Construction and self-activation detection of yeast two-hybrid bait plasmid of human programmed cell death ligand 1 immunoglobulin variable region domain gene / 中国生物制品学杂志

@#Objective To construct a yeast two-hybrid recombinant bait plasmid of human programmed cell death ligand 1(PD-L1)immunoglobulin variable region(IgV)domain gene,detect its expression in yeast and detect the cytotoxicity and self-activation of PD-L1 IgV protein as well as the interaction between PD-L1 IgV and human thioredoxin(hTrx).Methods Human PD-L1 was analyzed by bioinformatics method,and primers were designed to amplify PD-L1 IgV domain based on the coding region of PD-L1 gene registered in NCBI GenBank database. PCR amplification was carried out with pENTERPD-L1 plasmid as template,and then cloned into yeast two-hybrid bait vector pGBKT7. The recombinant bait plasmid and pGBKT7 empty vector were transformed into Y2HGold yeast cells respectively,and the PD-L1 IgV gene and its expression were detected by PCR and Western blot;Meanwhile,the protein toxicity and self-activation of PD-L1 IgV were detected,and the interaction between PD-L1 IgV and hTrx was detected by drip plate method.Results The bioinformatics analysis results of PD-L1 were consistent with related reports. The recombinant bait plasmid pGBKT7-PD-L1 IgV was correctly constructed,and Y2HGold positive clone was obtained,in which PD-L1 IgV was stably expressed. The empty vector pGBKT7 and recombinant bait plasmid pGBKT7-PD-L1 IgV grew well on SD/-Trp and SD/-Trp/X-α-Gal plates with the same colony size and number and white colony,but they did not grow on SD/-Trp/X-α-Gal/AbA plates,which indicated that PD-L1 IgV protein had no toxicity and no self-activation effect on yeast. The results of drip plates test showed that all experimental groups grew well on SD/-Trp/-Leu plate,while only positive control group grew on SD/-Trp/-Leu/X-α-Gal/AbA plate and showed blue color,which indicated that bait protein PD-L1 IgV and hTrx did not self-activate,and there was no interaction between them.Conclusion Recombinant human PD-L1 IgV bait plasmid was successfully constructed. PD-L1 IgV protein showed no toxicity and self-activation effect on yeast cells,and there was no interaction between PD-L1 IgV and hTrx. Subsequently,hTrx can be used to construct a peptide aptamer library,from which peptide aptamers that specifically bind to PD-L1 IgV can be screened.

Advances in urinary tract and intestinal microbiome related to bladder cancer / 现代泌尿外科杂志

Bladder cancer is one of the most common urinary tumors, and human urinary tract has been proved to be non-sterile. The significance of urinary tract flora in pathophysiology and treatment of urothelial carcinoma remains to be studied. Meanwhile, intestinal flora has also become an important clinical factor, which has been proved to play a variety of roles in body metabolism, local and systemic inflammation and immunity. Microorganisms can affect the clinical course of cancer, efficacy of chemotherapy and immunotherapy drugs, bioavailability and side effects. This review will explore the relationship between bladder cancer and urinary tract and intestinal microbiome, and explore reliable disease predictors, prognostic indicators and therapeutic targets through a better understanding of the interaction between the microbiome and tumor cells.

