Hydrogel-based co-delivery of CIK cells and oncolytic adenovirus armed with IL12 and IL15 for cancer immunotherapy.

Intratumoral injection of various effector cells combined with oncolytic adenovirus expressing antitumor cytokines exert an effective antitumor immune effect by oncolysis and altering the tumor microenvironment. However, this combination therapy had certain limitations. When used in high concentrations, effector cells and oncolytic viruses can spread rapidly to surrounding non-target tissues. And because both therapies used in combination are immunogenic and exhibit shorter biological activity, multiple injections were required to attain an adequate therapeutic index. To overcome these drawbacks, we encapsulated gelatin-based hydrogel capable of co-deliver oncolytic adenovirus armed with IL12 and IL15 (CRAd-IL12-IL15) and CIK cells for enhancing and prolonging the antitumor effects of both therapies after a single intratumoral injection. The injectable and biodegradable hydrogel reduced the dispersion of high-dose oncolytic adenovirus and CIK cells from the injection site to the liver and other non-target tissues. In this study, a novel oncolytic adenoviral vector CRAd-IL12-IL15 was constructed to verify the cytokine expression and oncolytic ability, which can upregulate the expression levels of Bcl-2, Cish and Gzmb in tumor cells. The CRAd-IL12-IL15 + CIKs/gelatin treatment maintained sustained release of CRAd-IL12-IL15 and active CIK cells over a longer period of time, attenuating the antiviral immune response against adenovirus. In conclusion, the results suggested that hydrogel-mediated co-delivery of CRAd-IL12-IL15 and CIK cells might be a an approach to overcome limitations. Both treatments could be effectively retained in tumor tissue and sustained to induce potent anti-tumor immune responses with a single administration.

Efficacy of combined naikan and morita therapies on psychological distress and posttraumatic growth in Chinese patients with advanced cancer: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Advanced cancer (AC) patients experience serious physical and psychological problems with the disease progression. When approaching the end of life, these patients have to cope with not only the bodily illness, but also the spiritual crisis. Conventional psychological treatments reduce distress to a certain extent, but for patients with AC, especially when they face progressive illness and are approaching death, their psychological problems are complex, and no simple solutions are in sight. Therefore, we designed this study to evaluate the efficacy of the combined Naikan therapy (NT) and Morita therapy (MT) on psychological distress and posttraumatic growth in patients with AC. METHOD: One hundred thirty patients newly diagnosed with AC were allocated randomly into treatment (n = 65) and control (n = 65) groups. Patients in the treatment group received combined NT and MT for 7 consecutive weeks, while the control group received normal medical treatments without NT and MT. Patients were assessed before and after the therapies. The primary outcome measures include distress thermometer (DT) and posttraumatic growth, and the secondary outcome measure contains the list of distress problems. RESULTS: At the post-treatment stage, the treatment group displayed a decreased score of psychological distress as compared to that in the control group, which accompanied by a higher post-traumatic growth total score and subscale scores in relationship to others, new possibilities, personal strength, spiritual changes, and appreciation of life. A significant decrease in fear, sleeping difficulty/insomnia, nervousness/anxiety, and loss of appetite was also observed in the treatment group. CONCLUSION: The results proved that the combined Naikan and Morita therapies decreased the psychological distress and improved the posttraumatic growth of the patients with AC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1900026691.

Clinical characteristics of intrahepatic biliary papilloma: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Intrahepatic bile duct papilloma (IPNB) is a rare benign tumour from the bile duct epithelium and has a high malignant transformation rate. Early radical resection can obviously improve the prognosis of patients, but it is difficult to be sure of the diagnosis of IPNB before operating. CASE SUMMARY: This study included 28 patients with intraductal papilloma admitted to the First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2010 to November 2020 and recorded their clinical manifestations, imaging features, complications and prognosis. There were 12 males and 16 females with an average age of 61.36 ± 8.03 years. Most patients had symptoms of biliary obstruction. Biliary dilatation and cystic mass could be seen on imaging. After surgery, IPNB was diagnosed by pathology. CONCLUSION: IPNB is a rare benign tumour in the bile duct. Early diagnosis and timely R0 resection can improve the prognosis of IPNB.

Clinical characteristics of adult-type annular pancreas: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Annular pancreas (AP) is a rare congenital abnormal rotation of the pancreas. AP rarely occurs in adults. Pancreatic tumors and ampullary tumors are related to AP, so the discovery and treatment of AP are essential. CASE SUMMARY: This study investigated the clinical manifestations, imaging features, complications, and treatment of six patients diagnosed with AP at the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2010 to June 2020. There were four males and two females, with an average age of 56.00 ± 9.86 years old. In this study, abdominal pain and jaundice were the main clinical manifestations. Imaging can show the "crocodile jaw sign" or "double bubble sign". CONCLUSION: For patients with duodenal or biliary obstruction, physicians should give priority to AP when imaging examinations suggest that the duodenum is wrapped with tissue similar to the density of the pancreas. Symptomatic patients should actively undergo surgical treatment.

