抗CD1d单克隆抗体的制备及其识别结构域的鉴定

目的:制备抗人CD1d单克隆抗体(mAb)并研究其结合特性。方法:应用淋巴细胞杂交瘤技术制备鼠源性抗人CD1d mAb。用免疫荧光染色和流式细胞术鉴定其识别位点。结果:获得1株分泌抗CD1d mAb的杂交瘤细胞株。mAb的腹水ELISA效价达10-6,为IgG1亚类,可识别293T细胞转染的CD1d分子的α1结构域。结论:获得1株可特异性识别CD1dα1结构域的mAb,为进一步研究CD1d的结构及功能提供了手段。

Following a TRAIL: Update on a ligand and its five receptors

Identification of tumour necrosis factor apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), a TNF family ligand, sparked a torrent of research, following an initial observation that it could kill tumour cells, but spare normal cells. Almost a decade after its discovery, and with five known receptors, the true physiological role of TRAIL is still debated and its anti-tumorigenic properties limited by potential toxicity. This review takes a comprehensive look at the story of this enigmatic ligand, addressing its remaining potential as a therapeutic and providing an overview of the TRAIL receptors themselves.

NKT cells in HIV-1 infection

Natural killer T （NKT） cells are a unique T cell population that have important immunoregulatory functions and have been shown to be involved in host immunity against a range of microorganisms. It also emerges that they might play a role in HIV-1 infection, and therefore be selectively depleted during the early stages of infection. Recent studies are reviewed regarding the dynamics of NKT depletion during HIV-1 infection and their recovery under highly active antiretroviral treatment （HAART）. Possible mechanisms for these changes are proposed based on the recent developments in HIV pathogenesis. Further discussions are focused on HIV＇s disruption of NKT activation by downregulating CDld expression on antigen presentation cells （APC）. HIV-1 protein Nefis found to play the major role by interrupting the intracellular trafficking of nascent and recycling CDld molecules.

Photoconversion of Lysotracker Red to a green fluorescent molecule

Dear Editor： Lysotracker Red DND-99 （Invitrogen-Molecular Probes） is a fluorophore in the form of a conjugated multi-pyrrole ring structure containing a weakly basic amine that selectively accumulates in acidic compartments and exhibits red fluorescence （excitation： 577 nm, emission： 590 nm） （Figure 1A）. It is structurally related to Lysotracker Green （Figure 1B） but has an additional pyrrole ring in conjugation with the primary structure, which produces a longer wavelength emission. Lysotracker Red is commonly used in multicolor imaging studies as a lysosomal marker to determine intracellular localization of a protein of interest by fluorescence and confocal microscopy [1-5] and is recommended by the manufacturer for this application. While using Lysotracker Red to study the localization of a protein fused to green fluorescent protein （GFP）, we observed an additional strong green fluorescent signal that colocalized with Lysotracker Red. After careful examination, however, we noted that the added green signal appeared only after illumination of the cells by a standard 100W mercury epi-fluorescence light source equipped with a 560/40 excitation filter （Leica TX2）. Prior to exposing the field to broadband excitation light, it was possible to visualize by confocal scanning （488nm excitation line） cells that exclusively expressed GFP. Remarkably, after exposure to broadband excitation light, green fluorescence appeared in all cells irrespective of GFP expression, displayed signal intensity similar to that of GFP, and colocalized with Lysotracker Red （Figure S1）.

HIV-Associated Pathogenesis: The Role of HIV-1 Nef Gene

Since the discovery of HIV more than two decades ago,scientific progress has been impressive and has dramatically advanced our understanding of HIV infection,from molecular through cellular and then on to systemic pathogenesis,such as the functions of HIV-1 nef gene.However,there is still much to be learned before we fully understand how the host interacts with the virus at molecular level and how immune responses correlate with protection from disease.This review describes our current knowledge of HIV/AIDS with the reference of HIV nef functions and its role in HIV-1 mediated pathogenesis.

