Larotaxel (LTX) and SB-T-1214 (SBT), two new synthetic experimental toxoids, have shown broad-spectrum antitumor activity, especially against tumors that are resistant to other drugs. However, their poor solubility, membrane permeability, and first-pass effect limits their use in oral administration. We designed and synthesized two long-chain triglyceride-mimic prodrugs of LTX (LTXSSTG) and SBT (SBTSSTG), which are bridged by disulfide bonds and efficiently incorporated them into Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDF() is a severe pathogen threatening the safety of agriculture and food. This study aimed to explore the antifungal efficacies of several plant-derived natural compounds (vanillin and its derivatives) against the growth of and investigate the antifungal mechanism of 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (HMB), the strongest one. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of HMB in inhibiting mycelial growth was 200 μg/mL.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe mitochondrial caseinolytic protease P (ClpP) is a target candidate for treating leukemia; however, the effects of ClpP modulation on solid tumors have not been adequately explored. Here, we report a potent activator of ClpP with the therapeutic potential for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We first validated that aberrant ClpP activation leads to growth arrest of PDAC cells and tumors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKRAS mutation occurs in nearly 30% of human cancers, yet the most prevalent and oncogenic KRAS(G12D) variant still lacks inhibitors. Herein, we designed a series of potent inhibitors that can form a salt bridge with KRAS's Asp12 residue. Our ITC results show that these inhibitors have similar binding affinity with both GDP-bound and GTP-bound KRAS(G12D), and our crystallographic studies reveal the structural basis of inhibitor binding-induced switch-II pocket in KRAS(G12D), experimentally confirming the formation of a salt bridge between the piperazine moiety of the inhibitors and the Asp12 residue of the mutant protein.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: For a long time, postoperative nutritional support for laryngeal cancer patients has depended on the gastric tube for enteral nutrition. Silica gel gastric tube is often used in clinical practice; however, the gastric tube placed in the conventional depth often leads to various complications in the stomach, thus damaging the nutritional status of patients and leading to the poor prognosis.
Methods/design: A total of 80 patients with laryngeal cancer in otolaryngology, head and neck surgery department of Deyang people's hospital from May 2020 to April 2022 will be selected and randomly divided into control group and experimental group according to the numerical table.
Human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells respond to microbial infections and malignancy by sensing diphosphate-containing metabolites called phosphoantigens, which bind to the intracellular domain of butyrophilin 3A1, triggering extracellular interactions with the Vγ9Vδ2 T cell receptor (TCR). Here, we examined the molecular basis of this "inside-out" triggering mechanism. Crystal structures of intracellular butyrophilin 3A proteins alone or in complex with the potent microbial phosphoantigen HMBPP or a synthetic analog revealed key features of phosphoantigens and butyrophilins required for γδ T cell activation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMotivated by the clinical observation that interruption of the mevalonate pathway stimulates immune responses, we hypothesized that this pathway may function as a druggable target for vaccine adjuvant discovery. We found that lipophilic statin drugs and rationally designed bisphosphonates that target three distinct enzymes in the mevalonate pathway have potent adjuvant activities in mice and cynomolgus monkeys. These inhibitors function independently of conventional "danger sensing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActivated hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs) are now established as a central driver of fibrosis in human liver injury. In the presence of chronic or repeated injury, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can occur, so there is interest in down-regulating aHSCs activity in order to treat these diseases. Here, we report that Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are reduced in patients with liver cirrhosis, stimulating us to investigate possible interactions between Vγ9Vδ2 T cells and aHSCs.
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