Ribociclib leverages phosphodiesterase 4 inhibition in the treatment of neutrophilic inflammation and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Overwhelming neutrophil activation and oxidative stress significantly contribute to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) pathogenesis. However, the potential of repurposing ribociclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor used clinically in cancer treatment, for treating neutrophilic ARDS remains uncertain. This study illustrated the ability and underlying mechanism of ribociclib for treating ARDS and neutrophilic inflammation. METHODS: Primary human neutrophils were used to determine the therapeutic effects of ribociclib on respiratory bursts, chemotactic responses, and inflammatory signaling. In vitro and silico analyses were performed to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms. The potential of ribociclib repurposing was evaluated using an in vivo ARDS model in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-primed mice. RESULTS: We found that treatment using ribociclib markedly limited overabundant oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species [ROS]) production and chemotactic responses (integrin levels and adhesion) in activated human neutrophils. Ribociclib was also shown to act as a selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), thereby promoting the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-protein kinase A (PKA) pathway, leading to the inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation, and calcium influx. Notably, prophylactic administration and post-treatment with ribociclib ameliorated neutrophil infiltration, lung inflammation, accumulation of oxidative stress, pulmonary destruction, and mortality in mice with LPS-induced ARDS. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated for the first time that ribociclib serves as a novel PDE4 inhibitor for treating neutrophilic inflammation and ARDS. The repurposing ribociclib and targeting neutrophilic PDE4 offer a potential off-label alternative for treating lung lesions and other inflammatory conditions.

Miltefosine reduces coxsackievirus B3 lethality of mice with enhanced STAT3 activation.

Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), one serotype of enteroviruses, can induce fatal myocarditis and hepatitis in neonates, but both treatment and vaccine are unavailable. Few reports tested antivirals to reduce CVB3. Several antivirals were developed against other enterovirus serotypes, but these antivirals failed in clinical trials due to side effects and drug resistance. Repurposing of clinical drugs targeting cellular factors, which enhance viral replication, may be another option. Parasite and cancer studies showed that the cellular protein kinase B (Akt) decreases interferon (IFN), apoptosis, and interleukin (IL)-6-induced STAT3 responses, which suppress CVB3 replication. Furthermore, miltefosine, the Akt inhibitor used in the clinic for parasite infections, enhances IL-6, IFN, and apoptosis responses in treated patients, suggesting that miltefosine could be the potential antiviral for CVB3. This study was therefore designated to test the antiviral effects of miltefosine against CVB3 in vitro and especially, in mice, as few studies test miltefosine in vitro, but not in vivo. In vitro results showed that miltefosine inhibited viral replication with enhanced activation of the cellular transcription factor, STAT3, which is reported to reduce CVB3 both in vitro and in mice. Notably, STAT3 knockdown abolished the anti-CVB3 activity of miltefosine in vitro. Mouse studies demonstrated that miltefosine pretreatment reduced CVB3 lethality of mice with decreased virus loads, organ damage, and apoptosis, but enhanced STAT3 activation. Miltefosine could be prophylaxis for CVB3 by targeting Akt to enhance STAT3 activation in the mechanism, which is independent of IFN responses and hardly reported in pathogen infections.

VP1 codon deoptimization and high-fidelity substitutions in 3D polymerase as potential vaccine strategies for eliciting immune responses against enterovirus A71.

