A humanized mouse that mounts mature class-switched, hypermutated and neutralizing antibody responses.

Humanized mice are limited in terms of modeling human immunity, particularly with regards to antibody responses. Here we constructed a humanized (THX) mouse by grafting non-γ-irradiated, genetically myeloablated KitW-41J mutant immunodeficient pups with human cord blood CD34+ cells, followed by 17ß-estradiol conditioning to promote immune cell differentiation. THX mice reconstitute a human lymphoid and myeloid immune system, including marginal zone B cells, germinal center B cells, follicular helper T cells and neutrophils, and develop well-formed lymph nodes and intestinal lymphoid tissue, including Peyer's patches, and human thymic epithelial cells. These mice have diverse human B cell and T cell antigen receptor repertoires and can mount mature T cell-dependent and T cell-independent antibody responses, entailing somatic hypermutation, class-switch recombination, and plasma cell and memory B cell differentiation. Upon flagellin or a Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccination, THX mice mount neutralizing antibody responses to Salmonella or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Spike S1 receptor-binding domain, with blood incretion of human cytokines, including APRIL, BAFF, TGF-ß, IL-4 and IFN-γ, all at physiological levels. These mice can also develop lupus autoimmunity after pristane injection. By leveraging estrogen activity to support human immune cell differentiation and maturation of antibody responses, THX mice provide a platform to study the human immune system and to develop human vaccines and therapeutics.

Autophagic flux inhibition, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction in bile acids-induced impairment of human placental trophoblast.

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a common pregnancy-specific disease, characterized by increased bile acid levels and adverse fetal outcomes. We previously reported excessive bile acids led to dysfunction of placental trophoblasts in ICP. However, the detailed mechanism is still unclear. Autophagy is fundamental process for protecting cell survival against adverse conditions. Here, we evaluated the effect of increased concentration of bile acids on autophagy in trophoblasts in vitro and in vivo. First, we demonstrated that the autophagy substrate p62/sequestosome-1 was accumulated in placental tissues from patients with ICP and in human trophoblasts treated with hydrophobic bile acids, including chenodeoxycholic acid and deoxycholic acid. Furthermore, we found that treatment with hydrophobic bile acids impaired autophagic flux in both time- and concentration-dependent manners, by suppressing the AMP-activated protein kinase/unc-51-like kinase 1 autophagic signaling pathway. Notably, trophoblasts were prone to apoptotic cell death upon starvation along with bile-acids treatment in vitro or in an ICP mouse model in vivo. Additionally, we revealed mitochondrial dysfunction was the predominant biological process in excessive bile acids induced trophoblast impairment under starvation by proteomic assay. Collectively, our study proposed a complex interaction of excessive bile acids induced autophagic flux, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cellular apoptosis in placental trophoblasts may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of ICP.

Ginsenoside Rh3 Inhibits Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis of Colorectal Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is a common malignant tumor of the digestive tract, the morbidity rate of which is rising in recent years. Ginsenoside Rh3 was reported to have anticancer activity; however, the underlying mechanism still needs to be explored in depth. METHODS: Rabbit blood was used to test hemolytic effects of ginsenoside protopanaxadiol (PPD), Rh2, Rh3, and Rg3. Human colorectal cancer SW1116 cells were treated with different concentration of ginsenoside PPD, Rh2, Rh3, and Rg3 in vitro. MTT and TUNEL assay were used to examine cell proliferation and apoptosis. Semi quantitative RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry assay and flow cytometry assay were used to detect the expression of caspase3. RESULTS: The results showed that the inhibiting effects on SW1116 cells of PPD and Rh2 were stronger than those of Rh3 (p < 0.01), but Rh3 had better solubility and slighter hemolytic effects on blood cells than those ginsenosides. Ginsenoside Rh3 inhibited the proliferation of SW1116 cells at 60 µg/mL (p < 0.01), the inhibition effect was increased sharply when the dose of Rh3 was increased from 60 to 120 µg/mL, the inhibition rate was 62.1% at 120 µg/mL, the inhibition appeared at 9 h, and the peak activity occurred at 12 h and maintained until 48 h (p < 0.01). Compared to the control group, the ratio of apoptotic cells, the expression level of mRNA and protein of caspase3 increased in 120 µg/mL Rh3 treated group. CONCLUSION: As a potential anticancer medicine, ginsenoside Rh3 could inhibit the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner and induce cell apoptosis through upregulating the expression of caspase3.

