Objective To construct two DNA vaccines encoding Gag-Env fusion protein and Tat-Rev-Integrase(C-half)-Vif-Nef fusion protein derived from the first HIV-1 CRF01_AE isolate(AE2f) in Chi-na and to evaluate the immunogenicity in mice. Methods Two DNA vaccines were constructed by inserting the codon optimized and synthesized gag-env fusion gene and tat-rev-integrase(c-half)-vif-nef fusion gene de-rived from AE2f into mammalian expression vector pDRVISV1. 0, the generated DNA vaccines were desig-nated as pSVAE/GE and pSVAE/TRIVN, respectively, and their in vitro expression were determined by Western blot with transfected 293T cells. Mice were i. m. immunized with either pDRVI1.0 as mock control, pSVAE/GE or pSYAE/TRIVN for 4 times at two-week interval. Two weeks following the final im-munization, cellular responses to pool of HIV-1 Env, Gag, Tat, Rev, Intergrase, Vif and Nef peptides were evaluated by ELISPOT assay. Results The construction of DNA vaccine pSVAE/GE and pSVAE/TRIVN was validated by restriction enzyme digestion and bidirectional sequencing. Western blot showed a specific band at molecular mass 220×10~3 in lane of pSVAE/GE transfeeted 293T cell and a specific band at 95×10~3 in the lane of pSVAE/TRIVN. Both DNA vaccines mounted significant specific T cell responses with (3010 ± 566) SFC/10~6 splenocytes for DNA vaccine pSV AE/GE and (948 ± 737) SFC/10~6 spleno-cytes for DNA vaccine pSVAE/TRIVN, whereas the mock control of pDRVISV1.0 only raised marginal T cell responses. Conclusion Both pSVAE/GE and pSVAE/TRIVN were capable of expressing the inserted fusion immunogen genes and able to elicit vigorous cellular immune responses, therefore, these DNA vac-cines are highly immunogenic.

Retinal pigment epithelium(RPE)has essential functions,such as nourishing and sup-porting the neural retina,and is of vital importance in the pathogenesis of age-related retinal degen-eration.However,the exact molecular changes of RPE during aging remain poorly understood.Here,we isolated human primary RPE(hRPE)cells from 18 eye donors distributed over a wide age range(10-67 years old).A quantitative proteomic analysis was performed to analyze changes in their intracellular and secreted proteins.Age-group related subtypes and age-associated proteins were revealed and potential age-associated mechanisms were validated in ARPE-19 and hRPE cells.The results of proteomic data analysis and verifications suggest that RNF123-and RNF149-related protein ubiquitination plays an important role in protecting hRPE cells from oxidative damage dur-ing aging.In older hRPE cells,apoptotic signaling-related pathways were up-regulated,and endo-plasmic reticulum organization was down-regulated both in the intracellular and secreted proteomes.Our work paints a detailed molecular picture of hRPE cells during the aging process and provides new insights into the molecular characteristics of RPE during aging and under other related clinical retinal conditions.

Objective:To analyze the fail mode of neoadjuvant therapy combined with surgery for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after long-term follow-up.Methods:Clinical data of consecutive 238 patients with locally advanced resectable ESCC who underwent neoadjuvant therapy combined with surgery in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from September 2012 to October 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The failure mode in the whole cohort was analyzed after long-term follow-up. The overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) rates were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method. Survival differences were determined by log-rank test.Results:The pathological complete response (pCR) rate was 42.0% in 238 patients. After a median follow-up of 46.1 months, tumor progression occurred in 96 patients (40.3%), including 25 patients (10.5%) with local recurrence, 61 patients (25.6%) with distant metastases, and 10 patients (4.2%) with simultaneous local recurrence and distant metastases. The median OS and DFS were 64.7 months and 49.9 months. And the 3-, 5-, and 7-year OS and DFS rates were 70.0%, 52.8%, 36.4% and 63.5%, 42.5%, and 30.0%, respectively. The 3-, 5-, and 7-year locoregional recurrence-free survival rates and distant metastasis-free survival rates were 86.0%, 71.4%, 61.2% and 70.6%, 55.9%, 43.0%. Compared with non-pCR patients, the overall progression rate and distant metastasis rate of pCR patients were lower (26.0% vs. 50.7%, 16.0% vs. 32.6%, both P<0.05). And the 3-, 5-, and 7-year OS (83.0% vs. 60.2%, 69.7% vs. 41.7%, 50.4% vs. 27.7%, all P<0.001) and DFS rates (80.4% vs. 51.4%, 63.9% vs. 31.2%, 45.9% vs. 20.3%, all P<0.001) were significantly better in pCR patients. Conclusions:Distant metastasis is the main failure mode of patients with locally advanced ESCC after neoadjuvant therapy. Patients with postoperative pCR can achieve better long-term survival.