One HA stalk topping multiple heads as a novel influenza vaccine.

Classic chimeric hemagglutinin (cHA) was designed to induce immune responses against the conserved stalk domain of HA. However, it is unclear whether combining more than one HA head domain onto one stalk domain is immunogenic and further induce immune responses against influenza viruses. Here, we constructed numerous novel cHAs comprising two or three fuzed head domains from different subtypes grafted onto one stalk domain, designated as cH1-H3, cH1-H7, cH1-H3-H7, and cH1-H7-H3. The three-dimensional structures of these novel cHAs were modelled using bioinformatics simulations. Structural analysis showed that the intact neutralizing epitopes were exposed in cH1-H7 and were predicted to be immunogenic. The immunogenicity of the cHAs constructs was evaluated in mice using a chimpanzee adenoviral vector (AdC68) vaccine platform. The results demonstrated that cH1-H7 expressed by AdC68 (AdC68-cH1-H7) induced the production of high levels of binding antibodies, neutralizing antibodies, and hemagglutinin inhibition antibodies against homologous pandemic H1N1, drifted seasonal H1N1, and H7N9 virus. Moreover, vaccinated mice were fully protected from a lethal challenge with the aforementioned influenza viruses. Hence, cH1-H7 cHAs with potent immunogenicity might be a potential novel vaccine to provide protection against different subtypes of influenza virus.

Magnetic PiezoBOTs: a microrobotic approach for targeted amyloid protein dissociation.

Piezoelectric nanomaterials have become increasingly popular in the field of biomedical applications due to their high biocompatibility and ultrasound-mediated piezocatalytic properties. In addition, the ability of these nanomaterials to disaggregate amyloid proteins, which are responsible for a range of diseases resulting from the accumulation of these proteins in body tissues and organs, has recently gained considerable attention. However, the use of nanoparticles in biomedicine poses significant challenges, including targeting and uncontrolled aggregation. To address these limitations, our study proposes to load these functional nanomaterials on a multifunctional mobile microrobot (PiezoBOT). This microrobot is designed by coating magnetic and piezoelectric barium titanate nanoparticles on helical biotemplates, allowing for the combination of magnetic navigation and ultrasound-mediated piezoelectric effects to target amyloid disaggregation. Our findings demonstrate that acoustically actuated PiezoBOTs can effectively reduce the size of aggregated amyloid proteins by over 80% in less than 10 minutes by shortening and dissociating constituent amyloid fibrils. Moreover, the PiezoBOTs can be easily magnetically manipulated to actuate the piezocatalytic nanoparticles to specific amyloidosis-affected tissues or organs, minimizing side effects. These biocompatible PiezoBOTs offer a promising non-invasive therapeutic approach for amyloidosis diseases by targeting and breaking down protein aggregates at specific organ or tissue sites.

Cytomodulin-10 modified GelMA hydrogel with kartogenin for in-situ osteochondral regeneration.

The incidence of osteochondral defect is increasing year by year, but there is still no widely accepted method for repairing the defect. Hydrogels loaded with bioactive molecules have provided promising alternatives for in-situ osteochondral regeneration. Kartogenin (KGN) is an effective and steady small molecule with the function of cartilage regeneration and protection which can be further boosted by TGF-ß. However, the high cost, instability, and immunogenicity of TGF-ß would limit its combined effect with KGN in clinical application. In this study, a composite hydrogel CM-KGN@GelMA, which contained TGF-ß1 analog short peptide cytomodulin-10 (CM-10) and KGN, was fabricated. The results indicated that CM-10 modified on GelMA hydrogels exerted an equivalent role in enhancing chondrogenesis as TGF-ß1, and this effect was also boosted when combined with KGN. Moreover, it was revealed that CM-10 and KGN had a synergistic effect on promoting the chondrogenesis of BMSCs by up-regulating the expression of RUNX1 and SOX9 at both mRNA and protein levels in vitro. Finally, the composite hydrogel exhibited a satisfactory osteochondral defect repair effect in vivo, showing similar structures close to the native tissue. Taken together, this study has revealed that CM-10 may serve as an alternative for TGF-ß1 and can collaborate with KGN to accelerate chondrogenesis, which suggests that the fabricated CM-KGN@GelMA composite hydrogel can be acted as a potential scaffold for osteochondral defect regeneration. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Kartogenin and TGF-ß have shown great value in promoting osteochondral defect regeneration, and their combined application can enhance the effect and show great potential for clinical application. Herein, a functional CM-KGN@GelMA hydrogel was fabricated, which was composed of TGF-ß1 mimicking peptide CM-10 and KGN. CM-10 in hydrogel retained an activity like TGF-ß1 to facilitate BMSC chondrogenesis and exhibited boosting chondrogenesis by up-regulating RUNX1 and SOX9 when being co-applied with KGN. In vivo, the hydrogel promoted cartilage regeneration and subchondral bone reconstruction, showing similar structures as the native tissue, which might be vital in recovering the bio-function of cartilage. Thus, this study developed an effective scaffold and provided a promising way for osteochondral defect repair.

