Ovarian cancer remains the deadliest gynecological malignancy, largely because early screening is inadequate. This work reports a smartphone-based fluorescent homogeneous immunoassay sensor (SFHIS) that combines aggregation-induced emission luminogen-doped metal-organic framework microspheres (AMOFs) as donors and spiky carbon nanospheres (CNPs) as acceptors. Target antigen-antibody sandwich formation brings donor and acceptor into proximity, inducing efficient Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and fluorescence quenching, which is linearly related to the natural logarithm of antigen concentration. A dual-correction algorithm removes internal filter effects, enabling accurate quantification. The SFHIS shows linear ranges of 0.8-51.2 U/mL for CA125 and 8-256 pmol/L for HE4, with limits of detection of 0.67 U/mL and 1.03 pmol/L, respectively. The assay is completed within 25 min without washing, exhibits intra- and inter-batch CVs < 10%, no cross-reactivity with CEA, AFP, or PSA, and correlates strongly with chemiluminescence assays (CA125: R2 = 0.970; HE4: R2 = 0.982; P < 0.05). This portable, low-cost platform offers rapid, reliable biomarker detection suitable for clinical laboratories, primary care, community health, and resource-limited settings.

Rabies, caused by the rabies virus (RABV), remains a global public health issue. Traditional inactivated rabies vaccines are costly, risky, and require multiple doses for post-exposure prophylaxis. The rabies virus glycoprotein (RABV-G), essential for inducing protective antibodies, is crucial for new vaccine development. Lentiviral vectors offer promise due to their efficient gene delivery and strong immune responses. We designed three recombinant pseudotyped lentiviral vector vaccines with enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) as marker, among VSV-G/LV-RABV-G the RABV-G only lies in the core of pseudotyped lentiviral particle, among RABV-G/LV-RABV-G the RABV-G lies in both of the core and the envelop and among RABV-G/LV-eGFP the RABV-G only lies in the envelop. These were tested for antigenicity, infectivity, and neutralizing antibody response. All vaccines showed strong antigen specificity and high titers for virus particles production. Immunization tests in mice showed that VSV-G/LV-RABV-G and RABV-G/LV-RABV-G vaccines induced high neutralizing antibody levels within 3 days, sustained up to 10 weeks. The RABV-G/LV-eGFP vaccine, especially with CPG-ODN adjuvant, also generated significant antibody responses. In summary, the recombinant pseudotyped lentiviral vector vaccines based on the RABV-G show promise for effective, single-dose rabies vaccination.

Angiotensin‑(1‑7) [Ang‑(1‑7)] exerts physiological effects in the brain mediated by its receptor, Mas. Recent studies have successfully demonstrated that Ang‑(1‑7) exerts neuroprotective effects following cerebral ischemia in a rat model. However, prior investigations utilized direct intracerebral cannulation for Ang‑(1‑7) delivery, potentially limiting human application. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) have been previously demonstrated to mobilize to the site of cerebral injury in response to stroke. Therefore, we sought to examine the therapeutic potential of HSC transduced via a lentivirus with Ang‑(1‑7) to migrate to the ischemic hemisphere and overexpress Ang‑(1‑7) following stroke. Animals were divided into 3 groups: Stroke + PBS, Stroke + HSC, Stroke + Ang‑(1‑7)‑transduced HSC. Bone marrow from separate animals was harvested and used for injection of the HSC, with or without lentivirus induced Ang‑(1‑7) transduction. A neurological assessment was performed at 72 hours post‑surgery. Ang‑(1‑7) transduced HSC secreted the peptide up to 72 hours post infection, in vitro. Stroked animals injected with the Ang‑(1‑7) infected HSC exhibited reduced behavioral deficits on the Bederson neurological assessment scale. These data suggest that HSC‑mediated delivery of Ang‑(1‑7) to ischemic brain appears to improve post‑stroke outcomes and may offer a novel route of therapeutic agent delivery to the brain.

