Oil body extraction from high-fat and high-protein soybeans by laccase cross-linked beet pectin: physicochemical and oxidation properties.

BACKGROUND: Soybean oil bodies (SOB) are droplets of natural emulsified oil. Soybean oil emulsifies well but it is easily oxidized during storage. Beet pectin is a complex anionic polysaccharide, which can be adsorbed on the surface of liposomes to improve their resistance to flocculation. Laccase can covalently cross-link ferulic acid in beet pectin, and its structure is irreversible, which can improve the stability of polysaccharides. RESULTS: At pH 2.5, laccase cross-linked beet pectin high-oil soybean oil body (HOSOB) and high-protein soybean oil body (HPSOB) emulsions showed obvious aggregation and severe stratification, and the oxidation of the emulsions was also high. The flocculation of emulsions decreased with an increase in the pH. The effect of pH on the flocculation of emulsion was confirmed by confocal laser electron microscopy. The ζ potential, emulsification, and rheological shear force increased with increasing pH whereas the particle size and surface hydrophobicity decreased with increasing pH. CONCLUSION: This experiment indicates that the physicochemical stability of the two composite emulsions was strongly affected under acidic conditions but stable under neutral and weakly alkaline conditions. Under the same acid-base conditions, the degree of oxidation of HPSOB composite emulsion changes substantially. The results of this study can provide a basis for the design of very stable emulsions to meet the demand for natural products. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nivolumab in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: Sorafenib-experienced Asian cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, is approved in several countries to treat sorafenib-experienced patients with HCC, based on results from the CheckMate 040 study (NCT01658878). Marked differences exist in HCC clinical presentation, aetiology, treatment patterns and outcomes across regions. This analysis assessed the safety and efficacy of nivolumab in the Asian cohort of CheckMate 040. METHODS: CheckMate 040 is an international, multicentre, open-label, phase I/II study of nivolumab in adults with advanced HCC, regardless of aetiology, not amenable to curative resection or local treatment and with/without previous sorafenib treatment. This analysis included all sorafenib-experienced patients in the intent-to-treat (ITT) overall population and Asian cohort. The analysis cut-off date was March 2018. RESULTS: There were 182 and 85 patients in the ITT population and Asian cohort, respectively. In both populations, most patients were older than 60 years, had BCLC (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer) Stage C disease, and had received previous systemic therapy. A higher percentage of Asian patients had HBV infections, extrahepatic metastases and prior therapies. Median follow-up was 31.6 and 31.3 months for the ITT and Asian patients, respectively. Objective response rates were 14% and 15% in the ITT population and Asian cohort, respectively. In the Asian cohort, patients with HBV, HCV or those who were uninfected had objective response rates of 13%, 14% and 21%, respectively. The median duration of response was longer in the ITT (19.4 months) vs. Asian patients (9.7 months). Median overall survival was similar between the ITT (15.1 months) and Asian patients (14.9 months), and unaffected by aetiology in Asian patients. The nivolumab safety profile was similar and manageable across both populations. CONCLUSION: Nivolumab safety and efficacy are comparable between sorafenib-experienced ITT and Asian patients. LAY SUMMARY: The CheckMate 040 study evaluated the safety and efficacy of nivolumab in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma who were refractory to previous sorafenib treatment or chemotherapy. This subanalysis of the data showed that treatment responses and safety in patients in Asia were similar to those of the overall treatment population, providing support for nivolumab as a treatment option for these patients. Clinical trial number: NCT01658878.

Alloreactive cytotoxic T lymphocyte immunotherapy treatment of a patient with metastatic prostate cancer: A case report.

RATIONALE: Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) immunotherapy is an autologous cellular immune therapy that has been approved for treating patients with malignant tumors. However, there is still limited information regarding the impact of CTL on metastatic prostate cancer (PC) patients with bone metastatic lesions. PATIENT CONCERNS: An 82-year-old male patient complained of interrupted urination, urination pain, and significant dysuria on November 24, 2014. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and postoperative pathological examination showed prostatic adenocarcinoma, and a SPECT/CT scan demonstrated multiple bone metastases. In addition, prostate specific antigen (PSA) and free PSA (FPSA) levels were 54.54 µg/mL and 2.63 µg/mL, respectively, at the beginning of treatment. DIAGNOSES: The man was diagnosed with prostatic adenocarcinoma and multiple bone metastases. INTERVENTIONS: The patient received 30 cycles of alloreactive CTL (ACTL) immunotherapy regularly. OUTCOMES: Over the course of the 2-year treatment, the PC patient exhibited diminished bone metastasis accompanied by a marked reduction of serum PSA and FPSA from 54.54 and 2.63 µg/ml to 0.003 and <0.006 µg/ml, respectively. LESSONS: Our clinical observations demonstrate that CTL immunotherapy is a viable treatment option for PC patients, particularly those with bone metastatic lesions and high serum levels of PSA and FPSA.