Hydroamination of alkenes with dinitrogen and titanium polyhydrides.

An ideal synthesis of alkyl amines would involve the direct use of abundant and easily accessible molecules such as dinitrogen (N2) and feedstock alkenes1-4. However, this ambition remains a great challenge as it is usually difficult to simultaneously activate both N2 and a simple alkene and combine them together through C‒N bond formation. Currently, the synthesis of alkyl amines relies on the use of ammonia produced via the Haber-Bosch process and prefunctionalised electrophilic carbon sources. Here we report the hydroamination of simple alkenes with N2 in a trititanium hydride framework, which activates both alkenes and N2, leading to selective C‒N bond formation and providing the corresponding alkyl amines on further hydrogenation and protonation. Computational studies reveal key mechanistic details of N2 activation and selective C‒N bond formation. This work demonstrates a strategy for the transformation of N2 and simple hydrocarbons into nitrogen-containing organic compounds mediated by a multinuclear hydride framework.

Dinitrogen Cleavage and Multicoupling with Isocyanides in a Dititanium Dihydride Framework.

Dinitrogen (N2) activation and functionalization through N-N bond cleavage and N-C bond formation are of great interest and importance but remain highly challenging. We report here for the first time N2 cleavage and selective multicoupling with isocyanides in a dititanium dihydride framework. The reaction of a dinitrogen dititanium dihydride complex [{(acriPNP)Ti}2(µ-η1:η2-N2)(µ-H)2] (1) with an excess (four or more equivalents) of p-methoxyphenyl isocyanide at room temperature gave a novel amidoamidinatoguanidinate complex [(acriPNP)Ti{NC(═NR)NC(═NR)CH2NR}Ti(acriPNP)(CNR)] (2, acriPNP = 4,5-bis(diisopropylphosphino)-2,7,9,9-tetramethyl-9H-acridin-10-ide; R = p-MeOC6H4) through N2 splitting and coupling with three isocyanide molecules. When 1 equiv of p-methoxyphenyl isocyanide was used to react with 1 at -30 °C, the hydrogenation of the isocyanide unit by the two hydride ligands in 1 took place, affording an amidomethylene-bridged dititanium dinitrogen complex [{(acriPNP)Ti}2(µ-η1:η2-N2){µ-η1:η2-CH2N(p-MeOC6H4)}] (3), which upon reaction with another equivalent of p-methoxyphenyl isocyanide at room temperature gave an amidomethylene/nitrido/carbodiimido complex [(acriPNP)Ti(N═C═NR)(µ-N)(µ-η1:η2-CH2NR)Ti(acriPNP)] (4) through N2 cleavage and N═C bond formation. Further reaction of 4 with 1 equiv of p-methoxyphenyl isocyanide led to an unprecedented four-component (carbodiimido, nitrido, isocyanide, and amidomethylene) coupling, yielding an amidoamidinatoguanidinate complex [{(acriPNP)Ti}2{NC(═NR)NC(═NR)CH2NR}] (5), which on reaction with another equivalent of p-methoxyphenyl isocyanide afforded the isocyanide-coordinated analogue 2. The reaction of 1 with 2-naphthyl isocyanide also took place in a similar multicoupling fashion. Moreover, the cross-coupling reactions of the p-methoxyphenyl isocyanide-derived amidomethylene/nitrido/carbodiimido complex 4 with 2-naphthyl isocyanide, cyclohexyl isocyanide, and tert-butyl isocyanide were also achieved, which afforded the corresponding amidoamidinatoguanidinate products consisting of two different isocyanides. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further elucidated the mechanistic details.

Hepatic progenitor cell-originated ductular reaction facilitates liver fibrosis through activation of hedgehog signaling.

