Role of palmitoylation on the neuronal glycine transporter GlyT2

The neuronal glycine transporter GlyT2 removes glycine from the synaptic cleft through active Na+, Cl-, and glycine cotransport contributing to the termination of the glycinergic signal as well as supplying substrate to the presynaptic terminal for the maintenance of the neurotransmitter content in synaptic vesicles. Patients with mutations in the human GlyT2 gene (SLC6A5), develop hyperekplexia or startle disease (OMIM 149400), characterized by hypertonia and exaggerated startle responses to trivial stimuli that may have lethal consequences in the neonates as a result of apnea episodes. Post-translational modifications in cysteine residues of GlyT2 are an aspect of structural interest we analyzed. Our study is compatible with a reversible and short-lived S-acylation in spinal cord membranes, detectable by biochemical and proteomics methods (acyl-Rac binding and IP-ABE) confirmed with positive and negative controls (palmitoylated and non-palmitoylated proteins). According to a short-lived modification, direct labeling using click chemistry was faint but mostly consistent. We have analyzed the physiological properties of a GlyT2 mutant lacking the cysteines with high prediction of palmitoylation and the mutant is less prone to be included in lipid rafts, an effect also observed upon treatment with the palmitoylation inhibitor 2-bromopalmitate. This work demonstrates there are determinants of lipid raft inclusion associated with the GlyT2 mutated cysteines, which are presumably modified by palmitoylation.

The PHH-1V HIPRA vaccine: a new tool in the vaccination strategy against COVID-19

OBJECTIVE

Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is essential to mitigate the personal, social and global impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as we move from a pandemic to an endemic phase. Vaccines are now required that offer broad, long-lasting immunological protection from infection in addition to protection from severe illness and hospitalisation. Here we present a review of the evidence base for a new COVID-19 vaccine, PHH-1V (Bimervax®; HIPRA HUMAN HEALTH S.L.U), and the results of an expert consensus.

METHODS

The expert committee consisted of Spanish experts in medicine, family medicine, paediatrics, immunology, microbiology, nursing, and veterinary medicine. Consensus was achieved using a 4-phase process consisting of a face-to-face meeting during which the scientific evidence base was reviewed, an online questionnaire to elicit opinions on the value of PHH-1V, a second face-to-face update meeting to discuss the evolution of the epidemiological situation, vaccine programmes and the scientific evidence for PHH-1V and a final face-to-face meeting at which consensus was achieved.

RESULTS

The experts agreed that PHH-1V constitutes a valuable novel vaccine for the development of vaccination programmes aimed towards protecting the population from SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease. Consensus was based on evidence of broad-spectrum efficacy against established and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, a potent immunological response, and a good safety profile. The physicochemical properties of the PHH-1V formulation facilitate handling and storage appropriate for global uptake.

CONCLUSIONS

The physicochemical properties, formulation, immunogenicity and low reactogenic profile of PHH-1V confirm the appropriateness of this new COVID-19 vaccine.

Approach to COVID-19 pandemic management in Madrid. Chronic of a year

After more than a year of pandemic, the international medical community has changed the perception of fear to one of respect for SARS-COV-2. This has been the consequence of the integral study of all the dimensions of the disease, from viral recombinant capacity to transmissibility, diagnosis, care and prevention. This document summarizes the main strategic lines of study and approach to the pandemic in Madrid.

Phase-transfer extraction for the fast quantification of perchlorate anions in water

Supramolecular approaches for the quantitative anion analysis in water remain scarce due to the lack of receptors that effectively bind anions in this medium. Herein, we present a novel, fast and easy, supramolecular approach for a selective and quantitative analysis of perchlorate anions in water, coupling the UV-Vis spectroscopic method and phase-transfer extraction of anions by a water-insoluble anion receptor.

