Objective:To construct and analyze the visual nomogram predictive model for the prognosis of elderly advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients after surgery based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.Methods:SEER*Stat8.4.0.1 software was used to screen out the data from 17 register in SEER database between 2000 and 2019, and finally 4 453 lung adenocarcinoma patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent surgical treatment and were diagnosed as stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ according to the 7th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging criteria were enrolled. The data were randomly divided into the training set (3 117 cases) and the validation set (1 336 cases) in a 7:3 ratio; the epidemilogical data and clinicopathological characteristics of the two groups were compared. LASSO regression was used for data dimensionality reduction to select the best predictors from the prognostic factors of patients. Cox proportional risk model was used to perform univariate and multivariate analyses of the screened variables, and based on R software rms package and the prognostic independent risk factors, the nomogram was constructed to predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates of the patients. The validation set was validated by using Bootstrap method with 1 000 equal repeated samples with playback, and the accuracy of the nomogram model was verified by using the C-index, receiving operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in age, gender, race, tumor location, Grade grading, surgery methods, the number of lymph node dissection, radiotherapy, tumor diameter, tumor metastasis, marriage, living condition, TNM staging, radiochemotherapy of training set and validation set (all P > 0.05). In training set, 18 variables were included into LASSO regression analysis and were performed with dimensionality reduction; ultimately, 11 optimal predictive variables were selected, including age ≥ 85 years ( HR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.803-3.037, P < 0.01), male ( HR = 1.326, 95% CI: 1.228-1.432, P < 0.01), Grade grading Ⅲ-Ⅳ ( HR = 1.333, 95% CI: 0.844-2.105, P < 0.01), undissected lymph nodes ( HR = 2.261, 95% CI: 2.023-2.527, P < 0.01), tumor diameter ≥3.7 cm ( HR = 1.445, 95% CI: 1.333-1.566, P < 0.01), bone metastasis ( HR = 1.535, 95% CI: 1.294-1.819, P < 0.01), brain metastasis ( HR = 1.308, 95% CI: 1.117-1.532, P < 0.01), lung metastasis ( HR = 1.229, 95% CI: 1.056-1.431, P = 0.01), living in rural areas ( HR = 1.215, 95% CI: 1.084-1.363, P < 0.01), TNM staging Ⅳ ( HR = 1.155, 95% CI: 1.044-1.278, P = 0.01), postoperative radiotherapy ( HR = 1.148, 95% CI: 1.054-1.250, P < 0.01); lung adenocarcinoma patients with the above 11 factors had worse prognosis. Based on the variables, the nomogram predictive model was constructed to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year CSS rates of elderly advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients. Bootstrap method was used for repeated sampling for 1 000 times to verify the modeling effect of nomogram. In the model group, C-index was 0.654 (95% CI: 0.641-0.668), 0.666 (95% CI: 0.646-0.685), respectively in the training set and the validation set. The nomogram was drawn to predict ROC curves of 1-, 3-, and 5-year CSS rates for elderly advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients after operation in the training set and validation set; the area under the curve (AUC) of 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year CSS rates was 0.730 (95% CI: 0.708-0.754) and 0.689 (95% CI: 0.672-0.710), 0.687 (95% CI: 0.668-0.711) and 0.731 (95% CI: 0.697-0.765), 0.712 (95% CI:0.684-0.740) and 0.714 (95% CI: 0.683-0.745), respectively in the training and validation sets. The calibration curve showed a high consistency between the predicted probability of the model and the actual probability. Conclusions:The nomogram model constructed by optimal predictive variables for predicting the prognosis of elderly advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients after surgery may be a convenient tool for survival prediction of these patients.

OBJECTIVEIn the present study, we systemically evaluated the ability of two bioactive compounds from traditional Chinese medicine, celastrol and pristimerin, to enhance recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) serotype vector-mediated transgene expression both in human cell lines in vitro, and in murine hepatocytes in vivo.

