Monitoring Humoral Response Following BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation Patients: A Single-Center Prospective Study along with a Brief Review of Current Literature.

Data on antibody response (AR) after vaccination against SARS-CoV2 in hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation setting (HSCT) were initially scarce, mainly due to the exclusion of such patients from approval studies. Shortly after the worldwide application of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in vulnerable populations such as patients with hematologic malignancies, limited single-center trials, including HSCT patients, were published. However, there was a great heterogeneity between them regarding the type of underlying malignancy, co-current treatment, type of vaccine, method of AR measurement, and time point of AR measurement. Herein, we present the results of a prospective study on AR after vaccination for SARS-CoV-2 using the BNT162b2 vaccine in a cohort of 54 HSCT recipients-mostly autologous from a single Unit-along with a broad review of the current literature. In our cohort, the AR positivity rate at 1 month was 80.8% and remained positive in 85.7% of patients at 3 months after vaccination. There were only nine non-responders, who were more heavily pretreated and more frequently hypogammaglobulinemic compared to responders. High antibody titers (AT), [AT ≥ 1000 U/mL], were detected in 38.5% and 30.6% of the patients at m1 and m3, respectively. A significant decline in AT between m1 and m3 was demonstrated-p < 0.0001; median AT1 and AT3 were 480.5 and 293 U/mL, respectively. A novel finding of our study was the negative impact of IgA hypogammaglobulinemia on response to vaccination. Other negative significant factors were treatment with anti-CD20 antibody at vaccination and vaccination within 18 months from HSCT. Our data indicate that HSCT recipients elicit a positive response to the BNT162b2 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 when vaccinated at 6 months post-transplant, and vaccination should be offered to this patient population even within the post-pandemic COVID-19 era.

Prognostic Impact of Serum ß2-Microglobulin Levels in Hodgkin Lymphoma Treated with ABVD or Equivalent Regimens: A Comprehensive Analysis of 915 Patients.

The significance of serum beta-2 microglobulin (sß2m) in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is controversial. We analyzed 915 patients with HL, who were treated with ABVD or equivalent regimens with or without radiotherapy. Sß2m levels were measured by a radioimmunoassay (upper normal limit 2.4 mg/L). Sequential cutoffs (1.8-3.0 by 0.1 mg/L increments, 3.5 and 4.0 mg/L) were tested along with ROC analysis. The median sß2m levels were 2.20 mg/L and were elevated (>2.4 mg/L) in 383/915 patients (41.9%). Higher sß2m was associated with inferior freedom from progression (FFP) at all tested cutoffs. The best cutoff was 2.0 mg/L (10-year FFP 83% vs. 70%, p = 0.001), which performed better than the 2.4 mg/L cutoff ("normal versus high"). In multivariate analysis, sß2m > 2.0 mg/L was an independent adverse prognostic factor in the whole patient population. In multivariate overall survival analysis, sß2m levels were predictive at 2.0 mg/L cutoff in the whole patient population and in advanced stages. Similarly, sß2m > 2.0 mg/L independently predicted inferior HL-specific survival in the whole patient population. Our data suggest that higher sß2m is an independent predictor of outcome in HL but the optimal cutoff lies within the normal limits (i.e., at 2.0 mg/L) in this predominantly young patient population, performing much better than a "normal versus high" cutoff set at 2.4 mg/L.

Symptomatic ovarian involvement as the initial presentation of primary mediastinal large b-cell lymphoma.

Primary mediastinal large B- cell lymphoma (PMLBCL) is a mature aggressive B-cell lymphoma which affects mainly young and middle-aged women. The majority of patients present with bulky mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Extranodal involvement is a rare phenomenon at disease presentation. Herein, we describe a case of a young female with PMLBCL presenting with symptomatic, bulky ovarian involvement. The 23-year old patient presented at the Emergency Department with abdominal pain. The chest X-ray film revealed a mediastinal mass and CT scan revealed a large pelvic mass, possibly involving the ovaries. Due to the development of signs of acute abdomen, she was urgently transferred to the operation room where surgical resection of the right ovary and the adjacent mass was performed. The histological examination of the resected material revealed proliferation of PMLBCL cells. This is the first report in the scientific literature describing symptomatic ovarian mass as the initial mode of presentation of PMLBCL.

Reduced proteasome activity in the aging brain results in ribosome stoichiometry loss and aggregation.

A progressive loss of protein homeostasis is characteristic of aging and a driver of neurodegeneration. To investigate this process quantitatively, we characterized proteome dynamics during brain aging in the short-lived vertebrate Nothobranchius furzeri combining transcriptomics and proteomics. We detected a progressive reduction in the correlation between protein and mRNA, mainly due to post-transcriptional mechanisms that account for over 40% of the age-regulated proteins. These changes cause a progressive loss of stoichiometry in several protein complexes, including ribosomes, which show impaired assembly/disassembly and are enriched in protein aggregates in old brains. Mechanistically, we show that reduction of proteasome activity is an early event during brain aging and is sufficient to induce proteomic signatures of aging and loss of stoichiometry in vivo. Using longitudinal transcriptomic data, we show that the magnitude of early life decline in proteasome levels is a major risk factor for mortality. Our work defines causative events in the aging process that can be targeted to prevent loss of protein homeostasis and delay the onset of age-related neurodegeneration.