Mechanically conditioned cell sheets cultured on thermo-responsive surfaces promote bone regeneration.

Cell sheet-based scaffold-free technology holds promise for tissue engineering applications and has been extensively explored during the past decades. However, efficient harvest and handling of cell sheets remain challenging, including insufficient extracellular matrix content and poor mechanical strength. Mechanical loading has been widely used to enhance extracellular matrix production in a variety of cell types. However, currently, there are no effective ways to apply mechanical loading to cell sheets. In this study, we prepared thermo-responsive elastomer substrates by grafting poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAAm) to poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surfaces. The effect of PNIPAAm grafting yields on cell behaviours was investigated to optimize surfaces suitable for cell sheet culturing and harvesting. Subsequently, MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on the PDMS-g-PNIPAAm substrates under mechanical stimulation by cyclically stretching the substrates. Upon maturation, the cell sheets were harvested by lowering the temperature. We found that the extracellular matrix content and thickness of cell sheet were markedly elevated upon appropriate mechanical conditioning. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses further confirmed that the expression of osteogenic-specific genes and major matrix components were up-regulated. After implantation into the critical-sized calvarial defects of mice, the mechanically conditioned cell sheets significantly promoted new bone formation. Findings from this study reveal that thermo-responsive elastomer, together with mechanical conditioning, can potentially be applied to prepare high-quality cell sheets for bone tissue engineering.

Vanillin-based functionalization strategy to construct multifunctional microspheres for treating inflammation and regenerating intervertebral disc.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is one of the main causes of low back pain. Although local delivery strategies using biomaterial carriers have shown potential for IVDD treatment, it remains challenging for intervention against multiple adverse contributors by a single delivery platform. In the present work, we propose a new functionalization strategy using vanillin, a natural molecule with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, to develop multifunctional gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) microspheres for local delivery of transforming growth factor ß3 (TGFß3) toward IVDD treatment. In vitro, functionalized microspheres not only improved the release kinetics of TGFß3 but also effectively inhibited inflammatory responses and promoted the secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM) in lipopolysaccharide-induced nucleus pulposus (NP) cells. In vivo, functionalized platform plays roles in alleviating inflammation and oxidative stress, preserving the water content of NP and disc height, and maintaining intact structure and biomechanical functions, thereby promoting the regeneration of IVD. High-throughput sequencing suggests that inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling might be associated with their therapeutic effects. In summary, the vanillin-based functionalization strategy provides a novel and simple way for packaging multiple functions into a single delivery platform and holds promise for tissue regeneration beyond the IVD.

Engineering the viscoelasticity of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels via small "dynamic bridges" to regulate BMSC behaviors for osteochondral regeneration.

The dynamic extracellular matrix (ECM) constantly affects the behaviors of cells. To mimic the dynamics of ECM with controllable stiffness and energy dissipation, this study proposes a strategy in which a small molecule, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (DB), was used as fast "dynamic bridges'' to construct viscoelastic gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA)-based hydrogels. The storage modulus and loss modulus of hydrogels were independently adjusted by the covalent crosslinking density and by the number of dynamic bonds. The hydrogels exhibited self-healing property, injectability, excellent adhesion and mechanical properties. Moreover, the in vitro results revealed that the viscous dissipation of hydrogels favored the spreading, proliferation, osteogenesis and chondrogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), but suppressed their adipogenesis. RNA-sequencing and immunofluorescence suggested that the viscous dissipation of hydrogels activated Yes-associated protein (YAP) by stabilizing integrin ß1, and further promoted nuclear translocation of smad2/3 and ß-catenin to enhance chondrogenesis and osteogenesis. As a result, the viscoelastic GelMA hydrogels with highest loss modulus showed best effect in cartilage and subchondral bone repair. Taken together, findings from this study reveal an effective strategy to fabricate viscoelastic hydrogels for modulating the interactions between cells and dynamic ECM to promote tissue regeneration.

