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Aquaporin 3 (AQP3) is a peroxiporin, a membrane protein that channels hydrogen peroxide in addition to water and glycerol. AQP3 expression also correlates with tumor progression and malignancy and is, therefore, a potential target in breast cancer therapy. In addition, epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in breast cancer. Therefore, we investigated whether disruption of the lipid raft harboring EGFR could affect AQP3 expression, and conversely, whether AQP3 silencing would affect the EGFR/phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/Protein kinase B (PKB or Akt) signaling pathway in breast cancer cell lines with different malignant capacities. We evaluated H2O2 uptake, cell migratory capacity, and expression of PI3K, pAkt/Akt in three breast cancer cell lines, MCF7, SkBr3, and SUM159PT, and in the nontumorigenic breast epithelial cell line MCF10A. Our results show different responses between the tested cell lines, especially when compared to the nontumorigenic cell line. Neither lipid raft disruption nor EGF stimuli had an effect on PI3K/Akt pathway in MCF10A cell line. AQP3-silencing in SkBr3 and SUM159PT showed that AQP3 can modulate PI3K/Akt activation in these cells. Interestingly, SUM159PT cells increase nuclear factor-E2–related factor 2 (NRF2) in response to lipid raft disruption and EGF stimuli, suggesting an oxidative-dependent response to these treatments. These results suggest that in breast cancer cell lines, AQP3 is not directly related to PI3K/Akt pathway but rather in a cell-line-dependent manner.

