In this manuscript, a plant polymer based TLR-4 agonist was discovered as a novel vaccine adjuvant.
Recent data suggest that either excessive or deficient levels of protein S-nitrosylation may contribute to disease. Disruption of S-nitrosothiol (SNO) homeostasis may result not only from altered nitric oxide (NO) synthase activity but also from alterations in the activity of denitrosylases that remove NO groups. A subset of patients with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) that increase the denitrosylase activity of SOD1. Here, we show that the increased denitrosylase activity of SOD1 mutants leads to an aberrant decrease in intracellular protein and peptide S-nitrosylation in cell and animal models of ALS. Deficient S-nitrosylation is particularly prominent in the mitochondria of cells expressing SOD1 mutants. Our results suggest that SNO depletion disrupts the function and͞or subcellular localization of proteins that are regulated by S-nitrosylation such as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and thereby contributes to ALS pathogenesis. Repletion of intracellular SNO levels with SNO donor compounds rescues cells from mutant SOD1-induced death. These results suggest that aberrant depletion of intracellular SNOs contributes to motor neuron death in ALS, and raises the possibility that deficient S-nitrosylation is a general mechanism of disease pathogenesis. SNO donor compounds may provide new therapeutic options for diseases such as ALS that are associated with deficient S-nitrosylation.regulates a diverse array of biological processes by modifying critical cysteine residues on proteins (S-nitrosylation). Proteins acquire NO groups from a pool of intracellular S-nitrosylated peptides. The importance of Snitrosylation in physiology raises the possibility that dysregulated S-nitrosylation contributes to pathophysiology. Indeed, recent data suggest that excessive NO production and protein S-nitrosylation may contribute to disease. For instance, the E3 ligase parkin is aberrantly S-nitrosylated due to increased NO production in Parkinson's disease (1, 2). S-nitrosylation inhibits parkin activity, leading to the accumulation of misfolded proteins that may contribute to the death of dopaminergic neurons. Similarly, increased NO production during cerebral ischemia increases the Snitrosylation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) (3). Snitrosylation of MMP-9 leads to the formation of a stable sulfinic or sulfonic acid derivative that is irreversibly activated, triggering neuronal apoptosis.Deficient S-nitrosylation has also been linked to disease pathogenesis. Specifically, increased activity of the denitrosylase Snitrosoglutathione (GSNO) reductase in asthmatic lungs depletes levels of the endogenous bronchodilator GSNO, leading to airway hyperresponsivity (4). Likewise, in sickle cell anemia, the sickle cell hemoglobin is deficient in the intramolecular and intermolecular transfer of NO moieties. Consequently, red blood cell membrane S-nitrosothiol (SNO) levels are decreased and hypoxic vasodilation is impaired, leading to vasoocclusion in hypoxic...
New and improved vaccines are needed against challenging diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, Ebola, influenza, AIDS, and cancer. The majority of existing vaccine adjuvants lack the ability to significantly stimulate the cellular immune response, which is required to prevent the aforementioned diseases. This study designed a novel particulate based pathogen-mimicking vaccine delivery system (PMVDS) to target antigen-presenting-cells (APCs) such as dendritic cells. The uniqueness of PMVDS is that the polymer used to prepare the delivery system, Inulin Acetate (InAc), activates the innate immune system. InAc was synthesized from the plant polysaccharide, inulin. PMVDS provided improved and persistent antigen delivery to APCs as an efficient vaccine delivery system, and simultaneously, activated Toll-Like Receptor-4 (TLR-4) on APCs to release chemokine's/cytokines as an immune-adjuvant. Through this dual mechanism, PMVDS robustly stimulated both the humoral (>32 times of IgG1 levels vs alum) and the cell-mediated immune responses against the encapsulated antigen (ovalbumin) in mice. More importantly, PMVDS stimulated both cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells of cell-mediated immunity to provide tumor (B16-ova-Melanoma) protection in around 40% of vaccinated mice and significantly delayed tumor progression in rest of the mice. PMVDS is a unique bio-active vaccine delivery technology with broader applications for vaccines against cancer and several intracellular pathogens, where both humoral and cellular immune responses are desired.
Aspirin's potential as a drug continues to be evaluated for the prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC). Although multiple targets for aspirin and its metabolite, salicylic acid, have been identified, no unifying mechanism has been proposed to clearly explain its chemopreventive effects. Our goal here was to investigate the ability of salicylic acid metabolites, known to be generated through cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes, and its derivatives as cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors to gain new insights into aspirin's chemopreventive actions. Using in vitro kinase assays, for the first time, we demonstrate that salicylic acid metabolites, 2,3-dihydroxy-benzoic acid (2,3-DHBA) and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5-DHBA), as well as derivatives 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,4-DHBA), 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,6-DHBA), inhibited CDK1 enzyme activity. 2,3-DHBA and 2,6-DHBA did not inhibit CDK2 and 4; however, both inhibited CDK-6 activity. Interestingly, another derivative, 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid (2,4,6-THBA) was highly effective in inhibiting CDK1, 2, 4 and 6 activity. Molecular docking studies showed that these compounds potentially interact with CDK1. Immunoblotting experiments showed that aspirin acetylated CDK1, and pre-incubation with salicylic acid and its derivatives prevented aspirin-mediated CDK1 acetylation, which supported the data obtained from molecular docking studies. We suggest that intracellularly generated salicylic acid metabolites through CYP450 enzymes within the colonic epithelial cells, or the salicylic acid metabolites generated by gut microflora may significantly contribute to the preferential chemopreventive effect of aspirin against CRC through inhibition of CDKs. This novel hypothesis and mechanism of action in aspirin's chemopreventive effects opens a new area for future research. In addition, structural modification to salicylic acid derivatives may prove useful in the development of novel CDK inhibitors in cancer prevention and treatment.
Data emerging from the past 10 years have consolidated the rationale for investigating the use of aspirin as a chemopreventive agent; however, the mechanisms leading to its anti-cancer effects are still being elucidated. We hypothesized that aspirin’s chemopreventive actions may involve cell cycle regulation through modulation of the levels or activity of cyclin A2/cyclin dependent kinase-2 (CDK2). In this study, HT-29 and other diverse panel of cancer cells were used to demonstrate that both aspirin and its primary metabolite, salicylic acid, decreased cyclin A2 (CCNA2) and CDK2 protein and mRNA levels. The down regulatory effect of either drugs on cyclin A2 levels was prevented by pretreatment with lactacystin, an inhibitor of proteasomes, suggesting the involvement of 26S proteasomes. In-vitro kinase assays showed that lysates from cells treated with salicylic acid had lower levels of CDK2 activity. Importantly, three independent experiments revealed that salicylic acid directly binds to CDK2. Firstly, inclusion of salicylic acid in naïve cell lysates, or in recombinant CDK2 preparations, increased the ability of the anti-CDK2 antibody to immunoprecipitate CDK2, suggesting that salicylic acid may directly bind and alter its conformation. Secondly, in 8-anilino-1-naphthalene-sulfonate (ANS)-CDK2 fluorescence assays, pre-incubation of CDK2 with salicylic acid, dose-dependently quenched the fluorescence due to ANS. Thirdly, computational analysis using molecular docking studies identified Asp145 and Lys33 as the potential sites of salicylic acid interactions with CDK2. These results demonstrate that aspirin and salicylic acid down-regulate cyclin A2/CDK2 proteins in multiple cancer cell lines, suggesting a novel target and mechanism of action in chemoprevention. Implications Biochemical and structural studies indicate that the anti-proliferative actions of aspirin are mediated through cyclin A2/CDK2.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.