The novel pickering emulsion gels stabilized by zein hydrolysate-chitin nanocrystals coacervates: Improvement on stability and bioaccessibility for curcumin.

The aim of this paper was to explore the synergistic mechanism of the novel Pickering emulsion gels stabilized by zein hydrolysate (ZH, low DH of 5%)-chitin nanocrystals (CNCs) coacervates, and investigate their improvement on the stability and bioaccessibility of curcumin. Interestingly, the ZH with low DH of 5% exhibited aggregated precipitation at pH 5.0. The ZH was absorbed on the surface of CNCs to form ZH-CNCs coacervates by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic neutralization. Moreover, the novel Pickering emulsion gels stabilized by the appropriate ZH-CNCs coacervates showed better rheologicalproperties, emulsion stability and oxidation resistance. As new carriers for curcumin, they could effectively improve the stability and antioxidantactivity (over 90%). Further, the free fatty acid (FFA) release ratewas reduced to below 3.89% and the corresponding bioaccessibility increased to over 80% in vitro digestion. The novel delivery system was potentially designed in foods and pharmaceuticals for the purposes of enhanced stability, delayed lipolysis, or sustained nutrient release.

A conformational switch controlling the toxicity of the prion protein.

Prion infections cause conformational changes of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) and lead to progressive neurological impairment. Here we show that toxic, prion-mimetic ligands induce an intramolecular R208-H140 hydrogen bond ('H-latch'), altering the flexibility of the α2-α3 and ß2-α2 loops of PrPC. Expression of a PrP2Cys mutant mimicking the H-latch was constitutively toxic, whereas a PrPR207A mutant unable to form the H-latch conferred resistance to prion infection. High-affinity ligands that prevented H-latch induction repressed prion-related neurodegeneration in organotypic cerebellar cultures. We then selected phage-displayed ligands binding wild-type PrPC, but not PrP2Cys. These binders depopulated H-latched conformers and conferred protection against prion toxicity. Finally, brain-specific expression of an antibody rationally designed to prevent H-latch formation prolonged the life of prion-infected mice despite unhampered prion propagation, confirming that the H-latch is an important reporter of prion neurotoxicity.

Fucoidan-loaded nanofibrous scaffolds promote annulus fibrosus repair by ameliorating the inflammatory and oxidative microenvironments in degenerative intervertebral discs.

Tissue engineering holds potential in the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). However, implantation of tissue engineered constructs may cause foreign body reaction and aggravate the inflammatory and oxidative microenvironment of the degenerative intervertebral disc (IVD). In order to ameliorate the adverse microenvironment of IDD, in this study, we prepared a biocompatible poly (ether carbonate urethane) urea (PECUU) nanofibrous scaffold loaded with fucoidan, a natural marine bioactive polysaccharide which has great anti-inflammatory and antioxidative functions. Compared with pure PECUU scaffold, the fucoidan-loaded PECUU nanofibrous scaffold (F-PECUU) decreased the gene and protein expression related to inflammation and the oxidative stress in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced annulus fibrosus cells (AFCs) significantly (p<0.05). Especially, gene expression of Il 6 and Ptgs2 was decreased more than 50% in F-PECUU with 3.0 wt% fucoidan (HF-PECUU). Moreover, the gene and protein expression related to the degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) were reduced in a fucoidan concentration-dependent manner significantly, with increased almost 3 times gene expression of Col1a1 and Acan in HF-PECUU. Further, in a 'box' defect model, HF-PECUU decreased the expression of COX-2 and deposited more ECM between scaffold layers when compared with pure PECUU. The disc height and nucleus pulposus hydration of repaired IVD reached up to 75% and 85% of those in the sham group. In addition, F-PECUU helped to maintain an integrate tissue structure with a similar compression modulus to that in sham group. Taken together, the F-PECUU nanofibrous scaffolds showed promising potential to promote AF repair in IDD treatment by ameliorating the harsh degenerative microenvironment. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Annulus fibrosus (AF) tissue engineering holds potential in the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), but is restricted by the inflammatory and oxidative microenvironment of degenerative disc. This study developed a biocompatible polyurethane scaffold (F-PECUU) loaded with fucoidan, a marine bioactive polysaccharide, for ameliorating IDD microenvironment and promoting disc regeneration. F-PECUU alleviated the inflammation and oxidative stress caused by lipopolysaccharide and prevented extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation in AF cells. In vivo, it promoted ECM deposition to maintain the height, water content and mechanical property of disc. This work has shown the potential of marine polysaccharides-containing functional scaffolds in IDD treatment by ameliorating the harsh microenvironment accompanied with disc degeneration.

Inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor alleviates neovascular retinopathy with regulated neurotrophic/proinflammatory cytokines through the modulation of DBI-TSPO signaling.

Diazepam binding inhibitor (DBI)-translocator protein (18kDa) (TSPO) signaling in the retina was reported to possess coordinated macroglia-microglia interactions. We investigated DBI-TSPO signaling and its correlation with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), neurotrophic or inflammatory cytokines in neovascular retinopathy, and under hypoxic conditions. The vitreous expression of DBI, VEGF, nerve growth factor (NGF), and interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß) were examined in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients with or without anti-VEGF therapy and nondiabetic controls. Retinal DBI-TSPO signaling and the effect of the anti-VEGF agent were evaluated in a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). Interactions between Müller cell-derived VEGF and DBI, as well as cocultured microglial cells under hypoxic conditions, were studied, using Western blot, real-time RT-PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), flow cytometry, and immunofluorescent labeling. Results showed that vitreous levels of DBI, VEGF, NGF, and IL-1ß were significantly higher in PDR patients compared with controls, which further changed after anti-VEGF therapy. A statistical association was found between vitreous DBI and VEGF, NGF, IL-1ß, and age. The application of the anti-VEGF agent in the OIR model induced retinal expression of DBI and NGF, and attenuated inflammation and microglial cell activation. Inhibition of Müller cell-derived VEGF could increase its DBI expression under hypoxic conditions, while the DBI-TSPO signaling pathway is essential for anti-VEGF agents exerting anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects, as well as limiting inflammatory magnitude, promoting its neurotrophin production and anti-inflammatory (M2) polarization in microglial cells. These findings suggest the beneficial effect of anti-VEGF therapy on inflammation and neurotrophy of retinal glial cells through modulation of the DBI-TSPO signaling pathway.

Intratumoral delivery of a novel oncolytic adenovirus encoding human antibody against PD-1 elicits enhanced antitumor efficacy.

To date, diverse combination therapies with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), particularly oncolytic virotherapy, have demonstrated enhanced therapeutic outcomes in cancer treatment. However, high pre-existing immunity against the widely used adenovirus human serotype 5 (AdHu5) limits its extensive clinical application. In this study, we constructed an innovative oncolytic virus (OV) based on a chimpanzee adenoviral vector with low seropositivity in the human population, named AdC68-spE1A-αPD-1, which endows the parental OV (AdC68-spE1A-ΔE3) with the ability to express full-length anti-human programmed cell death-1 monoclonal antibody (αPD-1). In vitro studies indicated that the AdC68-spE1A-αPD-1 retained parental oncolytic capacity, and αPD-1 was efficiently secreted from the infected tumor cells and bound exclusively to human PD-1 (hPD-1) protein. In vivo, intratumoral treatment with AdC68-spE1A-αPD-1 resulted in significant tumor suppression, prolonged overall survival, and enhanced systemic antitumor memory response in an hPD-1 knockin mouse tumor model. This strategy outperformed the unarmed OV and was comparable with combination therapy with intratumoral injection of AdC68-spE1A-ΔE3 and systemic administration of commercial αPD-1. In summary, AdC68-spE1A-αPD-1 is a cost-effective approach with potential clinical applications. ‬‬‬‬.

Genome-wide association study of 7661 Chinese Han individuals and fine-mapping major histocompatibility complex identifies HLA-DRB1 as associated with IgA vasculitis.

