Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) recruits an E3 ligase to a target protein to induce its ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. We reported success in the development of two PROTACs (C3 and C5) that potently and selectively induce the degradation of Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 (DC50 = 0.7 and 3.0 μM), respectively, by introducing the E3 ligase cereblon-binding ligand pomalidomide to Mcl-1/Bcl-2 dual inhibitors S1-6 and Nap-1 with micromolar-range affinity. C3-induced Mcl-1 ubiquitination translated into much more lethality in Mcl-1-dependent H23 cells than the most potent Mcl-1 occupancy-based inhibitor A-1210477 with nanomolar-range affinity. Moreover, structure–activity relationship analysis and molecular dynamic simulations discovered the structural basis for turning nonselective or promiscuous Bcl-2 family ligands into selective PROTACs. C3 and C5 exhibited reversible depletion in living cells, which provides a new potent toolkit for gain-of-function studies to probe the dynamic roles of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 in apoptosis networks.

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BackgroundAnabolic steroids are known to improve body composition and muscle strength in healthy people. However, whether anabolic steroids improve the physical condition and function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains undetermined. A meta-analysis was conducted to review the current evidence regarding the effects of anabolic steroids on COPD patients.MethodsA comprehensive literature search of PubMed and EMBASE was performed to identify randomised controlled trials that examine the effects of anabolic steroids on COPD patients. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to determine differences between anabolic steroid administration and control conditions.ResultsEight eligible studies involving 273 COPD patients were identified in this meta-analysis. Significant improvements were found in body weight (0.956 kg), fat-free mass (1.606 kg), St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire total score (−6.336) and symptom score (−12.148). The apparent improvements in maximal inspiratory pressure (2.740 cmH2O) and maximal expiratory pressure (12.679 cmH2O) were not significant. The effects on handgrip strength, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), predicted FEV1 percent, PaO2, PaCO2 and six-min walk distance were negative, with WMDs of −0.245 kg, −0.096 L/sec, −1.996% of predicted, −1.648 cmHg, −0.039 cmHg and −16.102 meters, respectively.ConclusionsLimited evidence available from the published literature suggests that the benefit of anabolic steroids on COPD patients cannot be denied. However, further studies are needed to identify the specific benefits and adverse effects of anabolic steroids on COPD patients and to determine the optimal populations and regimes of anabolic steroids in COPD patients.

Echinococcus granulosus is an important zoonotic parasite globally causing cystic echinococcosis (CE) in humans and animals. In this study, prevalence of CE and variation of cox1 gene sequence were analyzed with isolates E. granulosus collected from different areas in northern Xinjiang, China. The survey showed that 3.5% of sheep and 4.1% of cattle were infected with CE. Fragment of cox1 was amplified from all the positive sheep and cattle samples by PCR. In addition, 26 positive samples across the 4 areas were included. The isolates were all E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) containing 15 haplotypes (Hap1-15), and clustered into 2 genotypes, G1 (90.1%, 91/101) and G3 (9.9%, 10/101). Hap1 was the most common haplotype (48.5%, 49/101). Hap9 were found in humans samples, indicating that sheep and cattle reservoir human CE. It is indicate that E. granulosus may impact on control of CE in livestock and humans in the region.