The level of rabies virus neutralizing antibody (RVNA) is a critical indicator to evaluate the protective immunity of vaccinees against rabies virus (RABV) infection. The fluorescent antibody virus neutralization test (FAVN) and the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT) are the WHO recommended assays for determining the RVNA level after vaccination, but both methods are complicated and time-consuming for 1–5 days. Here we developed a smartphone-based immunosensor platform (SPIS), intelligently integrated with the nanozyme (Au@PtNPs) engaged competitive immunoassay (CIA) in the heavy ion microporous membrane (HIM) filtration microplate and PMMA optical fiber signal transmission (SPIS-CIV) for quantitatively surrogate virus neutralization testing (sVNT) of the surrogate RVNA (sRVNA) in blood samples during 50 min. The highest intra-assay and inter-assay coefficient variations (CV) of SPIS-CIA varied < 13 % or 14 %, respectively. The linear range of quantification was between 0.4 IU/mL and 10 IU/mL RVNA. The nearly full agreement was found between SPIS-CIA and FAVN for measuring sRVNA or RVNA titers in serum/plasma samples from 27 rabies vaccinees and 64 non-rabies vaccinees (R2=0.9941, P < 0.0001), especially SPIS-CIV was accurate for quantification of sRVNA at the border line of protection level (0.5 IU/mL). The limit of detection or quantification (LOD/LOQ) was determined to be 0.25 IU/mL and 0.4 IU/mL, respectively. In conclusion, SPIS-CIA is a rapid, quantitative and precise point-of-care testing for serum sRVNA level, which can be used to predict the protection efficacy against RABV infection in human rabies vaccinees in clinical diagnosis.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is an effective approach for monitoring herd immunity of animals against rabies but not recommended to detect neutralizing antibody response of individual animals in the framework of international travel since its insufficient agreement with the globally recognized rabies virus (RABV) neutralizing tests. In this study, a blocking ELISA to specifically detect anti-RABV neutralizing antibody was developed using the purified RABV glycoprotein (G) expressed in HEK293T cells as coating antigen, and a labeled anti-G neutralizing monoclonal antibody as the blocking antibody. The overall agreement between the blocking ELISA and fluorescent antibody virus neutralization test in detection of clinical serum samples (dogs = 658; cats = 508) was 97.43% (1,136/1,166), with a diagnostic specificity of 95.63% (219/229) and a diagnostic sensitivity of 97.87% (917/937). Further comparison with the commercial ELISA kits and inter-laboratory validation showed that the blocking ELISA had excellent specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility. In conclusion, the developed method is a potential tool as an alternative to the virus neutralization test for the detection of canine and feline rabies neutralization antibodies following vaccination.IMPORTANCEThis study establishes a blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting rabies neutralizing antibodies in dogs and cats, demonstrating high sensitivity, specificity, and no cross-reactivity. This method provides a reliable alternative to conventional neutralization assays, facilitating efficient large-scale rabies vaccination assessment, and thereby strengthening global rabies control efforts.

Circadian rhythm disruption impacts the efficiency of both chemotherapy and immunotherapy, yet identifying the key factors involved remains challenging. Circadian rhythm disruption can trigger aberrant fibroblasts activation, suggesting potential roles of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in addressing this issue. In this paper, TCGA-BLCA patients were classified into two subgroups based on the expression of core circadian rhythm genes (CCRGs). The CCRG-based subgroups showed distinct fibroblast-related signals, from which a risk model composed of five fibroblast-related genes was finally established with excellent survival prognostic value in both TCGA and GEO datasets. The risk model was positively associated with the infiltration of CAFs and can efficiently predict the immunotherapy response in BLCA. Besides, high-risk score was associated with reduced sensitivity to a majority of traditional chemotherapeutic drugs such as oxaliplatin and gemcitabine. Further, the correlation between CCRGs and the risk genes was analyzed. Among the five risk genes, FAM20C displayed the most extensive correlation with the CCRGs and exhibited the strongest connection with CAFs infiltration. Moreover, FAM20C independently served as a predictor for the response to immunotherapy in BLCA. In conclusion, this study has identified a circadian-based signature for evaluating CAFs infiltration and predicting the efficacy of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The central gene FAM20C has emerged as a promising candidate which merits further investigations.

The emergence of various variants of concern (VOCs) necessitates the development of more efficient vaccines for COVID-19. In this study, we established a rapid and robust production platform for a novel subunit vaccine candidate based on eukaryotic HEK-293 T cells. The immunogenicity of the vaccine candidate was evaluated in pigs. The results demonstrated that the pseudovirus neutralizing antibody (pNAb) titers reached 7751 and 306 for the SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variants, respectively, after the first boost. Subsequently, pNAb titers further increased to 10,201 and 1350, respectively, after the second boost. Additionally, ELISPOT analysis revealed a robust T-cell response characterized by IFN-gamma (171 SFCs/106 cells) and IL-2 (101 SFCs/106 cells) production. Our study demonstrates that a vaccine candidate based on the Delta variant spike protein may provide strong and broad protection against the prototype SARS-CoV-2 and VOCs. Moreover, the strategy for the efficient and stable expression of recombinant proteins utilizing HEK-293 T cells can be employed as a universal platform for future vaccine development.