Differential remodeling of a T-cell transcriptome following CD8- versus CD3-induced signaling

CD8 engagement with class I major histocompatibility antigens greatly enhances T-cell activation, but it is not clear how this is achieved. We address the question of whether or not the antibody-mediated ligation of CD8 alone induces transcriptional remodeling in a T-cell clone, using serial analysis of gene expression. Even though it fails to induce overt phenotypic changes, we find that CD8 ligation profoundly alters transcription in the T-cell clone, at a scale comparable to that induced by antibody-mediated ligation of CD3. The character of the resulting changes is distinct, however, with the net effect of CD8 ligation being substantially inhibitory. We speculate that ligating CD8 induces weak, T-cell receptor （TCR）-mediated inhibitory signals reminiscent of the effects of TCR antagonists. Our results imply that CD8 ligation alone is incapable of activating the T-cell clone because it fails to fully induce NFAT-dependent transcription.

Apoptotic bone marrow CD34+ cells in cirrhotic patients

AIM: To access the frequency and level of apoptotic CD34+ cells isolated from the marrow fluid of patients with post-hepatitis cirrhosis. METHODS: The frequency of bone marrow CD34+ cells and apoptotic bone marrow CD34+ cells in 31 inpatients with post-hepatitis cirrhosis (cirrhosis group), and 15 out-patients without liver or blood disorders (control group) was calculated by flow cytometry. Parameters were collected to evaluate liver functions of patients in cirrhosis group. RESULTS: The percentage of normal bone marrow CD34+ cells was 6.30% ± 2.48% and 1.87% ± 0.53% (t = 3.906, P < 0.01) while that of apoptotic marrowCD34+ cells was 15.00% ± 15.81% and 5.73% ± 1.57% (t = 2.367, P < 0.05) in cirrhosis and control groups, respectively. The percentage of apoptotic marrow CD34+ cells was 6.25% ± 3.30% and 20.92 ± 18.5% (t = 2.409, P < 0.05) in Child-Pugh A and Child-Pugh B + C cirrhotic patients, respectively. The percentage of late apoptotic marrow CD34+ cells was positively correlated with the total bilirubin and aspartate aminotransferase serum levels in patients with cirrhosis. CONCLUSION: The status of CD34+ marrow cells in cirrhotic patients may suggest that the ability of hematopoietic progenitor cells to transform into mature blood cells is impaired.

Greater Expansion of IFN-<i>γ</i>^﹣CD4⁺NKT Cells in HIV-1 Compared with HIV-2-Infected Subjects with Preserved CD4⁺T Cell Counts

Context: Human Natural Killer T cells are T lymphocytes that express an invariant αβ T cells receptors and NK cells receptors. They regulate innate and adaptive immune response but are susceptible to HIV-1 infection. Objective: We compare the frequency and the activity of NKT cells in HIV-1 and HIV-2 infected individuals with CD4+ counts greater than 500/mm3 using flow cytometry after overnight stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Results: The frequency of NKT cells was similar between both groups and also to sero-negative control subjects. There were also no significant differences in the proportions of total NKT cells and the CD4+ NKT subset that secreted interferon gamma (IFN-γ) after polyclonal stimulation. However, there was a significantly higher frequency of IFN-γ﹣ CD4+ NKT cells in HIV-1-infected compared with HIV-2 infected subjects (p = 0.043). Conclusion: These data suggest there is no relationship between the functional activity of NKT cell subsets and the total NKT cell population in HIV infection. The expansion of IFN-γ﹣ CD4+ NKT cells in HIV-1 infection may serve as target for viral infection and may eventually result in their depletion during chronic infection.

Differential Expressions of Selected Activating and Inhibitory Receptors on K562-Stimulated Natural Killer (NK) Cells in HIV-1 and HIV-2 Infections

Context: The functional activity of NK cells depends on the balance between the engagement of activating and inhibitory receptors on the cell surface with their ligands, which enables them to kill infected cells. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare expressions of selected activating and inhibitory receptors on stimulated NK cells in HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections. Methods: PBMCs were analysed for activating (NKp30, NKp44, NKp46) and inhibitory (CD158a, CD158b, p70) receptor expressions in 30 HIV-1, 30 HIV-2 and 30 HIV uninfected healthy control (HC) subjects by flow cytometry after stimulating with K562 cells. Results: There was an expression of other receptors following an already in vitro engagement of NK cells with K562 cells. Higher expression of the activating receptors, NKp44 (p = 0.029) and NKp46 (p = 0.032) on NK cells from HIV-2 compared to HIV-1 infected individuals but similar NKp30 expression (p = 0.980). The levels of expression of inhibitory receptor CD158a were similar between HIV-1 and HIV-2 infected subjects (p = 0.309) but there was significant up-regulation of inhibitory receptors p70 (p = 0.010) and CD158b (p = 0.05) in HIV-1 compared to HIV-2 subjects. Conclusion: Despite the in vitro engagement of NK cells with stimulating K562 cells, our data showed differential expressions of other selected activating and inhibitory receptors in HIV-1 and HIV-2 infected subjects.