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) can induce severe neurological complications and even fatal encephalitis in children, and it has caused several large outbreaks in Taiwan since 1998. We previously generated VP1 codon-deoptimized (VP1-CD) reverse genetics (rg) EV-A71 viruses (rgEV-A71s) that harbor a high-fidelity (HF) 3D polymerase. These VP1-CD-HF rgEV-A71s showed lower replication kinetics in vitro and decreased virulence in an Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mouse model of EV-A71 infection, while still retaining their antigenicity in comparison to the wild-type virus. In this study, we aimed to further investigate the humoral and cellular immune responses elicited by VP1-CD-HF rgEV-A71s to assess the potential efficacy of these EV-A71 vaccine candidates. Following intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of VP1-CD-HF rgEV-A71s in mice, we observed a robust induction of EV-A71-specific neutralizing IgG antibodies in the antisera after 21 days. Splenocytes isolated from VP1-CD-HF rgEV-A71s-immunized mice exhibited enhanced proliferative activities and cytokine production (IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-6, and TNF-α) upon re-stimulation with VP1-CD-HF rgEV-A71, as compared to control mice treated with adjuvant only. Importantly, administration of antisera from VP1-CD-HF rgEV-A71s-immunized mice protected against lethal EV-A71 challenge in neonatal mice. These findings highlight that our generated VP1-CD-HF rgEV-A71 viruses are capable of inducing both cellular and humoral immune responses, supporting their potential as next-generation EV-A71 vaccines for combating EV-A71 infection.IMPORTANCEEV-A71 can cause severe neurological diseases and cause death in young children. Here, we report the development of synthetic rgEV-A71s with the combination of codon deoptimization and high-fidelity (HF) substitutions that generate genetically stable reverse genetics (rg) viruses as potential attenuated vaccine candidates. Our work provides insight into the development of low-virulence candidate vaccines through a series of viral genetic editing for maintaining antigenicity and genome stability and suggests a strategy for the development of an innovative next-generation vaccine against EV-A71.

Perceived Stress Mediating the Association Between Mindfulness and Resilience Among Registered Nurses.

Purpose: Resilience continues to be an important concept in the nursing profession due to its significant role in personal healthcare, patients' healthcare, and leadership. The present study examined the mediating role of perceived stress in the association between mindfulness and resilience among registered nurses in order to understand their importance among those in the Taiwanese nursing profession. Materials and Methods: Between October and November 2021, a total of 816 registered nurses participated in a cross-sectional survey including psychometric measures assessing perceived stress (Chinese Perceived Stress Scale-10), mindfulness (Chinese Mindful Attention Awareness Scale), and resilience (Chinese Questionnaire of Resilience). Results: Results indicated that perceived stress mediated the association between mindfulness and resilience (standardized coefficient = 0.251, p<0.001), although there was no significant association between mindfulness and resilience (standardized coefficient = 0.042, p=0.16). This suggests that perceived stress may function as both distress and eustress because mindfulness was not directly associated with resilience but indirectly via perceived stress. Conclusion: Nurses and their administrators should focus on different ways of coping with stress so that they become more resilient in facing other stressors. Future studies may be conducted to examine the mediating role of perceived stress in the association between other coping strategies and resilience among registered nurses.

Antiviral and immunoregulatory effects of curcumin on coxsackievirus B3-infected hepatitis.

Fulminant hepatitis is a life-threatening complication of coxsackievirus B (CVB) 3 infections. The condition may deteriorate to disseminated intravascular coagulopathy with markedly increased liver enzymes, inflammatory cytokines, and chemokines, which significantly induce local and systemic inflammation. Curcumin exhibits anti-inflammatory and antiviral characteristics in inflammatory and infectious diseases. Here we determined effects of curcumin on viral replications, cytokine and chemokine expressions, and liver damage in CVB3-infected Huh-7 cells. The mouse-adapted CVB3 strain was used to investigate the antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin on CVB3-induced hepatitis in a mouse model. In vitro studies showed that curcumin reduced viral protein and titer levels and increased cell viability. Curcumin enhanced the heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protein level and decreased the levels of cleaved caspase-3 protein and mRNA of gene encoding C-X-C motif chemokine 10 in infected cells. In vivo studies showed that curcumin improved the survival rate and clinical scores in mice and reduced the viral titer in the liver during CVB3 infection. Moreover, the HO-1 levels were increased, and the cleaved caspase-3 levels were diminished in the CVB3-infected liver. Curcumin reduced the levels of interferon (IFN)-γ and monokine induced by IFN-γ in liver and levels of interleukin (IL)-8 in serum, but increased levels of regulated activation, normal T cell expression in liver and levels of IL-10 in serum of CVB3-infected mice. In summary, curcumin presents antiviral and anti-inflammation efficacies in CVB3 infection in vitro and in vivo; these results provide potential evidence on the feasibility of curcumin for clinical treatment.

