Proteomic analysis of anti-MRSA activity of caerin 1.1/1.9 in a murine skin infection model and their in vitro anti-biofilm effects against Acinetobacter baumannii

IMPORTANCE

Caerin 1.1 and caerin 1.9, natural antimicrobial peptides derived from tree frogs, have demonstrated the ability to inhibit the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, comparable to certain widely used antibiotics. Additionally, these peptides exhibit the capacity to prevent or treat biofilms formed by bacteria in conjunction with bodily components. The mechanisms underlying their antibacterial effects were investigated through a mouse model of bacterial skin infection, utilizing proteomic analysis as a technological approach.

Going Beyond Host Defence Peptides: Horizons of Chemically Engineered Peptides for Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are considered a health threat worldwide, and this problem is set to increase over the decades. The ESKAPE, a group of six pathogens including Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp. is the major source of concern due to their high death incidence and nosocomial acquired infection. Host defence peptides (HDPs) are a class of ribosomally synthesised peptides that have shown promising results in combating MDR, including the ESKAPE group, in- and outside bacterial biofilms. However, their poor pharmacokinetics in physiological mediums may impede HDPs from becoming viable clinical candidates. To circumvent this problem, chemical engineering of HDPs has been seen as an emergent approach to not only improve their pharmacokinetics but also their efficacy against pathogens. In this review, we explore several chemical modifications of HDPs that have shown promising results, especially against ESKAPE pathogens, and provide an overview of the current findings with respect to each modification.

Experimental study of 131I-caerin 1.1 and 131I-c(RGD)2 for internal radiation therapy of esophageal cancer xenografts

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the therapeutic effects of 131I-caerin 1.1 and 131I-c(RGD)2 on TE-1 esophageal cancer cell xenografts.

METHODS

(1) The in vitro antitumor effects of the polypeptides caerin 1.1 and c(RGD)2 were verified by MTT and clonogenic assays. 131I-caerin 1.1 and 131I-c(RGD)2 were prepared by chloramine-T (Ch-T) direct labeling, and their basic properties were measured. The binding and elution of 131I-caerin 1.1, 131I-c(RGD)2, and Na131I (control group) in esophageal cancer TE-1 cells were studied through cell binding and elution assays. (2) The antiproliferative effect and cytotoxicity of 131I-caerin 1.1, 131I-c(RGD)2, Na131I, caerin 1.1 and c(RGD)2 on TE-1 cells were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. (3) A nude mouse esophageal cancer (TE-1) xenograft model was established to study and compare the efficacy of 131I-caerin 1.1 and 131I-c(RGD)2 in internal radiation therapy for esophageal cancer.

RESULTS

(1) Caerin 1.1 inhibited the in vitro proliferation of TE-1 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, with an IC50 of 13.00 µg/mL. The polypeptide c(RGD)2 had no evident inhibitory effect on the in vitro proliferation of TE-1 cells. Therefore, the antiproliferative effects of caerin 1.1 and c(RGD)2 on esophageal cancer cells were significantly different (P < 0.05). The clonogenic assay showed that the clonal proliferation of TE-1 cells decreased as the concentration of caerin 1.1 increased. Compared with the control group (drug concentration of 0 µg/mL), the caerin 1.1 group showed significantly lower clonal proliferation of TE-1 cells (P < 0.05). (2) The CCK-8 assay showed that 131I-caerin 1.1 inhibited the in vitro proliferation of TE-1 cells, while 131I-c(RGD)2 had no evident inhibitory effect on proliferation. The two polypeptides showed significantly different antiproliferative effects on esophageal cancer cells at higher concentrations (P < 0.05). Cell binding and elution assays showed that 131I-caerin 1.1 stably bound to TE-1 cells. The cell binding rate of 131I-caerin 1.1 was 15.8 % ± 1.09 % at 24 h and 6.95 % ± 0.22 % after 24 h of incubation and elution. The cell binding rate of 131I-c(RGD)2 was 0.06 % ± 0.02 % at 24 h and 0.23 % ± 0.11 % after 24 h of incubation and elution. (3) In the in vivo experiment, 3 days after the last treatment, the tumor sizes of the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) group, caerin 1.1 group, c(RGD)2 group, 131I group, 131I-caerin 1.1 group, and 131I-c(RGD)2 group were 68.29 ± 2.67 mm3, 61.78 ± 3.58 mm3, 56.67 ± 5.65 mm3, 58.88 ± 1.71 mm3, 14.40 ± 1.38 mm3, and 60.14 ± 0.47 mm3, respectively. Compared with the other treatment groups, the 131I-caerin 1.1 group had significantly smaller tumor sizes (P < 0.001). After treatment, the tumors were isolated and weighed. The tumor weights in the PBS group, caerin 1.1 group, c(RGD)2 group, 131I group, 131I-caerin 1.1 group, and 131I-c(RGD)2 group were 39.50 ± 9.54 mg, 38.25 ± 5.38 mg, 38.35 ± 9.53 mg, 28.25 ± 8.50 mg, 9.50 ± 4.43 mg, and 34.75 ± 8.06 mg, respectively. The tumor weights in the 131I-caerin 1.1 group were significantly lighter than those in the other groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

131I-caerin 1.1 has tumor-targeting properties, is capable of targeted binding to TE-1 esophageal cancer cells, can be stably retained in tumor cells, and has an evident cytotoxic killing effect, while 131I-c(RGD)2 has no evident cytotoxic effect. 131I-caerin 1.1 better suppressed tumor cell proliferation and tumor growth than pure caerin 1.1, 131I-c(RGD)2, and pure c(RGD)2.

PEGylated IL-10: Clinical Development in Cancer Immunotherapy, Where to Go?

PURPOSEOF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to discuss the current understanding of the pegilodecakin (PEGylated interleukin 10) and its role in the inhibition of tumour growth and metastasis. This review also focuses on clinical data published to date that have evaluated the efficacy and safety of pegilodecakin.

RECENT FINDINGS

Pegilodecakin has shown significant promise in preclinical models, notable for decreased tumour burden and fewer sites of metastatic disease across various malignancies. It has been most widely assessed in a phase I/Ib clinical trial against several solid tumours, leading to the phase II and III clinical trials containing pegilodecakin and its combination with other current treatments. However, the updated data have not shown higher efficacy in renal cell carcinoma, metastatic non-small cell lung cancer or pancreatic cancer, with respect to the controls, yet the adverse events presented more mixed results. Further investigation into combination therapies including pegilodecakin is ongoing. Pegilodecakin showed promise in preclinical and phase I clinical trials on its efficacy in several solid tumours, with expected regulation of IL-10 signalling pathway observed. However, the phase II and III trials did not justify its application as potential immunotherapy in selected cancers. Further evaluation of pegilodecakin's efficacy in other cancers, either as monotherapy or in combination with the current treatments, is worth investigating clinically, which warrants to better understand its potential clinical utility.

Single-nucleus RNA sequencing and deep tissue proteomics reveal distinct tumour microenvironment in stage-I and II cervical cancer

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer (CC) is the 3rd most common cancer in women and the 4th leading cause of deaths in gynaecological malignancies, yet the exact progression of CC is inconclusive, mainly due to the high complexity of the changing tumour microenvironment (TME) at different stages of tumorigenesis. Importantly, a detailed comparative single-nucleus transcriptomic analysis of tumour microenvironment (TME) of CC patients at different stages is lacking.

