Linear-like polypeptide-based micelle with pH-sensitive detachable PEG to deliver dimeric camptothecin for cancer therapy

Nano drug delivery systems have made significant progress in delivering anticancer drugs camptothecin(CPT).However,many challenges for CPT delivery remain,including low drug loading efficiency,premature drug leakage,and poor cellular internalization.Herein,we report a novel dual-sensitive polypeptide-based micelle with remarkably high drug loading of CPT for cancer therapy.This self-assembled micelle possesses the following essential components for CPT:(1)pH-sensitive PEG(OHC-PEG-CHO)for prolonging blood circulation and allowing biocompatibility by shielding the cationic micelles,which can be detached under the tumor acidic microenvironment and facilitates the cellular uptake;(2)polypeptide polylysine-polyphenylalanine(PKF)synthesized via ring-opening polymerization for micelle formation and CPT analogue loading;(3)dimeric CPT(DCPT)with redox-sensitive linker for increasing CPT loading and ensuring drug release at tumor sites.Interestingly,the linear-like morphology of PEG-PKF/DCPT micelles was able to enhance their cellular internalization when compared with the spherical blank PKF micelles.Also,the anticancer efficacy of DCPT against lung cancer cells was significantly improved by the micelle formation.In conclusion,this work provides a promising strategy facilitating the safety and effective application of CPT in cancer therapy.

Nab-paclitaxel(abraxane)-based chemotherapy to treat elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer:a single center,randomized and open-label clinical trial

Background： The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of abraxane-based chemotherapy with/without nedaplatin in elderly patients with non-small-cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Materials and methods： From October 2009 to January 2013, 48 elderly patients （≥65 years） with NSCLC were investigated in this clinical trial. The patients were randomized and equally allocated into arms A and AP- （A） abraxane （130 mg/m2, days 1, 8）; （B） abraxane ＋ nedaplatin （20 mg/m2 days 1-3, q3w）. The parameters of objective response rate （ORR）, disease control rate （DCR）, progression-free survival （PFS）, overall survival （OS） and side effects were evaluated between two arms. Results： Over 80% of the patients completed four cycles of chemotherapy. The total ORR was 21.3 %, DCR was 55.3%, PFS 4.5 months and OS 12.6 months. No significant difference was found between arms A and AP in terms of ORR （16.7% vs. 26.1%, P=0.665） or DCR （55.3% vs. 56.5%, P=0.871）. The median PFS in arm A was 3.3 months [25-75% confidence interval （CI）： 3.1-7.2] and 5.5 months （25-75% CI： 3.2-7.0） in arm AP with no statistical significance （P=0.640）. The median OS in arm A was 12.6 months （25-75% CI： 5.7-26.2） and 15.1 months （25-75% CI： 6.4-35.3） in arm AP with no statistical significance （P=0.770）. The side effects were mainly grade 1-2. The incidence of grade 3-4 toxicities was 29.1% in arm A and 62.5% in arm AP with a statistical significance （P=0.020）. Conclusions： Compared with combined therapy, abraxane alone chemotherapy was beneficial for elderly NSCLC patients with better tolerability and less adverse events, whereas did not significantly differ in terms of ORR, DCR, PFS or OS.

Mouse neural stem cells cultured in vitro and expressing an exogenous gene

Neural stem cells are the multipotential, self-renewing cells in central nerve system, and play an essential role in the development and differentiation of nerve system. Neural stem cells can be used to treat the nerve system diseases, especially, the transplantation of neural stem cells to rescue the degenerated neural cells has become a very promising therapeutic way. We successfully cultured neural stem cells isolated from the brains of embryonic mice in vitro and determined their distribution in the E17 mice brains. The neural stem cells were transfected with adenoviral vector carrying GFP (green fluorescence protein) gene and then highly expressed the exogenous gene. It paves the way for gene therapy of degenerative nerve system diseases.

Multiplexed imaging of tumor immune microenvironmental markers in locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer characterizes the features of response to PD-1 blockade plus chemotherapy

Background:Although programmed cell death 1(PD-1)blockade plus chemotherapy can significantly prolong the progression-free survival(PFS)and overall survival(OS)in first-line settings in patients with driver-negative advanced non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC),the predictive biomarkers remain undetermined.Here,we investigated the predictive value of tumor immune microenvironmental marker expression to characterize the response features to PD-1 blockade plus chemotherapy.Methods:Tumor tissue samples at baseline were prospectively collected from 144 locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC patients without driver gene alterations who received camrelizumab plus chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone.Tumor immune microenvironmental markers,including PD-1 ligand(PDL1),CD8,CD68,CD4 and forkhead box P3,were assessed using multiplex immunofluorescence(mIF)assays.Kaplan-Meier curveswere used to determine treatment outcome differences according to their expression status.Mutational profiles were compared between tumors with distinct expression levels of these markers and their combinations.Results:Responders had significantly higher CD8/PD-L1(P=0.015)or CD68/PD-L1 co-expression levels(P=0.021)than non-responders in the camrelizumab plus chemotherapy group,while no difference was observed in the chemotherapy group.Patients with high CD8/PD-L1 or CD68/PD-L1 co-expression level was associated with significantly longer PFS(P=0.002,P=0.024;respectively)and OS(P=0.006,P=0.026;respectively)than those with low co-expression in camrelizumab plus chemotherapy group.When comparing survival in the camrelizumab plus chemotherapy with chemotherapy by CD8/PD-L1 co-expression stratification,significantly better PFS(P=0.003)and OS(P=0.032)were observed in high co-expression subgroups.The predictive value of CD8/PD-L1 and CD68/PD-L1 co-expression remained statistically significant for PFS and OS when adjusting clinicopathological features.Although the prevalence of TP53 or KRAS mutations was similar between patients with and without CD8/PD-L1 or CD68/PD-L1 co-expression,the positive groups had a significantly higher proportion of TP53/KRAS co-mutations than the negative groups(both 13.0%vs.0.0%,P=0.023).Notably,enriched PI3K(P=0.012)and cell cycle pathway(P=0.021)were found in the CD8/PD-L1 co-expression group.Conclusion:Tumor immune microenvironmental marker expression,especially CD8/PD-L1 or CD68/PD-L1 co-expression,was associated with the efficacy of PD-1 blockade plus chemotherapy as first-line treatment in patients with advanced NSCLC.