Unlocking Immunity: Innovative prostate cancer vaccine strategies.

Objective: Prostate Cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in men, especially in Western societies. The objective of this research is to address the unmet need for effective treatments in advanced or recurrent PCa, where current strategies fall short of offering a cure. The focus is on leveraging immunotherapy and cancer vaccines to target the tumor's unique immunological microenvironment.

Macrophage dynamics in prostate cancer: Molecular to therapeutic insights.

This review provides an in-depth examination of the role that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play in the progression of prostate cancer (PCa), with a particular focus on the factors influencing the polarization of M1 and M2 macrophages and the implications of targeting these cells for cancer progression. The development and prognosis of PCa are significantly influenced by the behavior of macrophages within the tumor microenvironment. M1 macrophages typically exhibit anti-tumor properties by secreting pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), thereby enhancing the immune response.

Visual Electrofluorochromic Detection of Cancer Cell Surface Glycoprotein on a Closed Bipolar Electrode Chip.

This work reports an electrofluorochromic strategy on the basis of electric field control of fluorescent signal generation on bipolar electrodes (BPEs) for visualizing cancer cell surface glycoprotein (mucin 1). The device included two separate cells: anodic sensing cell and cathodic reporting cell, which were connected by a screen-printing electrode patterned on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) membrane. In the sensing cell, anti-MUC1 antibody immobilized on a chitosan-multiwalled carbon nanotube (CS-MWCNT)-modified anodic BPE channel was used for capturing mucin-1 (MUC1) or MCF-7 cancer cells.

Simultaneous detection of three biomarkers related to acute myocardial infarction based on immunosensing biochip.

An immunosensing biochip for simultaneous detection of three biomarkers related to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was developed based on anionic soybean peroxidase (SBP) functionalized nanoprobe and chemiluminescent imaging. The nanoprobes (Ab2-SiO-SBP) were fabricated by co-immobilization of SBP and one of the detection polyclonal antibodies, anti-cardiac troponin I antigen (anti-cTnI), anti-creatine kinase-MB (anti-CK-MB) and anti-myoglobin (anti-Myo), on the silica nanoparticle surface. The detection sensitivity was enhanced since the large surface area of silica carriers increased the loading of SBP for per sandwiched immunoreaction.

Electrochemiluminescent detection of cardiac troponin I by using soybean peroxidase labeled-antibody as signal amplifier.

This work proposed an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor for quantitative monitoring of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in plasma with soybean peroxidase (SBP) labeled-antibody as signal amplifier. The ECL sandwich immunosensor was constructed by covalent binding anti-cTnI capture antibody (Ab) to polyethylenimine-functionalized graphene matrix, which was obtained by a simple hydrothermal reaction between polyethylenimine (PEI) and graphene oxide (GO). After that, the SBP-labeled detection antibody (SBP-Ab), synthesized by NaIO method, was immobilized on the surface of electrode through sandwich immunoreaction.

High Seroprevalence of Human Herpesvirus 8 Infection in HIV-positive Homosexual Men in Jiangsu Province, China.

Background: HIV-infected homosexual men are more frequently diagnosed with Kaposi's sarcoma. With the increase of HIV-infected homosexual men in China, we urgently need to know the KS-related human herpesvirus (KSHV/HHV-8) seroprevalence in this population. To investigate HHV-8 prevalence among HIV-positive homosexual men, we recruited 183 patients naive of antiretroviral therapy (ART) whose blood samples presented with HIV-antibody positive as confirmed by western blot.

Microbial HSP70 peptide epitope 407-426 as adjuvant in tumor-derived autophagosome vaccine therapy of mouse lung cancer.

Tumor-derived autophagome (DRibble) is an effective therapeutic cancer vaccine inducing T cell recognition and death of tumor cells in mice. However, the potential for improved anti-tumor response still remains. Our previous study demonstrated that two repeats of a mycobacterial HSP70 (M2) peptide acted as adjuvant in improving anti-tumor efficacy of human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) vaccine.

Augmented CD3(+)CD8(+) and CD3(+)CD56(-) cells in cytokine-induced killer cells cultured with engineered cells for costimulatory enhancement from heavily pretreated patients with solid tumor.