METHODS

In this study, a total of 42,928 and 29,200 nuclei isolated from the tumour tissues of stage-I and II CC patients and subjected to single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) analysis. The cell heterogeneity and functions were comparatively investigated using bioinformatic tools. In addition, label-free quantitative mass spectrometry based proteomic analysis was carried out. The proteome profiles of stage-I and II CC patients were compared, and an integrative analysis with the snRNA-seq was performed.

RESULTS

Compared with the stage-I CC (CCI) patients, the immune response relevant signalling pathways were largely suppressed in various immune cells of the stage-II CC (CCII) patients, yet the signalling associated with cell and tissue development was enriched, as well as metabolism for energy production suggested by the upregulation of genes associated with mitochondria. This was consistent with the quantitative proteomic analysis that showed the dominance of proteins promoting cell growth and intercellular matrix development in the TME of CCII group. The interferon-α and γ responses appeared the most activated pathways in many cell populations of the CCI patients. Several collagens, such as COL12A1, COL5A1, COL4A1 and COL4A2, were found significantly upregulated in the CCII group, suggesting their roles in diagnosing CC progression. A novel transcript AC244205.1 was detected as the most upregulated gene in CCII patients, and its possible mechanistic role in CC may be investigated further.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides important resources for decoding the progression of CC and set the foundation for developing novel approaches for diagnosing CC and tackling the immunosuppressive TME.

Clinical efficacy of PD-1 inhibitor combined with radiotherapy in a multi-drug resistant patient with liver metastasis from gastric cancer

A 54-year-old male was diagnosed with extensive liver metastasis and small nodule metastasis in the lungs from gastric adenocarcinoma [Her-2 (-)]. The patient achieved significant partial response (PR) after chemotherapy combined with anti-angiogenesis therapy but developed progressive disease (PD) after 5 months. Then, the chemotherapeutic and anti-angiogenic drugs were replaced. Meanwhile, the delivery route of some chemotherapeutic drugs was changed, and some chemotherapeutic drugs were given via transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) to achieve PR, and PD developed after 3 months of remission maintenance. During chemotherapy combined with anti-angiogenesis, the application of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor achieved PR again and maintained for 5 months before disease progression. The progression of the lesions in the left lobe of the liver and the hepatic hilar lymph nodes was significant. Hence, chemotherapy was terminated and gamma stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) was performed on left lobe lesions and hilar lymph nodes. The lesions both inside and outside the radiation field regressed significantly, reaching PR and abscopal effects. The immune-related adverse events (irAEs) occurred, including erythema and black and luster hair. The abscopal effects of lesion reduction in the radiation field and the enhancement of the immune function stimulated by radiation are a highlight of the combination of radiation and immunotherapy. In the end, the patient died of gastrointestinal failure, with overall survival of 18 months.

Caerin 1.1/1.9 Enhances Antitumour Immunity by Activating the IFN-α Response Signalling Pathway of Tumour Macrophages

Macrophages are one of the essential components of the tumour microenvironment (TME) of many cancers and show complex heterogeneity and functions. More recent research has been focusing on the characterisation of tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs). Previously, our study demonstrated that caerin 1.1/1.9 peptides significantly improve the therapeutic efficacy of combined specific immunotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade in a murine transplantable tumour model (TC-1). In this study, the mice inoculated with TC-1 tumour were immunised differently. The TAMs were isolated using flow cytometry and characterised by cytokine ELISA. The survival rates of mice with different treatments containing caerin 1.1/19 were assessed comparatively, including those with/without macrophage depletion. The single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of previous studies were integrated to further reveal the functions of TAMs with the treatments containing caerin 1.1/1.9. As a comparison, the TAMs of stage I and II cervical cancer patients were analysed using scRNA-seq analysis. We demonstrate that caerin induced tumour clearance is associated with infiltration of tumours by IL-12 secreting Ly6C+F4/80+ macrophages exhibiting enhanced IFN-α response signalling, renders animals resistant to further tumour challenge, which is lost after macrophage depletion. Our results indicate that caerin 1.1/1.9 treatment has great potential in improving current immunotherapy efficacy.

Effect Evaluation of Bronchial Artery Embolization for Hemoptysis of Lung Cancer and Changes in Serum Tumor Markers and miR-34 Levels

The clinical efficacy, serum tumor markers, and miR-34 expression levels of bronchial artery embolization (BAE) in patients with lung cancer with hemoptysis are investigated. 92 patients with lung cancer hemoptysis treated in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2021 are randomly selected, and 92 patients are randomly divided into the conservative group and the BAE group according to the number table method, with 46 patients in each group. The efficacy, overall survival (OS) rate, coagulation function, hemoptysis volume, serum tumor markers, and miR-34 expression are compared among all groups at different time points. The experimental results show that the BAE treatment can promote the expression of miR-34 and inhibit the expression of tumor markers, so it can improve the efficacy of patients with lung cancer hemoptysis, improve the symptoms of hemoptysis and coagulation function, and prolong the life cycle of patients.

131I-Caerin 1.1 and 131I-Caerin 1.9 for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer

Objective

To investigate the effect of the ¹³¹I-labeled high-affinity peptides Caerin 1.1 and Caerin 1.9 for the treatment of A549 human NSCLC cells.

Methods

① 3-[4,5-Dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and plate clone formation assays were performed to confirm the in vitro anti-tumor activity of Caerin 1.1 and Caerin 1.9. ② Chloramine-T was used to label Caerin 1.1 and Caerin 1.9 with ¹³¹I, and the Cell Counting Kit 8 assay was performed to analyze the inhibitory effect of unlabeled Caerin 1.1, unlabeled Caerin 1.9, ¹³¹I-labeled Caerin 1.1, and ¹³¹I-labeled Caerin 1.9 on the proliferation of NSCLC cells. An A549 NSCLC nude mouse model was established to investigate the in vivo anti-tumor activity of unlabeled Caerin 1.1, unlabeled Caerin 1.9, ¹³¹I-labeled Caerin 1.1, and ¹³¹I-labeled Caerin 1.9.

Results

① Caerin 1.1 and Caerin 1.9 inhibited the proliferation of NSCLC cells in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration was 16.26 µg/ml and 17.46 µg/ml, respectively, with no significant intergroup difference (P>0.05). ② ¹³¹I-labeled Caerin 1.1 and ¹³¹I-labeled Caerin 1.9 were equally effective and were superior to their unlabeled versions in their ability to inhibit the proliferation and growth of NSCLC cells (P>0.05).

Conclusions

¹³¹I-labeled Caerin 1.1 and ¹³¹I-labeled Caerin 1.9 inhibit the proliferation and growth of NSCLC cells and may become potential treatments for NSCLC.

Effect of profilin-1 on the asymmetric dimethylarginine-induced vascular lesion associated hypertension

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: None.

OnBehalf

Guohua Ni

Objective

Previous studies have demonstrated that the levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, are strongly associated with hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Profilin-1, an actin-binding protein, has been documented to be involved in endothelial injury and in the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) resulting from hypertension. However, the role of profilin-1 in ADMA-induced vascular injury in hypertension remains largely unknown.