Transcriptomic model-based lncRNAs and mRNAs serve as independent prognostic indicators in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) is one of most common types of cancer worldwide, and mRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as prognostic biomarkers in HNSC. In the present study, using gene expression datasets from multiple platforms, survival-associated genes in HNSC were identified. Subsequently, a combination of 17 genes (14 mRNAs and 3 lncRNA) was optimized using random forest variable hunting and a risk score model for HNSC prognosis was developed using a cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Patients with high-risk scores tend to have earlier disease recurrence and lower survival rates, compared with those with low-risk scores. This observation was further validated in three independent datasets (GSE41613, GSE10300 and E-MTAB-302). Association analysis revealed that the risk score is independent of other clinicopathological observations. On the basis of the results depicted in the nomogram, the risk score performs better in 3-year survival rate prediction than other clinical observations. In summary, the lncRNA-mRNA signature-based risk score successfully predicts the survival of HNSC and serves as an indicator of prognosis.

Seven LncRNA-mRNA based risk score predicts the survival of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Dysregulation of mRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is one of the most important features of carcinogenesis and cancer development. However, studies integrating the expression of mRNAs and lncRNAs to predict the survival of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) are still limited, hitherto. In current work, we identified survival related mRNAs and lncRNAs in three datasets (TCGA dataset, E-TABM-302, GSE41613). By random forest, seven gene signatures (six mRNAs and lncRNA) were further selected to develop the risk score model. The risk score was significantly associated with survival in both training and testing datasets (E-TABM-302, GSE41613, and E-MTAB-1324). Furthermore, correlation analyses showed that the risk score is independent from clinicopathological features. According to Cox multivariable hazard model and nomogram, the risk score contributes the most to survival than the other clinical information, including gender, age, histologic grade, and alcohol taking. The Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) indicates that the risk score is associated with cancer related pathways. In summary, the lncRNA-mRNA based risk score model we developed successfully predicts the survival of 755 HNSC samples in five datasets and two platforms. It is independent from clinical information and performs better than clinical information for prognosis.

RNA-binding motif protein 5 inhibits the proliferation of cigarette smoke-transformed BEAS-2B cells through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

Cigarette smoking has been shown to be the most significant risk factor for lung cancer. Recent studies have also indicated that RNA-binding motif protein 5 (RBM5) can modulate apoptosis and suppress tumor growth. The present study focused on the role of RBM5 in the regulation of cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced transformation of bronchial epithelial cells into the cancerous phenotype and its mechanism of action. Herein, we exposed normal BEAS-2B cells for 8 days to varying concentrations of CSE or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), followed by a recovery period of 2 weeks. Next, the RBM5 protein was overexpressed in these transformed BEAS-2B cells though lentiviral infection. Later, the morphological changes, cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, invasion and migration were assessed. In addition, we analyzed the role of RBM5 in xenograft growth. The expression of RBM5 along with the genes related to cell cycle regulation, apoptosis and invasion were also examined. Finally, our results revealed that BEAS-2B cells exposed to 100 µg/ml CSE acquired phenotypic changes and formed tumors in nude mice, indicative of their cancerous transformation and had reduced RBM5 expression. Subsequent overexpression of RBM5 in these cells significantly inhibited their proliferation, induced G1/S arrest, triggered apoptosis and inhibited their invasion and migration, including xenograft growth. Thus, we established an in vitro model of CSE-induced cancerous transformation and concluded that RBM5 overexpression inhibited the growth of these transformed cells through cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis. Therefore, our study suggests the importance of RBM5 in the pathogenesis of smoking-related cancer.

Schisandrin B inhibits the proliferation of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells by inducing cycle arrest and apoptosis.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the world. Schizandrin B (Sch B) is one of the main dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans present in the fruit of Schisandra chinensis (Schisandraceae). Sch B has multiple functions against cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Sch B on the proliferation, cell cycling, apoptosis and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells by MTT, flow cytometry, wound healing and transwell invasion assays. Treatment with Sch B inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Sch B induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase by down-regulating the expression of cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4, and CDK6, but up-regulating p53 and p21 expression in A549 cells. Furthermore, Sch B triggered A549 cell apoptosis by increasing Bax, cleaved caspase-3, 9, Cyto C, but decreasing Bcl-2 and PCNA expression. In addition, Sch B inhibited the invasion and migration of A549 cells by down-regulating the expressions of HIF-1, VEGF, MMP-9 and MMP-2. Therefore, Sch B has potent anti-tumor activity and may be a promising traditional Chinese medicine for human lung carcinoma.

