LILRB4 on multiple myeloma cells promotes bone lesion by p-SHP2/NF-κB/RELT signal pathway.

BACKGROUND: Leukocyte Ig-like receptor B family 4 (LILRB4) as an immune checkpoint on myeloid cells is a potential target for tumor therapy. Extensive osteolytic bone lesion is the most characteristic feature of multiple myeloma. It is unclear whether ectopic LILRB4 on multiple myeloma regulates bone lesion. METHODS: The conditioned medium (CM) from LILRB4-WT and -KO cells was used to analyze the effects of LILRB4 on osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Xenograft, syngeneic and patient derived xenograft models were constructed, and micro-CT, H&E staining were used to observe the bone lesion. RNA-seq, cytokine array, qPCR, the activity of luciferase, Co-IP and western blotting were used to clarify the mechanism by which LILRB4 mediated bone damage in multiple myeloma. RESULTS: We comprehensively analyzed the expression of LILRB4 in various tumor tissue arrays, and found that LILRB4 was highly expressed in multiple myeloma samples. The patient's imaging data showed that the higher the expression level of LILRB4, the more serious the bone lesion in patients with multiple myeloma. The conditioned medium from LILRB4-WT not -KO cells could significantly promote the differentiation and maturation of osteoclasts. Xenograft, syngeneic and patient derived xenograft models furtherly confirmed that LILRB4 could mediate bone lesion of multiple myeloma. Next, cytokine array was performed to identify the differentially expressed cytokines, and RELT was identified and regulated by LILRB4. The overexpression or exogenous RELT could regenerate the bone damage in LILRB4-KO cells in vitro and in vivo. The deletion of LILRB4, anti-LILRB4 alone or in combination with bortezomib could significantly delay the progression of bone lesion of multiple myeloma. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that LILRB4 promoted the bone lesion by promoting the differentiation and mature of osteoclasts through secreting RELT, and blocking LILRB4 singling pathway could inhibit the bone lesion.

A novel scaffold long-acting selective estrogen receptor antagonist and degrader with superior preclinical profile against ER+ breast cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women worldwide, with the majority of cases showing expression of estrogen receptors (ERs). Although drugs targeting ER have significantly improved survival rates in ER-positive patients, drug resistance remains an unmet clinical need. Fulvestrant, which overcomes selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) and AI (aromatase inhibitor) resistance, is currently the only long-acting selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) approved for both first and second-line settings. However, it fails to achieve satisfactory efficacy due to its poor solubility. Therefore, we designed and synthesized a series of novel scaffold (THC) derivatives, identifying their activities as ER antagonists and degraders. G-5b, the optimal compound, exhibited binding, antagonistic, degradation or anti-proliferative activities comparable to fulvestrant in ER+ wild type and mutants breast cancer cells. Notably, G-5b showed considerably improved stability and solubility. Research into the underlying mechanism indicated that G-5b engaged the proteasome pathway to degrade ER, subsequently inhibiting the ER signaling pathway and leading to the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest events. Furthermore, G-5b displayed superior in vivo pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics properties, coupled with a favorable safety profile in the MCF-7 tamoxifen-resistant (MCF-7/TR) tumor xenograft model. Collectively, G-5b has emerged as a highly promising lead compound, offering potent antagonistic and degradation activities, positioning it as a novel long-acting SERD worthy of further refinement and optimization.

Immunization with a combination of recombinant Brucella abortus proteins induces T helper immune response and confers protection against wild-type challenge in BALB/c mice.

Protective efficiency of a combination of four recombinant Brucella abortus (B. abortus) proteins, namely, ribosomal protein L7/L12, outer membrane protein (OMP) 22, OMP25 and OMP31, was evaluated as a combined subunit vaccine (CSV) against B. abortus infection in RAW 264.7 cell line and murine model. Four proteins were cloned, expressed and purified, and their immunocompetence was analysed. BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously with single subunit vaccines (SSVs) or CSV. Cellular and humoral immune responses were determined by ELISA. Results of immunoreactivity showed that these four recombinant proteins reacted with Brucella-positive serum individually but not with Brucella-negative serum. A massive production of IFN-γ and IL-2 but low degree of IL-10 was observed in mice immunized with SSVs or CSV. In addition, the titres of IgG2a were heightened compared with IgG1 in SSV- or CSV-immunized mice, which indicated that SSVs and CSV induced a typical T-helper-1-dominated immune response in vivo. Further investigation of the CSV showed a superior protective effect in mice against brucellosis. The protection level induced by CSV was significantly higher than that induced by SSVs, which was not significantly different compared with a group immunized with RB51. Collectively, these antigens of Brucella could be potential candidates to develop subunit vaccines, and the CSV used in this study could be a potential candidate therapy for the prevention of brucellosis.

