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关键词： Chimeric antigen receptor   HBV-HCC   MHC   TCR-like antibody   Env183-191 epitope  

摘要： CAR-T cell therapy demonstrates significant efficacy in hematologic malignancies, with target selection critically determining therapeutic outcomes. However, the available tumor surface antigens are limited, especially in the treatment of solid tumors. A potential solution to overcome this limitation entails employing antibodies recognizing peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) structures, enabling CAR-T cell to detect intracellular tumor antigens through a T cell receptor (TCR)-like recognition mechanism. This study focuses on HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC), where HBV DNA integration into the host genome generates specific viral antigen epitopes presented by MHC class I molecules, representing attractive targets for CAR-T cell therapy. We engineered CAR-T cells with a TCR-like antibody (HBs183 CAR-T) specific for the immunodominant HBV envelope epitope Env183-191 presented by HLA-A *0201, and evaluated the antigen-specific cytotoxicity and safety profile of the CAR-T cells through in vitro functional assays and in vivo evaluation in heterogenous tumor models (subcutaneous and intraperitoneal xenografts). Our research provides a reference for CAR-T cell therapy targeting intracellular antigens, particularly specific antigens derived from viral infections, as targets for CAR-T treatment, and offers a preliminary concept validation for the CAR-T treatment of HBV-HCC tumors.

关键词： Breast cancer   miR-4319   NLRC5   MHC class I   immunotherapy  

摘要： Sufficient MHC-I expression on cancer cells is essential for the recognition and killing of cancer cells by immune effector cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL). An important mechanism of cancer immune escape is loss or down-regulation of MHC-I. This is frequently associated with reduced expression of NOD-like receptor (NLR) caspase recruitment domain containing protein 5 (NLRC5), genetically and epigenetically. NLRC5, a regulator of MHC-I, has been identified as a potential target of miR-4319 due to its complementary binding site for miR-4319, according to prediction by TargetScan (http://***/). Inhibition of miR-4319 by IFN-gamma (known as MHC-I increasing agent) to upregulate NLRC5 with upregulation of MHC-I in MHC-I-deficient breast cancer cells, however, remains unclear. After treatment with IFN-gamma, miR-4319 was detected with qRT-PCR;NLRC5 protein was detected with western-blot;and MHC-I mRNA and protein were detected with qRT-PCR and western-blot, respectively. It was found statistically that miR-4319 was lower and NLRC5 protein was higher in groups of 50 U/ml and 100 U/ml IFN-gamma, and MHC-I mRNA and protein were higher in all groups of different concentrations of IFN-gamma, except for HLA-A protein in 25 U/ml IFN-gamma group, with dose dependent tendency, compared with the control group. IFN-gamma inhibits miR-4319 and upregulates NLRC5, thereby enhancing expression of MHC-I in SKBR3 breast cancer cells, while limitations include the absence of functional rescue experiments and in vivo validation. Along with direct cytotoxicity on tumor cells, IFN-gamma's immunomodulatory effect strengthens tumor immunogenicity, counteracts immune evasion mechanisms, and potentially improves the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.

关键词： Cancer immunotherapy   colorectal cancer   HLA class I match   HLA-A2.1   humanized cancer model   humanized mice   immune checkpoint inhibitors   italic>KRAS   NRG-A2   pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma  

摘要： Cancer immunotherapy promises to treat challenging cancers including KRAS-mutated colorectal cancer (CRC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, pre-clinical animal models that better mimic patient tumor and immune system interactions are required. While humanized mice are promising vehicles for pre-clinical immunotherapy testing, currently used cancer models retain limitations, such as lack of a human thymus for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-based education of human T cells. As cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity underlies many immunotherapies, we developed more clinically relevant KRAS-mutated CRC and PDAC humanized cancer models using transgenic NRG-A2 mice expressing HLA-A2.1 to enable HLA-class-I match between mouse tissues (including the thymus), the humanized immune system and human tumors. Using these novel humanized cancer models and a CTL-mediated combination (immuno)therapy with clinical potential, we were able to recapitulate the complexity and therapy-induced changes reported in patient biopsies, demonstrating the use of these HLA-matched models for pre-clinical validation of novel immunotherapies.

