Response of cholangiocarcinoma with epigastric metastasis to lenvatinib plus sintilimab: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) poses a significant clinical challenge due to its low radical resection rate and a propensity for high postoperative recurrence, resulting in a poor dismal. Although the combination of targeted therapy and immunotherapy has demonstrated notable efficacy in several solid tumors recently, however, its application in CCA remains underexplored and poorly documented. CASE SUMMARY: This case report describes a patient diagnosed with stage IV CCA, accompanied by liver and abdominal wall metastases, who underwent palliative surgery. Subsequently, the patient received two cycles of treatment combining lenvatinib with sintilimab, which resulted in a reduction in abdominal wall metastasis, while intrahepatic metastasis displayed progression. This unexpected observation illustrates different responses of intrahepatic and extrahepatic metastases to the same therapy. CONCLUSION: Lenvatinib combined with sintilimab shows promise as a potential treatment strategy for advanced CCA. Genetic testing for related driver and/or passenger mutations, as well as an analysis of tumor immune microenvironment analysis, is crucial for optimizing drug combinations and eventually addressing the issue of non-response in specific metastatic sites.

The localization of the alkaloids in Coptis chinensis rhizome by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry.

Background: Understanding the spatial distribution of active compounds can effectively evaluate the quality of decoction pieces of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Traditional methods are economical and practical but lack chemical information on the original distribution. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), with the advantage of non-destructive detection of samples, can directly analyze the distribution of chemical compounds on the surface of various samples. Methods: In this study, TOF-SIMS image analysis technology was used to detect TCM for the first time. Taking Coptis rhizome (CR) as an example, a commonly used TCM, the distribution of the compounds in the cross-section of CR was studied. Meanwhile, ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLCQQQ-MS/MS) was used to verify the results of TOF-SIMS. Results: The distribution of nine active compounds: berberine, epiberberine, coptisine, palmatine, columbamine, jatrorrhizine, tetrahydricheilanthifolinium, and oxyberberine, was well imaged in the cross-section of CR by TOF-SIMS. The content of berberine and epiberberine was the highest; Palmatine distribution in the pith was more than that in other parts; Oxyberberine was mainly concentrated in the cork and xylem rays. Normalization analysis showed contents of these compounds increased along with the growth years. The result was consistent with UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS. Conclusion: The TOF-SIMS method can display the spatial distribution status of the active compounds of herbs, providing a basis for selecting the medicine site with non-destructive and fast detection.

Recruitment of bone marrow CD11b+Gr-1+ cells by polymeric nanoparticles for antigen cross-presentation.

The objective of this study was to investigate the function of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) on the activation of antigen-specific CD8+ T cell responses via the CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid subpopulations in murine bone marrow (BM). PLGA NPs containing ovalbumin (OVA) were fabricated by the double-emulsion method. The CD11b+Gr-1lowLy-6Chigh and CD11b+Gr-1highLy-6Clow subsets from mice bone marrow were sorted and treated with the PLGA/OVA NPs, followed by co-culture with the carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE)-labelled OT-I CD8+ cells. Co-culture of OT-I CD8+ T cells with PLGA/OVA NPs-primed CD11b+Gr-1+ subsets upregulated the expression of IL-2, TNF-α, INF-γ, granzyme B, and perforin, resulting in proliferation of CD8+ T cells and differentiation into effector cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). In vivo proliferation of CFSE-labelled OT-I CD8+ cells in response to OVA was also obtained in the animals immunized with PLGA/OVA NPs. The results presented in this study demonstrate the ability of polymeric NPs to recruit two CD11b+Gr-1+ myeloid subsets for effective presentation of exogenous antigen to OT-I CD8+ T cells in the context of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, leading to an induction of antigen-specific cell proliferation and differentiation into effector cells.

Cellular biodistribution of polymeric nanoparticles in the immune system.

