Investigation of the therapeutic potential of recombinant bispecific bivalent anti-PD-L1/VEGF nanobody in inhibition of angiogenesis.

Objective: Immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies targeting programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) on cancer cells as a biomarker of escape from response to immune checkpoint has demonstrated efficacy in treating many solid tumors. In addition, some of the signals, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), bind to receptors on the surface of normal endothelial cells and encourage angiogenesis, or the formation and survival of new blood vessels.

Methods: Due to the special features of nanobodies with high specificity and affinity as a powerful new tool in cancer therapy, here, a recombinant bispecific bivalent anti-PD-L1/VEGF nanobody was constructed and its functionality in inhibition of angiogenesis was investigated.

cagA gene and protein status among Iranian Helicobacter pylori strains.

The wide geographic genetic diversity of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) and, in particular, the varying prevalence of cagA in different countries has been documented repeatedly. This study was designed to determine the frequency of cagA in Iranian Hp strains by means of genotyping and assessment of host antibodies. Helicobacter pylori strains from 235 patients, including 174 non-ulcer dyspepsia, 25 peptic ulcer and 36 gastric cancer patients, were studied.

Effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on the level of Survivin & XIAP expression in several human cancer cell lines, after treating with DNA damaging agent.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has opposite biological activities in regulating apoptosis, also underlying molecular mechanisms are not clearly defined. We investigated HGF ability to inhibit cell death, which was induced by Doxorubicin, a DNA damaging agent. Also Survivin and XIAP mRNA levels were compared in HGF treated and non-treated cells.