HLA-A*02-B*46 Haplotype: an Adverse Prognostic Factor in Han Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Epidemiological studies have shown that human leukocyte antigen（HLA） allelic polymorphisms are closely correlated to susceptibility to nasopharyngeal carcinoma（NPC）, and in a previous study, we showed that HLA-B＊46 and HLA-A＊02-B＊46 haplotypes were strongly associated with NPC susceptibility. In this retrospective study, we investigated the phenotype of the HLA-A and HLA-B alleles and haplotypes and correlated these data to the clinical and pathological parameters of NPC to understand the role of HLA alleles and haplotypes in NPC prognosis. The cohort comprised 117 NPC patients from a Han population in Xinjiang. The local recurrence-free survival（LRFS）, distant metastasis-free survival（DMFS）, disease-free survival（DFS）, and overall survival（OS） were analyzed. The 5-year DMFS of the HLA-A＊02-B＊46 haplotype carriers and non-carriers was 66.4% and 90.3%, respectively. In addition, age was found to be a prognostic factor for LRFS, DFS, and OS（P=0.032, 0.040, and 0.013, respectively）. We found that the HLA-A＊02-B＊46 haplotype might be a prognostic marker in addition to the traditional TNM staging in patients with NPC.

Higher Type 1 Interferon Levels in Plasma of Asymptomatic HIV-2 than in HIV-1 Individuals

A number of cytokines are secreted during HIV infection that enhances both innate and adaptive immune responses. Interferon-α/β/γ, IL-12, IL-15 and IL-18 have been found to contribute to the development, maturation, differentiation and function of NK and other immune cells. The levels of IFN-α/β/γ, IL-12, IL-15 and IL-18 were compared in the plasma of 90 HIV-1 infected and 90 HIV-2 infected subjects by ELISA or Cytometric Beads Array assays. The HIV-infected subjects were stratified according to CD4+ T cell counts into three groups: >500, 200 - 500 and <200 cells/ul, with 30 subjects in each group. Cytokine levels were also determined in the plasma of 50 HIV uninfected blood bank donors. Among the cytokines tested, IFN-α was found to be significantly increased in HIV-2 infected compared to HIV-1 infected subjects at high CD4+ T cell counts (p = 0.001). The levels of IFN-β were seen to differ between the two infections in patients from the category of medium CD4+ T cell counts: this was significantly increased in HIV-2 infected patients (p < 0.001) as well as compared to uninfected controls (p = 0.001). The levels of IFN-γ were similar at all the CD4+ T cell categories except for an increase in HIV-2 infected patients at low CD4+ T cell counts (p = 0.02). The levels of these cytokines were similar in all HIV-1 subjects. Also, the level of IL-12p70 was similar between the two infections but significantly higher in HIV-2 at low compared to medium CD4+ T cells categories (p = 0.047). Similar to IFN-γ and IL-12p70, the levels of both IL-18 and IL-15 were found to be significantly higher in HIV-2 infected patients compared to HIV-1 at low CD4+ T cell counts (p < 0.05). These data show that there is variability in the levels of innate cytokines at different stages of HIV infection but the finding of increased IFN-α in HIV-2 infected asymptomatic subjects is consistent with the high innate NK responses previously noted at this stage of infection.

皮肤鳞状细胞癌患者中p53特异性CD8^+T细胞的反应

Background: Systemic immunosuppression is a significant risk factor for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). p53 is mutated and overexpressed in up to 90% of cutaneous SCC lesions. Despite considerable evidence that the immune response is important in the control of cutaneous SCC, there are no studies documenting potential tumour- associated antigens. Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that individualswith cutaneous SCC have functional circulating CD8+ T cells specific for p53. Methods: Interferon- γ immunosorbent assays were used to screen peripheral blood mononuclear cells for reactivity to six p53- derived HLA- A 0201- restricted epitopes from HLA- A 0201- positive patients and controls. Results: We observed significantly elevated frequencies of p53- specific CD8+ T cells in seven of 26 individuals with cutaneous SCC and in one of 10 controls. The degree of lymphocytic infiltrate significantly correlated with the frequency of CD8+ T cells specific for p53 epitopes, but not with control epitopes. Conclusions: Overall, these data suggest that p53 may represent a target for CD8+ T cells in a proportion of individuals with cutaneous SCC.