Acyclovir-resistant HSV-1 isolates among immunocompromised patients in southern Taiwan: Low prevalence and novel mutations.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) can establish latency in humans and easily relapse in immunocompromised patients, with significant mortality. Treatment with acyclovir (ACV) can result in the emergence of HSV resistance. A total of 440 frozen HSV-1 isolates collected from 318 patients from January 2014 to July 2019 were obtained from National Cheng Kung University Hospital in southern Taiwan. These 440 isolates were subjected to phenotypic studies for ACV-resistance by initial screening with the plaque reduction assay (PRA) and further validation by the DNA reduction assay (DRA). The ACV-resistant strains were further investigated by Sanger sequencing for the full-length UL23 and UL30 genes, which encode thymidine kinase and DNA polymerase, respectively. Hematological malignancies or hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation patients accounted for 56.9% (124/218) among the immunocompromised patients (218/318) in this study. Repeated sampling for HSV testing was 50% (109/218) in immunocompromised patients. Only 1.38% (3/218) of immunocompromised patients and 0.9% (3/318) of all patients developed ACV-resistant HSV-1 as measured by phenotypic screening assays. It is noteworthy that a novel Y248D mutation in the UL23 gene from an immunocompromised patient was found by both PRA and DRA. In 3D protein predicting analysis, uncharged Y248 was located at an alpha-helix and substituted by negative-charged D248, which may alter the function of viral thymidine kinase. Besides, three unreported mutations related to natural polymorphism were found in virus isolates from two immunocompetent patients, including 683-688 deletion, R227H, and A351D in the UL30 gene. These data show that the prevalence of ACV-resistant HSV-1 among immunocompromised patients in southern Taiwan is low. These results will be helpful for the clinical management and treatment of HSV infections.

Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Enhance T-Independent B Cell Response through a p38 MAPK-STAT1 Axis.

TLR signaling in B cells triggers their activation and differentiation independent of help from T cells. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) cooperate with B cells to boost TLR-stimulated T-independent humoral immunity; however, the molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that in the mouse system, the adjuvant effects of pDCs also occurred following challenge with pathogens and that follicular (FO) B cells were more sensitive to pDC-induced enhancement than were marginal zone (MZ) B cells. Moreover, pDCs migrated to the FO zones and interacted with FO B cells upon stimulation in vivo. CXCL10, a ligand for CXCR3 expressed on pDCs, was superinduced in the coculture system and facilitated the cooperative activation of B cells. Moreover, pDCs also promoted TLR-stimulated autoantibody production in FO B and MZ B cells. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis and gene set enrichment analysis revealed that type I IFN (IFN-I)-mediated JAK-STAT and Ras-MAPK pathways were highly enriched in R848-stimulated B cells cocultured with pDCs compared with B cells alone. Whereas IFN-I receptor 1 deficiency reduced pDC-enhanced B cell responses, STAT1 deficiency displayed a more pronounced defect. One of the STAT1-dependent but IFN-I-independent mechanisms was TLR-induced STAT1-S727 phosphorylation by p38 MAPK. Serine 727 to alanine mutation attenuated the synergism between pDCs and B cells. In conclusion, we uncover a molecular mechanism for pDC-enhanced B cell response and define a crucial role of the IFN-I/TLR-mediated signaling pathway through a p38 MAPK-STAT1 axis in controlling T-independent humoral immunity and providing a novel therapeutic target for treating autoimmune diseases.

Serostatus of echovirus 11, coxsackievirus B3 and enterovirus D68 in cord blood: The implication of severe newborn enterovirus infection.

BACKGROUND: Maternal transplacental antibody is an important origins of passive immunity against neonatal enterovirus infection. Echovirus 11 (E11) and coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) are important types causing neonatal infections. There were few investigations of enterovirus D68 (EVD68) infection in neonates. We aimed to investigate the serostatus of cord blood for these three enteroviruses and evaluate the factors associated with seropositivity. METHODS: We enrolled 222 parturient (gestational age 34-42 weeks) women aged 20-46 years old between January and October 2021. All participants underwent questionnaire investigation and we collected the cord blood to measure the neutralization antibodies against E11, CVB3 and EVD68. RESULTS: The cord blood seropositive rates were 18% (41/222), 60% (134/232) and 95% (211/222) for E11, CVB3 and EVD68, respectively (p < 0.001). Geometric mean titers were 3.3 (95% CI 2.9-3.8) for E11, 15.9 (95% CI 12.5-20.3) for CVB3 and 109.9 (95% CI 92.4-131.6) for EVD68. Younger parturient age (33.8 ± 3.6 versus 35.2 ± 4.4, p = 0.04) was related to E11 seropositivity. Neonatal sex, gestational age and birth body weight were not significantly different between the seropositive group and the seronegative group. CONCLUSION: Cord blood seropositive rate and geometric mean titer of E11 were very low, so a large proportion of newborns are susceptible to E11. The circulation of E11 was low after 2019 in Taiwan. A large cohort of immune naïve newborns existed currently due to lack of protective maternal antibodies. It is imminent to monitor the epidemiology of neonates with enterovirus infections and strengthen the relevant preventive policies.