Background: It is poorly understood what cellular types participate in ductular reaction (DR) and whether DR facilitates recovery from injury or accelerates hepatic fibrosis. The aim of this study is to gain insights into the role of hepatic progenitor cell (HPC)-originated DR during fibrotic progression. Methods: DR in liver specimens of PBC, chronic HBV infection (CHB) or NAFLD, and four rodent fibrotic models by different pathogenic processes was evaluated. Gli1 expression was inhibited in rodent models or cell culture and organoid models by AAV-shGli1 or treating with GANT61. Results: Severity of liver fibrosis was positively correlated with DR extent in patients with PBC, CHB or NAFLD. HPCs were activated, expanded, differentiated into reactive cholangiocytes and constituted "HPC-originated DR", accompanying with exacerbated fibrosis in rodent models of HPC activation & proliferation (CCl4/2-AAF-treated), Μdr2-/- spontaneous PSC, BDL-cholestatic fibrosis or WD-fed/CCl4-treated NASH-fibrosis. Gli1 expression was significantly increased in enriched pathways in vivo and in vitro. Enhanced Gli1 expression was identified in KRT19+-reactive cholangiocytes. Suppressing Gli1 expression by administration of AAV-shGli1 or GANT61 ameliorated HPC-originated DR and fibrotic extent. KRT19 expression was reduced after GANT61 treatment in sodium butyrate-stimulated WB-F344 cells or organoids or in cells transduced with Gli1 knockdown lentiviral vectors. In contrast, KRT19 expression was elevated after transducing Gli1 overexpression lentiviral vectors in these cells. Conclusions: During various modes of chronic injury, Gli1 acted as an important mediator of HPC activation, expansion, differentiation into reactive cholangiocytes that formed DR, and subsequently provoked hepatic fibrogenesis.

A single-centre, real-world study of BTK inhibitors for the initial treatment of MYD88mut /CD79Bmut diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: MCD (MYD88L265P /CD79Bmut ) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma has a poor prognosis. There is no published clinical research conclusion regarding zanubrutinib or orelabrutinib for the initial treatment of MCD DLBCL. AIMS: This study aimed to analyse the efficacy and safety of Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) (zanubrutinib or orelabrutinib) therapy for newly diagnosed DLBCL patients with MYD88mut and/or CD79Bmut . MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three newly diagnosed DLBCL patients with MYD88mut and/or CD79Bmut from June 2020 to June 2022 received BTKi combined with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (R-CHOP) or rituximab + lenalidomide (R2 ). A control group of 17 patients with MYD88mut and/or CD79Bmut DLBCL who received the standard R-CHOP therapy was also assessed. We retrospectively analysed clinical characteristics, safety, overall response rate (ORR), complete response (CR) rate and progression-free survival (PFS) of the two groups. RESULTS: The main clinical features were a high International Prognostic Index (IPI) score (≥3, 22/40, 55%) and a high rate of extranodal involvement (27/40,67.5%). Among the 23 DLBCL patients, 18 received BTKi + R-CHOP, and five elderly DLBCL patients were treated with BTKi + R2 . Compared with those in the control group (ORR 70.6%, CRR 52.9%, 1-year PFS rate 41.2%), improved ORR, CRR and PFS results were observed in the BTKi + R-CHOP group (100%, 94.4% and 88.9%, p = 0.019, 0.007, and 0.0001). In subgroup analyses based on genetic subtypes, cell origin, dual expression or IPI score, patients in the BTKi + R-CHOP group had better PFS than patients in the control group. In the BTKi + R-CHOP group, no significant difference was found in ORR, CRR and PFS based on subtype analysis, while BTKi-type subgroups exhibited statistically significant differences in 1-year PFS (p = 0.028). There were no significant differences in grade 3-4 haematological toxicity (p = 1) and grade 3-4 non-haematological toxicity (p = 0.49) between the BTKi + R-CHOP and R-CHOP treatment groups. In the BTKi + R2 group, the ORR was 100%, the CRR was 80%, and the 1-year PFS rate was 80%. The incidences of grade 3-4 haematologic toxicity and non-haematological toxicity were both 40%. No bleeding or cardiovascular events of grade 3 or higher occurred in any patients. DISCUSSION: The efficacy of BTKi combined with R-CHOP was similar to previous reports, which was significantly better than R-CHOP alone. It is necessary to fully consider that 14 patients in the BTKi + R-CHOP group received a BTKi as maintenance therapy when evaluating efficacy. Meanwhile, the addition of a BTKi may improve the prognosis of non-GCB, DEL or high-IPI-score DLBCL patients with MYD88mut and/or CD79Bmut . In our study, five elderly DLBCL patients with MYD88mut and/or CD79Bmut were achieved better ORR, CRR, PFS than the historical data of R-miniCHOP treatment and Ibrutinib + R2 treatment. However, the efficacy and benefit of BTKis for this type of DLBCL need to be further analysed using a larger sample size. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that newly diagnosed DLBCL patients with MYD88mut and/or CD79Bmut may benefit from BTKis according to real-world clinical data.