Effect of bone marrow stromal cell transplantation on neurologic function and expression of VEGF in rats with focal cerebral ischemia.

There is evidence that the transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells into rat models of cerebral ischemia reduces ischemic damage; however, the mechanism remains to be elucidated. The present study aimed to assess the effect of transplantation of human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) on neurologic function and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia. The left middle cerebral artery of adult Wistar rats was occluded for 90 min using a nylon thread, followed by reperfusion for 1 h. hBMSCs labeled with 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) were stereotaxically injected into the ischemic boundary zone. Behavioral analysis using the Neurological Severity Score (NSS) was conducted on days 1, 3, 7 and 28, and a histologic evaluation was performed simultaneously. VEGF was detected by immunofluorescence staining and western blot analysis. Fifty rats were divided equally into five groups: Normal control, sham­operated, operated (no transplantation), Dulbecco's medium Eagle's medium (DMEM)-injected (received only serum-free DMEM), and hBMSC-transplanted. The hBMSC-transplanted group showed significantly improved behavioral recovery compared with the operated and DMEM-transplanted groups on days 3, 7 and 28. Histological examination showed that transplanted cells migrated from the injection site into nearby areas including the cortex. Expression of VEGF was significantly greater in the hBMSC group compared with the other four groups on each assessment day. The expression of VEGF was found to be beneficial for functional recovery following cerebral ischemic injury and hBMSC transplantation stimulated the expression of VEGF. Transplantation of BMSCs may be a promising therapeutic strategy for treating cerebral infarction.

Plasmid-based Survivin shRNA and GRIM-19 carried by attenuated Salmonella suppresses tumor cell growth.

Persistent activation of Survivin and its overexpression contribute to the formation, progression and metastasis of several different tumor types. Therefore, Survivin is an ideal target for RNA interference mediated-growth inhibition. Blockade of Survivin using specific short hairpin RNAs (shRNA) can significantly reduce prostate tumor growth. RNA interference does not fully ablate target gene expression, owing to the idiosyncrasies associated with shRNAs and their targets. To enhance the therapeutic efficacy of Survivin-specific shRNA, we employed a combinatorial expression of Survivin-specific shRNA and gene associated with retinoid-interferon-induced mortality-19 (GRIM-19). Then, the GRIM-19 coding sequences and Survivin-specific shRNAs were used to create a dual expression plasmid vector and were carried by an attenuated strain of Salmonella enteric serovar typhimurium (S. typhimurium) to treat prostate cancer in vitro and in vivo. We found that the co-expressed Survivin-specific shRNA and GRIM-19 synergistically and more effectively inhibited prostate tumor proliferation and survival, when compared with treatment with either single agent alone in vitro and in vivo. This study has provided a novel cancer gene therapeutic approach for prostate cancer.

Plasmid-based Stat3 siRNA delivered by hydroxyapatite nanoparticles suppresses mouse prostate tumour growth in vivo.

DNA vector-based Stat3-specific RNA interference (si-Stat3) blocks Stat3 signalling and inhibits prostate tumour growth. However, the antitumour activity depends on the efficient delivery of si-Stat3. The effects on the growth of mouse prostate cancer cells of si-Stat3 delivered by hydroxyapatite were determined in this study. RM-1 tumour blocks were transplanted into C57BL/6 mice. CaCl2-modified hydroxyapatite carrying si-Stat3 plasmids were injected into tumours, and tumour growth and histology were determined. The expression levels of Stat3, pTyr-Stat3, Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase3, VEGF and cyclin D1 were measured by western blot analysis. Amounts of apoptosis in cancer cells were analysed with immunohistochemistry and the terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end-labelling (TUNEL) assay. The results showed that hydroxyapatite-delivered si-Stat3 significantly suppressed tumour growth up to 74% (P < 0.01). Stat3 expression was dramatically downregulated in the tumours. The immunohistochemistry and TUNEL results showed that si-Stat3-induced apoptosis (up to 42%, P < 0.01). The Stat3 downstream genes Bcl-2, VEGF and cyclin D1 were also strongly downregulated in the tumour tissues that also displayed significant increases in Bax expression and Caspase3 activity. These results suggest that hydroxyapatite can be used for the in vivo delivery of plasmid-based siRNAs into tumours.