Meta-analysis of macrophage nanoparticle targeting across blood and solid tumors using an eLDA Topic modeling Machine Learning approach

The role of macrophages in regulating the tumor microenvironment has spurned the exponential generation of nanoparticle targeting technologies. With the large amount of literature and the speed at which it is generated it is difficult to remain current with the most up-to-date literature. In this study we performed a topic modeling analysis of the most common usages of nanoparticle targeting of macrophages in solid tumors. The data spans 20 years of literature, providing an extensive meta-analysis of the nanoparticle strategies. Our topic model found 6 distinct topics: Immune and TAMs, Nanoparticles, Imaging, Gene Delivery and Exosomes, Vaccines, and Multi-modal Therapies. We also found distinct nanoparticle usage, tumor types, and therapeutic trends across these topics. Moreover, we established that the topic model could be used to assign new papers into the existing topics, thereby creating a Living Review. This type of meta-analysis provides a useful assessment tool for aggregating data about a large field.

Measuring and modeling macrophage proliferation in a lab-on-CMOS capacitance sensing microsystem

We report on the use of a lab-on-CMOS biosensor platform for quantitatively tracking the proliferation of RAW 264.7 murine Balb/c macrophages. We show that macrophage proliferation correlates linearly with an average capacitance growth factor resulting from capacitance measurements at a plurality of electrodes dispersed in a sensing area of interest. We further show a temporal model that captures the cell number evolution in the area over long periods (e.g., 30 h). The model links the cell numbers and the average capacitance growth factor to describe the observed cell proliferation.

Measuring and Modeling Macrophage Growth using a Lab-on-CMOS Capacitance Sensing Microsystem

We report on the use of a lab-on-CMOS biosensor platform for quantitatively tracking the growth of RAW 264.7 murine Balb/c macrophages. We show that macrophage growth over a wide sensing area correlates linearly with an average capacitance growth factor resulting from capacitance measurements at a plurality of electrodes dispersed in the sensing area. We further show a temporal model that captures the cell evolution in the area of interest over long periods (e.g., 30 hours). The model links the cell numbers and the average capacitance growth factor associated with the sensing area to describe the observed growth kinetics.

Monocytes as a convergent nanoparticle therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases

Due to the increasing population of individualswith cardiovascular diseases and related comorbidities, there is an increasing need for development of synergistic therapeutics. Monocytes are implicated in a broad spectrum of diseases and can serve as a focal point for therapeutic targeting. This review discusses the role of monocytes in cardiovascular diseases and highlights trends in monocyte targets nanoparticles in three cardiovascular-related diseases: Diabetes, Atherosclerosis, and HIV. Finally, the review offers perspectives on how to develop nanoparticle monocyte targeting strategies that can be beneficial for treating co-morbidities.

Rapid growth in the COVID-19 era

ABSTRACT

From Operation Warp Speed to the lipid mRNA vaccine, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a watershed moment for technological development, production, and implementation. The scale and pace of innovation and global collaboration has likely not been experienced since World War II. This article highlights some of the engineering accomplishments that occurred during the pandemic. We provide a broad overview of the technological achievements in vaccine design, antibody engineering, drug repurposing, and rapid diagnostic testing. We also discuss what the future of these technologies and the future of large-scale collaborations might look like moving forward.

GRAPHIC ABSTRACT

Preparation of an Orthotopic, Syngeneic Model of Lung Adenocarcinoma and the Testing of the Antitumor Efficacy of Poly(2-oxazoline) Formulation of Chemo-and Immunotherapeutic Agents

Tumor xenograft models developed by transplanting human tissues or cells into immune-deficient mice are widely used to study human cancer response to drug candidates. However, immune-deficient mice are unfit for investigating the effect of immunotherapeutic agents on the host immune response to cancer (Morgan, 2012). Here, we describe the preparation of an orthotopic, syngeneic model of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), a subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), to study the antitumor effect of chemo and immunotherapeutic agents in an immune-competent animal. The tumor model is developed by implanting 344SQ LUAD cells derived from the metastases of KrasG12D; p53R172HΔG genetically engineered mouse model into the left lung of a syngeneic host (Sv/129). The 344SQ LUAD model offers several advantages over other models: 1) The immune-competent host allows for the assessment of the biologic effects of immune-modulating agents; 2) The pathophysiological features of the human disease are preserved due to the orthotopic approach; 3) Predisposition of the tumor to metastasize facilitates the study of therapeutic effects on primary tumor as well as the metastases ( Chen et al., 2014 ). Furthermore, we also describe a treatment strategy based on Poly(2-oxazoline) micelles that has been shown to be effective in this difficult-to-treat tumor model ( Vinod et al., 2020b ).

