Characterization of CD103 CD8 tissue-resident T cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: may be tumor reactive and resurrected by anti-PD-1 blockade.

Though therapy that promotes anti-tumor response about CD8 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) has shown great potential, clinical responses to CD8 TILs immunotherapy vary considerably, largely because of different subpopulation of CD8 TILs exhibiting different biological characters. To define the relationship between subpopulation of CD8 TILs and the outcome of antitumor reaction, the phenotype and function of CD103 CD8 TILs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) were investigated. CD103 CD8 TILs were presented in ESCC, which displayed phenotype of tissue-resident memory T cells and exhibited high expression of immune checkpoints (PD-1, TIM-3).

Intrinsic Expression of Immune Checkpoint Molecule TIGIT Could Help Tumor Growth by Suppressing the Function of NK and CD8 T Cells.

TIGIT, an immune checkpoint molecule widely expressed on NK cells, activated T cells and Tregs, has been involved in delivering inhibitory signals through the interaction with PVR. The blockade of TIGIT/PVR interaction is a promising approach in cancer immunotherapy. Here, we unexpectedly discovered the expression of TIGIT in murine tumor cells.

Novel epitopes identified from efflux pumps of Mycobacterium tuberculosis could induce cytotoxic T lymphocyte response.

Overcoming drug-resistance is one of the major challenges to control tuberculosis (TB). The up-regulation of efflux pumps is one common mechanism that leads to drug-resistance. Therefore, immunotherapy targeting these efflux pump antigens could be promising strategy to be combined with current chemotherapy.

Blocking of the PD-1/PD-L1 Interaction by a D-Peptide Antagonist for Cancer Immunotherapy.

Blockade of the protein-protein interaction between the transmembrane protein programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand PD-L1 has emerged as a promising immunotherapy for treating cancers. Using the technology of mirror-image phage display, we developed the first hydrolysis-resistant D-peptide antagonists to target the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. The optimized compound (D) PPA-1 could bind PD-L1 at an affinity of 0.

The immunogenicity of a novel cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitope from tumor antigen PL2L60 could be enhanced by 4-chlorophenylalanine substitution at position 1.

PIWIL2, a member of PIWI/AGO family, is expressed in germline stem cells and precancerous stem cells, but not in adult somatic cells. PIWIL2 plays an important role in tumor development. It is considered as a cancer–testis antigen (CT80).

In vitro and in vivo identification of a novel cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitope from Rv3425 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The identification of novel cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes is important to analysis of the involvement of CD8(+) T cells in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection as well as to the development of peptide vaccines. In this study, a novel CTL epitope from region of difference 11 encoded antigen Rv3425 was identified. Epitopes were predicted by the reversal immunology approach.

Identification of novel T cell epitopes from efflux pumps of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) play an important role in the immunity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. In the present study, the identification of novel CTL epitopes from efflux pumps, Rv1258c and Rv1410c, was reported. Candidate native peptides and their analogues were predicted with prediction programs.

[Expression and significance of membrane skeleton protein 4.1 family in non-small cell lung cancer].

Background And Objective: Protein 4.1, a component of cell membrane skeleton, plays a role in maintaining the shape and mechanical stability of erythrocytes. Recent researches showed that protein 4.

Development and evaluation of a novel multiple-antigen ELISA for serodiagnosis of tuberculosis.

In this study, we describe the development and evaluation of a novel multiple-antigen ELISA for rapid diagnosis and screening of active tuberculosis (TB). The humoral immune responses of 136 active TB patients and 57 healthy subjects against antigens Rv3425, 38kDa and lipoarabinomannan (LAM) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv were examined by ELISA. Three essential results were obtained.

Identification of a new broad-spectrum CD8+ T cell epitope from over-expressed antigen COX-2 in esophageal carcinoma.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been found to be over-expressed in esophageal carcinoma (EC) and it could be considered as a potential tumor-associated antigen (TAA). In the present study, six candidate peptides from COX-2 were firstly predicted and synthesized. Among them, P(479) had the highest affinity and stability toward both HLA-A *0201 and HLA-A *03 molecules and it could significantly promote the IFN-gamma release.

Structure-activity relationships of the dimeric analogues of endomorphin-2 with different lengths of spacers.

In the present study, seven novel dimeric analogues of endomorphin-2 with longer spacers were designed and synthesized. Through dimerization, their affinity for delta-opioid receptor was mostly increased, especially the delta-opioid receptor preferred dimeric analogue, DEM(12). The results were confirmed by the in vitro bioassay.

Entecavir up-regulates dendritic cell function in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Aim: To investigate the in vitro effect of entecavir (ETV) on the function of dendritic cells (DCs) derived from chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

Methods: Mononuclear cells were isolated from peripheral blood of patients with CHB. DCs were incubated with RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum, IL-4, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF).

Effects of lamivudine on the function of dendritic cells derived from patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Aim: To investigate if the nucleoside analogue lamivudine (LAM), a potent inhibitor of HBV replication, could restore the function of dendritic cells derived from patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in an Asian population.

Methods: Dendritic cells (DCs) derived from mononuclearcytes of patients with chronic HBV infection were cultured in the presence of IL-4, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors (GM-CSF) and gradient concentrations of LAM (0-2 mmol/L). Cell morphology was observed under light microscopy.

Effects of cytotoxic T lymphocytes on hepatoma cell line SMMC-7721 induced by different subsets of dendritic cells in vitro.

Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with complex antigen are always used to induce cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) which have a specific anti-tumor activity. However, CTLs can assault autologous cells induced by DCs loaded with autologous antigen. This study aimed to explore how to weaken the autoimmune reaction induced by DC vaccine by combining mature DC (mDC) activating immunity and immature DC (imDC) leading to immune tolerance to make hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) vaccine in vitro.

Association of peptic ulcer with increased expression of Lewis antigens, but not vacuolating cytotoxin activity or babA2 gene status, in Helicobacter pylori strains from China.

Objective: Controversies exist regarding the virulence factors, such as vacA, babA2 and Lewis blood group antigens, of Western and Asian strains of Helicobacter pylori. The aim of the present study was to determine the significance of these potential virulence factors in the Chinese population.

Methods: Seventy-two strains of H.

Endomorphins inhibit contractile responses of rat thoracic aorta rings induced by phenylephrine and angiotensin II in vitro.

Aim: To study the effects of opioid receptor agonists endomorphin-1 and -2 on contractile responses of rat thoracic aorta rings to phenylephrine (PE) and angiotensin II (Ang II), and their possible mechanism in vitro.

Methods: Isometric tension recording was progressed in thoracic aorta rings from Wistar rats.

Results: Pretreatment of morphine, endomorphin-1 and -2 (0.