Immunostimulatory efficacy and protective potential of putative TgERK7 protein in mice experimentally infected by Toxoplasma gondii

© 2020 The Author(s) The extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) serve as important determinants of cellular signal transduction pathways, and hence may play important roles during infections. Previous work suggested that putative ERK7 of Toxoplasma gondii is required for efficient intracellular replication of the parasite. However, the antigenic and immunostimulatory properties of TgERK7 protein remain unknown. The objective of this study was to produce a recombinant TgERK7 protein in vitro and to evaluate its effect on the induction of humoral and T cell-mediated immune responses against T. gondii infection in BALB/c mice. Immunization using TgERK7 mixed with Freund's adjuvants significantly increased the ratio of CD3e+CD4+ T/CD3e+CD8a+ T lymphocytes in spleen and elevated serum cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-23, MCP-1, and TNF-α) in immunized mice compared to control mice. On the contrary, immunization did not induce high levels of serum IgG antibodies. Five predicted peptides of TgERK7 were synthesized and conjugated with KLH and used to analyze the antibody specificity in the sera of immunized mice. We detected a progressive increase in the antibody level only against TgERK7 peptide A (DEVDKHVLRKYD). Antibody raised against this peptide significantly decreased intracellular proliferation of T. gondii in vitro, suggesting that peptide A can potentially induce a protective antibody response. We also showed that immunization improved the survival rate of mice challenged with a virulent strain and significantly reduced the parasite cyst burden within the brains of chronically infected mice. Our data show that TgERK7-based immunization induced TgERK7 peptide A-specific immune responses that can impart protective immunity against T. gondii infection. The therapeutic potential of targeting ERK7 signaling pathway for future toxoplasmosis treatment is warranted

SPI1-induced downregulation of FTO promotes GBM progression by regulating pri-miR-10a processing in an m6A-dependent manner

As one of the most common post-transcriptional modifications of mRNAs and noncoding RNAs, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification regulates almost every aspect of RNA metabolism. Evidence indicates that dysregulation of m6A modification and associated proteins contributes to glioblastoma (GBM) progression. However, the function of fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO), an m6A demethylase, has not been systematically and comprehensively explored in GBM. Here, we found that decreased FTO expression in clinical specimens correlated with higher glioma grades and poorer clinical outcomes. Functionally, FTO inhibited growth and invasion in GBM cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, FTO regulated the m6A modification of primary microRNA-10a (pri-miR-10a), which could be recognized by reader HNRNPA2B1, recruiting the microRNA microprocessor complex protein DGCR8 and mediating pri-miR-10a processing. Furthermore, the transcriptional activity of FTO was inhibited by the transcription factor SPI1, which could be specifically disrupted by the SPI1 inhibitor DB2313. Treatment with this inhibitor restored endogenous FTO expression and decreased GBM tumor burden, suggesting that FTO may serve as a novel prognostic indicator and therapeutic molecular target of GBM.publishedVersio

Modulation of inflammation by anti-TNF α mAb-dendrimer nanoparticles loaded in tyramine-modified gellan gum hydrogels in a cartilage-on-a-chip model

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disease characterized by joint inflammation. Since the inflammatory condition plays an important role in the disease process, it is important to develop and test new therapeutic approaches that specifically target and treat joint inflammation. In this study, a human 3D inflammatory cartilage-on-a-chip model was established to test the therapeutic efficacy of anti-TNFα mAb-CS/PAMAM dendrimer NPs loaded-Tyramine-Gellan Gum in the treatment of inflammation. The results showed that the proposed therapeutic approach applied to the human monocyte cell line (THP-1) and human chondrogenic primary cells (hCH) cell-based inflammation system revealed an anti-inflammatory capacity that increased over 14 days. It was also possible to observe that Coll type II was highly expressed by inflamed hCH upon the culture with anti-TNF α mAb-CS/PAMAM dendrimer NPs, indicating that the hCH cells were able maintain their biological function. The developed preclinical model allowed us to provide more robust data on the potential therapeutic effect of anti-TNF α mAb-CS/PAMAM dendrimer NPs loaded-Ty-GG hydrogel in a physiologically relevant model.The authors thank the financial support under the Norte2020 project (NORTE-08-5369-FSE000044). M. R. C. acknowledges TERM RES Hub Ref. Norte-01-0145-FEDER-02219015 working contract. D. C. F. acknowledges Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for his phD scholarship (PD/ BD/143081/2018) and F. R. M. for her contract under the Transitional Rule DL 57/2016 (CTTI-57/18-I3BS(5)). C. M. A., D. C. V. and S. C. K. thank the support of FCT (PTDC/BTM-ORG/ 28070/2017). D. C. V acknowledges the CEEC individual contract (CEECIND/00352/2017). S. C. K wishes to record the financial support from EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020 on FoReCaST under grant agreement no. 668983 and BREAST-IT FCT-Portugal project (PTDC/BTM-ORG/ 28168/2017). The FCT distinction attributed to J. M. O. under the Investigator FCT program (number IF/01285/2015) is also greatly acknowledge

The dual role of glioma exosomal microRNAs: glioma eliminates tumor suppressor miR-1298-5p via exosomes to promote immunosuppressive effects of MDSCs

Clear evidence shows that tumors could secrete microRNAs (miRNAs) via exosomes to modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the mechanisms sorting specific miRNAs into exosomes are still unclear. In order to study the biological function and characterization of exosomal miRNAs, we performed whole-transcriptome sequencing in 59 patients’ whole-course cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) small extracellular vesicles (sEV) and matched glioma tissue samples. The results demonstrate that miRNAs could be divided into exosome-enriched miRNAs (ExomiRNAs) and intracellular-retained miRNAs (CLmiRNAs), and exosome-enriched miRNAs generally play a dual role. Among them, miR-1298-5p was enriched in CSF exosomes and suppressed glioma progression in vitro and vivo experiments. Interestingly, exosomal miR-1298-5p could promote the immunosuppressive effects of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) to facilitate glioma. Therefore, we found miR-1298-5p had different effects on glioma cells and MDSCs. Mechanically, downstream signaling pathway analyses showed that miR-1298-5p plays distinct roles in glioma cells and MDSCs via targeting SETD7 and MSH2, respectively. Moreover, reverse verification was performed on the intracellular-retained miRNA miR-9-5p. Thus, we confirmed that tumor-suppressive miRNAs in glioma cells could be eliminated through exosomes and target tumor-associated immune cells to induce tumor-promoting phenotypes. Glioma could get double benefit from it. These findings uncover the mechanisms that glioma selectively sorts miRNAs into exosomes and modulates tumor immunity.publishedVersio

Rational Expectations Models with Higher Order Beliefs,” mimeo

Abstract This paper develops a general method of solving rational expectations models with higher order beliefs. Higher order beliefs are crucial in an environment with dispersed information and strategic complementarity, and the equilibrium policy depends on infinite higher order beliefs. It is generally believed that solving this type of equilibrium policy requires an infinite number of state variable

Rational Expectations Models with Higher Order Beliefs,” mimeo

Abstract This paper develops a general method of solving rational expectations models with higher order beliefs. Higher order beliefs are crucial in an environment with dispersed information and strategic complementarity, and the equilibrium policy depends on infinite higher order beliefs. It is generally believed that solving this type of equilibrium policy requires an infinite number of state variable

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049