Y08197 is a novel and selective CBP/EP300 bromodomain inhibitor for the treatment of prostate cancer.

In advanced prostate cancer, CREB (cAMP-responsive element-binding protein) binding protein (CBP) and its homolog EP300 are highly expressed; targeting the bromodomain of CBP is a new strategy for the treatment of prostate cancer. In the current study we identified Y08197, a novel 1-(indolizin-3-yl) ethanone derivative, as a selective inhibitor of CBP/EP300 bromodomain and explored its antitumor activity against prostate cancer cell lines in vitro. In the AlphaScreen assay, we demonstrated that Y08197 dose-dependently inhibited the CBP bromodomain with an IC50 value at 100.67 ± 3.30 nM. Y08197 also exhibited high selectivity for CBP/EP300 over other bromodomain-containing proteins. In LNCaP, 22Rv1 and VCaP prostate cancer cells, treatment with Y08197 (1, 5 µM) strongly affected downstream signaling transduction, thus markedly inhibiting the expression of androgen receptor (AR)-regulated genes PSA, KLK2, TMPRSS2, and oncogenes C-MYC and ERG. Notably, Y08197 potently inhibited cell growth in several AR-positive prostate cancer cell lines including LNCaP, 22Rv1, VCaP, and C4-2B. In 22Rv1 prostate cancer cells, treatment with Y08197 (1, 4, 16 µM) dose-dependently induced G0/G1 phase arrest and apoptosis. Furthermore, treatment with Y08197 (5 µM) significantly decreased ERG-induced invasive capacity of 22Rv1 prostate cancer cells detected in wound-healing assay and cell migration assay. Taken together, CBP/EP300 inhibitor Y08197 represents a promising lead compound for development as new therapeutics for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Binding efficiency of recombinant collagen-binding basic fibroblast growth factors (CBD-bFGFs) and their promotion for NIH-3T3 cell proliferation.

The recombinant basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) containing collagen-binding domain (CBD) has been found to be a potential therapeutic factor in tissue regeneration. However, its binding efficiency and quantification remain uncertain. In this research, massive recombinant bFGFs with good bioactivity for enhancing the proliferation of NIH-3T3 cells were achieved. An ELISA-based quantitative method was set up to investigate the binding efficiency of CBD-bFGFs on collagen films. It indicated that the CBDs significantly increased the collagen-binding ability of bFGF (P < .05), with the optimum binding condition first determined to be in the pH range of 7.5-9.5 (P < .05). Then, the relevant equations to calculate the binding density of bFGF, C-bFGF, and V-bFGF were acquired. Analysis confirmed that the bioactivity of immobilized bFGFs was well correlated with the density of growth factor on collagen films. Based on this research, the density of growth factor is a logical and applicable dosage unit for quantification of binding efficiency of growth factors, rather than traditional concentration of soluble growth factors in tissue engineering applications.

Discovery and structural optimization of 4-(4-(benzyloxy)phenyl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones as RORc inverse agonists.

AIM: Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan nuclear receptors (RORs) are orphan nuclear receptors that show constitutive activity in the absence of ligands. Among 3 subtypes of RORs, RORc is a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of Th17-mediated autoimmune diseases. Here, we report novel RORc inverse agonists discovered through structure-based drug design. METHODS: Based on the structure of compound 8, a previously described agonist of RORa, a series of 4-(4-(benzyloxy)phenyl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one derivatives were designed and synthesized. The interaction between the compounds and RORc was detected at molecular level using AlphaScreen assay. The compounds were further examined in 293T cells transfected with RORc and luciferase reporter gene. Thermal stability shift assay was used to evaluate the effects of the compounds on protein stability. RESULTS: A total of 27 derivatives were designed and synthesized. Among them, the compound 22b was identified as the most potent RORc inverse agonist. Its IC50 values were 2.39 µmol/L in AlphaScreen assay, and 0.82 µmol/L in inhibition of the cell-based luciferase reporter activity. Furthermore, the compound 22b displayed a 120-fold selectivity for RORc over other nuclear receptors. Moreover, a molecular docking study showed that the structure-activity relationship was consistent with the binding mode of compound 22b in RORc. CONCLUSION: 4-(4-(Benzyloxy)phenyl)-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one derivatives are promising candidates for the treatment of Th17-mediated autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and multiple sclerosis.

