Multivalent ligands of death receptors hold particular promise as tumor cell-specific therapeutic agents because they induce an apoptotic cascade in cancerous cells. Herein, we present a modular approach to generate death receptor 5 (DR5) binding constructs comprising multiple copies of DR5 targeting peptide (DR5TP) covalently bound to biomolecular scaffolds of peptidic nature. This strategy allows for efficient oligomerization of synthetic DR5TP-derived peptides in different spatial orientations using a set of enzyme-promoted conjugations or recombinant production. Heptameric constructs based on a short (60-75 residues) scaffold of a C-terminal oligomerization domain of human C4b binding protein showed remarkable proapoptotic activity (EC50=3 nm) when DR5TP was ligated to its carboxy terminus. Our data support the notion that inter-ligand distance, relative spatial orientation and copy number of receptor-binding modules are key prerequisites for receptor activation and cell killing.
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Annu Rev Immunol
January 2025
3Department of Environmental Medicine and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA; email:
Initially discovered for its role mediating the deleterious effects of environmental contaminants, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is now known to be a crucial regulator of the immune system. The expanding list of AHR ligands includes synthetic and naturally derived molecules spanning pollutants, phytochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and substances derived from amino acids and microorganisms. The consequences of engaging AHR vary, depending on factors such as the AHR ligand, cell type, immune challenge, developmental state, dose, and timing of exposure relative to the immune stimulus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFApolipoprotein E (APOE) has multiple functions in metabolism and immunoregulation. Its common germline variants APOE2, APOE3 and APOE4 give rise to three functionally distinct gene products. Previous studies reported yin-yang roles of APOE2 and APOE4 in immunological processes, but their effects in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have never been studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJMIR Res Protoc
January 2025
Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Background: Although existing disease preparedness and response frameworks provide guidance about strengthening emergency response capacity, little attention is paid to health service continuity during emergency responses. During the 2014 Ebola outbreak, there were 11,325 reported deaths due to the Ebola virus and yet disruption in access to care caused more than 10,000 additional deaths due to measles, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Low- and middle-income countries account for the largest disease burden due to HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria and yet previous responses to health emergencies showed that HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria service delivery can be significantly disrupted.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFN Engl J Med
January 2025
From the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) Foundation (C.E.G., E.P.M., N.W., P.R., I.L.W., A.M.B.) and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine-UPMC Hillman Cancer Center (C.E.G., N.W., P.R., A.M.B.) - both in Pittsburgh; AGO-B and Helios Klinikum Berlin-Buch, Berlin (M.U.), the National Center for Tumor Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg (A.S.), Evangelische Kliniken Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenkirchen (H.H.F.), Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynäkologische Onkologie-Breast and Sana Klinikum Offenbach, Offenbach (C.J.), the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Erlangen, Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen (P.A.F.), German Breast Group, Neu-Isenburg (P.W., S.L.), and the Center for Hematology and Oncology Bethanien, Goethe University, Frankfurt (S.L.) - all in Germany; National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan (C.-S.H.); Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, São Paulo (M.S.M.); Orlando Health Cancer Institute, Orlando, FL (E.P.M.); Hospital Universitario La Paz-Instituto de Investigación del Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid (A.R.); L'Institut du Cancer de Montpellier-Val d'Aurelle, Montpellier (V.D.), Institut Bergonié, INSERM Unité 1312, and Université de Bordeaux UFR Sciences Médicales, Bordeaux (H.R.B.) - all in France; Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, OR (A.K.C.); the Department of Surgery, Oncology, and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, and Oncology 2, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IRCCS, Padua (V.G.), and the Cancer Center Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo (E.R.C.) - all in Italy; Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA (I.L.W.); the National Cancer Institute, Mexico City (C.A.-S.); Yale University School of Medicine, Yale Cancer Center, and Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, CT (M.P.D.); the All-Ireland Cooperative Oncology Research Group (J.P.C.), and the Oncology Unit, Cancer Clinical Trials and Research Unit, Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre, and Cancer Trials Ireland (B.T.H.) - all in Dublin; Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China (Z.S.); Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade (L.S.); Grupo Médico Ángeles, Guatemala City, Guatemala (H.C.-S.); Roche Products, Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom (A.K., A.S.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.L., T.B., B.N., E.R.).
Background: Patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive early breast cancer with residual invasive disease after neoadjuvant systemic therapy have a high risk of recurrence and death. The primary analysis of KATHERINE, a phase 3, open-label trial, showed that the risk of invasive breast cancer or death was 50% lower with adjuvant trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) than with trastuzumab alone.
Methods: We randomly assigned patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer with residual invasive disease in the breast or axilla after neoadjuvant systemic treatment with taxane-based chemotherapy and trastuzumab to receive T-DM1 or trastuzumab for 14 cycles.
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