Progress in clinical and basic research of fuzheng Huayu formula for the treatment of liver fibrosis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Traditional Chinese medicine has great potential and advantages in the treatment of liver fibrosis, with Fuzheng Huayu formula (FZHY) serving as a prime example due to its remarkable efficacy in delaying and reversing liver fibrosis while simultaneously improving clinical symptoms for patients. AIM OF THE REVIEW: In this paper, we present a comprehensive review of recent studies on the therapeutic potential of FZHY and its components/ingredients in the treatment of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, with the aim of providing insights for future research endeavors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted on FZHY, TCM319, traditional Chinese medicine 319, liver fibrosis and cirrhosis using multiple internationally recognized databases including PubMed, Embase, Springer, Web of science, SciVerse ScienceDirect, Clinical Trails. Gov, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP. RESULTS: FZHY is widely used clinically for liver fibrosis and cirrhosis caused by various chronic liver diseases, with the effects of improving serum liver function, liver pathological histology, serological indices related to liver fibrosis, decreasing liver stiffness values and portal hypertension, as well as reducing the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma and morbidity/mortality in patients with cirrhosis. Numerous in vivo and in vitro experiments have demonstrated that FZHY possesses anti-fibrotic effects by inhibiting hepatic stellate cell activation, reducing inflammation, protecting hepatocytes, inhibiting hepatic sinusoidal capillarization and angiogenesis, promoting extracellular matrix degradation, and facilitating liver regeneration. In recent years, there has been a growing focus on investigating the primary active components/ingredients of FZHY, and significant strides have been made in comprehending their synergistic mechanisms that enhance efficacy. CONCLUSION: FZHY is a safe and effective drug for treating liver fibrosis. Future research on FZHY should focus on its active components/ingredients and their synergistic effects, as well as the development of modern cocktail drugs based on its components/ingredients. This will facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms and targets of FZHY in treating liver fibrosis, thereby further guide clinical applications and drug development.

EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disease post-CAR-T cell therapy.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated lymphoproliferative diseases (EBV-LPDs) are common complications that occur after solid organ transplantation or allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). However, their occurrence and treatment post-chimeric antigen receptor-modified T (CAR-T) cell therapy has not been reported. Two patients had been diagnosed with EBV-positive aggressive B-cell lymphoma and experienced relapses after multiple lines of treatment. After receiving CAR-T cell therapy in tandem with autologous HSCT, the patients achieved complete remission. However, with a median time of 38.5 months after CAR-T cell therapy, B-cell-derived EBV-LPDs were diagnosed, and they were relieved through the administration of immune checkpoint inhibitor or B-cell-depleting agents. Collectively, our report suggests that EBV-LPDs may represent a long-term adverse event after CAR-T cell therapy, especially in patients who previously had EBV-positive disorders, and they can be resolved by immune normalization strategy or B-cell depleting therapy.