Preparation and Characterization of Poly(2-oxazoline) Micelles for the Solubilization and Delivery of Water Insoluble Drugs

Many new drug development candidates are highly lipophilic compounds with low water solubility. This constitutes a formidable challenge for the use of such compounds for cancer therapy, where high doses and intravenous injections are needed ( Di et al., 2012 ). Here, we present a poly(2-oxazoline) polymer (POx)-based nanoformulation strategy to solubilize and deliver hydrophobic drugs. POx micelles are prepared by a simple thin-film hydration method. In this method, the drug and polymer are dissolved in a common solvent and allowed to mix, following which the solvent is evaporated using mild heating conditions to form a thin film. The micelles form spontaneously upon hydration with saline. POx nanoformulation of hydrophobic drugs is unique in that it has a high drug loading capacity, which is superior to micelles of conventional surfactants. Moreover, multiple active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) can be included within the same POx micelle, thereby enabling the codelivery of binary as well as ternary drug combinations ( Han et al., 2012 ; He et al., 2016 ).

The Role of Extracellular Vesicles in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Autoimmune Disorders

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important players in autoimmune diseases, both in disease pathogenesis and as potential treatments. EVs can transport autoimmune triggers throughout the body, facilitating the process of antigen presentation. Understanding the link between cellular stress and EV biogenesis and intercellular trafficking will advance our understanding of autoimmune diseases. In addition, EVs can also be effective treatments for autoimmune diseases. The diversity of cell types that produce EVs leads to a wide range of molecules to be present in EVs, and thus EVs have a wide range of physiological effects. EVs derived from dendritic cells or mesenchymal stem cells have been shown to reduce inflammation. Since many autoimmune treatments are focused only on symptom management, EVs present a promising avenue for potential treatments. This review looks at the different roles EVs can play in autoimmune diseases, from disease pathology to diagnosis and treatment. We also overview various methodologies in isolating or generating EVs and look to the future for possible applications of EVs in autoimmune diseases.

High-capacity poly(2-oxazoline) formulation of TLR 7/8 agonist extends survival in a chemo-insensitive, metastatic model of lung adenocarcinoma

About 40% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have stage IV cancer at the time of diagnosis. The only viable treatment options for metastatic disease are systemic chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Nonetheless, chemoresistance remains a major cause of chemotherapy failure. New immunotherapeutic modalities such as anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade have shown promise; however, response to such strategies is highly variable across patients. Here, we show that our unique poly(2-oxazoline)-based nanomicellar formulation (PM) of Resiquimod, an imidazoquinoline Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonist, had a superior tumor inhibitory effect in a metastatic model of lung adenocarcinoma, relative to anti-PD-1 therapy or platinum-based chemotherapy. Investigation of the in vivo immune status following Resiquimod PM treatment showed that Resiquimod-based stimulation of antigen-presenting cells in the tumor microenvironment resulted in the mobilization of an antitumor CD8+ immune response. Our study demonstrates the promise of poly(2-oxazoline)-formulated Resiquimod for treating metastatic NSCLC.

Abstract A21: Stromal-derived TGFβ facilitates pancreatic cancer development via repression of T-cell mediated cytotoxicity