Assessment of the toxicity and toxicokinetics of the novel potent tropomyosin receptor kinase (Trk) inhibitor LPM4870108 in rhesus monkeys.

LPM4870108 is a tropomyosin receptor kinase (Trk) inhibitor that is currently under consideration for human clinical trials. We characterized the toxicity and toxicokinetic properties of LPM4870108 following its oral administration to rhesus monkeys (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks with a 4-week recovery period). No evidence of LPM4870108 toxicity was observed over this study as reflected by an absence of difference in body weight, ophthalmoscopy, urinalysis, gross, or histopathology findings. No significant differences in toxicity-related outcomes were detected when comparing LPM4870108 and control groups, and no significant treatment-related changes in food consumption, electrocardiogram results, blood pressure, hematological parameters, biochemical values, organ weight, or bone marrow parameters were observed. Treatment caused dose-dependent effects of gait disturbance, impaired balance, poor coordination, and decreased grip strength in all LPM4870108-treated animals, with these effects being attributable to excessive on-target Trk receptor inhibition. After the 4-week recovery period, all these abnormal treatment-related findings had fully or partially resolved. The toxicokinetic study of monkeys revealed that the LPM4870108 exposure increased with dose. Overall, LPM4870108 exhibited a safety profile in treated monkeys, indicating that the Highest Non-Severely Toxic Dose (HNSTD) for LPM4870108 in monkeys was 20 mg/kg/day.

Self-compassion mediates the perfectionism and depression link on Chinese undergraduates.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of depression among Chinese college students tends to be higher in recent years, which has caused a series of negative effects in their lives. One of the factors is perfectionism, and few researches have been conducted to examine the role of self-compassion in perfectionism and depression link. The purpose of the study was to explore the relationships between perfectionism, self-compassion, and depression in the context of Chinese undergraduates. METHODS: The anonymous self-reported questionnaires including three scales on perfectionism, selfcompassion, and depression were utilized in the study. A total of 540 undergraduates were recruited from three universities in Nanjing and Xi'an by using convenient cluster sampling and were required to complete the questionnaires. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation between variables. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the predictive effects of perfectionism and selfcompassion on depression. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the mediating effect of self-compassion. RESULTS: Regression analyses demonstrated that the maladaptive perfectionism was positively associated with depression, while adaptive perfectionism and self-compassion were negatively associated with depression. The mediation tests showed that the self-compassion partially mediated the relationship between the two types of perfectionism and depression. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the mediating effect of self-compassion in the relation between perfectionism and depression in Chinese undergraduates. Self-compassion is likely to be an effective psychological intervention method to relieve the depressive symptoms in college students, and further study is needed to verify this possibility.

Spring warming increases the abundance of an invasive specialist insect: links to phenology and life history.

Under global warming, shifts in phenological synchrony between insects and host plants (i.e., changes in the relative timing of the interaction) may reduce resource availability to specialist insects. Some specialists, however, can flexibly track the shifts in host-plant phenology, allowing them to obtain sufficient resources and therefore to benefit from rising temperatures. Here, we investigated the effects of experimental warming on the life history of an invasive, specialist lace bug (Corythucha ciliata) and on the leaf expansion of its host plant (Platanus × acerifolia) in two spring seasons under field conditions in Shanghai, China. We found that a 2 °C increase in mean air temperature advanced the timing of the expansion of host leaves and of the activities of overwintering adult insects in both years but did not disrupt their synchrony. Warming also directly increased the reproduction of overwintering adults and enhanced the development and survival of their offspring. These results indicate that C. ciliata can well track the earlier emergence of available resources in response to springtime warming. Such plasticity, combined with the direct effects of rising temperatures, may increase the insect's population size and outbreak potential in eastern China under climate warming.