The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants and potentially other highly pathogenic sarbecoviruses in the future highlights the need for pan-sarbecovirus vaccines. Here, we discovered a new STING agonist, CF501, and found that CF501-adjuvanted RBD-Fc vaccine (CF501/RBD-Fc) elicited significantly stronger neutralizing antibody (nAb) and T cell responses than Alum- and cGAMP-adjuvanted RBD-Fc in mice. Vaccination of rabbits and rhesus macaques (nonhuman primates, NHPs) with CF501/RBD-Fc elicited exceptionally potent nAb responses against SARS-CoV-2 and its nine variants and 41 S-mutants, SARS-CoV and bat SARSr-CoVs. CF501/RBD-Fc-immunized hACE2-transgenic mice were almost completely protected against SARS-CoV-2 challenge, even 6 months after the initial immunization. NHPs immunized with a single dose of CF501/RBD-Fc produced high titers of nAbs. The immunized macaques also exhibited durable humoral and cellular immune responses and showed remarkably reduced viral load in the upper and lower airways upon SARS-CoV-2 challenge even at 108 days post the final immunization. Thus, CF501/RBD-Fc can be further developed as a novel pan-sarbecovirus vaccine to combat current and future outbreaks of sarbecovirus diseases.

Pyrvinium pamoate (PP) is a potent non-competitive inhibitor of the androgen receptor (AR). Using a novel method of target identification, we demonstrate that AR is a direct target of PP in prostate cancer cells. We demonstrate that PP inhibits AR activity via the highly conserved DNA binding domain (DBD), the only AR inhibitor that functions via this domain. Furthermore, computational modeling predicts that pyrvinium binds at the interface of the DBD dimer and the minor groove of the AR response element. Because PP acts through the DBD, PP is able to inhibit the constitutive activity of AR splice variants, which are thought to contribute to the growth of castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). PP also inhibits androgen-independent AR activation by HER2 kinase. The anti-androgen activity of pyrvinium manifests in the ability to inhibit the in vivo growth of CRPC xenografts that express AR splice variants. Interestingly, PP was most potent in cells with endogenous AR expression derived from prostate or bone. PP was able to inhibit several other hormone nuclear receptors (NRs), but not structurally unrelated transcription factors. PP inhibition of other NRs was similarly cell-type selective. Using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, we demonstrate that the cell-type specificity of PP manifests in tissue-selective inhibition of AR activity in mice, as PP decreases prostate weight and bone mineral density, but does not affect lean body mass. Our results suggest that the non-competitive AR inhibitor pyrvinium has significant potential to treat CRPC, including cancers driven by ligand-independent AR signaling.

Formation and repair of platinum (Pt)-induced DNA adducts is a critical step in Pt drug-mediated cytotoxicity. Measurement of Pt–DNA adduct kinetics in tumors may be useful for better understanding chemoresistance and therapeutic response. However, this concept has yet to be rigorously tested because of technical challenges in measuring the adducts at low concentrations and consistent access to sufficient tumor biopsy material. Ultrasensitive accelerator mass spectrometry was used to detect [14C]carboplatin–DNA monoadducts at the attomole level, which are the precursors to Pt–DNA crosslink formation, in six cancer cell lines as a proof-of-concept. The most resistant cells had the lowest monoadduct levels at all time points over 24 hr. [14C]Carboplatin “microdoses" (1/100th the pharmacologically effective concentration) had nearly identical adduct formation and repair kinetics compared to therapeutically relevant doses, suggesting that the microdosing approach can potentially be used to determine the pharmacological effects of therapeutic treatment. Some of the possible chemoresistance mechanisms were also studied, such as drug uptake/efflux, intracellular inactivation and DNA repair in selected cell lines. Intracellular inactivation and efficient DNA repair each contributed significantly to the suppression of DNA monoadduct formation in the most resistant cell line compared to the most sensitive cell line studied (p < 0.001). Nucleotide excision repair (NER)-deficient and - proficient cells showed substantial differences in carboplatin monoadduct concentrations over 24 hr that likely contributed to chemoresistance. The data support the utility of carboplatin microdosing as a translatable approach for defining carboplatin–DNA monoadduct formation and repair, possibly by NER, which may be useful for characterizing chemoresistance in vivo.

The current results indicate that RNA-seq of CTCs representing abiraterone and enzalutamide sensitive and resistant states can identify potential mechanisms of resistance. Therapies targeting the downstream signaling mediated by SMAD family member 3 (SMAD3) and CCND1, such as cyclin-dependent kinase 4/cyclin-dependent kinase 6 inhibitors, could provide new therapeutic options for the treatment of antiandrogen-resistant disease. Cancer 2018;124:1216-24. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Background This study aims to determine the feasibility of identifying circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with high-risk, localized prostate cancer (HRLPC), using a modified isolation procedure on the CellSearch platform, and to assess the expression of stem cell and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers on the CTCs. Methods Thirty five patients with HRLPC who had chosen prostatectomy for definitive management were prospectively identified. After obtaining consent, four 30mL blood draws were performed, two prior to surgery and two following surgery. The CTC-containing fraction was Ficoll purified and transferred to a CellSave tube containing dilution buffer prior to standard enumeration using the CellSearch system. Loss of E-Cadherin expression, a marker of EMT, and CD133, a putative prostate cancer stem cell marker, were characterized using the open channel on the CellSearch platform. CTC fragments were also enumerated. Results Using the modified methodology, CTCs were detectable in 49% of patients prior to surgery. While no correlation between CTC count and biochemical recurrence (BR) was observed, the percentages of CD133 and E-Cadherin positive CTC fragments were associated with BR at one year. Conclusion Our results suggest that further research into the development of CTCs as prognostic biomarkers in HRLPC is warranted.