Intervention in chronically activated microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is a novel approach to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). The low permeability of the blood‒brain barrier (BBB) and non-selective distribution in the brain severely restrict AD drugs' disease-modifying efficacy. Here, an immunosuppressant TREM2-lowing antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and resveratrol co-loaded cationic liposome is developed as an immune reprogramming nanomodulator modified by acid-cleavable BBB-targeting peptide and microglia-targeting peptide (Res@TcMNP/ASO) for AD management. Res@TcMNP/ASO can enter brain endothelial cells via D-T7 peptides. Then D-T7 undergoes an acid-responsive cleavage, facilitating the escape of Res@MNP/ASO from endo/lysosomes to cross the BBB. The detached Res@MNP/ASO specifically targets M1-phenotype microglia via exposed MG1 peptides to prompt the simultaneous delivery of two drugs into activated microglia. This nanomodulator can not only restore the immune function of microglia through TREM2-lowing ASO but also mitigate the immune stimulation to microglia caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) through resveratrol, thereby synergistically inhibiting the chronic activation of microglia to alleviate neuroinflammation in AD. Our results indicate that this combination treatment can achieve significant behavioral and cognitive improvements in late APP/PS1 mice.

Objective:To establish a high performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detector(HPLC-ELSD)technique for simultaneous determining the content of excipients sucrose and mannitol in meningo-coccal polysaccharide vaccine.Methods:Using NanoChrom Sugar-10Ca analytical column(300 mm × 7.8 mm)and HPLC system(Agilent 1260).With purified water as the mobile phase,a flow rate of 0.5 mL·min-1,column temperature was 80 ℃,and the injection volume was 50 μL.The evaporative light detector was based on nitrogen.The carrier gas flow rate is 3.2 L·min-1,the temperature of drift tube was 1 10 ℃,the gain value was 1,and the impactor was"mode 1".This assay was subsequently validated for its system suitability,specificity,repeatability,intermediate precision and linearity,and accuracy.The established method was used to assay the contents of the sucrose and mannitol in four batches of meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine.Results:The estab-lished HPLC-ELSD method showed good systemic suitability.Specificity validation showed that there was no inter-ference peak in the blank solvent;the separation of the target peaks between sucrose and mannitol was＞2.0.The relative standard deviations(RSD)value of peak area of sucrose and mannitol in six tests were 0.44％and 0.38％,respectively.RSD of intermediate precision of both sucrose and mannitol were lower than 2.00％,indica-ting that the precision of high performance liquid chromatography instrument was well.The linear range of two excipients were 12.5-150.0 μg·mL-1(R2＞0.99,respectively).The recovery rate of sucrose and mannitol were 95.74％-99.33％,94.37％-98.85％,respectively.There was no significant difference in the contents of sucrose and mannitol in 4 batches of meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine.Conclusion:The HPLC-ELSD method showed good specificity,precision,linearity and accuracy,and the test results were stable and reliable,so that it is suitable for simultaneous determination of sucrose and mannitol contents of meningococcal polysaccharide injections.

Objective:To establish a high performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detector(HPLC-ELSD)technique for simultaneous determining the content of excipients sucrose and mannitol in meningo-coccal polysaccharide vaccine.Methods:Using NanoChrom Sugar-10Ca analytical column(300 mm × 7.8 mm)and HPLC system(Agilent 1260).With purified water as the mobile phase,a flow rate of 0.5 mL·min-1,column temperature was 80 ℃,and the injection volume was 50 μL.The evaporative light detector was based on nitrogen.The carrier gas flow rate is 3.2 L·min-1,the temperature of drift tube was 1 10 ℃,the gain value was 1,and the impactor was"mode 1".This assay was subsequently validated for its system suitability,specificity,repeatability,intermediate precision and linearity,and accuracy.The established method was used to assay the contents of the sucrose and mannitol in four batches of meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine.Results:The estab-lished HPLC-ELSD method showed good systemic suitability.Specificity validation showed that there was no inter-ference peak in the blank solvent;the separation of the target peaks between sucrose and mannitol was＞2.0.The relative standard deviations(RSD)value of peak area of sucrose and mannitol in six tests were 0.44％and 0.38％,respectively.RSD of intermediate precision of both sucrose and mannitol were lower than 2.00％,indica-ting that the precision of high performance liquid chromatography instrument was well.The linear range of two excipients were 12.5-150.0 μg·mL-1(R2＞0.99,respectively).The recovery rate of sucrose and mannitol were 95.74％-99.33％,94.37％-98.85％,respectively.There was no significant difference in the contents of sucrose and mannitol in 4 batches of meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine.Conclusion:The HPLC-ELSD method showed good specificity,precision,linearity and accuracy,and the test results were stable and reliable,so that it is suitable for simultaneous determination of sucrose and mannitol contents of meningococcal polysaccharide injections.