Nuclear inclusions of pathogenic ataxin-1 induce oxidative stress and perturb the protein synthesis machinery.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type-1 (SCA1) is caused by an abnormally expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in ataxin-1. These expansions are responsible for protein misfolding and self-assembly into intranuclear inclusion bodies (IIBs) that are somehow linked to neuronal death. However, owing to lack of a suitable cellular model, the downstream consequences of IIB formation are yet to be resolved. Here, we describe a nuclear protein aggregation model of pathogenic human ataxin-1 and characterize IIB effects. Using an inducible Sleeping Beauty transposon system, we overexpressed the ATXN1(Q82) gene in human mesenchymal stem cells that are resistant to the early cytotoxic effects caused by the expression of the mutant protein. We characterized the structure and the protein composition of insoluble polyQ IIBs which gradually occupy the nuclei and are responsible for the generation of reactive oxygen species. In response to their formation, our transcriptome analysis reveals a cerebellum-specific perturbed protein interaction network, primarily affecting protein synthesis. We propose that insoluble polyQ IIBs cause oxidative and nucleolar stress and affect the assembly of the ribosome by capturing or down-regulating essential components. The inducible cell system can be utilized to decipher the cellular consequences of polyQ protein aggregation. Our strategy provides a broadly applicable methodology for studying polyQ diseases.

Bioinformatic framework for analysis of transcription factor changes as the molecular link between replicative cellular senescence signaling pathways and carcinogenesis.

Cellular senescence is a natural condition of irreversible cell cycle arrest and apoptotic resistance that occurs in cells exposed to various stress factors, such as replicative stress or overexpression of oncogenes. Unraveling the complex regulation of senescence in cells is essential to strengthen senescence-related therapeutic approaches in cancer, as cellular senescence plays a dual role in tumorigenesis, having both anti- and pro-tumorigenic effects. In our study we created a model of replicative cellular senescence, based on transcriptomic data, including an extra intermediate time-point prior to cells entering senescence, to elucidate the interplay of networks governing cellular senescence with networks involved in tumorigenesis. We reveal specific changes that occur in transcription factor activity at different timepoints before and after cells entering senescence and model the signaling networks that govern these changes.

The dietary triterpenoid 18α-Glycyrrhetinic acid protects from MMC-induced genotoxicity through the ERK/Nrf2 pathway.

18α-Glycyrrhetinic acid (18α-GA) is a bioactive triterpenoid that has been shown to activate the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived-2)-like 2 (Nrf2), the main transcription factor that orchestrates the cellular antioxidant response, in both cellular and organismal context. Although various beneficial properties of 18α-GA have been revealed, including its anti-oxidation and anti-aging activity, its possible protective effect against DNA damage has never been addressed. In this study, we investigated the potential beneficial properties of 18α-GA against DNA damage induced by mitomycin C (MMC) treatment. Using human primary fibroblasts exposed to MMC following pre-treatment with 18α-GA, we reveal an Nrf2-mediated protective effect against MMC-induced cell death that depends on extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling. In total, our results reveal an additional beneficial effect of the Nrf2 activator 18α-GA, suggesting that this important phytochemical compound is a potential candidate in preventive and/or therapeutic schemes against conditions (such as aging) or diseases that are characterized by both oxidative stress and DNA damage.

Protein ingestion preserves proteasome activity during intense aseptic inflammation and facilitates skeletal muscle recovery in humans.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is the main cellular proteolytic system responsible for the degradation of normal and abnormal (e.g. oxidised) proteins. Under catabolic conditions characterised by chronic inflammation, the UPS is activated resulting in proteolysis, muscle wasting and impaired muscle function. Milk proteins provide sulphur-containing amino acid and have been proposed to affect muscle inflammation. However, the response of the UPS to aseptic inflammation and protein supplementation is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate how milk protein supplementation affects UPS activity and skeletal muscle function under conditions of aseptic injury induced by intense, eccentric exercise. In a double-blind, cross-over, repeated measures design, eleven men received either placebo (PLA) or milk protein concentrate (PRO, 4×20 g on exercise day and 20 g/d for the following 8 days), following an acute bout of eccentric exercise (twenty sets of fifteen eccentric contractions at 30°/s) on an isokinetic dynamometer. In each trial, muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle at baseline, as well as at 2 and 8 d post exercise, whereas blood samples were collected before exercise and at 6 h, 1 d, 2 d and 8 d post exercise. Muscle strength and soreness were assessed before exercise, 6 h post exercise and then daily for 8 consecutive days. PRO preserved chymotrypsin-like activity and attenuated the decrease of strength, facilitating its recovery. PRO also prevented the increase of NF-κB phosphorylation and HSP70 expression throughout recovery. We conclude that milk PRO supplementation following exercise-induced muscle trauma preserves proteasome activity and attenuates strength decline during the pro-inflammatory phase.