Methods

 Forty healthy subjects and forty-two matched patients with essential hypertension were enrolled, and the related indexes of vascular injury in plasma were detected. Rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs) were treated with different concentrations of ADMA for different periods of time and transfected with profilin-1 shRNA to interrupt the expression of profilin-1. To determine the role of the Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) pathway, RASMCs were pretreated with AG490 or rapamycin. The expression of profilin-1 was tested using real-time PCR and western blot analysis. Cell proliferation was measured by flow cytometry and MTT assays.

Results

 Compared with healthy subjects, the levels of ADMA and profilin-1 were markedly elevated in hypertensive individuals, while the levels of NO were significantly decreased(P &lt; 0.05). In vitro, studies showed ADMA induced profilin-1 expression in a concentration- and time-dependent manner in RASMCs (P &lt; 0.05), concomitantly with promoting the proliferation of RASMCs. Furthermore, ADMA-mediated proliferation of RASMCs and up-regulation expression of profilin-1 were inhibited by blockade of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway or knockdown of profilin-1. 

Conclusions

Profilin-1 implicated in the ADMA-mediated vascular lesions in hypertension. Abstract Figure 12  Abstract Figure 3

Caerin 1 Peptides, the Potential Jack-of-All-Trades for the Multiple Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Infection Treatment and Cancer Immunotherapy

Antibiotic resistance-related bacterial infections and cancers become huge challenges in human health in the 21^st century. A number of naturally derived antimicrobial peptides possess multiple functions in host defense, including anti-infective and anticancer activities. One of which is known as the caerin 1 family peptides. The microbicidal properties of these peptides have been long discussed. The recent studies also established the usage of two members in this family, caerin 1.1 and caerin 1.9, in antimultiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria species. It is increasingly evident that caerin 1.1 and caerin 1.9 also contain additional activities in the suppression of tumor. In this review, we briefly outline the therapeutic potentials and possible mechanism of action of caerin 1.1 and 1.9 in the treatment of multiple antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection and cancer immunotherapy.

Preclinical Pharmacokinetics, Biodistribution, and Acute Toxicity Evaluation of Caerin 1.9 Peptide in Sprague Dawley Rats

Caerin 1.9 is a natural peptide derived from the skin secretions of the Australian tree frog (Litoria) with broad-spectrum antimicrobial and anticancer bioactivity. It improves the efficacy of a therapeutic vaccine and immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy when injected intratumorally and inhibits TC-1 tumor growth when applied topically through intact skin in a TC-1 murine tumor model. This paper investigated the pharmaceutical kinetic profile, the tissue distribution, and the acute safety investigation of Caerin 1.9 peptide in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. The results showed that subcutaneous injection of Caerin 1.9 at 100 mg/kg is safe and does not cause mortality or organ malfunction in the recipient rats. For the consecutive injection of F3 at 10 mg/kg, the peak concentration (C _max) of F3 displayed at 1 hr after injection in male rats was 591 ng/mL, the average drug retention time was 0.807 hr, T _1/2 was 4.58 hr, and AUC_0-last was 1890 h × ng/mL. In female rats, C _max was 256 ng/mL, with an average drug retention time of 2.96 hr, T _1/2 of 1.33 hr, and AUC_0-last of 740 h × ng/mL. The results showed that the concentration of Caerin 1.9 in the peripheral blood peaked at 1 hour. As injected concentration increased, T _1/2 extended, and C _max, AUC_0-last, and volume of distribution at a steady state all increased. After 14 days of repeated subcutaneous injection at 10.0 mg/kg, no accumulation of Caerin 1.9 in plasma was observed. The results of tissue distribution showed that the Caerin 1.9 is below the LC-MS/MS detection threshold at a minimum concentration of 40 ng/g. In conclusion, Caerin 1.9 is well tolerated in rats and could be used with current immunotherapies for better management of solid tumors and genital warts.

Topical Application of Temperature-Sensitive Gel Containing Caerin 1.1 and 1.9 Peptides on TC-1 Tumour-Bearing Mice Induced High-Level Immune Response in the Tumour Microenvironment

The development of topical cream drugs that increase the immune activation of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes against tumour and chronic viral infection-associated lesions is of great immunotherapeutic significance. This study demonstrates that the topical application of a temperature-sensitive gel containing caerin 1.1 and 1.9 peptides reduces nearly 50% of the tumour weight of HPV16 E6/E7-transformed TC-1 tumour-bearing mice via improving the tumour microenvironment. Confocal microscopy confirms the time-dependent penetration of caerin 1.9 through the epidermal layer of the ear skin structure of mice. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis shows that the caerin 1.1/1.9 gel expands the populations with high immune activation level and largely stimulates the pro-inflammatory activity of NK and dendritic cells. Closely associated with INFα response, Cebpb seems to play a key role in altering the function of all Arg1^hi macrophages in the caerin group. In addition, the caerin gel treatment recruits almost two-fold more activated CD8⁺ T cells to the TME, relative to the untreated tumour, which shows a synergistic effect derived from the regulation of S1pr1, Ccr7, Ms4a4b and Gimap family expression. The TMT10plex-labelling proteomic quantification further demonstrates the activation of interferon-alpha/beta secretion and response to cytokine stimulus by the caerin gel, while the protein contents of several key regulators were elevated by more than 30%, such as Cd5l, Gzma, Ifit1, Irf9 and Stat1. Computational integration of the proteome with the single-cell transcriptome consistently suggested greater activation of NK and T cells with the topical application of caerin peptide gel.

Nanoscale lattice dynamics in hexagonal boron nitride moiré superlattices

Twisted two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have unlocked a new means for manipulating the properties of quantum materials. The resulting mesoscopic moiré superlattices are accessible to a wide variety of scanning probes. To date, spatially-resolved techniques have prioritized electronic structure visualization, with lattice response experiments only in their infancy. Here, we therefore investigate lattice dynamics in twisted layers of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), formed by a minute twist angle between two hBN monolayers assembled on a graphite substrate. Nano-infrared (nano-IR) spectroscopy reveals systematic variations of the in-plane optical phonon frequencies amongst the triangular domains and domain walls in the hBN moiré superlattices. Our first-principles calculations unveil a local and stacking-dependent interaction with the underlying graphite, prompting symmetry-breaking between the otherwise identical neighboring moiré domains of twisted hBN.

Here, the authors investigate the lattice dynamics of twisted hexagonal boron nitride layers via nano-infrared spectroscopy, showing local and stacking-dependent variations of the optical phonon frequencies associated to the interaction with the graphite substrate.

Large ultrafast-modulated Voigt effect in noncollinear antiferromagnet Mn3Sn

The time-resolved magneto-optical (MO) Voigt effect can be utilized to study the Néel order dynamics in antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials, but it has been limited for collinear AFM spin configuration. Here, we have demonstrated that in Mn₃Sn with an inverse triangular spin structure, the quench of AFM order by ultrafast laser pulses can result in a large Voigt effect modulation. The modulated Voigt angle is significantly larger than the polarization rotation due to the crystal-structure related linear dichroism effect and the modulated MO Kerr angle arising from the ferroic ordering of cluster magnetic octupole. The AFM order quench time shows negligible change with increasing temperature approaching the Néel temperature (T_N), in markedly contrast with the pronounced slowing-down demagnetization typically observed in conventional magnetic materials. This atypical behavior can be explained by the influence of weakened Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction rather than the smaller exchange splitting on the diminished AFM order near T_N. The temperature-insensitive ultrafast spin manipulation can pave the way for high-speed spintronic devices either working at a wide range of temperature or demanding spin switching near T_N.