Cisplatina se koristi za liječenje velikog broja različitih zloćudnih tumora. Učinkovitost liječenja ograničena je pojavom ozbiljnih neželjenih pojava i/ili zbog otpornosti stanica zloćudnih tumora na liječenje. U posljednjih 18 godina se za liječenje zloćudnih tumora koriste spojevi koji moduliraju epigenom. Epigenetičke promjene su uključene, barem djelomično, u razvoj neosjetljivosti stanica zloćudnih tumora na velik broj protutumorskih lijekova. Važna epigenetička modifikacija koja je uključena u nastanak neosjetljivosti je trimetilacija lizina na položaju 27 u histonu H3 (H3K27me3). Ovu represivnu oznaku uspostavlja enzim EZH2 koji se može selektivno inhibirati lijekom tazemetostatom. Uklanjanje ove oznake kataliziraju enzimi KDM6A i KDM6B koji se mogu inhibirati spojem GSK-J4. Cilj rada bio je istražiti učinak spojeva tazemetostat i GSK-J4, u odnosu na promjenu osjetljivosti stanica na cisplatinu. Model istraživanja bile su stanice podrijetlom od zloćudnih tumora glave i vrata (Detroit 562 i FaDu) i debelog crijeva (HT-29). Kombinacije ovih spojeva s cisplatinom nisu dovoljno, ili uopće, istražene na ovim modelima. Dodatno je istražen učinak ovih spojeva u odnosu na razinu glukoze u hranjivom mediju. Cisplatina je uzrokovala stanično specifičan odgovor izmjeren primjenom funkcionalnih staničnih testova (test vijabilnosti, test proliferacije). Linija stanica FaDu pokazala se najosjetljivijom na djelovanje cisplatine, Detroit 562 umjereno osjetljivom, dok su stanice HT29 bile najotpornije. Kombiniranje cisplatine s tazemetostatom nije dovelo do dodatnog povećanja učinka cisplatine na proliferaciju stanica FaDu i Detroit 562, dok je u stanicama zloćudnog tumora debelog crijeva, HT-29, tazemetostat antagnonizirao djelovanje cisplatine. Za razliku od tazemetostata, spoj GSK-J4 sinergistički je djelovao s cisplatinom u odnosu na smanjenje proliferacije stanica Detroit 562 i HT-29. Sinergistički učinak izostao je u stanicama FaDu. Učinci kombinacija spojeva nisu se značajno razlikovali u odnosu na koncentraciju glukoze u mediju. Pozadina opaženih promjena istražila se na molekularno-genetičkoj razini, mjerenjem transkripata i proteinskih produkata gena uključenih u regulaciju staničnog ciklusa. Iako je cisplatina uzrokovala porast transkripta CDKN1A (P21) u svim linijama, u stanicama Detroit 562 i FaDu (ali ne i HT-29,) došlo je do sniženja razine P21 u ukupnim proteinima i proteinima citoplazme. Tazemetostat je uzrokovao porast P21 u svim stanicama. Također, primjena tazemetostata, samostalno ili s cisplatinom, uzrokovala je porast transkripta i proteina TGFB1 u stanicama HT-29. Porast se poklapa s povećanom proliferacijom u ovim eksperimentalnim uvjetima. Ovaj rad poslužit će kao osnova za dodatna istraživanja kojima će se ispitati mogućnost inhibicije enzima KDM6A i KDM6B u kombinaciji s cisplatinom, u pretkliničkim modelima. Također, ovo istraživanje pokazalo je i potencijalno opasne učinke tazemetostata u slučaju primjene na bolesnicima koji imaju karcinom debelog crijeva. Cisplatin is used to treat a number of various malignant tumors. The effectiveness of the treatment is limited by the occurrence of serious side effects and/or the cancer cells develop resistance to the treatment. Over the last 18 years, epigenome modulating compounds have been used to treat cancer. Epigenetic changes are involved, at least in part, in the development of cancer cell resistance to a number of antitumor drugs. An important epigenetic mark which is involved in development of resistance is trimethylation of lysine at the position 27 in histone H3 (H3K27me3). This repressive mark is established by the enzyme EZH2, which can be selectively inhibited by the drug tazemetostat. The removal of this mark is catalyzed by the enzymes KDM6A and KDM6B, which can be inhibited by the compound GSK-J4. The aim of this work was exploration of the effect of tazemetostat and GSK-J4, on sensitivity of cancer cells to cisplatin. The research was conducted using cells originating from head and neck (Detroit 562 and FaDu) and colon malignant tumors (HT-29). Combinations of tazemetostat and GSK-J4 with cisplatin have not been sufficiently, if at all, investigated in these models. Additionally, the effect of these compounds in relation to the content of glucose in the nutrient medium was investigated. The cellular response to cisplatin was cell-type specific and was measured with functional cellular assays (viability assay, proliferation assay). FaDu cell line proved to be the most sensitive to cisplatin, Detroit 562 was moderately sensitive, while HT-29 cells were the most resistant. Combining cisplatin with tazemetostat did not increase the effect of cisplatin with respect to the rate of FaDu and Detroit 562 proliferation, while in colon cancer cells, HT-29, tazemetostat antagonized the effect of cisplatin. Contrary to tazemetostat, the compound GSKJ4 exerted synergistic effect with cisplatin, which was obvious through the reduced proliferation rate of Detroit 562 and HT-29 cells. This effect was absent in FaDu cell lines. The effects of combined treatments did not differ significantly regarding the concentration of glucose in the medium. The underlying causes of the changes observed were investigated at the molecular-genetic level, by measuring the transcriptional activity, as well as the protein level of the selected genes involved in the regulation of the cell cycle and their protein products. Cisplatin application was associated with an increase of CDKN1A (P21) transcription in all cell lines. However, in Detroit 562 and FaDu, it was joined with a decrease of the P21 protein in both the total proteins and in the cytoplasmic protein fraction. This decrease was not observed in HT-29 cells. Tazemetostat caused an increase of P21 in all cell lines. Also, administration of tazemetostat, whether alone or in combination with cisplatin, caused an increase of TGFB1 168 HT-29 cells, on both, transcriptional and protein level. This increase coincides with increased proliferation under these specific experimental conditions. This work will serve as the basis for additional research that will explore the possibility of combining inhibition of enzymes KDM6A and KDM6B with cisplatin application, in preclinical cancer models. This in vitro research showed the potentially dangerous side effects of tazemetostat should it be used in patients with colon cancer.

