Pancreatic cancer has one of the worst prognoses among all cancers due to the late manifestation of identifiable symptoms and high resistance to chemo- and radiation therapies. In recent years, a cancer development ph...Pancreatic cancer has one of the worst prognoses among all cancers due to the late manifestation of identifiable symptoms and high resistance to chemo- and radiation therapies. In recent years, a cancer development phase termed epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) has gained increasing research focus. The process is implicated in tumour metastasis, and emerging evidence suggests EMT also contributes or induces chemoresistance in several cancers. Nevertheless, the applicability of therapeutic targeting of EMT faces many challenges. In this mini-review, we summarise the evidence supporting the role of EMT in pancreatic cancer progression, focusing particularly on its association with chemoresistance.展开更多
Lentiviral vectors have shown promises for efficient gene transfer to dividing as well as nondividing cells. In this study, we explored lentiviral vector-mediated, the entire mTRP-2 gene transfer and expression in den...Lentiviral vectors have shown promises for efficient gene transfer to dividing as well as nondividing cells. In this study, we explored lentiviral vector-mediated, the entire mTRP-2 gene transfer and expression in dendritic cells （DCs）. Adoptive transfer of DCs-expressing mTRP-2 （DC-HR＇CmT2） into C57BL/6 mouse was also assessed. Dendritic cells were harvested from bone marrow and functional DCs were proved by allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction. Lentiviral vectors were produced by transient transfection of 293T cells. Transduction of DCs was proved by marker gene expression and PCR and RT-PCR amplification. Implantation of the transduced DCs, depletion of immune cells as well as the survival of the mice after tumour challenge were investigated. High efficiency of gene transfer into mature DCs was achieved. The high level expression of the functional antigen （TRP-2） and induction of protective immunity by adoptive transfer of TRP-2 gene modified DCs were demonstrated. In vivo study showed a complete protection of mice from further melanoma cell challenge. In comparison, only 83% of mice survived when mTRP-2 peptide-pulsed DCs were administered, suggesting the generation of specific protection. Together, these results demonstrated the usefulness of this gene transfer to DC approach for immunotherapy of cancer and indicated that using tumour associated antigens （TAAs） for gene transfer may be potentially beneficial for the therapy of melanoma.展开更多
The complexity of a cancer, such as cell heterogeneity, and the existence of hypoxia, stromai cells and stem cells has so far prevented successful development and treatment of patients suffering from the later stages ...The complexity of a cancer, such as cell heterogeneity, and the existence of hypoxia, stromai cells and stem cells has so far prevented successful development and treatment of patients suffering from the later stages of cancers. At present, the use of conventional therapies, such as chemo/radio therapy is limited, and only therapies that are focused on utilizing the patient＇s immune response to combat against the disease appear to be the most reliable and promising. Two decades ago, cytokines were discovered to be able to activate the immune systems and mount an anti-tumour response. Then, dendritic cells were hailed as the most significant regulators of immunity and are employed in a variety of cancer management schemes. This review introduces current development in the field, focusing on combination of the components of ＇he rapidly growing fields of immunotherapy and gene transfer/therapy, providing useful and significant detailed information for readers of cellular and molecular immunology.展开更多
文摘Pancreatic cancer has one of the worst prognoses among all cancers due to the late manifestation of identifiable symptoms and high resistance to chemo- and radiation therapies. In recent years, a cancer development phase termed epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) has gained increasing research focus. The process is implicated in tumour metastasis, and emerging evidence suggests EMT also contributes or induces chemoresistance in several cancers. Nevertheless, the applicability of therapeutic targeting of EMT faces many challenges. In this mini-review, we summarise the evidence supporting the role of EMT in pancreatic cancer progression, focusing particularly on its association with chemoresistance.
文摘Lentiviral vectors have shown promises for efficient gene transfer to dividing as well as nondividing cells. In this study, we explored lentiviral vector-mediated, the entire mTRP-2 gene transfer and expression in dendritic cells （DCs）. Adoptive transfer of DCs-expressing mTRP-2 （DC-HR＇CmT2） into C57BL/6 mouse was also assessed. Dendritic cells were harvested from bone marrow and functional DCs were proved by allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction. Lentiviral vectors were produced by transient transfection of 293T cells. Transduction of DCs was proved by marker gene expression and PCR and RT-PCR amplification. Implantation of the transduced DCs, depletion of immune cells as well as the survival of the mice after tumour challenge were investigated. High efficiency of gene transfer into mature DCs was achieved. The high level expression of the functional antigen （TRP-2） and induction of protective immunity by adoptive transfer of TRP-2 gene modified DCs were demonstrated. In vivo study showed a complete protection of mice from further melanoma cell challenge. In comparison, only 83% of mice survived when mTRP-2 peptide-pulsed DCs were administered, suggesting the generation of specific protection. Together, these results demonstrated the usefulness of this gene transfer to DC approach for immunotherapy of cancer and indicated that using tumour associated antigens （TAAs） for gene transfer may be potentially beneficial for the therapy of melanoma.
文摘The complexity of a cancer, such as cell heterogeneity, and the existence of hypoxia, stromai cells and stem cells has so far prevented successful development and treatment of patients suffering from the later stages of cancers. At present, the use of conventional therapies, such as chemo/radio therapy is limited, and only therapies that are focused on utilizing the patient＇s immune response to combat against the disease appear to be the most reliable and promising. Two decades ago, cytokines were discovered to be able to activate the immune systems and mount an anti-tumour response. Then, dendritic cells were hailed as the most significant regulators of immunity and are employed in a variety of cancer management schemes. This review introduces current development in the field, focusing on combination of the components of ＇he rapidly growing fields of immunotherapy and gene transfer/therapy, providing useful and significant detailed information for readers of cellular and molecular immunology.