关键词： Cell therapy   CAR-T cells   gamma delta T cells   solid tumors   IL-21   metabolic fitness  

摘要： Cancer cell therapies have primarily focused on engineering autologous alpha beta T cells with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), achieving clinical success against hematologic malignancies. However, their effectiveness against solid tumors is limited by challenges such as antigen escape, suppression by the metabolically hostile tumor microenvironment (TME), and manufacturing difficulties. gamma delta T cells are unconventional T cells with innate tumor-targeting capabilities independent of MHC class I, making them an emerging candidate for allogeneic cell therapy. While the V delta 1 T cell subset has shown promising anti-tumor killing their clinical application has been hindered by difficulties in achieving robust expansion for therapeutic use. Here, we evaluated the potential of K562 feeder cells expressing membrane-bound IL-21 (K562-mb-IL-21) to expand and activate gamma delta T cells from peripheral blood. Our findings show that this method preferentially expands V delta 1 T cells, resulting in an activated phenotype characterized by enhanced expression of NK cell activation receptors, innate cytotoxicity against breast and ovarian cancer cells, and sustained metabolic function in patient-derived ascites TME. When engineered with a CAR, V delta 1 T cells exhibited further enhanced anti-tumor efficacy in an immunodeficient NRG xenograft model of human ovarian cancer. These findings highlight K562-mb-IL-21 expanded peripheral blood V delta 1 T cells as a promising 'off-the-shelf' allogeneic therapy for solid tumors.

关键词： Maternal obesity   fetal programming   vascular function   endothelial homeostasis   hypertension  

摘要： This study investigated the impact of maternal high-fat diet on vascular function and endothelial homeostasis in offspring. We found that offspring exposed to maternal high-fat diet exhibited elevated blood pressure, impaired abdominal aortic vascular function, and endothelial homeostasis imbalance. These changes were accompanied by increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (including IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-10). Treatment with NLRP3 or IL-1 beta inhibitors prevented the deterioration in vascular function, reduced endothelial NO production, and inflammation induced by maternal high-fat diet exposure compared to the control group. The findings suggest that during pregnancy, mitigating the vascular impairments in offspring induced by maternal high-fat diet can be achieved by inhibiting the NLRP3/IL-1 beta pathway.

关键词： Interleukin-8   urological cancers   biomarker   prognosis   meta-analysis  

摘要： BackgroundInterleukin-8 (IL-8) is a key cytokine that has been implicated in multiple aspects of cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. Elevated levels of circulating IL-8 (cIL-8) have been implicated in adverse clinical outcomes among patients with urological cancers. However, definitive evidence consolidating these observations remains lacking. The present study aims to synthesize the existing research findings to provide a comprehensive, evidence-based reference for clinical *** systematic literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies that reported on the prognostic impact of cIL-8 levels in urological cancer patients. Hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were extracted and pooled to estimate the overall effect. Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier's survival analyses were conducted using RNA-seq data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) through the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 (GEPIA 2) online tool to validate the observed *** total of 19 cohorts encompassing 2740 patients from 12 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The findings revealed that elevated cIL-8 levels were significantly associated with inferior OS (HR: 1.86;95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.72-2.02) and PFS (HR: 1.59;95%CI: 1.25-2.03) in patients with urological cancers. The consistency and validity of these results were further supported by survival analyses performed using the GEPIA 2 *** study, which is the first meta-analysis to systematically examine the prognostic significance of cIL-8 in urological cancers, supported by bioinformatics validation, confirms that elevated cIL-8 levels serve as a potential biomarker for predicting adverse outcomes. Our findings underscore the importance of targeting IL-8 as a therapeutic strategy to overcome treatment resistance and improve outcomes for urological cancer patients. Further research into IL-8-targeted therapies and the

关键词： Interferon gamma   Fas   tumor immunotherapy   membrane-bound form   secretory form  

摘要： Interferon gamma (IFN gamma) is well-known for its ability to stimulate immune cells in response to pathogen infections and cancer. To develop an effective cancer therapeutic vaccine, CT26 colon carcinoma cells were genetically modified to express IFN gamma either as a secreted form (sIFN gamma) or as a membrane-bound form. For the membrane-bound expression, IFN gamma was fused with Fas (mbIFN gamma/Fas), incorporating the extracellular cysteine-rich domains, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic domains of Fas. The tumor cells expressing sIFN gamma and mbIFN gamma/Fas showed slower growth rates compared to the mock-transfected cells. Furthermore, the tumorigenicity of the CT26 cells expressing mbIFN gamma/Fas was significantly lower than that of cells expressing sIFN gamma or the mock control. Remarkably, about 85% of the mice injected with the mbIFN gamma/Fas-expressing tumors remained tumor-free for over two months. Mice that rejected mbIFN gamma/Fas-expressing tumors developed systemic anti-tumor immunity against CT26 cells, which was characterized by enhanced levels of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, as well as natural killer (NK) cells. Interestingly, splenocytes activated with the mbIFN gamma/Fas-expressing tumors exhibited higher cytotoxicity than those activated with tumor cells expressing sIFN gamma. These findings suggest that expressing the mbIFN gamma/Fas chimera in tumor cells could be a promising strategy for developing whole tumor cell vaccines or gene therapies for cancer immunotherapy.