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is a highly contagious and economically important pathogen threatening pig industry worldwide, the envelope glycoprotein E2 of CSFV is the dominant antigen inducing strong antiviral neutralizing immunity. In this study, 7 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with neutralizing potency were generated using E2 protein of CSFV Shimen strain (SM) expressed by eukaryotic cells. Their reactivity with 116 CSFV strains in cell cultures and E2 proteins of 10 subgenotypes in western blots showed different CSFV spectrums they recognized. Of them, three (HCL-001, HCL-005 and HCL-010) reacted with all CSFV subgenotypes, while HCL-014 and HCL-002 reacted with most CSFV strains, except for some variants in genotype 2.3. In contrast, mAb HCL-009 reacted only with a few subgenotype 1.1 strains including SM, field strains and some vaccine strains. Interestingly, mAb HCL-018 reacted only with SM and field subgenotype 1.1 strains, not with any vaccine strains. Further epitope mapping using chimeric and site-directed mutated E2 proteins showed that HCL-001, HCL-005 and HCL-010 recognized a conservative epitope motif 143SPT145,L147, and HCL-002 recognized a conformational epitope with key aa motifs of 95GDD97,157RX(D/E)K(R)XFXXR164. HCL-014 recognized a new conservative epitope with key aa motifs of 41D,58XNVVXRR64. HCL-009 and HCL-018 recognized the epitope with key aa motifs of 36D,40ND41,45KXI47 and 69LHXGXLLT76, respectively. Taken together, present study has provided not only new insights into the antigenic structure of E2 protein, but also key reagents for antigenic characterization of CSFV strains and development of antibody assay for evaluation of the vaccination efficacy.

IntroductionPseudorabies (PR) is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the pseudorabies virus (PRV), which can cause disease in a wide range of domestic and wild animals. Studies have shown that new mutant strains have emerged in pig farms in many regions and that commercial inactivated and live attenuated vaccines are becoming less effective at protecting pigs.MethodsPorcine pseudorabies glycoprotein D (gD) gene (GenBank: QEY95774.1) with hexa-His tag to the C terminus for further purification processes was cloned into the lentiviral expression plasmid pLV-CMV-eGFP by restriction enzyme, the resulting plasmid was designated as pLV-CMV-gD. HEK-293T cells with robust and stable expression of recombinant gD protein was established by infection with recombinant lentivirus vector pLV-CMV-gD. We expressed porcine pseudorabies virus gD protein using HEK-293T cells.ResultsWe describe in this study that individual gD proteins produced by a mammalian cell expression system are well immunogenic and stimulate high levels of PRV-specific and neutralizing antibodies in mice and piglets. All mice and piglets survived lethal doses of PRV, significantly reducing the amount of PRV virus in piglets’ lymph nodes, lungs, spleen, and other tissues. It also significantly reduced the time cycle and amount of viral excretion from piglets to the environment through the nasal and anal cavities.DiscussionThe results suggest that PRV gD protein is expected to be a potential candidate for the preparation of genetically engineered PR vaccines for the prevention of PRV infection and the control of PR epidemics.

Zika virus can infect the fetus through the placental barrier, causing ZIKV congenital syndrome and even miscarriage, which can cause great harm to pregnant women and infants. Currently, there is no vaccine and drug available to combat the Zika virus. In this study, we designed a fusion protein named EDIII-Fc, including the EDIII region of Zika E protein and human IgG Fc fragment, and obtained 293T cells that stably secreted EDIII-Fc protein using the lentiviral expression system. Mice were immunized with the EDIII-Fc protein, and it was observed that viral replication was significantly inhibited in the immunized mice compared to non-immunized mice. In rhesus macaques, we found that EDIII-Fc effectively induce the secretion of neutralizing antibodies and T cell immunity. These experimental data provide valid data for further use of Zika virus E protein to prepare an effective, safe, affordable Zika vaccine.

Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) regulate antiviral immune response through targeting DNA sensor signaling pathway members. As one of the DNA sensors, interferon (IFN)-γ inducible protein 16 (IFI16) play a major role in response to virus infections through activating the canonical STING/TBK-1/IRF3 signaling pathway. Only a few studies discuss the function of DUBs in IFI16-mediated antiviral response. Ubiquitin-specific protease 12 (USP12), which is one of the major members of the USP family, participates in various biological functions. However, whether USP12 regulates the nucleic acid sensor to modulate antiviral immune responses has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we found that knockout or knockdown of USP12 impaired the HSV-1-induced expressions of IFN-β, CCL-5, IL-6, and downstream interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Moreover, USP12 deficiency increased HSV-1 replication and host susceptibility to HSV-1 infection. Mechanistically, USP12 inhibited the proteasome-dependent degradation of IFI16 through its deubiquitinase activity, thereby maintaining IFI16 stability and promoting IFI16-STING-IRF3- and p65-mediated antiviral signaling. Overall, our findings demonstrate an essential role of USP12 in DNA-sensing signaling and contribute to the understanding of deubiquitination-mediated regulation of innate antiviral responses.