Schisantherin A protects hepatocyte via upregulating DDAH1 to ameliorate liver fibrosis in mice.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic fibrosis is the pivotal determinant in the progression of chronic liver diseases towards cirrhosis or advanced stages. Studies have shown that Schisantherin A (Sin A), the primary active compound from Schizandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., exhibits anti-hepatic fibrosis effects. However, the mechanism of Sin A in liver fibrosis remain unclear. PURPOSE: To examine the effects and underlying mechanism of Sin A on hepatic fibrosis. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The effects and mechanism of Sin A were investigated using liver fibrosis mouse models induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) or dimethylnitrosamine (DMN), as well as H2O2-induced hepatocyte injury in vitro. RESULTS: Sin A treatment ameliorated hepatocyte injury, inflammation, hepatic sinusoidal capillarization, and hepatic fibrosis in both CCl4-induced and DMN-induced mice. Sin A effectively reversed the reduction of DDAH1 expression, the p-eNOS/eNOS ratio and NO generation and attenuated the elevation of hepatic ADMA level induced by CCl4 and DMN. Knockdown of DDAH1 in hepatocytes not only triggered hepatocyte damage, but it also counteracted the effect of Sin A on protecting hepatocytes in vitro. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that Sin A ameliorates liver fibrosis by upregulating DDAH1 to protect against hepatocyte injury. These results provide compelling evidence for Sin A treatment in liver fibrosis.

Salvianolic acid B attenuates liver fibrosis by targeting Ecm1 and inhibiting hepatocyte ferroptosis.

Hepatocyte ferroptosis promotes the pathogenesis and progression of liver fibrosis. Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) exerts antifibrotic effects. However, the pharmacological mechanism and target has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, liver fibrosis was induced by CCl4 in wild-type mice and hepatocyte-specific extracellular matrix protein 1 (Ecm1)-deficient mice, which were separately treated with Sal B, ferrostatin-1, sorafenib or cilengitide. Erastin- or CCl4-induced hepatocyte ferroptosis models with or without Ecm1 gene knockdown were evaluated in vitro. Subsequently, the interaction between Ecm1 and xCT and the binding kinetics of Sal B and Ecm1 were determined. We found that Sal B significantly attenuated liver fibrosis in CCl4-induced mice. Ecm1 deletion in hepatocytes abolished the antifibrotic effect of Sal B. Mechanistically, Sal B protected against hepatocyte ferroptosis by upregulating Ecm1. Further research revealed that Ecm1 as a direct target for treating liver fibrosis with Sal B. Interestingly, Ecm1 interacted with xCT to regulate hepatocyte ferroptosis. Hepatocyte ferroptosis in vitro was significantly attenuated by Sal B treatment, which was abrogated after knockdown of Ecm1 in LO2 cells. Therefore, Sal B alleviates liver fibrosis in mice by targeting up-regulation of Ecm1 and inhibiting hepatocyte ferroptosis. The interaction between Ecm1 and xCT regulates hepatocyte ferroptosis.

Case report: Differential diagnosis of highly amplified anti-CD5 CAR T cells and relapsed lymphoma cells in a patient with refractory ALK positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Background: Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) is one of the most common subtypes of T-cell lymphoma. Among these, refractory and relapsed (r/r) ALK positive ALCL lacks effective therapies. The chimeric antigen receptor-modified T (CAR-T) cell therapy holds great promise as a therapeutic strategy for this disease. However, it is not known yet whether anti-CD5 CAR-T cells are sufficient for the definitive treatment of relapsed ALK+ ALCL, nor the role of accurate laboratory-based diagnoses during CAR-T treatment. Case presentation: The adolescent patient received autologous T cells containing sequences encoding VH domains specific to CD5. Following the infusion, there was an increase in both the copy number and proportion of CAR-T cells in peripheral blood. IL-6 and ferritin levels in the patient exhibited significant fluctuations, with increases of 13 and 70 folds respectively, compared to baseline after the treatment. Additionally, adverse effects were observed, including grade 4 rash, grade 1 headache, nausea, and neck-pain. Surprisingly, a relapsed disease phenotype was identified based on the results of PET/CT and histopathological analysis of the inguinal lymph node biopsy. After conducting a thorough diagnostic assessment, which included flow cytometry, next-generation sequencing (NGS), examination of immune-related gene rearrangements, and analysis of the immune repertoire of T-cell receptors (TCR), we conclusively determined that the hyperplastic T cells identified in the lymph node were the result of an expansion of CAR-T cells. Ultimately, the patient has attained complete remission (CR) and has sustained a disease-free survival state for 815 days as of the cutoff date on August 30, 2023. Conclusion: Taken together, the results demonstrate that anti-CD5 CAR-T cells can induce a clinical response in r/r ALK+ ALCL patient. Furthermore, this case underscores the importance of utilizing advanced technologies with high sensitivity and accuracy for biological detection in clinical laboratory diagnosis and prognosis in CAR-T cell treatment. Trial registration number: NCT04767308.