Expansion of NK cells by engineered K562 cells co-expressing 4-1BBL and mMICA, combined with soluble IL-21.

NK cells hold promise for protecting hosts from cancer and pathogen infection through direct killing and expressing immune-regulatory cytokines. In our study, a genetically modified K562 cell line with surface expression of 4-1BBL and MICA was constructed to expand functional NK cells in vitro for further adoptive immunotherapy against cancer. After a long-term up to 21 day co-culture with newly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in the presence of soluble IL-21 (sIL-21), notable increase in proportion of expanded NK cells was observed, especially the CD56(bright)CD16(+) subset. Apparent up-regulation of activating receptors CD38, CD69 and NKG2D was detected on expanded NK cells, so did inhibitory receptor CD94; the cytotoxicity of expanded NK cells against target tumor cells exceeded that of NK cells within fresh PBMCs. The intracellular staining showed expanded NK cells produced immune-regulatory IFN-γ. Taken together, we expanded NK cells with significant up-regulation of activating NKG2D and moderate enhancement of cytotoxicity, with IFN-γ producing ability and a more heterogeneous population of NK cells. These findings provide a novel perspective on expanding NK cells in vitro for further biology study and adoptive immunotherapy of NK cells against cancer.

Cloning, expression and characterization of a novel thermophilic polygalacturonase from Caldicellulosiruptor bescii DSM 6725.

We cloned the gene ACM61449 from anaerobic, thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, and expressed it in Escherichia coli origami (DE3). After purification through thermal treatment and Ni-NTA agarose column extraction, we characterized the properties of the recombinant protein (CbPelA). The optimal temperature and pH of the protein were 72 °C and 5.2, respectively. CbPelA demonstrated high thermal-stability, with a half-life of 14 h at 70 °C. CbPelA also showed very high activity for polygalacturonic acid (PGA), and released monogalacturonic acid as its sole product. The Vmax and Km of CbPelA were 384.6 U·mg⁻¹ and 0.31 mg·mL⁻¹, respectively. CbPelA was also able to hydrolyze methylated pectin (48% and 10% relative activity on 20%-34% and 85% methylated pectin, respectively). The high thermo-activity and methylated pectin hydrolization activity of CbPelA suggest that it has potential applications in the food and textile industry.

Intrinsic B cell TLR-BCR linked coengagement induces class-switched, hypermutated, neutralizing antibody responses in absence of T cells.

Maturation of antibody responses entails somatic hypermutation (SHM), class-switch DNA recombination (CSR), plasma cell differentiation, and generation of memory B cells, and it is thought to require T cell help. We showed that B cell Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-B cell receptor (BCR) (receptor for antigen) coengagement by 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenyl acetyl (NP)-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (Escherichia coli lipid A polysaccharide O-antigen) or TLR5-BCR coengagement by Salmonella flagellin induces mature antibody responses to NP and flagellin in Tcrß-/-Tcrδ-/- and NSG/B mice. TLR-BCR coengagement required linkage of TLR and BCR ligands, "linked coengagement." This induced B cell CSR/SHM, germinal center-like differentiation, clonal expansion, intraconal diversification, plasma cell differentiation, and an anamnestic antibody response. In Tcrß-/-Tcrδ-/- mice, linked coengagement of TLR4-BCR by LPS or TLR5-BCR by flagellin induced protective antibodies against E. coli or Salmonella Typhimurium. Our findings unveiled a critical role of B cell TLRs in inducing neutralizing antibody responses, including those to microbial pathogens, without T cell help.

Triglycerides Mediate the Relationship Between Maternal Free Thyroxine and Birth Weight: A Prospective Cohort Study from China.

