RIGI, TLR7, and TLR3 Genes Were Predicted to Have Immune Response Against Avian Influenza in Indigenous Ducks

Avian influenza is a disease with every possibility to evolve as a human-to-human pandemic arising out of frequent mutations and genetic reassortment or recombination of avian influenza (AI) virus. The greatest concern is that till date, no satisfactory medicine or vaccines are available, leading to massive culling of poultry birds, causing huge economic loss and ban on export of chicken products, which emphasizes the need to develop an alternative strategy for control of AI. In the current study, we attempt to explore the molecular mechanism of innate immune potential of ducks against avian influenza. In the present study, we have characterized immune response molecules such as duck TLR3, TLR7, and RIGI that are predicted to have potent antiviral activities against the identified strain of avian influenza through in silico studies (molecular docking) followed by experimental validation with differential mRNA expression analysis. Future exploitation may include immunomodulation with the recombinant protein, and transgenic or gene-edited chicken resistant to bird flu.

Immunohistochemical Characterisation of GLUT1, MMP3 and NRF2 in Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is an aggressive bone malignancy. Unlike many other malignancies, OSA outcomes have not improved in recent decades. One challenge to the development of better diagnostic and therapeutic methods for OSA has been the lack of well characterized experimental model systems. Spontaneous OSA in dogs provides a good model for the disease seen in people and also remains an important veterinary clinical challenge. We recently used RNA sequencing and qRT-PCR to provide a detailed molecular characterization of OSA relative to non-malignant bone in dogs. We identified differential mRNA expression of the solute carrier family 2 member 1 (SLC2A1/GLUT1), matrix metallopeptidase 3 (MMP3) and nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (NFE2L2/NRF2) genes in canine OSA tissue in comparison to paired non-tumor tissue. Our present work characterizes protein expression of GLUT1, MMP3 and NRF2 using immunohistochemistry. As these proteins affect key processes such as Wnt activation, heme biosynthesis, glucose transport, understanding their expression and the enriched pathways and gene ontologies enables us to further understand the potential molecular pathways and mechanisms involved in OSA. This study further supports spontaneous OSA in dogs as a model system to inform the development of new methods to diagnose and treat OSA in both dogs and people.

Prolactin receptor regulates the seasonal reproduction of striped hamsters

Summary In this study, differential mRNA expression patterns of prolactin receptor (PRLR) in the hypothalamus and gonads, and the correlation with follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in striped hamster serum from spring, summer, autumn and winter were analyzed. Mature female and male striped hamsters in oestrus were used. Expression levels of PRLR in the hypothalamus, ovaries and testis from the summer and winter individuals were significantly higher compared with levels from the spring and autumn, whereas FSH and LH serum concentrations from summer and winter individuals were significantly lower compared with that from the spring and autumn. PRLR expression levels in hypothalamus, ovaries and testis were negatively correlated with FSH and LH serum concentrations, illustrating that PRLR might negatively regulate seasonal reproductive activity. PRLR expression levels in ovaries and testes were significantly higher compared with levels in the hypothalamus, suggesting that the regulative effects of PRLR in gonads might be significantly higher compared with that in the hypothalamus. Furthermore, PRLR expression levels from the spring, summer, autumn and winter seasons in the hypothalamus and gonads were significantly higher in females compared with levels in males, indicating that the regulative effect of PRLR might be sex dependent. Taken together, this study helps to understand in depth the seasonal regulative reproduction mechanism of striped hamsters to reasonably control population abundance.

Differential expression of melanoma-associated antigen A3/6 and associated immune molecules prior to and post treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in patients with mUC.

433 Background: MAGE is an attractive target for IO given its expression restricted to carcinomas and the testes. Engineered T-cell targeting MAGE A3/6 has shown promise. However, successful treatment is dependent on circumventing the potentially hostile immune microenvironment in metastatic tumors. In this study, we aim to assess the effects of ICI on the immune microenvironment in patients who progressed on ICI. Methods: We obtained FFPE tissue from 16 patients with mUC across 3 institutions. Samples from the primary or metastatic tumor prior to treatment with PD1/PD-L1 inhibitors (ICI) were paired with samples from metastatic sites post-treatment. Differential mRNA expression was assessed using NanoString PanCancerIO360 panel for the main genes of interest ( MAGEA3/6, CD274, HLADP, HLAA, B2M and PDCD1) in addition to immune profiling of the tumor samples. Also, IHC was done on the paired samples to assess DE for the genes of interest using an H-score analyzed via the paired T-test. p-values <0.05 were considered significant and FDR corrected. Results: MAGEA3/A6 mRNA expression was unchanged in the post-treatment samples. In addition, time to progression was not influenced by the mRNA DE. Similarly, IHC expression was not decreased post-treatment. The other genes of interest were also similarly expressed pre and post treatment. Immune cell localization genes CPA3,TPSAB1/B2, HDC, MS4A2 were significantly downregulated post treatment. Genes implicated in cancer cell killing ( MX1,KIT) were similarly downegulated whereas CD276, TLR1 were upregulated. Expression in the post treatment tissue of PTPN1, CES3, ACVR1C, and BAD were associated with increased progression. LY9, PTPRC, CTLA4, HLA-DMA, IL10RA, HLA-DMB, ITGAL, CD48 were associated with decreased progression. Conclusions: Prior ICI treatment does not decrease expression of MAGE A3/6, suggesting that salvage treatments targeting this antigen remain a viable strategy. Suggestion of immune microenvironment alterations were also noted. More work is necessary to understanding the tumor microenvironment in order to design rational treatment combinations and sequences.