The biodistribution of polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) is of crucial importance in the development of nanoparticle-based vaccine delivery or immunotherapy for cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the kinetics of cellular biodistribution of polymeric NPs in the immune system. Polystyrene (PS) yellow-green nanoparticles (YG-NPs) 500nm in diameter were intravenously (i.v.) injected into the tail veins of mice, and the kinetics of YG-NP biodistribution was followed by harvesting cells at pre-determined time points from various immune organs, including blood, bone marrow, spleen, and lymph nodes and analyzing them by polychromatic flow cytometry. To observe the location of YG-NPs in the spleen after i.v. administration, spleens of mice were isolated at 6h post-injection (p.i.), cryosectioned, immunostained, and examined by confocal microscopy. Our data show that the major phagocytosing cells included granulocytes (B220¯CD11b(+)Gr-1(high)Ly-6C(low)) in the blood and bone marrow and B cells (CD11b¯B220(+)) in the spleen. The kinetics of the phenotypic analysis suggest the potential trans-differentiation of the B220¯CD11b(+)Gr-1(low)Ly-6C(high) subset into B220¯CD11b(+)Gr-1¯Ly-6C¯ double-negative (DN) cells expressing the F4/80 macrophage phenotype in the blood and CD115 in the bone marrow after treatment with YG-NPs. Based on the microscopic analysis of spleen cryosections, the majority of YG-NPs were located in the marginal zones (MZ) and red pulp of the spleen at 6h post-injection (p.i.), allowing further interaction with MZ macrophages and granulocytes. The data obtained in this study demonstrate the kinetics of biodistribution of polymeric nanoparticles in the blood, bone marrow, and spleen at the cellular level.

Activation of Antigen-Specific CD8(+) T Cells by Poly-DL-Lactide/Glycolide (PLGA) Nanoparticle-Primed Gr-1(high) Cells.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the induction of antigen-specific T cell activation and cell cycle modulation by a poly-DL-lactide/glycolide (PLGA) nanoparticle (NP)-primed CD11b(+)Gr-1(high) subset isolated from mouse bone marrow. METHODS: PLGA NPs containing the ovalbumin (OVA) antigen were prepared using the double emulsion and solvent evaporation method, and protein release rate and cell viability were determined. The Lin2(¯)CD11b(+)Gr-1(high)Ly6c(low) (Gr-1(high)) subset was sorted from the bone marrow of C57BL/6 J mice by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and co-cultured with OT-I CD8(+) splenic T cells. Proliferation of OT-I CD8(+) T cells was monitored, and cell cycles were determined by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling. RESULTS: Treatment of Gr-1(high) cells with PLGA/OVA NPs upregulated expression of the SIINFEKL-H2K(b) complex in the context of MHC I. Co-cultures of OT-I CD8(+) T cells with the PLGA/OVA NP-primed Gr-1(high) cells induced the proliferation of T cells in vitro and modulated cell division and morphology. Treatment of Gr-1(high) cells with PLGA/OVA NPs also induced cell apoptosis and necrosis. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the function of PLGA/OVA NPs in the activation of OT-I CD8(+) T cells and the capability of cross-presentation via the Gr-1(high) polymorphonuclear subset from mouse bone marrow.

[Determination of amentoflavone in 11 species of Selaginella medicinal material by HPLC].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the content of amentoflavone in 11 species of Selaginella medicinal materials. METHODS: HPLC was used with kromasil (250 x 4. 6 mm, 5 microm) column. The mobile phase consisted of methanol and phosphate buffer. The gradient condition was 0-->28 min with methanol 50%-->58%, and 30-->35 min with methanol 58%-->70%. The column temperature was 40 degrees C. The flow rate was 1. 0 ml/min and the detection wavelength at 330 nm. RESULTS: Amentoflavone showed a good linearity in the range of 153 - 767 ng. The average recovery was 97.03% and RSD was 0. 80% (n = 5). CONCLUSION: The method was rapid, accurate and can be used for quality control of Selaginella medicinal materials.