Palbociclib blocks neutrophilic phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity to alleviate psoriasiform dermatitis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neutrophilic inflammation is a critical pathogenic factor in psoriasis. The therapeutic applicability of palbociclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor clinically used to treat cancer, in the treatment of neutrophil-associated psoriasis remains undefined. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential and pharmacological effect of palbociclib on neutrophil-associated psoriasiform dermatitis. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The anti-inflammatory effects of palbociclib were determined in activated human neutrophils. The therapeutic feasibility of palbociclib in psoriasis was demonstrated in a mouse model of imiquimod-induced psoriasiform dermatitis. The in vitro enzymatic assays and in silico analyses were used to identify the underlying pharmacological mechanisms. KEY RESULTS: This study found that palbociclib inhibited neutrophilic inflammation, including superoxide anion generation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, elastase degranulation and chemotactic responses. The mechanistic studies identified that the anti-inflammatory effects of palbociclib involved the targeting of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) but not CDK4/6 in human neutrophils. Palbociclib preferentially targeted the p110δ catalytic subunit of PI3K and thereby blocked signalling via the PI3K/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway. Furthermore, topical application of palbociclib significantly ameliorated imiquimod-induced psoriasiform dermatitis in mice, including psoriatic symptoms, neutrophil infiltration, Akt activation and cytokine up-regulation. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This is the first study to demonstrate that palbociclib can potentially be used to treat neutrophil-associated psoriasiform dermatitis through the targeting of neutrophilic PI3K activity. Our findings prompt further research to explore the potential of palbociclib and PI3K in psoriasis and other inflammatory diseases.

Therapeutics for fulminant hepatitis caused by enteroviruses in neonates.

Neonatal infection with nonpolio enteroviruses (EVs) causes nonspecific febrile illnesses and even life-threatening multiorgan failure. Hepatitis, which often results in hepatic necrosis followed by disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, is one of the most severe and frequent fatal neonatal EV infection complications. Coxsackievirus B (CVB) 1-5 and many echoviruses have been most commonly identified. Neonatal EV infection treatment has usually involved initial supportive care. Studies for CVB and echovirus infection treatments were developed for more than thirty years. Intravenous immunoglobulin and pleconaril therapy was performed in some clinical trials. Additionally, other studies demonstrated antiviral and/or anti-inflammatory pathogenesis mechanisms of neonatal EV hepatitis in in vitro or in vivo models. These treatments represented promising options for the clinical practice of neonatal EV hepatitis. However, further investigation is needed to elucidate the whole therapeutic potential and safety problems.

Suppression of annexin A1 and its receptor reduces herpes simplex virus 1 lethality in mice.

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1)-induced encephalitis is the most common cause of sporadic, fatal encephalitis in humans. HSV-1 has at least 10 different envelope glycoproteins, which can promote virus infection. The ligands for most of the envelope glycoproteins and the significance of these ligands in virus-induced encephalitis remain elusive. Here, we show that glycoprotein E (gE) binds to the cellular protein, annexin A1 (Anx-A1) to enhance infection. Anx-A1 can be detected on the surface of cells permissive for HSV-1 before infection and on virions. Suppression of Anx-A1 or its receptor, formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2), on the cell surface and gE or Anx-A1 on HSV-1 envelopes reduced virus binding to cells. Importantly, Anx-A1 knockout, Anx-A1 knockdown, or treatments with the FPR2 antagonist reduced the mortality and tissue viral loads of infected mice. Our results show that Anx-A1 is a novel enhancing factor of HSV-1 infection. Anx-A1-deficient mice displayed no evident physiology and behavior changes. Hence, targeting Anx-A1 and FPR2 could be a promising prophylaxis or adjuvant therapy to decrease HSV-1 lethality.