Borreliella (syn. Borrelia) burgdorferi is a spirochete bacterium that causes tick-borne Lyme disease. Along its lifecycle B. burgdorferi develops several pleomorphic forms with unclear biological and medical relevance. Surprisingly, these morphotypes have never been compared at the global transcriptome level. To fill this void, we grew B. burgdorferi spirochete, round body, bleb, and biofilm-dominated cultures and recovered their transcriptomes by RNAseq profiling. We found that round bodies share similar expression profiles with spirochetes, despite their morphological differences. This sharply contrasts to blebs and biofilms that showed unique transcriptomes, profoundly distinct from spirochetes and round bodies. To better characterize differentially expressed genes in non-spirochete morphotypes, we performed functional, positional, and evolutionary enrichment analyses. Our results suggest that spirochete to round body transition relies on the delicate regulation of a relatively small number of highly conserved genes, which are located on the main chromosome and involved in translation. In contrast, spirochete to bleb or biofilm transition includes substantial reshaping of transcription profiles towards plasmids-residing and evolutionary young genes, which originated in the ancestor of Borreliaceae. Despite their abundance the function of these Borreliaceae-specific genes is largely unknown. However, many known Lyme disease virulence genes implicated in immune evasion and tissue adhesion originated in this evolutionary period. Taken together, these regularities point to the possibility that bleb and biofilm morphotypes might be important in the dissemination and persistence of B. burgdorferi inside the mammalian host. On the other hand, they prioritize the large pool of unstudied Borreliaceae-specific genes for functional characterization because this subset likely contains undiscovered Lyme disease pathogenesis genes.

Prostate cancer is among the leading cancers according to both incidence and mortality. Due to the high molecular, morphological and clinical heterogeneity, the course of prostate cancer ranges from slow growth that usually does not require immediate therapeutic intervention to aggressive and fatal disease that spreads quickly. However, currently available biomarkers cannot precisely predict the course of a disease, and novel strategies are needed to guide prostate cancer management. Amino acids serve numerous roles in cancers, among which are energy production, building block reservoirs, maintenance of redox homeostasis, epigenetic regulation, immune system modulation and resistance to therapy. In this article, by using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, we found that the expression of amino acid metabolism-related genes is highly aberrant in prostate cancer, which holds potential to be exploited in biomarker design or in treatment strategies. This change in expression is especially evident for catabolism genes and transporters from the solute carrier family. Furthermore, by using recursive partitioning, we confirmed that the Gleason score is strongly prognostic for progression-free survival. However, the expression of the genes SERINC3 (phosphatidylserine and sphingolipids generation) and CSAD (hypotaurine generation) can refine prognosis for high and low Gleason scores, respectively. Therefore, our results hold potential for novel prostate cancer progression biomarkers.

Recent studies have linked gut microorganism composition and chronic urticaria (CU); however, the underlying mechanisms responsible for this connection are unknown. Since the human immune system is in homeostasis with microbiota, and the composition of the microbiome regulates the development and function of the immune system, it is likely that an alteration of microbiota components (a dysbiosis) could influence the course of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), including disease severity, patient quality of life and treatment outcome. To date, several studies have identified changes in the gut microbiota composition of patients with CSU, though only a few have exhibited metabolic abnormalities associated with gut dysbiosis. The studies on CSU patients predominantly showed that the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria was decreased (Firmicutes and Bacteroides), while that of opportunistic bacteria was increased (Enterobacteria and Proteobacteria). In addition, serum metabolome analysis revealed that gut microbiota-associated alterations in unsaturated fatty acids and the butanoate metabolism pathway may play a role in CSU. These findings are potentially associated with inflammation mediated by the imbalance of Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines, which might contribute to CSU pathogenesis. Further research in this field could improve clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches to patients with CSU. By applying new knowledge on gut microbial communities and metabolomics, future CSU therapies could modify the microbiota composition using agents such as probiotics or other similar agents, which, in combination with current standard therapies, could hopefully lead to a reduction in symptoms and an improved quality of life for CSU patients.

Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS) is a condition of male infertility characterized by a total absence of spermatogenic cells in nearly all seminiferous tubules. Apart from well-established genetic changes such as Klinefelter syndrome, CFTR variants, and Y-chromosome microdeletions, several hundred candidate genes were reported as associated with male infertility. We selected 92 evidence-based genes associated with infertility and investigated data from whole-exome sequencing in 6 individuals with clinically diagnosed SCOS. Eight heterozygous variants passed our filtering criteria, including population frequency ≤ 0.1% and high functional impact indicated by Sift, Polyphen, and CADD scores. Out of them, we considered only variants with putative autosomal dominant effects on infertility that were subsequently validated by Sanger sequencing. This filtering pipeline has led to the final likely causative variants detected in CHD7 and SCYP3 genes that potentially explain SCOS in two of our patients. Our discoveries suggest that gene panel testing of patients with SCOS could improve the diagnostic outcome; however, assembling a gene panel consisting of only genuine causative genes is crucial.