Mn3Sn is an anti-ferromagnetic material which displays a large magneto-optical Kerr effect, despite lacking a ferromagnetic moment. Here, the authors show that likewise, Mn3Sn, also presents a particularly large magneto-optical Voigt signal, with a negligible change in the quench time over a wide temperature range.

Caerin 1.1 and 1.9 Peptides from Australian Tree Frog Inhibit Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Growth in a Murine Skin Infection Model

The host defense peptide caerin 1.9 was originally isolated from skin secretions of an Australian tree frog and inhibits the growth of a wide range of bacteria in vitro. In this study, we demonstrated that caerin 1.9 shows high bioactivity against several bacteria strains, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Streptococcus haemolyticus in vitro. Importantly, unlike the antibiotic Tazocin, caerin 1.9 does not induce bacterial resistance after 30 rounds of in vitro culture. Moreover, caerin 1.1, another peptide of the caerin family, has an additive antibacterial effect when used together with caerin 1.9. Furthermore, caerin 1.1 and 1.9 prepared in the form of a temperature-sensitive gel inhibit MRSA growth in a skin bacterial infection model of two murine strains. These results indicate that caerin 1.1 and 1.9 peptides could be considered an alternative for conventional antibiotics. IMPORTANCE Antibiotic-resistant bacteria cause severe problems in the clinic. We show in our paper that two short peptides isolated from an Australian frog and prepared in the form of a gel are able to inhibit the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in mice, and, unlike antibiotics, these peptides do not lead to the development of peptide-resistant bacteria strains.

Intratumoral injection of caerin 1.1 and 1.9 peptides increases the efficacy of vaccinated TC-1 tumor-bearing mice with PD-1 blockade by modulating macrophage heterogeneity and the activation of CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment

OBJECTIVES

Developing a vaccine formula that alters the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes to be more immune active against a tumor is key to the improvement of clinical responses to immunotherapy. Here, we demonstrate that, in conjunction with E7 antigen-specific immunotherapy, and IL-10 and PD-1 blockade, intratumoral administration of caerin 1.1/1.9 peptides improves TC-1 tumor microenvironment (TME) to be more immune active than injection of a control peptide.

METHODS

We compared the survival time of vaccinated TC-1 tumor-bearing mice with PD-1 and IL-10 blockade, in combination with a further injection of caerin 1.1/1.9 or control peptides. The tumor-infiltrating haematopoietic cells were examined by flow cytometry. Single-cell transcriptomics and proteomics were used to quantify changes in cellular activity across different cell types within the TME.

RESULTS

The injection of caerin 1.1/1.9 increased the efficacy of vaccinated TC-1 tumor-bearing mice with anti-PD-1 treatment and largely expanded the populations of macrophages and NK cells with higher immune activation level, while reducing immunosuppressive macrophages. More activated CD8+ T cells were induced with higher populations of memory and effector-memory CD8+ T subsets. Computational integration of the proteome with the single-cell transcriptome supported activation of Stat1-modulated apoptosis and significant reduction in immune-suppressive B-cell function following caerin 1.1 and 1.9 treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Caerin 1.1/1.9-containing treatment results in improved antitumor responses. Harnessing the novel candidate genes preferentially enriched in the immune active cell populations may allow further exploration of distinct macrophages, T cells and their functions in TC-1 tumors.

Identification of ferroptosis genes in immune infiltration and prognosis in thyroid papillary carcinoma using network analysis

BACKGROUND

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid cancer. While many patients survive, a portion of PTC cases display high aggressiveness and even develop into refractory differentiated thyroid carcinoma. This may be alleviated by developing a novel model to predict the risk of recurrence. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death (RCD) driven by lethal accumulation of lipid peroxides, is regulated by a set of genes and shows a variety of metabolic changes. To elucidate whether ferroptosis occurs in PTC, we analyse the gene expression profiles of the disease and established a new model for the correlation.

METHODS

The thyroid carcinoma (THCA) datasets were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), UCSC Xena and MisgDB, and included 502 tumour samples and 56 normal samples. A total of 60 ferroptosis related genes were summarised from MisgDB database. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) were used to analyse pathways potentially involving PTC subtypes. Single sample GSEA (ssGSEA) algorithm was used to analyse the proportion of 28 types of immune cells in the tumour immune infiltration microenvironment in THCA and the hclust algorithm was used to conduct immune typing according to the proportion of immune cells. Spearman correlation analysis was performed on the ferroptosis gene expression and the correlation between immune infiltrating cells proportion. We established the WGCNA to identify genes modules that are highly correlated with the microenvironment of immune invasion. DEseq2 algorithm was further used for differential analysis of sequencing data to analyse the functions and pathways potentially involving hub genes. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis was performed using Clusterprofiler to explore the clinical efficacy of hub genes. Univariate Cox analysis was performed for hub genes combined with clinical prognostic data, and the results was included for lasso regression and constructed the risk regression model. ROC curve and survival curve were used for evaluating the model. Univariate Cox analysis and multivariate Cox analysis were performed in combination with the clinical data of THCA and the risk score value, the clinical efficacy of the model was further evaluated.

RESULTS

We identify two subtypes in PTC based on the expression of ferroptosis related genes, with the proportion of cluster 1 significantly higher than cluster 2 in ferroptosis signature genes that are positively associated. The mutations of Braf and Nras are detected as the major mutations of cluster 1 and 2, respectively. Subsequent analyses of TME immune cells infiltration indicated cluster 1 is remarkably richer than cluster 2. The risk score of THCA is in good performance evaluated by ROC curve and survival curve, in conjunction with univariate Cox analysis and multivariate Cox analysis results based on the clinical data shows that the risk score of the proposed model could be used as an independent prognostic indicator to predict the prognosis of patients with papillary thyroid cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study finds seven crucial genes, including Ac008063.2, Apoe, Bcl3, Acap3, Alox5ap, Atxn2l and B2m, and regulation of apoptosis by parathyroid hormone-related proteins significantly associated with ferroptosis and immune cells in PTC, and we construct the risk score model which can be used as an independent prognostic index to predict the prognosis of patients with PTC.

Targeted radioimmunotherapy with the iodine-131-labeled caerin 1.1 peptide for human anaplastic thyroid cancer in nude mice

Objective

The combination of two or more drugs with different mechanisms is a promising strategy for cancer treatment, and radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is a trending antitumor strategy. Radiotherapy (RT) can promote and activate antitumor immune effects, and immunotherapy can strengthen the effects of selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT); the RIT combination is synergistic and can overcome the adverse side effects of monotherapy. In this study, we developed a radioimmunoconjugate (RIC)—the iodine-131 (¹³¹I)-labeled caerin 1.1 peptide—to treat human anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC).

Methods

Antitumor activity of caerin 1.1 peptide was determined by MTT assay, plate colony formation and cell wound scratch assays, and the mechanism of the inhibition of carein 1.1 peptide on the growth of CAL-62 cells was identified by cell cycle and western blot. Then, we investigated the efficacy of the caerin 1.1 peptide as a single drug and the ¹³¹I-labeled caerin 1.1 peptide for ATC. H&E and TUNEL staining was performed to detect dead cells in the tumor tissue sections.