关键词： italic>Parvimonas micra   host-microbe interaction   colorectal cancer   tumor microenvironment  

摘要： Parvimonas micra (Pm), a periodontal pathogen, has been implicated in the impairment of anti-tumor responses in colorectal cancer (CRC). The tumor microenvironment in CRC involves tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which are pivotal in modulating tumor-associated immune responses. The polarization of TAMs towards an M2-like phenotype promotes CRC progression by suppressing the immune system. However, the mechanisms by which Pm affects the progression of CRC remain inadequately elucidated. In this study, we explored the impact of Pm infection on CRC cell characteristics, including proliferation, chemoresistance, migration, and macrophage polarization. We found that Pm-infected THP-1-derived macrophages exhibited elevated interleukin-10 levels, a well-established M2 marker. Conditioned media from Pm-treated THP-1 cells significantly enhanced CRC cell proliferation, cisplatin resistance, and migration, and interleukin-8 was identified as a key factor. Consistent with the in vitro results, an azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate mouse model treated with oral Pm showed accelerated CRC tumor growth. These results offer mechanistic insights into the influence of Pm infection on tumor microenvironment in CRC through M2-like macrophage polarization. The identified pathways may serve as potential targets for therapeutic interventions for CRC.

关键词： Conservation   core peptide   diabody   HBcAg   HBV   HBV cure   HBV genotype   pMHC complex   T cell engager   TCR-like antibody  

摘要： Curative therapies for chronic hepatitis B virus infection (CHB) are needed, and T-cell redirection is a promising approach, with peptide-MHC complexes (pMHC) being attractive targets. HBV core18-27 peptide (C18, 10-mer) presented by HLA-A*02:01 (C18-MHC) has two major variants (C18-V or C18-I, differing in the C-terminal residue), both of which are known to be targeted by CD8+ T cells in HBV-infected individuals. Through an extensive screening campaign, we identified a highly selective anti-C18-MHC antibody clone MUR35. A MUR35-based T-cell engager (TCE) potently killed HBV-infected hepatocytes but had no activity on uninfected hepatocytes, on other HBV-negative cell types or on host peptides with sequence similarity to C18. Crystal structures of MUR35 bound to both C18-I- and C18-V-MHC revealed a unique binding mode with contacts mediated exclusively by the light chain complementarity-determining regions (CDRs), suggesting that high specificity is achievable without a typical T-cell receptor-like binding mode involving both heavy and light chain CDRs. Although MUR35 exhibits similar binding affinity and structural contacts with C18-V and C18-I, TCE killing was only detected on hepatocytes producing C18-V. To better understand the cause of this discrepancy, we conducted a quantitative proteomics study in an HBV-infected humanized mouse model and found that C18-V was expressed at approximately 300 copies/cell, while C18-I expression was below the limit of detection. Unexpectedly, the proteomics studies revealed that previously unreported 9-mers missing the N-terminal phenylalanine of C18-I and -V were expressed at an average of 508 and 142 copies/cell, respectively, and therefore could be alternative targets for HBV pan genotypic coverage. Our data suggest unexpectedly large differences in antigen presentation efficiency between highly conservative amino acid substitutions in C18 peptide and reveal potentially novel HBV targets for future studies.

关键词： CHIKV   gut microbiota   interferon   gastrointestinal infection   integrative analysis  

摘要： Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection causes joint damage and gastrointestinal clinical symptoms, including vomiting and diarrhea, particularly in elderly populations, reflecting the potential role of gut immunity in infection. However, the mechanisms by which CHIKV induces gastrointestinal diseases remain largely unexplored. This study investigated the characteristics of fecal and gut microbiota, gut metabolites, and gut immunity post-infection using multi-omics analysis. The role of gut microbiota was further validated through Oral antibiotic depletion (Abx). Importantly, a systematic comparison of age-dependent differences in gut microbiota composition and immune responses following CHIKV infection was conducted to elucidate the involvement of gut microbiota in CHIKV pathogenesis. CHIKV joint inoculation induces gastrointestinal infection and histological damage, drives fluctuations in gut microbiota, markedly increasing the abundance of Bacteroides fragilis and Prevotella sp. and upregulates conjugates of taurine and bile acids. CHIKV infection further exacerbates systemic inflammatory burden and activates intestinal interferon (IFN) signaling cascades, which supports gut repair and mucosal regeneration, but low antiviral responses to CHIKV infection compared with that of adult animals. Our results suggest that the gastrointestinal tract, along with its microbes and metabolites, modulates CHIKV infection in an age-dependent manner, providing critical insights for diagnosis, treatment, and novel therapeutic development.