Background Aims: Cytokine-induced killer cells (CIKs) were shown to be a promising tool in the quest for new therapeutic approaches in the setting of metastatic solid tumors refractory to standard treatments. However, there is a practical clinical problem of different expansion rates and cell function as individual variability exists. Stimulatory molecular 4-1BB could promote division and survival of T cells and enhance effector activity including cytokine production.

Circulating human cytomegalovirus-encoded HCMV-miR-US4-1 as an indicator for predicting the efficacy of IFNα treatment in chronic hepatitis B patients.

The efficacy of interferon α (IFNα) therapy for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients is about 40% and often associates with adverse side-effects, thus identification of an easy accessible biomarker that can predict the outcome of IFNα treatment for individual CHB patients would be greatly helpful. Recent reports by us and others show that microRNAs encoded by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) were readily detected in human serum and can interfere with lymphocyte responses required by IFNα therapeutic effect. We thus postulate that differential expression profile of serum HCMV miRNAs in CHB patients may serve as indicator to predict the efficacy of IFNα treatment for CHB patients.

Colorimetric detection of influenza A virus using antibody-functionalized gold nanoparticles.

Early and accurate diagnosis is considered the key issue to prevent the further spread of viruses and facilitate influenza therapy. Herein, we report a colorimetric immunosensor for influenza A virus (IAV) based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) modified with monoclonal anti-hemagglutinin antibody (mAb). The immunosensor allows for a fast, simple, and selective detection of IAV.

Prediction of antiviral efficacy in patients with chronic hepatitis C by changes in forkhead box protein 3 levels.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the distribution of CD4CD25 regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic hepatitis C; in addition to identifying whether the distribution of CD4CD25 Tregs predicts the efficacy of antiviral therapy for HCV. The expression of CD4CD25 forkhead box protein (FOXP) 3 Tregs within a CD4 T cell population was detected in the peripheral blood obtained from patients with chronic hepatitis C and from healthy control subjects using flow cytometry. The hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA load was measured using quantitative-fluorescence polymerase chain reaction.

Genetic variants in human leukocyte antigen-DP influence both hepatitis C virus persistence and hepatitis C virus F protein generation in the Chinese Han population.

Chronic hepatitis C is a serious liver disease that often results in cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to assess the association of human leukocyte antigen-DP (HLA-DP) variants with risk of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) or anti-F antibody generation. We selected two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a region including HLA-DPA1 (rs3077) and HLA-DPB1 (rs9277534) and genotyped SNPs in 702 cases and 342 healthy controls from the Chinese population using TaqMan SNP genotyping assay.

Electrochemiluminescence resonance energy transfer between graphene quantum dots and gold nanoparticles for DNA damage detection.

Bright blue luminescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) with major graphitic structured nanocrystals and a photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield of 15.5% were synthesized and used to monitor DNA damage. The GQDs were prepared by ultraviolet irradiation without using a chemical agent.

Hepatitis C virus alternate reading frame protein decreases interferon-α secretion in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) alternate reading frame protein (ARFP or F protein) of the HCV 1b genotype is a double-frameshift product of the HCV core protein (Core). The discovery of HCV F protein challenges various biological functions attributed to Core. However, the specific characteristics of the host cellular immune response to F protein during HCV infection have yet to be fully elucidated.

Detection of DNA damage by thiazole orange fluorescence probe assisted with exonuclease III.

This work reports a fluorescent dye insertion approach for detection of DNA damage. The capture DNA with overhanging 3'-terminus was immobilized on silicon surface to hybridize with target DNA. The intercalation of cyanine dye of thiazole orange (TO) to the double helix structure of DNA (dsDNA) allowed intense enhancement of fluorescence signal.

Hepatitis E virus genotype 4, Nanjing, China, 2001-2011.

During 2001-2011, hepatitis E virus (HEV) was found in the blood of patients in Nanjing, China. All HEV-positive patients had virus genotype 4; subgenotype 4a was predominant. The effective population of HEV in Nanjing increased in ≈1980 and continued until ≈2003 when it plateaued.