From EGFR kinase inhibitors to anti-inflammatory drugs: Optimization and biological evaluation of (4-(phenylamino)quinazolinyl)-phenylthiourea derivatives as novel NF-κB inhibitors.

The transcription factor NF-κB is a pivotal mediator of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Based on our previously published dual EGFR/NF-κB inhibitors, we designed and synthesized new thiourea quinazoline derivatives that retained only the NF-κB inhibitory activity. Several congeners displayed a strong suppression of NF-κB activity in a reporter gene assay, yet low cytotoxicity, and were further evaluated in differentiated macrophage-like THP-1 cells. The compounds exhibited a strong inhibition of IL-6 and, less potently, of TNFα release, which was accompanied by a selective induction of macrophage cell death. The mode of action was investigated with a selected inhibitor, 18, revealing that the translocation of p65/RelA to the nucleus but not its release from the IκB complex was inhibited. Eventually, 18 was identified as the first small molecule inhibitor affecting only the phosphorylation of p65-Ser468 but not of Ser536, which may be causally related to the retention of NF-κB in the cytoplasm. Altogether, our novel NF-κB inhibitors seem applicable for the suppression of cytokine release and the additional selective depletion of activated macrophages in various inflammatory diseases.

Development of (4-Phenylamino)quinazoline Alkylthiourea Derivatives as Novel NF-κB Inhibitors.

For many inflammatory diseases, new effective drugs with fewer side effects are needed. While it appears promising to target the activation of the central pro-inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB, many previously discovered agents suffered from cytotoxicity. In this study, new alkylthiourea quinazoline derivatives were developed that selectively inhibit the activation of NF-κB in macrophage-like THP-1 cells while showing low general cytotoxicity. One of the best compounds, 19, strongly inhibited the production of IL-6 (IC50 = 0.84 µM) and, less potently, of TNFα (IC50 = 4.0 µM); in comparison, the reference compound, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), showed IC50s of 1.1 and 11.4 µM, respectively. Interestingly, 19 was found to block the translocation of the NF-κB dimer to the nucleus, although its release from the IκB complex was unaffected. Furthermore, 19 suppressed the phosphorylation of NF-κB-p65 at Ser468 but not at Ser536; however, 19 did not inhibit any kinase involved in NF-κB activation. The only partial suppression of p65 phosphorylation might be associated with fewer side effects. Since several compounds selectively induced cell death in activated macrophage-like THP-1 cells, they might be particularly effective in various inflammatory diseases that are exacerbated by excess activated macrophages, such as arteriosclerosis and autoimmune diseases.

Integrin-Linked Kinase Reduces H3K9 Trimethylation to Enhance Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Replication.

Histone modifications control the lytic gene expression of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). The heterochromatin mark, trimethylation of histone H3 on lysine (K) 9 (H3K9me3), is detected on HSV-1 genomes at early phases of infection to repress viral gene transcription. However, the components and mechanisms involved in the process are mostly unknown. Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is activated by PI3K to phosphorylate Akt and promote several RNA virus infections. Akt has been shown to enhance HSV-1 infection, suggesting a pro-viral role of ILK in HSV-1 infection that has not been addressed before. Here, we reveal that ILK enhances HSV-1 replication in an Akt-independent manner. ILK reduces the accumulation of H3K9me3 on viral promoters and replication compartments. Notably, ILK reduces H3K9me3 in a manner independent of ICP0. Instead, we show an increased binding of H3K9 methyltransferase SUV39H1 and corepressor TRIM28 on viral promoters in ILK knockdown cells. Knocking down SUV39H1 or TRIM28 increases HSV-1 lytic gene transcription in ILK knockdown cells. These results show that ILK antagonizes SVU39H1- and TRIM28-mediated repression on lytic gene transcription. We further demonstrate that ILK knockdown reduces TRIM28 phosphorylation on serine 473 and 824 in HSV-1-infected cells, suggesting that ILK facilitates TRIM28 phosphorylation to abrogate its inhibition on lytic gene transcription. OSU-T315, an ILK inhibitor, suppresses HSV-1 replication in cells and mice. In conclusion, we demonstrate that ILK decreases H3K9me3 on HSV-1 DNA by reducing SUV39H1 and TRIM28 binding. Moreover, our results suggest that targeting ILK could be a broad-spectrum antiviral strategy for DNA and RNA virus infections, especially for DNA viruses controlled by histone modifications.

