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CIGB-300 is a synthetic peptide that inhibits the phosphorylation mediated by enzyme casein kinase 2 (CK2) and has a marked antineoplastic effect in different preclinical models. In the clinical setting, it’s explored in phase I and II studies using different routes of administration. In particular, the use of the intravenous route requires a reliable analytical method for the detection of CIGB-300 in plasma. A competitive ELISA was developed to detect and quantify the CIGB-300 peptide in human plasma samples. This system showed a detection limit of 0.030 μg/mL and a working range from 10 to 0.039 μg/mL, including concentrations achieved in plasma of patients treated with CIGB-300. In addition, the intra and inter-assay precisions were (coefficient of variation < 5%) and (CV < 17%) and the recovered range from 98.9 to 119.8%. Finally, the impact of three freeze-thaw cycles and the sample storage at - 80 °C on the stability of the analyte was evaluated. We obtained a CV < 20% for all samples in the stability study. The results support the application of this analytical method as a new tool for the pharmacokinetic studies of the early stages of clinical research with the new anti cancer drug CIGB-300. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Casein kinase 2 (CK2) is overexpressed in several types of cancer. It has more than 300 substrates mainly involved in DNA reparation and replication, chromatin remodeling and cellular growth. In recent years CK2 became an interesting target for anticancer drug development. CIGB-300 is a peptidic inhibitor of CK2 activity, designed to bind to the phospho-acceptor domain of CK2 substrates, impairing the correct phosphorylation by the enzyme. The aim of this work was to explore the antitumor effects of this inhibitor in preclinical lung cancer models. Materials and methods Human H125 and murine 3LL Lewis lung carcinoma cell lines were used to evaluate the effect of CIGB-300 treatment in vitro. For this purpose, adhesion, migration and invasion capabilities of cancer cells were tested. Proteolytic activity of tumor cell-secreted uPA and MMP after CIGB-300 incubation was also analyzed. In vivo anticancer efficacy of the peptide was evaluated using experimental and spontaneous lung colonization assays in C57BL/6 mice. Finally, in order to test the effect of CIGB-300 on tumor cell-induced angiogenesis, a modified Matrigel plug assay was conducted. Results and conclusion We demonstrate that treatment with low micromolar concentrations of CIGB-300 caused a drastic reduction of adhesion, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells. Reduced invasiveness after CIGB-300 incubation was associated with decreased proteolytic activity of tumor cell-conditioned medium. In vivo, intravenous administration of CIGB-300 (10 mg/kg) markly decreased lung colonization and metastasis development of 3LL cells. Interestingly, after 5 days of systemic treatment with CIGB-300, tumor cell-driven neovascularization was significantly reduced in comparison to control group. Altogether our data suggest an important role of CK2 in lung tumor development, suggesting a potential use of CIGB-300 as a novel therapeutic agent against lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B infections are a serious health threat to the world that cannot be prevented by vaccination. Here, we report an analysis of the MC58 Neisseria meningitidis genome aimed at the identification of new potential vaccine candidates. 'Hypothetical' and 'conserved hypothetical' annotated genes, together with those with putative functions related to the cell envelope, were subjected to extensive sequence similarity searches, as well as motif, cellular location, and domain analyses complemented with manual curation. As a result, a set of 35 uncharacterized ORFs, predicted to encode for surface exposed or virulence related proteins, was identified. The candidates were subdivided in three categories: 1) predicted outer membrane proteins (OMPs) unique of the Neisseria genus; 2) conserved OMPs from various genus and 3) proteins homologous to known OMPs or to proteins previously found to be immunogenic in animal models. Two of the final candidates, nmb1126 and nmb0181, were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The resulting products were purified by Metal Chelating Chromatography and used to immunize mice. The recombinant proteins were capable of inducing antibodies against the native antigen in preparations of a panel of three strains and displayed bactericidal activity against the homologous strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research analyzing the genetic variability and immunological properties of a novel protein identified in Neisseria meningitidis, called the NlpB antigen. Topics include the epidemiology of meningococcal disease, such as meningitis, which is caused by infections with the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis, and a discussion of the results regarding the feasibility of NlpB as a vaccine candidate against meningococcal disease.

El artículo discute la caracterización de proteínas presentes en proteoliposoma de N. meningitidis. También se analiza el análisis del proteoliposoma que está presente en la vacuna cubana VA-MENGOCBC. El artículo presenta los resultados del estudio como las condiciones encontradas que permiten una separación de los componentes de la vacuna.