Aza-Michael Addition of Dinitrogen to α,ß-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds in a Dititanium Framework.

The direct use of dinitrogen (N2) as a building block for the synthesis of NN-containing organic compounds is of fundamental interest and practical importance but has remained a formidable challenge to date. Here, we report an unprecedented 1,4-conjugate (aza-Michael) addition of N2 to α,ß-unsaturated carbonyl compounds in a dititanium framework. The resulting hydrazinopropenolate products could be easily converted to diverse NN-containing organic compounds such as ß-hydrazine-functionalized esters and amides, pyrazolidinones, and pyrazolines depending on the types of Michael acceptors through protonation with MeOH. Further transformations of a hydrazinopropenolate titanium complex through C-C and N-C bond formations with electrophiles such as CO2 and benzaldehyde have also been achieved. The mechanistic details of the N2 addition reaction have been elucidated by computational studies, revealing the importance of redox-active metal centers in this event. This work showcases the potential of using N2 as a building block for the synthesis of NN-containing organic compounds through activation and functionalization in a molecular metal framework.

Functional diversification and dynamics of CAR-T cells in patients with B-ALL.

Understanding of cellular evolution and molecular programs of chimeric antigen receptor-engineered (CAR)-T cells post-infusion is pivotal for developing better treatment strategies. Here, we construct a longitudinal high-precision single-cell transcriptomic landscape of 7,578 CAR-T cells from 26 patients with B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) post-infusion. We molecularly identify eight CAR-T cell subtypes, including three cytotoxic subtypes with distinct kinetics and three dual-identity subtypes with non-T cell characteristics. Remarkably, long-term remission is coincident with the dominance of cytotoxic subtypes, while leukemia progression is correlated with the emergence of subtypes with B cell transcriptional profiles, which have dysfunctional features and might predict relapse. We further validate in vitro that the generation of B-featured CAR-T cells is induced by excessive tumor antigen stimulation or suppressed TCR signaling, while it is relieved by exogenous IL-12. Moreover, we define transcriptional hallmarks of CAR-T cell subtypes and reveal their molecular changes along computationally inferred cellular evolution in vivo. Collectively, these results decipher functional diversification and dynamics of peripheral CAR-T cells post-infusion.

Ophthalmic nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice toward venous thromboembolic prevention: a dual-center cross-sectional survey.

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a severe preventable complication among ophthalmic surgical patients. The knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of nurses play a key role in effective VTE prevention. However, little is known about the KAP of ophthalmic nurses' VTE prevention. This study aimed to examine the level of KAP toward VTE prevention among Chinese ophthalmic nurses and to investigate the influencing factors of their VTE practice. Methods: A total of 610 ophthalmic nurses from 17 cities in Hunan and Zhejiang Provinces, China, participated in this study. Data was collected via the Sojump online platform from March to April 2021. A self-administered VTE questionnaire was developed to assess nurses' KAP toward VTE prevention. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of ophthalmic nurses' VTE prevention practice. Results: The scores (correct rates) of ophthalmic nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice were 103.87 ± 20.50 (76.4%), 21.96 ± 2.72, and 48.96 ± 11.23 (81.6%), respectively. The three lowest-scored knowledge items were related to VTE complications, physical prevention, and risk assessment. The three lowest-scored attitude items were related to nurses' training, VTE risk, and patient education. The three lowest-scored practice items were related to the assessment scale, VTE assessment, and patient education. Nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice were significantly correlated with each other. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that Hunan Province (B = 2.77, p = 0.006), general hospital (B = 2.97, p = 0.009), outpatient department (B = 3.93, p = 0.021), inpatient department (B = 2.50, p = 0.001), previous VTE prevention training (B = 3.46, p < 0.001), VTE prevention management in hospital (B = 4.93, p < 0.001), better knowledge (B = 0.04, p = 0.038), and positive attitude towards VTE prevention (B = 1.35, p < 0.001) were all significantly and positively associated with higher practice scores in VTE prevention. Conclusions: Our study provided a comprehensive understanding of the ophthalmic nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice in VTE prevention, as well as identified specific items in each dimension for improvement. In addition, our study showed multiple factors were associated with ophthalmic nurses' practice in VTE prevention, including environmental factors, training and management, knowledge and attitudes toward VTE prevention. Our findings provide important implications and guidance for future intervention programs to improve the ophthalmic nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice in VTE prevention.