The roles of TGFβ in tumor development are seemingly paradoxical. Despite evidence suggesting TGFβ functions as an early stage tumor suppressor, TGFβ promotes the progression of many advanced cancers. For this reason, the effects of TGFβ across non-epithelial cell compartments were evaluated in the greater context of pancreatic cancer. Murine models expressing the human mutant KRASG12D allele (EL-KRAS) were crossed to either mice with epithelial expression of a truncated TGFBR2 (MT-Tgfbr2-DNR), or those with a global deficiency of TGFBR1 (Tgfbr1+/-). Epithelial TGFβ signaling was examined via western blotting and immunoprecipitation of protein lysates from human and mouse cell lines. Co-cultures of human pancreatic epithelial and stellate cells were established to assess paracrine TGFβ signaling with western blotting and ELISA analyses. Additionally, mouse tissue was collected and stained via immunohistochemistry or immunofluorescence. To examine the effects of TGFβ on the lymphoid compartment, mouse mesenteric lymph node was collected and subjected to flow cytometry. Pancreas specific immune activity was subsequently confirmed by immunostaining. In addition, 80 human pancreatic cancer patient samples were subject to immunohistochemical staining of SMAD4, p21, and GranzymeB and analyzed by two-way ANOVA. Despite similar disruption of epithelial TGFβ signaling in both models, the EL-KRAS/Tgfbr1+/- cohort exhibited protection against Kras-induced neoplasia, contrasting advanced disease in EL-KRAS/MT-Tgfbr2-DNR mice. These results suggest TGFBR-deficiency in a non-epithelial cell compartment attenuates the loss of tumor suppressive signaling in the epithelium. Co-cultures of pancreatic epithelial and stellate cells were established, indicating stromal overexpression of TGFβ1 in the presence of cancer epithelia. This stromal-derived TGFβ reduced lesion-targeted, cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell responses mediated by GranzymeB activation of caspase-3. The interruption of this mechanism in EL-KRAS/Tgfbr1+/- restores functional cytotoxicity, overpowering the tumor permissive phenotype of TGFBR1 reduction in pancreatic epithelium. In preparation for translation to the clinic, pancreatic cancer patients were examined for biomarkers of epithelial and tumor microenvironment TGFβ signaling. Statistical analysis revealed no significant correlation between the tumor suppressive SMAD/p21 axis and GranzymeB deposition, indicating cytotoxic responses may be restored following TGFβ inhibition in patients with SMAD4 loss in the epithelia. In summary, global deficiency of TGFBR1 restores a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response by interrupting stromal overexpression of TGFβ, thereby protecting against mutant Kras-induced neoplasia. Given this protection, patients with simultaneous SMAD4 and GranzymeB deficiencies may be optimal candidates for inhibition strategies targeting the TGFβ pathway.

Citation Format: Brian DeCant, Daniel Principe, Elizabeth Wayne, Emman Mascarinas, Hidayatullah Munshi, Barbara Jung, Paul Grippo. Stromal-derived TGFβ facilitates pancreatic cancer development via repression of T-cell mediated cytotoxicity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Innovations in Research and Treatment; May 18-21, 2014; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(13 Suppl):Abstract nr A21.

Telaprevir or boceprevir triple therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C and varying severity of cirrhosis

BACKGROUND

Risks and benefits of protease inhibitor (PI) (telaprevir or boceprevir) triple therapy in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients with mildly decompensated cirrhosis, including those wait-listed for liver transplantation (LT), are incompletely known.

AIM

To assess virological responses and safety of PI triple therapy in patients with mildly decompensated Child-Pugh (CP) CP ≥6 vs. compensated (CP = 5) cirrhosis.

METHODS

Multicentre cohort of 160 adults with cirrhosis treated with peginterferon/ribavirin (peg-IFN/RBV) plus telaprevir (69%) or boceprevir (31%), comparing outcomes between those with CP = 5 and CP ≥6.

RESULTS

Patients, 47% with CP ≥6 cirrhosis (CP range 6-10), received PI triple therapy for a targeted duration of 48 weeks. The cohort was median age 59 years, 32% female, 59% genotype 1a, 35% previous null/partial responders. Sustained virological response at 12 weeks (SVR12) was achieved by 35% of patients with CP ≥6 vs. 54% of those with CP = 5 (P = 0.02). CP = 5, achievement of rapid virological response and genotype 1b/other, independently predicted SVR12. Compared to those with CP = 5, patients with CP ≥6 had more peg-IFN dose reductions, eltrombopag use, transfusions and hospitalisations to manage adverse events (all P < 0.05). Overall, 67 (42%) discontinued treatment early. Nine wait-listed patients were treated for a median of 97 days (IQR 60-160) prior to liver transplantation and five achieved post-LT SVR.

CONCLUSIONS

In the presence of mild decompensation (Child-Pugh ≥6), SVR12 rates with protease inhibitor triple therapy are significantly reduced and adverse events increased. Thus, treatment with protease inhibitor triple therapy, if judged as necessary, should be undertaken with close monitoring and awareness of the significant risks.

A code of ethics for a community mental health program

The Orange County Department of Mental Health developed a code of ethics to give its variety of employees a single set of standards for patient care and professional behavior in a community mental health program. The need for the code grew from problems of role definition and interdisciplinary collaboration that repeatedly arose during the program's development. General principles for the code were extracted from various professional codes, from issues arising in the day-to-day workings of the program, and from existing laws. The code, presented here, defines principles related to confidentiality, professional conduct, quality of service, moral and legal standards, clients' rights, and therapist-client relationships.

Duodenal obstruction by the superior mesenteric artery in bedridden combat casualties

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