The proportion of oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OOSCC) that can be attributed to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is growing nowadays. A potential factor indicating the occurrence of HPV-positive OSCC is a change in the degree of methylation of gene promoters that play a key role in the immune response. In this study, we investigated the difference in the methylation of EDARADD, GBP4, HAVCR2, HLA DPB1, IL12RB1, MARCO, and SIGLEC12 gene promoters in samples of healthy oral mucosa versus samples of oral and oropharyngeal cancer. The presence of HPV infection in samples was examined earlier. To determine the difference in methylation of those gene promotors, isolated and bisulfite-modified DNA was analysed by the methylation-specific PCR method. The investigated gene promoters were found to be more hypomethylated in the oral and oropharyngeal cancer samples in comparison to normal tissue. The proportion of unmethylated gene promoters was similar in HPV-positive and HPV-negative cancers, although the data should be confirmed on a larger set of samples. To conclude, in samples of healthy oral mucosa, the investigated gene promoters were found to be methylated in a high percentage (73.3% to 100%), while in oral and oropharyngeal cancer samples, they were methylated in a low percentage (11.1% to 37%), regardless of HPV infection.

Serotonin signaling plays an important role in regulating development and functions of the placenta. We hypothesized that metabolic disturbances associated with maternal obesity and/or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affect placental serotonin homeostasis. Therefore, we examined the effects of high glucose (25 mM) and insulin (10 nM)—two hallmarks of maternal obesity and GDM—on mRNA expression of key regulators of serotonin homeostasis, including serotonin transporter (SERT), tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1), and monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), in the first-trimester trophoblast cell line ACH-3P, focusing on oxygen levels characteristic of early human placental development. Glucose downregulated expression of SERT and MAOA independently of oxygen level and upregulated expression of TPH1 at 6.5% oxygen but not at 2.5% oxygen. Compared to 6.5% oxygen, 2.5% oxygen upregulated SERT and downregulated TPH1 expression, with no effect on MAOA expression. Insulin upregulated SERT only at 2.5% oxygen but had no effect on TPH1 and MAOA expression. These results suggest that maternal metabolic alterations in early pregnancy may be a driving force for changes in placental serotonin homeostasis.