Results

We found that caerin 1.1 arrested cells in the S phase to induce apoptosis and inhibited tumor growth to inhibit phosphorylation of Akt. In vivo, the iodine-131 (¹³¹I)-labeled caerin 1.1 peptide achieved better antitumor efficacy than radiotherapy alone and showed a good biosafety profile.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates for the first time that the iodine-131 (¹³¹I)-labeled caerin 1.1 peptide can inhibit CAL-62 tumor growth and migration. The iodine-131 (¹³¹I)-labeled caerin 1.1 peptide, which represents a radioimmunotherapy strategy based on the combination of SIRT with a peptide–drug conjugate, could provide a treatment means for the radical cure of ATC.

Mg alloy surface immobilised with caerin peptides acquires enhanced antibacterial ability and putatively improved corrosion resistance

Magnesium (Mg) has mechanical properties similar to human bones and Mg alloy is considered ideal medical implant material. However, the high velocity of degradation inside the human inner environment severely hampers the usage of Mg alloys. In this study, caerin peptide 1.9 (F3) and a modified sequence of caerin 1.1 (F1) with anti-bacterial activity, were covalently immobilised on the surface of Mg alloys by plasma chemical click reaction. The in vitro antibacterial activity and corrosion resistance of these caerin peptide-immobilised Mg alloys were investigated in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) solution. Un-immobilised Mg alloy sample, blank drug-sensitive tablet (BASD) and a commonly used antibiotics Tazocin were used for comparison. Results showed that peptide immobilised Mg samples showed observable improved corrosion resistance and prolonged antibacterial effect compared to non-immobilised Mg alloy and free caerin peptides. These results indicate that coating Mg alloy with caerin peptides obviously increases the alloy's antibacterial ability and putatively improves the corrosion resistance in vitro. The mechanism underlying the prolonged antibacterial effect for annealed Mg alloys immobilised with the peptides (especially F3) remains unclear, which worth further experimental and theoretical investigation.

Importance of human papillomavirus infection in squamous cell carcinomas of the tongue in Guangdong Province, China

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Host-Defense Peptides Caerin 1.1 and 1.9 Stimulate TNF-Alpha-Dependent Apoptotic Signals in Human Cervical Cancer HeLa Cells

Host defense caerin 1.1 and 1.9 peptides, isolated from the glandular secretion of Australian tree frogs, the genus Litoria, have been previously shown to have multiple biological activities, including the inhibition of human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 early protein E7 transformed murine as well as human cancerous cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. However, the mechanism underlying their anti-proliferative activities against HPV18+ cervical cancer HeLa cells remains unknown. This study comparatively investigated the anti-proliferation on HeLa cells by caerin 1.1, 1.9, and their mixture, followed by confocal microscopy examination to assess the cellular intake of the peptides. Tandem mass tag labeling proteomics was employed to reveal the proteins that were significantly regulated by the peptide treatment in cells and cell growth environment, to elucidate the signaling pathways that were modulated. Western blot was performed to confirm the modulation of the pathways. Both caerin 1.1 and 1.9 highly inhibited HeLa cell proliferation with a significant additive effect compared to untreated and control peptide. They entered the cells with different magnitudes. Intensive protein-protein interaction was detected among significantly upregulated proteins. Translation, folding and localization of proteins and RNA processing, apoptosis process was significantly enriched post the treatments. The apoptotic signaling was suggested as a result of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) pathway activation, indicated by the dose-dependent elevated levels of caspase 3 and caspase 9. The epidermal growth factor receptor and androgen receptor pathways appeared inhibited by the peptides. Moreover, the activation of T-cell receptor derived from the quantitation results further implies the likelihood of recruiting more T cells to the cell growth environment post the treatment and more sensitive to T cell mediated killing of HeLa cells. Our results indicate that caerin 1.1 and 1.9 mediate apoptotic signals of HeLa cells and may subsequently enhances adaptive T cell immune responses.

Significance of LL-37 on Immunomodulation and Disease Outcome

LL-37, also called cathelicidin, is an important part of the human immune system, which can resist various pathogens. A plethora of experiments have demonstrated that it has the multifunctional effects of immune regulation, in addition to antimicrobial activity. Recently, there have been increasing interest in its immune function. It was found that LL-37 can have two distinct functions in different tissues and different microenvironments. Thus, it is necessary to investigate LL-37 immune functions from the two sides of the same coin. On the one side, LL-37 promotes inflammation and immune response and exerts its anti-infective and antitumor effects; on the other side, it has the ability to inhibit inflammation and promote carcinogenesis. This review presents a brief summary of its expression, structure, and immunomodulatory effects as well as brief discussions on the role of this small peptide as a key factor in the development and treatment of various inflammation-related diseases and cancers.

Targeting interleukin-10 signalling for cancer immunotherapy, a promising and complicated task

Interleukin 10 (IL-10) belongs to IL-10 family cytokines that are critical for maintaining the integrity of epithelial tissues, protecting pathogenic infection, and preventing excessive immune responses to damage self. Temporal IL-10 signaling blockade enhances vaccine-induced tumor regression by CD8 + T cells. IL-10, especially pegylated IL-10, mediates tumor regression by expanding tumor-infiltrating CD8 + T cells. Moreover, targeting IL-10 enhances immune checkpoint inhibitor mediated tumor regression. In the current paper, we will review recent advances in this area and discuss the complexity of IL-10 manipulation for cancer therapy.

Topical application of temperature-sensitive caerin 1.1 and 1.9 gel inhibits TC-1 tumor growth in mice

Genital warts, which are one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), result from persistent infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), especially subtypes 6 or 11. Topical application of 5% imiquimod cream is currently recommended as a first-line treatment choice for genital warts, but the clearance and patient compliance rates remain less than sufficient. In the current study, we developed a temperature-sensitive gel that contains the host-defense peptides caerin 1.1 and 1.9, which were originally isolated from Australian tree frogs of the genus Litoria. Growth of HPV16 E6/E7-transformed TC-1 cells was inhibited in vitro and in vivo following injection of the tumor with the caerin gel in a TC-1 tumor mouse model. Furthermore, when the caerin gel was topically applied, the inhibitory effect remained, and T, NK cells were attracted to the tumor site. In addition, the gel maintained a similar level of bioactivity after incubation at room temperature for 30 days. Our results suggest that this caerin gel, following further optimization, may provide an alternative method for the management of genital warts.

Human papillomavirus infection among head and neck squamous cell carcinomas in southern China

Human papillomavirus (HPV) related tumours account for a significant proportion of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) in developed countries. They respond better to chemo- and radio-therapy, and have a better stage specific prognosis. To establish their prevalence in China, we assessed a series of histology confirmed HNSCCs collected in Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces by PCR for HPV DNA and by immunohistochemistry for p16 protein status. Among 303 HNSCCs, HPV DNA was detected in 26.4%, with HPV16 DNA in 71% of these. Of HNSCC located in the oropharynx, 38.55% (32/83) were HPV+ve. In this series, p16 status was a relatively poor predictor of HPV status as detected by PCR. The stage specific survival time of HPV+ HNSCCs was significantly longer than for HPV- HNSCC. HPV status should be assessed for oropharyngeal cancers in China to assist with appropriate management, and prophylaxis against HPV infection should be considered to reduce the incidence of this disease.