Selective collection and detection of MCF-7 breast cancer cells using aptamer-functionalized magnetic beads and quantum dots based nano-bio-probes.

A novel strategy for selective collection and detection of breast cancer cells (MCF-7) based on aptamer-cell interaction was developed. Mucin 1 protein (MUC1) aptamer (Apt1) was covalently conjugated to magnetic beads to capture MCF-7 cell through affinity interaction between Apt1 and MUC1 protein that overexpressed on the surface of MCF-7 cells. Meanwhile, a nano-bio-probe was constructed by coupling of nucleolin aptamer AS1411 (Apt2) to CdTe quantum dots (QDs) which were homogeneously coated on the surfaces of monodispersed silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs).

Anti-tumor efficacy of a hepatocellular carcinoma vaccine based on dendritic cells combined with tumor-derived autophagosomes in murine models.

The majority of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients have a poor prognosis with current therapies, and new approaches are urgently needed. We have developed a novel therapeutic cancer vaccine platform based on tumor cell derived autophagosomes (DRibbles) for cancer immunotherapy. We here evaluated the effectiveness of DRibbles-pulsed dendritic cell (DC) immunization to induce anti-tumor immunity in BALB/c mouse HCC and humanized HCC mouse models generated by transplantation of human HCC cells (HepG2) into BALB/c-nu mice.

Th1 and Th2 cytokine profiles induced by hepatitis C virus F protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from chronic hepatitis C patients.

Th1 and Th2 cytokine response has been confirmed to be correlated with the pathogenesis of HCV infection. The aim of the study is to investigate the Th1 and Th2 cytokine profiles induced by HCV alternate reading frame protein (F protein) in chronic hepatitis C patients. We assessed the immune responses specific to HCV F protein in 55 chronic HCV patients.

Microbial TLR Agonists and Humoral Immunopathogenesis in HIV Disease.

Although T cells are the primary and most-studied targets of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), B cells, especially memory B lymphocytes, are also chronically depleted in the course of HIV disease. Although the lack of CD4 T cell help may explain these deficiencies, intrinsic defects in B lymphocytes appear to contribute to B cell depletion and reduced antibody (Ab) production in the setting of HIV, especially of some antigens eliciting T cell-independent responses. The gut mucosal barrier is disrupted in HIV disease, resulting in increased systemic exposure to microbial products such as Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) agonists.

Autophagy-assisted antigen cross-presentation: Autophagosome as the argo of shared tumor-specific antigens and DAMPs.

It is generally believed that most tumor antigens are passively released from either health or dying tumor cells as intact soluble antigens, peptide fragments complexed with heat shock proteins (HSPs), or packaged in secretary vesicles in the form of microparticles or exosomes. The passive release of tumor antigens is generally non-inflammatory and non-immunogenic; however, results from others and our laboratories suggest that autophagy is critically involved in immunogenic cell death.

A pilot study of serum microRNA signatures as a novel biomarker for occult hepatitis B virus infection.

The implementation of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) screening tests has significantly enhanced blood transfusion safety. However, the transmission of HBsAg-negative blood components can still occur in the acute phase of infection during the seronegative window period or during chronic stages of infection such as occult hepatitis virus B infection (OBI). OBI, characterized by the presence of HBV infection without detectable HBsAg, is capable to elude the routine detection with HBV serologic markers and harbor a potential risk of HBV transmission through blood transfusion or organ transplantation.

Signal amplification cytosensor for evaluation of drug-induced cancer cell apoptosis.

Apoptosis is involved in the pathology of a variety of diseases. The measurement of apoptosis will help us to evaluate the onset of disease and the effect of therapeutic interventions. In addition, the increased demand for understanding the early stages of apoptosis is pushing the envelope for solutions in early instance real-time monitoring of death kinetics.

Oxymatrine inhibits hepatitis B infection with an advantage of overcoming drug-resistance.

Oxymatrine (OMTR) is an anti-hepatitis drug used in China. Its mechanism of action is unknown. Recently, we found that OMTR inhibits hepatitis B virus (HBV) via down-regulating the expression of heat-stress cognate 70 (Hsc70), a host protein required for HBV DNA replication.