血液与女性生殖道中HIV-1RNA和DNA的纵向及横向研究

Objective: To examine if correlates of HIV-1 genital shedding in crosssectional studies can be used to determine the risk of shedding in individual HIV-1-positive women. Study design: Longitudinal samples from blood and cervix were obtained from 18 HIV-1 infected women, and HIV-1 RNA and cellassociated DNA virus, and betachemokine levels, were measured. Associations between variables were analyzed at both individual and group level. Results: The variation over time was 2.9-, 2.1-, and 2.3-fold in plasma RNA, PBMC DNA and cervical RNA load, respectively, and reached 6.2-fold in cervical DNA load. Differences were observed between associations in individualand grouplevel comparisons, suggesting that a separate reservoir of HIV replication may exist in the genital tract of some women, which is influenced by local environmental factors. Conclusions: Our study underscores the importance of caution during contact with genital fluids at all stages of infection and disease regardless of treatment and HIV-1 blood loads.

Human Leukocyte Antigen-A Allele Distribution in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Showing Anti-Melanoma-Associated Antigen A or Synovial Sarcoma X-2 T Cell Response in Blood

Background： Development of innovative immunotherapy is imperative to improve the poor survival of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma （NPC） patients. In this study, we evaluated the T cell response to melanoma-associated antigen （MAGE）-A1, MAGE-A3, or synovial sarcoma X-2 （SSX-2） in the peripheral blood of treatment-naive NPC patients. The relationship of responses among the three proteins and the human leukocyte antigen （HLA）-A types were analyzed to provide evidence of designing novel therapy. Methods： Sixty-one NPC patients admitted into the Tumor Hospital affiliated to the Xinjiang Medical University between March 2015 and July 2016 were enrolled. Mononuclear cells were isolated from the peripheral blood before any treatment. HLA-A alleles were typed with Sanger sequence-based typing technique. The T cell response to the MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3, or SSX-2 was evaluated with the Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSpot assay. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the T cell responses from different groups. Spearman＇s rank correlation was used to analyze the relationship of T cell responses. Results： HLA-A＊02：01, A＊02：07, and A＊24：02 were the three most frequent alleles （18.9%, 12.3%, and 11.5%, respectively） among the 22 detected alleles. 31.1%, 19.7%, and 16.4% of the patients displayed MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3, or SSX-2-specific T cell response, respectively. The magnitudes of response to the three proteins were 32.5, 38.0, and 28.7 SFC/106 peripheral blood mononuclear cells, respectively. The T cell response against the three proteins correlated with each other to different extent. The percentage of A＊02：01 and A＊24：02 carriers were significantly higher in patients responding to any of the three proteins compared to the nonresponders. Conclusion： MAGE-A1, MAGE-A3, or SSX-2-specific T cell responses were detectable in a subgroup of NPC patients, the frequency and magnitude of which were correlated.

Human cancergermlineantigen-specific cytotoxicTcell-what canwelearnfrompatient

In this review,we will highlight the importance of cancer germline antigen-specific cytotoxic CD8^(+) T lymphocytes(CTL)and the factors affecting antitumor CTL responses.In light of cancer immunotherapy,we will emphasis the need to further understand the features,characteristics,and actions of modulatory receptors of human cancer germline-specific CTLs,in order to determine the optimal conditions for antitumor CTL responses.

A comprehensive analysis of the Bencao(herbal)small RNA Atlas reveals novel RNA therapeutics for treating human diseases

Cross-kingdom herbal mi RNA was first reported in 2012.Using a modified herbal extraction protocol,we obtained 73,677,287sequences by RNA-seq from 245 traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM),of which 20,758,257 were unique sequences.We constructed a Bencao(herbal)small RNA(s RNA)Atlas(http://bencao.bmicc.cn),annotated the sequences by sequence-based clustering,and created a nomenclature system for Bencao s RNAs.The profiles of 21,757 mi RNAs in the Atlas were highly consistent with those of plant mi RNAs in mi RBase.Using software tools,our results demonstrated that all human genes might be regulated by s RNAs from the Bencao s RNA Atlas,part of the predicted human target genes were experimentally validated,suggesting that Bencao s RNAs might be one of the main bioactive components of herbal medicines.We established roadmaps for oligonucleotide drugs development and optimization of TCM prescriptions.Moreover,the decoctosome,a lipo-nano particle consisting of 0.5%–2.5%of the decoction,demonstrated potent medical effects.We propose a Bencao(herbal)Index,including small-molecule compounds(SM),protein peptides(P),nucleic acid(N),non-nucleic and non-proteinogenic large-molecule compounds(LM)and elements from Mendeleev's periodic table(E),to quantitatively measure the medical effects of botanic medicine.The Bencao s RNA Atlas is a resource for developing gene-targeting oligonucleotide drugs and optimizing botanical medicine,and may provide potential remedies for the theory and practice of one medicine.