Synthesized natural peptides from amphibian skin secretions increase the efficacy of a therapeutic vaccine by recruiting more T cells to the tumour site

Background

Therapeutic vaccines against cervical cancer remain ineffective. Previously, we demonstrated that blocking the signalling of a cytokine, interleukin 10, at the time of immunisation elicited significantly higher numbers of antigen specific T cells and inhibited tumour growth in mice.

Results

In the current paper, we demonstrate, in a HPV16 E6/E7 transformed TC-1 tumour mouse model, that despite increased antigen specific T cell numbers, blocking IL-10 signalling at the time of immunisation does not increase the survival time of the TC-1 tumour bearing mice compared to mice receiving the same immunisation with no IL-10 signalling blockade. Moreover, the function of tumour infiltrating T cells isolated 3 weeks post TC-1 transplantation is more suppressed than those isolated 2 weeks after tumour inoculation. We demonstrate that synthesized caerin peptides, derived from amphibian skin secretions, 1) were able to inhibit TC-1 tumour growth both in vitro and in vivo; 2) are environmentally stable; and 3) promote the secretion of pro-inflammatory interlukine-6 by TC-1 cells. Notably caerin peptides were able to increase the survival time of TC-1 tumour bearing mice after therapeutic vaccination with a HPV16E7 peptide-based vaccine containing IL-10 inhibitor, via recruiting increased levels of T cells to the tumour site.

Conclusion

Caerin peptides increase the efficacy of a therapeutic vaccine by recruiting more T cells to the tumour site.

Genetic parameters of the thick-to-thin albumen ratio and egg compositional traits in layer-type chickens

1. Generating a robust egg albumen is one of the major factors contributing to interior egg quality owing to its nutritive value and superior appearance. However, the genetic factors regulating the proportion of thick albumen are poorly understood. 2. In this study, 1330 eggs were collected from 450 Rhode Island White layers, aged 40 weeks, to measure egg compositional traits for three successive days. The restricted maximum likelihood method was applied to estimate genetic parameters for the thick-to-thin albumen ratio and other egg compositional traits. A univariate animal model was fitted to calculate heritability for each trait. 3. The heritabilities of egg weight, yolk weight, albumen height, Haugh units, percentages of yolk, thick albumen, thin albumen and the thick-to-thin albumen ratio were 0.32, 0.34, 0.28, 0.47, 0.61, 0.39, 0.31, and 0.45, respectively. The percentage of thick albumen was negatively correlated genetically with all traits, and percentage of thin albumen was negatively correlated genetically with all traits except for Haugh units. The thick-to-thin albumen ratio was positively correlated genetically with egg weight, albumen height and Haugh units, with correlations ranging from 0.21 to 0.54. 4. The results indicated that the percentage of thick albumen and the thick-to-thin albumen ratio were found to be moderately to highly heritable, and selection for the thick-to-thin albumen ratio could be conducive to the improvement of egg albumen quality.

The feasibility of using low-density marker panels for genotype imputation and genomic prediction of crossbred dairy cattle of East Africa

Cost-effective high-density (HD) genotypes of livestock species can be obtained by genotyping a proportion of the population using a HD panel and the remainder using a cheaper low-density panel, and then imputing the missing genotypes that are not directly assayed in the low-density panel. The efficacy of genotype imputation can largely be affected by the structure and history of the specific target population and it should be checked before incorporating imputation in routine genotyping practices. Here, we investigated the efficacy of imputation in crossbred dairy cattle populations of East Africa using 4 different commercial single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) panels, 3 reference populations, and 3 imputation algorithms. We found that Minimac and a reference population, which included a mixture of crossbred and ancestral purebred animals, provided the highest imputation accuracy compared with other scenarios of imputation. The accuracies of imputation, measured as the correlation between real and imputed genotypes averaged across SNP, were around 0.76 and 0.94 for 7K and 40K SNP, respectively, when imputed up to a 770K panel. We also presented a method to maximize the imputation accuracy of low-density panels, which relies on the pairwise (co)variances between SNP and the minor allele frequency of SNP. The performance of the developed method was tested in a 5-fold cross-validation process where various densities of SNP were selected using the (co)variance method and also by alternative SNP selection methods and then imputed up to the HD panel. The (co)variance method provided the highest imputation accuracies at almost all marker densities, with accuracies being up to 0.19 higher than the random selection of SNP. The accuracies of imputation from 7K and 40K panels selected using the (co)variance method were around 0.80 and 0.94, respectively. The presented method also achieved higher accuracy of genomic prediction at lower densities of selected SNP. The squared correlation between genomic breeding values estimated using imputed genotypes and those from the real 770K HD panel was 0.95 when the accuracy of imputation was 0.64. The presented method for SNP selection is straightforward in its application and can ensure high accuracies in genotype imputation of crossbred dairy populations in East Africa.

Iodine-125 labeled Australian frog tree host-defense peptides caerin 1.1 and 1.9 better inhibit human breast cancer cells growth than the unlabeled peptides. 125I-caerin 1.9 may better be used for the treatment of breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

We recently showed that host defense caerin peptides isolated from Australian frog tree were able to inhibit cervical cancer tumour cell growth in vitro. We wished to determine if radioactive isotope iodine-125 (¹²⁵I) can be labeled to caerin 1.9 peptide and if this peptide is bioactive for breast cancer cells treatment.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The biological function of caerin (1.1 and 1.9) peptides were investigated by in vitro 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The anti-cancer effect of ¹²⁵I labeled caerin 1.9 was compared with unlabeled caerin 1.9 peptide. The tissue distribution of ¹²⁵I labeled caerin 1.9 peptide was further studied in mice.

RESULTS

In the current paper, we demonstrated that caerin peptides (1.1 and 1.9) were separately able to inhibit the viability of two breast cancer cell lines in vitro and this inhibition was more profound when these peptides were simultaneously applied. Moreover, ¹²⁵I can be stably attached to caerin 1.9 peptide with high efficiency. Iodine-125 labeled caerin 1.9 inhibited breast cancer cells line MCF-7 viability more efficiently than free ¹²⁵I and also than unlabeled caerin 1.9. Additionally, iodine-125 labeled caerin 1.9 in vivo imaging demonstrated that although slightly, it could be accumulated in tumor tissue.

CONCLUSION

Our results from this totally original study indicated that radioactive isotope ¹²⁵I labeled to caerin peptide 1.9 may be used to treat breast cancer while at the same time the response to treatment may be monitored by simultaneous imaging.

Genital warts treatment: Beyond imiquimod

Genital warts are one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. The disease is a result of infection with low-risk types of human papillomaviruses, mostly type 6 and 11. Current therapies for genital warts are mainly ablative, or alternatively topical application of imiquimod cream and sinecatechin (polyphenon E) ointment to the warts. However, low patient compliance and high recurrence rate are significant problems for the treatment of genital warts by imiquimod and ablative therapies. We summarise recent literature in this area and propose combining imiquimod with other therapies to increase the efficacy of imiquimod.

Combining anaerobic bacterial oncolysis with vaccination that blocks interleukin-10 signaling may achieve better outcomes for late stage cancer management

Late stage solid tumors cause significant cancer mortality rates worldwide and effective therapy remains a big challenge. Cancer therapeutic vaccines elicit tumor specific T cells that kill tumor cells yet often fail to result in tumor destruction because of the limited T cell response and the local immune-suppressive environment. Blocking interleukin 10 (IL-10) signaling at the time of therapeutic vaccination elicits much stronger T cell responses than vaccination without IL-10 blocking. Anaerobic oncolytic bacteria target hypoxic regions of the late stage tumor tissues which not only stops tumor growth but also provides a pro-inflammatory environment that may increase the effectiveness of a therapeutic vaccine by recruiting more effector T cells to tumor site. In this review, we argue that combining both bacterial and vaccine therapies may improve the efficiency of late stage cancer management.