Expressions of long non-coding RNA LINC00673 and ISG15 protein in pancreatic cancer and their clinical significances / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To explore the expressions of long non-coding RNA LINC00673 and ISG15 protein in pancreatic cancer and their clinical significances.Methods:The clinical data of 57 patients diagnosed as pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC) at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya Medical College of Central South University from January 2014 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The relative expressions of LINC00673 in pancreatic cancer tissues and paracancerous normal tissues (within 3 cm from the edge of cancer tissues) were examined by using quantificational reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The ISG15 protein expressions in pancreatic cancer tissues and paracancerous normal tissues were examined by using immunohistochemistry. The difference in LINC00673 expression between ISG15 protein positive and negative patients was compared. The correlation between LINC00673 and ISG15 protein expressions in pancreatic cancer was analyzed by Spearman rank correlation analysis. Moreover, the correlations of LINC00673 and ISG15 protein expressions with clinical stage and pathological classification of pancreatic cancer patients were analyzed.Results:The positive expression of ISG15 protein in pancreatic cancer tissues was 40.4% (23/57), which was higher than that in paracancerous normal tissues [15.8% (9/57)] ( χ2 = 7.90, P = 0.004), and the relative expression of LINC00673 in pancreatic cancer tissues was 0.99±0.36, which was lower than that in paracancerous normal tissues (1.26±0.41) ( t = 4.80, P < 0.001). For 23 (40.4%) ISG15-positive patients and 34 (59.7%) ISG15-negative patients, the relative expression of LINC00673 was 0.77±0.46 and 0.45±0.27 ( P < 0.001). Spearman analysis showed that there was a correlation between LINC00673 and ISG15 protein expressions ( ρ = -0.429, P = 0.001). The relative expression of LINC00673 decreased in patients with low differentiated or undifferentiated tumor, vascular invasion and lymph node metastasis (all P < 0.05), but there was no correlation between LINC00673 expression and patients' age, tumor site, preoperative CA199 level, and TNM stage (all P > 0.05); ISG15 protein expression increased in patients with low differentiated or undifferentiated tumor, TNM stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ, vascular invasion and lymph node metastasis (all P < 0.05), but there was no correlation between ISG15 protein expression and patients' gender, age, tumor site, and preoperative CA199 level (all P > 0.05). Conclusions:The expression of LINC00673 in pancreatic cancer is related to vascular invasion, tumor differentiation degree and lymph node metastasis, and the expression of ISG15 in pancreatic cancer is related to vascular invasion, tumor differentiation degree, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. The combined detection of LINC00673 and ISG15 protein could be a valuable prognostic indicator for pancreatic cancer. The therapies targeting LINC00673 and ISG15 protein signaling pathways are expected to be a potential option for immunotherapy of pancreatic cancer.

Prospect of Tumor Treatment in the Post-PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitor Era / 肿瘤防治研究

Immune checkpoint inhibitors restart and maintain cancer-immunity circulation to normalize the anti-tumor immunity. Currently, anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies, as new milestone in immunotherapy, have significantly improved the prognosis of patients with various malignant tumors. However, anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibody alone exhibited a low response rate, and the combination of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibody with traditional therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy have shown great potential. As new immune checkpoint inhibitors or in combination therapy are on the way, tumor immunotherapy is entering the era of post-anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibody. The methodology of combination therapy and biomarker screening remain the focus. This paper reviews the current status of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy and makes a perspective for the future of post-anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibody era.

Progress on application of PD⁃1／PD⁃L1 monoclonal antibodies in oncotherapy / 中国生物制品学杂志

@#Abstract：Programmed death receptor⁃ 1（PD⁃1）belongs to the family of immunoglobulin B7⁃CD28，which plays an important role in regulating immune response in human body. Since the first PD⁃1／PD⁃ligand 1（PD⁃L1）monoclonal antibody was approved for marketing in China in 2018，the value of PD⁃1／PD⁃L1 immunotherapy in oncotherapy has attracted wide attention. Based on the introduction of the action mechanism of PD⁃1／PD⁃L1 mAbs，this paper reviews the application progress of 8 on ⁃ market PD ⁃ 1／PD ⁃ L1 mAbs in China in oncotherapy from the perspectives of approved indications，clinical trials，usage and dosage，and adverse reactions，in order to provide reference for the rational appli⁃ cation of PD⁃1／PD⁃L1 monoclonal antibodies in clinic.

Research progress on stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonists / 中国药科大学学报

@#Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an important factor in the auto-immune response of our bodies.Considering the mechanism of activating CD8+ T cells after the activation of STING protein, the combination of STING agonists and immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of tumor immunotherapy has good clinical application prospect.In this paper, the research progress of molecular types, mechanism of action and structural modifications of STING agonists were reviewed.The developing tendency were outlined to provide some references for further investigation.

