在细胞里,转移质粒转录出携带目的基因(Gene of Interest,简称GOI)的HIV RNA基因组,与包装质粒表达出的衣壳结构蛋白、酶、调控蛋白组装成病毒颗粒后,转运到细胞膜内侧,形成包膜病毒分泌到胞外。膜蛋白质粒表达的VSV-G膜蛋白锚定在细胞膜上,随着病毒成熟,与细胞膜一起成为了病毒的膜。细胞短暂孵育后,收集上清,离心去除细胞碎片并过滤。
Abstract: Gene therapy is a promising method for treating inherited diseases by directly delivering the correct genetic material into patient cells. However, the limited packaging capacity of vectors poses a challenge. Minimizing promoter size is a viable strategy among various approaches to address this issue. This study aims to optimize the bovine myostatin (MSTN) promoter, enhancing its utility in gene therapy applications. We identified the primary driver of activity as the proximal regulatory region. Isolated from the native promoter and termed M243, this 243-bp sequence was assessed for its potential as a ubiquitous promoter. In a variety of cell types, including bovine embryos and embryonic stem cells, the M243 promoter showed consistent expression, highlighting its suitability for applications requiring compact promoters. The isolation of a highly conserved, compact 243-bp sequence serving as a promoter suggests a solution for overcoming the size constraints of AAV vectors, suggesting potential contributions to the field of gene therapy.
Abstract: Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) triggers tumor ferroptosis. However, most patients are unresponsive to ICB. Tumors might evade ferroptosis in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we discover SLC13A3 is an itaconate transporter in tumor cells and endows tumor ferroptosis resistance, diminishing tumor immunity and ICB efficacy. Mechanistically, tumor cells uptake itaconate via SLC13A3 from tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), thereby activating the NRF2-SLC7A11 pathway and escaping from immune-mediated ferroptosis. Structural modeling and molecular docking analysis identify a functional inhibitor for SLC13A3(SLC13A3i). Deletion of ACOD1 (an essential enzyme for itaconate synthesis) in macrophages, genetic ablation of SLC13A3 in tumors, or treatment with SLC13A3i sensitize tumors to ferroptosis, curb tumor progression, and bolster ICB effectiveness. Thus, we identify the interplay between tumors and TAMs via the SLC13A3-itaconate-NRF2-SLC7A11 axis as a previously unknown immune ferroptosis resistant mechanism in the TME and SLC13A3 as a promising immunometabolic target for treating SLC13A3+ cancer.
Abstract: Gliomas synaptically integrate into neural circuits. Previous research has demonstrated bidirectional interactions between neurons and glioma cells, with neuronal activity driving glioma growth and gliomas increasing neuronal excitability. Here we sought to determine how glioma-induced neuronal changes infuence neural circuits underlying cognition and whether these interactions infuence patient survival. Using intracranial brain recordings during lexical retrieval language tasks in awake humans together with site-specifc tumour tissue biopsies and cell biology experiments, we fnd that gliomas remodel functional neural circuitry such that task-relevant neural responses activate tumour-infltrated cortex well beyond the cortical regions that are normally recruited in the healthy brain. Site-directed biopsies from regions within the tumour that exhibit high functional connectivity between the tumour and the rest of the brain are enriched for a glioblastoma subpopulation that exhibits a distinct synaptogenic and neuronotrophic phenotype. Tumour cells from functionally connected regions secrete the synaptogenic factor thrombospondin-1, which contributes to the diferential neuron–glioma interactions observed in functionally connected tumour regions compared with tumour regions with less functional connectivity. Pharmacological inhibition of thrombospondin-1 using the FDA-approved drug gabapentin decreases glioblastoma proliferation. The degree of functional connectivity between glioblastoma and the normal brain negatively afects both patient survival and performance in language tasks. These data demonstrate that high-grade gliomas functionally remodel neural circuits in the human brain, which both promotes tumour progression and impairs cognition.