Loading neural stem cells on hydrogel scaffold improves cell retention rate and promotes functional recovery in traumatic brain injury.

Neural stem cell (NSC) has gained considerable attention in traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatment because of their ability to replenish dysfunctional neurons and stimulate endogenous neurorestorative processes. However, their therapeutic effects are hindered by the low cell retention rate after transplantation into the dynamic brain. In this study, we found cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow after TBI is an important factor associated with cell loss following NSC transplantation. Recently, several studies have shown that hydrogels could serve as a beneficial carrier for stem cell transplantation, which provides a solution to prevent CSF flow-induced cell loss after TBI. For this purpose, we evaluated three different hydrogel scaffolds and found the gelatin methacrylate (GelMA)/sodium alginate (Alg) (GelMA/Alg) hydrogel scaffold showed the best capabilities for NSC adherence, growth, and differentiation. Additionally, we detected that pre-differentiated NSCs, which were loaded on the GelMA/Alg hydrogel and cultured for 7 days in neuronal differentiation medium (NSC [7d]), had the highest cell retention rate after CSF impact. Next, the neuroprotective effects of the NSC-loaded GelMA/Alg hydrogel scaffold were evaluated in a rat model of TBI. NSC [7d]-loaded GelMA/Alg markedly decreased microglial activation and neuronal death in the acute phase, reduced tissue loss, alleviated astrogliosis, promoted neurogenesis, and improved neurological recovery in the chronic phase. In summary, we demonstrated that the integration with the GelMA/Alg and modification of NSC differentiation could inhibit the influence of CSF flow on transplanted NSCs, leading to increased number of retained NSCs and improved neuroprotective effects, providing a promising alternative for TBI treatment.

Self-assembled supramolecular immunomagnetic nanoparticles through π-π stacking strategy for the enrichment of circulating tumor cells.

Owing to their high-specific binding toward targets as well as fast and convenient separation operations, immunomagnetic beads (IMBs) are widely used in the capture and detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). To construct the IMBs, surface modifications are generally performed to functionalize the magnetic cores (e.g. Fe3O4 nanoparticles), and the employed surface modification strategies normally influence the structure and functions of the prepared IMBs in return. Different from the existing work, we proposed the use of supramolecular layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly strategy to construct the IMBs. In general, owing to the π-π stacking interactions, the polydopamine, graphene oxide and 'molecular glue' γ-oxo-1-pyrenebutyric acid were self-assembled on Fe3O4 nanoparticles sequentially, thereby accomplishing the integration of different functional components onto magnetic cores to prepare the self-assembled supramolecular immunomagnetic beads (ASIMBs). The ASIMBs showed high sensitivity, specificity and good biocompatibility to the model CTCs and low nonspecific adsorption to the negative cells (∼93% for MCF-7 cells and 17% for Jurkat cells). Meanwhile, ASIMBs possessed a remarkable potential to screen the rare MCF-7 cells out of large amounts of interfering Jurkat cells with the capture efficiency of 75-100% or out of mouse whole blood with the capture efficiency of 20-90%. The captured cells can be further recultured directly without any more treatment, which showed huge applicability of the ASIMBs for in vitro detection in clinical practices.

Characterization of clonal immunoglobulin heavy V-D-J gene rearrangements in Chinese patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Clinical features and molecular profiles.