Blocking IL-10 signalling at the time of immunization does not increase unwanted side effects in mice

BACKGROUND

Cancer therapeutic vaccine induced cytotoxic T cell (CTL) responses are pivotal for the killing of tumour cells. Blocking interleukin 10 (IL-10) signalling at the time of immunization increases vaccine induced CTL responses and improves prevention of tumour growth in animal models compared to immunization without an IL-10 signalling blockade. Therefore, this immunization strategy may have potential to curtail cancer in a clinical setting. However, IL-10 deficiency leads to autoimmune disease in the gut. Blocking IL-10 at the time of immunization may result in unwanted side effects, especially immune-pathological diseases in the intestine.

METHODS

We investigated whether blocking IL-10 at the time of immunization results in intestinal inflammation responses in a mouse TC-1 tumour model and in a NOD autoimmune disease prone mouse model.

RESULTS

We now show that blocking IL-10 at the time of immunization increases IL-10 production by CD4+ T cells in the spleen and draining lymph nodes, and does not result in blood cell infiltration to the intestines leading to intestinal pathological changes. Moreover, immunization with papillomavirus like particles combined with simultaneously blocking IL-10 signalling does not increase the incidence of autoimmune disease in Non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that immunization with an IL-10 inhibitor may facilitate the generation of safe, effective therapeutic vaccines against chronic viral infection and cancer.

Middle and inner ear modelling: from microCT images to 3D reconstruction and coupling of models

We present finite element (FE) modeling approaches of ear mechanics including 3-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the human middle and inner ear. Specifically, we demonstrate a semi-automatic methodology for the 3D reconstruction of the inner ear structures, a FE harmonic response model of the middle ear to predict the stapes footplate frequency response, a 2D FE slice model of the cochlea for the coupled response at the micromechanical level for either acoustic or electrical excitation and a coupled FE middle ear model with a simplified cochlea box model to simulate the basilar membrane velocity in response to acoustic excitation. The proposed methodologies are validated against experimental and literature data and the results are in good agreement.

Role of miR-29 as marker of risk of acute rejection after heart transplant

BACKGROUND

Circulating miRNAs are potential biomarkers of the pathogenesis of certain diseases and in monitoring therapeutic responses. We hypothesized that serum miR-29 can determine risk of acute cardiac allograft rejection.

METHODS

Peripheral vein blood was collected from 50 healthy volunteers and 506 patients during post-transplant surveillance. Serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and miR-29 was detected by ELISA and qRT-PCR assay respectively. Rejection risk was defined as International Society of Heart and Lung Transplant score from leukocyte infiltration of an endomyocardial biopsy. No evidence of rejection was defined as grade R0, mild as R1, moderate as 2R and severe as 3R. Specificity and sensitivity of miR-29 to discriminate rejection was determined by the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Correlations between miR29 and rejection grade were compared.

RESULTS

Serum miR-29 was 100.8 ± 42.4 copies/μl in R0 groups (P = 0.164 versus controls), 537.5 ± 84.3 copies/μl in R1 groups (P = 0.024) and 1478.4 ± 198.7 copies/μl in the joint R2/R3 groups (P = 0.001). MiR-29 was 1963.5 ± 214.7 six months after transplantation, 1242.5 ± 103.8 after a year, 825.6 ± 58.2 after 2 years, 413.8 ± 61.9 after 3 years and 270.6 ± 34.6 ng/mL after 4 years (P < 0.001). The level of miR-29 correlated positively with cTnI, NT-proBNP, white blood cell counts, and negatively with lymphocyte counts (all P < 0.001). The AUC values (95% CI) for discriminating R0 and R1 was 0.81 (0.75-0.89), and was 0.79 (0.72-0.86) for R0 and R2/R3 (both P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

miR-29 is a promising predictor of the risk of heart transplant rejection.

Accuracy of genomic breeding values revisited: Assessment of two established approaches and a novel one to determine the accuracy in two-step genomic prediction

Selection decisions in genomic selection schemes are made based on genomic breeding values (GBV) of candidates. Thus, the accuracy of GBV is a relevant parameter, as it reflects the stability of prediction and the possibility that the GBV might change when more information becomes available. Accuracy of genomic prediction defined as the correlation between GBV and true breeding values (TBV), however, is difficult to assess, considering TBV of the candidates are not available in reality. In previous studies, several methods were proposed to assess the accuracy of GBV including methods using population parameters or parameters inferred from mixed-model equations. In practice, most approaches tended to overestimate the accuracy of genomic prediction. We thus tested approaches used in previous studies in order to assess the magnitude of bias. Analyses were performed based on simulated data under a variety of scenarios mimicking different livestock breeding programmes. Furthermore, we proposed a novel method and tested it both with simulated data and in a real Holstein data set. The new method provided a better prediction for the accuracy of GBV in the simulated scenarios.

Inhibitory mechanism of peptides with a repeating hydrophobic and hydrophilic residue pattern on interleukin-10

Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is a cytokine that is able to downregulate inflammation. Its overexpression is directly associated with the difficulty in the clearance of chronic viral infections, such as chronic hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV infection, and infection-related cancer. IL-10 signaling blockade has been proposed as a promising way of clearing chronic viral infection and preventing tumor growth in animal models. Recently, we have reported that peptides with a helical repeating pattern of hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues are able to inhibit IL-10 significantly both in vitro and in vivo. ¹ In this work, we seek to further study the inhibiting mechanism of these peptides using sequence-modified peptides. As evidenced by both experimental and molecular dynamics simulation in concert the N-terminal hydrophobic peptide constructed with repeating hydrophobic and hydrophilic pattern of residues is more likely to inhibit IL10. In addition, the sequence length and the ability of protonation are also important for inhibition activity.

Proteomic analysis of the venom and venom sac of the woodwasp, Sirex noctilio - Towards understanding its biological impact

The European horntail woodwasp, Sirex noctilio, is an invasive insect that attacks conifer hosts, particularly Pinus species. Venom injected by female S. noctilio, together with its symbiotic fungus, damages the normal physiology of Pinus, leading to death of the tree. To identify the proteinaceous components in the venom and uncover the interplay between venom proteins and tree proteins, clarification of the overall profile of proteins produced in the venom gland apparatus was carried out in this work. The venom sac proteome utilised in-solution digested in either a natural or deglycosylated state, prior to nanoHPLC LTQ-Orbitrap under CID/ETD mode. Here, we report the identification of 1454 and 1225 proteins in venom and sac, respectively, with 410 mutual proteins. Approximately 90 proteins were predicted to be secretory, of which 8 have features characteristic of toxins. Chemosensory binding proteins were also identified. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analysis were employed to predict the protein functions and biological pathways in venom and sac. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis suggested that one-step responses represent the majority of the Sirex-Pinus PPIs, and the proteins representing network hub nodes could be of importance for the development of pest management strategies.

