Combating rituximab resistance by inducing ceramide/lysosome-involved cell death through initiation of CD20-TNFR1 co-localization.

Despite the success of CD20 antibody rituximab in immunotherapy, acquired resistance is one of the prime obstacles for the successful treatment of B-cell malignancies. There is an urgent need to intensify efforts against resistance in cancer treatment. Growing evidence indicated that lysosomes may form an "Achilles heel" for cancer cells by sensitizing them to death pathways.

Atorvastatin improves pathological changes in the aged kidney by upregulating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor expression and reducing matrix metalloproteinase-9 and transforming growth factor-β1 levels.

Objective: To investigate the effects of atorvastatin (AVT) on renal function and renal pathological changes in the aged rat and explore their possible mechanisms.

Methods: Twenty-month-old, normal female Wistar rats were divided into three groups: group A (n=8) was fed high-dose AVT (10mg/kg/d); group B (n=8) was fed low-dose AVT (1mg/kg/d); and group C (controls, n=8) received the same volume of normal saline; 3-month-old, normal female Wistar rats served as young normal controls (n=8). All rats were sacrificed following a 4-month treatment period.