BACKGROUND: Immunoglobulin-A vasculitis (IgAV) is an immune-related systemic vasculitis with an unclear etiology. Genetic predisposition is now considered to be closely associated with the development of the disease, and it is essential to reveal the relationship between them. To explore the role of heredity in the disease, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 496 IgAV cases and 7165 controls using an Illumina Infinium Global Screening Array chip. METHODS: In the first stage of analysis, a significant correlation between the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and IgAV was observed. Subsequently, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) analysis was conducted using a new large-scale Han-MHC reference panel. Fine mapping of IgAV risk in the MHC region indicated that two amino acid positions, 120 and 11, of HLA-DRB1 and three potential HLA alleles (HLA-DRB1∗04, HLA-DRB1∗16, and HLA-DRB1∗16:02) were significantly associated. RESULTS: Further stepwise conditional analysis demonstrated that 3 amino acid positions (120, 26, 96) of HLA-DRB1 and 6 HLA-DRB1 alleles (HLA-DRB1*04, HLA-DRB1*16, HLA-DRB1*01, HLA-DRB1*12:02, HLA-DRB1*10, and HLA-DRB1*15:02) were independent signals. Among them, the most significant signal was HLA-DRB1 amino acid Ser120 (OR = 1.59, p = 3.19 × 10-8 ); no independent signal in the MHC region except for HLA-DRB1 was found. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms that the pathogenesis of IgAV has a genetic component and that HLA-DRB1 is strongly associated with susceptibility to IgAV.

Chromatin accessibility and transcriptome integrative analysis revealed AP-1-mediated genes potentially modulate histopathology features in psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic and hyperproliferative skin disease featured by hyperkeratosis with parakeratosis, Munro micro-abscess, elongation of rete pegs, granulosa thinning, and lymphocyte infiltration. We previously profiled gene expression and chromatin accessibility of psoriatic skins by transcriptome sequencing and ATAC-seq. However, integrating both of these datasets to unravel gene expression regulation is lacking. Here, we integrated transcriptome and ATAC-seq of the same psoriatic and normal skin tissues, trying to leverage the potential role of chromatin accessibility and their function in histopathology features. RESULTS: By inducing binding and expression target analysis (BETA) algorithms, we explored the target prediction of transcription factors binding in 15 psoriatic and 19 control skins. BETA identified 408 upregulated genes (rank product < 0.01) and 133 downregulated genes linked with chromatin accessibility. We noticed that cumulative fraction of genes in upregulation group was statistically higher than background, while that of genes in downregulation group was not significant. KEGG pathway analysis showed that the upregulated 408 genes were enriched in TNF, NOD, and IL-17 signaling pathways. In addition, the motif module in BETA suggested the 57 upregulated genes are targeted by transcription factor AP-1, indicating that increased chromatin accessibility facilitated the binding of AP-1 to the target regions and further induced expression of relevant genes. Among these genes, SQLE, STRN, EIF4, and MYO1B expression was increased in patients with hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis, and acanthosis thickening. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, with the advantage of BETA, we identified a series of genes that contribute to the disease pathogenesis, especially in modulating histopathology features, providing us with new clues in treating psoriasis.

Combined microbiome and metabolome analysis of gut microbiota and metabolite interactions in chronic spontaneous urticaria.

Background: The pathogenesis of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is unclear, and it turned out to be involved in biological processes, such as autoimmunity, autoallergy, inflammation, and coagulation. The gut microbiota plays an important role in immune and inflammatory diseases. However, the relationship between chronic spontaneous urticaria and the gut microbiota remains unknown. Methods: The stool and serum samples were taken from 15 CSU patients and 15 normal controls. Changes in the composition of gut microbiota and serum metabolism in CSU patients and normal controls were analyzed by 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. Results: The results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that compared with normal controls, CSU patients had increased α-diversity of gut microbiota and significant differences in ß-diversity. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Firmicutes increased and the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria decreased in CSU patients compared with healthy controls. At the genus level, six kinds of bacteria were significantly enriched in CSU patients and five in normal controls. Metabolomic analysis revealed altered levels of metabolites such as unsaturated fatty acids and purines. Correlation analysis of gut microbiota and metabolites showed that Lachnospira was negatively correlated with arachidonic acid, and Gemmiger was also negatively correlated with (±)8-HETE. Conclusion: This study suggests that changes in gut microbiota and metabolites may play a role in immune and inflammatory pathways in the pathogenesis of CSU patients.

CD271 antibody-functionalized microspheres capable of selective recruitment of reparative endogenous stem cells for in situ bone regeneration.

