121. Correlating structural properties with electrochemical behavior of non-graphitizable carbons in Na-ion batteriesBlaž Tratnik, Nigel Willy Van de Velde, Ivan Jerman, Gregor Kapun, Elena Tchernychova, Matija Tomšič, Andrej Jamnik, Boštjan Genorio, Alen Vižintin, Robert Dominko, 2022, original scientific article Published in DiRROS: 02.11.2022; Views: 662; Downloads: 356
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124. Maintenance and gene electrotransfer efficiency of antibiotic resistance gene-free plasmids encoding mouse, canine and human interleukin-12 orthologuesUrška Kamenšek, Andrej Renčelj, Tanja Jesenko, Tinkara Remic, Gregor Serša, Maja Čemažar, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is a cytokine used as a therapeutic molecule in cancer immunotherapy. Gene electrotransfer mediated delivery of IL-12 gene has reached clinical evaluation in the USA using a plasmid that in addition to IL- 12 gene also carry an antibiotic resistance gene needed for its production in bacteria. In Europe however, Eu- ropean Medicines Agency recommends against the use of antibiotics during the production of clinical grade plasmids. We have prepared several antibiotic resistance gene-free plasmids using an antibiotic-free selection strategy called operator-repressor titration, including plasmids encoding mouse, canine and human IL-12 orthologues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the maintenance of these plasmids in bacterial culture and test their transfection efficiency using gene electrotransfer. Plasmid maintenance was evaluated by determining plasmid yields and topologies after subculturing transformed bacteria. Transfection efficiency was evaluated by determining the plasmid copy number, expression and cytotoxicity after gene electrotransfer to mouse, canine and human melanoma cells. The results demonstrated that our IL-12 plasmids without an antibiotic resistance gene are stably maintained in bacteria and provide sufficient IL-12 expression after in vitro gene electrotransfer; therefore, they have the potential to proceed to further in vivo evaluation studies.
Keywords: electrotransfer, interleukin-12, immunotherapy, mammals
Published in DiRROS: 23.09.2022; Views: 570; Downloads: 264
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125. Tumor cell-based vaccine contributes to local tumor irradiation by eliciting a tumor model-dependent systemic immune responseTinkara Remic, Gregor Serša, Kristina Levpušček, Urša Lampreht Tratar, Katja Uršič Valentinuzzi, Andrej Cör, Urška Kamenšek, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Multimodal treatment approaches, such as radio-immunotherapy, necessitate regimen optimization and the investigation of the interactions of different modalities. The aim of this study was two-fold. Firstly, to select the most effective combination of irradiation and the previously developed tumor cell-based vaccine and then to provide insight into the immune response to the selected combinatorial treatment. The study was performed in immunologically different murine tumor models: B16F10 melanoma and CT26 colorectal carcinoma. The most effective combinatorial treatment was selected by comparing three different IR regimens and three different vaccination regimens. We determined the local immune response by investigating immune cell infiltration at the vaccination site and in tumors. Lastly, we determined the systemic immune response by investigating the amount of tumor-specific effector lymphocytes in draining lymph nodes. The selected most effective combinatorial treatment was 5× 5 Gy in combination with concomitant single-dose vaccination (B16F10) or with concomitant multi-dose vaccination (CT26). The combinatorial treatment successfully elicited a local immune response at the vaccination site and in tumors in both tumor models. It also resulted in the highest amount of tumor-specific effector lymphocytes in draining lymph nodes in the B16F10, but not in the CT26 tumor-bearing mice. However, the amount of tumor-specific effector lymphocytes was intrinsically higher in the CT26 than in the B16F10 tumor model. Upon the selection of the most effective combinatorial treatment, we demonstrated that the vaccine elicits an immune response and contributes to the antitumor efficacy of tumor irradiation. However, this interaction is multi-faceted and appears to be dependent on the tumor immunogenicity.
Keywords: experimental oncology, multimodal treatment, radio-imunotherapy
Published in DiRROS: 14.09.2022; Views: 549; Downloads: 286
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126. Quantitative imaging biomarkers of immune-related adverse events in immune-checkpoint blockade-treated metastatic melanoma patients : a pilot studyNežka Hribernik, Daniel T. Huff, Andrej Studen, Katarina Zevnik, Žan Klaneček, Hamid Emamekhoo, Katja Škalič, Robert Jeraj, Martina Reberšek, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Purpose: To develop quantitative molecular imaging biomarkers of immune-related adverse event (irAE) development in malignant melanoma (MM) patients receiving immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) imaged with 18F-FDG PET/CT. Methods: 18F-FDG PET/CT images of 58 MM patients treated with anti-PD-1 or anti-CTLA-4 ICI were retrospectively analyzed for indication of irAE. Three target organs, most commonly affected by irAE, were considered: bowel, lung, and thyroid. Patient charts were reviewed to identify which patients experienced irAE, irAE grade, and time to irAE diagnosis. Target organs were segmented using a convolutional neural network (CNN), and novel quantitative imaging biomarkers - SUV percentiles (SUVX%) of 18F-FDG uptake within the target organs - were correlated with the clinical irAE status. Area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to quantify irAE detection performance. Patients who did not experience irAE were used to establish normal ranges for target organ 18F-FDG uptake. Results: A total of 31% (18/58) patients experienced irAE in the three target organs: bowel (n=6), lung (n=5), and thyroid (n=9). Optimal percentiles for identifying irAE were bowel (SUV95%, AUROC=0.79), lung (SUV95%, AUROC=0.98), and thyroid (SUV75%, AUROC=0.88). Optimal cut-offs for irAE detection were bowel (SUV95%>2.7 g/mL), lung (SUV95%>1.7 g/mL), and thyroid (SUV75%>2.1 g/mL). Normal ranges (95% confidence interval) for the SUV percentiles in patients without irAE were bowel [1.74, 2.86 g/mL], lung [0.73, 1.46 g/mL], and thyroid [0.86, 1.99 g/mL]. Conclusions: Increased 18F-FDG uptake within irAE-affected organs provides predictive information about the development of irAE in MM patients receiving ICI and represents a potential quantitative imaging biomarker for irAE. Some irAE can be detected on 18F-FDG PET/CT well before clinical symptoms appear.
