Previous Radiotherapy Increases the Efficacy of IL-2 in Malignant Pleural Effusion: Potential Evidence of a Radio-Memory Effect?

Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that prior receipt of radiotherapy enhances antitumor immune responses, a phenomenon we call the “radio-memory effect.” However, all of the evidence regarding this effect to date comes from work with PD1/PDL1 inhibitors. Here we explored whether this effect also occurs with other forms of immune therapy, specifically interleukin-2 (IL-2). We retrospectively assessed outcomes in patients with malignant pleural effusion (MPE) who had previously received radiotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) within 18 months before the intrapleural infusion of IL-2 or cisplatin. Radiotherapy sites included lungs, thoracic lymph nodes, and intracranial. All patients received intrapleural infusion of IL-2 or cisplatin, and most had had several cycles of standard chemotherapy for NSCLC. We identified 3,747 patients with MPE (median age 64 years [range 29–88)) treated at one of several institutions from August 2009 through February 2015; 642 patients had been treated with IL-2 and 1102 with cisplatin and had survived for at least 6 months afterward. Among those who received IL-2, 288 had no radiotherapy, 324 had extracranial (i.e., thoracic) radiotherapy, and 36 had intracranial radiotherapy. The median follow-up time for surviving patients was 38 months. Patients who had received extracranial radiotherapy followed by IL-2 had significantly longer PFS than patients who had not received extracranial radiotherapy (i.e., either no radiotherapy or intracranial radiotherapy). Patients who had received intracranial or extracranial radiotherapy followed by IL-2 had significantly longer OS than did other patients. No survival advantage was noted for prior radiotherapy among patients who received intrapleural cisplatin. We speculate that previous radiotherapy could enhance the efficacy of subsequent intrapleural infusion of IL-2, a “radio-memory” effect that could be beneficial in future studies

Waterborne Lignin-Based Epoxy Resin: A Green and Effective Chemical Cross-Linker to Form Soy Protein-Based Wood Adhesive with High Performance

Waterborne lignin-based epoxy resin emulsions (WLEPs) bearing poly(ethylene glycols) (PEGs) as hydrophilic and soft segments were successfully prepared without using any solvent, and then the WLEPs were cured with polyamide (PA) and the soybean protein isolate (SPI) to form wood adhesives SPI/WLEP/PA with good bonding performance and water resistance. The WLEPs were uniformly dispersed in the SPI matrix, and the multiple interactions between WLEP, PA, and SPI resulted in a more stable and compact cross-linked network, which was conducive to enhancing the cohesion strength, water tolerance, and thermal stabilities of the SPI-based adhesives. In comparison to the pristine SPI adhesive, the dry and hot water (63 °C for 3 h) shear strengths of the plywood formulated with SPI/WLEP/PA (WLEP: 16 wt %) remarkably increased by 137% (3.94 MPa) and 134% (0.75 MPa), respectively, satisfying the demand of interior-use plywood type II. Especially, when the WLEP loading reached 21 wt %, the plywood demonstrated outstanding boiling water strength of 0.77 MPa, higher than the China national standard requirement for exterior-grade plywood type I (≥0.70 MPa). These results suggested that the WLEPs could serve as a green and effective cross-linker to give SPI-based wood adhesives with high water tolerance and bonding performance

Temperature and pH Responsive Hydrogels Using Methacrylated Lignosulfonate Cross-Linker: Synthesis, Characterization, and Properties

In this work, biobased hydrogels with temperature and pH responsive properties were prepared by copolymerizing <i>N</i>-isopropyl­acrylamide (NIPAM), itaconic acid (IA), and methacrylated lignosulfonate (MLS), where the multifunctional MLS served as a novel macro-cross-linker. The network structures of the lignosulfonate-NIPAM-IA hydrogels (LNIH) were characterized and confirmed by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared, and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance. The equilibrium swelling capacity of the LNIH hydrogel decreased from 31.6 to 19.1 g/g with MLS content increasing from 3.7 to 14.3%, suggesting a strong dependence of water absorption of the gel on MLS content. LNIH hydrogels showed temperature-sensitive behaviors with volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) around the body temperature, which was also influenced by MLS content. Moreover, all LNIH hydrogels exhibited pH sensitivity in the range of pH 3.0 to 9.1. Rheological study indicated that mechanical strength of the gel also increased with MLS content. The results from this study suggest that lignosulfonate derivative MLS is a potential feedstock serving both water-absorbing moiety and cross-linker for preparation of biobased smart hydrogels