Background: Fetal overgrowth (large for gestational age, LGA) is associated with an increased risk of maternal and fetal morbidity and adverse health outcomes. Thyroid hormones are key regulators of metabolism during pregnancy and fetal development. Lower maternal free thyroxine (fT4) and higher maternal triglyceride (TG) levels during early pregnancy are associated with higher birth weight. We aimed at examining the mediating role of maternal TG in the association between maternal fT4 and birth weight. Methods: We performed a large prospective cohort study including pregnant Chinese women who were treated at a tertiary obstetric center during the period of January 2016 to December 2018. We included 35,914 participants with complete medical records. We performed causal mediation analysis to decompose the overall effect of fT4 on birth weight and LGA with maternal TG as the mediator. Results: We observed statistically significant associations between maternal fT4, TG levels, and birth weight (all p < 0.0001). Using a four-way decomposition model, we identified a controlled direct effect (coefficient [confidence interval, CI], -0.038 [-0.047 to -0.029], p < 0.0001) that accounted for 63.9% of the total effect, in addition to the other three estimated effects (reference interaction, coefficient [CI] = -0.006 [-0.009 to -0.001], p = 0.008; mediated interaction, coefficient [CI] = 0.0004 [0.000 to 0.001], p = 0.008; and pure indirect effect, coefficient [CI] = -0.009 [-0.013 to -0.005], p < 0.0001) of TG on the association between fT4 and birth weight Z score. Moreover, maternal TG accounted for 21.6% and 20.7% (via mediation) and 13.6% and 41.6% (via maternal fT4 and TG interaction) of the total effect of maternal fT4 on fetal birth weight and LGA, respectively. The proportions of the total associations that could be reduced by "eliminating" the effect of maternal TG were 36.1% for birth weight and 65.1% for LGA, respectively. Conclusions: High maternal TG levels may play substantial mediating roles in the relationship between low fT4 levels in early pregnancy and increased birth weight and a higher risk of LGA. Further, the occurrence of fetal overgrowth may also be influenced by possible synergistic effects between fT4 and TG.

Correction: Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and extensively hydrolyzed casein-induced browning in a Ucp-1 reporter mouse model of obesity.

Correction for 'Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and extensively hydrolyzed casein-induced browning in a Ucp-1 reporter mouse model of obesity' by Liufeng Mao et al., Food Funct., 2018, 9, 2362-2373, https://doi.org/10.1039/C7FO01835E.

School educational models and child mental health among K-12 students: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: The promotion of mental health among children and adolescents is a public health imperative worldwide, and schools have been proposed as the primary and targeted settings for mental health promotion for students in grades K-12. This review sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of key factors involved in models of school education contributing to student mental health development, interrelationships among these factors and the cross-cultural differences across nations and societies. METHODS: This scoping review followed the framework of Arksey and O'Malley and holistically reviewed the current evidence on the potential impacts of school-related factors or school-based interventions on student mental health in recent 5 years based on the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and PsycExtra databases. RESULTS/FINDINGS: After screening 558 full-texts, this review contained a total of 197 original articles on school education and student mental health. Based on the five key factors (including curriculum, homework and tests, physical activities, interpersonal relationships and after-school activities) identified in student mental development according to thematic analyses, a multi-component school educational model integrating academic, social and physical factors was proposed so as to conceptualize the five school-based dimensions for K-12 students to promote student mental health development. CONCLUSIONS: The lessons learned from previous studies indicate that developing multi-component school strategies to promote student mental health remains a major challenge. This review may help establish appropriate school educational models and call for a greater emphasis on advancement of student mental health in the K-12 school context among different nations or societies.

Identifying Non-Linear Association Between Maternal Free Thyroxine and Risk of Preterm Delivery by a Machine Learning Model.