Future of Immune Checkpoint Therapy for Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

In 2011, the FDA approved ipilimumab, the first immune checkpoint inhibitor(ICI), targeting CTLA-4, opening the field of immune checkpoint therapy (ICT). ICIs can induce durable clinical responses and improve survival in selected population. However, significant challenges still remain, including mechanisms of resistance, patient selection, management of serious immune-related adverse events, and rational therapeutic combinations. This review surveys the current understanding of response and resistance to ICIs and proposes a path forward to improving efficacy and minimizing toxicities.

Analysis of interactions of immune checkpoint inhibitors with antibiotics in cancer therapy / 医学前沿

The discovery of immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4, has played an important role in the development of cancer immunotherapy. However, immune-related adverse events often occur because of the enhanced immune response enabled by these agents. Antibiotics are widely applied in clinical treatment, and they are inevitably used in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Clinical practice has revealed that antibiotics can weaken the therapeutic response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Studies have shown that the gut microbiota is essential for the interaction between immune checkpoint inhibitors and antibiotics, although the exact mechanisms remain unclear. This review focuses on the interactions between immune checkpoint inhibitors and antibiotics, with an in-depth discussion about the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of modulating gut microbiota, as well as other new combination strategies.

Research progress of mitogen-activated protein kinase interacting kinases inhibitors in tumor immunotherapy / 中国药科大学学报

@#With the rise of tumor immunotherapy, small molecule modulators targeting the immune system have become a research hotspot. As well-developed and mature targets, immunity protein kinases have attracted more and more attention. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-interacting kinases (MNKs) are located at the meeting-point of ERK and p38 MAPK signaling pathways, which can phosphorylate eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) at the conserved serine 209 exclusively and modulate the translation of mRNA. Herein we review the structural characteristics, mechanism, signaling transduction pathways and close relationship with tumors of MNKs.Meanwhile, the development process and clinical research progress of the MNKs inhibitors reported by different research institutions are introduced in detail.

Research Progress of Circular RNAs in Tumor Immunotherapy / 中国肺癌杂志

Tumor immunotherapy is a new therapy which developed in recent years, it has greatly changed the therapeutic schedules and brought new options for patients. However, not all patients can have obvious therapeutic effects after using immunotherapy. So selecting more suitable patients and raising immunotherapy effect are worthy to discuss. With the research of circular RNAs (circRNAs), circRNAs have been found that they not only play a significant role in the field of tumor markers, tumor progression and prognosis, but also can abnormally express in a variety of tumors and affect tumor immunity. Therefore, the circRNAs expression may not only can be used as a supplementary method for selecting patients, but also can be used to predict the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy. In this article, we summarize current knowledge on circRNAs abnormally expressed in many cancers, especially lung cancer which can affect tumor immunity, and discuss its potential effects in tumor immunotherapy, and we hope to provide more references for the clinical practice of circRNAs.
.

EGFR-CAR-T cells secreting PD-1 antibody significantly suppress the progression of gastric cancer / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[Abstract] Objective:To explore the anti-tumor effect of CAR-T cells secreting PD-1 scFv on gastric cancer. Method: We selected EGFR as the target of CAR-T cells and constructed second-generation EGFR-CAR-T cells (EGFR BB-z) and fourth-generation EGFR-CAR-T cells secreting PD-1 scFv (EGFR BB-z/E30). The anti-tumor activity was examined after in vitro activation and long-term stimulation, and its tumor suppression ability was validated through a mouse gastric cell xenograft model. Results: EGFR was highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues and cells (all P<0.01). EGFR BB-z and EGFR BB-z/E30 cells were successfully obtained by lentivirus infection. In vitro experiments showed that compared with EGFR BB-Z, EGFR BB-Z/E30 had longer long-term proliferation ability and stronger tumor killing activity (all P<0.01). In vivo experiments also validated that EGFR BB-z/E30 had obvious tumor inhibitory function in subcutaneous gastric tumor cell transplanted xenograft model and patient-derived tumor xenograft model (PDX) (all P<0.01). It also significantly increased T cell infiltration in tumor site and decreased the expression level of PD-1 (P<0.01 or P<0.05) on EGFR BB-z/E30 cell surface as well as the high secretion of IFN-γ (P<0.05). Conclusion: EGFR-CAR-T cell EGFR BB-z/E30 secreting PD-1 scFv can significantly inhibit the progression of gastric cancer and provide a potential new strategy for the treatment of gastric cancer.