Bolest Niemann-Pick tipa C (NPC) je rijetka nasljedna neurodegenerativna bolest nakupljanja slobodnog kolesterola i drugih lipida uzrokovana mutacijama u genu NPC1 ili NPC2, koja pokazuje niz patoloških sličnosti s kompleksnom Alzheimerovom bolesti (AB). Naša prethodna istraživanja su utvrdila povišeno djelovanje ključnog enzima u AB, proteaze BACE1, u NPC modelima. Stoga je cilj ovog doktorskog rada bio istražiti molekularnu pozadinu uočenog efekta te ispitati učinak inhibicije BACE1 na patološke karakteristike bolesti. Također, cilj je bio analizirati lipidom kako bi se utvrdile najranije promjene lipida odgovorne za različitu vulnerabilnost moždanih regija i disfunkciju endosoma u bolesti NPC. Korištene su primarne kulture neurona, kulture organotipskih rezova mozgova te moždane regije hipokampusa i malog mozga miševa koji imaju spontanu mutaciju u genu NPC1 te ne sintetiziraju proteina NPC1 (miševi NPC1) i miševa divljeg tipa (wt, od engl. wild type). U neuronima miševa NPC1 u odnosu na wt detektirana je povećana proteoliza supstrata BACE1- Sez6L i Sez6. Imunocitokemijska analiza je pokazala nakupljanje ovih supstrata u ranim endosomima NPC1 neurona. Promijenjen smještaj Sez6 i Sez6L u ranim endosomima je potvrđen i frakcioniranjem endolizosoma u moždanim regijama hipokampusa i malog mozga miševa NPC1. Interesantno, tretman inhibitorom BACE1 je djelomično popravio patološke značajke bolesti NPC, uključujući smanjenje nakupljanja Sez6 i Sez6L, smanjenje veličine vezikula ranih endosoma te smanjenje ukupne razine proteina tau u neuronima NPC1, kao i smanjenje neuroinflamacije (aktivacije astrocita i mikroglija) u kortiko-hipokamplanim rezovima miševa NPC1. Nadalje, analiza lipidoma je utvrdila da već u asimptomatskoj fazi bolesti postoji značajna razlika u distribuciji i razini određenih lipida u malom mozgu i hipokampusu, te u ranim endosomima miševa NPC1 u odnosu na wt. Ovo istraživanje je utvrdilo disfunkciju proteaze BACE1 i njenih supstrata te njihovu potencijalnu ulogu u patogenezi bolesti NPC. Uočene promjene sastava lipida moždanih regija i ranih endosoma mogu doprinijeti razvoju patoloških promjena u bolesti NPC., Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is a rare hereditary neurodegenerative disorder, caused by mutations in the NPC1 or NPC2 gene. It is characterised by accumulation of free cholesterol and other lipids and has a number of pathological similarities with complex Alzheimer's disease (AD). In our previous studies, increased activity of BACE1, the key enzyme of AD, was found in NPC mouse models. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation was to explore the molecular background of the observed effect and examine the effect of BACE1 inhibition on the pathological characteristics of the disease. In addition, the goal was to determine the earliest lipid changes responsible for the differences in brain region vulnerability and endosomal dysfunction in NPC disease by lipidome analysis. Primary neuronal cell cultures, organotipic brain slice cultures, and hippocampus and cerebellum of mice that have a spontaneous mutation in NPC1 gene and do not synthesize the NPC1 protein (NPC1 mice) and wild type mice (wt) were used. NPC1 neurons showed increased proteolysis of BACE1 substrates- Sez6L and Sez6 compared with wt neurons. Immunocytochemical analysis demonstrated accumulation of the aforementioned substrates in early endosomes of NPC1 neurons. The altered localization of Sez6 and Sez6L in early endosomes was confirmed by endolysosome fractionation in the hippocampus and cerebellum of NPC1 mice. Interestingly, treatment with a BACE1 inhibitor partially ameliorated the pathological features of NPC disease, including reduction in the accumulation of Sez6 and Sez6L, reduction in the size of early endosome vesicles, reduction in total tau protein level in NPC1 neurons, and reduction in neuroinflammation (activation of astrocytes and microglia) in cortico-hippocampal brain slices from NPC1 mice. Lipidome analysis revealed that even in the asymptomatic phase of the disease, there are significant differences in the distribution and content of certain lipids between NPC1 and wt mice in the cerebellum and hippocampus, and in early endosomes. These studies provide evidence for a possible role of the BACE1 protease and its substrates in the pathogenesis of NPC disease. The observed changes in the lipid composition of brain regions and early endosomes may contribute to the development of the pathological features of NPC disease.

It is well known that oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation (LPO) play a role in physiology and pathology. The most studied LPO product with pleiotropic capabilities is 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). It is considered as an important mediator of cellular signaling processes and a second messenger of reactive oxygen species. The effects of 4-HNE are mainly attributed to its adduction with proteins. Whereas the Michael adducts thus formed are preferred in an order of potency of cysteine > histidine > lysine over Schiff base formation, it is not known which proteins are the preferred targets for 4-HNE under what physiological or pathological conditions. In this review, we briefly discuss the methods used to identify 4-HNE–protein adducts, the progress of mass spectrometry in deciphering the specific protein targets, and their biological relevance, focusing on the role of 4-HNE protein adducts in the adaptive response through modulation of the NRF2/KEAP1 pathway and ferroptosis.

Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are endogenous molecules released from the necrotic cells dying after exposure to various stressors. After binding to their receptors, they can stimulate various signaling pathways in target cells. DAMPs are especially abundant in the microenvironment of malignant tumors and are suspected to influence the behavior of malignant and stromal cells in multiple ways often resulting in promotion of cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis, as well as increased immune evasion. This review will start with a reminder of the main features of cell necrosis, which will be compared to other forms of cell death. Then we will summarize the various methods used to assess tumor necrosis in clinical practice including medical imaging, histopathological examination, and/or biological assays. We will also consider the importance of necrosis as a prognostic factor. Then the focus will be on the DAMPs and their role in the tumor microenvironment (TME). We will address not only their interactions with the malignant cells, frequently leading to cancer progression, but also with the immune cells and their contribution to immunosuppression. Finally, we will emphasize the role of DAMPs released by necrotic cells in the activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the possible contributions of TLRs to tumor development. This last point is very important for the future of cancer therapeutics since there are attempts to use TLR artificial ligands for cancer therapeutics.