Introduction: Several prognostic factors of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have been identified, such as cytogenetic aberrations and recurrent gene mutations. B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling plays an important role in the tumorigenesis of CLL, and its clinical significance in predicting prognosis is also under study. Methods: Therefore, we assessed the already-known prognostic markers, immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) gene usage and the associations among these factors in 71 patients diagnosed with CLL in our center from October 2017 to March 2022. Sequencing of IGH gene rearrangements was performed using Sanger sequencing or IGH-based next-generation sequencing, and the results were further analyzed for distinct IGH/IGHD/IGHJ genes and the mutational status of the clonotypic IGHV (IGH variable) gene. Results: In summary, by analyzing the distribution of potential prognostic factors in CLL patients, we displayed a landscape of molecular profiles, confirmed the predictive value of recurrent genetic mutations and chromosome aberrations, and found that IGHJ3 was associated with favorable markers (mutated IGHV, trisomy 12), while IGHJ6 tended to correlate with unfavorable factors (unmutated IGHV, del17p). Discussion: These results provided an indication for IGH gene sequencing in predicting the prognosis of CLL.

MIP3α as an early prognostic predictor for patients with B-cell malignancies receiving CD19/CD22-redirected CAR-T cell cocktail therapy.

PURPOSE: Identifying the temporal pattern of recurrence and prognostic biomarkers would further help improve the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) -T therapy. METHODS: We examined the prognoses of 119 patients after sequential infusion of anti-CD19 and anti-CD22, a cocktail of 2 single-target CAR (CAR19/22) T cells in an open-label, single-center clinical trial (ChiCTR-OPN-16008526). And we, from a 70-biomarker panel, identified candidate cytokines that might predict the treatment failure, including primary non-response (NR) and early relapse (ER). RESULTS: In our study, 3 (11.5%) patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and 9 (12.2%) cases of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) failed to respond to sequential CAR19/22 T-cell infusion (NR). A total of 11 (42.3%) B-ALL patients and 30 (52.7%) B-NHL patients had relapses during follow-up. Most recurrence events (67.5%) occurred within six months of sequential CAR T-cell infusion (ER). We found that macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-3α was a highly sensitive and specific prognostic predictor for patients with NR/ER and those attaining over-6-month remission. Patients who had higher MIP3α levels after sequential CAR19/22 T-cell infusion had significantly favorable progression-free survival (PFS) than their counterparts with relatively lower MIP3α expression. Our experiments demonstrated that MIP3α could enhance the therapeutic effect of CAR-T cells by promoting T-cell infiltration into and enriching memory-phenotype T cells in the tumor environment. CONCLUSION: This study showed that relapse occurred mainly within six months after sequential CAR19/22 T-cell infusion. Moreover, MIP3α could act as a valuable post-infusion biomarker for identifying patients with NR/ER.

Dinitrogen Activation and Addition to Unsaturated C-E (E=C, N, O, S) Bonds Mediated by Transition Metal Complexes.

Dinitrogen (N2 ) activation and functionalization is of fundamental interest and practical importance. This review focuses on N2 activation and addition to unsaturated substrates, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, heteroallenes, aldehydes, ketones, acid halides, nitriles, alkynes, and allenes, mediated by transition metal complexes, which afforded a variety of N-C bond formation products. Emphases are placed on the reaction modes and mechanisms. We hope that this work would stimulate further explorations in this challenging field.

Hybrid Extracellular Vesicles-Liposomes Camouflaged Magnetic Vesicles Cooperating with Bioorthogonal Click Chemistry for High-Efficient Melanoma Circulating Tumor Cells Enrichment.

The capture of melanoma circulating tumor cells (melanoma CTCs, MelCTCs) is of great significance for the early diagnosis and personalized treatment of melanoma. The rarity and heterogeneity of MelCTCs have greatly limited the development of MelCTCs capture methods, especially those based on immune/aptamer-affinity. Herein, an extracellular vesicles-camouflaged strategy is designed to functionalize the magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3 O4 ) and to generate magnetic vesicles (Fe3 O4 @lip/ev) with excellent antifouling and active tumor cell targeting properties. Combined with the bioorthogonal click chemistry, the engineered magnetic vesicles with dibenzocyclooctyne can be widely used to target and separate all the metabolically labeled CTCs with varied phenotypes, organ origin, and even the biological species. The capture efficiency exceeded 80% with an extremely low detection limitation of ten cells. Most importantly, the strategy proposed can be directly applied to enrich MelCTCs from 0.5 mL blood samples of melanoma-bearing mice, with a greatly minimized residue of white blood cells (only 21-568) while ignoring the fluctuations of MelCTC phenotype.

