Isolation of IgG Associated with Human Placenta

Functionalized FcRn-targeted nanosystems for oral drug delivery: A new approach to colorectal cancer treatment

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second type of cancer with the highest lethality rate. The current chemotherapy to treat CRC causes systemic toxicity, unsatisfying response rate, and low tumor-specific selectivity, which is mainly administered by invasive routes. The chronic and aggressive nature of cancers may require long-term regimens. Thus, the oral route is preferred. However, the orally administered drugs still need to surpass the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract and the biological barriers. Nanotechnology is a promising strategy to overcome the oral route limitations. Targeted nanoparticle systems decorated with functional groups can enhance the delivery of anticancer agents to tumor sites. It is described in the literature that the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) is expressed in cancer tissue and overexpressed in CRC epithelial cells. However, the impact of FcRn-targeted nanosystems in the treatment of CRC has been poorly investigated. This review article discusses the current knowledge on the involvement of the FcRn in CRC, as well as to critically assess its relevance as a target for further localization of oral nanocarriers in CRC tumor cells. Finally, a brief overview of cancer therapeutics, strategies to design the nanoparticles of anticancer drugs and a review of decorated nanoparticles with FcRn moieties are explored.

Antibodies Against Unusual Forms of Sialylated Glycans

Previous studies have shown that in the blood of healthy donors (1) there are no natural antibodies against sialylated glycoproteins, which contain Neu5Acα (N-acetylneuraminic acid) as the most widespread form of human sialic acid, and (2) there is a moderate level of antibodies capable of binding unnatural oligosaccharides, where Neu5Ac is beta-linked to a typical mammalian glycan core. In the present study, we investigated antibodies against βNeu5Ac in more detail and verified the presence of Kdn (2-keto-3-deoxy- D-glycero-D-galacto-nonulosonic acid) as a possible cause behind their appearance in humans, taking into account the expected cross-reactivity to Kdn glycans, which are found in bacterial glycoconjugates in both the α- and β-forms. We observed the binding of peripheral blood immunoglobulins to sialyllactosamines (where “sialyl” is Kdn or neuraminic acid) in only a very limited number of donors, while the binding to monosaccharide Kdn occurred in all samples, regardless of the configuration of the glycosidic bond of the Kdn moiety. In some individuals, the binding level of some of the immunoglobulins was high. This means that bacterial Kdn glycoconjugates are very unlikely to induce antibodies to βNeu5Ac glycans in humans. To determine the reason for the presence of these antibodies, we focused on noninfectious pathologies, as well as on a normal state in which a significant change in the immune system occurs: namely, pregnancy. As a result, we found that 2/3 of pregnant women have IgM in the blood against Neu5Acβ2-3Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ. Moreover, IgG class antibodies against Neu5Acβ2-3Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ and Neu5Acβ2-6Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ were also detected in eluates from the placenta. Presumably, these antibodies block fetal antigens.

Protective effect of Gloeostereum incarnatum on ulcerative colitis via modulation of Nrf2/NF‑κB signaling in C57BL/6 mice

Chronic non-specific inflammatory cell infiltration of the colon is generally considered to be the cause of ulcerative colitis (UC). Gloeostereum incarnatum (GI), a fungus rich in amino acids and fatty acids, exhibits a variety of biological functions. In the present study, GI was identified to contain 15 fatty acids, 17 amino acids and 11 metallic elements. The protective effect of GI against UC was investigated in C57BL/6 mice with UC induced by free drinking 3.5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). After a 21-day oral administration, GI prevented weight loss, enhancement of the disease activity index and colonic pathological alterations in mice with UC. GI reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory factors including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-12, tumor necrosis factor α and -β, interferon α and -γ, and pro-oxidative factors including reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide. In addition, it enhanced the levels of immunological factors including immunoglobulin (Ig)A, IgM and IgG, and antioxidative factors including superoxide dismutase and catalase in the serum and/or colon tissues. GI enhanced the expression levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream proteins and suppressed the phosphorylation of NF-κB signaling in colon tissues. Together, GI was shown to alleviate the physiological and pathological state of DSS-induced UC in mice via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions, which may be associated with its modulation of the activation of Nrf2/NF-κB signaling.