Clinical Significance of Preoperative Serum Levels of CA 125 and TAG-72 in Ovarian Carcinoma

In a prospective study we evaluated in 48 patients with primary ovarian carcinoma the prognostic value of the preoperative circulating serum levels of CA 125 and TAG-72. Serum levels of CA 125 were above the cutoff level of 35 U/ml in 68% of patients, TAG-72 levels were higher than 6 U/ml in 50% of patients, while the simultaneous use of the two markers increased the sensitivity to 75%. Pretreatment CA 125 and TAG-72 levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05, for both) in patients with well differentiated tumors than in those with moderate or poor differentiation. Similarly, both marker levels were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in patients with residual disease after cytoreductive surgery than in those with no residual tumor. In addition, the CA 125 levels were also higher in initial stages (I-II) than in more advanced stages (III-IV) (p < 0.05), whereas TAG-72 levels were higher (p < 0.05) in patients with mucinous or endometrioid tumors than in those with serous carcinomas. The results further indicated that high preoperative serum levels of CA 125 and TAG-72 were associated with a shorter overall survival (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). Finally, separate Cox multivariate analysis showed that preoperative CA 125 and TAG-72 serum levels were, after stage, the strongest factors to predict overall survival (p < 0.0001, p < 0.05 and p < 0.005, respectively) in patients with ovarian carcinoma.

Pepsinogen C Expression in Tumors of Extragastric Origin

We have examined by immunohistochemistry the ability of human carcinomas of various origin to produce pepsinogen C, an aspartyl proteinase mainly involved in the digestion of proteins in the stomach and recently found to be associated with breast carcinomas. Of the 268 tumors analyzed 80 (29.8%) showed positive staining for pepsinogen C. These positive tumors included 12 gastric (38.7% of the 31 examined cases), nine pancreatic (42.8%), two renal (20%), 12 prostatic (40%), three bladder (27.3%), 14 endometrial (29.7%) and 18 ovarian (40%) carcinomas. We also detected 10 melanomas (50%) that were positive for pepsinogen C. By contrast, immunohistochemical staining for the proteinase was not detected in colorectal, cervical, lung and basal cell skin carcinomas. These results demonstrate that pepsinogen C, a proteolytic enzyme of highly restricted expression in human tissues, can also be expressed by a wide variety of human carcinomas. In addition, and similar to pepsinogen C expression in breast carcinomas, the production of this enzyme by different human tumors might be related to putative hormonal alterations associated with the development and progression of these tumors.

Clinical Significance of Cathepsin D Concentration in Tumor Cytosol of Primary Breast Cancer

Background

Cathepsin D is the proteolytic enzyme most frequently implicated as a prognostic factor in primary breast cancer. In the present study we evaluated by means of an immunoradiometric assay the tumor content of this protease in primary breast cancer, its relationship with tumor-related clinical and pathological parameters, and its prognostic significance in a large series of breast cancer patients.

Method

The study comprised 1033 women with histologically established invasive breast cancer. Cathepsin D was measured in cytosol samples by means of an immunoradiometric assay to determine the total amount of cathepsin D (52 kDa, 48 kDa and 34 kDa). Evaluation of relapse-free survival and cause-specific survival was performed in the group of 1003 patients without evidence of metastasis at the time of initial diagnosis. The median follow-up of the patients who were free of recurrence was 54 months.

Results

Cathepsin D levels showed a wide range among the studied tumors (n=1033; median (range) 41 (0.9–2504) pmol/mg protein). Statistical analysis showed that the median cathepsin D levels were considerably higher in large tumors (T2–4) than in smaller ones (T1) (p=0.017), as well as in node-positive than in node-negative tumors (p=0.004). Cathepsin D levels were also higher in ductal tumors than in the other histological types (p=0.001), as well as in moderately or poorly differentiated tumors (p<0.001). Likewise, the median value of the protease was significantly higher in ER or PgR-positive tumors than in hormone receptor-negative ones (p=0.011 and p=0.004, respectively), as well as in aneuploid tumors than in diploid tumors (p=0.029). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that elevated cathepsin D levels (>59 pmol/mg protein) were notably associated with a shorter cause-specific survival in the whole group of patients with breast cancer, as well as in the subgroup of node-positive patients (p<0.05).

