A promising mRNA vaccine derived from the JN.1 spike protein confers protective immunity against multiple emerged Omicron variants.

Despite the declared end of the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, with emerging JN.1-derived subvariants (e.g.

A recombinant protein vaccine induces protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 and XBB-lineage subvariants.

The emergence of XBB- and JN.1-lineages with remarkable immune evasion characteristics have led to rises in breakthrough infections within populations. In addition, the unfavorable impacts of immune imprinting, stemming from continuous exposure to antigens from circulated viruses, have been observed to incline immune response against earlier lineages, thereby declining the neutralization to newly emerged Omicron subvariants.

Cancer vaccines: current status and future directions.

Cancer continues to be a major global health burden, with high morbidity and mortality. Building on the success of immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cellular therapy, cancer vaccines have garnered significant interest, but their clinical success remains modest. Benefiting from advancements in technology, many meticulously designed cancer vaccines have shown promise, warranting further investigations to reach their full potential.

Trivalent recombinant protein vaccine induces cross-neutralization against XBB lineage and JN.1 subvariants: preclinical and phase 1 clinical trials.

The immune escape capacities of XBB variants necessitate the authorization of vaccines with these antigens. In this study, we produce three recombinant trimeric proteins from the RBD sequences of Delta, BA.5, and XBB.

Application of nanomedicines in tumor immunotherapy.

Tumor immunotherapy has emerged as a formidable strategy, demonstrating substantial achievements in the field of cancer treatment. Despite its remarkable success, intrinsic limitations such as insufficient targeting capabilities, side effects, and resistance to immunotherapy hinder its efficacy. To address these challenges, the utilization of nanomedicines in tumor immunotherapy has been broadly explored, capitalizing on their advantages of targeting delivery capability, loading capacity, modifiability, and biocompatibility.

Liposomal honokiol inhibits non-small cell lung cancer progression and enhances PD-1 blockade via suppressing M2 macrophages polarization.

Background: Honokiol (HNK), a natural phenolic compound derived from Magnolia plants, exhibits therapeutic effects on various diseases, including cancer. The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has marked a breakthrough in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. However, a significant subset of patients exhibits primary or acquired resistance to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies, necessitating the development of novel combination strategies to enhance therapeutic efficacy and overcome resistance.

Simultaneous enhancement of cellular and humoral immunity by the lymph node-targeted cholesterolized TLR7 agonist liposomes.

Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists, as promising adjuvants and immunotherapeutic agents, have the potential to enhance immune responses and modulate antigen-dependent T-cell immune memory through activation of distinct signaling pathways. However, their clinical application is hindered by uncontrolled systemic inflammatory reactions. Therefore, it is imperative to create a vaccine adjuvant for TLR receptors that ensures both safety and efficacy.

Nanoplatform Based Intranasal Vaccines: Current Progress and Clinical Challenges.

Multiple vaccine platforms have been employed to develop the nasal SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in preclinical studies, and the dominating pipelines are viral vectored as protein-based vaccines. Among them, several viral vectored-based vaccines have entered clinical development. Nevertheless, some unsatisfactory results were reported in these clinical studies.

XBB.1.16-RBD-based trimeric protein vaccine can effectively inhibit XBB.1.16-included XBB subvariant infection.

The newly identified XBB.1.16-containing sublineages, including XBB.

The rising SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 variant: evolution, infectivity, immune escape, and response strategies.

The JN.1 variant of COVID-19 has emerged as the dominant strain worldwide since the end of 2023. As a subclade of the BA.

Inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation by A20 through modulation of NEK7.

The NLRP3 inflammasome, a pivotal component of innate immunity, has been implicated in various inflammatory disorders. The ubiquitin-editing enzyme A20 is well known to regulate inflammation and maintain homeostasis. However, the precise molecular mechanisms by which A20 modulates the NLRP3 inflammasome remain poorly understood.

Decoding mitochondria's role in immunity and cancer therapy.

The functions of mitochondria, including energy production and biomolecule synthesis, have been known for a long time. Given the rising incidence of cancer, the role of mitochondria in cancer has become increasingly popular. Activated by components released by mitochondria, various pathways interact with each other to induce immune responses to protect organisms from attack.

A chimeric adenovirus-vectored vaccine based on Beta spike and Delta RBD confers a broad-spectrum neutralization against Omicron-included SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Urgent research into innovative severe acute respiratory coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines that may successfully prevent various emerging emerged variants, particularly the Omicron variant and its subvariants, is necessary. Here, we designed a chimeric adenovirus-vectored vaccine named Ad5-Beta/Delta. This vaccine was created by incorporating the receptor-binding domain from the Delta variant, which has the L452R and T478K mutations, into the complete spike protein of the Beta variant.

Strategies and techniques for preclinical therapeutic targeting of PI3K in oncology: where do we stand in 2024?

Introduction: The PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway is an important signaling pathway in eukaryotic cells that is activated in a variety of cancers and is also associated with treatment resistance. This signaling pathway is an important target for anticancer therapy and holds great promise for research. At the same time PI3K inhibitors have a general problem that they have unavoidable toxic side effects.

Intranasal boosting with RBD-HR protein vaccine elicits robust mucosal and systemic immune responses.

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants has decreased the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in containing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) over time, and booster vaccination strategies are urgently necessitated to achieve sufficient protection. Intranasal immunization can improve mucosal immunity, offering protection against the infection and sustaining the spread of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, an intranasal booster of the RBD-HR vaccine after two doses of the mRNA vaccine significantly increased the levels of specific binding antibodies in serum, nasal lavage fluid, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid compared with only two doses of mRNA vaccine.

Targeting inflammation as cancer therapy.

Inflammation has accompanied human beings since the emergence of wounds and infections. In the past decades, numerous efforts have been undertaken to explore the potential role of inflammation in cancer, from tumor development, invasion, and metastasis to the resistance of tumors to treatment. Inflammation-targeted agents not only demonstrate the potential to suppress cancer development, but also to improve the efficacy of other therapeutic modalities.

cGAS-STING pathway agonists are promising vaccine adjuvants.

Adjuvants are of critical value in vaccine development as they act on enhancing immunogenicity of antigen and inducing long-lasting immunity. However, there are only a few adjuvants that have been approved for clinical use, which highlights the need for exploring and developing new adjuvants to meet the growing demand for vaccination. Recently, emerging evidence demonstrates that the cGAS-STING pathway orchestrates innate and adaptive immunity by generating type I interferon responses.

Colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor inhibition combined with paclitaxel exerts effective antitumor effects in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is the tumor with the highest mortality among gynecological malignancies. Studies have confirmed that paclitaxel chemoresistance is associated with increased infiltration of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the microenvironment. Colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) receptor (CSF-1R) plays a key role in regulating the number and differentiation of macrophages in certain solid tumors.