El artículo discute la caracterización de proteínas presentes en proteoliposoma de N. meningitidis. También se analiza el análisis del proteoliposoma que está presente en la vacuna cubana VA-MENGOCBC. El artículo presenta los resultados del estudio como las condiciones encontradas que permiten una separación de los componentes de la vacuna.

The instrumental role of CK2 in the SARS-CoV-2 infection has pointed out this protein kinase as promising therapeutic target in COVID-19. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity has been reported by CK2 inhibitors in vitro ; however, no anti-CK2 clinical approach has been investigated in COVID-19. This trial aimed to explore the safety and putative clinical benefit of CIGB-325, an anti-CK2 peptide previously assessed in cancer patients. A monocentric, controlled, and therapeutic exploratory trial of intravenous CIGB-325 in adults hospitalized with COVID-19 was performed. Twenty patients were randomly assigned to receive CIGB-325 (2.5 mg/kg/day during 5-consecutive days) plus standard-of-care (10 patients) or standard-of-care alone (10 patients). Adverse events were classified by the WHO Adverse Reaction Terminology. Parametric and nonparametric statistical analyses were performed according to the type of variable. Considering the small sample size, differences between groups were estimated by Bayesian analysis. CIGB-325 induced transient mild and/or moderate adverse events such as pruritus, flushing, and rash in some patients. Both therapeutic regimens were similar with respect to SARS-CoV-2 clearance in nasopharynx swabs over time. However, CIGB-325 significantly reduced the median number of pulmonary lesions (9.5 to 5.5, p = 0.042) at day 7 and the proportion of patients with such an effect was also higher according to Bayesian analysis (pDif > 0; 0.951). Also, CIGB-325 significantly reduced the CPK ( p = 0.007) and LDH ( p = 0.028) plasma levels at day 7. Our preliminary findings suggest that this anti-CK2 clinical approach could be combined with standard-of-care in COVID-19 in larger studies., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2020 American Chemical Society.)

Background: B23/nucleophosmin (B23/NPM1) is an abundant multifunctional protein mainly located in the nucleolus but constantly shuttling between the nucleus and cytosol. As a consequence of its constitutive expression, intracellular dynamics and binding capacities, B23/NPM1 interacts with multiple cellular factors in different cellular compartments, but also with viral proteins from both DNA and RNA viruses. B23/NPM1 influences overall viral replication of viruses like HIV, HBV, HCV, HDV and HPV by playing functional roles in different stages of viral replication including nuclear import, viral genome transcription and assembly, as well as final particle formation. Of note, some virus modify the subcellular localization, stability and/or increases B23/NPM1 expression levels on target cells, probably to foster B23/NPM1 functions in their own replicative cycle., Results: This review summarizes current knowledge concerning the interaction of B23/NPM1 with several viral proteins during relevant human infections. The opportunities and challenges of targeting this well-conserved host protein as a potentially new broad antiviral treatment are discussed in detail. Importantly, although initially conceived to treat cancer, a handful of B23/NPM1 inhibitors are currently available to test on viral infection models., Conclusion: As B23/NPM1 partakes in key steps of viral replication and some viral infections remain as unsolved medical needs, an appealing idea may be the expedite evaluation of B23/NPM1 inhibitors in viral infections. Furthermore, worth to be addressed is if the up-regulation of B23/NPM1 protein levels that follows persistent viral infections may be instrumental to the malignant transformation induced by virus like HBV and HCV., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) remains an incurable malignancy, urging for the identification of new molecular targets for therapeutic intervention. CLL cells rely on overexpression and hyperactivation of the ubiquitous serine/threonine protein kinase CK2 for their viability in vitro. CIGB-300 is a cell-permeable selective CK2 inhibitor peptide undergoing clinical trials for several cancers. Here, we show that CIGB-300 promotes activation of the tumor suppressor PTEN and abrogates PI3K-mediated downstream signaling in CLL cells. In accordance, CIGB-300 decreases the viability and proliferation of CLL cell lines, promotes apoptosis of primary leukemia cells and displays antitumor efficacy in a xenograft mouse model of human CLL. Our studies provide pre-clinical support for the testing and possible inclusion of CK2 inhibitors in the clinical arsenal against CLL.