A major challenge facing photodynamic therapy (PDT) is that the activity of the immune-induced infiltrating CD8⁺ T cells is subject to the regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs), leaving the tumor at risk of recurrence and metastasis after the initial ablation. To augment the antitumor response and reprogram the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), a supramolecular photodynamic nanoparticle (DACss) is constructed by the host-guest interaction between demethylcantharidin-conjugated β-cyclodextrin (DMC-CD) and amantadine-terminated disulfide-conjugated FFVLGGGC peptide with chlorin e6 decoration (Ad-ss-pep-Ce6) to achieve intelligent delivery of photosensitizer and immunomodulator for breast cancer treatment. The acid-labile β-carboxamide bond of DMC-CD is hydrolyzed in response to the acidic TME, resulting in the localized release of DMC and subsequent inhibition of Tregs. The guest molecule Ad-ss-pep-Ce6 can be cleaved by a high level of intracellular GSH, reducing photosensitizer toxicity and increasing photosensitizer retention in the tumor. With a significant increase in the CTL/Treg ratio, the combination of Ce6-based PDT and DMC-mediated immunomodulation adequately achieved spatiotemporal regulation and remodeling of the TME, as well as improved primary tumor and in situ lung metastasis suppression with the aid of PD-1 antibody.

Purpose: Higher neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLRs) indicate a pro-inflammatory state and are associated with poor survival. Conversely, higher albumin-globulin ratio (AGRs) may be associated with improved prognosis. We aimed to investigate the association between NLR and AGR and prognosis and survival in patients with breast cancer. Methods: This retrospective study included all patients with stage I–III breast cancer between 2011 and 2017 in Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Center Singapore.Multivariate logistic regression analysis of NLR, AGR, age, stage, grade, and subtype was performed. Survival data between groups were compared using Cox regression analysis and log-rank tests. Results: A total of 1,188 patients were included, of whom 323 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and 865 underwent upfront surgery. In patients who underwent NACT, a higher AGR was significantly associated with a higher pCR rate (cut-off > 1.28; odds ratio [OR], 2.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–3.74; p = 0.020), better DFS (cut off > 1.55; hazard ratio [HR], 0.37; 95% CI, 0.16–0.85; p = 0.019), and better CSS (cut off > 1.46; HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.17–0.92; p = 0.031). Higher NLR was significantly associated with worse DFS (cut off > 4.09; HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.07–2.91; p = 0.026) and worse CSS (cut off > 4.09; HR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.11–3.53; p = 0.021). In patients who underwent upfront surgery, higher AGR correlated with significantly better OS (cut off > 1.17; HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.36–0.82; p = 0.004) and higher NLR correlated with worse OS (cut off > 2.38; HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.09–2.44; p = 0.018). Conclusion NLR and AGR are useful in predicting the response to NACT as well as prognosis of patients with breast cancer. Further studies are needed to explore their value in clinical decision making.

