Genetically engineered T cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) are rapidly emerging a promising new treatment for haematological and non-haematological malignancies. CAR-T therapy can induce rapid and durable clinical responses but is associated with unique acute toxicities. Moreover, CAR-T cells are vulnerable to immunosuppressive mechanisms. Here, we report that CAR-T cells release extracellular vesicles, mostly in the form of exosomes that carry CAR on their surface. The CAR-containing exosomes express a high level of cytotoxic molecules and inhibit tumour growth. Compared with CAR-T cells, CAR exosomes do not express Programmed cell Death protein 1 (PD1), and their antitumour effect cannot be weakened by recombinant PD-L1 treatment. In a preclinical in vivo model of cytokine release syndrome, the administration of CAR exosomes is relatively safe compared with CAR-T therapy. This study supports the use of exosomes as biomimetic nanovesicles that may be useful in future therapeutic approaches against tumours.

Antibodies are considered as an excellent foundation to neutralize pathogens and as highly specific therapeutic agents. Antibodies are generated in response to a vaccine but little use as immunotherapy to combat virus infections. A new generation of broadly cross-reactive and highly potent antibodies has led to a unique chance for them to be used as a medical intervention. Neutralizing antibodies (monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies) are desirable for pharmaceutical products because of their ability to target specific epitopes with their variable domains by precise neutralization mechanisms. The isolation of neutralizing antiviral antibodies has been achieved by Phage displayed antibody libraries, transgenic mice, B cell approaches, and hybridoma technology. Antibody engineering technologies have led to efficacy improvements, to further boost antibody in vivo activities. “Although neutralizing antiviral antibodies have some limitations that hinder their full development as therapeutic agents, the potential for prevention and treatment of infections, including a range of viruses (HIV, Ebola, MERS-COV, CHIKV, SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV2), are being actively pursued in human clinical trials.”

No abstract

Carnivorous fish is thought to be high-glucose intolerance. But the reasons were still unclear. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of high level of dietary carbohydrate on the survival, growth and immune responses of Paralichthys olivaceus, and the underlying molecular mechanism related to the immune and glucose metabolism. P. olivaceus were fed with 8%, 16% and 24% of dietary carbohydrate for 10 weeks, respectively. After that, a glucose tolerance test (GTT) was conducted. Results showed that excessive (24%) dietary carbohydrate significantly decreased the growth and glucose tolerance ability according to the GTT. It significantly increased hepatic NADPH oxidase activity and malondialdehyde content and serum contents of IL-6 and advanced glycation end products. The expressions of glucose transport-relevant genes in liver and the content of related hormones in serum were analyzed. In conclusion, it was confirmed that IL-6 increased the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) and regulated the downstream targets of PI3K-AKT mediated signal transduction, and then downregulated the glucose transporter 2 activity in liver of P. olivaceus fed diet with excessive carbohydrate level. It was suggested that SOCS3 served as a bridge between immune response and glucose metabolism in P. olivaceus.

No abstract

The present study was conducted to estimate the effects of dietary carbohydrates on muscle quality and the underlying mechanisms. Six isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated to contain graded levels of carbohydrates (0%, 8%, 12%, 16%, 20% and 24%, respectively). These diets were named as C0, C8, C12, C16, C20 and C24, respectively. After a 10-week feeding trial, results showed that the muscle pH, liquid holding capacity (LHC) and hardness were significantly decreased by the increasing dietary carbohydrate levels. Dietary carbohydrates significantly decreased the muscle fibre diameter, and the highest value was found in the C0 group. Accumulated glycogen and degenerated mitochondrial cristae were observed in the C24 group. Significantly higher contents of protein carbonyls were observed in the C20 group and C24 group (P < 0.05). There was a significant decrease of mtDNA copy number in the C24 group compared with that in the C0 and C8 groups. The AMP/ATP ratio in muscle decreased first and then increased with the increasing dietary carbohydrate levels. The dietary incorporation of carbohydrate significantly reduced the expression of opa1, pygm and genes involved in myogenesis (myf5 and myog). Meanwhile, proteolysis-related genes (murf-1, mafbx, capn2 and ctsl), pro-inflammatory cytokines (il-6 and tnf-α) and mstn were significantly up-regulated. In the C24 group, significant increase of phosphorylation of AMPK (Thr172), up-regulation of PGC-1α and GLUT4 were observed, while the phosphorylation level of S6 (Ser235/236) was significantly decreased. It was concluded that excessive dietary carbohydrate level (24%) had negative impacts on mitochondria function and promoted glycogen accumulation, and thereafter influenced the muscle quality of olive flounder. The activation of AMPK as well as the upregulation of PGC-1α and GLUT4 was the key mechanism.

Hpn is a small histidine-rich cytoplasmic protein from Helicobacter pylori and has been recognized as a high-risk factor for several cancers including gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and MALT lymphoma. However, the relationship between Hpn and cancers remains elusive. In this study, we discovered that Hpn protein effectively suppressed cell growth and induced apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry-based comparative proteomics was performed to find the molecular targets of Hpn in HCC cells. It was identified that twelve proteins were differentially expressed, with USP5 being one of the most significantly downregulated protein. The P14 -P53 signaling was activated by USP5 knockdown in HCC cells. Furthermore, USP5 overexpression significantly rescued the suppressive effect of Hpn on the viability of HCC cells. In conclusion, our study suggests that Hpn plays apoptosis-inducing roles through suppressing USP5 expression and activating the P14 -P53 signaling. Therefore, Hpn may be a potential candidate for developing novel anti-HCC drugs.

As deubiquitinases, several ubiquitin specific protease members have been reported to mediate tumorigenesis. Although ubiquitin specific protease 5 (Usp5) was previously demonstrated to suppress p53 transcriptional activity and DNA repair, its role in carcinogenesis remains elusive. In this study, we sought to define a novel role of Usp5 in tumorigenesis. It was found that Usp5 was significantly upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and most clinical specimens. Further functional investigation also showed that Usp5 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation, migration, drug resistance and induced apoptosis; on the other hand, Usp5 overexpression promoted colony formation, migration, drug resistance and tumorigenesis. Additionally, the inactivated p14ARF-p53 signaling was observed in Usp5 overexpressed HCC cells, while this signaling was activated by Usp5 knockdown. Therefore, our data demonstrated that Usp5 contributed to hepatocarcinogenesis by acting as an oncogene, which provides new insights into the pathogenesis of HCC and explores a promising molecular target for HCC diagnosis and therapy.