Objective: Preterm delivery (PTD) is the primary cause of mortality in infants. Mounting evidence indicates that thyroid dysfunction might be associated with an increased risk of PTD, but the dose-dependent association between the continuous spectrum maternal free thyroxine (FT4) and PTD is still not well-defined. This study aimed to further investigate this relationship using a machine learning-based model. Methods: A hospital-based cohort study was conducted from January 2014 to December 2018 in Shanghai, China. Pregnant women who delivered singleton live births and had first-trimester thyroid function data available were included. The generalized additive models with penalized cubic regression spline were applied to explore the non-linear association between maternal FT4 and risk of PTD and also subtypes of PTD. The time-to-event method and multivariable Cox proportional hazard model were further applied to analyze the association of abnormally high and low maternal FT4 concentrations with the timing of PTD. Results: A total of 65,565 singleton pregnancies with completed medical records and no known thyroid disease before pregnancy were included for final analyses. There was a U-shaped dose-dependent relationship between maternal FT4 in the first trimester and PTD (p <0.001). Compared with the normal range of maternal FT4, increased risk of PTD was identified in both low maternal FT4 (<11.7 pmol/L; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.34, 95% CI [1.13-1.59]) and high maternal FT4 (>19.7 pmol/L; HR 1.41, 95% CI [1.13-1.76]). The association between isolated hypothyroxinemia and PTD was mainly associated with spontaneous PTD (HR 1.33, 95% CI [1.11-1.59]) while overt hyperthyroidism may be attributable to iatrogenic PTD (HR 1.51, 95% CI [1.18-1.92]) when compared with euthyroid women. Additionally, mediation analysis identified that an estimated 11.80% of the association between overt hyperthyroidism and iatrogenic PTD risk was mediated via the occurrence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (p <0.001). Conclusions: We revealed a U-shaped association between maternal FT4 and PTD for the first time, exceeding the clinical definition of maternal thyroid function test abnormalities. Our findings provide insights towards the need to establish optimal range of maternal FT4 concentrations for preventing adverse outcomes in pregnancy.

Characteristics and possible mechanisms of metabolic disorder in overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a kind of endocrine and metabolic disorder, disturbing the females of reproductive age. Here, we aimed to investigate the metabolic characteristics of overweight women with PCOS and analyze the possible mechanisms. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 947 patients with PCOS, who were classified according to body mass index (BMI) as overweight (BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2) or non-overweight (BMI ≤ 23.9 kg/m2). The clinical symptoms, endocrine features, metabolic status, and inflammatory levels of the patients were comprehensively assessed and compared between the patients of the two groups. Additionally, a predictive study on the correlation between inflammation and metabolism was performed using STRING and Cytoscape software, and the possible mechanisms of metabolic disorders involved in the overweight PCOS were preliminarily explored. Results: Overweight PCOS was associated with increased average age, waist-to-hip ratio, and the incidence of acanthosis nigricans. These patients were susceptible to familial hypertension and diabetes, and exhibited evident characteristics of low levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and the ratio of LH to follicle-stimulating hormone, and were more inclined to insulin resistance (IR). Furthermore, overweight PCOS presented with a chronic low-grade inflammation state with increased levels of inflammatory cytokines complement components C5/C5α, CXCL12/SDF-1, MIF, and Serpin E1/PAI-1 evidently compared with those in non-overweight PCOS. Pearson analysis showed that these inflammatory cytokines were directly or indirectly correlated with IR. The STRING and Cytoscape network analysis predicted that inflammatory cytokines CXCL12/SDF-1, Serpin E1/PAI-1 and MIF might be crucial for inducing IR in overweight PCOS women through various biological functions and signal transductions including the JAK-STAT cascade, ATP biosynthesis, and HIF-1 signaling. Conclusions: Overweight patients with PCOS are prone to low gonadal levels, IR, and chronic low-grade inflammation. Inflammatory cytokines CXCL12/SDF-1, Serpin E1/PAI-1and MIF might lead to IR through multiple biological functions and signal transductions in overweight PCOS.

Association of Maternal Thyroid Function with Gestational Hypercholanemia.