As known, the benefits of photothermal therapy (PTT) are greatly limited by the heat tolerance of cancer cells resulting from overexpressed heat shock proteins (HSPs). Then HSPs further trigger the formation of stress granules (SGs) that regulate protein expression and cell viability under various stress conditions. Inhibition of SG formation can sensitize tumor cells to PTT. Herein, we developed PEGylated pH (low) insertion peptide (PEG-pHLIP)-modified hollow copper sulfide nanoparticles (HCuS NPs) encapsulating the SG inhibitor ISRIB, with the phase-change material lauric acid (LA) as a gate-keeper, to construct a pH-driven and NIR photo-responsive controlled smart drug delivery system (IL@H-PP). The nanomedicine could specifically target slightly acidic tumor sites. Upon irradiation, IL@H-PP realized PTT, and the light-controlled release of ISRIB could effectively inhibit the formation of PTT-induced SG to sensitize tumor cells to PTT, thereby increasing the antitumor effect and inducing potent immunogenic cell death (ICD). Moreover, IL@H-PP could promote the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), repolarizing them towards the M1 phenotype and remodeling the immunosuppressive microenvironment. In vitro/vivo results revealed the potential of PTT combined with SG inhibitors, which provides a new paradigm for antitumor and anti-metastases.

Considering that photodynamic therapy (PDT)-induced oxygen consumption and microvascular damage could exacerbate hypoxia to drive more glycolysis and angiogenesis, a novel approach to potentiate PDT and overcome the resistances of hypoxia is avidly needed. Herein, morpholine-modified PEGylated bilirubin was proposed to co-deliver chlorin e6, a photosensitizer, and diclofenac (Dc). In acidic milieu, the presence of morpholine could enable the nanocarriers to selectively accumulate in tumor cells, while PDT-generated reactive oxidative species (ROS) resulted in the collapse of bilirubin nanoparticles and rapid release of Dc. Combining with Dc showed a higher rate of apoptosis over PDT alone and simultaneously triggered a domino effect, including blocking the activity and expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), interfering with lactate secretion, suppressing the activation of various angiogenic factors and thus obviating hypoxia-induced resistance-glycolysis and angiogenesis. In addition, inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) by Dc alleviated hypoxia-induced resistance. This study offered a sequentially responsive platform to achieve sufficient tumor enrichment, on-demand drug release and superior anti-tumor outcomes in vitro and in vivo.

Objective: To investigate the in vitro antibacterial activity of triclosan combined with different antibacterial agents against triclosan-resistant multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (A.baumannii). Methods: A total of 626 A. baumannii strains were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from 2016 to 2017. The sensitivity of these A. baumannii strains to common antibiotics was detected by VITEK 2-compact automatical microbiological analyzer and the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of triclosan were detected by agar dilution method. Checkerboard method was used to detect the changes in MIC values of triclosan against 16 triclosan-resistant multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains after it was used in combination with four external ointments, including gentamicin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol and kanamycin, and three common antibiotics of imipenem, meropenem and ciprofloxacin, respectively. Fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) was used to evaluate the joint bacteriostatic effects. Results: Among the 626 A. baumannii strains, 17 were resistant to triclosan with a drug resistance rate of 2.7% (17/626). These triclosan-resistant strains had high MIC values for ciprofloxacin, imipenem, ceftazidime and other commonly used clinical antibiotic and most of them were multidrug-resistant. After triclosan was used in combination with seven different antibacterial drugs, the MIC values of all drugs decreased to various degrees compared with those when they were used alone. Triclosan in combination with gentamicin, chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin showed synergistic effects on 62.5%, 56.25% and 62.5% of the 16 strains and additive effects on 37.5%, 43.75% and 37.5%, respectively. When it was used in combination with erythromycin, kanamycin, imipenem and meropenem, synergistic effects on 37.5%, 25%, 12.5% and 12.5%, additive effects on 37.5%, 56.25%, 62.5% and 62.5%, and indifferent effects on 25%, 18.75%, 25% and 25% of the strains were detected, respectively. No antagonistic effect was found between triclosan and any of the above antibiotics. Conclusions Triclosan combined with gentamicin, chloramphenicol and ciprofloxacin had better in vitro antibacterial effects against the triclosan-resistant multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains in this study with synergistic and additive effects. Some indifferent effects were found between triclosan and kanamycin, erythromycin, imipenem and meropenem, but no antagonistic effects were detected.

