A Strep A vaccine global demand and return on investment forecast to inform industry research and development prioritization.

Investment in Strep A vaccine R&D is disproportionately low relative to the large burden of Strep A diseases globally. This study presents a novel Strep A vaccine global demand and financial forecast model with estimates of potential global demand and associated revenue and profits for a hypothetical Strep A vaccine as well as a net present value (NPV) analysis of return on capital investments required to develop the vaccine. A positive NPV was calculated for a variety of developer scenarios and target populations, including the global rollout of the vaccine in private and public markets by a multinational pharmaceutical corporation and a staged rollout by a developing country vaccine manufacturer for both infant and child populations. The results suggest there is a viable commercial market for a Strep A vaccine. It is hoped that this study will help to inform industry decision-making and drive increased prioritization of, and investment in, Strep A vaccine research and development.

The Streptococcus pyogenes vaccine landscape.

Recent efforts have re-invigorated the Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus) vaccine development field, though scientific, regulatory and commercial barriers persist, and the vaccine pipeline remains sparse. There is an ongoing need to accelerate all aspects of development to address the large global burden of disease caused by the pathogen. Building on over 100 years of S. pyogenes vaccine development, there are currently eight candidates on a product development track, including four M protein-based candidates and four candidates designed around non-M protein antigens. These candidates have demonstrated proof of concept for protection against S. pyogenes in preclinical models, one has demonstrated safety and immunogenicity in a Phase 1 trial and at least four others are poised to soon enter clinical trials. To maintain momentum, the Strep A Vaccine Global Consortium (SAVAC) was established to bring together experts to accelerate global S. pyogenes vaccine development. This article highlights the past, present and future of S. pyogenes vaccine development and emphasizes key priorities, and the role of SAVAC, in advancing the field.

The tumor suppressor kinase LKB1 activates the downstream kinases SIK2 and SIK3 to stimulate nuclear export of class IIa histone deacetylases.

Histone deacetylases 4 (HDAC4), -5, -7, and -9 form class IIa within the HDAC superfamily and regulate diverse physiological and pathological cellular programs. With conserved motifs for phosphorylation-dependent 14-3-3 binding, these deacetylases serve as novel signal transducers that are able to modulate histone acetylation and gene expression in response to extracellular cues. Here, we report that in a PKA-sensitive manner the tumor suppressor kinase LKB1 acts through salt-inducible kinase 2 (SIK2) and SIK3 to promote nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of class IIa HDACs. Both SIK2 and SIK3 phosphorylate the deacetylases at the conserved motifs and stimulate 14-3-3 binding. SIK2 activates MEF2-dependent transcription and relieves repression of myogenesis by the deacetylases. Distinct from SIK2, SIK3 induces nuclear export of the deacetylases independent of kinase activity and 14-3-3 binding. These findings highlight the difference among members of the SIK family and indicate that LKB1-dependent SIK activation constitutes an important signaling module upstream from class IIa deacetylases for regulating cellular programs controlled by MEF2 and other transcription factors.

Dephosphorylation at a conserved SP motif governs cAMP sensitivity and nuclear localization of class IIa histone deacetylases.

Histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) and its paralogs, HDAC5, -7, and -9 (all members of class IIa), possess multiple phosphorylation sites crucial for 14-3-3 binding and subsequent nuclear export. cAMP signaling stimulates nuclear import of HDAC4 and HDAC5, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Here we show that cAMP potentiates nuclear localization of HDAC9. Mutation of an SP motif conserved in HDAC4, -5, and -9 prevents cAMP-stimulated nuclear localization. Unexpectedly, this treatment inhibits phosphorylation at the SP motif, indicating an inverse relationship between the phosphorylation event and nuclear import. Consistent with this, leptomycin B-induced nuclear import and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) treatment result in the dephosphorylation at the motif. Moreover, the modification synergizes with phosphorylation at a nearby site, and similar kinetics was observed for both phosphorylation events during myoblast and adipocyte differentiation. These results thus unravel a previously unrecognized mechanism whereby cAMP promotes dephosphorylation and differentially regulates multisite phosphorylation and the nuclear localization of class IIa HDACs.

Histone deacetylases as transducers and targets of nuclear signaling.

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity was first discovered about 40 years ago, but it was not until the molecular identification of the first HDACs in 1996 that this family of enzymes gained prominence. In addition to histones, HDACs reverse lysine acetylation of various non-histone proteins located in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Here, we examine the nuclear roles of these enzymes, with a specific focus on their active crosstalk with different chromatin regulators.