In the strategy of in situ bone regeneration, it used to be difficult to specifically recruit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) by a single marker. Recently, CD271 has been considered to be one of the most specific markers to isolate BM-MSCs; however, the effectiveness of CD271 antibodies in recruiting BM-MSCs has not been explored yet. In this study, we developed novel CD271 antibody-functionalized chitosan (CS) microspheres with the aid of polydopamine (PDA) coating to recruit endogenous BM-MSCs for in situ bone regeneration. The CS microspheres were sequentially modified with PDA and CD271 antibody through dopamine self-polymerization and bioconjugation, respectively. In vitro studies showed that the CD271 antibody-functionalized microspheres selectively captured significantly more BM-MSCs from a fluorescently labeled heterotypic cell population than non-functionalized controls. In addition, the PDA coating was critical for supporting stable adhesion and proliferation of the captured BM-MSCs. Effective early recruitment of CD271+ stem cells by the functionalized microspheres at bone defect site of SD rat was observed by the CD271/DAPI immunofluorescence staining, which led to significantly enhanced new bone formation in rat femoral condyle defect over long term. Together, findings from this study have demonstrated, for the first time, that the CD271 antibody-functionalized CS microspheres are promising for in situ bone regeneration.

Copy Number Variation Analysis of IL22 and LCE3C in Different Subtypes of Psoriasis in a Chinese Han Population.

BACKGROUND Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated and hyperproliferative skin disease with both genetic and environmental components. Copy number variations (CNV) of IL22 and LCE3C-LCE3B deletion have been confirmed to be predisposed to psoriasis vulgaris (PsV) in several ethnic groups. However, it remains to be clarified whether CNVs of IL22 and LCE3C are associated with different subtypes of psoriasis (psoriatic arthritis, PsA; erythrodermic psoriasis, EP; and generalized pustular psoriasis, GPP). MATERIAL AND METHODS We enrolled 897 Han Chinese individuals, including 478 patients and 419 healthy controls, and detected CNVs of IL22 and LCE3C using the comparative CT method by real-time PCR, and Pearson's χ² test was used to evaluated the copy number difference among subtypes. RESULTS CNVs of IL22 were significantly higher in PsV than in healthy controls (P<0.001). CNV of LCE3C in PsV, PsA, and GPP groups were significantly lower compared to healthy controls. When linked with clinical parameters, mild psoriasis carried less IL22 copy numbers than that in severe psoriasis (P=0.043). Neither IL22 or LCE3C CNVs were associated with age of onset. CONCLUSIONS CNVs of LCE3C and IL22 might differentially contribute to subtypes of psoriasis. These findings suggest complex and diverse genetic variations in and among different clinical subtypes of psoriasis.

A bivalent live-attenuated vaccine candidate elicits protective immunity against human adenovirus types 4 and 7.

Human adenovirus types 4 (HAdV4) and 7 (HAdV7) often lead to severe respiratory diseases and occur epidemically in children, adults, immune deficiency patients, and other groups, leading to mild or severe symptoms and even death. However, no licensed adenovirus vaccine has been approved in the market for general use. E3 genes of adenovirus are generally considered nonessential for virulence and replication; however, a few studies have demonstrated that the products of these genes are also functional. In this study, most of the E3 genes were deleted, and two E3-deleted recombinant adenoviruses (ΔE3-rAdVs) were constructed as components of the vaccine. After E3 deletion, the replication efficiencies and cytopathogenicity of ΔE3-rAdVs were reduced, indicating that ΔE3-rAdVs were attenuated after E3 genes deletion. Furthermore, single immunization with live-attenuated bivalent vaccine candidate protects mice against challenge with wild-type human adenovirus types 4 and 7, respectively. Vaccinated mice demonstrated remarkably decreased viral loads in the lungs and less lung pathology compared to the control animals. Taken together, our study confirms the possibility of the two live-attenuated viruses as a vaccine for clinic use and illustrates a novel strategy for the construction of an adenovirus vaccine.

Prion protein and prion disease at a glance.

Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders caused by conformational conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into scrapie prion protein (PrPSc). As the main component of prion, PrPSc acts as an infectious template that recruits and converts normal cellular PrPC into its pathogenic, misfolded isoform. Intriguingly, the phenomenon of prionoid, or prion-like, spread has also been observed in many other disease-associated proteins, such as amyloid ß (Aß), tau and α-synuclein. This Cell Science at a Glance and the accompanying poster highlight recently described physiological roles of prion protein and the advanced understanding of pathogenesis of prion disease they have afforded. Importantly, prion protein may also be involved in the pathogenesis of other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Therapeutic studies of prion disease have also exploited novel strategies to combat these devastating diseases. Future studies on prion protein and prion disease will deepen our understanding of the pathogenesis of a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative conditions.