Background: High bile acid concentration is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes (i.e., stillbirth and preterm birth) and experimental studies indicate that thyroid hormone regulates bile acid metabolism, but this has not yet been translated to clinical data in pregnant women. We aim to explore the association of thyroid function with bile acid concentrations and the risk of gestational hypercholanemia. Methods: This study comprised 68,016 singleton pregnancies without known thyroid or hepatobiliary diseases before pregnancy and thyroid medication based on a prospective cohort. Thyroid function and serum total bile acid (TBA) were routinely screened in both early (9-13 weeks) and late pregnancy (32-36 weeks). Hypercholanemia was defined as serum TBA concentration ≥10 µmol/L. Multiple linear regression models and multiple logistic regression models were performed. Results: A higher free thyroxine (fT4) during both early or late pregnancy was associated with a higher TBA concentration and a higher risk of hypercholanemia (all p < 0.01). A higher thyrotropin (TSH) in early pregnancy was associated with a higher TBA concentration in early pregnancy (p = 0.0155), but with a lower TBA concentration during later pregnancy (p < 0.0001), and there was no association of TSH with hypercholanemia. Overt hyperthyroidism in late pregnancy was associated with a 2.12-fold higher risk of hypercholanemia ([confidence interval; CI 1.12-4.03], p = 0.021) and subclinical hyperthyroidism during later pregnancy was associated with a 1.5-fold higher risk of hypercholanemia ([CI 1.14-1.97], p = 0.0034). Sensitivity analyses indicated that a high fT4 throughout pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of hypercholanemia rather than only in early or late pregnancy. Conclusions: A higher fT4 concentration during either early or late pregnancy, but not the TSH concentration, is associated with higher TBA and a higher risk of gestational hypercholanemia. Furthermore, hyperthyroidism during pregnancy could be a novel risk factor for hypercholanemia.

Identification of tumour immune infiltration-associated snoRNAs (TIIsno) for predicting prognosis and immune landscape in patients with colon cancer via a TIIsno score model.

BACKGROUND: Colon cancer (CC) is the leading cause of tumour-related death worldwide. SnoRNA plays a critical role in the tumour microenvironment. The tumour microenvironment can be shaped by tumour-infiltrating immune cells, which control the destiny of immunotherapy efficacy. This study uniquely focused on snoRNAs derived from immune cells to identify new biomarkers for immune landscape. METHODS: A novel computational framework was initiated for identifying tumour immune infiltration-associated snoRNAs (TIIsno) signatures and developed a TIIsno score model from integrative snoRNA profiling analysis of 21 purified immune cell lines, 43 colon cancer cell lines, and three datasets (training, test, real-world validation set). FINDINGS: Our study found that a high TIIsno score was associated with poor CC prognosis. TIIsno scores were seen to be negatively correlated with (I) the infiltration level of most immune cells, (II) the inhibitory immune checkpoints expression level, and (III) the immune score. These findings, taken together with the observation that TIIsno score is lower in MSI-H patients, suggests that patients with a low TIIsno score may have a better response to immunotherapy. INTERPRETATION: In conclusion, we successfully identified TIIsno and constructed a TIIsno score model, a new potential biomarker of immunotherapy response, which can effectively predict the prognosis of CC patients as well. FUNDING: National Key R & D Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, key projects from the Nature Science Foundation of Hunan Province, projects from Beijing CSCO Clinical Oncology Research Foundation, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Central South University.

Structure-Based Discovery and Optimization of Furo[3,2-c]pyridin-4(5H)-one Derivatives as Potent and Second Bromodomain (BD2)-Selective Bromo and Extra Terminal Domain (BET) Inhibitors.

Pan-bromodomain and extra terminal (Pan-BET) inhibitors show profound efficacy but exhibit pharmacology-driven toxicities in clinical trials. The development of domain-selective BET inhibitors to separate efficacy and toxicity is urgently needed. Herein, we report a series of furo[3,2-c]pyridin-4(5H)-one derivatives as novel BD2-selective BET inhibitors. The representative compound 8l (XY153) potently bound to BRD4 BD2 with an half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 0.79 nM and displayed 354-fold selectivity over BRD4 BD1. Besides, 8l exhibited 6-fold BRD4 BD2 domain selectivity over other BET BD2 domains. Compound 8l displayed potent antiproliferative activity against multiple tumor cell lines, especially MV4-11 (IC50 = 0.55 nM), while showing weak cytotoxicity against the normal lung fibroblast cell line. It highlights the safety profile of this series of BD2 inhibitors. 8l also demonstrated good metabolic stability in vitro. These data indicate that 8l may serve as a new and valuable lead compound for the development of potential therapeutics against acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Hsa_Circ_0066351 Acts as a Prognostic and Immunotherapeutic Biomarker in Colorectal Cancer.

