Targeting HNRNPA2B1 inhibits enterovirus 71 replication in SK-N-SH cells.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2B1 (HNRNPA2B1) on the replication of enterovirus 71 (EV-71) in SK-N-SH cells. METHODS: The mRNA and protein expression of HNRNPA2B1 in SK-N-SH cells were detected by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blotting (WB), respectively. WB was used to detect HNRNPA2B1 protein expression in the nucleus and cytosol. The localization of HNRNPA2B1 protein in the nucleus and cytosol was detected by immunofluorescence (IF). The expression of HNRNPA2B1 was inhibited by small interfering RNA (si-HNRNPA2B1). Viral RNA, viral structural protein VP1, and viral titer were detected by qRT-PCR, WB, and viral dilution counting, respectively. RESULTS: EV-71 infection significantly upregulates the expression of HNRNPA2B1 in SK-N-SH cells. EV-71 infection promotes HNRNPA2B1 nucleus-cytoplasm redistribution. Down-regulation of HNRNPA2B1 expression significantly inhibited EV-71 replication. CONCLUSION: HNRNPA2B1 protein redistributed from nucleus to cytoplasm and is highly expressed in the cytoplasm during EV-71 infection. Inhibition of HNRNPA2B1 levels effectively inhibits EV-71 replication in SK-N-SH cells.

Design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationship of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors with a benzo[d]isoxazole scaffold.

Blocking the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed death-ligand (PD-L1) interaction has emerged as one of the most promising treatments for cancer immunotherapy. A novel series of compounds bearing a benzo[d]isoxazole scaffold was developed as PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, among them, compound P20 exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity, with an IC50 value of 26.8 nM. The preliminary structure-activity relationship was also investigated. The docking analysis of compound P20 with the PD-L1 dimer complex (PDB ID: 5j89) indicated that compound P20 was bound to the PD-L1 dimer with high affinity. These results suggest that compound P20 is a promising lead compound for the development of inhibitors of the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction.

Systematic nutrition management for locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients undergoing radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of systematic nutrition management (SNM) on nutritional status, treatment-related toxicity, quality of life (QoL), response rates, and survival in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) treated by radiotherapy (RT). METHODS: In this retrospective study, 56 patients with LA-NPC were selected as nutrition management group (NG) for SNM during RT till 1 month later. Another 56 patients with LA-NPC receiving RT without SNM as control group (CG) were identified from the hospital database and matched pairs with NG patients according to age, gender, stage, and body mass index (BMI) prior to RT. RESULTS: At 1 month after RT, the percentage of malnourished patients with BMI <18.5 kg/m2 was statistically significant reduced in NG as compared to the CG group (35.7% vs 58.9%, P=0.014). Nutritional indexes of body weight, hemoglobin, prealbumin, and lymphocyte in the NG were statistically significant higher than those in the CG group (P<0.05). NG patients had statistically significant less grade 3-4 oral mucositis during RT compared with the CG group (32.1% vs 51.8%, P=0.035). Furthermore, at 1 month after RT, an improved QoL was observed in NG patients with respect to physical, role and social functions, symptom scales of fatigue and pain, and the global health status as compared to the CG group (P<0.05). With a median follow-up of 24.8 months, there were no statistical differences between NG and CG (P>0.05) for the 2-year progression-free survival and overall survival (84.2% versus 79.5% and 94.7% versus 92.3%, respectively.). CONCLUSION: SNM for LA-NPC patients treated by RT resulted in better nutritional status, reduced treatment-related toxicity and improved QoL.

MAPK/c-Jun signaling pathway contributes to the upregulation of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL induced by Epstein-Barr virus-encoded BARF1 in gastric carcinoma cells.

BARF1, encoded by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), has been hypothesized to function as an oncogene, which was expressed in gastric carcinoma cells. Additionally, it has been reported that the anti-apoptotic function is closely associated with the expression of the B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) protein. In addition, the signaling pathway has been reported to be involved in numerous diseases, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade. In order to study the specific mechanism of anti-apoptotic function, BARF1-stably-expressing immortalized normal human embryo gastric epithelial cell line GES1 (GES-BARF1), and well-, moderately- and poorly-differentiated gastric carcinoma cell lines, MKN28 (which has been reported to be contaminated with the moderately-differentiated MKN74 gastric carcinoma cell line), SGC7901 and BGC823 (MKN-BARF1, SGC-BARF1 and BGC-BARF1, respectively) (GCC-BARF1) were constructed, with transfection of cells with the empty vector pSG5 acting as controls. Western blot analysis was performed to analyze the protein expression and the phosphorylation levels. Compared with the controls, it was found that the protein expression levels of c-Jun, Bcl-2 and B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL), as well as the phosphorylation levels of c-Jun, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) 1/2/3, p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 proteins were upregulated in 3 GCC-BARF1 but not significantly changed in GES-BARF1. The expression levels of the c-Jun, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL proteins, and levels of c-Jun protein phosphorylation were significantly decreased in SGC-BARF1 cells subsequent to treatment with SP600125, SB203580, and U0126, which were the specific inhibitors of JNK1/2/3, p38 and ERK1/2 respectively. In addition, there was a gradual increase in the protein expression and phosphorylation levels between normal gastric epithelial cells, and well-differentiated, moderately-differentiated and poorly-differentiated gastric carcinoma cells, but this was not statistically significant. Therefore, the present study hypothesized that JNK1/2/3-, p38- and ERK1/2-MAPK/c-Jun cascade signaling pathways may contribute to the upregulation of the expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL induced by BARF1 in gastric carcinoma cells. This mechanism may mainly work in the progressive phase of the development in EBV-associated gastric carcinoma.