Absence of the lectin-like domain of thrombomodulin reduces HSV-1 lethality of mice with increased microglia responses.

BACKGROUND: Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) can induce fatal encephalitis. Cellular factors regulate the host immunity to affect the severity of HSV-1 encephalitis. Recent reports focus on the significance of thrombomodulin (TM), especially the domain 1, lectin-like domain (TM-LeD), which modulates the immune responses to bacterial infections and toxins and various diseases in murine models. Few studies have investigated the importance of TM-LeD in viral infections, which are also regulated by the host immunity. METHODS: In vivo studies comparing wild-type and TM-LeD knockout mice were performed to determine the role of TM-LeD on HSV-1 lethality. In vitro studies using brain microglia cultured from mice or a human microglia cell line to investigate whether and how TM-LeD affects microglia to reduce HSV-1 replication in brain neurons cultured from mice or in a human neuronal cell line. RESULTS: Absence of TM-LeD decreased the mortality, tissue viral loads, and brain neuron apoptosis of HSV-1-infected mice with increases in the number, proliferation, and phagocytic activity of brain microglia. Moreover, TM-LeD deficiency enhanced the phagocytic activity of brain microglia cultured from mice or of a human microglia cell line. Co-culture of mouse primary brain microglia and neurons or human microglia and neuronal cell lines revealed that TM-LeD deficiency augmented the capacity of microglia to reduce HSV-1 replication in neurons. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, TM-LeD suppresses microglia responses to enhance HSV-1 infection.

JAK2-Mediated Phosphorylation of Stress-Induced Phosphoprotein-1 (STIP1) in Human Cells.

Stress-induced phosphoprotein-1 (STIP1)-a heat shock protein (HSP)70/HSP90 adaptor protein-is commonly overexpressed in malignant cells, where it controls proliferation via multiple signaling pathways, including JAK2/STAT3. We have previously shown that STIP1 stabilizes the protein tyrosine kinase JAK2 in cancer cells via HSP90 binding. In this study, we demonstrate that STIP1 may act as a substrate for JAK2 and that phosphorylation of tyrosine residues 134 and 152 promoted STIP1 protein stability, induced its nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling, and promoted its secretion into the extracellular space. We also found that JAK2-mediated STIP1 phosphorylation enhanced cell viability and increased resistance to cisplatin-induced cell death. Conversely, interference STIP1 with JAK2 interaction-attained either through site-directed mutagenesis or the use of cell-penetrating peptides-decreased JAK2 protein levels, ultimately leading to cell death. On analyzing human ovarian cancer specimens, JAK2 and STIP1 expression levels were found to be positively correlated with each other. Collectively, these results indicate that JAK2-mediated phosphorylation of STIP-1 is critical for sustaining the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in cancer cells.

Suicidal Ideation during the COVID-19 Pandemic among A Large-Scale Iranian Sample: The Roles of Generalized Trust, Insomnia, and Fear of COVID-19.

The novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is still not under control globally. The pandemic has caused mental health issues among many different cohorts and suicidal ideation in relation to COVID-19 has been reported in a number of recent studies. Therefore, the present study proposed a model to explain the associations between generalized trust, fear of COVID-19, insomnia, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic among a large-scale Iranian sample. Utilizing cluster sampling with multistage stratification, residents from Qazvin province in Iran were invited to participate in the present study. Adults aged over 18 years (n = 10,843; 6751 [62.3%] females) completed 'paper-and-pencil' questionnaires with the assistance of a trained research assistant. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to understand the associations between generalized trust, fear of COVID-19, insomnia, and suicidal ideation. Slightly over one-fifth of the participants (n = 2252; 20.8%) reported suicidal ideation. Moreover, the SEM results indicated that generalized trust was indirectly associated with suicidal ideation via fear of COVID-19 and insomnia. Furthermore, generalized trust was not directly associated with suicidal ideation. The proposed model was invariant across gender groups, age groups, and participants residing in different areas (i.e., urban vs. rural). Generalized trust might reduce individuals' suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic period via reduced levels of fear of COVID-19 and insomnia. Healthcare providers and policymakers may want to assist individuals in developing their generalized trust, reducing fear of COVID-19, and improving insomnia problems to avoid possible suicidal behaviors.