Present status and thought on tumor immunotherapy and related biomarkers / 中国肿瘤临床

Tumor immunotherapy has changed mode for tumor treatment and has gradually developed into the fourth tumor treatment option after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. However, the response rate of immunotherapy is limited. Identification of accurate tumor immunotherapy biomarkers as targets or detection and evaluation indicators would be helpful to improve the response rate. Explorations of more effective delivery of immunotherapy would benefit more patients. Prevention and response to immune-related adverse reactions are also necessary. With the development of research, immunotherapy will bring more hope to cancer patients.

Progress in Metabolic Reprogramming of Tumor-associated Macrophages in Tumor Microenvironment / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Occupying more than half of the tumor volume in a variety of solid tumors, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are an important part of the tumor microenvironment (TME) with high plasticity and heterogeneity. In the early stages of tumor development, TAMs mediate antitumor effect through phagocytosis and their antioxidant functions. However, in order to meet the needs of self-renewal and proliferation, malignant tumor cells continuously adjust their metabolic patterns, leading to the accumulation of metabolites such as lactate, reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, arachidonic acid and prostaglandin in the TME, which results in the changes in its inflammatory profiles, thereby altering the metabolism and function of TAMs and ultimately promoting the tumor development. Therefore, further understanding of the metabolism and immune responses of TAMs in the TME during tumor progression is warranted and the investigation may lead to identification of novel potential targets for cancer immunotherapy. This review aims to clarify the close relationship between TAMs metabolism and TME immune response, to reveal the mechanism of tumor immunosuppression produced by TAMs metabolism, and to provide new treatment ideas and approaches for tumor immunotherapy.

Nanocarrier-mediated PiggyBac transposon system for preparation of CAR-NK cells / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#Objective: To explore the gene transduction method of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) mediated by novel cationic polymer nanocarrier mPEG-P (Asp-AED-g-HFB) (PAEF) and PigyBac transposon system to modify natural killer (NK) cells, providing a new strategy for immunotherapy of cancer cells. Methods: PAEF/DNA (transposase+transposon) complex were prepared. The particle size distribution and surface potential of PAEF/DNA complexes were measured with Nano-ZSE Dynamic Light Scattering System (Malvern Instruments). The DNA encapsulation rate, release and stability of PAEF were evaluated by DNA gel electrophoresis, and then by combiningwithparticlesizeandsurfacepotentialtodeterminethepreferentialN/PratiotoenterNKcells.Thecell cytotoxicity of PAEF/DNA complexes under different N/P ratios was analyzed by CCK-8 cytotoxicity test. Transduction efficiency of NK cells was evaluated by Fluorescence microscopy and Flow cytometry, and the feasibility of PAEF gene transfection vectors was assessed. Results: PAEF could encapsulate DNA to form nano-complexes with the diameter of 100-150 nm, which was suitable to mediate DNA entering into cells. PAEF could completely encapsulate DNA with N/P ratio of 20. In the presence of reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT), PAEF had a good ability to release DNA. NK-92 cells transfected with PAEF/DNA complex, which was formed at the N/P ratio of 80, attained a significantly higher cell viability than cells of lipofectamine transfection group [(72.50±3.9)% vs (64.03±1.8)%, P<0.05]; Fluorescence microscopic observation showed more fluorescence and higher fluorescence intensity in cells of PAEF/DNA group; Flow cytometry showed the highest transfection efficiency of 83.4%. Conclusions: Nanocarrier PAEF can encapsulate DNA well by electrostatic adsorption, and has good biocompatibility and high efficiency for gene transduction. It provides a good experimental basis for adoptive immunotherapy.