Antipsychotic-induced parkinsonism (AIP) is the most common type of extrapyramidal side effect (EPS), caused by the blockage of dopamine receptors. Since dopamine availability might influence the AIP risk, the dopamine transporter (DAT) and serotonin receptors (5-HTRs), which modulate the dopamine release, may be also involved in the AIP development. As some of the individual differences in the susceptibility to AIP might be due to the genetic background, this study aimed to examine the associations of SLC6A3, HTR2C and HTR6 gene polymorphisms with AIP in haloperidol-treated schizophrenia patients. The Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale (ESRS) was used to evaluate AIP as a separate entity. Genotyping was performed using a PCR, following the extraction of blood DNA. The results revealed significant associations between HTR6 rs1805054 polymorphism and haloperidol-induced tremor and rigidity. Additionally, the findings indicated a combined effect of HTR6 T and SLC6A3 9R alleles on AIP, with their combination associated with significantly lower scores of ESRS subscale II for parkinsonism, ESRS-based tremor or hyperkinesia and ESRS subscales VI and VIII. These genetic predictors of AIP could be helpful in better understanding its pathophysiology, recognizing the individuals at risk of developing AIP and offering personalized therapeutic strategies for the patients suffering from this EPS.

The biogenic monoamine serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a chemical messenger widely distributed in the brain and various other organs. Its homeostasis is maintained by the coordinated activity of a variety of proteins, including enzymes of serotonin metabolism, transmembrane transporters of serotonin, and serotonin receptors. The serotonin system has been identified also in the placenta in rodent models as a key component of placental physiology. However, serotonin pathways in the human placenta are far from well understood. Their alterations may have long-lasting consequences for the fetus that can manifest later in life. In this review, we summarize information on the location of the components of the serotonin system in the human placenta, their regulation, function, and alterations in pathological pregnancies. We highlight current controversies and discuss important topics for future research.

Background Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) is one of the most common life-threatening complications following allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT). Understanding outcome after alloHSCT requires a full evaluation of the patient’s health status, including cGvHD and patient reported outcomes (PROs). In an effort to better understand practice patterns across European countries, a survey was initiated by the Integrated European Network on cGvHD (an EU-funded COST Action CA17138 EUROGRAFT, www.gvhd.eu) and the Transplant Complications Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT). This report shares results of the survey, offering a snapshot view of current practice patterns in the context of long-term care of cGvHD patients. Methods Our self-designed 38-item online survey (Supplementary Material) was intended to collect data regarding transplant center characteristics, data registration practices, the use of NIH criteria in clinical routine, biopsies/biomarkers for clinical assessment, cGvHD cell-based therapies, and PROs. The survey used computer adapted testing methods and took ~10 min to complete. All centers participating in the COST Action EUROGRAFT and all EBMT centers performing alloHSCT were invited by email for participation in the survey. Data were collected between July 2019 and July 2020. Appropriate descriptive statistics were used. In case of multiple entries for a single center (n = 4), only the entry from the most senior staff member was included for the analysis. Missing data was reported as such. Findings Center characteristics Survey results are summarized in Table 1. A total of 72 centers out of 424 invited centers from 24 countries responded to the survey, representing ~17% of all alloHSCT centers and 19.6% of all transplanted patients within the EBMT network [1]. The majority of participating alloHSCT centers were from Europe with exception of three centers based in Asia and one in Latin America. Survey responses were mainly submitted by physicians and data managers. Of note, the size of the transplant programs differed between responding (mean ± SD, n = 47 ± 40 transplants/year) vs. non-responding (mean ± SD, n = 39 ± 31 transplants/year) centers (Supplementary Material).

ObjectivesChronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) is the most frequent cause of late non-relapse mortality after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHCT). Nevertheless, established biomarkers of cGvHD are still missing. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Development Project on Criteria for Clinical Trials in cGvHD provided recommendations for biomarker research. We evaluated to which extent studies on cellular and soluble biomarkers in cGvHD published in the last 10 years complied with these recommendations. Also, we highlight the most promising biomarker candidates, verified in independent cohorts and/or repeatedly identified by separate studies.MethodsWe searched Medline and EMBASE for “cGvHD”, “biomarkers”, “soluble” and “cells” as MeSH terms or emtree subject headings, and their variations on July 28th, 2021, limited to human subjects, English language and last ten years. Reviews, case reports, conference abstracts and single nucleotide polymorphism studies were excluded. Criteria based on the set of recommendations from the NIH group for biomarker research in cGvHD were used for scoring and ranking the references.ResultsA total of 91 references encompassing 15,089 participants were included, 54 prospective, 17 retrospective, 18 cross-sectional, and 2 studies included both prospective and retrospective cohorts. Thirty-five papers included time-matched controls without cGvHD and 20 studies did not have any control subjects. Only 9 studies were randomized, and 8 were multicentric. Test and verification cohorts were included in 11 studies. Predominantly, diagnostic biomarkers were explored (n=54). Assigned scores ranged from 5-34. None of the studies fulfilled all 24 criteria (48 points). Nevertheless, the scores improved during the last years. Three cell subsets (CXCR3+CD56bright NK cells, CD19+CD21low and BAFF/CD19+ B cells) and several soluble factors (BAFF, IL-15, CD163, DKK3, CXCL10 and the panel of ST2, CXCL9, MMP3 and OPN) had the highest potential as diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers in cGvHD.ConclusionDespite several limitations of this review (limited applicability for paediatric population, definition of verification, missing data on comorbidities), we identified promising candidate biomarkers for further evaluation in multicentre collaborative studies. This review confirms the importance of the NIH consensus group criteria for improving the quality and reproducibility of cGvHD biomarker research.

NOD2 is an innate immune receptor that constitutes an important target for the development of small molecule immunopotentiators with great potential to be used as vaccine adjuvants. We report here the results of an in vivo study of the adjuvant properties of a desmuramylpeptide NOD2 agonist SG29 and its lipidated analogs featuring an adamantyl moiety or a stearoyl group. These compounds have been synthesized, incorporated into liposomes, and evaluated for their in vivo adjuvant activity. The characterization of liposome formulations of examined compounds revealed that their size increased in comparison to that of empty liposomes. The introduction of a stearoyl or an adamantane lipophilic anchor into the structure of SG29, to produce SG115 and ZSB63, respectively, substantially improved the in vivo adjuvant activity. Of note, the attachment of the stearoyl moiety produced a Th2-biased immune response, while the incorporation of the adamantyl moiety greatly enhanced the production of total IgG but mostly augmented the production of IgG2a antibodies, which indicated a shift toward a Th1 immune response. The identified bona fide capacity of ZSB63 to initiate a cellular immune response thus highlights its untapped potential as an alternative vaccine adjuvant. Nasl. z nasl. zaslona. Opis vira z dne 9. 12. 2022. Bibliografija: str. 8-9. Abstract. ARRS ARRS ARRS ARRS Croatian Science Foundation

Perinatal derivatives are drawing growing interest among the scientific community as an unrestricted source of multipotent stromal cells, stem cells, cellular soluble mediators, and biological matrices. They are useful for the treatment of diseases that currently have limited or no effective therapeutic options by means of developing regenerative approaches. In this paper, to generate a complete view of the state of the art, a comprehensive 10-years compilation of clinical-trial data with the common denominator of PnD usage has been discussed, including commercialized products. A set of criteria was delineated to challenge the 10-years compilation of clinical trials data. We focused our attention on several aspects including, but not limited to, treated disorders, minimal or substantial manipulation, route of administration, dosage, and frequency of application. Interestingly, a clear correlation of PnD products was observed within conditions, way of administration or dosage, suggesting there is a consolidated clinical practice approach for the use of PnD in medicine. No regulatory aspects could be read from the database since this information is not mandatory for registration. The database will be publicly available for consultation. In summary, the main aims of this position paper are to show possibilities for clinical application of PnD and propose an approach for clinical trial preparation and registration in a uniform and standardized way. For this purpose, a questionnaire was created compiling different sections that are relevant when starting a new clinical trial using PnD. More importantly, we want to bring the attention of the medical community to the perinatal products as a consolidated and efficient alternative for their use as a new standard of care in the clinical practice.