Using an Integrated Social Cognition Model to Explain Green Purchasing Behavior among Adolescents.

Strengthening pro-environmental behaviors such as green purchasing behavior is important for environmental sustainability. An integrated social cognition model which incorporates constructs from habit theory, health action process approach (HAPA), and theory of planned behavior (TPB) is adopted to understand Iranian adolescents' green purchasing behavior. Using a correlational-prospective design, the study recruited Iranian adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years (N = 2374, n = 1362 (57.4%) females, n = 1012 (42.6%) males; Mean (SD) age = 15.56 (1.22)). At baseline (T1), participants self-reported on the following constructs: past behavior; habit strength (from habit theory); action planning and coping planning (from HAPA); and intention, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, and attitude (from TPB) with respect to green purchasing behavior. Six months later (T2), participants self-reported on their actions in terms of purchasing green goods. Our findings reported direct effects of perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, attitude, and past behavior on intention; intention and perceived behavioral control on green purchase behavior; intention on two types of planning (i.e., action and coping planning); both types of planning on green purchase behavior; and past green purchase behavior and habits on prospectively measured green purchase behavior. These results indicate that adolescent green purchasing behavior is underpinned by constructs representing motivational, volitional, and automatic processes. This knowledge can help inform the development of theory-based behavior change interventions to improve green purchasing in adolescents, a key developmental period where climate change issues are salient and increased independence and demands in making self-guided decisions are needed.

Microglia Reduce Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Lethality of Mice with Decreased T Cell and Interferon Responses in Brains.

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infects the majority of the human population and can induce encephalitis, which is the most common cause of sporadic, fatal encephalitis. An increase of microglia is detected in the brains of encephalitis patients. The issues regarding whether and how microglia protect the host and neurons from HSV-1 infection remain elusive. Using a murine infection model, we showed that HSV-1 infection on corneas increased the number of microglia to outnumber those of infiltrating leukocytes (macrophages, neutrophils, and T cells) and enhanced microglia activation in brains. HSV-1 antigens were detected in brain neurons, which were surrounded by microglia. Microglia depletion increased HSV-1 lethality of mice with elevated brain levels of viral loads, infected neurons, neuron loss, CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, neutrophils, interferon (IFN)-ß, and IFN-γ. In vitro studies demonstrated that microglia from infected mice reduced virus infectivity. Moreover, microglia induced IFN-ß and the signaling pathway of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1 to inhibit viral replication and damage of neurons. Our study reveals how microglia protect the host and neurons from HSV-1 infection.

Doxycycline Ameliorates the Severity of Experimental Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy in Mice.

After successful surgeries for patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, the most common cause of retinal redetachment is proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), which causes severe vision impairment and even blindness worldwide. Until now, the major treatment for PVR is surgical removal of the epiretinal membrane, while effective treatment to prevent PVR is still unavailable. Therefore, we investigated the potential of doxycycline, an antibiotic in the tetracycline class, to treat PVR using a mouse model. We used the human retinal pigment epithelial cell line, ARPE-19, for in vitro and in vivo studies to test doxycycline for PVR treatment. We found that doxycycline suppressed the migration, proliferation, and contraction of ARPE-19 cells with reduced p38 MAPK activation and total MMP activity. Intravitreal doxycycline and topical tetracycline treatment significantly ameliorated the PVR severity induced by ARPE-19 cells in mice. PVR increased the expression of MMP-9 and IL-4 and p38 MAPK phosphorylation and modestly decreased IL-10. These effects were reversed by doxycycline and tetracycline treatment in the mouse retina. These results suggest that doxycycline will be a potential treatment for PVR in the future.