for the generation of antibodies with the potential ability to block the ion channel and applicable method to the next generation of non-hormonal contraceptive.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this experimental study, a small extracellular fragment of CatSper1 channel was cloned in pET-32a and pEGFP-N1 plasmids. Then, subsequent methods were performed to evaluate production of antibody: 1) pEGFP-N1/CatSper was used as a DNA vaccine to immunize Balb/c mice, 2) The purified protein of pET-32a/CatSper was used as an antigen in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western- blot, and 3) The serum of Balb/-c mice was used as an antibody in ELISA and western-blot. The statistical analysis was performed using the Mann Whitney test.

RESULTS

The results showed that vaccination of the experimental group with DNA vaccine caused to produce antibody with (p<0.05) unlike the control group. This antibody extracted from Balb/c serum could recognize the antigen, and it may be used potentially as a male contraception to prevent sperm motility.

CONCLUSION

CatSpers are the promising targets to develop male contraceptive because they are designed highly specific for sperm; although, no antagonists of these channels have been reported in the literature to date. As results showed, this antibody can be used in male for blocking CatSper channel and it has the potential ability to use as a contraceptive.

Effect of LIGHT adjuvant on kinetics of T-cell responses induced by HSV-1 DNA immunization

BACKGROUND

Studies on efficacy of various vaccines that prevent or reduce the primary and recurrent HSV-1 infection have demonstrated the importance of cellular immunity for protection against the infection. We previously used DNA vaccination to induce cellular immunity against HSV-1 infection in mice.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of LIGHT; a member of TNF super family, on the kinetic of CTL response induced by HSV-1 glycoprotein B based DNA vaccine.

METHODS

Using a granzyme B ELISA for detection and analysis of CD8+ T cells, CTL activity was determined in the spleen of BALB/c mice at various time points after primary and booster dose of vaccination. The kinetics of CTL response to primary and secondary HSV-1 infection and DNA vaccination were compared to those induced by DNA vaccination in combination with LIGHT adjuvant in the present study.

RESULTS

In primary and secondary immunization, the CTL activity in the HSV injected group peaked 7 days and 12 hours post immunization, respectively. After 5 days, LIGHT could neither accelerate the CTL response compared to DNA vaccination alone nor could enhance the CTL activity in the primary and the first peak of memory response, the amount of granzyme B induced by the LIGHT containing vaccine was significantly higher than that induced by the vaccine without the adjuvant.

CONCLUSION

Although LIGHT enhances the cellular response in the booster dose of vaccination, it does not accelerate the CTL response.

Inactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1 & adenovirus type 5 by direct electric current at a biocompatible level in vitro

BACKGROUND

In vitro studies were conducted to quantify the effectiveness of low-level direct electric current (DC) on infectivity of Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1), Adenovirus type 5 (AdV-5), and on viability of Vero cells.

METHODS

Both viruses and Vero cells were exposed to DC by using platinum electrodes connected to a DC source, then the viral infectivity and cell viability were assessed by plaque and MTT assay, respectively.

RESULTS

The results showed that both viruses were inactivated completely by 200 microA DC in 10 minutes (current density = 20 microA/mm2) while this amount of DC had no significant changes on the viability of Vero cells (viability > 90 %). Inactivation degree of HSV-1 and AdV-5 was 5 and 4 log per mL, respectively. Further study is required to investigate the mechanism of inactivation by this method.

CONCLUSIONS

DC at a biocompatible level showed the competency to inactivate the viruses in the solution completely. So it is a useful tool for designing a noninvasive method for decontamination of biological or synthetic fluids. This method or derivation can be considered as an easy, fast, and economical method for fluid decontamination.

Stable suppression of gene expression by short interfering RNAs targeted to promoter in a mouse embryonal carcinoma stem cell line

RNA interference (RNAi) can induce gene silencing via two pathways: post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) and transcriptional gene silencing (TGS). The mediators of gene inactivation in both pathways are 21-bp small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) generated from longer double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). PTGS involves siRNA-mediated targeting and degradation of mRNA. However, siRNAs induce TGS via DNA methylation at the targeted promoter. Synthetic siRNAs can induce loss of gene activity comparable to long dsRNA. The limitation of this method is that the transfected synthetic siRNA works for only a few days. In this study, we tested the RNAi response to siRNA (PTGS pathway) by using a plasmid containing an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene as a target as well as a plasmid creates siRNA transcript, in a form of a hairpin, against eGFP gene. To investigate TGS pathway via RNAi, we also used a plasmid creates hairpin siRNA transcript against pgk-1 promoter. The data presented here indicated long-lasting inhibition in expression of eGFP and puromycin genes, both under the control of the murine Pgk-1 promoter. However, Southern blot analysis showed no methylation in pgk-1 promoter.