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is a major animal pathogen threatening the global pork industry. To date, numerous anti-CSFV monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and their recognizing epitopes have been reported. However, few mAbs were systematically characterized for the capacity to differentiate field CSFV isolates from CSF vaccine strains, and the molecular basis associated with antigenic differences between vaccines and field isolates is still largely unknown. In the present study, recombinant CSFV structural glycoproteins E2 of both virulent and vaccine strains and Erns of vaccine strain were expressed using eukaryotic cells and murine mAbs generated against E2 and Erns. After serial screening and cloning of the hybridomas, the viral spectra of mAbs were respectively determined by indirect fluorescent antibody assay (IFA) using 108 CSFVs, followed by Western blot analysis using expressed glycoproteins of all CSFV sub-genotypes including vaccine strains. The antigenic structures recognized by these mAbs were characterized by epitope mapping using truncated, chimeric, and site-directed mutated E2 and Erns proteins. We have identified two vaccine-specific, one field isolate-specific, and two universal CSFV-specific mAbs and five novel conformational epitopes with critical amino acid (aa) motifs that are associated with these five mAbs: 213EPD215, 271RXGP274, and 37LXLNDG42 on E2 and 38CKGVP42, W81, and D100/V107 on Erns. Particularly, E213 of E2 is field isolate-specific, while N40 of E2 and D100/V107 of Erns are vaccine strain-specific. Results from our study further indicate that N40D of E2 mutation in field strains was likely produced under positive selection associated with long-term mass vaccination, leading to CSFV evasion of host immune response. Taking together, this study provides new insights into the antigenic structure of CSFV E2 and Erns and the differentiating mAbs will contribute to the development of a diagnostic strategy to differentiate C-strain vaccination from natural infection (DIVA) of CSFV in terms of elimination of CSF in China.

Everolimus, an oral mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibitor, presents a therapeutic option in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients who were intolerant to, or previously failed, immune- and vascular endothelial growth factor-targeted therapies. However, the onset of drug resistance limits its clinical use. One possible mechanism underpinning the resistance is that inhibiting mTORC1 by everolimus results in mTORC2-dependent activation of v-Akt murine thymoma viral oncogene (AKT) and upregulation of hypoxia-inducible transcription factors (HIF). Norcantharidin (NCTD) is a demethylated derivative of cantharidin with antitumor properties which is an active ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine Mylabris. In this study, everolimus-resistant RCC cells (786-O-R) obtained by chronic everolimus treatment revealed higher level of HIF2α and over-activated mTORC2 pathway and NCTD inhibits cell proliferation in both everolimus-resistant and -sensitive RCC cells by arresting cell cycle in G0/G1 phase and reducing cell cycle-related proteins of C-Myc and cyclin D. Furthermore, NCTD shows synergistic anticancer effects combined with everolimus in everolimus-resistant 786-O-R cells. Mechanically, NCTD repressed both mTORC1 and mTORC2 signaling pathways as well as downstream molecular signaling pathways, such as p-4EBP1, p-AKT, HIF1α and HIF2α. Our findings provide sound evidence that combination of NCTD and everolimus is a potential therapeutic strategy for treating RCC and overcoming everolimus resistance by dual inhibition of mTORC1 and mTORC2.