Pharmacological inhibition of histone deacetylases for the treatment of cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and inflammatory diseases.

BACKGROUND: Histone deacetylases (HDACs) constitute a family of enzymes that deacetylate histones and other cellular proteins. They are major regulators of transcription and are also important in other cellular processes. OBJECTIVE: The review provides an updated summary of HDAC pharmacological inhibition in clinical oncology, as well as in preclinical studies on inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. RESULTS/CONCLUSION: HDAC inhibition is a validated approach in cancer therapy, as evidenced by the approval of vorinostat and by encouraging clinical data from various HDAC inhibitors. Moreover, preclinical proof-of-concept studies are emerging from animal models for non-oncologic diseases, including inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. The identification of the appropriate target spectrum and the development of class- or isotype-selective inhibitors will be central events in the future.

Thyroid hormone (T3) rapidly activates p38 and AMPK in skeletal muscle in vivo.

Thyroid hormone (T(3)) regulates the function of many tissues within the body. The effects of T(3) have largely been attributed to the modulation of thyroid hormone receptor-dependent gene transcription. However, nongenomic actions of T(3) via the initiation of signaling events are emerging in a number of cell types. This study investigated the ability of short-term T(3) treatment to phosphorylate and, therefore, activate signaling proteins in rat tissues in vivo. The kinases investigated included p38, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2. Following 2 h of T(3) treatment, p38 and AMPK phosphorylation was increased in both the slow-twitch soleus and the fast-twitch plantaris muscles. In contrast, ERK1/2 was not activated in either muscle type. Neither p38 nor AMPK was affected in heart. However, AMPK activation was decreased by T(3) in liver. ERK1/2 activation was decreased by T(3) in heart, but increased in liver. Possible downstream consequences of T(3)-induced kinase phosphorylation were investigated by measuring cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) and thyroid hormone receptor DNA binding, as well as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha coactivator-1 mRNA levels. Protein DNA binding to the cAMP or thyroid hormone response elements was unaltered by T(3). However, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha coactivator-1 mRNA expression was increased following 12 h of T(3) treatment in soleus. These data are the first to characterize the effects of T(3) treatment on kinase phosphorylation in vivo. We show that T(3) rapidly modifies kinase activity in a tissue-specific fashion. Moreover, the T(3)-induced phosphorylation of p38 and AMPK in both slow- and fast-twitch skeletal muscles suggests that these events may be important in mediating hormone-induced increases in mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle.

The effect of training on the expression of mitochondrial biogenesis- and apoptosis-related proteins in skeletal muscle of patients with mtDNA defects.

Mitochondrial myopathy patients (MMPs) have impaired oxidative phosphorylation and exercise intolerance. Endurance training of MMPs improves exercise tolerance, but also increases mutational load. To assess the regulation of mitochondrial content in MMPs, we measured proteins involved in 1) biogenesis, 2) oxidative stress, and 3) apoptosis in MMPs and healthy controls (HCs) both before and after endurance training. Before training, MMPs had a greater mitochondrial content, along with a 1.4-fold (P < 0.05) higher expression of the biogenesis regulator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1alpha). The DNA repair enzyme 8-oxoguanine DNA glycolase-1 (OGG-1), the antioxidant manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), and the apoptotic proteins AIF and Bcl-2 were higher in MMPs compared with HCs. Aconitase, an enzyme sensitive to oxidative stress, was 52% lower (P < 0.05) in MMPs when calculated based on an estimate of mitochondrial volume and oxidative stress-induced protein modifications tended to be higher in MMPs compared with HCs. Endurance training (ET) induced increases in mitochondrial content in both HC subjects and MMPs, but there was no effect of training on the regulatory proteins Tfam or PGC-1alpha. In MMPs, training induced a selective reduction of OGG-1, an increase in MnSOD, and a reduction in aconitase activity. Thus, before training, MMPs exhibited an adaptive response of nuclear proteins indicative of a compensatory increase in mitochondrial content. Following training, several parallel adaptations occurred in MMPs and HCs, which may contribute to previously observed functional improvements of exercise in MMPs. However, our results indicate that muscle from MMPs may be exposed to greater levels of oxidative stress during the course of training. Further investigation is required to evaluate the long-term benefits of endurance training as a therapeutic intervention for mitochondrial myopathy patients.