Repositioning baloxavir marboxil as VISTA agonist that ameliorates experimental asthma.

V-type immunoglobulin domain-containing suppressor of T-cell activation (VISTA), a novel negative checkpoint regulator, plays an essential role in allergic pulmonary inflammation in mice. Treatment with a VISTA agonistic antibody could significantly improve asthma symptoms. Thus, for allergic asthma treatment, VISTA targeting may be a compelling approach. In this study, we examined the functional mechanism of VISTA in allergic pulmonary inflammation and screened the FDA-approved drugs for VISTA agonists. By using mass cytometry (CyTOF), we found that VISTA deficiency primarily increased lung macrophage infiltration in the OVA-induced asthma model, accompanied by an increased proportion of M1 macrophages (CD11b+F4/80+CD86+) and a decreased proportion of M2 macrophages (CD11b+F4/80+CD206+). Further in vitro studies showed that VISTA deficiency promoted M1 polarization and inhibited M2 polarization of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). Importantly, we discovered baloxavir marboxil (BXM) as a VISTA agonist by virtual screening of FDA-approved drugs. The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assays revealed that BXM (KD = 1.07 µM) as well as its active form, baloxavir acid (BXA) (KD = 0.21 µM), could directly bind to VISTA with high affinity. Notably, treatment with BXM significantly ameliorated asthma symptoms, including less lung inflammation, mucus secretion, and the generation of Th2 cytokines (IL-5, IL-13, and IL-4), which were dramatically attenuated by anti-VISTA monoclonal antibody treatment. BXM administration also reduced the pulmonary infiltration of M1 macrophages and raised M2 macrophages. Collectively, our study indicates that VISTA regulates pulmonary inflammation in allergic asthma by regulating macrophage polarization and baloxavir marboxil, and an old drug might be a new treatment for allergic asthma through targeting VISTA.

Alkaloids from Fritillaria przewalskii Bulbs and Their Anti-Alzheimer's Disease Activities.

Three undescribed isosteroidal alkaloids, przewalskines A-C (1-3), as well as seven known alkaloids (4-10) were obtained from Fritillaria przewalskii bulbs. Their structures were deduced by extensive HRESIMS, 1D NMR, and 2D NMR analyses, and their bioactivities were evaluated involving the anti-inflammatory and inhibitory potencies on AChE, BChE, and Aß aggregation. Compound 4 revealed the potent effect on inhibiting Aß aggregation activity with IC50 value of 33.1 µM, AChE activity with IC50 value of 6.9 µM, and also showed NO release inhibitory acitivity with IC50 value of 32.6 µM. These findings contribute new multi-.target anti-AD agents and embody the chemical diversity of F. przewalskii.

[Prognostic Significance of Progression of Disease within 24 Months in Mantle Cell Lymphoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of progression of disease within 24 months (POD24) on overall survival (OS) in patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and compare the clinical characteristics between POD24 and non-POD24 patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 50 MCL patients with treatment indications and regular treatment who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2010 to August 2020. According to the occurrence of POD24, the patients were grouped for prognostic evaluation and clinical characteristics comparison. RESULTS: Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that POD24, PLT, albumin, MIPI score, ECOG PS score, LDH were the factors influencing OS in newly diagnosed MCL patients (all P < 0.05). The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that POD24ï¼»HR=16.797(95%CI : 3.671-76.861),P < 0.001ï¼½, albumin<40 g/Lï¼»HR=3.238(95%CI :1.095-9.572),P =0.034ï¼½ and ECOG PS score≥2ï¼»HR=4.005(95%CI :1.033-15.521),P =0.045ï¼½ were independent risk factors influencing OS in MCL patients. The incidence of PLT<100×109/L (33.3% vs 5.9%, P =0.033) and ECOG PS score ≥2 (45.5% vs 5.9%, P =0.040) were significantly higher in POD24 patients than those in non-POD24 patients. CONCLUSION: POD24 is an independent poor prognostic factor affecting the OS of MCL patients, and the patients with PLT<100×109/L and ECOG PS score≥2 at diagnosis have a higher probability of POD24.