Antitumor effect of CAR-T cells targeting transmembrane tumor necrosis factor alpha combined with PD-1 mAb on breast cancers.

BACKGROUND: Our previous study showed that transmembrane tumor necrosis factor alpha (tmTNF-α) is overexpressed in primary breast cancers including triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs). Chimeric antigen receptor engineered-T (CAR-T) cells have been successfully used mainly in B-cell malignancies. METHODS: We generated CAR-T cells targeting tmTNF-α but not secreted tumor necrosis factor alpha and assessed the antitumor effect of the CAR-T cells on tmTNF-α-expressing breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Our tmTNF-α CAR-T cells showed potent cytotoxicity against tmTNF-α-expressing breast cancer cells but not tmTNF-α-negative tumor cells with increased secretion of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin (IL)-2 in vitro. In tmTNF-α-overexpressing TNBC-bearing mice, the tmTNF-α CAR-T therapy induced evident tumor regression, prolonged survival and increased serum concentrations of IFN-γ and IL-2. However, we found thattmTNF-α induced programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression through the p38 pathway via TNF receptor (TNFR) and through the NF-κB and AKT pathways via outside-to-inside (reverse) signaling, which might limit the efficacy of the CAR-T cell therapy. Blockage of the PD-L1/programmed death-1 (PD-1) pathway by PD-1 monoclonal antibody significantly enhanced the antitumor effect of the tmTNF-α CAR-T cell therapy in vitro and in vivo, and the combination was effective for antiprimary tumors and had a tendency to increase the antimetastasis effect of the CAR-T cell therapy. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a potent antitumor efficacy of the tmTNF-α CAR-T cells that can be enhanced by anti-PD-L1/PD-1 because high PD-L1 expression in TNBC was induced by the tmTNF-α signaling, indicating a promising individual therapy for tmTNF-α-positive breast cancers including TNBC.

Gypenosides ameliorate ductular reaction and liver fibrosis via inhibition of hedgehog signaling.

Backgroud and aims: Ductular reaction (DR) is a common pathological change and thought to have a key role in the pathogenesis and progression of liver fibrosis. Our previous study reported Gypenosides (GPs) ameliorated liver fibrosis, however, the anti-fibrotic mechanisms of GPs are still unclear. Methods: Liver fibrosis was induced in rats by carbon tetrachloride combining with 2-acerylaminofluorene (CCl4/2-AAF), and Mdr2 knockout (Mdr2 -/-) mice to evaluate the anti-fibrotic role of GPs. In vitro, WB-F344 cells, a hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) line, with or without Gli1 overexpressing lentiviral vectors, were induced by sodium butyrate (SB) to validate the mechanism of GPs and NPLC0393, the main ingredient of GPs. Results: Both in CCl4/2-AAF-treated rats and Mdr2 -/- mice, GPs obviously reduced the deposition of collagen and hydroxyproline content, inhibited the activation of hepatic stellate cells and inflammatory cell infiltration. Notably, GPs reduced the expressions of Epcam, CK19, CK7, Dhh, Smo, Ptch2, Gli1 and Gli2. Furthermore, CK19+ cells co-expressed Gli1, while the number of CK19+/Gli1+ cells was decreased by GPs. In vitro, GPs and NPLC0393 inhibited the differentiation of WB-F344 cells toward a biliary phenotype. Mechanistically, GPs and NPLC0393 protected against DR by inhibiting hedgehog signaling, which was supported by the results that DR, triggered directly by Gli1 overexpressing lentiviral vector was blocked by administration with GPs or NPLC0393. Conclusion: GPs attenuated DR and liver fibrosis by inhibiting hedgehog signaling, which provided more evidences and a novel mechanism of anti-fibrotic effect of GPs.