SIGNIFICANCE

The woodwasp Sirex noctilio is an invasive species in many parts of the world, including Australia and North America, where it is considered within the top 10 most serious forest insects. Where they have been introduced, the female woodwasps attack living pine trees, causing significant economic losses. Central to this destruction is the woodwasp's life cycle requirement to bore a hole to deposit eggs and a toxic mucus that disables the tree's network for transporting water and nutrients, yet aids in larval survival. Here we specifically examine the mucus gland apparatus and its contents, revealing the protein components that together with 'noctilisin' facilitate this complex association. The identification of chemosensory binding proteins further supports a role for the woodwasp ovipositor as an instrument for early stages of host tree selection. These findings could provide important clues towards the development of novel control tools against this pest.

Mitigation of micropollutants for black water application in agriculture via composting of anaerobic sludge

The excess sludge from Up-flow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactor operated on source separated toilet wastewater is a potential source of nutrients and organic matter. It can be further stabilized and dried by composting and applied as a soil amendment. Presence of pathogens, heavy metals and micropollutants in the compost derived from anaerobic sludge is thus undesirable. This paper focuses on removal of micropollutants, typically present in domestic wastewater, via composting of UASB sludge with waste wood. Estrone, diclofenac, ibuprofen, metoprolol, carbamazepine, galaxolide and triclosan were spiked to a mixture of UASB sludge and waste wood. Their concentrations were monitored during 92 days of composting at controlled temperature conditions. All studied micropollutants were removed at various rates with overall removal ranging from 99.9% for ibuprofen, diclofenac and estrone to 87.8% for carbamazepine. Accumulation of methyltriclosan as by-product of triclosan degradation was observed. The prospects and limitations of the integration of a composting process into Source Separated Sanitation concepts are discussed.

Proteomic Analysis of the Schistosoma mansoni Miracidium

Despite extensive control efforts, schistosomiasis continues to be a major public health problem in developing nations in the tropics and sub-tropics. The miracidium, along with the cercaria, both of which are water-borne and free-living, are the only two stages in the life-cycle of Schistosoma mansoni which are involved in host invasion. Miracidia penetrate intermediate host snails and develop into sporocysts, which lead to cercariae that can infect humans. Infection of the snail host by the miracidium represents an ideal point at which to interrupt the parasite’s life-cycle. This research focuses on an analysis of the miracidium proteome, including those proteins that are secreted. We have identified a repertoire of proteins in the S. mansoni miracidium at 2 hours post-hatch, including proteases, venom allergen-like proteins, receptors and HSP70, which might play roles in snail-parasite interplay. Proteins involved in energy production and conservation were prevalent, as were proteins predicted to be associated with defence. This study also provides a strong foundation for further understanding the roles that neurohormones play in host-seeking by schistosomes, with the potential for development of novel anthelmintics that interfere with its various life-cycle stages.

Blocking IL-10 signalling at the time of immunization renders the tumour more accessible to T cell infiltration in mice

We recently reported that blockade of IL-10 signalling at the time of a human papillomavirus (HPV) long E7 peptide/LPS immunization leads to the regression of established HPV-16 immortalized tumours in mice similar to that induced by long E7 peptide/incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA)-based vaccination. In this paper, we demonstrated that blockade of IL-10 signalling at the time of long E7 peptide/LPS could elicit stronger T cells responses and render the tumour more accessible for immune cell infiltration than vaccination with long E7 peptide/IFA. Furthermore, priming with long E7 peptide/LPS and IL10 signalling blockade then boosting with long E7 peptide/IFA elicits stronger CD8+ T cell responses than long E7 peptide/IFA immunization. The results suggest that priming with long E7 peptide/LPS and IL10 signalling inhibitor, then boosting with long E7 peptide/IFA elicits may lead to better HPV infection related tumour regression in clinic.

Manipulating IL-10 signalling blockade for better immunotherapy

Interleukin 10 is a cytokine with the ability to reduce or terminate inflammation. Chronic viral infection, such as infection of chronic hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, has increased levels of interleukin 10 in peripheral blood. Serum IL-10 levels are also high in certain cancers. Blocking IL-10 signalling at the time of immunisation clears chronic viral infection and prevents tumour growth in animal models. We review recent advances in this area, with the emphasis on potential use of this novel strategy to treat chronic viral infection and cancer in human.

Large lateral photovoltaic effects in Co/Alq₃ granular films on Si substrates

A series of Co/Alq₃ granular films were deposited on silicon substrates using co-evaporation technique. Under the nonuniform illumination of a laser beam, lateral photovoltaic effect (LPE) was observed in the samples, with the optimal open-circuit position sensitivity of 34.7 mV/mm. The insertion of oxide layer results in the decrease of lateral photovoltage (LPV) and the irreversible LPE. The dependence of lateral photovoltaic effect on substrates was also briefly investigated. The possible mechanism was discussed.

Effect of rifampin on the pharmacokinetics of Axitinib (AG-013736) in Japanese and Caucasian healthy volunteers

PURPOSE

Axitinib, a potent and selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1, 2, 3, is metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 and glucuronidation. This study evaluated the effect of rifampin, a potent inducer of drug-metabolizing enzymes, on axitinib plasma pharmacokinetics. Equal numbers of Japanese and Caucasian subjects were enrolled to assess the potential differences in axitinib pharmacokinetics between the two ethnicities.

METHODS

Forty healthy volunteers were randomized to receive 5 mg axitinib alone and with 600 mg rifampin.

RESULTS

Rifampin expectedly decreased AUCinf and Cmax of axitinib (geometric mean reduced by 79 and 71%, respectively). However, differences in axitinib pharmacokinetics were not observed between Japanese and Caucasian subjects (geometric mean ratios for axitinib treatment alone for AUCinf and Cmax were 103 and 96%).

CONCLUSIONS

The results support a common axitinib starting dose in both populations. Potent inducers of drug-metabolizing enzymes reduce axitinib exposure and dose adjustments may be needed for optimal efficacy.

Phase 1 dose-escalation study of CP-690 550 in stable renal allograft recipients: preliminary findings of safety, tolerability, effects on lymphocyte subsets and pharmacokinetics

CP-690 550 inhibits Janus kinase 3 with nanomolar potency. In this dose-escalation study, we assessed the safety, tolerability, effects on lymphocyte subsets, and pharmacokinetics of CP-690 550 when coadministered with mycophenolate mofetil in stable renal allograft recipients for 28 days. Twenty-eight patients were enrolled. Six patients received CP-690 550 5 mg twice daily (BID), 6 patients received 15 mg BID, 10 patients received 30 mg BID, and 6 patients received placebo. The most frequent adverse events were infections and gastrointestinal (abdominal pain, diarrhea, dyspepsia, and vomiting). CP-690 550 15 mg BID and 30 mg BID were associated with a mean decrease in hemoglobin from baseline of 11% and a mean decrease in absolute natural killer cell counts of 50%. CP-690 550 30 mg BID was also associated with a mean increase in absolute CD19(+) B-lymphocytes of 130%. There were no changes in the number of neutrophils, total lymphocytes, platelets, or CD4(+) or CD8(+) T cells; clinical chemistry; vital signs; or electrocardiograms from the pretreatment baseline. Administration of CP-690 550 without a concomitant calcineurin inhibitor resulted in CP-690 550 exposures consistent with previous studies in nontransplant subjects. Additional dose-ranging studies are warranted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CP-690 550 in renal transplant recipients over longer treatment duration.