Modeling human hypertrophic scars with 3D preformed cellular aggregates bioprinting

The therapeutic interventions of human hypertrophic scars(HHS)remain puzzle largely due to the lack of accepted models.Current HHS models are limited by their inability to mimic native scar architecture and associated pathological microenvironments.Here,we create a 3D functional HHS model by preformed cellular aggregates(PCA)bioprinting,firstly developing bioink from scar decellularized extracellular matrix(ECM)and alginate-gelatin(Alg-Gel)hydrogel with suitable physical properties to mimic the microenvironmental factors,then pre-culturing patient-derived fibroblasts in this bioink to preform the topographic cellular aggregates for sequent printing.We confirm the cell aggregates preformed in bioink displayed well defined aligned structure and formed functional scar tissue self-organization after bioprinting,hence showing the potential of creating HHS models.Notably,these HHS models exhibit characteristics of early-stage HHS in gene and protein expression,which significantly activated signaling pathway related to inflammation and cell proliferation,and recapitulate in vivo tissue dynamics of scar forming.We also use the in vitro and in vivo models to define the clinically observed effects to treatment with concurrent anti-scarring drugs,and the data show that it can be used to evaluate the potential therapeutic target for drug testing.The ideal humanized scar models we present should prove useful for studying critical mechanisms underlying HHS and to rapidly test new drug targets and develop patient-specific optimal therapeutic strategies in the future.

Insight into cellular dedifferentiation in regenerative medicine

The wonderful capacity of regeneration observed in some lower animals has been a focus of researchers for more than a century.However,decoding this regenerative potential and its governing mechanisms has been challenging.There are key questions that warrant investigation:how is regeneration elicited,initiated,and controlled;what are the cellular factors involved in regeneration and the processes that they undergo;does proliferation or differentiation come first;how is latestage regenerative patterning regulated;and how is tissue memory or positional identity maintained,as well as how repair and regeneration are balanced(Poss,2010).Some of these questions have been answered through in vivo studies,while others have remained unanswered.

Themis2:setting the threshold for B-cell selection

The strength of signal downstream of the B-cell receptor(BCR)determines the positive and negative selection of B cells.Expression of a functional BCR is required for the selection of immature B cells into the peripheral repertoire in the absence of antigen;but selection is also modulated by avidity and affinity-dependent interactions with self and foreign antigens.

Engineering immunosuppressive drug-resistant armored(IDRA)SARS-CoV-2 T cells for cell therapy

Solid organ transplant(SOT)recipients receive immunosuppressive drugs(ISDs)and are susceptible to developing severe COVID-19.Here,we analyze the Spike-specific T-cell response after 3 doses of mRNA vaccine in a group of SOT patients(n=136)treated with different ISDs.We demonstrate that a combination of a calcineurin inhibitor(CNI),mycophenolate mofetil(MMF),and prednisone(Pred)treatment regimen strongly suppressed the mRNA vaccine-induced Spike-specific cellular response.Such defects have clinical consequences because the magnitude of vaccine-induced Spike-specific T cells was directly proportional to the ability of SOT patients to rapidly clear SARS-CoV-2 after breakthrough infection.To then compensate for the T-cell defects induced by immunosuppressive treatment and to develop an alternative therapeutic strategy for SOT patients,we describe production of 6 distinct SARS-CoV-2 epitope-specific ISD-resistant T-cell receptor(TCR)-T cells engineered using the mRNA electroporation method with reactivity minimally affected by mutations occurring in Beta,Delta,Gamma,and Omicron variants.This strategy with transient expression characteristics marks an improvement in the immunotherapeutic field and provides an attractive and novel therapeutic possibility for immunosuppressed COVID-19 patients.