Research progress of dendritic cells anti-tumor vaccine stimulated by mRNA / 药学学报

Distinct from conventional cancer therapies focusing directly on local tumors, cancer immunotherapy aims to restore or enhance immune surveillance to fight against cancer, which bears the advantages of less side effects, lasting efficacy, substantial specificity and suitability for individualized treatment. As the most powerful antigen-presenting cell type, dendritic cells (DCs) can induce potent antigen-specific immune responses in vivo. DCs-based immunotherapy acts by loading DCs with cancer antigens in various ways to elicit specific anti-tumor immune responses. Currently, pulsing DCs with cancer antigen encoding mRNAs is an antigen loading approach under extensive study, registering encouraging results in relevant immunotherapeutic clinical trials. Thus, pulsing DCs with mRNAs is a new and highly promising modality in cancer immunotherapy.

Clinical transformation of personalized neoantigen vaccine: opportunities and challenges / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#As one of the pivotal immunotherapies, tumor vaccine has increasingly shown its benefits in the treatment of malignant tumors. However, traditional vaccines targeting tumor associated antigen (TAA) are difficult to be promoted on a large scale in clinic, due to immune tolerance and the risk of inducing autoimmune disease. Neoantigen, which doesn’t present in normal cells and originates from tumor somatic mutations, is considered as ideal target for vaccines recently. Personalized neoantigen vaccine developed on the basis of sequencing, which specifically targets neoantigens, is expected to become an important breakthrough in precision medicine of cancer. This paper will elaborate on the concept, characteristics, preparation process and clinical trials of personalized neoantigen vaccine, and we will also discuss the opportunities and challenges that might be encountered during its clinical transformation.

Adenosine Blockage in Tumor Microenvironment and Improvement of Cancer Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy has been introduced into cancer treatment methods, but different problems have restricted the efficacy of these protocols in clinical trials such as the presence of various immunomodulatory factors in the tumor microenvironment. Adenosine is an immunosuppressive metabolite produced by the tumor to promote growth, invasion, metastasis, and immune evasion. Many studies about adenosine and its metabolism in cancer have heightened interest in pursuing this treatment approach. It seems that targeting the adenosine pathway in combination with immunotherapy may lead to efficient antitumor response. In this review, we provide information on the roles of both adenosine and CD73 in the immune system and tumor development. We also describe recent studies about combination therapy with both purinergic inhibitors and other immunotherapeutic methods.

Gut microbiota and precision drug therapy / 医学研究生学报

With the initiation and development of the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) and the Project on Metagenomics of the Human Intestinal Tract (MetaHIT), the studies of the gut microbiota (GMB) have entered a fast lane and proved that GMB is associated with several diseases. Recent studies have confirmed that GMB affects and modulates pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of drugs, making it one of the potential focuses of precision medicine. This article presents an overview of the potential mechanisms of GMB affecting drug treatment and advances in the relevant studies, hoping to shed some new light on the precision therapeutic strategy.

Application of mRNA in tumor immunotherapy / 中国肿瘤临床

mRNA therapy, which involves the use of mRNAs as drugs for disease treatment, is a new kind of gene therapy. It can either treat diseases caused by gene deficiency or repair tissue through the expression of functional proteins, or be applied to immunothera-py through the expression of antigens, antibodies, or receptors, and is thus, of great value for various clinical applications. In tumor im-munotherapy, mRNA that encodes tumor-related antigens, or specific antigens, antibodies, or receptors enters the cytoplasm and is translated into proteins, which then induce specific immune responses, thereby enabling disease prevention and treatment. With the development of immunotherapy and mRNA technologies, mRNA therapy for malignant tumors and infectious diseases has entered the stage of clinical applications. This review briefly introduces the synthesis, purification, and modification of mRNA, with emphasis on mRNA-based tumor immunotherapy, clinical trial results, and key opportunities and challenges in the development of new drugs.

The research progress of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibitors / 药学学报

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a key enzyme of L-tryptophan metabolic oxidation pathway, in which the L-tryptophan is transformed into N-formyl kynurenine by oxidative cleavage. IDO1 is considered as a potential target for the development of cancer immunotherapeutic molecules. Up to now, at least 10 drug candidates have been advanced into clinical research. In this review, the binding mode and structure-activity relationships of the representative IDO1 small molecule inhibitors were summarized according the characteristics of chemical structures. Hopefully, this review could provide some insights for further development of novel IDO1 inhibitors.