Conclusions

This study suggests that elevated intratumoral cathepsin D levels may identify a subset of node-positive breast cancer patients showing a high probability of earlier death.

Supramolecular binding and release of sulfide and hydrosulfide anions in water

Bambusuril macrocycles bind and release sulfide and hydrosulfide anions in water.

Geroprotection in cancer prevention

Clinical records from individuals followed for 5 years, 2000 to 2005, were reviewed. They were distributed in 3 cohorts of ages ranging from 51 to 60, 61 to 70, and 71 to 80 years, respectively. Each cohort included 2 groups of patients with diabetes type 2, one group treated with Metformin 850 mg/day, and the other one without pharmacological treatment. In all groups, for each individual, the mean variation of glycosylated hemoglobin, ferritin, lymphocyte count, total and subpopulations, was determined in blood using the measurement at the beginning and at the end of the 5-year follow-up. The number of all living individuals and cancer cases were also recorded in all groups at the end of the 5-year period. The results were consistent with the reported significance as biomarkers of aging of: the increase of glycosylated hemoglobin and ferritin, the decrease of the number of total lymphocytes and CD8+T, and the increase of T-Regulators. In this preliminary observation, the protection of Metformin on the variations of aging biomarkers was associated with survival and decline of malignancy incidence.

Tratamiento de la Disociación Escafolunar mediante tenodesis y ligamentoplastia con el Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis por un único abordaje

Puede decirse que el conocimiento de la etiología, fisiopatología y estados evolutivos de la Disociación Escafolunar (DEL) actualmente es amplio, pero continúa existiendo mucha controversia en cuanto a su tratamiento, siendo ésta una cuestión de la patología carpiana aún no resuelta. En este artículo presentamos una nueva técnica quirúrgica basada en la perfecta reducción de la diástasis y en el mantenimiento del escafoides y semilunar en su posición idónea mediante una tenodesis en el escafoides y una ligamentoplastia entre éste y el semilunar. Con la ventaja de que para ambos fines se emplea el tendón del extensor carpi radialis brevis por una única vía de abordaje y con una técnica sencilla.

[Complete and inverted esophagastric duplicity]

CASE REPORT

A 4-month old girl affected by gastric duplication discovered as a palpable abdominal mass displacing the spleen and left kidney. During laparotomy, a yellowish secretion is aspirated and the gastric duplication is excised together with the common muscular Wall of the greater curvature of the stomach. Also excised, a tubular structure starting from the inferior pole of the malformation, and communicating with it, passing superior to the head of the pancreas and the second portion of the duodenum, followed by a posterior course before inserting into the right cruz of the diaphragm. The histology of the tubular formation was compatible with esophagus.

CONCLUSION

This type of duplication has not been reported in the literature and reinforces the theory that these malformations could be secondary to genetic transcription errors, in the differentiation of the endoderm of the primitive digestive tract and the notochord.

Phototriggered release of amine from a cucurbituril macrocycle

Amines are released from a cucurbituril macrocycle by photoinduced pH jump and modulation of the competitiveness of a fluorescent guest.

Giant cell tumour of bone: new treatments in development

Giant cell tumour of bone (GCTB) is a benign osteolytic tumour with three main cellular components: multinucleated osteoclast-like giant cells, mononuclear spindle-like stromal cells (the main neoplastic components) and mononuclear cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. The giant cells overexpress a key mediator in osteoclastogenesis: the RANK receptor, which is stimulated in turn by the cytokine RANKL, which is secreted by the stromal cells. The RANK/RANKL interaction is predominantly responsible for the extensive bone resorption by the tumour. Historically, standard treatment was substantial surgical resection, with or without adjuvant therapy, with recurrence rates of 20–56 %. Studies with denosumab, a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to RANKL, resulted in dramatic treatment responses, which led to its approval by the United States Food and Drugs Administration (US FDA). Recent advances in the understanding of GCTB pathogenesis are essential to develop new treatments for this locally destructive primary bone tumour.