The mechanisms underlying fibrogenic responses after injury are not well understood. Epithelial cell cycle arrest in G2/M after injury is a key checkpoint for determining wound-healing leading to either normal cell proliferation or fibrosis. Here, we identify a kidney- and liver-enriched circular RNA, circBNC2, which is abundantly expressed in normal renal tubular cells and hepatocytes but significantly downregulated after acute ischemic or toxic insult. Loss of circBNC2 is at least partially mediated by upregulation of DHX9. Gain- and loss-of-function studies, both in vitro and in vivo, demonstrate that circBNC2 acts as a negative regulator of cell G2/M arrest by encoding a protein that promotes formation of CDK1/cyclin B1 complexes. Restoring circBNC2 in experimentally-induced male mouse models of fibrotic kidney and liver, decreases G2/M arrested cell numbers with secretion of fibrotic factors, thereby mitigating extracellular matrix deposition and fibrosis. Decreased expression of circBNC2 and increased G2/M arrest of epithelial cells are recapitulated in human ischemic reperfusion injury (IRI)-induced chronic kidney disease and inflammation-induced liver fibrosis, highlighting the clinical relevance. These findings suggest that restoring circBNC2 might represent a potential strategy for therapeutic intervention in epithelial organ fibrosis.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is increasingly identified as a crucial risk factor for progression to CKD. However, the factors gov-erning AKI to CKD progression remain largely unknown. By high-throughput RNA sequencing, we found that Neat1_2, a transcript variant of Neat1, was upregulated in 40-min ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), which resulted in the devel-opment of renal fibrotic lesions. The upregulation of Neat1_2 in hypoxia-treated TECs was attributed to p53 transcriptional regulation. Gain-and loss-of-function studies, both in vitro and in vivo, demonstrated that Neat1_2 promoted apoptosis of injured TECs induced by IRI and caused tubulointerstitial inflammation and fibrosis. Mechanistically, Neat1_2 shares miRNA response elements with FADD, CASP-8, and CASP-3. Neat1_2 competitively binds to miR-129-5p and prevents miR-129-5p from decreasing the levels of FADD, CASP-8, and CASP-3, and ultimately facilitates TEC apoptosis. Increased expression of Neat1_2 associated with kidney injury and TEC apoptosis was recapitulated in human AKI, highlighting its clinical relevance. These findings suggest that preventing TEC apoptosis by hindering Neat1_2 expression may be a po-tential therapeutic strategy for AKI to CKD progression.

目的:初步探讨慢病毒载体介导的SARS-CoV-2 Spike蛋白(简称S蛋白)过表达对人肾上皮细胞生长的影响及相关机制.方法:构建S蛋白慢病毒的表达载体pLV-CMV-S-IRES-eGFP,并将此载体包装成慢病毒颗粒(LV-S).利用重组的慢病毒LV-S感染人肾小管上皮细胞(HK-2)及HEK293T细胞(293T),利用EdU测定其细胞活力,利用流式细胞术测定其细胞周期和细胞凋亡,并通过Western blot检测相关蛋白表达水平.结果:重组慢病毒载体感染HK-2及293T细胞24 h均能观察到eGFP表达,细胞活力检测结果显示S蛋白过表达可以使HK-2及293T细胞的细胞活力下降.流式细胞术结果显示S蛋白诱导细胞周期阻滞在G2/M期,同时S蛋白通过激活Caspase-3和Caspase-9诱导细胞发生凋亡.此外,SARS-CoV-2 S蛋白过表达可以增强HK-2及293T细胞自噬相关蛋白的表达.结论:SARS-CoV-2 S蛋白可能通过诱导肾上皮细胞发生周期阻滞和凋亡,介导细胞损伤.

The 38 kDa protein is a major antigen of mycobacterium tuberculosis and has been widely used in TB serodiagnosis, due to its highly sensitivity and specificity. Here we attempt to establish a production platform of recombinant 38 kDa protein in mammalian cells and to evaluate the potential value of 38 kDa protein in TB serodiagnosis. The 38 kDa gene is synthesized and cloned into a lentiviral expressing vector. Recombinant lentiviral vector LV-CMV-38 kDa-eGFP was packaged, titered, and then transduced into HEK 293 T cells. Recombinant cell lines were selected by limiting dilution. Supernatants were collected and purified by HisTrapTM HP column. Western blot showed a molecular weight of approximate 38 kDa in cell supernatants as expected. ELISA assay confirmed the immunological specificity of the obtained protein in the presence of MTB-infected human serum samples. In all, we have obtained a stable cell line with long-term and robust expression of secretory MTB 38 kDa protein, which may provide a promising candidate antigen for the development of TB serological diagnosis.

将猪流行性腹泻病毒(PEDV)流行毒株S1基因经密码子优化后克隆到慢病毒表达载体,在293T细胞包装PEDV S1重组慢病毒;重组慢病毒感染293T细胞,经有限稀释法筛选获得高效稳定表达S1蛋白的重组细胞系HEK-293T-S1;生产、纯化S1蛋白,添加佐剂制备成重组S1亚单位疫苗,经肌肉注射免疫实验用巴马小型猪,评价重组S1蛋白的免疫原性.结果 表明,疫苗经肌肉注射免疫能诱导唾液、粪便及血清产生S1特异性IgA;证实巴马小型猪3日龄仔猪对PEDV流行毒株易感,在临床症状及组织病理学变化均符合高毒力PEDV特征,可以作为感染动物模型;在实验用巴马小型猪证实PEDV重组S1蛋白结合佐剂经肌肉注射可诱导粘膜免疫,这为PEDV基因工程疫苗研发奠定了基础.