Challenges in Treatment of Primary Sjögren's Syndrome and Opportunities for Chinese Medicine / 中国结合医学杂志

Primary Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease that can lead to systemic manifestations. At present, immunomodulatory agents have not shown good efficacy, many patients in China seek Chinese medicine treatment. Chinese medicine can comprehensively improve the symptoms of patients through Chinese pattern diagnosis and individualized treatment. Fundamental researches are providing scientific bases for the therapeutic effect of Chinese medicine. Professional Chinese medicine treatment can be integrated into the conventional management of primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Immunosuppressive mechanism of Hypoderma lineatum secreted serine esterase, a potential modulatory method used to inhibit transplant rejection

Background: Although immunosuppressive therapies have made organ transplantation a common medical procedure worldwide, chronic toxicity has a major issue for long-term treatment. One method to improve therapies and methods is the application of immunomodulatory agents from parasites such as Hypoderma lineatum. Hypodermin A (HA) is a serine esterase secreted by the larvae of Hypoderma lineatum, several studies demonstrated its immunosuppressive mechanism in vitro, and recently we discovered that HA inhibits the expression of interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-2 and activates IL-10 expression. Therefore, we hypothesized that it might be a potential agent used to block allograft rejections. However, most studies of the immunosuppressive mechanisms associated with HA were undertaken at the cellular level. In order to augment these studies, we evaluated the immunosuppressive effects of HA in vivo using an HA transgenic mouse model. Result: Our results revealed similar findings to those reported by in vitro studies, specifically that HA induced prostaglandin E2 expression, downregulated IFN-γ and IL-2 expression, and promoted IL-10 secretion via E-type prostanoid receptor 4. Additionally, we observed that HA overexpression inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced TLR4 activation. These findings provide insight into a new potential agent capable of blocking graft rejection. Conclusion: Our founding suggested that HA-related treatment could be a promising option to improve the viability of grafts in human.

Recent progress of multiple myeloma: reports from the 57th American Society of Hematology annual meeting / 白血病·淋巴瘤

The diagnosis and treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) have make remarkable progress, which were reviewed in the 57th American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting. In this annual meeting, the effects of advanced proteasome inhibitor (PI), antibody, checkpoint blockade, immunomodulatory agent (IMiD), histone deacetylase (HDACI) and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T), and new diagnostic technologies were reported. The real point is to apply the best available diagnosis and therapy at this meeting. At present, regardless of advances, all of randomized clinical trials push to combined agents, and combined with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, efficacy will be improved in further. So some professors also refered to 2015 year as 'the advance year of MM'.

Anti-Hepatitis B Virus Drugs in Clinical and Preclinical Development / 中国病毒学·英文版

Up to date, there are two types of drugs approved to treat hepatitis B: interferons and nucleos (t) ide analogues. However, the therapies are limited in the clinical context because of the negative side effects of interferon-α and the development of substantial viral resistance to nucleos (t) idic inhibitors. Therefore, new drugs with novel structures and mechanisms are needed. In this article, the drugs approved by FDA or the European Commission for treating chronic hepatitis B virus infection, as well as those under clinical trials, and several compounds in preclinical studies are reviewed. Additionally, some potential targets and strategies to combat chronic hepatitis B virus infection are discussed.