Objective To investigate the chlorhexidine acetate-resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae ( K. pneumoniae) clinical isolates and to analyze the possible mechanisms and molecular epidemiology of re-sistant isolates. Methods A total of 332 K. pneumoniae clinical isolates were collected in the First Affilia-ted Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University in 2015. Standard agar dilution was used to screen chlorhexidine acetate-resistant isolates. The minimum inhibition concentrations ( MIC) of chlorhexidine acetate to resistant isolates with and without the presence of carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone ( CCCP) , which was an efflux pump inhibitor, were analyzed. Efflux pump genes of cepA, qacE and qacΔE1 that carried by and ex-pressed in those isolates were detected by polymerase chain reaction ( PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR ( RT-qPCR) , respectively. The biofilm formation ability was measured by crystal violet staining. The homol-ogy among the chlorhexidine acetate-resistant isolates was investigated with multilocus sequence typing ( MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis ( PFGE) . Results Twenty-five K. pneumoniae strains were re-sistant to chlorhexidine acetate. The MIC values of chlorhexidine acetate for them were reduced by at least four-fold in the presence of CCCP. Strains carrying the genes of cepA, qacE and qacΔE1 accounted for 100％, 40％ and 40％, respectively. The expression of the efflux pump genes in the chlorhexidine acetate-resistant isolates was higher than that in the susceptible isolates. The biofilm formation ability of the chlo-rhexidine acetate-resistant isolates was better than that of the susceptible isolates. Furthermore, negative, weak-positive and positive biofilm formation ability was observed in four ( 16％) , 20 ( 80％) and one (4％) strains, respectively. The results of MLST and PFGE showed that the 25 chlorhexidine acetate-resist-ant isolates belonged to 19 different sequence types ( ST) with diverse PFGE patterns. Conclusions This study suggested that active efflux was the main mechanism of chlorhexidine acetate resistance in K. pneumoni-ae. The 25 chlorhexidine acetate-resistant K. pneumoniae strains possessed different biofilm formation ability and shared low homology.

Objective: To evaluate the in vitro antibiotic effects of colistin combined with meropenem, levofloxacin or fosfomycin against colistin-heteroresistant Acinetobacter baumannii (A.baumannii). Methods: A total of 576 A. baumannii clinical isolates were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from 2014 to 2015. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of colistin against A. baumannii were detected by broth dilution method. Colistin-heteroresistant A. baumannii isolates were screened using population analysis profiles (PAPs). MICs of colistin combined with meropenem, levofloxacin or fosfomycin, and the four drugs used alone against colistin-heteroresistant A. baumannii were detected by checkerboard method and broth dilution method. Fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) was calculated to evaluate antibiotic effects. Results: None of the 576 A. baumannii isolates was resistant to colistin as indicated by the broth dilution method. Nine colistin-heteroresistant A. baumannii isolates were identified using PAPs. Compared with the MICs of colistin used alone, the MICs of colistin used in combination with meropenem, levofloxacin or fosfomycin against colistin-heteroresistant isolates were all decreased. Colistin-meropenem combination showed synergistic (55.6%), additive (33.3%) and indifferent effects (11.1%), but no antagonistic effect. Colistin-levofloxacin combination showed synergistic (55.6%), additive (22.2%) and indifferent effects (22.2%), but no antagonistic effect. Colistin-fosfomycin combination showed synergistic (77.8%) and additive (22.2%) effects, but no indifferent or antagonistic effect. Conclusion In vitro use of colistin in combination with meropenem, levofloxacin or fosfomycin has synergistic and additive antibacterial effects against colistin-heteroresistant A. baumannii. Combinations of colistin-meropenem and colistin-levofloxacin have fewer indifferent effects and no antagonistic effect.