Keywords: melanoma, malignant melanoma, immune-checkpoint inhibitors, molecular imaging biomarkers
Published in DiRROS: 07.09.2022; Views: 520; Downloads: 151
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127. Non-clinical in vitro evaluation of antibiotic resistance gene-free plasmids encoding human or murine IL-12 intended for first-in-human clinical studyŠpela Kos, Maša Omerzel, Tanja Jesenko, Boštjan Markelc, Urška Kamenšek, Katarina Žnidar, Urška Matkovič, Andrej Renčelj, Gregor Serša, Rosana Hudej, Aneja Tuljak, Matjaž Peterka, Maja Čemažar, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is a key cytokine that mediates antitumor activity of immune cells. To fulfill its clinical potential, the development is focused on localized delivery systems, such as gene electrotransfer, which can provide localized delivery of IL-12 to the tumor microenvironment. Gene electrotransfer of the plasmid encoding human IL-12 is already in clinical trials in USA, demonstrating positive results in the treatment of melanoma patients. To comply with EU regulatory requirements for clinical application, which recommend the use of antibiotic resistance gene-free plasmids, we constructed and developed the production process for the clinical grade quality antibiotic resistance gene-free plasmid encoding human IL-12 (p21-hIL-12-ORT) and its ortholog encoding murine IL-12 (p21-mIL-12-ORT). To demonstrate the suitability of the p21-hIL-12-ORT or p21-mIL-12-ORT plasmid for the first-in-human clinical trial, the biological activity of the expressed transgene, its level of expression and plasmid copy number were determined in vitro in the human squamous cell carcinoma cell line FaDu and the murine colon carcinoma cell line CT26. The results of the non-clinical evaluation in vitro set the basis for further in vivo testing and evaluation of antitumor activity of therapeutic molecules in murine models as well as provide crucial data for further clinical trials of the constructed antibiotic resistance gene-free plasmid in humans.
Keywords: interleukin 12, gene electrotransfer, antibiotic resistance, plasmids
Published in DiRROS: 07.09.2022; Views: 502; Downloads: 296
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129. Teden gozdov 2022 : sodobna nega gozdaBoris Rantaša, Kristina Sever, Andreja Gregorič, Andrej Breznikar, Gal Fidej, Dušan Roženbergar, Jurij Diaci, 2022, popular article Keywords: Teden gozdov, nega, gozdovi, gozdarstvo, propaganda
Published in DiRROS: 11.08.2022; Views: 614; Downloads: 208
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130. Pomen analize dominantnih dreves za gozdnogospodarsko načrtovanje na primeru kisloljubnega bukovja z rebrenjačoAndrej Bončina, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Poznavanje razvoja dominantnega drevja je pomembno za spremljavo razvoja enomernih sestojev, določanje režima redčenj, ciljnih premerov drevesnih vrst in optimalnega razmerja razvojnih faz ter ocenjevanje produkcijske sposobnosti gozdnih rastišč. S podatki stalnih vzorčnih ploskev smo analizirali debelinsko in višinsko rast dominantnih dreves petih drevesnih vrst kisloljubnega bukovja z rebrenjačo (smreka, bukev, graden, rdeči bor in kostanj). Za vrste smo ocenili rastiščni produkcijski indeks (SPI), ki je dominanta višina drevja pri prsnem premeru 45 cm, rastiščni indeks (SI) in prikazali postopek določanja optimalnega razmerja razvojnih faz glede na drevesno sestavo sestojev ter odločitev o ciljnih premerih drevja in pomlajevanju sestojev. Vrednosti SPI za bukev, smreko, graden, rdeči bor in kostanj so 28,4; 31,1; 25,1; 26,1 in 23,2, vrednosti SI pa 27,9; 32,5; 20,9; 22,9 in 21,7. Optimalni deleži razvojnih faz so odvisni od izbrane drevesne sestave gozdov ter odločitev glede ciljnih premerov in pomlajevanja sestojev. Model debelinskega priraščanja bukve kaže, da na njeno debelinsko rast pozitivno vplivajo prsni premer, produktivnost rastišča in raznomernost sestojev, negativno pa delež bukve v sestoju, sestojna temeljnica in naklon terena.
Keywords: višinska rast, debelinska rast, rastiščni indeks, rastiščni produkcijski indeks, Fagus sylvatica, Picea abies, Quercus petraea, Pinus sylvestris, Castanea sativa
Published in DiRROS: 11.08.2022; Views: 816; Downloads: 219
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