Circular RNA (circRNA), a novel class of non-coding RNA, has been reported in various diseases, especially in tumors. However, the key signatures of circRNA-competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network are largely unclear in colorectal cancer (CRC). We first characterized circRNAs profile by using circRNA-seq analysis from real-word dataset. The expression level of hsa_circ_0066351 in CRC tissues and cell lines was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. Then, cell proliferation assay was used to confirm the proliferation function of hsa_circ_0066351. Next, Cytoscape was used to construct circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks. Last but not least, the landscape of hsa_circ_0066351-miRNA-mRNA in CRC had been investigated in the bulk tissue RNA-Seq level and single-cell Seq level. We proved that hsa_circ_0066351 was significantly downregulated in CRC cell lines and tissues (P < 0.001), and was negatively associated with distant metastasis (P < 0.01). Significantly, the expression of hsa_circ_0066351 was associated with better survival in patients with CRC. Function assays showed that hsa_circ_0066351 could inhibit CRC cells proliferation. In addition, a ceRNA network, including hsa_circ_0066351, two miRNAs, and ten mRNAs, was constructed. Our analyses showed that these ten mRNAs were consistently downregulated in pan-cancer and enriched in tumor suppressive function. A risk score model constructed by these ten downstream genes also indicated that they were related to the prognosis and immune response in CRC. In conclusion, we demonstrated that a novel circRNA (hsa_circ_0066351) inhibited CRC proliferation, and revealed a potential prognostic and immunotherapeutic biomarker in CRC.

Expression and purification of recombinant human apolipoprotein C-I in Pichia pastoris.

Apolipoprotein C-I (ApoC-I) is a small, basic apolipoprotein which is mainly secreted by the liver as a component of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and high density lipoproteins whose importance in plasma lipoprotein metabolism is increasingly evident. At present, the only way to obtain native ApoC-I is separating it from human plasma. The methods have some restrictions on source, the complicated technology, the potential infections and a high cost which limits the research and application of native ApoC-I. Because of its small size, ApoC-I has previously been prepared by peptide synthesis which is also limited by a high cost. Therefore, in this study, a Pichia pastoris expression system was first used to obtain a high level expression of secreted, recombinant human ApoC-I (rhApoC-I).

The Association of Maternal Emotional Status With Child Over-Use of Electronic Devices During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic may generate high levels of maternal depression/anxiety, and maternal emotional status may affect child behavioral development. Online education during the pandemic may induce child over-use of electronic-devices. However, child electronic-device over-use (especially among children under 12 who are immature in physical and mental development) during the pandemic has not attracted sufficient attention, and the association of child over-use with maternal emotional status remains unknown. Therefore, this study aims to assess the characteristics of child electronic-device over-use and the association between maternal emotional status and child over-use among 1,300 children from nurseries (<3 years), kindergartens (3-6 years), and primary schools (6-12 years) in Shanghai and Wuhan during COVID-19. Mothers completed an online questionnaire (including the Self-Rating-Depression/Anxiety-Scales and Family-Environment-Scale). The use of electronic devices (mobile-phones, iPads, computers, and televisions) and online courses taken by the children were investigated. Associations of maternal emotional status with electronic-device-use by child age were analyzed. The proportions of children in nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools were 8.5, 44.5, and 47.0%, their percentages following online-courses were 24.5, 48.4, and 99.0%, and their rates of electronic-device over-use were 34.2, 62.2, and 93.4%, respectively. Significant associations were observed between higher maternal anxiety/depression levels and higher risks of mobile-phone/iPad over-use among preschoolers and primary-school students. Lower family intimacy and higher conflict levels were associated with higher maternal depression/anxiety levels and higher risks of electronic-device over-use. Our findings suggested that over-use of electronic-devices among children under 12 was common during COVID-19, especially among children ≥6 years, and online-teaching may exacerbate over-use. Maternal anxiety/depression levels were associated with over-use of portable internet-devices (mobile-phone/iPad), especially among preschoolers and school-aged students, and family environment may mediate the association. These findings may contribute to a better understanding of factors leading to over-use of electronic-device and developing strategies to decrease over-use during COVID-19.