Redox regulation of proteasome function.

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS) were initially regarded mainly as metabolic by-products with damaging properties. Over the last decade, our understanding of their role in metabolism was drastically changed and they were recognized as essential mediators in cellular signaling cascades, as well as modulators of biochemical pathways. Proteostasis is highly affected by the various levels of intracellular and extracellular free radicals with either mild or severe outcomes. As part of the proteostatic network, the proteasome system is equally affected by redox alterations. This short review summarizes the effects of oxidative stress on proteasome status while it also recapitulates conditions and processes where redox alterations signal changes to proteasome expression, assembly and function.

2,3-Dehydrosilybin A/B as a pro-longevity and anti-aggregation compound.

Aging is an unavoidable process characterized by gradual failure of homeostasis that constitutes a critical risk factor for several age-related disorders. It has been unveiled that manipulation of various key pathways may decelerate the aging progression and the triggering of age-related diseases. As a consequence, the identification of compounds, preferably natural-occurring, administered through diet, with lifespan-extending, anti-aggregation and anti-oxidation properties that in parallel exhibit negligible side-effects is the main goal in the battle against aging. Here we analyze the role of 2,3-dehydrosilybin A/B (DHS A/B), a minor component of silymarin used in a plethora of dietary supplements. This flavonolignan is well-known for its anti-oxidative and neuroprotective properties, among others. We demonstrate that DHS A/B confers oxidative stress resistance not only in human primary cells but also in the context of a multi-cellular aging model, namely Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) where it also promotes lifespan extension. We reveal that these DHS A/B outcomes are FGT-1 and DAF-16 dependent. We additionally demonstrate the anti-aggregation properties of DHS A/B in human cells of nervous origin but also in nematode models of Alzheimer's disease (AD), eventually leading to decelerated progression of AD phenotype. Our results identify DHS A/B as the active component of silymarin extract and propose DHS A/B as a candidate anti-aging and anti-aggregation compound.

Proteasome activation: An innovative promising approach for delaying aging and retarding age-related diseases.

Aging is a natural process accompanied by a progressive accumulation of damage in all constituent macromolecules (nucleic acids, lipids and proteins). Accumulation of damage in proteins leads to failure of proteostasis (or vice versa) due to increased levels of unfolded, misfolded or aggregated proteins and, in turn, to aging and/or age-related diseases. The major cellular proteolytic machineries, namely the proteasome and the lysosome, have been shown to dysfunction during aging and age-related diseases. Regarding the proteasome, it is well established that it can be activated either through genetic manipulation or through treatment with natural or chemical compounds that eventually result to extension of lifespan or deceleration of the progression of age-related diseases. This review article focuses on proteasome activation studies in several species and cellular models and their effects on aging and longevity. Moreover, it summarizes findings regarding proteasome activation in the major age-related diseases as well as in progeroid syndromes.

Proteasome activation delays aging in vitro and in vivo.

Aging is a natural biological process that is characterized by a progressive accumulation of macromolecular damage. In the proteome, aging is accompanied by decreased protein homeostasis and function of the major cellular proteolytic systems, leading to the accumulation of unfolded, misfolded, or aggregated proteins. In particular, the proteasome is responsible for the removal of normal as well as damaged or misfolded proteins. Extensive work during the past several years has clearly demonstrated that proteasome activation by either genetic means or use of compounds significantly retards aging. Importantly, this represents a common feature across evolution, thereby suggesting proteasome activation to be an evolutionarily conserved mechanism of aging and longevity regulation. This review article reports on the means of function of these proteasome activators and how they regulate aging in various species.

Paracrine anti-fibrotic effects of neonatal cells and living cell constructs on young and senescent human dermal fibroblasts.

Senescent cells observed in the area of chronic wounds have been proposed to affect wound healing. Therapeutic approaches against chronic wounds include, among others, the local application of living cell constructs (LCCs), containing fibroblasts and/or keratinocytes. Accordingly, the aim of the present work was to examine the effects of factors secreted by early passage neonatal fibroblasts and LCCs--in the form of a conditioned medium (CM)--on senescent adult dermal fibroblasts regarding functions related to the healing process, i.e., cell proliferation, alpha-smooth muscle actin and metalloproteinase expression, and collagen synthesis. Target cells were fibroblasts senescent either due to subsequent divisions (replicative senescence) or due to an exogenous stress (stress-induced premature senescence). No effect on the proliferation of senescent fibroblasts was observed, as expected. All CMs were found to inhibit overall collagen synthesis both in early passage and in senescent fibroblasts. The LCC-derived CM was found to be more potent than fibroblast-derived CMs and, furthermore, to inhibit alpha-smooth muscle actin expression. In conclusion, these results may indicate anti-contractile and anti-fibrotic activities of factor(s) secreted by neonatal skin fibroblasts, and more intensely by LCCs on adult donor-derived fibroblasts. These activities seem to persist during senescence of the target cells.