METHODSHuman cell lines were infected with rAAV vectors with either mock treatment or treatment with celastrol or pristimerin. The transgene expression, percentage of nuclear translocated viral genomes and the ubiquitination of intracellular proteins were investigated post-treatment. In addition, nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient gamma (NSG) mice were tail vain-injected with rAAV vectors and co-administered with either dimethyl sulfoxide, celastrol, pristimerin or a positive control, bortezomib. The transgene expression in liver was detected and compared over time.

RESULTSWe observed that treatment with pristimerin, at as low as 1 μmol/L concentration, significantly enhanced rAAV2 vector-mediated transgene expression in vitro, and intraperitoneal co-administration with pristimerin at 4 mg/(kg·d) for 3 d dramatically facilitated viral transduction in murine hepatocytes in vivo. The transduction efficiency of the tyrosine-mutant rAAV2 vectors as well as that of rAAV8 vectors carrying oversized transgene cassette was also augmented significantly by pristimerin. The underlying molecular mechanisms by which pristimerin mediated the observed increase in the transduction efficiency of rAAV vectors include both inhibition of proteasomal degradation of the intracellular proteins and enhanced nuclear translocation of the vector genomes.

CONCLUSIONThese studies suggest the potential beneficial use of pristimerin and pristimerin-containing herb extract in future liver-targeted gene therapy with rAAV vectors.

Animals ; Cell Line ; Dependovirus ; genetics ; physiology ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; physiology ; Hepatocytes ; metabolism ; virology ; Humans ; Liver ; cytology ; metabolism ; virology ; Mice ; Transgenes ; drug effects ; Triterpenes ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVELittle effort has been made to study the protein-encoding genes isolated from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) drugs, and the delivery of these genes into malignant cells through recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors has not been attempted.

METHODSWe synthesized the cDNAs of five known cytotoxic proteins isolated from TCM drugs and the FLAG epitope-tagged cDNAs were subcloned into a rAAV plasmid vector. The protein expression was confirmed by Western blot assay. Various cancer cell lines were transfected with the above plasmids and cell growth was monitored both in vitro and in vivo. The best cytotoxic gene was further packaged into rAAV vectors, under the control of a liver cancer-specific promoter. The liver tumor growth was then monitored following intratumor administration of the rAAV vectors.

RESULTSThe expression plasmids, encoding individual potential cytotoxic genes tagged with FLAG epitope, were successfully generated and sequenced. Among these genes, trichosanthin (TCS) gene yielded the most promising results for the inhibition of cancer cell growth in vitro. The over-expressed TCS functioned as a type I ribosome-inactivating protein, followed by inducing apoptosis that is associated with the Bcl-PARP signaling pathway. Furthermore, intratumor injection of rAAV vectors containing the TCS gene significantly inhibited the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma tumors in a murine xenograft model.

CONCLUSIONOur studies suggest that the use of TCM cytotoxic genes is a useful therapeutic strategy for treating human cancers in general, and liver tumors in particular.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; physiology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA, Complementary ; Dependovirus ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Mice ; Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; Trichosanthin ; genetics ; pharmacology

Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) serotype 2, 3 and 8 vectors are the most promising liver-tropic AAV serotype vectors. Liver diseases are significant problems in China. However, to date, few studies on AAV neutralizing antibodies (Nabs) were working with the Chinese population or with the rAAV3 vectors. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of Nabs in Chinese population against wild-type AAV2, AAV3 and AAV8 capsids as well as additional two AAV3 variants. In addition, we performed a preliminary analysis to investigate the potential influence of traditional Chinese medicine body constitutions on AAV Nabs. Our work demonstrated that the majority of healthy Chinese subjects were positive for AAV Nabs, with the order of AAV2>AAV3=AAVLK03>AAV8. There was no difference between: 1) AAV3 and its variants; 2) male and female subjects; and 3) different age cohorts (≤35, 36-50, and ≥51 years old). People in the Qi-deficiency constitution had significantly increased AAV8 Nabs than people in the Gentleness constitution. Our studies may have impact on the future clinical design of AAV-based gene therapy in the Chinese population.
Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; blood ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Body Constitution ; Dependovirus ; classification ; immunology ; Female ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Liver ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Serogroup